Author(s): Tata Ganesh Originally published on Towards AI. Photo by Jaredd Craig on UnsplashIn this article, we will review the paper titled Computation-Efficient Knowledge Distillation via Uncertainty-Aware Mixup [1], which aims to reduce the computational cost associated with distilling the knowledge of computer vision models.Disclaimer: This papers arxiv draft was published in 2020, so some of the teacher models mentioned in the results are small models by todays standards.Knowledge DistillationKnowledge distillation (KD) is the process of transferring learning from a larger model (called the teacher) to a smaller model (called the student). It is used to create compressed models that can be run on resource-constrained environments. Further, KD yields a more accurate model compared to a model that is trained from scratch. In the original knowledge distillation paper by Hinton et al. [2], the student model is trained using the output logits from the teacher model for each training sample. The ground-truth labels are also included during training if they are available. This process is illustrated below.Knowledge Distillation framework. Figure by author. Dog image from CIFAR-10 dataset [3]Computational Cost of Knowledge DistillationFirst, let us define the different floating point operations that contribute to KDs computational cost. Note that these operations are defined per image.F = Teacher forward pass (to get output logits from teacher model)F = Student forward pass (to get output logits from student model)B = Student backward pass (to update weights of the student model)The breakdown of the typical KD process for a mini-batch of N images is as follows:A mini-batch of N images is passed through the teacher and the student models. The cost of this forward pass is F + F.A distillation loss is applied between the teacher and the student models for different layers.The student models weights are updated during the backward pass. The cost of this backward pass is B.Note: Since the teacher model is much larger than the student model, we can assume that F >> F, F >> B and F = B.This process can be summarized using the following figure:Framework of Knowledge Distillation [1]Hence, the total cost of KD for a mini-batch of N images is:Computational Cost of KD [1]Reducing the number of images passed to the teacher model can lead to an overall reduction in the computational cost of KD. So, how can we sample images from each mini-batch to reduce the cost associated with the teacher models forward pass operation? Katharopoulos et al. [4] claim that all samples in a dataset are not equally important for neural network training. They propose an importance sampling technique to focus computation on informative examples during training. Similarly, the importance or informativeness of examples in a mini-batch can be used to sample only informative examples and pass them to the teacher model. In the next section, we will discuss how the proposed method, named UNIX, performs this sampling.UNcertainty-aware mIXup (UNIX)UNIX Framework [1]The sequence of steps for each mini-batch in UNIX is as follows:Step 1: Student forward passEach mini-batch of images is fed to the student model to obtain the predicted class probabilities for each image.Step 2: Uncertainty EstimationFor each image, the predicted probabilities are used to generate an uncertainty estimate. The uncertainty value loosely indicates the prediction confidence of the student model for each image. The higher the uncertainty, the lower the confidence. Based on Active Learning literature [5], uncertainty can be used to estimate the informativeness of each image. For example, the authors use entropy of the student models predicted probability distribution to quantify uncertainty.Uncertainty quantification using entropy [1]Step 3: Shuffling and Sorting the mini-batchThe mini-batch is then sorted in decreasing order of sample uncertainties. Let us name the sorted mini-batch Bsorted. Further, the original mini-batch is shuffled. Let us name the shuffled mini-batch Bshuffled.Step 4: Uncertainty-Aware MixupMixup [6] is a data augmentation technique that performs a convex combination of two images and their corresponding labels in a mini-batch. Mixup has been shown to improve the generalization of neural networks.Mixup Data Augmentation [6]. is used to control the magnitude of mixup.The authors propose to use mixup as a way to compress information from two images into one, then feed the mixed image to the teacher and student models for KD. An element-wise mixup is performed between images in Bsorted and Bshuffled. Specifically,Performing mixup based on sample uncertainty [1]Here, c is a correction factor, which is a function of each samples uncertainty. c ensures that mixup is mild for uncertain samples and strong for confident samples. Note that labels