el

People Miscellany – Troubles

Removed From Troubles (Open for application): Menhera (People)




el

ESPN NBA Schedule Update: Golden State Warriors Visit New Orleans Pelicans on November 22

This matchup replaces the previously scheduled Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks game.




el

"Doctor Odyssey" Series Premiere Swells +482% Over Live+Same Day Audience in Adults 18-49

Plus: "9-1-1" kicked off season eight with an action-packed three-episode story arc rising +156% in Total Viewers (12.64 million vs. 4.93 million) and +519% in Adults 18-49 (2.91 rating vs. 0.47 rating) over its initial Live+Same Day audience.




el

ESPN to Exclusively Present 2025 MLB Opening Day Doubleheader Featuring Both World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League Champion New York Yankees

The doubleheader begins on ESPN at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 27 when Aaron Judge and the Yankees host Christian Yelich and the Milwaukee Brewers, who won the National League Central in 2024.




el

AI Companies Reportedly Struggling to Improve Latest Models

Leading artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are facing "diminishing returns" from their costly efforts to build newer AI models, according to a new Bloomberg report. The stumbling blocks appear to be growing in size as Apple continues a phased rollout of its own AI features through Apple Intelligence.


OpenAI's latest model, known internally as Orion, has reportedly fallen short of the company's performance expectations, particularly in handling coding tasks. The model is said to be lacking the significant improvements over existing systems when compared to the gains GPT-4 made versus its predecessor.

Google is also reportedly facing similar obstacles with its upcoming Gemini software, while Anthropic has delayed the release of its anticipated Claude 3.5 Opus model. Industry experts who spoke to Bloomberg attributed the challenges to the increasing difficulty in finding "new, untapped sources of high-quality, human-made training data" and the enormous costs associated with developing and operating new models concurrently with existing ones.

Silicon Valley's belief that more computing power, data, and larger models will inevitably lead to better performance, and ultimately the holy grail – artificial general intelligence (AGI) – could be based on false assumptions, suggests the report. Consequently, companies are now exploring alternative approaches, including further post-training (incorporating human feedback to improve responses and refining the tone) and developing AI tools called agents that can perform targeted tasks, such as booking flights or sending emails on a user's behalf.

"The AGI bubble is bursting a little bit," said Margaret Mitchell, chief ethics scientist at AI startup Hugging Face. She told Bloomberg that "different training approaches" may be needed to make AI models work really well on a variety of tasks. Other experts who spoke to the outlet echoed Mitchell's sentiment.

How much impact these challenges will have on Apple's approach is unclear, though Apple Intelligence is more focused in comparison, and the company uses internal large language models (LLMs) grounded in privacy. Apple's AI services mainly operate on-device, while the company's Private Cloud Compute encrypted servers are only pinged for tasks requiring more advanced processing power.

Apple is integrating AI capabilities into existing products and services, including writing tools, Siri improvements, and image generation features, so it can't be said to be competing directly in the LLM space. However, Apple has agreed a partnership with OpenAI that allows Siri to optionally hand off more open-ended queries to ChatGPT. Apple has also reportedly held discussions with other LLM companies about similar outsourcing partnerships.

It's possible that the challenges faced by major AI companies pursuing breakthrough general-purpose AI models could ultimately validate Apple's more conservative strategy of developing specific AI features that enhance the user experience. In that sense, its privacy-first policy may not be the straitjacket it first seemed. Apple plans to expand Apple Intelligence features next month with the release of iOS 18.2 and then via further updates through 2025.


This article, "AI Companies Reportedly Struggling to Improve Latest Models" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums




el

Apple Likely to Announce Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac Today

In its Mac mini announcement video last month, Apple briefly mentioned an "upcoming" version of Final Cut Pro for the Mac. We believe that Apple will likely announce the update later today, as the annual Final Cut Pro Creative Summit conference begins today and involves a visit to Apple Park starting at 2 p.m. Pacific Time today. Final Cut Pro version 10.7 was shown off during the same Apple Park day of the conference last year.


Final Cut Pro received its most recent feature update to version 10.8 in June. New features included an Enhance Light and Color effect, a Smooth Slo-Mo option for slow-motion visuals, advanced search and filtering in the timeline index, and more.

Following a bug-fix update in August, Final Cut Pro is now on version 10.8.1. It is quite possible that the next version will be Final Cut Pro 11, rather than 10.9, given that Logic Pro went from version 10.8.1 to 11.0 earlier this year.

