Imitation learning (IL) is one of the methods in robotics where robots are trained to mimic human actions based on expert demonstrations. This method relies on supervised machine learning and requires significant human-generated data to guide the robots behavior. Although effective for complex tasks, imitation learning is limited by the lack of large-scale datasets and challenges in scaling data collection, unlike language and vision models. Learning from human video demonstrations faces big challenges because robots cannot match the sensitivity and flexibility of human hands. These differences make it hard for imitation learning to work effectively or scale up for general robot tasks.Traditional imitation learning (IL) relied on human-operated robots, which were effective but faced significant limitations. These systems are based on teleoperation via gloves, motion capture, and VR devices and rely on complex setups and the low-latency control loop. They also relied on physical robots and special-purpose hardware, which was difficult to scale. Although robots could perform tasks such as inserting batteries or tying shoelaces using expert data collected by these approaches, the need for special equipment made such approaches impractical for large-scale or more general use.To solve this, a group of researchers from Apple and the University of Colorado Boulder proposed the ARMADA system, which integrates the Apple Vision Pro headset with external robot control using a combination of ROS and WebSockets. This setup let communication between the devices, where the system could be plug-and-play and was flexible to many robot platforms, such as Franka and UR5, by only replacing 3D model files and data formatting for the headset. The ARMADA app handled robot visualization, data storage, and a user interface, receiving transformation frames for robot links, capturing image frames from cameras, and tracking human skeleton data for processing. The robot node managed control, data storage, and constraint calculation, transforming skeletal data into robot commands and detecting workspace violations, singularities, and speed issues for real-time feedback.The robots movements were aligned with human wrist and finger positions, tracked through ARKit in vision 2.0, using inverse kinematics to calculate joint positions and control a gripper based on finger spacing. Constraints like singularity, workspace limits, and speed violations were visualized through color changes, virtual boundaries, or on-screen text. Researchers used the ARMADA system to perform three tasks: picking a tissue from a box, placing a toy into a cardboard box, and wiping a table with both hands. Each task had five starting states, and success was based on specific criteria. Wearing Apple Vision Pro with ARMADA software on visionOS 2.0, participants provided 45 demonstrations under three feedback conditions: No Feedback, Feedback, and Post Feedback. Wrist and finger movements were tracked in real-time using ARKit, and robot movements were controlled via inverse kinematics, with joint trajectories recorded for replay.Upon evaluation, the results showed that feedback visualization significantly improved replay success rates for tasks like Pick Tissue, Declutter, and Bimanual Wipe, with gains of up to 85% compared to no feedback. Post-feedback demonstrations also showed improvements but were less effective than real-time feedback. Participants found the feedback intuitive and useful for understanding robot motion, and the system worked well for users with varying experience levels. Common failure modes without feedback included imprecise robot poses and gripper issues. Participants adjusted their behavior during demonstrations, slowing down and changing hand positions, and could visualize feedback after removing it.In summary, the proposed ARMADA system addressed the challenge of scalable data collection for robot imitation learning by using augmented reality for real-time feedback to improve data quality and compatibility with physical robots. The results showed the importance of feedback for aligning robot-free demonstrations with real robot kinematics. While the study focused on simpler tasks, future research can explore more complex ones and refine techniques. This system can serve as a baseline for future robotics research, particularly in training robot control policies through imitation learning with visual observations.Check out the Paper. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. Divyesh Vitthal Jawkhede+ postsDivyesh is a consulting intern at Marktechpost. He is pursuing a BTech in Agricultural and Food Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He is a Data Science and Machine learning enthusiast who wants to integrate these leading technologies into the agricultural domain and solve challenges. [Download] Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities Report (Promoted)

The Real Reason Your Companys AI Isnt Working (Hint: Its Not the Technology) 0 like December 21, 2024Share this postAuthor(s): Tim Urista | Senior Cloud Engineer Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.ai isnt working as you think, time to rethink whyArtificial intelligence (AI) has been promoted as a catalyst for dramatic improvements in workplace productivity, efficiency, and decision-making. Many industry analysts and technology leaders have assured us that AI-driven applications can streamline operations across sectors. Yet, despite the attention AI tools have received, a substantial number of companies have not realized the anticipated benefits. Some organizations remain hesitant to incorporate AI tools into their everyday workflows, while others have introduced these technologies only to find that employees use them sparingly or improperly.The initial assumption might be that AI technology itself is immature or too complex. In reality, commercial AI solutions have advanced considerably and are increasingly accessible. The primary barriers are often organizational culture, structural impediments, and a lack of strategic integration. As a long-time senior software engineer, I have observed that the issue typically does not lie in the algorithms or user interfaces, but in the way companies prepare (or fail to prepare) their teams, leadership, and processes to make the most of these powerful tools.AI has matured to a point where a wide range of products, from natural Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

