Dead Astronauts held an oversubscribed seed round to expand its nascent team and work on its first game inspired by the Nordic wilderness.Read More

Sony apologises for global outage that took PlayStation Network offline for nearly 24 hoursFive days' additional time has been added to all PS Plus subscribers impacted by the outage News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Feb. 10, 2025 Sony has apologised to players after PlayStation Network was taken offline for almost a full 24 hours over the weekend.Whilst Sony has not revealed the cause of the problem - it only cited "an operational issue" when confirming the issue was resolved yesterday, February 10 - the global outage impacted almost all areas of PlayStation's services, including account management, online play, PlayStation Video, the PlayStation Store, and PlayStation Direct.Some PS5 owners also reported issues whilst playing "offline", as the ability to check game permissions and licenses was similarly compromised during the outage.The downtime also impacted Capcom's Monster Hunter Wilds' limited-time open play test, which ran the same weekend. The publisher/developer has now confirmed the second of February's playtests will run an extra day.Sony has offered five additional days to all existing PlayStation Plus subscribers affected by the downtime. However, this will not reach everyone impacted by the outage as players of free-to-play games like Fortnite and Roblox do not require a PS subscription to get online.

Former Mojang and Coffee Stain staff form new indie publisher Three Friends"We partner with developers early, helping them figure out what makes their game special"Image credit: Three Friends News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on Feb. 10, 2025 Former Mojang and Coffee Stain staff have banded together to form Three Friends.Co-founded by Albert Sfstrm, Daniel Kaplan, Sebastian Badylak, and Johan Hermeren, Three Friends is a new indie publishing label adhering to three mantras: 'Get in Early, Build it Right', 'Pick the Right Battles', and Guidance, Not Control'. It hopes to support indie projects in the Nordics."There's no secret trick to making a great game - it's not about one big idea, but about addressing thousands of small questions along the way," said Sfstrm."The right choices at the right time add up, shaping the final experience. We work closely with developers to create an environment where ideas can mature without drifting off course, helping teams focus their efforts and make the most of their time and resources.""Some of the best indie games - like Valheim and Deep Rock Galactic - took the time to refine their core gameplay before scaling up," Kaplan added. "That's why we partner with developers early, helping them figure out what makes their game special so they can double down on what works."Three Friends expects to reveal its partner developers and games later this year.

Bryant Francis, Senior EditorFebruary 10, 20253 Min ReadImage via Adobe Stock.At a GlanceAn anonymous game developer is among those who have joined a discrimination lawsuit against president Donald J. Trump.The ACLU-filed lawsuit targets the State Department's new anti-transgender passport policy regarding gender identifiers.The policy denies transgender, intersex, and nonbinary Americans the right to list their correct gender on their passports. An anonymous game developer going by the name "Sawyer Soe" has joined the ranks of those filing a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration, accusing it of discriminatory behavior for a new anti-trans passport policy issued on January 20, 2025.The lawsuitfiled by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts on February 7argues that President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the State Department made a "abrupt, discriminatory, and dangerous reversal" of existing passport policy. During the Biden administration, transgender, nonbinary, and intersex Americans were able to obtain passports that accurately reflected their gender identity.Under Trump, the Department ceased issuing passports for the "X" marker used by many nonbinary Americans, and will no longer allow individuals to change the gender on their passport after transitioning, requiring them to rely on documents that identify them by their sex assigned at birth.Soe's participation in the lawsuit spells out in plain terms how this change in policy puts transgender, nonbinary, and intersex game developers at risk."The Passport Policy is unlawful and unconstitutional," the ACLU said in its filing. "It discriminates against individuals based on their sex and, as to some, their transgender status. It is motivated by impermissible animus. It cannot be justified under any level of judicial scrutiny, and it wrongly seeks to erase the reality that transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people exist today as they always have."Related:Soe is one of seven plaintiffs represented by the ACLU in this case. They and plaintiff "Bella Boe" have filed for anonymity during the lawsuit's proceedings. The suit argues that Soe, a nonbinary developer working for "a company that is a leader in video game development," is among those harmed by the passport rule change.How? The suit states that Soe has not been able to accurately update their United States passport, which expired in 2019, shortly when they came out publicly as nonbinary. Soe's employer is apparently planning an "on-site collaboration" with their colleagues in Canada, and they will be "required" by their employer to travel internationally to Canada multiple times in the coming year."