Category: Technology

Rice researchers set up a Microsoft HoloLens as a mixed-reality sensor to feed VegSense, their application to measure understory vegetation, plant life that grows between the forest canopy and floor.

A proof-of-concept study by graduate student Daniel Gorczynski and bioscientist Lydia Beaudrot shows VegSense could be a suitable alternative to traditional classical field measurements at a low cost.

Their study in Methods in Ecology and Evolution shows the hardware-software combination excels at quantifying relatively mature trees in the wild, which is one measure of a forest’s overall health.

Gorczynski came up with the idea to try HoloLens, commonly marketed as a productivity tool for manufacturing, health care and education. I have developed the open-source software for the device and noted that while the combination is less effective at picking up saplings and small branches, there’s ample room for improvement.

Gorczynski said he was introduced to mixed-reality sensing while an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University and recognized its potential for biological studies. “It seemed sort of like a natural fit,” he said. Gorczynski brought the idea to Beaudrot in 2019 shortly after his arrival at Rice.

The combination of stock hardware and custom software cost far less than systems based on lidar (for “light detection and ranging”) most often used in three-dimensional field studies, said Gorczynski, who developed VegSense on a platform geared more toward 3D games and interactive experiences than hard science.

Field tests at Houston’s Memorial Park showed that at least for mature trees, the smaller solution is just as good. In their case study, VegSense easily detected 48 of 50 such trees in the target area, a circle about 30 feet in diameter that Gorczynski walked, looking up, down and around to build the 3D database. (“Imagine an asterisk with a circle around it,” he said, describing the data-capture pattern.)

“For this study, we wanted to be really deliberate in trying to replicate more traditional understory vegetation structure measurements,” Gorczynski said. “We tried to get that level of detail.”

What he sees as he scans the environment is a holograph-like grid pattern that tracks the surfaces of vegetation. “What’s really cool about that is you can see what the scanner is picking up, but also the spots you missed,” Gorczynski said. “The idea is to get the mesh to cover as much of the vegetation as possible because that’s what gets you the best scan.”

“The results were so nice that Dan quickly wrote it up for publication,” Beaudrot said, noting that Gorczynski expanded his validation of the gear during a subsequent field trip to Tanzania, the focus of one of 15 tropical forests in a recent rainforest study by the Rice group.

“This device can facilitate a lot of great ecological research, particularly because it’s so cost-effective,” she said. “Collecting vegetation information on the forest floor right now is really hard to do without a lot of manual labor, or a really expensive lidar system.”

“So this is a groundbreaking, cost-effective device,” Beaudrot said. “It’s not going to give you the same resolution data that lidar will, but this is just the first application. We hope making VegSense open-source to the ecological research community will spur all the potential ways it can be developed.”

Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the latest entry in the Xenoblade series, is finally here, and that means there is a mountain of new RPG systems to master. One of the systems in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is the Gem system, which allows you to craft items that give characters boosts in battle. These gems take the place of most regular equipment and weapons that would be present in other RPGs. Here is everything you need to know about the Gems in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

How Gems work in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Crafting Gems with Riku is introduced in chapter 2 of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, at which point each character has one gem slot. A second slot is unlocked at level 20 and a third unlocked at level 30. Gems can be crafted at most campsites in the wilderness. Gems are divided into four categories; Defender, Attacker, Healer, and Specialty, with five gems in each category.

Each gem can be upgraded up to level 10. Crafting or upgrading a gem will take a gemstone, a variety of random crafting materials found throughout the world, and an Ether Cylinder after level 1. You can pin a Gem’s crafting materials from the crafting menu , but finding specific items in the open-world has an element of chance, so you’re better off picking up as many materials as you can while exploring.

You can also bypass the required materials using Gold Nopon coins, although the required amount increases dramatically each level. If you are really struggling to find specific materials, you should use Nopon coins to bypass the requirements, as the needed materials change each upgrade level. It’s important to note that a single Gem can be equipped by multiple characters. That means every member of your party could have the same gem equipped if you wanted.

Every gem in Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Here is the complete list of gems available in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, along with their level 1 stats.

Defend

• Tailwind: Increases Agility by 10
• Steel Protection: Increases Block Rate by 5%
• Ultimate Counter: Deals 80% of Attack damage when you take damage
• Brimming Spirit: Boosts aggro generated when using Art by 20%
• Perilous Presence: Start each battle with aggro

