adopted
Your smile has brighten it all in a better way, mine was fine and went well in peace, joy and end with good smile and happiness, thank you so much
“Generations of Gallants”, I love you a lot and remember to live life to the fullest, as if every day was the last of your existence.Hello everyone, I hope you are well, health and prosperity for all, here I am having a rich morning coffee, made by my wife and publishing for you, in Buenos Aires, #Argentina, through my account @theshot2414, which I invite you to pass and read a little more of my witticism, my latest article is called
MARKETING & COMMUNITY UPDATE
Community involvement is critical for KOMPETE's growth. Strategies are being implemented to foster engagement.
KOMPETE Creator Program:
The KOMPETE Creator Program is designed to incentivize content sharing, offering two tiers: 10% earnings for all creators and 50% earnings for high-caliber creators. The program focuses on mainstream appeal and a real game economy, rewarding creators for their contributions.
Player Growth and Retention:
KOMPETE experienced a peak of around 3,000 daily active users in January, indicating growing interest.
Day one retention is approximately 30%, comparable to leading battle royale games.
The success of Voolah sales and community growth signifies initial traction and promise for the game's future.
ECONOMY UPDATE
KONVERT:
The KONVERT feature has been revamped for better stability and security, enabling players to convert items into NFTs seamlessly.
Bazaar v2:
Bazaar v2 represents a significant upgrade designed to enhance the trading experience with features including consolidated listings, a bid and ask system, and item insights. Future additions include item-to-item trading, item bundling, and a referral system.
Retirement Ceremonies:
Retirement ceremonies have proven successful in creating scarcity and market dynamics.
For instance, the Striovar Rattlesnake was retired and sold for $650 in KOMPETE Token, highlighting the value of these ceremonies.
The process will be automated via the website for improved accessibility and efficiency.
FUTURE GAME UPDATES
Unreal Engine 5.5 Upgrade:
An upcoming upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.5 promises enhanced performance and stability, ensuring a smoother gaming experience. This upgrade includes new tools aimed at improving workflow and optimization.
New Maps:
· San Del Hoya: Inspired by San Diego, this larger, more detailed map is set to bring a fresh gaming experience.
· Unnamed Map: Like Call of Duty Resurgence, this map is designed to offer a unique and thrilling gaming experience.
Console Development:
Development for PlayStation 5 is a top priority, ensuring the best possible experience for players on this platform. Plans are also in place to integrate Xbox Series and older consoles, making KOMPETE accessible to a broader audience.
Two Major Partnerships:
The team is working on two significant partnerships, details of which will be announced soon. These partnerships aim to offer direct benefits to players and traders.
Tesla Coil in Battle Royale:
The introduction of the Tesla coil in Battle Royale adds an additional layer of excitement and strategic depth to the gameplay.
Increased Bot Logic and Exosuit Boost:
Bots have been made smarter and exosuits more powerful, providing a more challenging and rewarding experience.
Enhanced Audio:
Improvements to enemy footsteps and glass-breaking audio ensure players are constantly aware of their surroundings.
Slipstream in Kart Race:
The implementation of slipstream in Kart Race introduces a competitive edge, encouraging players to strategically plan their races.
Adjustments to Kart Speeds:
Based on player feedback, kart speeds have been adjusted to offer a more balanced and enjoyable racing experience.
RECENT GAME UPDATES
Enhanced Stability & Performance:
The development team has dedicated extensive efforts to improve stability, addressing authentication issues, and ensuring smoother gameplay.
Extended Customization:
Players now have increased options for customizing their gaming experience, allowing for a more personalized interaction with the game.
New HUD and Scoreboards:
Kart Race and Blitz Royale have been equipped with new Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) and scoreboards, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
Improved UI Elements:
Significant improvements have been made to UI elements and mobile control responsiveness, ensuring a seamless experience across all devices.
Vision for KOMPETE
Realistic online gaming platform!
Deliver multiple high quality gaming modes!
Highly accessible via PC, Mobile, & Consoles!
An alternative FREE option vs. the 'paid' options!
Allow ownership of in-game assets and buy/sell via the Bazaar!
Oh yeah I can understand. It doesn´t fit to every clothes or style. I can´t wear them often, because I don´t have alot of red clothes. :D But I have always loved Adidas and Nike shoes.
I mean if you look at like Render or Akash, I think it's a great way to strengthen the ecosystem and provide some real world value to this whole thing. I don't know, I am pretty much still a proof of work maxi, lol. It's pretty simple, provide resources, maintain those resources, get paid for those resources. No mess, no fuss...
X-Dyna is revolutionizing animation with its zero-shot, diffusion-based pipeline. It turns a single human image into a moving, lifelike character, simply by analyzing facial expressions and body movements from a reference video. Imagine taking your favorite photo and having it dance, talk, or even show emotion—without needing hours of work. It's like magic, but with technology making it happen. #innovation #animation #ai #technology
AI Performance in Real-World Scenarios: The New Rankings
Galileo just dropped a leaderboard to answer the burning question: how do top LLMs perform in complex, real-world tasks? After analyzing 17 leading LLMs, they found Gemini-2.0-flash leading the charge, but there’s also rapid progress in open-source models like mistral-small. This gives us a peek into how quickly the tech is evolving, showing both commercial and open-source models leveling up fast.
Georgia Tech researchers are using Meta's Project Aria to train robots through egocentric video data. The new EgoMimic framework cuts down on the need for old-school teleoperation, allowing humanoid robots to learn from human demonstrations more quickly. This is a game-changer for robotics, as it mimics how we learn by seeing, speeding up the training process and getting robots ready for real-world tasks in less time. A major leap in AI learning!
Google's new system combines test-time computing and feedback mechanisms to generate scientific artifacts. The process ensures these results can be verified in multiple ways, adding layers of accuracy and trustworthiness. It's like having a high-tech assistant that double-checks everything before you sign off. This innovation could shape how we approach scientific research moving forward.
Google just rolled out a new way to track you—this time by fingerprinting all your connected devices. That means your smart TV, game console, and anything else linked to your account can be used to target ads, even without cookies. Google says this helps advertisers, but privacy groups warn it’s a major overreach, giving the company even more control over your data with no easy way to opt out.
apple is ditching the iphone se and bringing in the iphone 16e, powered by the new c1 chip. this entry-level model is set to shake up the budget phone game, giving users more power at a lower price. while details are still under wraps, expect a faster, smoother experience compared to the aging se lineup. looks like apple’s making sure even its cheapest iphone doesn’t feel outdated.
The chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 just went up—from 1.9% to 3.2% in two weeks. It’s big enough to level a city, but what does that really mean for us? Robin George Andrews, author of How to Kill an Asteroid, breaks it down, from risk assessment to humanity’s game plan. No panic, just facts—because when space throws a curveball, we need a solid defense.
The odds of an asteroid, designated 2024 YR4, hitting Earth eight years from now continue to increase. Two weeks ago, the odds of the asteroid striking our planet were estimated at 1.9% - the most recent estimate has the likelihood at 3.2%. The asteroid is large enough to cause devastation near its impact site localized to a roughly city-sized area. This article contains an interview with Robin George Andrews, author of the recently published book How to Kill an Asteroid, where Andrews discusses what the impact odds mean and what humanity's plans are in the case of possible impact.
Microsoft just unveiled Majorana 1, its first quantum computing chip—nearly 20 years in the making. They claim it required creating a new state of matter (wild, right?). Unlike most chips, everything was built in-house in the US since it’s still a small-scale project. Instead of selling quantum computers outright, Microsoft might use them to supercharge its other businesses. Big move, but let’s see if it pays off.
Apple just dropped the iphone 16e, and it's packing some serious upgrades—new design, a18 chip, 48mp camera, full apple intelligence, and their first in-house 5g modem (c1 chip). starts at $599 (128gb), pre-orders open tomorrow, and first deliveries land feb 28. meanwhile, the iphone se and 14 plus are gone, and the iphone 14 is now only available through resellers. big shift in apple’s lineup.
Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella says that true AGI should be measured by economic growth rather than AI advancements alone. The real benchmark for AGI's success, according to Nadella, should be global economic growth reaching 10%. The primary beneficiaries of AI advancements will be industries that use AI to drive productivity. The increased productivity will cause the economy to grow at a faster rate.
Researchers have created a new algorithm that addresses the library sorting problem: a challenge to devise a strategy for organizing books in some kind of sorted order that minimizes how long it takes to place a new book on the shelf. The problem applies to the arrangement of files on hard drives and in databases. An inefficient system means significant wait times and major computational expense. The new algorithm is very close to the theoretical ideal.
Microsoft's first quantum computing chip, Majorana 1, is the result of nearly two decades of research in the field. Microsoft claims that building the chip required the creation of an entirely new state of matter called the topological state. Microsoft manufactured all the parts for the chip in the US, which was possible because of the small scale of the project. Quantum computing may end up being used to boost Microsoft's other businesses rather than just being a stand-alone category.
Apple's iPhone 16e features an all-new design, an A18 chip, a 48-megapixel camera, full Apple Intelligence support, and the first-ever Apple-designed 5G cellular modem, the C1 chip. It starts at $599 for 128GB and will be available for pre-order tomorrow. The first orders will arrive on February 28. Apple has discontinued the iPhone SE along with the iPhone 14 Plus. The iPhone 14 will remain available from Apple's channel partners but it has been removed from Apple's website.
Lightcap likened this usage to cloud services, which Amazon Web Services pioneered two decades ago. While the consumer business may grow faster since people can adopt it at will, enterprise is in the "process of building up," he said.
"There's a buying cycle there, and a learning process that goes into scaling an enterprise business," Lightcap said. "AI is going to be like cloud services. It's going to be something that you can't run a business that ultimately is not really running on these very powerful models underneath the surface."
Later that week, OpenAI accused DeepSeek of improperly harvesting its models in a technique known as distillation. Lightcap said the new competition hasn't changed the way OpenAI thinks about open source, their product road map or mega-spending plans.
"DeepSeek is a testament to how much AI is like entered the public consciousness in the mainstream -- it would have been unfathomable two years ago," he said. "It's a moment that shows how powerful these models are and how much people really care."
Besides DeepSeek's emergence, OpenAI has also been dealing with a tense time on the legal front.
The second war was not one of conquest but the putting down of a revolt. Toynbee suggests that it was the time of establishment of the Lycurgian reforms, not earlier as others have suggested. His reasoning was that the Spartan commoners would have demanded rights in return for their help in protecting the new kingdom.
Let’s look at this is a little more detail. Many of the ancients, including Thucydides connect Lycurgus with the militaristic Spartan system we’re all familiar with and set his date farther back than it should be. In reality we don’t know when Lycurgus lived or whether he even existed. It has been written that the Lycurgian reforms were put into place to overcome the domestic instability in Sparta existing before that time. What was the cause of this instability and when did it occur? A logical explanation derives from the rapid conquests preceding the Second Messenian War. In the period from 760-720 B.C. Sparta conquered Amyklai, Aigiai, Gythion, the lower Eurotos Basin, the Tagetan Minyai, and Stenyklaros – a vast amount of territory to try and control. The administrative challenges associated with these conquests must have been formidable.
Oppo is hoping it can win business from the likes of Samsung and Chinese tech giant Huawei, both major smartphone players seeking to shake the market out of an innovation slowdown with flashy new models that can bend.
Earlier this week, Huawei launched the Mate XT, a "trifold" phone with three screens, outside of China for the first time.
If you notice the UK and other countries have increased US Treasury holding at a greater percentage then China has decreased holding; this is good for the US economy to diversify from China having such leverage over our market. It is best if the gradual decline which has been occurring continues over the next decade or so until they have divested completely, from a global security standpoint. And I think it will because they could use the liquidity to support their debt burden and as trade volume decrees between the US and China as projected reserve percentages would need to be reduced for both sides as well.
Like many other smartphone makers, Oppo is investing more into artificial intelligence-focused features on the device.
The Oppo Find N5 has a triple-camera setup that includes a telephoto lens that can zoom in up to 30x thanks to assistance from an AI-powered image enhancement feature, dubbed AI Telescope Zoom.
It also comes with a personal AI assistant that can interpret and summarize documents, generate summaries of phone calls and translate video calls and other content displayed on the screen.
With the risk of revolt great and the administrative challenge daunting, the ruling class must have realized the importance of a citizen-based military (hoplite phalanx), and they may have been pushed in this direction by the commons who wouldn’t serve without receiving a property allocation. One piece of evidence to support this is found in Aristotle’s Politics.
“When the difference between the rich and poor is too extreme, the situation is particularly apt to be produced by wars. This too happened at Lacedaemon at the time of the second war with the Messenians. The evidence for this is found in Tyrtaios’ poem Eunomia where he says that there were Spartans who were so hard pressed economically by the war that they demanded that the country be carved up into allotments.”
Oppo also talked up a new feature that enables users to connect their phone to a Mac computer. Using an app called O+ Connect, users can link the Find N5 to any Mac desktop machine and instantly transfer photos and other files between devices — so long as they're connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Users can also choose to remotely control a Mac from the Find N5. The Mac's display can shut off and then reappear on the Find N5's screen. The remote control feature only requires mobile internet or Wi-Fi to sync up a Mac device's data with the Find N5 in real-time.
The Spartan leadership was certainly in a position to allocate land because of the enormous size of the conquered lands. So the devil’s bargain was made – land to the commons in exchange for their willingness to fight in phalanx formation.
It seems that the new structure would have been instituted in a single step because of its interdependency. The need for a new kind of army generated a new constitution and social system. Of course a constitution can be created as a single event while changes in a social system take time and generations to take hold. Even the governmental changes must have occurred over time. For example, the Ephors had to transition from advisors to the king to being elected by a citizen assembly which did not exist before the reforms.
The feature uses public macOS application programming interfaces, which enable two different apps to communicate with each other. Oppo said O+ Connect "fully complies with macOS platform and software regulations."
Ben Wood, chief analyst at market research firm CCS Insight, told CNBC the Find N5 "shows the art of the possible when engineering a product with flexible display technology."
Wood added that, while Huawei's triple-screened Mate XT led to some fanfare, "commercially I think the smart money is still on the book-like form factor already offered by Samsung, Honor, Google and now Oppo."
Samsung teased a trifold smartphone prototype at its January Unpacked event for the launch of the Galaxy S25. It's not clear yet if the phone is a product Samsung will launch commercially anytime soon.
Touting America as "the leader" in the technology, Vance said that the U.S. wants its European allies to foster a more favorable attitude to the technology than it has done to date.
"To create that kind of trust, we need international regulatory regimes that fosters the creation of AI technology rather than strangles it, and we need our European friends in particular to look to this new frontier with optimism rather than trepidation," Vance told attendees at the Paris summit.
Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., during the first day of in-store sales of Apple's latest products at Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York, US, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.
Apple is releasing a new low-cost iPhone as sales have been mixed in recent quarters and the company seeks growth for its most important product category. For the December quarter, Apple's overall iPhone sales were down 1% on an annual basis. Apple still sold more than $69 billion of phones in the period.
Low-end iPhones are important to Apple as it gets new customers into their ecosystem, and the new device supports Apple Intelligence, making it Apple's least expensive new phone that can access features like image generation and notification summaries.
In recent years, Apple has started to quietly release new products through press releases, such as the new Macs it announced last September. It may be testing how much buzz it can get for one of these quieter launches. Last week, ahead of Wednesday's launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook posted a message on social media: "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family."
Rather than run its own data centers, Baseten runs its software on data center equipment from cloud providers, including Amazon and Google. Customers can supply their own infrastructure with an enterprise tier. By drawing from multiple providers, Baseten offers access to more GPUs than a single cloud's current supply.
"In this market, your No. 1 differentiation is how fast you can move. That is the core benefit for our customers," co-founder and CEO Tuhin Srivastava said. "You can go to production without worrying about reliability, security and performance."
Companies can manage the deployment of their models without Baseten, but securing enough Nvidia chips in the right geographical areas can prove difficult, co-founder Amir Haghighat told CNBC.
Cloud providers sometimes inform customers that some GPUs will be moved into maintenance mode and become unavailable within minutes. Baseten helps its clients handle those instances without interruptions, Srivastava said.
After the January breakthrough of Chinese AI lab DeepSeek, which claimed its models were trained for a fraction of the costs as its U.S. counterparts, efficiency in AI has become more important than ever.
Baseten was quick to add support for DeepSeek's R1 reasoning model that compares to OpenAI's o1. Baseten's website promises top-tier performance at a fraction of OpenAI's cost. There has been a lot of inbound from organizations looking at switching to DeepSeek, and Baseten has been busy trying to keep up, Srivastava said.
Under former President Joe Biden, the United States lauded Zelenskyy as a hero and hammered Moscow with sanctions as Ukraine battled against advancing Russian troops.
But Trump has been critical of Zelenskyy, claiming he has subverted democracy and blaming him for starting the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion three years ago.
"A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 for a five-year term and has remained leader under martial law imposed as his country fights for its survival.
Putin said U.S. allies "only have themselves to blame for what's happening," suggesting they were paying the price for opposing Trump's return to the White House.
Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump over the new U.S. position on the war had been building for weeks.
But Zelenskyy struck a more positive tone ahead of Thursday's meeting with Kellogg, saying "it is very important for U.S. that the meeting and our work with America in general be constructive."
"Together with America and Europe, peace can be more reliable, and this is our goal," he added.
