Handheld devices have taken the gaming market by storm, ranging from the hulking Steam Decks to retro consoles that relive the glory days of the like of the Nintendo Game Boy. The latter naturally rely on nostalgia as the biggest selling factor, allowing veterans to replay their favorite titles while youngsters discover the simple joys of classic games. Of course, thats not the only direction the wind blows, and there are plenty of ways to re-imagine those old-school devices.This concept design, for example, looks like a slightly modern reinterpretation of the Game Boy, but the association is superficial at best. The device is actually inspired more by coin-operated toys and gaming machines like arcades, but rather than paying for more time to play, the design transforms special coins into power-ups that will make the game a little more exciting and maybe even pave the way to victory.Designers: Yongde Zhu, Yuxiong Dong, Yaoxin CaiAlmost like a slot machine for kids, arcade cabinets and coin-operated machines develop a somewhat addictive habit that keeps pushing players to push one more coin each time. Thats mostly because theres technically no limit to how many coins you can drop in as long as you have the money and the shops are still open. CoinPlay has a different idea for coins, turning them into very limited resources that you have to spend wisely.The coins are actually small plastic discs that do different things in the game. A blue chip, for example, could restore health or add life, while an orange coin offers a boost to damage and other stats. Red is quite intriguing as it adds a game of luck into any game, randomly dropping gear or loot when inserted. There are only three coins that come with each handheld, so you have to be strategic when you use these extremely limited lifelines.The design also presents some opportunity for collecting power-ups, almost like in a TCG game, though that can easily be abused as well. More importantly, it adds a bit of a tactile element to an otherwise digital game and opens the door to social interactions through trading these coins.As for the actual gaming handheld, the design is pretty much on par with concepts weve been seeing floating around the web. The area for controls is smaller and simpler, putting the focus on the large display and the coin slot above it. It has an almost industrial aesthetic as if it were something teenage engineering would design. Despite the seemingly segmented structure, CoinPlay isnt a modular concept and frankly wouldnt benefit from such a design anyway.The post Coin-operated gaming handheld concept puts a curious twist to retro designs first appeared on Yanko Design.

LatestMachine LearningReimagining Diffusion Models: Autoregressive Priors for Efficient Initialization 0 like March 8, 2025Share this postAuthor(s): Shenggang Li Originally published on Towards AI. Exploring a Novel Approach to Diffusion Initialization with Intuitive Illustrations, ApplicationsThis member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.Photo by Gary Fultz on UnsplashDiffusion models have become a cornerstone of modern AI, especially in generative tasks like creating realistic images or high-quality audio. Theyre like digital artists, transforming random noise into stunningly detailed outputs step-by-step. This meticulous approach has made diffusion models a game-changer in the AI world.Typically, these models begin their work with pure Gaussian noise, which acts as the blank canvas. While effective, this starting point doesnt take advantage of prior knowledge about the data structure, potentially slowing down the process and affecting sample quality. Imagine if we could give these models a smarter head start.Thats where Autoregressive Priors (ARPs) come in. I introduce a new approach that integrates Autoregressive Models (ARMs) at the start of the diffusion process, adding structure instead of relying on pure Gaussian noise. This speeds up generation and enhances sample quality. I will explore how ARPs improve diffusion models, break down their mechanics, and compare them with traditional methods.Imagine restoring a faded photograph: you begin with a nearly blank canvas (random noise) and repeatedly refine it, eventually recovering the original image. Diffusion models operate similarly they start from random 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

