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☆ Watch an A.I. Learn to Write by Reading Nothing but Jane Austen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Aatish Bhatia | Aatish Bhatia Spent Weeks Reading Dozens Of A.I. Research Articles | Training Tiny Language Models On His Computer. Before Coming To The Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

This is how language models usually start off: They guess randomly and produce gibberish. Over many, many rounds of training, language models can learn to write. As language models grow larger, the patterns that they learn can become increasingly complex. More is differentOther than the additional fine-tuning stages, the primary difference between nanoGPT and the language model underlying chatGPT is size. Large language models can become highly unpredictable, as evidenced by Microsoft Bing A.I.’s early interactions with my colleague Kevin Roose.

☆ Pope loses verified status on Twitter, US basketball star LeBron James remains
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Yuvraj Malik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Twitter on Thursday began removing legacy blue checkmarks from user profiles, with famous people including pop icon Beyonce and Pope Francis losing their verified statuses. Some personalities such as basketball star LeBron James and author Stephen King still had their checkmarks. "The Shining" author King, who has previously called Musk a terrible fit for Twitter, tweeted: "My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. My Twitter account says I've given a phone number. U.S. non-profit National Public Radio (NPR) stopped posting content on its 52 official Twitter feeds after Twitter labeled it "state-affiliated media" and later "government-funded media".

☆ 'Star Trek: Picard' series finale Episode 10 review: 'The Last Generation' fights the Borg (again), with an ending that's easy to resist (SPOILERS)
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The following contains spoilers about the “Star Trek: Picard” series finale, “The Last Generation.”CNN —Jean-Luc Picard and his crew fought the Borg again in the finale of “Star Trek: Picard,” but despite the oft-used phrase about the futility of fighting them, the highly sentimental ending to the Paramount+ series – including 15 minutes of character-driven material after the battle – likely gave many fans what they wanted, but still turned out to be pretty easy to resist. Patrick Stewart has gamely anchored this latest offshoot of Gene Roddenberry’s creation into his 80s, in this third round flanked by most of the original “Star Trek: The Next Generation” lineup. Still, the extended curtain calls reinforced a sense that the nostalgia, while initially welcome, had essentially reached its limit. There’s nothing wrong with serving that devoted audience, but the 10-episode sendoff still began to feel like too much of a good thing. Nobody can accuse Paramount of under-utilizing the “Trek” shingle, with “Strange New Worlds,” “Lower Decks” and “Prodigy” set to return later this year, plus a just-announced movie featuring Michelle Yeoh.

☆ Michelle Yeoh set to return as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in new ‘Star Trek’ movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

After winning a best actress Oscar for her role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” last month, Yeoh is preparing to step back into the Star Trek universe to reprise her role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the new “Star Trek: Section 31” movie. Yeoh was first introduced as the character in 2017, when the Emmy-winning “Star Trek: Discovery” TV series debuted on Paramount+. We can’t wait to share what’s in store for you, and until then: live long and prosper (unless Emperor Georgiou decrees otherwise),” she continued. “Everything Everywhere All At Once” took home seven Oscars that night, including Yeoh’s big win and the top prize for best picture. “Star Trek: Section 31” will begin production later this year.

☆ Hollywood film and TV writers are preparing for a strike. Here's how Disney, Netflix, and other entertainment giants could weather a work stoppage.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The writers guild asked its members to authorize a strike, which would come at a risky time for Hollywood. Netflix, Amazon, and Disney have content stockpiles that could help them through a work stoppage. A Hollywood writers strike is looming at a precarious time for the media and entertainment industry. During that 100-day strike, more than 60 TV shows shut down and ratings and ad sales dropped. The landscape of entertainment options is "much more competitive than it was during the last writers strike," media consultant Peter Csathy told insider.

☆ 9 Middle Eastern funds and investors pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Governments and investors in the Middle East are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

☆ Saudi money is flowing to US media and entertainment, from Live Nation to LIV Golf, 5 years after Jamal Khashoggi's murder: 'The ice has thawed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Claire Atkinson | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment. Insider identified some key people connecting Middle East investors with American companies. Saudi Arabia is trying to pitch itself to the world as a cultural and economic reformer and spur tourism. Vince McMahon's WWE has a long-term partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a major live WWE event there slated for May. Vince McMahon's WWE was one of the first US companies to create unique events in Saudi Arabia.

☆ Celebrities are irritated by Elon Musk's plans to take away their blue tick on Twitter unless they pay at least $8 a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

William Shatner called Twitter Blue a "money grab." Musk responded to Shatner, saying that celebrities should be treated the same as everyone else on Twitter. Shatner replied to the billionaire, saying: "Somewhere, Twitter lost its way." He added that Twitter doesn't stop another William Shatner from being verified with the subscription service. Shatner said Twitter Blue seemed to be a "money grab."