Even before I first stepped onto the Disney Treasure, anyone who had already seen The Tale of Moana couldnt wait to tell me how special this ships Broadway-style production of the beloved film was. I was excited, especially because Moana is one of my favorite Disney movies, but I have fallen to the beast known as hype many times before.It wasnt until I spoke to one of my Disney reps that I began to believe The Tale of Moana may not be what I was expecting. She told me she had been talking to Jodi Kimura, the Hawaiian actress behind the productions Gramma Tala, and she asked her why she left Broadway to come aboard the Disney Treasure. The answer was simple - it was the first time she was going to be able to perform with her people.After seeing The Tale of Moana on the Disney Treasure Media Preview Cruise thanks to Disney and speaking to the fantastic team that brought it to life, those words perfectly encapsulated why this show is, in fact, one of the greatest shows Ive seen in a very long time as it is an incredible celebration of the people and culture that make Moana so beloved around the world.I Am MoanaThe Tale of Moana begins in modern-day Motonui and Kimuras Tala serves as the shows narrator who shares the story of Moana with those who now live on the island. From this first scene, you can see the influence of the cultures of the Pacific Islands - from the actors Disney recruited from those same islands to the rendition of An Innocent Warrior with authentic dance moves and a mix of languages including Tuvaluan, Tokelauan, and Samoan. It all just feels so genuine, and this is all before we meet the incredible actress behind Moana, Kaenaonlaniowaianuhea Kekoa.Kekoa is Moana. I cant put it any better than that. She embodies the character the great Aulii Cravalho played so perfectly and commands the stage with pure joy, real emotion, and an unbelievable talent that sailed all the way through the audience into our hearts. Oh, and did I mention this was only her first Disney contract?"I am a girl from an island and I love the sea and my people."I could go on and on about her, but I want you to read her words as they convey my point better than I could ever hope to. I asked Kekoa when she knew she was Moana, and this is what she had to say:It was probably the moment when I'm on the boat with Gramma Tala, right before the song I am Moana and she's sings, I'm a girl who loves my island, and a girl who loves the sea, Kekoa said. That really got to me as I am a girl from an island and I love the sea and my people and being able to share that with the world... that's probably the moment I was like, Oh my gosh, I am this girl but we are all this girl! We all have ancestors whose legacy we have the honor of carrying on and passing down. So I hope that everybody can see that and a piece of Moana in themselves.And for as great as Kekoa was in Moana, the cast and crew around her rose just as high, including co-choreographer Peter Rockford Espiritu.Espiritu is another native Hawaiian who brought his culture and that of those around him to The Tale of Moana.My goal was to represent the Pacific Island cultures all the way around, Espiritu said. I lived in Fiji for almost seven years, I taught at the University of South Pacific, and I've been to all the island countries, so I'm very familiar with the vocabulary and the dance vocabulary of all of these people. So, it was my goal to represent not only my own culture - Hawaii and Samoan - but also all the Pacific Island cultures to bring the authenticity and the vocabulary of what that means to the storytelling so the audience can feel it.I'm also very proud of the ending, Espiritu continued. That whole part was me and I was like, What if we got the drums and just hit it hard and got faster and faster? And the musical team got right behind it and we knew it would bring people to their feet. There's some Fijian, a little Samoan slap dance called Faataupati, and some Haka in there so you can feel that drive and that authenticity at the same time. It's got that Broadway pizazz!The Tale of Moana on the Disney TreasureIt truly did, and that ending that did bring us to our feet for a standing ovation was the perfect follow-up to the stunning final confrontation between Moana, Maui, and Te K. Michael Curry Design, the legendary studio that brought Broadways Lion King to life, designed and built the massive and imposing Te K puppet that moved across the stage. The best trick, however, was how that same puppet transformed into Te Fiti in a moment that had us all in shock and awe.That last bit really sums up how I felt about The Tale of Moana. I was so impressed by every part of this production and, somehow, the story behind the stage is even more wonderful.Beyond the ReefA big question I had going into The Tale of Moana was why it took so long for film to get a stage production. I mean, 2016s Moana was the most-streamed movie of the past five years, and thats not just on Disney+. As it turns out, many in the company wondered the same thing.I think for all of us, from the very first time we saw Moana, we thought, Oh! This would make an incredible stage show.' Honestly, I am shocked that this is the first-ever stage adaptation of it, Jenny Weinbloom, VP of Disney Live Entertainment, said. This is because Moana, just like the classic films Alan Menken and Howard Ashman worked on like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid, are created as Broadway musicals that just happened to also be animated films.So, it was only natural that they would actually become Broadway musicals someday. And this mirrors Moana with how Lin-Manuel Miranda writes a Disney film. So, we always knew as a larger team that Moana would be part of our future.Even though it took a while, the wait was beyond worth it. All the pieces seemed to be in the right place at the right time for The Tale of Moana, and that goes all the way up to the director, Connor Gallagher, whose credits include Broadway's Beetlejuice and Disney's Beauty and the Beast.I'm a kid from upstate New York, Gallagher said. I'm very clearly not a Pacific Islander. So, at a certain point, the voice of that little devil on my shoulder was saying, What right do you have to be at the center of this thing leading the team? I then expressed that insecurity to our musical and cultural consultant Aaron Sal and co-choreographer Peter Rockford Espiritu, and they stopped me and said, The only thing you need to do is tell this story beautifully. That will be the greatest gift you can bring to this culture and this story. That really stuck with me. It empowered me as an artist to immerse myself in that world and make something worthy of that great gift they gave me.As you can tell from my chats with the cast and crew of The Tale of Moana, that desire to tell this story correctly was taken to heart on every level, and it paid off. My only regret is that the only people who get to see this show are those who voyage on the Disney Treasure. However, the sentiment I got was that Im hardly the only person who feels this version of Moana needs to sail beyond the reef and make its way to Broadway or elsewhere. Its that good. I found myself weeping in the middle of [Beauty and the Beast's] opening number because Belle's little provincial French village looked like Motonui."All that being said, there is something truly incredible about The Tale of Moana starting on a Disney Cruise Line ship and I think its the perfect way to end our story here. "The Tale of Moana is so powerful, but what I also love about what we do at Disney Cruise Line is that our shows are all performed in rep, which is to say this same cast is performing our other big shows on the ship like Beauty and the Beast, Weinbloom said. The first time I saw this cast, who I'd fallen in love in The Tale of Moana, perform Beauty and the Beast, I was struck and I found myself weeping in the middle of that opening number because Belle's little provincial French village looked like Motonui.I just thought, what a beautiful little sense of connection that both of these little villages now have, no matter what the people look like, no matter where our performers may be from, these little villages have so much more in common than we might think. It really is beautiful.For more on the Disney Treasure, which just began its Maiden Voyage on December 21, check out why the Haunted Mansion Parlor is the perfect extension of the beloved Disney Parks Attraction and why the Plaza de Coco dining experience was one of the most emotional I've had in quite some time.Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

