The British government pledged on Monday to rip up the red tape hindering construction of data centers that underpin artificial intelligence while promoting its pro-innovation approach to regulating the technology.Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the potential of AI as he outlined wide-ranging plans to harness the technology, indicating that it will be a key part of his governments efforts to turn around the economy and jump-start lackluster growth.Starmer said he wanted to Britain to become one of the great AI superpowers that can keep up with other countries like the United States and China that have led advances in the technology.Under the 50-point plan, which provided few details on investment amounts, the government plans to massively expand public computing power, including by building a new national supercomputer and setting up AI growth zones with streamlined building approval process.So if youre looking at where to build your data centers, we will speed up planning permission if you need better access to power, Starmer said.Britainscomplex building permission rulesare frequently blamed for preventing development of big projects such as data centers. After taking power in July, Starmers Labour government vowed to review decisions by local authorities to reject some projects.The government will also stick to its pro-innovation approach to regulating AI, which involves giving responsibility to existing industry regulators instead of drawing up a new set of rules like theEuropean Union has done. It will also continue to support of U.K.s AI Safety Institute, set up under Starmers Conservative predecessor Rishi Sunak to carry out research on the most cutting-edge AI models and the existential but far-off risks they pose.We will test and understand AI before we regulate it to make sure that when we do it, its proportionate and grounded in the science, Starmer said.

PROS: Variety for Users: Options for everyday use, high performance, and a collectors Iron Man Edition. Striking Design: The Iron Man Editions 3D helmet and Arc Reactor cater to Marvel fans. Strong Performance: The X7 Pros Dimensity 8400-Ultra excels in gaming and multitasking. Long Battery Life: Durable batteries with reliable fast charging. Versatile Cameras: Features like Golden Portrait Mode enhance photographic quality.CONS: Camera Edge Performance: The ultra-wide lens occasionally struggles with distortion, particularly at the edges, which could impact landscape shots. Software Experience: Advanced AI features may feel less intuitive for some users. Heat Management on X7: While the X7 Pro excels with advanced cooling, the X7 can warm up slightly under heavy workloads, impacting prolonged performance.RATINGS:AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:Bold design meets powerful performance, with the POCO X7 series offering something for everyoneincluding the stunning Iron Man Edition for Marvel fans.Smartphones come in countless shapes, sizes, and flavors, but the POCO X7 series provides three distinct experiences under one umbrella. Youve got the POCO X7, a solid daily driver offering capable performance and a big display without pushing your budget to the brink. Then theres the POCO X7 Pro, which ramps up horsepower, battery life, and AI features for those who demand more from their mobile devices. Finally, theres the POCO X7 Pro Iron Man Edition, a collectors piece that wraps that Pro-level performance in an Iron Manthemed exterior, complete with a raised and tactile 3D version of the iconic helmet and Arc Reactor on its back panel. Its a collaboration with Marvel that puts Tony Starks signature red-and-gold palette right into your hand.Designer: POCOIn this review, Ill walk you through what each phone brings to the table, focusing on seven main areas: an introduction to the devices, an in-depth look at their designs, a discussion of ergonomics, a dive into performance, a consideration of anything they might offer for sustainability, an assessment of their value, and a final wrap-up that weighs which phone best fits different kinds of users. The POCO X7 series provides a wide range of choices depending on how much power you need, how much battery life you want, how much you care about design, and even whether you love Marvel enough to pay a premium for an Iron Manthemed phone. If youve been eyeing any phone in this lineup, youll have a clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses by the end of this review.On a broad level, all three devices share some significant similarities: each has a 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh and a high touch sampling rate, each one is IP68 water- and dust-resistant, and each phone includes a large-capacity battery paired with speedy charging. Theyre