New Nissan Skyline-Hybrid, (Infiniti Q50) Released in Japan

New Nissan Skyline-Hybrid has been released along side the gasoline only version. 
The first ever car I owned in Japan was a Skyline. Once a bicycle cop followed me and gave me a ticket for speeding :) I asked him "If I was speeding, how could you catch me?" He kept offering me the ticket "Hai Dozo"(Yes-go-ahead).

The hybrid version of the new Skyline, available in two- and four-wheel drive versions, will include Nissan’s latest version of ProPilot as a standard feature. The autonomous technology offers lane-changing and driver-monitoring functions. A mobile connection will let an operator contact occupants, as well as offer updated maps and in-car Wi-Fi.

In an attempt to capture some of the magic of the GT-R, which was spawned from earlier versions of the Skyline, the new sedan has a front grille that resembles the front of Nissan’s iconic sports car. Additionally, the gas-only Skyline features Nissan’s 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo engine, with a tuned version capable of 400 horsepower.
Outside of Japan, the Skyline is sold as the Infiniti Q50 and competes with sedans by Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and BMW AG. The cars will sell for between about ¥5.5 million ($50930) to ¥6.3 million($58338), depending on the model.
via Japan Times

The New AI Universe Simulator, "It's like teaching image recognition software with lots of pictures of cats and dogs,

but then it's able to recognize elephants, Nobody knows how it does this, and it's a great mystery to be solved." says study co-author Shirley Ho, a group leader at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York City and an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
Ho and her colleagues presented D³M on June 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study was led by Siyu He, a Flatiron Institute research analyst. Ho and He worked in collaboration with Yin Li of the Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe near Tokyo; Yu Feng of the Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics; Wei Chen of the Flatiron Institute; Siamak Ravanbakhsh of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver; and Barnabás Póczos of Carnegie Mellon University.
Ho, He and their colleagues honed the deep neural network that powers D³M by feeding it 8,000 different simulations from one of the highest-accuracy models available. Neural networks take training data and run calculations on the information; researchers then compare the resulting outcome with the expected outcome. With further training, neural networks adapt over time to yield faster and more accurate results.
"We can be an interesting playground for a machine learner to use to see why this model extrapolates so well, why it extrapolates to elephants instead of just recognizing cats and dogs, It's a two-way street between science and deep learning." Ho continued.
The paper could be found here at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Read more at PHYS.ORG

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Hot Off the Oven, Yum like any other PI

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B

Here are the highlights:

• A 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 CPU (~3× performance)
• 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB of LPDDR4 SDRAM
• Full-throughput Gigabit Ethernet
• Dual-band 802.11ac wireless networking
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports
• Dual monitor support, at resolutions up to 4K
• VideoCore VI graphics, supporting OpenGL ES 3.x
• 4Kp60 hardware decode of HEVC video
• Complete compatibility with earlier Raspberry Pi products
• To support Raspberry Pi 4, we are shipping a radically overhauled operating system, based on the forthcoming Debian 10 Buster release.
• All-new two-part RasPI 4 case
• Low-cost USB-C power supply with 5V/3ARaspberry Pi 4 micro HDMI Cables
•  Raspberry Pi 4 micro HDMI Cables capable 6Gbps data rate needed for 4Kp60 video

Also there is a Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit, bringing all of this together, we’re offering a complete Desktop Kit. This is priced at $120, and comprises:

• A 4GB Raspberry Pi 4
• An official case
• An official PSU
• An official mouse and keyboard
• A pair of HDMI cables
• A copy of the updated Beginner’s Guide
• A pre-installed 32GB microSD card

40,000 Year old, Ice Age wolf head found in Russian Arctic region of Yakutia.

One of the best discoveries of our times, a perfectly preserved ice age wolf has been discovered in the Russian Arctic region of Yakutia. 
The head of an Ice Age wolf shown here, is from the Mammoth Fauna Study Department at the Academy of Sciences of Yakutia, Russia, June 10, 2019.
The scientists and experts  who examined the wolf head, believe this wolf roamed the earth about 40,000 years ago. The scientific investigations are underway since the skull was discovered in August 2018.. But unlike previous discoveries of skulls of these kind of sub species of wolves who roamed the earth alongside Mammoths, which went extinct, this

wolf's brain, fur, tissues and even its tongue have been perfectly preserved thanks to Siberia's frozen permafrost.
  (Valery Plotnikov/Mammoth Fauna Study Department at the Academy of Sciences of Yakutia via AP) #IceAgewolf #Yakutia

3DPrinting, Print a fantastic Demon Skull Hitch Cover - Thingiverse

You're looking at a hitch cover for a two inch receiver designed by psychobillyman, who shared it on Thingiverse.
The hitch cover is designed to just snap in, with no need for hitch pin.



