https://adapt.one/editorial/link/199/Reflecting+on+30+years+of+DreamWorks+Animation/Chris Sanders, Raymond and Christopher Zibach, Rebecca Huntley, Joel Crawford, and Jason Mayer share their thoughts on the studios first three decades, how it nurtured and supported their lives and careers, and how that family atmosphere in turn spurred the visionary storytelling and belove...

https://adapt.one/editorial/link/198/Mellow+Studio+Keeps+it+Bubbly+for+Three+Cents+Soda/The design and motion team at Mellow Studio in Athens combine cel and 2D digital animation with 3D to craft an energized brand film and backstory for Greek premium tonic and soda brand Three Cents. [Watch]

The European bison (Bison bonasus), also known as the wisent, is a mammal in the family Bovidae, one of two extant species of bison. Having been hunted to extinction in the wild by the early 20th century, the European bison was reintroduced to the wild in various European countries by the 2010s, following captive breeding programmes. It is the heaviest wild land animal in Europe, and individuals in the past may have been even larger than their modern-day descendants. The largest bulls of the species have a mass of up to 1,000 kilograms (2,200lb). The European bison is a herd animal, which lives in both mixed and solely male groups. Mixed groups consist of adult females, calves, young aged two to three years, and young adult bulls. A typical herd numbers around eight to thirteen animals on average. This male European bison was photographed in the Biaowiea Forest, Poland.Photograph credit: Charles J. SharpRecently featured: ArtemisISherman's March to the SeaPercy GraingerArchiveMore featured pictures

November 17H.H. Holmes1796 French Revolutionary Wars: French forces won the Battle of Arcole in a manoeuvre to cut the Austrians' line of retreat.1894 H.H. Holmes (pictured), one of the first modern serial killers, was arrested in Boston after killing at least nine people.1968 NBC controversially cut away from an American football game between the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets to broadcast Heidi, causing viewers in the Eastern United States to miss the game's dramatic ending.1989 Walt Disney Pictures released The Little Mermaid to theatres, beginning the Disney Renaissance.2009 Administrators at the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit discovered that their servers had been hacked, and thousands of emails and files on climate change had been stolen.Nikephoros Melissenos (d.1104)Agnes of Jesus (b.1602)Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain (b.1729)Nicolas Appert (b.1749)More anniversaries: November 16November 17November 18ArchiveBy emailList of days of the yearAbout

