With all of the TVs available today, and all of the technical terms and jargon associated with television technology, it can be tough to figure out what’s important. Here’s a quick guide to help cut through the confusion.
Price: TVs range in price from $100 to more than $2,000. Smaller screens are cheaper, well-known brands are more expensive and spending more money can also get you better image quality. Most entry-level TVs have a good enough picture for most people, but TVs last a long time, so it might be worth spending more to get a better picture. It’s also best to shop for a TV in the fall when prices are lower.
Screen size: Bigger is better in our book. We recommend a size of at least 43 inches for a bedroom TV and at least 55 inches for a living room or main TV and 65 inches or larger is best. Stepping up in TV screen size is a better use of your money than any feature. One of the most common complaints we’ve heard is from people who regret that they didn’t go big enough when they bought a TV. We almost never hear people complain that their TV is too large.
Capability: Among entry-level TVs the most important feature is what kind of smart TV system the TV uses. Among midrange models, look for a feature including full-array local dimming, mini-LED and 120Hz refresh rate, which (unlike some other extras) do help improve the picture in our experience. Among high-end TVs, OLED technology is your best bet.
The Bouncing Agency as the head of the bouncing agency, Clark, enrol and prepare the girls for the competition. Completely 3D animated. Not really all that much for bimbofication, but the animations by themselves are worth a four-star rating, plus perhaps a little more because they allow for true animated orgasms—a feature that most games forgo in favor of a distracting, freeze-frame flashing light screen. The gameplay is good. It’s nothing special or compelling, but it does have an in-game cheat menu and, ideally, a gallery on the horizon. Just for the cartoons and sex scenes, this is worth downloading, if nothing else. I love games with a strong sexual theme, but what the fucking hell is this writing? This tune? This game? Because the developer’s sole talent is crafting pornographic loops in what looks to be modified honey choose, this game is exclusively centered on.
The image above is comparable to the fifth line of a dialogue: here is how it begins, just picture how it ends. My initial playthrough focused on pyromancer, with the stats and skill upgrades along the items, it definitely turned into a killing machine. What added to the experience was the visuals and the detail that go along with it in each game. Artifice is a visually stunning game with its beautiful art and captivating music, creating an immersive experience. The strategic overwatch system adds depth, making for satisfying combos and encounters with challenging enemies right from the start.
Features and System Requirements:
The core gameplay involves bouncing agents or characters off surfaces to reach objectives, solve puzzles, or avoid obstacles.
Each level introduces new elements like trampolines, moving platforms, and obstacles that change the way players must approach the game.
Strategic thinking is required to solve complex puzzles that involve timing, trajectory, and sequencing of bounces.
Screenshots
System Requirements
1 :: Operating System :: Windows XP/7/8/8./10.
2 :: Dual Core 2.4 GHz
3 :: Ram :: 4 GB RAM
4 :: DirectX: Version 9.0
5 :: Graphics:: 1GB VRAM / DirectX 10+ support
6 :: Space Storage:: 4 GB space
Installation Guide
Turn Off Your Antivirus Before Installing Any Game
1 :: Download Game 2 :: Extract Game 3 :: Launch The Game 4 :: Have Fun 🙂
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The X5 Ultra delivers superior network performance via our implementation of NDI® | HX3. Significantly reducing network impact while maintaining excellent image quality, meaning it is more friendly in more network environments. BirdDog’s NDI® | HX3 surpasses certification parameters, delivering quality and performance you can count on across ALL video resolutions. X5 Ultra blows all other cameras out of the game with NDI|HX3 performance in 4K60 – sometimes the fine print is important.
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I have been working on an ASP.NET Core MVC / C# project (Visual Studio 2022) for the last 2 months. I have a class in this project which contains some properties. The name of the property was in capital letters and it was working fine.
Today I changed the name of the property from capital letters to lowercase letters of that class – something like this:
public string STUD_NAME { get; set; }
to
public string stud_name { get; set; }
After changing this, when I tried to run the app, it shows 2 errors:
The source file ~\ProjectName\obj\Debug\net6.0\AssemblyInfo.cs
and
~\ProjectName\obj\Debug\net6.0\RazorAssemblyInfo.cs – could not find these files.
But when I checked in the specific obj folder, these files are there.
But in the Solution Explorer, I couldn’t find these 2 files anywhere including the Properties folder.
I removed this obj folder and recreated it by rebuilding the project. Still it shows the same errors. I cleaned the project and solution and rebuild it. Still shows same error.