All the files for printing the Skul hitch cover is available @ https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3617595  psychobillyman requests that if you happen to print this one, to show it to him

THE RETURN OF BLACK AND WHITE FILM, "NEOPAN 100 ACROS II" FROM FUJIFILM

For those who are still using film, specially Black and White, there is some very good news from FujiFilm. They will be releasing the iconic film, Neopan 100 Acros, called Acros II, will be released in both 35mm and 120 formats. I still have my Nikon F4 35mm film camera and Mamiya 645AFD. I have been sparingly using these cameras with some film that I keep in the freezer. I would love to shoot some BW films in my Mamiya.

The Fuji Acros is a legendary line, will be enhanced with the new formulation which the company also promises will be better than the original using Super Fine-Σ technology that allows for a “finer grain and sharpness” than the original line.
According to FujiFilm;

“The company terminated sales of black and white films last fall due to a decrease in demand for black and white films and the difficulty in obtaining raw materials essential for production. However, the film enthusiasts and other young people of the SNS generation, who prefer the photo with the unique texture of the film, many people voiced the desire to continue the sales of our black and white film, resumption of sales from all angles. We have been working on it and we have succeeded in developing the black and white film “Acros II” by researching substitutes for raw materials that became difficult to obtain and radically reexamining the manufacturing process to match the new raw materials."

The brand new “Neopan 100 ACROS II” is an ultra-high-quality black-and-white film with ISO 100 sensitivity, with the world’s highest level of granularity, three-dimensional tone reproduction, and excellent sharpness. It is suitable for shooting in a wide range of fields, such as product photos and architecture photos, as well as long-exposure celestial and night-shot photographs.”

Yes I will try some of these fields, specially Astro, or long exposure night photography. Would love to see what the news 120 film produce with the aid of my Mamiya 645AFD.
What would you do with the new FujiFilm?

FujiFilm Press Release;

FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF BLACK AND WHITE FILM WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF NEOPAN 100 ACROS II

                           UNSURPASSED IMAGE QUALITY, WORLD-CLASS FINE GRAIN

TOKYO, June 10, 2019 – FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno) announced a new generation of NEOPAN 100 ACROS II, black-and-white film. This 100 ISO film will deliver unsurpassed resolution, fine grain and sharpness, with exceptional detail satisfying a broad range of shooting scenarios and exposures.  The 35mm and 120 format film will be introduced in Japan this fall, with other markets to follow, based upon demand.

As the demand for film rapidly decreased over the past decade and raw materials became difficult to obtain, it caused the company to discontinue marketing black and white film. Thanks to consumer feedback, particularly from millennials and GenZs, who have become the new film enthusiasts, the market is changing once again. To meet the needs of this new market, Fujifilm is reviving “ACROS II”.

NEOPAN 100 ACROS II employs Fujifilm’s proprietary Super Fine-Σ technology along with ISO 100. This results in unsurpassed fine grain, sharpness and exceptional three-dimensional gradation even in bright highlights, when compared with the original NEOPAN 100 ACROS.

As a leading company in the imaging field, Fujifilm will never stop meeting the challenges of the diverse needs of customers in a wide range of fields, from analog to digital, and continue to provide improved products and services.

SONY announced 600mm f/4 G Master Prime lens, FE 600mm F4 GM OSS super-telephoto prime lens (model SEL600F40GM).

 
Sony seems to be on the run on the lens department, they just announced a telephoto super zoom 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 G and here we have another 600mm f/4 G Master Prime Lens, FE 600mm F4 GM OSS super-telephoto prime lens (model SEL600F40GM).

Press release: 
 
Sony introduces the new 600mm f/4 G Master lens, further expanding the Sony native mirrorless lens line which are designed from the ground up for Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras. Matched with the Sony a9, the new lens is poised to become a mainstay of professional sports and wildlife photographers. 
 
SAN DIEGO — June 11, 2019 — Sony Electronics Inc. today announced another impressive addition to its flagship full-frame G Master™ series lens lineup: the new FE 600mm F4 GM OSS super-telephoto prime lens (model SEL600F40GM). 
 
As Sony’s longest reaching prime lens, the new 600mm includes many of the company’s most advanced optical and mechanical technologies, producing exceptional image quality with extraordinary focusing speed and precision. The FE 600mm F4 GM OSS is also the lightest lens in its class (1), weighing in at approx. 6.71 lbs., and features an extremely balanced design to ensure the best possible shooting experience. Along with the acclaimed FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS lens, the new 600mm lens gives professional sports, wildlife and news photographers more options for capturing subjects at a great distances with extreme accuracy and detail. 
 
