On the same day Apple launched iOS 18.3 to the public, its dedicated sports app got a few tweaks including beefed-up soccer coverage. Apple Sports also now has a new way to navigate favorites and broadcast info for each games page.Apple has invested heavily in soccer for Apple TV+, scooping up the exclusive global rights to Major League Soccer (MLS) until 2033. The streaming service also has several exclusive MLS documentaries, including one about Lionel Messi. His arrival in Americas premier soccer league quickly doubled the services subscriptions. In a far less expensive move, todays Apple Sports update adds the ability to track match scores from Englands FA Cup, the EFL Championship and the League Cup.The update adds a couple of UI tweaks, too. You can now swipe left or right to quickly scroll through your favorite teams and leagues. And its easier to find out how to watch games: Each page now shows which network each nationally broadcast game is on.Apple Sports arrived in February 2024 as an easy, ad-free way to track scores and standings including on the iPhones Lock Screen through Live Activities. The app launched with support for basketball, hockey and soccer, the three major sports active last February. It was later updated to include baseball and football ahead of MLB and the NFLs opening days. In December, Apple added the ability to schedule Live Activities and a tab in the Play-By-Play section for video highlights.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-sports-adds-the-fa-cup-and-other-uk-soccer-tournies-202654579.html?src=rss

Meta is giving its AI assistant a better memory in an effort to make the chatbot more useful. The companys latest AI update allows the assistant to remember certain details that you share with it in 1:1 chat and uses your past activity on Facebook and Instagram to make more personalized recommendations.With the change, which will initially be available to the US and Canada, Meta AI will be able to track your preferences based on information you share in chat with it. In a blog post, the company uses the example of food allergies and other dietary restrictions so meta AI will remember to recommend recipes that fit your requirements.But the assistant will also be able to track other details about you, including information about your personal life and relationships. (Meta will allow you to track Meta AIs memories about you and remove specific details.) And, notably, Meta AI can now use your past activity across Facebook and Instagram to inform its interactions with you.MetaFor example, the company notes that Meta AI may suggest weekend activities based on the location youve identified on your Facebook profile and specific Reels youve watched. Metas systems know a lot about their users, so these types of recommendations could be pretty far reaching and as eerily-accurate as Metas in-app advertising.When asked for more details about what types of Facebook and Instagram activity may be used for these types of suggestions, a Meta spokesperson pointed to the companys Help Center. Other information from your profile like your age and gender, and interests based on your activity across our products, such as the types of content, including ads, you view or interact with and how you interact with it, it states, may be used to help personalize your interactions with AI.The latest Meta AI updates comes amid increasing hype around China-based DeepSeek, an AI assistant thats currently the top app in Apples App Store. The sudden popularity of the assistant, which was purportedly developed for less than $6 million, has rattled investors and some in the AI industry. Metas Chief AI Scientist, Yann Le Cun, however, said Monday that the market reactions to DeepSeek are woefully unjustified.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-ai-will-now-use-your-facebook-and-instagram-activity-to-inform-its-recommendations-201218403.html?src=rss

Speculation mounts after President Trump signed an executive order to extend the deadline for a sale to American buyers.

Mark Gurman teases two meta Quest headsets are in the works: the Meta Quest Pro 2 and Meta Quest 4.

Amazon named Jason Buechel, who currently serves as CEO of Whole Foods, to oversee its larger worldwide grocery business.

Nvidia called DeepSeek's R1 model "an excellent AI advancement," despite the Chinese startup's emergence causing the chip maker's stock price to plunge 17%.

