A Stunning Image of the Australian Desert Illuminates the Growing Problem of Satellite Pollution — from thisiscolossal.com by Grace Ebert and Joshua Rozells
Feral Pigeons and a Feisty Fox Take Top Honors in the 2025 British Wildlife Photography Awards — from thisiscolossal.com
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On 12/12/2024,
in art, creativity, design, digital photography, Michigan, photography,
by Daniel Christian
Ethereal, Glowing Curtains Drape Over Lake Michigan in Reuben Wu’s Light Paintings — from thisiscolossal.com by Kate Mothes and Reuben Wu
Edge of origin. pic.twitter.com/sAfLQjAqKf
— Qyraxos (@qyraxos) December 7, 2024
Artist Spotlight: Jessica Vollrath — from booooooom.com by Staff and Jessica Vollrath
Colossal’s Top Articles of 2024 — from thisiscolossal.com
On 12/09/2024,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, Adobe, analytics, art, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, business, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, communications, communities of practice, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, data related items, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital video, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, Google, graphics, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, legislatures / government / legal, marketing/social marketing, media/film, Microsoft, multimedia, music, Natural Language Processing (NLP), new media literacies, NVIDIA, online media, Open AI, platforms, podcasting, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, programming, skills, social media, strategy, student-related, technologies for your home, technology (general), tools, United States, vendors, videoconferencing, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Where to start with AI agents: An introduction for COOs — from fortune.com by Ganesh Ayyar
Picture your enterprise as a living ecosystem, where surging market demand instantly informs staffing decisions, where a new vendor’s onboarding optimizes your emissions metrics, where rising customer engagement reveals product opportunities. Now imagine if your systems could see these connections too! This is the promise of AI agents — an intelligent network that thinks, learns, and works across your entire enterprise.
Today, organizations operate in artificial silos. Tomorrow, they could be fluid and responsive. The transformation has already begun. The question is: will your company lead it?
The journey to agent-enabled operations starts with clarity on business objectives. Leaders should begin by mapping their business’s critical processes. The most pressing opportunities often lie where cross-functional handoffs create friction or where high-value activities are slowed by system fragmentation. These pain points become the natural starting points for your agent deployment strategy.
Create podcasts in minutes — from elevenlabs.io by Eleven Labs
Now anyone can be a podcast producer
Top AI tools for business — from theneuron.ai
This week in AI: 3D from images, video tools, and more — from heatherbcooper.substack.com by Heather Cooper
From 3D worlds to consistent characters, explore this week’s AI trends
Another busy AI news week, so I organized it into categories:
- Image to 3D
- AI Video
- AI Image Models & Tools
- AI Assistants / LLMs
- AI Creative Workflow: Luma AI Boards
Want to speak Italian? Microsoft AI can make it sound like you do. — this is a gifted article from The Washington Post;
A new AI-powered interpreter is expected to simulate speakers’ voices in different languages during Microsoft Teams meetings.
Artificial intelligence has already proved that it can sound like a human, impersonate individuals and even produce recordings of someone speaking different languages. Now, a new feature from Microsoft will allow video meeting attendees to hear speakers “talk” in a different language with help from AI.
What Is Agentic AI? — from blogs.nvidia.com by Erik Pounds
Agentic AI uses sophisticated reasoning and iterative planning to autonomously solve complex, multi-step problems.
The next frontier of artificial intelligence is agentic AI, which uses sophisticated reasoning and iterative planning to autonomously solve complex, multi-step problems. And it’s set to enhance productivity and operations across industries.
Agentic AI systems ingest vast amounts of data from multiple sources to independently analyze challenges, develop strategies and execute tasks like supply chain optimization, cybersecurity vulnerability analysis and helping doctors with time-consuming tasks.
