amazing

Bitcoin: what is it, how much does it cost and 10 amazing facts

04/02/2022 by

[ad_1]

At first, no one knew about him, then everyone thought that only criminals used him, then they decided that he was “already done” … and today one bitcoin is worth tens of thousands of dollars, and people are buying up cool “hardware” in order to “mine” (get) at least some virtual ฿-coins. And bitcoin is a very unusual thing. We will tell about the most interesting of his “quirks”.

♥ BY TOPIC: The best cities in the world: 28 places with the highest standard of living.

1. May 22 is Bitcoin Pizza Day

On May 22, 2010, programmer Laszlo Hanjes, with the help of friends from the Bitcoin Talk forum, paid 10,000 BTC (BTC is an abbreviation for bitcoin) for two Papa John pizzas. Then his bitcoins were worth $41, twelve years later – $400 million!

♥ BY TOPIC: Why the dollar is called the buck, denoted by the symbol $ and other interesting facts about the American currency.

2. Nobody Knows Who Created Bitcoin

In 2008, an unknown user (or group of people) under the nickname Satoshi Nakamoto published a report on one of the forums describing the principles of the functioning of the bitcoin network. The document fit in just nine pages, and almost everything (except for the last chapter) could be understood even by an unprepared reader. Everyone liked the idea … well, you already know what happened next.

However, even today no one knows who Satoshi Nakamoto is, “he” is or “she”, where this person lives and whether he (a) is alive.

Why? Most likely, at one time the creators of bitcoin decided that maintaining anonymity would help attract maximum attention to the project. And a truly decentralized currency simply should not have one “leader” or a person who has a “red button”.

In any case, whoever Satoshi Nakamoto is, he is a real genius.

♥ BY TOPIC: Folder “con” in Windows: why can’t you create a directory with this name?

3. There can only be 21 million bitcoins in the world

Unlike ordinary money, which governments can print as much as they need (and thereby devalue), the issuance of bitcoins is limited by their creator to a certain number, which is 21 million. New bitcoins appear only as a reward for the labor and expenses of “miners” (miners ). Every few years, 2 times less bitcoins enter into circulation than before. This will continue until approximately 2033, when the entire limit of 21 million bitcoins will be chosen. Currently, almost 80% of the total number of available bitcoins has been mined. Cryptocurrency scarcity is the main reason that the price of bitcoin has skyrocketed in recent years.

♥ BY TOPIC: 70 interesting facts about IT technologies.

4. Mining can heat houses

In the early days of bitcoin, it was possible to “mine” even on a laptop. Over time, more and more serious requirements began to apply to mining: today it only makes sense to mine bitcoins when you have ASIC hardware (ASIC – an integrated circuit specialized for solving a specific task), cooling systems and cheap electricity. On the other hand, says an English cybersecurity expert under the nickname Zach, everything that could be invented with hardware has already been invented. So, in full accordance with Moore’s law, ASICs will soon start to get cheaper. And we will be able not only to mine a penny, but also to heat the house to a comfortable temperature of 21 degrees Celsius.

♥ BY TOPIC: There are 16 circles in this picture, can you see them?

5. Physically, Bitcoin does not exist.

However, in 2011, the American company Casascius Bitcoin Mint put into circulation metal bitcoin coins of various denominations (0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 and 25 bitcoins). The coins were essentially “offline wallets” with unique information indicating them – a bitcoin address and a secret key hidden by a one-time hologram. Brass and gold were used as the material for making coins.

♥ BY TOPIC: Nikola Tesla – who is this Serb, after whom the Tesla and Nikola companies are named.

6. Need a wallet

If you want to not just look at bitcoin, but pay with it (a world map of places where bitcoins are accepted), then you definitely need to have a wallet. There are many kinds of them. Supported platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux. In addition, there are browser and hardware solutions.

For example, the basic Bitcoin Core, which, if desired, can be compiled from source code and then wait a few days while it synchronizes data with information from the entire BTC network. Hardware wallets are for those who did not pay 10,000 BTC for two pizzas, but left them with them until better times. Finally, there are the recently introduced ‘lightweight’ SPV (simplified payment verification) wallets for smartphones, where security is ensured, among other things, with the help of the device’s security tools (for example, Touch ID on the iPhone). The latter are perhaps the best combination of reliability and ease of use. If we talk about specific developments, we can recommend Breadwallet (available for both iOS and Android), but this service charges a commission on transactions.

