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2021 DB Terrion Arnold Signs With Alabama Over Florida and Georgia – Sports Illustrated

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Elite 2021 defensive back Terrion Arnold (John Paul Catholic II - Tallahassee, Fla.) has committed to and signed with Alabama over Florida and Georgia, he announced on ESPN today.

Arnold, a two-sport athlete, will join Nick Saban's football team while also holding an offer to play basketball for the Crimson Tide.

The 6-2, 187 lbs. defensive back is one of the top safeties in the 2021 class, a position in which Florida looked to reload with talent during the cycle. UF signed safetiesCorey Collier Jr. (Miami Palmetto, Fla.) andDonovan McMillon (Peters Township - Canonsburg, Pa.) during the early signing period, aswell as nickel cornerback/safetyDakota Mitchell (Winter Park, Fla.).

Arnold is considered theNo. 2 safety and No. 44 overall prospect in the class of 2021, according to Sports Illustrated All-American.A thumper, Arnold posted 152 tackles and five interceptions over the final two seasons of his high school career, also adding1,475 total yards from scrimmage and 11 receiving touchdowns offensively.

On the court, Arnold averaged 8.8 points, 3.3 assists, four rebounds, 2.2 steals, and half a block per game at point guard during his junior season, across 24 contests.

Florida's safety room will look a bit different moving forward as the team parted ways with safeties coach Ron English (and cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray) this offseason, hiring Auburn's Wesley McGriff and USF's Jules Montinar as secondary coaching replacements. Arnold, whom UF offered in Oct. 2019, certainly would have been a welcome addition to the room as it is being redeveloped.

Below, you can find a snippet of Arnold's Sports Illustrated All-American footballscouting report.

Bottom Line: Arnold deserves to be considered among the nations best safety prospects because he proves to be instinctive, powerful and dynamic athletically. He takes the proper angles, is relentless in pursuit of the ball-carrier, a big hitter and great at tracking the football once its in the air.

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2021 DB Terrion Arnold Signs With Alabama Over Florida and Georgia - Sports Illustrated

Tech giants open up about their algorithms – Axios

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Google, Facebook, TikTok and others are starting to talk more about how their algorithms work in a bid to win trust.

Yes, but: It's hard to know what isn't being revealed.

Be smart: While these efforts to be transparent are helpful, they don't usually provide the full picture about how the platforms' algorithms work, in part because they don't want their systems to be gamed by bad actors.

The big picture: Around the world, regulators are beginning to question whether the algorithms used to drive billions of dollars of internet commerce and content are biased towards certain demographics, philosophies or viewpoints.

Between the lines: Republicans and Democrats have both cited transparency into content moderation as a goal of changes to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

What to watch: Competition regulators around the world are starting to dive into whether and how Big Tech algorithms harm consumers or competitors.

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Tech giants open up about their algorithms - Axios

Google will wind down game development studios as tech giants struggle to break into gaming – GeekWire

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

(Stadia Images)

Both Google and Amazon have more than enough tools and resources that theyd need to stake a claim in the market. The problem is that both seem to want to simply win by showing up, and thats not something you can do in video games.

Its been a rough few days for the gaming arms at the tech giants, which are suffering setbacks in their attempts to break into the industry.

Bloomberg last week delved into the internal culture at Amazon Game Studios. The goal was to explore why, in Amazons staffers own words, Amazons game development efforts have floundered. Eight years later, with several billion dollars spent, Amazon has little to show for its efforts, and the answer appears to come down to mismanagement at an executive level.

Just a few days later, on Monday morning, Google announced its sudden withdrawal from the games development business.

Despite a high-profile launch and hiring a wide swath of industry talent for its Stadia project, Googles Phil Harrison wrote today that the company will stop investing in first-party content, and will shutter its two internal dev studios. The reasons behind the decision, as per Harrison, include the high investment costs and time requirements of creating best-in-class games from the ground up.

Stadia was the first strictly cloud-based gaming service to reach the market. As a subscription service, offered alongside a custom-made gamepad, Stadia could be used with a web browser or a Chromecast device to let players run video games in high definition straight off of Googles cloud servers. On paper, any device with a strong internet connection and a screen could be used to play the latest games at their highest settings.

Whats held Stadia back, however, is that it initially shipped without all its promised features, such as YouTube integration, and a pricing plan where players bought their games individually at or near full retail price. Subscribers to the full service, Stadia Pro, would get free games each month as well as access to a variety of flash sales. This was controversial at the services launch nobodys really keen on the idea of paying to own a product that only lasts for as long as Google chooses to support it and competing services have capitalized on that, such as Amazons Luna and Microsofts Project xCloud.

Going forward, Googles plans for Stadia are seemingly to treat it solely as a publishing platform. In 2021, were expanding our efforts to help game developers and publishers take advantage of our platform technology and deliver games directly to their players, Harrison wrote. We see an important opportunity to work with partners seeking a gaming solution all built on Stadias advanced technical infrastructure and platform tools.

Stadia Games & Entertainment (SG&E) had an unspecified number of projects in developmen. While a few of the ones that were closest to complete may yet debut on Stadia, the rumor is that anything that fell outside of a potential 2021 release window has been unceremoniously canceled.

SG&Es two studios were located in Los Angeles and Montreal. The Montreal studio was the result of Google acquiring a newly-founded indie developer, Typhoon, back in late 2019; Typhoons only game before the Google merger was the well-regarded indie Metroidvania Journey to the Savage Planet. In an unfortunate coincidence, Journey actually premieres on Stadia today.

Overall, SG&Es closure is reported to affect around 150 employees. As part of the announcement, Harrison has said that most of that team will be moving on to new internal roles within Google, and will be supported by the company in the process.

One of the higher-profile developers at Stadia, however, is leaving Google entirely. Jade Raymond, who became famous in the industry in the 2000s as the producer of the first couple of games in Ubisofts mega-popular Assassins Creed franchise, had joined Google in early 2019 as the head of the Stadia Games and Entertainment department. Harrison noted in his blog post that Raymond has left to pursue other opportunities in the wake of SG&Es imminent closure.

This doesnt necessarily mean the writings on the wall for Stadia itself, but its hard not to think about the infamous Google Graveyard. The company had made a lot of big moves during the run-up to Stadias official release, including hiring some major names such as Raymond. Harrison himself is a well-known face in the industry, as a former member of both Sonys PlayStation team and the Interactive Entertainment department at Microsoft.

With that kind of experience on tap, one wouldve expected Google to realize that if it was ever going to make best-in-class games for the Stadia, it was going to cost money and itd take more than two years before they started seeing results. Unless there were significant internal issues that Google hasnt divulged, shuttering its development efforts this quickly is like forfeiting a football game after the first quarter. In conjunction with the generally unfinished state of Stadias launch back in late 2019, it paints a picture of Google as not realizing, or choosing not to realize, what it would actually need to do in order to be competitive in the modern games industry.

This isnt necessarily the end of the road for Stadia, however. Harrison is still the head of the project at Google, and Stadia is planned to continue to exist for the time being, now specifically as a publisher for third-party games. For current Stadia and Stadia Pro consumers, its business as usual.

Were committed to the future of cloud gaming, and will continue to do our part to drive this industry forward, Harrison wrote. Our goal remains focused on creating the best possible platform for gamers and technology for our partners, bringing these experiences to life for people everywhere.

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Google will wind down game development studios as tech giants struggle to break into gaming - GeekWire

HD Media Takes on Tech Giants Google & Facebook – Editor And Publisher Magazine

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Listen to the audio

E&P Reports Video/ Podcast

HD Media, the West Virginia-based publisher of the Pulitzer Prize-winningCharleston Gazette-Mailand theHerald-Dispatch, is making its own news with the recent announcement that they have filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against Google and Facebook. The purpose is to hopefully help the entire industry receive some form of compensation from the 70%+ of local advertising revenue these tech giants make from the content they exploit.

In this segment of E&P Reports, publisher Mike Blinder has an in-depth conversation with lawsuit co-council Paul T. Farrell Jr. and HD Medias VP of news and executive editor Lee Wolverton to uncover how the lawsuit started and what they want to see happen as a result of their actions. Farrell and Wolverton also speak to how they feel about the need for local journalism and how this suit is not just about ad dollars but also the survival of the news industry as a whole.

As Google fights with Australia, Microsoft promotes Bing and says it wouldnt threaten to leave country – GeekWire

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

(Microsoft Image)

Microsoft is wading into a dispute between Google and the Australian government by asserting that it would never threaten to leave the country, as Google did last week.

Google is against a proposed new law which would make tech giants negotiate payments with local publishers and broadcasters for content included in search results or news feeds, CNBC reported. The company is threatening to block its search engine in Australia as a result.

While other tech companies may sometimes threaten to leave Australia, Microsoft will never make such a threat, Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a blog post on Wednesday. We appreciate what Australia has long meant for Microsofts growth as a company, and we are committed to supporting the countrys national security and economic success.

Microsofts Bing could certainly use a little help in making up ground in Australia. Google currently dominates the search engine market in the country with 94.5% of the share to Bings 3.6%, according to StatCounter.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that he spoke with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who said that Microsoft was ready to step in and expand Bing in Australia if Google pulls its search engine, according to Reuters.

We will invest further to ensure Bing is comparable to our competitors and we remind people that they can help, with every search Bing gets better at finding what you are looking for, Smith wrote.

Australias so-called news media bargaining code specifically targets Google and Facebook, which both get a large part of their revenue from the digital advertising that runs alongside news stories. Google has called the code unreasonable and unworkable, according to CNBC.

Smith said Microsoft is committed to Australia and news publishers that are vital to the countrys democracy and that the code reasonably attempts to address the bargaining power imbalance between digital platforms and Australian news businesses while recognizing the important role search plays, not only to consumers but to the thousands of Australian small businesses that rely on search and advertising technology to fund and support their organizations.

As Google fights with Australia, Microsoft promotes Bing and says it wouldnt threaten to leave country - GeekWire

India’s ShareChat is being courted by US tech giants – Fast Company

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Tech giants are running out of avenues for growth. In the search for their next batch of users, most of them have turned their attention to India, where more people have logged onto the internet for the first time in the last couple of years than the U.S.s entire online population. And one startup has emerged as their hot ticket into the countrys most idiosyncratic audience: ShareChat.

Headquartered in the southern city of Bangalore, famously referred to as Indias Silicon Valley, ShareChat is an India-centric social network that supports over a dozen regional languages and offers most of the trappings youd expect from such a service, such as a feed influenced by your interests and the people you follow; the ability to share media and text as well as comment and like other posts; and more.

