LatestMachine LearningLet AI Instantly Parse Heavy Documents: The Magic of MPLUG-DOCOWL2s Efficient Compression 0 like November 13, 2024Share this postAuthor(s): Florian June Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.Today, lets take a look at one of the latest developments in PDF Parsing and Document Intelligence.In our digital age, the ability to understand documents beyond mere text extraction is crucial. Multi-page documents, such as legal contracts, scientific papers, and technical manuals, present unique challenges.Traditional document understanding methods heavily rely on Optical Character Recognition (OCR) techniques, which present a significant challenge: the inefficiency and sluggish performance of current OCR-based solutions when processing high-resolution, multi-page documents.These methods generate thousands of visual tokens for just a single page, leading to high computational costs and prolonged inference times. For example, InternVL 2 requires an average of 3,000 visual tokens to understand a single page, resulting in slow processing speeds.Figure 1: (a) mPLUG-DocOwl2 achieves state-of-the-art Multi-page Document Understanding performance with faster inference speed and less GPU memory; (b-c) mPLUG-DocOwl2 is able to provide a detailed explanation containing the evidence page as well as the overall structure parsing of the document. Source: MPLUG-DOCOWL2.As shown in Figure 1, a new study called MPLUG-DOCOWL2 (open-source code) aims to address this issue by drastically reducing the number of visual tokens while maintaining, or even enhancing, comprehension accuracy.A Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

If you highly revere the first three Grand Theft Auto titles, as I did and still do, today's your day to revisit that iffy remaster bundle. Work has been done and they're going for mighty cheap prices now. How much better is the spit shine? Well, I'll let this article/video tell the tale on its own.Today in Wow You're Aging news, I'm celebrating the 21st of cult hit Beyond Good & Evil. Weirdly, most modern gamers probably only know this title through the talk of its ludicrously delayed prequel, a project 16 bloody years in the making. But the fact that Ubisoft can't seem to let that initiative die is a ringing testament to how gamers like me felt about that very special 2003 original. Buy the 20th Anniversary remaster, and you'll get a unique blend of photojournalism meets Wind Waker-esque action-adventuring, stealthing, and semi-open-water exploration.Happy Bday Beyond Good & Evil This Day in Gaming - Daytona USA: CCE (SAT) 1996. eBay- Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (PS2) 2002. eBay- Beyond Good & Evil (PS2) 2003. Redux- Amped 2 (XB) 2003. eBay- WoW: Wrath of the Lich King (PC) 2008. eBay- DuckTales: Remastered (PC) 2013. Get- This War of Mine (PC) 2014. GetTable of ContentsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchHogwarts LegacyIn almost every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter RPG Ive always wanted to play. Its downright magical. 9/10, amazing.Ring Fit Adventure (-37%) - A$37Oddworld Stranger's Wrath HD (-33%) - A$29.95Batman: Arkham Trilogy (-50%) - $44.97Scribblenauts Showdown (-91%) - $4.94LEGO Skywalker Saga Del. (-80%) - $19.99LEGO DC Super-Villains Del. (-91%) - $9.89LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (-90%) - $8.99LEGO Worlds (-87%) - $6.49LEGO CITY Undercover (-92%) - $7.19Expiring Recent DealsAC: Rebel Collection (-32%) - A$55Just Dance 2020 (-21%) - A$44.58Super Mario Bros. Wonder (-20%) - A$64Borderlands Legendary Col. (-80%) - A$17.99Borderlands: Handsome Col. (-75%) - A$17.48Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Switch Zelda: $629 $509 | Switch Original: $499 $429 | Switch OLED Black: $539 $469 | Switch OLED White: $539 $489 | Switch Lite: $329 $299 | Switch Lite Hyrule: $339 $309See itBack to topPurchase Cheap for PCGOG RPGs AplentyI'm talkin' Fallout 4: GOTY ($21.99 / -60%) | Deus Ex GOTY($1.49 / -86%) | Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced ($8.69 / -70%) | Disco Elysium Final Cut ($14.29 / -75%) | Icewind Dale: Enhanced ($8.69 / -70%) | Anachronox ($1.39 / -86%) and more.See it at GOGWarhammer: Vermintide 2 (-95%) - A$2.09Prey + Rage 2 (-91%) - A$7.44Total War: WARHAMMER III (-65%) - A$35.48The Escapists (78-%) - A$5.93Overcooked 2 (-78%) - A$7.90Expiring Recent DealsShadow Tactics: BotS (-90%) - A$6.10Shin Megami Tensei V (-39%) - A$70.11The Invincible (-55%) - A$20.42Logitech G733 headset (-45%) - A$164Logitech G203 mouse (-37%) - A$43Or just get a Steam Wallet Card.PC 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 SteamBack to topExciting Bargains for XboxTurtle Beach VelocityOneI can vouch for this as it's brilliant for Microsoft Flight Sim and stuff like Ace Combat 7. Not exactly the most advanced flight peripheral but certainly a robust entry point for anybody looking for a more authentic stick jockey experience.Expiring Recent DealsJedi Survivor (-50%) - A$55.29Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra cont. (-$57) - A$2721TB Expansion Card (-$58) - A$242Mortal Kombat 1 (-53%) - A$36Lego Jurassic World (-65%) - A$22.44Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box?Series S Black: $549 $513 | Series S White:$499 $449 | Series X: $799 $776 | Series S Starter: N/ASee itBack to topPure Scores for PlayStationDualSense SilverQuite a fetching DualSense is the silver fox. I dont believe Ive ever seen it as low as this, so strike now.GTA Trilogy [Updated](-59%) - A$40.95Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (-10%) - A$89Prince Of Persia: TLC (-53%) - A$28FF VII: Rebirth (-46%) - A$65Sand Land (-53%) - A$47Lost Judgment (-60%) - A$39.80Judgment (-47%) - A$34.43Expiring Recent DealsOr purchase a PS Store Card.PS5 Pro Enhanced BargainNeed a cheap Pro showcase title?Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - $124.95 / $79Insomniac's Pro Enhancement approach on the Spidey titles is mirrored heretwo modes: "Fidelity Pro" and "Performance Pro." The former targets 30 fps and lets you individually tune the ray tracing features to achieve higher frame rates with the VRR and 120 Hz Display options. My recommended is Performance Pro, as it targets a silky 60 fps and uses PSSR to retain (almost) all of the ray tracing stuff. You will get RT Ambient Occlusion, but not the "High" settings of RT Key Light Shadows (better shadowing at mid-to-extreme distances) or RT Reflections (smoother animations within reflections). Again, I'm all about fluid action that still blows minds like a RYNO 8 to the faceso this is my pick.PlayStation Console PricesWhat you'll pay to 'Station.PS5 Pro $1,199 | PS5 Slim Disc:$799 $759 | PS5 Slim Digital:$679 | PS VR2: $879 | PS VR2 + Horizon: $959 | PS Portal: $329See itBack to topLegit LEGO DealsHarry Potter Advent CalendarTis soon to be the season for opening small cardboard hatches filled with delightful micro-builds and minifigs. Get this cheap. Make it magical.Expiring Recent DealsBack to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

Its no secret that the film side of Star Wars has really struggled to get off the ground again following the end of the Sequel Trilogy. Countless Star Wars movie projects have been announced in the last five years, but The Mandalorian & Grogu is the only film thats actually completed production since The Rise of Skywalker. A trilogy of films said to be helmed by The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson was announced and then put on hold indefinitely; new movies to be developed by Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were shelved; Patty Jenkinss exciting Rogue Squadron movie was announced, then shelved, then put back in development; and no one knows what the heck is going on with Taika Waititis movie. Theres apparently a Jedi origin movie coming from Indiana Jones director James Mangold at some point, but nobody seems to know when. In short, things are a mess for Star Wars on the big screen. There was at least a modicum of hope that the upcoming Rey movie, which is rumored to follow the hero as she establishes a new Jedi Order after the events of the Sequel Trilogy, would be the next film to hit the big screen and usher Star Wars movies into a new era. But a series of creative shakeups on the projects, as well as new reports about a potential continuation of the Skywalker saga developed by producer Simon Kinberg, have muddled Reys return, too.The Rey movie has already lost several writers at the development stage, each shakeup delaying the the project just a bit more, with Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) stepping away from the film in October. Knight was already the second writer on the project, following Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson. Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is still currently attached to direct the movie. But when she and Ridley will actually get to make their film is a big questionand how the movie will fit alongside Kinbergs trilogy plans, which, according to a report from THR, may also use Rey.Theres been a lot of speculation as to whether or not Kinbergs planned Star Wars trilogy is, in fact, another expansion of the central Skywalker Saga or something else entirely, but the fact that were even having this conversation doesnt bode well for the franchises cinematic future or its central star. Lets face it: Lucasfilm doesnt have a great track record when it comes to carving out a clear path for Rey (or any of the Sequel Trilogy characters, for that matter). The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker very overtly clashed with each other in terms of not only Reys identity but also the overarching themes of her journey. Clashing visions hurt Rey on the big screen the last time around. We, of course, dont know for sure that Kinberg is working on his own Rey moviesand if he is, how closely hes coordinating his take with Obaid-Chinoys movie. (Theres always the possibility that Obaid-Chinoys film has now become the first installment of that trilogy, but were speculating here.) But the stops and starts regarding Reys film future are already a little worrying. According to industry insiders via THR, Rey is the most valuable cinematic asset, in some ways maybe the only one, Star Wars has right now, as the Sequel Trilogy closed the book on all of the franchises biggest characters, including Luke, Han, and Leia. Which at least means that well likely get to see Rey again at some point, as long as Daisy Ridley is willing to reprise her role. However, this language is indicative of so many problems with Star Wars and the industry at large right now.By looking at characters