♥ BY TOPIC: God level: A store employee enters data into a cash register as if playing a musical instrument (video).

7. Bitcoin transactions can be made using emoticons

A transaction using bitcoins is not the “confused” algorithms of traditional financial institutions, but a common instruction for the network. In other words, you can send it via SMS or email. And in order to hide the transaction from prying eyes, you can use emoticons or even a single picture. Such advantages make bitcoin immune to control attempts by governments.

♥ BY TOPIC: Space speeds: how fast do you need to fly to leave the Earth, the planetary system and the galaxy?

8. There are more smartphones in the world than bank accounts.

For us, banking services have long become something commonplace. But the 2 billion inhabitants of the Earth cannot say the same about themselves – they do not have banks, and therefore they cannot play any role in the global economy. An example of such a country is Ghana, the banks somehow did not work out here. But almost everyone here has a smartphone or a simple phone, and it is much easier for people to exchange money using bitcoins. By 2022, there will already be more than 7 billion smartphones in the world, and a completely new generation of people will own a large part of them. And the chances that they will choose Bitcoin over Bank of America are very high.

♥ BY TOPIC: Dolphins are not fish and other interesting facts about these cetaceans.

9. Bitcoin is a little worthless

Now the commissions for payments with bitcoins are quite high. Commissions are charged for each byte of transmitted information, so it is unprofitable to transfer small amounts of money: the commission may turn out to be more than the payment. This is a pity – after all, initially many saw the great potential of bitcoin in the so-called. “microtransactions”. True, now Segregated Witness has appeared – a new, more economical way to manage data, it should make small transfers more profitable.

♥ BY TOPIC: Who has the most followers on Instagram – the 40 most popular accounts.

10. The Bitcoin blockchain is just one of many.

Blockchain (literally “chain of blocks”) is bitcoin’s digital “book of books”, a distributed database that contains records of absolutely all transactions from the very beginning of the existence of the service. The first entry in it belongs to Satoshi Nakamoto, who sent himself the first bitcoins to the Genesis block. New blocks are added by miners approximately every 10 minutes, the file with all the records weighs more than 200 GB today. It can be downloaded or viewed in a browser (for example, on blockchain.info).

There are also cryptocurrencies alternative to bitcoin, each of them has its own blockchain. The technology is also trying to be used in other areas of life – for example, in checking the right to vote, records and health status and the land registry.

See also:

[ad_2]

Father and Son: An Amazing Free Game for iPhone and iPad Reviewed

21/01/2022 by

[ad_1]

Father and Son is an adventure game with unusual roots. In particular, this is the only game of its kind, the creation of which had a hand in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. For the most part, Father and Son is a short story told in a simple yet beautiful side-scrolling 2D style. This game may not make a very strong impression, but it is worth downloading, especially considering that it is absolutely free.

Free download Father and Son game for iPhone and iPad (App Store)

Dig into the past

The protagonist of Father and Son is a man who arrives in Naples in an attempt to better understand his late father. For the character, this becomes a whole test, since he was not close to his father, who seemed to prefer archaeological excavations to everything else, including the family. All that remains of the character from his father is a note and his work, exhibited in the archaeological museum of Naples.

As the game progresses, the player will move from the character’s apartment to the museum, where several rather interesting plot points await him. Without going into too much detail, it’s safe to say that these little stories are woven together in quite unexpected ways, quite interesting and open to interpretation, as well as giving the player choices at certain points.

Museum walk

From a technical point of view, Father and Son is a simple adventure game. There are almost no puzzles in it, interaction with items in the inventory – too. Instead, the player controls movement, interacts with objects, and also communicates with rare characters and chooses answers in dialogues.

The lack of any difficulty allows the player to quickly complete Father and Son, which may be an intentional move by the developers. The main storyline can be easily mastered in one evening, however, exploring other parts of the museum may take longer. But to open access to additional content, you will need to register at the real National Archaeological Museum of Naples in Italy.