also all 5G-ready, come with solid camera setups, and feature advanced software with a range of AI-driven tools, plus all the usual connectivity youd expect (like NFC and dual SIM slots). But that doesnt mean theyre all the same. The X7 Pro is significantly more powerful than the X7, and the Iron Man Edition advances the X7 Pros design into something practically a fandom art. Lets start by looking at these differences in design since thats often the first thing people notice when picking up a phone.DesignThe POCO X7 Pro Iron Man Edition shines as a design masterpiece, combining superhero aesthetics with premium craftsmanship. Its exterior is a visual homage to Iron Mans iconic suit, featuring a deep red and metallic gold palette that immediately grabs attention. The back panel boasts a raised 3D relief of Iron Mans helmet and Arc Reactor, created with a sculptural technique for tactile and visual depth. The helmets matte finish subtly shimmers under light, while the Arc Reactors layered metallic serrations reflect light brilliantly, resembling fine jewelry. An embossed Avengers logo at the bottom adds another layer of detail, appealing to both touch and sight.Inside, the Iron Man Edition immerses users in Tony Starks world with a custom interface that mirrors his futuristic lab displays. Red app borders, dynamic animations, and tailored design elements enhance the user experience, making the phone as unique inside as it is outside. The packaging elevates the presentation further, featuring a mechanical lift structure, Iron Man suit blueprints, a faux-leather case embossed with circuitry patterns and gold highlights, and a SIM ejector tool shaped like the Arc Reactor. Every detail reinforces its connection to Marvel, making this phone a must-have for fans and collectors.From an ergonomic perspective, the raised 3D relief of the helmet and Arc Reactor provide natural grip points, ensuring the phone feels secure during use. The included vegan leather case adds a layer of comfort with its soft, textured finish, and the phones curved edges enhance usability by fitting naturally into the palm. These thoughtful touches make the Iron Man Edition not only visually captivating but also practical for everyday use.POCO X7 and X7 Pro feature a 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display with a curved edgeThe X7 and X7 Pro share a unified foundation, featuring a 6.67-inch CrystalRes AMOLED display with curved edges and IP68 protection for durability. While both models are visually distinct, they cater to different design preferences. The X7 leans into minimalism, offering Black, Green, and Silver finishes with either a lightweight plastic back or a vegan leather back for added grip and texture. This simple design focuses on practicality, with the camera module serving as the primary visual highlight, making it a great option for users who prefer understated aesthetics.The X7 Pro, on the other hand, takes a more dynamic approach. Its defining feature is the racetrack-shaped Deco design, with flowing Bzier curves around the camera module that create a sense of motion. This detail, accentuated under shifting light, brings energy to its appearance. Offered in Black, Green, or a vibrant Yellow finish, the X7 Pro appeals to those who enjoy bold, attention-grabbing designs. Together, the X7 and X7 Pro provide a balance of subtlety and flair, ensuring that users have distinct yet practical choices.ErgonomicsFans of Iron Man will appreciate how the raised 3D relief of the helmet and Arc Reactor combines striking visuals with functional design. These sculptural elements enhance the tactile experience, adding secure grip points that make the device feel natural and confident in hand. Paired with the vegan leather case, embossed with intricate circuitry and gold accents, the design delivers a premium feel thats both comfortable and distinctive.For the POCO X7 and X7 Pro, the focus shifts to practical ergonomics. The 3D Dual-Curved display is designed to rest comfortably in the hand, with rounded edges that minimize palm strain during extended use. The vegan leather back panel option adds a soft, textured finish that improves grip and reduces the chance of slips. High brightness levelsreaching 3200 nits on the X7 Proensure easy screen readability in bright environments, while TV Rheinland certifications for blue light reduction support prolonged viewing without discomfort. The POCO X7 lineup effectively balances thoughtful design and daily comfort, ensuring each device feels as good to hold as it looks.PerformancePerformance is a key factor in choosing a phone, and the POCO X7 lineup caters to various needs with well-defined capabilities across its models.Starting with the POCO X7 Pro steps up significantly in terms of raw