When From the World of John Wick: Ballerina hits theaters in June, it will mark the first film entry in the ever-expanding franchise not led by Keanu Reevess titular assassin. Instead Reeves passes the baton (or should we say Glock) to Ana de Armas and her character Eve Macarro, who the team insists is complex and nuanced in her own right and not just a female John Wick clone. De Armas leads a cast of newcomers featuring Norman Reedus and Gabriel Byrne along with returning faces Reeves, Ian McShane, Anjelica Houston, and the late Lance Reddick.On the heels of a wild panel at CCXP last week in So Paulo, Brazil, much of the cast along with director Len Wiseman sat down with IGN to talk about building on the franchises mythology, if de Armas could take Reeves in a fight, and how they made a John Wick movie without John Wick himself as the lead.From the World of John Wick: BallerinaIGN: At the CCXP panel, the fans were really excited to see you all. Ian McShane (Winston Scott): Delicious. It was delicious.IGN: With all that energy, what do you think is going to surprise and excite them about Ballerina?Ana de Armas (Even Macarro): Its (a) new take on this world. It is changing perspectives and a new point of view in the world that we already know and love. But this time (its) through Eve's experience. Well see the connection and the timeline, how it intertwines with John Wick.Len Wiseman (Director): One of the things that was very important early on was that I was not setting out to do a female John Wick, that John Wick is John Wick. This is an entirely different character, kick-ass (in) her own right. (Shes) a new character within the world, not somebody that's replicating what John Wick does. IGN: John Wick shows up in some form in Ballerina Norman Reedus (Daniel Pine): He shows up in human form. In human form. I was not setting out to do a female John Wick. This is a completely different character. Wiseman: Eve is looking to become an assassin. (She) starts up with the Ruska Roma, train(s), and becomes an assassin. John Wick is really essentially trying to get out of the world. So that became the building ground of what really set it apart.McShane: Its new but natural. I mean, don't forget, we've met the character before as a girl, but now we meet her as a grown-up. So my character has been keeping tabs on her throughout all these years. So when she appears, (he tries to) dissuade her from a mission in a certain sense as he always does John. Winston's ever, ever enigmatic. And also it's a natural thing. It's nice to turn around instead of looking at Keanu, I look at this gorgeousDe Armas: Keanu's gorgeous,McShane: Oh, he's gorgeous too.De Armas: Keanu is gorgeous too. We love him.IGN: Norman, was there something specific that made you want to join this franchise?Reedus: Well, I'm a big fan already. I've worked with Len before. I am friends with Keanu. I'm a big fan of Ana's as well, and the whole franchise. I mean, it's a cool world to be a part of, so it was kind of a no-brainer.PlayIGN: Ana, you're no stranger to fight scenes. Can you compare what you've done in Ballerina with what you did with Paloma In No Time To Die? Was there a change in how you approached the action scenes?De Armas: Its a completely different character. I mean, I loved Paloma. I really wish I had more time in the movie andMcShane: No, it was perfect. Everybody wanted her to come back again and she never did. But now you come back as a fully fledged Paloma Two!De Armas: (With) Eve, her motivation behind it all, it's pain. In this case also, I had the time to sink my teeth into the fights and really had time to get better at it. Not just three weeks training. I was training for four or five months. So it was really intense and the stakes (of) the fights and the level of detail and everything. These are very intricate, complicated fights with very imaginative stuff that I have around me to figure out how to defend myself in this male-dominated world. So it's less humor, but also (in) the John Wick universe (theres) this kind of humor or irony in these scenes. And some things are so crazy that you have to laugh at it because it's bananas. Every time you check into a hotel, you're on an airplane, John Wick is playing.IGN: As the series has progressed, the mythology has gotten bigger and more complex. When you're making this movie, how do you balance that with the action scenes the John Wick films have become known for?Wiseman: One of the things that is very special about the franchise is the mythology and the worldbuilding. Thered be a lot of conversations (with Chad Stahelski, director of the four John Wick movies, and Keanu) about that. Wed say what if we developed this section that's new to the world? And so it is a balance. It's fun. I love worldbuilding. So it's challenging, but it's a lot of fun as well.McShane: The mythology behind it has always been steeped into some kind of movie reality. That's why people love them. Lights go down (for) two hours, you go somewhere else, then the lights go up and you should feel you've been somewhere (else), a little deeper each time. Fans get so obsessed by and now social media, they want to know an answer to everything that happens in a movie. De Armas: When we met John Wick, he's already who he is, and we didn't see him becoming that person. We didn't see him in the Ruska Roma. And how was that training and preparation? And we do see that through Eve. What does it mean to be protected by them or be an outsider? What are the consequences? If you break the rules, who can help you? Who can you trust? So for me, it was interesting to explore a little bit more of the origins of becoming an assassin. McShane: I know (writers) Chad (Stahelski) and Michael (Finch) and Shay (Batten), each time kill off every character apart from Keanu. There are many versions until they decide how it should be going forward. The one thing I'll miss if we do another one is my dear friend Lance Reddick, of course. God bless you brother. But this will be a fitting testament to his character. And he was a great human being. He was a lovely man. PlayIGN: Norman, you've been involved in projects before that have had really hardcore dedicated fan bases. Reedus: I think the first time I experienced a rabid fan base was Boondock Saints. That movie, for not coming to theaters, was the most rented Blockbuster DVD ever above Titanic. And we filmed that for like $7 million. It became that successful because of the fan