Attacker

• Steelcleaver: Increases Attack by 20
• Accurate Grace: Increases Dexterity by 20
• Analyze Weakness: Increases critical hit damage bonus by 20%
• Swelling Scourge: Boosts power of debuffs applied to enemies by 25%
• Refined Incantation: Extends duration of timers of debuffs applied to enemies by 25%

healer

• Lifebearer: Increases Healing by 20
• Soothing Breath: When helping an incapacitated ally, revives them with 20% more HP; also raises Healing by 5
• Lifesaving Expertise: Boosts speed of ally revival by 20% and raises Healing by 5.
• Swelling Blessing: Boosts power of buff effects issued by self by 25%
• Refined Blessing: Extends duration of buff effects issued by self by 25%

specialty

• Ironclad: Raises maximum HP by 100
• Steady Striker: Shortens auto-attack interval by 15%
• Doublestrike: Adds 15% chance to strike twice per auto-attack
• Empowered Combo: When canceling, boosts damage dealt by 25%
• Disperse Bloodlust: Reduces aggro generated when using Art by 20%

JRPGs come in all shapes and sizes nowadays. Early on, these role-playing epics were known, for better or worse, for being dozens or possibly hundreds of hours long. While some certainly still live up to that reputation, we’ve also seen plenty of titles follow the same gameplay styles of JRPGs, only truncated into much shorter experiences. This has brought tons of new players into the genre, but it also made it more difficult to tell just how big of a time investment any new JRPG will actually be.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3, despite being part of a series, doesn’t necessarily require players to have played any past entries. Being on the Switch as well, which allows for more convenient play via the handheld mode, makes the prospect of a JRPG like this even more appealing. However, for those who aren’t familiar with the series, or perhaps many JRPGs in general, the time commitment may come as a bit of a surprise. If you want to know just how big of an adventure awaits you in Xenoblade Chronicles 3here’s how long the game actually is.

further reading

How long does it take to beat Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

If beating the game is your only concern, then you still have quite a lot of content and story ahead of you. While there will obviously be a range of completion times based on skill, difficulty, and how much content outside the main path people choose to take, the time it will take to beat the main game sits somewhere between 60 and 80 hours for most, though some are reporting times as low as 50.

How long does it take to fully complete Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

This is a tricky figure to pin down mainly due to just how many side activities the game has, plus no clear indication as to what full completion means for Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Being a Nintendo game, there’s no Trophy or Achievement to dictate that you’ve “done it all” as it were. However, if you count the most likely things such as doing all the side quests, learning all the recipes, all Hero quests, leveling up every class, and such, then Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will easily last you over 100 hours.

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If racing improves the breed, Porsche’s roadgoing specimens have a deep well of excellence to draw from: The brand has claimed some 30,000 victories since the 1950s, with two-thirds of those wins coming from 911 models. The latest quiver in Porsche’s arsenal is the just-unveiled 911 GT3 R race car, which made its official debut at last weekend’s 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, where it finished in seventh place, and will make its first stateside appearance at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The big-winged racer is the second competition spinoff from the 992 series 911, and relates directly to the roadgoing 911 GT3. The new car was tuned with a keener eye towards enabling drivers to squeeze out as much consistent performance from the platform, rather than focusing on outright speed. “Our task was less about making the new 911 GT3 R even faster—the classification within performance windows set by the BoP quickly cancels out this advantage,” explains Porsche Motorsport Project Manager Sebastian Golz, referring to the Balance of Power rules which enable race organizers to set engine power limits in the interest of leveling the field of competition. “For us, it was primarily about our customers being able to drive the racing car faster for longer,” he says.

That said, the new package is rather robust: engine displacement has been enlarged to 4.2 liters, mirroring the displacement of the 911 RSR. The flat-six produces 565 hp, and is said to deliver a more usable rev band, which should help less seasoned drivers eke more out of the powerband. The naturally aspirated engine has been tilted forward 5.5 degrees, making more room for the underbody diffuser which helps produce downforce to keep the vehicle stuck to the pavement when cornering. Suspension improvements also borrow from the RSR, while wheelbase has been lengthened to enable better balance, less tire wear, and more consistent performance. Like the GT3 road car, a new swan-neck mounted rear wing keeps the crucial airflow below the wing smooth.

Inside, the GT3 R’s seat has been moved closer to the center, accommodating an improved roll cage while meeting new side impact mandates. The spaceship-like cockpit incorporates a 10.3-inch screen from the GT3 Cup series. Porsche even improved the six-point harness with a quicker-releasing mechanism that they anticipate will shave around 1 second of driver swap time.

Serious racers have plenty of choice hardware to drool over with the new Porsche 911 GT3 R, which should be a formidable weapon for competition when it lands into customer and race team hands. Expect to spring $567,210 for the new car, though Le Mans hopefuls will know that number is just the tip of the racing-budget iceberg.

Check out more photos of the 911 GT3 R below:

While we eagerly await for Porsche to officially reveal the all-new 992-generation 911 GT3 RS which is scheduled for August 17, the German manufacturer has lifted the veil off the 911 GT3 R race car. Although both the 992-generation 911s have very similar names, the GT3 is a through and through race car that will compete in North America’s IMSA endurance series and will be eligible for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024 for the first time. Yet, amongst all Porsche 911 race cars, it is the most closely aligned with the 911 GT3 RS road car. According to Porsche, development for the 992-generation-based customer race car began in 2019, with the automaker focusing on improving its drivability, streamlining its handling, and reducing its running costs.


