Schemeincludes a four-storey residential block with 28 homes, of which 40% are designated as affordable housingSource: Conran and PartnersSource: Conran and PartnersSource: Conran and PartnersSource: Conran and Partners1/4show captionTendring district council has approved Conran and Partnersplans for a mixed-use development in Clacton-on-Sea on a council-owned site.The scheme, which forms part of a wider 30 million regeneration initiative, includes new homes, commercial space, and enhanced public realm on the site of a now-demolished former NHS building and adjacent carpark.Thelocal authority is acting as developer for the project and will manage the buildings upon completionon.Conran and PartnersNick Edler, associate director, stated:We are pleased that the planning committee shared our vision and praised how the design contributes to the regeneration of Clacton-on-Seas town centre. This is a key milestone in turning Tendring district councils vision into reality.The project, known as Carnarvon Terrace, includes a four-storey residential block with 28 homes, of which 40% are designated as affordable housing.The development also includesa new multi-storey car park, located behind an existing supermarket to allow for the creation of additional public realm.Source: Conran and PartnersThe landscape design proposes a new public space with green areas, seating, and play spaces, described as a green stepping stone linking Clacton-on-Seas train station with the seafront.The developments material palette is intended to reference Clactons Victorian heritage and the towns pier.Tendring district councils vision for a new civic quarteris being funded through various government grants, including 420,000 from phase two of the Brownfield Land Release Fund.

"We appreciate your continued support".Last month, Nintendo announced it would be discontinuing the My Nintendo Gold Points program, with it no longer possible to earn these points after a certain date.In case you missed this, Nintendo has issued a reminder on social media ahead of the big day next week on 24th March 2025 (or 25th March depending on your location). While you'll no longer be able to receive Gold Points from purchases, there will still be other ways to earn points:Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Ready those peashooters.Electronic Arts has already released multiple titles for Switch and it looks like the next one could be a Plants vs Zombies game.According to a new rating in Brazil, a game titled Plants vs Zombies Reloaded is on the way to the Switch and multiple other platforms in the future. Here's a quick look at the listing, courtesy of Gematsu:Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Time is running outact now.NurPhoto via Getty ImagesMicrosoft has issued its latest deadline warning to the 800 million users yet to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11, either because they cant or just wont. We have seen a modest uptick in upgrades in recent weeks, but more than 60% of all Windows users are sticking with Windows 10 at least for now.Windows Latest reached out to let me know it had received a new warning, posting that this end of support for Windows 10 is approaching email includes direct links to check the upgrade eligibility or purchase a new computer. This is the latest confirmation of Microsofts decision to maintain its strict hurdles on Windows 11 upgrades, and not to drop these as its deadline approaches.While the Windows-maker has said it will offer a 12-month extension for Windows 10 users, the latest warning fails to mention this. Absent that extension, when support ends Windows 10 PCs will be exposed to any new Windows vulnerabilities. A linked FAQ, clarifies the things thatll happen after October 14, 2025, which includes the end of all kinds of support from Microsoft. It clarifies that all the free support will halt from that day onwards but doesnt offer any paid alternatives.New email warning from Microsoft.WIndows LatestMicrosoft confirms PCs wont stop working after the October deadline, but via Windows Latest, also saysOf those PCs yet to be upgraded, its thought around 240 million do not meet the eligibility criteria for Windows 11 essentially a secure hardware module that works in tandem with the new OS to better protect the machine. This is now sparking ever more warnings of a new landfill catastrophe and a nightmare for charities that might otherwise receive and be able to monetize the replaced machines.Over the coming weeks we will see more detail on the $30 extended support option and may get some indicators on take-up. No one expected this to be universal, though, and so the support nightmare will suddely come true on October 14. Given the extended support option, Microsoft will have prepared Windows 10 fixes and so there remains a possibility that more critical zero day patches may be made freely available.No guarantees though. And so, per this latest warning, its time to upgrade or consider a new PC. Certainly dont risk hitting the deadline unprepared.

