Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall sees promise in bringing his autonomous vehicle startups tech to market. That is, if Wayve sticks to its strategy of ensuring its automated driving software is cheap to run, hardware agnostic, and can be applied to advanced driver assistance systems, robotaxis, and even robotics.The strategy, which Kendall laid out during Nvidias GTC conference, begins with an end-to-end data-driven learning approach. This means that what the system sees through a variety of sensors (like cameras) directly translates into how it drives (like deciding to brake or turn left). Moreover, it means the system doesnt need to rely on HD maps or rules-based software, as earlier versions of AV tech has.The approach has attracted investors. Wayve, which launched in 2017 and has raised more than $1.3 billion over the past two years, plans to license its self-driving software to automotive and fleet partners, such as Uber.The company hasnt yet announced any automotive partnerships, but a spokesperson told TechCrunch that Wayve is in strong discussions with multiple OEMs to integrate its software into a range of different vehicle types.Its cheap-to-run software pitch is crucial to clinching those deals.Kendall said OEMs putting Wayves advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) into new production vehicles dont need to invest anything into additional hardware because the technology can work with existing sensors, which usually consist of surround cameras and some radar.Wayve is also silicon-agnostic, meaning it can run its software on whatever GPU its OEM partners already have in their vehicles, according to Kendall. However, the startups current development fleet does use Nvidias Orin system-on-a-chip.Entering into ADAS is really critical because it allows you to build a sustainable business, to build distribution at scale, and to get the data exposure to be able to train the system up to [Level] 4, Kendall said on stage Wednesday.(A Level 4 driving system means it can navigate an environment on its own under certain conditions without the need for a human to intervene.)Wayve plans to commercialize its system at an ADAS level first. So, the startup designed the AI driver to work without lidar the light detection and ranging radar that measures distance using laser light to generate a highly accurate 3D map of the world, which most companies developing Level 4 technology consider to be an essential sensor.Wayves approach to autonomy is similar to Teslas, which isOne of the main differences between Wayves and Teslas approaches from a tech standpoint is that Tesla is only relying on cameras, whereas Wayve is happy to incorporate lidar to reach near-term full autonomy.Longer term, theres certainly opportunity when you do build the reliability and the ability to validate a level of scale to shrink that [sensor suite] down further, Kendall said. It depends on the product experience you want. Do you want the car to drive faster through fog? Then maybe you want other sensors [like lidar]. But if youre willing for the AI to understand the limitations of cameras and be defensive and conservative as a result? Our AI can learn that.Kendall also teased GAIA-2, Wayves latest generative world model tailored to autonomous driving that trains its driver on vast amounts of both real-world and synthetic data across a broad range of tasks. The model processes video, text, and other actions together, which Kendall says allows Wayves AI driver to be more adaptive and human-like in its driving behavior.What is really exciting to me is the human-like driving behavior that you see emerge, Kendall said. Of course, theres no hand-coded behavior. We dont tell the car how to behave. Theres no infrastructure or HD maps, but instead, the emergent behavior is data-driven and enables driving behavior that deals with very complex and diverse scenarios, including scenarios it may never have seen before during training.Wayve shares a similar philosophy to autonomous trucking startup Waabi, which is also pursuing an end-to-end learning system. Both companies have emphasized scaling data-driven AI models that can generalize across different driving environments, and both rely on generative AI simulators to test and train their technology.

Movie & Games TrailersODessaBy Vincent Frei - 21/03/2025 Step into a world of music and destiny! ODessa follows a young farm girl on a journey to reclaim a precious heirloomonly to find love and fate waiting in a strange, dangerous city!The VFX are made by:Mathematic Film (VFX Supervisors: Martin Lipmann & Fabrice Lagayette, VFX Producer is Carolie Legault-Lanouette)Director: Geremy JasperRelease Date: March 20, 2025 (Hulu) Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

CristianIGBO March 21, 2025, 2:40pm 1I want to recreate this effect on the borders of my game when Im moving at high speed.Im not sure if I should do it using a Shader Graph or some other method, as Im new to this area. I would really appreciate it if someone could help me recreate this effect.Im using Unity 6.0Hovl March 21, 2025, 3:11pm 2Now you can use screen shaders in the particle system. When you add scareen the material to your particle system and enable it, the effect will take your screen resolution.Create a screen shader using Shader Graph and enable this effect using particle system Play();You can set the appearance using opacity in the particle system and Verstex color in the shader.About the effect itself: use noise texture. Tile if for example X=0.05 and Y=1. Add polar coordinates or something to make circle UV, add moving to offset. Then multiply texture with the mask to make the center transparent.