base. (With) The Walking Dead, that fan base is crazy. Death Stranding even has a crazy fan base. Of course, (John Wick) has a crazy fan base. Every time you check into a hotel, you're on an airplane, John Wick is playing. I'm sure this will be the same. So bring on the crazy. It's great.IGN: When you're preparing for a role like this in Ballerina, do you approach it differently than your involvement in something like Death Stranding?Reedus: That's apples and oranges. (Ballerina) is very physical and very mathematically put together as far as action scenes go. There's a lot of people that help put those types of things together and make them safe and make them spectacular. (The) people on a Death Stranding game are behind a computer and the walls are blue and I have a skintight, Lycra body suit on with a camera and balls all over me. And Hideo is going "pick up that baby doll and cry." And I'm like, why? And he's like, look, a whale goes over. They're totally different. There's nothing to hold onto in a Death Stranding game.Keanu is God. He's the Baba Yaga.IGN: Ana has trained so much for this, as Keanu did for all of his movies. Could you pick between Ana and Keanu if they faced off against each other? Who would win?Wiseman: John Wick. John Wick is the Baba Yaga. He has been Eve's character. She's on the rise. She starts to train, so we'll check it in a couple years.Reedus: Theres John Wick, then there's Keanu. If those crossed, maybe she would win because John would be "I can't. You can have it." You know what I mean?IGN: Ana, with all of the training you've done, do you think you could take Keanu if it came to it in a fight?De Armas: No, he's God. Keanu is God. He's the Baba Yaga.This piece was combined from two separate interviews and has been edited for clarity.

Welcome toIndie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If youre a developer and would like your app featured, getin contact.one sec aims to help people reduce mindless scrolling on social media, requiring users to make a conscious decision on whether or not they want to actually open that app every time. Its very configurable, so you can customize one sec to meet your needs.Top featuresWith one sec, you can configure which apps youd like to use less. Every time you open one of those apps, youll be forced to deal with some sort of intervention, whether that be a breathing exercise or otherwise. By default, you have to take a deep breath but theres other options. The point is, you cant have an unintentional moment where you doom scroll social media.Plus, even once youre in your desired app, you can configure a time limit for an intervention to pop up again. Itll definitely reduce how much time you accidentally waste on your phone. Social media is a key focus here, but you can also use it for other things, such as requiring an intervention with a work app outside of work hours thanks to its schedules feature.one sec also integrates with focus modes on iOS, and has options to completely block apps, rather than just slowing down your usage of them. Theres a feature called Good Morning Countdown, preventing usage of selected apps for more than 15 minutes until youve been awake for at least an hour, using data from Apple Health.Why use one secIn studies (conducted by the Max Planck Institute), one sec reduced social media usage by 57% on average. So far, all of one secs users have saved 1000 years worth of time combined!Obviously, using social media comes with some instant gratification, so its easy to get sucked in to. This app aims to help you change that behavior, and take back your time. Ive personally found it quite effective.one sec is available for free on the App Store, where you can get a feel of its abilities by setting up one app youd like to use less. With one sec pro, you can unlock the apps full set of features, including all of the varying customization options, unlimited apps, and more. Pro has a number of pricing options, including a monthly plan for $2.99/month, annual for $19.99/year, and a lifetime unlock for $49.99. Theres also options with family sharing, which cost $29.99/year or $69 for lifetime.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Fortnite Winterfest 2024Credit: Epic GamesIts that time of year again. Fortnite has kicked off the holiday season with its annual Winterfest event, and one feature that was missing last year has returned. Players can find a stack of Christmas presents to unwrap in the Winterfest Lodge, a cozy cabin all decked out for the holiday season.Each present contains various cosmetic rewards, free to all players, from Contrails to Pickaxes and even a couple of festive Skins, including the above Snoop Dogg skin. Players can tear off the wrapping paper of one present per day during the Winterfest 2024 event.Theres a lot to unwrap. Lets take a look at whats in each gift, though obviously if youd prefer it to be a surprise, you should avoid reading further. Each of these gifts is from a different Fortnite NPC, such as Sgt. Winter and Guffmas Tree. How sweet of them to think of us this Christmas.Fortnite Winterfest PresentsWell start with the stack of presents on the right side of the couch next to where Snoop Dogg is sitting playing Fortnite.The tall pinkish purple present: Peppermint Paraglider GliderThe tall present with the blue bow: Yule Bag Back BlingThe tall red present: Snow Sparkle ContrailThe square purple present: Thats Cold Jac! Back BlingThe long blue present: Dogg Treat PickaxeHeres a visualization from X/Twitter user @Fecooo_:MORE FOR YOUWinterfest PresentsCredit: Epic / Fecooo_On the left side of Snoop Dogg is another stack of Christmas presents.Tall yellow present on the left: Snoops Holladizzle Bass (Bass Guitar)Tall green present: Yulejacket (Skin)Short rectangular yellow present on the left: Humbug Slicer (Pickaxe)Short light purple present on the left: Tree Keys, Choose Naughty and Crashed Chill (Sprays)Purple present in the middle: Winterfest Guitar (Guitar)Blue present in the front: Llama Lightbulb (Emoticon)Red present on the right: Yulejackets Blaster (Wrap)Flat red present in the front: Run It Up (Jam Track)The final present, a yellow box in the center, is the Snoop Dogg skin. However, you wont be able to find that present until later in the event. You also cant open the Yulejacket skin yetwhen you try it will tell you Save for last!You can also turn the neon Llama sign off and on in the Lodge and warm up by the fire, where you can earn XP passively as well.Winterfest Present GuideCredit: Epic / Fecooo_The Mariah Carey skin, Santa Shaq skin and many other holiday cosmetics are available in the Fortnite Item Shop. Youll have until January 7th to unwrap all these gifts and join in the festivities in the wildly popular Battle Royale game.Call of Duty is running its own Christmas event right now, with a series of free rewards earned by gathering Archies in matches. Many players were accidentally given many thousands of these at the start of the event (I had close to 35,000) making it super easy to unlock everything right away, including a brand new sniper rifle. Maybe thats Activisions way of saying sorry for the rampant cheating thats plagued Warzone lately.

