Tech Trend 247

Google's Tilt Brush, the app that lets you "sculpt" paintings in virtual reality, is getting a new set of features that move the VR tool far beyond the realm of interactive art. 

Previewed in a video released on Friday, a new set of prototype features includes a multi-user mode that allows several users to work on the same piece of art at once.

Usually, art is a single-person activity, but given the three-dimensional nature of Tilt Brush creations, the "multiplayer" mode is not only practical, but could also be a first step toward gamifying the art creation experience.  

And to make it easier to use that mode, the app will soon allow users to customize their avatars with artistic flourishes that are, in some cases, animated. 

Another prototype tool that could change the process of creating art and designs is the addition of a posable mannequin with articulated joints. This feature could be particularly useful for fashion professionals using the HTC Vive (the hardware needed to use the app) to craft new styles. 

There's also a new "zoetrope" feature (named after the classic, non-VR animation style) that allows you to preview how an animation might look by letting you create a circular model of it. The process isn't meant for elaborate, detailed animations, but it's a great early look at what creating fully formed animated works will be like in the future. 

But the most stunning part of the new features demo is called Portal Brush, a brush that allows you to "erase" any part of your virtual reality to peek at what's happening in the real world around you

This window into the real world could work brilliantly as a means of interacting with team members attempting to give direction or suggestions from outside of the VR environment. 

No dates have been given for when the updates will appear in the app, but knowing that this is what's on the way may get VR fans who were considering the HTC Vive and Tilt Brush a little more excited about adopting the still-developing art creation platform.

Google's Tilt Brush, the app that lets you "sculpt" paintings in virtual reality, is getting a new set of features that move the VR tool far beyond the realm of interactive art. 

Previewed in a video released on Friday, a new set of prototype features includes a multi-user mode that allows several users to work on the same piece of art at once.

Usually, art is a single-person activity, but given the three-dimensional nature of Tilt Brush creations, the "multiplayer" mode is not only practical, but could also be a first step toward gamifying the art creation experience.  

And to make it easier to use that mode, the app will soon allow users to customize their avatars with artistic flourishes that are, in some cases, animated. 

Another prototype tool that could change the process of creating art and designs is the addition of a posable mannequin with articulated joints. This feature could be particularly useful for fashion professionals using the HTC Vive (the hardware needed to use the app) to craft new styles. 

There's also a new "zoetrope" feature (named after the classic, non-VR animation style) that allows you to preview how an animation might look by letting you create a circular model of it. The process isn't meant for elaborate, detailed animations, but it's a great early look at what creating fully formed animated works will be like in the future. 

But the most stunning part of the new features demo is called Portal Brush, a brush that allows you to "erase" any part of your virtual reality to peek at what's happening in the real world around you

This window into the real world could work brilliantly as a means of interacting with team members attempting to give direction or suggestions from outside of the VR environment. 

No dates have been given for when the updates will appear in the app, but knowing that this is what's on the way may get VR fans who were considering the HTC Vive and Tilt Brush a little more excited about adopting the still-developing art creation platform.

Google's Tilt Brush, the app that lets you "sculpt" paintings in virtual reality, is getting a new set of features that move the VR tool far beyond the realm of interactive art. 

Previewed in a video released on Friday, a new set of prototype features includes a multi-user mode that allows several users to work on the same piece of art at once.

Usually, art is a single-person activity, but given the three-dimensional nature of Tilt Brush creations, the "multiplayer" mode is not only practical, but could also be a first step toward gamifying the art creation experience.  

And to make it easier to use that mode, the app will soon allow users to customize their avatars with artistic flourishes that are, in some cases, animated. 

Another prototype tool that could change the process of creating art and designs is the addition of a posable mannequin with articulated joints. This feature could be particularly useful for fashion professionals using the HTC Vive (the hardware needed to use the app) to craft new styles. 

There's also a new "zoetrope" feature (named after the classic, non-VR animation style) that allows you to preview how an animation might look by letting you create a circular model of it. The process isn't meant for elaborate, detailed animations, but it's a great early look at what creating fully formed animated works will be like in the future. 

But the most stunning part of the new features demo is called Portal Brush, a brush that allows you to "erase" any part of your virtual reality to peek at what's happening in the real world around you

This window into the real world could work brilliantly as a means of interacting with team members attempting to give direction or suggestions from outside of the VR environment. 

No dates have been given for when the updates will appear in the app, but knowing that this is what's on the way may get VR fans who were considering the HTC Vive and Tilt Brush a little more excited about adopting the still-developing art creation platform.

In 76 days, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story premieres in U.S. theaters. Disney and Lucasfilm have already released several trailers, which we've watched countless times to extract as much as we can from every second of footage shown.

As part of its global UGC contest called #GoRogue, Disney sent over a box full of upcoming Rogue One action figures and toys for Mashable to check out. (Disclosure: Disney didn't sponsor or pay us to get excited about the toys, we're just geeks and huge Star Wars fans so the gushing came naturally.)

The #GoRogue contest invites Star Wars fans to create their own Rogue One fan video for a chance to win an advance screening of the movie at Lucasfilm in San Francisco and have their video played before the special private screening.