Hot on the heels of last weeks South by SouthwestAustins premier music, film, and media festivalthe city has revealed renderings for a new convention center designed by Seattle-based LMN Architects in collaboration with Page, a Texas firm. The building will replace the existing Austin Convention Center with more substantial facilities, including over 600,000 square feet of rentable event space, 70,000 square feet of public outdoor space, and an underground network of exhibit halls and loading docks. With its $1.6 billion price tag, the project constitutes a massive investment in Austins events infrastructure and signifies the continued growth of the city, which is nearing one million residents. The new building will feature a large public plaza above Waller Creek. (Courtesy LMN Architects)Set between 2nd and 3rd Street, the complex will be subdivided into six component structures integrated with the surrounding streetscape as well as Waller Creek and the larger Waterloo Greenway, a ribbon of park space that runs from the State Capitol to Lady Bird Lake. Renderings of the project depict the use of mass timber roof systems and large spans of glazing, features that also characterize Populouss recently unveiled design for the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. A $17.7 million arts program for the campus will draw from the talent of local Austin artists. The vertical convention center will open the city grid, enhance pedestrian connections, and take advantage of Austins indoor-outdoor culture, said Leonardo da Costa, principal at LMN. Located at the crossroads between downtown and the nature around Waller Creek, the project represents a transformative opportunity for revitalizing and re-connecting Austins vibrant downtown core.The building is located close to phase one of Austins light rail project, which is expected to begin construction in 2027. (Courtesy LMN Architects)In a press release, LMN contends that the structure will be the worlds first zero carbon convention center. This goal will be pursued through the use of mass timber, recycled materials, low-carbon concrete and steel, as well as operational features such as a renewably-powered HVAC system. The project is also designed to comply with Austins Climate Equity Planand is targeting a number of high performance certifications.LMN comes to the project with significant experience in the typology, having designed convention centers in Vancouver, Cleveland, and Seattle.According to LMN, the project will be the worlds first zero carbon convention center. (Courtesy LMN Architects)The new convention center is the latest in a slew of construction activity on the east side of Austins downtown. Across the street, construction is underway for KPFs Waterline tower, which is poised to become the tallest building in Texas. In April, the existing building will close its doors, and the city will be without a convention center until 2029, the projects estimated completion date. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to save artist Margo Sawyers Index for Contemplation, a site-specific artwork housed within the current structure.With the new building, the city hopes to attract larger events while continuing to grow South by Southwest, which is typically headquartered within the convention center.

Behold, one of the finest, and well-preserved Greek Revival style homes in Salem. This is thePayson-Fettyplace House on Winter Street, built in 1845 with its gable facing the street to create a pediment, a wide entablature and cornice, and pilasters on the flushboard faade, which together make the building read more like a Greek temple than a residential home. The residence was built for Edward H. Payson, a bank officer, and his wife, Amelia, who lived in the home for only two years before moving into a larger residence across the street just two years after this house was completed. The property was sold to a Carleton Dole of Maine and again sold in 1850 toThomas J. Fettyplace. TheFettyplace familywere based out of Marblehead and many of them relocated to Mobile, Alabama, to make money in the cotton and shipping industry in the South. Thomas purchased this home in Salem for hismotherwho spent her final years here until 1861. After the Civil War, the Fettyplace brothers would move back north and this home remained in the family until 1912. The house is now a bed & breakfast known as theAmelia Payson House, named after the original owner.