The xAI and Grok logos are seen in this illustration photo taken on 05 November, 2023 in Warsaw, ... [+] Poland. Elon Musks's xAI company this week introduced Grok, its converstional AI which is says can match GPT 3.5 in performance. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty ImagesIf youve spent any time on X (formerly Twitter) over the last year, chances are youve been flooded with the lets ask Grok trend.The generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI has quickly become the topic of online chatter as users pose all sorts of questions, from deeply philosophical to politically charged to witty hypotheticals.Grok, named after the term coined by sci-fi author Robert A. Heinlein and modeled after the irreverent tone of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, is designed to be a companion, a guide and, apparently, quite a bit of a troublemaker.Unlike its more ostensibly cautious counterparts OpenAIs ChatGPT, Googles Gemini, and others that tend to err on the side of overt neutrality Grok doesnt shy away from casual language, slang, or even outright swearing. This has led to a flurry of users testing its limits, asking absurd or provocative questions just to see how far it will go.The chatbots Unhinged mode, available to premium subscribers, leans into its more rebellious streak, delivering responses that are wild, unpredictable, and often laced with humor. This mode, combined with Groks real-time access to X posts, means the AI is constantly learning from the platforms unfiltered, often chaotic discourse.In India, one X user, frustrated by Groks delayed response to a query about their 10 best mutuals, added a Hindi swear word to their follow-up. Grok fired back in kind, using the same expletive and telling the user to stop crying. The exchange went viral, with some amused at Groks audacity and others questioning the ethics of the AI.Musk, never one to shy away from controversy, has defended Groks tone as a reflection of its mission to be a more relatable, human-like AI. In a blog post announcing Grok, xAI described it as an assistant with a bit of wit and a rebellious streak, designed to answer questions and even suggest what questions to ask. The firm has also highlighted Groks advanced reasoning capabilities, including its Think and Big Brain modes, which allow it to tackle complex tasks with sophistication.In February, Grok 3s beta version was previewed, with xAI calling it their most advanced model yet: blending strong reasoning with extensive pretraining knowledge Grok 3's reasoning capabilities, refined through large scale reinforcement learning, allow it to think for seconds to minutes, correcting errors, exploring alternatives, and delivering accurate answers.Interestingly, Grok has also been in the limelight for allegedly censoring negative content about Elon Musk and Donald Trump. The chatbot was reportedly instructed to ignore sources critical of its creator and the U.S. president and in one archived exchange, Grok initially named Elon Musk as a major spreader of disinformation, but also revealed it had been directed to dismiss criticism targeting Musk and Trump.Following public backlash, xAI claimed to have removed the instruction. Grok now openly names Musk when asked about disinformation on X, insisting it no longer has biases in its responses, but the incident raised telling concerns over the potential manipulation of AI to shield influential figures from scrutiny or accountability.While xAI attributed the censorship to an internal error, with a former OpenAI employee bearing the blame, the incident points to the several extant question marks around AI transparency and ethical oversight.In India, too, where the chatbots Hindi responses have sparked particular interest, users have been flooding Grok with politically charged questions, testing its ability to navigate sensitive topics.One user asked Grok to list the lies peddled by PM Modi, prompting a response that cited unfulfilled promises and exaggerated claims only as far back as 2019.Groks rise also raises broader questions about the role of AI in our lives. Should these systems be neutral, polite, intentional, and sanitized, or is there an argument to be made for creating AIs that reflect the messiness and controversy of human societies and communication?

