Christopher Walken, 81, says he doesn't own a phone and has never emailed.He even watches "Severance" an AppleTV+ show he stars in on DVDs that the production team provides.He isn't the only celebrity who has spoken about his technological preferences."Severance" actor Christopher Walken isn't much of a tech user.In a Wall Street Journal interview published Monday, Walken said his relationship with technology is almost nonexistent."I don't have technology. I only have a satellite dish on my house. So I've seen 'Severance' on DVDs that they're good enough to send me. I don't have a cellphone. I've never emailed or, what do you call it, Twittered," Walken told the Journal.Despite that, he doesn't feel left out in a world where people are addicted to their devices."I've never had a watch either. But if I need the time, I just ask somebody. Likewise, once in a while when I need to use a phone, I just ask if I can borrow one," Walken said.He also remembers how "phones rang in the theater" in 2010, disrupting a play he was performing in."If not that, they're taking a video of your performance. I thought, that's it, it's over. I can't do it anymore," Walken said, recalling the incident.This isn't the first time the "Dune: Part Two" actor has spoken about not using phones or computers.During a 2020 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Walken clarified that he wasn't "opposed" to modern technology, just that he "got to it too late.""I think I'm right at a certain age where it just passed me by, and I never got involved in it because it would be strange to have. Any 10-year-old would be much better at it than I am," Walken told Colbert.Walken also isn't the only celebrity who has spoken about their technological preferences.In 2023, Christopher Nolan said he doesn't own a smartphone and writes his scripts on a computer without internet access so he doesn't get distracted."I think technology and what it can provide is amazing. My personal choice is about how involved I get," Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter. "If I'm generating my material and writing my own scripts, being on a smartphone all day wouldn't be very useful for me."During a 2024 appearance on the "Therapuss with Jake Shane" podcast, Ed Sheeran told host Jake Shane that he "hasn't had a phone since 2015.""I just was losing real-life interaction, so I got rid of it; I got an iPad, I moved everything onto email, which I reply to once a week," Sheeran said.In recent years, there's been a lot of discussion around screen time and smartphone use, particularly among kids and teens. Even tech execs like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their kids with limited access to tech devices like smartphones.However, research has shown that excessive screen time also negatively affects adult brains, leading to symptoms such as impaired concentration and memory.A 2019 study has found that excessive smartphone use may also increase the risk of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional disorders in adolescents and young adults.A representative for Walken did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.

The US tried to limit China's AI advancements through export limits on semiconductors.The limitations may have inadvertently fueled the innovation behind DeepSeek instead.China's DeepSeek disrupted the AI industry with more efficient computing at scale.The US government has for years actively tried to curb China's access to semiconductor chips, a key component in generative AI models. Instead, those export limits may have fueled the innovation that led to DeepSeek's R1 a large language model that's disrupting the domestic AI industry and the booming economy built around it.Brian Colello, a tech analyst for Morningstar, said the quote "constraints lead to creativity" came to mind."These Chinese models were processor-constrained, so it led to some creative techniques in training, and the DeepSeek model has come out with better-than-expected performance given the processors that it's been trained on," he told Business Insider.DeepSeek disruptionDeepSeek, a China-based AI startup, dropped the app version of its R1 modelOpenAI, and Google but at a much lower cost.DeepSeek said it spent nearly $6 million in computing power to train its new system, a fraction of what US tech companies have spent on their models.DeepSeek said its models were trained with fewer and less powerful semiconductor chips than their competitors typically use.Since 2022, US sanctions have made it illegal for manufacturing leader Nvidia to sell some of its chips to China, including its most advanced chips. The sanctions aimed to limit China's advancements in AI and military technology."Sanctions forced DeepSeek to use H800s, which were less powerful than H100s," Patrick Moorhead, the CEO of Moor Insights and Strategy, told BI of the Nvidia chips DeepSeek has used."In a roundabout way, sanctions initiated in the Biden administration motivated DeepSeek to be more creative in how it trained and ran models," he added. "No one should be surprised, as 'necessity is the mother of invention.'"Murky training and computing costsSome experts and analysts who spoke to BI expressed skepticism over DeepSeek's claims about the cost of the models and the number and type of chips they were built on. However, it remains unclear exactly what semiconductors were used to train and deploy DeepSeek.Still, someDeutsche Bank analysts Adrian Cox and Galina Pozdnyakova wrote of DeepSeek in a research note published Monday: "They've had to squeeze more value out of their software and methods such as chain-of-thought reasoning and using several models at once, instead of just throwing more computing power at the problem."Chris Miller, author of the 2022 book "Chip War," told BI the DeepSeek models are impressive but that costs in AI have come down dramatically since 2023, so he did not find the company's latest paper especially surprising.He also said the idea that DeepSeek was working on a "shoestring budget" was not true, saying the company used a "very narrow definition of training costs." Miller said it's "pretty clear that the training cost is an order of magnitude higher" than DeepSeek suggested.Ineffective chip restrictionsAlexandr Wang, the CEO of Scale AI, said during a January 23 CNBC interview that DeepSeek had 50,000 H800s, which Miller said would be a "substantial number. " While that number is still much less than what US firms have, Miller said, it's likely a lot more than US export officials would've wanted a single Chinese firm to accumulate.Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told BI that the developments at DeepSeek suggest AI development in China "seems to be at least on par with the US."However, she said, "we're still at the beginning of the race" for AI dominance."It certainly serves as a good reminder for American policymakers that technology restriction may not work, depending upon what the end goal is," Liu said.Several experts said they thought the latest developments with DeepSeek could lead to even more semiconductor sanctions on China but would not necessarily stop further innovation."The US could put sanctions on China all day long," Colello said, "but there's always the threat: What if China comes up with some breakthrough anyway?"

