Ever miss the thrill of the 2016 Pokmon Go craze? A new anti-swiping dating app has come to fill that void, but instead of cute Pokmon you can catch yourself a hot date.These days, trying to find a partner IRL, whether at a bar or reluctantly joining a singles running club, is no easy task. Dating apps are still one of the most common places for people trying to meet The One, but . . . have you seen the apps? 2024 has been widely dissed as the year the dating apps died. Both Bumble and Match Group saw stock prices steadily decline since reaching all-time highs in 2021.Left Field, the latest dating app launched in New York City this week, has the goal to combat swipe fatigue and bring back spontaneity in dating. The app uses location-based notifications to engineer real-life meet-cutes. Instead of actively swiping through endless profiles, the app sends push notifications of a potential match in the area (when location services are switched on) and two users could happen to cross paths.Samantha Martin and Kate Sieler began building Left Field last year to address their own mounting frustrations with existing dating apps. We interviewed over a hundred Gen Zers and heard the same three complaints again and again, the founders told Fast Company in an email. First, dating apps are a massive time drain; people are spending hours swiping each week. The second issue is the rise of paywallsit feels like apps are prioritizing monetization over connections. And finally, dating feels more forced and inorganic than ever. In 2024, 78% of dating app users reportedly feel emotionally, mentally, or physically exhausted from the apps, according to one Forbes Health survey.At its core, dating should feel fun and serendipitous, they added. We believe the future of dating isnt about making swiping slightly better, but about shifting the focus back to real-life connections.The app officially launched on the Apple App Store in February, and to build its community, Left Field is leaning on in-person events and social media. Its collaborating with comedy influencers on Instagram and TikTok while hosting singles events across New Yorkteaming up with bars, running clubs, and comedy venues. Looking ahead, Left Field plans to expand to college campuses in May, rolling out student ambassador programs to help spread the word.We believe the best connections happen when you are not actively searching for them but just out living your life, said Martin and Sieler. Gotta catch em all.

Powerful storms were threatening communities across the country Tuesday with weather ranging from fire in the Southern High Plains to blizzards in the Midwest.Forecasts also predicted dust storms in the southwest, tornadoes in the South and blizzard conditions in the Central Plains, and were forcingforcing some changes to Mardi Grasin New Orleans. The city moved up and shortened the celebrations two biggest parades. Police were also expected to help keep the parades moving to the finish before winds picked up, authorities said.The weather wasnt stopping Shalaska Jones and her 2-year-old daughter from waving at passing Mardi Gras floats Tuesday and hoping to catch one of the coveted coconuts thrown to the crowd.We was coming out rain, sleet, or snow, Jones said.The alarming forecast was one of the first big tests for the National Weather Service afterhundreds of forecasters were fired last weekas part of President Donald Trumps moves to slash the size of the federal government. Former employees said the firing of meteorologists who make crucial local forecasts across the U.S.could put lives at risk.Country faces a number of weather threatsDust storms brought near-zero visibility to parts of New Mexico and west Texas on Monday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue Dust Storm Warnings. Widespread blowing dust was expected Tuesday, said the weather service office covering Midland and Odessa, Texas.The weeks strong weather system will bring a threat of blizzard conditions, high winds, flash flooding, severe weather, dust storms, and critical to extreme fire weather conditions to the nations heartland, according to a weather service update Monday.The Central Plains and Midwest were bracing for blizzard conditions later Tuesday that forecasters warned could make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. The Nebraska Department of Transportation warned that conditions could mean low visibility and whiteout conditions across the state and urged travelers to adjust their plans for Tuesday afternoon and into the night.On Tuesday, twisters, damaging winds, and large hail were all possible as a strong storm system was set to move across the nations midsection into Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the federal Storm Prediction Center warned. Tornado watches and warnings were issued Tuesday morning in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas.Storms that swept through Texas and Oklahoma early Tuesday morning brought high winds and rain, overturning tractor-trailers and damaging roofs. Power outages were climbing Tuesday morning in the storms wake, with nearly 400,000 customers without power in Texas and another 25,000 knocked offline in Oklahoma, according toPowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.The bulls-eye for a heightened risk of severe weather was an area stretching from east Texas to Alabama thats home to more than seven million people. Cities under threat included Baton Rouge and Shreveport in Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama.Region braces for severe weather during Mardi GrasNew Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick ordered parade-goers to not bring umbrellas, tents, or anything that could fly in the wind and cause mayhem.Just outside New Orleans in neighboring Jefferson Parish, officials canceled planned Mardi Gras Day parades due to anticipated high winds and thunderstorms.This is disappointing, but our top priority is ensuring the well-being of everyone in our community, and we must always prioritize safety above all else, Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said in a statement.Mardi Gras floats could become unstable and heavy winds could blow down trees and power lines, the National Weather Service warned, adding gusts of up to 60 mph (97 kph) were expected Tuesday afternoon.In Pointe Coupee Parish, near Louisianas capital city of Baton Rouge, the incoming weather forced drastic changes to one of the oldest Mardi Gras celebrations in the state. The parade there was scheduled to roll without any bands, marching teams, or dance groupsa staple of Carnival Season parades.Officials also moved up the start time and urged residents to immediately remove all tents and trash afterward due to the dangers they can present during weather.Other cities with Mardi Gras parades watching forecastsElsewhere, large crowds were expected Tuesday for Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile, Alabama. Police said they were monitoring the forecast and would announce any celebration changes.Other cities hosting large events included Biloxi, Mississippi, where an annual parade was set for Tuesday afternoon.In downtown Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle, organizers were planning a Big Easystyle festival that included food trucks, dancing, live entertainment, and a low country seafood boil.Jeff Martin and Jack Brook, Associated PressAssociated Press writers Sara Cline, Freida Frisaro, and Susan Montoya Bryan contributed to this report.

