Artificial Intelligence firm Bloomsbury AI acquired by Facebook

According to a post from the official Facebook Academics page, the company says Bloomsbury’s “expertise will strengthen Facebook’s efforts in natural language processing research, and help us further understand natural language and its applications.” In other words, as Facebook continues to hand more platform moderation duties over to algorithms, the underlying Artificial Intelligence technology behind those algorithms still has a long way to go.

In the Artificial Intelligence community where Gooii Nottingham also operate, Facebook is one of the biggest players. Facebook AI Research, or FAIR, command projects that span the more cutting-edge sectors of deep learning and natural language processing. For Facebook, the grand goal is to have AI that is so adept at understanding images, videos, and text. Effectively moderate the entire social network’s platform, including Facebook, Instagram, and its many other properties.

Right now, scores of actual human beings, often contractors overseas, are tasked with overseeing Facebook content. Those teams inspect flagged and reported material and make hard decisions about what violates Facebook’s rules.  As Facebook beefs up its AI capabilities, however, more of that work will be performed by algorithms. But first, Facebook needs its software to better understand language, the intent beyond that language, and other very tricky problems.

Its not immediately clear where Bloomsbury will fit into the picture with Facebook. Although Bloomsbury AI co-founder Sebastian Riedel also helped create a company called Factmata that was designed to help weed out fake news. Facebook does have a FAIR unit at its London offices. The announcement post says that Bloomsbury’s work has thus far focused on “machine reading and understanding unstructured documents in natural language in order to answer any question.” So it’s easy to see how that could come in handy when it comes to parsing the massive amount of user-uploaded content every day. Facebook is also working on an AI-assisted home speaker with a display codenamed Portal. Therefore it’s possible Bloomsbury’s team may work on that product to help improve its ability to understand spoken commands and return answers with natural-sounding speech.

Gooii Nottingham are also pushing the boundaries of this technology. Clients such as the BBC are working with Gooii and IBM Watson AI to develop amazing solutions. Gooii can embed this technology to ensure that your app, website or VR (Virtual Reality) experience is cutting edge. If you wish to work with our talented teams then please get in touch here.

Women’s Suffrage: history and citizenship resources for schools

Gooii Nottingham are delighted to be partnering with the Historical Association to deliver another innovative project. It focuses on the suffragette movement, initially looking at women at the hustings through the 17th and 18th centuries. It continues to include the growth of the suffrage movement during the 19th century and forward to contemporary democratic voices.

For teachers this project allows them to move away from the traditional approach of discussing a few high-profile leaders and militant methods. Students can learn about the everyday men and women who campaigned peacefully for the right to vote. Students can engage with their own democratic future through case studies of contemporary campaigners for gender equality.

The full website will be launched in summer 2018 and will host a range of history and citizenship resources. Central to the project will be an online database of over 4,000 individuals across England from 1866 to 1914.

Gooii are award-winning UI/UX designers and we can ensure that your app, website or virtual reality experience engages and inspires users. If you wish to work with our talented teams then please get in touch here.

Project partners and sponsors

The Historical Association, Gooii Nottingham and Association for Citizenship Teaching. Support by the Government Equalities Office, Cabinet Office and Department for Education.
Writing team: Rachel Foster, Katie Hall, Claire Hollis, Corinne Goullee, Richard Kennett, Val Pumfrey and Matthew Stanford. Academic advisor and researcher: Tara Morton

AR now helps you identify correct part for your DIY project

Amazon quietly updated the camera search on its iOS app with a new Part Finder. It lets you search for specific nuts and bolts that you might need more of, but need help identifying it. If Amazon’s Augmented Reality tech can figure out what it is, the app will help you easily buy more of the random screw you’re searching for.

To use Part Finder, iPhone users can open Amazon’s app and tap on the camera beside the search bar. Select Part Finder, which has a screw as its icon. To help with scale, align the part you’re looking at above a penny and tilt your phone until it’s centered.

Part Finder uses the AR capabilities of the iPhone camera to measure the depth and width of the part, and leaves other aspects of identification — like the head style and drive type — to you. Interestingly enough, Amazon acquired a visual recognition company in 2016 called PartPic. They specialised in identifying small parts therefore Part Finder is likely the integration of their technology into the Amazon app.

Amazon says Part Finder currently works for fasteners, meaning screws, nuts, bolts, and washers, but the feature will expand to include other replacement parts soon. The feature is currently only on iOS, and there’s no word on when it will arrive on Android.

Adding innovating and time saving features like this to an app can give you distinct competitive advantage. If you wish to work with the talented Virtual & Augmented Reality, web or app team at Gooii Nottingham then please get in touch here.

