Integrating long-context capabilities with visual understanding significantly enhances the potential of VLMs, particularly in domains such as robotics, autonomous driving, and healthcare. Expanding the context size enables VLMs to process extended video and text sequences, thereby enhancing temporal resolution and performance in complex tasks, such as video comprehension. However, one major limitation is the quadratic complexity of attention mechanisms during the pre-fill phase, which results in high latency before autoregressive decoding begins. This delay, known as Time-to-First-Token, makes real-world deployment of long-context VLMs challenging. Various sparse attention methods, such as Sparse Transformer, Swin Transformer, and StreamingLLM, overlook the specific sparse patterns found in VLMs with mixed modalities, thereby limiting their efficiency and effectiveness. Unlike text-only inputs, visual and video data in VLMs demonstrate unique spatiotemporal attention structures, forming grid-like patterns due to local correlations. In mixed-modality scenarios, clear boundaries exist between different modalities, leading to distinct attention behaviors that general sparse methods fail to capture. Recent advancements, such as MInference and dynamic sparse attention approaches, aim to improve inference efficiency by adapting attention patterns online. Yet, these techniques often fall short in handling the intricacies of mixed-modality inputs. While vision token compression and RNN-Transformer hybrids have been explored to reduce computational load, most of these methods focus on long-video and short-text pairings, neglecting the more complex dynamics of multiturn, mixed-modality interactions, which are increasingly important in practical applications. Researchers from the University of Surrey and Microsoft have introduced MMInference, a dynamic, sparse attention method designed to accelerate the pre-filling stage of long-context VLMs. By identifying grid-like sparsity patterns in video inputs and distinct modality boundaries, MMInference applies permutation-based strategies to optimize attention computation. It dynamically constructs sparse distributions for each input and utilizes custom GPU kernels for enhanced efficiency, all without requiring modifications to existing models. Tested on benchmarks like Video QA, Captioning, and Vision-NIAH, MMInference achieved up to 8.3× speedup at 1M tokens, outperforming previous methods while maintaining high accuracy across multiple state-of-the-art VLMs. MMInference is a framework designed to speed up the pre-filling phase of long-context vision-language models by leveraging modality-aware sparse attention. It integrates three key components: (1) intra-modality sparse patterns like Grid, A-shape, and Vertical-Slash attention; (2) cross-modality patterns such as Q-Boundary and 2D-Boundary; and (3) a modality-aware sparse attention search algorithm. Instead of dense computation, it uses dynamic sparse attention with optimized GPU kernels and efficient tensor handling. The framework dynamically identifies attention patterns and permutes tensors based on modality, enabling efficient handling of multi-modal inputs and reducing computational overhead while maintaining strong performance. The study evaluates MMInference’s performance and efficiency on long-video tasks, including captioning, question answering, and retrieval in both unimodal and mixed-modality settings. Experiments were conducted using state-of-the-art models, such as Llava-Video and LongVILA, with comparisons against several sparse attention baselines. Results show that MMInference achieves near full-attention performance while being more computationally efficient. It performs particularly well in the newly introduced Mixed-Modality Needle in a Haystack (MM-NIAH) task by leveraging inter-modality sparse patterns. Additionally, MMInference demonstrates significant speedups in end-to-end latency and maintains robustness across varying context lengths and input types. In conclusion, MMInference is a modality-aware sparse attention technique designed to accelerate long-context VLMs without compromising accuracy. It employs a permutation-based grid attention pattern tailored for the spatial-temporal locality of video inputs, along with specialized handling for mixed-modality boundaries. A search algorithm identifies optimal sparse patterns per attention head, dynamically adapting to the input. The method integrates directly into current VLM pipelines without requiring model changes or fine-tuning. With optimized GPU kernels, MMInference achieves up to 8.3× acceleration during the pre-filling stage at 1M tokens across various tasks, including video QA, captioning, and mixed-modality benchmarks, while retaining full-attention performance. Check out the Paper and Code. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and join our Telegram Channel and LinkedIn Group. Don’t Forget to join our 90k+ ML SubReddit. [Register Now] miniCON Virtual Conference on AGENTIC AI: FREE REGISTRATION + Certificate of Attendance + 4 Hour Short Event (May 21, 9 am- 1 pm PST) + Hands on Workshop The post Microsoft Research Introduces MMInference to Accelerate Pre-filling for Long-Context Vision-Language Models appeared first on MarkTechPost.