ShareChat is wired to feed off of Indias soaring appetite for content. Its designed to fuel new internet users obsession with information, andeven more importantlytheir proclivity to forward that information on WhatsApp, the countrys most popular messaging app.

Resembling Reddit more than Facebook or Twitter, ShareChat doesnt make you follow or friend anyone to get going. When you first log in, your home feed will be filled with posts from a wide variety of topics such as news, tabloid gossip, good-morning messages, and moreall in the local language of your choice.

ShareChat is available in many languagesbut not English. [Image: courtesy of ShareChat]On top of that, ShareChat comes equipped with public chat rooms where you can jump in and just start talking to strangersa common internet perk that new Indian internet users from underdeveloped regions especially find fascinating. To serve this specific behavior, ShareChat even has a feature called Shake-N-Chat that connects two strangers engaging with similar kinds of topics over personal chat.

But the biggest difference between ShareChat and other familiar social experiences is that it has no English-language option. Thats part of whats made western tech giants sit up and take notice. ShareChat is the only startup Twitter has invested in (twice). Its rumoredto be on the cusp of raising more money from Google and Snapchat. At one point, talks of Google acquiring ShareChat for a billion dollars surfaced as well.

For Google and many other western tech giants, banking on Indian startups has been a regular affair of late. Most recently, Google, Facebook, Qualcomm, and Intel poured hundreds of millions into Reliance Jio, Indias leading telecom operator. And late last year, Microsoft and Google invested in DailyHunt, a news aggregator and content app.

Thats not all. Most of these tech companies have also spent much of the last few years trying to optimize their offerings for India, where the median household income is about $3,600 and the cost of devices and internet service is a major factor in adoption. For instance, you can talk to the Google Assistant via a toll-free numberno internet needed. Amazon sells a battery-powered Echo smart speaker to cater to the countrys electricity-deficient regions. Facebook, Google, and Twitter offer their apps on inexpensive dumbphones. Netflix has a $3 mobile-only plan that lets users stream TV shows and movies in non-HD standard quality on their phones. The list is endless.

The tech giants enthusiasm for the Indian market is understandable. Its the second-fastest growing internet economy and hosts over 650 million online users. Last year, Cisco forecast that this figure wouldsurpass 900 million by 2023.

Much of the credit for Indias digital revolution can be attributed to wireless carrier Reliance Jio, which four years ago began offering cellular 4G services for dirt-cheap prices, forcing the rest of the competition to match the prices in order to survive. (Most of them didnt, or got rolled up into mergers.) Today, a 4G plan with unlimited calls and 2 GB of data per day costs about $3 a month in India.

Further, since only about half of Indias population is onlinecompared to the U.S. and the UK where over 90% of people are on the internettheres plenty more to come and tech companies cant afford to miss out.

The problem is breaking into the Indian market isnt easy, especially as only 10% of its population speaks English and the majority of the countrys internet users are from non-English-speaking rural areas. Soon, nine out of 10 internet users in India are likely to communicate in local languages.

Theres where ShareChat comes into the picture. Its social network for non-English speakers has 160 million monthly active users who spend 31 minutes on the app every day, on par with competitors such as Facebook.

With TikTok banned in India, ShareChats Moj has been booming. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]In addition, ShareChat also introduced a TikTok-like short-form video app, Moj (entertainment in Hindi) that has accumulated 80 million monthly active users in six months. Unlike ShareChat, Moj is available in English. Its growth was helped along by Indias ban on dozens of Chinese apps, including TikTok, a move that has also pretty much eliminated local competition for ShareChat. While ShareChat has been around since 2015, 100 million of its 160 million users have signed up in the last year alone.

Moj is decidedly TikTok-esque. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]Amit Sharma, an analyst at GlobalData, points out that users who are new to the internetlet alone social mediadont know how discovery works, especially if theyre from a low-literacy background. ShareChat solves that hurdle by bringing the content to them.By tapping into this model, companies like Google and Twitter can expand into territories that were otherwise inaccessible for them, and monetize new users through advertising.

[ShareChat] encompasses a massive following in Tier II, III, and IV cities and towns, one amongst the major reasons to make ShareChat a sought-after outlet for these western tech companies to add into their . . . portfolio, says Sharma.

As for ShareChats lack of English-language support, it didnt start out that way. The social network initially offered an English option, but the founders noticed people who selected it were barely engaging with the service.

Users were choosing English because of their aspirational value, not because of comfort. Indic language users showed the highest levels of engagement, says ShareChat cofounder and CEO Ankush Sachdeva. This propelled us to discontinue English and go the Indic language way.

A little English can sneak even into an app that isnt designed to support it. [Photo: courtesy of ShareChat]The lack of English language support is also responsible for the one criticism ShareChat hasnt been able to overcomethat it spreads misinformation. As it only works in regional languages, it has managed to largely fly under the radar of independent fact-checking and moderation groups and has run into trouble in the past for being one of the most active sources of fake news. On top of that, its built-in share option allows its users to easily forward whatever post or media they come across to WhatsApp, a significant channel for misinformation in India.

Since the Indian government cracked down on social networks for their failures in handling fake news in 2018, ShareChat says it has dramatically ramped up efforts to deal with misinformation, partnering with certified third-party fact-checkers, and actively taking down posts and accounts.

So where is ShareChat headed next? The answer to that can be found in the startups new research center in Palo Alto, California. Though the company has nothing to say about possible English-language support or U.S. market expansion, its eager to tap into the Bay Areas talent pool as it thinks about its future.

Led by former Uber executive Gaurav Mishra, ShareChat Labs looks to experiment with machine learning technologies to take on the social networks most pressing issues like detecting NSFW content, hate speech, and fake news and build infrastructure to power its next-gen products. One of the areas ShareChat is primarily exploring is camera tech for developing familiar social features such as augmented reality experiences, lenses, filters, stickers, live video streaming, and more, for both ShareChat and Moj.

Back home in India, ShareChat has made a series of acquisitions over the last couple of years, including a fashion marketplace, a hyperlocal information service, meme creator app, a video production and talent agency firm for influencers, and more. They paint a rather clear picture of where its headed: an all-encompassing social media platform that can challenge behemoths such as Facebook at a wider scale.

Until then, Sachdeva maintains that he isnt worried about competition. We have never been influenced by competition to design our business model, he says. We believe that we are in a favorable position with our understanding of the nerve of the market.

Shubham Agarwal is a freelance technology journalist from Ahmedabad, India. His work has previously appeared in Digital Trends, HuffPost, and more. You can reach out to him on Twitter.

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India's ShareChat is being courted by US tech giants - Fast Company

OECD ‘Highly Likely’ to Tax Tech Giants for a Better EU-US Relationship this Summer – Tech Times

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Back in 2020, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) tried to reach an international deal on taxing Silicon Valley tech firms. After failing to do so, it has again started putting things together to implement a global tax on tech giants. According to Unilad, this agreement between the EU and US parties coming this summer has a great chance of coming into fruition after Joe Biden takes office.

(Photo : Screenshot Youtube Video by Tech Insider)

One great avenue of disagreement between the European Union and the US is the subject of digital taxes. Even during the time of Donald Trump, this has often been a point of contention. However, as President Joe Biden takes office, his new administration has promised that it will actively engaged with negotiations in the OECD to strengthen the bonds between EU and the US. This includes finally pushing the deal to tax tech giants, including companies owned by two of the biggest tech giants in the world, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

The current administration's openness to agreements with the OECD is appearing to establish a new fruitful relationship with the EU, even as it has been halted in the previous years. For many union members, taxing the digital economy is essential in increasing control and management over huge digital firms. Furthermore, as the digital consumption has grown tremendously in the recent months, imposing more challenges. This has caused the call to purse digital tax more urgently.

This action is also confirmed as newly appointed Janet Uellen has been backing calls for a global tax on tech giants. This has sparked a great hope of cooperation between US and EU officials.

Read more:Richest Men in the World, Musk and Bezos Fight Over Satellite Real Estate

As such, European officials are ecstatic of the new cooperation with the global agreement that will be sealed very soon. In an interview with with German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz via CNBC, he said that the tax deal with global tech giants is now "highly likely" oand will most likely come before summer comes to an end for the OECD.

He said, "It is highly likely that we will get the success we are working for so hard."

"And the new administration gave me the impression that they understand the need for an agreement in this field and that they will work on solutions together with all of us, which I think is a big, big success. And anyone knows that the timetable is very strict, we have to agree in summer." he added.

Not only does he think that the agreement is very important, but that it should be done in a timely manner as the issue is very urgent. For many European officials a pragmatic approach is essential in maintaining a good US-European relationship.

Related Article:GameStop and 'King Maker' Elon Musk Push Robinhood and Reddit Up the App Store charts

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OECD 'Highly Likely' to Tax Tech Giants for a Better EU-US Relationship this Summer - Tech Times

Top Stocks To Buy Today As Alphabet And Amazon Move Markets – Forbes

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

getty

Reddit stocks swung back and forth on Wednesday but, for the first time in over a week, that wasnt the biggest news of the day. Were back to some normal market behavior with a focus on strong earnings. Alphabets stock popped over 8% after it reported 23% revenue growth and booming cloud business. Although Amazon AMZN nearly doubled analyst estimates for revenue and, for the first time, exceeded $100 billion in revenue, its stock only traded about 0.2% high based on news that founder and CEO Jeff Bezos was stepping down. Other factors moving the markets on Wednesday was stimulus negotiation progress and data showing that private firms added 174,000 jobs in January and beat the 50,000 Dow Jones estimate. As investors digested all of this news, the Dow Jones fell about 50 points, while the S&P hovered around a 0.2% gain, and the Nasdaq NDAQ gained 0.6% and approached another intraday record high. For investors looking to make the most of this market, the deep learning algorithms at Q.ai have crunched the data to give you a set of Top Buys. Our Artificial Intelligence ("AI") systems assessed each firm on parameters of Technicals, Growth, Low Volatility Momentum, and Quality Value to find the best Top Buys.

Sign up for the free Forbes AI Investor newsletterhereto join an exclusive AI investing community and get premium investing ideas before markets open.

Quanex Building Products is our first Top Buy today. Quanex Building Products is an industry-leading manufacturer of components sold to Original Equipment Manufacturers in the building products industry. Quanex also designs and produces energy-efficient fenestration products in addition to kitchen and bath cabinet components. Our AI systems rated the company A in Technicals, B in Growth, A in Low Volatility Momentum, and A in Quality Value. The stock closed up 2.39% to $23.52 on volume of 161,136 vs its 10-day price average of $23.78 and its 22-day price average of $24.32, and is up 6.33% for the year. Revenue was $851.57M in the last fiscal year compared to $889.78M three years ago, Operating Income was $56.13M in the last fiscal year compared to $38.16M three years ago, EPS was $1.17 in the last fiscal year compared to $0.76 three years ago, and ROE was 11.22% in the last year compared to 6.62% three years ago. The stock is also trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 16.97.