The best gaming TVs aren’t much different from the best TVs you can buy in general. But if you’re looking to make your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X games look their best, there are a handful of key features to keep in mind. To help you get the most from your living room setup, we’ve broken down a few tips for buying a good gaming TV below. We’ve also scoured the current TV market and picked out a few well-reviewed options from across the price spectrum.
What to look for in a gaming TV
Whether you use it for gaming or not, all good TVs are built on the same foundations. You want a 4K resolution, high-enough brightness to overcome glare and make HDR content pop, a relatively high contrast ratio with deep and uniform black tones, colors that find the right balance between accuracy and saturation and wide viewing angles. For video games specifically, you want a TV with minimal input lag and fast motion response, with no blur or other unwanted artifacts behind quick-moving objects. Of course, finding a set that does all of this well and fits into your budget can be tricky.
OLED and LCD
For now, top OLED TVs generally offer the best picture quality for gaming or otherwise. But good OLED sets usually cost more than their LCD counterparts, and some models may not get bright enough for those who have their TV set in a particularly bright room.
More specifically, modern OLED TVs may utilize different types of OLED display tech: WOLED (i.e., “White OLED”) or the newer QD-OLED. We won’t dig too deep into how the two diverge in panel composition and subpixel structure, but the simplified version is that QD-OLED displays use a layer of quantum dots (hence the “QD”) to deliver a wider gamut of more vibrant colors and higher overall brightness than traditional WOLED sets.
This doesn’t mean all QD-OLED TVs are inherently better: How well an individual set performs is more important than the panel it uses, and some premium WOLED TVs like the LG G4 utilize a new form of display tech called Micro Lens Array (MLA) to greatly improve brightness themselves. Those can be better at keeping colors natural in the face of reflections as well. And virtually all OLED TVs share the same core strengths. But as good QD-OLED sets have come down in price, they’ve started to look like the standout for those looking to balance value and superior picture quality.
If you opt for an LCD TV— whether to save cash or stick in room with poor light control — an advanced backlight with smaller and more precise mini LEDs and effective full-array local dimming will usually improve contrast and lighting detail. Many of these TVs, including some budget-level models, also use quantum dots to enhance colors. They usually aren’t as vivid or fast in motion as the top OLED sets, but they’re often brighter and more affordable, and the best can still produce an excellent image in their own right.
HDMI 2.1
To get the most out of a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, your TV should have full HDMI 2.1 support. This is the latest major update to the HDMI spec, enabling a higher maximum bandwidth — 48 gigabits per second, up from HDMI 2.0’s 18 Gbps — and a handful of features that are beneficial for gaming performance specifically. These include variable refresh rate (VRR) and automatic low latency mode (ALLM), which we detail further below.
Beyond that, perhaps the chief perk of HDMI 2.1 is its ability to transmit sharp 4K video up to a 120Hz refresh rate with modern consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, or up to 144Hz with a powerful gaming PC. Not every PS5 or Xbox Series X/S game supports frame rates that high — and some only do at lower resolutions — but those that do will look and feel especially fluid in motion. HDMI 2.1 also includes support for Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), which allows you to pass higher-quality lossless audio from a source device connected to the TV to a compatible soundbar or receiver.
The more full HDMI 2.1 ports your TV has, the better. “Full” is the key word there. As reported by TFT Central, because HDMI 2.1 is backwards compatible with HDMI 2.0, TV and monitor manufacturers have been allowed to brand HDMI ports as “HDMI 2.1” even if they lack full (or any) support for the spec’s upgraded features. We recommend a few TVs below that have true HDMI 2.1 ports, but if you’re buying a new TV for gaming, make sure your chosen set isn’t trying to hide any capabilities you may consider essential.
HDR — High Dynamic Range
HDR refers to a TV’s ability to display a wider range between the darkest and brightest parts of a picture. This broader range can bring out details that would otherwise be missing on a standard dynamic range (SDR) TV, in both the very dark and (especially) very bright areas of an image. HDR typically comes with an improvement to color reproduction as well, displaying a larger palette of more vibrant colors that brings content closer to its creator’s original vision.
To get an HDR picture, you need both content that is mastered to take advantage of the tech and a TV capable of displaying that content. HDR also comes in a variety of formats, which are generally split between those that utilize static metadata (e.g., HDR10) and those that utilize dynamic metadata (e.g., HDR10+, Dolby Vision). In short, the latter allows a TV to optimize its brightness and colors on a per-scene or even per-frame basis, while the former uses one set of optimized settings for the entirety of the given content. Support for these formats can differ depending on the TV, content and game console you use. The Xbox Series X and S, for example, support Dolby Vision for gaming, while the PS5 does not.
