For James Cameron, saving the movie business might come down to using AI. Considering he directed cautionary tales The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, that’s a leap of faith that has us look at the future with trepidation. But don’t worry; the conversation he had about it on Boz to the Future podcast (via Variety) dives into how he hopes it can be accomplished without cutting jobs drastically. “In the old days, I would have founded a company to figure it out. I’ve learned maybe that’s not the best way to do it. So I thought, all right, I’ll join the board of a good, competitive company that’s got a good track record,” Cameron explained about joining the board of directors at Stability AI. “The goal was to understand the space, to understand what’s on the minds of the developers. What are they targeting? What’s their development cycle? How much resources you have to throw at it to create a new model that does a purpose-built thing, and my goal was to try to integrate it into a VFX workflow.” “And it’s not just hypothetical,” he explained referencing how it would impact his work on the Avatar franchise and other hugely ambitious cinema. “If we want to continue to see the kinds of movies that I’ve always loved and that I like to make and that I will go to see—Dune, Dune: Part Two, or one of my films or big effects-heavy, CG-heavy films—we’ve got to figure out how to cut the cost of that in half,” he said. “Now that’s not about laying off half the staff and at the effects company. That’s about doubling their speed to completion on a given shot, so your cadence is faster and your throughput cycle is faster, and artists get to move on and do other cool things and then other cool things, right? That’s my sort of vision for that.” Where he does feel AI is a threat is in replacing storytelling as an art form. “I just don’t personally believe that a disembodied mind that’s just regurgitating what other embodied minds have said—about the life that they’ve had, about love, about lying, about fear, about mortality—and just put it all together into a word salad and then regurgitate it…I don’t believe that’s ever going to have something that’s going to move an audience,” he said. “You have to be human to write that. I don’t know anyone that’s even thinking about having AI write a screenplay.” However, pop culture fans have seen AI being used to fuel content such as fake movie trailers that mislead audiences, and viral AI images that rip off the animation masters at Studio Ghibli. That aspect of the technology makes Cameron “a little bit queasy.” Filmmakers, he said, should be influenced directly in their vision, not their hardware. “I aspire to be in the style of Ridley Scott, in the style of Stanley Kubrick. That’s my text prompt that runs in my head as a filmmaker. In the style of George Miller: wide lens, low, hauling ass, coming up into a tight close-up,” he said. “Yeah, I want to do that. I know my influences. Everybody knows their influences.” Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Sōko Restaurant / CAAM ArquitectosSave this picture!© Zaickz Moz Architects: CAAM Arquitectos Area Area of this architecture project Area:  5091 ft² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:Zaickz Moz Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers:  Alcione Querétaro, Cemex México S.A. de C.V., Comex México, Corev México, Desarrollo y Diseño en Aluminio, S.A. de C.V., Grupo Tenerife Querétaro Forestal Lead Architects: Camilo Moreno Oliveros y Daniel Moreno Ahuja More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Located in Querétaro, Sōko is a Japanese-teppanyaki restaurant that blends traditional Eastern cuisine with contemporary design. The architectural project seamlessly adapts to the essence of the location, an industrial warehouse with a barrel-vaulted roof, highlighted by materials such as brick, concrete, and metal. Its name derives from the Japanese word "sōko," meaning "warehouse," and reflects an elegant and subtle reinterpretation of this environment, offering a distinctive and memorable dining experience.Save this picture!Save this picture!Access to the restaurant begins through an exterior garden, which houses both the lobby and a dining area for guests. This space is surrounded by brick walls that isolate the noise from the street and parking lot. Upon entering, the atmosphere is enriched by the play of tree shadows, softly reflected in the water, creating a visual dynamic that stimulates the senses and reinforces the sense of calm and contemplation throughout the space.