In BriefPosted:2:00 PM PST December 28, 2024Image Credits:Justin Sullivan / Getty ImagesGoogle CEO says AI model Gemini will the companys biggest focus in 2025CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly told Google employees that 2025 will be a critical year for the company.CNBC reports that it obtained audio from a December 18 strategy meeting where Pichai and other executives put on ugly holiday sweaters and laid out their priorities for the coming year.I think 2025 will be critical, Pichai said. I think its really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high.The moment, of course, is one where tech companies like Google are making heavy investments in AI, and often with mixed results. Pichai acknowledged that the company has some catching up to do on the AI side he described the Gemini app (based on the companys AI model of the same name) as having strong momentum, while also acknowledging we have some work to do in 2025 to close the gap and establish a leadership position there as well.Scaling Gemini on the consumer side will be our biggest focus next year, he said.Topics

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 13: Max Holloway reacts to the knockout of Justin Gaethje in the BMF ... [+] championship fight during the UFC 300 event at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesMax Holloways days as a featherweight are over. He said farewell to the division he once ruled following his TKO loss to Ilia Topuria in October, and the callouts at lightweight have already begun to roll in.Holloway has officially moved up to lightweight, though hes still No. 2 in the featherweight rankings. We dont know when Holloway will return to the Octagon, but when he does, No. 10-ranked 155-pounder Renato Moicano is waiting for him.Moicano told MMA Fighting that he would love to fight Holloway for his BMF title to welcome him to the lightweight division.The fight makes sense for several reasons, though there is another scrap that is even more logical.Moicanos persona perfectly fits the BMF vibe, so the promotion of the fight is easy. While many argue Moicano should be higher in the rankings, at No. 10, hes in a good position to be elevated financially and professionally if he can beat Holloway.MORE FOR YOUFor Holloway, who proved he can compete at or near the highest level in the lightweight division when he knocked out Justin Gaethje at 155 pounds in April at UFC 300, fighting Moicano is appropriate.BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - APRIL 07: Renato Moicano of Brazil poses for a portrait backstage after his ... [+] victory over Calvin Kattar during the UFC 223 event inside Barclays Center on April 7, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesWhile Holloway is one of the biggest stars in the sport and currently ranked No. 5 at lightweight, he is coming off a stoppage loss. Moicano is on a four-fight win streak. Holloway may not want to look down the rankings and may instead prefer to take one of several potential rematches with legends like Charles Oliveira or Dustin Poirier, whom he has lost to twice.Holloway defeated Oliveira in August 2015, but it was a TKO because of a shoulder injury. Neither man had much of an advantage. Oliveira suffered the injury during a grappling sequence, and the two legends have never run it back.Its a fight that makes a lot of sense, and unfortunately for Moicano, its an even better fight for Holloway at this point in his career. Holloway has earned the right to take his time, enjoy his family, and recharge before making his run at lightweight.If Holloway can win one or two fights at lightweight, he likely positions himself to challenge for the titleno matter who the champion is. Thatll be the case even if Topuria has moved up to 155 pounds and won the championship there.It seems unlikely well see Holloway in the cage before mid-to-late springif not early summer. When he does return, Id expect him to look up, not down the rankings for an opponent.Whats Next for the UFC?Were still two weeks away from the next UFC event, which will be the first in 2025. UFC Vegas 101 is headlined by Mackenzie Derns rematch with Amanda Ribas. Dern has the opportunity to gain revenge on Ribas after she lost their first fight by unanimous decision in 2019.Here is a look at the entire card:Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas - StrawweightSantiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris - WelterweightAbdul Razak Alhassan vs. Csar Almeida - MiddleweightChris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov - MiddleweightAustin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez - FeatherweightPunahele Soriano vs. Uro Medi - WelterweightJose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes - FlyweightMarco Tlio vs. Ihor Potieria - MiddleweightThiago Moiss vs. Trey Ogden - LightweightAndreas Gustafsson vs. Preston Parsons - WelterweightErnesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari - FlyweightMagomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes - Light HeavyweightViktoriia Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline - StrawweightNurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz - Lightweight

