Month: September 2024
Octopuses Recorded Hunting With Fish – and Punching Those That Don’t Cooperate
Slashdot reader Hmmmmmm shared this report from NBC News:
Octopuses don’t always hunt alone — but their partners aren’t who you’d expect. A new study shows that some members of the species Octopus cyanea maraud around the seafloor in hunting groups with fish, which sometimes include several fish species at once.
The research, published in the journal Nature on Monday, even suggests that the famously intelligent animals organized the hunting groups’ decisions, including what they should prey upon. What’s more, the researchers witnessed the cephalopod species — often called the big blue or day octopus — punching companion fish, apparently to keep them on task and contributing to the collective effort… “If the group is very still and everyone is around the octopus, it starts punching, but if the group is moving along the habitat, this means that they’re looking for prey, so the octopus is happy. It doesn’t punch anyone…” [said Eduardo Sampaio, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the lead author of the research].
NBC News says the study is “an indication that at least one octopus species has characteristics and markers of intelligence that scientists once considered common only in vertebrates.”
Lead author Sampaio agrees that “We are very similar to these animals. In terms of sentience, they are at a very close level or closer than we think toward us.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Slashdot reader Hmmmmmm shared this report from NBC News:
Octopuses don’t always hunt alone — but their partners aren’t who you’d expect. A new study shows that some members of the species Octopus cyanea maraud around the seafloor in hunting groups with fish, which sometimes include several fish species at once.
The research, published in the journal Nature on Monday, even suggests that the famously intelligent animals organized the hunting groups’ decisions, including what they should prey upon. What’s more, the researchers witnessed the cephalopod species — often called the big blue or day octopus — punching companion fish, apparently to keep them on task and contributing to the collective effort… “If the group is very still and everyone is around the octopus, it starts punching, but if the group is moving along the habitat, this means that they’re looking for prey, so the octopus is happy. It doesn’t punch anyone…” [said Eduardo Sampaio, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the lead author of the research].
NBC News says the study is “an indication that at least one octopus species has characteristics and markers of intelligence that scientists once considered common only in vertebrates.”
Lead author Sampaio agrees that “We are very similar to these animals. In terms of sentience, they are at a very close level or closer than we think toward us.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The history of overhyped tech, and a chilling new graphic novel from Charles Burns
New releases in fiction, nonfiction and comics that caught our attention.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/history-of-overhyped-tech-charles-burns-final-cut-richard-powers-playground-163018545.html?src=rss
New releases in fiction, nonfiction and comics that caught our attention.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/history-of-overhyped-tech-charles-burns-final-cut-richard-powers-playground-163018545.html?src=rss
How to Create AI Images: A Complete Guide With Expert Advice
Here’s what to know about creating AI-generated imagery, including the best programs, practical tips and legal considerations.
Here’s what to know about creating AI-generated imagery, including the best programs, practical tips and legal considerations.
Lenovo launches two new notebooks in the ThinkBook series with Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 and AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 365 processor
Weighing over 1.8kg, these devices may not suit your needs on the go.
Lenovo has unveiled two new ThinkBook models as it looks to exert its dominace on the business laptops landscape.
The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 and the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ bring major upgrades over their predecessors, offering cutting-edge hardware designed for demanding users, but catering to slightly different needs, especially in terms of performance, display, and other key features.
Both devices come with a 16-inch IPS screen, but while the former supports 2.5k reoslution, the latter supports 3.2k – and both also run on Windows 11 Pro and offer a Kensington Nano Security Slot for security.
ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 combines a sleek design with advanced AI capabilities from the Snapdragon X Plus chipset to give modern professionals robust performance, enhanced productivity, and more security
The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 is powered by the Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100, an ARM-based processor known for its energy efficiency and connectivity, but able to hit 45 TOPS for enhanced AI performance.
The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 also comes with up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM clocked at 8448 MT/s, which ensures fast performance across a range of tasks, and offers up to 1TB PCIe Gen4 x4 SSD, which ensures fast boot times, smooth application launches, and ample space for most needs. For graphics, this model features a Qualcomm Adreno GPU capable of delivering up to 3.8 TFLOPs.
The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 offers two display options: a 16:10 WQXGA 2.5K IPS display with 100% sRGB color coverage and 350 nits of brightness, or a more modest WUXGA IPS display with a 60Hz refresh rate, 45% NTSC color accuracy, and 300 nits of brightness.
