Production-grade AI models for professional use cases
Topaz Video AI focuses solely on completing a few video enhancement tasks really well: deinterlacing, upscaling, and motion interpolation. We’ve taken five years to craft AI models robust enough for natural results on real-world footage.
Topaz Video AI will also take full advantage of your modern workstation, as we partner directly with hardware manufacturers to optimize processing times. (Many of them already use Topaz Video AI to benchmark AI inference.) Own the software and use it for as many projects as you like, right in your existing workflow.
Canon has released an app for the most indecisive photographers out there: the new Canon Photo Culling app.
Currently available on Apple iOS, the Canon Photo Culling app uses Canon’s new AI known as PHIL (Photography Intelligence Learning) to help determine your best photos based on scores against four models: sharpness, noise, emotions and closed eyes. The app will also suggest deleting duplicative photos. Whether you’re looking to trim down your photo gallery to save precious space on your phone or just trying to find the best of the best, Canon’s Photo Culling app will make your photo management a better experience.
Available for download via the App Store, the Photo Culling app has two subscription options: $2.99 per month or $14.99 for the year, each with a three-day trial. For more information, please visit, usa.canon.com/photo-culling-app.
Canon press release:
Need a Digital Photo Assistant? Canon U.S.A. has you Covered with the Company’s First-Ever Photo Culling App
Canon Also Publicly Debuts “PHIL,” the Company’s Computer-Vision Artificial Intelligence Engine
MELVILLE, NY, February 11, 2021– According to a recent report from Keypoint Intelligence, 1.4 trillion photos were taken worldwide in 2020 and 7.4 trillion images were stored1. With these staggering numbers, it could be overwhelming for the average consumer to decide what photos are best to keep and store. Delivering expert photo advice in the form of an app, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announces its Photo Culling app. Compatible with iOS devices2, this brand-new app helps determine a user’s best photos based on scores against four models: sharpness, noise, emotions and closed eyes, using Canon’s Computer Vision Artificial Intelligence Engine known as “PHIL” (abbreviated for Photography Intelligence Learning) 3. Additionally, the app will suggest deleting duplicative photos, making it easy for the consumer to free up space on their smartphone.
“In today’s ever-changing and overwhelming world, where thousands of photos are captured and stored in a person’s smartphone, consumers need an expert, reliable and intuitive photo tool to help them decide the best photos based on years of trusted knowledge and technology,” said Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, executive vice president and general manager of the Imaging Technologies & Communications Group of Canon U.S.A., Inc. “Canon U.S.A.’s new Photo Culling App is the answer and we are proud to see how the company’s Computer Vision technology within this app can assist consumers with finding and keeping their best photos of their fondest moments.”
The Photo Culling app features two culling options:
Whole Culling: Determines the best photos based on the absolute best scores against the four models: sharpness, noise, emotions and closed eyes. If the score is over the threshold the user sets, the photo is considered to be the best. The remaining images would be suggested as deletions.
Similar Culling: Determines the best photos based on score comparison among a similar group of photos. The highest-scoring photos within the group are considered the best photos. A second photo may also be selected as the second-best photo within the group. The remaining images would be suggested as deletions. The app is also able to find similar photos and group them together. For example, If a user selects 10 photos of a dog and 10 photos of a sunset, it will break the photos into two groups and find the best photo of each; one of the dog and one of the sunset.
In addition to its culling options, the Photo Culling app also features:
Photo Counts and Storage: Shows the number of photos a user has as well as the amount of phone storage on the Home Screen
Event Album: Categorizing and placing photos in albums on the Home Screen. These are dynamic albums based on events/date throughout the year and the app will pull events that have a large number of photos and suggest the user review these photos to delete and save space
Features in the Setting Screens: Displaying the number of photos deleted, the current subscription plan (see details below), option for notifications, parameter setting for each score against sharpness, noise, emotion and closed eyes. Users also can adjust these settings, such as changing how much of an impact noise has on a photo versus closed eyes4
Dark and Light Mode Settings Screen Option: Displays screens either as a dark or light mode option
More details about the Canon PowerShot Pick, a camera with artificial intelligence on board, emerged on the crowdfunding page.
It seems the Canon PowerShot Pick is having a huge success on the Makuake crowdfunding site. They already surpassed the goal by 5,900%. This is how the PowerShot Pick is introduced (machine translated):
Bringing together Canon’s advanced technologies! With optical technology and video processing technology, the camera itself makes smart decisions and automatically takes pictures and videos.
The small and cute design blends into the family circle and automatically records “memories of the whole family” with “natural and rich facial expressions”
The app automatically selects recommended photos and videos. It’s also fun to find the “best shot taken by chance”!
Canon touts the ability of the camera to determine when it is best to snap a picture:
With Canon’s image processing technology, PowerShot PICK itself automatically finds a person’s face and notices changes in the image reflected on the lens, so it automatically determines “now is the photo opportunity” and shoots.
The camera is meant to just stay there, without being noticed, and to take “memories” at the best time:
Small and light, this camera is designed to blend in with your family so that you can forget about it, so you can stay close to your family at home or out.
The Canon PowerShot Pick…
[…] recognizes the faces of people around you and automatically tracks them. The angle of view is automatically adjusted while making full use of pan, tilt, and zoom based on face information such as the number / position / orientation / size of the face using a unique algorithm while observing the state of the subject.
In addition, the characters shown in PowerShot PICK will be registered automatically. If you want to shoot more specific people, you can add a favorite mark to that person to automatically shoot photos and videos with priority.
The Canon PowerShot Pick understands voice commands:
The price in Japan for the Canon PowerShot Pick is 42,900 yen, which amounts to approximate $390. At this price it might become a huge success for Canon.
The AI-powered Canon camera has been named PowerShot AI by the community. The specifications (might not be definitive):
12mp 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor
19-57mm 35mm equivalent zoom lens (4x zoom)
Pans 170°
Tilt of 110°
Electronic Image Stabilization
Dust and Waterproofing
Battery life of about 2.5 hours
Records data to microSD
USB-C Port
Both Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity
The Canon PowerShot AI could be a kind of multipurpose camera, and it’s yet to see what the featured artificial intelligence will exactly do. Understanding voice commands is already on board.
The Canon PowerShot AI is expected to be announced soon.
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