Month: November 2016

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S. Korean President’s ‘Rasputin’ Was Once Part Of A Soap Opera Storyline


Opening credits of the South Korean television show, “The Fourth Republic.” The actors pictured portray a shadowy cult figure (left) and Korea’s future president.

Courtesy MBC


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Courtesy MBC

Opening credits of the South Korean television show, “The Fourth Republic.” The actors pictured portray a shadowy cult figure (left) and Korea’s future president.

Courtesy MBC

As if the presidential cronyism scandal gripping South Korea couldn’t get any more soap-operatic, it turns out the shadowy ties between Korea’s future president and a self-proclaimed shaman were actually dramatized in a Korean mini-series, or “K-drama,” in the 1990s.

The story of President Park Geun-hye’s ties to a mysterious family with unorthodox and varied religious links is riveting South Korea. It’s led to calls for her ouster and the lowest approval ratings of any president since the country democratized in 1987.

Park is suspected of giving Choi Soon-sil, a friend of four decades with no official post, extensive access and decision-making power in government affairs, and paving a way for Choi to rake in millions as a result.

Choi is now in jail on charges of abuse of power and fraud, and so are a handful of presidential aides, who are also under investigation. But as the influence-peddling accusations fly, so are the rumors about how much religion and superstition played a role in policy decisions at the highest levels of government.

Choi is the daughter of Choi Tae-min, a man who died in 1994 and has always enjoyed a certain lore here in his home country. Choi the father, from what is known, founded a cult called Eternal World that purported to blend elements of Buddhism, Christianity and Korean shamanism. In the 1970s, when first getting to know now-President Park, he reportedly claimed he could channel Park’s dead mother.

Park spoke at one of his religious services in 1975 and maintained a mentee-mentor relationship with him since. Choi later went on to found another religious group, Korea Saving Nation Missionary Corps, which changed names three times. Not long before his death in 1994, Choi gave an interview denying he was a shaman.

The Choi-Park relationship was no secret. In 2007, a leaked cable showed the American Embassy in Seoul wrote of the persistent talk that the late Choi was a “Rasputin”-like figure who enjoyed “complete control” over Park’s “body and soul … and that his children accumulated enormous wealth as a result.”

And it was that relationship a Korean soap dramatized in 1995. The K-drama series ran 30 episodes from October 1995 through January 1996 on the network MBC. Called “The Fourth Republic,” it dramatized Korean politics of the 1970s, at the end of dictator Park Chung-hee’s rule. (The late Park Chung-hee was the current president’s father.)

In the scripted drama, President Park the father (and dictator) is acknowledging he knows his eldest daughter (the current, elected president) has been hanging out with Choi Soon-sil’s father, the cult leader. Yep. Here’s the scene…

Kim: It’s about your esteemed first daughter.

Park: You mean that Choi-something ‘priest?’

Kim: Yes… he’s riding on your esteemed first daughter’s favor and committing deeds that cross the line. That Nation Saving Corps is just a facade. He’s accepting donations from firms, meddling in different interests and there are even womanizing issues… Here are the details in the report.

Park: (Without looking at the report) I’ve roughly heard about that. I’m aware of the problem. Geun-hye’s words were different. Let’s wrap this up for today. You may go.

Again, that was the scene of a scripted mini-series in 1995. Here in 2016, the second-generation Park and second-generation Choi are embroiled in a scandal flowing from this storied relationship that could cost Park her presidency.

President Park, in a second apology to the nation on Friday, denied she was in a cult, which is kind of remarkable for a sitting president to do, in any nation.

“There are stories that I fell into a pseudo-cult and did shamanistic rituals at the Blue House,” Park said, referring to South Korea’s presidential office and residence. “This is most certainly not the truth.”

Park is seeking advice from more traditional religious leaders, however. Monday she met representatives from Korea’s Christian churches “as part of the efforts to listen to public opinion and seek advice” from Korean civil society “on how to resolve the current situation and stabilize state affairs,” a spokesman said. Wednesday, she will meet with the head of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism.

