Author(s): Barhoumi Mosbeh Originally published on Towards AI. On November 11, Alibaba announced its most advanced coding model to date: Qwen 2.5-Coder-32B-Instruct. But thats not all, its actually part of a whole family of coding models! In addition to the 32B model, there are versions with 0.5B, 1.5B, 3B, 7B, and 14B parameters. Before writing this article, I reviewed feedback from many of YouTubers, writers, and technical experts, and the consensus has been overwhelmingly positive. Today, well explore whether it really lives up to the hype.Ive been using ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude for a while, and I can confidently say that Claude is the best at coding and understanding complex tasks. To be honest, Gemini is in a different league altogether. Fun fact: I once won a machine learning competition two years ago using Bard (now rebranded as Gemini) because everyone else was using ChatGPT. Bards performance gave me a competitive edge back then. Today, I believe Gemini might be the best vision model available, but overall, Im not a big fan.To evaluate the models performance in coding, we should cover the following three key aspects: Code Generation, Code Repair, and Code Reasoning. Additionally, we need to consider how many programming languages the model supports and its alignment with human preferences.OverviewBefore testing out Alibabas model, lets take a look at the performance results they have announced.Based on their internal benchmarks, it even outperforms GPT-4 and comes very close to Claude 3.5. However, I personally dont place too much weight on internal benchmarks alone, but the results seem very interesting according to those who have tried it.You can find more details about the performance here:Qwen2.5-Coder-32B-Instruct Qwen2Now it is the time, Nov. 11 10:24! The perfect time for our best coder model ever! Qwen2.5-Coder-32B-Instruct!qwen2.orgIm testing the model locally using Ollama:qwen2.5-coder:32bThe latest series of Code-Specific Qwen models, with significant improvements in code generation, code reasoning, andollama.comYou can also try out the model on the demo page of Hugging Face:Qwen2.5 Coder Demo a Hugging Face Space by QwenDiscover amazing ML apps made by the communityhuggingface.coCode GenerationMany people have already covered how well it performs in web and design:So, we will focus on testing it with some Python challenges. Lets start with a medium-level LeetCode problem:PromptThe problem description: Longest Substring Without Repeating CharactersAnswerclass Solution(object): def lengthOfLongestSubstring(self, s): """ :type s: str :rtype: int """ # Dictionary to store the last seen index of each character char_index_map = {} # Initialize the start of the current window and the maximum length start = 0 max_length = 0 for end in range(len(s)): # If the character is already in the map and its index is within the current window if s[end] in char_index_map and char_index_map[s[end]] >= start: # Move the start to the right of the last occurrence of the current character start = char_index_map[s[end]] + 1 # Update the last seen index of the current character char_index_map[s[end]] = end # Update the maximum length of the substring found so far max_length = max(max_length, end - start + 1) return max_lengthResultsImage from the authorNot the best, but it gets things done and passes all the tests. Can it solve a hard problem? (Note that the model could have been trained on these problems already, but its still impressive.)PromptProblem description: Regular Expression MatchingAnswerclass Solution(object): def isMatch(self, s, p): """ :type s: str :type p: str :rtype: bool """ m, n = len(s), len(p) # Create a 2D array to store the results of subproblems dp = [[False] * (n + 1) for _ in range(m + 1)] # Base case: empty string matches empty pattern dp[0][0] = True # Handle patterns like a*, a*b*, etc., which can match an empty string for j in range(1, n + 1): if p[j - 1] == '*': dp[0][j] = dp[0][j - 2] # Fill the dp table for i in range(1, m + 1): for j in range(1, n + 1): if p[j - 1] == '.' or p[j - 1] == s[i - 1]: dp[i][j] = dp[i - 1][j - 1] elif p[j - 1] == '*': dp[i][j] = dp[i][j - 2] # '*' matches zero occurrences if p[j - 2] == '.' or p[j - 2] == s[i - 1]: dp[i][j] = dp[i][j] or dp[i - 1][j] # '*' matches one or more occurrences # The result is in dp[m][n] return dp[m][n]ResultsImage from the authorAfter testing it on 1020 problems on LeetCode, I have the impression that it was trained on all problems, so its not the best way to evaluate it. However, its still worth sharing. Additionally, it always chooses to provide a Python solution, even when not specifically asked for one. But lets try something different. I asked the model to optimize the code to minimize resource consumption as much as possible.Image from the authorI didnt expect that, but when I asked the model to improve the performance, it even fails in the simplest cases.Lets now move to the next test, Code Repair. I will be providing the model with some code containing errors generated by Claude. I asked the model to generate some hard cases to fix, and lets see how it performs.Code RepairPromptThe following code contains several bugs. Please identify and fix them, and provide an explanation for each bug you find.class AsyncTaskQueue: def __init__(self): self.tasks = [] self.running = False self.lock = threading.Lock() self.workers = [] async def add_task(self, task): async with self.lock: self.tasks.append(task) if not self.running: self.start_processing() async def start_processing(self): self.running = True while self.tasks: task = self.tasks.pop(0) worker = asyncio.create_task(self.process_task(task)) self.workers.append(worker) if len(self.workers) >= 3: done, pending = await asyncio.wait(self.workers) self.workers = list(pending) self.running = False async def process_task(self, task): result = await task() return result AnswerCertainly! Let's go through the provided code and identify the issues, then correct them. Here are the main problems and their fixes:Issues IdentifiedThreading Lock Usage with Asyncio:The threading.Lock is not suitable for use with asyncio. Instead, you should use asyncio.Lock.Async Context Manager for Lock:The async with statement is used incorrectly with threading.Lock. It should be used with asyncio.Lock.Starting Processing:The start_processing method should be called in a non-blocking manner. Since start_processing is an async method, it should be awaited properly.Task Management:The start_processing method should handle task processing more efficiently. The current implementation might not handle task completion correctly.Worker Management:The workers list should be managed more carefully to ensure that tasks are completed before marking the queue as not running.Corrected CodeHere's the corrected version of the code:import asyncioimport threadingclass AsyncTaskQueue: def __init__(self): self.tasks = [] self.running = False self.lock = asyncio.Lock() self.workers = [] async def add_task(self, task): async with self.lock: self.tasks.append(task) if not self.running: self.running = True asyncio.create_task(self.start_processing()) async def start_processing(self): while True: async with self.lock: if not self.tasks: self.running = False break task = self.tasks.pop(0) worker = asyncio.create_task(self.process_task(task)) self.workers.append(worker) if len(self.workers) >= 3: done, pending = await asyncio.wait(self.workers, return_when=asyncio.FIRST_COMPLETED) self.workers = list(pending) async def process_task(self, task): result = await task() return result# Example usageasync def example_task(): await asyncio.sleep(1) print("Task completed") return "Result"async def main(): queue = AsyncTaskQueue() await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task) await queue.add_task(example_task)asyncio.run(main())Explanation of FixesAsyncio Lock:Replaced threading.Lock with asyncio.Lock to ensure compatibility with asynchronous operations.Async Context Manager for Lock:Used async with self.lock: to properly manage the lock in an asynchronous context.Starting Processing:Changed the logic to start processing in a non-blocking manner by using asyncio.create_task(self.start_processing()) inside add_task.Task Management:Modified start_processing to continuously check for tasks and process them until no tasks are left. It breaks out of the loop when there are no more tasks and sets self.running to False.Worker Management:Ensured that workers are managed correctly by using asyncio.wait with return_when=asyncio.FIRST_COMPLETED to handle task completion efficiently.Example UsageThe example usage demonstrates how to add tasks to the AsyncTaskQueue and run them asynchronously. The main function adds several tasks to the queue, and they are processed concurrently with a maximum of 3 workers at a time.This corrected and optimized code should perform better and be more reliable.Results and feedbackClaude evaluates the models response as 7.5/10. with this feedback:While the model provided a functionally correct solution, it delivered a tutorial-grade fix rather than a production-grade implementation. This indicates that for complex concurrent programming tasks, human expertise is still crucial for robust system design.After experimenting with the model, it gets the job done, but often requires follow-up prompts to improve the response. While it doesnt struggle with understanding the task at hand and can correct most critical bugs, it still lacks some of the strengths seen in models like ChatGPT and Claude, particularly in areas such as error handling, resource management, and optimization. I believe these may be the models key weaknesses.Specialized LLMs: A New Era in AIIts fascinating to witness the emergence of relatively small, domain-specific language models that can run locally. I believe were entering an exciting new era of specialized LLMs, and this is just the beginning. While the concept isnt new, were finally seeing models that truly excel in specific domains.The combination of RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) and specialist LLMs could define the AI landscape in the coming months/years. Were likely to see more powerful coding-focused models from industry leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic. Programming is perhaps one of the most natural domains for specialized AI, and we might soon see even more focused models, imagine LLMs specifically optimized for DevOps or front-end development!Dont feel overwhelmed by these rapid advances. Yes, it can be somewhat daunting to see LLMs mastering skills that traditionally took years to develop. Coding, which has challenged humanity for decades, is being transformed before our eyes. But rather than seeing this as an endpoint, we should view it as an opportunity for growth and innovation.Whether the current wave of LLM advances slows down in the coming years or this is merely the beginning of a longer journey, our response should remain the same: stay curious, keep learning, and never stop innovating. The future of technology is being written right now, and we all have a part to play in shaping it.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