See all the recipients here in this press release from the Academy.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 14 scientific and technical achievements, represented by 37 individual award recipients, will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony, which has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.Achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures. In addition, an Academy Award of Merit (an Oscar statuette) will be presented at the ceremony to collectively recognize all the individuals who have developed and supported captioning technology, whether open or closed, for film. The statuette will reside at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.As part of the Academys mission to celebrate artistry and innovation in filmmaking, we are honored to recognize the exceptional contributions of this years Scientific and Technical Awards recipients. Their work has powerfully driven advancements in our industry, said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. Also, we are deeply honored to present the Academy Award of Merit to the individuals who created and supported the development of captioning for films. This is an essential technology that plays a vital role in making the cinematic experience accessible to all.Each year, our international committee of industry professionals conducts thorough evaluations of the innovation and impact of technologies developed for the motion picture industry, said Darin Grant and Raymond Yeung, co-chairs of the Academys Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. This years awards encompass a wide range of film production advancements, from fire stunt safety, stabilized hand-held camera operation, and animation to post-production innovations in dialogue capture and CG imagery rendering systems. These vital technologies have expanded the visual possibilities of cinema, creating new and compelling experiences for moviegoers.The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS (ACADEMY CERTIFICATES)ToEssex Edwards,James Jacobs,Jernej Barbic,Crawford DoranandAndrew van Stratenfor the design and development of Ziva VFX.Ziva VFX is a system for constructing and simulating muscles, fat, fascia, and skin for digital characters. An artist-friendly interface that emphasizes easily understood physical metaphors, coupled with a robust, physically accurate solver, has enabled a broad range of studios to bring visually rich creatures to life.ToJavor KalojanovandKimball Thurstonfor the creation of Wt FXs ML Denoiser.This denoiser prioritizes temporal filtering using innovative optical flow techniques to preserve crucial details. Novel training strategies allow its machine learning algorithms to denoise computer-generated imagery to the most exacting standards.ToNeeme Vainofor the development of Fireskin360 Naked Burn Gel.This widely available gel allows longer targeted burns directly on the skin, broadening the range of fire stunts performed across the industry.ToDustin BrooksandColin Deckerfor the development of naked burn gel.Fire for Hires gel first publicly demonstrated a naked burn, where fire appears directly on the skin, enabling a new form of safe fire stunts in motion pictures.ToAttila T. frafor the creation of Intel Open Image Denoise, and toTimo Ailafor his pioneering work at NVIDIA applying U-Nets to denoising.Open Image Denoise is an open-source library that provides an elegant API and runs on diverse hardware, leading to broad industry adoption. Its core technology is provided by the widely adopted U-Net architecture that improves efficiency and preserves detail, raising the quality of CG imagery across the industry.ToMark Noelfor adapting and enhancing the safety and reliability of transportable six-degrees-of-freedom motion base technology for motion picture use.The NACMO series of modular motion bases enables filmmakers to dynamically control simulated actions, providing precise movements, enhancing special effects, and enriching the visual experience for audiences worldwide.ToSu Tiefor the development of the sensor analysis and stabilization software, toBei Shimenfor the electrical engineering, and toZhao Yanchongfor the mechanical design and engineering of the Ronin 2 gimbal system.Utilizing three-axis stabilization through multiple sensors, the DJI Ronin 2 has achieved broad adoption. It is controllable from a diverse set of input devices, enabling filmmakers to create complex, dynamic camera moves.ToTabb Firchaufor the conception and development, toJohn EllisonandSteve Webbfor the attitude control system, toDavid Bloomfieldfor the motor design, and toShane Coltonfor the motor driver system design of the Mvi gimbals.Freefly Systems introduction of handheld stabilized gimbals provides single-person or collaborative remote camera operation with various controllers, enabling previously difficult shots without dolly or crane-supported stabilized heads.SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARDS (ACADEMY PLAQUES)ToJayson Dumenigofor the development of the Action Factory Hydrogels.Action Factory hydrogels are engineered to allow longer burns at higher temperatures with quick turnaround times, increasing the safety and efficiency of fire stunt performances.ToThijs Vogels,Fabrice Rousselle,David Adler,Gerhard RthlinandMark Meyerfor the creation of Disneys ML Denoiser.This sophisticated machine learning denoiser features a ground-breaking kernel-predicting convolutional network and temporal stability. It has been adopted far beyond its original domain of animation and is an essential tool for creating computer-generated imagery in feature films.ToNir Averbuch,Yair ChuchemandDan Ravivfor the concept, design and development of the Auto Align Post 2.Sound Radixs Auto Align Post 2 allows the seamless blending of multiple moving microphones during film post-production, eliminating phase distortion, saving significant time over manual alignment methods and raising the reproduction quality of dialogue recorded on set.ToCurt Schallerfor the concept, design and development of the Trinity 2 system, and toDr. Roman Foltynfor the software and hardware design of its motorized stabilized head.The ARRI Trinity 2 is a body-worn system that combines a traditional inertial camera stabilization system with electronic gimbal technology, allowing unprecedented freedom of camera movement for acquiring shots with multiple transitions that are otherwise unobtainable.ToSteve Wagnerfor the initial concept and software, toGarrett Brownfor the design, and toJerry HolwayandRobert Orffor the engineering of the Steadicam Volt stabilization system.The Tiffen Steadicam Volt revolutionizes inertial stabilization with its advanced two-axis motorized design, creating artificial inertia and simulated friction while providing adjustable tactile feedback. Different modes allow the operator to alter the physical feel of the rig. The Volt empowers filmmakers to achieve dynamic shots with more complex camera movement while maintaining a stable roll axis.ToDave Freethfor the design, engineering and development of the hand-held Stabileye three-axis motorized camera stabilization system.The compact size and live adjustment of operating parameters of these devices facilitate subtle and dynamic camera moves closer to actors, and in tighter quarters than previously possible. Its low latency allows for instinctive operation whether controlled by a single operator or remotely.The post This years Sci-Techs have been announced appeared first on befores & afters.

