News

Samsung defends AI ‘faking’ moon photos

Software meets hardware

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Over the weekend, Reddit had the smartphone world buzzing with a series of tests that proved Samsung’s moon photos were “fake.” To a good number of followers, the findings weren’t exactly new, but they did open up the discussion about how AI pervades technology today. Samsung, keen to amend things once again, explained how its own technology takes over with difficult subjects like the moon.

Today, Samsung released a statement to adequately explain how its camera balances hardware with software. Particularly, the new Scene Optimizer feature — which can be manually turned off — handles object recognition to enhance subjects in long zooms.

In the case of the moon, the learning engine was trained to recognize the moon in all of its different configurations as seen here on earth. Once the engine recognizes that the user is trying to photograph the moon, it automatically adjusts the brightness and takes multiple photos. It then stitches all those data together to come up with the clearest image of the moon.

Though the engine is mostly accurate, Samsung details that it can get confused if the moon is obscured by clouds… or a Redditor explicitly trying to trick the AI. The confusion explains the failed photos from additional tests in the Reddit experiment.

It should be noted that the statement doesn’t name the Reddit experiment explicitly. At the very least, it hopes to address the controversies stemming from last weekend’s tizzy. It also adds credibility to Samsung not using overlays to outright fake moon photos.

SEE ALSO: Experiment exposes truth about Samsung’s moon photos

Accessories

Nothing Ear (2) now available in Singapore: Price, features

Truly authentic sound

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Nothing Ear (2)

London-based tech brand Nothing has launched the Ear (2) TWS earbuds in Singapore.

It is priced at SG$ 199 and will initially be available on Limited Edt from March 23. Free tryouts will be available at Challenger stores in Bugis Junction, Vivo City, and Causeway Point.

General sale will commence starting on April 8 at all Nothing partner stores in Singapore, both online and offline, including Lazada and Shopee.

Truly authentic sound

The Hi-Res Audio-certified earbuds feature an 11.6mm custom driver for deep bass and crystal-clear highs. Its LHDC 5.0 codec technology ensures the finest sound details are transmitted at frequencies up to 24 bit/192 kHz.

The Ear (2) is also engineered with Nothing’s best noise cancellation technology yet, achieving up to 40dB of reduction.

With personalized Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Adaptive Mode, users may also adjust the noise reduction level based on their environments.

The device also has an improved wind-proof and crowd-proof Clear Voice Technology. This complements the three high-definition microphones on each earbud which have an advanced AI noise reduction algorithm that filters out unnecessary noises when answering calls.

Personalize the experience

Additionally, using the Nothing X app, users may also personalize their listening experience by adjusting the equalizer settings in real-time for optimal sound quality.

Dual Connection, on the other hand, allows for easier device switching between listening to music or receiving calls, for instance. The device likewise supports Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair.

Seamless controls

The Ear (2) has buttons on each earbud, allowing for easy controls like adjusting volume, skipping to the next track, or switching between noise cancellation modes.

Nothing’s latest offering delivers up to 36 hours of playback on a fully-charged case – with ANC turned off. Using fast charge, it can replenish up to eight hours on a 10-minute charge.

For peace of mind, the earbuds are rated IP54 for water resistance while its transparent case is rated IP55.

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vivo V27 series 5G now available for preorder; price revealed

The Aura Portrait Master

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vivo V27

vivo’s highly-touted Aura Light — a ring light that effectively replaces the regular flash on the rear of smartphones — on its vivo V27 series 5G made quite the impression from the get-go.

The wait is over for those intrigued about it, as preorders for the latest devices are now available via vivo’s online store.

The series comes in two variants — the vivo V27e which retails for PhP 16,999, and the vivo V27 5G which is priced at PhP 24,999.

Simple, elegant design

Veering away from the matte finish that has become more common in midrange phones, vivo opted for a polished gem-like design for the vivo V27 series.

Both are equipped with 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED screens. The 7.36mm 3D curved screen on the V27 5G is the thinnest yet for a V series phone. Meanwhile, the V27e has a 7.7mm thickness.

There are three colorway choices:

  • Color-changing Emerald Green
  • Lavender Purple
  • Glory Black (specifically for the V27e, which is said to shimmer at night)

Innovative, powerful cameras

As previously mentioned, the vivo V27 series has a f/1.9 IMX766V 50MP ultra-sensing main camera.

This is supported by EIS+OIS dual ultra-stabilization for sharp and high-quality shots even when moving or at night.

The Aura Portrait Algorithm paves the way for impressive image and video-processing yet on a vivo smartphone for its category.

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Entertainment

Attack on Titan publisher is getting its own manga app

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Getting into manga is both tough and accessible for a casual reader. While the popularity of the medium allows titles to promulgate so easily online, readers sometimes have to rely on fan translations and bootleg copies. Kodansha, one of the biggest names in the manga scene, is creating a platform to release official English-translated titles in the United States called K Manga.

In the manga scene, Kodansha is one of the most recognizable publishers, creating modern classics like Attack on Titan and Ghost in the Shell. Naturally, the publisher has a lot of history to bank on.

Starting May, Kodansha will release K Manga, an app which will offer access to both classic and newly released titles. On launch, the service will have around 400 titles available for users. These will include Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, Blue Lock, and Tokyo Revengers. It will also release new chapters, officially translated in English, first before any other platform.

Right now, the company has not announced how the app will price its library. The announcement mentioned that it will offer select chapters for free, opening the possibility for a paid way to access more chapters.

K Manga will launch on May 10 in the United States.

SEE ALSO: New anime channel Bento launched in the Philippines

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