OpenAI’s DALL·E 2 is imagination meets AI image generation

It's Thursday, April 07, 2022.

The OpenAI consortium has unveiled the next iteration of DALL·E, a multimodal AI that could generate rudimental, low-res images from a text-based prompt. This time around, the system is capable of generating images at higher resolution and with lower latency than the original. They’re also eminently more shareable and impressive — check the AI’s Instagram account right here.

OpenAI

DALL·E 2 uses OpenAI's CLIP image recognition system and adds the ability for users to edit the results. They can now select and edit areas of existing images, add or remove elements, mash together two images into a single collage and generate further variations of an existing image. What's more, the output images are 1,024 pixel squares, up from the 256 x 256-pixel canvases generated by the original version. Unlike the first, which anybody could play with on the OpenAI website, this new version is currently limited to vetted partners who are also constrained in their uploads and creations. The consortium is trying to keep it all family-friendly, too.

Anyone interested in collaborating with DALL·E 2 can register for the waitlist here.

— Mat Smith

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The Peloton Guide wouldn’t let me skip a single push-up

The connected camera is a simple but persistent workout monitor.

Engadget

Peloton’s Guide, a $295 movement-tracking camera that brings strength training to the company’s fitness offering, is finally available to purchase. Before you do that, check out some early first impressions. For people like me, who loathe cardio, it could be a high-tech way to add some scrutiny and guidance to your bodyweight (and weight-lifting) workouts. Expect the detailed, polished interface of a Peloton product, even if I wish the Guide could share a little more, well, guidance.

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Police reports suggest a larger pattern of AirTag stalking

Fifty women in eight jurisdictions called the cops about unwanted trackers.

A report from Motherboard, based on police data, suggests that bad actors are using Apple’s AirTag to track people without their consent. Motherboard received 150 reports from eight police departments and found that, in 50 cases, women called the cops after receiving notifications suggesting someone was tracking them with an AirTag or they heard the device chiming. Half of those women suspected the tags were planted in their car by a man they knew, such as a current or former romantic partner or their boss.

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ESPN aired last night’s Nets and Knicks game with decade-spanning classic graphics

To mark the NBA’s 75th anniversary.

On November 1st, 1946, the Toronto Huskies and New York Knicks played what is now considered the first game in NBA history. With the league celebrating its 75th birthday this season, ESPN took fans down memory lane, with ESPN2 broadcasting an alternative presentation of the game with in-game graphics from past NBA broadcasts. These spanned 1960s on ABC, the 1970s and 1980s on CBS and the 1990s on NBC, each represented during the game with graphics changing between quarters.

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MLB will fight cheating with an electronic pitch-calling system

PitchCom could prevent opposing teams from stealing signs.

Baseball catchers have long signaled pitches with their fingers, but that could soon become a thing of the past in the big leagues. Major League Baseball has approved a system for catchers to send directions to their pitchers electronically. The PitchCom system centers around a sleeve catchers wear on their forearm. They can press buttons to identify the pitch type and location. The pitcher hears the call through a bone-conduction listening device. The channels are encrypted and teams can program codewords to replace terms like "fastball" or "curveball." It all sounds delightfully espionage heavy. I love it.

PitchCom will be optional, and teams can still use traditional hand signals if they wish. However, according to AP, around half of MLB teams have expressed interest in using the new system.

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Anker says its first 3D printer is built for speed.

It’s a little different to a power bank.

The AnkerMake M5 is the company’s first 3D printer, and Anker claims the M5 should prototype creations faster, while also offering a slower, smoother finish when needed.

The AnkerMake M5 has a basic print speed of 250 mm/s² for more detailed projects that need a smooth finish. However, the printer also has a much speedier mode that hits 2,500 mm/s². The end result is rougher and less detailed, but Anker says it enables the M5 to reduce average print times by up to 70 percent compared to other printers. The company isn’t entirely on board: For now, it’s a Kickstarter project, and you can back it for an early bird price of $429. After that, you'll have to pledge at least $499 to grab the printer.

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