IBM’s new ‘Lightweight Engine’ could be a game changer for fintechJP Morgan just rolled out ChatGPT to 60,000 employees, demonstrating the demand for generative AI in the financial services sector.

The tech world mourns Susan WojcickiSusan Wojcicki, a longtime Googler who spent nearly a decade as the CEO of YouTube, passed away Friday after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer. Wojcicki, who was 56, famously rented the garage of her Menlo Park home to Larry Page and Sergey Brin as they were starting Google. She then became one […]
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3D Printed Jet Engine Goes TurboPrinting a model jet engine is quite an accomplishment. But it wasn’t enough for [linus3d]. He wanted to redesign it to have a turbojet, an afterburner, and a variable exhaust nozzle. You can see how it all goes together in the video below.
This took months of work and it shows. This probably won’t make a good rainy-day weekend project. You do need a few ball bearings and some M2 hardware, but it is mostly 3D printed.

True turbojets are most often found on military planes. They are loud, don’t perform well at low speeds, and are generally not very efficient. A variation, the turbofan, is what you usually find on passenger jets. They are quieter and work better at low speeds, but have more parts and, thus, more maintenance.
Unlike a true turbojet, turbofan engines have a cold section and a hot section. The bypass ratio refers to how much air flows through the cold path relative to the amount flowing through the hot path. This cold air provides additional thrust, making the turbofan engine more efficient, especially at lower speeds. The reduced demand on the hot air thrust also reduces the amount of noise.
Plastic isn’t going to cut it for a real jet engine, although you can 3D print some parts of one. Bonus hacker cred if you build your jet engine by hand.

Be your own DJ with QN8066 and an Arduino LibraryThe QN8066 is a fun little FM transmitter chip. It covers the full FM broadcast band and has built-in DSP. You would find this sort of part in car cell phone adapters before every vehicle included Bluetooth or an AUX port.  [Ricardo] has created an Arduino library to bring the QN8066 to the masses.
The chip is rather easy to use – control is handled with a common I2C interface. All the complex parts – Phase Locked Loop (PLL), RF front end, power management, and audio processing are all hidden inside. [Ricardo’s] library makes it even easier to use. One of the awesome features of the 8066 is the fact that it handles Radio Data System (RDS). RDS is the subcarrier datastream that allows FM stations to inject information like song title and artist into the signal. The data is then displayed on your radio screen.
You can find the source to [Ricardo’s] library on GitHub. Using it is as simple as picking it up from the Arduino IDE.
If you are looking for an RDS-enabled radio to test out your QN8066 design, you wouldn’t do too bad with this Gameboy cartridge receiver.
Click through the break for a video from [Ricardo] explaining his QN8066 design.

REWIND: The new music industry’s last week in reviewIt was a busy week in the music industry, with comedic TikTok rappers on the rise, new generative AI aiding creatives, and more...
The post REWIND: The new music industry’s last week in review appeared first on Hypebot.

Flame Sound Firestarter SFX ($29) is FREE for all BPB readers! 🎁🏀
Flame Sound Firestarter SFX trailer sound effects library is FREE until August 12th to celebrate the Serbian Olympic Basketball team winning the bronze. Before the Paris 2024 Olympics, I promised to offer Flame Sound effects for free if Serbia won the gold medal in basketball. We came so close, losing by four to the USA [...]
View post: Flame Sound Firestarter SFX ($29) is FREE for all BPB readers! 🎁🏀

Susan Wojcicki, former YouTube CEO, dies aged 56Wojcicki was personally involved in YouTube striking landmark deals with the music industry
Source

The Swarm by Artium Instruments The Swarm is a versatile eight-voice desktop synthesizer with an onboard a dynamic arpeggiator, a selection of built-in effects and more.

Resilience: The Story of Ryan PorterRyan Porter / Resilience

Produced by The Variety Group and directed by Marquell Byrd, Resilience: The Story of Ryan Porter is a music documentary celebrating Porter’s rise—and resiliency—as a musician who has persevered and developed an incredible career, against all odds. Developing his skillset through support and encouragement from the free music programs in the Los Angeles area during his formative years (an experience he shared with many who remain his musician friends today), Porter shares that it is, “a look at how my life was affected by people who gave wholeheartedly to their community,” adding that “It is dedicated to Reggie Andrews, a great teacher and friend."