power. At its core is the Dimensity 8400-Ultra processor, featuring an All-Big-Core setup where all eight CPU cores are performance-focused, clocking up to an impressive 3.25GHz. This ensures tasks like video editing, advanced photo retouching, and heavy multitasking are handled seamlessly. The upgraded Mali-G720 GPU enhances graphics rendering, delivering smooth performance during resource-heavy gaming or 4K video playback.Real-world gaming tests showcase the X7 Pros prowess in popular titles like Diablo Immortal, Apex Legends Mobile, and Honkai: Star Rail, where it maintained steady frame rates at high settings. Thanks to its LiquidCool Technology 4.0 and 3D IceLoop System, the phone effectively dissipates heat, ensuring consistent performance without throttling, even during extended gaming sessions. This advanced cooling system allows gamers to enjoy longer playtimes without the phone becoming uncomfortably hot, providing smooth gameplay during intense battles or detailed open-world exploration. Reliable cooling like this is critical for gamers, as it ensures consistently high frame rates and avoids frustrating slowdowns during crucial moments.The Iron Man Edition has the same internal specs as the X7 Pro and delivers identical high-end performance. This means users can enjoy top-tier speed and capability while embracing the collectible aesthetics of the Iron Man branding. Its an ideal choice for those who want a combination of powerful performance and unique design.The POCO X7, powered by the Dimensity 7300-Ultra processor, offers reliable efficiency for everyday tasks. Built on a 4nm process, it can clock up to 2.5GHz, making it sufficient for streaming, casual gaming, multitasking, and general phone usage. For users upgrading from an older POCO device, this model delivers a noticeable 12% performance boost. Additionally, the X7 includes Memory Extension 3.0, which can allocate a portion of internal storage to RAM, enabling up to 24GB of effective RAM on the 12GB version. This flexibility is especially useful when juggling multiple apps or handling large files.Ultimately, the X7 is ideal for moderate users who prioritize value and steady performance for daily activities. The X7 Pro, with its advanced processing power and cooling solutions, is tailored for gamers, multitaskers, and users who demand efficiency under pressure. The Iron Man Edition adds a unique, fandom-focused twist while retaining the Pros exceptional capabilities.POCO X7 Pro Camera PerformanceThe POCO X7 Pro enhances the X7s camera capabilities with improved sensor performance and computational photography. Its 50MP main camera, equipped with the same Sony IMX882 sensor, benefits from enhanced dynamic range and noise reduction, delivering better results in high-contrast environments. The wider aperture and advanced algorithms effectively handle highlights and shadows, ensuring balanced exposure in challenging lighting conditions. Low-light photography is awe-inspiring, with the Pro model capturing more detail and exhibiting less grain than the standard X7.The 8MP ultra-wide camera on the Pro also sees improvements in image processing, reducing distortion and maintaining a more consistent color profile across all lenses. While the X7s ultra-wide camera has the exact same resolution, its improved image processing allows for slightly better overall quality.On the front, the 20MP camera remains consistent with the X7, delivering reliable performance for selfies and group shots. Its AI-driven enhancements ensure natural-looking skin tones and vibrant details, even in suboptimal lighting conditions.POCO X7 Camera PerformanceThe POCO X7s camera system reflects versatility and adaptability, offering options catering to photographic needs. The 50MP main sensor provides good detail and clarity in various lighting conditions. Using the Sony IMX882 sensor with an f/1.5 aperture and 1.6m 4-in-1 pixel technology, the main camera excels in bright scenarios, producing sharp, vibrant shots. Optical Image Stabilization ensures low-light performance remains reliable, as it minimizes blurring and enhances image sharpness even in challenging environments.POCO has introduced a Golden Portrait Mode, designed to enhance portrait photography by delivering a professional-grade blurring effect. This feature replicates the aesthetic of high-end portrait lenses, creating a soft, natural background separation that emphasizes the subject. The 46mm effect, achieved through hardware zoom capabilities, mimics the perspective and compression typically found in traditional DSLR photography. This attention to detail delivers a sharper focus on the subject while adding depth to the image, making portraits appear more dynamic and visually striking. Capturing candid moments or curated