There’s also an FHD RGB camera with a privacy shutter, ensuring security during video calls, and Dolby Atmos audio technology provides immersive sound through the stereo speakers.
In terms of battery, this device uses an 84WHr battery, and for security, it relies on the Microsoft Pluton security processor, a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, and the webcam’s privacy shutter. In addition to Wi-Fi 7, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 comes with several connectivity options such as two USB-C 10Gbps ports, two USB-A 5Gbps ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a 4-in-1 SD card reader, and an audio combo jack.
This ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 weighs 1.82kg and will be available in October 2024, with a starting price of $749.
ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ features the Ryzen AI 9 365 processor and Radeon 88M graphics for exceptional speed and high-resolution visuals for the modern professional, all in its classic dual-tone chassis
(Image credit: Lenovo)
The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ takes performance a step further with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, known for its strong computational power and efficiency, but also delivering 50 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second), slightly more than the Snapdragon X Plus found in the Gen 7.
Like the Gen 7, the Gen 7+ offers up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, though at a slightly lower clock speed of 7500 MHz – but the real upgrade comes in the storage department, where the Gen 7+ offers dual 2280 M.2 SSD slots, allowing users to expand storage up to 4TB, perfect for handling large files like video or engineering projects. For graphics, the AMD Radeon 880M is a more powerful option compared to the Qualcomm Adreno in the Gen 7. It handles more graphically demanding applications, making it ideal for content creators and power users.
In terms of display, the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ features a 16-inch 3.2K IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate, DCI-P3 color accuracy, Dolby Vision support, and TÜV Low Blue Light certification for eye comfort, making it suitable for users requiring top-tier display performance, such as video editors and photographers.
The camera setup in the Gen 7+ is also enhanced with FHD RGB and TOF (Time of Flight) technology, improving depth sensing for better video quality while the audio is supported by Dolby Atmos, providing a high-quality sound experience. This new notebook comes with an 85WHr battery and for security, it includes the same Microsoft Pluton security processor, fingerprint reader, and privacy shutter as the Gen 7. Additionally, the Gen 7+ features an IR camera for facial recognition, adding an extra layer of protection.
In terms of connectivity, the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ offers more advanced options, including a USB4 port with Thunderbolt 4 certification, a full-function USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, two USB-A 3.1 ports (one featuring Always On functionality), an HDMI 2.1 port, an RJ45 Ethernet port, and a hidden USB-A 2.0 port.
The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7+ weighs 1.9kg and will be available in October 2024 in EMEA markets, with a starting price of €999 (approximately $1,110).
More from TechRadar Pro
These are the best laptops for programmingLenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 AMD launches with a 14-inch touch display, Zen 5 core and robust securityWe’ve also rounded up the best mobile workstations around
Experts Warn of Growing Inhalant Trend on TikTok as ‘Chroming’ Gains Popularity | Researchers have analyzed dozens of videos amassing millions of views on TikTok that feature the trend.
submitted by /u/a_Ninja_b0y [link] [comments]
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Trailers of the week: Thunderbolts, Rumors, and Disclaimer
“So full. So filled.” | Image: Disney
This week, I’ve been slowly catching up on Dark Matter; I’m about 20 hours into Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on the Switch; and I’m still trying to work a trip to the movie theater into my schedule to see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
I’m behind, in other words! And this week’s trailers shoveled so much more onto my need-to-watch pile, from the next Marvel MCU film, Thunderbolts, to the amusingly bizarre black comedy Rumours, to Disclaimer, Alfonso Cuarón’s new Apple TV Plus series. That’s to say nothing of all the game trailers from Sony’s State of Play event this week.
Check out some of my favorite trailers from this week below.
Thunderbolts
Marvel hasn’t said much about Thunderbolts, which sees David Harbour’s Red Guardian and his daughter, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) in a new outing that concludes the MCU’s phase 5 in May next year.
Joining them are Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell), with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as their apparent ring leader. There’s also a mystery character named Bob (Lewis Pullman) who, as The Verge’s Charles Pulliam-Moore hinted earlier this week — and Polygon went at head-on — is probably Sentry, a Marvel version of Superm—er, a flying bulletproof guy with superhuman strength, speed, and agility.