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The central feature of the design is a suspended planter, held by trapezoidal concrete brackets that span the warehouse. This structure not only organizes the space but also transforms the environment, establishing a connection between the interior and exterior. In addition to its practical function, such as the extraction of teppanyaki smoke and the optimization of lighting, the planter becomes a decorative element by incorporating vegetation, which brings freshness and vitality to the surroundings. Supported by the brackets, the structure divides the space into more private areas, creating an intimate atmosphere that enhances the dining experience. In this way, it facilitates a smooth transition between the interior and exterior, improving both the functional and visual distribution of the project.Save this picture!Regarding materials, the existing elements of the warehouse were preserved, complemented by wood in furniture and architectural elements. Soft lighting and decorative details reinforce the natural finishes. The balance between industrial aesthetics and minimalism creates a modern environment that retains the essence of Japanese tradition.Save this picture!Save this picture!Sōko is a space where functionality and aesthetics harmoniously merge, offering a unique dining experience that celebrates both tradition and innovation.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less Project locationAddress:Querétaro, MexicoLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeCAAM ArquitectosOffice••• MaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on April 11, 2025Cite: "Sōko Restaurant / CAAM Arquitectos" [Sōko Restaurante / CAAM Arquitectos] 11 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1028934/soko-restaurant-caam-arquitectos&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

The Late Antique Little Ice Age lasted 200-300 years, and began around 540 CE. Credit: Deposit Photos Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Exactly what caused the collapse of the mighty Roman Empire has been hotly debated practically since the fall itself. Was economic stagnation primarily to blame, or was it societal decay? Did political conflicts mortally weaken Rome’s power, or is its decline owed mostly to a series of invasions from abroad? Was it lead?  In reality, the fall of the empire almost certainly occurred through a complex interplay of socio-political factors—but recent research suggests a brief climate crisis may have contributed more than we thought. The new findings were published on April 11 in the journal Geology by a collaborative team from Queen’s University Canada, the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. Previous analysis indicates that Earth endured a roughly 200–300 year long ice age starting around 540 CE. Scientists believe that powerful volcanic eruptions that hurled massive amounts of ash and debris into the planet’s atmosphere lowered global temperatures and reduced sunlight. While it was not as intense as other major ice ages, some researchers have argued that this  geologic era helped usher in the final days of Rome. Others, meanwhile, contend that the Late Antique Little Ice Age simply coincided with imperial decline. New evidence supporting the former argument comes from oddly out-of-place rocks collected not from modern areas of the ancient Roman empire, but from Iceland. Although the region is known primarily for its basalt, researchers recently determined certain samples contained miniscule crystals of the mineral zircon. “Zircons are essentially time capsules that preserve vital information including when they crystallised as well as their compositional characteristics,” said Christopher Spencer, an associate professor at Queen’s University and study’s lead author. “The combination of age and chemical composition allows us to fingerprint currently exposed regions of the Earth’s surface, much like is done in forensics.” After crushing the rocks and separating out the zircon crystals, Spencer and colleagues determined the minerals spanned three billion years of geologic history that trace specifically back to Greenland. “The fact that the rocks come from nearly all geological regions of Greenland provides evidence of their glacial origins,” said Tom Gernon, a study co-author and a professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton. “As glaciers move, they erode the landscape, breaking up rocks from different areas and carrying them along, creating a chaotic and diverse mixture—some of which ends up stuck inside the ice.” The team argues that the zircon-rich ice could only have formed and drifted hundreds of miles away due to the Late Antique Little Ice Age. According to Gernon, this timing also lines up with a known period of ice-rafting, in which large slabs of ice break off glaciers, drift across the ocean, and subsequently melt to scatter its debris on foreign shores. Although the team obviously can’t tie zircon minerals to the Roman Empire’s collapse, their lengthy migration inside frozen chunks of glacier further underscore the 6th century ice age’s severity. Knowing this, it’s easy to see how the chillier era’s effects on crops, civil unrest, and mass migrations could further weaken an already shaky Rome. “When it comes to the fall of the Roman Empire, this climate shift may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Gernon.

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08878-3A global map of human subcellular architecture yields protein complex structures, reveals protein functions, identifies assemblies with multiple localizations or cell-type specificity and decodes paediatric cancer genomes.

Remains of what may be the ancient capital city of the Kingdom of Lyncestis have been found in North Macedonia.

