Macworld With all the problems we’ve heard about Apple Intelligence lately–delayed Siri improvements, bad news notification summaries, unimpressive image generation, and more–you might wonder what Apple is planning to do to right the ship. Obviously new and improved models are important, and so in increased training, but Apple has a particularly hard time of this because its privacy policies are a lot more strict than other companies creating AI products. In a new post on Apple’s Machine Learning Research site, the company explains a technique it will employ to help its AI be more relevant, more often, without training it on your personal data. Ensuring privacy while polling for usage data Differential Privacy is a way to, as Apple puts it, “gain insight into what many Apple users are doing, while helping to preserve the privacy of individual users.” Basically, whenever Apple collects data in a system like this, it first strips out any identifying information (device ID, IP address, and so on) and then slightly alters the data. When millions of users submit results, that “noise” cancels out. That’s the Differential Privacy part: take enough samples with random noise and identifiers removed, and you can’t possibly connect any particular bit of data with a user. It’s a good way to, for example, get a good statistical sample of which emoji are picked most often, or which autocorrect word is used the most after a particular misspelling–collecting data on user preferences without actually being able to trace any particular data point back to any user, even if they wanted to. Apple can generate synthetic text that is representative of common prompts, then use those differential privacy techniques to find out which synthetic samples are selected by users most often. Or to determine which words and phrases are common in Genmoji prompts and which results the users are most likely to pick. The AI system could generate common sentences used in emails, for example, and then send multiple variants out to different users. Then, using differential privacy techniques, Apple can find out which ones are selected most frequently (while having no ability to know what any one individual chose). Apple has been using this technique for years to gather data meant to improve QuickType suggestions, emoji suggestions, lookup hints, and more. As anonymous as it is, it is still opt-in. Apple doesn’t collect this type of data unless you affirmatively enable device analytics. Techniques like this are already being used to improve Genmoji, and in an upcoming update, they’ll be used for Image Generation, Image Wand, Memories Creation, Writing Tools, and Visual Intelligence. A Bloomberg report says the new system will come in a beta update to iOS 18.5, iPadOS 18.5, and macOS 18.5 (the second beta was released today). Of course, this is just data gathering, and it will take weeks or months of data collection and retraining to measurably improve Apple Intelligence features.

Apple Watch deals are heating up at Amazon this week, with a $100 discount in effect on an Apple Watch Series 10 style and prices across the wearable line starting at $169.Amazon cuts prices on the Apple Watch line - Image credit: AppleWe're following a fresh Apple Watch Series 10 price drop at Amazon today, with the Apple Authorized Reseller knocking $100 off the 42mm GPS + Cellular model with a Silver Aluminum Case and Denim Sport Band.Now priced at $399, Amazon states this is a limited-time deal (and stock is limited at press time). Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

GSC GameWorld has released its first roadmap for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, outlining new upcoming features for Q2 2025. A-Life 2.0, which has seen multiple updates, will offer “smarter” human combat, including better use of flanking and cover. They’ll also have limited grenades, which should make for realistic fights. What’s more intriguing are the Mutants since they’ll react to threats and even eat corpses. While the gameplay purpose is a little out there, it does add to the immersion. After all, how else do Mutants subsist in the Zone? They’re also getting their own loot, providing more reasons to hunt them. Other notable features include the option to skip shader compilation, an increase to the player’s stash window, and support for widescreen aspect ratios. More fixes for Anomalies are also on the way, alongside stabilization and optimization improvements. You can also look forward to two new weapons, potentially including the long-requested AK-47. The Beta Mod SDK will also launch with a closed beta scheduled beforehand. Alongside a mod guide, there will be integration with mod.io and Steam Workshop. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Roosilawaty (born Surayi Pendidikan; April 15, 1936 – February 25, 2009) was an Indonesian actress and dancer. She appeared in her first films in 1956, in Tiga Dara as a dancer and in the lead role in Tjatut. This was the beginning of a successful career, and she continued to appear in Indonesian films until 1963. She retired from acting and, after a period as a florist, subsequently founded Les Sphinx Promotion, an agency for artistic talent, in 1972. This photograph shows Roosilawaty c. 1960. Photograph credit: Tati Studios; restored by Chris Woodrich Recently featured: Black Sunday Thomas Jefferson Bali myna Archive More featured pictures

