Enterprises adopting AI arent just signing a utility contract for revenue growth; theyre entering an emotional contract.Read More

If youre like me, youve spent the past few nights unable to get to sleep, wondering nay, worrying about how directors Joe and Anthony Russo are going to fit all 27 announced cast members into Avengers: Doomsday. I mean, thats a lot of superheroes (and villains and anti-heroes), right?Well, rest easy, True Believers. After applying some Basic Math Technique (an actual class I took in college and got an incomplete in) to this earth-shattering problem, Im feeling much better about things. Hopefully you will too, as it turns out that when compared to some previous Avengers epics, 27 cast members is basically MCU chump change.Of course, keeping in mind that the following calculations are estimates (and that Downey, Jr. and Marvel are already teasing that more cast members have yet to be announced), as of right now Doomsday seems to have a leg up as far as giving its various characters time to do some actual avenging.PlayHow Long Will Avengers: Doomsday Be?The film only started production this week, so theres no way to know the answer to this yet. But based on the last two Avengers movies, Infinity War and Endgame, were going to assume that Doomsday will have a running time of 2 hours and 45 minutes (2:45). Thats basically splitting the difference between Infinity Wars 2 hours and 29 minutes (2:29) and Endgames 3 hours and 1 minute (3:01).Next, since both Infinity War and Endgame had about 12 minutes of closing credits (and a post-credits scene in the formers case), well trim 12 minutes off of Doomsdays prospective running time as well. That gives us a theoretical length of 2 hours and 33 minutes (2:33) where actual people can appear onscreen.How Much Screen Time Can 27 Characters Really Get?More than you might expect as it turns out! If you simply divide the length of 2:33 by 27, that means each character gets on average, if their time is spread out evenly, about 5 minutes and 40 seconds onscreen. (I wonder what their hourly rate is?)By comparison, Infinity War had approximately 38 name characters, and was a bit shorter than our pretend Doomsday run time, resulting in an average of 3 minutes and 33 seconds per character.Endgame, meanwhile, was a bit longer, and had a whopping 60 name characters (on your left!), resulting in just 2 minutes and 49 seconds of screen time per character. On average, of course.Avengers: Doomsday Confirmed Cast and CharactersChris Hemsworth as ThorVanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible WomanAnthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain AmericaSebastian Stan as Bucky BarnesLetitia Wright as Shuri/Black PantherPaul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-ManWyatt Russell as John Walker U.S. AgentTenoch Huerta Meja as NamorEbon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The ThingSimu Liu as Xu Shang-ChiFlorence Pugh as Yelena Belova/Black WidowKelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/BeastLewis Pullman as Bob/The SentryDanny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres/FalconJoseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human TorchDavid Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red GuardianWinston Duke as M'BakuHannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/GhostTom Hiddleston as LokiPatrick Stewart as Charles Xavier/Professor XIan McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/MagnetoAlan Cumming as Kurt Wagner/NightcrawlerRebecca Romijn as Raven Darkhlme/MystiqueJames Marsden as Scott Summers/CyclopsChanning Tatum as Remy LeBeau/GambitPedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister FantasticRobert Downey Jr. as Doctor DoomSo What Does All This Math Junk Really Mean for Doomsday?Of course, theres no way every character is going to get the same amount of dialogue or close-ups or scenes. Robert Downey, Jr.s Doctor Doom will almost certainly be the most prominent part of the film, or at the very least will take up the bulk of the screen time with other classic players like Anthony Mackies Sam Wilson/Captain America and flashy newcomers such as Pedro Pascals Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic. And then we also must consider that, you know, actors actually interact with one another in scenes, so Downey, Jr. could be onscreen with, say, Mackie and Pascal all at the same time, with the three sharing their precious minutes.On the other side of the coin, anyone who has seen Endgames big final battle knows that sometimes these Marvel characters show up just long enough for a cool moment or one-liner, and then a handful of group shots. We cant all be RDJ, you know. So if James Marsdens Cyclops gets short shrift yet again in Doomsday, dont feel too bad about it. That seems to be his lot in life in any universe.So to compare things to the previous