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Photo Credit: Bloomberg As Apple diversifies its manufacturing beyond China, it has positioned India for a critical role Highlights Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year worldwide Apple is diversifying its manufacturing beyond China Total cargo of 600 tons comprised about 1.5 million iPhones Advertisement Tech giant Apple chartered cargo flights to ferry 600 tons of iPhones, or as many as 1.5 million, to the United States from India, after it stepped up production there in an effort to beat President Donald Trump's tariffs, sources told Reuters.The details of the push provide an insight into the US smartphone company's private strategy to navigate around the Trump tariffs and build up inventory of its popular iPhones in the United States, one of its biggest markets.Analysts have warned that US prices of iPhones could surge, given Apple's high reliance on imports from China, the main manufacturing hub of the devices, which is subject to Trump's highest tariff rate of 125 percent.That figure is far in excess of the tariff of 26 percent on imports from India, but which is now on hold after Trump called a 90-day pause this week that excludes China.Apple "wanted to beat the tariff," said one of the sources familiar with the planning.The company lobbied Indian airport authorities to cut to six hours the time needed to clear customs at the Chennai airport in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, down from 30 hours, the source added.The so-called "green corridor" arrangement at the airport in the Indian manufacturing hub emulated a model Apple uses at some airports in China, the source said.About six cargo jets with a capacity of 100 tons each have flown out since March, one of them this week just as new tariffs kicked in, the source and an Indian government official said.The packaged weight of an iPhone 14 and its charging cable come to about 350 grams (12.35 oz), Reuters measurements show, implying the total cargo of 600 tons comprised about 1.5 million iPhones, after accounting for some packaging weight.Apple and India's aviation ministry did not respond to a request for comment. All the sources sought anonymity as the strategy and discussions were private.Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year worldwide, with Counterpoint Research estimating a fifth of total iPhone imports to the United States now come from India, and the rest from China.Trump consistently increased US tariffs on China, to stand at 125 percent by Wednesday, from 54 percent earlier.At the 54 percent tariff rate, the $1,599 (roughly Rs. 1.37 lakh) cost of the top-end iPhone 16 Pro Max in the United States would have surged to $2,300 (roughly Rs. 1.97 lakh), calculations based on projections by Rosenblatt Securities show.Sunday Shifts In India, Apple stepped up air shipments to meet its goal of a 20 percent increase in usual production at iPhone plants, attained by adding workers, and temporarily extending operations at the biggest Foxconn India factory to Sundays, the source added.Two other direct sources confirmed the Foxconn plant in Chennai now runs on Sundays, which is typically a holiday. The plant turned out 20 million iPhones last year, including the latest iPhone 15 and 16 models.As Apple diversifies its manufacturing beyond China, it has positioned India for a critical role. Foxconn and Tata, its two main suppliers there, have three factories in all, with two more being built.Apple spent about eight months to plan and set up the expedited customs clearance in Chennai, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government asked officials to support Apple, one senior Indian official said.Foxconn shipments from India to the United States surged in value to $770 million (roughly Rs. 6,628 crore) in January and $643 million (roughly Rs. 5,536 crore) in February, compared to the range of $110 million (roughly Rs. 947 crore) to $331 million (roughly Rs. 2,850 crore) in the prior four months, commercially available customs data shows.More than 85 percent of the January and February air shipments of Foxconn were offloaded in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.Foxconn did not respond to Reuters' queries.© Thomson Reuters 2025(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: Apple, iPhone, Smartphone, Donald Trump Tariff Related Stories

In the rapidly advancing world of AI, MCP (Model Context Protocol) has emerged as a transformative technology that significantly enhances the capabilities of AI models. By allowing AI agents to talk directly to real-world tools, apps, and services, MCP has the power to change how we interact with technology on a fundamental level. 🌍Friend LinkGone are the days when AI was just an answering machine or a content generator. MCP-powered agents are not just passive responders anymore — they are active participants in getting things done. They can make decisions, solve problems, interact with external systems, and perform tasks that once required human intervention.Let’s dive deep into how MCP is making a real impact on AI systems, along with 10 mind-blowing examples of MCP in action. Ready to see how AI is transforming from a simple helper to an actual assistant? Let’s go! 🚀What Is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?Before diving into the examples, let’s break down what MCP actually is. Simply put, MCP is a set of rules that enables AI models to interact with real-world tools and services. It’s like giving AI a smart assistant that not only understands what you’re asking but also knows how to carry out tasks using external resources like databases, web services, applications, and much more.Here’s a simple analogy to explain MCP:Imagine you’re at home with a smart assistant like Alexa, but instead of just playing music or setting reminders, this assistant is connected to every app you use. Need to send a message on WhatsApp? It’s done. Want to play music with specific instruments or generate custom beats? No problem. Need to pull up a real-time web search while you’re working? Easy.With MCP, your AI can act on its own, make informed decisions, and execute tasks that would traditionally require you to interact manually with different tools and platforms.