Thank your own personal deity--possibly the Nine Divines--it's Friday! Whether you’re chasing a hot new release or looking to revisit an old favourite for cheap, I've got you covered. From nostalgic remasters to all-out action blockbusters, there’s a bit of something to keep you well amused until I can serve up the next batch of bargains on Monday. Until then, stay safe and save often.This Day in Gaming 🎂In retro news, I'm summoning a Fire Elemental to light this 23-candle cake for Heroes of Might and Magic IV. In case you missed it, Heroes of Might and Magic was a turn-based strategy series where we led armies and heroes around a fantastic world, capturing towns and fighting creatures and evil overlords. Hell, in Heroes you could even be a Temu version Sauron. In addition to elevating hero development and hands-on battlefield tactics, I remember loving the more flexible class system and experimental magic use. Basically, HoMM4 redefined the turn-based strategy game experience through its intricate depth, bold design choices, and enduringly memorable campaigns. Do not waste time wondering if this might be worth a replay; it's magic.And it was at this point that my heroes dispensed both might and magic.Aussie bdays for notable games- Breath of Fire II (SNES) 1996. eBay- Heroes of Might and Magic IV (PC) 2002. Sequels- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle (PS3) 2014. eBay- NES Remix 2 (3DS,WiiU) 2014. eBayContentsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchPreorders openNintendo Switch 2 ConsoleRequires a free to make / cancel First Membership that provides free shipping.Nintendo fans can grab Dragon Ball FighterZ for half-price, a title that not only looks like the anime come to life but was built by the legendary Arc System Works, who actually studied the series’ original manga panels to nail its signature visual flair. Graveyard Keeper, meanwhile, leans into the macabre with cheeky humour; its devs at Lazy Bear Games have joked that they basically wanted to make Stardew Valley, “but illegal.”Expiring Recent DealsOr gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Switch OLED + Mario Wonder: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $499 | Switch Original: $̶4̶9̶9̶ $448 | Switch OLED Black: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $448 | Switch OLED White: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $445 ♥ | Switch Lite: $̶3̶2̶9̶ $294 | Switch Lite Hyrule: $̶3̶3̶9̶ $335See itBack to topExciting Bargains for XboxOn Xbox Series X, RoboCop: Rogue City lands with a massive 80% off, and fun fact: Peter Weller, the original RoboCop, reprised his role at 76 years old. Dead Space is also a steal; this remake’s devs snuck in an “honourary locker” labelled with former director Glen Schofield’s name."Pick up 4 and I change it to Blue."Witcher 3 Comp. (-54%) - A$36ELEX II (-54%) - A$46RoboCop: Rogue City (-80%) - A$17Like a Dragon: Ishin! (-75%) - A$24Dead Space (-75%) - A$27Xbox OneExpiring Recent DealsOr just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box? Series X: $̶7̶9̶9̶ $749 👑| Series S Black: $̶5̶4̶9̶ $545 | Series S White:$̶4̶9̶9̶ $498 | Series S Starter: N/ASee itBack to topPure Scores for PlayStationOver on PS5, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart shows off Sony’s SSD wizardry, by letting us dimension-hop in an instant. Interestingly, Insomniac even had to slow down transitions so players wouldn’t miss key plot points. And Red Dead Redemption 2 returns once again to my lists. It's the Rockstar epic whose horses each have 324 unique animations… yes, even for pooping.PS4Expiring Recent DealsPS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from Apr 1 with this subscriptionRoboCop: Rogue City | PS5The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | PS4/5Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth HM | PS4Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.PS5 + Astro Bot:$̶7̶9̶9̶ $679👑 | PS5 Slim Disc:$̶7̶9̶9̶ $798 | PS5 Slim Digital:6̶7̶9̶ $678 | PS5 Pro $1,199 | PS VR2: $649.95 | PS VR2 + Horizon: $1,099 | PS Portal: $329See itBack to topPurchase Cheap for PCLastly, on PC, Sunset Overdrive is dirt cheap at $5. It's a cult hit where Insomniac originally wanted a talking gun voiced by a Morgan Freeman soundalike (?!). And Monster Hunter: World proves it’s still a beast, with Capcom confirming its ecosystems were designed using real-world biology consultants. Still worth scoring, even in the face of MH: Wilds.Expiring Recent DealsOr just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Official launch in NovSteam Deck 256GB LCD: $649 | Steam Deck 512GB OLED: $899 | Steam Deck 1TB OLED: $1,049See it at SteamLaptop DealsApple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch (-12%) – A$2,197Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-36%) - A$879Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen7 (-27%) - A$1,018Desktop DealsHP OMEN 35L Gaming (-10%) – A$2,799Lenovo ThinkCentre neo Ultra (-25%) - A$2,249Lenovo ThinkCentre neo 50q (-35%) – A$629Monitor DealsLG 24MR400-B, 24" (-30%) - A$97Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) - A$279Samsung 57" Odyssey Neo Curved (-22%) – A$2,499Component DealsStorage DealsBack to topLegit LEGO DealsExpiring Recent DealsBack to topHot Headphones DealsAudiophilia for lessSamsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro (-49%) – A$179Sony WH-CH520 Wireless (-27%) - A$73SoundPEATS Space (-25%) - A$56.99Technics Premium (-36%) - A$349Back to topTerrific TV DealsDo right by your console, upgrade your tellyKogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

