Joe Random - Slashdot User

Submission + - Algorithm That Seemlesly Patches Holes in Images (cmu.edu)

Submitted by

Beetle B.

on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @04:09PM

Beetle B. writes: "From the site:

'What can you do with a million images? In this paper we present a new image completion algorithm powered by a huge database of photographs gathered from the Web. The algorithm patches up holes in images by finding similar image regions in the database that are not only seamless but also semantically valid. Our chief insight is that while the space of images is effectively infinite, the space of semantically differentiable scenes is actually not that large. For many image completion tasks we are able to find similar scenes which contain image fragments that will convincingly complete the image. Our algorithm is entirely data-driven, requiring no annotations or labelling by the user. Unlike existing image completion methods, our algorithm can generate a diverse set of image completions and we allow users to select among them. We demonstrate the superiority of our algorithm over existing image completion approaches.'

English translation: The algorithm replaces arbitrarily shaped blank areas in an image with portions of images from a huge catalog in a totally seamless manner."

Submission + - Google Filters Torrents From Search Results (torrentfreak.com) 1

Submitted by HiddenL on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @03:27PM

HiddenL writes: According to TorrentFreak.com:

Google has been filtering its search results for years. That's proven very useful for the Chinese government, and of course content owner representatives like the MPAA and RIAA. According to Google, the filtering of torrents from the search results is a response to the DMCA complaints they receive. The owner of SumoTorrent told TorrentFreak that he discovered that A search on Google for sumotorrent now triggers the following message at the bottom of the results page:

In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org.
A search for other BitTorrent sites like Torrentspy and Torrentreactor comes up with the same message (note. the sites are still indexed but some results are removed).
Apparently "Do No Evil" includes mass filtering of legitimate content.

Submission + - Coming to your laptop -- 1.2TB hard drives (computerworld.com) 1

Submitted by

Lucas123

on Wednesday August 08, 2007 @02:23PM

Lucas123 writes: "Fujitsu claims they have been able to create ideally ordered alumina nanohole patterns for isolated bit-by-bit recording on a disks, according to Computerworld's Brian Fonseca. The company recently demonstrated it could use a typical head and spinning platter to perform read/write operations on invdividual nanoholes. 'The patterned alumina nanohole media was created via a Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) processes using nano-imprint lithography (enabling discrete distance from bit to bit or track to track), anodic oxidation and cobalt electrodeposition at a density of 100-nanometer-pitch nanoholes suitable to existing head technology.'"

Submission + - Television's Mr. Wizard dies at 89 (yahoo.com)

Submitted by

RickTheGeek

on Tuesday June 12, 2007 @09:17PM

RickTheGeek writes: "FTA: LOS ANGELES — Don Herbert, who as television's "Mr. Wizard" introduced generations of young viewers to the joys of science, died Tuesday. He was 89. Herbert, who had bone cancer, died at his suburban Bell Canyon home, said his son-in-law, Tom Nikosey.

As a young child in the 80's, I watched Mr. Wizard as often as I can... I wanted to not only try the experiments, I wanted to be one of the kids on the show. Too bad there aren't any shows like that on TV now! Apparently, there are a few DVDs of Mr. Wizard's world available at the web site Mr. Wizard Studios."

Submission + - Don Herbert, Dead at 89

Submitted by Line Noise on Tuesday June 12, 2007 @09:12PM

Line Noise writes: Don Herbert, TV's 'Mr. Wizard', died today at age 89 of multiple myeloma. Mr. Herbert helped to bring science to kids in the 1950s with Watch Mr. Wizard, and again in the 1980s with Mr. Wizard's World.

Submission + - Microsoft Unveils Multitouch User Interface

Submitted by longacre on Wednesday May 30, 2007 @12:39AM

longacre writes: Popular Mechanics takes the Microsoft Surface system for a hands-on video test drive. To be announced at today's D5 conference, the coffee-table-esqe device allows manipulation from multiple touch points, while infrared, WiFi and Bluetooth team up to allow wireless transfers between devices placed on top of it, such as cameras and cell phones. Expected to launch before the end of the year in the $5,000-$10,000 range, the devices might not make their way under many Christmas trees, but will find the insides of Starwood hotels, Harrah's casinos and T-Mobile shops.

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