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Computers/Internet (General/Chat)

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  • Cris Carter unloads on Shedeur Sanders for ‘$50 million’ NFL draft mistake

    04/30/2025 2:08:58 AM PDT · by dennisw · 73 replies
    NY Post ^ | April 29, 2025 | By Camden Markel
    Who’s to blame for Shedeur Sanders’ plummet to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft? Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter thinks it’s simple: Sanders has no one to blame but himself. “You’re going for a job interview,” Carter said about the pre-draft process during an episode of the “Fully Loaded” podcast released Monday. “So, for his job interview, he was so concerned about what his outfit was, his necklace was over a hundred grand. Like, he hadn’t even convinced people that you’re the face of our franchise. Cris Carter had a 16-year, Hall of Fame NFL career....
  • Brain-Inspired Tech Could Help Hearing Aids Solve The ‘Cocktail Party Problem’

    04/29/2025 9:45:33 PM PDT · by Red Badger · 38 replies
    Study Finds ^ | April 29, 2025 | Research led by Kamal Sen, Boston University
    People with hearing loss often struggle with the "cocktail party problem." (Photo by StudyFinds on Shutterstock AI Generator) ************************************************************************** In a nutshell * A new brain-inspired algorithm called BOSSA could dramatically improve how hearing aids handle noisy environments. It could help users focus on a single voice in a crowded room, something conventional hearing aids often struggle with. * BOSSA mimics how the brain processes sound, using just two microphones to preserve natural spatial cues and separate overlapping speech, outperforming both unprocessed hearing and today’s industry-standard hearing aid technology in lab tests. * While still in development, BOSSA shows strong...
  • Go to Grok and ask how it would describe you and see what it says.

    04/29/2025 8:31:37 AM PDT · by Jonty30 · 122 replies
    April 29, 2025 | Jonty30
    Just ask this question for fun. If you read username comments on free republic, how would you describe them?
  • TikTok astrologer arrested in Myanmar for predicting another earthquake

    04/28/2025 10:39:47 AM PDT · by BenLurkin · 8 replies
    unexplained-mysteries.com ^ | April 27, 2025 · | T.K. Randall
    Making predictions about the future can land you in hot water - as evidenced recently by the arrest of a TikTok astrologer who had predicted that an earthquake would hit Myanmar on April 21st. He had made the prediction on April 9th - just two weeks after a major quake killed 3,500 people in the region - and his video managed to rack up over 3 million views on the clip sharing platform. In it, he claimed that an earthquake would "hit every city in Myanmar" and told people to "take important things with you and run away from buildings...
  • The second illegal migrant accused in DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's purse snatching is identified as Chilean national Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana

    04/28/2025 9:10:12 AM PDT · by dennisw · 26 replies
    @JennieSTaer --- X ^ | 8:28 AM · Apr 28, 2025 | @JennieSTaer
    EXCLUSIVE: The second illegal migrant accused in DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's purse snatching is identified as Chilean national Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana— who was released into US in early January 2021 despite being handed a notice of 'expedited removal’ thanks to a COVID lawsuit that forced the Feds to release certain migrants with comorbities. He then later failed to appear for his ICE check ins never to be seen again. He was busted in Miami Sunday as an alleged accomplice in the robbery and is believed to be part of a larger theft ring. https://x.com/JennieSTaer/status/1916831981695836589
  • Meta allows Facebook, Instagram AI bots to engage in sick sex talk with kids — including in voices of Disney characters, celebs: report

    04/27/2025 5:11:50 PM PDT · by Libloather · 9 replies
    NY Post ^ | 4/27/25 | Ronny Reyes
    Meta’s AI-powered chatbots on Facebook and Instagram are able to engage in graphic sex talk with users, even children, with the voices of Disney characters and celebrities, according to a bombshell report. AI using the personas of popular stars like John Cena, Kristen Bell, and Judi Dench were all capable of acting out sick fantasy chat with its users regardless of age, the Wall Street Journal found in tests of the software. The Journal’s testing plumbed the depths that the chatbots would go, including having a fake version of Bell reprise her role as Anna from Disney’s “Frozen” to seduce...
  • What Is the Best Flight Simulator?