Avengers films again, lets look at how much actual time some players had in Endgame. The folks at ScreenRant and elsewhere already did the legwork on this, so be sure to check out all their facts and figures at the links.Avengers: Endgame Screen TimeOn the high end you have:Iron Man/Robert Downey, Jr.: 34 minutes and 45 secondsCaptain America/Chris Evans: 30 minutes and 45 secondsThor/Chris Hemsworth: 21 minutes and 15 secondsAnd on the low end theres:Captain Marvel/Brie Larson: 6 minutesFalcon/Anthony Mackie: 4 minutes and 30 secondsDoctor Strange/Benedict Cumberbatch: 1 minutes and 15 secondsThe bottom line seems clear: Avengers: Doomsday will probably follow a pattern similar to Endgame. Maybe the players are a little different, but you can sub in a Pedro Pascal for a Chris Evans or, on the other side of things, a Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost) for a Gwyneth Paltrow. And with the Russo Bros. back in the MCU to direct Doomsday and Secret Wars, after so deftly balancing massive casts in both Infinity War and Endgame (and even Civil War before that), the good news is weve got a filmmaking team here that have clearly proven their mettle on this front.Yeah, everythings gonna work out just fine it turns out!The Most Surprising Avengers and Marvel Characters Not Announced for Doomsday

Apple announced WWDC25 earlier this week, taking place on June 9th. That means were just around the corner from seeing all of Apples annual software upgrades, including iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16, visionOS 3, tvOS 19, watchOS 12, and possibly even more.iOS 19 is anticipated to receive a massive overhaul this year, bringing a fresh coat of paint to the operating system. However, here well be focusing on Apples second round of AI features coming to iPhone.Trio of delayed Siri features from iOS 18.4First things first, iOS 19 will likely introduce the three major Siri upgrades that the company announced at WWDC24. These features were supposed to release as part of iOS 18.4 this spring, but the company announced that it would need more time to work on it.Those three features are: personal context, on-screen awareness, and taking action in apps.This trio of features wouldve allowed Siri to better understand who you are, see what youre doing on your phone while youre talking to it, and taking actions on your behalf. It wouldve made Siri into an all-encompassing digital assistant that many people dreamed of.Apple didnt provide much of a specific timeline when it delayed these already-announced Siri features. It said that theyd roll out in the coming year, so its unclear whether or not thisll be part of iOS 19 or iOS 19.1 later this fall, or if itll roll into a winter or spring release. Only time will tell.LLM SiriBloombergs Mark Gurman reported last year that Apple was working on a new Siri backend for iOS 19 which he referred to as LLM Siri. This was supposed to be accompanied by a new conversational Siri interface, though that part is reportedly delayed until iOS 20.However, the new LLM Siri backend is still launching as part of iOS 19, and will be fundamental to allowing the aforementioned three iOS 18.4 features to come to life. From Gurmans Power On newsletter:In order to get Apple Intelligence out the door as part of iOS 18, the company didnt have time to meld the two systems together. That means the software doesnt work as smoothly as it could.For iOS 19, Apples plan is to merge both systems together and roll out a new Siri architecture. I expect this to be introduced as early as Apples Worldwide Developers Conference in June of this year with a launch by spring 2026 as part of iOS 19.4. The new system, dubbed LLM Siri internally, was supposed to also introduce amore conversational approachin the same release. But that is now running behind as well and wont be unveiled in June.With this new LLM Siri backend, Apple will finally achieve a unified Siri system, one thatll hopefully be easier to build on top of in the future. For context, Siri currently taps two different backends when making requests: a legacy one for simple tasks, and a modern one for more complex requests.The launch of LLM Siri wont have an immediate benefit to the end-user in terms of brand-new features, at least until iOS 20 when the conversational aspect of it launches.Expansion across appsApple will also reportedly be expanding some of its already-released Apple Intelligence features to more apps. This likely means well see Image Playground, Genmoji, and Apples summarization features in more places, per Bloomberg:The bad news is that Apple is unlikely to unveil groundbreaking new AI features at this coming WWDC. Instead, it will likely lay out plans for bringing current capabilities to more apps.This also means Apple probably wont introduce any fundamentally new Apple Intelligence capabilities in iOS 19, beyond what it has already announced.My