Simple moving average of Quanex Building Products (NX)

Plexus Corp is our next Top Buy. Plexus is a big player in the electronics manufacturing service industry, and provides product design, supply chain, materials management, manufacturing, test, fulfillment, and aftermarket solutions to branded product companies in the wireline and networking, wireless infrastructure, medical, and industrial spaces. Our AI systems rated Plexus C in Technicals, C in Growth, A in Low Volatility Momentum, and A in Quality Value. The stock closed up 2.29% to $80.89 on volume of 143,937 vs its 10-day price average of $79.24 and its 22-day price average of $81.63, and is up 2.24% for the year. Revenue grew by 17.22% over the last three fiscal years, Operating Income grew by 4.35% in the last fiscal year and grew by 40.6% over the last three fiscal years, and EPS grew by 5.03% in the last fiscal year and grew by 986.19% over the last three fiscal years. Revenue was $3390.39M in the last fiscal year compared to $2873.51M three years ago, Operating Income was $159.38M in the last fiscal year compared to $118.28M three years ago, EPS was $3.93 in the last fiscal year compared to $0.38 three years ago, and ROE was 12.75% in the last year compared to 1.34% three years ago. Forward 12M Revenue is expected to grow by 2.58% over the next 12 months, and the stock is trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 16.56.

Simple moving average of Plexus Corp (PLXS)

Aptargroup Inc is our third Top Buy today. Aptargroup is a global manufacturer of consumer dispensing packaging and drug delivery devices. Our AI systems rated the company C in Technicals, C in Growth, B in Low Volatility Momentum, and B in Quality Value. The stock closed up 2.13% to $136.94 on volume of 192,951 vs its 10-day price average of $136.64 and its 22-day price average of $137.01, and is up 2.46% for the year. Revenue grew by 15.47% over the last three fiscal years, while Operating Income grew by 9.36% over the last three fiscal years. Revenue was $2859.73M in the last fiscal year compared to $2469.28M three years ago, Operating Income was $396.09M in the last fiscal year compared to $325.7M three years ago, EPS was $3.66 in the last fiscal year compared to $3.41 three years ago, and ROE was 16.17% in the last year compared to 17.7% three years ago. Forward 12M Revenue is expected to grow by 7.71% over the next 12 months, and the stock is trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 33.27.

Simple moving average of Aptargroup Inc (ATR)

Our fourth Top Buy today is Avient Corp NAVI . Formerly known as PolyOne NAVI , Avient Corp is a global provider of specialized polymer materials and services such as thermoplastic compounds, specialty polymer formulations, color and additive systems, thermoplastic resin distribution, and vinyl resins. Our AI systems rated the company B in Technicals, C in Growth, C in Low Volatility Momentum, and B in Quality Value. The stock closed up 0.1% to $40.71 on volume of 521,694 vs its 10-day price average of $40.55 and its 22-day price average of $42.05, and is up 3.19% for the year. Revenue grew by 1.43% in the last fiscal year and grew by 12.1% over the last three fiscal years, Operating Income grew by 12.24% in the last fiscal year and grew by 35.89% over the last three fiscal years, and EPS grew by -948.57% over the last three fiscal years. Revenue was $2862.7M in the last fiscal year compared to $2590.3M three years ago, Operating Income was $222.3M in the last fiscal year compared to $183.6M three years ago, EPS was $7.57 in the last fiscal year compared to $(0.7) three years ago, and ROE was 9.5% in the last year compared to 16.77% three years ago. Forward 12M Revenue is expected to grow by 22.68% over the next 12 months, and the stock is trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 18.75.

Simple moving average of Avient Corp (AVNT)

Euronet Worldwide EEFT is our final Top Buy. The company is a worldwide provider of electronic payment services, and offers ATMs, point of sale services, credit/debit card services, currency exchange and other electronic financial services and payments software. Our AI systems rated Euronet B in Technicals, A in Growth, C in Low Volatility Momentum, and A in Quality Value. The stock closed up 0.75% to $128.5 on volume of 528,537 vs its 10-day price average of $131.61 and its 22-day price average of $138.43, and is down 8.64% for the year. Revenue grew by 9.65% over the last three fiscal years, and was $2750.11M in the last fiscal year compared to $2252.42M three years ago. Operating Income was $475.19M in the last fiscal year compared to $300.05M three years ago, EPS was $6.31 in the last fiscal year compared to $2.85 three years ago, and ROE was 24.66% in the last year compared to 14.95% three years ago. Forward 12M Revenue is expected to grow by 12.47% over the next 12 months, and the stock is trading with a Forward 12M P/E of 26.92.

Simple moving average of Euronet Worldwide Inc (EEFT)

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Top Stocks To Buy Today As Alphabet And Amazon Move Markets - Forbes

Tech, Shopping and Black History Month – WWD

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Tech companies are showing their support for Black History Month in a variety of ways, including new shopping-related features.

On Monday, Google revealed that its extending the Black-owned attribute in its Shopping tab to make it easier for consumers to find and patronize local businesses. Business owners can immediately add the attribute through the Google Merchant Help Center, and the feature will become available to all U.S. Google Merchants in the coming months.

Google sees the move as a natural extension of a similar feature rolled out last summer across search and maps. Now, with the retail angle, the company figures it could help bolster direct commerce for relevant establishments.

According to Attica Jaques, director of brand marketing for consumer apps at Google, search interest in Black-owned businesses soared 600 percent over the past 12 months, based on Google Trends data.

Across the country, people have been looking for Black-owned restaurants, Black-owned bookstores, Black-owned beauty supply and more, which speaks to the diversity within the Black business community, Jaques wrote in a Google blog post. We want to make it easier for people to support and spend dollars with the Black businesses they love.

The change fits into Googles stated goal with shopping. Its mission of democratizing online retail for merchants of all sizes, as a spokeswoman told WWD, spurred major updates to Google Shopping over the past year. Merchants were allowed to offer products for free and with no commission fees for online check-out via Buy on Google. The company also released changes designed to help consumers find new stores and compare prices.

Googles Black-owned business attribute in the Shopping tab.Courtesy image

The massive uptick in interest for supporting Black-owned businesses wasnt limited to Google. Yelp saw an even greater surge amounting to unprecedented numbers, it said. Searches for Black-owned businesses on the site shot up 2,400 percent in 2020, compared to 2019, and review mentions were up 232 percent over the same period.

Naturally, the online directory and review site for local businessesis celebrating Black History Month as well. To mark the occasion, Yelp is curating a list of Black-Owned Businesses to Watch in 2021 a roster that comprises highly rated and popular Black-owned businesses across the beauty, home, and food and restaurants categories.

Facebook and Instagram will double down on the parent companys #BuyBlack Friday campaign, which pulled in more than 15 million views last fall. This time, they aim to boost visibility for Black entrepreneurs with a #BuyBlack initiative across Facebook and Instagram Shops. Instagram will also promote Black-owned brands through its @Shop account.

Apple is marking the month with retail, too, though in a different way. On Monday, the tech giant said its releasing a Black Unity Collection for its Apple Watch that was designed to celebrate and acknowledge Black history and Black culture, a spokesperson said.

Apples Black Unity Collection offers a limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6, watch face and strap in honor of Black History Month.Courtesy image

The line includes a limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6 with a Black Unity Sport Band and a new Unity watch face. Apple Watch Series 6 Black Unity starts at $399, and the Black Unity Sport Band retails for $49.

According to the company, the effort will support six groups: Black Lives Matter Support Fund via the Tides Foundation; European Network Against Racism, International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights; Leadership Conference Education Fund; NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund Inc., and Souls Grown Deep. How much of the proceeds will be directed to these organizations was unclear.

These projects are just a sliver of broader equity efforts and Black History Month initiatives. But the spotlight on shopping and social awareness could offer concrete, measurable support that can make a difference for Black-owned businesses, especially during the critical COVID-19 retail recovery period. And that means, hopefully, the support will continue on beyond just this month.

The rest is here:

Tech, Shopping and Black History Month - WWD

Cops can hunt for Marcus Rashfords racist trolls but only tech giants can silence them – The Sun

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

I AM scum. I am fat. I am ugly. And I have the talent of a single-celled amoeba.

Not my thoughts, necessarily, rather the words of dozens of trolls this week following an entirely innocuous interview with Piers Morgan.

We were discussing TV ratings.

Over the weekend, Marcus Rashford a man so brilliant and decent he was awarded an MBE for his anti-poverty campaigning revealed he had been hit by a string of abusive slurs relating to the colour of his skin.

While our levels of trolling are by no means directly comparable, things do need to change.

Smartly, Marcus refused to name-and-shame these imbecilic Instagram keyboard warriors.

Because, presumably, giving these cretins air-time would be singularly the most exciting thing to have ever happened in their tragic little lives.

Instead, Greater Manchester Police revealed an investigation has been launched, and action will be taken.

But will it?

Last week, ministers drew up plans to fine The Big Three Facebook, Twitter and Instagram if they dont start clamping down on anonymous abusers.

In August 2019, Twitter vowed to monitor the accounts of high-profile black footballers.

And yet, 18 months on, type almost any unsavoury word into the search box and up pops an array of inflammatory and offensive posts.

They make for unedifying reading.

Airbnb, the San Francisco startup which has gone on to become the planets biggest hotel chain, demands an intimidatingly long list of security requirements before users can join.

So if we have to jump through hoops in order to stay in someone elses house, why is it so easy to invade someones personal space via the medium of a mobile phone?

Obviously this isnt communist China. We already have our daily state-sanctioned walks.

We dont want the Government, or social media companies, having unlimited access to our private data as well.

But why are these global tech companies, worth billions and billions of pounds, still struggling to enact policies they themselves brought in?

Surely its not too much trouble to demand users provide a full name, mobile phone number and a photo to ensure accounts are verified and, well, held to account.

If I had my way, users would also have to provide details of their employer.

That way, one racist or homophobic post later and your boss would know exactly how much of a scumbag you are outside of the office.

If these people people in the loosest sense of the word here thought their jobs were at stake, they might think twice before spouting their bile.

Freedom of speech is one thing no one should be too scared to make a joke or gently poke fun at an issue or person but systematic trolling is quite another.

On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge waded into the Marcus Rashford row, calling for those who choose to spread hate being held accountable.

