Brewing coffee is all about extraction, and the right kettle will help enormously. Here's how to choose one.

Previsualisation supervisor Chris McDonald discusses all aspects of previs, techvis and postvis, including for Defying Gravity. The post Framestore runs through the visualization of ‘Wicked’ in this hour-long webinar appeared first on befores & afters.

It really is mind-blowing how much incredible stuff we can do with images these days.’Twasn’t long ago, after all, that advanced image adjustments required pricey desktop-computer software and super-specific knowledge.These days, we’ve got an endless array of awesome options at our fingertips for making practically any image look amazing—without investing a single dime or ounce of energy.And what’s especially cool is when you encounter a new image-enhancing power tool that transforms old photos in a way you never dreamed possible.Unearth all sorts of transformative tech treasures with my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. A new useful discovery in your inbox every Wednesday!Your new image unblurring superpowerAllow me to introduce you to a supremely simple and surreal-seeming web app called Unblur Image Online​—or just Unblur Image for short.Don’t let its unimaginative name fool you: This tool works wonders. And it’s laughably easy to use.➜ Unblur Image lets you upload any photo free, and with the click or tap of a single button, it sharpens it and—well, y’know, unblurs it almost instantly.⌚ No exaggeration: You’ll need maybe 20 seconds, start to finish, for the service to work its magic.All you do is open up the site​, smack the big “Upload Image” button, and select any photo on your device.Then, a mere blink or two later—voilà: You’ve got your result, unblurred and also upsized to look as crisp, clear, and contemporary as possible, even if the original photo was fairly ancient (like this old picture of my desk from back in my TV news days—just look at that monitor!).A before-and-after view of my blurry old image on the Unblur Image website.The difference can really be astounding. Here’s an old blurry concert photo I found in my personal library—before and after its near-instant unblurring:You can see how much difference the unblurring process makes in this sliding-line comparison.Pretty wild, no?While some phones do now come with their own built-in image-unblurring equivalents, Unblur Image really does give ’em a run for their money when it comes to quality—and it’s available to use on any device, phone or computer, right within whatever browser you prefer. I’ve already had several readers comment to me that the quality is almost indistinguishable from the universally praised image-editing tools provided on Google’s top-of-the-line Pixel devices.Add in the fact that it’s free, and this is one Cool Tool well worth embracing. Unblur Image is ​available on the web​—no downloads or installations needed. It’s completely free for an unspecified number of uses per day, which the site says “should suffice” for most “regular needs.” I’ve yet to run into a limit when trying several within a single day. If you do need more, Unblur Image offers paid credits for purchase. But really, how many images are you gonna be unblurring?! The service’s privacy policy​ says it doesn’t store or share any manner of personal data. My special thanks to Android Intelligence reader Michelle T. for bringing this one to my attention!Ready for more tantalizing tech treasures? Check out my free Cool Tools newsletter for an instant introduction to an incredible audio app that’ll tune up your days in some truly delightful ways—and a new off-the-beaten-path gen in your inbox every Wednesday!

Have you ever noticed how the best morning rituals energize you for the day ahead? The design behind AURA certainly does, creating a capsule coffee machine concept that brilliantly merges two beloved morning boosters: swimming and coffee. This playful appliance draws inspiration from swimming pools, those serene blue rectangles that promise refreshment and renewal, and transforms your coffee-making experience into something that feels as invigorating as a morning dip. The result is a machine that doesn’t just brew coffee but creates a sensory experience that awakens both body and mind. What makes this concept truly special is how it recognizes the parallel between swimming and coffee as essential morning rituals, at least for avid swimmers, both pros and amateurs alike. Both experiences mark a transition point in your day, a moment of awakening and preparation for what lies ahead. Swimming clears the mind and activates the body, while coffee sharpens focus and establishes routine. By combining visual elements from pool environments with coffee functionality, AURA creates a unique object that celebrates these complementary morning practices and brings a splash of joy to your kitchen counter. Designer: Lim Seongmin (Focus Studio) The most striking feature of the AURA concept is its swimming pool-inspired aesthetics. Imagine a coffee machine adorned with the familiar blue tile pattern reminiscent of your favorite pool, complete with miniature ladder elements that cleverly double as capsule holders. These thoughtful design touches transform a utilitarian kitchen appliance into a conversation piece that brings a smile to your face even before that first sip of caffeine hits your system. It’s quite amusing how the concept design reimagined the capsule holder as an integrated ladder-like structure. Unlike traditional machines that require separate accessories for capsule storage, AURA incorporates this essential function directly into its design. This clever integration not only enhances the swimming pool aesthetic but also improves functionality by keeping your favorite coffee varieties organized and within easy reach. It’s a perfect example of how thoughtful design can solve practical problems while enhancing visual appeal. The machine’s clean lines and harmonious proportions reflect a deep understanding of what makes swimming pools so visually appealing. The designers have concealed functional elements like the water tank and capsule slot within the “tile” pattern, maintaining the sculptural integrity of the piece. This approach creates a more cohesive and visually pleasing object that doesn’t sacrifice functionality for form. Instead of exposing mechanical components, AURA presents a seamless surface that contributes to a sense of calm and order in your morning routine. The post Capsule Coffee Machine Concept Makes Mornings Feel Like a Refreshing Swim first appeared on Yanko Design.