☆ William Shatner is mad he may have to pay to keep his blue Twitter checkmark. Elon Musk says too bad
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Elon Musk and William Shatner clashed on Twitter over the weekend after the Star Trek actor complained about being forced to pay to keep his blue checkmark on the platform. In a tweet on Saturday, Shatner expressed frustration with Twitter’s plan to remove blue checkmarks from the accounts of celebrities, journalists, government officials and other high-profile individuals who don’t pay $84 a year (or $8 a month) for its subscription service, Twitter Blue. “Hey @elonmusk what’s this about blue checks going away unless we pay Twitter?” he tweeted. In the process, Twitter risks alienating some of the VIP users who have long been a key draw for millions to use the platform. Twitter said it will “begin winding down” the “legacy” blue checks for users on April 1.

☆ Elon Musk tells William Shatner that Twitter shouldn't have different standards for celebrities when it comes to $8 blue checkmarks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk told William Shatner there shouldn't be different standards for celebrities on Twitter. Twitter says the only way users can keep their blue ticks is by signing up to Twitter Blue, a monthly subscription which costs $8. Stephen King, Josh Gad, and Lynda Carter were among the celebrities to criticize Musk over charging Twitter users for a blue tick. Before Blue Origin sent Shatner into space on an 11-minute journey, Musk commented "Godspeed Captain" on NASA's Twitter post. Following the flight, the billionaire tweeted: "Congrats, was cool to send William Shatner to space."

☆ From Disney and Netflix to Warner Bros. Discovery, which entertainment giants would be the winners and losers of a Hollywood writers strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A possible Hollywood writers strike is looming at a risky time for the entertainment business. A Hollywood writers strike is looming at a precarious time for the media and entertainment industry. During that 100-day stoppage, more than 60 TV shows shut down and ratings and ad sales dropped. The landscape of entertainment options is "much more competitive than it was during the last writers strike," media consultant Peter Csathy told insider. Paramount also has an extensive live sports offering, which should offer some insulation if writers go on strike.

☆ Themed cruises are more popular than ever and it's leading to ships selling out in record time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Norwegian Cruise Line's themed cruises have been selling out in record time and Holland America plans to grow its partnership with charter companies. The passionate fans help cruise lines fill up ships and are some of the most loyal in the industry. Will ByingtonThese repeat bookings are music to the cruise lines' ears — it's a mutually beneficial operation for both the themed cruise production companies and the cruise lines themselves. To pull off these festivals at sea, themed cruise providers charter full ships from various cruise lines. "I think the themed cruise industry is going to grow even faster [than the general cruise industry]," Hearing said.

"Star Trek: Picard" is back for its third and final season. Stewart previously played the character on seven seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and in four theatrical Star Trek films. Check out the trailer for 'Picard' season 3In the third season, Picard reunites with many of his former crewmates from "The Next Generation," including characters played by Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, and Michael Dorn. How to watch 'Star Trek: Picard' season 3You can watch "Star Trek: Picard" season 3 exclusively on Paramount Plus. You can watch "Star Trek: Picard" for free if you sign up for a trial to Paramount Plus.

☆ How Paramount+ is punching above its weight with Stallone, Showtime, and reinvented library shows like CBS' 'Criminal Minds' and MTV's 'Teen Wolf'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) is beefing up by bringing sister network Showtime into the fold. "The shows with rich, deep libraries are the ones that get a lot of consumption," said Paramount+ streaming chief Tanya Giles. But Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) is beefing up by bringing sister network Showtime into the fold — rebranding both the Showtime cable network and the streamer as Paramount+ With Showtime. Paramount+ is also building upon its library with originals: The streamer recently revived "Criminal Minds," which aired on CBS for 15 seasons. In anticipation of "Criminal Minds: Evolution," viewership of the original CBS "Criminal Minds" jumped 46%, a Paramount+ spokeperson shared with Insider.

☆ Ron Insana says even with the big jobs report, there are signs of disinflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Ron Insana | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following the announcement that the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point, at the Federal Reserve Building in Washington, U.S., December 14, 2022. Wage inflation, of course. Economists can complain about wage inflation all they want, but a 4.4% annual gain, now decelerating, is not the bogeyman they claim it to be. The Fed's reliance on the so-called "Phillips curve," which links low unemployment to rising inflation, is an archaic construct. Lower unemployment today is hardly leading to runaway wage inflation.

☆ ‘24,’ ‘Runaways’ actor Annie Wersching dead at 45; she had cancer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series “24” and providing the voice for Tess in the video game “The Last of Us,” has died. Wersching passed away Sunday morning in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer, her publicist told The Associated Press. Thoughts are with her loved ones.”Actor Abigail Spencer, who appeared with Wersching on the sci-fi series “Timeless,” tweeted, “We love you Annie Wersching. You will be deeply missed.”Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Wersching appeared on dozens of television shows over the course of her two-decade career. Her first credit was in “Star Trek: Enterprise,” and she would go on to have recurring roles in the seventh and eighth seasons of “24,” “Bosch,” “The Vampire Diaries,” Marvel’s “Runaways,” “The Rookie” and, most recently, the second season of “Star Trek: Picard” as the Borg Queen.