shots, Golden Portrait Mode provides a polished, studio-like quality straight from the device.The 8MP ultra-wide camera is designed for capturing expansive scenes, like landscapes or group events. While effective, the ultra-wide lens occasionally struggles with edge distortion, a common issue in cameras at this resolution. However, the field of view is a significant advantage for most casual shots, allowing photographers to capture scenes easily.The 8MP ultra-wide camera is designed for capturing expansive scenes, like landscapes or group events. While effective, the ultra-wide lens occasionally struggles with edge distortion, a common issue in cameras at this resolution. However, the field of view is a significant advantage for most casual shots, allowing photographers to capture scenes easily.Another impressive feature is the 20MP front-facing camera, which is equipped with tools to deliver vibrant and detailed selfies. The automatic 0.8x zoom adjustment benefits group photos, ensuring all subjects are included without compromising clarity.SustainabilitySmartphone sustainability has become increasingly important, and POCO contributes to this by designing phones built to last longer. This approach reduces the frequency of replacements, which indirectly supports sustainability efforts. For instance, battery health is a common reason phones end up retired. Still, the POCO X7s battery can retain over 80% capacity after 1,600 charge cycles, and the X7 Pro can retain 90% capacity after 1,000 cycles. By staying healthier over time, these batteries should let you hold onto your phone for a longer period, thereby creating less electronic waste.Theyre also built for durability. All three have an IP68 rating against water and dust, so its less likely youll ruin your phone with an accidental splash or a bit of debris. The X7 sports Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the Pro models have Gorilla Glass 7i. The idea is that these protective measures help the phone avoid daily hazards like drops or bumps, minimizing the need for repairs or replacements. The X7s battery can perform reliably in cold conditions down to -10C, making voice calls for up to 24 hours and staying on standby for up to 66 hours in those temps. If you value longevity, you can see these features as small wins for sustainabilityno fancy packaging about carbon footprints, but a device that should last you a decent while before wearing out.Value and Wrap-UpDeciding between the POCO X7, X7 Pro, and X7 Pro Iron Man Edition hinges on your needs and priorities. The POCO X7 is a strong contender for those seeking reliable performance on a budget. Its Dimensity 7300-Ultra processor handles everyday tasks easily, and the 6.67-inch AMOLED display delivers vibrant visuals. The durable 5110mAh battery and 45W fast charging ensure you stay powered throughout the day. With its classic design and robust features, the X7 is a practical choice for users looking for value without compromise.The X7 Pro transforms the series with its cutting-edge Dimensity 8400-Ultra chipset, providing unmatched speed and exceptional efficiency. Designed for gamers and multitaskers, it delivers seamless performance for demanding applications and intensive tasks. The camera system performs well in lighting, providing good-quality photos and videos. Coupled with a 6000mAh battery and 90W HyperCharge, the X7 Pro is built for long-lasting and fast-paced use. Its racetrack-inspired design adds a bold visual appeal, making it a stylish yet high-performing choice.The Iron Man Edition redefines what a collectors device can be, blending the X7 Pros powerful hardware with unique design elements inspired by Tony Starks iconic suit. From the raised 3D relief of Iron Mans helmet and Arc Reactor to the custom Marvel-themed user interface and exclusive packaging, it offers fans a unique experience. It maintains the same impressive camera and processing performance as the Pro model, ensuring its striking aesthetic doesnt come at the cost of functionality.Across the board, the POCO X7 lineup impresses with its high-quality displays, durable builds, and reliable battery life. Whether you prioritize affordability, cutting-edge performance, or standout design, theres a model tailored to fit your lifestyle and preferences. By reflecting on your daily habits and needs, you can confidently choose the device that aligns with your goals.The post POCO X7 Series Review: Everyday Performance, Pro-Level Power, and the Collectors Appeal of the Iron Man Edition first appeared on Yanko Design.

WIRED sent reporters far and wide to find out who controls the world's wealth. What did they find? Men. From Trump, Musk, and Putin to the CEOs, crypto schmoes, and solar bros, meet the patriarchy controlling the purse strings.