Theres no limit to the number of health headlines that youll find as you scroll through the news, announcing new threats, novel treatments, and amazing tips and tricks that will surely help your diet, your digestion, and your overall wellbeing. If youre lucky, youll find insights that could help you take control of your health. But if you arent, its possible youll find information that could lead you astray, pointing you in unproductive, damaging, or dangerous directions.If youve ever wondered whether to believe the health information that you see, well, this ones for you. Heres what to remember about the science that supports the headlines, with some recommendations for sifting through the news.Cutting Through ConfusionIt shouldnt come as a surprise that the strongest health information is rooted in scientific research, which is revised and refined over time. While some results are reversed, others are amended as researchers attempt to replicate their previous findings. And thats all part of the process, though it can leave us feeling confused when we stumble across a result that hasnt been found before. By considering the results of studies over time, rather than the results of a single study, you can overcome the confusion of novel findings. While a single study can produce promising conclusions, you cant always rely on them until theyve been backed by additional research. As such, avoid making dramatic decisions about your health based on a single study or a single-study news story, and avoid making dramatic decisions on your own. Watch out for additional research, and be ready to discuss the results with your doctor once more studies are available. Tips For Finding Credible InformationAlmost as tricky as navigating new research is identifying health news and information that are trustworthy. For a long time, federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were the standard for health information in the United States. But other sources have historically shared trustworthy information on disease and day-to-day wellness, too. State institutions, research universities, and research hospitals are typically credible sources (think Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and Mayo Clinic), as are reputable international health institutions. So, too, are nonprofit organizations like the American Heart Association and the Alzheimers Association. Depending on the type of information youre looking for, sources from other countries are also reliable for news consumers in the U.S., such as the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Health Service of the United Kingdom.Ultimately, whatever source you choose, you should always consider the credibility of the news and information you consume, asking yourself the following questions.1. Who published the story, and what was the purpose of publishing it? Was the news published by a reliable source, such as a respected science institution or a reputable science publication, or was it published by a blogger or social media user without a science background? Similarly, was the story written and published to inform, or was its purpose to sell something or to promote some sort of agenda? The best health information is always meant to inform, and it comes from sources with a strong scientific reputation. 2. What was the scientific support for the story? Did the story cite specific studies to bolster its claims? Did it cite specific scientists? Health information that references real research tends to be more reliable than health information that doesnt. 3. Who wrote the scientific studies, and who published and reviewed them? Were the cited scientific studies written by reliable scientists, and were they published in reputable journals? Were they peer-reviewed?4. What were the study types and sizes? Were the study participants human, and how many were there? The findings from animal research arent typically as important for human health as findings from human research, while the results tend to be more meaningful when they come from larger studies.5. When were the studies published, and were they the first to report their findings? Its best to consult health information that isnt too old or tentative.6. Does the news story sound believable? Does the story summarize the research in a balanced and accurate way? Look at the tone of the advice, and be wary of any statements that sound too bizarre or too wonderful to be true.This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only. Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:MedlinePlus. Understanding Medical ResearchMedlinePlus. Evaluating Health InformationSam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