With interviews including the late Los Angeles educator Reggie Andrews (Porter’s beloved teacher-mentor who taught the West Coast Get Down Collective, Thundercat, Tyrese Gibson, Patrice Rushen, and others), Kamasi Washington, and many others, the film navigates the trials and triumphs experienced by dedicated musicians. In a story that inspires commitment and emphasizes the importance of music education and the ongoing mentorship of young people from all backgrounds, Porter’s unique challenges added a health crisis and homelessness into the mix, in addition to the intensity of navigating the world in lockdown. Byrd’s ongoing mission is to pay it forward through the Color Compton youth artist programs (colorcompton.org), and to help inspire and impact the next generation of young creatives. Shares Byrd, “I am beyond thankful that Ryan trusted me enough to help tell his story on film.”

The intimate screening at the Regent included a brief Q&A, followed by a fabulous post-screening jam session including Ryan Porter on trombone, Kamasi Washington on tenor saxophone, Brandon Coleman and Cameron Graves on keys, Isaac Green on the bass guitar, and Lyndon Rochelle on drums. The set included Porter’s piece “Kings and Queens,” Oscar Pettiford’s “Oscalypso,” and John Coltrane’s “Equinox.” Student mentees, Nick Ortiz (tenor saxophone) and Jaay Dover (alto Saxophone) also sat in.

“This film about Ryan Porter’s life is the definition of resilience,” shares Byrd. “…amplifying Ryan’s story, capturing the essence of resilience and what it means to be a musician.”’ Accompanying album is out now at: allmusic.com/album/resilience-mw0004033549The post Resilience: The Story of Ryan Porter first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

IRS updates draft of crypto reporting form for US taxpayersThe latest draft form eliminated asking US taxpayers the time of day a crypto transaction occurred and identifying the “broker type.”

How to ask Google to remove deepfake porn results from Google SearchThe internet is full of deepfakes — and most of them are nudes. According to a report from Home Security Heroes, deepfake porn makes up 98% of all deepfake videos online. Thanks to easy-to-use and freely available generative AI tools, the number of deepfakes online — many of which aren’t consensual — skyrocketed 550% from […]
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The First Fitbit: Engineering and Industrial Design LessonsIt could happen to anyone of us: suddenly you got this inkling of an idea for a product that you think might just be pretty useful or even cool. Some of us then go on to develop a prototype and manage to get enough seed funding to begin the long and arduous journey to turn a sloppy prototype into a sleek, mass-produced product. This is basically the story of how the Fitbit came to be, with a pretty in-depth article by [Tekla S. Perry] in IEEE Spectrum covering the development process and the countless lessons learned along the way.
Of note was that this idea for an accelerometer-based activity tracker was not new in 2006, as a range of products already existed, from 1960s mechanical pedometers to 1990s medical sensors and the shoe-based Nike+ step tracker that used Apple’s iPod with a receiver. Where this idea for the Fitbit was new was that it’d target a wide audience with a small, convenient (and affordable) device. That also set them up for a major nightmare as the two inventors were plunged into the wonderfully terrifying world of industrial design and hardware development.
One thing that helped a lot was outsourcing what they could to skilled people and having solid seed funding. This left just many hardware decisions to make it as small as possible, as well as waterproof and low-power. The use of the ANT protocol instead of Bluetooth saved a lot of battery, but meant a base station was needed to connect to a PC. Making things waterproof required ultrasonic welding, but lack of antenna testing meant that a closed case had a massively reduced signal strength until a foam shim added some space. The external reset pin on the Fitbit for the base station had a low voltage on it all the time, which led to corrosion issues, and so on.
While much of this was standard development and testing  fun, the real challenge was in interpreting the data from the accelerometer. After all, what does a footstep look like to an accelerometer, and when is it just a pothole while travelling by car? Developing a good algorithm here took gathering a lot of real-world data using prototype hardware, which needed tweaking when later Fitbits moved from being clipped-on to being worn on the wrist. These days Fitbit is hardly the only game in town for fitness trackers, but you can definitely blame them for laying much of the groundwork for the countless options today.

