The Fyre Festival saga is getting an unexpected new chapter. Shawn Rech, who co-founded the TruBlu streaming network for crime and investigative content, is planning to leverage the Fyre Festival name for a new music streaming platform. He's acquired select intellectual property trademarks for the famously failed music event whose co-founder Billy McFarland went to jail for fraud. However, Rech will not play a role in Fyre Festival's hypothetical live events. According to him, he's just trying to capitalize on the name's familiarity for his own project. "It has nothing to do with music," Rech told Deadline in a surprisingly candid statement. "I needed a big name that people would remember, even if it’s attached to infamy, so that’s why I bought these [trademarks] to start the streaming network." Deadline reports that the Fyre Music Streaming will have a subscription video-on-demand platform and free ad-supported television channels. Rech claims it will launch at Thanksgiving. "We’re building something authentic and lasting," he said. It takes an impressive amount of hubris to use the name of a comically ridiculous music festival fraud and expect people to give you money for it. But considering Rech did manage to get TruBlu off the ground, maybe his music platform will actually exist. If the fact that the second Fyre Festival has already been indefinitely postponed is any sign of what's to come, though, it will be a hilarious exercise in schadenfreude.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/fyre-festival-is-becoming-a-music-streaming-service-that-might-not-be-a-scam-this-time-221058381.html?src=rss

Vercel survey shows OpenAI still dominates among AI application developers, but competition is catching up.

Tesla shares dropped almost 6% on Monday, a day before the company is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings.

A new podcast in the AI, ML and VFX series. Today on the befores & afters podcast, we’re chatting with Nikola Todorovic. He is the co-founder of Wonder Dynamics, which is now an Autodesk company. Wonder Dynamics really burst onto the scene a few years ago with its AI-powered toolset. One of the main things it can do is let you capture a scene with real performers in it with only a single camera, and then turn those people into CG characters using markerless mocap. That’s just one part of it, though, and there’s a match moving, tracking, clean plating and rendering side to what the toolset does. With Nikola, we’re taking a look back at the big developments in what Wonder Dynamics – now part of Autodesk Flow Studio – have been, including new aspects such as motion prediction, and what the team is hoping to do with facial performance. Listen in above, and check out some behind the scenes videos below. The post The new motion prediction from Wonder Dynamics, and what’s coming with facial animation appeared first on befores & afters.