The good news is that most TVs you’d buy in 2023 are HDR-ready in some fashion, even on the budget end of the market. The catch is that some TVs are much better at getting the most out of HDR than others. The same goes for actual content mastered in HDR. With video games in particular, there aren’t quite as many titles designed to take advantage of HDR as there are movies (though the number is growing all the time), and the variance in HDR quality tends to be wider.
HGiG — HDR Gaming Interest Group
HGiG stands for the HDR Gaming Interest Group. Sony and Microsoft are both members, as are many TV makers and game developers. What this means is that, ideally, all the groups communicate information so that you can start up a new game on a console or PC and have it automatically recognize your display. Once that happens, the game can adjust the internal settings to adjust for that display’s capabilities and give you the best picture quality possible, without losing details in the brightest or darkest areas of the screen. For example, daylight at the end of a dark tunnel may portray a brightly lit environment instead of looking like an overexposed white blob.
This is a good thing, but the reality is a bit more complicated. Not all TVs highlight HGiG compatibility in their settings menu, while only some PlayStation and Xbox games recognize and follow the guidelines. If an HGiG option is listed in your TV’s tone mapping settings, you should turn it on prior to running the console’s HDR settings. Then, if you’re playing a game that supports HDR and HGiG, you should be in good shape without having to adjust the various luminance levels again. Still, how all of this looks to you might differ depending on your TV and the game you’re playing. Owners of certain LG OLED TVs, for instance, may prefer their TV’s Dynamic Tone Mapping setting. Use whatever settings you think look best.
ALLM — Auto Low Latency Mode
ALLM allows a source (like your PS5 or Xbox) to tell the display to switch into a picture mode that reduces lag between receiving each frame of an image and displaying it on the TV. This cuts out additional processing that could be the milliseconds of difference between landing a precise input or not. A good modern TV can automatically switch to game mode, then back out when you’d rather watch a movie or TV show.
VRR — Variable Refresh Rate
VRR will sound familiar if you’re a PC gamer. Most players have experienced slowdown, screen tearing or stuttering as a system struggles to render each frame at the target speed, which is most commonly 30 or 60 fps on a TV. With VRR, everything stays in sync: Your display won’t show the next frame until it’s ready, which can make things feel smoother and more responsive, even if the system fails to deliver on its target frame rate.
There are a few different implementations of VRR available, including Nvidia’s G-Sync, AMD’s FreeSync and the HDMI Forum’s VRR spec, which is part of the full HDMI 2.1 standard. Both a TV and an input device need to support the same VRR tech for it to work, and different devices may only support VRR within a specific refresh rate window. On a 120Hz display, for instance, the PS5’s VRR only works between 48Hz and 120Hz.
As a reminder, the PS5 supports HDMI Forum VRR, the Xbox Series X/S support HDMI Forum VRR and FreeSync, while gaming PCs may support G-Sync or FreeSync depending on whether they use a Nvidia or AMD graphics card. A great gaming TV supports all the big VRR formats, but missing, say, G-Sync, isn’t a killer if you only game on a PS5 or Xbox.
8K (You don’t need it)
One thing you don’t need to worry about is 8K support. Although the PS5 and Xbox Series X are technically capable of outputting 8K video, very few games are made for that resolution, and 8K’s practical benefits are extremely minimal unless you plan on sitting unreasonably close to a massive TV. The few 8K TVs on the market are also very expensive.
Good gaming TVs you can get right now
There’s never a perfect time to buy a new TV. Prices on current models are always dropping, and next year’s upgrades are always just around the corner. But if we had to narrow it down, the best times to pounce would be right around Black Friday — when we usually see larger-than-usual discounts on the newest sets — and during the late spring to early summer period, when last year’s models steadily drop in price as manufacturers clear out inventory.
As of this writing, we’re still in the middle of the latter. The latest TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense and the like are now readily available, so many of the better sets from 2023 are in the process of being phased out. If you can grab one of those older models while they’re still available and on sale, that should get you the most bang for the buck. Many of those older sets are now totally out of stock, though. While we at Engadget do not formally review TVs, we’ve researched the market and rounded up a few sets that have been widely well-reviewed by other professional review sites we trust, including Rtings, Wirecutter, Reviewed and PCMag, among others.