are NOT mixed.Step 5: Sampling and Teacher forward passAfter performing mixup, k images are sampled from the N mixed images. These k mixed images are fed as input to the teacher and student models for KD.Comparing Computational CostsConsider the case where batch size N = 64 and k = 40. Then, the computational cost of a forward pass for a mini-batch with and without UNIX is (Note that the final cost is expressed with respect to the student model) :Example of Computation Cost of KD with and without UNIX. Figure by Author.In our example, KD with UNIX yields a ~25% reduction in computational cost, improving the computational efficiency of the distillation process.ResultsCIFAR-100 ResultsResults of different model architectures on the CIFAR-100 [2] image classification dataset are shown below.KD results on CIFAR-100 [1]. WRN means Wide Resnet [7].In most cases, the performance of UNIXKD is on par with original KD. Specifically, UNIXKD with k=36 provides a good tradeoff between accuracy and computational cost. Further, random sampling with KD (Random+KD) performs on par or worse than UNIXKD for all model architectures, highlighting the importance of uncertainty-based sampling in improving computational efficiency with minimal reduction in accuracy.ImageNet resultsResults on the ImageNet [8] dataset are shown below.KD results on ImageNet[1].The columns with +label specify KD with ground truth labels. For experiments with and without ground truth labels, UNIXKD performs on par with original KD while reducing the total computational cost by ~23%.ConclusionKnowledge Distillation is a technique used for transferring the knowledge of a large teacher model into a small student model. However, the high computational cost of performing a forward pass through the teacher model makes the distillation process computationally expensive. To tackle this problem, UNcertainty-aware mIXup (UNIX) uses uncertainty sampling and the mixup augmentation technique to pass a smaller number of images to the teacher model. Experiments on CIFAR 100 and ImageNet datasets show that UNIX can reduce the computational cost of knowledge distillation by 25% with minimal reduction in classification performance.References[1] G. Xu, Z. Liu, and C. Change Loy. Computation-Efficient Knowledge Distillation via Uncertainty-Aware (2020), arXiv preprint arXiv:2012.09413.[2] G. Hinton, O. Vinyals, and J. Dean. Distilling the knowledge in a neural network (2015), arXiv preprint arXiv:1503.02531.[3] A. Krizhevsky and G. Hinton. Learning multiple (2009).layers of features from tiny images[4] A. Katharopoulos and F. Fleuret. Not all sam- (2018), International conference on ples are created equal: Deep learning with importance sam-plingmachine learning. PMLR.[5] B. Settles. Active learning literature survey (2010), University of Wisconsin, Madison, 52(5566):11.[6] H. Zhang, M. Cisse, Y. Dauphin, and D. Lopez-Paz. mixup: Beyond (2018), 6th International Conference on Learning Representations.empirical risk minimization[7] S. Zagoruyko and N. Komodakis. Wide Residual Networks (2017), arXiv preprint arXiv:1605.07146.[8] J. Deng, W. Dong, R. Socher, L. Li, Kai Li, and Li Fei- Fei. Imagenet: A large-scale hierarchical image database (2009), IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition.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 asponsor. Published via Towards AI

Nintendo has announced that Donkey Kong Country of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan is getting its very own direct tomorrow, November 11, at 2pm PT/5pm ET.Nintendo shared the news on Twitter/X, saying, "Tune in on 11/11 at 2 p.m. PT for a Super Nintendo World Direct livestream!""The stream will be roughly 10 minutes and showcase Donkey Kong Country of #SuperNintendoWorld at Universal Studios Japan," Nintendo continued. "No game information will be featured. #NintendoDirect"While this is a Super Nintendo World Direct focused on Universal Studios Japan, those excited for Super Nintendo World's debut at Orlando's Epic Universe in 2025 should pay attention as it will also have a Donkey Kong Country and the mine-cart ride.The ride is called Mine-Cart Madness and will see guests helping Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong protect the coveted golden banana. Guests will be able to look forward to "getting blasted out of a barrel, seemingly jumping over gaps as they speed along a rickety track, and so much more."Super Nintendo World first opened at Universal Studios Japan in March 2021 and Donkey Kong Country will add a whole new layer of Nintendo-themed fun to the festivities. Alongside Mine Cart Madness, fans will be able to collect the K O N G letters like in the games, enjoy a "selection of tropical menu and merchandise offerings," and much more. Universal Epic Universe: Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country ImagesIGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250Donkey Kong Country's website says it is still set to open at Japan's Super Nintendo World before the end of 2024, so it's safe to assume we'll get an opening date tomorrow or a delay into 2025.For more, check out our review of Super Nintendo World and further details of Epic Universe before it opens on May 22, 2025.Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