Haeryun Kang contributed to this story.

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The NES Classic Edition Is Everything You Want It to Be

All images: Alex Cranz/Gizmodo

Nothing shaped my childhood more than Nintendo. Like millions of other little kids, I got a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas in 1988. It changed my life. At the age of six, the Nintendo was my first real “gadget,” and it was love at first sight. I don’t know if I would do what I do today without it.

Which is why unboxing the new NES Classic Edition almost made me cry. Because 28 years after that fateful Christmas, I still love gadgets, I still love Nintendo, and I still love those classic games.

When the NES Classic Edition was announced, I was excited by the idea of having easy access to 30 classic Nintendo games. And the tiny form factor with a full-sized controller was a thrilling proposition. I’ve experienced these retro consoles before.

Many years ago, I bought one of those Atari Flashback consoles, and it was neat to play Centipede and Pong on the big screen. But I wasn’t born when the Atari 2600 came out—or even when ET killed it and the video game industry—so it didn’t hold the same appeal or nostalgia. The NES is different. It’s something I spent hours playing as a kid and the games included with the mini console are ones I remember vividly.

Pictured: the NES Classic next to an iPhone 7 Plus.

The NES Classic is tiny, but designed to look just like the old classic NES (not the bullshit top-loading model I got for my 10th birthday after that original NES died). It comes with a single wired controller that looks just like the original controller, albeit a bit lighter. You can buy extra controllers for $10, and Nyko makes a wireless option too. Also in the box are an HDMI cable and a USB-based AC adaptor. I successfully plugged my NES mini into my TV’s USB port for power.

The game library UI. You access this screen from within a game by hitting the Reset button on the console.

Setup is a snap, just plug it in and press the power button. You’re greeted with a screen that lets you browse all the available games. You can also access options, which includes three different viewing modes. CRT Filter tries to replicate the lines and look of an old TV: 4:3 mode is the same resolution that you used to see as a kid; and Pixel Perfect mode best replicates what the original game designers saw when programming those games way back when. In my tests, I found 4:3 mode to be the best balance for retro nostalgia.

You can then select games from the menu and start playing! Colors are sharp, and as our friends at Kotaku already noted, games look a lot better than they do on the Wii U’s Virtual Console. In fact, as someone who has been playing emulated games since the 1990s (Nesticle anyone?), I think this might just be the best looking emulated NES games I’ve seen.

Pixel Perfect Super Mario Bros. 3

And once you start playing the games, the timing feels pretty darn perfect. Be sure to turn off any of those fancy “game mode” or “cinema mode” effects on your TV, however, or you might be a few seconds off. That’s because the refresh rate on modern TVs can mess with the timing on these old games, and that can make it harder to play stuff like Punch Out!! or Galaga.

When you’re done playing a game, hitting the reset button on the console brings you back to the main menu. From there, you can choose to save the state of your game to one of four save slots offered for each title. I do wish Nintendo had offered an easier way to get back to the main screen without having to press that reset button, but the interface itself works well.

My only real complaint about the NES Classic Edition are the length of the controller cables. The cable is approximately 2.5 feet long, which means that to play at a comfortable distance, I had to use long HDMI and USB cables long and pull the console close to me or just sit up right in front of the TV.

The door is just for show.

As for the games themselves, they are just as good as I remembered. Revving up Super Mario Bros. 3, my favorite video game of all time, I was back in action finding Warp Whistles and battling against Koopalings. Playing Punch Out!! sans Mike Tyson feels weird, but it’s also still thrilling. Some will quibble about the inability to upgrade past the 30 games that come on the console, but I think this is fine. If you want to really get your geek on, this expensive (but awesome) NES might be more your speed.

Even though I’ve had emulated copies of all of these NES games available for years, there’s still something neat about playing it on a TV with a classic controller. And at just $60, I cannot recommend this enough. In fact, it reminded me that an old friend still has my original NES, Super Nintendo, and some games. John John, can I please have them back?

