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Der Gasanalyst Rystad Energy verkündet den “Anfang vom Ende der Gaskraftwerke in Europa”. Sie seien gegenüber den Erneuerbaren Energien einfach nicht mehr konkurrenzfähig. It is the economy, stupid.
Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Yoshis also make appearances in fresh two-minute promo.
Enlarge / Wahoo! (credit: Nintendo / Illumination)
It's only been a few weeks since the first official trailer for the long-awaited Super Mario Bros. animated movie introduced Chris Pratt's somewhat distracting voice for Mario. The movie's second trailer, released today during a Nintendo Direct presentation Tuesday evening, focuses more on supporting characters and a good-versus-evil battle across the wide-ranging Mario universe.
The trailer leads off with Mario entering a massive coliseum and muttering a somber, breathy "let's-a-go" unlike anything ever heard in a Mario game. He then launches headlong into a battle with Donkey Kong, who casually grabs the plumber by the head and slams him to the ground for a series of slapstick, Smash Bros.-style slaps.
Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto notes that Donkey Kong's design here has been altered for the first time since the ape's appearance in Donkey Kong Country back in 1994. The new design, which looks a little more rounded and friendlier than usual, is intended to be "reminiscent of the original character," Miyamoto said.
Refinement to AI language model generates rhyming compositions in various styles.
Enlarge / An AI-generated image inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. (credit: Ars Technica)
On Monday, OpenAI announced a new model in the GPT-3 family of AI-powered large language models, text-davinci-003, that reportedly improves on its predecessors by handling more complex instructions and producing longer-form content. Almost immediately, people discovered that it could also generate rhyming songs, limericks, and poetry at a level GPT-3 could not previously produce.
On Hacker News, commenters expressed amazement after convincing GPT-3 to write a short rhyming poem explaining Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. Another commenter asked GPT-3 to re-write the poem in the style of John Keats, and it obliged, dropping lines like "Mass doth affect the shape of time."
Prompt: "Write a short rhyming poem explaining Einstein's theory of general relativity in easy but accurate terms"
If you want to understand Einstein's thought
It's not that hard if you give it a shot
General Relativity is the name of the game
Where space and time cannot remain the same
Mass affects the curvature of space
Which affects the flow of time's race
An object's motion will be affected
By the distortion that is detected
The closer you are to a large mass
The slower time will seem to pass
The farther away you may be
Time will speed up for you to see
OpenAI makes GPT-3 available as a commercial product with an API, but for a fee ($0.02 per 1,000 tokens), anyone with an OpenAI account can experiment with the AI through a special "Playground" website that requires no coding skill.
FriendlyElec’s NanoPi R5C is a small, cheap computer with a 2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, support for up to 4GB of RAM, 32GB of eMMC storage, and a selection of ports that includes HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and two 2.5 Gbps Eth…
FriendlyElec’s NanoPi R5C is a small, cheap computer with a 2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, support for up to 4GB of RAM, 32GB of eMMC storage, and a selection of ports that includes HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet jacks, which could make this an interesting board for […]
The post NanoPi R5C is tiny PC with dual 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports, HDMI 2.0 and RK3568B2 for $49 and up appeared first on Liliputing.
Nothing blew up, which is always a win.
Enlarge / SpaceX's Booster 7 undergoes a static fire test with 11 engines on Tuesday in South Texas. (credit: SpaceX)
On Tuesday, SpaceX test-fired its Super Heavy rocket for about 12 seconds, making it the longest duration firing of the massive booster so far. The test, which ignited 11 of the 33 Raptor rocket engines, came as SpaceX continues working toward an orbital launch attempt of this Super Heavy first stage and its Starship upper stage.
Earlier this month, SpaceX fired 14 Raptor engines on this booster for a few seconds, so Tuesday's test did not set a new record regarding the number of engines tested. However, this "long duration" firing is the longest period of time that so many Raptor engines have been fired at once.
So what happens now? The path to orbit for SpaceX and its Starship launch system is unclear. Previously, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the next step was to fire a subset of Super Heavy's engines for about 20 seconds to test autogenous pressurization. This method of pressurizing fuel tanks uses gases generated on board the rocket rather than a separately loaded, inert gas such as helium.