Mikko Lagerstedt Photographs the Quiet Grandeur of Snowy Nordic Landscapes — from thisiscolossal.com by Grace Ebert and Mikko Lagerstedt
Color and Repetition Form Optical Rhythms in Daniel Mullen’s Geometric Paintings — from thisiscolossal.com by Kate Mothes and Daniel Mullen
Now this is contemporary art
?Andrew Scottpic.twitter.com/KstQ6kfy8A
— Interesting things (@awkwardgoogle) November 19, 2024
Watercolour painting #Artworld pic.twitter.com/QOf82kNecS
— Art world (@Artsworlld) October 22, 2024
In ‘Hidden Portraits,’ Volker Hermes Reimagines Historical Figures in Overwhelming Frippery — fromthisiscolossal.com by Kate Mothes and Volker Hermes
“The Promised Night” by Photographer Alfonso Bricegno — from booooooom.com
On 10/17/2024,
in Adobe, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, design, digital audio, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital video, Emotion, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, graphics, human-computer interaction (HCI), media/film, multimedia, online media, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, skills, student-related, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, United States, web design and production,
by Daniel Christian
Bringing generative AI to video with Adobe Firefly Video Model
Adobe Launches Firefly Video Model and Enhances Image, Vector and Design Models
- The Adobe Firefly Video Model (beta) expands Adobe’s family of creative generative AI models and is the first publicly available video model designed to be safe for commercial use
- Enhancements to Firefly models include 4x faster image generation and new capabilities integrated into Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Express and now Premiere Pro
- Firefly has been used to generate 13 billion images since March 2023 and is seeing rapid adoption by leading brands and enterprises
Photoshop delivers powerful innovation for image editing, ideation, 3D design, and more
Add sound to your video via text — Project Super Sonic:
New Dream Weaver — from aisecret.us
Explore Adobe’s New Firefly Video Generative Model
Cybercriminals exploit voice cloning to impersonate individuals, including celebrities and authority figures, to commit fraud. They create urgency and trust to solicit money through deceptive means, often utilizing social media platforms for audio samples.
On 10/16/2024,
in art, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, digital photography, Emotion, graphics, photography, tools, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
Finalists of the 2024 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards Focus on the Wily and Witless — from thisiscolossal.com by Kate Mothes
Speaking of photography, here’s a related item:
AI Photo Editors: A Quick Guide to Elevate Your Images — from intelligenthq.com
With the rise of artificial intelligence, photo editing has become accessible and efficient for everyone. An AI photo Editing Tool can transform photos in seconds, producing professional-level results without requiring extensive skills. From adjusting lighting to removing backgrounds, these tools automate complex edits, enabling users to create stunning visuals effortlessly. Whether a beginner or an experienced photographer, AI-powered editors offer a wide range of features that help elevate your images. This guide will introduce you to the key functionalities of AI image editors and provide insights on maximising their potential.
On 10/14/2024,
in art, creativity, digital photography, Emotion, photography, society,
by Daniel Christian
Amazing painting pic.twitter.com/5pwsd6c9dF
— Art world (@Artsworlld) October 12, 2024
Photographer Spotlight: Benjamin Waters — from booooooom.com by Benjamin Waters\
Artist Spotlight: Claire Cansick — from booooooom.com by Clair Cansick
— Pictures (@piitures) October 13, 2024
Playing two pianos simultaneously
? musician Tony Ann
pic.twitter.com/QOsjADoiz4— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) October 11, 2024
A Brilliant Image of the Solar Eclipse Wins the 2024 Astronomy Photographer of the Year — from thisiscolossal.com by Ryan Imperio and grace Ebert
The Adorable and the Fierce Star in the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest — from thisiscolossal.com by Grace Ebert
The 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition broke its 60-year record with a whopping 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories. Hosted annually by the Natural History Museum, the contest is known for showcasing the drama, humor, and harsh realities found in every part of the globe.
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Bisected by the Milky Way, a Stellar Image Captures the Perseid Meteor Shower Raining Down on Stonehenge — from thisiscolossal.com by Josh Dury
On 08/13/2024,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, Apple, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, assistive technologies, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), content development, aggregation, repositories, digital learning, digital photography, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, Google, graphics, human-computer interaction (HCI), internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, Microsoft, neurodivergent/special needs, NVIDIA, Open AI, platforms, tools, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors,
by Daniel Christian
This is what AI is for. Just this use case alone is worth every dollar invested in it. pic.twitter.com/vaOm3dpyxK
— Andriy Burkov (@burkov) August 10, 2024
From DSC:
The above item is simply excellent!!! I love it!