MacworldIf the idea of a long car journey or bedtime without a connection to the internet leaves you trembling with fear, theres a solution. You can make a copy of those YouTube videos your kids (or you) love to watch to play back offline.There are two ways to get a copy of the video you want on your Mac, as well as plenty of third party apps that will also do this. The easiest option it to use Apples built in screen capture tools to record what is playing on your Mac. Youll have to play the whole video, and make sure you are capturing the sound, but its free. Well run though this process below.Alternatively you can pay for YouTube Premium, which will let you download videos onto your Mac (and iPhone or iPad) as well as allow you to watch ad-free. Once downloaded you will be able to play videos offline.There are also free and paid for apps that will also do this for you with a little more finesse, and we will include some of these options below too. If you see a warning that you need to install Flash to watch a video it really could be a scam, or at worse malware!Well run thought your options below and explain what you need to do to download YouTube videos on your Mac. We also discuss How to download YouTube videos to iPhone & iPad separately. PROMOTIONDownload YouTube Videos for Free EaseUS Video DownloaderEaseUS Video Downloader is a free 4K video downloader software on Mac, Windows, and Android. Simply copy and paste the video URL, and download YouTube videos, playlists, YouTube Live Video, and channels in any format like mp4, mp3, and WMV at Ultra HD definition resolution. Also, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram videos and livestreams are supported for download.Now 25% OFF Exclusive Code: MACWORLD25Get It Now | 25% OFFFree DownloadBefore we start, we have to point out that you should be aware of copyright issues. Firstly, you shouldnt download someone elses video and then, for example, upload it to your own YouTube channel or use it to promote your business. You should also note that downloading YouTube videos goes against YouTubes terms of service. The company specifies that You shall not download any Content unless you see a download or similar link displayed by YouTube.How to download YouTube videos on a Mac for freeIt is really easy to record a YouTube video for free with software that comes with your Mac. You dont need to download an app at all. Since Mojave arrived in 2018, macOS has had an in-built screen recording feature. You can capture what is playing on your screen along with the audio. Just note that if your Mac doesnt have an inbuilt microphone if you have a Mac mini for example you will need a separate microphone to capture audio. Note that your microphone will also pick up noise that isnt in the video, such as you typing on a keyboard, so you might want to leave the room while you record the video. FoundryHeres what to do if you want to record a YouTube video for free on your Mac:Open YouTube on your Mac. Find the video you want. Click on the option for Full Screen in the bottom right corner. Press Command + Shift + 5.Click on Record then choose Record Entire Screen. (If you didnt choose Full Screen above choose Record Selected Portion drag the crosshairs to select the space where the video is on your screen). Click Options and make sure your microphone is selected. Click Record.Now start playing the video make sure you have the volume on.Wait for the video to finish and then stop the video. To stop the screen recording click on the stop button in the menu at the top of the screen or in the box as seen in the image below.FoundryThis is the cheapest way to record from YouTube on a Mac its free! However it is necessary to wait while the whole video plays through and keep noise to a minimum and if your Mac doesnt have a microphone you wont be able to record the video, plus a short video can take up a lot of space on your Mac. So if you would prefer to avoid those complications we have alternative options for you. How to download YouTube videos on a Mac with YouTube Premium ScreenshotFoundryThere is another more official way to download YouTube videos: YouTube Premium.You can try out this method with a free trial. There is a one month trial, but it actually turned out to be two months free when we signed up. At the end of the trial period it will cost $13.99/12.99, but you can cancel this on the manage memberships page before it renews.Its really simple to download a video from YouTube if you have YouTube Premium. Find the video you want in YouTube. Below it you will see a Download icon. Click on this and it will change to read Downloading. Once Downloaded it will appear in your Downloads. Downloads remain available as long as your device has an active internet connection at least once every 30 days, if you dont connect to the internet again then you will not be able to play the video after 29 days. You can change the quality of the download. By default it will download at Standard 480p, but you can switch it to High 720p or Full HD 1080p. Obviously the better quality files will take up more room on your Mac. Best apps to download YouTube videoThere are also some solutions on offer that will download the YouTube video for you, rather than you have to record the screen of your Mac while playing the video. This might be a preferred option if you dont have the time to sit and wait for an hour of Peppa Pig to play. It should also result in much smaller file sizes. Downie Foundry$20, 14-day trial or $9.99 a month as part of SetappDownload DownieDownie from developer Charlie Monroe costs $20 and can be used to download and save video from thousands of websites.When you start up the app you can make various tweaks, to, for example, always download best quality, force MP4 format, and perform