Alibaba releases Wan 2.1, a family of open-source AI models for generating images and videos, available globally on Alibaba Cloud's ModelScope and HuggingFace (Reuters)

At the Bitcoin Conference in Las Vegas, Coinbase's chief policy officer, Faryar Shirzad, announced the company's sponsorship of the America250 effort, which includes a military parade to celebrate the U.S. Army's 250th birthday, a project led by political consultant Chris LaCivita, tied to Donald Trump's administration. This revelation drew attention due to Coinbase's prior stance against political involvement and the controversial nature of military parades. The announcement occurred during a VIP-only event featuring Republican figures,...

HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us retains the poignant score by Gustavo Santaolalla, which series creator Neil Druckmann describes as integral to the game's essence. Santaolalla, an Oscar-winning composer recognized for his unique blend of Argentine folk and rock, emphasizes the emotional connection his music fosters in storytelling, even incorporating imperfections to humanize his sound. His collaboration with Druckmann on the project reveals his commitment to creating emotionally resonant experiences, which continue to engage...

The daughter of a woman who died from extreme heat during the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome has filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against major oil companies, seeking to hold them accountable for her mother's death. This civil lawsuit, submitted on May 29 in King County Superior Court, marks the first wrongful death case related to climate change targeting Big Oil in the United States. It asserts that Juliana Leon's death was exacerbated by human-caused climate...

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, players navigate 20 levels as one of the turtles, each with unique movesets, allowing for a straightforward gaming experience that merges strategy with classic TMNT action. The game features battles on a grid with shifting terrain and encourages players to utilize their environment by sending enemies off edges for instant defeats. Overall, it combines fast-paced arcade elements with turn-based strategy, making it engaging even for those who typically...

Major tensions are emerging between AI labs and the applications that utilize their services, highlighted by Anthropic's abrupt cutoff of Windsurf's access to Claude 3.x models, raising concerns about industry-wide impacts. OpenAI also posed a threat to Granola, an AI meeting note app, by introducing a similar function within ChatGPT, potentially limiting Granola's growth. As startups navigate these risks of being overshadowed or copied by their model providers, industry leaders stress the importance of trust...

Physicists at Loughborough University have developed what they claim to be the world's smallest violin, measuring just 35 microns long and 13 microns wide, smaller than a human hair. Created using a new nanolithography system and a NanoFrazor machine, this microscopic instrument showcases advanced precision manufacturing techniques aimed at enhancing computing efficiency and energy harvesting. Although it takes about three hours to produce each violin, the final product exists only as a microscopic image rather...