Allison Burks teenage daughter struggled with uncontrolled emotions, a shrinking attention span and a growing tendency to procrastinate. A family doctor suggested ADHD testing, which led to an unexpected discovery: The teen had ADHDand Burk did too.During her daughters evaluation, Burk thought, Wait a minute. This sounds familiar, she recalled.I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing, said Burk, of Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently underwent her own testing and was diagnosed with ADHD at age 42.More adults are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Diagnoses have been rising for decades but seem to have accelerated in the past few years.A recentstudysuggested that more than 15 million U.S. adults roughly 1 in 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. The condition always starts in childhood, but about half of adults with it are diagnosed when they are 18 or older.Some doctors say the number of people coming in for evaluation is skyrocketing.Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years, said Justin Barterian, a psychologist based at Ohio State University.Heres a look at the phenomenon, and how to know if you might have the condition.ADHD symptoms in adultsADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. It can be inherited, and is often treated with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both.Its like theres an engine in you and you feel like its always running, and you cant turn it off except with medication, said Judy Sandler, a 62-year-old Maine woman who was diagnosed in her 50s.ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children, with more than7 millionkids diagnosed. Historically, it was thought to mainly affect boys (perhaps because boys with ADHD were seen as more disruptive in school) and to be something that kids grew out of.But experts believe many people arent diagnosed as kids and live with symptoms into adulthood.Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on tasks, juggling responsibilities, and planning and managing their time. Some talk about not putting things away, and straining personal relationships with their restlessness, mood swings and impulsiveness.Burk said she was grouped with talented and gifted students in grade school but didnt complete college until her 30s because, when I was 19, I hitchhiked across the country on a whim and ended up a single mother in her early 20s. She now works in marketing and media relations for Ohio State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine.Diagnoses have been risingDiagnoses have been climbing in both kids and adults, and the recent government report found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates.We havent had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time, said one of the studys authors, Angelika Claussen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.There were indicators of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to widespreadshortagesafter the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A2023 studyshowed the rise in prescriptions was particularly notable in adults especially women.ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions were increasing before the pandemic, due partly to a change in general diagnostic criteria in 2013 that broadened the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of symptoms a patient needed to have.But case counts really seemed to jump in 2020, when schools were closed and many adults were forced to work from home.Its very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids, Claussen said. That may have exacerbated the symptoms for people whod had mild ADHD but were able to cope before the pandemic.How ADHD is diagnosed in adultsThe last few years have seen growing cultural acceptance and curiosity about the condition, fueled by a proliferation of I have ADHD social media videos and online medical start-up companies offering 5-minute diagnostic quizzes.Indeed, the long-held belief that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults has given way to recent debates about whether its become overdiagnosed.Theres no blood test or brain scan for ADHD. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms can be traced to pre-adolescent childhood.Ideally, a psychologist or psychiatrist diagnoses it by taking careful histories from patients and from people who know them, experts say. They also might ask patients to take tests designed to check their memory and ability to concentrate. Doctors also must rule out anxiety, depression and other conditions that can have similar symptoms.But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months, and intensive ADHD evaluations can cost thousands of dollars. Many patients turn to family doctors or even online diagnostic quizzes, some of them connected to telehealth companies that prescribe medications.There is wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose, said Margaret Sibley, a University of Washington psychologist.The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is drafting a first national set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for health professionals who treat adults, and expects to release them later this year.The goal is to improve the accuracy of diagnoses in this country, said Sibley, who is leading the work on the guidelines.Mike Stobbe, Associated PressThe Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Is it a coincidence that this years Super Bowl LIX logo turns out to have the exact same colors of the teams playing? Did the National Football League know theKansas City ChiefsandPhiladelphia Eagleswould be playing Super Bowl 59 on February 9 in New Orleans all along? Or are fans taking this conspiracy theory one step too far?Thats what some fans are claiming on social media: that the Super Bowl LIX logo, which was revealed in 2024 before last years Super Bowl in Las Vegas, is proof that the game is rigged because its red and green, the colors of the Chiefs and the Eagles (along with a mixture of some yellow and purple).Those fans theory, which is now making the rounds but is unconfirmed, speculates that the NFL picks the Super Bowl teams in advance to increase profits, or possibly, for political reasons. (Some right-wing conspiracy theorists have said Taylor Swifts relationship with boyfriend Travis Kelce, the Chiefss tight end, is a PR stunt meant to increase NFL viewership, and also that Swift was a liberal plant at Chiefs games to help President Joe Biden win the last election.)This is not the first time fans have made this claim about the Super Bowl logo. Ahead of last years AFC and NFC championship games, social media account @NFL_Memes wrote on X, Anyone else notice this? and showed a picture of the teams that played in past Super Bowl games, which matched the colors of the Super Bowl logos. But, as USA Today noted, the meme lost steam after last years teams broke the trend.https://twitter.com/NFL_Memes/status/1722101822410633666This years big game will be played at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, with the Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring Kendrick Lamar with a guest appearance by SZA. The game will air on Fox and stream live on Tubi, DirecTV, Fubo, or the Fox Sports app. Stay tuned! Well have more details closer to kickoff about how to watch.