Black Friday is one of the best times of year to upgrade your kitchen appliances, and the Samsung brand is no exception. Samsung has just kicked off its Black Friday Sale with some huge discounts on their 2024 lineup of Bespoke appliances, including up to $1700 off refrigerators and up to $1300 off gas, electric, and induction ranges.These deals become much better if you're eligible for a Samsung education (EDU), business (EPP), military, government, or first responders account (verification is done through ID.me). You would saving upwards of $1,400 on top of the existing Black Friday discounts. Definitely check to see if you can qualify.Samsung Refrigerator DealsBespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator 24 cu. ft. with AutoFill Water PitcherBespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator 24 cu. ft. with Beverage CenterBespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator 24 cu. ft. with Family Hub PanelBespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator 30 cu. ft. with Family Hub PanelBespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator 23 cu. ft. with AutoFill Water PitcherBespoke Counter Depth 4-Door Flex Refrigerator 23 cu. ft. with Beverage ZoneBespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator 23 cu. ft. with Beverage CenterBespoke 4-Door French Door Refrigerator (29 cu. ft.) with Beverage CenterBespoke 4-Door Flex Refrigerator 29 cu. ft. with Beverage CenterSamsung Kitchen Range DealsGasBespoke 6.0 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Gas Range with Air Fry & Precision KnobsGas6.0 cu. ft. Smart Freestanding Gas Range with Non-Preheat Air Fry and Convection+GasBespoke 6.0 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Gas Range with Smart Oven Camera & Illuminated Precision KnobsGasBespoke Smart Slide-In Gas Range 6.0 cu. ft. with Flex Duo & Illuminated Precision KnobsGasBespoke Smart Slide-In Dual Fuel Range 6.3 cu. ft. with Flex Duo & Illuminated Precision KnobsInductionBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Induction Range with Anti-Scratch Glass CooktopInductionBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Induction Range with Ambient Edge Lighting & Air Sous VideInductionBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Induction Range with AI Home & Smart Oven CameraElectric6.3 cu. ft. Smart Freestanding Electric Range with Air Fry and GriddleElectricBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Electric Range with Air FryElectricBespoke 6.3 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Electric Range with Smart Oven Camera & Illuminated Precision KnobsElectricBespoke Smart Slide-In Electric Range 6.3 cu. ft. with Flex Duo & Illuminated Precision KnobsThese 2024 Appliances Are More Techy Than ThinkYou might be wondering what kitchen appliances have to do with tech. Well, these certainly arent your grandma's fridges and ovens. The new 2024 refrigerators come equipped with plenty of savvy features like a separate concealed "Beverage Center" that holds drinks, an auto-refilling water pitcher, and an ice dispenser or a massive 22" or 32" Family Hub smart display that lets you see inside your refrigerator, manage your familys calendars, stream music, and more.The new 2024 ovens are just as fancy. They come in your choice of gas, induction, or electric but they have several features that helps you consolidate several appliances into one, like a built-in air fry or sous vide mode. To conserve electricity, some models are equipped with an oven camera so you can see how your dishes are roasting or baking without ever opening the door. Like the Bespoke fridges mentioned above, you can also have a smart LCD display built into your range so you can look up recipes or play videos without ever grabbing your phone. Are these features necessary? Absolutely not, but as a tech-head, I find it all very cool.When Is Black Friday 2024?The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29, but the holiday deals season starts a lot earlier than that. Plenty of retailers have already been dropping deals online. (This usually starts in the last week of October, just before Halloween.) More and more deals will roll out leading up to the event, which culminates in massive discounts on Black Friday. Retailers will not reveal their biggest deals until the big day, but many deals will be available well in advance.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Final Fantasy XIV is the latest online multiplayer game to head to mobile, joining Diablo and Monster Hunter among others. It is being developed by Tencent subsidiary LightSpeed Studios, which is responsible for PUBG Mobile and recently added Dragon's Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno to its ranks as part of its newly-established Japan Studio.The official release calls it an "exciting extension of the beloved franchise" and says it will capture the "immersive experience of the original title in a fresh, mobile-friendly format." It's unconfirmed whether the new mobile title will include cross-progression or any of the expansions, but LightSpeed Studios does plan to retain lifestyle content including fishing, Triple Triad, and chocobo racing.PlayIGN'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".000/250In a statement as part of the release, Final Fantasy XIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida called the new release a "sister to Final Fantasy XIV." It has been 11 years since FFXIV 2.0: A Realm Reborn launched, and this new mobile game will be a sister to FFXIV, aiming to recreate the grandeur of the original's story and combat mechanics on mobile devices, Yoshida said. Non-combat features, such as Disciples of the Land and Hand, will also be faithfully implemented and we look forward to growing alongside the passionate FFXIV community."Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was first released in 2013 and has experienced huge success since, releasing multiple acclaimed expansions, including Dawntrail earlier this year. It has been lauded for its respectful handling of Final Fantasy history, its storytelling, and its numerous features.The release claims that the mobile version will allow players to "immerse themselves in the meticulously crafted visual experience that defines Eorzea on mobile." It will include "intricate weather and time-of-day systems" and "over 600 weather patterns across various landscapes." The development teams have sought to optimize player character and equipment designs for the original game. IGN has asked for clarification on whether it will only feature the original A Realm Reborn content to start.Final Fantasy XIV Mobile does not yet have a release date, but a demo will be available for play tests in China, with a global launch following soon after.Kat Bailey is IGN's News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