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Titled Rhythm Shoot House, this project is the result of Brennen Weilers two months of work, showcasing his experience throughout every stage of the 3D production pipeline, from sculpting and animation to final implementation in the game engine. Each animation here is crafted by manually creating the poses, timing, spacing, and all other elements without relying on motion capture.Not only are the movements amazing, but the presentation makes it look incredibly fun and satisfying, with details like the lyrics Im ready to break down the door playing as the player character kicks the door open. Brennen revealed that working on this project helped him realize just how challenging it is to sync the music with the shots in this type of level design.With over 40 animation files, he learned a great deal about creating first-person controllers and working with Unreal Engine 5 overall, using various state machines, blend spaces for more detailed locomotion, Niagara particle effects, and even animated textures for the phone screen.Although this system is manually set up with assets, a procedurally generated one would definitely be interesting, especially with sound cues for chaining your shots, similar to Jet Set Radio or NEO: The World Ends with You.Visit the projects ArtStation page for a detailed look at the animations andjoin our80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Awesome Fully Hand-Keyed Unreal Engine 5 FPS Animation Showcase appeared first on CG SHARES.

Check out this gothic Blender-made artwork shared by a Reddit user known as Dazzling_Ad6010.The appealing artwork, reminiscent of the Nosferatu aesthetics, showcases a high level of the artists expertise, as the render features realistic textures of multiple materials and complex light-and-shadow contrast.The artist shared some technical details of the creative process, saying that the texturing is completed with the Sanctus add-on, and some additional elements, like flowers, are taken from BlenderKit or Sketchfab. For instance, the flowers that are used in the scene are from BlenderKits Ikebana Flower Set by Ryan Dang. The creator studies photography, which helps them set up a harmonious composition.Take a look at the WIP image:Take a look at another stunning Blender artwork that features flowers, an animation created by Digital Artist Jie using Blenders Geometry Nodes:The most recent version of Blender, 4.3.1, was released last December, and included 95 bug fixes, addressed problems with Expansions not installing or working correctly, tool fixes, particularly for Grease Pencil, and functionality breaking in files saved in older versions or not importing properly into 4.3, along with many other improvements. Watch the official recap:Dont forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Check Out This Mysterious Gothic Artwork Created with Blender appeared first on CG SHARES.

Earlier this month, Larian Studios announced that Baldur's Gate 3 will be receiving one last major update in Patch 8. And while select Baldur's Gate 3 players will be invited to a stress test for Patch 8, the update has been mistakenly released for some PlayStation 5 players ahead of the scheduled time. Larian confirmed the mistake in a post on social media.No, the Patch 8 stress test hasnt yet begun.Yes, PS5 players do currently have access to Patch 8.While we work with our partners to understand whats going on, please note that any new saves made while on Patch 8 will not be compatible with Patch 7.Hows your Monday going? Larian Studios (@larianstudios) January 27, 2025 Larian subsequently shared a longer update about the situation, which acknowledged that Patch 8 was mistakenly available for a few hours to PlayStation 5 players in Europe and Asia. The studio also warned that Patch 8 is not compatible with Patch 7, and urged players to uninstall and reinstall the game to return to the previous patch. Players who don't revert to Patch 7 may risk losing their saves.Additionally, Larian indicated that receiving the Patch 8 by itself was not intended as an invitation to the stress test. Players who were selected to take part in that should receive a separate email--if they haven't gotten one already--and the Patch 8 stress test will go on as scheduled later this week.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Xbox Series S has faced its share of criticism, but Microsoft isn't pivoting away from the console. In fact, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer believes the Series S is part of what helps differentiate Microsoft in the market. The apparent clause at Microsoft that mandates developers support both Series X and Series S for games coming to the platform is not going to change, he said.Speaking to Destin Legarie, Spencer said Microsoft has a "real advantage" right now thanks to the Series S because some of the most popular new platforms, including Steam Deck and ROG Ally, are more in line with the power and performance specs of the Series S."When we look at something like a Steam Deck or a ROG Ally, we've got this Xbox Series S version of the game that's more tailored to the device specs of a lot of devices that are getting introduced right now. I think that helps us," he said, going on to specifically mention the Nintendo Switch 2 as well.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Arks are imposing colossi that act as field bosses in Eternal Strands. They're some of the main enemies players will have to face in order to progress through the game, and the Ark of the Stricken Earth will be the first that Brynne fights in the game.

In Pokemon GO, new seasons tend to come into rotation every so many months as part of the live-service format in which the game tends to follow. With each new season that occurs, a new seasonal theme is introduced, which man influence the types of wild Pokemon, Egg hatch spawns, Raid bosses and in-game events are available to the player at any given time. Additional in-game celebrations and events may introduce additional Pokemon for a limited time, particularly with the like of certain Raid bosses such as Shadow Raids, 5-Star Raids, and Mega Raids.