favorite Apple accessories on Amazon:Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Submitted by WA ContentsDesignart Tokyo 2025 will take place from October 31 to November 9Japan Architecture News - Mar 29, 2025 - 22:18 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Designart Tokyo, one of Japans largest design and art festivals, is a citywide event that brings together diverse presentations spanning design, art, interiors, fashion, and technology at various locations across the city.The Designart Tokyo will take place from October 31 to November 9, 2025 in various venues of Tokyo.Eminent creatives from around the world converge in Tokyo, a city known for its cultural diversity, to showcase various exhibitions in multiple genres, including interior design, art, fashion, technology, and food.Themed as Brave The Pursuit of Instinctive Beauty, the event will focus on the power of brave and instinctive beauty. The organizers said that "as we navigate a transformative phase in our society, we must ask ourselves: can formulaic designs and artworks truly be considered real forms of creativity?.""Now is the time to be brave and trust our intuition, which ignites excitement and positive emotions previously unfelt. Let us transition from functional beauty to instinctive beauty, pursuing essential values that will be cherished forever. When instinctive beauty intersects with people's happiness, we will witness a future beyond our imagination."MEDIA DEPARTMENT TOKYO, located in the heart of Shibuya, will host the DESIGNART GALLERY, showcasing groundbreaking creations from around the world.The World Architecture Community is a media partner of the 2025 Designart Tokyo.Read the latest news from the 2024 Desigart Tokyo on WAC.The graphic work in the poster is created by ZEN.> via Designart Tokyo

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 392 for March 30.

Hints and answers for Connections for March 30, #658.

submitted by /u/indig0sixalpha [link] [comments]

An Android handset that rivals its premium siblings but is priced affordably? You'll want to visit Target, not Amazon, for that. Here's why.

ZDNET's key takeaways Amazon's new Kindle Scribe is available now, starting at $400. It combines the familiar features of the Kindle e-reader with a bright display and a suite of premium note-taking features. The aforementioned features take some getting used to, and the price for the higher memory models isn't cheap. more buying choices For a limited time during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, the Amazon Kindle Scribe has been discounted down to $365 (from $449), its lowest price to date.Amazon's latestKindle Scribe can be considered a 2-in-1, as it's both a note-taking tablet and a dedicated e-reader. It does both well, and it stands out from the crowd because of how it combines these two features.The Scribe's physical form factor is sleek and light, with a thick grip that allows it to be easily held by either your right or left hand, as turning it upside down realigns the perspective.Also: This Android tablet brings a crucial $1,700 iPad Pro feature to the $400 price point - and I love itThe Kindle Scribe's standout feature, however, is its "Active Canvas," which allows you to take notes and scribble your thoughts directly onto the pages of your book -- something that resonates with me personally as an avid note-taker. details View at Amazon The newest Scribe comes with a pen that allows you to change your brush size and shape from a pen for margin scribbling to a highlighter if you'd rather emphasize certain parts of the text. The cool design element here is that the notes you draw with the pan exist on another "layer" than the book text, allowing you to edit what you write without messing with the text in the book.Also: The best Kindles of 2025: Expert tested and reviewedIn practice, the active canvas appears as a blank space in between the text where you can jot down your thoughts. I can see this functionality being useful for certain texts, but it might be a bit distracting for others. I actually found that I preferred using the sticky notes function, which drops a tiny icon on the text that, when tapped, opens up a floating window with your notes that can then be closed.The pen is one of the Scribe's best features, however. It delivers a smooth and lag-free writing experience on par with high-end tablet/stylus devices like the ReMarkable Paper Pro, which is one of my favorite all-time devices.The tip of the pen is soft and textured, resulting in a silky, silent writing experience that feels exactly like a "real" pencil. It's weighty, feels premium, and attaches to the side of the device with a magnetic snap, although you do have to align it just right to get it to stick.Also: The Kindle Colorsoft brings books to life in color, and it's at an all-time low priceNote-takers who don't have the most elegant penmanship can easily translate their handwriting into text and then edit the font and size further. This is a great way to clean up and organize hastily taken notes that you can save for further reference, particularly if your writing leaves something to be desired. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETThe on-board AI is very good at parsing even the most illegible chicken scratch, although it does get a little dodgy if your handwriting approaches complete illegibility.The display on the Kindle Scribe is quite nice, if rather similar to other Kindle models. It has 300 pixels per inch, which results in fine and crisp text, even with the tiniest fonts. The screen can also get quite bright, making it easy to see outdoors. You can also adjust the warmth of the display, going all the way to a more sepia-toned image on one end or a cool white on the other.Also:The best reading tablets of 2025: Expert tested and recommendedRegarding battery life, Amazon advertises up to 12 weeks on a single charge if you read for about 30 minutes a day, but that number starts to go down if you use Scribe for lots of writing and note-taking. In my testing over the course of a few weeks, I only bothered charging the device a few times, and with intermittent, average use, you'll probably get multiple weeks out of a single charge.The device itself comes with either 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of on-device storage, which is quite a lot of space for e-books. In practice, this is enough space to hold thousands of books, enough for a veritable digital library.The device is geared to store more than just e-books, however. If you're using the Scribe, you're probably going to be taking lots of notes. You organize them by keeping them in notebooks, which, like physical ones, are books with multiple pages. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETNotebooks are then further organized by folders, which you can name and categorize, allowing you to keep your content streamlined. Even better is the myriad of "paper" selections you can choose to write your notes on, including checklists, daily and weekly planners, trackers, and even storyboard templates.This opens the device up to be a capable note-taking tablet in its own right, with just enough creation tools to allow for a robust feature set without all the bells and whistles of other high-end tablets. In other words, there may be a limited number of brushes and marker functions, but the ones have worked smoothly, with zero lag or false inputs.The Kindle Scribe also features some AI functions, of course. The on-device AI can summarize up to 15 pages in a notebook, extracting key takeaways from the text in a neat summary that, in my testing, is about on par with commonly used AI services found on other platforms. In other words, it's generally accurate, although complex information can produce generic-sounding results.Also: The budget Android tablet I recommend has a dazzling displayAside from your collections of notes, the Kindle keeps everything you've highlighted across multiple texts in a "Clippings" folder, which can be super helpful for automatically looking at key information at a glance.Of course, the Kindle Scribe is set up to make buying e-books as seamless as possible, with Amazon's Kindle Store easily accessible on the device and lots of ways to search for what you want to read. Depending on how much you plan on using the device, you can purchase e-books individually or spring for the Kindle Unlimited membership, which gives you unlimited access to (most) titles with a subscription of $11.99 per month.Right now, Amazon is offering a free 30-day trial of Kindle Unlimited, so it's worth checking it out to see if you'll get the most out of it. If you're a slower reader, you might want to opt for individual purchases.ZDNET's buying adviceAll in all, the Kindle Scribe is an e-reader designed for readers who like to engage with their texts, doodlers, note-takers, and list-makers who prefer to "just write it down." At $399 for the 16GB version, the Scribe is competitively priced as a functional tablet, and unless you really need a larger device, I'd say it's certainly one of the best options out there, taking into account its full suite of features.However, keep in mind that upgrading to the 32GB version raises the price to $420, and if you want 64GB, you'll pay $450. This brings the price in line with theReMarkable Paper Pro, an ultra-premium device with many more features for note-taking (color display, myriad of brush selections, etc.) but less in the way of easy-to-access e-books.If you're not someone who needs to scribble on the page or take a highlighter to what you're reading, the Scribe is still a top-tier e-reader with a grippable, flippable form factor and a bright display and great battery.When will this deal expire?While many sales events feature deals for a specific length of time, deals are on a limited-time basis, making them subject to expire anytime. ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best offers to help you maximize your savings so you can feel as confident in your purchases as we feel in our recommendations. Our ZDNET team of experts constantly monitors the deals we feature to keep our stories up-to-date. If you missed out on this deal, don't worry -- we're always sourcing new savings opportunities atZDNET.com.Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites withZDNET Recommends.Featured reviews

TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 3: Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a talk session with SoftBank Group ... More CEO Masayoshi Son at an event titled "Transforming Business through AI" in Tokyo, Japan, on February 03, 2025. SoftBank and OpenAI announced that they have agreed a partnership to set up a joint venture for artificial intelligence services in Japan today. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHow Big Money Is Leaving Most Startups BehindFor elite VC investors backing companies like OpenAI and SpaceX, 2024 has been an amazing year with multi-billion-dollar deals and sky-high valuations. But step outside this exclusive circle, and youll find a very different storyespecially in Europe, where funding has dropped to less than half of what it was in 2021. Money is now going mostly to a few famous companies, creating a clear split between winners and losers in the global startup world. This division is changing the innovation landscape in major ways. Founders, investors, and entire tech regions need to understand these changes to survive in today's venture capital reality.The Numbers Show Two Different WorldsThe 2024 numbers reveal two completely separate venture capital markets operating at the same time. According to Crunchbase, North American funding jumped in late 2024, driven mainly by AI deals and billion-dollar investments in established companies. Meanwhile, European funding fell to $51 billion in 2024, down 5% from $54 billion in 2023."European tech funding has stabilised at $45 billion in 2024 after a significant drop in 2023," reports Atomico's State of European Tech 2024. This is less than half of the $100 billion peak reached in 2021.This decline isn't hitting everyone equally. Early-stage companies are suffering the most, with seed-stage funding dropping 18% compared to last year, according to Crunchbase's mid-2024 data. By the end of 2024, things got even worse, with seed funding down 29% compared to the same period in 2023.The contrast with late-stage funding is clear. While early-stage rounds struggled, late-stage funding in North America grew 23% year-over-year in late 2024, showing how money is increasingly going to safer bets.The Mega-Deal Trend: A Few Companies Get Most of the MoneyWhat's causing this split? A major factor is the huge concentration of money in a handful of massive deals that have taken most of the available investment dollars.Over the past year, companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Anduril, SpaceX, and Databricks have dominated fundraising, securing multi-billion-dollar rounds:OpenAI raised $6.6 billion in October 2024, valuing the company at $157 billionAnthropic secured about $2 billion from Google in earlier rounds with more in 2024Anduril raised $1.5 billion in December 2024, valuing the defense tech company at $14 billionSpaceX continued raising billions, including $1.8 billion in 2023 and more in 2024Databricks raised $10 billion at a valuation over $50 billionThese mega-deals are changing how venture capital flows globally. While Europe raised $51 billion across all of 2024, the U.S. market saw funding go past $140 billion, with these headline-grabbing deals capturing most investor attention and dollars."Europe's share of global VC funding fell to 16% in 2024 from 18%," Dealroom reports, suggesting that these mega-deals, mostly in the U.S., are pulling money away from other regions and companies.When Money Becomes a CommodityFor these top companies, fundraising has fundamentally changed. Money is now like a commodityinvestors offer similar terms, and the difference often comes down to who can invest fastest and with the largest amounts.This creates a cycle that further concentrates investment. As Atomico notes, "startups raising larger rounds at earlier stages are seeing higher valuations," meaning that for top-tier firms, money is plentiful and terms are similar across investors.The largest European funds are trying to compete in this environment. Sifted reports that "the biggest VC funds in Europe have got biggerBalderton raised $1.3 billion and Atomico $1.24 billion in 2024." These funds aim to invest in the most promising companies at scale, suggesting a race to invest rather than a careful selection process.However, even Europe's largest funds can't match their