William and Kate are two of the hardest-working royals out there and the prince even worked during his battle with Covid in April. But they, too, get horrifically trolled.

At any one time, Kate is deemed too thin, too perfect, too dull, too smiley.

She literally cannot win.

In the wake of my interview with Piers, I came off Twitter for a day. When I logged back on I had more than 1,000 notifications, very few of them praising my Austenesque turn of phrase or glamour-model good looks.

Piers once told me he laughs off most of the comments but even he, the most thick-skinned man in showbiz, is not immune to it all.

Unless youre a sociopath, its simply impossible to ignore

Made Brexiteers of us all

URSULA VON DER LEYEN and her underlings have made Brexiteers of us all.

I voted Remain and, until recently, was pretty nervous about the whole quitting Europe thing.

But then the European Commission President came along, tried to blockade our vaccines and reminded us all just why so many wanted to leave the EU in the first place.

Arguably, for the first time in 12 months, Boris Johnson has acted decisively and swiftly in his handling of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs.

While immense credit must also be given to vaccine tsar Kate Bingham, its Ursula, that other high-profile female at the centre of Europes chaotic vaccination rollout, who has shown Brits that we can not only survive without the EU, but flourish.

LAST night I switched on my TV to watch Keeley Hawes moping around her smart home in Finding Alice.

On Friday I binged Keeley Hawes playing a misguided mum in Its A Sin.

And now, its emerged, I can fill my Saturday nights watching Keeley Hawes as a DI in Line Of Duty.

Yep, as if we didnt have enough of the 44-year-old actress, the BBC has just announced plans to re-run series two of the hit police procedural show.

Perhaps time for casting agents to give someone else a crack?

00:41am on January 31 marked a pretty rubbish one-year anniversary of the first ever UK case of coronavirus.

A year on, what have we learned?

Well, it turns out were not all as materialistic as we once thought.

Yesterday a report showed that Brits are reading more than ever, while banana bread and sourdough continue to get churned out in households across the UK.

Apparently more of us are knitting (no idea who, but still), playing Scrabble and getting outside for some good old-fashioned walking.

Influencers aside they are too busy hash-tagging from Dubai to be dusting off board games weve rediscovered the joys of being wholesome.

Digital detox

THERES a new fat-shaming in town, and it goes by the name of screen-humbling.

Thanks to lockdown mkIII and bleak mid-winter not only are we cooped up inside more than ever, we have also largely exhausted Netflix and iPlayer.

This means more aimless scrolling on mobiles. Or, in my case, six hours and 38 minutes of aimless scrolling.

As if the iPhone pedometer wasnt shaming enough, smartphones are helpfully offering up a daily screen time counter and mine is routinely terrifying. So on Sunday I decided to go cold turkey with a WhatsApp detox.

I lasted 16 hours and in that time missed calls from my boss, two best mates and the Amazon delivery driver, all genuinely concerned Id died in the night/wasnt in to sign for my new dog blanket.

BECAUSE there is not enough going on in the world right now, people have been moaning about Holly Willoughbys boobs and Davina McCalls knees.

These ridiculous humans have even gone to the effort of complaining to broadcast regulator Ofcom about said boobs.

In fact, more people complained about Hollys cleavage on Dancing On Ice than objected to jockey Jason Maguires excessive use of the whip on poor, flogged racehorse Ballabriggs in the 2011 Grand National.

Similarly, Davina incurred the wrath of trolls for daring to wear a white spaghetti-strap dress on The Masked Singer, at the age of 53.

The assumption being any female over 40 should flash no more than a finely turned ankle and a hint of wrist.

HIC-HIC hooray its the end of Dry January.

And God, what an interminable month its been.

Bar one, small aberration sadly no actual bars I stuck to it.

In normal times Id be planning an almighty midweek bender to excitedly re-wreck my rejuvenated liver.

But actually, theres no point. Who am I going to get hammered with?

Which stranger am I going to hug at 11pm, telling them I can see us being friends in 40 years time? You see, pointless.

So, for the first time ever, Im planning on going booze-free until spring finally arrives.

Because nothing beats a spot of self-flagellation.

CONFIRMATION that Britains Got Talent has been scrapped this year means two things: We are spared both a bunch of stage-school brats high-kicking around the London Palladium and Simon Cowell appearing on screen in 2021.

The once most over-exposed man in showbiz has, all of a sudden, gone eerily quiet.

After spending his new year in Barbados, the 61-year-old mogul has noiselessly returned to London and has yet to get papped.

After breaking his back in August, he didnt even appear by video link for the widely hyped final.

This means Simons most recent TV appearance, a pre-record, was in September 2020.

With The X Factor also resting this year, Simon wont now appear on TV until April 2022.

In showbiz terms, an aeon.

'APPALLING'Fury as clergyman says clap for Tom was 'cult of white British nationalism'

SKY TERRORSAS trooper fights for life after crash with US soldier during 18,000ft sky dive

RED ALERTHotel quarantine 'red list' may be expanded as 27 countries find Covid variants

RISHI WISHRishi 'wants lockdown 3 to be the last & fears scientists are moving goalposts'

JAB FAB FEBCovid jab rollout hits 10 MILLION mark as UK officially passes second wave peak

Exclusive

DUBAI JAIL FEARBrit faces two years in Dubai jail for sending 'F*** You' text to flatmate

ITS around this time of year that Strictly bookers start to hit the phones.

This year surely well see a waltz from Chris Whitty an Argentine tango from Jonathan Van-Tam or Dido Harding doing the paso doble.

And given the Beeb loves a twirling politician, Health Secretary Matt Hancock can expect a call...

GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAILexclusive@the-sun.co.uk

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Cops can hunt for Marcus Rashfords racist trolls but only tech giants can silence them - The Sun

Alibaba said it is examining its business in response to an antitrust investigation. – The New York Times

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

The Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba said on Tuesday that it was conducting internal reviews of its business in response to an antitrust investigation by the Chinese government, which in recent months has begun scrutinizing the countrys big internet companies like never before.

For many years, the growth of giants like Alibaba was celebrated in China as the fruit of a thriving private sector. Now, regulators in Beijing are more concerned about how the companies size and influence are affecting the interests of their customers and competitors, echoing the scrutiny that Western tech giants like Google face in the United States and Europe.

We approach this antimonopoly investigation with a cooperative, receptive and open mind set, Alibabas chief executive, Daniel Zhang, said on a conference call announcing the companys latest financial results. We have a deep appreciation of the significant social and public responsibilities of operating our platform. Beyond complying with regulatory requirements, we will continue to do our best to fulfill our responsibilities to society.

Mr. Zhang said Alibaba would say more when the investigation was complete. He gave no indication when that might be.

Chinas market watchdog announced the inquiry in late December, amid a series of actions by the authorities to rein in tech giants. The month before, officials had abruptly halted plans by Ant Group, Alibabas financial-technology affiliate, to go public in Shanghai and Hong Kong, citing the need for new supervision of internet finance. Regulators later ordered Ant to revamp its business, a process that Mr. Zhang said was still ongoing.

Ants business prospects and fund-raising plans remain subject to substantial uncertainties, Mr. Zhang said.

Like other tech giants such as Amazon, Alibaba has enjoyed strong growth during the pandemic, as lockdowns lead people to depend more on digital services.

Chinas resilient economy helped drive a 37 percent increase in Alibabas sales in the latest quarter, the company also said on Tuesday. Profits for the quarter were $12.2 billion and revenue was $33.9 billion, beating analysts forecasts. Cloud computing revenue grew 50 percent from a year ago, to $2.5 billion. Alibaba said that part of its business was profitable for the first time in the December quarter.

Alibaba said it is examining its business in response to an antitrust investigation. - The New York Times

Like Rockefeller and Gates, Bezos rides off into the sunset just as the lawyers take away the fun – MarketWatch

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

In building his Amazon empire from scratch, Jeff Bezos, the soon-to-be former chief executive officer, deserves to rank alongside other business titans, such as John D. Rockefeller and Bill Gates.

Like Rockefellers Standard Oil and Gatess Microsoft MSFT, +1.46%, companies which changed the U.S. economy in huge wayswhile creating fabulous wealth for themselves and their shareholdersBezoss Amazon AMZN, -2.00% forever altered the way we shop, read, consume and more.

Opinion:The key lesson for Amazon investors as Andy Jassy takes over from Jeff Bezos

But like Rockefeller and Gates, he also ran afoul of the U.S. government. Citing monopolistic concerns, the government broke up Standard Oil in the early 20th century, sought to break up Microsoft in the early 21st, and now talks about breaking up Amazon, along with other tech giants like Apple AAPL, -0.78%, Facebook FB, -0.16% and Alphabet GOOGL, +7.28%, the parent company of Google.

Being an alleged monopoly is but one issue. There are also growing concerns about privacy, and the huge amount of data that Amazon vacuums up each day from its customers, suppliers and rivals.

ICYMI: 5 things to know about new Amazon CEO Andy Jassy

These are about to become Andy Jassys problems. The incoming CEO, whose cloud-computing divisionAmazon Web Servicesis the companys real profit engine, will now have to fend off regulators, mostly Democrats, who are displeased with what some call Amazons monopolistic business practices, and suggest that perhaps it should be broken up.

One of those regulators is Washington Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, whose Seattle district includes Amazons headquarters.

Jayapaljust elected to her third term in Congress with 83% of the voteprobably represents more Amazon employees than anyone else, and says in a statement that the retail giant must be held to account for unacceptable treatment of workers including delivery drivers and warehouse employees; decisions to cut hazard pay and paid sick leave during a raging pandemic even as the top management and wealthiest shareholders get richer.

One chart: With Jeff Bezos at helm, Amazons stock performance has made the S&P 500 look like a flat line

Even more worrisome to Amazon than that salvo is the fact that Jayapal just happens to siton the antitrust subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. She says Amazon (and other dominant tech platforms) engages in anticompetitive behavior and monopolistic practices, that should be reined in.

Jeff Bezos built Amazon into a monolithbut did it hurt American workers?

Amazon has thrown money at these problems, dropping $18.7 million on an army of 118 lobbyists in 2020 alone, according to public records.

But it seems unlikely that this will be enough to fend off lawmakers, who think Amazon and other tech giants have gotten too big and are stifling competition.

Therese Poletti: Amazon doesnt need Jeff Bezos as CEO to be Amazon

Whats interestingand problematic for companies such as Amazonis that this is actually a rare issue on which you can find agreement among Democrats and Republicans, albeit for different reasons.