Albert Hoffman, the chemist who first synthesized LSD, as photographed in 1976 Noldi Kng / RDB / ullstein bild via Getty ImagesWhen chemist Albert Hofmann moved to small, straight-laced Basel, Switzerland, in 1929, he had no intention of becoming the first man to synthesize, ingest and record his experimentations with lysergic acid diethylamide, the psychedelic drug commonly known as LSD that became a countercultural touchstone in the following decades.I did not choose LSD, he later recalled. LSD found and called me.Really, LSD was just an unremarkable side product of his main research developing a respiratory and circulatory drug derived from ergot, a fungus found in rotting rye, for the pharmaceutical wing of Swiss chemical company Sandoz.In the Middle Ages, ergot was considered a poisonous scourge, causing spasms, gangrene and death if ingested in significant quantities through rye. St. Anthonys fire, as ergotism was then known, left millions of patients writhing with hallucinations and burning sensations. These dramatic and frightening symptoms of ergotism even inspired accusations of witchcraft.But in small doses, ergot had useful medicinal qualities, including as an aid in childbirth and abortion. The trick for chemists was to chemically isolate and purify ergots beneficial components while avoiding its deadly side effects.Earlier research at the Rockefeller Institute in New York had isolated lysergic acid, a common compound in all ergot alkaloids. Hofmanns task was to add other compounds to stabilize lysergic acid and create an analeptic drug to improve respiration and blood circulation. He would then test each compound on animals and record the effects. This circa 1501 painting by Hieronymus Bosch is titledTriptych of the Temptation of St. Anthony. The center panel contains several references to ergotism, which is also known as St. Anthonys fire. Public domain via Wikimedia CommonsOn November 16, 1938, the 32-year-old chemist tested the 25th combination, an amalgam of lysergic acid and diethylamine, an ammonia derivative. He called it LSD-25 for short. The compound made the test animals restless and twitchy, but Hofmann and other researchers noted nothing else out of the ordinary.The new substance aroused no special interest in our pharmacologists and physicians, Hofmann later wrote. Testing was therefore discontinued.That was that, and for five years, LSD-25 was left on the ash heap of pharmaceutical history, as journalist Tom Shroder wrote in Acid Test. In the meantime, Hofmann synthesized and explored other successful lysergic acid compounds, eventually creating hydergine, a circulatory drug that increases blood flow to the brain.But something about the experiments and the animals odd reactions to LSD-25 stuck with Hofmann. In 1943, he decided to synthesize it again.As he worked, he was interrupted by strange sensations. I was forced to interrupt my work in the laboratory in the middle of the afternoon and proceed home, being affected by a remarkable restlessness, combined with a slight dizziness, Hofmann later wrote in a note to his supervisor. At home I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant intoxicated-like condition, characterized by an extremely stimulated imagination.As he entered a dreamlike state, he continued, I perceived an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors. After some two hours this condition faded away.Hofmann had unknowingly ingested a small amount of LSD-25 through the skin of his fingertips, experiencing the first acid trip in human history.Three days later, he began his intentional self-experimentation with LSD, only telling his lab assistant about his unofficial research into the compounds psychedelic effects. Although he continued to work with LSD in the lab, testing it on chimpanzees and small fish, he also experimented privately and in the company of friends.Never, though, did Hofmann predict LSD would reach the countercultural status and widespread usage it has today. It was no accident that Hofmann synthesized LSD on this day in 1938, but the global effects it would have on art, psychiatry and culture were thoroughly beyond his fingertips.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Chemistry, Discoveries, History of Science, Illegal Drugs, Medicine, On This Day in History, Psychology, Switzerland