The Samsung S90C has a QD-OLED display that combines an OLED panel with a layer of quantum dots. This allows it to display the high contrast and deep blacks of any good OLED TV without sacrificing as much in the way of peak brightness or color saturation. It should deliver consistently smooth motion, and it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that can play up to 4K 144Hz. It also supports HDR10 and HDR10+, ALLM and the major VRR formats. Sizes range from 55 to 83 inches, though the latter uses a more traditional WOLED panel. Like the rest of Samsung’s TV lineup, however, it doesn’t work with Dolby Vision HDR.
We’ll also note the Samsung S95C, a higher-end model. It, too, can play in 4K up to 144Hz, and some reviewssay it can get a bit brighter than the S90C in HDR. Since it runs its ports through an external box, its actual hardware is thinner as well. But it costs a few hundred dollars more, so it’s harder to justify unless money is no object.
Samsung has released the 2024 version of the S90C, the S90D. However, the company is selling it with both QD-OLED and lesser WOLED panels depending on your country and chosen size. In North America, the 55-, 65- and 75-inch models still use the superior QD-OLED display, but the rest may lose some of the aspects that make the TV stand out in the first place. Given that the QD-OLED version doesn’t appear to be more than a minor upgrade over the S90C in the first place, it’s hard to fully recommend right now.
The new Samsung S95D, meanwhile, is notable for having a matte finish, which seems to help it reduce glare. It’s far more expensive than the S95C as of this writing, though.
Beyond Samsung, the Sony A95L is another QD-OLED TV that’sreceivedpracticallyuniversalpraise, with many reviewers saying it tops any alternative from Samsung or LG. It’s technically a 2023 model, but Sony will continue to sell it through 2024. But it’s another super expensive one — a 55-inch model currently costs $2,800 — and it only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is the eARC port you might need for a soundbar or receiver. That makes it a bit less convenient if you want to keep multiple consoles hooked up at once.
The LG C3’sWOLED panel can’t get as bright as a QD-OLED TV like the Samsung S90C, but it still performs excellently in terms of contrast, input lag, motion response and viewing angles. It’s occasionally available for a little bit less than the S90C, too. It follows the HGiG’s HDR guidelines, supports ALLM, works with all the major VRR formats and has four full HDMI 2.1 ports capable of outputting 4K 120Hz with a PS5, Xbox or PC. It also supports all the major HDR standards, including Dolby Vision, and it’s available in a wide variety of sizes, from 42 to 83 inches. If the S90C runs out of stock, it’s a fine alternative. It’s just a bit less color-rich, and it doesn’t support a 144Hz refresh rate for those who may want to get the most out of a gaming PC.
The new adds 4K/144Hz support for PC players, and it should bring a slight upgrade in overall brightness and color performance. If the C3 goes out of stock for good, or if you see the C4 available for nearly the same price, just get the latest version instead.
Screen sizes: 55″, 65″, 75″, 85″ | Display type: QLED with mini-LED backlight (ADS Pro panel on 75″, VA panel on others) | Resolution: 4K | Maximum refresh rate: 144Hz | HDR formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG | HDMI ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x HDMI 2.0 | VRR: HDMI Forum VRR, FreeSync Premium Pro, G-Sync compatible | Smart OS: Google TV | Screen form: Flat | ALLM: Yes | TV tuner: ATSC 3.0
The TVs above are all pretty expensive. If you’re on more of a budget, the new Hisense U7N, another QLED TV with mini LEDs, should be a strong value. It’s not a better gaming TV than the QN90C in a vacuum, as it only has two full HDMI 2.1 ports, it can’t get as bright and its image will wash out more dramatically when viewed from an angle. You may need to tinker with the default picture to get the most out of it, too.
But reviewerssuggestthat, for hundreds less, it’ll still look good in any lighting condition, with impressive brightness levels for the money, 4K 144Hz support, all the main HDR formats, VRR, ALLM and low input lag in its game mode. You’ll still sacrifice contrast compared to a good OLED TV, however, and motion won’t look quite as fast or smooth. It’s also worth noting that the 75-inch model uses a different panel type than the others, one that should improve its viewing angles but lessen its contrast.
If you’re willing to pay more for a higher-end LED TV, the Hisense U8N is the company’s step-up model for 2024. It should deliverbetterbrightness, colors and contrast, though somereviews say that it may have accuracy issues out of the box. And again, the OLED TVs above will generally look better so long as you don’t need something searingly bright. Other recent options in this range like the Samsung QN90D (which has two more HDMI 2.1 ports but no Dolby Vision) and Sony Bravia 7 look promising as well, though they’re much more expensive.