Visually, the new 911 GT3 R race car’s updated design features flared wheel arches, a vented hood, chunky side skirts, a massive rear wing, and a huge diffuser at the back. Porsche says the wheelbase has been extended by 1.9 inches for better stability, while the aluminum-steel composite frame is almost entirely covered in carbon-fiber body panels. The race car is also fitted with a new KW suspension that makes steering more precise and reduces wear on the rear tires.

Additionally, the double-wishbone at the front and multi-link at the rear help the car achieve an elevated underbody to aid airflow to the rear diffuser without significantly increasing drag.

Powering the new 911 GT3 R race car is a new 4.2-liter flat-6 with a broader usable rev band than the predecessor’s 4.0-liter engine. The engine produces 565 horsepower and is leaned forward by 5.5 degrees, allowing for more space for the rear diffuser. The sequential six-speed gearbox has been taken from the GT3 Cup car and has been modified to support more power and higher speeds.

On the inside, the driver’s seat has been moved more toward the center of the vehicle, while the six-point harness has been tweaked and added with new clasps to allow for quicker driver changes during pit stops. There’s also the new 10.3-inch screen that comes from the GT3 Cup car. The 992-generation 911 GT3 R is priced at $567,210 and it’s only available for purchase through Porsche Motorsport North America for customers in the US and Canada.

We don’t normally cover individual releases of the Linux kernel, partly because most updates are pretty routine. Any given Linux kernel update resolves some bugs, improves support for existing hardware, and makes some forward-looking changes in anticipation of new hardware, and kernel version 5.19 is no exception. Phoronix and OMG! Ubuntu! both have good overviews of the changes.

But there’s one interesting note about this release that Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds mentions in his release notes: The kernel update is being released using an Arm-powered laptop, specifically the M2-powered version of Apple’s MacBook Air.

“It’s something I’ve been waiting for for a long [sic] time, and it’s finally reality, thanks to the Asahi team,” Torvalds writes. “We’ve had arm64 hardware around running Linux for a long time, but none of it has really been usable as a development platform until now.”

Torvalds is running Linux on his M2 MacBook with the help of Asahi Linux, a distribution that has been working to reverse-engineer Apple’s hardware. The Asahi team’s goal is to send all of this work upstream into the main Linux kernel so that all distros can benefit, and Asahi has been relatively quick to add support for new Apple chips like the M2 or the M1 Ultra as they’ve been released .

In November 2020, Torvalds wrote that the then-new M1 version of the Air “would be almost perfect” as an Arm Linux laptop but said, “I don’t have the time to tinker with it, or the inclination to fight companies that don’t want to help.”

At a certain level, this news is just mildly interesting trivia—it doesn’t matter to most Linux users what computer Torvalds is currently using, and Asahi Linux is still in a rough, early state where lots of things are half-functional or non -functional. But as Asahi contributor Hector Martin noteshaving “real people… using Linux on a real, modern ARM64 platform” with a modern version of the Arm instruction set and a “near-upstream kernel” has knock-on effects that benefit the rest of the ecosystem.

More people using the Arm versions of Linux means more people fixing Arm-related bugs that will benefit all distros, and more people spotting and fixing Arm-specific problems in their own software (“dogfooding,” as Torvalds puts it in his notes). Eventually, the experience of using Linux on Arm hardware should improve for everyone, although these benefits could take years to shake out. But together with hardware efforts like Qualcomm’s upcoming high-performance Arm chips and Microsoft’s commitment to Arm hardware and software, they could make Arm-powered PCs more appealing and competitive alternatives to traditional Intel- and AMD-powered x86 PCs.

Also worth noting is that Torvalds believes that the 5.20 release of the Linux kernel will end up becoming version 6.0, not because of any specific feature updates but because he’s “starting to worry about getting confused by big numbers again.” Kernel versions 3.x and 4.x were also rolled over to the next major version number at or around their 20th release.

Alongside a level cap increase and balance updates.

apex legends will introduce big changes to Kings Canyon as part of a new season coming later this month. The update will also include a level cap increase and various balance changes.

We’ve detailed what to expect below.

“The primary goal with this update was really looking at the map’s health; Kings Canyon is Apex‘s oldest map — it’s been around since launch and it’s been through plenty of changes,” said Jeff Shaw, Lead Level Designer on Apex Legends.

“With that, we really wanted to look at the big picture and really focus down on the map’s major pain points, some balance issues and just tuning across the board.”

The changes mean Kings Canyon will sport a new location… at the cost of an old one.