♥ BY TOPIC: The best games for iPhone and iPad according to the editors of Apple: 100 of the most-most.

Simple and wonderful

The game may seem pretty straightforward in terms of story, but do not forget that it is made in a beautiful style. The graphics look hand-drawn with a fantastically wide color palette that literally adds color to the painted world. When a player simply walks around the locations, what is happening in the background is almost always pleasing to the eye.

Other than that, the game feels extremely fluid. Scene transitions are almost instantaneous, and the user interface is designed so that the player never has to deal with pixel hunting.

There is no reason not to download Father and Son. This is a beautiful, free game that tells an interesting story. And if the player is imbued, he can always visit the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

Father and Son is available on the App Store. The game is compatible with iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 9.0 or later. There is localization into Russian.

Download Father and Son game for iPhone and iPad (App Store)

See also:

[ad_2]

Tiny Bubbles game is an amazing puzzle game for iPhone and iPad that surpasses all expectations

04/01/2022 by

[ad_1]

Vibrant atmospheric puzzle games for iOS are by no means unique. The App Store assortment includes thousands of such games. If you close your eyes and randomly poke at the list, you will most likely end up on the puzzle. However, among the huge variety, sometimes there are pleasant surprises, the Tiny Bubbles project (in Russian – Bubbles) is one of them.

Download Tiny Bubbles for iPhone and iPad (App Store)

In Tiny Bubbles, you need to combine together all bubbles of the same color. The peculiarity of the game lies in the use of interesting physics, while it works according to all the familiar scheme. Bubble combining is the main task that combines many well-known mechanics and game elements. You can pop, inflate, tear the edges to mix colors, or match bubbles of the same color. All bubbles obey the real laws of physics and it is really very interesting to observe how they decrease in size or join into one chain.

In total, the game offers 170 levels, each of which requires a new approach and strategy. The difficulty of the game will increase with the new passed level. There are three game modes available: “puzzle”, “arcade” and “infinity”.

The graphics are perfectly complemented by a relaxing soundtrack that is almost perfect for the sounds of bursting bubbles. What makes Tiny Bubbles really interesting is its mechanics, which change throughout all seven of its sections. You will not only have to perform basic actions, but also deal with shadow bubbles, mix colors, reduce bubbles to certain sizes, or just pop them all.

Over time, the game begins to repeat itself, but this is only noticeable if you play without stopping. If Tiny Bubbles had a more substantial competitive component (for example, timed tasks or puzzles that bring a large number of points), the project would only benefit, but the developers did a good job without it.

Tiny Bubbles is not a long game. It will take only a few hours to complete. If you wish, after passing the required levels, you can select the “infinity” mode and play as much as you like.

The Tiny Bubbles project has won so many awards for a reason. It’s a fun, smart, relaxing, yet challenging game and, importantly, accessible to everyone. Tiny Bubbles is equally easy to play for both novice and experienced players, regardless of the device used and the time spent.

The Tiny Bubbles game application is available in the App Store at a price of 379 rubles. To download it, you need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 8 or higher. There is a localization into Russian. There are no ads or in-game purchases.

Download Tiny Bubbles for iPhone and iPad (App Store)

See also:

[ad_2]

Lincoln and Kennedy: amazing coincidences from the biographies of US presidents

10/12/2021 by

[ad_1]

Everyone likes mystical stories. Stories of aliens, strange disappearances, and coincidences are consistently high on the news. Americans even believe in some kind of Tecumseh curse that plagues their presidents. But speaking of the fate of the heads of this state, another story strikes the eye. There are a lot of coincidences in the biographies of two popular American presidents – Lincoln and Kennedy. This list was first published in 1964, right after the Dallas tragedy.

♥ BY TOPIC: The Curse of Tecumseh: The Predicted Deaths Of Seven US Presidents Or Coincidence?

True, corrosive historians are not so greedy for sensations, but methodically work on the material. So, Martin Gardner in the popular science magazine Scientific American debunked some of the coincidences, later this information even formed the basis of the book. Nevertheless, the story of the coincidences in the fates of Lincoln and Kennedy remains at the hearing. But what lies at its core, and what have the researchers been able to refute?