and their stories as little more than numbers and dollar signs and nostalgia grabs, were losing a lot of the heart that drew many of us to this franchise in the first place. For many women and young girls, watching Reys journey (at least until The Rise of Skywalker) was and is inspiring. She was a nobody from a desert planet who was able to discover this power within herself and channel it into saving herself and the galaxy from oppression. Before she was a Palpatine or a Skywalker, she was just Rey, and it was easy for us to see ourselves in her and her desire to prove herself.Rey deserves more time on the big screen. She deserves to carve her own path forward and make her own legacy rather than only being a vessel to carry the legacy of others. But its hard to get excited about her potential future when shes being passed around by creatives and executives like the latest toy on Christmas.And whats worse, is this just seems to be the way that Lucasfilm operates now, according to insiders. There are multiple projects in the works that may or may not overlap characters and timelines. Some writers and directors are privy to what their peers are working on, but others arent. Its a different way of development, according to an insider. Theres so much parallel work going on.All of this parallel work feels akin to throwing something at the wall and hoping it sticks. Which might work for some people, but for a franchise as large as this one, doesnt seem to be working thus far. What happens if Reys solo movie takes her in one direction, but Kinberg sees her future differently? Its The Rise of Skywalker all over again. (Seriously, that film is absolutely dreadful.)Rebellions may be built on hope, but the current trajectory of Star Wars movies is far from hopeful. At this point, its hard to even imagine a world where either of these Rey projects, let alone both of them, actually make it to our screens. Star Wars needs to choose a direction and stick with it, for better or for worse. Otherwise were probably not going to see anything outside of the Mandoverse for the foreseeable future.

Irish comedy-drama Bad Sisters is back on Apple TV+. Season one, adapted from Belgian original Clan, was one of the finest shows of 2022 and season two picks up two years after its dramatic conclusion. Joining the Garvey sisters (Eva, Grace, Ursula, Bibi and Becka, played respectively by Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene and Eve Hewson) this time around are a bunch of returning favourites as well as a few newcomers. Find out more about Fiona Shaws tricky Angelica, Thaddea Grahams fresh-faced detective Una and some more familiar faces below. And if you need a recap of what went on last time to jog your memory, we have you covered here.Fiona Shaw as Angelica CollinsThe sister of Roger Muldoon (Grace and JPs former neighbour), Angelicas introduced with the subtitle The Wagon. Irish readers wont need an explanation of that slang term, but for anybody who does, its a derogatory term for an extremely obnoxious, unlikeable and strong-willed woman, and seems to be a fitting one for Angelica.The new character is played by Irish stage and screen actor Fiona Shaw, wholl be known to a generation forever as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter film series, but who has a long career in the theatre and in film and television, including recent roles in Killing Eve, True Detective, Baptiste and many more, all the way back to a part in 1989 feature film My Left Foot.Thaddea Graham as Una HoolihanNewly qualified police detective DC Una Hoolihan is a new addition to Loftus investigatory team. Shes played by a Northern Irish actor whos previously had a lead role in Netflix Sherlock Holmes fantasy The Irregulars, as well as playing Bel in Doctor Who: Flux, Sarah in Sex Education and Vivian in BBC Threes Wreck.Owen McDonnell as Ian Reilly (L) & Peter Claffey as Joe Walsh (R)Killing Eve fans will recognise new character Ian for being played by Owen McDonnell, the same actor who played Niko, husband of Sandra Ohs Eve Polastri in the hit assassin thriller. McDonnell also recently played Joe Gargery in Steven Knights adaptation of Great Expectations, Raymond in three episodes of the last series of True Detective, and many more screen roles from Mount Pleasant to Silent Witness.New character Joe Walsh, whos involved with Becka Garvey, is played by Peter Claffey who, coincidentally, also appeared as a different supporting character named Callum in Bad Sisters season one. Claffey will soon be seen in the lead role of Dunk in Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, and previous to this, has appeared in Harry Wild, Vikings: Valhalla, and played professional rugby.Lorcan Craitch as Det. Supt. HowlettLoftuss boss joins Detective Superintendent Howlett joins season two, and is played by Dublin-born actor Lorcan Craitch, who has a long and healthy screen career including the role of DS Jimmy Beck in Cracker, DCS Jackie Twomey in BBC crime drama Bloodlands, Sean in Ballykissangel, Erastes Fulman in HBOs Rome, and many, many more.RETURNING CASTBarry Ward as Fergal LoftusIrish actor Barry Ward is rarely off the screen, with a huge number of roles, recently including that of Thomas Cromwell in Anne Boleyn, Sawyer in Britannia, Barry in Save Me,White Lines and many more. As DI Loftus in Bad