Month: March 2023

3D Printing and the Future of Space Exploration

One would have been considered crazy a couple of decades ago to imagine the 3D printing of complex objects let alone a rocket intended for space. As technology keeps getting better, so do the capabilities of 3D printing. Nothing illustrates that fact better than a 3D printed rocket which is about to go to space. Manufactured by Relativity Space, this rocket, if successfully launched into orbit, will become the first 3D printed object to do so.

However, even before it gets to launch, it is already making history.  The Terran 1 rocket is the largest 3D printed object in the world to attempt orbital flight. In addition, it is also the first printed 3D rocket. Unlike many other space companies, this one is venture funded meaning that it will be the first one to be so funded to reach orbit, if it successfully does.

Aptly named GLHF (good luck have fun), the company’s primary focus is to gather data and learnings necessary to develop a larger and reusable launch vehicle. They also want to test the launch capabilities of a 3D printed rocket. However, it is their focus on reusable rockets which is exciting. It is, perhaps, a pointer to the future of space flight if the launch is successful. This is because it will reduce the time taken to build the components of rockets and also reduce the cost since some of them can be reused. Instead of relying on different subcontractors building different components, all of this is done inhouse and it is done in a much shorter period.

As it is, the rocket has been 85% 3D printed by mass, with a goal of making future printed rockets attain 95% 3D printed parts by mass. The other revolutionary thing which will happen if it indeed does orbit, is that it will be the first rocket using methane that will get to orbit. Previous attempts have failed and it will be interesting to see what happens in the industry if the launch is successful. This is because methane is thought to perform better and be more efficient than kerosene which is widely used.

The company postponed its launch from the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida but it is not understood what exactly caused the postponement. However, the fresh launch is scheduled to be done on 23rd March 2023.

It is crucial to note that no commercial space company has gotten to orbit on its first try and it could be the reason why Relativity Space decided to postpone its launch to better enhance chances of reaching orbit. It would not be a major failure if the rocket does not get to orbit, as long as the data and lessons gathered up to then will be used to better the next rocket and get it to space.

Already a lot has been achieved to get to this stage and the future of the space race is exciting if these developments are anything to go by. Technology being interrelated, the world of technology, especially the 3D printing world, will benefit immensely from sister successes in different sectors. Already, we have promising news on organ bioprinting which will change how we handle sensitive organ transplants and organ donation. Successes in the space industry regarding 3D printing will only help to accelerate 3D technology elsewhere.

As for now, the world awaits.

While you’re waiting for your ride into space, here’s a timelapse video showing you how the whole process works! Comment right below it to let us know what you think!

The Lowdown on Faceswap Videos

There’s been a lot of news about faceswapping and deepfake videos on the internet and it can be a challenge to get to the bottom of it all. These are two things that basically describe the same exact effect. A faceswap and a deepsway is when you replace one person’s face with another person’s face. This can be done in videos or in photos. The result is a completely engineered image or video that shows someone doing something they were never involved with. There are lots of implications behind this whole thing, so it warrants some time to look into it.

Humans are Easily Fooled

When you get right down to it, human beings can be easily fooled. A study for Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking found that “At the core of deepfakes is deception, which involves intentionally, knowingly, and/or purposely misleading another person. The deception detection literature suggests that people are not particularly good at detecting deception when assessing messages and can relatively easily acquire false beliefs. Meta-analyses of deception detection studies suggest that people perform only slightly above chance when evaluating a message as either true or deceptive. Importantly, this level of accuracy is not affected by the medium in which the message is conveyed. Studies have shown that deception detection is approximately the same whether the message is conveyed through text, an audio, or a video.”

Why it Matters

There’s a very good reason why that matters and it comes right down to how effective a deepfake video can be. Just because something looks fake to you, who is used to noticing digital manipulation, doesn’t mean it looks fake to everyone else. Any person can be put into a video that turns them into a criminal, or much worse and there are going to be plenty of people that believe it from the second they see it.