♥ BY TOPIC: Why the dollar is called the buck is denoted by the $ symbol and other interesting facts about the American currency.

Real coincidences in the fate of Lincoln and Kennedy

Martin Gardner has compiled a list of facts that underlines such a strange coincidence. At the same time, a longer list can be found in different publications. But here is the main thing that attracts attention:

1. Lincoln was elected president in 1860, while Kennedy became president in 1960. The difference is exactly 100 years.

2. Both politicians paid a lot of attention to the rights of African Americans.

3. Lincoln and Kennedy died on Friday, their wives were nearby.

4. During their stay in the White House, both spouses of the presidents lost a child.

5. The killer’s bullet entered the head from behind in both cases

6. Lincoln met death at Ford’s theater, but Kennedy was killed while driving a Ford Lincoln car.

7. The deceased Lincoln was replaced by Vice President Johnson, and Deputy Kennedy had the same surname. Both vice presidents were Southerners, Democratic and former Senators.

8. Interestingly, Andrew Johnson was born in 1808, while Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908. And again the difference was 100 years.

9. The first name of Lincoln’s secretary was John (but not Kennedy, as they sometimes say), but Kennedy’s personal assistant was called Lincoln.

10. Lincoln’s killer, John Booth, was born in 1839. But Lee Harvey Oswald, who shot Kennedy, was born in 1939. Again, the difference is 100 years.

11. Both terrorists were southerners and adhered to a policy of extremism.

12. Both Booth and Oswald did not live to see the trial, being killed before him by angry citizens.

13. Booth killed Lincoln in the theater, and then hid in the barn. It is believed that Oswald shot Kennedy from the book depository, and then tried to hide in the cinema.

14. The names LINCOLN and KENNEDY have seven letters each.

15. The names of the Vice Presidents, ANDREW JOHNSON and LYNDON JOHNSON, have thirteen letters each.

16. The names of the assassins, JOHN WILKES BOOTH and LEE HARVEY OSWALD, contain fifteen letters each.

17. John Booth died on April 26, he was 26 years old. But Lee Harvey Oswald passed away on November 24 at the age of 24.

18. Both of them were the second children in the family.

19. They got their names in honor of their grandfathers.

20. Both men had congenital genetic diseases.

21. They loved to sit in rocking chairs. Presidents were killed, in fact, in a sitting position and on the move.

22. Lincoln and Kennedy loved poetry, including Shakespeare, and were also storytellers of anecdotes.

23. Their spouses were already engaged to other men at the time of their marriage.

24. Both first ladies were of aristocratic origin, knew French and wasted money.

25. Mary Todd Lincoln and Jacqueline Kennedy were married at the age of 24.

26. Lincoln’s sons were named Robert and Edward, and the Kennedy brothers had the same names.

27. Lincoln’s daughter-in-law was named Mary Eunice, and Kennedy’s sister was Eunice Mary.

28. Both presidents had 4 children, but two died – one before assuming office, and one after.

29. Lincoln’s son served as ambassador to England, the same post was held by Kennedy’s father.

30. Lincoln entered the House of Representatives in 1846, and Kennedy exactly 100 years later.

31. Lincoln’s candidacy for the presidency was supported by Secretary of the Navy John F. Kennedy.

32. The political rivals in the elections, Stephen Douglas and Richard Nixon, were also born 100 years apart – in 1813 and 1913.

33. Both presidents, almost immediately after taking office, threw the country into a war.

34. Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense was Robert McNamara, and Lincoln’s friend was John McNamara.

35. Both vice-presidents had kidney stones, and they are the only politicians in this post with such a diagnosis.

36. In addition to what has already been mentioned, there have been other coincidences regarding presidential killers. Both extremists had a height of about 172 centimeters, they were brought up in dysfunctional families, in early childhood they lost their fathers. Booth and Oswald were arrested by policemen named Baker, and the arrows were killed from the Colt before the trial and outside the prison.

37. Presidents died the day before the holiday. Lincoln didn’t make it to Easter, and Kennedy’s to Thanksgiving.

38. Both presidents were accompanied by another married couple, the men were injured.

39. The politicians did not die immediately after the injury.

40. And the place of death began with the same letters – P and H (Peterson’s House and Parkland Hospital). And they buried Kennedy, as his widow wished, according to the script for Lincoln’s funeral.