The court said that Elon Musk could proceed with other parts of a lawsuit he brought against OpenAI last year.

Alongside the new iPad Air, Apple has launched an updated Magic Keyboard which adds function keys, and costs $30 less than before.The new iPad Air Magic Keyboard with larger trackpad plus function keys image credit: AppleFollowing Tim Cook's teasing tweet about there being something in the air, Apple has launched a new iPad Air and brought it with it new versions of the Magic Keyboard to fit. For both the 11-inch iPad Air and 13-inch iPad Air, there is now a new Magic Keyboard that compared to the previous model features: Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Despite the iPhone 16e getting loud criticism for not including MagSafe, in real-world testing, MagSafe chargers can barely attach to it magnetically.iPhone 16e - Image Credit: AppleBe clear about this from the start it is a curiosity, it is not an actually useful magnetic connection for chargers. The iPhone 16e does lack MagSafe, and that is a problem, but MagSafe chargers will still connect magnetically to the metals inside it.It was already known that the iPhone 16e would actually charge from MagSafe chargers, it just wouldn't stick to them magnetically. So the phone could never be used on a vertical or reclining MagSafe charger, and it won't ever be mountable in a car. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Cadillac is taking its large and can-charge electric Escalade IQ and making it just a longer to accommodate some more luggage and leg room for third-row passengers. The new version, called the Escalade IQL, now surpasses the length of the longest gas-powered Escalade, while also adopting the ICE versions boxier silhouette. When it goes into production in mid-2025, it will be the longest SUV ever made gas or electric. The Escalade IQL has an overall length of 228.5 inches, an inch-and-a-half longer than the gas-powered ESV. Its also about 4.2 inches longer than the regular IQ, while keeping the rest of the dimensions the same. Compared to other three-row EVs, the electric Escalade IQL is longer than the 206.7-inch GMC Hummer EV SUV, the 200.8-inch Rivian R1S, the 197.2-inch Kia EV9, and the 195-inch Volkswagen ID Buzz.The new king of long SUVs. Image: CadillacYou can tell the subtle difference between the IQ and IQL by looking at them from the sides: the IQ has small rear quarter windows bordering the rear passenger windows, while the IQL adds a body panel that separates the glass, which then is stretched across to the boxier rear hatch.The new rear can accommodate slightly bigger suitcases and more stackable space. For third-row passengers, Cadillac says you get 4 inches of additional legroom (from 32.3 inches to 36.7) and an additional inch of headroom (from 37.2 inches to 38.2).The IQL has a total of 24.2 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the third row and 75.4 cu.ft. with the third-row folded flat. That compares to 23.7 cu.ft. behind the third row of the standard IQ, and 69.1 cu.ft. with it folded. And dont forget about the extra 12.2 cu.ft. of frunk (front trunk) cargo space you get with the Escalades eTrunk under the hood.1/5Image: CadillacCadillac revealed the original Escalade IQ electric SUV in 2023, introducing features such as a 55-inch pillar-to-pillar infotainment screen running Android Automotive OS. The IQL has a 205kWh battery pack with the same advertised 460 miles of range as the regular IQ, and can gain up to 116 miles of range in a 10-minute charge on 350kW DC fast chargers.The Escalade IQL starts at $132,695 including destination charges and will go into production at GMs Factory Zero plant in Detroit starting mid-2025.See More:

Large language models (LLMs) generate text step by step, which limits their ability to plan for tasks requiring multiple reasoning steps, such as structured writing or problem-solving. This lack of long-term planning affects their coherence and decision-making in complex scenarios. Some approaches evaluate various alternatives before making a choice, which improves prediction precision. However, they have higher computational costs and are prone to errors if future forecasts were incorrect.Apparent search algorithms like Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) and beam search are well-liked in AI planning and decision-making but lack inherent limitations. They use repeated simulations of the future, with rising computation costs and rendering them unsuitable for real-time systems. They also depend on a value model to estimate every state, which, if incorrect, propagates the error along the search. Since longer predictions create more errors, these errors build up and decrease decision accuracy. This is particularly problematic in complicated tasks necessitating long-term planning, where it becomes challenging to maintain accurate foresight, resulting in inferior outcomes.To mitigate these issues, researchers from The University of Hong Kong, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Huawei Noahs Ark Lab, and Shanghai AI Laboratory proposed DIFFUSEARCH. This discrete diffusion-based framework eliminates explicit search algorithms like MCTS. Instead of relying on costly search processes, DIFFUSEARCH trains the policy to directly predict and utilize future representations, refining predictions iteratively using diffusion models. Integrating the world model and