Screen sizes: 55″, 65″, 75″, 85″ | Display type: QLED with mini-LED backlight (ADS Pro panel on 75″, VA panel on others) | Resolution: 4K | Maximum refresh rate: 60Hz (120Hz at 1080p or 1440p) | HDR formats: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG | HDMI ports: 4x HDMI 2.0 | VRR: HDMI Forum VRR, FreeSync compatible, G-Sync compatible | Smart OS: Google TV | Screen form: Flat | ALLM: Yes | TV tuner: ATSC 1.0
On the lower end of the price spectrum, this year’s is one of the few budget-level TVs with quantum-dot color, a mini-LED backlight and full-array local dimming. this helps it deliver better contrast and color volume than most value-oriented models. ALLM and the major HDR standards are supported as well. Technically, it’s a VRR display as well— but, like many cheaper TVs, the U6NK is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate in 4K, so that support only goes so far. You can drop the resolution to 1080p or 1440p and play at 120Hz, which is nice, but VRR won’t work in that case so you might see more screen tearing. There are no HDMI 2.1 ports either, and the TV’s brightness levels and motion handling will still be a clear step down from more expensive options. But at $450 or so for a 55-inch model as of this writing, all of that should be easier to overlook.
AMD’s Ryzen 9000-series processors are out and about. In general, the family’s power efficiency is a highlight, and they’ve rightfully taken some places on our list of best CPUs, but there are those out there that wish for a little more on the performance side of things. Enabling AMD’s own PBO2 setting will give you a bit of a boost, but MSI’s engineers have been hard at work too, and the company is releasing new motherboard BIOSes with what it calls PBO Enhanced modes, which take things a step further.
MSI’s PBO Enhanced features three modes, simply named 1,2 and 3, with Mode 3 being the most aggressive. According to MSI, the Ryzen 9 9950X can gain nearly 10% in the Cinebench R23 multithreaded test when Mode 3 is enabled. Not a bad gain at all.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: MSI)
(Image credit: MSI)
(Image credit: MSI)
(Image credit: MSI)
At default settings, the 65W Ryzen 7 9700X is the most power constrained chip in the Zen 5 lineup, and when it’s taken off the leash, it’s multithreaded performance jumps by an impressive 15%.
MSI didn’t release single threaded or gaming results, but since such workloads typically don’t continually demand full power like a longer term multithreaded workload does, performance gains are sure to be smaller.
Efficiency is a hallmark feature of Zen 5, and I’m a fan of MSI’s thermal limit settings. There are three settings, allowing you to limit the maximum temperature of your chip to 65, 75 or 85 degrees Celsius. According to MSI, setting a 9950X to 85C won’t significantly impact performance, and in some cases, may actually increase performance. A natively cooler running chip like the Ryzen 5 9600X loses a mere 1% of performance when set to the 65C limit.
Setting a 9950X to a limit of 65C will reportedly cost you only 5% of performance, while lowering temperatures by a full 30C. I like these options as it gives you some flexibility with cooler choice, or give you lower noise levels.
Finally, MSI is introducing memory timing presets, which should be useful for those looking to eke out a little more from their memory. I can see this being useful for those running DDR5-7000+ kits in the 6000 MT/s range, where enabling the tighter presets will get you a little bit of a latency improvement. This will benefit gaming, even if it’s not by a lot.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
It’s good to see end users being given some options to tune Ryzen 9000-series systems to suit their requirements. We can expect other vendors to follow suit with their own PBO enhancements, but for now, only those with MSI AM5 motherboards will have access to these settings.
Editor’s note: This post is part of the AI Decoded series, which demystifies AI by making the technology more accessible, and showcases new hardware, software, tools and accelerations for RTX PC users.
Content generators — whether producing language, 2D images, 3D models or videos — are giving the creative community tools that bring visions to life faster.
To help developers build these new generative AI tools, NVIDIA has set up NVIDIA AI Foundry. It helps companies train generative AI models on their own licensed data using NVIDIA Edify, a multimodal AI architecture that can use simple text prompts to generate images, videos, 3D assets, 360-degree high-dynamic-range imaging and physically based rendering (PBR) materials. Using AI Foundry, companies can train bespoke AI models to generate any of these assets.