☆ NASA spotted a rock formation on Mars that looks just like a giant bear face
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The picture looks like a giant bear. NASA has spotted several other amusing rock formations on Mars over the years. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a satellite launched in 2005, has provided groundbreaking science on its mission. The most iconic example of pareidolia is the "Face on Mars," a picture snapped in 1976 by NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft. NASA's iconic "face on Mars" picture snapped by Viking-1 in 1976.

LOS ANGELES — "Will & Grace" actor Leslie Jordan, who was found without a pulse after a car crash in Hollywood last year, died of sudden cardiac dysfunction, officials said Thursday. Jordan, 67, experienced sudden heart failure due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the Los Angeles County medical examiner said. Jordan's agent, David Shaul, had previously said that Jordan had likely suffered a medical emergency that caused him to lose control of his car. "The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan,” Shaul said in October. During the pandemic, Jordan's fan base grew as he delivered daily Instagram videos that offered comedic reflections on life during a lockdown.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ The tragic story of the only 3 cosmonauts who died in space
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

This Soviet crew had spent 23 days in space, setting a new record for human space flight endurance, and were finally coming home. They gathered existing equipment and hastily put together a space station that was launched on April 19, 1971. A treadmill was installed on the Salyut 1 and the cosmonauts forwent their space suits in the space station and Soyuz. But a few missteps on the ship and by the Soviet space program led to the tragic deaths of the cosmonauts. According to Siddiqi, the death of the three cosmonauts had a lasting impact on the Soviet space program afterward.

☆ ChatGPT is too limited and way too expensive to even come close to replacing Google search
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Tom Dotan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A Google search executive who spoke to Insider on background said he definitely wasn't worried about the threat from ChatGPT. "What's unnerving is it looks as good and confident when it's wrong and when it's right," said Daniel Tunkelang, a search consultant and former employee on Google's search team. Google search is, of course, not immune to misinformation, and regularly surfaces links to pages that contain inaccuracies. But unlike Google search, which links to sources for information when it answers a question, an LLM runs into major problems there. Even in that situation, Google's search results would be well positioned.

☆ US Space Force establishes first foreign command in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Osan Air Base, South Korea CNN —The US military activated its first Space Force command on foreign soil on Wednesday in South Korea, with the unit’s new commander saying he is ready to face any threat in the region. The new unit “will be tasked with coordinating space operations and services such as missile warning, position navigation and timing and satellite communications within the region,” according to US Forces Korea. Asked what potential adversaries like Beijing or Pyongyang could take from the formation of the unit, Space Forces Korea commander Lt. Col. Joshua McCullion said he hoped it would have a deterrent effect. “Myself and my guardians are ready to go, day or night,” he said, using the official term for US Space Force members. US Army Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of US Forces Korea, noted that both China and Russia have developed anti-satellite capabilities, while North Korea and Iran were both working against US interests in space.

☆ Why extremism experts say it's worth discussing the Colorado shooting suspect's pronouns
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

Attorneys for the alleged gunman in the deadly shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado said in court filings the suspect is nonbinary and uses “they” and “them” pronouns. In court appearances this week, Aldrich’s lawyers and District Attorney Michael Allen used he/him pronouns for Aldrich, but Aldrich’s attorneys referred to their client as “Mx. It’s unclear whether the public defenders were accidentally using he/him pronouns for Aldrich, and their office has not returned a request for comment. A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said, regarding the suspect’s pronouns, “The defendant will be identified as the defendant throughout proceedings,” but declined to comment further on both legal teams using he/him pronouns for Aldrich in court. Holt said the response from Carlson is another part of why he believes it’s worth questioning the suspect’s claim.

☆ Scientists build 'baby' wormhole as sci-fi moves closer to fact
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists have long pursued a deeper understanding of wormholes and now appear to be making progress. It was a "baby wormhole," according to Caltech physicist Maria Spiropulu, a co-author of the research published in the journal Nature. But scientists are a long way from being able to send people or other living beings through such a portal, she said. The researchers observed the wormhole dynamics on a quantum device at Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) called the Sycamore quantum processor. A wormhole - a rupture in space and time - is considered a bridge between two remote regions in the universe.

☆ HBO is No. 1 as 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows: Apple's a big spender and 'there's a sheen when you're a Hulu show,' but there's 'fear in the air' at Netflix
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

"It's definitely been not the most exciting and robust year," said one TV agent at a major agency. Around 70 people at HBO and HBO Max have been let go this year, and their comedy development teams have merged. While WBD doesn't break out streamer-specific figures, it said on Thursday's earnings call that HBO Max, HBO, and Discovery+ have a combined 94.9 million subscribers, ensuring that any show on HBO Max has the chance to get a lot of eyeballs. They'll also take smaller swings in the genre department, do things at a lower budget," said the second TV agent. Echoed the first TV agent: "You pitch and sell to them if no one else wants it."

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