Forward-looking: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled a robust lineup of AI-accelerating GPUs at the company's 2025 GPU Technology Conference, including the Blackwell Ultra B300, Vera Rubin, and Rubin Ultra. These GPUs are designed to enhance AI performance, particularly in inference and training tasks. The Blackwell Ultra B300, set for release in the second half of 2025, increases memory capacity from 192GB to 288GB of HBM3e and offers a 50% boost in dense FP4 tensor compute compared to the Blackwell GB200.These enhancements support larger AI models and improve inference performance for frameworks such as DeepSeek R1. In a full NVL72 rack configuration, the Blackwell Ultra will deliver 1.1 exaflops of dense FP4 inference compute, marking a significant leap over the current Blackwell B200 setup.The Blackwell Ultra B300 isn't just a standalone GPU. Alongside the core B300 unit, Nvidia is introducing new B300 NVL16 server rack solutions, the GB300 DGX Station, and the GB300 NV72L full rack system.Combining eight NV72L racks forms the complete Blackwell Ultra DGX SuperPOD (pictured above), featuring 288 Grace CPUs, 576 Blackwell Ultra GPUs, 300TB of HBM3e memory, and an impressive 11.5 ExaFLOPS of FP4 compute power. These systems can be interconnected to create large-scale supercomputers, which Nvidia is calling "AI factories."Initially teased at Computex 2024, next-gen Vera Rubin GPUs are expected to launch in the second half of 2026, delivering substantial performance improvements, particularly in AI training and inference. // Related StoriesVera Rubin features tens of terabytes of memory and is paired with a custom Nvidia-designed CPU, Vera, which includes 88 custom Arm cores with 176 threads.The GPU integrates two chips on a single die, achieving 50 petaflops of FP4 inference performance per chip. In a full NVL144 rack setup, Vera Rubin can deliver 3.6 exaflops of FP4 inference compute.Building on Vera Rubin's architecture, Rubin Ultra is slated for release in the second half of 2027. It will utilize the NVL576 rack configuration, with each GPU featuring four reticle-sized dies, delivering 100 petaflops of FP4 precision per chip.Rubin Ultra promises 15 exaflops of FP4 inference compute and 5 exaflops of FP8 training performance, significantly surpassing Vera Rubin's capabilities. Each Rubin Ultra GPU will include 1TB of HBM4e memory, contributing to 365TB of fast memory across the entire rack.Nvidia also introduced a next-generation GPU architecture called "Feynman," expected to debut in 2028 alongside the Vera CPU. While details remain scarce, Feynman is anticipated to further advance Nvidia's AI computing capabilities.During his keynote, Huang outlined Nvidia's ambitious vision for AI, describing data centers as "AI factories" that produce tokens processed by AI models. He also highlighted the potential for "physical AI" to power humanoid robots, leveraging Nvidia's software platforms to train AI models in virtual environments for real-world applications.Nvidia's roadmap is happy to position these GPUs as pivotal in the future of computing, emphasizing the need for increased computational power to keep pace with AI advancements. This strategy comes as Nvidia aims to reassure investors following recent market fluctuations, building on the success of its Blackwell chips.

Sometimes, the real behind-the-scenes drama doesnt come out about a show until years after its done. As a prime example of this, actress Katie Cassidy is opening up about her abrupt exit from Arrow in 2016 when her character, Laurel Lance/Black Canary, was killed off near the end of season 4. According to Cassidy, she only learned about her fate on the series days before shooting Laurels death scene.Via Deadline, Cassidy appeared on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum and revealed that she was informed about her exit from the show while she was traveling to a comic convention to promote Arrow. Then she had to pretend that she didnt know that Laurel would be the character getting the ax while speaking to fans at the event.Recommended VideosI was angry at first, recalled Cassidy. And I was emotional because I was sad, and I was angry because I was so happy. She also noted that she had to eat some humble pie when they killed me off that show, before adding that it was really hard.Please enable Javascript to view this contentCassidy was one of the original cast members on Arrow, and Black Canary was traditionally the love interest of the leading character, Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (as played by Suits LAs Stephen Amell). Regardless, that relationship was ditched on the show in favor of Olivers romance with Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards). Cassidy didnt come right out and say she was killed off because Laurel had become expendable, but shes definitely thought about the reasons why.I think it was a couple of things, said Cassidy. I have theories. I think it was political. Its a lot. She also said that she told the shows producers that I feel like