April 15: Day of the Sun in North Korea; Jackie Robinson Day and Tax Day in the United States Hillsborough Memorial 1632 – Thirty Years' War: A Swedish–German army defeated the forces of the Catholic League at the Battle of Rain, mortally wounding their commander Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly. 1923 – Ten Japanese-American children were killed in a racially motivated arson attack on a school in Sacramento, California. 1936 – Two Jews were killed near Tulkarm in Mandatory Palestine, an act widely viewed as the beginning of violence within the Arab revolt. 1989 – The Hillsborough disaster (memorial pictured), a human crush that caused 97 deaths in the worst disaster in British sporting history, occurred during an FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in Sheffield. 2019 – A fire severely damaged Notre-Dame de Paris, destroying the cathedral's timber spire and much of the roof. Leonardo da Vinci (b. 1452)Nikita Khrushchev (b. 1894)Claudia Cardinale (b. 1938)Emma Watson (b. 1990) More anniversaries: April 14 April 15 April 16 Archive By email List of days of the year About

Scientists Create Gene-Edited ‘Peter Pan’ Tadpoles That Could Control Invasive Cane Toads Through Cannibalism To combat one of Australia’s most troublesome species, researchers are developing hungry tadpoles that never grow up In hopes that they could control destructive cane beetles, people introduced cane toads to Australia in 1935. Instead, the amphibian's population exploded, and today, cane toads number roughly 200 million. Joshua Prieto / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images Scientists in Australia have genetically modified invasive cane toad eggs to create “Peter Pan” tadpoles that never grow up—they don’t ever metamorphose into adults. Cane toad tadpoles already have an appetite for eggs of their own species, but these modified versions may eat several times as many, making them a potential solution for controlling the destructive amphibian’s numbers. Cane toads were purposely introduced to Queensland in 1935 to control cane beetles that were damaging cane crops. But that plan backfired, and they’ve since become an even bigger problem. With very few predators, the toads quickly spread across northern Australia. Now, they wreak havoc on the local environment, outcompeting native species with their enormous appetites. There are an estimated 200 million cane toads in the region, where their poison kills native marsupials and reptiles that try to eat them. A single cane toad can lay a clutch of more than 30,000 eggs, so manual control methods have struggled to keep up with their population growth. Instead, biologists are turning to gene editing. Rick Shine, an evolutionary biologist at Macquarie University in Australia, has been creating the Peter Pan tadpoles with his team. The scientists removed a gene that controls the production of thyroxine, a hormone that regulates the amphibians’ metamorphosis. “Since cane toad tadpoles cannibalize cane toad eggs, they would be a terrific cane toad controller,” Shine explained to Elisabeth Marie at Australian Geographic last November. “They also don’t eat the eggs of native frogs much at all and have almost no poison until they metamorphose.” After knocking out the gene, “we seem to have ended up with these sort of quite large, relatively long-lived, voracious cannibals that are just ideally suited to control the numbers of their own species,” adds Shine to Peter de Kruijff at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).Cane toad tadpoles are already cannibalistic, but these gene-edited versions are even bigger and hungrier for eggs. The new tadpoles are not merely cannibals: “To our delight, they are super-cannibals,” write the researchers. The trials suggest Peter Pan tadpoles can eat up to four times the number of eggs as standard cane toad tadpoles do, though that work has yet to be peer-reviewed. Other scientists also say the method has potential. “It builds off basic toad biology to potentially deliver a new tool for managing toads,” says Ben Phillips, a population biologist at Curtin University who was not involved in the research, to the ABC. “It has promise as a local control measure in places where breeding sites are limited, so it is worth developing further.” So far, the Peter Pan tadpoles have only been tested in controlled settings in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The first field trials are expected to start later this year, after a risk assessment. The researchers will need to determine whether the gene-edited tadpoles could impact native birds, fish and turtles. “Adequate research to demonstrate there is no possibility of negative consequences for native wildlife will be required before any permits for wild release can be considered,” says a spokesperson for the Northern Territory’s Department of Lands, Planning and Environment to the ABC. In a way, though, the researchers say they aren’t creating any organisms that don’t already exist—Shine noted to Australian Geographic that some cane toad tadpoles already happen to never metamorphose in the wild. They intend to make that occur at a higher rate. “We’re very carefully testing reactions of native fauna to our non-metamorphosing tadpoles before we talk about releasing them in the wild,” Shine told the Economist in January. “We’re trying not to repeat the folly of 1935.” The researchers also have to figure out another problem: how to scale the method. The gene-edited tadpoles never get old enough to reproduce, so their populations won’t sustain themselves in the