post-processing. Downie is available as a browser extension for Firefox, Safari and Chrome, but you can just drag and drop a link from a browser onto Downie in the Dock or its download window, and download the video. You can even choose the relevant subtitles. The download of a 30 minute view took seconds and the resulting video looked excellent quality and only took 77MB space on our Mac. It includes a free 14-day trial. EaseUS Video DownloaderFoundry$19.99 a month (currently $12.99), free trialDownload EaseUSEaseUSs video downloaded is simple to use. Once the app is installed you can view content on a number of popular video hosting sites, including YouTube, and we were able to download videos (although we did find a few we couldnt download). There were four download options that indicated what the file size would be. It is also possible to just download audio as an MP3. The software indicated how long the download would take and counted down the seconds remaining. We could hear the video playing in the background, but couldnt see it. Once downloaded the video was saved to our Documents folder where we could play it.The free trial lets you download two items. Parallels ToolBox$19.99/15.99 a year, 7-day trialDownload Parallels ToolboxOn the basis that going with a well-known company means you are more likely not to end up with at best bad software, at worse malware on your Mac, well look at Parallels ToolBox (read our review).Parallels (our top choice of software to run Windows on a Mac) have come up with a number of tools that can be used to simplify a number of tasks on your Mac. ToolBox is the result of their experience manning a help desk for their customers running Parallels on a Mac. So many customers phoned up asking how to do various things that Parallels thought some easy to use tools might be a good solution. And so Parallels Toolbox was born.Once you have download and installed Parallels Toolbox youll see a toolbox icon in the menu at the top of your screen. Click on that.Youll see a number of tools including Airplane Mode, Free Memory, Do Not Disturb, Make Gif, and Download Video. Click on Download Video.Toolbox will instruct you that you need to enable a Safari extension in order to download video. Click Enable.Now a Download Video box will open on your screen. Just copy and paste the URL from the YouTube video and paste it into the box, or drag and drop it in. An arrow will indicate that the video is downloading and a box will pop up with the details, e.g. Downloading Peppa Pig.mp4 and you can watch as the download happens. Ours took about 10 minutes to download 88MB but note that speed will be determined by your connection. Once the download has finished you will find the video file in your Downloads folder (which might not be immediately obvious).The file will be saved as an MPEG-4 movie. It will open and play in QuickTime on your Mac.If you are looking for an easy way to get the video from your Mac onto an iPad or iPhone one solution would be to copy the video onto iCloud so you can access it from the Files app. You can then download it from there and play it whenever you want. We have more details about saving a YouTube video to an iPhone or iPad.

Several sources report the firewall in macOS Sequoia can sometimes leak data after an update. Here's how to test and fix it.macOS Sequoia can sometimes leak data after an update.The macOS firewall in System Settings allows you to protect your Mac and filter network traffic based on a set of rules.Several sites, including mullvad.net have reported that after macOS Sequoia updates, the firewall built into macOS may leak some data, allowing it to avoid firewall rules. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Following our previous visit toMBB Architects, we are keeping ourMeet Your Next Employer seriesin New York this week to explore the work ofStudio MM.A nine-person firm based in the Hudson Valley, Studio MM specializes in client-focused contemporary residential design. We are a group of creatives that enjoy collaborating in a fun and energetic studio environment, the firm notes, with current projects consisting mostly of high-end custom homes outside of New York City.Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm iscurrently hiringfor a Project Architect/Manager to join their Olivebridge team. For candidates interested in applying for a position or anybody interested in learning more about the firms output, we have rounded up five bespoke homes by Studio MM that exemplify the firms ethos.TinkerBox. Image courtesy: Studio MMTinkerBox, Hudson Valley, NYSituated in the wooded Hudson Valley, the TinkerBox residence is designed as a retreat for car enthusiasts. The core of the design is a...

Microsofts third consecutive annual Xbox Developer_Direct presentation is around the corner, and unsurprisingly, its generating plenty of buzz about what audiences will be shown. Microsoft has confirmed that it will be showcasingSouth of Midnight, DOOM: The Dark Ages,andClair Obscur: Expedition 33,and that that trio will be joined by another studios brand new game in a surprise location.Now, a report published by Windows Central may have potentially shed some light on that mystery fourth title. Allegedly, Microsoft will also be unveiling a new entry in a legendary Japanese franchise at the Developer Direct presentation. Precise details havent been shared, but apparently, the IP in question has decades of history, and the new announcement will make a lot of fans happy. Take from that what you will.Persona? Resident Evil?Perhaps something dormant likeNinja Gaiden? One can hope.The Xbox Developer Direct showcase is set for January 23 at 10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern, so well know more soon enough. Stay tuned for all the updates.