Eight Bay Area designers created interpretations of public benches for the Works in Progress III design exhibition during San Francisco's Art Week, using materials such as salvaged local wood and 3D-printed ceramics. Curated by designer Kate Greenberg and co-founder of studio Office of Tangible Space Kelley Perumbet, Works in Progress III features work by eight local designers including Nick Polansky and Alex Schofield.The Works in Progress III exhibition showcased interpretations of public benches by Bay Area designers. Work by Michael Mellon, Ben Peterson, Adrian Segal and Alex Schofield.Greenberg and Perumbet commissioned the designers to develop bench concepts for the third iteration of the Works in Progress exhibition series, the first of which debuted in 2024 and featured stools."We thought to ourselves: 'How great would it be if the benches in our landscape were highly particular to the craftsperson's perspective, offering an arena for surprise, creativity, and novelty?'," said the pair.Alex Schofield created a bench that encourages the growth of moss and lichenThe resulting pieces were displayed among soft green fabric screens at a gallery space at the California College of the Arts, which supported the show.Oakland-based architectural designer Alex Schofield created a bench with a "seat for humans" and a "seat for non-humans" from a plane of reclaimed Douglas fir and a pillar of interlocking 3D-printed ceramic bricks.The mound of ceramic is intended to attract lichen and moss to its surface so that it eventually grows over its volume.Ceramic blocks create a "scaffold" for plant life"My material is not much of a 'material', but a cohabitant," said Schofield. "Lichen and moss grow together, utilizing a material surface as a scaffold, to grow and prepare an ecosystem of other plants."The designer previously created "scaffolds" for underwater creatures with 3D-printed calcium carbonate to facilitate the regrowth of endangered coral reefs.Read: San Francisco exhibition features "off-center" Bay Area furniture designArchitect Nick Polansky furthered his exploration of zero-waste milling for his piece, Split No.9. The bench is made of a single salvaged cedar beam that was partially spliced in various places and then stretched open to create a lattice-like volume.Polansky then pushed a series of salvaged copper pipes into either end of the bench and rested the structure on two granite stones.Architect Nick Polansky created a bench made of a single salvaged cedar beamThe piece builds upon Polansky's last decade of work exploring the kerf-cutting of timber and the "active bending" of wood.Other work in the show includes the blocky, solid Leftover Bench made of salvaged old-growth redwood by designer Hanneke Lourens, informed by the "random objects" pushed together to form public furniture in South Africa, where she was born and raised.The beam was spliced and bent to create a lattice-like volumeThe Leftover Bench explores the contrast in public space between South Africa and the US."South Africa continues to experience a public space deficit: a lack of developed and safe communal spaces, particularly in lower-income areas," said Lourens."Conversely, Northern California's coastline and forests are littered with not only functional but beautiful outdoor furniture."Hanneke Lourens was informed by the public spaces of South Africa for her pieceThe show also features work by Brooke Intracha of Studio Ouli, Mac McComb, Michael Mellon, Ben Peterson, and Adrien Seg.Works in Progress III is on show as part of San Francisco Art Week, an annual week in late February where a series of design and art events take place across the city, including FOG Design + Art.The photography is by Sahra JajarmikhayatWorks in Progress III is on show at the CCA Campus Gallery in San Francisco from 24 January to 7 February. See Dezeen Events Guidefor more architecture and design events around the world.The post Bench with 3D-printed scaffold for moss features in San Francisco exhibition appeared first on Dezeen.