We recently recapped three new features that Apple already said are coming to Final Cut Pro for the Mac later this year, including spatial video editing, AI-generated video effects, and automatic AI-generated captions. An image of Final Cut Pro in the Mac mini announcement video last month also showed an unreleased "Magnetic Mask" feature that will likely allow users to isolate moving objects in the foreground of videos.

Final Cut Pro's upcoming auto-caption feature

At least some of these features will likely extend to an updated version of the Final Cut Pro app for iPad. There could also be updates to the Final Cut Pro companion apps Compressor and Motion for the Mac, and to the Final Cut Camera app for the iPhone.

In the U.S., Final Cut Pro currently costs $299.99 on the Mac, while the iPad version is a subscription-based app priced at $4.99 per month or $49 per year.
This article, "Apple Likely to Announce Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac Today" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums



  • Final Cut Pro

el

Apple Releases Logic Pro 11.1 for Mac

Apple today released Logic Pro 11.1 for Mac and Logic Pro 2.1 for iPad, adding new features for songwriting, producing, and mixing. There's a new Quantec Room Simulator plug-in that uses the original algorithms and code from Quantec founder Wolfgang Buchleitner, allowing users to add naturalistic acoustic space to their music with Quantec QRS, or to select Quantec Yardstick for more accurate modeling of acoustic spaces.


Plug-in search lets Final Cut Pro users find and add any plug-in from the plug-in menu without clicking on a channel strip insert. Users can search by categories, company name, or part of a plug-in name.

There is a new Modular Melodies sound back that includes hundreds of loops crafted from patchable hardware synths and a collection of meticulously designed Alchemy synth patches.

Along with these features, the app also includes several enhancements.


  • Drag channel strips to organize your mixer layout

  • Send your mix directly to Voice Memos and preview on iPhone, ‌iPad‌ or Apple Watch

  • Click on any plug-in slot while holding the command key to quickly remove plug-ins

  • Quickly set input, output, side chain source, or bus routings using in-menu search

  • Use key commands to move Marquee selections in all directions to speed up editing


Apple has also released a new version of Logic Remote with stability improvements and bug fixes.
This article, "Apple Releases Logic Pro 11.1 for Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums




el

Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac

Apple today announced the launch of major updates for its Final Cut Pro video editing software designed for Macs and iPads. Final Cut Pro has been version 10 since 2011, but after 13 years, Apple is finally ready to debut Final Cut Pro 11.


Apple first teased a new version of Final Cut Pro when introducing the new M4 Macs in October, and now the updated software is available for download with a number of "intelligent" improvements.

With Final Cut Pro 11, Apple is making sure to take advantage of the full power of its M-series chips. Magnetic Mask, a new AI-powered tool, lets video editors isolate people and objects in a video clip without a green screen or time-consuming rotoscoping.


Magnetic Mask is ideal for customizing backgrounds and environments, and it can be combined with color correction and video effects for more control over each project.

Another new AI feature, Transcribe to Captions, lets Final Cut Pro automatically generate closed captions in the timeline using an Apple-trained large language model that analyzes spoken audio in a video.


Final Cut Pro 11 now has support for editing spatial video. Users are able to import footage from the iPhone 15 Pro models, iPhone 16 models, or Canon's R7 camera with RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual Lens to make color corrections, add effects, and enhance video with titles and other features. The depth position of titles and captured footage can be adjusted using FCP, and there are different viewing modes for previewing left and right eye angles on the Mac.

When a Mac is paired with a Vision Pro, the Mac Virtual Display can be used for editing spatial video with the Final Cut Pro software. Spatial videos edited in Final Cut Pro can be exported directly to a user's Photos library to be viewed on Vision Pro, or they can be shared with others by uploading them to the visionOS Vimeo app. Other new Final Cut Pro features:

- Reduce clutter in the browser by automatically hiding original clips when creating synced clips or multicam clips.
- Use Vertical Zoom to Fit to scale clip heights to fit in the timeline.
- Speed up your creative flow with new Picture in Picture and Callout effects.
- Create amazing visual reveals with new Modular transitions.
- Increase efficiency with new keyboard shortcuts for common tasks in the browser and timeline.
- Install third-party Media Extensions to support playback and editing of more video formats.

Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.1 improves the touch-first editing experience by adding support for Enhance Light and Color, which refines color balance, contrast, and brightness in video or still images with one tap.


There's haptic feedback support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, which means users will feel a light pulse when trimming clips, moving media, navigating the timeline, and resizing viewer clips to snapping points. Apple added four new inks for the Live Drawing feature on ‌iPad‌ for adding animations to videos. There are now watercolor, crayon, fountain pen, and monoline pen options.