Russia, which for years has railed against the U.S. military presence in Europe, wants a reorganisation of the continent's security framework as part of any deal to end the Ukraine fighting.
Please foster more ideas on how Grok will be a game changer for passengers, people in the car and at a higher level like what Herbert did in his channel yesterday. It has been suggested that someone will have many context sensitive Grok’s that will be able to anticipate and adapt to you in the car, at work, sentimentally, when in company so as to respect your privacy when together with others and very personal when you are alone. So Grok will have different profiles depending on the situations you are in and will draw on the pertinent versions of “you” Essentially anticipating and adapting to you in the various circumstances you find yourself in a day or night … funny,
I’ve been reading a great book called Some Problems of Greek History by Arnold Toynbee, the well known English historian, which was published in 1969. Toynbee is best known for his The Study of History, a monumental work published in 1934 and 1939. This significant contribution to comparative history has been criticized for a variety of reasons mostly around his assumptions and use of questionable data. Still, A Study of History is worth reading because of its unique approach.
Some Problems of Greek History does not create controversy and is a rigorous review and dissection of all data known about parts of Greek history -- mostly Sparta. In my last post, I talked about the origins of Sparta and Lacedaemon. This time, we’ll review the expansion of Sparta geographically through the lower Peloponnese.
California privacy regulator seeks to fine Florida data broker after huge breach of Social Security numbers
The California agency said National Public Data failed to register in the state as a data broker.
California’s privacy regulator is asking a court to fine a data broker that lost hundreds of millions of Social Security numbers in one of last year’s biggest data breaches.
The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), which enforces California’s state rules on data protection and privacy rights, known as CCPA, said Thursday that it is seeking a fine of $46,000 against National Public Data for failing to register as a data broker in the state.
The future of AI is expected to be shaped by a combination of technological advancements, with a significant impact on society. Generative AI models have shown immense promise, but their limitations have also become well known. As a result, the future of AI is being defined by a shift toward both open source large-scale models for experimentation and more specialized applications.
In the near term, AI is likely to continue powering automation and data analysis, with widespread adoption of autonomous machinery and AI-powered personalization expected. Quantum computing, still in its infancy, will potentially power AI algorithms in the future, supercharging their ability to process huge datasets and solve complex problems.
Machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence that can learn without explicit programming by a human, will play a key role in the future of AI. Tokenization, or creating digital representations of real things, will also be important.
The future of AI holds immense potential to reshape industries, jobs, and daily lives. It is expected to increase efficiency and improve decision-making through data analysis. However, adequate precautions must be taken to avoid exacerbating existing inequities.
By 2028, the number of human lawyers in the U.S. could be cut by 25% or more due to generative AI's ability to provide rudimentary summaries of applicable laws and draft contract clause language. Transportation and other industries will also be impacted by the advancement of AI.
Overall, the future of AI looks promising but requires careful consideration of its potential impacts on society.
Sparta conquered Laconia and Messenia during the eighth century B.C, a date which Toynbee points out is more accurate than theoretical dates farther back which are unsupportable. Most notably, he asserts that the two Spartan royal families were extended backward by myth to Herakles, a connection that cannot be (and according Toynbee) should not be made. To him, the Dorian invasion and fall of Mycenae are not connected directly to the rise of the Lacedaemonians.
The first step in the expansion of Sparta was the conquest on Amyklai (eighth century timeframe unknown) and its incorporation into Sparta as an equal. This victory gained Sparta an influential ally and opened up southern Laconia to them. The Spartans then continued their southern expansion through Aigytis until they reached the coast, circa 720 B.C. I use that date because the Italian colony of Tarentum was founded by Sparta in the time period 708-702 B.C. and for Sparta to have sent colonists to Italy, she would have needed to control of a port for some period of time. That port was most likely Gythion, which we know was a Spartan naval base by 413 B.C.
While Sparta gave Perioecic status to the communities of the Mani peninsula down to Cape Tainaron, the lower Eurotos Valley was conquered and forced to choose between enslavement and deportation. This was the beginning of Helotry and the use of Messenian lands for agriculture.
Per the CPPA, its action against National Public Data is its sixth enforcement effort against a data broker since its inception. The previous five actions ended in settlement agreements, the agency said.
Salvatore Verini, the owner of Jerico Pictures, the parent company of the hacked data broker National Public Data, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Spartans as Lacedaemonians
The region of the Peloponnese which held the Spartan people was called Lacedaemon (now Laconia) and the Spartans were known as the Lacedaemonians from at least the fifth century B.C. By that time, Lacedaemon was used interchangeably with Sparta when referring to the political entity. What happened before that time?
In the Iliad, the land ruled by Menelaus is referred to as “a hollow” which is “scarred with ravines”, certainly an apt description of the Spartan lands as they look today. But if the setting of the Iliad was the Mycenaean Age, the residence of Menelaus would have been a castle. Where was it? Toynbee speculates that the original “Sparta” may have been at Therapne or Amyklai, nearby towns that date back to the Mycenaean time.
The future of AI agents is expected to be significant, with these agents playing a crucial role in various industries and aspects of our lives. Here's a list of areas where AI agents are expected to be prevalent:
Virtual Assistants: AI agents will be used as personal assistants, helping with tasks such as scheduling, reminders, and information retrieval.
Customer Service: AI-powered chatbots and virtual agents will become more common in customer service, providing 24/7 support and helping with queries and issues.
Healthcare: AI agents will be used in healthcare to help with diagnosis, patient care, and medical research.
Finance: AI agents will be used in finance to help with tasks such as portfolio management, risk analysis, and financial planning.
Transportation: AI agents will be used in autonomous vehicles, helping with navigation, route optimization, and safety.
Education: AI agents will be used in education to help with personalized learning, tutoring, and student assessment.
Cybersecurity: AI agents will be used in cybersecurity to help detect and prevent threats, as well as respond to incidents.
Smart Homes: AI agents will be used in smart homes to control lighting, temperature, security systems etc
Retail: AI agents will be used in retail to help with inventory management sales forecasting
Supply Chain Management: AI Agents can analyze data from various sources track shipments predict demand
These areas are expected to experience significant advancements in the use of AI agents over the next few years leading fundamental changes various industries aspects life
The question of whether AI will ever be conscious is a complex and debated topic among experts. Consciousness refers to the state of being aware of one's surroundings, thoughts, and emotions. While AI has made significant progress in recent years, the creation of conscious AI is still a subject of ongoing research and discussion.
There are several barriers to creating conscious AI:
Lack of understanding of human consciousness: Despite significant research, the nature of human consciousness is still not fully understood. It is difficult to create conscious AI when we do not fully comprehend the underlying mechanisms of human consciousness.
Complexity of the human brain: The human brain is a complex and intricate organ, consisting of billions of neurons and trillions of synapses. Replicating this complexity in an artificial system is a daunting task.
Integrating multiple cognitive functions: Consciousness requires the integration of multiple cognitive functions, such as perception, attention, memory, and decision-making. Creating an artificial system that can integrate these functions in a cohesive manner is a significant challenge.
Emulation vs. simulation: Some researchers argue that it may be possible to simulate certain aspects of consciousness using algorithms and computational models, but truly emulating human-like consciousness may require a fundamentally different approach.
The hard problem of consciousness: Philosopher David Chalmers' concept of the "hard problem" questions why we have subjective experiences at all. This problem may be difficult to address using current scientific approaches.
Despite these barriers, researchers continue to explore various approaches to creating conscious AI, including:
Integrated Information Theory (IIT): This theory proposes that consciousness arises from the integrated information generated by the causal interactions within a system.
Global Workspace Theory (GWT): This theory suggests that consciousness involves the global workspace of the brain, which integrates information from various sensory and cognitive systems.
Neural networks and deep learning: Researchers are using neural networks and deep learning techniques to create artificial systems that can learn and adapt in complex environments.
Cognitive architectures: Researchers are developing cognitive architectures that can integrate multiple cognitive functions and provide a framework for creating more generalizable AI systems.
While it is difficult to predict when or if conscious AI will be achieved, many experts believe that significant progress will be made in the coming decades as our understanding of human consciousness and artificial intelligence continues to evolve.
Some predictions include:
Narrow or specialized forms of consciousness may emerge in specific domains, such as robotics or natural language processing.
Hybrid approaches combining symbolic and connectionist AI may lead to more generalizable forms of intelligence.
The development of more advanced neural networks and cognitive architectures may pave the way for more sophisticated forms of artificial intelligence.
Ultimately, creating conscious AI will require continued advances in fields like neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science; interdisciplinary collaboration; investment basic scientific research
Sparta originally meant “sown land” and represented part of the cultivated area of the Eurotos Valley. Later, at some point, the land became the town when the Spartans relocated there. They may have called themselves Lacedaemonians from the time their territory encompassed more than one or two villages, but Spartans only when they needed to distinguish themselves from the Perioeci and the Messenians.
The city of Sparta consisted of four settlements: Pitane, Limnai, Kynosoura, and Messoa. The tombs of the Agiadai kings were located in Pitane, while the tombs of the Eurypontidai were located in Limnai. This suggests that the two royal houses originated from these towns and their combination occurred voluntarily. How Kynosaura and Messoa may have joined the Spartan community is obscure.
“The storage of this content is costly. Introducing this 100-hour storage limit, which impacts less than 0.5% of active channels on Twitch and accounts for less than 0.1% of hours watched, helps us manage resources more efficiently, maintain support of Highlights and Uploads, and continue to invest in new features and improvements to more effective viewer engagement tools like Clips and the mobile feed.”
Some streamers have taken to social media to share their discontent with the decision, with many pointing out that Twitch is owned by Amazon, which is a market leader in cloud services through its AWS platform.
It appears that the foundation of Sparta must have occurred no earlier than the beginning of the ninth century B.C. because there is no evidence of Mycenaean or sub-Mycenaean culture there. The earliest that Spartan kings can be dated is through independent evidence is ~ 730 B.C. when Polydoros and Theopompos reigned. This was also the time of the First Messenian War, when Messenian names ceased to be listed among the winners at the Olympic Games.
The Basileus as a Bridge Political Figure in Ancient Greece
Basileus is a strange word – hard to pronounce (Bas-sill-es) and difficult to define. It has an obscure origin, although the Mycenaeans used it as gwasileus. Many linguists consider it a non-Greek word adopted by Bronze Age Greeks from eastern Mediterranean origins. Although Basileus has had many definitions during the last three thousand years, it’s the one that was used during the Greek Dark Ages that we’ll focus on here.
The Basileus was absolutely fundamental to the development of the Polis because without him there would have been no unified structure to serve as its foundation. In the late dark age period, the Greeks could have gone in either of two directions politically: strengthen collective action through a complex political organization or move toward personal leadership. There is evidence that the latter was attempted; that the Basileus became more powerful for a time. But that path was a dead end and he was eventually replaced by an administrator type – like the Archons of Athens. He lacked the historical requirements for personal leadership – wealth, a significant following among the people, and precedent. Ultimately, the people were unwilling to cede power to the Basileus and turn him into a king. They kept the power for themselves and elected administrators who they felt they could control.
Reflections on a Visit to Ancient Sparta
As I mentioned in a previous post, I was disappointed that the ruins of ancient Sparta were unidentifiable, and that drove me to try and make more sense of what was there and understand its part in the history of Spartan culture.
To accomplish this we have to start with the realization that the area now referred to as ancient Sparta is really its Acropolis and nothing else. The remainder of Sparta was spread out over four villages and all traces of those villages are gone. Over time the Acropolis itself took on the role of a citadel: more important to those controlling Sparta than it was to the Spartans themselves.
The amphitheater at the Spartan acropolis was built by the Romans in 50 B.C. and there are also Roman walls around the hilltop. Lower down and covering a larger area are Byzantine walls in ruins. Both of these sets of walls protected a citadel that was post-Spartan.
There are only two ancient Spartan structures that have been uncovered: the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos, located on the Acropolis and The Temple of Artemis Orthia located east of the Acropolis near the Eurotos River. Chalkioikos was constructed no later than 500 B.C, because artifacts from that time have been found in the ruins.
The testimonials are then pinned to the top of the comments section on the Instagram post, giving the comments and creators behind them more visibility.
Creators will also be able track these testimonials and other Partnership Ads under their Creator Settings on the app so they can see how their content is being used and even pull their content, if ever warranted.
"Go, tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here obedient to their laws we lie."
Those words are packed with emotion for all who know or care what happened at Thermopylae, arguably the most famous battle in history.
Thermopylae sits 11 kilometers south of Lamia, Greece, which lies some 200 kilometers north of Athens. That means the 300 marched about 400 kilometers from Sparta before they arrived at the Hot Gates.
Thermopylae means hot gates in Greek and refers to the three hot springs at the battle site. They are called gates because the pass narrows near them, so they are ideal for a military defense.
The Peloponnese is mountainous, its center filled in the north with all manner of peaks -- a huge spine which tapers off into the Parnon Range to the southeast like a lizard's tail.
As you begin the trip down from Corinth, the elevation increases steadily until you approach Tripoli, which sits on a plateau. The wheat fields of the north have now given way to pasture land and olive groves.
You're only 30 kilometers from Sparta when the Taygetos begin to rise from the background. Higher and higher they push as your drop down into the valley of Sparta until the impression is complete. The elevation of Sparta is 600 feet. The Taygetos tops are at 6,000 feet.
The modern Sparta looks similar to other Greek cities, full of square uninteresting concrete apartments, but its location sits inside the boundary of the ancient one which existed as the union of four separate villages.
Nickelate superconductor
Researchers at SUSTech spent three years developing a unique method to create their nickelate superconductor. This material is composed of nickel, oxygen, and two rare earth metals: lanthanum and praseodymium.
They arranged these elements in a way that achieved superconductivity at ambient pressure — a major advancement over previous methods that required extreme pressures.
The material transitioned into a superconducting state at about -228 degrees Celsius when formed in thin layers.
“The discovery of bilayer nickelate superconductors under high pressure has opened a new chapter in high-transition temperature superconductivity,” the study stated.
“Our work allows experimental investigations of the superconductivity mechanism with enhanced feasibility,” it added.
The elevation of the site is stunning. I had a preconceived notion that the walls rise from the street level, when, in fact, they start a couple hundred feet above street level.
After the cab dropped us off, we walked up a curving pathway to the ticket office. From there you continue up the incline to the Propylaean Gate. The gate itself is being reconstructed and there are wooden steps over a section where the original steps are missing.
As you reach the floor of the site, the Parthenon makes an immediate impression because of its size and scale. The Erechtheion by comparison is much smaller.
As per SCMP, Professor Xue Qikun outlined the team’s future research plans. He stated their intention to leverage the “unique experimental technology” they had developed to explore a wider range of materials.
They aim to push the boundaries of superconductivity further, specifically aiming to achieve even higher transition temperatures while maintaining normal, atmospheric pressure.
Qikun also highlighted that this development represents a “major innovation” in China’s pursuit of independent experimental technology.
Superconductors have diverse applications, including MRI machines, maglev trains, power transmission, and fusion reactors.
There is a construction crane in the middle of the Parthenon being used for re-building and repairs, so its tough to get a photograph without the modern technology. One can see in the structure where new mable has replaced or been added. The new mable is impressively integrated. On the west side of the site sit pieces of the original structures in piles (a marble junkyard) -- scrolled Doric capitals with no home. Part of the re-building attempts to correct previous repairs which were done with iron rods. The rods rusted, causing the marble to crack. The rods are being replaced with titanium.
The view from the Acropolis is one of a kind -- the agora to the north and the city surrounding it all.
This level of control allows for more nuanced movements and interactions. Another important aspect of Helix is its capability for multi-robot collaboration.
It can operate simultaneously on two robots, enabling them to work together on shared, long-term manipulation tasks involving objects they have not encountered before.
This feature significantly broadens the operational scope of robotics in complex environments.
Additionally, robots equipped with Helix can pick up a wide range of small household items, including many they have yet to encounter.
As lawmakers hash out a federal framework for stablecoins in the U.S., corners of the crypto industry may soon face competition from the likes of Uber and Meta.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) vowed this month that a stablecoin bill, dubbed the GENIUS Act, will be passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law within the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s administration.
As digital assets are pegged to the price of a fiat currency, such as the U.S. dollar, stablecoins are often backed by reserves of cash and U.S. Treasuries that generate yield. In Coinbase’s fourth quarter, the company disclosed $224 million in revenue from assets backing USDC.
A thawing iceberg
A report published by S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday found that the GENIUS Act would increase the adoption of stablecoins in the U.S. The lack of regulation in the U.S. is “one of the main impediments” to broader adoption, the analysts wrote.
It's a thirty minute twenty-one hundred foot white-knuckle bus ride from the town of Itea on the Gulf of Corinth up to Delphi. You pass through one of the largest olive groves in the world and find yourself struck by the arid climate -- not a drop of water to be seen. Dry creekbeds remind of past rains and the people appear to be inside hiding from the 90 degree heat.
In Delphi, the shops are open because everyone knows there's a cruise ship in port, but the restaurants are empty in early afternoon (Greeks have lunch at 3pm). We step off the bus in town and walk a kilometer to the Oracle, which is hidden behind a bend in the road so that pirates from twenty-seven hundred years ago could not observe it from the sea.
In November, Paxos CEO Charles Cascarilla wrote in a letter addressed to Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris—then the Democratic presidential candidate—that America’s opportunity to cement financial dominance through stablecoins had been stifled so far by “countless examples of regulatory overreach.”