Alongside sharing the news that a Black Torch anime is officially in production at VIZ Media, IGN is exclusively able to reveal its first trailer.VIZ Media announced the Black Torch anime at its Emerald City Comic Con panel and the trailer below shows Jiro Azuma in his stealth uniform. He isn't alone, however, as he has his powerful mononoke Rago on his shoulder. There is also a tease of a dark figure reflected in the cityscape that hints at the danger to come.PlayFor those unfamiliar, Black Torch was created by Tsuyoshi Yakaki and was originally serialized in Jump SQ. and Shonen Jump+ from 2017 to 2018. As for what it is about, here is the official synopsis of the upcoming anime to catch you up."A new era of ninja battles begins," the official synopsis reads. "Hailing from a long line of ninja, Jiro has been brought up by his grandfather in the ancient warrior art of the shinobi. Jiro also happens to be a particularly skilled communicator able to converse with the animal world. But life takes an abrupt turn thanks to a mysterious encounter in the forest with an injured black cat named Rago. Only, Rago's feline appearance is deceiving..."It turns out the ordinary cat is the stuff of mononoke legendthe Black Star of Doom! Swarming in the shadows are more mononoke, eager to exploit Ragos uniquely immense powers. To fight back against the tide of dark spirits, the undercover Bureau of Espionage is poised to seek and destroy. Of course, everyone has their motives when it comes to Ragos powers. But Jiro and Rago are ready. A shinobi clash between boy and mononoke is about to ignite!"Black Torch Manga Art. Image Credit: VIZFor more, check out this drawing by Takaki from the panel that celebrates this big milestone for Black Torch. (will add link when it is live.)Ive been supervising the settings and storyboards, and I feel its been recreated into something even better, while still fully respecting the original story," Takaki added. A new BLACK TORCH has been brought to life, now with voices, sounds, movement and color.Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

SXSW's The Future of World-building at Disney Panel was filled with exciting details and teases of the future of Disney Parks, including how The Mandalorian and Grogu will be joining a new mission aboard Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, that Imagineers will need to create a new type of ride vehicle with emotion for Magic Kingdom's Cars ride, and a tease of what the load area and lift off will look like for the new Monsters, Inc. attraction.Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro and Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman led the festivities and discussed what their teams are working on and how beneficial it is when they collaborate for exciting new experiences at Disney Parks.There was a ton discussed, and we've gathered all the biggest announcements and reveals below! The Mandalorian and Grogu Will Join Smuggler's Run in a New Mission at the Launch of The Mandalorian & Grogu FilmWhile we knew The Mandalorian and Grogu would be part of a new story on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Disney confirmed the new experience would debut alongside The Mandalorian & Grogu movie on May 22, 2026.The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau and Imagineers Leslie Evans and Asa Kalama shared a bit more about the upcoming new story and revealed some concept art of locations that should excite fans of that galaxy far, far away. The images, which you can see below, include a Jawa's Sandcrawler on Tatooine, the Millennium Falcon and Mando's Razor Crest flying toward Cloud City on Bespin, and even a tease of visit to the wreckage of the second Death Star above Endor.The Mandalorian and Grogu Mission Concept Art for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's RunThis isnt going to retell what happens in the movie its more like participating in something thats happening just off-camera from what you see in the film, Favreau explained. Imagineers captured scenes for this new story from the set of The Mandalorian & Grogu, meaning it should feel very authentic when it goes live.In addition, it was also revealed that the wonderful BDX droids that have been seen at Disneyland will soon be making their way to Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. There will even be a new variant as an Anzellan (like Babu Frik!) named Otto will sometimes appear on a BDX that needs a little tune up.Image Credit: DisneyOh, and if that wasn't enough BDX goodness for you, the team shared these droids will be making an appearance in The Mandalorian & Grogu.Here's a Sneak Peak at the Load Area and Lift Off of the New Monsters, Inc. Attraction at Disney WorldMonsters, Inc. Land is coming soon to Disney World's Hollywood Studios and it will include an exciting new themed roller coaster that will be Disney Park's first-ever suspended coaster and its first with a vertical lift. This new attraction aims to give guests the dream-come-true moment of soaring through Monsters, Inc.'s door vault and Disney shared a first look at the load area and how it should set the tone very well of what's to come.We still have much to learn about this new attraction and the land it will live in, but this is an exciting tease nonetheless.Pixar and Imagineering Reveal a New Type of Ride Vehicle Had to Be Made for Magic Kingdom's Upcoming Cars AttractionPixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen shared new details about the upcoming Cars attraction that will be part of the new Cars-themed land that is currently in development at Magic Kingdom. Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests, Hundgen said. For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it.The team needed some real-world data to help in their research so they went to the Arizona desert to ride in an off-road vehicle and take off over rocky terrain. This new ride doesn't take place in Radiator Springs, but instead it will be a thrilling rally race through the mountains, so they want it to feel just right.From there, they worked with a motocross company to build a dirt track of their own to race around and used that to develop what will eventually be the ride vehicle."Were using a customized production vehicle, Hundgen continued. It has sensors all over it, and were taking it for test drives on our dirt track to gather data on how the vehicle responds to different terrain. This is where we turn that feeling we want into real-world engineering."These vehicles will also get some Disney and Pixar magic thrown in as each car will have its own personality, name, and number.Image Credit: DisneyRobert Downey Jr. Stops by Disney's SXSW Panel to Help Share More About the New Avengers Campus AttractionsImage Credit: DisneyDisneyland's Avengers Campus is getting two new attractions, including one called Avengers Infinity Defense where guests will team up with members of the Avengers to take on King Thanos across multiple worlds. However, the second one was the star of Disney's SXSW panel as Robert Downey Jr. himself stopped by to share new details about it.It's been previously revealed that Downey Jr. would be returning as Tony Stark for Avengers Campus' Stark Flight Lab, an attraction that will take guests into Tony's workshop and allow them to experience some of the new tech he's been working on. Downey Jr. said these new experiences are "the living embodiment of the Stark Enterprises mission statement."The curiosity, the passion, the inventiveness, the occasional flair for the dramatic, most of all a drive to put something good out into the world to make life better, at the minimum more fun by a mile, Downey continued. Its the privilege of a lifetime to be invited to participate. As for the ride itself, guests will sit in "gyro-kinetic pods" and will eventually be grabbed by a giant robot arm who will help them make "several high-speed maneuvers inspired by Iron Man and some other Avengers.""Transferring from a track to a robot arm and then back again nothing like this has ever been done before in a theme park, and were so excited about it, Chief Creative Officer for Walt Disney Imagineering Bruce Vaughn explained. Usually, we hide all the tech behind the scenes so you can focus on the story. Here, the tech IS the story, so were putting it front and center.One of they ways Imagineering is making the tech the star of this attraction is the focus on that robotic arm, which actually takes heavy inspiration from Tony Stark's little robotic friend, DUM-E. The team enlisted the help of dancers and motion capture to help make these robots feel as real as possible.For more from the world of Disney, check out our 75th Anniversary Retrospective for Cinderella, how Disneyland will be celebrating its 70th anniversary, and everything else announced at D23's big Disney Experiences Showcase.Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

