Last year, Dragon Age: The Veilguard picked up 10 years after the series' previous installment, Dragon Age: Inquisition. And instead of buying the long-awaited dark fantasy roleplaying game, all PlayStation Plus subscribers can play the game as part of their subscription in March.PlayStation Plus is Sony's version of Xbox Game Pass, and it offers subscribers a large and constantly expanding library of games. There are three plans starting at $10 a month, but each plan gives subscribers access to monthly games and rewards. And starting on March 4, subscribers can defy the gods in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.Here are all the games PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to access. You can also check out the latest games Sony added to the PlayStation Plus Library in February, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.Dragon Age: The Veilguard Dragon Age: The Veilguard EAStep into the enchanted land of Thedas, an area full of untamed wilderness, glittering cities and strife. A pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken out of their hold and are wreaking havoc across the globe. It's up to you to gather a team and stop them, but that's just the main quest. You can also embark on side quests and companion quests that shed light on who they are and how the world is changing around you. Veilguard changes the Dragon Age formula with a more action-oriented approach, though it retains familiar aspects like branching choices and combat primers and detonators. So get ready to dive into an enchanting adventure, make new friends and become a legend.Sonic Colors: UltimateJoin Sonic the Hedgehog on another high octane adventure to stop Dr. Eggman's nefarious amusement park. No really, in this game he's opened an interstellar theme park filled with rides and other attractions, but he's built it on the backs of a captured alien race called Wisps. It's up to you to free the Wisps from their shackles and stop Dr. Eggman again.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga CollectionPlay as the turtles in a half shell in not one but 13 TMNT games from Konami. Take a trip down memory lane with TMNT games from the arcade, GameBoy and Sega Genesis. The games also include improvements from their original releases, like online and couch co-op for certain games, the ability to save any time and more. So grab your controller, a slice of pizza and get ready to knock the Foot Clan out. Cowabunga, dude! For more on PlayStation Plus, here's what to know about the service. You can also check out the latest upcoming games on Xbox Game Pass, Apple Arcade and Netflix Games. Watch this: The Problem With Windows Gaming Handhelds Is Windows: Tech Therapy 08:14

Looking for the most recentregular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.Do you know how NFL draft prospects are evaluated? If not,Connections: Sports Editionmight be tough today. Read on for hints and the answers.Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut onSuper Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That's a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn't show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic's own app. Or you can continue to play it free online. Read more:NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of BetaHints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsHere are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.Yellow group hint: Behind the plateGreen group hint: Put me in, Coach.Blue group hint: Prepping for the prosPurple group hint:Sports sanctionAnswers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsYellow group: A catcher's equipmentGreen group: BackupsBlue group: NFL draft tests and evaluationsPurple group: Results of a penaltyRead more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English WordsWhat are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers? The completed NYT Connections Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 27, 2025, #157. NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is a catcher's equipment. The four answers are chest protector, glove, mask and shin guards.The green words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is backups. The four answers are bench, depth, reserves and substitutes.The blue words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is NFL draft tests and evaluations. The four answers are 40-yard dash, interview, three-cone drill and vertical jump.The purple words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is results of a penalty. The four answers are free throw, loss of yards, power play and yellow card.