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 No ____, band fronted by Gwen StefaniWord 2 (top right) hint drink something through a straw with a loud sucking noiseWord 3 (bottom left) hint you might do this over some cracksWord 4 (bottom right) hint related to ordinary citizens and their concerns. Also, to be polite and courteousTwo of the words each have a pair of repeated lettersTodays words start with D, S, P and CMORE 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...DOUBTSLURPPAPERCIVILThats 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.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: specsOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: designOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: displayOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: performanceOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: batteryOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: camerasOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: software and updatesOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: special featuresOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: price and availabilityOnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: verdictOnePlus looks like its hit another one out of the park with this years OnePlus 13. The enthusiast brands latest flagship launched in China in late October, and this week, the company officially announced it will be landing in North America on January 7, 2025. As one of the first mainstream phones to be powered by Qualcomms bleeding-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, it should bring significant improvements in the OnePlus 13s performance, battery life, and photographic prowess compared to its predecessor.This also puts the OnePlus 13 first in line to challenge Apples 2024 flagship. This year, the iPhone 16 Pro has raised the bar with Apples A18 Pro chip that powers new Apple Intelligence features and turns the smartphone into a gaming powerhouse. Theres also a clever new Camera Control and studio-quality cinematography features. Does Qualcomms latest silicon give the OnePlus 13 enough of an edge, and has the smartphone maker put it to good use? Lets dig in and find out how these two measure up to each other.Recommended VideosOnePlus 13iPhone 16 ProSize162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5 mm (6.41 x 3.01 x 0.33 inches)149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25 mm (5.89 x 2.81 x 0.32 inches)Weight210 grams (7.41 ounces)199 grams (7.03 ounces)Screen size6.8-inch 1440p OLED with 1Hz to 120Hz adaptive refresh rate6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with 1Hz to 120Hz adaptive refresh rateScreen resolution3168 x 1440 resolution at 510 pixels per inch2622 x 1206 resolution at 460 pixels per inchStorage256GB, 512GB, and 1TB128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TBMicroSD card slotNoNoTap-to-Pay servicesGoogle WalletApple PayProcessorQualcomm Snapdragon 8 EliteApple A18 ProRAM12GB, 16GB, and 24GB8GBSoftwareAndroid 15 with OxygenOS 15iOS 18CamerasFront: 50-megapixel primary, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP 2x telephotoFront: 32MPRear: 48-megapixel primary, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 5x telephotoFront: 12MPVideoRear: Up to 8K at 30 frames per second (fps), 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 480fps for slow motion, with Dolby VisionFront: Up to 4K at 60 fpsRear: Up to 4K at 60 frames-per-second (fps), FHD at 60 fps, and 240 fps for slow motion, with Dolby VisionFront: Up to 4K at 60 fpsBluetoothBluetooth 5.4Bluetooth 5.3PortsUSB-CUSB-CBiometricsUltrasonic under-display Fingerprint sensorFace ID facial recognitionWater ResistanceIP69IP68Battery6,000mAh100W fast charging (TBA in the U.S.)50W fast wireless charging15W Qi wireless charging10W reverse wireless charging3,582mAh27W fast charging25W MagSafe charging15W Qi2 wireless chargingApp MarketplaceGoogle PlayApple App StoreNetwork Support5G, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)5G, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)ColorsMidnight Ocean, Black Eclipse, Arctic DawnBlack Titanium, White Titanium, Natural Titanium, Desert TitaniumPriceTo be announcedStarting at $999RelatedOnePlusAlthough the OnePlus 13 preserves the iconic design language of its predecessors, this years entry modernizes things to match an aesthetic thats now become the norm among flagship smartphone makers: flat sides.Thats a departure from the rounded curves of the OnePlus 12 and prior models, but this new phone is still unmistakably a OnePlus device. It preserves the elegant circular camera bump thats become a hallmark of the lineup since its introduction on the OnePlus 11, but also refines it in some interesting ways.For one, the camera ring now stands alone. Gone are the horizontal tangents connecting it to the phones side, and the outer ring is considerably more subtle than before. The LED flash has been moved inside the camera bump, and the Hasselblad logo, which went from a full wordmark to a stylized H on last years model, has been moved out to the edge, above a horizontal line that bisects the camera array. The OnePlus 12 was already a slick-looking smartphone, but the changes in the OnePlus 13 add a new level of class to the design.OnePlus 13 colors in China OnePlusOnePlus is also making two big changes to its colors this year, departing from last years Flowy Emerald and years of green shades in favor of a new blue finish. That was released in China as Blue Moments, but it will be dubbed Midnight Ocean for the North American release. Thats joined by Black Eclipse as the more typical neutral shade (known as Obsidian Secret Realm in China). However, were getting the companys third color here this year, with the ordinarily China-exclusive White Dew Morning Dawn coming to the U.S. as Arctic Dawn.However, theres more to these than merely colors. Only Black Eclipse will sport the traditional OnePlus finish. Midnight Ocean will be coated in a micro-fiber vegan leather finish a first for OnePlus while the Arctic Dawn will use a special coating on the glass to give it a silky smooth finish. Well have to wait and see what that last one means for grip and smudge resistance, but it sure sounds nice.Compared to what