Image by Getty / FuturismThe bodybuilding industry has claimed another victim: an extremely young Texas woman who died of dehydration after taking unhealthy supplements.As TMZ reports, 20-year-old bodybuilding coach Jodi Vance no relation to the vice president, seemingly died suddenly this week after attending Arnold Schwarzenegger's sports festival in Columbus.Though she wasn't competing at the sporting event herself, Vance attended the festival to support some of her coaching students. According toher coach, the fitness influencer Justin Mihaly, the young bodybuilder seems to have taken some harmful supplements while she was there that ultimately dehydrated her enough to kill her."Jodi made a serious error," the influencer said in an Instagram video posted after Vance's death. "Jodi used two extremely hazardous substances to improve her physique I assume just for the Arnold Expo without my knowledge, my approval, without familys knowledge, their approval."As Mihaly explained, Vance had some recent health problems and "expressed interest" in taking an unspecified fat-burning drug. Because she hadn't been competing, there was "no reason" she should have taken it, but in the aftermath of her death, it appears that she had taken the substance alongside a diuretic that resulted in her fatal dehydration."Recently, [her] health had become quite concerning, and now we know why. Now we have the answers," Mihaly continued. "Many people who loved Jodi, including myself, tried to get her to pull off the gas pedal."The coach said that those grieving could "direct your blame towards [him]" if that helps them feel better but there's little doubt that the bodybuilding industry at large seems extraordinarily dangerous, even by the standards of extreme sports.Just a few months prior, Australian influencer Jaxon Tippett dropped dead when he was on vacation for his 30th birthday. In that case, the specific cause of death was a heart attack, and there's a good likelihood that his past steroid abuse, which he'd opened up about in 2022 after getting clean, contributed.Unfortunately, those two are far from the only relatively young bodybuilders who've died in recent years. Last September, Belarusian bodybuilder Illia Yefimchyk, a man so large he was nicknamed both "The Mutant" and "Golem," died at 36 after years of admitted steroid use. Just a month prior, as Unilad reports, 26-year-old Brazilian heavyweight Antonio Souza collapsed onstage during a competition awards ceremony after telling his wife that he'd had a "strong pain feeling in his chest."Be it steroids, supplements, or the strain of such strict diets and grueling workouts, it's obvious that bodybuilding is straight-up killing people but for some reason, those who engage in it are still by and large viewed as paragons of health.More on unhealthy lifestyles: In the Face of a Measles Outbreak, Our Dingbat Health Secretary Is Recommending Cod Liver OilShare This Article