Since we're Mashable, we had to take things to Facebook Live for a live unboxing experience:

Mashable Chief Correspondent Lance Ulanoff and I did our best to get the toys open as quickly as possible, but the Disney Store Elite Series proved somewhat challenging with all the twisty ties shackling the figures' limbs down.

Once open however, we ogled at each die-cast Elite Series figure had. These are some of the most detailed $27 figures we've seen. Standing them up on a table was difficult; they kept falling over and the plastic bases they come with didn't really keep them propped up very well.

The $20 Black Series action figures are plastic and made by Hasbro. The detailing — particularly in the faces — isn't quite as nice as the ones on the Elite Series, but we did notice some of them like the new K-2SO droid had more points of articulation than the slightly pricier Elite Series.

I'm not a huge fan of the Pop bobble head figures. They're cool, but just not for me.

What excited me the most was probably the $80 659-piece Lego U-Wing ship. Because Lego. We didn't have time to unbox and build it, but we'll be back in a future Facebook Live to do just that.

But for now, feast your eyes on these Rogue One toys. It's maddening that the toys are available before the movie.

Artificial Intelligence is now a part of our daily lives. It's on our wrists in the form of Apple's SIRI and in our kitchens thanks to Amazon's Alexa. We use it, but do not always understand or trust it.

Now, a collection of tech industry giants has joined together to close the knowledge and trust gap. The vehicle for this new level of understanding and, maybe, acceptance, will be a brand new mouthful of an organization: the Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to Benefit People and Society. In conversation it will actually go by the more manageable "Partnership on AI." Member companies of the new alliance are all knee-deep in artificial intelligence and Machine Learning. They include Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Google's DeepMind and IBM. Notably absent, for now, is Apple.

The objective, according to Thursday's announcement, is "to address opportunities and challenges with AI technologies to benefit people and society."

Partnership AI will actually conduct open-source research, investigating AI areas such as ethics and human and AI system collaboration. One thing it will not do is lobby governments on behalf of AI initiatives by member companies.

"“The possibilities for positively impacting a global society with advances in AI are numerous, ranging from connectivity, healthcare, and transportation. As researchers in industry, we take very seriously the trust people have in us to ensure advances are made with the utmost consideration for human values," said Yann LeCun, the director of Facebook AI Research, in a release.

The partnership does plan to work with other third party AI organizations, including the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2).

“We’re excited about this historic collaboration on AI and its influences on people and society. We see great value ahead with harnessing AI advances in numerous areas, including health, education, transportation, public welfare, and personal empowerment," said Eric Horvitz, technical fellow a managing director at Microsoft Research, in a release.

IBM, which has aggressively spread the reach and influence of its own AI engine, Watson, gave Mashable exclusive access to an internal memo to global employees from CEO Ginni Rometty on the formation of the alliance and IBM's participation:

Team:

For more than a century, IBM has stood apart not only for creating world-changing innovations, but also for guiding their responsible adoption. This is foundational to why our company is respected both as an innovator and a trusted brand everywhere in the world. 

As you know, the most important innovation of our time – cognitive computing, led by Watson — is rapidly maturing and entering the mainstream of business and society. It is essential that this technology’s growth and development be robust, visionary and enduring.

That is why I am excited to tell you about an important new non-profit organization that IBM is forming with Deep Mind/Google, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft. As the founding members of the Partnership for AI, we will work together to ensure the responsible development and deployment of cognitive and AI technologies.  

As with every world-changing innovation, cognitive raises new questions, new issues and new challenges, for both business and society. These range from ethics and transparency to control and jobs. In addressing these questions, we expect to be joined by many leading universities, foundations and other organizations as we conduct research, make its results available to the world and share best practices. Together, we will develop principles on collaboration between people and AI systems, and work to advance the trustworthiness and reliability of the technology.

A world with Watson will be healthier, safer, more productive, more convenient and more personal – in ways that we are only glimpsing today. As we deliver on this profound potential, we are committed to doing so in a way that benefits not only business, but the individual and society. We make that commitment because we're IBMers.

Samsung plans to begin selling the Galaxy Note7 in India before the festival of Diwali.

The company had to postpone sales of the Galaxy Note7 in India earlier this month, after it found “battery cell issues" in the smartphone. Shortly afterwards, Samsung had issued an advisory worldwide, urging users to return the device.

Mashable India has learned that the Galaxy Note7 will launch in the country before Diwali. Much like Christmas in Western nations, Diwali is a big festival in India and it sees huge spike in sales during the period. Diwali will be celebrated on Oct. 30 this year. 

Samsung launched the Galaxy Note7 in India last month. The company's newest Android flagship smartphone was scheduled to go on sale in the country on Sept. 2. However, on launch day Samsung India began informing customers who had pre-booked the smartphone that there will be some delay in the shipment of their phone. Later that day, Samsung held a press conference in Seoul where it acknowledged the battery issue that led to some Galaxy Note7 units exploding. 

Samsung said earlier this week that it has exchanged 60 percent of sold recalled Galaxy Note7 phones in the United States and South Korea. In Singapore, the company has exchanged 80 percent of all Galaxy Note7 phones sold. 

Samsung will face off with its global rival Apple in the country next month. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will go on sale in India from Oct. 7, and it is now clear Samsung won't be able to launch the Galaxy Note7 in the country by then.