Gooii, Knowledge Integration & Sketchfab start an amazing project

Sketchfab has been gathering momentum with its amazing abilities to display interactive 3D models. Initially frustrated to see so many 3D creators spending hours on making great 3D models but sharing only flat screenshots, Sketchfab was born. Their community quickly grew containing users such as designers, architects, brands, museums and schools. Today their goal is to make this technology mainstream so everyone can publish quality 3D content across multiple devices, even in Virtual Reality.

Working in partnership with Gooii Nottingham and Knowledge Integration, Manx National Heritage are working to integrate Sketchfab into the iMuseum website. Initially starting with the Manx Crosses from the island being available, more objects will be added over the coming months.

Knowledge Integration’s CIIM middleware solution will be updated to push 3d model metadata to Sketchfab via their API. Furthermore, additional information will be displayed on the Sketchfab website alongside the models. Gooii Nottingham will enhance the iMuseum website’s viewer application to render the 3d models via the Sketchfab API. They can select an object model from a carousel, rotate it in 3D, zoom in/out and toggle various layers. On mobile devices, the usual touch, drag and pinch to zoom behaviours will also be accessible. VR (Virtual Reality) headsets will also be supported to deliver an immersive experience.

Gooii are award-winning UI/UX designers and we can ensure that your app, website or virtual reality experience engages and inspires users. If you wish to work with our talented teams then please get in touch here. If you wish to know more about this amazing platform, you can find a library of images here.

Oculus Go is about to go wireless to improve user experience

Despite many efforts, Virtual Reality has never really managed to hit the big leagues. Every year the interest grows and the number of options too. However it needs something to drag it over the line to the everyday mainstream. While it’s arguable that both the PlayStation VR and Samsung Gear VR helped it reach public consciousness in a way other headsets couldn’t manage, they still imposed restrictions on adoption. People don’t want the faff of setting up computers, trailing cables and installing trackers. If you are using a smartphone then they don’t want to be taking it in and out of the headset.

Oculus Go aims to solve this. It cuts away the cable and removes the smartphone from the equation by bundling everything into one device. Despite only offering three-degrees of freedom (DoF), compared with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR’s six, Oculus Go is easily the most compelling case for VR adoption yet. Go also give s a much higher resolution that many of the current devices available.

Go’s approach is nothing new, at least globally. The Chinese VR market is flooded with similar devices but Oculus Go is firmly focused on Western markets. Its marriage of Oculus’ mobile VR interface, expertise in games publishing and dedicated VR mobile hardware means it’s just as desirable to pick up as it is impossible to put down.

If you also wish to work with the talented Virtual & Augmented Reality, web or app team at Gooii Nottingham then please get in touch here.

Less Bezel Needs Better UI (User Interface) & UX (User eXperience)

Manufacturers like Apple and Samsung have been reacting to customer demand to have devices that are more screen, less bezel and slimmer. Consequently, we have some amazing current screen to size ratios, especially with phones. The iPhone X is 82.9% screen and the stunning Vivo Nex (above) is 86.2%. No doubt we will experience a 90% screen phone in the coming months.

With phones now seemingly converging into a common sleek glass shape ‘block’, some uniqueness of form will inevitably be lost. The days of individual phones that differentiate the iPhone from HTC and Sony could be coming to an end.

This is where the power of User Interface design and User eXperience becomes even more critical. This can be the defining factor when so many phones are going to be similar in design. Apple iOS has been the gold standard for a phone operating system for many years. Its beauty, functionality and ease of use beats all competitors. Admittedly, Android is not far behind but iOS keeps improving with every new release with fabulous new and unique features that keeps its nose in front.

Gooii are award-winning UI/UX designers and we can ensure that your app, website or virtual reality experience engages and inspires users. If you wish to work with our talented teams then please get in touch here.

Virtual Reality memory generation

Facebook ended its conference recently with an amazing conceptual demonstrating of Virtual Reality and Artifical Intelligence being used to relive our memories.

Using computing vision, photogrammetry and machine-learning algorithms. The experimental technique takes your old photographs from the site and converts them from 2D to 3D “spaces”.

Facebook’s head of social VR, Rachel Franklin, says the feature is like “a Facebook album that has come to life”.  A user can strap on a VR headset and delve into Facebook’s version of your childhood home.  Scattered in this environment are thumbnails of photos and videos seamlessly embedded into the environment. Transport yourself back to your fathers 80th birthday or when your little sister turned 18.

It isn’t at all clear how many images are needed for Facebook to create a virtual environment. Public spaces with plenty of images should be easy to pull together something amazing for VR. Considering the data Facebook has on its users, its not a major leap to consider that with friends who may also be tagged in photos, their images and video could also be used to enhance the experience too.

If you also wish to work with our talented web, app, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual/Augmented reality teams then please get in touch here.