Two newly discovered, spiky creatures from the Silurian periodnicknamed Punk and Emoare helping scientists reveal the early history of mollusks. Mark Sutton, Imperial College London. Altered into GIFMove aside Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romancetwo new rockstars have just entered the punk and emo scene.Meet Punk ferox and Emo vorticaudum, two newly revealed fossils rocking scientists previously held theories about a group of ancient mollusks. The pair of more than 430-million-year-old creatures, described in the journal Nature last week, suggests these long-extinct species are not as primitive as paleontologists once thought.The names Punk and Emo were actually our initial pet names for these ancient mollusks, inspired by some of their unique features and individuality, Mark Sutton, a paleontologist at Imperial College London who led the study, explains in a statement. Punk in particular, with its spiky appearance, clearly resembles a rebellious punk rockerand we thought Emo complemented it well.Mollusks are the second largest animal phylum in the world, behind only Arthropods (a group that includes insects, spiders and crustaceans). Scientists suggest the Earth might host up to 200,000 species of mollusks. But this vast array boils down to two main groups: the conchiferans, which includes animals like snails, clams and octopuses, and the aculiferans, a weird and wacky group of spiny things including obscure, weird molluscan worms, as Sutton tells the New York Times Kate Golembiewski.Punk and Emo fall into the latter classand they certainly are weird and spiny. Both Punk and Emo are described as worm-like mollusks with long spines and smooth undersides that suggest they inhabited the seafloor. Punk had gills and a broad foot with ridges on the bottom, making it stand out from living species. Emo, meanwhile, had two small shells and a compressed body. Specifically, Sutton found Punks spikes to closely resemble classic punk hairstyles, and he thought Emos more downward-pointing spines call to mind emo bangs, per the New York Times. A labeled 3D model of Punk (top) and Emo (bottom) Mark Sutton, Imperial College LondonWhile scientists are still unsure how Punk would have moved, they discovered Emo in a folded posture that hints to an inchworm-like locomotion, perhaps aided by its spines. However, the spikes are probably mostly protective, Sutton tells New Scientists Chris Simms, though he adds that they could have formed to rid the animals body of accumulated calciumand both explanations could be true. The mollusks were small, at about 0.79 inches long.Aculiferans like Punk and Emo were long considered to be much more limited in form than the more familiar mollusks, as Derek Briggs, a paleontologist at Yale University and a co-author of the study, says in a statement. Now, these stunning fossils show their group was remarkably diverse in the distant past, compared to the present day, he adds.Briggs and his colleagues discovered Punk and Emo preserved in 3D within stones from a site known as the Herefordshire Lagersttte in the United Kingdom, which dates back to the middle of the Silurian period (about 420 million to 443 million years ago). The fossils were so fragile that the scientists couldnt simply split the stones in half, and their density was so similar to the surrounding rock that even CT scans wouldnt have offered a clear picture of the animals. Instead, they sliced the fossils up by hand and took a picture of each tiny section.We grind away a slice at a time, take a photo, repeat at 20-micron intervals or so, explains Sutton to the New York Times. Though this means the fossils were destroyedturned to dust by the end of the processthe scientists were able to combine the images into detailed 3D representations of the mollusks.I really like the names, and they definitely fit the bill for these spiky mollusks, Luke Parry, a paleontologist at the University of Oxford in England who was not involved in the study, tells New Scientist. Fossil mollusks that preserve soft tissues like this are incredibly rare, and so seeing what these unusual ancient animals looked like in 3D is just spectacular. This site in Herefordshire appears to be a treasure trove, like a wormy mollusk Pompeii.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Animals, Cool Finds, Evolution, Fossils, Mollusks, Worms, Sponges, Starfish, Music, New Research, Paleontology