The beef that Republicans have with big tech largely concerns alleged muzzling of conservative voices. In Amazons case, its recent move to stop providing cloud services to Parlera conservative-oriented social networkhas raised hackles in conservative circles, while Apple removed itfrom its App Store. Both Apple and Amazon said Parler hasnt done enough to address threats of violence from its users. The moves were announced days after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Democrats find themselves in a more contradictory position. Theyre supportive of big techs moves against alleged online threats, but have a beef with the above-mentioned anticompetitive practices, privacy and data issues.

Whats interesting here is the timing of Bezoss departure. Hes stepping aside just as all these issues are coming to a head. On Nov, 5, 1999, a federal judge, Thomas Penfield Jackson, declared that Microsoft was a monopoly that used its vast power to crush would-be-rivals. On Jan. 13, 2000just 61 days later, Gates said he was stepping down as CEO, to be replaced by Steve Ballmer. Even Rockefeller retired from day-to-day business operations at Standard Oil in the mid-1890s, not too long after Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, and after the OhioSupreme Court dissolved the Standard Oil Trust (the company would not be fully broken up until 1911).

Perhaps the timing of Rockefeller and Gatess departures then were coincidences, and perhaps Bezos deciding to leave later this year is too.

But it seems to me that the real fun in being a wildly successful entrepreneur is the chase: Starting something from scratch, working your rear end off, and seeing your idea soarand turning into buckets of money. It certainly isnt dealing for years on end with lawyers and often clueless politicians who think youve gotten too big for your britches and want to take you down a notch.

So perhaps Bezos, just 57 and with plenty of things on his plate, like Blue Origin, a spaceflight company, is getting out when the getting is good. A monopoly? An abuser of data and trampler on the privacy of others? A silencer of conservative voices?

These are subjective matters which will play out for months and years to come. Amazons market cap, as of Wednesdays close, was $1.65 trillion. Hes leaving on top.

Like Rockefeller and Gates, Bezos rides off into the sunset just as the lawyers take away the fun - MarketWatch

Quantum Physics Story Helgoland to Be Adapted by Fremantles The Apartment, CAM Film (EXCLUSIVE) – Variety

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

Italys CAM Film and Fremantles The Apartment have teamed up to acquire rights to bestselling Italian author Carlo Rovellis Helgoland, an origin story about quantum physics, with plans to turn the book into a high-end TV series.

A bestseller in Italy, Helgoland will soon be published in the U.K. and elsewhere around world. Itsthe story of quantum physics, the theory that has given rise to modern technology the computer chip, for one and atomic energy, but also to philosophical considerations and a new understanding of how just about everything works.

Rovellis previous books, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Reality Is Not What it Seems and The Order of Time are all international bestsellers, translated into 41 languages. He is a theoretical physicist who has worked in Italy and the U.S.

In June 1925, 23-year-old Werner Heisenberg, suffering from hay fever, retreated to a treeless, wind-battered island in the North Sea called Helgoland, reads the Helgoland blurb on the website for Penguin U.K., which will be releasing the book in March.

It was on this island that Heisenberg came up with the key insight behind quantum mechanics. Helgoland is thus the story of quantum physics and its bright young founders who were to become some of the most famous Nobel winners, according to promotional materials from Fremantle, which also called the tale a celebration of a youthful rebellion and intellectual revolution.

Today more than ever, we are living a life where our most simple and everyday actions are reflections of an unconditional trust in science, The Apartment chief Lorenzo Mieli told Variety. We therefore think its especially urgent and necessary to tackle this project at this particular moment in history.

Mieli, who is the producer of shows such as The New Pope, My Brilliant Friend and Paolo Sorrentinos upcoming The Hand of God, went on to note that through Rovellis solid and passionate book, we want to tell the human adventure of an extraordinary generation of scientists who changed modern thought forever, and not just from a scientific standpoint.

CAM Film is a Rome outfit headed by veteran producer Camilla Nesbitt, whose recent credits include Milan fashion world series Made in Italy, now streaming on Amazon in Italy, and upcoming French comedy Irreductible by Jerome Commandeur.

I am thrilled to start this extraordinary new adventure to bring on the screen all the emotion of scientific thought that only a great scientist and writer such as Carlo Rovelli could convey in a book, she said in a statement.

No screenwriters or other talent are yet attached to the project, which producers are shopping to streamers and broadcasters.

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Quantum Physics Story Helgoland to Be Adapted by Fremantles The Apartment, CAM Film (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety

Quantum physics and romance collide in the streaming production of Constellations – Chicago Reader

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

In COVID times, gestures that would have been banal and forgettable a year ago now arrive embedded with loaded backstorieseven those (especially those?) that play out on stage.

For the past year and a half, actor Melanie McNulty has been prepping to open Constellations. In September 2019, Theatre Above the Law artistic director Tony Lawry cast her as the astrophysicist heroine in Nick Payne's mind-stretching, multiverse-pondering exploration of love, the cosmos, and the infinite capacity of the human brain to both define and betray the very heart that feeds it.

At first, the two-hander also starring Ross Compton was slated to open in March 2020. It was postponed. Then it was postponed again. And again. About a year after McNulty and Compton were cast, TATL decided to do it as a virtual production, which opens this week.

The commitment made, the cast and two-person crew (Lawry and stage manager Stina Taylor) embarked on weeks of Zoom rehearsals and quarantine, punctuated by COVID tests for all four.

Eventually, the group stepped off Zoom and met for tech week in TATL's Rogers Park space. It was the first time the maximum-45-seat Jarvis Square Theater had been used for live theater in almost a year. With Taylor taking on chauffeur duties so the actors could avoid public transit, the group did two days of masked rehearsals. Then, they all did another COVID test. Then there was an extraordinary moment of wrenching ordinariness.

Compton and McNulty dropped their masks. McNulty recalled experiencing a heady sense of marvel.

"There was a slight moment where I felt like I was naked. The air, suddenly on my face. But that went away, and it was just sheer joy. I'm watching someone smile and laugh and breathe, right in front of me.

"After so many hours of rehearsal where all I could see was my scene partner's eyes, it was liberating."

It was also brief.

"It felt pretty sweet during that part of tech, to have that freedom," McNulty said. "We all have to do what we have to do to stay safeI'm not complaining about having to wear a mask or anything else I have or need to do. But yeah. I was pretty melancholy after, knowing it's going to be a long time before we have that kind of freedom again."

For Lawry, it was a defining moment in a production he'd been committed to for the better part of two years. Lawry said he's always found Payne's elliptical tale of an astrophysicist and the beekeeper who loves her an emotional roller coaster. Smart romantic comedies are his go-to genre, and this one had humans dealing with quantum physics and aphasia and string theory in addition to drunken sex, major trust issues, and witty wordplay.

He did not, however, expect it to be quite the emotional roller coaster it became.

"This was supposed to start our fourth season," he said. We were coming off our first Jeff Recommended season, our first Jeff nominationwe were riding that wave, thinking this would be a great thing to end on, keep the momentum going.

"Nobody wanted to let it go. We kept postponing it and postponing it. We thought about doing it outside somewhere in the summer, but that didn't feel safe. And the city wasn't giving theaters space to do outdoor performances like the restaurants were getting for outdoor dining.

"So by late last fall, I was like, 'We just need to do it, even if its just for us. We've all been prepping for this show for so long, and I'm afraid if we postpone it anymore, we might not all be able to do it together. So let's get it out of our system so we can move on, but we have to figure out a way that we can do that without shortchanging the brilliant material in any way and we have to be safe.'"

Lawry bought a green screen and came up with a production budget that was mostly about editing and filming. (Credit for video goes to Max Zuckert; George Pitsilos and William Schneider created the sound.)

Lawry wanted to replicate, as much as he could, the feeling of an actual play you could see in person in the Jarvis space. There were times over the past year when Lawry wondered whether the Rogers Park space would survive, at least as Theatre Above the Law.

"There were a couple months when it was iffyour landlord has been OK. We got a couple of grants, not what we'd hoped for but some. It's month by month. We just extended our lease for six months. We're good through August. But I wouldn't be truthful if I didn't say my stimulus money goes into the theater's bank account.

"I have an ensemble that's just as passionate as I am. So we've done some Zoom murder mystery fundraisers, and they've put everything behind them," Lawry continued. "And our neighbors have been so supportive. I feel like we're very much a part of our community. Like, even people who didnt attend the online fundraisers bought tickets. The restaurant across the street (R Public House) did this pairing dinner thing, where if you bought a certain dinner, we got part of the proceeds. Life's Sweet is doing a honey tart as a dessert, only on show nights.

"We got 20 new subscribers during a pandemic for a season that's totally up in the air which I think is pretty great for our little storefront. Its a tight-knit neighborhood, and I really love being a part of it," he said.

That season is not entirely up in the air. In March, Lawry hopes to drop a reboot of their 2017 world-premiere adaptation of Cyrano, only this time as a radio play complete with ad jingles. In May or June (or later), there's a world premiere of War of the Worlds on deck, only this time, as Lawry explains, "The heroine is a 13-year-old girl and the aliens are gross men."

Finally, TATL will close out with Comptons Henchpeople, a three-person comedy about which Lawry will say nothing else except for "I really hope we can do it for a live audience by then. But we'll see."

For now, Lawry and his cast and crew remain immersed in Constellations, and the often weirdly apropos existential dilemmas Payne's characters insist you think long and hard about. Take, for example drunk-but-still-an-expert-physicist Marianne's science-based statement that "We're just particles governed by a series of very particular laws being knocked the fuck around all over the place."

McNulty has given it some thought.

"In this play, there are multiple universes we're jumping in and out of, and depending on which one you're in, you see a different version of Marianne. And this version has seen some things that have hardened her. This is the Marianne who says emotions don't compute, so I'm just going to bury my head in my spreadsheets and data."

"What I love about this play," she added, "is that the playwright took something as convoluted as string theory and quantum mechanics and turned them all into a love story between two human beings.

"At the beginning of all this I spent a lot of time questioning what I had to give. What is an actor's role when everything is crumbling around us? What can we offer? This was boggling my mind for a while," she said. "I don't know all the answers. But this play makes me think about how I am spending my time. Am I doing what brings me joy? Am I being loving? Am I being me? The play makes you realize you really have to ask those questions, because we might not have a lot of time."v

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Quantum physics and romance collide in the streaming production of Constellations - Chicago Reader

IBMs top executive says, quantum computers will never reign supreme over classical ones – The Hindu

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

(Subscribe to our Today's Cache newsletter for a quick snapshot of top 5 tech stories. Click here to subscribe for free.)

Crunch numbers fast and at scale has been at the centre of computing technology. In the past few decades, a new type of computing has garnered significant interest. Quantum computers have been in development since the 1980s. They use properties of quantum physics to solve complex problems that cant be solved by classical computers.