♥ BY TOPIC: Swiss Guard, or why the Pope can only be guarded by immigrants from Switzerland?

Criticism and feature of coincidences in biographies of Lincoln and Kennedy

There are really so many coincidences that it attracts attention. Nevertheless, the compilers of the lists sometimes loosely interpret the facts to form a brighter picture. So John Booth was born not in 1839, but in 1838. So the difference with Oswald was 101 years. Bout cannot be considered a southerner, his home state was not included in the Confederation. Oswald, in general, lived mainly in the north and was not guided by political motives in the murder. It is often said that Lincoln’s personal assistant was named John F. Kennedy, but the names of his secretaries are John Nicole and John Hay. Another coincidence is also mentioned – Lincoln visited the city of Monroe shortly before his death, and Kennedy, shortly before his death, was in a relationship with actress Marilyn Monroe. But both facts are extremely doubtful – the city of Monroe in Maryland was not found, and the love story of the president and the actress is a beautiful legend. The beauty died in general a year before the death of her admirer.

However, most of the coincidences can be easily explained. Thus, the difference in the dates of elections to the House of Representatives and the beginning of presidencies with a difference of 100 years is not surprising given the frequency of these events in an even number of years. The fact that the murder took place on Friday is also understandable. Public events such as a performance or a president’s visit to the city usually take place on weekends or Friday. It is clear why the killer shot in the head – he had no special options. Booth walked up to the back of Lincoln’s cross as he sat in the rocking chair. Oswald, on the other hand, aimed from the back with a rifle, and the head was the only place hitting which would guarantee death. It is not surprising that the names of the presidents coincide, since Johnson is the second most common surname in America, after the Smiths.

In total, the complete list of coincidences concerning Lincoln and Kennedy themselves, their vice presidents, family members, killers and even killers of killers has more than 200 facts. But most of them are frankly insignificant, can be easily explained or generally banal. Interesting coincidences in the biographies of Lincoln and Kennedy do take place. Of course, this is partly understandable, but sometimes the facts are frankly manipulated for the sake of a sensation. Like any high-profile story, this one was overgrown with additional facts, which made it possible to form an integral part of American folklore.

See also:

[ad_2]

Returner 77 for iPhone and iPad – Space Puzzle with Amazing Graphics

12/05/2021 by ALOK DAS

[ad_1]

The developers of Returner 77 are not very modest. The studio that created this amazing puzzle called itself Fantastic, yes. What can you expect from a developer with such a pompous name? “We are creating the universe. What are you doing? ”- this is how visitors are greeted on the studio’s website. Surely games from such developers should really be fantastic, you think, and you will be right.

Download Returner 77 for iPhone and iPad (App Store)

The firstborn of Fantastic, yes is the 3D puzzle game Returner 77.

“Driven by serious storytelling and a stunning visual universe, we are creating something completely new. Something that will significantly expand the boundaries of mobile games “- this is how the creators themselves describe the game, but can you take their word for it?

Let’s figure it out.

In the story of Returner 77, the population of the Earth is practically extinct due to the prolonged Crystal War. 77 daredevils go into space to return in a few years and revive humanity, but someone seeks to thwart this plan. Of all those sent into space, only one remains alive. The hero wakes up after a long sleep and discovers that he is on an alien ship. Colonel Ling’s video diaries help him figure out what happened.

If you like science fiction and space movies, Returner 77 is for you. But do not count on the philosophy that such cinema abounds in. The creators of the game focused not on the allegorical component and the search for meanings, but on the interesting gameplay. The game is exciting from the very first minutes, and, twisting various gizmos, controlling mechanisms and puzzling over puzzles, you will not have time for philosophy.

♥ BY TOPIC: The best games for iPhone and iPad according to Yablyk.com: 100 most-most.

All tasks are linked. For example, you first need to activate a lever, which should then activate the beam that opens the gate. All tasks are different and very interesting. You will have to guide the sphere through an intricate maze, collect geometric patterns, draw a line under the stars that appear, and much more. The problems are difficult, but there are hints, and in the end they can be solved automatically.