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In today’s deep learning landscape, optimizing models for deployment in resource-constrained environments is more important than ever. Weight quantization addresses this need by reducing the precision of model parameters, typically from 32-bit floating point values to lower bit-width representations, thus yielding smaller models that can run faster on hardware with limited resources. This tutorial introduces the concept of weight quantization using PyTorch’s dynamic quantization technique on a pre-trained ResNet18 model. The tutorial will explore how to inspect weight distributions, apply dynamic quantization to key layers (such as fully connected layers), compare model sizes, and visualize the resulting changes. This tutorial will equip you with the theoretical background and practical skills required to deploy deep learning models. Copy CodeCopiedUse a different Browserimport torch import torch.nn as nn import torch.quantization import torchvision.models as models import matplotlib.pyplot as plt import numpy as np import os print("Torch version:", torch.__version__) We import the required libraries such as PyTorch, torchvision, and matplotlib, and prints the PyTorch version, ensuring all necessary modules are ready for model manipulation and visualization. Copy CodeCopiedUse a different Browsermodel_fp32 = models.resnet18(pretrained=True) model_fp32.eval() print("Pretrained ResNet18 (FP32) model loaded.") A pretrained ResNet18 model is loaded in FP32 (floating-point) precision and set to evaluation mode, preparing it for further processing and quantization. Copy CodeCopiedUse a different Browserfc_weights_fp32 = model_fp32.fc.weight.data.cpu().numpy().flatten() plt.figure(figsize=(8, 4)) plt.hist(fc_weights_fp32, bins=50, color='skyblue', edgecolor='black') plt.title("FP32 - FC Layer Weight Distribution") plt.xlabel("Weight values") plt.ylabel("Frequency") plt.grid(True) plt.show() In this block, the weights from the final fully connected layer of the FP32 model are extracted and flattened, then a histogram is plotted to visualize their distribution before any quantization is applied. The output of the above block Copy CodeCopiedUse a different Browserquantized_model = torch.quantization.quantize_dynamic(model_fp32, {nn.Linear}, dtype=torch.qint8) quantized_model.eval() print("Dynamic quantization applied to the model.") We apply dynamic quantization to the model, specifically targeting the Linear layers—to convert them to lower-precision formats, demonstrating a key technique for reducing model size and inference latency. Copy CodeCopiedUse a different Browserdef get_model_size(model, filename="temp.p"): torch.save(model.state_dict(), filename) size = os.path.getsize(filename) / 1e6 os.remove(filename) return size fp32_size = get_model_size(model_fp32, "fp32_model.p") quant_size = get_model_size(quantized_model, "quant_model.p") print(f"FP32 Model Size: {fp32_size:.2f} MB") print(f"Quantized Model Size: {quant_size:.2f} MB") A helper function is defined to save and check the model size on disk; then, it is used to measure and compare the sizes of the original FP32 model and the quantized model, showcasing the compression impact of quantization. Copy CodeCopiedUse a different Browserdummy_input = torch.randn(1, 3, 224, 224) with torch.no_grad(): output_fp32 = model_fp32(dummy_input) output_quant = quantized_model(dummy_input) print("Output from FP32 model (first 5 elements):", output_fp32[0][:5]) print("Output from Quantized model (first 5 elements):", output_quant[0][:5]) A dummy input tensor is created to simulate an image, and both FP32 and quantized models are run on this input so that you can compare their outputs and validate that quantization does not drastically alter predictions. Copy CodeCopiedUse a different Browserif hasattr(quantized_model.fc, 'weight'): fc_weights_quant = quantized_model.fc.weight().dequantize().cpu().numpy().flatten() else: fc_weights_quant = quantized_model.fc._packed_params._packed_weight.dequantize().cpu().numpy().flatten() plt.figure(figsize=(14, 5)) plt.subplot(1, 2, 1) plt.hist(fc_weights_fp32, bins=50, color='skyblue', edgecolor='black') plt.title("FP32 - FC Layer Weight Distribution") plt.xlabel("Weight values") plt.ylabel("Frequency") plt.grid(True) plt.subplot(1, 2, 2) plt.hist(fc_weights_quant, bins=50, color='salmon', edgecolor='black') plt.title("Quantized - FC Layer Weight Distribution") plt.xlabel("Weight values") plt.ylabel("Frequency") plt.grid(True) plt.tight_layout() plt.show() In this block, the quantized weights (after dequantization) are extracted from the fully connected layer and compared via histograms against the original FP32 weights to illustrate the changes in weight distribution due to quantization. The output of the above block In conclusion, the tutorial has provided a step-by-step guide to understanding and implementing weight quantization, highlighting its impact on model size and performance. By quantizing a pre-trained ResNet18 model, we observed the shifts in weight distributions, the tangible benefits in model compression, and potential inference speed improvements. This exploration sets the stage for further experimentation, such as implementing Quantization Aware Training (QAT), which can further optimize performance on quantized models. Here is the Colab Notebook. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and join our Telegram Channel and LinkedIn Group. Don’t Forget to join our 85k+ ML SubReddit. The post A Coding Implementation on Introduction to Weight Quantization: Key Aspect in Enhancing Efficiency in Deep Learning and LLMs appeared first on MarkTechPost.