Companies like IBM and Google have been continuously building and refining their quantum hardware. Simultaneously, several researchers have also been exploring new areas where quantum computers can deliver exponential change.

In the context of advances in quantum technologies, The Hindu caught with IBM Researchs Director Gargi Dasgupta.

Dasgupta noted that quantum computers complement traditional computing machines, and said the notion that quantum computers will take over classical computers is not true.

Quantum computers are not supreme against classical computers because of a laboratory experiment designed to essentially [and almost certainly exclusively] implement one very specific quantum sampling procedure with no practical applications, Dasgupta said.

Also Read: Keeping secrets in a quantum world and going beyond

For quantum computers to be widely used, and more importantly, have a positive impact, it is imperative to build programmable quantum computing systems that can implement a wide range of algorithms and programmes.

Having practical applications will alone help researchers use both quantum and classical systems in concert for discovery in science and to create commercial value in business.

To maximise the potential of quantum computers, the industry must solve challenges from the cryogenics, production and effects materials at very low temperatures. This is one of the reasons why IBM built its super-fridge to house Condor, Dasgupta explained.

Quantum processors require special conditions to operate, and they must be kept at near-absolute zero, like IBMs quantum chips are kept at 15mK. The deep complexity and the need for specialised cryogenics is why at least IBMs quantum computers are accessible via the cloud, and will be for the foreseeable future, Dasgupta, who is also IBMs CTO for South Asia region, noted.

Quantum computing in India

Dasgupta said that interest in quantum computing has spiked in India as IBM saw an many exceptional participants from the country at its global and virtual events. The list included academicians and professors, who all displayed great interest in quantum computing.

In a blog published last year, IBM researchers noted that India gave quantum technology 80 billion rupees as part of its National Mission on Quantum technologies and Applications. They believe its a great time to be doing quantum physics since the government and people are serious as well as excited about it.

Also Read: IBM plans to build a 1121 qubit system. What does this technology mean?

Quantum computing is expanding to multiple industries such as banking, capital markets, insurance, automotive, aerospace, and energy.

In years to come, the breadth and depth of the industries leveraging quantum will continue to grow, Dasgupta noted.

Industries that depend on advances in materials science will start to investigate quantum computing. For instance, Mitsubishi and ExxonMobil are using quantum technology to develop more accurate chemistry simulation techniques in energy technologies.

Additionally, Dasgupta said carmaker Daimler is working with IBM scientists to explore how quantum computing can be used to advance the next generation of EV batteries.

Exponential problems, like those found in molecular simulation in chemistry, and optimisation in finance, as well as machine learning continue to remain intractable for classical computers.

Quantum-safe cryptography

As researchers make advancement into quantum computers, some cryptocurrency enthusiasts fear that quantum computers can break security encryption. To mitigate risks associated with cryptography services, Quantum-safe cryptography was introduced.

For instance, IBM offers Quantum Risk Assessment, which it claims as the worlds first quantum computing safe enterprise class tape. It also uses Lattice-based cryptography to hide data inside complex algebraic structures called lattices. Difficult math problems are useful for cryptographers as they can use the intractability to protect information, surpassing quantum computers cracking techniques.

According to Dasgupta, even the National Institute of Standards and Technologys (NIST) latest list for quantum-safe cryptography standards include several candidates based on lattice cryptography.

Also Read: Google to use quantum computing to develop new medicines

Besides, Lattice-based cryptography is the core for another encryption technology called Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE). This could make it possible to perform calculations on data without ever seeing sensitive data or exposing it to hackers.

Enterprises from banks to insurers can safely outsource the task of running predictions to an untrusted environment without the risk of leaking sensitive data, Dasgupta said.

Last year, IBM said it will unveil 1121-qubit quantum computer by 2023. Qubit is the basic unit of a quantum computer. Prior to the launch, IBM will release the 433-qubit Osprey processor. It will also debut 121-qubit Eagle chip to reduce qubits errors and scale the number of qubits needed to reach Quantum Advantage.

The 1,121-qubit Condor chip, is the inflection point for lower-noise qubits. By 2023, its physically smaller qubits, with on-chip isolators and signal amplifiers and multiple nodes, will have scaled to deliver the capability of Quantum Advantage, Dasgupta said.

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IBMs top executive says, quantum computers will never reign supreme over classical ones - The Hindu

Establishing a Women Inclusive Future in Quantum Computing – Analytics Insight

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

If you think the 21st century has brought enough opportunities to women in technology, it is still an uncertain thought that needs verification. The modern era of technology has changed the world upside down. The emerging trends are slowly placing women equally to men at all positions in the tech radar. But what feels off is where women stand in therevolution of quantum computers.

Computers have evolved on a large scale in recent decades. Initially, computers filled a whole building and costed a fortune. But today, they are minimized to a small size and featured with advanced technologies where people carry them every day. Thequantum growthhas given birth to ideas like quantum computer and quantum internet. Unlike many disruptive technologies, quantum computing is something that can change the base of our computing system. Even though a fully established quantum computer is still under process, the industry is remarkably being male dominant at some stance. While countries run the race to reach the quantum success, they often leave women behind. And the worst case is that most of us dont notice the discrimination quantum computing is bringing into the tech sector. In order to know better about quantum computing and womens position in technology, let us go through the history and some of the important global quantum initiatives.

Quantum computeris a device that employs properties described by quantum mechanics to enhance computations. Quantum computers are anticipated to spur the development of breakthrough in science, medications to save lives, machine learning methods to diagnose illnesses sooner, materials to make more efficient devices and structures, financial strategies to live well in retirement, and algorithms to quickly direct resources such as ambulances. In a nutshell, quantum computing could ease critical jobs for good. While classical computers are based on bits, quantum computers are based on quantum bits, called qubits. Qubits are physically derived from small quantum objects such as electron or photon, where a pure quantum mechanical state such as spin indicates the ones and zeros.

Thespark of quantum computingwas struck by Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman in 1959. He noted that as electronic components begin to reach microscopic scales, effects predicted by quantum mechanics might be exploited in the design of more powerful computers. The simple speculation turned out to be a theory during the 1980s and 90s and advanced beyond Feynmams words. In 1985, David Deutsch of the University of Oxford described the construction of quantum logic gates for a universal quantum computer. Peter Shor of AT&T devised an algorithm to factor numbers with quantum computers that would require fewer qubits. Later in 1998, Isaac Chuang of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Neil Gershenfeld of the Massachusetts Insititute of Technology (MIT) and Mark Kubinec of the University of California at Berkeley created the first quantum computer that could be loaded with data and output a solution. Almost twenty years later, IBM presented the first commercially usable quantum computer in 2017.

Quantum technologieshave been getting exponential investments in the last few years. The global efforts to boost the quantum mechanism have emerged as a main area of funding. By 2025, the global quantum market is expected to reach US$948.82 million. Quantum computing will give a substantial military and economic advantage to whichever countries come out on top in this global competition.

In 2018, under former President Donald J. Trumps administration, a bipartisan law called National Quantum Initiative Act was passed. According to the law, US$1.2 billion will be spent on the development of quantum information processing over the course of a decade. European countries are also taking steps to stabilize their quantum future. In 2016, 3,400 significant people form science, research and corporate world signed the Quantum Manifesto to call upon the European Commission and the Member States to formulate a joint strategy designed to ensure that the continent remains at the forefront of the second quantum revolution. Two years past the initiative, European Commission launched a Quantum Technologies Flagship program to support hundreds of quantum science researchers.

China is being ambitious in becoming a frontrunner in the quantum revolution. Under Chinese President Xi Jinpings rule, the countrys scientists and engineers are enjoying access to nearly unlimited resources in their development of quantum science and technology. In 2016, China has launched the worlds first quantum satellite as a test platform for quantum communications links between space and earth.

Physics, computer science and engineering are thebasement of quantum computing. The problem starts from the very baseline because only 20% of degree recipients are identified as women for the last decade. Even women who survive the lone time at universities face an existential crisis on daily life as a person involved in quantum initiatives. They are often dismissed and walked over by their male peers. A research conducted by a group of five female scientists has concluded thatwomen who receive an A gradein a physics course have the same self-efficacy about their own performance as men who earn a C grade. The research further unravels thatwomen have a lower sense of belongingand they feel less recognized by their physics instructors as people who can excel in physics.

However, the world can still build an inclusive future for women by taking certain initiatives. Primarily, women need to be recognized in the science and engineering disciplines. Insufficient encouragement in the education level is a threat to women willingness. Instructors and research advisors should cheer female students to perform better and give them more opportunities. Organizations should also develop a culture that treats women and their ideas equally to their male counterparts.

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Establishing a Women Inclusive Future in Quantum Computing - Analytics Insight

29 Scientists Came Together in the "Most Intelligent Photo" Ever Taken – My Modern Met

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

The Fifth Solvay Conference on Quantum Mechanics in 1927, Brussels. Photo by Benjamin Couprie. From back row to front, reading left to right: Auguste Piccard, mile Henriot, Paul Ehrenfest, douard Herzen, Thophile de Donder, Erwin Schrdinger, Jules-mile Verschaffelt, Wolfgang Pauli, Werner Heisenberg, Ralph Howard Fowler, Lon Brillouin, Peter Debye, Martin Knudsen, William Lawrence Bragg, Hendrik Anthony Kramers, Paul Dirac, Arthur Compton, Louis de Broglie, Max Born, Niels Bohr, Irving Langmuir, Max Planck, Marie Skodowska Curie, Hendrik Lorentz, Albert Einstein, Paul Langevin, Charles-Eugne Guye, Charles Thomson Rees Wilson, Owen Willans Richardson. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])

How many geniuses can one room hold? In 1927, 29 of the world's most brilliant minds gathered in Brussels for the Fifth Solvay Conference. Convened by Belgian chemist and industrialist Ernest Solvay, the theme of the conference that year was Electrons and Photonstopics of contention in the newly developed theories of quantum mechanics. Among the group were Nobel laureates and professors holding esteemed university chairs, including legendary names such as Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Erwin Schrdinger. Together, the attendees gathered for what has been called the most intelligent photo of all timea simple snapshot taken at one of the most exciting moments in scientific history.

While the fifth Solvay Conference is the most well known, this prestigious intellectual gathering was first held in 1911 with the theme of Radiation and the Quanta. A young Albert Einstein was in attendance, as was Max Planck, who discovered the energy quanta being discussed. Mathematician and physicist Henri Poincar was also presentknown as the last universalist for being a leader across multiple disciplines before academic specialization began to make that impossible.