Fountain of Youth is the next big Apple TV+ movie that will debut directly on streaming. Apple just released a new trailer for the Indiana Jones-inspired film, and it looks great. Fountain of Youth’s new trailer just dropped Apple TV+ is currently airing several hit TV shows, but it has a film coming soon that looks very compelling too. Fountain of Youth debuts on Apple TV+ on Friday, May 23—just under a month from now. The film stars John Krasinski, Natalie Portman, plus a strong ensemble and hails from director Guy Ritchie. A new trailer just dropped, revealing how Apple’s latest film could easily have earned a wide theatrical release. It seems perfectly suited for the big screen. Despite whatever big budget Fountain of Youth had, Apple is releasing it directly on streaming, with no planned theatrical release. If it’s a hit, perhaps the film can spawn Apple’s first movie franchise. Based on this trailer, I’d certainly love to see more adventures from the Krasinski-Portman duo in the future. What do you think of Fountain of Youth’s new trailer? Let us know in the comments. Apple TV+ is currently available for just *$2.99* per month with a limited-time special. Best iPhone accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Shocking absolutely nobody, the followup to Fyre Fest — the 2017 festival that crashed and burned so hard that it became a metaphor for failed ventures — has turned into an epic dumpster fire as well.The cursed sequel was originally supposed to take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in late May. Then last week, organizers announced that the event had been "postponed," promising that a "new date will be announced."Then the announcement mysteriously vanished. Shortly afterward, organizers tried to assure ticket holders, some of whom seemingly had shelled out thousands of dollars, that the festival was "still on.""We are vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon," read the new message.Now, the disastrous event has taken yet another chaotic turn. According to a "special announcement" posted to the festival's social media feeds and official website on Wednesday, promoter and convicted fraudster Billy McFarland revealed that he would be selling the Fyre Festival and all of its IP to an "operator that can fully realize its vision.""This brand is bigger than any one person and bigger than what I’m able to lead on my own," he wrote. "It’s a movement. And it deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its potential."It's a baffling sequence of events that highlights how incredibly sketchy the entire affair continues to be.Of course, practically anybody should've seen it all coming. The original Fyre Fest became a global poster child for half-baked ideas and the willingness of clout-chasing influencers to buy into ludicrous hype.From woefully inadequate food and shelter to furious artists who'd been scheduled to perform at the event, the festival descended into a catastrophe of epochal proportions.McFarland spent four years in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of wire fraud in connection with the event.And two years after being released, the fraudster appears to have had enough of organizing music festivals."We have decided the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach, and cultural capital," McFarland wrote in the announcement.On his way out, the felon threw the media and local Mexican officials under the bus, arguing that "support quickly turned into public distancing once media attention intensified."Local tourism officials had told The Guardian that they had never been informed of the event, claims that the festival quickly denied.Plenty of questions remain. Is Fyre Fest 2 even still on? As of the time of writing, the website is selling $130 hoodies and $70 bucket hats — but tickets appear to be unavailable.Was McFarland pushed out — fyred, if you will — or did he leave of his own accord? Could there be even more damaging info that hasn't yet come to light?Perhaps it's for the best for him to part ways, considering how much of a disaster the original festival and its plagued sequel have turned out to be."The next chapter of FYRE will be bigger, better, and built to last without me at the helm," McFarland promised.More on the festival: Fyre Fest 2 Is Already Crumbling Into Embarrassing ChaosShare This Article

Are you ready to join a dynamic, growing team that values excellence, innovation and commitment?Do you love the challenge of achieving outstanding sales results and providing top-tier customer service?Are you that unique individual who’s passionate about creating meaningful customer relationships and driving business growth?If yes, we want you on our team!Benefits of Working at Detail Cleaning Services:Competitive Compensation and CommissionsFlexible Scheduling to Suit Your LifestyleA Team Environment that Rewards Risk-Taking and AccomplishmentOngoing Sales Training and Access to the Latest Sales ToolsGreat Work-Life BalanceA Culture Focused on Employee Wellbeing and Client SatisfactionSalary:Competitive salary (base pay and commission), commensurate with experience, skills and interpersonal attributes.Earn $325 USD per week during training. After successfully completing training, make $360 USD per week plus monthly commission.Mission of the Role:The mission of the Sales Representative at Detail Cleaning Services is to effectively convert leads into sales while ensuring exceptional service experiences that enhance customer satisfaction.Skills Required:Excellent communication skills, capable of persuasive and clear interactions with potential and existing clients.Proven sales acumen with a strong understanding of sales principles and techniques.Effective time management to balance lead follow-up, client interaction, and sales closure.People-focused approach to sales with a knack for building long-term relationships.Problem-solver, capable of making good decisions and taking risks even when all the facts aren’t known.Attributes:Highly motivated, goal-oriented, and driven to meet challenging sales targets.Professional demeanor with a commitment to integrity and ethical sales practices.Adaptable and resilient, able to handle customer rejections and feedback positively.Team player, eager to collaborate with others to enhance customer experiences and achieve sales goals.Multi-tasker, someone who is their most productive when they’re their busiest.Responsibilities:Manage the sales funnel end-to-end to maximize conversions.Present compelling solutions that meet customer needs and excite them about the prospect of doing business with Detail Cleanings.Collaborate with the internal team members to ensure that customer expectations are met or exceeded.APPLY NOW to join Detail Cleaning Services and embark on a rewarding career that appreciates and rewards your sales expertise and dedication.Visit  https://va.detailcleanings.com/sales-representative