Radial Mourns Loss of Founder Peter JanisRadial Engineering® is deeply saddened to announce the passing of its founder, Peter Janis. Best remembered for his passionate dedication to his family, friends, and work, Janis launched Radial in 1996 with its signature Radial JDI direct box, the first in what would become an extensive line of professional products and brands with a solid reputation for ruggedness and reliability that continues today around the world.

“Peter’s accomplishments were many and his legacy will live on here at Radial, but what will be remembered more than anything was his passion for friends, music and fellowship,” said Roc Bubel, Director, Sales and Marketing for Radial. “Our industry has lost a true innovator and visionary, and we take solace in knowing that Peter’s legacy lives on here at Radial through the products, passion, dedication, and commitment to excellence that he founded the company on.”The post Radial Mourns Loss of Founder Peter Janis first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

500cc Of 4-Wheel Off-Road FunWho among us hasn’t at some point thought of building a little vehicle, and better still, a little off-road vehicle for a few high-octane rough-terrain adventures. [Made in Poland] has, and there he is in a new video with a little off-road buggy.
The video which we’ve paced below the break is quite long, and it’s one of those restful metalworking films in which we see the finished project take shape bit by bit. In this case the buggy has a tubular spaceframe, with front suspension taken from a scrap quad and a home-made solid rear axle. For power there’s a 500cc Suzuki two-cylinder motorcycle engine, with a very short chain drive from its gearbox to that axle. The controls are conventional up to a point, though we’d have probably gone for motorcycle style handlebars with a foot shift rather than the hand-grip shift.
The final machine is a pocket drift monster, and one we’d certainly like to have a play with. We’d prefer some roll-over protection and we wonder whether the handling might be improved were the engine sprung rather than being part of a huge swing-arm, but it doesn’t appear to interfere with the fun. If you fancy a go yourself it’s surprisingly affordable to make a small vehicle, just build a Hacky Racer.

Tickets are now available for Fred again..’s North American Places We’ve Never Been tourFred again.. has announced a North American tour for later this year.
The run of shows will kick off on September 11 at the Ball Arena in Denver, and finish on October 13 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. He will also be making stops in Salt Lake City, Seattle, Minneapolis, East Troy, Detroit, Toronto, Buffalo and Atlanta.

READ MORE: How Fred again.. stole the hearts of Glastonbury 2023 (musictech.com)

“Okay North America [we’re] comin’ on tour next month!” he wrote on X. “Whenever we go to the US I hear about (and sometimes see from the plane!) all these mad places that we haven’t gotten to go to and explore. So yeah, I can’t wait to see these parts and play some shows in some magical places.”
The producer has also said there are more dates set to be announced in due course. You can see the full list of dates below and buy tickets here.

Okayyyyy North America we comin on tour next month!!
Whenever we go to the US I hear about (and sometimes see from the plane!!) alll these mad places that we haven’t gotten to go to and explore.
So yeah I can’t waittttt to see these parts and play some shows in some magical… pic.twitter.com/C6Dp8efvBz
— Fred again.. (@fredagainagain1) August 5, 2024

Fred again.. has already enjoyed significant success on the other side of the Atlantic. In June, he played his first stadium show at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, co-headlined San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza with Skrillex, and sold out three shows at the Frost Amphitheater in Stanford.
The dates will follow the release of his forthcoming album ten days, which is set to arrive on 6th September. Among its list of collaborations are his frequent collaborators Skrillex and Four Tet.
Later this month, Fred again.. will be headlining Reading and Leeds for the first time, performing on the same day as Lana Del Rey. before the end of the summer, he will also be making appearances at Pukkelpop in Belgium, Lowlands in The Netherlands and Rock en Seine in France (August 23).
For tickets and a full list of dates for Fred again..’s upcoming US tour, head to Ticketmaster.
The post Tickets are now available for Fred again..’s North American Places We’ve Never Been tour appeared first on MusicTech.