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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 22 - 27 MAY 2023
Hello and Welcome,
Report from the Tuesday Group Meeting, May 16
This Tuesday, we had a good meeting, delving into the AI production of quality art. We mention this site in the Newsletter below, under the title "How Good Is MidJourney at AI Art?
We looked at versions 1 to 5 and 5.1 of this AI program, covering Feb 2022 to May 3, 2023. Among six types of art requested in the How-To Geek article, one was "Painting of a white tiger in the snow."
Here are the six versions of this artwork showing the vast improvement over such a short time:
AI - (MidJourney, V1) - White Tiger in the Snow - MidJourney / Sydney Butler / How-To Geek
AI - (MidJourney, V2)
AI - (MidJourney, V3) - White Tiger in the Snow - MidJourney / Sydney Butler / How-To Geek
AI - (MidJourney, V4)
AI - (MidJourney, V5) - White Tiger in the Snow - MidJourney / Sydney Butler / How-To Geek
AI - (MidJourney, V5.1)
We discussed other topics during the meeting, including "Rebooting to allow a Windows 10 Update to complete" and adding extensions "Adblock" and "Tabs to the Front" for the Edge Browser. This makes reading webpages much more enjoyable without constant Ads. We like using a mouse wheel click to open a new Tab and going to it immediately instead of having to click again on the Tab (running in the background) to go there.
We want to invite all Members to come along to contribute thoughts and ideas for future meetings and to enjoy the Club's Facilities again, starting at the next meeting on Tuesday, June 20th.
— Ed.
Meeting TODAY
2023/05/20 — 14:00-16:00 — May, Sat — Web Design
Message from Steve South, Web Design SIG Leader:
Saturday is our Web Design meeting. Unfortunately, my wife and I have Bronchitis, so there will be no face-to-face meeting at the SMSA.
I will run the meeting via Zoom. Here are the details:
SPCTUG Meeting Host is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: SPCTUG Web Design Meeting
Time: May 20, 2023, 14:00 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82634658712
Meeting ID: 826 3465 8712
Passcode: webdesign
What's on?
Bob was curious about how sites like eBay have their images en-large when you hover over them. So, this month, we will look at how it's done.
There are a few examples in codepen, some with pure CSS and others using a combination of CSS and JavaScript.
I have created a few examples to see how it works.
— Steve South
Meetings This Week
NO MEETINGS
Meetings Next Week
NO MEETINGS
Schedule of Current & Upcoming Meetings
First Tuesday 18:00-20:00 — Main Meeting
First Saturday 13:00-14:00 — Penrith Group
Second Tuesday 18:00-20:00 — Programming
Third Tuesday 10:00-12:00 — Tuesday Group
Third Saturday 14:00-16:00 — Web Design
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Go to the official Sydney PC Calendar for this month's meeting details.
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Penrith meetings are held every 2nd month on the 1st Saturday from 1-2 pm. The following meetings are in July, September and November 2023.
ASCCA News:Tech News:
Australian Federal Government releases a national quantum strategy
See the iTWire article by David Heath Thursday, 04 May 2023, at 10:08 am.
Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic launched the Federal Government's quantum strategy yesterday, which included a commitment that Australia would build a first-in-the-world error-corrected quantum computer within ten years.
In announcing the strategy document, Minister Husic said, "Australia's leadership in quantum technologies today is the result of sustained investment over decades. It's a success story that speaks to patient public investment in basic research, the lure of our world-leading educational institutions and uniquely Australian skills and know-how. Now, with the use of quantum technologies poised to grow globally by 33% over the next five years and countries ramping up investment in domestic quantum capabilities, we cannot afford to lose our globally recognised edge.
"Thirty years ago, Australian universities were some of the few worldwide to offer postgraduate qualifications in quantum physics. Today, graduates of those programs are leading projects around the world, in industry and academia, from IBM to Alphabet, from the University of Bristol to Stanford University in the United States. Australian talent is here and overseas and has been behind a range of breakthroughs in quantum applications, including quantum random number generators for cyber security and sensors for mining."
"Quantum technologies are here, now. Throughout this strategy are examples of Australian-made innovations that have already moved from new ideas in university labs to commercial products used by industries. Quantum sensors are being deployed to detect ore deposits buried deep underground. Quantum random number generators are making global banking more efficient and more secure. Quantum control infrastructure software is being put to work on public transport optimisation challenges. And quantum computing — poised to transform industries and unlock previously intractable challenges — is edging closer to reality."
"This National Quantum Strategy has been eagerly awaited — not just by our local ecosystem but by international partners. It will be a valuable guide for investment in quantum technologies by private and public investors. It will support the Australian Government in developing closer ties with trusted partners to collaborate on investments in quantum infrastructure and quantum solutions to global problems.