README

  • Game selection is solid but fixed, and since this thing doesn’t have an internet connection, you’ll never get new games
  • Game controller lengths are entirely too short. Prepare for a long HDMI cable or get those third-party wireless ones.
  • The door on the top of the mini NES is just for show and doesn’t open, boo!
  • At $60, this is a great gift for anyone in their late 20s to early 40s. It seriously brings back the memories.
  • Tecmo Bowl is still a jam.
  • Everyone I’ve shown the NES Classic Edition to has reacted the same way: awe. And then they’ve asked when Nintendo is releasing a Super NES version. I agree, that would be epic. Nintendo, get on this shit.

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Uber turns your friends’ phones into destinations

Uber is turning where your friend is standing into a destination.

In its first major app update since 2012, the company introduced new features Wednesday to make requesting a ride and getting picked up faster. Soon, you’ll even be able to request a ride directly to a friend’s location.

Uber founder and CEO Travis Kalanick told reporters earlier this week the app updates intend to save people time.

“We needed a new system to deal with a growing set of features that were piling up on an older design,” Kalanick said.

uber updates screenshot

For riders trying to travel to someone, not somewhere, Uber will now access your contacts and use a person’s location as a destination. By typing a person’s name into its “Where to?” search option, Uber asks the friend for approval to share details about their whereabouts. The driver will then take you directly to your friend’s location.

Although the app already provides a cost estimate and a time arrival prediction, the update will also make more information readily available. To start, Uber will be pulling details about vehicle options — such as UberX and Uber Pool — and pricing into one spot. Riders will also be able connect their device’s calendar to the app. If Uber notices an event coming up, it will suggest a destination on the home screen.

In addition, Uber will suggest pickup areas optimized for the quickest route, even if a rider is in a tricky location that where driver can’t easily find. This will help avoid having to call a driver to settle on a meeting spot.

Related: Black riders wait longer for Uber rides, study reveals

Uber is also rolling out a collection of entertainment integrations. You’ll be able to read Yelp reviews of restaurants close to your destination, send a Snapchat with a unique Uber filter or identify songs on Pandora — directly within the Uber app. It’s also possible to order a meal via UberEats, the company’s food delivery service.

uber app new

The features will roll out gradually for iOS and Android users in the coming weeks.

Uber said no additional safety features — such as a panic button, which is already available in countries like India — will be added to the app for now.

CNNMoney (San Francisco) First published November 2, 2016: 12:22 PM ET

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Hulu’s live TV options will include Fox and Disney, of course

Hulu will roll out its live TV lineup in early 2017, complete with shows from the Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox, two of Hulu’s founding partners, the company announced today. The agreement brings more than 35 networks to Hulu’s live service, including ABC, FOX, Fox Sports channels, ESPN channels, Disney Channel and XD, Freeform, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild.

These networks join Time Warner Inc.’s Turner channels on Hulu’s live service. The Turner deal brings TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang, among other affiliated channels, to Hulu’s live service. This deal follows Time Warner’s purchase of 10 percent of Hulu for $583 million. Viacom is also on board for live Hulu programming, but it’s unclear which of its networks in particular will be available.

Hulu doesn’t detail how much its live TV service will cost, but describes it as "a complement to the company’s current ad-supported and ad-free subscription video on demand products." The Wall Street Journal reported in May that it would cost $40. That’s more than Sling’s $20 basic package, for example, and it’s not yet known if the reported $40 price tag includes Hulu’s traditional streaming options.

Source: Hulu

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Machine-Vision Algorithm Learns to Judge People by Their Faces

Social psychologists have long known that humans make snap judgements about each other based on nothing more than the way we look and, in particular, our faces. We use these judgements to determine whether a new acquaintance is trustworthy or clever or dominant or sociable or humorous and so on.

These decisions may or may not be right and are by no means objective, but they are consistent. Given the same face in the same conditions, people tend to judge it in the same way.