policy into a single framework reduces computational overhead while improving efficiency and accuracy in long-term planning.The framework trains the model using supervised learning, leveraging Stockfish as an oracle to label board states from chess games. Different future representations are examined, with the action-state (s-asa) method selected for simplicity and efficiency. Rather than directly predicting future sequences, the model utilizes discrete diffusion modeling, applying self-attention and iterative denoising to improve action predictions gradually. DIFFUSEARCH avoids costly marginalization over future states during inference by directly sampling from the trained model. An easy-first decoding strategy prioritizes more predictable tokens for denoising, enhancing accuracy.Researchers evaluated DIFFUSEARCH against three transformer-based baselines: State-Action (S-A), State-Value (S-V), and Action-Value (SA-V) models trained using behavioral cloning, value-based decision-making, and legal action comparison, respectively. Using a dataset of 100k chess games, with states encoded in FEN format and actions in UCI notation, they implemented GPT-2-based models with an Adam optimizer, a 3e-4 learning rate, a batch size of 1024, an 8-layer architecture (7M parameters), a horizon of 4, and diffusion timesteps set to 20. Evaluations included action accuracy, puzzle accuracy, and Elo ratings from a 6000-game internal tournament. DIFFUSEARCH outperformed S-A by 653 Elo and 19% in action accuracy and exceeded SA-V despite using 20 times fewer data records. Discrete diffusion with linear t achieved the highest accuracy (41.31%), surpassing autoregressive and Gaussian methods. DIFFUSEARCH retained predictive ability in future moves, though accuracy declined over steps, and performance improved with more attention layers and refined decoding. Positioned as an implicit search method, it demonstrated competitiveness with explicit MCTS-based approaches.In summary, the proposed model established that implicit search via discrete diffusion could effectively replace explicit search and improve chess decision-making. The model surpassed searchless and explicit policies and showed its potential to learn future-imitative strategies. Although using an external oracle and a limited data set, the model indicated future possibilities for improvement through self-play and long-context modeling. More generally, this method can be applied to improve next-token prediction in language models. As a starting point for further investigation, it forms a basis for investigating implicit search in AI planning and decision-making.Check outthe Paper, and GitHub Page.All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,feel free to follow us onTwitterand dont forget to join our80k+ ML SubReddit. Divyesh Vitthal JawkhedeDivyesh is a consulting intern at Marktechpost. He is pursuing a BTech in Agricultural and Food Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He is a Data Science and Machine learning enthusiast who wants to integrate these leading technologies into the agricultural domain and solve challenges.Divyesh Vitthal Jawkhedehttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/divyesh-jawkhede/Accelerating AI: How Distilled Reasoners Scale Inference Compute for Faster, Smarter LLMsDivyesh Vitthal Jawkhedehttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/divyesh-jawkhede/Unveiling Hidden PII Risks: How Dynamic Language Model Training Triggers Privacy Ripple EffectsDivyesh Vitthal Jawkhedehttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/divyesh-jawkhede/Convergence AI Releases WebGames: A Comprehensive Benchmark Suite Designed to Evaluate General-Purpose Web-Browsing AI AgentsDivyesh Vitthal Jawkhedehttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/divyesh-jawkhede/Simplifying Self-Supervised Vision: How Coding Rate Regularization Transforms DINO & DINOv2 Recommended Open-Source AI Platform: IntellAgent is a An Open-Source Multi-Agent Framework to Evaluate Complex Conversational AI System' (Promoted)

Waahahaha!As you might recall, Nintendo and Amazon filed a lawsuit against sellers of alleged fake products including counterfeit amiibo.In an update, Nintendo has officially won - with Seattle district judge Marsha J. Pechman awarding the video game giant approximately $7,030,158 million as a default judgment against the two sellers (thanks, Polygon).Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: NintendoAhead of MAR10 Day next week, Nintendo has announced multiple Mario Day discounts on select Nintendo Switch titles.If you're wanting even more Mario action, you can also check out Mario's classic library of games on the Switch Online service. To help you do this, Nintendo is offering a free 14-day trial, with this offer ending on March 17th. The code for this trial will also need to be activated by March 31st."This #Mar10Day, play a selection of classic games featuring Mario on your Nintendo Switch system with a free trial of #NintendoSwitchOnline! For a limited time, you can make the fun last even longer with a 14-day trial! Offer ends 3/17 at 11pm PT."Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube Image: NintendoThis standard tier trial will give you access to games like Mario Bros., Super Mario World, Super Mario Land 2 and obviously various other retro Nintendo titles. This offer is not available to existing members with an active Switch Online membership.In addition to this, Nintendo is also hosting a My Nintendo Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Community Challenge later this week, where racers can join for the opportunity to receive 310 Platinum Points. Here are the details:"Between March 7 at 12 a.m. PT and March 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT, players across the globe will join forces to try and finish one million combined laps in the game! If the goal of one million laps is completed by all global players combined, everyone who participated in the Americas will receive 310 Platinum Points! To take part, just enter 1152-2501-4827 in-game when prompted."Image: NintendoThere are even more Mario-related celebrations taking place and you can find out about them in our previous coverage: Fancy a Mario bag or license holder?"I'm a slasher... of prices!"Super Soccer will "no longer be available"Will you be making use of this free trial offer? Let us know in the comments.[source my.nintendo.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Confirms Removal Of Switch Online SNES GameSuper Soccer will "no longer be available"Nintendo Highlights Four Brand New Games "Coming Soon" To SwitchMarch is going to be an exciting monthStunning New Physical Edition Of Stardew Valley Is Now Available At FangamerIncludes comic, poster, art cards, and moreStardew Valley's New Update For Nintendo Switch Is Now LiveUpdate: Creator acknowledges "error" in Switch patchNintendo Switch Online Announces Removal Of Super Famicom TitleGoodbye, Super Soccer

EcoDataCenter, a Swedish company that builds eco-friendly data centers used by major compute providers to handle their AI traffic, has raised nearly half a billion dollars $478 million (450 million) to be exact in anticipation of more demand.The equity funding, which is coming from a group of unnamed institutional investors, will be used to continue developing new technologies for more green data centers and to build those structures.The news comes just two days after one of EDCs major customers, the AI compute giant CoreWeave, filed for an IPO in the United States.EDC has now raised 910 million ($966 million) in equity to date. Areim, the holding company that owns it, declined to say what the companys valuation is. The company did confirm that spinning out EDC is not on the cards.We are focused on scalingEcoDataCenterand delivering long-term value, supported by the strong backing of our investors, said Robert Bjrk , an investment manager for Areim, and board memberEcoDataCenter. While we continuously evaluate strategic opportunities for the company, including potential future financing options, an IPO is not something we are actively pursuing at this stage.EcoDataCenters focus has been to build data centers specifically, colocation spaces where customers bring in some or all of their own servers and related hardware that are more sustainable.Its a timely effort: research from the International Energy Agency has shown how power hungry large data centers can be.The IEA has found that these data centers have power demands of 100 MW or more, with an annual electricity consumption equivalent to the electricity demand from around 350,000 to 400,000 electric cars.The IEA also estimated that data centers collectively account for 1% of all global electricity consumption.In that context, EDC is notable for not just helping to meet the seemingly insatiable demand for compute capacity, but for trying to do that in an eco-friendly manner one that is now influencing others.We were the first company in the world to start building in whats called cross-laminated timber, saidPeter Michelson EDCs CEO, in an interview. Now, Microsoft is following. EDC also uses renewable energy to power its buildings, and continues to work on new approaches and materials for more efficient cooling and operations.EcoDataCenters other customers include DeepL and the so-called hyperscalers. The latter companies do build their own data centers, but they also load balance by taking space in those built by third parties, like EDC.While it has a number of customers that extend outside of tech such as BMW, EDC is perhaps best known as the partner of CoreWeave. Its also the prominent hosting provider for a project in collaboration with CoreWeave and Nvidia to build the first Blackwell cluster in Europe, in the Swedish town of Falun, designed to bring more compute capacity to Europe.The size of EDCs fundraise highlights how valuable data centers especially colocation centers that offset major capex spend for its customers have become in the current hype cycle for AI.That is a global surge. Most notably, the U.S. in January announced Stargate, a $500 billion project that the U.S. kicked off with support from OpenAI, SoftBank and others to build mega AI data centers. (The plan is only that at this point: announced days after Trump took office, it served to drive home an idealized picture of the new administration as not just tech-friendly, but aggressively so.)Theres a lot of infrastructure-type capital flooding into the data center space, given that its real estate infrastructure now becoming more tech oriented, said Michelson.That real estate anchor could provide a clue into how the current administration, and particularly President Trump whose professional life started in real estate were sold on their own big data center effort.