[Soe] would feel safer if they had an 'X' sex designation on their passport because it would be consistent with their identity, it would protect their privacy as it would prevent disclosure of their sex assigned at birth to strangers, and it would match the other identity documents that they currently carry," the filing continues. "Due to the Passport Policy, [Soe] will no longer be able to obtain an 'X' sex designation on their passport that accurately reflects who they are, how they express their identity, and how others perceive them."Sawyer Soe's struggle spotlights the risks of harm to transgender game developers under TrumpIn 2024, game developers publicly worried on multiple occasions that a return to office by President Trump could lead to harm to their professional community. Among the many concerns were those driven by "Project 2025," a Heritage Foundation-led initiative to set policy and pre-screen staffers for the new administration. The group recorded its goals in a widely-viewed document called "The Mandate for Leadership."The document does not make any statements on policy changes surrounding gender identity markers on passports. But as we noted last year, the document takes aim at transgender Americans, identifying "transgender ideology" as a form of pornography that has "no First Amendment protection."Former President-Elect Trump Transition Team chief counsel also argued in the document that the Department of Labor should "rescind regulations prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, and sex characteristics."Soe's participation in the ACLU-filed suit spells out another instance of how Trump-led anti-trans policies might impact many game developers. As large studios and publishers stretch their operations around the globe, workers are being asked to travel internationally to work on or sometimes promote their games.At this moment, transgender, nonbinary, and intersex workers needing to update their passports can only engage in said travel if they acceptas the ACLU describes"terms that expose them to grievous harms and violate their constitutional rights to equal protection, travel, privacy, and speech."Read more about:Top StoriesCultureLaborAbout the AuthorBryant FrancisSenior Editor, GameDeveloper.comBryant Francis is a writer, journalist, and narrative designer based in Boston, MA. He currently writes for Game Developer, a leading B2B publication for the video game industry. His credits include Proxy Studios' upcoming 4X strategy game Zephon and Amplitude Studio's 2017 game Endless Space 2.See more from Bryant FrancisDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

This week, Valve is reminding developers that they are not allowed to use in-game advertising on Steam.According to its rules (which were visible in Steam's pricing policy, but now have their own dedicated page), developers cannot use paid advertising as a business model for their game, such as requiring players to engage with ads before playing, or locking gameplay behind ads."If your game's business model relies on advertising on other platforms, you will need to remove those elements before shipping on Steam," Valve stated.Other unsupported methods highlighted on the new page include using ads to "provide value to players," like giving a reward for watching or engaging with in-game ads. Developers are also not allowed to charge their fellow developers for access to Steam features like being included in game bundles or sale, store, and franchise pages.For existing games with ads, Valve recommends developers switch their those games to a single-purchase paid app or convert it to a free-to-play title while selling DLC or microtransactions.Publishers may be the only ones who want in-game adsOnline advertising policies takes on different forms, and some of Valve's rules are different than how they're handled outside Steam. For example, YouTube will require non-premium users to watch an ad (or some of it) before progressing.In 2024, executives at EA and Netflix expressed interest in bringing in-game ads to their titles. For Netflix, these promotions could be a potential revenue stream for its game business, and would only be served to subscribers of the ad-supported tier of its larger service.Conversely, EA head Andrew Wilson thought putting ads in triple-A games would be a "meaningful growth driver...as we start to build community and harness [its power] beyond the bounds of our games." At the time, he said any such ideas were early, but nonetheless indicated "very thoughtful implantations" were being concepted at the publisher.Months before the two companies opined on ads, Microsoft and Ubisoft came under fire for their pop-ups. In these instances, players felt these went too far in promoting 2023's then-upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Assassin's Creed Mirage. Back then, Ubisoft attributed the Mirage ad to a "technical error" from trying to put it in the main menu for other Assassin's Creed games.On Steam at least, there will be no obnoxious or restrictive promotions if Valve has anything to say about it.