Though firms like BlackRock have issued tokenized money market funds that resemble stablecoins, S&P analysts wrote that a lack of regulation and supervision has prevented their broader adoption in fields like everyday payments.
“Helix addresses several issues previous robotic approaches faced, including balancing speed and generalization, scalability to manage high-dimensional actions, and architectural simplicity using standard models,” according to Figure.
Additionally, separating S1 and S2 enables independent improvements to each system without reliance on a shared observation or action space.
A dataset of around 500 hours of teleoperated behaviors was collected to train Helix, utilizing an auto-labeling VLM to generate natural language instructions.
The architecture involves a 7B-parameter VLM and an 80M parameter transformer for control, processing visual inputs to enable responsive control based on the latent representations generated by the VLM.
In this video, transformational coach John Griffin sheds light on the 10 most common myths women believe about divorce, dispelling misconceptions and lies that can lead to misunderstanding and regret. From debunking common myths about men and women after divorce to revealing surprising divorce facts, this video offers a mythbusting guide to divorce education. If you're a woman considering divorce or already going through the process, this video is a must-watch to gain clarity and avoid common pitfalls. By the end of this video, you'll have a deeper understanding of the divorce process and be empowered to make informed decisions about your future. So, let's dive in and separate fact from fiction when it comes to divorce.
Hannibal’s March over the Alps Revisited
This is an updated post on Hannibal’s march over the Alps, amending my previous post from February 23, 2009. I recently noticed that Google Earth had updated images of the region and the result was a clearer more consistent view, so I decided to re-visit the story. I also reviewed research on the route itself, since the previous post was more concerned with Hannibal’s objective and not his journey.
The chronology below combines information from the two best sources we have on the subject -- Polybius and Livy. Their accounts are similar but do not contain many place names that can be used as landmarks. The place names have been added by modern researchers based on geographical analysis -- taking the descriptions of the terrain and fitting them to the geography.
Two Kings Better than One?
If you google “dual monarchy”, you get references to the dual monarchy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire which lasted from 1867-1918. This made me laugh because of the insignificance of the Austria example next to that of the Spartans. Was this just another case where antiquity is ignored? Still experimenting, I tried using the words “dual kingship” and Sparta appeared, filling up the first page. Accompanying the Spartans was the Quarlug Confederation, The Khazars, and Havelok the Dane.
Port Alpha will reflect the apex of America’s shipbuilding
He feels that the Port Alpha will reflect the apex of America’s shipbuilding past — generating new opportunities for the country’s shipbuilding workforce, forging public-private partnerships to accelerate growth, and bringing innovation and ingenuity to an essential industry.
“We will bring these elements together with a single goal: to rapidly build a fleet of autonomous vessels in America that redefine maritime superiority and guarantees freedom of the seas for generations to come,” added Mavrookas.
The company also highlighted that the U.S. Navy declared the need for a hybrid fleet — one that integrates a significant number of unmanned systems operating alongside manned platforms.
Starting around 550 B.C, the names become more familiar and there is some history about most of them. The famous Leonidas was of the Agiad line and, after he was killed at Thermopylae, his brother Cleombrotus served as regent for a year until his own son Pausanias was named the new Agiad king.
The Spartan kings had several major responsibilities, including acting as high priests for Spartan people and leading the army into battle. War was declared by the Assembly and the levy proclaimed by the Ephors, but the kings were the commanders. They also served on the Gerusia (council of elders) where their votes counted for two out of the thirty. Aristotle called the Spartan kingship a hereditary generalship but he was only half right. As hereditary leaders, the kings could wield great power over their peers who had to be elected.
“As soon as you get the government involved, everything slows down to a crawl,” he said. “The rate at which that iceberg thaws is going to determine how far into the future that we have to look before we realize this.”
When PayPal introduced its stablecoin in 2023, the firm faced criticism from Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a top Democrat on the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee.
At home the kings had special privileges. They took the first seats at dinner and were served a double portion. They had front row seats for all the games. They choose the Pythii (envoys to the Oracle at Delphi) and give them money for the Oracle. When a king died, the Spartiates mourned for ten days -- women wailing and beating their brows.
What, then, was the significance of the dual kingship as it related to the Spartan political system and the history of governments? For the former, it was a balancing force which helped perpetuate a 1000 year civilization. For the latter, very little. The Spartan way of life succeeded because the helot system allowed the Spartans to train and be the best warriors of all time. Without that one aspect, the Spartan soldiers would have been part timers like everyone else.
Where I ended up going off the rails was during the plandemic. I thought the majority of Americans were strong, independent and with a reasonable amount of common sense. What I learned was that most were weak, gullible, materialistic and believed everything our corrupt government told them and had no respect for anyone that thought any differently and questioned the narrative. I lost family, my girlfriend at that time and many so-called friends, because I wouldn't tow the false line. Now it seems like it is me and my new intelligent girlfriend against an insane world devoid of even the first shred of any logical thinking. My cat is smarter and has way more common sense then the majority of people today.
And then there’s the channeling of Epicurus, the story of Titus Lucretius Carus, who re-introduced the work of a philosopher dead for 250 years. He not only provided the world with a faithful rendering of the Epicurean system, but also gave us a great deal of information regarding the scientific thought of the time. Then, when the works of Epicurus were destroyed, Carus became our only link to the great lover of pleasure.
One of my particular favorites, called Girly men and contact highs, relates a tale from the Histories of Herodotus that occurred during a visit he made to the Scythians.
Reading Ms. Leon’s book brought to mind Will Cuppy’s great The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody, which I’ve enjoyed immensely over the years. Cuppy’s ferocious cynicism was both lethal and funny – entertainment at the expense of famous people. Ms. Leon’s approach is not as irreverent, but still presents a relaxed view of history – something academics could use to kick back every once in a while.
Mellify is divided into sections, each covering a different geographical area. We start with Athens and Attica and travel through the Greek Islands on the way to North Africa and Mesopotamia. The sections contain a series of articles (stories) about people from those geographies. Target audience for this book is those readers who are interested in the details of history but would like to avoid a heavy academic overtone. You can also read it for fun if you have a little time. It’s easy to pick out topics by scanning the table of contents. Read a title and if you like it, go to it.
Strangling China with sanctions is only slowing down China growth and advancement in technological prowess. China has the advantages of a dedicated and determined skill engineers, it can play the 5 year or 8 year plan. 400 million young workforce is skilled in the wrong IT mismatch but vocational training is actively embark upon. Services sector has more room to grow. With the structural imbalances rectified, consumption will increase domestically. These challenges are for China to execute, not dependent on external forces. If there is deal, it has to be win win for both nations. If not, China can wait........
The Travels of Lysander
The conventional wisdom at the beginning of the Peloponnesean War said that neither side could win it. The Spartan Army was too strong to be defeated, but their strength was offset by the Athenian Navy which had control of the seas. To win the war, one side had to figure out how to win on land and sea.
It took twenty-seven years for this obstacle to begin to resolve itself and the man that turned the tide was one of the greatest of the Spartans – Lysander, the man who defeated the Athenian Navy. Humbled by poverty in his youth, Lysander had to get a sponsor to support his entrance into the Agoge, but later rose through the ranks to a position of leadership.
New calls to reinstate Lysander as admiral were ignored and he was relegated to second in command under Aracus. All, including the new commander, knew who the sailors would obey in battle. Once the fleet was rebuilt, Lysander met with Cyrus at Sardis and then sailed on to the Hellespont, with the Athenians in pursuit. Then, after several days of maneuvering, Lysander caught them unprepared and won a decisive victory at Aegospotami. With Athens starving and their fleet destroyed, the men of Athens had no choice but to negotiate a peace. Lysander was recalled to Piraeus to represent Sparta after he had stopped off and taken Lesbos.
The following years were not kind to Lysander. He was pulled off command over Athens when the Spartan King Pausanius thought he was gaining too much power. Then he became involved with the Spartan succession in 401 B.C. when he convinced the Ephors to elect Agesilaus II Spartan King after the death of Agis II.
A visit to Wat Pho is a must for any traveler to Bangkok, it is the home to the Reclining Buddha which stands at fifteen metres tall and forty six metres long, the feet alone are measured at over five meters. The whole statue is covered in gold leaf and looks incredible when you get up close.
Inside the temple there are 108 bowls and on the way in to the temple you can buy coins for the bowls. The history behind this is that Buddha completed 108 positive actions on his way to becoming perfect. Whilst you are at the temple you can also stop for a while to receive a traditional Thai Massage
Ancient sources have identified several buildings which were included in the Lyceum complex. An Apodyterion (dressing room), mentioned in Plato’s dialog Euthydemus; Dromoi and Peripatoi (tracks for foot and horse races); the Gymnasium; the Palaistra, also mentioned in Euthydemus; sanctuaries to Apollo; seating for judges and spectators; and a pair of Stoa.
Parts of the Lyceum were wooded and river channels were dug to irrigate the vegetation growing there. According to Theophrastus, one large tree had surface roots spanning 33 cubits.
I was asked to review the book The Dynamics of Ancient Empires by Ian Morris and Walter Scheidel, published in 2009. Although a heavy academic read, the book presents some interesting ideas on humanness, especially in the last chapter, written by Professor Scheidel and titled Sex and Empire, a Darwinian Perspective. His point of view is that not only did the men of antiquity differentiate themselves by ability, but they also sought power because it allowed them access to more sexual partners and control over their own procreation.
Scheidel starts with the notion that humans are driven by their bio-molecules to interact with the outside world for the sake of energy consumption and replication.
In this video, we take a mind-bending journey through the convergence of philosophy, consciousness, and artificial intelligence, based on the ideas from Casper Wilstrup’s thought-provoking article, “With Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind Has Become an Experimental Science” ( / with-artificial-intelligence-philosophy-of... . From the reality of consciousness to the tantalizing possibility that AI might soon achieve it, we explore how AI is transforming age-old philosophical questions into experimental science. Is your consciousness truly special, or is it simply the product of matter, like AI could be? Join us as we explore these existential questions and the future of AI consciousness.
OpenAI appears to be growing quickly despite increasing competition.
The San Francisco-based tech company had 400 million weekly active users as of February, up 33% from 300 million in December, the company's chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, told CNBC. These numbers have not been previously reported.
Lightcap pointed to the "natural progression" of ChatGPT as it becomes more useful and familiar to a broader group of people.
"People hear about it through word of mouth. They see the utility of it. They see their friends using it," Lightcap said in an interview, adding that it takes time for individuals to find use cases that resonate. "There's an overall effect of people really wanting these tools, and seeing that these tools are really valuable."
OpenAI is seeing that spill over to its growing enterprise business. The company now has 2 million paying enterprise users, roughly doubling from September, said Lightcap, pointing out that often employees will use ChatGPT personally and suggest to their companies that they implement the tool.
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo on Thursday revealed the Find N5, a new flagship that can fold in half.
Chinese smartphone firm Oppo has unveiled its new flagship folding phone Thursday, touting a slimmer body and artificial intelligence-focused features in a bid to compete with high-end foldable devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei.
The company's Find N5 phone that can fold in half, will retail at a starting price of 2,499 Singapore dollars ($1,867.70).
When it's folded shut, the Find N5 looks like a normal bar-shaped phone with a 6.62-inch display. The device can then be folded outward to show a larger, 8.12-inch tablet.
Most notably, the phone has an ultra-thin design. When closed, it measures 8.93 millimeters thick, while when opened out in tablet form, the Find N5 has a depth of 4.21 millimeters.
That's slimmer than Samsung's Galaxy Fold 6, which the South Korean tech giant released last year.
Inside the device is a razer-thin 5,600 milliampere-hour (mAh) battery that's no bigger than a credit card. Oppo said the battery incorporates a silicon-carbon material, which enables high battery capacity despite its small size.
"I think we really need to step up in Europe," Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Thursday.
STOCKHOLM — Europe is at risk of becoming a "museum" if it doesn't soften strict curbs on artificial intelligence technologies and deregulate, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Thursday.
"I think we really need to step up in Europe ... the American economy, Chinese economy have been growing far faster compared to the European economies over the last 20 years," the premier told attendees of the Techarena event in Stockholm.
I can just say that Trump has lit a fire under European countries now. I am heavily looking into buying European military stocks, like SAAB and Rheinmetal
The new iPhone 16e doesn't have a home button and fingerprint sensor, instead, it uses Apple's FaceID scanner and modern design including a sensor notch at the top of the screen. It uses Apple's A18 chip, which is also used in the main iPhone 16 models. The updated processor means that the iPhone 16e can run all the same apps and games that more expensive iPhones can run. It comes in black and white.
The phone also includes Apple's first cellular modem, which it calls C1. iPhones have used Qualcomm modems for the past few years. It also has a single camera lens, versus as many as three on the most advanced iPhones.
Baseten, a startup that runs artificial intelligence models for clients on their cloud infrastructure, has raised $75 million in funding, the company said.
The funding round values Baseten at $825 million and demonstrates that venture capitalists believe tech's AI boom stands to benefit a plethora of startups, not just those building large language models. In recent months, OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI have raised billions in funding, with much of the money going toward servers containing Nvidia graphics processing units, or GPUs.
After companies finish training AI models on reams of data, they need to deploy those models somewhere at the inference stage, which is when models generate outputs in response to user queries. That's when Baseten comes in.
As TikTok's future in the U.S. remains uncertain, Substack is aiming to lure creators to its platform by doubling down on video.
As TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, Substack tries to lure creators to its platform by doubling down on video. The company announced on Wednesday that it’s now allowing creators to monetize their videos on the platform, and letting them publish video posts directly from the Substack app.
Previously, creators have been able to share videos in Notes, which is Substack’s Twitter-like feed, but the Notes feature doesn’t support paywalls.
Plus, subscribers aren’t notified when a creator posts a Note. By publishing video posts, creators can now directly reach their audience and monetize their work.
Substack says that video creators who are worried about their future on TikTok can join its platform to build a subscription-based video business and that creators on Substack can reach their audience directly, without relying on algorithms.
Once creators publish videos, they can track post views, and new subscribers, and see the estimated revenue growth from new paid subscriptions driven by their posts. They can also monitor changes over time.
Currently, creators can only paywall entire video posts published in the app. In the future, Substack plans to enable creators to show specific portions of the video to free subscribers as a teaser.
On Thursday, Spotify announced that it now accepts audiobooks narrated using ElevenLabs’ AI voice technology. Given that ElevenLabs is currently among the most recognized AI audio providers, this new partnership is expected to boost the quantity of AI-narrated audiobooks on the platform.
To upload an audiobook narrated by AI, authors need to download the file package from ElevenLabs and then visit Findaway Voices, Spotify’s audiobook distribution service. The recording must then go through a review process before it can be published. Spotify labels titles that have been narrated by AI.
With ElevenLabs, authors can narrate their audiobooks in 29 different languages. While the free version only allows for 10 minutes of text-to-speech each month, the $99/month Pro plan generates up to 500 minutes of narration.
The latest partnership comes two years after Spotify teamed up with Google Play Books to offer AI-narrated audiobooks. Spotify plans to partner with more companies to expand its audiobook library.
However, the rise of AI-generated audiobooks is expected to stir considerable debate within the publishing community. Some industry professionals argue that these AI recordings may compromise the overall quality of audiobooks for listeners.
Twitch is limiting streamers to 100 hours of highlights and uploads, and will delete content if a channel exceeds the limit.
Twitch on Wednesday announced it will begin limiting streamers to 100 hours of highlights and uploads, and will delete content if a channel exceeds the limit. The company said it’s introducing the change because highlights haven’t been effective in driving discovery or engagement, and because storage is costly. The storage cap goes into effect on April 19.
The change applies to highlights, which are snippets edited from a channel’s past broadcasts, as well as other uploaded content.
Clips and past broadcasts (VODs) won’t be impacted by the change, however. (Past broadcasts are already automatically deleted after a certain period of time).
Twitch’s announcement comes the same week that Facebook said that live videos will now only be stored on its platform for 30 days, after which they will be deleted. The company is also removing past broadcasts in the coming months.
Twitch said it originally launched highlights to help streamers create highlight reels of their best moments, but that other features like Clips, Tags, and the Mobile Discovery Feed are more effective in driving discovery or engagement.
“Despite low effectiveness, some users have accrued thousands of hours of Highlights and Uploads (often used to create Highlights) over time,” the company shared in a blog post.
Instagram is introducing a new way for creators to work with brands to make money by recommending products. On Thursday, Meta introduced an addition to its Partnership Ads called Testimonials, which allows creators to get paid via written endorsements, shared as comments on the brand’s social media posts and advertisements.
The new ad format is a move to monetize a practice that’s already taking place across social media.
Many brands today leverage paid commenters, or otherwise incentivize customers leaving positive reviews. For someone researching a new product, it can be difficult to tell who’s really a happy customer and who may be astroturfing in the comments section.
Adding a way for creators to self-identify as paid promoters could elevate the brand’s reception among that person’s followers while also being more transparent about the nature of the creator-brand relationship. While these are obviously paid endorsements, not organic, creators at least have to risk their own reputations by putting their names behind the given products. If they’re not selective about these recommendations, they can lose their followers’ trust.
The material transitioned into a superconducting state at about -228 degrees Celsius.
Physicists in China report the creation of a new nickel-based high-temperature superconductor at room pressure.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that this development comes from researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. For this, the team created a nickel oxide thin film.