wild. And it’s impractical for the scientists to manually modify thousands of eggs. One option would be to add thyroxine to a body of water with Peter Pan tadpoles to make some of them grow into adults. Then, those toads might breed and lay eggs with the modification. “Then we would have 20,000 or 30,000 Peter Pan tadpoles per clutch,” explains Shine to the ABC. “It wouldn’t really take very many adult toads with that genetic change for us to have a vast supply of the sorts of tadpoles we’d like.” As of now, that strategy hasn’t successfully coaxed the Peter Pan tadpoles to mature into adults, but Shine has faith that they can get there with more research. “When I first thought of the idea, it seemed like a ‘moonshot’ that would probably be impossible, but could be incredibly exciting if it worked,” said Shine to Australian Geographic. “That dream is now close to reality.” “We can use cane toads to control themselves.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Amex GBT CISO David Levin is accelerating AI security, cutting false positives and speeding SOC response to anticipate and shut down threats.Read More

So, you’re thinking of buying a smart ring. Well, some good news. Picking the best of the lot is incredibly easy right now. The “bad” news is that, as far as trustworthiness and reliability, your choices are somewhat limited, as this is still a niche and emerging gadget category.Smart rings are in the middle of a resurgence. That means a lot of experimental ideas and newcomer tech brands you’ve probably never heard of. Enough competitors have cropped up that I spent the better part of last summer rocking six rings like a high-tech mafia don. While these aren’t necessarily bad products (some are pretty good), many aren’t as polished as what you’d see in more mature categories like smartwatches, headphones, and smartphones. RelatedSpeaking of which, there are a few things to know about the category. Currently, these devices are primarily health trackers. Their benefit is they’re more discreet and are better suited to sleep tracking than a smartwatch. However, the vast majority don’t include smart alarms or push notifications. This makes them best suited to casual athletes or more wellness-minded people. Hardcore athletes would be better served in most cases by a smartwatch or fitness tracker, with a smart ring as a supplementary source of data. (But that’s quite an expensive endeavor.) Smart rings are also ill-suited for weightlifters, as they can easily scratch against equipment. With that in mind, here’s the best smart ring for most people in 2025 — and a handful of runners-up worth highlighting for the more tech-adventurous.What I’m looking forSmart rings are meant to be a stylish and discreet alternative to traditional fitness trackers. That requires a combination of experiential testing and benchmarks. We wear them daily for weeks to see how well they accommodate bloated fingers and temperature changes. We don’t take them off in the shower or to wash dishes to test waterproofing. And we compare them to a smartwatch, the Oura Ring, and a smart bed to gauge sleep and health tracking accuracy. Other factors we consider are size ranges, sizing kits, app design, syncing times, and, of course, battery life.Your fingers will bloat. How accommodating is the design? What’s the size range offered? (Some of us have tiny fingers!) How easy is it to return?Many people want a smart ring to double as a piece of jewelry. Is it comfortable to wear 24 / 7? Is the design versatile for all sorts of events? Will you get compliments for wearing it?Does the finish scuff? Will you see visible scratches if you wear other rings alongside it?Rings are easy to lose. Does it have a charging case or does it use a charging dock that a cat can easily knock off your nightstand? Sleep tracking is one of the most popular use cases for a smart ring, and for that you need good battery life. How much do you get on a single charge?Many smart ring companies are newcomers. The hardware can be nice, but it means nothing if the app is a nightmare. How easy is the ring to update and sync? Does it sync with larger platforms like Apple Health or Google Health Connect? Best smart ring for most people9Verge ScoreOura Ring 4$349$349The GoodMore sizesSlimmer designExpanded auto workout detectionRedesigned appBetter battery lifeThe BadSubscription required to get all featuresI still wish this had a charging caseHow we rate and review productsSurprising no one, it’s the Oura Ring 4. I can already hear some of you shouting, “But what about the subscription!” And I agree. Even Oura’s relatively affordable $6 monthly fee can feel more like $100 when you consider the sheer number of apps, gadgets, and services asking for a chunk of your monthly paycheck. However, Oura is still the best in terms of hardware, size range, features offered, app, dedication to research, and experience in the field. Many of the smart rings available today follow the example Oura set this past decade. The upgrades from the Oura Ring Gen 3 to the Oura Ring 4 were mostly software-based, with minor hardware refinements. You can read more in my review, but the gist is a more accurate heart rate and blood oxygen algorithm, improved automatic activity detection, and an expanded range that spans size 4 to 15. The app has been redesigned to be less cluttered, and in the last few weeks, Oura also officially launched an AI chatbot. (Of the AI chatbots in health trackers I’ve tested, this one is among the more