"The Australian Government is revitalising manufacturing and investing in the skills, capabilities and strengths that sustain a resilient, innovative economy. Quantum technologies are critical to Australia's national interests. We should all be proud of Australian quantum research and innovation's impact on the global stage. And we must continue to grow our capabilities here."
According to the strategy document, Australia is on the cusp of a transformation driven by technological advances. With the right policy, regulatory and economic framework, this transformation will:
— Modernise our economy
— Improve our society
— Support national interests
— Create high-paying jobs for future generations.
Quantum technologies are at the centre of this transformation, enabling potential new manufacturing techniques, drug treatments and advances in foundational science.
In 2030, Australia will be recognised as a leader of the global quantum industry, and quantum technologies are integral to a prosperous, fair and inclusive Australia.
The National Quantum Strategy has five central themes. Each theme has a set of actions over seven years that will position Australia for success. They are focused on the following:
— Creating thriving research and development, investment in and use of quantum technologies
— Securing access to essential quantum infrastructure and materials
— Building a skilled and growing quantum workforce
— Ensuring our standards and frameworks support national interests
— Building a trusted, ethical and inclusive quantum ecosystem
The strategy outlines how the Australian Government will deliver on its vision. It also signals future areas the government may consider, including investment opportunities.
Australia's quantum ambition will not be realised by working alone — every part of the quantum ecosystem must work towards the same goal, including through investments. The government will drive the implementation of the strategy, but other partners will lead some actions and initiatives. We will draw on the strengths of industry, businesses, universities, states, territories and international partners to ensure Australia realises its quantum opportunity.
Further, Australia's chief scientist, Dr Cathy Foley, noted that "Australia has had its finger on the quantum pulse since Professors RQ Twiss and AG Little published the first paper on time-correlated photons in 1959. Since then, and especially in the past 25 years, we've made significant research investments, resulting in an emerging Australian quantum industry destined to impact our lives significantly.
"The impact of the quantum revolution will be comparable to the digital revolution that brought us transistors and lasers, which are the basis of all our modern electronics, computers and communications."
This document has much to digest, and it is commended to our readers.
How Good Is MidJourney at AI Art? We Compared All the Models
See the How-To Geek article by SYDNEY BUTLER | @gendowasright | REVIEWED BY JORDAN GLOOR MAY 12, 2023, at 7:00 am EDT.
MidJourney is arguably the most accessible AI art generation tool, both using it and in terms of getting excellent results. Still, it's easy to forget it could have been more impressive at launch. Let's see how far it's come!
[ To see the many remarkable AI images produced by various versions of MidJourney over the last year or so, go to the How-To Geek article itself — Ed. ]
Our Methodology
MidJourney works by accepting text "prompts" describing what sort of image you want it to generate via the Discord app. If you want to learn how to use the software, many fantastic MidJourney guides on the web will have you up and running in no time. For this article, we're focused on comparing how much MidJourney's technology has improved in the 15-odd months between V1 and V5.1, which is the latest as of this writing.
MidJourney allows you to manually switch between any of its model versions using /settings that will give you these options.
Here we can select between the different MidJourney versions. Incidentally, the "Niji" options are models explicitly trained to generate images in the Japanese Anime and Manga style, so if that's your thing, try them.
All images generated for this article will use the High-Quality setting, with the default style level, determining how strict or loose the model behaves when following the prompt.
We'll be using the same five prompts with every model so that you can make a direct comparison. We won't use any particular MidJourney parameters and will stick to simple text prompts in plain English.
We used ChatGPT-4 to develop five prompts to test MidJourney, representing a variety of challenges. These are the prompts we're using:
— Oil painting of a surreal landscape
— Photo of a busy downtown street in the 1920s
— Concept art of a futuristic cityscape at night
— Painting of a white tiger in the snow
— Portrait of a surprised woman
MidJourney provides four images in response to each prompt. We'll pick the one which is the best of the four to present here for comparison. So let's see how much it's improved in the short time it's been around.
MidJourney V1 (February 2022)
AI depiction of a surreal landscape
MidJourney / Sydney Butler / How-To Geek
We're firmly in the realm of dream-like nightmare fuel with V1 of MidJourney. These images give you the impression of what they are at a glance, but as soon as you look at them, it all breaks down. Human faces are particularly disturbing.
MidJourney V2 (April 12, 2022)
V2 doesn't seem like a massive leap over V1, but there's a definite improvement in composition, especially noticeable in the 1920s street scene. The white tiger has a better outline than before, and the woman's face is slightly less creepy.
