Doodles to photorealistic landscapes with AI

NVIDIA, a brand known for graphics processing chips, recently unveiled a new type of software it has been developing – a “landscape generator” that can render photorealistic landscapes based on basic illustrations.

Presented during this year’s GPU Technology Conference and dubbed “GauGAN,” the AI-powered software works by ‘associating’ landscape elements with simple segmentation maps that are drawn by users.

Basically, the software works by matching basic colors with a library of elements – blue for water, brown for trees, green for leaves and the like.

Users just need to draw representations of landscapes with a given set of colors, and the software’s AI will render photorealistic mockups of mountain peaks, lakes, waterfalls and more.

Though still being fine-tuned by NVIDIA, “GauGAN” has roused the interests of artists and graphic designers, as its application in various creative fields – from game development to digital content production – proves to be promising. More information on “GauGAN” is hosted on NVIDIA’s official online channels.

A lamp to light for up to 60 years

British technology company Dyson recently had the unveiling of a new type of lamp that comes with a bulb that’s said to light for up to 60 years.

Named the “Lightcycle,” the lamp comes in desk and floor lamp variants, and touts a unique ambient lighting adjustment feature that sets brightness levels based on a room’s brightness (or darkness) at various times of the day.

Designed with a built-in USB-C port that can be used to charge various gadgets, the lamp also comes with feature-function support through a companion application.

It can be configured to automatically adjust lighting levels based on its owner’s sleep and wake habits, and also touts interesting features like a “lighting mode” feature that’s set for studying, “precision” work (intended for artists and engineers) and a relax mode.

One of its more novel features takes form in how it can adjust lighting levels based on a user’s age which allows it to set brightness levels that are appropriate for a user’s vision.

As with most of the brand’s featured products, the “Lightcycle” has been described by techies as another device that sets more functional aspects to ‘regular’ home appliances.

Snapchat is venturing into games?

Word that Snap Inc., the firm responsible for the Snapchat messaging app, is gunning to make a name in the world of gaming has recently cropped up.

Various reports indicate that the platform, which is reportedly codenamed “Project Cognac,” will be featuring any type of game that comes with a leaderboard component, to sits well with Snap Inc.’s strong social media components.

Initially revealed by pop-culture site Cheddar, it is rumored that the firm will be revealing the new platform for games by April 4 – which platform is believed to highlight games that have strong social elements like card games, board games and the like.