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Warning: thisWolf Hallreview contains spoilers.Peter Straughan and Peter Kosminskys exquisite, careful adaptation of Hilary Mantels Cromwell trilogy is finally back after almost a decade after it first aired. For anybody who still has the stomach for despotic rulers and political skulduggery this week, thats cause for celebration. This wise drama deserved to be completed, and a performance as quietly commanding as Mark Rylances deserves our full attention.Youll need to giveWolf Hall: The Mirror and the Lightyour full attention, although effort has been made in this first episode to explain the whos, whats and wherefores. Its easier to follow than the first series thanks to the absence so far of timeline-jumping flashbacks. Its also easier to see, perhaps in response to criticism of the 2015 series atmospherically gloomy, candlelit look. Apart from the scenes inside Cromwells home, almost everything happens in bright daylight. If that continues as a lighting scheme, then its a neat way to divide Cromwells requirement to be one person in private, and another in public.Inside Cromwells chamber is the only element that may trip an unsure viewer up in the form of Jonathan Pryces Cardinal Wolsey. Several years dead by the series 1536 timeline, this Wolsey is a phantom of Cromwells imagination. His conversations with his former mentor are Cromwell talking to himself, and a precious insight into whats going on behind the sorrowful yet alert expression Rylance hides behind at court. With Wolsey, Cromwell can be bold, honest and wry a man in his own right. With Henry, he must be nothing more than an extension of the kings power.We see as much in the scene where Cromwell bodily removes Fitzwilliam, Earl of Southampton from the Privy Council chamber for speaking his mind and telling Harry where hes going wrong in the matter of his daughter Mary. A good attack dog, Cromwell uses his physicality to enforce Henrys will. He also throws his weight around in dealings with Catholic plotters the Poles, taking Sir Geoffrey Pole by the shoulders to quite literally put him in his place when he attempts to stand in his way. However much Cromwells wits are now his weapon, the former soldier who carries a knife up his sleeve is never far away. As he warns French ambassador Chapuys, this blacksmiths son may have lost the art of metalwork, but he can still swing a hammer.With Princess Mary (Lilit Lesser), Cromwell hides the brute and instead shows her the loving father-figure and royal servant. Reading between his lines, she signs the oath of obedience Henry requires of her, and once again, Crumb delivers what Henry demands and is rewarded.Read more With each step of his ascendency though, comes the threat that lowborn Cromwell is rising dangerously high, and thats thanks to Damian Lewis gently terrifying performance as Henry VIII. Lewis imbues the king with vicious menace and in this episode, does most of it behind a smile. His unctuous post-wedding night boast in Cromwells ear about Jane Seymours freshness and maidenly modesty may have been nauseating, but not more so than how Cromwell subsumes himself to his king, measuring his every word and look. When Mary complains, I thought they would all say plain what I know they believe, about the nobles on whose support shed relied for her restoration to the line of succession after Anne Boleyns death, shes showing her naivety. In the court of Henry VIII, saying plain what you believe is no way to survive.Survival both Marys and his own preoccupies Thomas Cromwell in this first episode. As Henry VIIs leading adviser, he has his head in the mouth of a lion and is astute enough to know that one clumsy move will be the end of him.Succession, eat your heart out: no drama better illustrates the precariousness of being in the employ of a tyrant thanWolf Hall. Its historical setting raises the stakes to the skies take a wrong step in the court of Henry VIII and you wont just lose your livelihood and reputation, but also your head. Thats why Mary feels frustrated. Her fathers courtiers may well believe in her divine right to succeed him on the throne, but theyre damned if theyre going to say so out loud.Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light continues next Sunday at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Its due to air on PBS Masterpiece in the US in 2025.