phonlamaiphoto - stock.adobe.comNewsDutch workforce faces radical transformation as AI adoption acceleratesWhile the Netherlands leads Europe in AI adoption, a deeper analysis of the labour market reveals a more nuanced narrative than the apocalyptic predictions of job lossesByKim LoohuisPublished: 21 Mar 2025 14:45 In just five years, only one-third of work in the Netherlands will still be performed by humans, with artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics taking over the majority of current jobs, according to the World Economic Forums The future of jobs report 2025. While the Netherlands leads Europe in AI adoption, with 95% of organisations running AI programmes, labour market experts warn that these dramatic predictions should be cautiously viewed.These kinds of predictions are quite difficult to make, said Anna Salomons, professor of labour economics at Utrecht University and Tilburg University.The WEF study is based on surveying large employers, who often run ahead of smaller companies in adoption. What one company expects doesnt necessarily reflect the entire economy.Rather than accepting these projections at face value, a closer examination reveals a more complex narrative of technological change. Historical patterns suggest that technological disruption is rarely a straightforward replacement of human labour, but instead a profound reshaping of work itself.Salomons cited her own research, which shows 60% of todays employment is in types of jobs that did not exist in 1940, highlighting how technology transforms and creates work rather than only eliminating it. She pointed to previous technological predictions, such as self-driving vehicles, that failed to materialise as quickly as expected. A few years ago, there were predictions that truck drivers would all be out of work within five years, said Salomons. That hasnt happened. Its less painful when change happens more gradually people retiring arent replaced, and new labour market entrants choose different careers.Workplace challenges growThe introduction of AI tools triggers various concerns for workers, ranging from job security to mental well-being. Recent studies by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) show that AI can lighten physical workloads by delegating repetitive or strenuous tasks to machines. At the same time, employees risk facing a heavier cognitive load. They must supervise these AI-driven processes, adapt to new software interfaces, and resolve exceptions that machines cannot handle.Wouter van der Torre, a researcher at TNO, warned in Dutch daily newspaper AD that organisations often overlook how AI alters daily tasks. We focus on faster or cheaper production, which is, of course, the primary driver of innovation, but we seldom ask how it affects peoples sense of ownership or stress levels, he said.This observation echoed the findings from numerous interviews with workers in AI-augmented roles, who have reported that tasks become more complex even as specific essential duties are automated.The cognitive dissonance created by AI integration goes beyond mere task reallocation. Employees find themselves in a hybrid role: part supervisor, part collaborator with intelligent systems. This shift demands not just technical skills, but also emotional intelligence and adaptability. Where once workers followed clear procedural guidelines, they must now interpret and negotiate with AI-generated recommendations, requiring a more dynamic and critical approach to decision-making.Therefore, the success of AI integration depends on comprehensive reskilling and ongoing support. Salomons emphasised that a quick crash course on AI is not enough to equip workers for the pace of change. She called for multi-layered training programmes and on-the-job learning that includes practical exercises, scenario-based learning and ongoing mentoring, especially for those who may be unfamiliar with digital tools. Rather than focusing solely on advanced AI subjects, such programmes can address fundamental digital skills and problem-solving capabilities.AI literacy gapThis notion of inclusivity is tied closely to AI literacy, which refers to peoples ability to responsibly understand, interact with and oversee AI tools. The European AI Act, which aims to regulate transparency and accountability in algorithmic systems, demands that companies demonstrate a baseline of AI competence among their employees in specialised departments and potentially across entire organisations. In the Netherlands, educational institutions and corporate training programmes are starting to focus on the fundamentals of data, algorithms and ethics, aiming to build a workforce that can collaborate effectively with AI.Salomons said expanding AI literacy is essential if technology is to be used in service of people rather than as a blunt instrument of cost reduction. She cited examples of how AI can improve day-to-day tasks when workers comprehend its limitations. We need employees who can question the output of algorithms and flag errors, not just passively follow whatever the machine says, added Salomons. That requires a deeper understanding of how these systems work.She said AI literacy is not merely about coding skills, but also interpreting results and recognising potential biases.Its not enough for an elite group of engineers or data scientists to know how AI functions, said Salomons. A truly inclusive AI transition requires a baseline of understanding among citizens, employees, managers and policymakers. That way, people can engage meaningfully with these tools in their workplaces or communities.Future of workDespite the dramatic headlines about looming job losses, Salomons was relatively optimistic. In her view, AI will not only lead to labour displacement and labour market adjustments, but can also catalyse job growth in emerging fields and help alleviate labour shortages where demand is high.She referenced the healthcare sector, where AI tools could help nurses in preliminary diagnostics, triage and care management, while reducing administrative work. Rather than eliminating nurses, such technology could elevate their roles by allowing them to manage more complex tasks with AI systems. However, Salomons cautioned that the path from pilot projects to day-to-day adoption can be lengthy, and may require governments to incentivise these types of applications.Similar stories are unfolding in logistics, retail and customer support, where chatbots and automation speed up routine queries. Humans then focus on problem-solving and personalised service. This model can be beneficial, but also introduces new pressures for employees who must handle complex scenarios that automation cannot resolve independently. The resulting spike in mental strain underscores the importance of supportive corporate cultures and adequate staffing.The Netherlands aims to steer AI adoption in a way that boosts productivity while keeping the human dimension at the core. Theres no denying that AI will transform how we work, said Salomons. The debate shouldnt be about whether that happens, but about how inclusive and equitable that transformation can be.Balancing technology and workersIn the Netherlands, a strong institutional framework provides some measure of insulation against the adverse effects of rapid automation. Salomons noted that trade unions, work councils and collective bargaining agreements help to ensure that employees have a voice in how technology is adopted in their organisations. This collaborative approach does not guarantee a frictionless transition, but does offer pathways for workers to negotiate how AI might reshape their jobs.There is also high potential for educational institutions to improve how instruction is delivered. Traditional lecture-based learning isnt necessarily effective for people who need to retrain, said Salomons. But were seeing startups using AI to create more personalised training programmes, adapting to individual learning needs, which can complement in-person instruction.The Dutch experience suggests that successful AI adoption depends not just on technological capability, but on creating the right institutional and social conditions. As the country continues to lead in AI adoption, its balanced approach offers valuable lessons in managing technological transition while maintaining worker protection and job quality.The key is to think not only about what can be automated, but about what new things we can now do, or what new groups of people we can now bring into certain professions, said Salomons. Thats where real innovation happens.Read more about AI in the NetherlandsIn The Current Issue:UK government under-prepared for catastrophic cyber attack, hears PACSpace and power constrain datacentre planningDownload Current IssueSLM series - Qodea: A jumpstart for multi-model AI strategies CW Developer NetworkAn agentic AI reality check Cliff Saran's Enterprise blogView All Blogs