It Reduces Faith

So, some people are going to believe them and some people won’t. No big deal that’s been society for millennia. Well, it’s not that simple. In that same study, it turned out that people who could see through the lies still had a negative reaction. “Unfortunately, one of the few empirical studies on deepfakes provides some early evidence that worryingly bears this philosophical account out. In a study looking at the effect of deepfakes on trust in the news, [researchers] found that although people were unlikely to be completely misled by a deepfake, exposure to the deepfake increased their uncertainty about media in general. Confirming the worst expectations, that sense of uncertainty led participants to reduce their trust in news.”

They’re Easy to Make

None of this would matter a whole lot if deepfakes were difficult to make, but they’re just not. You can find deepfake apps all over the internet that let you make a video in seconds flat. All you have to do is upload a source video and the image of the person you want placed in it. Viola: deepfake!

Commonly Accessible Apps

Just taking a cursory look at available deepfake apps revealed dozens of programs and sites. For instance:

Lensa AI

Lensa AI is the latest app that has gone viral for creating AI portraits of you or anyone else.

Deepfakes Web

Deepfakes web is a service that lets you create deepfake videos on the web. It uses Deep learning to absorb the various complexities of face data.

Wombo

Wombo is a lip-syncing app that lets you transform yourself or others into a singing face.

Reface

Reface AI is the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) behind the scenes. To use the app, all you need to do is capture your photo and then choose the gif that you want to use.

Intent is Key

With so many easily accessed programs, it has to be understood that intent always matters in something like this. Anything can be used for negative purposes, but it doesn’t mean that thing is intrinsically bad, just like with magic tricks. Yes, you’re’ being lied to, but it’s not for a nefarious reason, it’s for entertainment. There’s always going to be someone with their own agenda and that’s not a good enough reason to take a technology off the table. These apps can be a lot of fun and they can even come with some adult implications.

Sexy Time with Deepfakes

Unless you’re completely out of touch with reality, you’ve no doubt heard about the emergence of deepfake pornography. These are videos where people have swapped the faces of adult actresses for famous women and shared them online. It’s why you can now see your favorite celebrity’s face on a body that’s carrying out the kinds of acts that no one ever talks about in public. Using a person’s face without their consent is pretty invasive and an act of violation, but you can take that same technology and use it as a way to stimulate your partners in ways you never could have imagined.

The Possibilities are Endless

Just think about all the images or videos you could make for your partner with a deepfake app. All you need is an image of your faces and you can use it to put the two of you into the filthiest and most provocative poses imaginable. Your partner is going to be able to see it played out, in the flesh so to speak, and that can be a lot of fun! It might even lead to a conversation about the things that really turn the both of you on and why you should try them out!

It’s up to You

How you feel about deepswap videos is totally up to you, but you have more than enough options when it comes to making your own. You can find both free and paid apps all over any app store. They take minimal effort and you can save them for yourself or share them with the world. It’s all up to you and how you want to take advantage of the technology. Just keep in mind that putting your ex-girlfriend’s face in a Donkey Punch video is objectively wrong and a violation of that person’s dignity. It CAN be pretty funny, though.

What is Cryptocurrency?

You’ve no doubt heard the term “cryptocurrency” thrown around. If you’re like most people then you really have no idea what it means or what it’s all about. Even the name makes you wonder what it actually is. You can’t just call something “crypto” and expect everyone else to get it. Like most things to do with technology and the internet, the names things are called are never really meant to offer meaningful definitions to the world at large. Just to break it down a little bit, the name lets you know that we’re talking about currency that uses cryptography rather than a centralized authority. Once again, what does that mean?

Peer to Peer Transactions

It all comes down to the way that transactions are made with cryptocurrency. The money in your bank is part of a centralized system overseen by the government. Banks keep track of it and every dollar they store is insured through the FDIC. That’s not the case with crypto.

Cryptocurrency exists in the digital world and nowhere else. If you remember file sharing through programs like Napster, it’s much the same thing. The money is stored on computers all around the world. When you buy or sell something, the currency moves through peer to peer computers rather than the government overseen banking system.

Blockchain

So, who’s keeping track of all these transactions around the world? Every person that’s using crypto right now is doing it. It’s all recorded on a public ledge called blockchain. This blockchain is distributed through computers and servers across the globe so no one person, or entity, has control over it. That means that the people who use crypto are also in charge of keeping track of it and there lots of pros and cons to that sort of system.