Key elements of Edify include its ability to generate multiple types of content, its superior training efficiency, which allows it to produce high-quality content while trained on fewer images, and its ability to fine-tune models to style-match or learn characters or objects.
One of the best examples of services built on NVIDIA AI Foundry and Edify is Generative AI by Getty Images, a commercially safe generative photography service. The combination of AI Foundry and Edify allows users to control their training datasets, so they can create models that fit their need.
To avoid copyright issues, Getty Images used Edify to train the service on its own licensed content, ensuring that no famous characters or products are in the dataset. The company also shares part of the profits with the contributors, driving a new revenue stream for creators who contribute to the model.
Asset Generation With Edify
Edify can be trained to generate a variety of image types, including images, 3D assets and 360-degree HDRi environment maps.
Edify Image can generate four high-quality 1K images in around six seconds, doubling the performance of the previous model. Images can also be converted to 4K with a generative upscaler that adds additional details.
Getty Images 4K image generation trained on NVIDIA Edify using commercially safe creative libraries.
Images are highly controllable thanks to advanced prompt adherence, camera controls to specify focal length or depth of field, and ControlNets to guide the generation. The ControlNets include Sketch, which allows users to provide a sketch to follow or copy the composition of an image, and Depth, to copy the composition of an image.
Images can also be edited with Edify Image. InPaint allows users to add or modify content in an image. Replace — a strict InPaint — can change details such as clothing. And OutPaint can expand an image to match different aspect ratios. And all of this is simplified with Segment, a feature that can mask objects with just a text prompt.
Edify can also create artist-ready 3D meshes. The meshes come with clean quads-based topology, up to 4K PBR materials and automatic UV mapping for easier texture editing. A fast preview mode provides results in as few as 10 seconds, which can then be turned into a full 3D mesh.
Meshes are perfect for prototyping scenes, generating background objects for set decoration or as a head start for 3D sculpting.
Edify 360 HDRi generates environment maps of natural landscapes that can be used to light a scene, for reflections and even as a background. The model can generate up to 16K HDRi images from text or image prompts. With a desired backplate in hand, users can create a custom HDRi to match instead of spending hours looking for one.
High dynamic range, 360-degree panoramas from text prompts.
Edify’s multimodal capability is unique, enabling advanced workflows that combine different asset types. Used together with an agent, for instance, Edify allows users to prototype a full scene in a couple of minutes with a simple text prompt — like in the NVIDIA Research SIGGRAPH demo that showcased the assistive 3D world-building capabilities of NVIDIA Edify-powered models and the NVIDIA Omniverse platform.
Another use case is to combine Edify 3D and 360 HDRi with Image to give users full control of image generation. By generating the scene in 3D, artists can move objects around and frame their desired shot — and then use Edify Image to turn the prototype into a photorealistic image.
Generative AI by Getty Images
Getty Images is one of the largest content service providers and suppliers of creative visuals, editorial photography, video and music — and is the one of the first places people turn to discover, purchase and share powerful visual content from the world’s best photographers and videographers.
Getty Images used NVIDIA AI Foundry to train an NVIDIA Edify Image model to power its generative AI service. Available through Generative AI by Getty Images for enterprises and Generative AI by iStock for small businesses and amateur creators, the service allows users to generate and modify images using models powered by NVIDIA Edify.
Generative AI by Getty Images (or iStock) offers a variety of licensed content.
Getty Images and iStock recently updated to the latest version of Edify Image, enabling faster generations and higher prompt adherence and exposing Camera Controls.
Updated camera controls in Generative AI by Getty Images.
Users can now also use the generative AI tools on preshot creative content, allowing them to edit and modify iStock’s library of visuals to rapidly iterate and perfect content. Those same capabilities will be soon available on Gettyimages.com.
Test drive Generative AI by Getty Images on ai.nvidia.com.
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Data breaches are a fact of life these days but the recent National Public Data breach, which leaked nearly 3 million records — including Social Security numbers — to the dark web, may end up being one of the worst we’ve seen. If you’re wondering what you can do to protect yourself, start with a credit freeze. A credit freeze is a simple thing you can do to restrict prevent bad actors from using your personal information for their financial gain.
A credit freeze prevents creditors from viewing your credit report during a credit application process. If creditors can’t access your credit reports, they won’t open new accounts in your name. You can freeze your credit with the three credit bureaus and then unfreeze it at any point if you want to apply for a home loan or credit card.