Amazon's Spring Sale is still a few days away, but you can already get this fancy espresso machine at a hefty discount.

Bigscreen Beyond 2BigscreenBigscreen has announced the Beyond 2 family of VR headsets, and they provide a pretty compelling view of what some headset makers should be aiming for.It surpasses the Meta Quest 3 in a few important areas, with a couple of obvious drawbacks.First, this is not a standalone headset. You need to plug it into a PC its a PCVR rig. The Bigscreen Beyond 2 is also not remotely cheap. It starts at $1019, compared to $299 for the Quest 3S and $499 for the Quest 3. No controllers are included either.With those parts out of the way, lets deal with one of the most remarkable Bigscreen Beyond 2 elements: low weight. The headset weighs just 107g, compared to 515g for Metas Quest 3 or 127g for its predecessor.Low weight also means the Beyond 2 needs a much less bulky strap. Its lighter than most phones, after all.Bigscreen Beyond 2 SpecsLike the original Beyond headset, the Beyond 2 uses micro OLED displays with a combined resolution of 5120 x 2560 pixels. This is higher resolution than either the Quest 3 or PSVR 2, although its predictably not close to the Apple Vision Pro, which is estimated at a combined 7320 x 3200 pixels.The 90Hz Micro OLED displays will provide contrast and black levels that are simply not possible with the LCD panels used in Metas headsets at present.The claimed field of view of 116 degrees is strong too, although Bigscreen only currently provides diagonal field of view numbers, not separate ones for the horizontal and vertical.Clarity at the further ends of the field of view will also be enhanced by the use of pancake lenses. These are used in the Meta Quest 3, and provide far better sharpness in the wearers peripheral vision than is possible with the fresnel lenses of headsets like the Quest 2 and PSVR 2.The standard Bigsceen Beyond 2 does not feature eye tracking, but it is available in the upgraded Beyond 2e. This costs $200 extra, and uses tiny cameras to monitor your eye position.Both the Bigscreen Beyond 2 and Beyond 2e are currently listed as available from June 2025, although can be ordered today. They come in clear or black casing colours or, if you pay an additional $50, Nuclear Orange.Straps that include built-in headphones and a more advanced Halo mount strap system are also available for an additional $129/$180 respectively.The Beyond 2 follows on from the companys 2023 Beyond headset and, according to Bigscreen, the new model sold in 10 hours the number the original reached in four months. Impressive stuff.