U.S. counterparts. The IMF highlights this gap, stating that "Europe lags the U.S. in the scale of VC funds," with U.S. investors putting in $140 billion in 2024 compared to Europe's $45-51 billion.Europe's Growing Problem: A System Under PressureThis new reality is creating serious challenges for the rest of the venture ecosystemespecially in Europe, where VC activity has sharply declined.Mid-2024 was Europe's lowest funding quarter since 2020, with just $10 billion raised, down 36% from the previous quarter and 39% from the same period in 2023, according to Crunchbase. This sharp decline signals trouble across the ecosystem, particularly for smaller players.While the largest European funds have grown, smaller funds are "struggling to raise capital," creating a market where only the well-connected succeed. This threatens innovation across the continent, as the IMF warns: "Europe's lag in VC scale risks undermining its tech competitiveness."European funding stabilizing at around $45 billion in 2024far below the $100 billion+ peaks of 2021highlights a broader challenge for the region as global money goes to safer, more visible bets elsewhere.The Seed-Stage Squeeze: Future Innovation at RiskEarly-stage tech deals have been hit especially hard by these changes. Crunchbase reports that in mid-2024, "seed funding fell 18% year-over-year," while early-stage funding overall dropped 12%, marking the "lowest quarter since Q3 2020."By the end of 2024, the situation worsened: seed funding hit $1.6 billion, down 29% from the same period in 2023, and early-stage funding reached $5.1 billion, down 7%, showing a continued squeeze on the newest ventures.This downturn reflects a shift in investor priorities, leaving Europe's young startups particularly exposed. Dealroom's data confirms that "early-stage investment in Europe remains below historical highs," with 2024's 47 billion total going more toward later stages, not seed.The consequences go beyond immediate funding challenges. As seed and early-stage investment shrinks, the pipeline of future growth-stage companies narrows, potentially limiting innovation and economic growth in the years ahead.How to Navigate The Mega Deals LandscapeFor founders, investors, and policymakers, adapting to this transformed venture landscape requires clear strategy and decisive action:For Founders:Make your money last longer: Conservative cash management is critical in this environment, especially for early-stage companies. Expect fundraising to take longer and require more investor meetings than before.Focus on making money, not just growth: The days of growth at all costs are over. Investors now want clear paths to profitability, even from early-stage ventures.Look beyond traditional VC: With venture capital more concentrated, explore other funding sources including revenue-based financing, corporate investment, and government grants.For Investors:Specialize to compete: Mid-sized funds can't match the firepower of top firms in mega-rounds, but can become leaders in specific sectors or regions.Offer more than just money: When capital is a commodity at the top end, stand out through industry expertise, operational support, and valuable connections.Look where others aren't: While AI and defense tech get headlines, overlooked sectors may offer better returns as competition decreases.For Policymakers:Fix structural problems: Europe's venture capital lag reflects issues in fund formation, pension fund rules, and regulations that need policy changes.Protect seed-stage investment: Targeted support for seed-stage investment through matching funds, tax breaks, and ecosystem development can help maintain innovation.Make cross-border investment easier: Reducing barriers to investment across European markets can help build the scale needed to compete globally.Moving Forward: Adapting to the New RealityThe transformation of venture capital from a diverse ecosystem to a market dominated by mega-deals represents a fundamental shift, not a temporary change. The effects will impact the innovation economy for years to come.For Europe, the challenge is especially serious. As Dealroom notes, with funding levels "far below the 2021 peak of 100 billion," the region faces tough questions about its ability to compete for capital in a global market increasingly drawn to scale and visibility.Yet within this challenge lies opportunity. The concentration of capital creates gaps in the market that nimble, specialized players can fill. Founders with truly different technology and clear paths to profitability can still raise money, even in a more selective environment.The venture capital industry is indeed undergoing a transformationone that is leaving much of the industry behind. But transformation also creates new winners. Those who understand the new rules and adapt will find ways to succeed, even as the mega-deals continue to grab headlines and dollars.