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn MoreIn 2014, a breakthrough at Google transformed how machines understand language: The self-attention model. This innovation allowed AI to grasp context and meaning in human communication by treating words as mathematical vectors precise numerical representations that capture relationships between ideas. Today, this vector-based approach has evolved into sophisticated vector databases, systems that mirror how our own brains process and retrieve information. This convergence of human cognition and AI technology isnt just changing how machines work its redefining how we need to communicate with them.How our brains already think in vectorsThink of vectors as GPS coordinates for ideas. Just as GPS uses numbers to locate places, vector databases use mathematical coordinates to map concepts, meanings and relationships. When you search a vector database, youre not just looking for exact matches youre finding patterns and relationships, just as your brain does when recalling a memory. Remember searching for your lost car keys? Your brain didnt methodically scan every room; it quickly accessed relevant memories based on context and similarity. This is exactly how vector databases work.The three core skills, evolvedTo thrive in this AI-augmented future, we need to evolve what I call the three core skills: reading, writing and querying. While these may sound familiar, their application in AI communication requires a fundamental shift in how we use them. Reading becomes about understanding both human and machine context. Writing transforms into precise, structured communication that machines can process. And querying perhaps the most crucial new skill involves learning to navigate vast networks of vector-based information in ways that combine human intuition with machine efficiency.Mastering vector communicationConsider an accountant facing a complex financial discrepancy. Traditionally, theyd rely on their experience and manual searches through documentation. In our AI-augmented future, theyll use vector-based systems that work like an extension of their professional intuition. As they describe the issue, the AI doesnt just search for keywords it understands the problems context, pulling from a vast network of interconnected financial concepts, regulations and past cases. The key is learning to communicate with these systems in a way that leverages both human expertise and AIs pattern-recognition capabilities.But mastering these evolved skills isnt about learning new software or memorizing prompt templates. Its about understanding how information connects and relates thinking in vectors, just like our brains naturally do. When you describe a concept to AI, youre not just sharing words; youre helping it navigate a vast map of meaning. The better you understand how these connections work, the more effectively you can guide AI systems to the insights you need.Taking action: Developing your core skills for AIReady to prepare yourself for the AI-augmented future? Here are concrete steps you can take to develop each of the three core skills:Strengthen your readingReading in the AI age requires more than just comprehension it demands the ability to quickly process and synthesize complex information. To improve:Study two new words daily from technical documentation or AI research papers. Write them down and practice using them in different contexts. This builds the vocabulary needed to communicate effectively with AI systems.Read at least two to three pages of AI-related content daily. Focus on technical blogs, research summaries or industry publications. The goal isnt just consumption but developing the ability to extract patterns and relationships from technical content.Practice reading documentation from major AI platforms. Understanding how different AI systems are described and explained will help you better grasp their capabilities and limitations.Evolve your writingWriting for AI requires precision and structure. Your goal is to communicate in a way that machines can accurately interpret.Study grammar and syntax intentionally. AI language models are built on patterns, so understanding how to structure your writing will help you craft more effective prompts.Practice writing prompts daily. Create three new ones each day, then analyze and refine them. Pay attention to how slight changes in structure and word choice affect AI responses.Learn to write with query elements in mind. Incorporate database-like thinking into your writing by being specific about what information youre requesting and how you want it organized.Master queryingQuerying is perhaps the most crucial new skill for AI interaction. Its about learning to ask questions in ways that leverage AIs capabilities:Practice writing search queries for traditional search engines. Start with simple searches, then gradually make them more complex and specific. This builds the foundation for AI prompting.Study basic SQL concepts and database query structures. Understanding how databases organize and retrieve information will help you think more systematically about information retrieval.Experiment with different query formats in AI tools. Test how various phrasings and structures affect your results. Document what works best for different types of requests.The future of human-AI collaborationThe parallels between human memory and vector databases go deeper than simple retrieval. Both excel at compression, reducing complex information into manageable patterns. Both organize information hierarchically, from specific instances to general concepts. And both excel at finding similarities and patterns that might not be obvious at first glance.This isnt just about professional efficiency its about preparing for a fundamental shift in how we interact with information and technology. Just as literacy transformed human society, these evolved communication skills will be essential for full participation in the AI-augmented economy. But unlike previous technological revolutions that sometimes replaced human capabilities, this one is about enhancement. Vector databases and AI systems, no matter how advanced, lack the uniquely human qualities of creativity, intuition, and emotional intelligence.The future belongs to those who understand how to think and communicate in vectors not to replace human thinking, but to enhance it. Just as vector databases combine precise mathematical representation with intuitive pattern matching, successful professionals will blend human creativity with AIs analytical power. This isnt about competing with AI or simply learning new tools its about evolving our fundamental communication skills to work in harmony with these new cognitive technologies.As we enter this new era of human-AI collaboration, our goal isnt to out-compute AI but to complement it. The transformation begins not with mastering new software, but with understanding how to translate human insight into the language of vectors and patterns that AI systems understand. By embracing this evolution in how we communicate and process information, we can create a future where technology enhances rather than replaces human capabilities, leading to unprecedented levels of creativity, problem-solving and innovation.Khufere Qhamata is a research analyst, author of Humanless Work: How AI Will Transform, Destroy And Change Life Forever and the founder of Qatafa AI. DataDecisionMakersWelcome to the VentureBeat community!DataDecisionMakers is where experts, including the technical people doing data work, can share data-related insights and innovation.If you want to read about cutting-edge ideas and up-to-date information, best practices, and the future of data and data tech, join us at DataDecisionMakers.You might even considercontributing an articleof your own!Read More From DataDecisionMakers