February 26, 20254 min readThe Latest on Bird Flus Hits to Egg Supplies, Rats and CatsAvian influenza continues to fuel egg shortages. Plus, a delayed CDC study on household cats reveals concerning human exposure routesBy Lauren J. Young edited by Tanya LewisBlack rat (Rattus rattus). Claudio Contreras/Nature Picture Library/Alamy Stock PhotoWere regularly rounding up the latest news on avian influenza. Heres what happened recently.Black Rats Test Positive for H5N1Rats have become the latest addition to the menagerie of animals infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reported on February 19 that four black rats from Riverside County, Californiasoutheast of Los Angeles Countyhad tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. As of February 26, the total number of viral detections in mammals reported by the USDA since May 2022 is 514.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The rats, initially tested in late January, were reportedly associated with two infected poultry farms. The virus had previously been detected in other rodents, such as house and deer mice. Black rats are known to be common in urban areas, which has raised concern of a potential new exposure route for pets and humans. Rodent transmission could also make it harder to contain the spread of bird flu on poultry and dairy farms, where rats and mice may shed the virus in water or animal feed, on equipment and in the environment. Researchers in Japan published a study in July 2024 that found that H5N1 primarily replicates in wild rodents respiratory tract and can be detected in oral swabs. The researchers suggest that the tested rodents, including black rats, brown rats and house mice, could spread the virus to their surroundings via saliva.Infected rodents could also allow the virus to move more readily from farming environments to homes, the Los Angeles Times reported. Scientists and scientific organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, urge farmers and owners of backyard birds and household pets to reduce rodent exposure by fully enclosing the perimeters of animal pens and keeping feed, water and equipment in sealed, out-of-reach places.Delayed Report on Bird Flu in Cats Has Finally Been ReleasedThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has posted a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that contains important new developments on household cats infected with bird flu. A February 6 MMWR paper on the effects of wildfire on health initially included information on H5N1 detections in house cats, but those data were quickly taken down, according to the New York Times. The new MMWR report on cats, which was released on February 20, details two cases of infected indoor pet felines in separate households. A female five-year-old shorthair cat had decreased appetite, disorientation and reduced grooming. And a six-month-old male Maine coon experienced facial swelling and loss of appetite. Both showed signs of lethargy and progressive neurological deterioration. Because of the rapid progression of disease in both cases, the female cat was euthanized, and the male cat died within 24 hours of signs of illness.According to the report, neither of the cats had any known direct exposure to farms with H5N1 outbreaks but lived in the respective homes of two Michigan dairy workersboth of whom declined testing. One of the dairy workers, who lives alone, operated on multiple farms transporting raw milk and reported getting splashed on the face, eyes and clothing. The second individual did not work directly with animals or on a farm with a known outbreak. The farm that person worked on was near others that had H5N1 infections, however. The people who lived with the second dairy worker all tested negative for the virus. The report notes that infection sources are still unknown.The holdup of the cat report coincided with an interruption in CDC communications and the removal of information on many government sites to comply with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump. The CDC has not published a press release on bird flu since January 17.Bird flu infections in cats have previously been reported; details of those cases are also limited. Experts hypothesize the animals may have become infected via consumption of raw milk or raw meat from infected wild birds, poultry or rodents.Egg Pricing WoesEgg prices continue to soar as bird flu outbreaks rip through the poultry industry. The USDAs latest weekly egg-market overview report, published on February 21, noted that 36 confirmed outbreaks in nine states have resulted in the loss of 26.8 million egg-laying birds. The pressure of lost poultry is having a direct effect on price: the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average cost of a dozen eggs was $4.95 as of January 2025a record high. Prices may soon rise even higher, however. The USDAs latest egg market overview found cartons delivered to retailers in the week of February 21 averaged $8.47 in New York State, $8.09 in the major Midwestern production region and $9.22 in California.On Monday the U.S.s newly appointed secretary of agriculture Brooke Rollins visited poultry farms in Texas and hosted a roundtable with farmers. At the event, she told ABC News that its possible that prices may continue to rise but that her team will fix it. Rollins added that she and the Trump administration have developed a new plan to control outbreaks in poultry, which she detailed today in an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal. The current procedure involves slaughtering entire flocks when a case of H5N1 is detected. Rollins says this will still likely be part of the process but that officials are investing in other tactics, including exploring H5N1 vaccines for poultry, reimbursing farmers for lost birds and expanding a program that started under the Biden administration in which the USDA offers farms no-cost biosecurity evaluations.The plan also includes considering egg imports from abroad. Turkey has started to deliver 15,000 metric tons of eggs to replenish U.S. supplies, Reuters reported. Shipments began this month, are expected to continue until July and will cost approximately $26 million to export.