Here's some help with today's Quordle, including hints and the answers.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesLooking for Saturdays Quordle hints and answers? You can find them here:Hey, folks! Hints and the answers for todays Quordle words are just ahead.How To Play QuordleFor any newcomers joining us, heres how to play Quordle: Just start typing in words. You have four five-letter words to guess and nine attempts to find them all. The catch is that you play all four words simultaneously.If you get a letter in the right place for any of the four words, it will light up in green. If a word contains a letter from one of your guesses but its in the wrong place, it will appear in yellow. You could always check out the practice games before taking on the daily puzzle.Here are some hints for todays Quordle game, followed by the answers:What Are Todays Quordle Hints?Word 1 (top left) hint containing less extraneous matterWord 2 (top right) hint the sound of something wet forcefully colliding with a solid objectWord 3 (bottom left) hint adjective for something afflicted with rabiesWord 4 (bottom right) hint master of ceremoniesOne of the words has a pair of repeated letters. Another has a letter that appears three timesTodays words start with P, S, R and EMORE FOR YOUWhat Are Todays Quordle Answers?Spoiler alert! Dont scroll any further down the page until youre ready to find out todays Quordle answers.This is your final warning!Todays words are...PURERSPLATRABIDEMCEEThats all there is to it for todays Quordle clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog for hints and the solution for Mondays game if you need them.

Ajit Pai urged the Supreme Court to uphold a federal law that could ban TikTok.The TikTok law requires its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest to avoid a US ban.Pai, the FCC chair during Trump's first term, led efforts against other Chinese tech firms.Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai is siding with Congress and against his former boss, president-elect Donald Trump in support of a federal law that could ban TikTok.In a brief filed with the Supreme Court on Friday, Pai joined Thomas Feddo, an official in the Department of Treasury during Trump's first term, to call on the court to uphold the law, telling the justices that it has precedent.Trump also filed a brief with the Supreme Court on Friday, asking the court to put the law on hold. It's set to go into effect on January 19, one day before Trump assumes office for the second time.Congress passed the bipartisan law in April, citing national security concerns over the Chinese ownership of the popular social media company. It established a nine-month deadline for TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to a non-Chinese company or face a ban in the United States.TikTok filed a suit in May, arguing that the law violates the First Amendment. The DC Circuit Court upheld the law on December 6. TikTok then filed an appeal to the Supreme Court on December 18. The court is expected to hear arguments on January 10.Pai was one of numerous people and organizations, from members of Congress to free speech groups, who filed briefs to the Supreme Court in support or opposition to the law.Pai headed the FCC from 2012 to 2016 under President Barack Obama and then from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump.In his filing, Pai's attorneys argued that the law has precedent. They said he "spearheaded rulemaking" that prevented communications companies receiving federal funding from purchasing or using equipment from Chinese-owned tech companies like Huawei and ZTE over data privacy and security concerns.The briefing says Pai also "put in place" the process for designating companies that could be a risk to national security. The document says these measures are "extremely similar" to the TikTok law passed by Congress."Congress and the Executive Branch have routinely identified in legislation or regulation specific companies under China's control that pose particular national security risk," the document says."In these other instances, just as with the Divestiture Act, Congress put in place a process for future designations in addition to naming particular threats."Pai was a controversial figure during his leadership of the FCC. Under his tenure, the FCC ended net neutrality rules, which had governed the internet and been encoded in 2015. Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers should treat all data the same, and not give preference to certain websites or slow down others.In April 2024, the FCC announced an order that restored net neutrality as an industry standard.Searchlight Capital the private equity firm where Pai has been a partner since 2021, when he left his post at the FCC did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider. An attorney for Pai declined to comment.

