Saturday 19 January 2019

big pixel or shanghai surprise

Via Super Punch, we learn of a massive photographic panorama of the city shot from the two-hundred thirty metre tall Oriental Pearl Tower that allows users to zoom in and pivot from all angles. Resolution and clarity is especially sharp as the image is comprised of one-hundred ninety-five giga (billion) pixels—whereas for reference, the standard smart phone is a paltry twelve megapixels.
Though taken in 2015, there is a renewed interest in the image over rumours that it is satellite telemetry enhanced by “quantum technology,” which has since been debunked. Still having this sort of snap-shot available for inspection is a rather fraught development when it comes to surveillance and personal privacy. The controls for Big Pixel are optimised for a touchscreen interface but will work on laptops as well. After four years, I wonder how much technology has improved.