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You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here NetEase has plans to release tons of new content for Marvel Rivals in the future. In fact, the game developer intends to release a new hero every month, starting with Season 3. This means that we will get more than 10 new heroes every year, which sounds amazing. With Ultron coming in Season 2.5, the Marvel Rivals developer is already working on new characters. The latest leak shows a couple of them being developed, including two new Strategists. Two Strategists are coming to Marvel Rivals, the new leak shows According to X0X_Leak, NetEase is working on two new Strategists: Forge and White Fox. These characters were found in the game data, although the leaker claims that they haven’t been fully developed. Due to this, their release date is likely not close. However, with Season 3 launching sometime in July, the game developer has more than enough time to finish them. White Fox is a melee Strategist who has the following abilities: Life Drain Life Transfer Rapid Hypnosis Fox Shadow Evasion Ultron is a Strategist who will come to Marvel Rivals with Season 2.5. Image by VideoGamer On the other hand, Forge, a member of Cable’s X-Force, will likely be a ranged Strategist in Marvel Rivals. The leaker has released a list of his abilities as well: Structural Analysis Creative Modification Spirit Realm Walking Limitation-Breaking Modification Both Forge and White Fox will probably have more abilities, including possible passives and team-up abilities with other heroes. However, we currently don’t have more information about them, as they seem to be in the early stages of development. The “Support Strike” has been a popular topic in the Marvel Rivals community lately, and it’s no surprise that NetEase is working on adding more Strategists. The game developer will add other heroes as well, X0X_Leak showed, including two tanks, Hive and Armor. Marvel Rivals Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

No game-key card releases here.If you're planning on getting a third-party physical title for Switch 2, one thing you might want to check first is if it's a regular game card or a game-key card. Game-key cards don't contain the full data on the card and are instead used as a key to download the full game.While a lot of developers are going to be distributing their Switch 2 games on game-key cards, there will still be some publishers offering the entire experience on the card - at least within the system's launch window. This includes Marvelous USA, which has now responded to "some confusion" about its Switch 2 titles.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

We’re thrilled to announce that Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will be joining us at our upcoming StrictlyVC event in Athens, co-hosted with Endeavor, on Thursday night, May 8, at the stunning Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. For those who might not be familiar with his background, Mitsotakis brings a fascinating blend of experiences to the table. Before entering politics, he worked at both McKinsey and Chase Investment Bank, giving him firsthand experience in the business world that many operators throughout the startup ecosystem can appreciate. The youngest of four children, he also has some Silicon Valley-esque academic credentials – he headed to Harvard, then to Stanford for a master’s degree in international relations, and finally nabbed an MBA at Harvard Business School – and says his education has long shaped his vision for Greece’s future. Mitsotakis has also been championing Greece’s tech transformation for many years. In fact, after navigating the country through the pandemic, he has doubled down on positioning Athens as an emerging tech hub, recently introducing initiatives to attract international talent, including tax incentives and reforms aimed at cutting bureaucratic red tape for new businesses. The Prime Minister comes from a political family — his father was prime minister and his sister was mayor of Athens — but he has carved out his own reputation as a reformer focused on modernizing the Greek economy. His administration has been particularly interested in how tech can help diversify renowned traditional Greek strengths like shipping and tourism. StrictlyVC events are constrained by design to give attendees a unique opportunity for investors, founders, and ecosystem builders to engage directly with power players like the Prime Minister, so if you want to ask about his government’s vision for Greece’s tech future, and how the country fits into the broader European innovation landscape, this could be your chance. You can check out more details here to learn more about the agenda and other speakers (you can also buy tickets while they are still available). Registration is now open for what promises to be a fun evening, filled with illuminating discussions, but this chat — with one of Europe’s most interesting political leaders about Greece’s emerging technology narrative — is definitely one you won’t want to miss. Register for your StrictlyVC Greece ticket here.

A few weeks ago, a Redditor posted a worrying response regarding restocking certain Blu-rays on Crunchyroll, so I reached out to them to find out more.