In Brief Posted: 7:56 PM PDT · April 12, 2025 Image Credits:Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images Could an Amazon driver could be the one who saves your life? In a quiet transformation from merchandising giant to (also) healthcare giant, Amazon may be positioning its sprawling logistics network and growing medical footprint to potentially save lives, starting with your front door. According to Bloomberg, back in 2023, Amazon piloted a several months-long pilot program called Project Pulse, equipping delivery vans with defibrillators and training drivers in CPR. In cities like London, Amsterdam, and Bologna, more than 100 drivers participated, with several of them receiving alerts from citizen responder apps and arriving on site. (Rescue services were reportedly already treating the victims.) The company hasn’t moved forward but it is “evaluating the feedback and exploring additional opportunities for future programs,” an Amazon spokesperson tells Bloomberg. It’d likely a public relations win for the company. It would also be a way to expand Amazon’s healthcare ambitions beyond One Medical, the primary care provider for which it shelled out $3.9 billion in early 2023. With rivals like Walgreens and Walmart retreating from primary care — Walmart shuttered its primary healthcare business in April of last year, closing 51 locations, and Walgreens is being taken private again by Sycamore Partners for just $10 billion — Amazon could be feeling increasingly confident it can do what the others couldn’t: reshape healthcare delivery and bring more than just packages to customers’ doorsteps. Topics

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ELBERT COUNTY, CO - MAY 8: Traveling in a tornado scouting vehicle, Hunter Anderson, a meteorology ... More student at St. Cloud State University and current intern with the Center For Severe Weather Research, checks radar and storm models on his smartphone as his group chases a supercell thunderstorm during a tornado research mission, May 8, 2017 in Elbert County near Agate, Colorado. With funding from the National Science Foundation and other government grants, scientists and meteorologists from the Center for Severe Weather Research try to get close to supercell storms and tornadoes trying to better understand tornado structure and strength, how low-level winds affect and damage buildings, and to learn more about tornado formation and prediction. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)Getty Images I spent much of my childhood catching bees and other insects. After being stung by a bee, I learned the hard way about having a bee sting allergy. I pivoted my sixth-grade science project from entomology to meteorology. The rest is history. There are a couple of lessons in that story for students and aspiring scientists as the landscape shifts. Students at the collegiate and high school levels are paying attention to reports of federal scientists being dismissed, programs being cut and other research funding pressures. They are asking professors, mentors, and alumni contacts important questions about future job prospects, availability of funding for graduate school, or whether to consider different career trajectories. JAKARTA, INDONESIA - APRIL 15: An apitherapy practitioner administers a bee sting to the hand of a ... More patient at Cibubur Bee Center on April 15, 2007 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Bee acupuncture or apitherapy, is an alternative healing practice where bee stings are used as treatment for various conditions and diseases. Apitherapy, which was first practiced in China, has developed as a popular alternative healing method in Indonesia. (Photo by Dimas Ardian/Getty Images)Getty Images Let’s revisit my bee story. That sting was a sudden stressor that caused a pivot in my scientific career. For much of my early childhood, I wanted to be an entomologist. However, that sixth-grade science project, "Can a 6th-grader Predict The Weather," won a science fair and inspired a new passion. The honey bee inspired a Plan B. I went on to receive a doctorate degree in physical meteorology, work as a research meteorologist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, become President of the American Meteorological Society, host a pioneering show on The Weather Channel, and be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. To this day, I am a certified weather geek who followed a passion even if the immediate pathway was not always clear. My story is no different than others that forayed into meteorology or atmospheric sciences. Membership surveys have shown that many members of the AMS developed a passion for weather in elementary or middle school. Most students who major in atmospheric sciences walk onto campus knowing that will be their field of study. It is rarely discovered. This picture taken on January 23, 2023 in Toulouse, southwestern France, shows screens displaying ... More the logos of OpenAI and ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a conversational artificial intelligence software application developed by OpenAI. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP) (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images Plan B And Passion This leads me to my first piece of advice. Do not ever give up on you passion but have a Plan B. This may be the time to consider micro-credentialing or broadening the tools in the toolbox. Most universities or colleges offer double majors, co-majors, certificates, joint undergraduate - graduate programs and internships that can complement primary areas of study. We strongly advise our atmospheric sciences students to double major in geography to get exposure to GIS and social sciences perspectives. My daughter is pursuing a sociology degree with a sustainable certificate while being simultaneously enrolled in 3+2 program that allows her to work on a Master's degree in non-profit leadership and management. Data science, artificial intelligence, applied statistics, GIS, and computational sciences complement many physical or biological sciences career paths facing contraction or job market fluctuations. An aspiring scientist right now should consider co-mingling passion with pragmatism. My colleague Paul Walsh is a leading thought leader in the private sector within the meteorology community. When I lamented about students having to sacrifice passion and interests for pragmatism, he reminded of something Robert Frost once said, “Unite your avocation with your vocation.” SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 28: Mammatus clouds form over houses at sunset on October ... More 28, 2017 in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England. Mammatus means mammary cloud and they are a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud, typically cumulonimbus rainclouds but also altostratus, altocumulus and stratocumulus. They form when sinking air is cooler than the surrounding air and have high liquid or ice content. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)Getty Images Candidly, I was inspired more by the wonder of hurricanes or mammatus clouds than python code or machine learning as kid. However, I worked with genetic algorithms and numerical prediction models in my graduate work at Florida State University. Many students or professionals have skillsets well-suited for "careers of the moment" that may be more resilient to socio-political volatility. As an example, the Europeans were already ahead of the U.S. in weather modeling skill. This year they rolled out an efficient, accurate operational AI forecast model. The Academy, Private Sector, and Government Assure Resilience and Competitiveness In moments like this, students often pivot to graduate school, but some have expressed concerns about funding. Many institutions have rescinded or reduced new graduate admission offers. Our global competitiveness and future prospects will depend on a STEM-ready workforce and a new generation of experts. Universities will find a way to educate scholars, but it may require novel funding models involving the private sector or foundations. The private sector may also offer opportunities for aspiring scientists as they acquire slack from losses in the federal sector. However, they may not have the capacity to absorb the sudden glut of displaced federal workers and new college graduates hitting the market. Additionally, the private sector is not currently scaled for the full scientific, technical and multidisciplinary capacity required to advance new technologies in agriculture, get us to Mars, provide national security, or fend off the next lurking pandemic.Matteo Dell'Acqua, deputy director of the information system at Meteo-France, the French national ... More meteorological service, poses near the organisation's newly acquired supercomputer, on March 4, 2014 in Meteopole, the organisation's headquarters in Toulouse. AFP PHOTO ERIC CABANIS (Photo credit should read ERIC CABANIS/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images To ensure success, advancement and competitiveness, government, industry, and academia will need to complement each other and collaborate in unison. During my tenure at NASA, I watched industry, civil servant, and academic scholars work seamlessly to provide vital technologies and scientific knowledge related wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and drouth. Each sector brings unique capacity, expertise, and efficiency to the table. Their viability also depends on specialized scientists, programmers, technologists, and