As for the graphics, it looks impressive. Perhaps the epithet “unprecedented”, which the developers themselves chose for it, is somewhat exaggerated, but the graphics are really quite decent. The space is drawn in great detail – you can see the smallest specks of dust, and what can we say about the shining stars and crystals! Unfortunately, all this beauty is static (there is no dynamics in the Returner 77), but the quirky mechanisms and intricate devices are beautifully animated. True, for especially picky players, this animation may seem somewhat unnatural.

The disadvantages of the game can also be attributed to its too primitive structure. Everything is very simple: you need to go into the hangar, solve the puzzle and thereby open the door to another hangar, where everything is repeated again. Puzzles are not very action-packed anyway, and such a routine quickly gets boring. True, the game control is very simple, and this is already an advantage.

Choose Returner 77 for fun brain-teasers solving interesting puzzles and visually beautiful space-themed imagery. You can download the game from the App Store for 449 rubles. The app is supported by iPhone, iPad and iPod touch running iOS 8.0 and later. Keep in mind that the game is quite bulky and you will need at least 1.3 GB of free space to download it.

Russian language is present.

Download Returner 77 for iPhone and iPad (App Store)

In the meantime, there is no need to worry about it. ”

See also:

[ad_2]

Special effects for cinema: the definitive guide to the amazing process of creating effects

31/03/2021 by ALOK DAS

[ad_1]

Modern cinema is striking in its visual range – sometimes it seems that their creators can do anything at all! But how do they do it ?! We invite you for a stroll through the office of one of the world’s best visual effects (CG) specialist companies!

♥ BY TOPIC: What do the letters on the cognac bottle mean (XO, VO or VSOP)?

In 2016, London-based studio MPC (Moving Picture Company) received an Oscar for their work on visual effects for Disney’s The Jungle Book. All jungle and animation are created by British specialists.

In the meantime, there is no need to worry about it. ”

The only “real” character in the film is a young actor playing Mowgli. It needed to be carefully “synchronized” with moving objects around it. How to do it? In this photo, Mowgli is holding a model of one of the heroes of the picture and is standing against the background of a blue screen (“chromakey”).

♥ BY TOPIC: Tatiana Subbotina, 62, from St. Petersburg, has become a YouTube star thanks to her chroma key videos.

Further (at the stage of post-production), instead of a blue background and “blank”, computer graphics and a background are added.

And here is the final shot.

After the film is shot, 3D modeling specialists, animators and other experts from the field take over. They work on each frame using specialized software like Maya and Nuke.

♥ BY TOPIC: “Game of Thrones” without special effects (video).

The process of creating special effects requires both technical knowledge and creativity. The software uses complex algorithms, and character creation is impossible without serious expertise in various fields of knowledge – from anatomy to the physics of water. As a result, the MPC office is literally packed with specialized literature and newsreels.

The footage is constantly shown to the “big shots”: supervisors, department heads, the chief supervisor in charge of special effects in the film and the director. For this, the office is equipped with cozy rooms with projectors. The result of the preliminary work is shown to the bosses until absolutely everyone is satisfied – after all, the rendering of the final versions of each frame takes a lot of time and processing power.

The MPC office is filled with posters of past successes and concepts for upcoming projects. This is how, for example, Prometheus projects dominate on one of the walls.

Some of the images are even signed by the actors themselves.

The walls are hung with T-shirts with prints dedicated to individual MPC projects – for example, the same “The Jungle Book”. In this case, it is designed to remind employees of the won “Oscar”.

Even when it seems to you that “well, this film was definitely filmed in real terrain” – do not believe your eyes. For example, the same “Pirates of the Caribbean” was made against the background of an ordinary blue (as an option, green) chromakey.

And here is the final image. There is no chromakey, the sea has taken its place.

A short video about the creation of the sea scenes of the film:

When combining live action and CG elements, it is very important to perfectly “fit” all the elements of the picture to each other so that it looks authentic.

♥ BY TOPIC: How to look good in any photo: 5 simple tips.

Computer graphics specialists take into account a variety of parameters in their work on the background and characters: lighting, reflection, camera movement, and even distortion from its lens.