There is a long checklist to get through when you're preparing to sell your home. You have to get your property appraised, make any necessary repairs, and spruce up your curb appeal to make the best first impression. Some homeowners even consider making upgrades ahead of listing their properties, in hopes that will boost the sale price considerably. But before you renovate your home to impress potential buyers, we have a warning. Certain design choices can actually hurt your home's value and the chances of a speedy sale. Kitchens are highly personal, and every buyer has their own preferences and vision of the space, says Zillow's trend expert, Amanda Pendelton. In general, Zillow research finds kitchen renovations deliver some of the worst returns on investmentabout $0.50 on the dollar, she explains. Some buyers are home chefs and entertainers, and theyll want all the bells and whistles, while other buyers may prefer ordering takeout and dont want to pay for that top-of-the-line steam oven you just installed.Of course, resale value isn't the end-all-be-all of decision-making factors. If you love sunshine yellow cabinets (and you're going to be using them for years to come), go ahead and paint them! But if you're renovating to sell, or thinking about future property and resale value, these are the design choices you'll want to skip. Related StoriesSilver HardwareSilver may have made a comeback this last year in the world of fashion and jewelry, but in interiors, it's still the least desirable hardware finish. Zillow research finds listings with satin nickel hardware or fixtures get 34 percent fewer saves per day and 36 percent fewer shares per day on Zillow. However, chrome finishes fare better in the housing market. Homes with chrome hardware or fixtures only get 19 percent fewer saves per day and 18 percent fewer shares per day. Oak Cabinetschandlerphoto//Getty ImagesWood cabinets are divisive: Some are beloved, while others are despised, and it all depends on the finish of the wood. While white oak, ash, and paler tones are popular, especially in Scandinavian design, orange-hued oak doesn't fare as well, and often seen as dated. Homes with oak cabinets get 9 percent fewer saves per day and 10 percent fewer shares per day on Zillowand sell for 0.8 Onyx StoneA yellowish, orange stone, often with brown and white veining, onyx is a controversial countertop and backsplash choice. It's bold, but it's not as durable or functional as quartzite or granite, which makes potential buyers wary. For-sale listings with onyx get 22 percent fewer saves per day and 25 percent fewer shares per day than similar homes.Yellow Paint Elliott Kaufman//Getty ImagesBold, colorful kitchens may be showstopping from an interior design perspective, but personality-forward design can scare potential buyers off. Selecting the wrong paint colors could cost you when its time to sell. We recommend neutrals like white, navy, and even warmer tones like brown and beige to boost your kitchen's universal appeal. Zillows research finds homes with a bright yellow kitchen command offers that are $2,125 less than expected on a typical U.S. home. Tile or Laminate CountertopsLaminate countertops are a common, budget-friendly renovation option, but potential buyers will take the choice as the homeowners cutting corners. Tile counters are great, and we're partial to the aesthetic, but they are notoriously difficult to clean and maintain over time. Home shoppers arent willing to pay a premium for either of these materials. Homes with laminate countertops can sell for 1.1% less than expected, and buyers pay 1% less for homes with tile countertops, according to Zillow research. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

Dawn Aerospace has flown its rocket-powered aircraft past the speed of sound, the latest milestone on its path to its first commercial flights.During the test, which took place on New Zealands South Island, the startups Mk-II Aurora aircraft reached Mach 1.1 and an altitude of 25 kilometres. Dawn said this marks the first time a civil aircraft has flown supersonic since Concorde.The feat comes after Aurora hit Mach 0.92 in August, which, at the time, was three times the speed and five times the height of its previous test conducted in 2023. Dawns aircraft just keeps on getting faster. The end goal is to go hypersonic (6,17312,348 km/h) and fly over 100 km above the Earth twice in one day.Register NowAs a company, we have been working for more than seven years to design, develop, test, and deliver supersonic flight. We are now achieving this and will start commercial payload operations in the coming months, said Stefan Powell, CEO of Dawn Aerospace.The company, headquartered in the Netherlands and New Zealand, claims that during the test last week the Aurora also broke the world record for the fastest aircraft to climb from ground level to 20 km. The spaceplane made the ascent in just 118.6 seconds, beating the previous record set in the 1970s by a highly modified F-15 fighter jet.This milestone sets the stage for Aurora to become the worlds highest and fastest-flying aircraft and paves the way for the first operational hypersonic aircraft, redefining whats possible in aviation, said Powell.Cheaper access to spaceKiwi Stefan Powell and his brother James founded Dawn Aerospace in 2016 alongside Dutchman Jeroen Wink, and the two Germans Tobias Knop and Robert Werner. The team hopes to unlock cheaper, quicker access to space for applications such as microgravity research, atmospheric science, Earth observation, and testing high-speed flight.Dawn has spent just $10mn on its flight programme to date and looks to complete it using just $20mn pennies for an aerospace company. One can assume that these low production costs will also translate into cheap flights for customers.Dawns lean approach to tech development stands out in an industry dominated by billionaire-funded startups and deep-pocketed governments. The company generates some additional revenue from its other business line, which builds low emissions propulsions systems for satellites. Nevertheless, its looking to do something quite remarkable given its limited cash runway.The startups ultimate vision is to build an orbital stage aircraft, dubbed Mk-III, that could transport satellites into low-Earth orbit, putting it in direct competition with Elon Musks SpaceX. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