Sisters season two, Ward has an expanded role as the investigator looking into the discovery of a dead body that threatens to dig up the Garvey sisters secrets. Michael Smiley as Roger MuldoonGraces kindly, churchgoing neighbour Roger played a small but key role in season one (read our spoiler-filled recap here) as Graces confidante and ally. In season two, hes still suffering from his dealings with JP, and living with his difficult sister Angelica, played by Fiona Shaw. Northern Irish actor Michael Smiley is well-loved for a great many roles, including his unforgettable turn as Tyres in Channel 4 sitcom Spaced, but much more recently Luther, Dead Still, Temple and The Curse. Brian Gleeson & Daryl McCormack as Thomas and Matt ClaffinThe Claffin brothers were hoping to find the Garvey sisters guilty of murder to stop their family insurance firm from having to pay out on JPs hefty claim in season one, but then younger brother Matthew fell for Becka and things got complicated. They return in season two, still played by Brian Gleeson (The Lazarus Project, Frank of Ireland, Peaky Blinders) and Daryl McCormack (The Woman in the Wall, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, also Peaky Blinders).ALSO RETURNINGAlongside the five Garvey sisters will be Saise Quinn as Graces teenage daughter Blnaid Williams, Yasmine Akrim as Bibis wife Nora Garvey, Jonjo ONeill as Ursulas husband Donal, and Aidan McCann, Kate Higgins and Connor ODonnell as Ursula and Donals kids David, Molly and Michael.Bad Sister season two streams weekly on Wednesdays on Apple TV+. Episode three will land on November 20.

The post Elder Scrolls Online Update 44 Brings Updated Battlegrounds, New Companions, and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.

As we continue our mission at Xbox to bring the joy and community of gaming to even more people, we remain committed to protecting players from disruptive online behavior, creating experiences that are safer and more inclusive, and continuing to be transparent about our efforts to keep the Xbox community safe.Our fifth Transparency Report highlights some of the ways were combining player-centric solutions with the responsible application of AI to continue amplifying our human expertise in the detection and prevention of unwanted behaviors on the platform, and ultimately, ensure we continue to balance and meet the needs of our growing gaming community.During the period from January 2024 to June 2024, we have focused our efforts on blocking disruptive messaging content from non-friends, and the detection of spam and advertising with the launch of two AI enabled tools that reflect our multifaceted approach to protecting players.Among the key takeaways from the report:Balancing safety and authenticity in messaging: We introduced a new approach to detect and intercept harmful messages between non-friends, contributing to a significant rise in disruptive content prevented. From January to June, a total of 19M pieces of Xbox Community Standards-violating content were prevented from reaching players across text, image, and video. This new approach balances two goals: safeguarding players from harmful content sent by non-friends, while still preserving the authentic online gaming experiences our community enjoys. We encourage players to use the New Xbox Friends and Followers Experience, which gives more control and flexibility when connecting with others.Safety boosted by player reports: Player reporting continues to be a critical component in our safety approach. During this period, players helped us identify an uptick in spam and advertising on the platform. We are constantly evolving our strategy to prevent creation of inauthentic accounts at the source, limiting their impact on both players and the moderation team. In April, we took action on a surge of inauthentic accounts (1.7M cases, up from 320k in January) that were affecting players in the form of spam and advertising. Players helped us identify this surge and pattern by providing reports in Looking for Group (LFG) messages. Player reports doubled to 2M for LFG messages and were up 8% to 30M across content types compared to the last transparency report period.Our dual AI approach: We released two new AI tools built to support our moderation teams. These innovations not only prevent the exposure of disruptive material to players but allow our human moderators to prioritize their efforts on more complex and nuanced issues. The first of these new solutions is Xbox AutoMod, a system that launched in February and assists with the moderation of reported content. So far, it has handled 1.2M cases and enabled the team to remove content affecting players 88% faster. The second AI solution we introduced launched in July and proactively works to prevent unwanted communications. We have directed these solutions to detect Spam and Advertising and will expand to prevent more harm types in the future. Underpinning all these new advancements is a safety system that relies on both players and the expertise of human moderators to ensure the consistent and fair application of our Community Standards, while improving our overall approach through a continuous feedback loop.At Microsoft Gaming, our efforts to drive innovation in safety and improve our players experience also extends beyond the Transparency Report:Prioritizing