Ridley Scott has advised against vacationing in Malta, a film location for "Gladiator II."Politicians in Malta are not happy about it.Malta paid the "Gladiator II" producers $48 million for filming there.Director Ridley Scott has advised people to avoid visiting Malta, one of the filming locations for his action flick, "Gladiator II."His remark upset politicians in Malta, where a local incentive funneled millions in rebates to the movie's production company."I wouldn't advise going there on holiday," Scott said during a discussion in front of a live audience with director Christopher Nolan earlier this month. "I would not go back there on holiday.""Gladiator II" received a 46.7 million about $48 million rebate for working in the country, according to the Times of Malta. Ridley Scott and Paul Mescal attended the "Gladiator II" global premiere in November. Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images Malta's Film Commissioner Johann Grech originally shared an edited clip of the interview on Facebook that did not include Scott's comment about visiting Malta. The director also said the architecture in Malta "goes from medieval right through to renaissance, and when it's good, it's spectacular."However, once the full version made the rounds, some members of Malta's parliament were not happy. Julie Zahra, the opposition party's minister of culture, said in a Facebook post on Friday that Grech had been "humiliated" by Scott and should step down from his position. She then urged the film industry to also focus on local talent, saying the industry "deserves much better."Later that day, Adrian Delia, another member of Malta's parliament, tagged Scott in a separate Facebook post. Delia said Scott had achieved worldwide fame and accolades and "mesmerized millions with tales of historic legend brought to life.""Sadly however seems you have not managed to learn respect. Towards those who welcomed you warmly, shared and lent their history and culture and showered you with millions to credit to your tax bill. How unfortunate," the post read.Malta is one of several international destinations, including Croatia and Iceland, offering filmmakers rebates. The rebates are a way to entice filmmakers, who often hire local workers and contribute to the economy far beyond the cost of the rebate.Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo previously defended Malta's rebate incentive during an interview with The Malta Independent published in 2023."When we say we will give 47 million as a cash rebate, it means that while this production is being filmed in our country, over 110 million is being spent. So giving the impression that the country is losing money is completely wrong, is misleading," he told the outlet.Bartolo said this method of investing in the film industry has provided jobs to local residents."These people who are earning money or improving their skills to then be able to work in Malta or abroad, are we going to lose them this work? Or are we going to say we will continue investing in this industry to really increase opportunities, improve the skills of our crews," he said.Representatives for Scott, Grech, Zahra, Delia, Paramount Global, and the Malta Film Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Bosjes Guesthouse & Spa / Meyer & Associates Architects + Urban DesignersSave this picture! Paris BrummerSpaWorcester, South AfricaArchitects: Meyer & Associates Architects, Urban DesignersAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:2440 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Paris Brummer, Claire GunnManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Goosen Shopfit Design, Handles Inc, Kirk Marketing, KitchInc, Lane Ceramic Works, Plaster Art, Pudlo, Still Bathrooms, Stone Age, Wehmeyer & Sons, Womag Lead Architects: Meyer & Associates Architects & Urban Designers More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Bosjes Guesthouse and Spa is a reconfiguration of an old Cape Dutch farmstead outside of Worcester in South Africa. It is situated in the wine growing Breede River Valley, an hour and a half's drive outside of Cape Town. The farm's attractions also include the Bosjes Chapel designed by Steyn Studio, a restaurant, a large visitors garden, and a garden caf and shop designed in collaboration with Steyn Studio. Lower down the farm is also the Botha's Halte Primary School designed by Meyer & Associates. Dating back to 1790, the Bosjes Farm Herehuis (manor house) sits at the foot of the Waaihoek mountains, with its characteristic Cape Dutch gable addressing the valley. Beside it, arranged along the contour are Schuur (historical barn) and Stalle (historical horse stables) buildings - a typical arrangement of Cape Dutch farms.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!To respect the historical Cape Dutch faade, the new additions were positioned behind the farmstead. Spatially, the linear configuration of the historical buildings was extended North and South, together with an arrangement of courtyards that shelter from the region's harsh winds and allow unobstructed views of the mountains. The historical Herehuis accommodates a new reception and front-of-house functions for the guesthouse, including a library and sun lounge. Several historical elements were protected, such as the old yellowwood Cape Dutch front door, which retains a domestic scale and welcoming aura.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!A wing of guest suites behind the historical Herehuis is clad in dark corrugated sheeting, that defers hierarchically to the white plastered architecture of the Herehuis, and references rural agricultural buildings across the region. The client's collection of work by South African artists is on display in the public, shared spaces, including specially commissioned works such as the wall-mounted concrete and brass installation, by architect artist Lorenzo Nassimbeni. The Breakfast Room, one of the most public spaces, is expressed as a steel frame glass box sunken under a large coral tree in one of the courtyards, and screened from the suites by planting.Save this picture!Save this picture!The old Stalle (stables), the end building of the historical complex, was reconfigured and significantly extended to serve as a spa. The extension's design reinterprets the quiet, low-slung architecture of the original building in a contemporary idiom. References to the building and its typology are made in the treatment rooms' barn doors, a reconstructed water trough and a klompie (traditional thin brick) clad entrance vault and floors. At the end of the spa's new wing is a lounge that transitions out into a sheltered courtyard, both of which open up on the Eastern edge to frame the mountains above. A pool runs inside out along the lounge and courtyard's Western edge, with a low opening that provides swimmers with a view of the mountains across the valley. The spatial progression of the spa terminates in a new indigenous experiential garden with water ponds, designed by celebrated landscape designer Franchesca Watson.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Worcester, South AfricaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on December 28, 2024Cite: "Bosjes Guesthouse & Spa / Meyer & Associates Architects + Urban Designers" 28 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024954/bosjes-guesthouse-and-spa-meyer-and-associates-architects-plus-urban-designers&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