As we reported on Monday, Apple has published a new support document confirming that iCloud backup will stop working on iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 or older versions of the operating system. Now weve also learned that there will be restrictions on syncing Safari bookmarks as well.Safari sync to stop working on some iOS versionsAccording to another support article published on Apples website, devices running versions prior to iOS 11 will no longer sync Safari bookmarks via iCloud. Users with affected devices wont lose their current bookmarks, but new bookmarks wont sync with other devices and vice versa. The change will also affect Macs running versions prior to macOS Sierra 10.12.5.Apple says users will have to update their devices to iOS 11 or later or macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later to keep syncing their Safari bookmarks via iCloud. For those who dont have a compatible device, the company will make Safari bookmarks available on iCloud.com.Moving forward, iCloud Bookmarks can keep your Safari bookmarks up to date across all your devices just make sure that all of your devices are updated to iOS 11 or later and your Mac is updated to macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later. You can also sync bookmarks to a Windows PC using iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Bookmarks browser extension.iOS 11 was the first version of Apples operating system to run exclusively on 64-bit devices, which made it incompatible with devices such as the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPad 4 which are stuck on iOS 10. When it comes to macOS, Macs released in 2012 and later can be upgraded to macOS Sierra at least to keep Safari bookmark synchronization working.The news comes after Apple also announced that iCloud backup will stop working on devices running versions between iOS 5 and iOS 8. According to Apple, current backups on unsupported devices will also be deleted from the cloud. Both changes will come into effect on December 18, 2024.Apple has a webpage with the minimum system requirements for each of its online services, which you can check out here.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

An international consortium of scientists, engineers, and urban planners called Project Hyperion has launched a design competition for a massive multi-generational spaceship that could sustain and transport humans on long journey across the interstellar expanse.As Universe Today reports, the competition is challenging the public to come up with a concept that relies on current and near-future technologies. The winning team gets a prize of $10,000.Despite the exciting prospect of a spacecraft that could carry us to far-flung places in the universe, the competition isn't much more than a fascinating thought experiment, ripped straight out of a sci-fi novel.For one, relying on the currently available propulsion methods, getting to even the closest star system Proxima Centauri which isn't believed to be habitable, by the way could take north of 1,000 years.Even projecting ahead, futuristic propulsion concepts would only cut thatcommute down to anywhere from 36 to 85 years, according to Universe Today.Generation ships would lean into that reality by allowing humanity to thrive and even have children while on their way to a distant location light-years away, making the competition a fun brain teaser about what such a ship might look like."An interstellar starship flies by an icy planet in a nearby solar system," reads a design brief. "Going beyond the classical examination of the problem of interstellar propulsion and structural design, for a voyage lasting multiple centuries, what might be the ideal type of habitat architecture and society in order to ensure a successful trip?"The generation ship needs to be "self-sustaining" to allow the "initial crew" to "live, reproduce, and die on the ship, with their descendants continuing the journey until reaching the destination."In other words, it needs to have all the kinds of life-support systems necessary to keep humans alive for multiple generations, such as agriculture or alternative ways to grow food.Specifically, the ship's mission should be "designed to span 250 years," while providing "Earth-equivalent gravity through artificial means, such as rotation," and "comprehensive radiation shielding" to protect anywhere from 500 to 1,5000 inhabitants."Think about the difference between a drone and an ocean liner," Hyperion Project's Organizing Committee member Andreas Hein told Universe Today. Generation ships "tend to be much larger than interstellar probes, though they would likely use similar propulsion systems, such as fusion-based propulsion."Instead of struggling with the constraints of current technologies, the design competition takes a step back, requiring each participating team to consist of at least one designer, engineer, and social scientist."This competition uniquely explores the complex interplay between generation ship technologies and the dynamics of a highly resource-constrained society," Hein said.The thought experiment could even inform how we fight off existential threats back on Earth, such as climate change."I believe that thinking beyond Earth can offer valuable insights into how we might improve life here on 'spaceship Earth,'" Organizing Committee architect and designer Yazgi Demirbas told Universe Today. "Just as in space, where we face numerous challenges, our planet requires innovative approaches to foster harmony and resilience amidst current global conflicts and challenges."More on generation ships: On an Interstellar Flight, Language Itself Would EvolveShare This Article