OnePlus has done this year, the iPhone 16 Pro seems considerably more pedestrian. Thats not to say it doesnt have a great design, but little has changed on the iPhone front in the past four years. Apple led the way in the move to flat edges with the iPhone 12, and this seems to be the year where everyone else is catching up to that design.Christine Romero-Chan / Digital TrendsApple switched from stainless steel to titanium for the iPhone 15 Pro lineup in 2023, which reduced the weight and smoothed the sides a bit, but it hasnt made the same kind of bold design choices that OnePlus has. Even the phones colors have been relatively muted over the past two years, with the iPhone 16 Pro available in Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium, and Desert Titanium. The first three are exactly what they sound like, while Desert Titanium leans more toward champagne than brown.The OnePlus 13 retains the alert slider in its left-side position after moving it there on last years model, while the iPhone 16 Pro similarly sticks with the Action button introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and adds a new Camera Control button for quickly pulling up the camera and snapping pictures. Apple retains its standard IP68 dust and water resistance rating for immersion in up to 6 meters of water for up to 30 minutes, while OnePlus seriously upped its game this year by giving the OnePlus 13 both IP68 and IP69 ratings a significant improvement over the relatively weak IP65 of its predecessor.OnePlusFor OnePlus, this IP68 rating means it can hold up in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes, so its not rated to go as deep as the iPhone 16 Pro. However, the additional IP69 rating gives it more protection in another area, certifying the OnePlus 13 to handle high-pressure and high-temperature water jets. This means you could power-wash your phone if you wanted to though please dont.With a classy look, unique finishes, and an IP69 rating, the OnePlus 13 is the clear winner for this round.Winner: OnePlus 13OnePlusThe OnePlus 13 display remains essentially the same as that of its predecessor. Its still a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED panel with a 3168 x 1440-pixel resolution and an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz. That works out to a pixel density of 510 pixels per inch.The main change in this years OnePlus 13 display is a slight increase in brightness 800 nits of typical brightness compared to 600 nits for the OnePlus 12. The peak brightness is still 4,500 nits, but thats more than enough for anyone.Even though the specs remain the same, the switch to flat edges on the OnePlus 13 means the screen is also almost entirely flat, so youll end up with slightly more of it facing you. Theres technically a very subtle curve at the edges by definition, its a 2.5D quad-curved screen but dont expect it to be anywhere near as curvy as the OnePlus 12.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsApples iPhones never embraced curved screens, and the iPhone 16 Pro is no exception. This years model has grown over its predecessor, but the new 6.3-inch display is still smaller than that of the OnePlus 13 (youll have to go with the pricier iPhone 16 Pro Max to get something comparable in size) and offers a lower 2622 x 1206-pixel resolution at 460 ppi. That makes it slightly less crisp than OnePlus larger screen, but it does get brighter during everyday use, with 1,000 nits of typical brightness. It can also drop to a single nit on the low end, making it ideal when you want to use it in a darker room without overpowering your eyeballs.The iPhone 16 Pro maxes out at 2,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness, which is less than half of what the OnePlus 13 can do on paper, but its hard to see this as much more than a spec sheet difference, as weve never had any problem seeing the iPhone 16 Pro even in direct sunlight.The bottom line is that both phones offer bright and vivid displays, Full HDR and Dolby Vision support, fast 120Hz refresh rates for buttery smooth scrolling, gorgeous colors, and deep blacks. The primary differences come down to specs like peak brightness and pixel density, which most people wont notice, and while the OnePlus 13 is larger, size isnt everything; some folks prefer a more pocketable phone, so were calling this one even.Winner: TieQualcommOver the past few years, top-of-the-line flagships have proven how much weve reached the point of diminishing returns in performance, and the OnePlus 13 and iPhone 16 Pro prove that even more this year. Both phones are powered by silicon with power far beyond what most folks will need, so the simple answer to which of the two performs better is that it wont matter as youre unlikely to push either to its limits.The OnePlus 13 is one of the first mainstream phones on the market to be powered by Qualcomms new Snapdragon 8 Elite mobile platform. Apple develops its own chips; this year, its the latest A18 Pro inside the iPhone 16 Pro.Weve done a more detailed comparison of the Snapdragon 8 Elite versus the Apple A18 Pro for those who want to delve into the details, but the differences have more to do with the platform than the performance.Nadeem Sarwar / Digital TrendsFor instance, Apple has worked hard to court AAA game developers for the App Store. Last years iPhone 15 Pro lineup, powered by the A17 Pro chip, ushered in an era of console-quality games in your pocket, from Resident Evil Village to Assassins Creed Mirage. These played well on the A17 Pro chip thanks to Apples new GPU technology with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and Metal effect upscaling, and they run even better on the A18 Pro.However, Apples coup here wasnt only in producing groundbreaking silicon, but in convincing game studios to embrace the iPhone. The Adreno GPUs in Qualcomms high-end Snapdragon chips can easily compete head-to-head with Apples A-series silicon, but you cant find the same quality of games in the Play Store to prove it.That matters if youre a hardcore mobile gamer, the iPhone 16 Pro wins, not because it has more capable specs, but because it has better developer support. Thats been Apples advantage for years, so its not too surprising.Winner: iPhone 16 ProOnePlusFor non-gamers, the