Well, here's a surprise. Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be part of Sony's PlayStation Plus Essential Games for March. Read more

ToplinePresident Donald Trump, who has led an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion crusade since taking office last month, demanded Apple get rid of its DEI programs in a Truth Social post Wednesday morning, one day after the companys shareholders voted to reject an anti-DEI proposal, bucking a national trend of companies that scaling back their diversity goals amid a wave of backlash.Apple shareholders voted against ending the company's DEI policies.AFP via Getty ImagesTimelineFeb. 25Bank of America will end aspirational targets for diversity hiring and replaced the word diversity with talent and opportunity in an annual report, Bloomberg reported.Feb. 25BlackRock cut references to DEI in its latest annual report, three years after the companys CEO Larry Fink said the company must embed DEI into everything we do.Feb. 20Citigroup will rename its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Talent Management team to Talent Management and Engagement, and it will end its diversity hiring goals, Bloomberg reported.Feb. 20Pepsi will no longer use representation goals in hiring, will transition its Chief DEI Officer position to focus more on employee development and will shift its supplier diversity program to focus on all small businesses, according to an internal memo posted on X by anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuckwho said he contacted the company about doing a story about their woke policies.Feb. 17JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup were removing or watering down language around their DEI efforts, unnamed people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal, and other banks including Wells Fargo and Bank of America have begun reviewing their DEI language, as well.Feb. 13Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were preparing to comply with Trumps executive order that sought to ban DEI programs as both receive government contracts, Bloomberg reported; Coca-Colas changes will likely be disclosed in future Securities and Exchange Commission filings, according to the report, and PepsiCos latest filing removed references to its diverse workforce and DEI.Feb. 12Dimon said he saw how we were spending money on some of this stupid s-, and it really pissed me off, stating in response to a question about DEI he will cancel some expenses he views as wasteful, Bloomberg reported, though he also reiterated his commitment to Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ community outreach, a viewpoint he has repeated in recent weeks even as other companies roll back their DEI commitmentsand he has previously slammed ridiculous anti-DEI crusaders targeting his company. (Forbes has reached out to JPMorgan Chase for comment).Feb. 11Goldman Sachs said it would drop a requirement that a company it takes public must have at least two diverse members on its board of directors, one of whom had to be a woman, which a company spokesperson told Axios is because of legal developments related to board diversity requirements (A federal appeals court in December ruled Nasdaq could not require companies to have board diversity quotas.)Feb. 11Disney is making several changes to its DEI approach, including shifting its Diversity & Inclusion performance metric used to evaluate employees to Talent Strategy, which is focused more on business outcomes, while also axing its Reimagine Tomorrow website which highlights diverse employees and adjusting content warnings it attached to some of its older films on Disney+ to remove references to diversity and culture.Feb. 11Deloitte told U.S. employees working with government clients to remove pronouns from their email signatures and said it would roll back its DEI goals and cease issuing diversity reportsbut the firms United Kingdom branch told its staff diversity remains a priority and it would stand by its diversity goals.Feb. 10PBSwhich Trump has repeatedly called for defundingshuttered its diversity, equity and inclusion office, and those who worked in DEI roles have left the company, which PBS said in a memo to staff is to make sure it complies with Trumps anti-DEI executive orders.Feb. 10Days after it cut diversity hiring goals, a Google spokesperson told CNBC it no longer marks the start of cultural observances like Pride Month and Black History Month because maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasnt scalable or sustainable, though it said it began making these changes in mid-2024.Feb. 7NPR first reported more than a dozen companies have pared back, or removed altogether, references to diversity, equity and inclusion in their 2024 annual reports to investors, including Pepsi, GM, Google, Disney, GE, Intel, PayPal, Chipotle and Comcast (GM removed all references to diversity, NPR reported, while Pepsi removed nearly all references after writing in its investor report last year DEI is a competitive advantage.)Feb. 7Professional services company Accenture said it would no longer use diversity targets in hiring and promoting, citing the Trump administrations push for private companies to roll back DEI goals, the companys chief executive Julie Sweet said in a memo to staff, Bloomberg reported.Feb. 7Amazons annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for 2024 omitted a section included in the companys prior annual report, which indicated Amazon has a focus on inclusion and diversity in hiring (the news was first reported by CNBC).Feb. 6The government-funded railroad service Amtrak confirmed to Bloomberg it would roll back its DEI programs and policies, which appeared to include efforts to hire and promote diverse employees and employee resource groups, according to the companys 2023 diversity report.Feb. 5Google informed its employees in an email that it will no longer have hiring targets around improving diverse representation among its staff, The Wall Street Journal first reported, and it is evaluating whether to continue other DEI programs and release DEI reportsthough it will continue having resource groups for underrepresented staff members.Jan. 28The Smithsonian Institution told employees its diversity office is closing as a first step to address Trumps new federal policy that declared DEI programs as dangerous and demeaning, the Washington Post reported, and the link to the institutions 2022 diversity and inclusion initiatives report