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn MoreThe era of reasoning AI is well underway.After OpenAI once again kickstarted an AI revolution with its o1 reasoning model introduced back in September 2024 which takes longer to answer questions but with the payoff of higher performance, especially on complex, multi-step problems in math and science the commercial AI field has been flooded with copycats and competitors.Theres DeepSeeks R1, Google Gemini 2 Flash Thinking, and just today, LlamaV-o1, all of which seek to offer similar built-in reasoning to OpenAIs new o1 and upcoming o3 model families. These models engage in chain-of-thought (CoT) prompting or self-prompting forcing them to reflect on their analysis midstream, double back, check over their own work and ultimately arrive at a better answer than just shooting it out of their embeddings as fast as possible, as other large language models (LLMs) do.Yet the high cost of o1 and o1-mini ($15.00/1M input tokens vs. $1.25/1M input tokens for GPT-4o on OpenAIs API) has caused some to balk at the supposed performance gains. Is it really worth paying 12X as much as the typical, state-of-the-art LLM?As it turns out, there are a growing number of converts but the key to unlocking reasoning models true value may lie in the user prompting them differently.Shawn Wang (founder of AI news service Smol) featured on his Substack over the weekend a guest post from Ben Hylak, the former Apple Inc., interface designer for visionOS (which powers the Vision Pro spatial computing headset). The post has gone viral as it convincingly explains how Hylak prompts OpenAIs o1 model to receive incredibly valuable outputs (for him).In short, instead of the human user writing prompts for the o1 model, they should think about writing briefs, or more detailed explanations that include lots of context up-front about what the user wants the model to output, who the user is and what format in which they want the model to output information for them.As Hylak writes on Substack:With most models, weve been trained to tell the modelhowwe want it to answer us. e.g. You are an expert software engineer. Think slowly and carefullyThis is the opposite of how Ive found success with o1. I dont instruct it on thehow only thewhat. Then let o1 take over and plan and resolve its own steps. This is what the autonomous reasoning is for, and can actually be much faster than if you were to manually review and chat as the human in the loop.Hylak also includes a great annotated screenshot of an example prompt for o1 that produced a useful results for a list of hikes:This blog post was so helpful, OpenAIs own president and co-founder Greg Brockman re-shared it on his X account with the message: o1 is a different kind of model. Great performance requires using it in a new way relative to standard chat models.I tried it myself on my recurring quest to learn to speak fluent Spanish and here was the result, for those curious. Perhaps not as impressive as Hylaks well-constructed prompt and response, but definitely showing strong potential.Separately, even when it comes to non-reasoning LLMs such as Claude 3.5 Sonnet, there may be room for regular users to improve their prompting to get better, less constrained results.As Louis Arge, former Teton.ai engineer and current creator of neuromodulation device openFUS, wrote on X, one trick ive discovered is that LLMs trust their own prompts more than my prompts, and provided an example of how he convinced Claude to be less of a coward by first trigger[ing] a fight with him over its outputs.All of which goes to show that prompt engineering remains a valuable skill as the AI era wears on.Daily insights on business use cases with VB DailyIf you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.Read our Privacy PolicyThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.An error occured.

TikTokers are coping with the apps potential ban with an unusual trend: by bidding farewell to their personal Chinese spy. The trend, which pokes fun at security concerns surrounding the app, has users thanking their spy for surveilling them and filling their For You page with entertaining content, while others proclaim that theyd rather share their data directly with the Chinese government than switch to Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.One post, which garnered more than 1.5 million likes, depicts an emotional scene from Squid Game with the caption, Me saying goodbye to my Chinese spy on the 19th (He perfected my algorithm). Other TikTokers are speaking and singing in Chinese, while some pretend to be the spies powering individual algorithms.It is a great honor to spy on you for the last few years, TikToker yanxiao1003 says in a video. I wish you all have a great life in the future... Laura from California, you shouldnt drink that much Coca-Cola, its bad for your health.RelatedFor years, TikTok has faced scrutiny over the ties of its parent company, ByteDance, to China, with lawmakers calling it a national security threat and accusing the app of sending US user data to China. But now the platforms ban is imminent, with the Supreme Court set to hand down a decision on whether to uphold the law that would either ban TikTok or force ByteDance to divest it by January 19th.