Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo Uses 'Film-Quality' Assets
Epic Games' new engine will only be released next year, but the company has already built a PS5 tech demo which makes use of it. Developers had to calculate the number of polygons for their 3D models and levels in the past; nevertheless, Unreal Engine 5 will handle the entire process behind the scenes, streaming the geometry at the maximum LOD that is possible. UE 5 will continue to be free to use, and Epic has changed its royalty policy once again, making it even easier for small teams to create and sell amazing projects.
How to Use an Old Android Phone as a System Monitor
Want to keep an eye on your computer's vitals? If the answer is affirmative, you will be happy to discover that you can build an advanced system monitor by making use of an old phone and a standard USB cable. Power on the device, and then download the Remote System Monitor app which has been built by Trigone. Install the companion desktop application, and then connect the smartphone to the same network with your computer. If everything went well, the phone will display your PC's temperature, fan data and clock information.
Microsoft Defender ATP Now Scans Windows 10 PC Firmware
The company has brought the firmware-level defense mechanism, which has only been used by Windows 10 Secured-Core PCs until now, into its Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) antivirus software. The platform provides a built-in UEFI scanner, Direct Memory Access (DMA) protection, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) features, Windows Defender System guard, virtualization-based security, hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI), software tools which will prevent unverified code from running, and more.
Zenology Brings an Advanced Sound Engine to Your DAW
Roland has created a new plugin, which is supposed to bring the most advanced sound engine ever to our DAWs and should provide seamless hardware/software compatibility. Zenology combines analogue, analogue modeling, digital and combined analogue/digital engines into a single interface and includes thousands of different sounds. The company launched Roland Cloud a while ago, so it is clear that software development will play an important part in its future plans. The Roland Cloud Ultimate Membership is priced at $199/year.
8 Totally Free Accounting Software for Small Business
Want to manage your business' books, rather than paying an accountant? Fortunately, Fundera has authored an article which highlights eight applications that will help anyone do that, detailing all their pros and cons. Some of the apps are cloud-based, while others are desktop-based and can be installed on regular computers. All of them are 100% free, though. Here's the list with the programs discussed in the article: Wave, Zipbooks, Akaunting, SlickPie, GnuCash, CloudBooks, Zoho Invoice, NCH Express Accounts.
Software Turns Confusing Math Equations into Simple Images
A team of researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University has built a piece of software which turns complex math equations into proper visualizations. While graphing calculators are nothing new, this innovative application can highlight complex relationships across various math areas. "Penrose" uses a brand-new coding language for its encoding instructions and can output Venn diagrams (be them 2D or 3D), trees, vector points, continuous lines, and so on. If everything works as expected, the program will be available sometime in July.
Canon Software Lets People Use Canon Cameras as Webcams
Lots of people used their Canon cameras as webcams in the past, but they needed third-party software to do that. Fortunately, Canon has recently released its own software for the task, and it does a great job. The EOS Webcam Utility allows people to choose EOS Interchangeable Lens Cameras and PowerShot cameras as webcams for video conferencing by connecting them to a regular USB port. So, if you have bought a Canon camera which doesn't have an HDMI out plug, download the utility from the company's site and start streaming.
Facial Recognition Software Predicts If You Are a Criminal
Do you remember phrenology, the pseudoscience which was extremely popular during the 19th century and involved the measurement of bumps on the skull with the goal of predicting mental traits? Believe it or not, researchers from the University of Harrisburg have built an automated computer facial recognition application which, according to them, can predict if a person is likely to be a criminal (or not). The team claims that their software has an accuracy of 80% and can be used by law enforcement agencies to prevent crime.