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. In most companies, generative AI is full of contradictions. On one hand, 67% of business leaders predict that GenAI will transform their organization in 2025, according to a KPMG survey. On the other, just 36% of executives say their company has a well-defined vision for AI. The core issue: Nearly 2.5 years after ChatGPT’s introduction, most companies are still stuck in what I call “prototype purgatory.” They’ve bought and attempted to adopt off-the-shelf GenAI tools and developed pet project prototypes. But despite big promises from vendors or demos, they’ve generated little more than incremental value—far from the AI revolution that was promised. I see this constantly when talking to enterprise execs. They’re frustrated. And the data bears this out, too. Recently at A.Team, we surveyed 250 senior tech leaders responsible for AI initiatives at their companies and found that only 36% of organizations have successfully deployed AI to production. (The majority of respondents came from enterprise companies.) The rest remain caught in an endless cycle of proof of concept projects and pilots—or haven’t gotten started at all. It’s not hard to see why this is happening. The space is moving at whiplash speed, disrupting itself weekly. It’s impossible to upskill your full-time employees on all things AI, which makes it difficult to make crucial technical decisions. At this stage of the game, locking into one platform is highly premature. But amidst these struggles, some companies are breaking through. The most fascinating part of our research was what AI leaders do differently than AI laggards—and it’s not what you might expect. The talent equation: Blended teams win The most striking finding from our research was that organizations that use blended teams—a model that integrates specialized freelance talent with full-time employees—are twice as likely to reach advanced stages of AI innovation. These companies find that this model helps alleviate the AI talent crisis that most companies are experiencing. Ninety-four percent of the tech leaders we surveyed said talent constraints are their primary barrier to innovation, with 85% having delayed critical AI initiatives due to talent shortages. [Graphic: A.Team 2025 State of AI Innovation Report] They’re finding that traditional hiring can’t solve this problem—89% said the traditional recruitment model is broken. Two-thirds of respondents said it takes at least 4 months to hire top engineering talent. These protracted hiring cycles are particularly problematic in AI development, where technology evolves at a breakneck pace—rendering traditional workforce planning obsolete as new possibilities emerge and roadmaps change. In 2025, it’s hard to know the exact skills you will need in six months. Successful organizations that have escaped prototype purgatory have found a different approach with blended teams, and they report stunning improvements from incorporating freelance or fractional talent into their teams: 99% enhanced innovation capability 98% improved project success rates 96% accelerated speed of delivery [Graphic: A.Team 2025 State of AI Innovation Report] Build versus buy: A third way may be the answer For the past 2.5 years, I’ve watched “build vs. buy” become one of the dominant discussions in executive boardrooms. While off-the-shelf AI tools like ChatGPT Enterprise and GitHub Copilot deliver obvious value, it now looks like the “build” approach is winning. Among companies that have successfully deployed AI to production, 93% say building custom solutions delivers more value than off-the-shelf tools. But that might not be the whole story. The most successful organizations aren’t building everything from scratch, however. They’re taking an “assemble” approach—leveraging the explosion of open-source building blocks (we’ve seen a 60% boom in open-source GenAI contributions on GitHub in the past year alone) while customizing solutions for their specific needs. The “assemble” model is built for speed; integrated components can be easily updated or swapped out, which is crucial when the shelf life for state of the art AI is shorter than a jar of organic marinara sauce. It allows you to keep the most crucial part in place: developing these GenAI components into existing workflows that empower your employees and customers, giving you a true data moat. When you look at where the senior tech leaders in our study are making their investments, it reflects this kind of foundational approach: 50% are increasing spending on AI safety and monitoring tools 49% are prioritizing AI development platforms 41% are investing in data infrastructure [Graphic: A.Team 2025 State of AI Innovation Report] They’re not investing in the models themselves but in everything needed to turn them into production-grade systems: data pipelines, testing frameworks, monitoring tools, and integration capabilities. Want ROI? Start with AI-powered automation One of the biggest questions about generative AI is: Are companies seeing ROI? And if so, where? We got the answer by asking AI leaders their expected ROI timeline across four key areas of focus: Custom AI product development AI-powered automation Customer-facing AI features Internal AI tools [Graphic: A.Team 2025 State of AI Innovation Report] Not surprisingly, AI-powered automation had the highest ROI rate already achieved, at 14%. Surprisingly, customer AI product development came in second, at 12%. Perhaps most surprisingly, most leaders expect to see ROI across every use case this year. [Graphic: A.Team 2025 State of AI Innovation Report] Our research suggests that a significant portion of that investment will go into custom AI product development and customer-facing AI features. While the dominant AI discussion has focused on cost cutting, more respondents said they were focusing on generating ROI through revenue generation (46%) over cost cutting (30%). [Graphic: A.Team 2025 State of AI Innovation Report] It’s been said a million times, but it bears repeating: This will be a critical year for AI development inside most companies, with many Fortune 500 players at risk of falling behind. And while there have been whispers of a trough of disillusionment, tech leaders remain bullish: 96% plan to increase AI investments in 2025, with over half planning increases of 51% or more. The challenge isn’t a lack of ambition—it’s execution. Most AI initiatives fail at the last mile—not because the technology isn’t viable but because organizations underestimate the complexity of productizing AI and don’t have the right talent with the right mindset inside their organization. Companies that embrace these challenges and think differently will escape prototype purgatory. The rest may find themselves in limbo for years to come. Raphael Ouzan is cofounder and CEO of A.Team.

The architectural principle of “form follows function” is a cornerstone of design, but few projects embrace this concept as wholeheartedly as the Gambit Office by KWK Promes. Created for a pipe distribution company, this distinctive building gives the impression of being constructed almost entirely from metal pipes. Situated in Gliwice, Poland, the Gambit Office stands out as a playful example of memetic architecture. The project began when KWK Promes was tasked with designing a new office for Gambit, the pipe distributor, while working within a limited budget. The idea emerged to use metal pipes for the building’s facade, taking advantage of their cost-effectiveness and direct connection to the company’s core business. Designer: KWK Promes The original plan to use actual metal pipes for the building’s facade proved unfeasible. Instead, the architects opted for raw aluminum sheeting, which was carefully bent and shaped to mimic the appearance of pipes, completely enveloping the building’s concrete structure. Achieving this effect required a lot of attention to detail and skilled craftsmanship. The ambitious project spanned around 11 years from its initial design phase to completion, reflecting the dedication and persistence of everyone involved. “The facade was ultimately not made from Gambit pipes – designed for underground use – as we found that they oxidized under UV light and did not meet fire safety requirements,” said KWK Promes. “Instead, we reached for inexpensive, raw aluminum sheeting, which was not only cheaper but also proven in our previous projects such as the OUTrial House, Unikato, and Konieczny’s Ark.” To address practical concerns, the pipes along the building’s edges are capped to prevent wind from creating unwanted whistling sounds, while the remaining pipes are left open, providing inviting nesting spaces for birds and insects. KWK Promes states that the raw aluminum exterior will gradually weather over time, developing a concrete-like patina that enhances its visual appeal and also ensures low maintenance requirements. The building’s overall shape is influenced by both local planning regulations and the steeply pitched roofs of neighboring houses, allowing it to blend harmoniously with its surroundings while maintaining a distinctive and innovative architectural character. The interior of the Gambit Office offers a generous 943 square meters (approximately 10,000 square feet) of usable floor space. The main office area is located within a two-story section that features distinctive sloping walls, while an adjoining lower section is dedicated to workshop activities. The building also includes an unheated warehouse specifically designed for pipe storage. The décor highlights the exposed concrete structure, creating a modern industrial aesthetic. Ample glazing, including multiple skylights, ensures that natural light fills the space, resulting in a bright and welcoming atmosphere that enhances both comfort and productivity for those who work inside. The post Innovative Polish Office Marries Industrial Utility & Playful Design In 10,000-Square-Foot Workspace first appeared on Yanko Design.