Player Safety with Minecraft: Mojang Studios believes every player can play their part in keeping Minecraft a safe and welcoming place for everyone. To help with that, Mojang has released a new feature in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition that sends players reminders about the games Community Standards when potentially inappropriate or harmful behavior is detected in text chat. This feature is intended to remind players on servers of the expected conduct and create an opportunity for them to reflect and change how they communicate with others before an account suspension or ban is required. Elsewhere, since the Official Minecraft Server List launched a year ago, Mojang, in partnership with GamerSafer, has helped hundreds of server owners improve their community management and safety measures. This has helped players, parents, and trusted adults find the Minecraft servers committed to the safety and security practices they care about.Upgrades to Call of Dutys Anti-Toxicity Tools: Call of Duty is committed to fighting toxicity and unfair play. In order to curb disruptive behavior that violates the franchises Code of Conduct, the team deploys advanced tech, including AI, to empower moderation teams and combat toxic behavior. These tools are purpose-built to help foster a more inclusive community where players are treated with respect and are competing with integrity. Since November 2023, over 45 million text-based messages were blocked across 20 languages and exposure to voice toxicity dropped by 43%. With the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the team rolled out support for voice moderation in French and German, in addition to existing support for English, Spanish, and Portuguese. As part of this ongoing work, the team also conducts research on prosocial behavior in gaming.As the industry evolves, we continue to build a gaming community of passionate, like-minded and thoughtful players who come to our platform to enjoy immersive experiences, have fun, and connect with others. We remain committed to platform safety and to creating responsible AI by design, guided by Microsofts Responsible AI Standard and through our collaboration and partnership with organizations like the Tech Coalition. Thank you, as always, for contributing to our vibrant community and for being present with us on our journey.Some additional resources: Share feedback via theXbox Insiders programor on theXbox Support websiteRead ourXbox Community StandardsLearn about the Xbox Family Settings app anddownload the appwhen youre readyKeep up to speed onPrivacy and Online SafetyRemain informed onHow to Report a PlayerandHow to Submit a Case ReviewDiscover Minecraft Educations immersive learning worlds:Privacy ProdigyCyberSafe: Home Sweet HmmGood GameNeed help?Request a Call, Chat Online, and More

New data from LinkedIn on the most in-demand jobs on the platform in the third quarter of this year reveals that software engineering is in second place. Just pipped to the post by sales roles, it is clear that software engineering and development pros are in high demand.Additionally, full stack engineers and application developers feature in the top ten in-demand roles at places eight and ten respectively.Software roles are in such high prominence because software powers pretty much everything. According to McKinsey, these days, Every company is a software company.Traditional bricks and mortar businesses are now increasingly digital-first. Think of your bank or your supermarket, for example. The way we use these businesses has radically changed, with services increasingly offered online.5 jobs to discover this weekThe of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!Media are software companies now too. Hundreds of workers at The New York Times Tech Guild went on strike the day before the US election. They include data analysts, project managers, and software developers, and make up around 600 of the publications tech employees.These workers create and maintain the back-end systems that power the New York Timesyes, including Wordle. The fact that they not only represent about 10% of the papers total workforce, but are so essential to its operations, is yet another sign of our reliance on software solutions and the people who provide them.McKinsey has established three main reasons why this is the case. Firstly, there is the accelerated adoption of digital products, observed particularly during the pandemic when we did more online than ever before.Secondly, these days, more of the value in products and services is derived from software. Thirdly, the growth of cloud computing, PaaS, low- and no-code tools, and AI-based programming platforms are growing the sector exponentially.Languages to learnIn such a dynamic sector, its no surprise that new programming languages are emerging all the time. Consider Mojo, a language designed to combine the simplicity of Python, with the efficiency of C++ or Rust.Or how about Finch, a new language from MIT thats designed to support both flexible control flow and diverse data structures.Additionally, older languages are having a resurgence, such as Go, and thats because its good for security and AI; both hot-button topics right now.Stack Overflows 2024 Developer Survey highlighted JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and