Cryptocurrency Storage

No owner of cryptocurrency owns anything tangible. What you have is a digital key and nothing more. That means you need a safe place to store it where it won’t get hacked or taken from you. That’s where wallets come in. There are two different types of crypto wallets: hot wallets and cold wallets.

Hot wallet storage: Hot wallets refer to crypto storage that uses online software to protect the private keys to your assets.

Cold wallet storage: Unlike hot wallets, cold wallets (also known as hardware wallets) rely on offline electronic devices to securely store your private keys.

What can you Buy with Cryptocurrency?

So, what can you actually buy with cryptocurrency? Well, it turns out that you can actually buy a lot! There are some big tech companies that accept crypto on their websites. Just to name a few of them, you get AT&T, Microsoft, Shopify, Home Depot, and Rakuten. You can also use it to buy from certain luxury car brands and many subscription based web sites accept it as payment. In short, you can use a digital, non-centralized currency to buy tangible assets in the real world and that goes a long way towards legitimizing it!

Making a positive impact in the lives of ex-cons using virtual reality

Virtual reality is changing the way work is done in the world today. The automotive industry is one of the fields which have embraced this technology. This technological embrace has been timely given that the automotive industry has a shortage of technicians. Every year, there are 76,000 job openings out of which 37,000 of them go unfilled. That is why it is important to leverage on technology to address this shortage. Considering that every year, the industry loses experienced technicians to retirement, the point cannot be overemphasized. This impacts businesses and individuals as shortages means that repairs and maintenance take longer and tend to be more expensive.

But in the entire automotive world, one particular VR program stands out because of the impact it has not just for the trainees or interns, but the work force and society in general. This is the Full Circle Auto Repair and Training which is offered by Vehicles for Change. This is an internship which has been designed as an industry driven program to help those who have lots of barriers to employment. A key segment of this population is the prison population.

Re-entering society after being incarcerated can be quite challenging because not many organizations are willing to hire those with a criminal background. According to Mark Schwarz, the President of Vehicles for Change, the automotive repair industry is one of the few which are a bit lenient on this and are willing to accommodate ex-convicts. That is why many of those released from prison are usually re-arrested. A 2018 study by the Bureau of Justice which surveyed 30 states put this figure at a whooping 83%. That is why internships and programs such as the Full Circle Auto Repair and Training are great for those released from prison and for society as a whole.

To illustrate this, 100% of those who complete the program are hired. And what is even better, their rate of recidivism is only 3%. This shows that there is an impact in what they do. This could be because of the fact that they do not just take anyone. They do an interview to make sure that someone is a good fit for the program and that the person’s career goals align with the internship. Thereafter, once accepted, they are paired with mentors to guide their journey. This process therefore starts while the interns are still prisoners. And they are paid while they attend the training.

If you are interested in the program or know someone who can benefit from it, there are minimum requirements to be met. These are having a High school diploma or GED, having the ability to obtain a driving license as well as having basic automotive mechanical knowledge. It is also important to be able to get on location by 7 am on weekdays.

This program is packed with benefits chief among them is that it makes the interns entry level ready. Secondly, with VR training, learning is individualized and trainees get to learn at their own pace. Besides helping to fight recidivism, this program can also assist companies fill crucial vacancies. In addition, companies get highly trained technicians given the quality of training they get. On the other hand, the technicians learn valuable skills and they learn them quickly due to the use of technology and having mentors. They also do not pay for the program and they are paid while undertaking the program meaning that they can concentrate on completing it. Trainees can also make mistakes safely without having to worry about expensive mistakes when dealing with the actual physical components they are learning about. For companies, training technicians using virtual reality is both quick and cheap. There are also benefits to the immediate families of the ex-cons as well as society in general. State and national governments get to save money on prison costs due to the reduction in recidivism.

For Vehicles for Change, the impact does not just stop at training ex-cons. They also donate vehicles to people of low income. Transportation is a huge problem for low income households and this can affect their work and employment prospects. These cars are donated to Vehicles for Change which in turn gives them out to deserving and vetted low income households. 7,500 cars have been given out to date.