And that raises an interesting possibility. Rapid advances in machine vision and facial recognition have made it straightforward for computers to recognize a wide range of human facial expressions and even to rate faces by attractiveness. So is it possible for a machine to look at a face and get the same first impressions that humans make?

Today, we get an answer thanks to the work of Mel McCurrie at the University of Notre Dame and a few buddies. They’ve trained a machine-learning algorithm to decide whether a face is trustworthy or dominant in the same way as humans do.

Their method is straightforward. The first step in any machine-learning process is to create a data set that the algorithm can learn from. That means a set of pictures of faces labeled with the way people judge them—whether trustworthy, dominant, clever, and so on.

McCurrie and co create this using a website called TestMyBrain.org, a kind of citizen science project that measures various psychological attributes of the people who visit. The site is one of the most popular brain testing sites on the Web, with over 1.6 million participants.

The team asked participants to rate 6,300 black and white pictures of faces. Each face was rated by 32 different people for trustworthiness and dominance and by 15 people for IQ and age.

An interesting feature of these ratings is that there is no objective answer—the test simply records the opinion of the evaluator. Of course, it is possible to measure IQ and age and work out how well people are able to guess these values. But McCurrie and co are not interested in this. All they want to measure is the range of people’s impressions and then train a machine to reproduce the same results.

Having gathered this data, the team used 6,000 of the images to train their machine-vision algorithm. They use a further 200 images to fine-tune the machine-vision parameters. All this trains the machine to judge faces in the same way that humans do.

McCurrie and co save the last 100 images to test the machine-vision algorithm—in other words, to see whether it jumps to the same conclusions that humans do.

The results make for interesting reading. Of course, the machine reproduces the same behavior that it has learned from humans. When presented with a face, the machine gives more or less the same values for trustworthiness, dominance, age, and IQ as a human would.

McCurrie and co are able to tease apart how the machine does this. For example, they can tell which parts of the face the machine is using to make its judgements.

The team does this by covering different parts of a face and asking the machine to make its judgement. If the outcome is significantly different from the usual value, they assume this part of the face must be important. In this way, they can tell which parts of the face the machine relies on most when making its judgement.

Curiously, these turn out to be similar to the parts of the face that humans rely on. Social psychologists know that humans tend to look at the mouth when assessing trustworthiness and that a lowered brow is often associated with dominance.

And these are exactly the areas that the machine-vision algorithm learns to look at from the training data. “These observations indicate that our models have learned to look in the same places that humans do, replicating the way we judge high-level attributes in each other,” say McCurrie and co.

That leads to a number of interesting applications. McCurrie and co first apply it to acting. They use the machine to assess the trustworthiness and dominance of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange from pictures of their faces. They then use the machine to make the same assessment of the actors who play them in two recent moves—Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Benedict Cumberbatch, respectively.

In effect this predicts how a crowd might assess the similarity between an actor and the person he or she portrays.

The results are clear. It turns out that the machine rates both actors in a similar way to the humans they portray—all score poorly in trustworthiness, for example. “Our models output remarkably similar predictions between the subjects and their actors, attesting to the accuracy of the portrayals in the films,” say McCurrie and co.

But the team can go further. They apply the machine-vision algorithm to each frame in a movie, which allows them to see how the ratings change over time. This provides a measure of the way people’s perceptions might change over time. And that’s something that could be used in research, marketing, political campaigning, and so on.

The work also suggests future avenues to pursue. One possibility is to test how first impressions change between cultural or demographic groups.  

All this makes it possible to start teasing apart the factors that contribute to our preconceptions, which often depend on subtle social cues. It may also allow robots to predict and repeat them.

A fascinating corollary to this is how this kind of research could influence human behavior. If somebody discovered that their face is perceived as untrustworthy, how might that person react?  Might it be possible to learn how to change this perception, perhaps by changing facial expressions? Interesting work!

Ref: http://ift.tt/2eHIPQx: Predicting First Impressions with Deep Learning 

 

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