Python as the top three languages respondents had used for extensive development work over the past year.Additionally, the US White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) issued a recent report advising that programmers should move to memory-safe languages.Given all that, it is understandable if as a developer, youre really not sure what languages you should be using, what you should learn, and what you can think about dropping.Broad v specificDoes this mean you should be aiming to become proficient in up to ten languages? A recent Reddit thread discussed just that, with one user arguing, There is absolutely no point of learning 10 languages; just pick two, pick a specific field, and become the best at it.Others agreed, with one contributor saying, people are fixated on finding the hottest new language, the hottest new tech stack, or the latest trends, but this is not gonna help you.Another user pointed out that Specialisation is good but you should have a general understanding of the type of languages and how they work, then you can learn new languages and tech stack easily.For many developers, good foundational knowledge is more important (and more valuable to their long-term career) than having a laundry list of programming languages on their CV that they may only be semi-proficient in.Learning a stack on YouTube and building toy projects is easy, pointed out another thread contributor. Building specialisation takes a lot more effort and many years of real life experience.If you do decide to specialise in a couple of languages, that should be, at least in part, influenced by what you enjoy doing most.Do what you think is good for you, says a thread contributor. Once you become really good, youll automatically stand out from the crowd by being better than 90% of the mediocre developers. Wise advice.Ready to find your next programming role? Check out The Next Web Job Board Story by Kirstie McDermott Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Content provided by Amply and TNWAlso tagged with

As expected, Apple today took the wraps off the next big version of Final Cut Pro, and it comes with a whole host of new features that will surely make video editors happy. Included in Final Cut Pro 11 is support for spatial video editing, transcribe to captions, magnetic mask, and more. Its noteworthy that Final Cut Pro 11 is the first release that isnt a 10.x release since Apple dropped the X from its name back in 2020. Apple also released an update to Final Cut Pro for iPad, version 2.1, and an update for Final Cut Camera. These updates come hot on the heels of Logic Pro 11.1, which also released today, and features several significant enhancements for pro creatives.Spatial video editingOne of the most noteworthy enhancements found in Final Cut Pro 11 is a feature that was previewed during WWDC this past summer. Apple is finally bringing spatial import, edit, and delivery support to Final Cut Pro users, allowing them to import spatial video shot on iPhones to the Mac, edit, and then deliver to view in Apple Vision Pro.Spatial videos can be taken with Apple Vision Pro, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16-era device. Theres also Canons new RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens, an APS-C lens that pairs nicely with the Canon R7.Once captured, its just a matter of dropping the spatial video in a Final Cut Pro project timeline, editing, and then delivering. Editing spatial videos works largely the same way as editing regular 2D videos, but there are new export controls to help facilitate final delivery.Spatial video clips can be captured directly with Apple Vision Pro, or on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and Canons new RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens paired with Canon R7.Users can export spatial content directly to their Photos App Library, view them immediately on the Vision Pro, or share with others via the recently launched Vimeo app for Apple Vision Pro.Recently Blackmagic Design, creator of Final Cut Pro competitor, DaVinci Resolve, released an update to its NLE to include both spatial video encoding and spatial photo decoding support. I found the process there to be simple and straightforward as well.Transcribe to CaptionsTeased during its Mac mini video presentation, Apple has natively integrated AI-assisted transcription directly within Final Cut Pro. The new feature will benefit from the companys new M4-era hardware, with speech to text processing up to 13x faster than Intel Macs.The new Transcribe to Captions option can be found within the color correction and audio enhancements options, which looks like a little magic wand directly beneath the viewer. Users simply select the audio source from which to derive the captions, click Transcribe to Captions, and Final Cut Pro will handle the rest. Apple notes that an Apple-trained large language model is used to transcribe spoken audio.Needless to say, this new feature will be a boon to creators, especially those invested in short-form content. As I mentioned in a previous post, caption transcription is far from a new feature, and several companies, such as MotionVFX, offer excellent transcription solutions that work extremely well. The big difference here, of course, is that Apples transcription feature is natively built inside of