Adobe is jumping into augmented reality

Adobe teased a new venture called Project Aero. An amazing tool for creating AR graphics. The software giant will also bring USDZ file support to Creative Cloud apps. These include Photoshop CC and Dimension CC. This major announcement will give creatives tools to publish AR objects compatible with Apple devices.

Project Aero is a multiplatform tool that brings graphics into an augmented reality space. In a demo video of the new software, designers started with graphics from Photoshop CC and Dimension CC. These are then exported to a Project Aero file. Project Aero uses a tablet to finalize the AR elements of the graphic. This even includes using the device’s camera to preview the changes in an AR space. The demo also shows tools for animating the graphic along with scaling, rotating, and exporting to a USDZ file.

Project Aero is designed with Apple but Adobe is also working with Pixar. They will help add support for importing USDZ files into Photoshop CC and Dimension CC. Converting into USDZ allows the files to be used with Apple’s ARKit.

Crafting a platform that simplifies AR creation isn’t an easy task. Adobe says every business group within the company is collaborating on the new project. The company says it will have more details on the upcoming software during Adobe Max, a conference later this year.

AR projects simplified

“AR content development today also requires a combination of creativity and technical skills,” wrote Abhay Parasnis, Adobe executive vice president and CTO. “Project Aero will deliver a system for both developers and creatives to build simple AR scenes and experiences leveraging Apple’s ARKit. Designers can easily create immersive content that can then be brought into Xcode for further refinement and development.”

For developers, Adobe’s announcement means upcoming software could help simplify the process of building AR objects. With easier content creation, Project Aero could mean wider accessibility to new AR content for the average smartphone user.

You can see a video from Adobe here.

If you also wish to work with our talented virtual/augmented reality, web or app development teams then please get in touch here.

Our client the Royal Armouries has announced plans to launch a £20K+ crowdfunding campaign to bring two iconic Star Wars blasters to their collections.

Used in the making of the original Star Wars movies the aim is to bring these to the National Museum of Arms and Armour. If successful, the pair of Star Wars blasters – an Imperial Stormtrooper ‘E-11’ and Rebel trooper ‘DH-17’– will be displayed as part of the national collection of arms and armour at their Leeds museum.

The pair of ‘blaster’ guns are from the ‘Star Wars’ series of films and have been modified by film armourers Bapty & Co. from 1950s vintage Sterling submachine guns. Royal Armouries experts believe both props were assembled for use in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980), whilst it is likely that the base guns themselves were also used in ‘A New Hope’ (1977).

Laura Bell, Director of Collections says: “Ancient weapons are a great match for a good blaster, as we seek new ways to tell the story of arms and armour through the ages. We are really excited about this acquisition, and already have a number of pledges of support in place. There are opportunities to get involved and support the campaign at all levels, starting from just £10, with benefits including unique prints and t-shirts, invite-only film evenings here at the Armouries and even opportunities to see and handle the blasters and get behind the scenes with our expert Curators.”

Collecting Cultures

The Star Wars blasters will be acquired as part of the museum’s Collecting Cultures project, which looks at arms and armour through the lens of popular culture. The project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Museum visitors can already get up close with the iconic M-41A Pulse Rifle from the ‘Aliens’ film franchise, a collection of swords made by Peter Lyon, swordsmith to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies, and even a ‘Vampire killing kit’. The blasters will ultimately join these and other fascinating objects acquired during the project on public display. Until then you can see some of the objects we have already collected as part of this project on our collections online website (opens in a new website).

Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery, comments: “At the Royal Armouries we are committed to finding new ways of connecting with and exciting our visitors, which means collecting, researching, and displaying arms and armour from film and TV.

“We’ve already acquired several important pieces, but have long hoped to acquire a piece of Star Wars weaponry or armour for the national collection. With the release of Solo: a Star Wars Story, this is a great time to share our plans and ask for public support in making this dream a reality.”

To help fund this amazing venture please visit the Crowdfunder website.

Augmented Reality Game

Starship Destroy AR Augmented Reality Game. Your homes, your workplaces, your parks, even your schools are being attacked by alien space invaders. Destroy the alien spaceships in intense 8-bit augmented reality. Batteries not included.*

*Batteries not required.

Features:
– Space invaders in your environment
– Backgrounds so realistic they look just like your home/workplace/street/school etc. etc.
– Simple ‘tap to blast’ interface
– 3 difficulty levels
– High scores
– Retro 8-bit style spaceships
– Hear them whoosh as they fly over your head
– Wow that theme tune’s catchy
– Shoot rare spaceships for higher scores
– Addictive AR blasting funded by a few ads
– More features coming soon!

This isn’t star wars, this is Starship Destroy AR

Starship Destroyer AR works with all augmented reality compatible devices, including the Apple iPhone, iPad and Android phone and tablet devices.

Ever fancied playing Starship Destroyer in Virtual Reality? We’ve done that too, play Starship Destroyer VR.