How to freeze your credit
What you need: While requirements may vary between the three credit bureaus, you must provide them with your full name, date of birth, Social Security number, and current address. You must be prepared to provide your contact information, a government-issued ID, and proof of address to validate your identity.
Three major credit bureaus can access your identifying information: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You must contact each of them to freeze your credit:
Experian: Manage your credit freeze online at the Experian website, by phone at 1-888-397-3742, or by mailing a written request.
TransUnion: Freeze your credit with TransUnion online, over the phone by calling 800-916-8800, or mailing a written request.
When you contact each credit bureau, you’ll go through a process with your information that may vary depending on how you reached out:
Online: Create an account and fill out a form with your information, including data to confirm your identity.
By phone: Follow the prompts or speak to a representative to freeze your credit.
By mail: Send your written request to the credit bureau, including copies of your identification process.
Note: Credit bureaus used to issue a PIN to manage your frozen credit, but that practice was stopped.
After the process to freeze your credit, you’ll get a confirmation to advise the process is complete.
Frozen credit stays that way until you change it back or unfreeze it. You can unfreeze your credit by contacting all the credit bureaus, accessing your account, and asking for a credit unfreeze.
FAQ
What is a credit freeze?
A security freeze, commonly known as a credit freeze, lets people restrict access to their credit report, making it more difficult to let thieves and other bad actors access a report. Credit report freezing is a free service; users can place, lift, or unfreeze a credit report anytime.
When you apply for a mortgage, credit card, or other loan, you must unfreeze your credit to let lenders access it. Consumers can also do a temporary lift, which lifts the freeze for a limited time before reinstating it.
Does freezing credit affect my credit score?
No, freezing your credit does not affect your credit score. Freezing also doesn’t prevent you from getting your free annual credit report and using your existing credit accounts.
Freezing your credit restricts access to your report significantly, but it doesn’t block it completely. Existing creditors with whom you already have an account can still access your credit report, as can government agencies, employers (with your consent), and insurance companies. Finally, debt collectors can access or manage your credit and assess your financial status.
If I freeze my credit, how long will it stay frozen?
A credit freeze is permanent until you change it. The freeze doesn’t expire or require you to renew it. Once you freeze your credit, it’ll remain that way until you lift it online, over the phone, or by mail.
The term BIM, or building information modeling, crept into the construction world in the 1970s when CAD systems were developed. Initially, BIM was meant to serve as a library of 3D symbols, with BIM objects being the digital modeling of concrete blocks, windows, or air conditioning units. Data entered the picture instantaneously, making BIM a catalyst of property and information revolutionizing the modern construction industry.
Implementing BIM (building information modeling) offers many benefits to construction companies. However, it’s critical to use functional and quality BIM objects and employ architectural BIM modeling services for experts in the field. Construction companies, design offices, and architects have much to gain from these tools.
Bridge the gap between key players with quality BIM objects
BIM holds one promise: to facilitate cooperation among the players involved in a construction project in a more centralized way. Therefore, the first quality of BIM objects is to use a common language between the different participants of the project, specifically building engineers, builders, architects, and engineers.
Quality BIM objects also allow improved collaboration between various project participants. By accessing updated and accurate information, all parties in the joint project can work and function more efficiently. BIM object properties should be standardized based on formats compatible with each participant’s software to ensure that everyone can read them. This is the key challenge for the manufacturing companies and the condition for objects to be qualitative.
Defining BIM objects
Building information modeling, or BIM, is considered the future of the construction industry. BIM breaks down the silos that prevent collaborative engagement to enable a seamless flow of information among various construction stakeholders. The main goal of BIM is to make data accessible immediately to all stakeholders. BIM’s nature is similar to social media, where everyone can provide input, access data, and eliminate possible conflicts.
Building a construction-ready and information-rich BIM is more challenging than building a design model that looks pretty for client presentations. The adage GIGO or Garbage In, Garbage Out explains the philosophy of BIM quite well. It’s important to feed in precise data from various stakeholders to establish a useful model that depicts the actual conditions of the site. Thus, developing a BIM model using 3D modeling design services is an iterative and painstaking process.
As the building blocks of BIM models, BIM objects are intelligent and data-rich with geometry. BIM and the resulting BIM objects offer benefits in three key areas: planning, construction, and facility management. Aside from the product and visual data, BIM objects can also store functional data. It allows BIM objects to imitate the actual performance of the product. If any of the construction project stakeholders make changes to the BIM object, the change will reflect across the board right away.