Its almost a decade since Wolf Hall aired on the BBC. Back then, the wonderful actor Bernard Hill, who played the foul-mouthed Duke of Norfolk in the 2015 series, was still with us. Tom Holland, who played Thomas Cromwells young son Gregory, had yet to put on his Spider-Man suit. So much time has passed since then that anybody would be forgiven for needing a reminder of who the characters are and where they fit in to this Hilary Mantel adaptation.Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light concludes Mantels retelling of Thomas Cromwells 16th century rise to power under Henry VIII, against a backdrop of an England in religious turmoil after the king broke with Catholicism and named himself head of the Church of England. It picks up exactly where the first series left off, with the 1536 execution of Henrys second wife Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy), following trumped-up charges of adultery and treason.Heres a run-down of who everybody is and where they stand.Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance)Wolf Hall ended with Cromwell (Bridge of Spies and The BFGs Mark Rylance) being drawn into an embrace by a smiling Henry, who was celebrating Cromwells successful concoction of treason charges against Anne Boleyn, her execution, and the kings immediate marriage to wife number three: Jane Seymour. Cromwell, however does not smile in Henrys arms. He recognises that his survival lives and dies with this dangerous, unforgiving king, and that hell have to walk an extremely careful path not to go the way of Anne, or his predecessor Cardinal Wolsey (see below).For now though, Henry is pleased with Lord Cromwell, and has elevated him further, to the position of Lord Privy Seal, Secretary to the king and Viceregent in Spirituals aka the kings deputy in the English church. Not bad for the low-born Putney son of a blacksmith. Cromwell is extremely powerful and wealthy, but his common birth undermines him with the nobles in Henrys court. Without Henrys protection, the enemies who see him as an interloper would act against him.Cromwell also made enemies due to the imprisonment and execution of former Lord Chancellor Thomas More, a steadfast Catholic who refused to swear an oath recognising Henrys supremacy in the newly Protestant church of England. As the architect of Anne Boleyn and her brother George Boleyns downfall, Cromwell is also disliked by Annes wealthy uncle the Duke of Norfolk (now played by Timothy Spall), who enjoyed the connection to the throne while she was queen. Himself a Protestant believer, Cromwell nonetheless used alliances with (now, secretly) Catholic aristocrats the Pole family to bring about Annes demise. The Poles hope to restore Catholicism to England by marrying Mary Henrys daughter with his first wife Catherine of Aragon into their family and having her succeed the king on the throne.Henry VIII (Damian Lewis)A brief bit of background: Henrys older brother Arthur had been heir to the throne of England, and as a teenager was married to 16-year-old Catholic Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon. Six months into the (unconsummated, according to Catherine) marriage, Arthur died of an illness and so to maintain the Spanish alliance, Catherine was married to Henry and they had a daughter Princess Mary. Henry and Catherine failed to produce a son who could inherit the English throne, which Henry (conveniently) interpreted as a divine judgement on his incestuous and unholy marriage to his brothers widow, and so sought to have the marriage annulled so that he could remarry and try again for an heir.The annulment wasnt granted by Rome, so Henry (Billions and A Spy Among Friends Damian Lewis) broke with Catholicism, imposed Protestantism on England and sent his first wife and daughter away so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. Anne gave birth to a daughter who would go on to be crowned Elizabeth I after Henry eventually restored his daughters to the line of succession just before his death but had no surviving sons. Henry had Cromwell frame Anne for treason, and had her executed so that he could marry his third wife Jane Seymour. Thats where we find him in The Mirror and the Light: married to Jane, rid of Anne, and frustrated that his Catholic daughter Mary refuses to swear an oath of obedience recognising his supremacy in the church.Cardinal Wolsey (Jonathan Pryce)In Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, we see Cromwell having discussions with Wolsey (Slow Horses and Game of Thrones Jonathan Pryce) in his private rooms. These are figments