Visual effects are most often added after the shooting of the picture itself, but due to extremely complex modern technologies, the same heads of computer graphics departments are required to be present at the shooting of films like Prometheus in order to make sure that one frame will “dock” with next.

♥ BY TOPIC: Best Movies: How To Find A Good Movie To Watch – 8 Working Ways.

In order to synchronize two shots like these, the special effects team collects a ton of background information. They photograph silver and chrome balls to capture lighting conditions and use lidar 3D scanning to capture the entire area.

Detailed “reference” photos were taken in India, but during the filming of “The Jungle Book” none of its participants came close to the real jungle.

♥ BY TOPIC: The tallest statues in the world: 40 mesmerizing places to see

Nature was created on a computer – from trees and animals that went through 3D modeling and “generated” water.

Special software is used to simulate effects such as water, smoke, flames and large groups of people. For example, in this scene with a lot of people from the action movie “War of the Worlds Z” the real person is only the pilot in the foreground.

♥ BY TOPIC: 30 most famous fake photos you could believe in

The software simulates the behavior of real people, so in the case of a crowd of zombies from the movie “War of the Worlds Z” the algorithms, of course, had to be slightly corrected :).

More details here:

In the meantime, there is no need to worry about it. ”

Visual effects are often used to create fantastic characters – for example, creatures from the Planet of the Apes. But in “Terminator Genesis” the computer artists have surpassed themselves – with the help of their technologies they “returned youth” to the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger! The rejuvenated Arnie looked more than natural – the CG specialists made him “ordinary” down to the smallest detail. Because they can!

Another “rejuvenating” operation was performed by MPC specialists with Rachel from Blade Runner 2049. They spent a year on the CG model – but it was worth it, because the actress looked exactly the same as in the original 1982 film. The image shows Rachel’s incredibly live computer model from the 2017 tape.

The appearance of “live” Rachel in the new film (2017). Pay attention – special points are clearly visible on the actress’s face. They “shoot” information about her facial expressions.

Further, her face changes to “computer” from the CG model.

The final result. There is a complete feeling that Rachel has not aged a day.

When creating a computer model, everything starts with a 3D skeleton, each bone in which moves realistically. Then another level is applied to it – the muscles.

♥ BY TOPIC: 10 of the most unusual drawings seen from space

And only then does the skin appear on the model.

The lighting specialists are the last to get involved – they make the lighting conditions the same as on the set. To do this, they use large collections of reference photographs and information collected earlier in the process of “normal” work on the film.

See also:

[ad_2]

DISCOUNT (RUB 399 → RUB 179) Tiny Bubbles is an amazing puzzle game for iPhone and iPad that exceeds all expectations

14/02/2021 by ALOK DAS

[ad_1]

Bright atmospheric puzzles for iOS are by no means unique. The App Store has thousands of such games. If you close your eyes and randomly poke at the list, you will most likely end up on the puzzle. However, among the huge variety, sometimes there are pleasant surprises, the Tiny Bubbles project (in Russian – Bubbles) is one of them.

Download Tiny Bubbles for iPhone and iPad (App Store)

In Tiny Bubbles, you need to combine all bubbles of the same color together. The peculiarity of the game lies in the use of interesting physics, while it works according to all the familiar scheme. Bubble combining is the main task that combines many well-known mechanics and game elements. You can pop the bubbles, inflate them, tear the edges to mix colors, or match bubbles of the same color. All bubbles obey the real laws of physics and it is really very interesting to observe how they decrease in size or join into one chain.

The graphics are perfectly complemented by a relaxing soundtrack that is almost perfect for the sounds of bursting bubbles. What makes Tiny Bubbles really interesting is its mechanics, which change throughout all seven of its sections. You will not only have to perform basic actions, but also deal with the bubbles-shadows, mix colors, reduce bubbles to certain sizes, or just pop them all.

Tiny Bubbles is not a long game. It will take only a few hours to complete. If desired, after passing the required levels, you can select the “infinity” mode and play as much as you like.

The Tiny Bubbles project has won so many awards for a reason. This is a fun, smart, relaxing, yet challenging game and, importantly, accessible to everyone. Tiny Bubbles is equally easy to play for novice and experienced players, regardless of the device used and the time spent.