and link to its equal employment opportunity policy are broken.Jan. 24Target, which had already curbed its LGBTQ Pride merchandise line in response to conservative backlash, announced it would pull back on racial hiring targets, end its Racial Equity Action and Change program and cease participation in external diversity surveys, with chief community impact and equity officer Kiera Fernandez telling employees in a memo the decisions were made based on many years of data and an effort to stay in step with the evolving external landscape.Jan. 17The FBI confirmed in a statement to Forbes it had closed its DEI officea frequent target of attacks by Republicansin December, prompting President-elect Donald Trump to demand the agency preserve and retain all records relating to the shuttered office as he accused the FBI of corruption in a Truth Social post.Jan. 10Amazon said it would roll back what it called outdated programs and materials in an internal memo, though it did not specify what would be discontinued, while certain programs aimed at addressing disparities would continue until the disparities are eliminatedJan. 10Meta said in a memo the company ended several programs intended to increase its hiring of diverse candidates, including its equity and inclusion training programs, after Janelle Gale, Metas vice president of people, said the legal and policy landscape surrounding DEI efforts in the U.S. is changing.Jan. 6McDonalds announced it would abandon specific diversity targets, cease participation in external surveys that measure company demographics and would rename its diversity team to Global Inclusion Team, citing the Supreme Court decision that ended affirmative action at universities and similar DEI walkbacks by other corporations, though it said it would continue to report demographic information in its own annual report.Nov. 25, 2024Walmart said it would abandon its DEI commitments, including winding down a Center for Racial Equity nonprofit it had founded in 2020 with a $100 million, 5-year commitment, ceasing third-party sellers from offering certain LGBTQ-themed products on its website, no longer participating in the Human Rights Campaigns external surveys and phasing out the term diversity, equity and inclusion in company documents.Nov. 1, 2024Boeing dismantled its global diversity, equity and inclusion department and redirected its staff to its human resources department to focus on talent acquisition and employee experience, Bloomberg reported.Sept. 4, 2024Molson Coors, which had in 2023 defended a feminist-themed ad that sparked conservative backlash, said it would abandon supplier diversity quotas, shift DEI training sessions to focus on business objectives and stop participating in external diversity surveys, despite previously receiving a perfect 100 from the Human Rights Campaign for its LGBTQ policies.Aug. 28, 2024Lowes said in an internal memo it would combine its employee resource groups into one umbrella organization, cease participating in HRC surveys and would stop participating in external events like Pride parades.Aug. 28, 2024Ford Motor Co. informed employees it would stop participating in external diversity surveys and would evolve its employee resource groups to focus on networking and mentorship to all employees, citing the evolving external and legal environment related to political and social issues.Aug. 22, 2024Jack Daniels manufacturer Brown-Forman told employees it would no longer tie executive compensation to DEI progress, remove workforce and supplier diversity goals and cease participating in the HRC index, citing the shifting legal and external landscape.Aug. 19, 2024Harley-Davidson said it abandoned its DEI function in April and said it does not utilize diversity quotas for hiring or suppliers, and that it would no longer participate in HRC surveys or partner with sponsors that do not focus on its loyal riding community.July 16, 2024Farm equipment manufacturer John Deere said it would no longer support cultural awareness events like Pride parades and would audit company documents to remove socially-motivated messages, adding that diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been company policy, though it said it would continue to internally track employee diversity.What Did Trump Say About Apple Keeping Its Dei Programs?Trump, in an all-caps Truth Social post, said Apple should get rid of DEI rules, not just make adjustments to them, calling DEI a hoax that has been very bad for our country. Apple shareholders on Tuesday voted against a proposal that would have required the company to consider banning its DEI initiatives. The proposal was filed by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank that has filed similar resolutions at many companies. The think tank claimed DEI poses litigation, reputational and financial risks to companies, and therefore financial risks to their shareholders in the resolution. At a shareholder meeting Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said some of the companys DEI policies may need to change to comply with the law, but the company would remain committed to creating a culture of belonging. Apple has previously indicated it would stand behind DEI: Last month, the companys board urged shareholders to reject the NCPPRs proposal, criticizing the group for inappropriately trying to restrict Apple's ability to manage its own ordinary business operations.ContraCostco has refused to back down from its DEI policies. The companys shareholders overwhelmingly voted to reject a proposal that would have obligated the company to review the potential risks of maintaining its DEI initiatives, with more than 98% of shareholders voting against the proposal. The board said it believes that our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary. Apples board similarly urged shareholders to reject a proposal raised by the same think tank, accusing the group of inappropriately attempting to restrict Apple's ability to manage its own ordinary business operations. Delta Airlines also said it remains committed to DEI on a Jan. 10 earnings call. Peter Carter, the companys executive vice president for external affairs, told a reporter the company is not reevaluating DEI or sustainability policies because they are actually critical to our business, stating DEI is about talent and that's been our focus. Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins told Axios a diverse workforce is better because theres too much business value.