“With two new lenses announced today, our growing E-mount lens lineup now includes 33 full-frame models and 51 lenses in total,” said Neal Manowitz, deputy president for Imaging and Professional Solutions Americas at Sony Electronics. “The tenth model from our flagship G Master series, the new 600mm F4 raises the bar for speed, mobility and control in a super-telephoto prime lens. Combining the extensive 600mm reach with features like 20 fps shooting and AF/AE calculations at 60 times per second on the a9 or extremely high resolution, high-speed performance on the a7R III allow professional photographers to create images that were simply not possible to capture before.” 
 
Fast, Precise & Quiet Autofocus (2) 
 
To take best advantage of the highly evolved autofocus systems of Sony’s latest full-frame E-mount cameras, the new FE 600mm F4 GM OSS lens features two extreme dynamic (XD) linear motors that drive the lens’ focus group to provide fast, precise AF and reliable subject tracking. These motors are supported by specially developed motion algorithms to minimize lag and instability, as well as to control noise levels, resulting in exceptionally quick, accurate and quiet autofocus performance, allowing the lens to capture dynamic, fast moving athletes or wildlife with ease. 
 
Superb G Master Image Quality & Bokeh 
 
As a member of Sony’s flagship G Master series lenses, this new large-aperture super-telephoto prime lens features an incredible level of image quality and detail, with outstanding contrast and resolution maintained all the way to the corners of the image. The unique optical design includes a large extreme aspherical (XA) element that effectively suppress all common telephoto lens aberrations, in addition to three fluorite elements that help to minimize chromatic aberration and suppress any amount of color bleeding. Sony's latest bokeh simulation technologies and XA element are also utilized to control spherical aberration and help achieve exquisite bokeh. 
 
The lens features an 11-blade circular aperture mechanism that contributes to the high quality of bokeh in images, and it has been coated with Sony’s original Nano AR coating to suppress any unwanted reflections, glare or ghosting in images. 
 
The new FE 600mm F4 GM OSS is compatible with Sony’s 1.4x and 2.0x E-mount tele-converters, producing outstanding imaging performance at extended focal lengths (3) while maintaining fast, precise AF performance. 
 
Lightweight, Balanced Design 
 
The new super-telephoto prime lens provides a level of portability and maneuverability that has never been achieved before in a lens of its class. Based on technology from the acclaimed FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS lens, the lightweight design of the new 600mm lens is achieved through the usage of three fluorite elements, with a reduced number of elements deployed at the front of the barrel. Magnesium alloy is also used throughout the lens to help minimize weight and bulk. 
 
Also inherited from FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS, the new 600mm lens features a lens design that is not front-heavy, reducing moment of inertia that resists rotation and ensuring quicker, more precise panning when shooting handheld or on a monopod. 
 
Durability, Reliability & Control 
 
To withstand the harsh conditions of sporting events and wildlife photography, the new Sony FE 600mm F4 GM OSS is built with a durable magnesium alloy and a strong, lightweight carbon fiber hood. The lens is dust and moisture resistant (4), and its front element is coated with fluorine to resist dirt and fingerprints. 
 
FE 600mm F4 GM OSS features an ample number of hard controls on the lens, including customizable focus-hold buttons in four different locations on the lens barrel, which can be programmed for control of features, if desired. There is also a Full-Time DMF switch to immediately engage manual focus at any point, and a focus ring that features Linear Response MF for fine, responsive manual focus. 
 
Additionally, the new lens includes built-in optical stabilization for dynamic action and three different ‘Mode’ settings, including a Mode 3 setting (5) with an advanced algorithm that ensures easier framing when following moving subjects. It also features a function ring with selectable ‘Preset’ and ‘Function’ settings, and a drop-in filter slot that accepts ø 40.5mm ND and other filter types, as well as the optional VF-DCPL1 Drop-in Circular Polarizing Filter. The VF-DCPL1 filter can be rotated to achieve the desired polarization while installed in the lens. 
 
Pricing & Availability 
 
The FE 600mm F4 GM OSS will ship in August 2019 for approximately $13,000 US and $16,900 CA. It will be sold at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America. 
 
Notes: 
 
1. Compared to interchangeable 600mm F4 lenses for 35mm full-frame format camera bodies, as of June 2019. Sony survey 
 
2. When the NEX series, ILCE-3000/3500, ILCE-5000/5100, ILCE-7/7R/7S, is attached, the autofocus function is limited. For details, please visit our support site. 
 
3. Maximum aperture with the 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters is F5.6 and F8, respectively 
 
4. Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof 
 
5. MODE 3 is supported by the latest a9/a7R III/a7 III software version. Refer to the Sony support site for camera body compatibility information