In the meantime, there is no need to know about it. ”

The Tiny Bubbles game application is available in the App Store at a price of 299 rubles. To download it, you need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 8 or higher. There is a localization into Russian. There are no ads or in-game purchases.

Download Tiny Bubbles for iPhone and iPad (App Store)

See also:

[ad_2]

How did the word Spam appear: an amazing history of the origin of the term

08/05/2020 by ALOK DAS

[ad_1]

“SPAM” is one of those words that we regularly use, but do not really understand why it carries this particular semantic load. How did the paste brand, which appeared on the market in 1936, become associated with the mass and unwanted distribution of advertising offers in the era of information technology? Not only did this story turn out to be vivid and unbanal, it also included a place for the comedy group Monty Python. Her sketch also helped to acquire the word modern meaning.

♥ BY TOPIC: How brand names appeared: Ikea, Lego, Pepsi, Reebok, Skype, Sony, Canon, Google – 16 stories about the origin of the names of famous companies.

What is spam?

Spam (from the English spam) – mailing advertising correspondence to persons who did not express a desire to receive it. Spammers are called spammers.

♥ BY TOPIC: Why is the Apple logo a bitten apple?

History of the origin of the term “spam”

Almost everyone has a junk folder in their mailbox, where letters are manually and automatically added. It’s no secret that we receive a lot of messages with offers of an advertising nature. Some letters relate to our activities and interests, while others generally make me wonder – what do I have to do with it? But they are related by the fact that we did not ask anyone to send us such offers. One has only to unsubscribe from one sender or block it, as others appear instead. The fight against spam seems to be an unpleasant but inevitable part of the Internet. Do not underestimate the role of spam in the modern world – it accounts for 60 to 80% of all emails. The distribution channel is not limited only to e-mails, it is also messengers, social networks, blogs, SMS …

The acronym SPAM or SPAM was not originally associated with information technology. The SPAM brand appeared in 1936, and canned meat was produced under it (Shoulder of Pork and hAM – “pork shoulder and ham,” according to other sources, SPiced hAM– “ham with spices”).

A short sonorous word was heard, which contributed to the stormy advertising, and even the Second World War. These canned goods were supplied to the American army, and in the post-war hungry years they became a good substitute for meat in Britain. The Monty Python sketch is connected with this, during which the participants in the scene repeatedly repeat the obsessive word SPAM. The visitor requested a dish without SPAM, the waitress began to offer him the available dishes, but they all contained a little SPAM. Chaos was developed by a group of singing Vikings, fans of meat dishes.

A similar use of the word was remembered, and with the development of the Internet, it acquired a new meaning. In the first computer networks, there were ads. But she, of course, interfered with the communication of enthusiasts. They began to call extraneous obsessive messages “spam,” similar to the Monty Python scene. Soon the word became a household word. And if the producer of canned food, Hormel Foods, even popularized the memorable sketch, then the new interpretation of the product name did not please her. But attempts to defend the right to the word failed!

♥ BY TOPIC: What size is a meteorite capable of destroying humanity.

The most common types of spam

Today, there are several common types of spam at once – advertisers are constantly thinking of how to convey their proposals to us. Spam can be used as advertising by completely legal companies that are trying to make a name for themselves in such a cheap way of “carpet bombing”. True, sometimes such obsession only scares customers away. Spam can be used to advertise illegal products, which cannot be reported through legal channels. Anti-advertising, defaming competitors, can also be a form of spam. Sometimes scammers try to lure people into money by sending out numerous letters of the same type. A classic example is the “Nigerian letters” in the form of a message about an unexpected inheritance. Another spam based scam is phishing. The letter indicates a link to a fake address of a trusted resource, the transition there is fraught with the loss of personal data. Numerous “letters of happiness” and the sending of virus letters, political or election propaganda, requests for allocation of money for the treatment of children are considered as spam.

Analysts consider spam to be a low-performing advertising tool. But substantial fines do not stop the organizers from such newsletters. In the meantime, users have to learn to get used to life in a new world where there is so much information that sometimes you need to protect yourself from it.

See also:

[ad_2]