Google's Robotic Transformer 2 vision-language-action model uses a large language model to allow robots to recognize patterns and perform actions even if those robots haven't been specifically trained to do the tasks. It can adapt on the fly in ways that are impossible to explicitly program. While the model shows a great ability to adapt what it has learned to new situations, it can't yet perform actions it hasn't physically practiced before. Google's ultimate goal for the project is to create general-purpose robots.
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has confirmed several details about the next iPhone lineup due to be announced in just over a month. The new Pro models will have titanium frames and thinner screen bezels. The mute switch will be swapped out for a customizable button, and the Lightning port will be replaced by USB-C. There will be a price increase - up to $200 for the Max model. The standard iPhone will ditch the notch in favor of the Dynamic Island.
Amai Proteins is a synthetic biology company that is gearing up to commercialize a microbially produced protein that is on average 3,000 times sweeter than sugar. The protein achieves its taste without the health hazards and off-flavors of other synthetic and natural sweeteners. It is based on a protein found in tropical berries and was inspired by extremophile organisms. Supertasters are unable to tell the difference between the protein and real sugar. Amai Proteins aims to launch its product in 2023 once it is recognized as generally safe by the FDA.
Scientists have revived nematodes from a state of suspended animation that lasted 46,000 years. The microscopic animals belong to a functionally extinct species called Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, which was previously unknown to science. They were found in permafrost formations in Siberia in an area that preserved the fossil burrows of arctic gophers. The scientists are now comparing the revived nematodes with species from the same genus to understand how the populations have become different.
missing.css is a CSS library that aims to reduce needed intervention in HTML. It allows developers to customize and create multiple themes, build common components using plain semantic HTML, and design unique sites by applying utility classes as needed. missing.css is perfect for small projects where classless CSS isn't enough but Tailwind is too much and Bootstrap isn't a good fit.
Despite working exactly the same way it did 30 years ago, many programmers struggle with debugging DNS problems. This blog post looks at why it is so hard to learn about troubleshooting DNS problems. The article doesn't explain DNS much, but there are links to resources for learning about how it works.
“X” is a familiar name for those familiar with Elon Musk’s history. Musk had envisioned X as a global financial nexus before PayPal. This article tells the story of the rise and fall of X’s previous incarnation. It is based on contemporary articles, published videos, and interviews with key players. The events surrounding X defined Musk’s approach to company control and ownership.
A claim about a new superconductor that works well above room temperatures and at ambient pressure has sparked a large amount of discussion on social media. The discovery would be one of the biggest ever in condensed matter physics if true. It would enable technologies such as levitating vehicles and perfectly efficient electrical grids. However, papers posted by the scientists making the claims are short on detail and many physicists are skeptical of their results. Other researchers will likely try to reproduce and confirm the results in a very short time.
Amazon Web Services will start charging $0.005 per IP per hour for all public IPv4 addresses starting on February 1 next year as IPv4 addresses are increasingly more difficult to acquire.
US officials believe that malicious computer code has been hidden inside networks controlling power grids, communications systems, and water supplies that feed military bases.
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