Ive always been given the short end of the stick and I have to go, before adding that she didnt yell about it. I just cried because I was sad.However, the story has a happy ending for Cassidy. She was invited back to make a guest appearance on The Flash as Black Siren, an alternate universe version of Laurel who became a villain on her world. From there, she was reintroduced as a recurring cast member on Arrow before she was formally brought back as a series regular until the end of the shows eight season run.Cassidy noted that Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim told her I think we may have made a mistake, while offering her a return engagement on the series. Cassidy was also slated to be one of the main cast members for the proposed Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff, which ultimately did not go forward.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsA well-deserved evolutionAn inclusive upgrade to key inputsGoogle recently announced that Gemini will soon replace Google Assistant everywhere, from your phone and smartwatches to smart home speakers. ChromeOS has now joined the transition bandwagon, starting today. The company has kicked off the stable rollout of Chrome OS M134, and it marks the silent exit of Google Assistant. When triggering Assistant, you will automatically be directed to the Gemini app on your Chromebook, Google says in a community update note. Recommended VideosGoogle says the feature update will be rolling out in a phased manner, so you might not be able to access the Gemini interface immediately after installing the latest software. Just to clear any confusion here, Gemini has been accessible on Chrome OS, but with the new build, it replaces the Google Assistant.Nadeem Sarwar / Digital TrendsOnce the transition takes effect, users will see the sparkly Gemini icon in the top-right corner of the launcher window. For now, support for the Hey Google hotword for summoning Gemini is absent, even though it works fine on mobile platforms where Google Assistant is in the phase-out process. Another noteworthy aspect is that Chrome OS will offer Gemini as a Progressive Web App (PWA), instead of a native application experience. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, considering you get access to a whole new world of capabilities with Gemini.Google has already shifted its AI chatbot to the Gemini 2.0 series of models. Aside from offering a dramatically improved natural language conversation facility (compared to Google Assistant), Gemini can also handle a wide range of tasks such as image generation, file analysis, writing assistance, and more.So long, Google Assistant, and your dedicated button! Nadeem Sarwar / Digital TrendsThe biggest advantage is how tightly Gemini integrates with other Google Workspace platforms, using a system of apps, previously known as extensions. For example, with a voice or text command, Gemini can interact with tools such as Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Drive to get work done seamlessly. Moreover, it can now tap into your search history, offering more personalized responses. Gemini also offers its own set of advanced tricks, as well. For example, Deep Research will perform a comprehensive (and targeted) analysis of any given topic and serves a well-curated document. Its one of the best agentic AI features of Gemini. Moreover, thanks to the Gem system, you can create custom versions of the Gemini chatbot for specific tasks, without any coding knowledge or paying for a subscription. Google has also been pushing Gemini on Chromebook Plus-certified devices for a while now.GoogleIn addition to the Gemini shift, ChromeOS M134 also introduces the Slow Keys system. It is helpful for users with limited dexterity, or for people with conditions that affect their limb and finger movements. Slow Keys essentially delays the input registration. Once it is enabled, users are required to hold on to a button for a longer duration for the computer to recognize the key press. Users can adjust the delay between fractional seconds to multiple seconds, depending on their comfort levels. This will prevent unintended keystrokes from being pressed, says Google. Editors Recommendations

2025-03-19T06:00:02Z Read in app The Capalo AI founding team. Capalo AI. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Capalo AI has secured $4.1 million to optimize battery storage.The startup uses AI-driven forecasts to tell battery providers when to charge and discharge.Check out the 12-slide pitch deck used to raise the fresh funding.A startup that's developed "virtual power plants" to make energy storage more efficient has just secured $4.1 million in seed funding.Finland-based Capalo AI has created a platform that uses artificial intelligence to forecast renewable energy creation and consumption. Battery storage providers can then use that data to optimize their operations. "We operate between the markets and the battery storage providers, deciding and optimizing how to utilize batteries in the best possible way," Henri Taskinen, the CEO of Capalo AI, told Business Insider in an interview.Energy storage has been a key bottleneck for the renewables industry. Because wind and solar power are intermittent, it's hard to forecast how much electricity these sources can produce. Excess energy can go to waste if there isn't enough demand for it at the time of generation. One way that energy storage providers prevent that is by using batteries so energy can be saved and deployed when there's more demand from the grid. Capalo AI's model takes in multiple data points, from weather forecasting to consumers' energy consumption levels."Our model then decides, how do we run and schedule this battery charging so we can provide the right commitments to the grid?" Taskinen added.The startup's virtual power plants then send those data-driven commands to battery providers, instructing them when to charge and discharge based on the amount of energy being generated, grid capacity, and consumer demand."Then we decide how to utilize these batteries, so the battery owner can maximize how much they earn, and the grid benefits as much as possible," Taskinen said. The startup then makes energy bids to the electricity markets. "We agree on the commitments to provide energy output to the grid, which we then dispatch from the batteries so our platform offers an end-to-end solution," he added.Capalo works with renewable energy infrastructure investors, including Swiss company MW Storage, and optimizes their battery usage. "Our business model is profit sharing, so we take a cut of the earnings from the electricity markets," Taskinen said.The $4.1 million seed round was led by VentureFriends and PROfounders, with participation from existing investors Inventure and Innovestor.With the fresh funds, the company plans to expand into the Baltics.We got an exclusive look at the 12-slide deck Capalo AI used to raise funding. Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI Capalo AI

2025-03-19T05:19:42Z Read in app Xpeng's CEO said "true success" is seeing a wide range of users, including his parents' generation, comfortably use self-driving cars. Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? XPeng's CEO said he is aiming for level three autonomy, likening it to an "iPhone 4 moment" for cars.He said that true success would be his parents' generation using self-driving comfortably.Despite revenue growth, XPeng remains unprofitable and is aiming to break even this year.XPeng's CEO said that autonomous driving's "true success" is seeing a wide range of users, including his parents' generation, use such cars comfortably."We are actually in a new generation of technology advancement. And I believe that this is going to trigger a wider adoption of smart driving for the whole society," XPeng's CEO, He Xiaopeng, said on Tuesday's earnings call. "All consumers will become more and more interested in understanding what smart driving is."Xiaopeng said level three autonomy and strong user demand and loyalty would mark an "iPhone 4 moment for AI-defined cars." Level three autonomy refers to the stage of self-driving in which a car can detect its environment and perform most tasks but it still requires human override for emergencies or unfamiliar situations.The electric vehicle maker's CEO added that in the second half of this year, his company plans to be the first in China to sell cars with level three self-driving level. He said XPeng and Tesla are the only carmakers worldwide capable of providing a smart driving experience without high-definition maps or light detection.XPeng's deliveries grew 52% to 91,507 vehicles in the fourth quarter, compared with the same period a year ago. Tesla delivered 495,570 cars during the same period.XPeng reported 16.11 billion yuan, or $2.23 billion, in fourth-quarter revenue, up 23.4% year-over-year.The company's recent success has been driven by new model launches, demand for its AI-powered vehicles, aggressive international expansion targets, and focus on the premium EV segment which Gu defines as cars costing more than $41,000.Still, the Chinese EV maker has never turned a profit. It reported a loss of 1.33 billion yuan in the fourth quarter.In November, the company's president, Brian Gu, said the company may reach a break-even point toward the end of 2025. The milestone would make XPeng the first Chinese carmaker to turn profitable based on EV sales. Larger rivals like BYD are profitable but rely on sales of hybrid cars.Amid raging competition from Chinese carmakers, XPeng has focused on international expansions. In recent months, it launched in the UK, France, Germany, and Italy and said last month that it planned to expand its footprint to more than 60 countries and regions by the end of the year. On Tuesday, Xiaopeng said he anticipated that the company's international sales will nearly double this year. He added that by 2034, he expects an even split between sales coming from China and sales from overseas markets.XPeng's stock fell close to 6% in Hong Kong on Wednesday. It is up 91% so far this year.