AI may have benefits – but we could do without the chads.

Customs and Border Protection has broad authority to search travelers’ devices when they cross into the United States. Here’s what you can do to protect your digital life while at the US border.

Changes to Intel’s executive management team by its new CEO, after just over a month on the job, is proof of the sense of urgency in the company to act quickly to compete with rivals Nvidia, AMD, and TSMC, an industry analyst said Monday. Mario Morales, group vice president, enabling technologies and semiconductors at IDC, was responding to a recent Reuters report in which, according to a memo it quoted from by new Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, “networking chip chief” Sachin Katti has been promoted to the role of “chief technology officer and artificial intelligence chief.” In the memo, Tan stated that the company’s data center and AI chip group, and its personal computer chip group, would report to him directly, not as before to Michelle Johnson Holthaus, who will take on new responsibilities. Reuters reported that Tan wrote, “I want to roll up my sleeves with the engineering and product teams so I can learn what’s needed to strengthen our solutions. As Michelle and I drive this work, we plan to evolve and expand her role, with more details to come in the future.” Morales said the appointment of Katti, who previously was vice president and general manager of the Network and Edge Group (NEX) at Intel, is a good move, because “it tells us that that Intel needs to really rebalance and focus on AI, because that’s where we’re seeing the most rapid growth for the semiconductor market as a whole. That’s probably the area that has the biggest gap in terms of Intel versus its competition.” Scott Bickley, advisory fellow at Info-Tech Research Group,added, “Intel is facing a monumental uphill battle. After completely opting out of the mobile and AI chip design innovation waves, they are now faced with a slumping x86 legacy CPU business coupled with their high-risk strategy to move to a sub-2nm design produced in their fabs.” He pointed out that this “includes new process technologies such as Gate All Around [GAA] processing and backside power delivery that have yet to be proven at scale. It would be somewhat of a miracle to expect Intel to leapfrog both Nvidia and their fab partner, TSMC, in the AI space. Even if these new chips are successful in terms of design and performance, they may be a product in search of a market.” It is possible, said Bickley, that “Intel could seek to be the fab of choice for the hyperscalers if they can bend the cost-for-performance curve, but that is a longshot and likely to only garner a fraction of this market. Intel’s best hope is a paradigm shift to whatever is post-AI chip architecture … they are not in an enviable position.” Morales added that giving more power to Intel engineers is important, since the company has “lost its way,” and the move should help the organization start making the changes that it needs to make. Now, he said, there is a need for Intel to act more quickly, adding that when Tan spoke at the recent Intel Vision conference in Las Vegas, he presented with a “humbleness and integrity that I think resonated with a lot of partners and developers there, but you can see that he needs to make these moves very quickly. He is basically a month into the role and already making management changes, and I think you are going to see more announcements later this week when they announce their earnings.” Morales said he would be not surprised to see more employee attrition, because when it comes to revenue per employee, “it is not as good as the competition.” Alvin Nguyen, senior analyst at Forrester, said that while having a dedicated person in charge of AI development is a “good move,” the proof will come in what Katti is able to deliver as the new CTO. While the fab partnership with TSMC is a “nice cash infusion” for Intel, he said, it is still unclear what Intel will get out of the arrangement, and investors are “not going to be happy until those details come out.” According to Nguyen, the longer this takes, the less latitude the new CEO will be given. “The problem is that they are nowhere near the top of their game in terms of products or fab technology,” he said. “They are behind Nvidia, they are behind AMD in terms of AI, in terms of data center CPUs and in some cases the workplace CPU markets.” He said that the move by Tan to streamline the organization “gives him the ability to see more of what is going on, but the question at this point is, is he overwhelming himself, or does it give him the ability to provide better guidance?”

If a new rumor is to be believed, the iPhone 17 Pro might be available in a familiar-looking Sky Blue color option.The iPhone 17 Pro might be available in a color similar to the Sierra Blue of the iPhone 13 Pro. Image Credit: AppleInsiderAs a whole, the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to introduce radical visual changes, with many sources claiming the device will feature a redesigned camera bump. We've also heard a lot about the materials and features of the iPhone 17 Pro, but there have been few claims about the color options Apple plans to offer.Now, leaker Majin Bu claims to have the details on the exclusive color that's expected to debut with Apple's 2025 flagship. In a post on their website, the leaker says that the iPhone 17 Pro will be available in "YuangFeng Blue" or Sky Blue, which would look similar to the recently introduced M4 MacBook Air and M3 iPad Air. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums