Reviews

But the platforms they thrived on have started to turn against them. Just a few weeks ago, WeChat and Douyin began suspending, removing, or restricting their accounts. While influencers on these platforms have been turning people’s anxiety into traffic and profits for a long time, the latest actions show how Chinese social platforms are trying to contain the damage before it goes too far.  The backlash started last month, as students angrily complained on social media about the superficiality of the courses, saying that…

The statement “Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken” resonates strongly with the Samsung Galaxy A55 5G, which I have been using for almost a week. The handset bears similarities with last year’s Samsung Galaxy A54 5G (review), which impressed us in nearly every aspect. However, Samsung has upped the ante by introducing the Galaxy A55 5G with an upgraded Exynos 1480 SoC. How much of a difference does it make for the smartphone? More importantly, does it elevate the Galaxy A55 5G as a superior mid-range option compared to its…

The main benefit is that the AI assistant reduces the workload of the coaches, says Ondřej Hubáček, an analyst at the sports data firm Ematiq who specializes in predictive models, and who did not work on the project. “An AI system can go through the data quickly and point out errors a team is making—I think that’s the added value you can get from AI assistants,” he says.  To assess TacticAI’s suggestions, GoogleDeepMind presented them to five football experts: three data scientists, one video analyst, and one coaching…

The big story One city’s fight to solve its sewage problem with sensors April 2021 In the city of South Bend, Indiana, wastewater from people’s kitchens, sinks, washing machines, and toilets flows through 35 neighborhood sewer lines. On good days, just before each line ends, a vertical throttle pipe diverts the sewage into an interceptor tube, which carries it to a treatment plant where solid pollutants and bacteria are filtered out. As in many American cities, those pipes are combined with storm drains, which can…

With the launch of its LOQ series last year, Lenovo established a new category of budget-focused gaming laptops and desktops. This year we have a refreshed lineup including the new 15-inch LOQ gaming laptop which is available with the latest Intel 14th-gen mobile CPUs. As of now, there is only one configuration if you are looking for the latest hardware, powered by the Core i7-14700HX and an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU with the option of choosing a 1080p or 1440p display. This makes it an excellent choice if you are looking for a…

The companies with the most powerful AI models, such as GPT-4 and Gemini, will face more onerous requirements, such as having to perform model evaluations and risk-assessments and mitigations, ensure cybersecurity protection, and report any incidents where the AI system failed. Companies that fail to comply will face huge fines or their products could be banned from the EU.  It’s also worth noting that free open-source AI models that share every detail of how the model was built, including the model’s architecture,…

Researchers used an AI technique called reinforcement learning to help a two-legged robot nicknamed Cassie to run 400 meters, over varying terrains, and execute standing long jumps and high jumps, without being trained explicitly on each movement. Reinforcement learning works by rewarding or penalizing an AI as it tries to carry out an objective. In this case, the approach taught the robot to generalize and respond in new scenarios, instead of freezing like its predecessors may have done.  “We wanted to push the limits…

But the project switched locations several times. Most recently, the team hoped to launch a balloon to test out the aircraft’s hardware from the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden in the summer of 2021. But those plans were canceled on the recommendation of the project’s advisory committee, which determined the researchers should hold discussions with the public ahead of any flights. The effort was also heavily criticized by the Saami Council, which represents the indigenous Saami peoples’ groups in Sweden and…

On a bright chilly day last December, a crowd of doctors and scientists gathered at a research institute atop a hill in Novato, California. Their goal is to help people add years to their lifespans, and to live those extra years in good health. But the meeting’s participants had another goal as well: to be recognized as a credible medical field. For too long, modern medicine has focused on treating disease rather than preventing it, they say. They believe that it’s time to move from reactive healthcare to proactive…

“The term ‘immortality’ should never be part of our discussion… it’s a total pipe dream,” says Verdin, who personally hopes to live to around 95. “My worry is that it makes us like a cult.” Longevity doctors also tend to agree that, while longevity clinics are a pricey experience for the rich, they should eventually be accessible to everyone. “The clinics charge between $5,000 and $50,000 a year,” says Verdin. “It’s medicine for the rich, by the rich, which is something I deplore.” At the December meeting, attendees…