We’re going to see a lot more of the Square, Stripe, Shopify-type startups pop up for agentic AI.
This one is like an AI-human broker.
1) Prompt an AI with a need
2) Give the AI a budget (real money)
3) AI turns need into plan with tasks
4) AI finds humans to complete the… https://t.co/UXf1bNZ4AK— Allie K. Miller (@alliekmiller) August 11, 2024
Google just announced their massive AI update in Chrome.
Google Lens is now inside Chrome
Here’s everything you need to know: pic.twitter.com/aXdqvi5wMP
— Poonam Soni (@CodeByPoonam) August 4, 2024
Also relevant/see:
3 new Chrome AI features for even more helpful browsing — from blog.google from Parisa Tabriz
See how Chrome’s new AI features, including Google Lens for desktop and Tab compare, can help you get things done more easily on the web.
On speaking to AI — from oneusefulthing.org by Ethan Mollick
Voice changes a lot of things
So, let’s talk about ChatGPT’s new Advanced Voice mode and the new AI-powered Siri. They are not just different approaches to talking to AI. In many ways, they represent the divide between two philosophies of AI – Copilots versus Agents, small models versus large ones, specialists versus generalists.
Your guide to AI – August 2024 — from nathanbenaich.substack.com by Nathan Benaich and Alex Chalmers
Microsoft says OpenAI is now a competitor in AI and search — from cnbc.com by Jordan Novet
Key Points
- Microsoft’s annually updated list of competitors now includes OpenAI, a long-term strategic partner.
- The change comes days after OpenAI announced a prototype of a search engine.
- Microsoft has reportedly invested $13 billion into OpenAI.
ChatGPT Cheat Sheet? pic.twitter.com/ETsPvJQfVA
— Nelly R Q (@nrqa__) August 5, 2024
1. Flux, an open-source text-to-image creator that is comparable to industry leaders like Midjourney, was released by Black Forest Labs (the “original team” behind Stable Diffusion). It is capable of generating high quality text in images (there are tons of educational use cases). You can play with it on their demo page, on Poe, or by running it on your own computer (tutorial here).
Other items re: Flux:
How to FLUX — from heatherbcooper.substack.com by Heather Cooper
Where to use FLUX online & full tutorial to create a sleek ad in minutes
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Also from Heather Cooper:
Introducing FLUX: Open-Source text to image model
FLUX… has been EVERYWHERE this week, as I’m sure you have seen. Developed by Black Forest Labs, is an open-source image generation model that’s gaining attention for its ability to rival leading models like Midjourney, DALL·E 3, and SDXL.
What sets FLUX apart is its blend of creative freedom, precision, and accessibility—it’s available across multiple platforms and can be run locally.
Why FLUX Matters
FLUX’s open-source nature makes it accessible to a broad audience, from hobbyists to professionals.
It offers advanced multimodal and parallel diffusion transformer technology, delivering high visual quality, strong prompt adherence, and diverse outputs.
It’s available in 3 models:
FLUX.1 [pro]: A high-performance, commercial image synthesis model.
FLUX.1 [dev]: An open-weight, non-commercial variant of FLUX.1 [pro]
FLUX.1 [schnell]: A faster, distilled version of FLUX.1, operating up to 10x quicker.
Daily Digest: Huge (in)Flux of AI videos. — from bensbites.beehiiv.com
PLUS: Review of ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode.
- During the weekend, image models made a comeback. Recently released Flux models can create realistic images with near-perfect text—straight from the model, without much patchwork. To get the party going, people are putting these images into video generation models to create pretty–trippy–videos. I can’t identify half of them as AI, and they’ll only get better. See this tutorial on how to create a video ad for your product..
7 not only cool but handy use cases of new Claude — from techthatmatters.beehiiv.com by Harsh Makadia
- Data visualization
- Infographic
- Copy the UI of a website
- …and more
Achieving Human Level Competitive Robot Table Tennis — from sites.google.com