of Cromwells imagination, as Wolsey died six years before the events of the series. In his lifetime, Wolsey was a father figure to Cromwell, whose own father had been an abusive drunk. The two shared similarly low-born backgrounds (Wolseys father was a butcher) and made similarly impressive careers. Cromwell remained steadfastly loyal to Wolsey, and used the trial of Anne Boleyn to avenge him against the men responsible for Wolseys downfall. Well, all but one of themWolsey had been the Lord Chancellor and the kings closest advisor, as well as Archbishop of York, but none of those titles protected him from Henrys wrath. When Wolsey failed to secure the annulment of Henrys first marriage, Henry turned on him, taking away his property and positions, and accusing him of treason. Wolsey died humiliated and stripped of his reputation, something that his loyal protge Cromwell could never forgive. When Cromwell needed men to accuse of having committed adultery with Anne Boleyn, he targeted the four who had acted in a cruel farce at court which had shown Wolsey being welcomed into hell, as well as a musician who had mocked the Cardinals downfall.Cromwell now needs to avoid suffering Wolseys same fate, and fears that his intense loyalty to the Cardinal will work against him. Henry knows that Cromwell took vengeance against the men who worked against Wolsey, and chief of those was the king himself.Lady Mary (Lilit Lesser)Formerly Princess Mary but declared illegitimate after Henrys break with Rome, the 20-year-old daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon is currently being held by the crown. She has so far refused to swear an oath of obedience to her father as the head of the Church of England, choosing to remain loyal to her dead mother and to her faith. A Catholic that many believers still see as Henrys true heir, Mary is the centre of various plots to put her on the throne and restore Catholicism to England. She sees Cromwell as a particular friend, a position that could prove dangerous if Henry suspects Cromwell of working against him in favour of Mary.Mary is played by Lilit Lesser, the actor daughter of renowned actor Anton Lesser, who played Catholic martyr Thomas More in the first series of Wolf Hall.Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips)Peaky Blinders actor Kate Phillips once again takes up her role as the kings third wife Jane Seymour, a former lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn and part of the Seymour family who own Wolf Hall from which Hilary Mantels trilogy and this series takes its name. Unlike sexually experienced Anne Boleyns negotiations with Henry (she was reported to have allowed him access to her body inch by progressive inch), Jane presented to Henry as shy, pious and virginal.Rafe Sadler (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) & Gregory Cromwell (Charlie Rowe)Though Thomas Cromwell had only one surviving son Gregory after the death of his wife and two daughters from illness, Rafe Sadler is also like a son to him. Rafe was raised and educated as part of Cromwells household from the age of seven, and worked for Cromwell as his chief clerk. In The Mirror and the Light, Rafe has become a part of the kings retinue and so now serves two masters Henry and Cromwell. Hes played by Game of Thrones and The Queens Gambits Thomas Brodie-Sangster.Read more Young Gregory Cromwell was played by the MCUs Tom Holland in the 2015 series, but now is played by Slow Horses and Vanity Fairs Charlie Rowe. Scenes of Rowe as Gregory standing next to his father at Anne Boleyns execution have been digitally added to the opening scenes of The Mirror and the Light, which starts where Wolf Hall left off.Thomas Call-Me-Risley Wriothesley (Harry Melling)Harry Melling (His Dark Materials, The Queens Gambit, Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films) replaces Joel McCormack in the role of Call-Me for The Mirror and the Light. Risleys a case of keep your friends close but your enemies closer for Cromwell. In the first series, the clerk was a protge of Stephen Gardiner, the former Secretary to the king displaced by Cromwell, and no fan of our lead. Risley remains in contact with Gardiner, who is currently in France serving as the kings ambassador.Stephen Gardiner (Alex Jennings)Cromwells former sparring partner and political rival was played by Mark Gatiss in Wolf Halls first series, and now the role goes to The Crown and This is Going to Hurts Alex Jennings. Gardiner is the Bishop of Winchester and the kings ambassador to France (though according to Mantels novels, hed rather not be). He was pushed out by Cromwell and so resents him, and his continued alliance with new member of Cromwells team Risley represents another threat.Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk (Timothy Spall)Played by Bernard Hill in the 2015 series and now taken on by The Sixth Commandment and Mr. Turners Timothy Spall, the Duke of Norfolk is a brute of a politician, and also no fan of Thomas Cromwell. The uncle of both Anne Boleyn and Henrys future wife Catherine Howard, hes closely embedded in Henrys court.Countess of Salisbury, Margaret Pole (Dame Harriet Walter)A powerful noblewoman and niece to King Edward IV, the Countess of Salisbury is the matriarch of the Catholic Pole family. Her son Reginald was the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, and in The Mirror and the Light, is in Europe forging alliances with Emperor Charles V and planning to lead a crusade to bring England back under papal control. To Henrys horror, his cousin Reginald has written a book urging the people of England to rebel against their king and restore the country to Rome. The Poles wish Princess Mary restored to the succession.Margaret is played by Succession, Silo and the Royal Shakespeare Companys Dame Harriet Walter.Eustache Chapuys (Karim Kadjar)The London ambassador of Emperor Charles V, Chapuys is a Catholic loyal to Princess Mary and a useful but dangerous man for Cromwell to know. Hes played by Leave to Remains Karim Kadjar.Richard Cromwell (Joss Porter)Thomas Cromwells nephew Richard is played by The Undeclared Wars Joss Porter. Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light airs on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Since launch, Gemini on iOS has been part of the Google (Search) app. Thats about to change with at least one iPhone user today spotting a standalone Google Gemini app on the App Store that also lets you access Gemini Live.With this standalone app, you get a Gemini icon on your homescreen: Unlock the power of Google AI on your iPhone. Since launch, youve had to open the Google app and switch over to the Gemini tab at the top. Alternatively, the Google apps homescreen widget was updated in September with customizable shortcuts that let you directly access Gemini with one tap.The listing for Google Gemini shows the ability to access Gemini Live. This is not yet available in the Google app, with one user that downloaded the app showing the voice experience in action. Gemini is taking advantage of a Live Activity to let it be active while you continue using your phone.Credit: u/lostshenanigansSo far, theres only one report of this app being downloadable for a user in the Philippines. The App Store listing does not load in the US (This app is currently not available in your country or region), with Google presumably testing in a few countries before the wider launch.In terms of functionality, Gemini on iPhone via the Google app today is on par with gemini.google.com. However, Google has not updated the UI to match the Android experience. Hopefully, this standalone app will allow Google to deliver faster updates. As a reminder, Google Assistant is its own app on the Apple platform.More on Gemini:Add 9to5Google to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Google experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Late last month, Apple unveiled the first Macs with the M4 chip: the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini. Thats about half of the Mac lineup, leaving the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Among the two remaining desktops, the Mac Studio is definitely the more popular one though its a bit outdated, still sporting the M2 Max and M2 Ultra. Heres everything were expecting with the next Mac Studio, though it is a bit light.Faster connectivityWith the M4 Pro Mac mini, as well as the higher end MacBook Pros, Apple introduced Thunderbolt 5 allowing for speeds of up to 120Gb/s, triple the theoretical maximum of Thunderbolt 4. Apple will likely introduce Thunderbolt 5 ports on the Mac Studio as well.Heres how Apple describes Thunderbolt 5:MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max features Thunderbolt 5 ports that more than double transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s, enabling faster external storage, expansion chassis, and powerful docking and hub solutions. For example, by connecting just a single cable, pros like music producers can now light up their entire studio.Apple might also introduce support for Wi-Fi 7, like they did on the iPhone 16 lineup. However, they didnt do this on the first round