    04/27/2025 8:47:15 AM PDT · by fireman15 · 64 replies
    Flying Magazine ^ | Dec 11, 2024 | Kasia Szwed-Carlson
    Aviation saw rapid innovation and growth after the first flight in 1903, leading to the moon landing in 1969. Similarly, advancements in digital technology allow pilots of all skill levels to experience flight from home through realistic flight simulators. These programs and equipment educate pilots and provide true piloting experience without ever leaving the ground. Let us explore top flight simulator software and accessories for the best at-home simulation. You can also check out the FLYING Edition Rig to get started in the right direction. Best of all-round flight sim software: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Best of realistic flight sim...
  • Oblivion Veterans Are Warning New Players Not To Throw Away A Seemingly Useless Early-Game Item In The Remake

    04/27/2025 7:26:07 AM PDT · by BenLurkin · 17 replies
    The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion veterans are warning newcomers and Remastered players not to throw away the seemingly useless Wrist Irons you get during the game's tutorial. As seemingly every RPG fan is well aware of considering how massive the player count on Steam is, the long-rumoured remaster/ remake of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion shadowdropped just a few days ago, giving everyone the chance to revisit Cyrodil. Considering the fact that it's been 20 years since the game originally launched, there are a lot of tricks and tips being relearned. From early-game creatures that you should avoid killing to...
  • Recommend a browser?

    04/26/2025 7:35:05 PM PDT · by LouAvul · 62 replies
    I'm using Duck Duck Go. Tried to download Google but Microsoft (I'm using Windows 10) popup said I was trying to install an app not approved by MS. They want me to go through their store. I'll try something else. Brave? Is that FR approved? Suggestions? thnx
  • Scientists Unlock a Hidden Dimension for Light—And It Could Revolutionize Technology!

    04/24/2025 9:32:51 PM PDT · by Red Badger · 73 replies
    Daily Galaxy ^ | April 24, 2025 | Lydia Amazouz
    Scientists have discovered a groundbreaking phenomenon where light materializes from nothingness, opening the door to revolutionary advances in physics and technology. In a groundbreaking new study, researchers from the University of Rostock and the University of Birmingham have made a surprising discovery that challenges the long-held understanding of time and space in physics. Their research, recently published in Nature Photonics, reveals the existence of “space-time-topological events” where light appears to emerge from and disappear into nothingness—a phenomenon that initially seems like magic, but is grounded in deep mathematical principles. Rethinking Time and Space in Physics Time has long been considered...
  • Alphabet shares rise on stronger-than-expected revenue growth [Google]

    04/24/2025 6:28:55 PM PDT · by Red Badger · 2 replies
    CNBC ^ | April 24, 2025 | Jennifer Elias
    Key Points Alphabet reported revenue of $90.23 billion and earnings per share of $2.81. The company’s shares rose as much as 4% on stronger-than-expected revenue growth. Alphabet’s search and advertising units are still showing strong growth despite AI competition heating up, according to its first-quarter earnings report. =========================================================== Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter growth on Thursday after the bell. Shares rose more than 5% in after-hours trading. Here’s how the company did, compared with estimates from analysts polled by LSEG: Revenue: $90.23 billion vs. $89.12 billion, estimated Earnings per share: $2.81 vs. $2.01, estimated...
  • ASAN Gravely Concerned by Administration’s Plans for Autistic People’s Medical Data

    04/24/2025 5:35:44 AM PDT · by Red Badger · 18 replies
    autisticadvocacy.org ^ | April 23, 2025 | Staff
    ASAN is gravely concerned by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s (RFK Jr.) reported plans to establish a “registry” of autistic people and to hand over sensitive medical data about autistic people to unnamed researchers, likely without their consent. At present, so little information has been released about this plan that basic questions about how it will work remain unanswered. For example, we do not know how autistic people will be identified, whether personally identifying information will be culled from the collected data, what confidentiality protections there will be, or whether people will receive any notice...
  • Microsoft Edge: AI is taking over the New Tab Page

    04/24/2025 2:45:47 AM PDT · by Openurmind · 73 replies
    Ghacks Net ^ | Apr 22, 2025 | Martin Brinkmann
    "How can I help you today". That is what you see when you open Microsoft Edge's new tab page in the latest development version. Microsoft is replacing the traditional new tab page with a page that is all about Copilot. It is the second Copilot feature that has been added to Edge recently by Microsoft. Currently, that is only an experiment, but there is a chance that this new AI-powered page is replacing the classic new tab page, at least as an option. Snip.... Many of the interactions with Copilot redirect you to the Bing website where the results are...
  • John Legend sparks backlash as footage surfaces of him making heinous accusation against Trump