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer?Click here for today's Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.Today'sWordle puzzlehas one of those tricky double letters, but once you get it, you should be good. If you need hints and the answer, read on. Today's Wordle hints Before we show you today'sWordleanswer, we'll give you some hints. If you don't want a spoiler, look away now.TODAY'S WORDLE ANSWERWordle hint No. 1: RepeatsToday's Wordle answer has one repeated letter.Wordle hint No. 2: VowelsThere is one vowel in today's Wordle answer, but it's the repeated letter, so you'll see it twice.Wordle hint No. 3: Start letterToday's Wordle answer begins with the letter G.Wordle hint No. 4: Movie timeToday's Wordle answer is prominently featured in a speech Michael Douglas makes in the 1987 film Wall Street.Wordle hint No. 5: MeaningToday's Wordle answer refers to a selfish desire for money or power.Today's Wordle answerToday's Wordle answer is GREEDYesterday's Wordle answerYesterday's Wordle answer, March 8, No. 1358, was NAVEL.Recent Wordle answersMarch 4, No. 1354: CHECKMarch 5, No. 1355: SCRUMMarch 6, No. 1356: ALERTMarch 7, No. 1357: TROOP

Looking for the most recent Strands answer?Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.Are you a cat person? I am, and if you are, too, today's NYTStrandspuzzle will be a purr-fect topic for you. If you need hints and answers, read on.I go into depth about therules for Strands in this story.If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visitCNET's NYT puzzle hints page.Read more:NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So FarHint for today's Strands puzzleToday's Strands theme is:Kitty cornerIf that doesn't help you, here's a clue: Meow!Clue words to unlock in-game hintsYour goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle's theme. If you're stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:PURE, BRAT, CHAT, CONE, ROIL, ROILS, SORE, LUNE, RINK, SLIT, BITS, STIR, LINK, PULE.Answers for today's Strands puzzleThese are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you've got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:HISS, PURR, SWAT, SNUGGLE, BLINK, POUNCE, STRETCH.Today's Strands spangram The completed NYT Strands puzzle for March 9, 2025, #371. NYT/Screenshot by CNETToday's Strands spangram is CATBEHAVIOR.

Reddits automatic moderation tool is flagging the word Luigi as potentially violent even when the content isnt.Earlier this week, a moderator from r/popculture saw Reddits AutoModerator system flag a post about the video game Luigis Mansion 3 because it included the word Luigi, giving them instructions to check for violence.A Reddit spokesperson, who requested that The Verge not use their name due to the sensitive subject matter, said there is no sitewide filter for the word Luigi or expectation that users stop talking about Luigi Mangione, the person who prosecutors accuse of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December.But Reddit does appear to be flagging comments that mention Luigi in some cases, even those unrelated to Mangione just not in the way that it first appeared to be. The Reddit spokesperson said that because r/popculture had recently fallen down to a single moderator, automod features kicked in, including a way to filter for keywords that could but dont necessarily indicate violating content. The remaining moderator of r/popculture told The Verge that the mod team didnt add Luigi to the list of keywords, Reddit did.The r/popculture moderator posted about the Luigi issue to the r/FreeLuigi subreddit, a grassroots community where people discuss the Mangione case. The subreddit has strict rules in place to avoid violating Reddits moderation rules, like referring to Mangiones by his initials and a blanket ban on content that calls for or endorses violence. But the moderators still fear that Reddit will decide to shut it down even if they dont run afoul of the platforms rules.Meanwhile, r/popculture which has over 125,000 members is closing down due to issues that the remaining moderator pins on Reddit. The moderator who posted about the Luigi issue announced last night they were shutting down the entire community due to Reddit admins being complete fucking morons. In the post, the moderator says that another member of the team was suspended and that Reddit has been unhelpful in trying to resolve the suspension.The Reddit spokesperson said that the r/popculture moderator was suspended for approving content containing direct calls for violence, including images celebrating [the Donald Trump rally shooter] and content calling to assassinate the president. An r/popculture moderator denied this happened, and said the content in question was a photo of the shooter that did not celebrate him. The Reddit spokesperson notes that the automod features are temporary for r/popculture and that moderators can still approve the content for posting.The Luigi issue comes the same week as Reddits new crackdown on banned content. Earlier this week, the company announced it would warn users who upvote content that is banned on the platform. The policy applies to users who upvote such content several times in a certain timeframe, Reddit says in a post, and the company will begin with enforcing the rule on violent content. The spokesperson says that at this time nobody has been suspended under the new rule.See More:

The US Department of Justice is still calling for Google to sell its web browser Chrome, according to a Friday court filing.The DOJ first proposed that Google should sell Chrome last year, under then-President Joe Biden, but it seems to be sticking with that plan under the second Trump administration. The department is, however, no longer calling for the company to divest all its investments in artificial intelligence, including the billions Google has poured into Anthropic.Googles illegal conduct has created an economic goliath, one that wreaks havoc over themarketplace to ensure that no matter what occurs Google always wins, the DOJ said in a filing signed by Omeed Assefi, its current acting attorney general for antitrust. (Trumps nominee to lead antitrust for the DOJ still awaits confirmation.)For that reason, the DOJ said it hasnt changed the core components of its initial proposal, including the divestment of Chrome and a prohibition on search-related payments to distribution partners.On AI, the DOJ said its no longer calling for the mandatory divestiture of Googles AI investments and will instead be satisfied with prior notification for future investments. It also said that instead of giving Google the option to divest Android now, it will leave a future decision up to the court, depending on whether the market becomes more competitive.This proposal follows antitrust suits filed by the DOJ and 38 state attorneys general, leading Judge Amit P. Mehta to rule that Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in online search. Google has said it will appeal Mehtas decision, but in the meantime offered an alternative proposal that it said would address his concerns by providing partners with more flexibility.A Google spokesperson told Reuters that the DOJs sweeping proposals continue to go miles beyond the Courts decision, and would harm Americas consumers, economy and national security.Mehta is scheduled to hear arguments from both Google and the DOJ in April.

The Captain John Felt House onFederal Street in Salem, Massachusetts, is a surviving Georgian residence with ties to the American Revolution. In May 1757, John Felt purchased a lot on present-day Federal Street from Benjamin Lynde for 52 pounds, and began building his family home here. John Felt, a Salem native, worked as a shoreman, but was primarily an owner of vessels involved in the coasting trade, also owning a large warehouse to store the goods from the West Indies brought in by his ships. Felts title of Captain came from his involvement in the Essex county militia. Captain Felt was a key figure inLeslies Retreat, also called the Salem Gunpowder Raid, which took place onFebruary 26, 1775, in Salem. British Colonel Alexander Leslie led a raid to seize suspected cannons from a makeshift Colonial armory in Salem. Instead of finding artillery, Leslie encountered an inflamed citizenry and militia members ready to stop his search.These colonists flooded Salems streets, preventing Leslies passageand forcing him to negotiate. Ultimately, the Salemites convinced the British Regulars to stand down and return to Boston.No shots were fired, and no one was seriously injuredbut tensions were high and a skirmish was evident until Captain Felt stated, If you do fire, you will all be dead men. Had a soldier or a colonist gone rogue and fired their weapon, the American Revolution might have begun in Salem, and not Concord just weeks later. After the Revolution, Captain Felt sold his house and moved to present-day Danvers. After centuries of successive ownership by merchants, today, the Felt House is used (at least in part) as professional law offices.