Family history platform MyHeritage is releasing a mobile app called Reimagine that enables high-speed scanning of entire album pages to complement the company’s AI tools for restoring — and even facially animating — historical photos. Now users can easily import printed photos stored in albums by snapping page pictures on their iOS or Android device. The app will separate the individual photos, cropping and saving them as standalone images to which metadata can be added for indexing. The app also works with individual photos, or digital uploads from a camera roll. Read more

To help chart the course of our AI-driven future, the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California will hold its inaugural Synthetic Media Summit this Thursday, June 8 on the USC campus. This high-level event will gather the world’s top AI experts and media executives to discuss the state, media use cases, and ethics of synthetic media for the news and entertainment industries. In-person seating is limited, and remote attendance is available at a reduced cost. Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite, for $175 and $50, respectively (plus tax). Enter the discount code ETCSMS15 for 15 percent off in-person attendance. Read more

Apple’s $3,499 Vision Pro headset will begin shipping in early 2024, CEO Tim Cook announced Monday at WWDC, calling it a device for “spatial computing.” The company’s new visionOS operating system is described as a mashup of iOS, macOS and tvOS, designed for “an entirely new universe of apps for Vision Pro,” according to Apple. Unity was revealed as the principal development engine for Vision Pro content. The upcoming headset, powered by Apple’s high-end M2 chip, supports 4K resolution and features embedded audio pods. The company emphasized gaming and streaming services, in addition to productivity and communication. Read more

Day one of Apple’s WWDC 2023 conference from the company’s headquarters in Cupertino was about much more than the anticipated Vision Pro mixed reality headset. The company introduced a powerhouse Mac Pro with Ultra M2, starting at $6,999, and upgraded Mac Studio desktops with M2 Max or M2 Ultra chips. The macOS Sonoma desktop operating system was among the reveals, along with the new 15-inch MacBook Air. Apple took the wraps off iOS 17 and announced that FaceTime and videoconferencing are coming to Apple TV in 4K with tvOS 17. The company’s watchOS 10 rounded out the new product and software highlights. Read more

Nvidia Research is releasing a new AI model called Neuralangelo that can turn 2D iPhone video clips into 3D structures, virtually replicating sculptures, buildings and other real world objects in great detail. Named for Michelangelo’s life-like creations from blocks of marble, Neuralangelo is able to accurately capture repetitive texture patterns, homogenous colors, and strong color variations, tasks that were problematic for earlier AI models. Neuralangelo accomplishes the feat using instant neural graphics primitives, the technology behind Nvidia Instant NeRF. Read more