Link

Deep Learning About Deep Learning

John Martellaro ·

The terms artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and deep learning are often confused or interchanged. Friday’s Particle Debris links to an article by a researcher who explains the differences. With that background in hand, PD looks at some intriguing research in the field, including research robots that beg for their lives.

Podcast

TMO Background Mode Interview with NightCap Camera Developer Chris Wood

John Martellaro · · Add Comment

Chris Wood is the developer of the iOS photography app called NightCap Camera, an app that specializes in low-light photography, be it terrestrial or astronomical. Chris told me the story about his technial evolution as a developer, coming out of a M.S. degree and the IT, database and network world. It was the allure of the original iPhone’s graphics that whetted his appetite for programming in Objective-C . His big break came with the iPad 2 which had a fairly strong graphics processor (for its time). That led to the development of the acclaimed iPad app called Camera Boost. Later, the experience Chris gained led to the NightCap app and its descendant NightCap Camera. Chris and I chatted about the evolution and capabilities of this excellent app that even novice photographers should own.

Link

Apple Books is a Love Letter to Readers

Andrew Orr ·

I previously wrote about how Apple Books has greatly improved in iOS 12, and Ryan Christoffel agrees in his own rundown of Apple Books as a love letter to readers.

Apple could have easily taken the look of apps like Music and Podcasts and slapped it on Books, and it would have been fine. The company did nothing of the sort, though; instead, Apple Books offers one of the most drastic departures from existing iOS design norms available on the platform…

Books’ design isn’t entirely foreign to other iOS apps – there are some similarities, such as the abundant use of white space – but overall its differences far outweigh any commonalities. And those differences prove that there’s still plenty of room to expand the accepted design norms on iOS.

Link

TSMC Hit with WannaCry Virus, Shut Down Chip Production

Jeff Gamet ·

Apple iPhone processor maker TSMC was knocked to its knees over the weekend when the WannaCry computer ransomware virus infected fabrication tools. The virus left the equipment unusable while it was being removed. Bloomberg reports,

TSMC said that 80 percent of the fabrication tools affected by a virus outbreak Friday evening had been restored and that it expects full recovery on Monday. The Taiwanese company said the incident, which comes as it ramps up chipmaking for Apple Inc.’s next iPhones, would delay shipments, without specifying which customers would be affected. Its shares fell more than 1 percent in Taipei.

Odds are TSMC is prioritizing Apple, so we probably won’t see much of an impact on iPhone availability when new models ship this fall. TSMC’s other clients, however, probably won’t fare as well.

Cool Stuff Found

Patrick Stewart Playing Jean-Luc Picard in New Star Trek Series

Jeff Gamet ·

Hold on to your photon torpedos, kids, because Patrick Stewart will be starring in a new Star Trek series as Jean-Luc Picard. Stewart broke the news at the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas over the weekend, and what we know so far is it takes place 20 years after the last Star Trek: The Next Generation movie. The series in the early development stages, so Stewart doesn’t even know if Picard will still be a starship captain, or doing something entirely different. Like Star Trek: Discovery, the Picard-based series will be on the CBS All Access subscription service. A launch date hasn’t been announced yet.