Notice how, in some images, there's a pseudo-signature on the piece. This is because the AI has learned that images of certain styles have signatures, so it tried to reproduce something that looks like one.
MidJourney V3 (July 25, 2022)
With V3, we see a significant improvement in coherence and composition. The details are off without too much scrutiny, but the amount of random noise is reduced and the images make more sense to the human eye.
MidJourney V4 (November 5, 2022)
Now we're talking! V4 shows a dramatic improvement in composition, details, and how dynamic and imaginative the images are. Just over half a year since V1, these images are definitely in the realm of usability, often just as they are without further editing. It takes significantly more scrutiny to pick out tell-tale AI flaws.
MidJourney V5 (March 15, 2023)
The improvements with V5 are slightly more subtle than before, but they are substantial. Apart from the technical progress in detail and composition, these pieces seem more "imaginative", with even more dynamics, broader choices of colours, and an overall much more pleasing presentation. Although V4 indeed moved the resulting images into the grey zone between the best human technical proficiency and what AI generation can do, V5 makes it virtually impossible to tell that these images are AI-made when MidJourney is firing on all cylinders.
V5 is also notable for addressing one of the biggest problems in AI image generation: hands!
AI depiction of human hands
MidJourney / Sydney Butler / How-To Geek
The above image from V5 shows that the issue has, by and large, been solved, although here you can still see that one of the hands might either have a missing pinky or it's obscured. Edge cases like these still slip through, but the days of people with 7-fingered hands might be almost over.
MidJourney V5.1 (May 3, 2023)
While the last model update we're looking at here may only be a ".1" update, there's certainly no mistaking the improvement. Building on the fundamentals of V5, V5.1 polishes up the minor flaws in V5 while, to our eye, showing a definite improvement in expression and overall artistic flair.
It's hard to imagine where MidJourney can go from here, but the progress so far is simply mind-blowing, and we can't wait to see what's possible next.
How loudly are we 'shouting' to the universe? We don't know.
See the iTWire article by David Heath on Saturday, 06 May 2023, at 7:41 pm.
Dear NASA: have you ever tried to measure what aliens can hear from us?
Since Guglielmo Marconi made the first "long-distance" radio broadcast in 1895, we have been broadcasting our presence to the universe via radio-frequency waves. That's over 125 years of broadcast. The strength of our signals is growing all the time.
One hundred and twenty-eight years of broadcasting means that our signals (albeit amazingly faint at the beginning) have reached the nearest 75-star systems. The Alpha Centauri system would have 'heard' us before the turn of that century.
If you're wondering just how weak a signal might be, we can still detect the tiny signals from Voyager I and II, which are so amazingly faint.
But we have to ask, how loud are we shouting? It seems that we've never attempted to measure our own outbound radio emission radiation.
Here's the proposal. The next mission to land on the moon needs to include a radio wave signal strength meter so we know the power of our wide frequency broadcast emissions to the universe. Such a device would only weigh a kilogram — it's not an amazingly complex device.
This meter would have to be designed to detect the entire range of earth-based radio-wave signals and would also require back-end systems to estimate the likely signal strength by the inverse cube rule. It could transmit regular data bursts to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (or some suitable successor) and deliver data for mapping our impact.
A summary of the perceived signal strength and the likely equipment needed to detect it would allow the general public to understand how loud we are in the universe.
Fun Facts:
Do you have an ISP-provided website?
When I first joined up with my internet service provider, iPrimus, in 1990-something, they provided a modest-sized space for a website to keep some information on any interests I might have.
It was all of 50 Megabytes.
However, over the years, many free sites have begun to provide much more than that, but at NO cost.
I was surprised this week to receive the following email:
Hey Robert
iPrimus Personal Webspace has been discontinued.
We wanted to let you know that our free web hosting service has been shut down.
You'll no longer be able to access your personal webspace yourself or any content contained within it.
With the availability of free web hosting services with greater capacity and flexibility, this product is now obsolete.
If you have questions or need further information, please contact our Technical Support team on 131 789.
Thanks,
The iPrimus team
As you can see, they used the phrase "... service has been shut down". It's obsolete because it can't compete with FREE services!
It'd be nice to be given a day or two's notice.
No such luck.
Fortunately, a couple of years ago, I transferred the 30 or 40 MB from iPrimus to Web City!
What a great decision that was!
— Ed.
Meeting Location & Disclaimer
Bob Backstrom
~ Newsletter Editor ~
Information for Members and Visitors:
Link to — Sydney PC & Technology User Group
All Meetings, unless explicitly stated above, are held on the
1st Floor, Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.
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