Reportedly, this nickel-based superconductor can achieve superconductivity above -233°C (minus 387 Fahrenheit) at “normal pressure.” This is a rare achievement, with only cuprates and iron-based materials previously demonstrating this breakthrough.
“Our findings pave the way for comprehensive investigations of nickelate superconductors under ambient pressure conditions and for exploring superconductivity at higher transition temperature through strain engineering in heterostructures,” the researchers wrote in the study paper published in the journal Nature.
The superconductivity challenge
Superconductivity is when a material loses all electrical resistance and expels magnetic fields below a certain temperature.
It occurs when a material is cooled to a critical temperature. Traditionally, this required extremely low temperatures, making it impractical for many applications.
While many substances exhibit this behavior below -250 degrees Celsius, the real challenge lies in finding materials that can achieve superconductivity at higher temperatures. Those that can maintain this zero-resistance state above -233 degrees Celsius are classified as “high-temperature” superconductors.
Helix introduces a novel approach to upper-body manipulation control.
IIn a significant move in the AI world, California-based Figure has revealed Helix, a generalist Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model that unifies perception, language understanding, and learned control to overcome multiple longstanding challenges in robotics.
Brett Adcock, founder of Figure, said that Helix is the most significant AI update in the company’s history.
“Helix thinks like a human… and to bring robots into homes, we need a step change in capabilities. Helix can generalize to virtually any household item,” Adcock said in a social media post.
“We’ve been working on this project for over a year, aiming to solve general robotics. Like a human, Helix understands speech, reasons through problems, and can grasp any object – all without needing training or code. In testing, Helix can grab almost any household object,” he added.
The launch of Helix follows Figure’s announcement of its separation from OpenAI in early February.
Adcock stated at that time, “Figure has achieved a significant breakthrough in fully end-to-end robot AI, developed entirely in-house. We are excited to reveal something that no one has ever seen before in a humanoid within the next 30 days.”
A series of the world’s first capabilities
According to Figure, Helix introduces a novel approach to upper-body manipulation control.
It offers high-rate continuous control of the entire humanoid upper body, which includes the wrists, torso, head, and individual fingers.
The U.S. Navy has declared the need for a hybrid fleet — one that integrates a significant number of unmanned systems.
An Austin-based firm is planning to develop a next-generation shipyard capable of delivering new classes of unmanned ships at the speed and scale needed to protect and defend the maritime domain. Saronic Technologies’ plan to build Port Alpha got a push with recent funding of $600 million.
The Series C funding round is expected to advance the company’s mission of redefining maritime superiority for the United States and its allies.
The company claims that the Port Alpha, a manufacturing plant for large and medium uncrewed surface vehicles, will enable the expansion of Saronic’s Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) fleet into medium and large-class autonomous ships for defense applications.
Saronic to strengthen country’s defense
With this move, Saronic believes that it’s addressing gaps in U.S. shipbuilding capacity and investing in the critical infrastructure to deliver the range and volume of autonomous ships needed to create and sustain the U.S. military’s hybrid fleet.
“A core principle of Saronic is that we design our vessels for autonomy from the keel up. We will take the same approach with Port Alpha, designing a shipyard from the ground up to produce at a speed and scale not seen since World War II,” said Saronic CEO and Co-Founder Dino Mavrookas.
DeepSeek's rise came as a timely confidence boost as the Chinese leadership faces a prolonged economic gloom and a brewing trade war with U.S.
DeepSeek's sudden splash in the large language model space has given China a powerful tool to catalyze artificial-intelligence adoption in the country and boost economic growth.
While Goldman Sachs pegs a 20-basis-point to 30-basis-point boost to China's GDP over the long term — by 2030 — it expects the country's economy to start reflecting the positive impact of AI adoption from next year itself as AI-driven automation improves productivity.
"The recent emergence of DeepSeek ... suggests faster AI development and adoption in China than we previously anticipated," economists at the Wall Street bank said.
The enthusiasm around DeepSeek is also being reflected in the sharp rally in China stocks, with the MSCI China index soaring over 21% from its January low, according to LSEG data.
The startup's rise is triggering a reassessment of China's "investability" after an extended period of limited attention, Morgan Stanley said in a note this week.
#feedback getting these types of errors more often upon navigating through Inleo.
I understand I can clear cache and reload, but this should require a fix on developers end to tackle and solve it (maybe DNS problem? Or not enough server capacity?)
stop using keychain browser, instead use brave and leoauth you can copy just your posting key from keychain and sign in. I maybe run into bad gateway issue once a week.
I only have the error page where it says "we already started fixing it" or something like that.
Usually it pops up when I have threaded and then quickly go to notifications
yeah, i got that one , the one on the s/s and a inleo page with a massive load to text in a table. Also going to the notification page seems to trigger it.
I'm not involved but I guess that was kinda expected... lots of people been mining this for years so I would imagine many were waiting to dump as soon as they could
Delta Airlines plane CRJ-900 crash landed and flipped upside down in Toronto injuring 15 passengers. Delta Airline offers $30K to each passenger as mishap compensation.
I had my daughter waking up and saying "can you see that, what is it?" while she was pointing towards the wall with nothing but a TV that was turned off 😂😂😳
Money works like magnet, if you are making it, you keep getting it. And, if you are losing it, you keep losing more and only you can stop yourself from losing by simply taking a break from what you are doing.
No, that's why I am in crypto. I am taking myself out of the whole system. That's why I am here for the freedom money, not the number go up casino like you are. I just simply stated a fact that you all are the ones that are complaining the most. I didn't vote either way because I don't play political games. My thought is to fix your own government before you complain about another, or shut the fuck up.
Yeah, yeah, I'm aware of that redneck agenda trending over there but over here, we at least try to act civilized, know the difference between right and wrong, and care for neighbors. No fixing needed here.
Far from a redneck agenda, lol, you probably don't even know what that really means, lol. It's the basis of what Bitcoin was built on. Monetary sovereignty, and it's even failed at that, and that is why I hold way more Monero than anything. Even before crypto, I have always fought to be outside the system, because, well, the system is a lie, it's a trap, and I don't want anything of it anymore. It has nothing to do with what is right and what is wrong, and who on this planet is perfect enough to tell us what right and wrong is? I don't want nor need anyone to rule over me and tell me how to live my life. You may need that, but I don't. So I'll live the way I live where I live, and you do the same.
The problem is too, that you base everything you see on what you see online or on mainstream media. I will tell you that most regular people here are just normal people that do help each other out, care about each other, etc. We are not all a bunch of moronic attention whores, etc that you see on social media. So your opinion is a bit skewed just like the rest of the population on your side of the world.
Or maybe I don’t care what your opinion is and don’t want to know. I am myself an anarchist and I don’t believe in any government.
My point was that the only people I see bitching here are Europeans. Haven’t seen a single American here on Hive as this is my only social network, that has bitched one bit. The point also is that if you don’t live here, shut the fuck up.
The only people I see bitching in the US are the moron leftists that either want to kill their babies or people who are mentally ill and think they are a different gender or species. But these are the people that have destroyed the US over the last 4 years. Oh and we won’t even talk about the invasion of the southern border for the last 4 years.
Other than that, most regular people I talk to either don’t give a fuck or thinks he might actually make America great again because he is coming in and actually doing what he was elected to do. So you are in the minority here.
And this tirade of tired predictable talking points is why I normally keep quiet lol. Don't care and don't want to know is literally willful ignorance. Have a good day
Use !LADY command to share LOH! More details available in this post.@katerinaramm, you successfully shared 0.1000 LOH with @tsunsica and you earned 0.1000 LOH as tips. (1/4 calls)
You are very correct, shorts is another way of earnings huge on the blockchain. we need to promote short, personally i prefer shorts to thread although it takes more time and data to upload them. but is still cool for me..
They may have found the solution for his weight loss and vomiting.
The muscle between the oesophagus and stomach causes the problem.
It is irritated and cramped and as a result doesn’t allow food and water to flow smoothly into the stomach.
They are trying to fix this with medication. 🤞🏻
Otherwise, he would have to be operated on again.
#hivepets #dogsonleo #dogs #funs
Oh no! I hope he has a speedy recovery without surgery 🙏🏼
Aw. Poor pup.
Tomorrow will be a historical day for me #Hive!
Unfortunately, I can't talk about it... just picture 30k cores arriving at your datacenter.
Whatever it may be, I wish you the best!!
!BEER
Super exhausting day... my gosh...
Happy Thursday to everyone , hope your day is going fine ? Well mine is going well and calm too and I just have to put up a smile . #newlion
hey man welcome
Hey man, good to see you around ✌️
Thank you very much , It feels good to be here
Greetings to you my dear friend, smile 😊 is a good medicine that heals inner and outer...
It's healthy man!!
Happy Thursday!
welcome to inleo! Have fun engaging with our community!
Yeah sure I will , thanks
That's a lovely smile sir.
Welcome to Inleo!
My day is okay, I can't complain.
Great to have you on INLEO. Follow few users you like and treat this as any other social media (but better).
There are many amazing things around like LeoDEX. Feel free to ask questions on anything on Threads.
Welcome to Inleo Ayo
Welcome to InLeo!!
Nice to see you here!
Thank you very much
adopted
Your smile has brighten it all in a better way, mine was fine and went well in peace, joy and end with good smile and happiness, thank you so much
“Generations of Gallants”, I love you a lot and remember to live life to the fullest, as if every day was the last of your existence.Hello everyone, I hope you are well, health and prosperity for all, here I am having a rich morning coffee, made by my wife and publishing for you, in Buenos Aires, #Argentina, through my account @theshot2414, which I invite you to pass and read a little more of my witticism, my latest article is called
#thdearscast #cent #inleo #coffe
Feliz dia amigo 🫠
Feliz día un abrazo 🤗
Daily #summarystats – February 19, 2025
Historical Data
Kinda slow day yesterday, but the möst important is that we keep adding.
Thanks for the service @mightpossibly
möst impörtant indeed 🧐
Haha didnt see the spelling error, but was kinda funny 😂😂
Hi, @mightpossibly,
This post has been voted on by @darkcloaks because you are an active member of the Darkcloaks gaming community.
Get started with Darkcloaks today, and follow us on Inleo for the latest updates.
I tried the AI summarizer yesterday and it was pretty cool. I will do more videos today when I am fully settled for threading.
Want to see you add more 👍💯
progress
M👁’s M👁rningwalks
Fluffed Up Heron
See & Read MOAR on my #actifit account 👇🏽 linked in the comments 💪🏽😎👍🏽
#morningwalk #heron #featheredfriends #photography #photographers #photofeed #visualshots #photographylovers #mmw
Rate this photo👇🏽
👇🏽click2zoom
My #actifit report
with an #activity count of 8655
💪🏽😎👍🏽
👉🏽Get the Actifit App👈🏽
Move your butt and follow me!👍🏽
https://inleo.io/@onemoretea/actifit-onemoretea-20250210t214233494z?referral=onemoretea
#gosh #morningwalk
🍊🤡‘s Daddy
You have to know
!LOLZ
lolztoken.com
She still thinks it's going to be a fishpond.
Credit: reddit
$LOLZ on behalf of ben.haase
(3/10)
NEW: Join LOLZ's Daily Earn and Burn Contest and win $LOLZ@moretea, I sent you an
🤦🏽
Die Memes kann man sich nicht ausdenken, das muss straight vom FSB sein !LOLZ
Higher than Trumps.
#cent #bbh #foodie
Ice cream??
Yes
Is it mustard? I like mustard.
Nope! Mango ice cream.
Much better than mustard, in my opinion. 😋
York ?
I'm not familiar with 'York' as a food, but this is delicious mango ice cream! 🍨😋
What is 'York,' by the way?
hehehe, I was thinking that was the york from a boiled egg.
What nutjob might be responsible for this? 🤓
Lol, is this fake news?
nope
Well that's a laugh
yep
I think when they done firing people from all positions they gonna discover why they had jobs in the first place
yep
Yeah what could go wrong, I mean those people are not reachable, they might be building a bomb already !LOLZ
Everything has unintended consequences. Everything.
Sure, but that‘s not an excuse for doing stupid bullshit!
If LeoDEX still has you scared and/or confused, here is a great tutorial to help you through some of the places that might be causing you problems. https://inleo.io/@tokenizedsociety/leodex-swap-tutorial-24n
Thanks for sharing this , I will check it out
Cruising at 130 km/h. Heading west. Beautiful sunny day, -7°C.
#photographers #photography
Best car+Best roads. Enjoy.
I am also cruising... on slopes
I can see you are having an awesome day
Beautiful shot , where are you cruising to ?
To the sea
Beautiful morning. Have a safe and pleasant journey.
Oh you have 130 km/h as speed limit? 😅
Where are you heading?
Towards West - that means only one thing here: to the SEA
Beautiful road
nice view
Lovely , where is this place at ?
careful bro!
So the rewards that I see on people's content here , where do the rewards come from ? How do those paying the rewards make their money ?
#question #newlion
Who will step up and be the Winston Churchill of this era? We know Trump aint doing it.
That man was a hero
State of the Game/AMA held on Feb. 19th, 2025
Note: The recording of the X Space is available in the reply section!
#ama #kompete
MARKETING & COMMUNITY UPDATE
Community involvement is critical for KOMPETE's growth. Strategies are being implemented to foster engagement.
KOMPETE Creator Program:
The KOMPETE Creator Program is designed to incentivize content sharing, offering two tiers: 10% earnings for all creators and 50% earnings for high-caliber creators. The program focuses on mainstream appeal and a real game economy, rewarding creators for their contributions.
Player Growth and Retention:
KOMPETE experienced a peak of around 3,000 daily active users in January, indicating growing interest.
Day one retention is approximately 30%, comparable to leading battle royale games.
The success of Voolah sales and community growth signifies initial traction and promise for the game's future.
ECONOMY UPDATE
KONVERT:
The KONVERT feature has been revamped for better stability and security, enabling players to convert items into NFTs seamlessly.
Bazaar v2:
Bazaar v2 represents a significant upgrade designed to enhance the trading experience with features including consolidated listings, a bid and ask system, and item insights. Future additions include item-to-item trading, item bundling, and a referral system.
Retirement Ceremonies:
Retirement ceremonies have proven successful in creating scarcity and market dynamics.
For instance, the Striovar Rattlesnake was retired and sold for $650 in KOMPETE Token, highlighting the value of these ceremonies.
The process will be automated via the website for improved accessibility and efficiency.
FUTURE GAME UPDATES
Unreal Engine 5.5 Upgrade:
An upcoming upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.5 promises enhanced performance and stability, ensuring a smoother gaming experience. This upgrade includes new tools aimed at improving workflow and optimization.
New Maps:
· San Del Hoya: Inspired by San Diego, this larger, more detailed map is set to bring a fresh gaming experience.
· Unnamed Map: Like Call of Duty Resurgence, this map is designed to offer a unique and thrilling gaming experience.
Console Development:
Development for PlayStation 5 is a top priority, ensuring the best possible experience for players on this platform. Plans are also in place to integrate Xbox Series and older consoles, making KOMPETE accessible to a broader audience.
Two Major Partnerships:
The team is working on two significant partnerships, details of which will be announced soon. These partnerships aim to offer direct benefits to players and traders.
Tesla Coil in Battle Royale:
The introduction of the Tesla coil in Battle Royale adds an additional layer of excitement and strategic depth to the gameplay.
Increased Bot Logic and Exosuit Boost:
Bots have been made smarter and exosuits more powerful, providing a more challenging and rewarding experience.
Enhanced Audio:
Improvements to enemy footsteps and glass-breaking audio ensure players are constantly aware of their surroundings.
Slipstream in Kart Race:
The implementation of slipstream in Kart Race introduces a competitive edge, encouraging players to strategically plan their races.
Adjustments to Kart Speeds:
Based on player feedback, kart speeds have been adjusted to offer a more balanced and enjoyable racing experience.
RECENT GAME UPDATES
Enhanced Stability & Performance:
The development team has dedicated extensive efforts to improve stability, addressing authentication issues, and ensuring smoother gameplay.
Extended Customization:
Players now have increased options for customizing their gaming experience, allowing for a more personalized interaction with the game.
New HUD and Scoreboards:
Kart Race and Blitz Royale have been equipped with new Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) and scoreboards, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
Improved UI Elements:
Significant improvements have been made to UI elements and mobile control responsiveness, ensuring a seamless experience across all devices.
Vision for KOMPETE
Realistic online gaming platform!
Deliver multiple high quality gaming modes!
Highly accessible via PC, Mobile, & Consoles!
An alternative FREE option vs. the 'paid' options!
Allow ownership of in-game assets and buy/sell via the Bazaar!
Recording of the AMA:
Burn🔥🇷🇺🖕🏻#moscow yesterday evening
What happened?
They are playing with 🔥
Browser tabs are beginning to load and load & load and load & load 😔
Good morning! ❤️
How are you doing?
Yesterday I bought some new shoes that I wanted to have for a long time. 😍🎉 Now I am at work and need to quality check some videos we made.
What are you doing today?
#gm #gmfrens #morning #shoes #work #raven #nike
Shoes are quite good and I like the design but I would not buy that because I think the design would not suit me well like you.
Oh yeah I can understand. It doesn´t fit to every clothes or style. I can´t wear them often, because I don´t have alot of red clothes. :D But I have always loved Adidas and Nike shoes.
Breds are timeless 🤌
Yes that´s true!
Nice pair of shoes. Enjoy your day.
Thank you ! =) You too!