EA's four evergreen principles to keep your service games freshHead of operations Arjun Balaram encouraged India GDC attendees to be flexible with how they update their titlesImage credit: Electronic Arts/PopCap Games Academy by James Batchelor Editor-in-chief Published on Nov. 15, 2024 There are many considerations to factor in when planning how to update and expand a live service title, but chief among them is what players best respond to.That's according to Electronic Arts' head of operations Arjun Balaram, who delivered a presentation at India Game Developers Conference in Hyderabad this week on the evergreen tenets of developing live service games.Drawing on his extensive experience of such titles, particularly on mobile, Balaram said there were three lenses through which every update must be viewed:Players: How the new content will encourage them to keep engaging with the gamePeople: How your team is kept informed of the goal and business context of each updateProcess: How you create each addition in efficient a manner as possibleBalaram kicked off with the player-centric considerations and the four key principles behind them, which we present below.1. Be ready to change, no matter how much work you have put inBalaram emphasised the need for developers and publishers to stay flexible, using the development of Bejeweled Blitz as an example. Arjun Balaram, EAThe PopCap Games team behind the match-three game spent months creating a new feature called 'Encore,' which allowed players to spend some coins to boost their score. It was presented alongside other options via a pop-up that appeared at the end of each match. PopCap spent weeks fine-tuning the UI, but focus groups revealed it hadn't worked out as they hoped."What we found was that, after all the effort we put in for months and weeks, the thing that players did most was they just clicked the 'X' [to close the pop-up]," Balaram explained. "They didn't go through the other stuff, the only thing they cared about was the score boost."So we redesigned it to really emphasise that all the other stuff was not relevant. That score boost was the motivation for playing, and redesigning this really helped."2. Give the players what they wantWhen Plants vs Zombies 2 was first developed, Electronic Arts planned to expand it every two to three months with a new 'world' that would be sold for $5. In addition to new levels, each world came with a set of 20 to 30 new plants players could deploy, as well as additional zombies to face and different challenges related to these additions. Balaram reported that each world would take three months to build and the team soon got into a cyclical process of updating the game. But as they paid closer attention to how players were interacting with the new content, the developers realised there was only one particular feature that was getting the most traction."Players really enjoyed the new plants and the quirkiness in them," Balaram said. "So we shifted to making premium plants, and instead of all the effort going into this world and so many different characters, every month we would have a plant we would sell for the same $5 and that worked well."We'd then have a system where there were quests and events associated with the plant, and that worked well too. So we went from this heavy content treadmill to [focusing on] what the players really cared about: having these new plants that they could play with."3. Ritualise your updatesA regular cadence of updates, and even notifications that build anticipation for those updates, can really help keep your players engaged. Live services games thrive when they become part of the players' regular routine, when players know what to expect and can plan for new additions.This can work on a mid-term basis, such as the two to three-month expansions mentioned above, or even on a daily basis. Balaram gave another example from Plants vs Zombies 2, whereby a timer would pop up at the top of the screen to let players know when the next daily quest would kick off."The simple thing of adding this timer basically stabilised our DAU," he said. "And we would see our DAU spike when the new quest was there so that was pretty cool."4. Players care more about what they get than how you make itBalaram said that live service titles should be designed with expandability in mind from the outset, but that your strategy should adapt around how players engage with those expansions.When designing new additions, it can be easy to get caught up in what the team thinks will improve the game. Equally, it can be tempting to share more and more detail about what you're working on and how you're making it as your community grows."Remember, the game you make is only as good as players say it is that's all that matters."However, the EA exec said that in his experience players are primarily concerned with what he described as "the three hows." In order of importance to your audience, these are 'how often', 'how much', and 'how'."Players care most about how often you're engaging them," he said. "What comes next, which they care slightly less about, is how much new stuff you're providing them."What they least care about is how you're actually doing it, what's under the hood, and so on. Is it a reskin? Is it something built from scratch? Is it a client update or a service-side push? They don't care, they just want something new and interesting to engage with."Above all, Balaram urged developers and publishers to pay attention to player feedback, and adapt their strategy and development processes accordingly."Remember, the game you make is only as good as players say it is that's all that matters."