Rumours
I’m trying to think of the best thing to compare Rumours to. The big, sans-serif, drop-shadowed fonts scream 1970s-era exploitation films, as do its backlit fog and sometimes pinkish tint, which makes it look a bit like a well-aged film print.
The trailer has notes of Wes Anderson’s deliberate blocking and framing, mixed with the absurdism of Quentin Dupieux’s Rubber. There’s a gigantic brain? And some zombies. And leaders of the G7 nations, trapped in the woods with all of that. Whatever it is, Rumours, a black comedy from co-directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson looks like it’ll be a hoot when it hits theaters on October 18th.
Sinners
Sinners sees one of director Ryan Coogler’s mainstay actors, Michael B. Jordan, playing 1930s twin brothers who go back to their hometown to start over, only to be confronted by some unknown horror.
The name and trailer point to a religious theme. (“You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”) But shadowy figures outside a juke joint and a young boy walking into a church with fresh claw marks on his face hint at more. Maybe it’s a murderous cult, maybe the town is beset by actual demons. What’s really going on is a total mystery, and hopefully, it’ll stay that way until its March 7th theatrical release.
Disclaimer
Alfonso Cuarón’s new Apple TV series, Disclaimer, is a seven-part psychological thriller that starts streaming on October 11th. Cate Blanchett stars as a journalist named Catherine Ravenscroft, whose dark secrets are revealed in an anonymously written novel that is sent to her.
The secrets are apparently bad enough to threaten her relationship with her husband, Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen), and her son, Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee). The series also stars Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville, Louis Partridge, Leila George, and Hoyeon, and it’s narrated by Indira Varma.
“So full. So filled.” | Image: Disney
This week, I’ve been slowly catching up on Dark Matter; I’m about 20 hours into Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on the Switch; and I’m still trying to work a trip to the movie theater into my schedule to see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
I’m behind, in other words! And this week’s trailers shoveled so much more onto my need-to-watch pile, from the next Marvel MCU film, Thunderbolts, to the amusingly bizarre black comedy Rumours, to Disclaimer, Alfonso Cuarón’s new Apple TV Plus series. That’s to say nothing of all the game trailers from Sony’s State of Play event this week.
Check out some of my favorite trailers from this week below.
Thunderbolts
Marvel hasn’t said much about Thunderbolts, which sees David Harbour’s Red Guardian and his daughter, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) in a new outing that concludes the MCU’s phase 5 in May next year.
Joining them are Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell), with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as their apparent ring leader. There’s also a mystery character named Bob (Lewis Pullman) who, as The Verge’s Charles Pulliam-Moore hinted earlier this week — and Polygon went at head-on — is probably Sentry, a Marvel version of Superm—er, a flying bulletproof guy with superhuman strength, speed, and agility.
Rumours
I’m trying to think of the best thing to compare Rumours to. The big, sans-serif, drop-shadowed fonts scream 1970s-era exploitation films, as do its backlit fog and sometimes pinkish tint, which makes it look a bit like a well-aged film print.
The trailer has notes of Wes Anderson’s deliberate blocking and framing, mixed with the absurdism of Quentin Dupieux’s Rubber. There’s a gigantic brain? And some zombies. And leaders of the G7 nations, trapped in the woods with all of that. Whatever it is, Rumours, a black comedy from co-directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson looks like it’ll be a hoot when it hits theaters on October 18th.
Sinners
Sinners sees one of director Ryan Coogler’s mainstay actors, Michael B. Jordan, playing 1930s twin brothers who go back to their hometown to start over, only to be confronted by some unknown horror.
The name and trailer point to a religious theme. (“You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”) But shadowy figures outside a juke joint and a young boy walking into a church with fresh claw marks on his face hint at more. Maybe it’s a murderous cult, maybe the town is beset by actual demons. What’s really going on is a total mystery, and hopefully, it’ll stay that way until its March 7th theatrical release.
Disclaimer
Alfonso Cuarón’s new Apple TV series, Disclaimer, is a seven-part psychological thriller that starts streaming on October 11th. Cate Blanchett stars as a journalist named Catherine Ravenscroft, whose dark secrets are revealed in an anonymously written novel that is sent to her.
The secrets are apparently bad enough to threaten her relationship with her husband, Robert (Sacha Baron Cohen), and her son, Nicholas (Kodi Smit-McPhee). The series also stars Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville, Louis Partridge, Leila George, and Hoyeon, and it’s narrated by Indira Varma.