The planning stage can benefit from BIM objects in several ways, including the following:
Detect and resolve clashes
Detecting clashes and their ensuing resolution will become easier when the subcontractors can envision details in lifelike models. For instance, in which locations do electrical fittings clash with plumbing fittings? Will the planned foundation clash with the current underground facilities? Having these actionable insights ahead of time will prevent the need to change designs much later. The quality of data also increases significantly when BIM objects are used.
Optimization and simulation
BIM objects help mimic real-life conditions in the model. For example, do you plan to design an energy-efficient building? Does the building insulation perform based on the requirements of the design? Are there any areas where energy loss may occur? Readily available BIM objects make it easier to test various products to identify the best one.
Visual communication
Better visual communication is no doubt the most obvious advantage of making use of BIM modeling experts. Construction managers can share BIM models with the stakeholders and the owners alike. Virtual mock-ups or lifelike visualization give clients and stakeholders better insights into proposed sequencing. The ability to easily convey data makes BIM superior to 2D blueprints and plans. Complex constructions and slopes that are difficult to visualize in 2D alone can be easily understood and visualized in 3D BIM models. In addition, when powerful and emerging technologies such as drone mapping are used in conjunction with BIM, the result is an accurate and lifelike model.
Implementing well-thought-out processes and systems is critical to building accurate BIM models. Without these systems, correct simulation of the site’s conditions is impossible. For example, bar codes should be attached to construction and equipment components for tracking and cataloging. The site manager should scan equipment once it arrives and during its installation.
After the tracking system is in place, other details, such as the date of shipping and operation manuals, can also be entered into the database. Building accurate BIM models also calls for continuous and intensive subcontractor training. The project manager should set uniform standards across the board. For example, one common problem on construction sites is that several subcontractors might use different points of reference. This kind of discrepancy can be avoided right from the beginning with the help of BIM and 3D architectural visualization services.
Coordination during construction
Tying the construction schedule to the model has several benefits, such as allowing the creation of 4D movie-like simulations. A visual view of the sequencing allows subcontractors to understand how their work will fit into the construction schedule. For example, if you need to explain the scope of construction and work sequencing to the glazing subcontractor, BIM allows you to easily create movie-like simulations where different colors depict different sub-phases of the glazing job.
Suppose you’re modeling a building’s structural details. After these details are modeled, you may be given details of the overlaying elements, such as connectors and gasket plates, from the fabricator. Once these are built into the BIM model, the contractor will better understand what goes where. With the help of BIM objects specified by the manufacturer, the 3D product modeling designers can acquire helpful inputs from the manufacturer to ensure a more collaborative design phase.
Prefabrication
The use of BIM models improves safety in construction sites. Construction managers can accurately estimate dimensions and quantities and can turn to prefabrication to a greater extent. Since more work is done in controlled and safe confines of warehouses, only a limited number of people are required on-site, resulting in safer operations. The use of manufacturer-specific BIM objects gives the assurance that the prefab structure will have a perfect fit.
Construction managers can save more time if BIM models are used to carry out their quantity takeoffs. If the 3D architectural modeling professionals utilize BIM, it results in more accurate estimates. For example, constructing a building with different elevations requires hundreds of distinct columns with varied dimensions—the usual, although inaccurate, practice is to average out the columns’ areas. But thanks to BIM, it’s possible to estimate the quantity of every column and reach a total. It would lead to a more accurate estimate of the cost and quantity.
The role of BIM objects in facility management
Aside from the planning stage and actual construction phase, BIM also drives cost savings and efficiencies in facilities management. The initial end-use of BIM models is in terms of maintenance, emergency, and preventative. BIM allows linking resources such as operating manuals, project images, and training videos to every component. If the facilities manager encounters a breakdown, it only takes a click of ginger to access the necessary data. Better control over renovations and retrofits is another great reason to incorporate BIM into the construction workflow.
For example, if a chemical plant wants to upgrade the boiler capacity from 25T to 5T, it must strengthen the foundation and raise the elevation. The execution of the project would be more straightforward if BIM were used to build the chemical plant. Estimating quantities and assigning a timeline and costs to the whole project is also easier with the help of BIM objects. Using functional and quality BIM objects gives construction companies and project lifecycles the chance to improve the efficiency, profitability, and quality of their construction projects by making the most out of the benefits and power of these unique digital tools.
How Cad Crowd can help
Cad Crowd is more than happy to assist you in finding the best BIM modeling services and BIM modeling experts who can help your company transform construction projects and take them to a whole new level!