Nov 20, 2024Ravie LakshmananZero Day / VulnerabilityApple has released security updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS, and its Safari web browser to address two zero-day flaws that have come under active exploitation in the wild.The flaws are listed below -CVE-2024-44308 - A vulnerability in JavaScriptCore that could lead to arbitrary code execution when processing malicious web contentCVE-2024-44309 - A cookie management vulnerability in WebKit that could lead to a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack when processing malicious web contentThe iPhone maker said it addressed CVE-2024-44308 and CVE-2024-44309 with improved checks and improved state management, respectively. Not much is known about the exact nature of the exploitation, but Apple has acknowledged that the pair of vulnerabilities "may have been actively exploited on Intel-based Mac systems."Clment Lecigne and Benot Sevens of Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) have been credited with discovering and reporting the two flaws, indicating that they were likely put to use as part of highly-targeted government-backed or mercenary spyware attacks.The updates are available for the following devices and operating systems -iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 - iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and lateriOS 17.7.2 and iPadOS 17.7.2 - iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 6th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and latermacOS Sequoia 15.1.1 - Macs running macOS SequoiavisionOS 2.1.1 - Apple Vision ProSafari 18.1.1 - Macs running macOS Ventura and macOS SonomaApple has so far addressed a total of four zero-days in its software this year, including one (CVE-2024-27834) that was demonstrated at the Pwn2Own Vancouver hacking competition. The other three were patched in January and March 2024.Users are advised to update their devices to the latest version as soon as possible to safeguard against potential threats.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Nov 20, 2024Ravie LakshmananSoftware Security / VulnerabilityOracle is warning that a high-severity security flaw impacting the Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Framework has been exploited in the wild.The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-21287 (CVSS score: 7.5), could be exploited sans authentication to leak sensitive information."This vulnerability is remotely exploitable without authentication, i.e., it may be exploited over a network without the need for a username and password," it said in an advisory. "If successfully exploited, this vulnerability may result in file disclosure."CrowdStrike security researchers Joel Snape and Lutz Wolf have been credited with discovering and reporting the flaw.There is currently no information available on who is exploiting the vulnerability, the targets of the malicious activity, and how widespread these attacks are."If successfully exploited, an unauthenticated perpetrator could download, from the targeted system, files accessible under the privileges used by the PLM application," Eric Maurice, vice president of Security Assurance at Oracle, said.In light of active exploitation, users are recommended to apply the latest patches as soon as possible for optimal protection.The Hacker News has reached out to Oracle and CrowdStrike for comment. We will update this story if we get a reply.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

You clicked a link fora 3,000 word article about IHOPsIndiana Jonesmenu?You chose ... wisely.In conjunction withthe new Xbox gameIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, IHOP is now offering six limited-time items based on thepop cultures most famousarchaeology professor. IHOPs Indy-fiedcreations include three different stuffed French toasts, and severaldishes thatshowcase Indiana Jones canonicalfavorite food: Cookie butter.(What? You dont remember the classic scene fromRaiders of the Lost Arkwhen Indy reaches into his satchel, pulls out a big jar of spreadable Speculoos, androars It belongs in a museum!? Clearly you haventwatched the Raidersdirectors cut.)IHOPIHOPloading...READ MORE: 12 Movies You Never Knew Were Produced by George LucasOof. There isso much bread in that picture. Today, I am going to eat all of it. Why, you (and myexasperated wife) might ask? Well, justlike Indiana Jones, I take my job seriously. And for almost a decade now, my job as a movie journalist has included eating any menu based on movies (or, in this case, video games based on movies) available at big chain restaurants. In recent years, Ive eatenAddams Familypurple Whoppers andBeetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuicy Burgers. Iveinhaleda calzony shaped like The Batman logo and devouredIFdazzleberry pancakes.Before you ask, let me state for the record: Ihave no clue what a dazzleberry is. Or what a calzony is, for that matter. Again, much like Indiana Jones, I am an explorerof the unknown; a man who risks his ownlife to recover objects heretoforeunseen by mankind. The only difference between he and I (and I mean the onlydifference) is thatI then eat those objects.For help on this most perilous crusade, Ive solicited the assistance of Griffin Newman, co-host of the Blank Check podcast and a fellow thrill seeker in the world of cinematic culinary curiosities. Griffin is also a very talented actor and comedian who appears regularly inmovies and television series,so pleasewhatever you do,dont let him knowhe has much better things to do with his his time than eat cookie butter French toast with me. (Its really helps when I dont have to do this alone, and hes the only person who says yes when I invite him.)We just orderedthe first ofmany courses of archaeologically themed breakfast items. Today, you