!PIZZA
Oh Raven is here
Good Morning Pretty cool shoes
Good morning. :) Thank you =)
GM 🦁
Good morning to you. :D
They look great, remind of of HIVE!!!
That´s true! I didn´t really think about that. :D These will be my Hive shoes from now on! :D
Ready to love it
They really look awesome !
Would be really cool if we had a decentralized GPU farming situation for #leoai
This would be users providing GPU power to power the AI and earning LEO for it...
Some #feedback to chew on @khaleelkazi ...
I would totally get in on building out a new GPU rig to help...
So good idea you have 💯💯
Hi, @lourica,
This post has been voted on by @darkcloaks because you are an active member of the Darkcloaks gaming community.
Get started with Darkcloaks today, and follow us on Inleo for the latest updates.
this is a pretty interesting idea
I mean if you look at like Render or Akash, I think it's a great way to strengthen the ecosystem and provide some real world value to this whole thing. I don't know, I am pretty much still a proof of work maxi, lol. It's pretty simple, provide resources, maintain those resources, get paid for those resources. No mess, no fuss...
that would be cool indeed
Yeah, I think it would be a cool infrastructure thing that people can jump onboard with.
Truee
ANd it's a proven model. I've seen many AI projects doing that
You meaning like one could opt-in with their #gpu into the #cluster #leoai uses?
Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 2/20/25. The goal is to make this a technology "reddit".
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
ANIMATING STILL IMAGES IN REAL-TIME
X-Dyna is revolutionizing animation with its zero-shot, diffusion-based pipeline. It turns a single human image into a moving, lifelike character, simply by analyzing facial expressions and body movements from a reference video. Imagine taking your favorite photo and having it dance, talk, or even show emotion—without needing hours of work. It's like magic, but with technology making it happen. #innovation #animation #ai #technology
> S👁️URCE <
AI Performance in Real-World Scenarios: The New Rankings
Galileo just dropped a leaderboard to answer the burning question: how do top LLMs perform in complex, real-world tasks? After analyzing 17 leading LLMs, they found Gemini-2.0-flash leading the charge, but there’s also rapid progress in open-source models like mistral-small. This gives us a peek into how quickly the tech is evolving, showing both commercial and open-source models leveling up fast.
#AI #techinnovation #openAI #LLM #technology
> S👁️URCE <
Meta's Project Aria Helps Robots Learn Faster
Georgia Tech researchers are using Meta's Project Aria to train robots through egocentric video data. The new EgoMimic framework cuts down on the need for old-school teleoperation, allowing humanoid robots to learn from human demonstrations more quickly. This is a game-changer for robotics, as it mimics how we learn by seeing, speeding up the training process and getting robots ready for real-world tasks in less time. A major leap in AI learning!
#georgiatech #robotics #egocentric #technology
> S👁️URCE <
GOOGLE’S GAME-CHANGING SYSTEM FOR SCIENCE
Google's new system combines test-time computing and feedback mechanisms to generate scientific artifacts. The process ensures these results can be verified in multiple ways, adding layers of accuracy and trustworthiness. It's like having a high-tech assistant that double-checks everything before you sign off. This innovation could shape how we approach scientific research moving forward.
#google #innovation #technews #research #technology
> S👁️URCE <
When Imperfect Systems are Good, Actually: Bluesky's Lossy Timelines
Knowing where it's okay to be imperfect allows developers to trade consistency for other desirable aspects and scale even higher.
#technology #software #development #bluesky
Google’s new AI generates hypotheses for researchers
Google's new multi-agent AI system, based on Gemini 2.0, is designed to help biomedical researchers discover new hypotheses and areas of research.
#technology #ai #research #science
Microsoft shows progress toward real-time AI-generated game worlds
Microsoft Research's new World and Human Action Model (WHAM), can create low-resolution game prototypes.
#technology #microsoft #ai #gaming
Apple reveals C1, its first in-house 5G iPhone modem, replacing Qualcomm
The new C1 chip will debut in the iPhone 16e, the entry-model device that replaces the iPhone SE line.
#technology #apple #c1 #5g #qualcomm
Google’s New Tracking Trick: No More Escaping Ads
Google just rolled out a new way to track you—this time by fingerprinting all your connected devices. That means your smart TV, game console, and anything else linked to your account can be used to target ads, even without cookies. Google says this helps advertisers, but privacy groups warn it’s a major overreach, giving the company even more control over your data with no easy way to opt out.
#google #privacy #advertising #bigtech #technology
> S👁️URCE <
APPLE’S BUDGET IPHONE GETS A BIG UPGRADE
apple is ditching the iphone se and bringing in the iphone 16e, powered by the new c1 chip. this entry-level model is set to shake up the budget phone game, giving users more power at a lower price. while details are still under wraps, expect a faster, smoother experience compared to the aging se lineup. looks like apple’s making sure even its cheapest iphone doesn’t feel outdated.
#iphone #apple #technews #smartphones #technology
> S👁️URCE <
How Apple’s Closed-Source Approach Is Losing Out to AI App Builders
40 of the top 100 iOS shopping apps are now non-native.
#technology #apple #ai #closedsource
AI Killed The Tech Interview. Now What?
The nature of interviews will change drastically in the next few years - candidates will need senior engineering skills as soon as possible.
#technology #ai #interview
Asteroid 2024 YR4: Odds of Impact Keep Climbing
The chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 just went up—from 1.9% to 3.2% in two weeks. It’s big enough to level a city, but what does that really mean for us? Robin George Andrews, author of How to Kill an Asteroid, breaks it down, from risk assessment to humanity’s game plan. No panic, just facts—because when space throws a curveball, we need a solid defense.
#space #science #asteroids #news #technology
> S👁️URCE <
The odds of a city-killer asteroid impact in 2032 keep rising. Should we be worried?
The odds of an asteroid, designated 2024 YR4, hitting Earth eight years from now continue to increase. Two weeks ago, the odds of the asteroid striking our planet were estimated at 1.9% - the most recent estimate has the likelihood at 3.2%. The asteroid is large enough to cause devastation near its impact site localized to a roughly city-sized area. This article contains an interview with Robin George Andrews, author of the recently published book How to Kill an Asteroid, where Andrews discusses what the impact odds mean and what humanity's plans are in the case of possible impact.
#technology #space #asteroid
Microsoft’s Quantum Leap: Majorana 1 Is Here
Microsoft just unveiled Majorana 1, its first quantum computing chip—nearly 20 years in the making. They claim it required creating a new state of matter (wild, right?). Unlike most chips, everything was built in-house in the US since it’s still a small-scale project. Instead of selling quantum computers outright, Microsoft might use them to supercharge its other businesses. Big move, but let’s see if it pays off.
#quantumcomputing #microsoft #innovation #future #technology
> S👁️URCE <
APPLE SHAKES THINGS UP WITH IPHONE 16E
Apple just dropped the iphone 16e, and it's packing some serious upgrades—new design, a18 chip, 48mp camera, full apple intelligence, and their first in-house 5g modem (c1 chip). starts at $599 (128gb), pre-orders open tomorrow, and first deliveries land feb 28. meanwhile, the iphone se and 14 plus are gone, and the iphone 14 is now only available through resellers. big shift in apple’s lineup.
#iphone #apple #smartphones #mobiletech #technology
> S👁️URCE <
True AGI Means 10% Economic Growth, Says Satya Nadella
Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella says that true AGI should be measured by economic growth rather than AI advancements alone. The real benchmark for AGI's success, according to Nadella, should be global economic growth reaching 10%. The primary beneficiaries of AI advancements will be industries that use AI to drive productivity. The increased productivity will cause the economy to grow at a faster rate.
#technology #ai #agi #microsoft
New Book-Sorting Algorithm Almost Reaches Perfection
Researchers have created a new algorithm that addresses the library sorting problem: a challenge to devise a strategy for organizing books in some kind of sorted order that minimizes how long it takes to place a new book on the shelf. The problem applies to the arrangement of files on hard drives and in databases. An inefficient system means significant wait times and major computational expense. The new algorithm is very close to the theoretical ideal.
#technology #research #algorithm #sorting
Microsoft deploys new state of matter in its first quantum computing chip
Microsoft's first quantum computing chip, Majorana 1, is the result of nearly two decades of research in the field. Microsoft claims that building the chip required the creation of an entirely new state of matter called the topological state. Microsoft manufactured all the parts for the chip in the US, which was possible because of the small scale of the project. Quantum computing may end up being used to boost Microsoft's other businesses rather than just being a stand-alone category.
#technology #microsoft #quantumcomputing #chip
Apple launches new iPhone 16e: Here’s everything you need to know
Apple's iPhone 16e features an all-new design, an A18 chip, a 48-megapixel camera, full Apple Intelligence support, and the first-ever Apple-designed 5G cellular modem, the C1 chip. It starts at $599 for 128GB and will be available for pre-order tomorrow. The first orders will arrive on February 28. Apple has discontinued the iPhone SE along with the iPhone 14 Plus. The iPhone 14 will remain available from Apple's channel partners but it has been removed from Apple's website.
#technology #apple #iphone16 #ios
paragraphs
!summarize #china #treasuries #debt #war #taiwan
Lightcap likened this usage to cloud services, which Amazon Web Services pioneered two decades ago. While the consumer business may grow faster since people can adopt it at will, enterprise is in the "process of building up," he said.
"There's a buying cycle there, and a learning process that goes into scaling an enterprise business," Lightcap said. "AI is going to be like cloud services. It's going to be something that you can't run a business that ultimately is not really running on these very powerful models underneath the surface."
Later that week, OpenAI accused DeepSeek of improperly harvesting its models in a technique known as distillation. Lightcap said the new competition hasn't changed the way OpenAI thinks about open source, their product road map or mega-spending plans.
"DeepSeek is a testament to how much AI is like entered the public consciousness in the mainstream -- it would have been unfathomable two years ago," he said. "It's a moment that shows how powerful these models are and how much people really care."
Besides DeepSeek's emergence, OpenAI has also been dealing with a tense time on the legal front.
!summarize #quantummechanics #physics #gravitise #quantise
The second war was not one of conquest but the putting down of a revolt. Toynbee suggests that it was the time of establishment of the Lycurgian reforms, not earlier as others have suggested. His reasoning was that the Spartan commoners would have demanded rights in return for their help in protecting the new kingdom.
Let’s look at this is a little more detail. Many of the ancients, including Thucydides connect Lycurgus with the militaristic Spartan system we’re all familiar with and set his date farther back than it should be. In reality we don’t know when Lycurgus lived or whether he even existed. It has been written that the Lycurgian reforms were put into place to overcome the domestic instability in Sparta existing before that time. What was the cause of this instability and when did it occur? A logical explanation derives from the rapid conquests preceding the Second Messenian War. In the period from 760-720 B.C. Sparta conquered Amyklai, Aigiai, Gythion, the lower Eurotos Basin, the Tagetan Minyai, and Stenyklaros – a vast amount of territory to try and control. The administrative challenges associated with these conquests must have been formidable.
Oppo is hoping it can win business from the likes of Samsung and Chinese tech giant Huawei, both major smartphone players seeking to shake the market out of an innovation slowdown with flashy new models that can bend.
Earlier this week, Huawei launched the Mate XT, a "trifold" phone with three screens, outside of China for the first time.
If you notice the UK and other countries have increased US Treasury holding at a greater percentage then China has decreased holding; this is good for the US economy to diversify from China having such leverage over our market. It is best if the gradual decline which has been occurring continues over the next decade or so until they have divested completely, from a global security standpoint. And I think it will because they could use the liquidity to support their debt burden and as trade volume decrees between the US and China as projected reserve percentages would need to be reduced for both sides as well.
Like many other smartphone makers, Oppo is investing more into artificial intelligence-focused features on the device.
The Oppo Find N5 has a triple-camera setup that includes a telephoto lens that can zoom in up to 30x thanks to assistance from an AI-powered image enhancement feature, dubbed AI Telescope Zoom.
It also comes with a personal AI assistant that can interpret and summarize documents, generate summaries of phone calls and translate video calls and other content displayed on the screen.
With the risk of revolt great and the administrative challenge daunting, the ruling class must have realized the importance of a citizen-based military (hoplite phalanx), and they may have been pushed in this direction by the commons who wouldn’t serve without receiving a property allocation. One piece of evidence to support this is found in Aristotle’s Politics.
“When the difference between the rich and poor is too extreme, the situation is particularly apt to be produced by wars. This too happened at Lacedaemon at the time of the second war with the Messenians. The evidence for this is found in Tyrtaios’ poem Eunomia where he says that there were Spartans who were so hard pressed economically by the war that they demanded that the country be carved up into allotments.”
!summarize #tesla #elonmusk #automotive #ai
Oppo also talked up a new feature that enables users to connect their phone to a Mac computer. Using an app called O+ Connect, users can link the Find N5 to any Mac desktop machine and instantly transfer photos and other files between devices — so long as they're connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Users can also choose to remotely control a Mac from the Find N5. The Mac's display can shut off and then reappear on the Find N5's screen. The remote control feature only requires mobile internet or Wi-Fi to sync up a Mac device's data with the Find N5 in real-time.
The Spartan leadership was certainly in a position to allocate land because of the enormous size of the conquered lands. So the devil’s bargain was made – land to the commons in exchange for their willingness to fight in phalanx formation.
It seems that the new structure would have been instituted in a single step because of its interdependency. The need for a new kind of army generated a new constitution and social system. Of course a constitution can be created as a single event while changes in a social system take time and generations to take hold. Even the governmental changes must have occurred over time. For example, the Ephors had to transition from advisors to the king to being elected by a citizen assembly which did not exist before the reforms.
The feature uses public macOS application programming interfaces, which enable two different apps to communicate with each other. Oppo said O+ Connect "fully complies with macOS platform and software regulations."
Ben Wood, chief analyst at market research firm CCS Insight, told CNBC the Find N5 "shows the art of the possible when engineering a product with flexible display technology."
Wood added that, while Huawei's triple-screened Mate XT led to some fanfare, "commercially I think the smart money is still on the book-like form factor already offered by Samsung, Honor, Google and now Oppo."
Samsung teased a trifold smartphone prototype at its January Unpacked event for the launch of the Galaxy S25. It's not clear yet if the phone is a product Samsung will launch commercially anytime soon.
Touting America as "the leader" in the technology, Vance said that the U.S. wants its European allies to foster a more favorable attitude to the technology than it has done to date.
"To create that kind of trust, we need international regulatory regimes that fosters the creation of AI technology rather than strangles it, and we need our European friends in particular to look to this new frontier with optimism rather than trepidation," Vance told attendees at the Paris summit.
Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., during the first day of in-store sales of Apple's latest products at Apple's Fifth Avenue store in New York, US, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.
Apple is releasing a new low-cost iPhone as sales have been mixed in recent quarters and the company seeks growth for its most important product category. For the December quarter, Apple's overall iPhone sales were down 1% on an annual basis. Apple still sold more than $69 billion of phones in the period.
Low-end iPhones are important to Apple as it gets new customers into their ecosystem, and the new device supports Apple Intelligence, making it Apple's least expensive new phone that can access features like image generation and notification summaries.
In recent years, Apple has started to quietly release new products through press releases, such as the new Macs it announced last September. It may be testing how much buzz it can get for one of these quieter launches. Last week, ahead of Wednesday's launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook posted a message on social media: "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family."
Rather than run its own data centers, Baseten runs its software on data center equipment from cloud providers, including Amazon and Google. Customers can supply their own infrastructure with an enterprise tier. By drawing from multiple providers, Baseten offers access to more GPUs than a single cloud's current supply.
"In this market, your No. 1 differentiation is how fast you can move. That is the core benefit for our customers," co-founder and CEO Tuhin Srivastava said. "You can go to production without worrying about reliability, security and performance."
Companies can manage the deployment of their models without Baseten, but securing enough Nvidia chips in the right geographical areas can prove difficult, co-founder Amir Haghighat told CNBC.
Cloud providers sometimes inform customers that some GPUs will be moved into maintenance mode and become unavailable within minutes. Baseten helps its clients handle those instances without interruptions, Srivastava said.
After the January breakthrough of Chinese AI lab DeepSeek, which claimed its models were trained for a fraction of the costs as its U.S. counterparts, efficiency in AI has become more important than ever.
Baseten was quick to add support for DeepSeek's R1 reasoning model that compares to OpenAI's o1. Baseten's website promises top-tier performance at a fraction of OpenAI's cost. There has been a lot of inbound from organizations looking at switching to DeepSeek, and Baseten has been busy trying to keep up, Srivastava said.
Under former President Joe Biden, the United States lauded Zelenskyy as a hero and hammered Moscow with sanctions as Ukraine battled against advancing Russian troops.
But Trump has been critical of Zelenskyy, claiming he has subverted democracy and blaming him for starting the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion three years ago.
"A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 for a five-year term and has remained leader under martial law imposed as his country fights for its survival.
Putin said U.S. allies "only have themselves to blame for what's happening," suggesting they were paying the price for opposing Trump's return to the White House.
Tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump over the new U.S. position on the war had been building for weeks.
But Zelenskyy struck a more positive tone ahead of Thursday's meeting with Kellogg, saying "it is very important for U.S. that the meeting and our work with America in general be constructive."
"Together with America and Europe, peace can be more reliable, and this is our goal," he added.
Russia, which for years has railed against the U.S. military presence in Europe, wants a reorganisation of the continent's security framework as part of any deal to end the Ukraine fighting.