engineers. Some of the world’s greatest medical, engineering, and scientific societies discoveries did not come from plans, spreadsheets or pragmatism. They came from scholars, scientists, and inventors with a passion for what they do. I hope we never get to a point where we are extinguishing the passion of our brightest young mines or forcing them to go elsewhere. We need them here now and in the years to come.GREENBELT, MD - NOVEMBER 02: Engineers and technicians assemble the James Webb Space Telescope ... More November 2, 2016 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The telescope, designed to be a large space-based observatory optimized for infrared wavelengths, will be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope. It is scheduled to be launched in October 2018. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)Getty Images

Table of Contents Table of Contents Lucy (2014) The Electric State (2025) Geostorm (2017) USS Callister: Into Infinity (2025) Upgrade (2018) Black Mirror season 7, Netflix’s biggest sci-fi show, returns this month for more devastating lessons about the dangers of technology. One of the episodes is a sequel to USS Callister, the Emmy-winning sci-fi adventure that kicked off season 4. Because it’s essentially a mini-movie, we’re putting it on the list of sci-fi to watch this month. As for our four other picks, they are traditional movies. One is a small-budget cyberpunk thriller, and the other is a $300 million blockbuster. You’ll be surprised as to which one is the better movie. Check out the full list below. Recommended Videos We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+. Related Universal Pictures Scarlett Johansson becomes the most powerful intellectual in the world in Lucy. After being coerced into delivering illegal substances for a crime lord, the titular Lucy (Johansson) is kidnapped and becomes a drug mule. While transporting the drugs in her abdomen, the package explodes, releasing the toxins into her bloodstream. Instead of dying, Lucy gains new powers — telepathy, telekinesis, and mental time travel. Lucy uses these newfound abilities to exact her revenge. The more power Lucy gains, the more unstable she becomes, forcing her to seek help from a famed neurologist (Morgan Freeman). While the film’s logic is flawed, Lucy does provide Johansson a chance to become a capable action hero outside of the MCU. Stream Lucy on Netflix. Netflix / Netflix The Electric State One day, a sentient robot named Cosmo (Alan Tudyk) convinces Michelle that her brother is still alive. Michelle and Cosmo venture off to the West to find the missing brother. Along the way, they team up with the drifter Keats (Chris Pratt) and learn that a nefarious organization might be behind the schism between humans and robots. Stream The Electric State on Netflix. Warner Bros. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and tsunamis are not big enough for Gerard Butler. No, the action star needs something bigger like a meteorological phenomenon with extinction-level capabilities, aka a geostorm. In the movie that shares the same name as the storm, Butler plays Jake Lawson, an architect of Dutch Boy, a global satellite program that manipulates the weather.  Years later, Dutch Boy gets into the wrong hands and causes mayhem on Earth. While Jake tries to solve the problem in space, his brother Max (Jim Sturgess) races to find out who’s calling the shots on Earth. This is pure disaster porn in the best way. Think of GeostormArmageddon and Independence Day. Stream Geostorm on Netflix. Nick Wall / Netflix Is Black Mirror a TV show? Yes. However, certain episodes reach feature-film length and could be considered movies. That’s the case for USS Callister, the Star Trek homage about an undervalued computer programmer, Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), who creates digital clones of his coworkers and traps them within a space adventure game. USS Callister won the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie, and now, there’s a sequel, USS Callister: Into Infinity. With Daly dead, Captain Nanette Cole (Cristin Milioti) and her crew continue to travel through the virtual universe. Now, the crew finds themselves in a battle for survival against millions of other players. Stream USS Callister: Into Infinity on Netflix. Universal Pictures Between The Invisible ManUpgrade, Leigh Whannell is at home within the sci-fi genre. While Upgrade did not have the same financial success as The Invisible Man, the cyberpunk thriller is a riveting and tense 100-minute mystery. In 2046, Gray Trace and his wife are involved in a deadly car crash, with the latter dying after four men shoot her in the wreckage. Gray survives but becomes a quadriplegic. A tech mogul gives Gray a second chance at life through his invention, a STEM implant chip that gives him control of his limbs again. With the chip installed, Gray goes after the men who killed his wife, and in doing so, uncovers a technological conspiracy that threatens his existence. Stream Upgrade on Netflix. Editors’ Recommendations