Ring Him Up"I don't think anything's been impacted" Sure, Destin Daniel Cretton is busy with Spider-Man 4 and Naruto, but Simu Lui wants you to know Shang-Chi 2 is still coming too"There's nothing coming out of both of us but excitement to make this film."Image credit: Marvel News by Oisin Kuhnke Contributor Published on Feb. 26, 2025 The director of Shang-Chi 2 is a pretty busy guy these days, but its star has at least shared that the film is still coming.Destin Daniel Cretton has a lot on his plate right now. Since 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, he's mostly been busy with TV outings, but in the next few years he'll certainly have quite a few films coming out in a row. For one, there's the yet to be properly titled Spider-Man 4, which just caught a small delay, and on top of that he's the one that's helming the live-action Naruto movie. Both are obviously going to be pretty massive (or at least Spider-Man will, jury's still out on Naruto), but obviously a lot of Shang-Chi fans want to know how its supposed sequel is getting along.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. There's not a concrete answer to that right now, but in a recent interview with ScreenRant, the titular Shang-Chi himself Simu Liu did at least confirm that some kind of progress is being made. Liu initially responded a bit uncertainly when asked about whether Shang-Chi 2 had been impacted at all by the fact that Cretton had taken on Spider-Man 4, which is set to shoot this summer, but the actor did at least have this to say when pressed on it: "I don't think anything's been impacted. I think we're all... I speak to Destin often and there's nothing coming out of both of us but excitement to make this film."While not particularly committal, it does at least suggest there's something going on behind the scenes, though given that Spider-Man 4 is set to be released July, 2026, and the Shang-Chi sequel is only really confirmed to exist and that's about it, you can probably safely place a bet on it not arriving for a few years yet. I'm sure Simu Liu is busy enough with his stint on, uh, Dragon's Den right now anyway - oh, and who could forget that Sleeping Dogs movie he's apparently developing and gearing up to star in! Certainly not me.

Steam Deck has sold roughly 4 million units.As the Steam Deck turns three years old, and many of us laud its praises for allowing accessible PC gaming on-the-go, market research firm IDC has estimated that the handheld console has shifted roughly around 4 million units since its arrival in February 2022.The Verge spoke to the IDC, which uses supply chains to estimate the amount of gaming systems have been shifted worldwide in order to create spending forecasts (via Push Square). According to IDC, roughly 6 million handheld units which includes the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally, among others have been sold, not consoles such as the Ayaneo or GPD, which are manufactured in China.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: Gemma Smith / Nintendo LifeDavide Soliani, the creative mind behind Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Sparks of Hope, left Ubisoft last year and formed his own indie studio, Day 4 Night, with the help of Red Dead Redemptions Christian Cantamessa and composer extraordinaire Grant Kirkhope.Now, in an interview with VGC, the director has spoken a little (and we mean a little) more candidly about his new team's original IP, his decision to leave Ubisoft and his "fantastic" time working with Nintendo a collaboration that, he said, he would be keen to be a part of again.Speaking to VGC about the partnership with Nintendo on Mario + Rabbids, Soliani described the 11-year stint as "the most important" of his 26-year career. The time with Nintendo was "absolutely fantastic," Soliani stated, calling it "The most important emotionally, but also in terms of learning experience and collaborating experience".But what about working together again? While nothing appears to be on the cards at the moment, Soliani, naturally, seems like he'd be interested in such a proposition: "If one day Nintendo wants to knock on our door, I think that me and Christian are going to answer". Probably a good move, eh?Of course, VGC was also keen to hear the director's initial thoughts on Switch 2, which Soliani admitted he's "loving" the look of so far. Just like the rest of us, however, he was disappointed by the "noise and rumours we heard about leaks" in the run-up to the reveal, stating, "it just ruins the surprise".While Ubisoft was quick to claim it was "disappointed" in Sparks of Hope's financial performance, the game received a warm critical reception and its sales numbers have continued to grow (VGC predicts them to be roughly in line with the first game). Despite this, Soliani still states that he left the company with no bad blood and continues to wish it well, even during its current rocky period.The full VGC interview sees Soliani discuss the difference between working on Sparks of Hope and Kingdom Battle, his views on AI, and provide a very small update on his studio's original IP which Cantamessa describes as "something that will grow in scope and grow in content". With the help of former Red Dead Redemption lead designer"Theres no way out now."The "restructurings" continueAre you hoping to see Soliani's Day 4 Night team up with Nintendo again? Let us know in the comments.[source videogameschronicle.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Nike Has Gone Bananas With These Donkey Kong Country-Inspired TrainersTalk about FunkyNintendo Power Artist "Hadn't Actually Played Any Zelda Games" Before Creating His Take On HyruleAnd he'd like to turn his talents to Metroid98 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Play On' eShop Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherBe Warned, Two NES Titles From Limited Run Games May Damage Your ConsoleCompany issues an apology

