🧠 Apple Releases AI Model That Rewrites the Rules of 3D Vision

🧠 Apple releases AI model that rewrites the rules of 3D vision

• Apple's AI research team has unveiled Depth Pro, a new AI model that enhances machines' depth perception using only a single 2D image, which could revolutionize fields like augmented reality and self-driving technology by offering real-time spatial awareness.

• Depth Pro generates high-resolution 3D depth maps in just 0.3 seconds without needing traditional camera data, employing advanced techniques like a multi-scale vision transformer to accurately define details such as individual hairs and the edges of objects.

• Open-sourced on GitHub, Depth Pro introduces metric depth estimation without extensive training on specific datasets, paving the way for widespread use in industries such as e-commerce, automotive, and healthcare, where sharp depth analysis is crucial.

📱 Facebook is going to show you even more content from accounts you don’t follow

• Facebook is introducing new tabs, including a "Local" tab, to share more posts from sources like Marketplace and local groups with users, aiming to extend the variety of content beyond friends and family connections.

• The platform will test an "Explore" tab that offers personalized content such as travel tips and DIY tutorials, highlighting material from real people and expert communities tailored to individual user interests.

• To compete with TikTok, Facebook will unveil a full-screen video feed combining different video types with a focus on shortform content, leveraging a powerful algorithm to deliver a highly personalized viewing experience for young adults.

📦 Apple couldn’t tell fake iPhones from real ones, lost $2.5M to scammers

• Two men, Haotian Sun and Pengfei Xue, executed a complex plan to deceive Apple into exchanging around 6,000 fake iPhones for authentic ones, leading to their sentencing and a statement from the US Department of Justice.

• The con artists, with others, managed to defraud Apple out of $2.5 million between 2017 and 2019, as employees were unable to uncover the intricate operation that involved manipulation of device identifiers.

• Following convictions for mail fraud, Sun received a 57-month prison sentence with over $1 million restitution, and Xue was sentenced to 54 months, required to pay $397,800, while both face additional supervised release and forfeiture.

🚀 ULA rocket keeps going despite losing part of its booster

• The second test flight of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, which experienced an anomaly with one of its strap-on boosters, still completed its mission successfully as confirmed in a company statement.

• The flight, known as Cert-2, was a significant step for certifying Vulcan for launching national security satellites, enabling the Space Force to approve the rocket for future operational missions in the coming months.

• Despite a nozzle from the Northrop Grumman-made booster falling away shortly after liftoff, the Federal Aviation Administration determined no investigation was necessary, as the incident posed no threat to public safety.

🌱 Researchers create artificial plants that purify air and generate electricity

• Researchers from Binghamton University have developed artificial plants capable of purifying indoor air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, presenting a promising alternative to current air purification systems that tend to be costly and cumbersome.

• The artificial plants, powered by biological solar cells and photosynthetic bacteria, not only improve air quality but also generate small amounts of electricity, with the goal of reaching an output sufficient for practical applications like charging a phone.

• To enhance the technology, the team plans to integrate energy storage solutions and explore multiple bacteria species for sustainability, aiming to make these innovative plants a household staple with minimal maintenance requirements.