can call us ...Indiana Jones and the Eaters of the Promotional Tie-In Menu. (Please bear in mind, Indiana Jones is noteating with us. I reached out to Harrison Fords team to extend an invitation to him to eat French toast sticks at the downtown Brooklyn IHOP with Griffin and I. For some weird reason, I never heard back.)Does IHOPs menu in any way capture the spirit ofIndiana Jones? Thats what were here to find out. But just like the classic film serials that inspired George Lucas and Philip Kaufman when they firstconceived Indiana Jones, this article will be released in regular installments. So keep refreshing to see we narrowly escape doom, or get smushed beneath an enormous rolling pile ofstuffed French toasted.UPDATE #1Were going to ease into the Stuffed French Toast and start instead with the Junior Adventurers Cookie Butter French Toast Sticks. Think ofthis as the cold open where Indy finds the fertility idol before he spends the rest of the movie chasing the Ark of the Covenant. Only with more cookie butter.IHOP describes this item thusly...These French toast sticks are ideal for dipping in creamy cookie butter, making them a delightful discovery for any adventurer. Found alongside fresh strawberries and bananas. (850 calories)Heres what the item looks like on IHOPs website:IHOPIHOPloading...And heres what we were served:Photo By AuthorPhoto By Authorloading...Weve eaten these dippers before, in a slightly different form.IHOPsWonkamenu included the same French toast sticks with chocolate sauce (becauseWonka) instead of cookie butter (because Indiana Jones, as we have already established, simply cannot get enough cookie butter).Thecooks at our IHOP have done a heroic job of recreating the plating from the menu, and I gotta say, French toast dipped in cookie butter: Pretty good. (The bananas dipped in cookie butter: Even better.) ButGriffin and I are literally sitting hereracking our brains to think ofanyway in which this might connect to theIndiana Jones franchise and coming up totally empty.Maybethere was an episode ofThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicleswhere kid Indy invented cookie butter by accidentallysitting on a big pile of Biscoff cookies?All right at this point I am literally just stalling for timeto avoideating three plates of stuffed French toast. Lets do this.UPDATE #2Stuffed French toast... why did it have to be stuffed French toast?No seriously, why is there so much stuffed French toast on an Indiana Jones menu? What does that particular food of all the possible foods you could use have to do with Indiana Jones? I cant think of a single notable French character or scene set in France across five Indiana Jones movies. (I guess its possible there might be one in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle I havent played it yet but if it does, I couldnt find any evidence of one online.)Admittedly, the only obvious connections between Indiana Jones and food are the chilled monkey brains and assorted other epicurean nightmares from Temple of Doom. While I would have admired any restaurants with crystal skulls big enough to put chilled monkey brains on their menu, you can understand why IHOP might have gone in a different direction.Somehow that direction led us to a trio of stuffed French toasts. The first were trying today isThe Great Circle of Cinnamon. Here is how IHOP describes it.This treasure trove is layered with rich cinnamon spread and drizzled with a sweet cream cheese icing that will make you feel like youve uncovered an ancient culinary secret. (1240 calories)Here is the picture on the IHOP menu:IHOPIHOPloading...And here is what we were served.Photo By AuthorPhoto By Authorloading...Well ... they tried. And, much like Indiana Joneswhen he tried to keep the Ark of the Covenant away from the Nazis, they didnt quite get there. If this is supposed to be the Great Circle of Cinnamon why didnt they just do a circle ofcinnamon spread on top? Wouldnt that have been easier and more sensible?More ominously, when we cut the two ginormous pieces of French toast, all of the various goos soaking into the top of the bread came pouring down onto the plate like the waterfall fromIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.Does that count as theming?Photo By AuthorPhoto By Authorloading...Flavor-wise, this is fine, provided youre in the market for the sweetest, cinnamon-iest French toast youve ever eaten in your life. Itwas going to say it doesnt reallynail the vibe of pulse-pounding excitement ofIndiana Jones but then I noticed my heart was poundingin much the same way it might while watching the great mine car sequence fromTemple of Doom.But I think that just has more to do with my cholesterol level than anything else.Two more stuffed French toasts to go. Will there be diminishing returns each time, much like theIndiana Jonessequels themselves? Stay tuned...UPDATE #3:After almost ten years of eating theme menus, Im starting to understand what Indiana Jones meant when he said Its not the years, honey. Its the mileage.Our next course is the Berryd Treasure Stuffed French Toast, which is ...Gemstones of juicy glazed blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries and a drizzle of rich cream cheese icing, you cant help but want to take a bit out of this berryd treasure! (1210 calories)Here is the extremelywell-composed photo of the dish from the IHOP menu:IHOPIHOPloading...And here is the extremely not-well-composed photo of what we were served:Photo By AuthorPhoto By Authorloading...No, thats not just the same photo of the Great Circle of Cinnamon again. The two dishes looked almost identical, except for the color of the ooze on top. On this one, there was a small spread of a sticky purplish liquid.They did taste different though; instead of cinnamon, this one had berries or at least what IHOP is calling berryd sauce. But, asGriffin quite astutely put it, I feel stupid for even saying this: It's more artificially sweet than I was expecting. There were no gemstones of