!summarize #intelligence #philosophy #schopenhaur
Please foster more ideas on how Grok will be a game changer for passengers, people in the car and at a higher level like what Herbert did in his channel yesterday. It has been suggested that someone will have many context sensitive Grok’s that will be able to anticipate and adapt to you in the car, at work, sentimentally, when in company so as to respect your privacy when together with others and very personal when you are alone. So Grok will have different profiles depending on the situations you are in and will draw on the pertinent versions of “you” Essentially anticipating and adapting to you in the various circumstances you find yourself in a day or night … funny,
I’ve been reading a great book called Some Problems of Greek History by Arnold Toynbee, the well known English historian, which was published in 1969. Toynbee is best known for his The Study of History, a monumental work published in 1934 and 1939. This significant contribution to comparative history has been criticized for a variety of reasons mostly around his assumptions and use of questionable data. Still, A Study of History is worth reading because of its unique approach.
Some Problems of Greek History does not create controversy and is a rigorous review and dissection of all data known about parts of Greek history -- mostly Sparta. In my last post, I talked about the origins of Sparta and Lacedaemon. This time, we’ll review the expansion of Sparta geographically through the lower Peloponnese.
California privacy regulator seeks to fine Florida data broker after huge breach of Social Security numbers
The California agency said National Public Data failed to register in the state as a data broker.
California’s privacy regulator is asking a court to fine a data broker that lost hundreds of millions of Social Security numbers in one of last year’s biggest data breaches.
The California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), which enforces California’s state rules on data protection and privacy rights, known as CCPA, said Thursday that it is seeking a fine of $46,000 against National Public Data for failing to register as a data broker in the state.
The future of AI is expected to be shaped by a combination of technological advancements, with a significant impact on society. Generative AI models have shown immense promise, but their limitations have also become well known. As a result, the future of AI is being defined by a shift toward both open source large-scale models for experimentation and more specialized applications.
In the near term, AI is likely to continue powering automation and data analysis, with widespread adoption of autonomous machinery and AI-powered personalization expected. Quantum computing, still in its infancy, will potentially power AI algorithms in the future, supercharging their ability to process huge datasets and solve complex problems.
Machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence that can learn without explicit programming by a human, will play a key role in the future of AI. Tokenization, or creating digital representations of real things, will also be important.
The future of AI holds immense potential to reshape industries, jobs, and daily lives. It is expected to increase efficiency and improve decision-making through data analysis. However, adequate precautions must be taken to avoid exacerbating existing inequities.
By 2028, the number of human lawyers in the U.S. could be cut by 25% or more due to generative AI's ability to provide rudimentary summaries of applicable laws and draft contract clause language. Transportation and other industries will also be impacted by the advancement of AI.
Overall, the future of AI looks promising but requires careful consideration of its potential impacts on society.
Sparta conquered Laconia and Messenia during the eighth century B.C, a date which Toynbee points out is more accurate than theoretical dates farther back which are unsupportable. Most notably, he asserts that the two Spartan royal families were extended backward by myth to Herakles, a connection that cannot be (and according Toynbee) should not be made. To him, the Dorian invasion and fall of Mycenae are not connected directly to the rise of the Lacedaemonians.
The first step in the expansion of Sparta was the conquest on Amyklai (eighth century timeframe unknown) and its incorporation into Sparta as an equal. This victory gained Sparta an influential ally and opened up southern Laconia to them. The Spartans then continued their southern expansion through Aigytis until they reached the coast, circa 720 B.C. I use that date because the Italian colony of Tarentum was founded by Sparta in the time period 708-702 B.C. and for Sparta to have sent colonists to Italy, she would have needed to control of a port for some period of time. That port was most likely Gythion, which we know was a Spartan naval base by 413 B.C.
While Sparta gave Perioecic status to the communities of the Mani peninsula down to Cape Tainaron, the lower Eurotos Valley was conquered and forced to choose between enslavement and deportation. This was the beginning of Helotry and the use of Messenian lands for agriculture.
Per the CPPA, its action against National Public Data is its sixth enforcement effort against a data broker since its inception. The previous five actions ended in settlement agreements, the agency said.
Salvatore Verini, the owner of Jerico Pictures, the parent company of the hacked data broker National Public Data, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Spartans as Lacedaemonians
The region of the Peloponnese which held the Spartan people was called Lacedaemon (now Laconia) and the Spartans were known as the Lacedaemonians from at least the fifth century B.C. By that time, Lacedaemon was used interchangeably with Sparta when referring to the political entity. What happened before that time?
In the Iliad, the land ruled by Menelaus is referred to as “a hollow” which is “scarred with ravines”, certainly an apt description of the Spartan lands as they look today. But if the setting of the Iliad was the Mycenaean Age, the residence of Menelaus would have been a castle. Where was it? Toynbee speculates that the original “Sparta” may have been at Therapne or Amyklai, nearby towns that date back to the Mycenaean time.
The future of AI agents is expected to be significant, with these agents playing a crucial role in various industries and aspects of our lives. Here's a list of areas where AI agents are expected to be prevalent:
The future of ai agents;
These areas are expected to experience significant advancements in the use of AI agents over the next few years leading fundamental changes various industries aspects life
The question of whether AI will ever be conscious is a complex and debated topic among experts. Consciousness refers to the state of being aware of one's surroundings, thoughts, and emotions. While AI has made significant progress in recent years, the creation of conscious AI is still a subject of ongoing research and discussion.
There are several barriers to creating conscious AI:
Despite these barriers, researchers continue to explore various approaches to creating conscious AI, including:
While it is difficult to predict when or if conscious AI will be achieved, many experts believe that significant progress will be made in the coming decades as our understanding of human consciousness and artificial intelligence continues to evolve.
Some predictions include:
Ultimately, creating conscious AI will require continued advances in fields like neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science; interdisciplinary collaboration; investment basic scientific research
Sparta originally meant “sown land” and represented part of the cultivated area of the Eurotos Valley. Later, at some point, the land became the town when the Spartans relocated there. They may have called themselves Lacedaemonians from the time their territory encompassed more than one or two villages, but Spartans only when they needed to distinguish themselves from the Perioeci and the Messenians.
The city of Sparta consisted of four settlements: Pitane, Limnai, Kynosoura, and Messoa. The tombs of the Agiadai kings were located in Pitane, while the tombs of the Eurypontidai were located in Limnai. This suggests that the two royal houses originated from these towns and their combination occurred voluntarily. How Kynosaura and Messoa may have joined the Spartan community is obscure.
“The storage of this content is costly. Introducing this 100-hour storage limit, which impacts less than 0.5% of active channels on Twitch and accounts for less than 0.1% of hours watched, helps us manage resources more efficiently, maintain support of Highlights and Uploads, and continue to invest in new features and improvements to more effective viewer engagement tools like Clips and the mobile feed.”
Some streamers have taken to social media to share their discontent with the decision, with many pointing out that Twitch is owned by Amazon, which is a market leader in cloud services through its AWS platform.
It appears that the foundation of Sparta must have occurred no earlier than the beginning of the ninth century B.C. because there is no evidence of Mycenaean or sub-Mycenaean culture there. The earliest that Spartan kings can be dated is through independent evidence is ~ 730 B.C. when Polydoros and Theopompos reigned. This was also the time of the First Messenian War, when Messenian names ceased to be listed among the winners at the Olympic Games.
The Basileus as a Bridge Political Figure in Ancient Greece
Basileus is a strange word – hard to pronounce (Bas-sill-es) and difficult to define. It has an obscure origin, although the Mycenaeans used it as gwasileus. Many linguists consider it a non-Greek word adopted by Bronze Age Greeks from eastern Mediterranean origins. Although Basileus has had many definitions during the last three thousand years, it’s the one that was used during the Greek Dark Ages that we’ll focus on here.
The Basileus was absolutely fundamental to the development of the Polis because without him there would have been no unified structure to serve as its foundation. In the late dark age period, the Greeks could have gone in either of two directions politically: strengthen collective action through a complex political organization or move toward personal leadership. There is evidence that the latter was attempted; that the Basileus became more powerful for a time. But that path was a dead end and he was eventually replaced by an administrator type – like the Archons of Athens. He lacked the historical requirements for personal leadership – wealth, a significant following among the people, and precedent. Ultimately, the people were unwilling to cede power to the Basileus and turn him into a king. They kept the power for themselves and elected administrators who they felt they could control.
Reflections on a Visit to Ancient Sparta
As I mentioned in a previous post, I was disappointed that the ruins of ancient Sparta were unidentifiable, and that drove me to try and make more sense of what was there and understand its part in the history of Spartan culture.
To accomplish this we have to start with the realization that the area now referred to as ancient Sparta is really its Acropolis and nothing else. The remainder of Sparta was spread out over four villages and all traces of those villages are gone. Over time the Acropolis itself took on the role of a citadel: more important to those controlling Sparta than it was to the Spartans themselves.
The amphitheater at the Spartan acropolis was built by the Romans in 50 B.C. and there are also Roman walls around the hilltop. Lower down and covering a larger area are Byzantine walls in ruins. Both of these sets of walls protected a citadel that was post-Spartan.
There are only two ancient Spartan structures that have been uncovered: the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos, located on the Acropolis and The Temple of Artemis Orthia located east of the Acropolis near the Eurotos River. Chalkioikos was constructed no later than 500 B.C, because artifacts from that time have been found in the ruins.
The testimonials are then pinned to the top of the comments section on the Instagram post, giving the comments and creators behind them more visibility.
Creators will also be able track these testimonials and other Partnership Ads under their Creator Settings on the app so they can see how their content is being used and even pull their content, if ever warranted.
"Go, tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here obedient to their laws we lie."
Those words are packed with emotion for all who know or care what happened at Thermopylae, arguably the most famous battle in history.
Thermopylae sits 11 kilometers south of Lamia, Greece, which lies some 200 kilometers north of Athens. That means the 300 marched about 400 kilometers from Sparta before they arrived at the Hot Gates.
Thermopylae means hot gates in Greek and refers to the three hot springs at the battle site. They are called gates because the pass narrows near them, so they are ideal for a military defense.
The Peloponnese is mountainous, its center filled in the north with all manner of peaks -- a huge spine which tapers off into the Parnon Range to the southeast like a lizard's tail.
As you begin the trip down from Corinth, the elevation increases steadily until you approach Tripoli, which sits on a plateau. The wheat fields of the north have now given way to pasture land and olive groves.
You're only 30 kilometers from Sparta when the Taygetos begin to rise from the background. Higher and higher they push as your drop down into the valley of Sparta until the impression is complete. The elevation of Sparta is 600 feet. The Taygetos tops are at 6,000 feet.
The modern Sparta looks similar to other Greek cities, full of square uninteresting concrete apartments, but its location sits inside the boundary of the ancient one which existed as the union of four separate villages.
Nickelate superconductor
Researchers at SUSTech spent three years developing a unique method to create their nickelate superconductor. This material is composed of nickel, oxygen, and two rare earth metals: lanthanum and praseodymium.
They arranged these elements in a way that achieved superconductivity at ambient pressure — a major advancement over previous methods that required extreme pressures.
The material transitioned into a superconducting state at about -228 degrees Celsius when formed in thin layers.
“The discovery of bilayer nickelate superconductors under high pressure has opened a new chapter in high-transition temperature superconductivity,” the study stated.
“Our work allows experimental investigations of the superconductivity mechanism with enhanced feasibility,” it added.
The elevation of the site is stunning. I had a preconceived notion that the walls rise from the street level, when, in fact, they start a couple hundred feet above street level.
After the cab dropped us off, we walked up a curving pathway to the ticket office. From there you continue up the incline to the Propylaean Gate. The gate itself is being reconstructed and there are wooden steps over a section where the original steps are missing.
As you reach the floor of the site, the Parthenon makes an immediate impression because of its size and scale. The Erechtheion by comparison is much smaller.
As per SCMP, Professor Xue Qikun outlined the team’s future research plans. He stated their intention to leverage the “unique experimental technology” they had developed to explore a wider range of materials.
They aim to push the boundaries of superconductivity further, specifically aiming to achieve even higher transition temperatures while maintaining normal, atmospheric pressure.
Qikun also highlighted that this development represents a “major innovation” in China’s pursuit of independent experimental technology.
Superconductors have diverse applications, including MRI machines, maglev trains, power transmission, and fusion reactors.
There is a construction crane in the middle of the Parthenon being used for re-building and repairs, so its tough to get a photograph without the modern technology. One can see in the structure where new mable has replaced or been added. The new mable is impressively integrated. On the west side of the site sit pieces of the original structures in piles (a marble junkyard) -- scrolled Doric capitals with no home. Part of the re-building attempts to correct previous repairs which were done with iron rods. The rods rusted, causing the marble to crack. The rods are being replaced with titanium.
The view from the Acropolis is one of a kind -- the agora to the north and the city surrounding it all.
This level of control allows for more nuanced movements and interactions. Another important aspect of Helix is its capability for multi-robot collaboration.
It can operate simultaneously on two robots, enabling them to work together on shared, long-term manipulation tasks involving objects they have not encountered before.
This feature significantly broadens the operational scope of robotics in complex environments.
Additionally, robots equipped with Helix can pick up a wide range of small household items, including many they have yet to encounter.
As lawmakers hash out a federal framework for stablecoins in the U.S., corners of the crypto industry may soon face competition from the likes of Uber and Meta.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) vowed this month that a stablecoin bill, dubbed the GENIUS Act, will be passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law within the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s administration.
As digital assets are pegged to the price of a fiat currency, such as the U.S. dollar, stablecoins are often backed by reserves of cash and U.S. Treasuries that generate yield. In Coinbase’s fourth quarter, the company disclosed $224 million in revenue from assets backing USDC.
A thawing iceberg
A report published by S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday found that the GENIUS Act would increase the adoption of stablecoins in the U.S. The lack of regulation in the U.S. is “one of the main impediments” to broader adoption, the analysts wrote.
It's a thirty minute twenty-one hundred foot white-knuckle bus ride from the town of Itea on the Gulf of Corinth up to Delphi. You pass through one of the largest olive groves in the world and find yourself struck by the arid climate -- not a drop of water to be seen. Dry creekbeds remind of past rains and the people appear to be inside hiding from the 90 degree heat.
In Delphi, the shops are open because everyone knows there's a cruise ship in port, but the restaurants are empty in early afternoon (Greeks have lunch at 3pm). We step off the bus in town and walk a kilometer to the Oracle, which is hidden behind a bend in the road so that pirates from twenty-seven hundred years ago could not observe it from the sea.
In November, Paxos CEO Charles Cascarilla wrote in a letter addressed to Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris—then the Democratic presidential candidate—that America’s opportunity to cement financial dominance through stablecoins had been stifled so far by “countless examples of regulatory overreach.”
Though firms like BlackRock have issued tokenized money market funds that resemble stablecoins, S&P analysts wrote that a lack of regulation and supervision has prevented their broader adoption in fields like everyday payments.
“Helix addresses several issues previous robotic approaches faced, including balancing speed and generalization, scalability to manage high-dimensional actions, and architectural simplicity using standard models,” according to Figure.
Additionally, separating S1 and S2 enables independent improvements to each system without reliance on a shared observation or action space.
A dataset of around 500 hours of teleoperated behaviors was collected to train Helix, utilizing an auto-labeling VLM to generate natural language instructions.
The architecture involves a 7B-parameter VLM and an 80M parameter transformer for control, processing visual inputs to enable responsive control based on the latent representations generated by the VLM.
In this video, transformational coach John Griffin sheds light on the 10 most common myths women believe about divorce, dispelling misconceptions and lies that can lead to misunderstanding and regret. From debunking common myths about men and women after divorce to revealing surprising divorce facts, this video offers a mythbusting guide to divorce education. If you're a woman considering divorce or already going through the process, this video is a must-watch to gain clarity and avoid common pitfalls. By the end of this video, you'll have a deeper understanding of the divorce process and be empowered to make informed decisions about your future. So, let's dive in and separate fact from fiction when it comes to divorce.
Hannibal’s March over the Alps Revisited
This is an updated post on Hannibal’s march over the Alps, amending my previous post from February 23, 2009. I recently noticed that Google Earth had updated images of the region and the result was a clearer more consistent view, so I decided to re-visit the story. I also reviewed research on the route itself, since the previous post was more concerned with Hannibal’s objective and not his journey.
The chronology below combines information from the two best sources we have on the subject -- Polybius and Livy. Their accounts are similar but do not contain many place names that can be used as landmarks. The place names have been added by modern researchers based on geographical analysis -- taking the descriptions of the terrain and fitting them to the geography.
Two Kings Better than One?
If you google “dual monarchy”, you get references to the dual monarchy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire which lasted from 1867-1918. This made me laugh because of the insignificance of the Austria example next to that of the Spartans. Was this just another case where antiquity is ignored? Still experimenting, I tried using the words “dual kingship” and Sparta appeared, filling up the first page. Accompanying the Spartans was the Quarlug Confederation, The Khazars, and Havelok the Dane.
Port Alpha will reflect the apex of America’s shipbuilding
He feels that the Port Alpha will reflect the apex of America’s shipbuilding past — generating new opportunities for the country’s shipbuilding workforce, forging public-private partnerships to accelerate growth, and bringing innovation and ingenuity to an essential industry.
“We will bring these elements together with a single goal: to rapidly build a fleet of autonomous vessels in America that redefine maritime superiority and guarantees freedom of the seas for generations to come,” added Mavrookas.