Final Cut Pro, and is free to existing users via the version 11 update.Magnetic MaskMagnetic Mask was another AI-feature revealed during Apples Mac mini event, and its the one we knew the least about going into todays release. Apple didnt actually mention the Magnetic Mask during the event, but the option was shown during the Final Cut Pro portion of the video. At the time, we presumed that the Magnetic Mask would make deploying masks much easier with the help of snapping to high contrast areas. In its press release today, Apple notes that Magnetic Mask will make it so that editors can easily isolate people and objects in a clips without needing a green screen or utilizing more time-consuming rotoscoping. Magnetic Mask can be combined with other color correction tools and effects for custom and precise stylization of footage. Final Cut Pro is quickly becoming a centerpiece of Apples AI efforts on the Mac. The new Transcribe to Captions and Magnetic Mask features join other AI-assisted tools like Smart Conform, Enhance Light and Color, Smooth Slo-Mo, and Voice Isolation. Final Cut Pro 11 release notesExpand your creative freedom with the revolutionary AI-powered Magnetic Mask, and isolate people, objects and shapes in any footage without a green screen or time-consuming manual rotoscoping. Use Transcribe to Captions to automatically create captions from spoken audio in the timeline with a powerful AI language model built for speed and accuracy. (Requires a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS Sequoia or later.) Import and edit spatial video clips from Apple Vision Pro or iPhone 15 Pro or later; add titles, color correction, and effects; and share captivating spatial projects that can be viewed on Apple Vision Pro. (Requires a Mac with Apple silicon.) Reduce clutter in the browser by automatically hiding original clips when creating synced clips or multicam clips. Use Vertical Zoom to Fit to scale clip heights to fit in the timeline. Speed up your creative flow with new Picture in Picture and Callout effects. Create amazing visual reveals with new Modular transitions. Increase efficiency with new keyboard shortcuts for common tasks in the browser and timeline. Install third-party Media Extensions to support playback and editing of more video formats. (Requires macOS Sequoia or later.)Final Cut for iPad 2.1Not to be forgotten, Apple also released the next version of Final Cut Pro for iPad, version 2.1. It includes several additions geared towards streamlining the editing experience on iPad, including:Enhance Light and Color.Haptic feedback for Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard.New vertical pinch gesture that can expand or minimize clip height in the timeline.Dynamically adjust the size and position of the viewer in Picture in Picture mode.Timeline support for recordings at 90 fps, 100 fps, and 120 fps on iPhone 16 Pro.New inks for Live Drawing: watercolor, crayon, fountain pen, and monoline pen.New modular transitions, color-grading presets, and dynamic soundtracks.Easily highlight and overlay visuals with Picture in Picture and Callout effects.New keyboard shortcuts!Final Cut Camera also received a major update, bringing the ability to capture Log-encoded HEVC video in standalone of Live Multicam sessions a huge workflow improvement! Theres also the ability to enable a LUT preview while recording Log footage and support for 4K120fps recording with iPhone 16 Pro.9to5Macs TakeFinal Cut Pro 11 brings several key new features to the table, with one such feature, Transcribe to Captions, among one of the most-wanted new features. Needless to say this is a pretty massive update across the board, and most certainly worth its 11 badge. Its available as a free update to existing users, while new users can purchase it for $299, or download a free 90-day trial to test drive it.What do you think about Final Cut Pro 11? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts.Add 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? 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Apple on Wednesday released a major update to Logic Pro, its professional audio workstation software. Both Mac and iPad versions of Logic Pro are getting multiple new features, including a Quantec Room Simulator and improvements to Sound Browser on iPadOS. Read on as we detail everything thats new with the latest Logic Pro update.Whats new with the latest Logic Pro update: Quantec Simulator and moreBoth Logic Pro for Mac and iPad now have a Quantec Room Simulator, which is available as a plug-in built using the original schematics and algorithms of Wolfgang Buchleitner, founder and inventor of Quantec. Users can:Access the only authentic hardware recreation available as a plug-in, built using the original schematics, algorithms and code from the Quantec founder and inventor, Wolfgang Buchleitner.Add the legendary sound of the Quantec QRS and Quantec Yardstick hardware reverb, the most acoustically accurate room simulation ever created.Select the vintage Quantec QRS to add naturalistic acoustic space to your music while preserving its sonic character.Choose the Quantec Yardstick with enhanced room simulation algorithms for more accurate modelling of acoustic spaces with improved clarity and detail.When it comes to the Mac version, Apple has made improvements to the plug-in search:Find