“Time changes everything, and Kings Canyon is no exception. What was once Skull Town has risen from the ashes as Relic,” EA said in a press release.

“Terraforming has altered popular ambush locations, widening or closing them off entirely, while the Cage has been opened and replaced with a simple platform, all to make the Games here as thrilling as can be. These changes to Kings Canyon represent agoal for all upcoming map updates: add compelling new areas for players to explore and ensure that POIs are adjusted across the board to meet the needs of players.”

The changes will mean that a familiar map becomes less familiar, and might be enough to bring lapsed players back into the fold; just last week on the Friendly Fire Show, Ben was saying how he enjoyed Apex but felt he’d done everything he could within it. Maybe this will change his mind about him?

If a redesigned map isn’t enough, maybe an increased level cap will be — this new season will allow players to elevate themselves past level 500.

“In recognition of the tremendous dedication shown by the playerbase, the new Level Cap increase frees players to reach staggering new heights,” EA advised. “The level 500 ceiling has been shattered, and as the ascent continues, players can collect Legend Tokens and Apex Packs.”

Finally, apex legends will perform some balancing as part of this new update, largely informed by player feedback.

“Players can set their sights on a new weapon upgrade with the introduction of Laser Sights, a new attachment for SMGs and Pistols that gives players fresh options for approaching close-quarters combat, replacing barrels,” EA continued.

“The weapon split and ammo economy have been evened out in order to ensure that every weapon has its place and a clearly defined role, with weapons like the EVA-8 getting a refresh to help them stand out. It’s not just weapons getting some love, there are some exciting updates coming to gold equipment as well.”

The update will of course introduce a new Legend in the form of Vantage, but we’ll have more on her later. Keep your eyes peeled!

apex legends is currently available on Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5 and Switch. This new season heads to Australia on 10 August.

You can never have enough power Rangers toys, Hasbro argues, mostly because it owns power Rangers. But that’s especially true of mighty morphin‘, the franchise progenitor that, no matter how many iterations of teenagers with attitude there are, it’ll seemingly never escape. So why not add another to your collection?

Ahead of Power Week later this month — Hasbro’s week-long celebration of all things power Rangers toys and news — Gizmodo has your first look at two of the latest figures joining the six-inch-scaled Lightning Collection toyline. First up from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers is the latest version of the Black Ranger to join the toyline — one of many between various versions of the hero that have previously included the standard version as original ranger Zack, one with the Dragon Shield, and a sparkly “metallic” version for good measure . So why do you need one more? Well, this Black Ranger includes the second wielder of the title, Johnny Yong Bosch’s Adam Park, as an alternate headsculpt.

Image: Hasbro

Adam did recently appear in the Lightning Collection, but in his robed gear as the Black Ninja Ranger, from when the team gained their new powers and Zords. As well as the alternate Adam headsculpt, the new Mighty Morphin’ Black Ranger includes alternate hands, an open and closed version of the Blade Blaster, and, in a deep cut, an ice extinguisher Adam used to put out Saliguana’s fire breath in the episode “Putty on the Brain.”

away from the world of MMPR es Lost Galaxy‘s Green Ranger, Damon Henderson, who is making his debut in the Lighting Collection. Damon comes with a helmeted and unhelmeted headsculpt, alternate hands, two versions of the Quasar Saber, and his green transdagger.

Image: Hasbro

Both the MMPR Black Ranger and Lost Galaxy Green Ranger will cost $US25 ($35), and are set to be available later this year — and are available for pre-order now from both Hasbro Pulse as well as Amazon. Meanwhile, in more power Rangers toy news, Power Week will run from August 22 until power Rangers Day itself on August 28.

Want more Gizmodo news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and starwars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TVand everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the US, but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.

Riot Games’ upcoming League of Legends-themed 2D fighting game will be free to play and will include the League champion Illaoi as one of its playable fighters, the studio announced in an update on Monday.

The game was announced in 2019 under the codename “Project L,” and details are still relatively light — Riot hasn’t provided an official release date or even a release window. But in Monday’s update, Riot did share a very detailed explanation of what’s involved in bringing Illaoi, who has been playable in League of Legends for years, into Project L, and it’s interesting to read about how the team thinks about adapting to League character into a fighting game.

Image: Riot Games

The news that Project L will be free to play is remarkable but not too surprising; Riot’s smash hits League of Legends and Valorant have each been free to play from the beginning. But the early popularity of WB’s free-to-play fighter Multi Versus shows that there’s an appetite for big-budget fighting games that are free, and if Riot can bring over League and fighting game fans to Project L when it finally releases, the studio could have a big hit on its hands.

Riot promises that the Project L team will share another update “before the end of the year.” The studio shared an early look at the game in November, including some gameplay footage. Project L is just one of Riot’s many expansions of the League of Legends universe, which also includes the hit Netflix show Arcane and to League of Legends RPG.