polished implementations — though it often feels like Captain Obvious-level insights.) I’ve been long-term testing three iterations of the Oura Ring since 2018. Accuracy, design, and comfort have improved with each generation. The company continues to frequently and clearly communicate research and scientific developments. Third-party retail options have expanded, and I’ve seen investment pour into Oura. In an emerging category, these things matter. A lot. While I believe some of Oura’s newer competitors do some things better or have more creative ideas, Oura is the one I continually recommend for its combination of reliability, accuracy, and experience.Honorable mentionsIf subscriptions are an absolute dealbreaker, you’ll find zero protest here. In that case, here are the best alternatives to the Oura Ring. 7Verge ScoreSamsung Galaxy Ring$350$40013% off$350The GoodExcellent hardwareLong battery lifeSlim, lightweight designNo subscriptionThe BadAndroid onlyBetter if used with Samsung productsAccuracy is a mixed bagHow we rate and review productsThe $400 Samsung Galaxy Ring nails the hardware. Its charging case is more elegant than the Oura Ring’s, and I prefer the slightly concave design for comfort. It also has the second widest size range. If you’re already all-in on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 or Ultra, you get the added benefit of extended battery life. If you have the latest Galaxy Z Flip 6 or Z Fold 6, Samsung also has gesture controls for the ring so you can control the camera. There are a lot of interesting ecosystem-centric ideas that Samsung has for its Galaxy Ring, but while there’s no subscription, it’ll cost you a pretty penny to unlock the ring’s full potential. Without discounts, we’re talking about $1,800 to nearly $3,000 for the phone, watch, and ring. The Galaxy Ring is also a first-gen device with some first-gen quirks. Samsung is still catching up with sleep tracking accuracy, and its Galaxy AI-powered health features are rather hit or miss.$349The Ultrahuman Ring Air is a subscription-free alternative to the Oura Ring that offers a more fitness-focused experience.I’m also keen on the $350 Ultrahuman Ring Air. It gave the Oura Ring an honest run for its money when I tested six smart rings at once last year. It’s not quite as good with accuracy, but it’s on par with comfort and design. The app has much more of a fitness focus than wellness. Instead of a subscription, it has “Power Plugs.” You can think of them as add-on features. Some are free, like smart alarms and cycle tracking. Others will come with an additional fee, like a planned atrial fibrillation detection Power Plug and a cardio adaptability metric, which costs $2.90 a month.RingConn Gen 2 Air$199$199A lighter, entry-level version of RingConn’s latest smart ring. It offers roughly 10 days of battery life, AI features, and basic health and sleep tracking.$199 at Amazon$199 at RingConnLastly, I’ve been testing the RingConn Gen 2 Air, a slimmer, entry-level version of its Gen 2 ring. At $200, it’s the most affordable smart ring I’ve tested but looks and feels a lot nicer than the original RingConn I tested last summer. I had issues with the RingConn’s squarish shape, but it’s much less noticeable this time around and more comfortable. It’s broadly accurate, and the app goes heavy on AI, to middling effect. It has great battery life. I’ve gotten around eight to nine days on a single charge — far better than any other smart ring I’ve tested. See More:

MCP is on Fire. 0 like April 14, 2025 Share this post Last Updated on April 14, 2025 by Editorial Team Author(s): Kalash Vasaniya Originally published on Towards AI. AI agents can now talk to real-world tools and apps and actually get stuff done.Source: From https://x.com/akshay_pachaar If you’re not a member but want to read this article, see this friend link here. This changes everything. MCP is the future. Imagine a world where AI agents can work independently of human engineers. Instead, they are part of a huge, networked society, learning, adapting, and even planning on their own, like computer warriors engaged in an ongoing struggle for better ways of doing things and new ideas. Welcome to the MCP world, a groundbreaking idea that is changing the face of technology and what it means to be independent in the era of artificial intelligence. Here are 8 amazing examples: Exchange images, videos, and voice notes on WhatsApp! Pair it with the ElevenLabs MCP server for AI-powered transcription & audio messages with 3,000+ voices. Source: From https://x.com/LukeHarries_/status/1909303780941640041 Server for Cursor and lets it perform deep web searches, as well as RAG over a specified directory. Everything from the comforts of your IDE: Source: From https://x.com/akshay_pachaar/status/1904511566902595702 Create music with just prompts: Source: From https://x.com/sidahuj/status/1902719460278198658 Talk directly with Figma to craft sleek, modern login screens for mobile devices. Source: From https://x.com/sonnylazuardi/status/1901325190388428999 Server to process any complex real-world documents and make the knowledge accessible in Cursor IDE. GroundX can understand text, images, diagrams, and flowcharts. Source: From https://x.com/akshay_pachaar/status/1908136644420460552 Give Claude and Cursor access to the entire ElevenLabs… Read the full blog for free on Medium. Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming a sponsor. Published via Towards AI Towards AI - Medium Share this post