In a dramatic escalation of Silicon Valleys most heated AI rivalry, Elon Musk just announced that hes leading a $97.4 billion bid to buy OpenAIs nonprofit arm, according to The Wall Street Journal. The bid was reportedly delivered to the board Monday morning.The offer brings together a powerful coalition of backers, including Musks own AI company xAI and venture heavyweights like Valor Equity Partners, Hollywood mogul Ari Emanuel, and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdales venture firm 8VC.This bid comes at a pivotal moment for OpenAI. CEO Sam Altman is already juggling multiple massive deals: converting the company to a for-profit structure, raising $40 billion at a $340 billion valuation, and launching a $500 billion AI infrastructure project. For Musk, who co-founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 before departing in 2019, this bid represents his boldest move yet to challenge what he sees as the companys betrayal of its original mission to develop AI safely and openly (an allegation hes presently suing OpenAI for).Its time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was, Musk said in a statement provided by his lawyer Marc Toberoff to The Wall Street Journal. We will make sure that happens.The bid also adds a significant layer of complexity to OpenAIs planned for-profit conversion, as Musks team has promised to match or exceed any higher offers. This creates a thorny situation for Altman, whos already navigating negotiations with Microsoft and other stakeholders over equity in the planned for-profit structure.Shortly after the news was announced, Altman posted on X: no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want Sam Altman (@sama) February 10, 2025OpenAI pointed to Altmans post when asked for comment. Toberoff did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Valentines Day might seem like any other commercial holiday given the abundance of candy and the sheer number of cards lining store shelves, but if you put in a little effort and a lot of heart, it can be about so much more. After all, at its core, February 14th is about celebrating love in all its forms, with or without sweet treats.One way to show your appreciation for your loved one whether it be your partner, sister, parent, or best friend is with a gift that speaks to who they are. Luckily, if you need some inspiration, the Verge staff has pooled together a list of thoughtful gift ideas. Some of these, such as the AirPods 4 and latest Kindle Paperwhite, are gadgets we use on the daily, while items like Amazfits Active 2 and Soundcores latest speaker are more recent finds were still putting through their paces.Weve also sprinkled in a few ideas for those who could use a little less tech in their lives, so there should be something for everybody on your list. After all, nothing says I love you quite like a scratcher.How much do you want to spend?AirPods 4$100$12922% off$100Few pairs of wireless earbuds provide as much value as the recently released AirPods 4 especially if youre an iPhone owner. The entry-level earbuds integrate seamlessly with Apples ecosystem of devices while delivering stellar sound and voice quality, rendering them a great pick if you can do without noise cancellation and more advanced features.Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light$20$2931% off$20If your partner likes to burn the midnight oil reading (heaven forbid) actual books, Glocusents LED Neck Reading Light could be a godsend for the both of you. The wearable necklamp provides a soft, warm glow and several brightness settings, allowing your loved one to comfortably read in the dark without waking you up with a deluge of lumens.$20 at Amazon$22 at Glocusent$50The Onn Google TV 4K Pro is a twofer of a gift. Its a great streaming device with support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR, all of which make for a visually rich, immersive streaming experience. It also functions as a smart speaker, meaning you can use it to play music, dim the lights, and carry out a host of hands-free commands.$50 at WalmartTheragun Mini (second-gen)$149$19925% off$149If you want to score brownie points but spare your hands, the latest Theragun Mini is a no-brainer. The powerful, three-speed massage gun can melt away tension much like Theraguns beefier models, only it comes in a travel-friendly package thats far easier to lug around. The assorted attachments and included carrying case just add to the convenience.$12Jem and Cozys illustrated notepad can be the perfect pick-me-up during a long day. The lined 50-page notepad adds a touch of humor to even the most tedious of tasks, making the process of jotting down a to-do list, a grocery order, and other helpful reminders (slightly) more enjoyable.$12 at Jem and CozyAmazfit Active 2$100$100The Amazfit Active 2 is the kind of smartwatch that defies the odds. Its equipped with a bright 2,000-nit OLED display and an array of upgraded health sensors, along with offline maps and a slick strength training mode that can auto-detect sets, reps, and rest. It even supports its own AI assistant, Zepp Flow, which is wild for a watch that retails for less than $100.