of M4 Macs for some reason, so its a little bit more questionable.Wi-Fi 7 supports speeds of up to 46 Gbps, which is over five times faster than Wi-Fi 6Es 9 Gbps. Wi-Fi 7 also operates on 320 MHz channels and supports the 6 GHz band, widely reducing interference and signal congestion.M4 Max and M4 Ultra chipsApple already introduced the M4 Max chip in the new MacBook Pro, and its currently one of the fastest chips on the market. It sports a 16 core CPU and 40 core GPU, which means a theoretical M4 Ultra would be around double that with a 32 core CPU and 80 core GPU, thanks to Apples UltraFusion technology.M4 Pro Mac mini is currently the fastest desktop Mac, while also being the smallest computer Apple has ever made. However, once the new Mac Studio is out, thatll no longer be the case.Release dateAccording to Bloombergs Mark Gurman, the new Mac Studio should be released by mid-2025, which probably suggests an unveiling at WWDC25.Are you excited for the next Mac Studio? Let us know in the comments below.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre 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. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

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Source:&nbsp ShutterstockThe government has announced 47 million in funding to unlock up to 28,000 homes stalled by nutrient neutrality rules The Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund, announced on Thursday (7 November), will support development across seven councils in England that have been hit by the wastewater run-off rules designed to protect the environment.Areas to receive funding include the Norfolk Broads and the River Wensum 8.8 million to unlock more than 6,000 new homes; the Solent nearly 7 million to unlock more than 2,700 new homes; and the River Axe 4 million to unlock around 1000 new homes.The money will be used to protect local rivers and precious habitats in the affected areas, ensuring new homes built there do not come at the expense of the environment, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).AdvertisementIt will support locally led schemes, such as creating new wetlands and upgrading septic tanks to enable sustainable housebuilding.The seven councils will each receive a cut of 45 million of the funding, while 20 of the largest sites affected by nutrient neutrality rules will each get an additional 100,000 to support planning teams implement pollution solutions in their area.Building work in the affected areas is expected to start shortly, according to the MHCLG.New nutrient neutrality rules were introduced by Natural England in March 2022 to prevent new dwellings from adding wastewater run-off particularly phosphates and nitrates.The rules affect 74 local planning authorities in rural areas and apply to applications that propose a net increase in the number of dwellings.AdvertisementIn order to gain planning consent in the affected areas, applicants must calculate nutrient neutrality to prove that their proposed development avoids adding pollution.But the rules have stalled the development of thousands of homes. Shortly after their introduction, the RIBA said they were bringing development control to a standstill in some areasas planning officers were caught off guard by the new restrictions.Speaking about the new funding, housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook said:We must build more homes across the country and unlock growth, but this must not come at the expense of our natural environment.Through this fund and alongside major reforms to the planning system, we will accelerate housebuilding and deliver nature recovery, creating a win-win outcome for both the economy and for nature.Environment Minister Mary Creagh added: Britain faces a housing and nature crisis. This new government was elected with a mandate to get Britain building again and restore nature. That is why we will deliver a planning system that unlocks the building of homes and improves outcomes for nature.Areas to receive nutrient neutrality funding:Norfolk Broads and the River Wensum - 8.8 million to unlock over 6000 new homesRiver Axe - 4 million to unlock around 1000 new homesThe Solent - nearly 7 million to unlock over 2700 new homesRiver Wye - over 2.7 million to unlock over 3000 new homesRiver Mease - over 2.5 million to unlock over 700 new homesRiver Lambourn - over 2.4 million to unlock over 800 new homesRiver Eden, River Derwent and Bassenthwaite Lake, River Kent and Esthwaite Water Catchment - over 15 million to unlock over 13,000 new homes 2024-11-08Anna Highfieldcomment and share