berries that we could see or taste. Just a lot of sugar and a few tiny specks of what might have once been fruit back in the days of Archimedes and his Dial of Destiny.Also, Im not suremy overhead shots are quite capturing just how thickeach plate of stuffed French toast is. Heres a side view:Photo By AuthorPhoto By Authorloading...Who needs this much bread, even if youre eating just one of these? Ive bought entire loaves of bread at the supermarket that contained less bread than this one plate of food. This berryd treasure is going to be buried in my colon for an eternity.Two down, one to go. Im starting to feel likeIjust looked inside the Ark of the Covenant...UPDATE #4Remember in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy almost gets poisoned but Sallah grabs the deadly fruit out of midair and says Bad dates, and then they both look down and see the little monkey lying on the floor?Right now, I know how the monkey feels.At last, weve arrived at our final stuffed French toast course: The Secret Cookie Butter Stuffed French Toast. IHOP says it is...Creamy cookie butter and vanilla sauces topped with a dusting of cookie crumbles, reminiscent of long-lost treasures found in faraway lands.Its like that famous line fromKingdom of the Crystal Skull: Cookie butter ... cookie butter was their treasure.The menu picture looks like this:IHOPIHOPloading...What we were served looks like this:Photo By AuthorPhoto By Authorloading...Well, theres not much secret about the cookie butter. This French toast is practically drowning in cookie butter.Butit does look the closest to what itssupposedto look like. And maybe it evokesIndiana Jones famous design. As Griffin notes Indiana Jones default color is brown. It is certainly a brown menu. Hes not wrong! This is some extremely khaki food.In some ways this was the best item, and in some ways it was the worst. The cookie butter and crunchy cookie pieces work wellas aFrench toast topping. On asingle piece ofnormalFrench toast, this would be a really satisfying breakfast. But IHOP served it asstuffed French toast, with two pieces of toast that were each thicker than Henry Jones Sr.s Grail diary.Plus, the cookie butter is only on the top layer, with only a thin spread of cream cheese icing in between the two pieces of bread. As a result, that lower piece isBut also we had about3500calories each in one sitting. So maybe our opinions should not be trusted at this point? Thankfully weveonly got course to go.FINAL UPDATE:Our waitress (who has been so patient and so non-judgmental) put our desserts down on the table and I turned to Griffin and screamed Dont look! Keep your eyes shut!Alas, averting our gazedid not save us from what was coming. First up, theLong Lost Cookie Butter Milkshake. It is ...This cold & creamy milkshake is the perfect blend of cookie butter, cookie pieces, and rich vanilla ice cream that feels like youve uncovered a forgotten treasure! (860 calories)Heres theglamour shot:IHOPIHOPloading...Heres what we got...Photo By AuthorPhoto By Authorloading...Much likeDial of Destiny, this looks pretty good. A little artificial, a little uncanny, but close enough to what youre hoping to see. Taste-wise and I cannot believe I am saying this after eating about a jar and a half of the stuff already I kind of wanted more cookie butter flavor? This is a serviceable vanilla milkshake with a couple of cookie crumbles dusted on top. But for a cookie butter shake ... much likeIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it sorely under-delivers on expectations.Finally, we have the Explorers Caramel Apple Butter Hot Chocolate. Which is...Rich hot cocoa infused with the flavors of caramel and apple butter creating a cozy drink that will make you feel like youre by the campfire after a day of thrilling adventures. (250 calories)Im not sure you need to beshown what a cup of hot chocolate issupposedto look like, but in the interest of transparency...IHOPIHOPloading...And what we were served...Photo By AuthorPhoto By Authorloading...Griffin was nice enough to film me as I drank this one...I haveconsumeda lot of weird foods and beverages in my day. I thought nothing would ever top theAddams Familypurple hot chocolatefor sheer unnatural horror. But this caramel apple butter hot chocolate did. It looks perfectly acceptable, but it tastes ... poorly.(I know I already made aLast Crusadeknight joke. With the amount of sugar Ive eaten in the last two hours, youre lucky Im still writing in complete sentences at this point!)Hot chocolate with caramel apple flavor would have been excessive enough; butaccording to the menu description, this is hot chocolate with separate carameland apple butter flavors. In practice, it doesnt really taste like any of those things. You get the tiniest hit of chocolate as it passes your lips. After that, allIm getting is ansickly medicinal flavor. I do not feel like Im by the campfire after a day of thrilling adventures. I feel like Im chugginghot Dimetapp. It is so bizarre.Thats probably a good word for the menu as a whole, too. Theres just somuch French toast! As one reader on Blueskypointed out, this is all in service of hypingIndiana Jones and the Great Circle wouldntpancakes make a lot more sense for the great circle? While its true,as another reader observed, that IndysRaidersnemesis Belloq is French, I dont think thats what IHOP was going for with all this French toast. Unless whoever is in charge of promotional tie-ins over there is just a huge fan of Paul Freeman.This was just weird. Weirder than the scene inCrystal Skull where Shia LaBeouf swung from vines in the jungle like Tarzan. Sadly, Im sort of used to that by now.On this beat, I eat a lot of foods that defy simple explanation or digestion. I regularly treat my body like a temple. (Of Doom.) Why do I do it? For the fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory.Get our free mobile app20 Sequels You Forgot ExistedThese hit films all got sequels although most were flops, and all are now forgotten.