The only woman in attendance in 1911 was Marie Curie, the legendary researcher of radioactivity. Curie was already exceptionally accomplished, having won her first Nobel Prize in Physics (shared with her husband and a colleague) in 1903the first time the Prize was awarded to a woman. In 1911the year of the first Solvay ConferenceCurie won her second Nobel Prize, this time on her own and in Chemistry. She was the first person to win the prize twice, and she remains the only person to ever receive a prize in two scientific disciplines.

Despite Madame Curies' accomplishments, women were incredibly rare in STEM in the early 20th century. As a result, even in 1927, Curie was once more the only woman at the Fifth Solvay Conference. Einstein and Planck returned. They were joined by Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, and Erwin Schrdingerall of whom were pioneers of the new quantum mechanics which drew upon Planck's quanta and other discoveries of how the universe functions on an atomic level.

Of the 29 scientists at the conference, 17 would win Nobel prizes in their lifetime. Virtually all would hold university chairs teaching the new theories which were changing the world from one Newton could explain to an entirely new realm of energy, wave-particle duality, and uncertainty. Captured on one day in October, the Salvoy Conference photo shows 29 of the greatest minds of the 20th century taking a brief break from the long process of defining the universe.

First Solvay Conference in 1911, Brussels. Photo by Benjamin Couprie. Seated (left to right): Walther Nernst, Marcel Brillouin, Ernest Solvay, Hendrik Lorentz, Emil Warburg, Jean Baptiste Perrin, Wilhelm Wien, Marie Skodowska-Curie, and Henri Poincar.Standing (left to right): Robert Goldschmidt, Max Planck, Heinrich Rubens, Arnold Sommerfeld, Frederick Lindemann, Maurice de Broglie, Martin Knudsen, Friedrich Hasenhrl, Georges Hostelet, Edouard Herzen, James Hopwood Jeans, Ernest Rutherford, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, Albert Einstein, and Paul Langevin. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])

Neils Bohr, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922 for his work on atoms and their radiation. He developed the Bohr model to describe electrons, their charges, and how they move between orbits. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons [Public domain])

Marie Curie, two-time Nobel Laureate in Physics and Chemistry respectively. Curie was the first female professor at the University of Paris. Photo by Henri manuel circa 1920. (Photo: Wikimedi Commons [Public domain])

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29 Scientists Came Together in the "Most Intelligent Photo" Ever Taken - My Modern Met

John Carpenter Ponders It All: Conspiracies, Simulation Theory, The Singularity, UFOs And Aliens – Forbes

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

John Carpenter performs at Aragon Ballroom on November 9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by ... [+] Daniel Boczarski/Redferns)

In late December, filmmaker and composer John Carpenter moseyed around his Los Angeles home, fielding calls to discuss his new music. A few days before Christmas, the Master of Horror was in good spirits. It turns out the iconic scary-sci-fi aficionado has a soft-side for holiday cheer, family time and gathering around the tree.

While anticipating a conversation with one of the greatest purveyors of the abnormal, its easy to romanticize where the chat might go. Would it be an off the rails dive into the supernatural? Surely, at the least, it must be a psychoanalytical dissection of the mirroring themes from his cult-classic films and the sociopolitical climate of the Trump Era? Maybe hed lay into the film industry for what its doing wrong, explain why the economic elite deserve to be dethroned and confirm how prescienthis foreshadowing of class warfare in America actually was?

John Carpenter at Paramount Studios, 1996. (Photo by Bob Riha Jr.)

Somehow Carpenter completely subverts those expectations, but leaves you feeling satisfied.

Despite a chaotic 2020, the 73-year-old creator of epics like Big Trouble in Little China and Escape from New York prefers to discuss the mundanities of everyday life, the weather or make small-talk about your hometown. But, hell also interject with a tidbit perfectly suiting his storied personality.

Franklin Graham is on the television right now, telling me that Im a sinner, the Halloween (1978) director announces, scoffing at the Evangelical figurehead.

While Carpenter may have strong feelings about current events, the Hollywood veteran couldnt care less about sharing them. He tends to agreein an exhausted sighwith sentiments regarding outlandish politics and religious fanaticism, but doesnt care to pontificate in detail on such matters. Its common for him to throw some rhetorical questions as a caveat, too, when broaching a controversial subject. Hell sarcastically discredit himself or charmingly ask, Now, why would we want to talk about that?

Perhaps the director prefers to avoid making outrageous headlines at this stage in his career. In fairness, no one wants to become the personification of the old man yells at cloud! meme. Or maybe, at this stage, he just doesnt give a crap.

Daniel Davies, John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter

One thing Carpenter does make clear, is that hes grateful to be breathing and creating. And while the moviemaker turned touring musician doesnt know if or when hell return to the road, hes excited to share his bands newest album, Lost Themes III: Alive After Death, out February 5 via Sacred Bones Records. The synth-heavy group consists of Carpenter, his son, Cody, and godson, British multi-instrumentalist Daniel Davies. Davies father, Dave Davies, played guitar and sang in The Kinks.

Below, Carpenter discusses Lost Themes III, the delayed release of Halloween Kills and his unfamiliarity with The Mandalorian. And in his own ambivalent way, The Horror Master addresses conspiracy theorists, the concepts of Simluation Theory, the Multiverse, the Technological Singularity, and for good measure, UFOs and aliens.

Fans and critics have connected the themes from your films like They Live and The Thingto the current state of the world. I think one angle that hasnt been addressed is how there are all these anti-science right wing people who claim theyre the antithesis of the sheep. They believe they suddenly have their own all-seeing sunglasses.

But, instead of believing in Big Brother or the Powers That Be, many are just jumping on a similar bandwagon of blind-faith conspiracy. Do you see that irony? A few years ago you knocked down conspiracy theories about They Live and Judaism, in the time since conspiracy theories have become totally mainstream.

I do. Some of these conspiracies its weird. These conspiracies about Jewish people, have been around, since, forever. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was a Russian hoax! Now its being regurgitated by these fools. God, really? I dont understand, man. The anti-science, the anti-vaxxers, I dont get it! Thank God Im old.

If I may make one more nod to They Live, I was recently driving on a highway between Tennessee and North Carolina and I saw a big billboard that basically said that Jesus would save us from the pandemic. To me, that seemed like the quintessential OBEY sign.

[laughs] Of course it is!

Ignore the doctors, ignore the science! Jesus has this under control!

I know, I know. That stuff never goes away.

Film director and composer John Carpenter (C) performs with scenes from the movie "They Live" in ... [+] support of his album "Anthology." 2017, Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

Lets talk about music. Lost Themes III: Alive After Death isnt a film score, but youve got the word themes in the title there. Do you always see a cinema-esque quality to your music?

This is what I do. I make this kind of music, Im gonna put it on you. You have to come up with the story, but I will provide the soundtrack.

There must be some difference between going in to record a super synthy record like this as opposed to scoring a film. Whats the former like?

Its all instinct and improvisation. Nothing exists when we start. Were creating out of whole cloth. Whats the sound? Sometimes you take a long time just getting the sound right. Sometimes it comes quickly. Its all different. If were doing a soundtrack, we have a visual image to guide us and thats easier. That goes quickly.

Did you record the album in 2020? Was it born during the pandemic?

It was born right as we were finishing the [2018] tour. We had a couple of tunes that were rattling around, then it began to grow a little. It took a while. It wasn't like we have to do this. And we did the score for the first Halloween (2018) remake, that came in the middle. Actually, the score to the second, Halloween Kills (2021), came right at the end. So we did two scores while we were doing this album.

The release date of Halloween Kills is now pushed back to October of this year, as opposed to being released early on a streaming platform. Have you heard that Warner Bros. decided to place their 2021 films with HBO Max? Are you familiar with the blowback from some directors? What are your thoughts on the whole situation?

In general, not real specifically. This is what worries me, that this is the future here. These theaters are closing! Thats really bad. Ay! It seems like this business is changing once again.

Are you happy theyre holding Halloween Kills until people can see it in theaters? [Carpenter scored the film and is credited as original creator]

I dont know. They have to make business decisions. But theres nothing to say thats gonna last. Theres nothing to say that everybody wont be putting their slates of films on television. But what do I know? I worry about it. Theaters are important to the movie experience. Theyre communal.

I know youre into video games and basketball, but have you watched anything good lately?

I just saw the Herman Mankiewicz movie with David Fincher, Mank. Its good! Its good. Its not great. But, its good! I like David Fincher a lot.

Are you into the Star Wars world at all?

No, not really.

Can I spoil something for you? [Warning: Mandalorian spoilers ahead]

Hell, I hope you do.

They just finished the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+, its meant to take place after the original Star Wars trilogy. In the final episode, they brought back your buddy Mark Hamill, who appeared in a few of your productions, like Village of the Damned and Body Bags.

At the conclusion of The Mandalorian, Hamill appeared as a young Luke Skywalker. They did some sort of deep fake CGI thingMark Hamill was on set, but hes portrayed just as he looked in 1977. What do you think about using technology to deage or bring people back from the dead?

Most of the time it doesnt look real. Most of the time you can tell. You can tell because you know the person doesnt quite look like that or is no longer with us. But theyre just servicing the story. So, I dont know. I have nothing against it nor do I think its the greatest. Im not gonna complain about a thing. Im a happy guy.

Mark Hamill and John Carpenter at the 22nd Annual Saturn Awards for Science Fiction excellence. ... [+] Century City, CA, 1996.

I was wondering what implications it has for the business side of film and likeness. In 50 years, when someone decides to cast a young De Niro or Pacino, whats the legality of that?

I dont know. A person has the right to their own image, I think! You would have to get permission and all that s***, but I dont know! What the hell? [laughs]

Lets make a turn here. Are you familiar with Simulation Theory?

No, whats that?

Its the concept that we could all be living in a simulation. The idea is that the Earth could just be a fabrication in someones video game in another universe...

Im not quite sure if I grasp it yet Ive heard of the timelines business before in physics. Its an explanation for a lot of things that they dont understand. But, Simulation, they call it?

Alternate timelines are connected to Multiverse Theory, right? Do you think theres any possibility that could be real?

I dont know. Theres no evidence for it. But, I guess its possible!

Is the Technological Singularity near?

Have you heard of the concept of The Technological Singularity?

Whats this Singularity business?

Futurists embrace the idea that man and computer will form and be one sentient being. With exponential technological growth, The Singularity could help you live forever and have access to the internet in your brain. That type of thing...

It sounds like bulls***, but okay.

If given the chance, would you live forever as half man and half robot?

Hell yes! Are you kidding, of course? Sure!

1978: Carpenter on 'Halloween' set. (Compass International Pictures/Sunset Boulevard)

Youve mentioned that you believe Contagion is a great film. Do you think that any director could make a good film based on COVID-19 or the year 2020?