Other improvements include a vertical pinch gesture for expanding or minimizing clip height in the timeline, an option for dynamically adjusting the size and position of the viewer in Picture in Picture mode, and timeline support for recordings at 90 to 120fps on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The content library features additional modular transitions, color-grading presets, and dynamic soundtracks.

Apple also updated Final Cut Camera to version 1.1, adding support for capturing Log-encoded HEVC video in either standalone or Live Multicam sessions, pairing the dynamic range of Log with reduced file sizes. Users can also enable a preview lookup table (LUT) while recording in Log.


‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ users are able to record 4K 120fps footage for smoother cinematic slow motion and then import it into Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ to edit. Other new features include an advanced level with roll and tilt indicators and a crosshairs indicator for top-down shots.

Along with these updates to Final Cut Pro, Apple refreshed Logic Pro for Mac and Logic Pro for ‌iPad‌, adding support for a new Quantec Room Simulator plug-in. There are also updates for Motion, Compressor, and iMovie.

The new versions of Final Cut Pro for Mac and ‌iPad‌, Final Cut Camera, and Logic Pro for Mac and ‌iPad‌ can be downloaded from the App Store. Final Cut Pro for Mac is priced at $299.99, while Final Cut Pro for ‌iPad‌ is priced at $4.99 per month or $49 per year. The version 11 update is available to existing users for free.

Logic Pro for Mac is priced at $199.99, while Logic Pro for ‌iPad‌ is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
This article, "Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums




el

Wednesday Comics Reviews: HELEN OF WYNDHORN #6 is a stunning finale

Helen of Wyndhorn #6 is this week's lead Wednesday Comics review, plus we look at G.I. Joe, Arcbound, and more!





el

DC Round-Up: ACTION COMICS #1075 delivers a nice retcon AND a fun new status quo

Action Comics #1075 features a retcon and a major status quo development for Metropolis across the Superman titles.





el

The MARVEL RUNDOWN: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #61 kicks off a meh new era

Amazing Spider-Man launches into a new era and new story arc. Plus reviews of Psylocke and Uncanny X-Men.




el

Josh McDaniels on coaching Tom Brady in New England | The Herd

Josh McDaniels joins Colin Cowherd shares a story about being the offensive offensive coordinator in New England and coaching Tom Brady. "I have emails of things he liked and didn't like."




el

Joel Klatt explains why Deion Sanders deserves Coach of the Year | The Herd

FOX Sports' Joel Klatt joins Colin Cowherd to discuss why Deion Sanders deserves Coach of the Year.




el

Josh McDaniels: Tom Brady had 'pages-long' strategy notes before Patriots games

Former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels detailed what it was like to prepare for games with Tom Brady every week during a season.




el

Odell Beckham Jr. boasts about taking 2021 Rams salary in Bitcoin

Odell Beckham Jr. is taking a victory lap over something he did while with the Rams — and it's not winning the Super Bowl.




el

Eagles, Steelers 'massively underestimated,' Bills climb up in Nick's Tiers | First Things First

Nick Wright unveils his Week 11 Tiers alongside Chris Broussard, Kevin Wildes and Coach Eric Mangini. Watch as Nick addresses "massively underestimating" the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles and why the Buffalo Bills climb higher up the tiers.




el

Vikings rookie J.J. McCarthy had injection to alleviate knee swelling

Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has had some real growth since suffering a season-ending injury earlier this season.




el

Can Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders WIN vs. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles? | NFL on FOX Pod

Dave Helman sits down with Ralph Vacchiano to talk about the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders! Within the conversation, the duo break down what the Eagles might do to contain Jayden Daniels and also discuss Jalen Hurts too!




el

Victor Wembanyama has career-high 50 points to help Spurs top Wizards, 139-130

Victor Wembanyama had a career-high 50 points and the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.




el

California researchers discover mysterious, gelatinous new sea slug




el

SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites from California




el

Bitcoin Proxy MicroStrategy Director Sells 40K Company Shares Worth $12M As Stock Hits All-Time High

MicroStrategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) director Leslie J. Rechan has executed a significant sale of company shares, amounting to approximately $12 million, as per a recent SEC filing. The transactions were disclosed on Wednesday. Don't Miss: Over the last five years, the price of gold has increased by…




el

Household Debt, Delinquencies, Collections, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcies: Our Drunken Sailors and their Debts in Q3 2024