Generative AI is reshaping global competition and geopolitics, presenting challenges and opportunities for nations and businesses alike. Senior figures from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and its tech division, BCG X, discussed the intricate dynamics of the global AI race, the dominance of superpowers like the US and China, the role of emerging “middle powers,” and the implications for multinational corporations. AI investments expose businesses to increasingly tense geopolitics Sylvain Duranton, Global Leader at BCG X, noted the significant geopolitical risk companies face: “For large companies, close to half of them, 44%, have teams around the world, not just in one country where their headquarters are.” Many of these businesses operate across numerous countries, making them vulnerable to differing regulations and sovereignty issues. “They’ve built their AI teams and ecosystem far before there was such tension around the world.” Duranton also pointed to the stark imbalance in the AI supply race, particularly in investment. Comparing the market capitalisation of tech companies, the US dwarfs Europe by a factor of 20 and the Asia Pacific region by five. Investment figures paint a similar picture, showing a “completely disproportionate” imbalance compared to the relative sizes of the economies. This AI race is fuelled by massive investments in compute power, frontier models, and the emergence of lighter, open-weight models changing the competitive dynamic.    Benchmarking national AI capabilities Nikolaus Lang, Global Leader at the BCG Henderson Institute – BCG’s think tank – detailed the extensive research undertaken to benchmark national GenAI capabilities objectively. The team analysed the “upstream of GenAI,” focusing on large language model (LLM) development and its six key enablers: capital, computing power, intellectual property, talent, data, and energy. Using hard data like AI researcher numbers, patents, data centre capacity, and VC investment, they created a comparative analysis. Unsurprisingly, the analysis revealed the US and China as the clear AI frontrunners and maintain leads in geopolitics. The US boasts the largest pool of AI specialists (around half a million), immense capital power ($303bn in VC funding, $212bn in tech R&D), and leading compute power (45 GW). Lang highlighted America’s historical dominance, noting, “the US has been the largest producer of notable AI models with 67%” since 1950, a lead reflected in today’s LLM landscape. This strength is reinforced by “outsized capital power” and strategic restrictions on advanced AI chip access through frameworks like the US AI Diffusion Framework.    China, the second AI superpower, shows particular strength in data—ranking highly in e-governance and mobile broadband subscriptions, alongside significant data centre capacity (20 GW) and capital power.  Despite restricted access to the latest chips, Chinese LLMs are rapidly closing the gap with US models. Lang mentioned the emergence of models like DeepSpeech as evidence of this trend, achieved with smaller teams, fewer GPU hours, and previous-generation chips. China’s progress is also fuelled by heavy investment in AI academic institutions (hosting 45 of the world’s top 100), a leading position in AI patent applications, and significant government-backed VC funding. Lang predicts “governments will play an important role in funding AI work going forward.” The middle powers: Europe, Middle East, and Asia Beyond the superpowers, several “middle powers” are carving out niches. EU: While trailing the US and China, the EU holds the third spot with significant data centre capacity (8 GW) and the world’s second-largest AI talent pool (275,000 specialists) when capabilities are combined. Europe also leads in top AI publications. Lang stressed the need for bundled capacities, suggesting AI, defence, and renewables are key areas for future EU momentum. Middle East (UAE & Saudi Arabia): These nations leverage strong capital power via sovereign wealth funds and competitively low electricity prices to attract talent and build compute power, aiming to become AI drivers “from scratch”. They show positive dynamics in attracting AI specialists and are climbing the ranks in AI publications.    Asia (Japan & South Korea): Leveraging strong existing tech ecosystems in hardware and gaming, these countries invest heavily in R&D (around $207bn combined by top tech firms). Government support, particularly in Japan, fosters both supply and demand. Local LLMs and strategic investments by companies like Samsung and SoftBank demonstrate significant activity.    Singapore: Singapore is boosting its AI ecosystem by focusing on talent upskilling programmes, supporting Southeast Asia’s first LLM, ensuring data centre capacity, and fostering adoption through initiatives like establishing AI centres of excellence.    The geopolitics of generative AI: Strategy and sovereignty The geopolitics of generative AI is being shaped by four clear dynamics: the US retains its lead, driven by an unrivalled tech ecosystem; China is rapidly closing the gap; middle powers face a strategic choice between building supply or accelerating adoption; and government funding is set to play a pivotal role, particularly as R&D costs climb and commoditisation sets in. As geopolitical tensions mount, businesses are likely to diversify their GenAI supply chains to spread risk. The race ahead will be defined by how nations and companies navigate the intersection of innovation, policy, and resilience. (Photo by Markus Krisetya) Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo. Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.