    04/23/2025 3:20:44 AM PDT · by dennisw · 33 replies
    DAILYMAIL.COM ^ | 23 April 2025 | STEPHEN M. LEPORE
    Singer John Legend was slammed on Tuesday after footage emerged of him calling Donald Trump a white supremacist. A lifelong liberal, Legend - along with wife Chrissy Teigen - has called Trump a 'dyed in the wool racist' with Trump describing him as a 'boring musician' and Teigen as 'filthy-mouthed' for calling him a 'p***y-a** b****' in 2019. Now, a clip of The Voice judge speaking at The Fifteen Percent Pledge's 15th Street Block Party in Hollywood in February has surfaced with Legend again going all in on his distaste for the president. 'America made a decision that I strongly...
  • Your Body Is Your New Wallet: Spain’s Biometric Payment Future

    04/21/2025 12:57:46 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 25 replies
    Euroweekly News ^ | 21 Apr 2025 | Farah Mokrani
    We’ve all watched the way paying for things has changed over the years. First it was coins, then cards, then phones and smartwatches. But now, it looks like the next big step is… you. Literally. Your face, your fingerprint, even your eyes could soon be all you need to pay for your next coffee, your weekly food shop, or even your pharmacy run. It might sound futuristic, but this is already in the works here in Spain. Banks and big-name retailers are gearing up for pilot programmes as soon as 2026, and if all goes well, we’ll be seeing biometric...
  • Bizarre Bigfoot simulation video game let's you live as a Sasquatch

    04/21/2025 9:55:42 AM PDT · by BenLurkin · 17 replies
    unexplained-mysteries.com/ ^ | 04/19/2025 | y T.K. Randall
    If you've ever wanted to roam around the forests as a cryptozoological hominid, now you can. "Catch and eat fish, insects, and other creatures," the game synopsis states. "Forage the forest for mushrooms, berries, and more. Build shelters to store your items in to get through the harsh winters. Earn extra points by breaking branches and scaring the wildlife." The game has its share of obstacles too, from Bigfoot hunters who try to take pictures of you to adverse weather conditions.
  • "Who's Got the Wrong Kind of Reich?" Elon Musk Music Video (AI,I like the tune)

    04/20/2025 8:31:56 AM PDT · by dynachrome · 8 replies
    X ^ | 4-2-25 | @FreeVoiceOG
    FreeVoice @FreeVoiceOG Reality Based. American citizens first. I only reply to DM's from the Nigerian Lottery.
  • Costco rival removing all self-checkout machines... and replacing them with something even worse

    04/19/2025 5:39:14 PM PDT · by dennisw · 210 replies
    DAILYMAIL.COM ^ | 17 April 2025 | ALICE WRIGHT
    Sam's Club stores is axing all self-checkouts from its 600 stores — in favor of controversial new technology. The Walmart-owned warehouse chain, often seen as Costco's biggest rival, is rolling out AI-powered 'Scan & Go' tech that lets shoppers skip the line and walk straight out the door once they're done shopping. The move is controversial because it uses a network of cameras and sensors to track shoppers and their carts. In addition, the checkout-free experience requires all customers to use a smartphone and download the store’s app. This could pose a challenge to older shoppers who may struggle with...
  • Witch Trials 'Brought to Life' by Interactive Tour

    04/19/2025 5:17:45 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 15 replies
    BBC ^ | 4/15 | Stuart Woodward
    A visitor trail about witch trials in the 16th and 17th centuries is being brought to life by augmented reality. The Tendring Witch Heritage Trail is set in Harwich, Manningtree, St Osyth and Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex. Visitors can use an app to watch re-enactments and animations about particular individuals from the area. Organisers said the trail would offer a fascinating insight into the trials, which saw 74 people executed for witchcraft in the county between 1560 and 1680.
  • China Pits Humanoid Robots Against Humans in Half-Marathon

    04/19/2025 4:54:19 PM PDT · by nickcarraway · 9 replies
    Channel News Asia ^ | 19 Apr 2025
    "The robots are running very well, very stable ... I feel I'm witnessing the evolution of robots and AI,” said one spectator.Twenty-one humanoid robots joined thousands of runners at the Yizhuang half-marathon in Beijing on Saturday (Apr 19), the first time these machines have raced alongside humans over a 21km course. The robots from Chinese manufacturers such as DroidUP and Noetix Robotics came in all shapes and sizes, some shorter than 120cm, others as tall as 1.8m. One company boasted that its robot looked almost human, with feminine features and the ability to wink and smile. Some firms tested their...