Apple's log format is compatible with ACES, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences color management system, but it's important to note that Apple Log does not match any pre-existing ACES format. Apple has its own log curve, which they've documented and made available in DaVinci Resolve. To use Apple Log with ACES, you need to select Apple Log as the Input Gamma in the CST node, but choose Rec. 2020 as the Input Color Space, as Apple Log uses the Rec. 2020 primaries. From there, you can convert the footage to Rec. 709 video or to an ACES format like ACEScc, which is also a log format but different from Apple Log. It's worth mentioning that while log formats typically use the same amount of data for each stop, Apple Log compresses the darker stops slightly to control noise. This makes Apple Log more similar to ACEScct, a favored format among colorists for its handling of shadows.

In this podcast episode, the host discusses a software developed by Tom7 for the SIGBOVIK 2016 conference. While the conference usually publishes fake research on April 1st, Tom7's contribution is real. He has created an emulator that can render NES games in 3D, with some manual steps involved. The software is a sidebar to his work on Nintendo AI. For more details on how it works, listeners are encouraged to check out his research paper titled "The glEnd() of Zelda" that was published in SIGBOVIK 2016. Tom7 is planning to release a binary for Windows and possibly OS X, but he acknowledges that it needs some user-friendliness improvements first. Those interested in sharing feedback can do so by leaving a comment on his blog or reaching out to him on Twitter @tom7.

In 1799, Edmund Fry, a type-founder, published Pantographia, a book that aimed to gather every known alphabet from around the world. The book contains 405 alphabet specimens from 164 languages, including influential alphabets like Greek, Semitic, and Phoenician, as well as obscure and mystical ones like the Chaldean alphabet. Fry also includes phonetic approximations of indigenous languages without alphabets. Moreover, he arranges various alphabets to spell out the Lord's Prayer. Pantographia provides a treasury of alphabets for the epigraphical imagination, and the array of different writing systems can feel like a kind of scripture. However, the book also evokes a sense of sadness for modern readers. While we can learn about and appreciate some of these alphabets, many remain incomprehensible and distant, as languages continue to disappear and become extinct. Fry's book, once an exciting collection of alphabets, now resembles a mausoleum rather than a living space for languages.

The team at PhotoRoom wanted to find a unique way to display Generative AI art in their office. Instead of using a traditional large TV, they decided to build a 42-inch E Ink panel display. After finding a supplier that could ship the necessary components to Europe, they began the building process. They custom-built a framing system to enclose the panel without using glue, making repairs and adjustments easier. A Raspberry Pi was added to the back of the frame to act as a controller and host a small webserver for image display. To improve the quality of the images, they used Blue Noise dithering, which involves adding a blue noise pattern to an image and thresholding it. They also addressed the issue of ghosting by running two full white images before each new image. The first version of the project is now complete, but the team has plans to make it battery-powered and even turn it into their own art curator by using prompts generated by ChatGPT.

Researchers at Rice University have developed a magnetoelectric material that can stimulate neurons remotely, making for less invasive neurostimulation treatments. The material, which performs magnetic-to-electric conversions 120 times faster than similar materials, has several potential applications, including treating neurological disorders or nerve damage. The researchers used a magnetoelectric material made up of piezoelectric and magnetorestrictive layers in a proof-of-concept study in which they stimulated peripheral nerves in rats and restored function to a severed nerve. The material’s qualities and performance could have a profound impact on neurostimulation treatments and other applications in computing, sensing, electronics, and more. The research provides a framework for advanced materials design that could drive innovation in a variety of fields. The researchers envision the material being injected into the body, eliminating the need for implantable neurostimulation devices.