more significant advantage to this years chips comes not from raw performance, but from power efficiency. The new 3-nanometer (3nm) manufacturing process used by both Qualcomm and Apple should translate to longer run times between charges.Well have to wait and see what this means for the OnePlus 13, but the iPhone 16 Pro disappointed us by barely getting through a day of use. We expect the OnePlus 13 to do much better thanks to its 6,000mAh cell, and its probably more fair to compare it to the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max, which we found has fantastic battery life, in this one area. Battery life is still the biggest price one pays for having a smaller phone.Unsurprisingly, OnePlus continues to run circles around Apple and nearly everyone else when it comes to charging speeds. The OnePlus 13 supports wired charging speeds up to 100 watts and wireless charging up to 50W. Youll need to buy OnePlus proprietary chargers to take advantage of these speeds, and if past trends continue, well probably only get 80W charging in the North American models, but thats several times faster than what the iPhone 16 Pro officially offers.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsApples specs say you can recharge an iPhone 16 Pro to 50% in about 30 minutes using a 20W charger. Tests have revealed that a 30W charger shaves about five minutes off that. However, if last years OnePlus 12 is anything to go by, 80W charging speeds should get you to 50% in 12 minutes and leave you fully charged in half an hour. Again, you need to use the SuperVOOC charger, but OnePlus includes one in the box.For wireless charging, OnePlus supports standard 15W Qi charging or 50W charging if you opt for its AirVOOC charger. Those speeds are twice as fast as the iPhone 16 Pro, which can reach only 25W with Apples proprietary MagSafe charger. Youre stuck at 7.5W with a standard Qi charger, although the iPhone 16 Pro also supports Qi2 for magnetic attachment and 15W charging speeds something that most Android devices have sadly failed to embrace.While it would have been nice to see Qi2 in the OnePlus 13, even for nothing more than the magnetic attachment features, thats a minor omission for a phone we can charge up in the time it takes to make a good coffee.Winner: OnePlus 13OnePlusThanks to its partnership with Hasselblad, OnePlus has delivered impressive cameras on its flagship phones over the past few years. The OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 12 take great photos, and theres no reason to believe the OnePlus 13 will be any different.If anything, this years model should see some improvements in the image pipeline thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite and its AI-powered image signal processor. OnePlus hasnt leaned into AI and computational photography the way its rivals have, but that doesnt mean it cant use whats already there. Well have to wait and see what kind of photos the OnePlus 13 produces, but between the hardware and Hasselblads color-tuning algorithms, were very optimistic.In terms of raw specs, youre getting a trio of 50-megapixel (MP) shooters, and while the telephoto lens drops from the 64MP of its predecessor, we think the new sensors OnePlus is using this year will make up for that. The telephoto camera has the same 3x optical zoom, although the ultrawide lens gains an increased 120-degree field of view. We expect the new sensors, combined with Qualcomms latest ISP, to deliver better lowlight performance. OnePlus also seems to be taking advantage of the new 480 frames-per-second (fps) slow-motion video capabilities of the Snapdragon 8 Elite.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsThe iPhone 16 Pro is a much more known quantity. It follows Apples typical playbook of providing three lenses with year-over-year sensor improvements. However, this time around, the ultrawide camera gets a boost to 48MP, and the iPhone 16 Pro gains the 5x optical zoom that was exclusive to the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max last year. While the ultrawide lens is the one youll likely use the least often to take actual photos, Apples computational photography engine collects data from that sensor, and more megapixels means more data for it to work with. The ultrawide lens also kicks in for macro shots, and theres a noticeable improvement there.The iPhone 16 Pro also has a few more tricks up its sleeve. Apples new Photographic Styles let you apply a broad collection of advanced filters to your photos, but the best part is that these are entirely nondestructive. In other words, you can switch them up later or remove them entirely if you dont like them. You can also shoot images in the Apple ProRAW format for advanced editing controls, and the built-in lidar Sensor lets you take depth-mapped night mode portraits. On the video side, the iPhone 16 Pro can also handle 4K Dolby Vision recording at 120 fps, which produces Cinematic Slow Motion playback when pulled down to 24 fps. Lossless ProRes, Log, and the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) formats support professional work, and theres a four-mic studio array that powers a new AI-powered Audio Mix feature that can separate background and foreground audio (think of it as a portrait mode for sound).Winner: iPhone 16 ProOxygenOS 15 on the OnePlus 12 Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsThe OnePlus 13 will ship globally with Android 15 and OxygenOS 15 layered on top (the China version uses Oppos ColorOS). OxygenOS has been somewhat controversial over the years, but its been steadily improving, and weve been pleasantly surprised by OxygenOS 15. Its turned out to be less of an iOS clone than Oppos ColorOS 15, although it still veers closer to Apples side of the fence. It still doesnt feel as smooth as other platforms, but its definitely gotten better.The iPhone 16 Pro comes with iOS 18 out of the box, which will be readily familiar to anyone who has used an iPhone in the past few years. As usual, iOS 18 refines the experience rather than rewriting it. This years most significant addition is Apple Intelligence Apples suite of AI tools. While these are rolling out gradually over the course of the iOS 18 life cycle, as of the most recent December iOS 18.2 update, theres built-in support