Netflix peaked at 65 million concurrent streams during the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul last night, according to Most Valuable Promotions, the promoter for the fight. Those streams went out to 60 million households globally, the group said in a press release shared with The Verge via email. Thats more than twice the traffic Netflix could see for its Christmas Day NFL stream this year, if everyone who watched last year streamed it.The crush of people trying to watch Tyson vs. Paul seemed to be more than Netflixs servers could easily handle, as the social web was awash with complaints about the quality of the stream, which many found to be muddy, or plagued with buffering and dropped connections. Downdetector recorded more than 100,000 complaints of Netflix streaming issues during the event, according to Bloomberg.Thats also just a massive number of people streaming a single live event at the same time. Disney served 59 million concurrent streams of a World Cup cricket match through its Disney Plus Hotstar service last year. It hit similar numbers a few days earlier, and again in June this year. Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone told employees that the company dealt with this unprecedented scale by prioritizing keeping the stream stable for the majority of viewers, according to Bloombergs Mark Gurman. We dont want to dismiss the poor experience of some members, and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success, Stone reportedly wrote. Update November 16th: Added Disney Plus Hotstar streaming numbers for additional context.

Complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls have dropped for the third straight year, the Federal Trade Commission announced yesterday. Reports of such calls have fallen by over 50 percent versus 2021, according to the FTC a decline that could be thanks in no small part to stepped-up government efforts to fight irritating telemarketing and phone scams.There were about 33,000 fewer unwanted call complaints during the 2024 fiscal year versus the year prior, writes the FTC. The drop affected all sorts of unwanted calls, although the agency writes that reports about debt reduction calls had jumped more than 85 percent from last year.FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Sam Levine said that while illegal calls are still a scourge, he credited the FTCs strategy to pursue upstream players and equip the agency to confront emerging threats with the reduction in complaints.As for what the FTC has actually been doing, it points to its crackdowns on illegal telemarketing last year, and its rules that ban the impersonation of governments or businesses. The agency also cites its Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), which places a number of restrictions on telemarketers like when they can make their calls and its clarification that the TSR applies to scam calls that use AI, too. Last year, the FTC banned those extended vehicle warranty scams that many of us are familiar with. That ban followed the Federal Communication Commissions proposal of a $300 million fine over one such campaign. The FCC has played a part in other ways, too. The biggest US mobile carriers started complying with a new anti-spoofing protocol aimed at verifying that the phone number shown on consumers caller ID was actually the one that called them. The FCC also banned AI-generated robocalls, has cracked down on robocallers / robotexters that dont let people opt out, and requires cell carriers to block likely-illegal robotexts.

Xogot is a new project from Miguel de Icaza (the creator of Mono among other projects) building upon his work on bringing Swift to the Godot game engine. Xogot is now available for testing via TestFlight and its a VERY good implementation of the Godot game engine on iPad devices, with a user interface optimized toward mobile usage.Details from the official blog:We are now ready for folks interested in testing it and finding places where we fall short of the expectations of iPadOS users and aspiring game developers to take it for a spin and help us identify the bumps in the road.It has been almost a year since we started to explore what it would take to bring Godot to the iPad as a bonafide iPadOS application. We are now ready for folks interested in testing it and finding places where we fall short of the expectations of iPadOS users and aspiring game developers to take it for a spin and help us identify the bumps in the road.We have prepared some documents for you:Goals for the TestFlight preview and signup form.Known Issues in this ReleaseGetting Started Guide: covers how to start new projects or bring existing projects into the iPadOnce you have signed up, you can chat with us in theXogot Discord Server.You will need to have an iPad up to date with the most current version of iOS (currently iPad OS 18) to install the preview release. You can check out Xogot, Godot on iPad in action in the video below.