In this tutorial, we'll explore how to enhance your Unreal Engine 5 renders using the powerful color grading and post-processing capabilities of DaVinci Resolve.We'll cover:-Importing UE5 renders into DaVinci Resolve-Working with the node-based color grading system-Adjusting color and contrast using curves and color wheels-Adding and adjusting key effects like Glow, Film Grain, Vignette, and Halation-Creating a professional look for your Unreal Engine 5 rendersThis video is perfect for any Unreal Engine 5 artist looking to take their renders to the next level.Link to Eagle: https://www.fab.com/listings/086b6c5d-7453-4b27-a609-b9f89b80a572 Don't forget to like and subscribe for more Unreal Engine 5 tips and tricks!

As surprising as it was to see Nintendo drop an uncharacteristically creepy teaser earlier this year about a masked man known as "Emio," few could have expected it would be related to a brand-new entry in the company's long-dormant Famicom Detective Club series. What's less surprising is just how riveting the game turned out to be, an expertly paced thriller whose setting, music, and atmosphere masterfully crescendo into one of the most suspenseful denouements Nintendo has ever conjured.Spoilers for Emio - The Smiling Man follow.The lead-up to this climax, however, is anything but straightforward. Like the previous two games in the Famicom Detective Club series, Emio - The Smiling Man is a slow-burn detective story--a densely plotted mystery that unravels methodically over the course of roughly a dozen hours. Picking up a few years after the events of The Missing Heir, the Utsugi Detective Agency is enlisted to aid police detectives Junko Kuze and Daisuke Kamihara in investigating the death of a teenage boy, who was discovered wearing a paper bag unsettlingly scrawled with a smiley face.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The upcoming adaptation of Dune: Messiah might be the most anticipated sci-fi project in the near future. However, director Denis Villeneuve faces significant hurdles he must overcome to bring his grand vision to life perhaps more than any other Dune film or TV show.

Disney Dreamlight Valleys second expansion, Storybook Vale, has introduced fans to the massive world of Storybook Vale. This world has three magical biomes with individually unlocked areas and many new items and fish. But not everything you reel in is a fish. You can also fish up some items like Posidonia, which can be used for crafting, kind of like Plastic Scrap from A Rift in Time.