for AI writing tools, image generation, and even direct integration with ChatGPT to help Siri answer questions it cant handle on its own.AppleAs for updates, OnePlus is now committing to four major Android updates and five years of security updates, which should keep the OnePlus 13 current until at least 2028 or when Android 19 ships. Apple doesnt make such promises, but its never really needed to as it has a proven track record; iPhones were getting four or even five years of software updates in the days when it was rare for most Android phones to see one or two. This makes it a safe bet that the iPhone 16 Pro will make it to at least iOS 22, and possibly even one or two releases beyond that.Winner: TieAndy Boxall / Digital TrendsAfter holding out longer than most other big players, Apple and OnePlus are delving more into AI features this year. However, Apple is going all-in with Apple Intelligence while OnePlus is still taking a more measured approach focused predominantly on photography.In OxygenOS 15, the OnePlus 13 gains a suite of AI photo-editing tools, including an AI Eraser, AI Detail Boost, AI Reflection Erase, and AI Unblur. These work much like youd expect, although they have some work to do before they catch up with Googles Magic Eraser and Magic Editor. However, these arent exclusively OnePlus 13 features; theyre also coming to the OnePlus 12 in the OxygenOS 15 update. On the other hand, Google Gemini support and a new Intelligence Search feature will be limited to the OnePlus 13.AppleApple Intelligence is a much bolder AI initiative overall. While the photo features are limited to a Magic Eraser-like Clean Up tool, the broader AI features include tools to help you compose and refine text, reply to emails, summarize audio recordings and call transcripts, generate images, and even create custom Genmoji. Apple has also partnered with ChatGPT to integrate it into iOS. This includes letting you call it up to help you write emails and other blocks of text to making voice requests via Siri.This also ties into the iPhone 16 Pros marquee feature: the Camera Control. As the name suggests, this new button on the lower-right side of the iPhone can be used to call up the camera app, but it also doubles as a sophisticated control system thanks to a two-stage capacitive sensor. A light press will lock autofocus and autoexposure, similar to a DSLR; you then press all the way down to take the picture. You can also slide your finger along the control to adjust parameters such as zoom, exposure, shooting mode, and more.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsApple Intelligence comes into the picture through a new Visual Intelligence feature that lets you quickly perform Google Lens-like searches on real-world objects. Hold down the Camera Control and point your iPhone 16 Pro at something like an animal, a plant, a movie poster, a landmark, or even a product, and you can send it off to Google or ChatGPT to get more information about it. The concept isnt exactly novel, as there have been apps doing this for this for years, but having it built in and only a button press away makes it much more useful.Winner: iPhone 16 ProOnePlusFollowing a typical first launch in China on October 31, the OnePlus 13 will be released globally on January 7, 2025. OnePlus has confirmed that well get the same three colors as the China version with different names: Midnight Ocean, Black Eclipse, and Arctic Dawn. Theres no official word on pricing or storage capacities, but theres a good chance theyll be close to last years OnePlus 12, which started at $800. The OnePlus 13 sells in three capacities in China: 256GB storage with 12GB of RAM, 512GB with 16GB, and 1TB with 24GB, but a November leak suggests we may not see the largest 1TB/24GB version stateside.That would be in line with the OnePlus 12, which was sold in the same three capacities in China, with only the lower two available internationally. However, OnePlus could surprise us this year as it did with the color options. OnePlus white finishes, such as the Glacial White OnePlus 12, have been primarily exclusive to China. Seeing a global launch of Arctic Dawn is a pretty big deal, which means the 1TB/24GB model may not be far behind.The iPhone 16 Pro launched globally in September. Apples smaller Pro model didnt get the storage bump many were hoping for; it still starts at $999 for 128GB, with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB versions available for $1,099, $1,299, and $1,499, respectively. RAM is standard at 8GB across all capacities, and its available in Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, and Black Titanium.Joe Maring / Digital TrendsLike many smartphone comparisons involving Apple, measuring the OnePlus 13 directly against the iPhone 16 Pro is tough. The two phones live in fundamentally different worlds, so its an apples-to-oranges comparison (no pun intended).For many folks, the decision between the OnePlus 13 and iPhone 16 Pro was made long ago based on the platform theyve already invested in. However, if youre on the fence or looking for a change, these phones each offer something that might tempt you to see how the other side lives.The iPhone 16 Pro is ahead of the pack with a more mature platform and an app ecosystem that takes full advantage of its gaming capabilities. The cameras take excellent pictures, the 5x zoom lets you get up close and personal, and the videography features are unrivaled. Apples AI features arent everyones cup of tea, but theyre well ahead of what OnePlus offers. Apple Intelligence is also complemented by the general fit and finish and smooth performance of iOS.Nevertheless, the OnePlus 13 offers a gorgeous and elegant design thats even more refined than before, plus fun colors with unique finishes. If previous models are anything to go on, the Hasselblad-tuned camera system is sure to be excellent. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip offers performance to spare with new photographic capabilities, and few smartphones can charge up as quickly as anything that OnePlus makes. OxygenOS 15 may not be quite as refined as wed like yet, but theres a lot to like here and its more ready for prime time than ever before.Editors Recommendations

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