$100 at Amazfit$22If youre looking for a healthier alternative to a bottle of wine, For Bitter For Worse nonalcoholic cocktails will provide a similar kick without the high calories or hangover. The award-winning mocktails are made from organic raw materials and come in a variety of delicious flavors, ranging from tangy rhubarb and citrus to sweet strawberry and hibiscus.Govee Table Lamp 2$65$707% off$65If youre looking for a way to brighten up your Valentines Day either literally or figuratively Govees Table Lamp 2 can get the job done. The color-changing lamp boasts built-in scheduling and more than 60 dynamic lighting effects, including preset scenes for various holidays. You can even create custom color combos for when Dandelion and other presets just arent cutting it.$65 at Amazon$70 at GoveeKindle Paperwhite (2024)$135$16016% off$135Amazons latest Kindle Paperwhite aka our favorite ebook reader is perfect for the valentine who likes to relax by the pool or pretty much anywhere. Its designed to last for weeks at a time, not days, while a larger seven-inch display and adjustable color temperature allow for more natural lighting in any environment.$65Hey, we love a high-quality display as much as anyone, but theres something so endearing about the disposable cameras that ruled the early 90s. And while the screen-free Camp Snap isnt made for instant gratification or capturing high-res stills, its a dead-simple way to take some vintage-looking shots and then export them to your computer via an SD card or USB-C.DreameBot D10 Plus$280$40030% off$280The DreameBot D10 Plus is an all-rounder if there ever was one. The robovacs dual rubber rollers suck up dirt and debris relatively well, and its outfitted with mopping, mapping, and lidar navigation for less than $400. Thats a steal, especially when you consider it comes with an auto-empty dock that prevents your giftee from having to lift a finger. Well, almost.$280 at Amazon$400 at Dreame7 Wonders Duel$22$3537% off$22Is there anything more romantic than duking it out with your sweetheart for global supremacy? Of course not, which is why 7 Wonders Duel remains a great gift. You and your love are sure to have a blast with the two-player strategy game, which tasks you with building out your civilization via science, military might, or infrastructure.Eight Sleep Pod 4$2599$26492% off$2599With an Eight Sleep Pod 4, youll never fight over the comforter with your partner again. The mattress cover lets you dial in the perfect temperature for you and your beau, so both of you can get a good nights rest. It also tracks your heart rate, sleep stages, and even your snoring habits, so you can get insight into your sleep without having to don a bulky smartwatch to bed.$2599 at Eight Sleep$22If youre looking to step up your self-care game at home, Lushs handmade Bath Art set can turn your bathtub into a colorful piece of art. Not only do the included bath bombs smell incredible but they also let you bathe in swirls of sparkly gold, yellow, pink, and blue. Theyre a true feast for the senses (and 100 percent vegetarian).$22 at LushOtoto Katie ladle$17$17Ototos Katie ladle is purr-fect for cat lovers. The cat-shaped kitchen ladle is both adorable and functional, with a heat-resistant silicone design thats suitable for serving everything from soups to sauces. Its even sturdy enough that it can stand on its own should you need to set it down in a pinch.$99The Instax Mini Link 3 lets you make the digital physical, allowing your giftee to create charming, wallet-sized prints within seconds using their phone. And thanks to Fujifilms handy companion app, theyll be able to flex their creative muscles with colorful borders, background effects, and photo collages.Crumbs$38$5024% off$38In Crumbs, celebrated food writer Ben Mims takes readers on a culinary tour, one that involves a whopping 300 recipes from nearly 100 countries. He includes all kinds of crumbly and chewy sweets, from French macarons and Portuguese biscoitos to snickerdoodles and Venezuelan shortbread cookies, while sprinkling in a brief history of each sweet.$149The Aura Carver is a 10.1-inch, cloud-connected display that lets you or your partner easily upload photos via Android or iOS. Its a great gift if youre looking for something a little more sentimental, especially if your goal is to upload those special moments youve shared together and put them on display in either landscape or portrait orientation.Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo)$36$5028% off$36A portable power bank doesnt sound romantic, but do you really think your loved one is going to care when their phone dies and theres no wall outlet to be found? Ankers 622 Magnetic Battery can provide newer iPhones with up to 7.5W of power, along with a foldable kickstand so they can prop up their phone to watch their favorite YouTuber while charging.$36 at Amazon$36 at Anker$6A scratch-off Valentines Day card is far more creative than your run-of-the-mill valentine from Target. All you have to do is jot down a heartfelt note with a pen or pencil before covering it with the provided sticker, which your giftee can then scratch off to reveal your hidden message. Its a lot like gifting a lotto ticket, that is, if the odds were always in your favor.