The demise of Twitter’s security and privacy teams has people looking for alternatives.
Enlarge (credit: Getty Images)
As Elon Musk critics flee from Twitter, Mastodon seems to be the most common replacement. In the last month, the number of monthly active users on Mastodon has rocketed more than threefold, from about 1 million to 3.5 million, while total number of users jumped from about 6.5 million to 8.7 million.
This substantial increase raises important questions about the security of this new platform, and for good reason. Unlike the centralized model of Twitter and virtually every other social media platform, Mastodon is built on a federated model of independent servers, known as instances. In this respect, it’s more akin to email or Internet Relay Chat (IRC), where security depends on the ability and attention of the admin who configured it and maintains each individual server.
The past month has seen the number of instances mushroom from about 11,000 to more than 17,000. The people running these instances are volunteers who may or may not be versed in the nuances of security. The difficulty of configuring and maintaining instances leaves plenty of room for mistakes that can put user passwords, email addresses, and IP addresses at risk of being revealed (more about that later). Twitter security left much to be desired, but at least it had a dedicated staff with a deep background in security.
Rumor has it that Google’s next budget-friendly Pixel phone will have a few key upgrades over the Pixel 6a, including the latest Google Tensor processor, a 90 Hz display, and upgraded cameras. Now we have an idea of what it might look like, than…
Rumor has it that Google’s next budget-friendly Pixel phone will have a few key upgrades over the Pixel 6a, including the latest Google Tensor processor, a 90 Hz display, and upgraded cameras. Now we have an idea of what it might look like, thanks to a set of images from OnLeaks and SmartPrix. Keep in […]
The post This could be our first look at the Pixel 7a (leaks) appeared first on Liliputing.
Google Workspace’s wearables neglect is hopefully coming to an end.
Enlarge / The Pixel Watch colors and their default bands. There are three watch body colors here: black, silver, and gold.
Google recently launched the Pixel Watch and breathed new life into Wear OS after years of neglect, but how serious is Google about its second swing at the smartwatch market, really? Getting its flagship apps up and running on the platform would be a good sign of support, and a new report from 9to5Google says some heavy hitters are on the way. The report says: "We’ve learned that Google is testing both Gmail and Calendar for Wear OS. The experience has been described as “full” to us, though we weren’t able to find out whether this involves event creation or composing new emails."
Building any wearables apps would be a big step for the Google Workspace suite, which, for whatever reason, has been very wearable-hesitant over the last eight years. Workspace doesn't even have apps for the Apple Watch, let alone Wear OS. Google's biggest productivity competitor, Microsoft, has an Outlook app for both wearable platforms.
Wear OS mirrors your smartphone notifications, so for something like Gmail, you can still see and read a new Gmail message if it arrives in your notifications, and you can send a reply. You can even send a new email by voice if you know the address or have a contact, all without the app. What you can't do are most of the normal browsing tasks, like looking through your inbox and searching your older mail. It would also be nice to have watch-centric notification options, as opposed to just mirroring the settings for your phone.
Bell, Rogers, and other copyright holders have obtained a new piracy-blocking order at Canada’s Federal Court. The ‘dynamic’ injunction requires Internet providers to block access to unauthorized IPTV streams during the current NHL season. It’s the second order of its kind and, if effective, it won’t be the last either.
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Last year, Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal upheld the first pirate site-blocking order in the country.
The landmark decision opened the door to additional and more advanced blocking requests. Indeed, it didn’t take long before NHL broadcasters asked the court for a pirate IPTV blocking order of their own.
The Federal Court eventually granted this request for the ongoing season, with some safeguards. In part due to intervention from the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), an independent expert was appointed to measure the effectiveness and proportionality of the blocking efforts.
In addition, blocking windows were limited to the broadcasts of the games and the order only applied to the 2021/2022 season, which was already in its final stages when the court order was issued.
It was no surprise when the media companies, which include Rogers, Bell, and The Sports Network, sought similar blocking measures at the Federal Court for the new season that got underway in October.