Avride sidewalk bots will start delivering restaurant orders and groceries in central Tokyo this week through a partnership with e-commerce giant Rakuten, the latest commercial expansion by the Yandex spinout into Northeast Asia. The Austin-based autonomous vehicle startup is one of four projects under Nebius Group, a Netherlands-based company formerly called Yandex NV that sold off its Russian businesses in 2024 for about $5.2 billion. Since then, Avride has pressed forward with its autonomous vehicle technology development via its sidewalk bots and self-driving cars. And its made progress, notably by making deals with large corporations like Uber and now Japans Rakuten. Avride has a small commercial sidewalk delivery operation in Seoul, South Korea, and also tests its autonomous vehicles which still have human safety drivers behind the wheel. Last year, the company started going through the lengthy certification process in Japan in a bid to expand its footprint in the region. Now, with the certification complete, Avride is launching commercial operations in the country. The Japanese launch will be small to start just 10 robots for now, with plans to expand over time.Meanwhile, Avride is scaling in the United States as well. Today, the company has about 100 sidewalk delivery bots in operation at Ohio State University through a partnership with Grubhub.Last year, Avride secured a deal with Uber that covers sidewalk delivery bots and autonomous cars. The multi-year deal is part of a string of autonomous vehicle-related partnerships that Uber has locked in over the past year. Today, Uber Eats customers in downtown Austin, Dallas, and Jersey City can have their food delivered via one of Avrides robots. The companies plan to bring Avride self-driving cars onto the Uber platform in Dallas later this year.

Inception, a new Palo Alto-based company started by Stanford computer science professor Stefano Ermon, claims to have developed a novel AI model based on diffusion technology. Inception calls it a diffusion-based large language model, or a DLM for short.The generative AI models receiving the most attention now can be broadly divided into two types: large language models (LLMs) and diffusion models. LLMs, built on the transformer architecture, are used for text generation. Meanwhile, diffusion models, which power AI systems like Midjourney and OpenAIs Sora, are mainly used to create images, video, and audio.Inceptions model offers the capabilities of traditional LLMs, including code generation and question-answering, but with significantly faster performance and reduced computing costs, according to the company.Ermon told TechCrunch that he has been studying how to apply diffusion models to text for a long time in his Stanford lab. His research was based on the idea that traditional LLMs are relatively slow compared to diffusion technology.With LLMs, you cannot generate the second word until youve generated the first one, and you cannot generate the third one until you generate the first two, Ermon said.Ermon was looking for a way to apply a diffusion approach to text because, unlike with LLMs, which work sequentially, diffusion models start with a rough estimate of data theyre generating (e.g. ,a picture), and then bring the data into focus all at once.Ermon hypothesized generating and modifying large blocks of text in parallel was possible with diffusion models.After years of trying, Ermon and a student of his achieved a major breakthrough, which they detailed in a research paper published last year.Recognizing the advancements potential, Ermon founded Inception last summer, tapping two former students, UCLA professor Aditya Grover and Cornell professor Volodymyr Kuleshov, to co-lead the company.While Ermon declined to discuss Inceptions funding, TechCrunch understands that the Mayfield Fund has invested. Inception has already secured several customers, including unnamed Fortune 100 companies, by addressing their critical need for reduced AI latency and increased speed, Emron said.What we found is that our models can leverage the GPUs much more efficiently, Ermon said, referring to the computer chips commonly used to run models in production. I think this is a big deal. This is going to change the way people build language models.Inception offers an API as well as on-premises and edge device deployment options, support for model fine-tuning, and a suite of out-of-the-box DLMs for various use cases. The company claims its DLMs can run up to 10x faster than traditional LLMs while costing 10x less.Our small coding model is as good as [OpenAIs] GPT-4o mini while more than 10 times as fast, a company spokesperson told TechCrunch. Our mini model outperforms small open-source models like [Metas] Llama 3.1 8B and achieves more than 1,000 tokens per second.Tokens is industry parlance for bits of raw data. One thousand tokens per second is an impressive speed indeed, assuming Inceptions claims hold up.