As a growing population financed more costly purchases, total debt rose. But income rose even faster in recent quarters. By Wolf Richter for WOLF STREET. Total household debt outstanding ticked up by $71 billion in Q3, or by 0.57%, from Q2, to $17.9 trillion, according to the Household Debt and…




el

UK to Spell Out Crypto Plans as Startups Eye US Trump Benefits




el

Big Oil Shouldn't Celebrate Shell's Dutch Court Win




el

Germany tells its ports to reject Russian gas cargoes

Economy ministry instructs import terminal to refuse planned shipment of LNG




el

Manhattan Apartment Rents Rise to Highest Level Since July




el

Don't Fool Yourself With These Dieting Tricks This Holiday

During festivals of feasting, the prospect of weight gain can lead some to skip meals or embark on a cleanse to make up for holiday indulgence—but such strategies may do more harm than good. A survey by Orlando Health found than nearly two in five Americans worry about how much they eat over the…




el

Dogecoin surges nearly 20% after Trump announces Elon Musk-led ‘Department of Government Efficiency’

Elon Musk’s favorite cryptocurrency Dogecoin spiked by as much as 20% Wednesday after the Tesla mogul was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead a newly created “Department of Government Efficiency” — or DOGE. The meme coin, which features an image of a Shiba Inu breed dog and was created…




el

Geely to Integrate Zeekr, Lynk&Co Brands to Streamline Costs




el

Just Eat Takeaway sells Grubhub for $650 million, just 3 years after buying the app for $7.3 billion

Just Eat Takeaway sells Grubhub for $650 million, just 3 years after buying the app for $7.3 billion NEW YORK (AP) — European food delivery giant Just Eat Takeaway.com is selling Grubhub for $650 million, a fraction of the billions it spent to buy the U.S. platform just three years ago. Wonder…




el

Russia downs two drones over Kursk, Belgorod regions

Russian air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight on Thursday, TASS reported, citing the country's defense ministry. "One Ukrainian unmanned aeria...




el

EUROPE No end in sight for Trump-fuelled trade

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Rae Wee




el

Scholz fields new European policy chief for upcoming summits

Donec et orci aliquet nisl suscipit molestie sed sit amet tortor. Duis vel urna ac mi sollicitudin lacinia mollis sit amet lorem. Sed finibus erat nec libero scelerisque fringilla. Morbi at orci sed urna vulputate vulputate. Nulla facilisi. Donec et orci aliquet nisl suscipit molestie sed sit amet…




el

Kansai Electric Shares Lead Drop in Sector on Planned Stock Sale




el

Trump Whale Scores $85 Million Windfall on Election




el

The founder-CEO of Xiaomi is taking a leaf out of Elon Musk's Tesla playbook, posting a picture of himself taking a nap on the factory floor

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said in an X post on Tuesday that the company had produced 100,000 Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicles in 230 days. Luna Lin/AFP via Getty Images Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun posted a photo of himself sleeping on the factory floor. Lei was celebrating an EV production milestone — 100,000 units…




el

My Conversation with the excellent Neal Stephenson

Here is the audio, video, and transcript. Here is part of the episode summary: In Neal’s second appearance, Tyler asks him why he sometimes shifts from envisioning the future to illustrating the past, the rise of history autodidacts, the implications of leaked secrets from the atomic age to…




el

Israeli jets strike commercial district in southern Beirut

Israeli jets carried out strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Thursday, after previously issuing evacuation orders for Lebanese civilians, Al Jazeera reported. The strikes hit the commercial ...




el

S&D to block Fitto and Várhelyi, blaming Weber’s actions

Donec et orci aliquet nisl suscipit molestie sed sit amet tortor. Duis vel urna ac mi sollicitudin lacinia mollis sit amet lorem. Sed finibus erat nec libero scelerisque fringilla. Morbi at orci sed urna vulputate vulputate. Nulla facilisi. Donec et orci aliquet nisl suscipit molestie sed sit amet…




el

Taiwan Says TSMC’s US Investments Help with Trade Balance




el

Asia shares wobble on China angst; long-end US bond yields rise with dollar




el

How This Simple Tool Helped Jensen Huang Build Nvidia Into the King of AI




el

EON Boosts Power-Grid Spending by 20% as Europe Electrifies




el

Siemens Sees Data Center Boom Helping Offset Automation Slump




el

Deutsche Telekom Earnings Boosted by Momentum in US and Germany




el

Shell’s successful appeal will not end climate lawsuits against firms, say experts

Dutch appeal court ruled in favour of oil and gas company over judgment telling it to limit emissions A court ruling in favour of Shell does not spell the end of climate litigation against companies, legal experts have said. The oil and gas company celebrated on Tuesday when it won an appeal…




el

EU Infighting Risks Delaying Formation of Team to Face Trump