$7 at Etsy$6 at InklingsLOreal Colorsonic Hair Color Device$99$12521% off$99No one wants to spend hundreds of dollars or their entire day just to cover some grays, which is why LOreals Colorsonic is so handy. The high-tech hair wand lets you quickly touch up roots and dye your hair without making a mess, rendering it an attractive alternative to both box dyes and salon visits. Best of all, its dead simple to use just press a button and brush your hair! No mixing required.$99 at Target$99 at LOreal Paris$60If you want to gift a floral present thats not a total cliche, Legos Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet set makes for a worry-free centerpiece. The 749-piece set comes with 15 buildable stems, from orchids and ranunculus to a brick-ified dahlia, all of which are in peak bloom no matter the season. Needless to say, its a nice way to let your creativity ahem blossom.$7Most people hate Mondays, which is probably why The New York Times chose to publish its least aggravating crossword puzzles at the beginning of the week. The publications greatest hits collection is chock-full of puzzles curated by master puzzler Will Shortz, many of which will still offer you a chance to swoop in and aid your significant other when theyre stumped.Soundcore Select 4 Go speaker$22$5056% off$22Planning a picnic or Say Anything-level romantic gesture? The Soundcore Select 4 Go is an inexpensive Bluetooth speaker that can help set the stage, especially since it easily pairs with a second Go speaker for stereo sound. It carries an IPX67 rating for dust and water resistance, too, meaning its perfect for seaside strolls, hikes, and other outdoor activities.$22 at Amazon$45 at Soundcore$19Sungboons collagen mask is the rare TikTok sensation that actually lives up to the hype. Like magic, the face mask works overnight to improve elasticity, temporarily erasing fine lines and wrinkles. It also soothes, hydrates, and rejuvenates your skin, leaving you with a glowing complexion that should last far longer than the viral videos from which it sprang up.$19 at Amazon$31Comfyables Puffy Laptop Sleeve stands out among a sea of drab alternatives. The ultra-plush sleeve feels as comfortable as it looks thanks to attractive Scandinavian colors and its fluffy fleece lining, the latter of which helps protect notebooks up to 16 inches in size. Its also waterproof, so you neednt worry about the occasional raindrop or rogue cup of coffee.$31 at Amazon$31 at Comfyable$73If you cant score tickets to Oasis upcoming reunion tour, then the 30th-anniversary edition of the bands classic debut might be the next best thing. The newly pressed vinyl features a number of songs theyre sure to play on tour, including classics like Live Forever and Supersonic, as well as some unreleased material from the original recording sessions in 94.$73 at AmazonPaper Apps Golf Notebook$8$8Got a valentine who loves to golf? Paper Apps Golf is a pocket-sized game that lets them hit the proverbial green just about anywhere. The 60-page notebook features three randomly generated golf courses, each with 18 holes, along with a brief overview of how to play. Youll need a Pencil dice (sold separately) to hit the ball, but its all pretty simple once you get the swing of it, no pun intended.$8 at Gladden$32Blackwings Volume 71 set pays tribute to renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his Usonian-style homes, which he pioneered beginning in the early 1930s. Each of the 12 pencils is adorned with silhouettes of Wrights perforated boards and features a midcentury palette not to mention premium Japanese graphite and wood, allowing for a silky smooth writing experience. $89If you want to add a bit of retro flair to your valentines work routine, consider setting them up with a glow-in-the-dark mechanical keyboard. Designed by Nephlock, the Classic Glo is a colorful, glow-in-the-dark version of the Classic-TKL DIY tenkeyless keyboard with cool RGB effects and Via support for ample customization. Just dont forget theyll need their own keycaps, switches, and stabilizers.$89 at NovelkeysBaggu Go Pouch Set$40$40Thanks to its colorful assortment of designs and patterns, Baggus Go Pouch Set is so cute youll actually want to keep your bag organized. The set comes with three expandable pouches of differing sizes, allowing you to neatly pack coins, makeup, shoes, and other essentials. The heavyweight, recycled nylon pouches are also machine washable, which is always a plus in our book.Instant Pot Pro$150$150The Instant Pot Pro is the amalgamation of 10 different kitchen appliances. Not only does it function as both a six-quart rice cooker and a pressure cooker, but it also serves as a yogurt maker, a slow cooker, a cake baker, a sous vide machine, a saut pan, and more. Its dead simple to use, too, letting you prepare an entire meal for six with just a couple of ingredients and a few button presses.See More:

Text-to-speech (TTS) technology has made significant strides in recent years, but challenges remain in creating natural, expressive, and high-fidelity speech synthesis. Many TTS systems struggle to replicate the nuances of human speech, such as intonation, emotion, and accent, often resulting in artificial-sounding voices. Additionally, precise voice cloning remains difficult, limiting the ability to generate personalized or diverse speech outputs. These challenges have driven continued research into more sophisticated TTS models capable of producing real-time, expressive, and realistic speech.Zyphra has introduced the beta release of Zonos-v0.1, featuring two real-time TTS models with high-fidelity voice cloning. The release includes a 1.6 billion-parameter transformer model and a similarly sized hybrid model, both available under the Apache 2.0 license. This open-source initiative seeks to advance TTS research by making high-quality speech synthesis technology more accessible to developers and researchers.The Zonos-v0.1 models are trained on approximately 200,000 hours of speech data, encompassing both neutral and expressive speech patterns. While the primary dataset consists of English-language content, significant portions of Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish, and German speech have been incorporated, allowing for multilingual support. The models generate lifelike speech from text prompts using either speaker embeddings or audio prefixes. They can perform voice cloning with as little as 5 to 30 seconds of sample speech and offer controls over parameters such as speaking rate, pitch variation, audio quality, and emotions like sadness, fear, anger, happiness, and surprise. The synthesized speech is produced at a 44 kHz sample rate, ensuring high audio fidelity.Zonos-v0.1 includes several key features:Zero-shot TTS with Voice Cloning: Users can generate speech by providing a short speaker sample alongside text input, making it possible to synthesize voices with minimal data.Audio Prefix Inputs: By incorporating an audio prefix, the models can better match speaker characteristics and even reproduce specific speaking styles, such as whispering.Multilingual Support: The system supports multiple languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, French, and German, increasing its versatility for global applications.Audio Quality and Emotion Control: Users can fine-tune aspects such as pitch, frequency range, and emotional tone to create more expressive and natural speech outputs.Efficient Performance: Running at approximately twice real-time speed on an RTX 4090, the models are optimized for real-time applications.User-friendly Interface: A Gradio-based WebUI simplifies speech generation, making it accessible to a broader range of users.Straightforward Deployment: The models can be installed and deployed easily using a provided Docker setup, ensuring ease of integration into existing workflows.These features make Zonos-v0.1 a flexible tool for various TTS applications, from content creation to accessibility tools.Early evaluations suggest that Zonos-v0.1 delivers high-quality speech generation, often comparable to or exceeding leading proprietary systems. While objective audio evaluation remains complex, comparisons with other modelsincluding proprietary solutions such as ElevenLabs and Cartesia, as well as open-source alternatives like FishSpeech-v1.5highlight Zonoss ability to produce clear, natural, and expressive speech. The hybrid model, in particular, offers reduced latency and lower memory usage compared to the transformer variant, benefiting from its Mamba2-based architecture, which minimizes reliance on attention mechanisms.The beta release of Zonos-v0.1 represents an important step forward in open-source TTS development. By providing a high-fidelity, expressive, and real-time speech synthesis tool under an accessible license, Zyphra offers developers and researchers a powerful resource for advancing TTS applications. Its combination of voice cloning, multilingual support, and fine-grained audio control makes it a versatile addition to the field, with potential applications in assistive technologies, content creation, and beyond.Check outZyphra/Zonos-v0.1-hybrid.All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitterand join ourTelegram ChannelandLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our75k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqWebsite| + postsBioAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.Asif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Tutorial to Fine-Tuning Mistral 7B with QLoRA Using Axolotl for Efficient LLM TrainingAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Meta AI Introduces Brain2Qwerty: A New Deep Learning Model for Decoding Sentences from Brain Activity with EEG or MEG while Participants Typed Briefly Memorized Sentences on a QWERTY KeyboardAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Kyutai Releases Hibiki: A 2.7B Real-Time Speech-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text Translation with Near-Human Quality and Voice TransferAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Fine-Tuning of Llama-2 7B Chat for Python Code Generation: Using QLoRA, SFTTrainer, and Gradient Checkpointing on the Alpaca-14k Dataset [Recommended] Join Our Telegram Channel