After reviewing the motion, last week Associate Chief Justice Jocelyne Gagné granted the new blocking order. The injunction applies to the current NHL season which ends next year after the final of the Stanley Cup
“Third Party Respondents shall, during each of the NHL Live Game Windows […], block or attempt to block access, by at least their residential wireline Internet service customers, to each of the IP addresses for the Target Servers..,” Justice Gagné writes.
The game windows and server IP addresses are confidential but likely cover several of the most popular IPTV streaming services in Canada. These IP addresses can also be updated during the season if streaming services try to circumvent the blockades.
Before issuing the new blocking measures the court reviewed a report from independent expert Mr. David Lipkus on the effectiveness of the earlier blockades. Mr. Lipkus concluded that most Internet providers were able to block the infringing IP-addresses effectively. In addition, there were no serious over-blocking complaints.
“Mr. Lipkus found that nine out of ten Third Party Respondents [the ISPs] were able to block 100% of the tested IP Addresses, and that there were no legitimate complaints from any of the individuals or businesses related to the blocking,” Justice Gagné writes.
Together with another expert, they concluded that the availability of pirated streams declined without any significant costs. This means that the measures are seen as effective.
“Mr. Lipkus and Mr. Wilkins concluded that the empirical data supported an assessment that the overall supply of infringing copyrighted content was reduced and that the Original Order met the necessary conditions for effectiveness, because it delivered that measurable benefit for a low cost.”
None of the Internet providers objected to the latest blocking request. However, CIPPIC intervened and will keep a close eye on developments to ensure safeguards are in place to prevent abuse.
The most recent injunction further clarifies that if new independent experts are appointed in the future, CIPPIC should be consulted in the selection process. The current expert, Mr. Lipkus, appears to be working for the sports leagues, which can raise neutrality questions.
All-in-all, it’s clear that blocking measures are now part of the standard anti-piracy repertoire in Canada. Internet providers have also stopped protesting but without any changes in blocking mechanisms, that would likely prove futile anyway.
That said, compared to some other countries there are robust safeguards in place to prevent over-blocking. They require all parties to remain cautious and careful, which ultimately is best for all parties involved. Aside from the pirates, perhaps.
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A copy of the latest interlocutory injunction, issued by the Federal Court’s Associate Chief Justice Jocelyne Gagné, is available here (pdf)
From: TF, for the latest news on copyright battles, piracy and more.
Holy Roman Emperor wrote of being targeted by Italian mercenary, among other topics.
Enlarge / Researchers have finally cracked the secret code of this 1547 letter from Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to his ambassador. (credit: Bibliotheque Stanislas de Nancy)
In 1547, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V penned a letter to his ambassador, Jean de Saint-Mauris, part of which was written in the ruler's secret code. Nearly five centuries later, researchers have finally cracked that code, revealing Charles V's fear of a secret assassination plot and continued tensions with France, despite having signed a peace treaty with the French king a few years earlier.
The future Holy Roman Emperor was born in 1500 to Philip of Hapsburg and Joanna of Trastamara—daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in Spain. She was nicknamed "Joanna the Mad" because of her rumored mental illness and actually gave birth to Charles in a bathroom in the wee hours because she insisted on attending a ball despite clearly having labor pains. Generations of inbreeding conferred on Charles an enlarged jaw (mandibular prognathism), a condition that later became known as "Hapsburg jaw," since it became even worse in subsequent generations. Charles also suffered from epilepsy and gout; the latter became so severe late in life that he had to be carried around in a sedan chair.
Charles V began inheriting various family titles at a young age, and his dominion eventually encompassed the Holy Roman Empire—which extended from Germany to northern Italy in the early 16th century and included Austrian hereditary lands, the Burgundian states, and the Kingdom of Spain. During his reign, he continued the Spanish colonization of the Americas and embarked on a short-lived German colonization effort, earning the label "the empire on which the sun never sets." As his health deteriorated, Charles V abdicated as emperor in favor of his brother Ferdinand in 1556, although it was not legally recognized until February 1558. He retired to the Monastery of Yuste in 1557 and died the following September.
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