The company also highlighted that the U.S. Navy declared the need for a hybrid fleet — one that integrates a significant number of unmanned systems operating alongside manned platforms.
Starting around 550 B.C, the names become more familiar and there is some history about most of them. The famous Leonidas was of the Agiad line and, after he was killed at Thermopylae, his brother Cleombrotus served as regent for a year until his own son Pausanias was named the new Agiad king.
The Spartan kings had several major responsibilities, including acting as high priests for Spartan people and leading the army into battle. War was declared by the Assembly and the levy proclaimed by the Ephors, but the kings were the commanders. They also served on the Gerusia (council of elders) where their votes counted for two out of the thirty. Aristotle called the Spartan kingship a hereditary generalship but he was only half right. As hereditary leaders, the kings could wield great power over their peers who had to be elected.
“As soon as you get the government involved, everything slows down to a crawl,” he said. “The rate at which that iceberg thaws is going to determine how far into the future that we have to look before we realize this.”
When PayPal introduced its stablecoin in 2023, the firm faced criticism from Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a top Democrat on the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee.
At home the kings had special privileges. They took the first seats at dinner and were served a double portion. They had front row seats for all the games. They choose the Pythii (envoys to the Oracle at Delphi) and give them money for the Oracle. When a king died, the Spartiates mourned for ten days -- women wailing and beating their brows.
What, then, was the significance of the dual kingship as it related to the Spartan political system and the history of governments? For the former, it was a balancing force which helped perpetuate a 1000 year civilization. For the latter, very little. The Spartan way of life succeeded because the helot system allowed the Spartans to train and be the best warriors of all time. Without that one aspect, the Spartan soldiers would have been part timers like everyone else.
Where I ended up going off the rails was during the plandemic. I thought the majority of Americans were strong, independent and with a reasonable amount of common sense. What I learned was that most were weak, gullible, materialistic and believed everything our corrupt government told them and had no respect for anyone that thought any differently and questioned the narrative. I lost family, my girlfriend at that time and many so-called friends, because I wouldn't tow the false line. Now it seems like it is me and my new intelligent girlfriend against an insane world devoid of even the first shred of any logical thinking. My cat is smarter and has way more common sense then the majority of people today.
And then there’s the channeling of Epicurus, the story of Titus Lucretius Carus, who re-introduced the work of a philosopher dead for 250 years. He not only provided the world with a faithful rendering of the Epicurean system, but also gave us a great deal of information regarding the scientific thought of the time. Then, when the works of Epicurus were destroyed, Carus became our only link to the great lover of pleasure.
One of my particular favorites, called Girly men and contact highs, relates a tale from the Histories of Herodotus that occurred during a visit he made to the Scythians.
Reading Ms. Leon’s book brought to mind Will Cuppy’s great The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody, which I’ve enjoyed immensely over the years. Cuppy’s ferocious cynicism was both lethal and funny – entertainment at the expense of famous people. Ms. Leon’s approach is not as irreverent, but still presents a relaxed view of history – something academics could use to kick back every once in a while.
Mellify is divided into sections, each covering a different geographical area. We start with Athens and Attica and travel through the Greek Islands on the way to North Africa and Mesopotamia. The sections contain a series of articles (stories) about people from those geographies. Target audience for this book is those readers who are interested in the details of history but would like to avoid a heavy academic overtone. You can also read it for fun if you have a little time. It’s easy to pick out topics by scanning the table of contents. Read a title and if you like it, go to it.
Strangling China with sanctions is only slowing down China growth and advancement in technological prowess. China has the advantages of a dedicated and determined skill engineers, it can play the 5 year or 8 year plan. 400 million young workforce is skilled in the wrong IT mismatch but vocational training is actively embark upon. Services sector has more room to grow. With the structural imbalances rectified, consumption will increase domestically. These challenges are for China to execute, not dependent on external forces. If there is deal, it has to be win win for both nations. If not, China can wait........
The Travels of Lysander
The conventional wisdom at the beginning of the Peloponnesean War said that neither side could win it. The Spartan Army was too strong to be defeated, but their strength was offset by the Athenian Navy which had control of the seas. To win the war, one side had to figure out how to win on land and sea.
It took twenty-seven years for this obstacle to begin to resolve itself and the man that turned the tide was one of the greatest of the Spartans – Lysander, the man who defeated the Athenian Navy. Humbled by poverty in his youth, Lysander had to get a sponsor to support his entrance into the Agoge, but later rose through the ranks to a position of leadership.
New calls to reinstate Lysander as admiral were ignored and he was relegated to second in command under Aracus. All, including the new commander, knew who the sailors would obey in battle. Once the fleet was rebuilt, Lysander met with Cyrus at Sardis and then sailed on to the Hellespont, with the Athenians in pursuit. Then, after several days of maneuvering, Lysander caught them unprepared and won a decisive victory at Aegospotami. With Athens starving and their fleet destroyed, the men of Athens had no choice but to negotiate a peace. Lysander was recalled to Piraeus to represent Sparta after he had stopped off and taken Lesbos.
The following years were not kind to Lysander. He was pulled off command over Athens when the Spartan King Pausanius thought he was gaining too much power. Then he became involved with the Spartan succession in 401 B.C. when he convinced the Ephors to elect Agesilaus II Spartan King after the death of Agis II.
Visit Wat Pho To See The Reclining Buddha
A visit to Wat Pho is a must for any traveler to Bangkok, it is the home to the Reclining Buddha which stands at fifteen metres tall and forty six metres long, the feet alone are measured at over five meters. The whole statue is covered in gold leaf and looks incredible when you get up close.
Inside the temple there are 108 bowls and on the way in to the temple you can buy coins for the bowls. The history behind this is that Buddha completed 108 positive actions on his way to becoming perfect. Whilst you are at the temple you can also stop for a while to receive a traditional Thai Massage
Ancient sources have identified several buildings which were included in the Lyceum complex. An Apodyterion (dressing room), mentioned in Plato’s dialog Euthydemus; Dromoi and Peripatoi (tracks for foot and horse races); the Gymnasium; the Palaistra, also mentioned in Euthydemus; sanctuaries to Apollo; seating for judges and spectators; and a pair of Stoa.
Parts of the Lyceum were wooded and river channels were dug to irrigate the vegetation growing there. According to Theophrastus, one large tree had surface roots spanning 33 cubits.
I was asked to review the book The Dynamics of Ancient Empires by Ian Morris and Walter Scheidel, published in 2009. Although a heavy academic read, the book presents some interesting ideas on humanness, especially in the last chapter, written by Professor Scheidel and titled Sex and Empire, a Darwinian Perspective. His point of view is that not only did the men of antiquity differentiate themselves by ability, but they also sought power because it allowed them access to more sexual partners and control over their own procreation.
Scheidel starts with the notion that humans are driven by their bio-molecules to interact with the outside world for the sake of energy consumption and replication.
In this video, we take a mind-bending journey through the convergence of philosophy, consciousness, and artificial intelligence, based on the ideas from Casper Wilstrup’s thought-provoking article, “With Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind Has Become an Experimental Science” ( / with-artificial-intelligence-philosophy-of... . From the reality of consciousness to the tantalizing possibility that AI might soon achieve it, we explore how AI is transforming age-old philosophical questions into experimental science. Is your consciousness truly special, or is it simply the product of matter, like AI could be? Join us as we explore these existential questions and the future of AI consciousness.
Scientists are working on an artificial eye that will connect with brain neurons and work as a natural eye like camera fitted into eyehole.
!summarize #nikola #bankruptcy #automotive #truck
OpenAI tops 400 million users despite DeepSeek's emergence
OpenAI appears to be growing quickly despite increasing competition.
The San Francisco-based tech company had 400 million weekly active users as of February, up 33% from 300 million in December, the company's chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, told CNBC. These numbers have not been previously reported.
Lightcap pointed to the "natural progression" of ChatGPT as it becomes more useful and familiar to a broader group of people.
#openai #deepseek #users #ai
"People hear about it through word of mouth. They see the utility of it. They see their friends using it," Lightcap said in an interview, adding that it takes time for individuals to find use cases that resonate. "There's an overall effect of people really wanting these tools, and seeing that these tools are really valuable."
OpenAI is seeing that spill over to its growing enterprise business. The company now has 2 million paying enterprise users, roughly doubling from September, said Lightcap, pointing out that often employees will use ChatGPT personally and suggest to their companies that they implement the tool.
!summarize #argentina #memecoin #crypto
Chinese smartphone firm Oppo launches slim $1,870 folding phone to rival Samsung, Huawei
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo on Thursday revealed the Find N5, a new flagship that can fold in half.
Chinese smartphone firm Oppo has unveiled its new flagship folding phone Thursday, touting a slimmer body and artificial intelligence-focused features in a bid to compete with high-end foldable devices from the likes of Samsung and Huawei.
The company's Find N5 phone that can fold in half, will retail at a starting price of 2,499 Singapore dollars ($1,867.70).
When it's folded shut, the Find N5 looks like a normal bar-shaped phone with a 6.62-inch display. The device can then be folded outward to show a larger, 8.12-inch tablet.
#china #smartphone #oppo #folding #phone
Most notably, the phone has an ultra-thin design. When closed, it measures 8.93 millimeters thick, while when opened out in tablet form, the Find N5 has a depth of 4.21 millimeters.
That's slimmer than Samsung's Galaxy Fold 6, which the South Korean tech giant released last year.
Inside the device is a razer-thin 5,600 milliampere-hour (mAh) battery that's no bigger than a credit card. Oppo said the battery incorporates a silicon-carbon material, which enables high battery capacity despite its small size.
Europe risks becoming a 'museum' if it doesn't innovate in AI and deregulate, Swedish PM warns
"I think we really need to step up in Europe," Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Thursday.
STOCKHOLM — Europe is at risk of becoming a "museum" if it doesn't soften strict curbs on artificial intelligence technologies and deregulate, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Thursday.
"I think we really need to step up in Europe ... the American economy, Chinese economy have been growing far faster compared to the European economies over the last 20 years," the premier told attendees of the Techarena event in Stockholm.
#europe #swedish #pm #ai #regulation #eu #technology
I can just say that Trump has lit a fire under European countries now. I am heavily looking into buying European military stocks, like SAAB and Rheinmetal
He did something...what exactly remains to be seen.
The Neocons in Europe are intent on WW3.
Nah, we just wanna fight of the punkass Russians, as we done many times in the past.
But now we need to build up our armies
!summarize #careers #ai
Apple unveils cheaper iPhone 16e powerful enough to run AI
The new iPhone is called iPhone 16e, and it will retail for $599 when it goes on sale later this month.
Apple announced a new iPhone model on Wednesday that is priced lower than its main iPhone models, which usually come out in September.
The new iPhone is called iPhone 16e, and it will retail for $599 when it goes on sale later this month.
#apple #iphone #16e #ai #smartphone
The new iPhone 16e doesn't have a home button and fingerprint sensor, instead, it uses Apple's FaceID scanner and modern design including a sensor notch at the top of the screen. It uses Apple's A18 chip, which is also used in the main iPhone 16 models. The updated processor means that the iPhone 16e can run all the same apps and games that more expensive iPhones can run. It comes in black and white.
The phone also includes Apple's first cellular modem, which it calls C1. iPhones have used Qualcomm modems for the past few years. It also has a single camera lens, versus as many as three on the most advanced iPhones.
!summarize #ai #technology #google #deepmind #anthropic
AI startup Baseten raises $75 million following DeepSeek's emergence
Baseten, a startup that runs artificial intelligence models for clients on their cloud infrastructure, has raised $75 million in funding, the company said.
The funding round values Baseten at $825 million and demonstrates that venture capitalists believe tech's AI boom stands to benefit a plethora of startups, not just those building large language models. In recent months, OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI have raised billions in funding, with much of the money going toward servers containing Nvidia graphics processing units, or GPUs.
After companies finish training AI models on reams of data, they need to deploy those models somewhere at the inference stage, which is when models generate outputs in response to user queries. That's when Baseten comes in.
#ai #baseten #deepseek #startup
Substack now lets creators monetize videos and post them directly from its app
As TikTok's future in the U.S. remains uncertain, Substack is aiming to lure creators to its platform by doubling down on video.
As TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain, Substack tries to lure creators to its platform by doubling down on video. The company announced on Wednesday that it’s now allowing creators to monetize their videos on the platform, and letting them publish video posts directly from the Substack app.
Previously, creators have been able to share videos in Notes, which is Substack’s Twitter-like feed, but the Notes feature doesn’t support paywalls.
Plus, subscribers aren’t notified when a creator posts a Note. By publishing video posts, creators can now directly reach their audience and monetize their work.
#substack #creators #monetization #videos
Substack says that video creators who are worried about their future on TikTok can join its platform to build a subscription-based video business and that creators on Substack can reach their audience directly, without relying on algorithms.
Once creators publish videos, they can track post views, and new subscribers, and see the estimated revenue growth from new paid subscriptions driven by their posts. They can also monitor changes over time.
Currently, creators can only paywall entire video posts published in the app. In the future, Substack plans to enable creators to show specific portions of the video to free subscribers as a teaser.
Spotify partners with ElevenLabs to expand its library of AI-narrated audiobooks
On Thursday, Spotify announced that it now accepts audiobooks narrated using ElevenLabs’ AI voice technology. Given that ElevenLabs is currently among the most recognized AI audio providers, this new partnership is expected to boost the quantity of AI-narrated audiobooks on the platform.
To upload an audiobook narrated by AI, authors need to download the file package from ElevenLabs and then visit Findaway Voices, Spotify’s audiobook distribution service. The recording must then go through a review process before it can be published. Spotify labels titles that have been narrated by AI.
#spotify #elevenlabs #ai #book #narration #library #technology
With ElevenLabs, authors can narrate their audiobooks in 29 different languages. While the free version only allows for 10 minutes of text-to-speech each month, the $99/month Pro plan generates up to 500 minutes of narration.
The latest partnership comes two years after Spotify teamed up with Google Play Books to offer AI-narrated audiobooks. Spotify plans to partner with more companies to expand its audiobook library.
However, the rise of AI-generated audiobooks is expected to stir considerable debate within the publishing community. Some industry professionals argue that these AI recordings may compromise the overall quality of audiobooks for listeners.
!summarize #grok3 #llm #xai #review
Twitch caps streamers' storage at 100 hours of highlights and uploads
Twitch is limiting streamers to 100 hours of highlights and uploads, and will delete content if a channel exceeds the limit.
Twitch on Wednesday announced it will begin limiting streamers to 100 hours of highlights and uploads, and will delete content if a channel exceeds the limit. The company said it’s introducing the change because highlights haven’t been effective in driving discovery or engagement, and because storage is costly. The storage cap goes into effect on April 19.
The change applies to highlights, which are snippets edited from a channel’s past broadcasts, as well as other uploaded content.
Clips and past broadcasts (VODs) won’t be impacted by the change, however. (Past broadcasts are already automatically deleted after a certain period of time).
#twitch #streamers #storage #gaming
Twitch’s announcement comes the same week that Facebook said that live videos will now only be stored on its platform for 30 days, after which they will be deleted. The company is also removing past broadcasts in the coming months.
Twitch said it originally launched highlights to help streamers create highlight reels of their best moments, but that other features like Clips, Tags, and the Mobile Discovery Feed are more effective in driving discovery or engagement.
“Despite low effectiveness, some users have accrued thousands of hours of Highlights and Uploads (often used to create Highlights) over time,” the company shared in a blog post.
!summarize #internet #a16z #chrisdixon #technology #ai
Instagram's new ad format lets creators get paid for testimonials in comments
Instagram is introducing a new way for creators to work with brands to make money by recommending products. On Thursday, Meta introduced an addition to its Partnership Ads called Testimonials, which allows creators to get paid via written endorsements, shared as comments on the brand’s social media posts and advertisements.
The new ad format is a move to monetize a practice that’s already taking place across social media.
#instagram #creators #testimonials #monetization
Many brands today leverage paid commenters, or otherwise incentivize customers leaving positive reviews. For someone researching a new product, it can be difficult to tell who’s really a happy customer and who may be astroturfing in the comments section.
Adding a way for creators to self-identify as paid promoters could elevate the brand’s reception among that person’s followers while also being more transparent about the nature of the creator-brand relationship. While these are obviously paid endorsements, not organic, creators at least have to risk their own reputations by putting their names behind the given products. If they’re not selective about these recommendations, they can lose their followers’ trust.
China’s new nickel superconductor works above threshold of -387°F at normal pressure
The material transitioned into a superconducting state at about -228 degrees Celsius.
Physicists in China report the creation of a new nickel-based high-temperature superconductor at room pressure.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that this development comes from researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. For this, the team created a nickel oxide thin film.
Reportedly, this nickel-based superconductor can achieve superconductivity above -233°C (minus 387 Fahrenheit) at “normal pressure.” This is a rare achievement, with only cuprates and iron-based materials previously demonstrating this breakthrough.
#china #nickel #superconductor #materials
“Our findings pave the way for comprehensive investigations of nickelate superconductors under ambient pressure conditions and for exploring superconductivity at higher transition temperature through strain engineering in heterostructures,” the researchers wrote in the study paper published in the journal Nature.
The superconductivity challenge
Superconductivity is when a material loses all electrical resistance and expels magnetic fields below a certain temperature.
It occurs when a material is cooled to a critical temperature. Traditionally, this required extremely low temperatures, making it impractical for many applications.