An Introduction to Pydantic AI 0 like February 10, 2025Share this postAuthor(s): Thomas Reid Originally published on Towards AI. Make building production-grade AI Apps easierImage by Author (Dalle-3)This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.If I were to ask you what Pydantic was, you might already know that its the leading data validation library for Python. If you didnt know this or havent heard of Pydantic before, Ill leave a link at the end of this article that gives a good overview of its capabilities and use cases.Why, might you ask, has the organisation behind a data validation library thrown its hat into the AI ring with its latest project Pydantic AI, an agentic AI framework.Thats a good question, but you might not realise that the original Pydantic library is already deeply embedded in the current APIs and frameworks of most leading LLM providers, including OpenAI, Ollama, Anthropic, CrewAI, and more.One of the most recent improvements in many LLM APIs called structured output would be much more difficult for LLM providers to implement were it not for Pydantic.So, I think the answer to my question is that Pydantic sees a gap in the market that they believe they are uniquely placed to fill.Well, for one, the people behind Pydantic AI have a pedigree. The robustness and utility of 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

As someone who reads a new book almost every week, one of the greatest purchases I've ever made was my Kindle Paperwhite. While I love reading an actual physical book when I can, it is way more convenient to just move on to the next book in a series at the click of a button. And because I do the bulk of my reading at night, having the built-in backlight is a total game changer.That being said, a Kindle is a fairly expensive purchase. Amazon doesn't have deals on Kindle devices very often, but when it does, it's usually a good time to pick one up for a little bit less. Right now, Amazon is dropping the price of the Kindle Paperwhite as part of its Presidents' Day and Valentine's Day sales.The Best Kindle Deal at Amazon TodayAmazon Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB)Amazon is currently only discounting the black version of the Kindle Paperwhite, which means both the jade and raspberry models are still full price. This shouldn't matter much, however, as you can customize the Kindle with a variety of different cases and covers. And while the 16% discount on this Kindle may not seem like much, it's enough to essentially cover the cost of a case.I'd personally recommend getting a case to go with your Kindle. All you have to do is close the front flap and it will automatically go into sleep mode.Best Overall CaseKindle Paperwhite Signature CaseSee it at AmazonWater SafeKindle Paperwhite Cork Cover See it at AmazonBest FunctionalityFintie Case for Kindle PaperwhiteSee it at AmazonBest Budget OptionSaynetral Slim Kindle Paperwhite CaseSee it at AmazonIs this a good deal?The Kindle Papwerwhite doesn't go on sale very often, so any discount is usually a pretty good deal. That said, this isn't the lowest-ever price for this device. The biggest discount we've seen on this particular model of e-reader was back during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when Amazon dropped it down to $129.99. Overall, this is the first discount we've seen in 2025 and we recommend buying one if you've been waiting for a sale.Should You Buy the Regular Kindle Instead?In general, we recommend the Paperwhite as the overall best Kindle you can buy, but the 2024 version of the standard Kindle is still quite good and has many of the same features. I happen to own both the latest Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle and have found the biggest difference to be the size and price. The standard Kindle comes with a 6-inch screen compared to the larger 7-inch screen of the Paperwhite. Both models include a built-in backlight and a dark mode, so if you'd prefer a more compact model, the regular Kindle is a great option. It is also quite a bit cheaper, even without a discount.Amazon Kindle 16GB BlackAlso available in Denim blue color.See it at AmazonDo You Have to Pay for Kindle Unlimited?If you purchase a Kindle, you do not have to have a Kindle Unlimited subscription to read books on it. The Kindle store sometimes has free books and you can make purchases directly through your device as well. You can also download free books from other sources like Libby and read them on your Kindle if you want to avoid paying anything.Amazon does give you the option to pair Kindle Unlimited with your purchase of the device, which will give you three free months of the service. As someone who has a Kindle Unlimited subscription, I'd definitely recommend it if you plan on reading a lot of books. It's especially good for some of the older best-selling books and genres like LitRPG that have 10+ titles in the series.