and add any plug-in directly from the plug-in menu.Use the Search and Add Plug-in key command to quickly find and add plug-ins without ever clicking a channel strip insert.Easily search by categories, company name or even part of a plug-in name.The iPad app update brings improvements to the Sound Browser and Sound Library:Access your personal collection of samples directly from Logics built-in sound BrowserAdd Sample Folders from your iPad, external storage, and iCloud DriveUse multiple folders to provide an organized view of your favorite samplesFlatten complex nested folders of samples into a single, easy to navigate listPreview samples and then drag and drop to build drum kits, sampler instruments or add directly to a trackThere are also some other improvements, including:Download the new Modular Melodies sound pack and discover hundreds of loops crafted from patchable hardware synths and a collection of meticulously designed Alchemy synth patchesDrag channel strips to organise your mixer layout.Send your mix directly to Voice Memos and preview on iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.Click any plug-in slot while holding the Command key to quickly remove plug-ins.Quickly set input, output, side chain source or bus routings using in-menu search.Use key commands to move Marquee selections in all directions to speed up editing.Logic Pro for iPadis available for $4.99/month or $49/year after a one-month free trial. It requires withiPad Air or iPad Pro with M1 or higher. Logic Pro for Mac is available for a one-time purchase of $199.99 after a90-day free trial.Add 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

NASA's plagued Space Launch System rocket, which is being developed to deliver the first astronauts to the Moon in over half a century, is on thin ice.According to Ars Technica senior space reporter Eric Berger's insider sources, there's an "at least 50-50" chance that the rocket "will be canceled.""Not Block 1B. Not Block 2," he added, referring to the variant that was used during NASA's uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022 and a more powerful design with a much higher translunar injection payload capacity, respectively. "All of it."To be clear, as Berger himself points out, we're still far "from anything being settled." Nonetheless, the reporter's sources have historically been highly reliable, suggesting the space agency may indeed be getting cold feet about continuing to pour billions of dollars into the non-reusable rocket.The SLS has already seen its fair share of budget overruns and many years of delays. In a 2022 interview, former NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver told Futurism that the project is simply "not sustainable."The rocket platform has become a political football, going well past $6 billion over budget and over half a decade behind schedule."I will be direct," former NASA administrator Michael Griffin told the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee during a January hearing on the space agency's Artemis program, as quoted byArs Technica. "In my judgment, the Artemis Program is excessively complex, unrealistically priced, compromises crew safety, poses very high mission risk of completion, and is highly unlikely to be completed in a timely manner even if successful."So far, the rocket has been launched only once, as part of NASA's inaugural Artemis mission in 2022, but damage sustained by the agency's Orion spacecraft has given officials pause about its ability to safely send astronauts to the Moon in the coming years.According to an August report by NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG), even just the price of the tower designed to launch rockets starting with Artemis IV, which is tentatively scheduled for 2028, has ballooned to a whopping $1.8 billion.Plagued aerospace giant Boeing has also encountered plenty of headwinds with its contributions to the launch platform. In a separate September report by the OIG, the SLS' Block 1B configuration, which is being built by Boeing, was found to be woefully behind and way over budget."We found an array of issues that could hinder SLS Block 1B's readiness for Artemis IV including Boeings inadequate quality management system, escalating costs and schedules, and inadequate visibility into the Block 1Bs projected costs," the report reads.To reiterate, the SLS is a non-reusable rocket, which means that NASA will have to build entirely new rocket stages for each upcoming Artemis mission. That's in stark contrast to SpaceX's fully reusable Starship, which the space agency is still hoping to tap for Artemis III, the first crewed trip to the Moon's surface.If NASA does indeed give up on the SLS, Berger suggests that the agency may have to get creative by "launching Orion on one rocket" such as SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, and then "docking with a (separately launched) [United Launch Alliance] Centaur V and boosting it to the Moon."Whether such a Plan B is even on the table,though,is unclear at best."Honestly the people who will ultimately make this decision aren't even in place yet," Berger wrote in a followup tweet, likely referring to the incoming Trump administration. "But there is a big desire for big changes."More on the SLS: NASA Keeping Issue With Moon Rocket a SecretShare This Article