Although it may not be a household name like Netflix or Hulu, Sling TV has played an important role in the streaming wars as it became the first service to offer live TV when it was unveiled back in 2015. Since then, it's positioned itself as a great low-cost alternative to a traditional cable subscription that offers its subscribers dozens of popular channels, a DVR service, and the ability to watch at home or on the go on up to three devices. Check out the full rundown below to learn more about Sling TV including which channels it includes, available sports (like MLB games), and how much it will run you per month.What Is Sling TV?Sling TV50% off your first month!Sling TV is a subscription-based live TV service that offers a number of popular channels, live sports, news, and more, with no long-term commitment. It's a popular first choice for cord cutters since it's more affordable than some of the bigger names in live TV streaming such as YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, and features different plans that cater to specific interests instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to its content lineup. All plans include 50 hours of DVR, which allows you to record live TV and your favorite shows and movies to watch later.One notable difference (and much of the reason Sling TV is a less expensive option) is that it doesn't include local channels such as ABC, CBS, and NBC. Instead, Sling recommends you pair your subscription with an HD antenna (sold separately) to receive your local channels.Sling TV is available on just about every device including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, PS5, PS4, Xbox consoles, select Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs, Google TV, Xfinity devices, TiVo, and more.Does Sling TV Have a Free Trial?Sling TV FreestreamSee it at Sling TVUnlike other live TV streaming services, like Fubo, Sling TV does not offer a free trial for new subscribers. That being said, there is a related free streaming service that Sling does offer. Sling Freestream offers tons of free channels and ad-supported content that doesn't cost you anything.What Channels Does Sling TV Include?Sling TV has two primary plans to choose from: Orange or Blue. Both plans will run you the same $45.99 per month, but offer vastly different selections of channels depending on your interests. If you want it all, you can combine Sling's Orange and Blue plans to receive the entire 46 channel lineup (including all 22 exclusive channels) for a combined rate of $60.99 per month.Sling describes its Orange plan as being best for sports fans and families as it includes channels such as ESPN, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Food Network, Lifetime, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, TBS, and more. In total, the Orange plan includes 35 channels (eight are exclusive to this plan) as part of the subscription and allows you to watch on one device at a time, although more can be added if you desire.Sling's Blue plan is tailored towards pro football fans and avid news watchers. It includes a total of 43 channels (16 of which are exclusive news and entertainment channels) with some highlights being CNN, Bloomberg TV, Fox (in select markets), FS1, Fox News, MSNBC, NFL Network, and more. The Blue plan also allows you to watch on up to three devices simultaneously.Can You Watch Live Sports on Sling TV?Yes, you can watch live sports on Sling TV, athough most of your local games won't be available without buying an HD antenna (sold separately). Because of Sling's channels being split between two plans (Orange and Blue), you'll need to decide which sports networks are more important to you when signing up.Sling's Orange plan includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3, while Sling's Blue plan omits these in favor of NFL Network and FS1. You'll be able to catch a number of live sporting events including NFL, NBA, MLB, and more, across these channels, but if you're an avid sports fan you'll likely want to add on Sling's sports bundle to gain access to even more channels including NCAA-specific networks, NFL Redzone, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC Golf, and the Tennis Channel, just to name a few.This means that you can watch March Madness games with this service as well.How Much Does Sling TV Cost?As previously mentioned, Sling TV offers its Orange or Blue plans for $45.99 per month, or the ability to combine them to receive all channels for $60.99 per month. Sling is also running a limited-time deal where you can get 50% off your first month for whichever subscription you choose. If you're looking for even more savings, you can even prepay for three months of Sling TV for as low as $99.Additional upgrades can be added to your Sling TV subscription to enable additional features or allow access to even more channels. If you frequently record live TV, you can upgrade to Sling's Unlimited Cloud DVR for an extra $5/month that can save all live sporting events for you for up to three days with its Auto Record feature.For sports fans, you can add on a sports bundle for $11-15/mo (depending on your base plan) that provides access to even more live sports. If you're looking for the best way to catch NFL games across its months of coverage, here's how to watch NFL games online.For more streaming platform guides, check out 2024 Hulu Subscriptions, Netflix Plans, ESPN+ Plans, and Disney+ Plans.Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.