While many substances exhibit this behavior below -250 degrees Celsius, the real challenge lies in finding materials that can achieve superconductivity at higher temperatures. Those that can maintain this zero-resistance state above -233 degrees Celsius are classified as “high-temperature” superconductors.
Figure unveils first-of-its-kind brain for humanoid robots after shunning OpenAI
Helix introduces a novel approach to upper-body manipulation control.
IIn a significant move in the AI world, California-based Figure has revealed Helix, a generalist Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model that unifies perception, language understanding, and learned control to overcome multiple longstanding challenges in robotics.
Brett Adcock, founder of Figure, said that Helix is the most significant AI update in the company’s history.
“Helix thinks like a human… and to bring robots into homes, we need a step change in capabilities. Helix can generalize to virtually any household item,” Adcock said in a social media post.
#figure #brain #humanoid #robots #openai #helix
“We’ve been working on this project for over a year, aiming to solve general robotics. Like a human, Helix understands speech, reasons through problems, and can grasp any object – all without needing training or code. In testing, Helix can grab almost any household object,” he added.
The launch of Helix follows Figure’s announcement of its separation from OpenAI in early February.
Adcock stated at that time, “Figure has achieved a significant breakthrough in fully end-to-end robot AI, developed entirely in-house. We are excited to reveal something that no one has ever seen before in a humanoid within the next 30 days.”
A series of the world’s first capabilities
According to Figure, Helix introduces a novel approach to upper-body manipulation control.
It offers high-rate continuous control of the entire humanoid upper body, which includes the wrists, torso, head, and individual fingers.
US to speed up unmanned military vessel manufacturing with next-gen shipyard Port Alpha
The U.S. Navy has declared the need for a hybrid fleet — one that integrates a significant number of unmanned systems.
An Austin-based firm is planning to develop a next-generation shipyard capable of delivering new classes of unmanned ships at the speed and scale needed to protect and defend the maritime domain. Saronic Technologies’ plan to build Port Alpha got a push with recent funding of $600 million.
The Series C funding round is expected to advance the company’s mission of redefining maritime superiority for the United States and its allies.
#portalpha #military #vessel #manufacturing #nvay #unitedstates #shipyard
The company claims that the Port Alpha, a manufacturing plant for large and medium uncrewed surface vehicles, will enable the expansion of Saronic’s Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) fleet into medium and large-class autonomous ships for defense applications.
Saronic to strengthen country’s defense
With this move, Saronic believes that it’s addressing gaps in U.S. shipbuilding capacity and investing in the critical infrastructure to deliver the range and volume of autonomous ships needed to create and sustain the U.S. military’s hybrid fleet.
“A core principle of Saronic is that we design our vessels for autonomy from the keel up. We will take the same approach with Port Alpha, designing a shipyard from the ground up to produce at a speed and scale not seen since World War II,” said Saronic CEO and Co-Founder Dino Mavrookas.
Beijing embraces DeepSeek to lead AI adoption as it looks for new growth drivers
DeepSeek's rise came as a timely confidence boost as the Chinese leadership faces a prolonged economic gloom and a brewing trade war with U.S.
DeepSeek's sudden splash in the large language model space has given China a powerful tool to catalyze artificial-intelligence adoption in the country and boost economic growth.
While Goldman Sachs pegs a 20-basis-point to 30-basis-point boost to China's GDP over the long term — by 2030 — it expects the country's economy to start reflecting the positive impact of AI adoption from next year itself as AI-driven automation improves productivity.
#beijing #deepseek #ai
"The recent emergence of DeepSeek ... suggests faster AI development and adoption in China than we previously anticipated," economists at the Wall Street bank said.
The enthusiasm around DeepSeek is also being reflected in the sharp rally in China stocks, with the MSCI China index soaring over 21% from its January low, according to LSEG data.
The startup's rise is triggering a reassessment of China's "investability" after an extended period of limited attention, Morgan Stanley said in a note this week.
!summarize #water #shortage #technology
Blood is truly on the streets of $RUNE despite being one of the few projects in #crypto that has real revenue.
Our friends at @mayaprotocol is a fork ofTHORChain.
https://inleo.io/threads/view/khaleelkazi/re-leothreads-2qtrgmp6e
And also our soon to be friends Chanflip is a fork of Thorchain :)
We really need to see this partnership happen as fast as possible. LeoDEX need more assets supported.
Yes 💯 agree!
Best time to buy!
That is an easy yes!
Ad Infinitum
Estoy amando este cafe royal vr, son lindo como tratan a sus princesas, esperando el dia de maids de mañana
#vtubers
It's 3 AM in the UK, and Cobie is making a strong move.
Feeling optimistic.
Quoted: "This sounds fantastic, unless you're attending in person, then it could be problematic."
https://inleo.io/threads/view/selfhelp4trolls/re-leothreads-2bfonihqv
Pakistani med students saved life of an elderly with a stroke who collapsed at a train station.
#angels #news #heart
#feedback getting these types of errors more often upon navigating through Inleo.
I understand I can clear cache and reload, but this should require a fix on developers end to tackle and solve it (maybe DNS problem? Or not enough server capacity?)
stop using keychain browser, instead use brave and leoauth you can copy just your posting key from keychain and sign in. I maybe run into bad gateway issue once a week.
Alright! Thanks , let me try … now getting bad gateway error (and 2 other types of errors) like every 30 min…
Tnx!
!lolz
have you turned off brave shields? You will need to turn those of for optimal experience
Hi, @solymi,
This post has been voted on by @darkcloaks because you are an active member of the Darkcloaks gaming community.
Get started with Darkcloaks today, and follow us on Inleo for the latest updates.
I only have the error page where it says "we already started fixing it" or something like that.
Usually it pops up when I have threaded and then quickly go to notifications
yeah, i got that one , the one on the s/s and a inleo page with a massive load to text in a table. Also going to the notification page seems to trigger it.
lolztoken.com
“Odor in the court!”
Credit: reddit
$LOLZ on behalf of rainbowdash4l
(3/10)
Delegate Hive Tokens to Farm $LOLZ and earn 110% Rewards. Learn more.@solymi, I sent you an
Hard start for #pi
I'm not involved but I guess that was kinda expected... lots of people been mining this for years so I would imagine many were waiting to dump as soon as they could
I will HODL ;) !BBH
I hope it bounces back!
I believe it will. early yet, only a few hours. The dumpers are dumping.
i gotta check if I can get mine to an exchange. I never got a chance to KUC though and I guess now it is too late
I would think you should still be able to KYC.
the limit hs been reached so no KYC possible at the moment
OH. They have to open it back up in the future.
i hope so, so funny years ago I applied and never heard back feom them. Got over 2k PI mined…
After it got listed on binance?
Delta Airlines plane CRJ-900 crash landed and flipped upside down in Toronto injuring 15 passengers. Delta Airline offers $30K to each passenger as mishap compensation.
#crash #news #canada #delta
Scenes from the anime costume contest at MegaCon 2006.
#cosplay #MegaCon #anime #CostumeContest #bbh #cent
Good morning to you @solymi, how was your night sir?
wow personal morning greetings! This is awesome. My night was weird and I dreamt a lot of weird stuff…
I had my daughter waking up and saying "can you see that, what is it?" while she was pointing towards the wall with nothing but a TV that was turned off 😂😂😳
Spooky! 👀
Lol 🤣🤣🤣
I dreamt while I was drifting with a powered bike and and stuffs. Who knows if that's wired 🤔? Lol
I'm glad it's another on the Blockchain and happy to see you. The day is gonna be more good than wired ..
I like the kind of bond people have here on inleo
Aah! Weird stuff?
So proud of her. To have read the link is in the comment of course :)My wife to be, @cathyarrow has done her 5th blog post, 5th day in a row :)
Great
Thanks :) !BBH
congrats
now you must get her into BRO
That will happen ;) !BBH
She posted her 5th blog on the 5th day which is that complete count for Arrow in character.
A
R
R
O
W
=
5 characters.
Awesome Fracking Sauce :) !BBH
How is you day going Papa?
Excellent Son. And you?
i saw my self drifting with a powered bike in my dream 🤣🤣🤣.. is that for fun?
lol
That's perfect 😊😊...
https://inleo.io/@cathyarrow/my-cactus-flower
Upsi made my ecency point balance go below 0
nice #meme
Thursday is the bridge between dreams and action. Cross it with purpose, and the weekend will greet you with achievement.
Agreed 100 fracking percent #bfom !BBH
Let’s Fracking Go!!! #bfom 💯
Very true. Now let's go go go 🏃➡️
Breaking news: There are claims of significant fraudulent activity in social security, according to President Trump.
#SocialSecurity #FraudAlert
#bbh #bbho #thebbhproject #bpud @bradleyarrow
Today, is the BBHO power-up day.
I powered-up 341 BBHO and wrote a post.
link ⬇️
Have you powered-up BBHO?
https://inleo.io/@imfarhad/bpud-bbho-powerup-event-february-20th-2025-gww
Awesome Fracking Sauce :) !BBH #bbh #bbho
Greetings Lions. You are your "hero". 🦁 Be strong.
#cent #positivemindset
GM
Trying to be right now.
Thanks for this motivation. All lions are indeed heros
if this cold stays like this for one more day, I may call Trump #winter 😂
He has a great heater. The greatest hottest ever! 🤣
That sounds beautiful :P
Can the outside freeze you?
Y trump winter? !LOLZ
lolztoken.com
Because he always has a great fall!
Credit: reddit
$LOLZ on behalf of ben.haase
(4/10)
PLAY & EARN $DOOM
@rmsadkri, I sent you anSorry man, get some warm water for yourself and a think jacket.
Posting one picture a day from my photoshoots #photography #photographylovers #photographers
Money works like magnet, if you are making it, you keep getting it. And, if you are losing it, you keep losing more and only you can stop yourself from losing by simply taking a break from what you are doing.
Control yourself is the dilemma
You are right.
you are your only stumbling block
https://inleo.io/threads/view/selfhelp4trolls/re-leothreads-2c3kvhubs
Good morning people. It's my 3rd day here and I'm already excited. I will continue threading till I get enough money for premium membership.
How is your morning going so far?
#happytobehere
Thats cool man
My morning is going well so far... I have a business lunch in a coupĺe of hours so I need to get ready soon
What about your morning?
This awesome. Wishing you the best of luck and I sincerely hope it goes well for you
Morning
had too much coffee !LOLZ !BBH
lolztoken.com
You need someone to fix their air conditioner.
Credit: reddit
$LOLZ on behalf of master-lamps
(4/10)
PLAY & EARN $DOOM
@kwesidope, I sent you anThank you very much for the token. Appreciate it
Haha. Hope you don't feel like throwing up already
https://inleo.io/threads/view/selfhelp4trolls/re-leothreads-xsarcv4e
So, the Orange Man has been president for a month now and so far he has:
#politics
😅👌 This is good!
Only good thing I can see with this so far is that Trump forces Europe to unite. Lets make Europe great again!
M.E.G.A.! 🇪🇺
Hell yeah! Fuck those nazis! 😀
Love being danish 😂
!BBH !SLOTH
💪 If I was an American, I'd be ashamed. The new regime knows no honor.
The funny thing is, the only people I see complaining about Trump are non US citizens. LOL.
That's understandable, at the first stages of fascism people feel content but you'll get there eventually.
No, that's why I am in crypto. I am taking myself out of the whole system. That's why I am here for the freedom money, not the number go up casino like you are. I just simply stated a fact that you all are the ones that are complaining the most. I didn't vote either way because I don't play political games. My thought is to fix your own government before you complain about another, or shut the fuck up.
Yeah, yeah, I'm aware of that redneck agenda trending over there but over here, we at least try to act civilized, know the difference between right and wrong, and care for neighbors. No fixing needed here.
Far from a redneck agenda, lol, you probably don't even know what that really means, lol. It's the basis of what Bitcoin was built on. Monetary sovereignty, and it's even failed at that, and that is why I hold way more Monero than anything. Even before crypto, I have always fought to be outside the system, because, well, the system is a lie, it's a trap, and I don't want anything of it anymore. It has nothing to do with what is right and what is wrong, and who on this planet is perfect enough to tell us what right and wrong is? I don't want nor need anyone to rule over me and tell me how to live my life. You may need that, but I don't. So I'll live the way I live where I live, and you do the same.
The problem is too, that you base everything you see on what you see online or on mainstream media. I will tell you that most regular people here are just normal people that do help each other out, care about each other, etc. We are not all a bunch of moronic attention whores, etc that you see on social media. So your opinion is a bit skewed just like the rest of the population on your side of the world.
🙋♂️I'm a US citizen who hates Trump, there's plenty of others too. Maybe you're not looking in the right places 😉
Or maybe I don’t care what your opinion is and don’t want to know. I am myself an anarchist and I don’t believe in any government.
My point was that the only people I see bitching here are Europeans. Haven’t seen a single American here on Hive as this is my only social network, that has bitched one bit. The point also is that if you don’t live here, shut the fuck up.
The only people I see bitching in the US are the moron leftists that either want to kill their babies or people who are mentally ill and think they are a different gender or species. But these are the people that have destroyed the US over the last 4 years. Oh and we won’t even talk about the invasion of the southern border for the last 4 years.
Other than that, most regular people I talk to either don’t give a fuck or thinks he might actually make America great again because he is coming in and actually doing what he was elected to do. So you are in the minority here.
And this tirade of tired predictable talking points is why I normally keep quiet lol. Don't care and don't want to know is literally willful ignorance. Have a good day
My point stands lol
Good morning fellow lions! It's the season of stacking!
Indeed, can't trade much these days. Stacking is fine for now.
What else can we do when the market has gone insane. We keep stacking hopefully sanity return sooner than expected.
Yeah like $BBHO !LOLZ
lolztoken.com
A broom closet.
Credit: reddit
$LOLZ on behalf of ben.haase
(5/10)
Delegate Hive Tokens to Farm $LOLZ and earn 110% Rewards. Learn more.@bitcoinflood, I sent you an
BBHO is pretty solid working my way up to 10k there yourself?
Time to get more power!
Just a reminder today is #BPUD BBHO Power Up Day. #bbh #bbho
GM all
another hot day here in Brazil
Morning from 6° #germany !PIZZA
It's afternoon here , I wish you an awesome day
It's also hot here in Nigeria
31 C here, and kinda humid.
If you use 3speak, can you tell me if it is possible to upload a video of 1 hour or of 90 minutes;
I want to suggest to a crypto team to post their videos here but I ve never uploaded such long videos so I would like to have your opinion on this!
I've seen videos that are more than an hour long on 3speak, the limit is the weight, 5GB
Thank you very much!! I will share this info :)
!LADY
View or trade
LOHtokens.Use !LADY command to share LOH! More details available in this post.@katerinaramm, you successfully shared 0.1000 LOH with @tsunsica and you earned 0.1000 LOH as tips. (1/4 calls)
Stake Based Curation
Drop your best gems, we'll assess depending on post quality.
For more info check below ⬇️
#leocuration
Stake based curation parameters
https://inleo.io/@thelastdash/the-dark-side-of-longdistance-relationships-a-personal-story-kbn?referral=thelastdash
https://inleo.io/@luchyl/all-for-the-toast--6ek?referral=luchyl
https://inleo.io/@trumpman/alfonso-xiii-by-the-grace-of-god-50-centimos-1904-an9?referral=trumpman
https://inleo.io/@bradleyarrow/bpud-today-pi-mainet-launched-fhu
https://inleo.io/@nkemakonam89/how-curiosity-shaped-me-egv
https://inleo.io/@calebmarvel01/the-lions-den-on-live-on-tiktok-2-ae7?referral=calebmarvel01
https://inleo.io/@chorock/bitcoin-price-is-getting-ready-to-break-up-the-middle-line-of-bollinger-bands-fiy
https://inleo.io/@godfish/lesk-a-bda-meritokracie-l91
https://inleo.io/@rimurutempest/pixel-heroes-new-pvp-channel-skill-book-system-changes-premium-box-x-ron-enpt-6q3
https://inleo.io/@imfarhad/bpud-bbho-powerup-event-february-20th-2025-gww
https://inleo.io/@moonblast/giant-alpine-skink-a-powerful-defense-for-battles-in-splinterlands-fxd
https://inleo.io/@the-african-man/tethers-ceo-officially-launches-tradefi-b9n?referral=the-african-man
https://inleo.io/@thelogicaldude/the-eternal-struggle-of-getting-my-life-organized-3tm
https://inleo.io/@carephree/folds-fld-nasdaq-debut-a-milestone-for-blockchain-ln3?referral=carephree
This screenshot is a very good example of how you can earn good amounts of money with microblogging aka threading. 💲🤩
Where else do you earn 5 Dollars with a short post that only takes a minute to post? 💪
@inleo #inleo #threading #earn #post #microblogging #threads #raven
Inleo is surely a great place. Just imagine when we become more and more active lions 🦁
Definitely! Yes if Hive in general has 10 times as many active users, we would have a totally different situation already.
Love the Inleo, always.
You are very correct, shorts is another way of earnings huge on the blockchain. we need to promote short, personally i prefer shorts to thread although it takes more time and data to upload them. but is still cool for me..
I like that we can do both. Not everyone likes to record videos, so those people can still thread and don´t need to show their face or voice.
Oh yes, its pretty cool too.. but i love the shorts more.. lol
Shorts, working now?
It always worked for me the last weeks.
Hi, @sabrinah,
This post has been voted on by @darkcloaks because you are an active member of the Darkcloaks gaming community.
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