That depends on the story. If youre talking about, Okay, here we are in a civilization and we get a virus, contagion, and we get a pandemic going.

Okay, well, were living it! So, what else is there to the story?

Plus, its been done. So, how does that work?

Many sci-fi and horror fans watch films as a momentary escape from reality. Ive noticed that now, outside of film, everyone seems to be living within their own version of the real world. You could go door to door, and people might believe a completely different list of truths about what is going on in the world. Do you think its always been like this or are things getting way trippier?

Its a crazy time, man! I dont know. What scares me is maybe this just revealed whats going on and its always been like that. I mean, I always knew there was racism, I didnt think that ended. I grew up in the Jim Crow south. I know how deeply that belief is ingrained in people. But some of this nutball stuff, its unbelievable.

But, there are people who believe theres a satellite orbiting the Earth and it controls our thoughts. People believe crazy crap! They always have. Theres always been stuff that, if you do some critical thinking, you realize that its horse s***.

Have you found that as a director of science fiction and horror films that people expect you to believe in absurd stuff? Do you ever have to explain that youre a filmmaker and you dont believe that people like Starman exist?

Well, I have to differentiate. I know what you mean. Look, the supernatural exists in the movies but not in real life. Look at it that way. In the world of directing and telling stories, thats where all the ghosts and goblins are. But not in real life.

Have you kept up with all the new UFO footage and stories being reported by places like The New York Times? Many legitimate sources are beginning to give credibility to the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Well, now did you see the footage that they released? Wow! I dont know what that is! I have no idea what that is! You can usually tell a fake. But that doesnt look like a fake to me.

Would you like to live in a world where alien life could exist?

I dont know. I suppose. I dont want to live in a world where the aliens that I depicted in The Thing are real. I dont like that idea. Thats bad. That means the end.

Whats in store for John Carpenter when the world restabilizes?

Ill go back on the road again when its safe, maybe, or maybe not. At my age, you just take it one day at a time. If I wake up, boy, Im doing great.

Thats a great outlook to have.

I have no choice!

Follow me on Twitter at@DerekUTG.

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John Carpenter Ponders It All: Conspiracies, Simulation Theory, The Singularity, UFOs And Aliens - Forbes

New ‘Liquid’ AI Learns Continuously From Its Experience of the World – Singularity Hub

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

For all its comparisons to the human brain, AI still isnt much like us. Maybe thats alright. In the animal kingdom, brains come in all shapes and sizes. So, in a new machine learning approach, engineers did away with the human brain and all its beautiful complexityturning instead to the brain of a lowly worm for inspiration.

Turns out, simplicity has its benefits. The resulting neural network is efficient, transparent, and heres the kicker: Its a lifelong learner.

Whereas most machine learning algorithms cant hone their skills beyond an initial training period, the researchers say the new approach, called a liquid neural network, has a kind of built-in neuroplasticity. That is, as it goes about its worksay, in the future, maybe driving a car or directing a robotit can learn from experience and adjust its connections on the fly.

In a world thats noisy and chaotic, such adaptability is essential.

The algorithms architecture was inspired by the mere 302 neurons making up the nervous system of C. elegans, a tiny nematode (or worm).

In work published last year, the group, which includes researchers from MIT and Austrias Institute of Science and Technology, said that despite its simplicity, C. elegans is capable of surprisingly interesting and varied behavior. So, they developed equations to mathematically model the worms neurons and then built them into a neural network.

Their worm-brain algorithm was much simpler than other cutting-edge machine learning algorithms, and yet it was still able to accomplish similar tasks, like keeping a car in its lane.

Today, deep learning models with many millions of parameters are often used for learning complex tasks such as autonomous driving, Mathias Lechner, a PhD student at Austrias Institute of Science and Technology and study author, said. However, our new approach enables us to reduce the size of the networks by two orders of magnitude. Our systems only use 75,000 trainable parameters.

Now, in a new paper, the group takes their worm-inspired system further by adding a wholly new capability.

The output of a neural networkturn the steering wheel to the right, for instancedepends on a set of weighted connections between the networks neurons.

In our brains, its the same. Each brain cell is connected to many other cells. Whether or not a particular cell fires depends on the sum of the signals its receiving. Beyond some thresholdor weightthe cell fires a signal to its own network of downstream connections.

In a neural network, these weights are called parameters. As the system feeds data through the network, its parameters converge on the configuration yielding the best results.

Usually, a neural networks parameters are locked into place after training, and the algorithms put to work. But in the real world, this can mean its a bit brittleshow an algorithm something that deviates too much from its training, and itll break. Not an ideal result.

In contrast, in a liquid neural network, the parameters are allowed to continue changing over time and with experience. The AI learns on the job.

This adaptibility means the algorithm is less likely to break as the world throws new or noisy information its waylike, for example, when rain obscures an autonomous cars camera. Also, in contrast to bigger algorithms, whose inner workings are largely inscrutable, the algorithms simple architecture allows researchers to peer inside and audit its decision-making.

Neither its new ability nor its still-diminutive stature seemed to hold the AI back. The algorithm performed as well or better than other state-of-the art time-sequence algorithms in predicting next steps in a series of events.

Everyone talks about scaling up their network, said Ramin Hasani, the studys lead author. We want to scale down, to have fewer but richer nodes.

An adaptable algorithm that consumes relatively little computing power would make an ideal robot brain. Hasani believes the approach may be useful in other applications that involve real-time analysis of new data like video processing or financial analysis.

He plans to continue dialing in the approach to make it practical.

We have a provably more expressive neural network that is inspired by nature. But this is just the beginning of the process, Hasani said. The obvious question is how do you extend this? We think this kind of network could be a key element of future intelligence systems.

At a time when big players like OpenAI and Google are regularly making headlines with gargantuan machine learning algorithms, its a fascinating example of an alternative approach headed in the opposite direction.

OpenAIs GPT-3 algorithm collectively dropped jaws last year, both for its sizeat the time, a record-setting 175 billion parametersand its abilities. A recent Google algorithm topped the charts at over a trillion parameters.

Yet critics worry the drive toward ever-bigger AI is wasteful, expensive, and consolidates research in the hands of a few companies with cash to fund large-scale models. Further, these huge models are black boxes, their actions largely impenetrable. This can be especially problematic when unsupervised models are trained on the unfiltered internet. Theres no telling (or perhaps, controlling) what bad habits theyll pick up.

Increasingly, academic researchers are aiming to address some of these issues. As companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft push to prove the bigger-is-better hypothesis, its possible serious AI innovations in efficiency will emerge elsewherenot despite a lack of resources but because of it. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.

Image Credit: benjamin henon / Unsplash

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New 'Liquid' AI Learns Continuously From Its Experience of the World - Singularity Hub

Keith Robinson Band digs beneath roots music on Homecoming – Tucson Local Media

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Danzig

On their debut album Homecoming, the Keith Robinson Band aimed to create a record that was true to Southern Arizonabut avoided sounding local. In many ways they succeeded. While never straying far from a folk/rock template, much of the albums singularity can be attributed to frontman Keith Robinsons lyrics jumping between genre conventions and more abstract themesand hell, even a mellotron made its way in between the acoustic guitars and desert imagery.

The album opens with Lost In Space, a rock song much in the borderlands vein, with fuzzy guitars and driving drums. However, it avoids sounding too familiar thanks to Robinsons philosophical background: studying Nietzsche and Heidegger at Fuller Seminary.

In the opener, Robinson sings about Judas and asks the Lord to show him the way, reflecting a kind of existential vertigo in the Sonoran sun. The following track, Psalm 151, shifts styles in favor of a sparse acoustic intro, slowly progressing as instruments join in. Its a delicate and gorgeous setting for Robinson to sing over: My malaise has gotten out of hand... Its a compromised promised land full of all these gospel songs.

We tried to balance the record for listeners by setting up dynamics and varying the instrumentation for different types of songs, Robinson said. At the same time we sprinkled some musical elements throughout the record to try to give it a unified feel rather than just a haphazard collection of songs; the picky stuff in Psalm 151 is echoed in the picking pattern in the final song, Homecoming, for instance. And the fuzz guitar in Lost in Space gets a reprise later in the album in Ocean Walker.

These varied sounds are helped with nearly every performer serving as a multi-instrumentalist: Robinson plays guitar, sings and performs some additional percussion; Evan Wagner plays bass and electric guitar plus percussion; Steven Tracy plays piano, organ and mellotron; and Dani Ponce sticks to the drumkit, though his energy serves multiple roles.

Released in the final days of 2020, the pandemic delayed and complicated Homecomings recording sessions. This isolation and difficulty is present in multiple tracks, but Robinson wrote the majority of the songs before COVID was in our collective vocabulary. This is reflected in the album cover, balancing saguaros on one side and tombstones on the other, and in lyrics like I saw an angel in the desert sun / A crystal hourglass empties fast / I used to walk on the forest floor / Present always becomes the past.

In March 2020, the band had a batch of songs ready to record, but everything was put on delay. While waiting, Robinson wrote two tracks inspired by the pandemic, which made their way into the recording sessions at St. Cecilia Studios in August, with Tracy as engineer.

It would have been tone-deaf, we thought, to record an album during such global upheaval without alluding to the pandemic at all, Robinson said. Everyone was wary of COVID, so the August sessions were limited to a tight little groupSteven, myself, bassist Evan Wagner, and drummer Dani Ponce. No girlfriends, friends, or outsiders allowed. We recorded the whole album in just three daysgranted, three long dayswith another day-and-a-half devoted to mixing and last-second adjustments.

Robinson credits these quick and successful sessions to the fact the band had extra rehearsal time due to COVID delaysthough this time both helped and hindered.

In April I was in a bad way. I had awful bouts of insomnia, I wasnt eating, I was cut off from almost all human interaction, I never knew what day of the week it was, and in my head it generally felt like the world was ending, Robinson said. That experience bled into the songs. The record, in other words, is not making any grand, definitive pronouncements about whether life is worth living or whether God exists. Those questions are up for grabs. The lyrics are more simply just an expression of how I was feeling at the time. Death seemed imminent, all around me, so I wrote material reflecting what that felt like.

Though themes of loss permeate the album, the warm instrumentals and broader philosophical linessuch as when Robinson echoes Heraclitus adage that you cant step in the same river twicecombine for an album that is true to Southern Arizona, and definitely true to the world beyond that.

The record certainly contains some bleak moments, Robinson said. But my hope is that the gloom contributes to the beauty rather than detracting from it.

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Keith Robinson Band digs beneath roots music on Homecoming - Tucson Local Media

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