Three traffic lights against blue sky backgroundgettyTraffic lights are for cars. But what if they could see waiting pedestrians and even prioritise them, without having to tap a beg button and hope it actually does something? Thats one of many benefits promised by a project at Aston University, which pairs a low-cost 360-degree camera with AI analysis in order to better manage traffic and the researchers have been running it on a live intersection in Coventry, UK."The AI makes a decision about each of the allowable combinations," Dr Maria Chli of the Aston Centre of Artificial Intelligence Research and Application, explained on the sidelines of the Turing Institute's AI UK conference this week.AI traffic lightsChlis system uses deep reinforcement learning, so each decision is assessed against pre-decided metrics such as wait times. The team has developed an equation that decides if the AI gets a "reward" or "punishment" based on those metrics, helping to train it."Usually the first 100 decisions are rubbish," she says. But once trained using simulations, it quickly learns how to manage traffic and is ready to go on live roads within days."When I train an AI in simulation, which is how I start, it takes about three days for a particular junction," she explains. "Transferring previous knowledge, it's actually pretty good."That said, it can be best to let such systems learn on the job, she said, as theres a risk to overlearning get too specific, and it does less well on situations it hasn't seen before.Smarter traffic lights - and cheaper tooUsing a camera and a controller worth a few hundred pounds has a few benefits over existing systems, notably the magnetic induction loops that rely on a metal cable embedded in the road.Those systems are expensive, require ripping up the road to install causing disruption, while this AI powered traffic management system achieves better performance at less cost, Chli says.Plus, those cables embedded in the asphalt ignore other road users. And theres more to traffic than cars what about bikes and pedestrians? This system can include such travellers in its equations, and it can also prioritise them.For example, the Coventry junction that Chlis system was trialled at is next to a major hospital. The smart camera can not only ensure emergency vehicles get priority, but also the waves of staff trying to cross the road at shift changes at 8am and again at 8pm. "With this technique, we can tailor the priorities for each junction," she says.Smarter traffic lights for safer citiesPriority could also be given to cyclists or buses to help encourage people out of cars and in favour of active or public transport. Near schools, the system could offer longer crossing times ahead of start and finish times for classes, to help keep children safer and give them more time to cross the road."For me, aside from the cost, the biggest strength is that you can tailor it to junctions to help vulnerable road users without impacting privacy," she said, as the system doesnt identify specific people, just that they're pedestrians or on a bicycle.Of course, she notes, making a change at one junction impacts the rest of the system, so the next step for the researchers is to roll out the smart traffic management cameras across a wider network of multiple junctions.The deep reinforcement system will work to get cars through quicker, but doing that while also including people in the equation is perhaps the real breakthrough.

In brief: If you frequently deal with zipped files, File Explorer should soon perform notably better during extraction. Developers have optimized the feature in the latest Windows 11 Preview Build. It's the next step in Microsoft's ongoing effort to improve archived files. Microsoft tweaked the performance of File Explorer when extracting zip files in the latest Windows 11 Insiders Preview. The update should boost speed, especially when unzipping a large archive of small files. The change arrives in Windows 11 Build 27818, released to Insiders on the Canary Channel on Wednesday. Microsoft mentioned it without fanfare in the "Fixes" section of the build's changelog."Did some more work to improve the performance of extracting zipped files in File Explorer, particularly where you're unzipping a large number of small files," the log reads.Some metrics regarding the performance boost would have been nice, but we'll have to take Redmond at its word. Let us know in the comments if you've tried this particular build, regularly work with large zip files full of tiny items, and have noticed speed improvements.The zip extraction upgrade builds on a few archive handling improvements Microsoft began rolling out last year. A previous update added native support in File Explorer for opening and viewing new compressed file formats, including RAR, 7z, TAR, and other niche archive types. However, it still relies on external utilities for actually extracting those files. A second File Explorer-related update fixed an issue where the Home section would not load correctly, showing random floating text that read "Name."In addition to the zip extraction optimization, Build 27818 removes a feature from File Explorer. After installing this update, users will no longer see "suggested actions" pop up when copying things like phone numbers or future dates to the clipboard. Suggested actions provided options to quickly create a calendar event from a copied date or launch a dialer app for a phone number. That dialer app was typically Skype, but Microsoft will permanently shutter the popular communications app on May 5 to push users to Teams instead. // Related StoriesMicrosoft posted a complete set of change details on its Insider blog for those interested in seeing what else may be coming to an upcoming stable release.