Media
Apparent UFO images leak from Pentagon's secret data retrieval program 'Immaculate Constellation'
An email containing incredible UFO images allegedly from US military UFO sightings has been leaked online by an anonymous source. The leaker claimed that they had accessed an alleged top secret UFO'data retrieval program' known as'Immaculate Constellation' -- made famous this past November in a blockbuster public hearing before Congress. The black-and-white images show ornately spiked'cruciform' UFOs, boomerang-shaped flying wings, a floating'hot' cube, traditional flying saucers and several other craft that look straight out of classic science fiction. The screengrabs are said to be from infrared and thermal camera footage taken by military'heads up displays,' but details were redacted to protect both sensitive US national security interests. These unsettling depictions of highly varied craft were first made public by Nathan Latvaitis, who runs a YouTube channel called'Strange Mysteries.'
Keith Urban shares 'rock n roll' moment when fan threw her prosthetic leg on stage
The Grammy award-winning star discusses what he thinks about when he is picking which songs to record. Keith Urban has had his fair share of strange interactions with fans. When asked about his wildest moment with a fan during his recent appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," the 57-year-old country singer recalled the time a fan threw an unexpected item on stage for him to sign. "I was playing a show, and this girl yells out from the audience, 'will you sign my leg?'" Urban explained. "And I went, 'of course' what a great moment. This was years, a long, long time ago. She's out there, I say yep come on up! Then she disappears, I couldn't see her. Then she pops up out of the same spot and throws this prosthetic leg up on stage!"
What is Sora Turbo and is it a game-changer for artificial intelligence?
Sora, an artificial intelligence (AI) video generator program created by startup OpenAI in 2021, is making waves as it has now moved out of the research phase and has been officially released to the public under the new name of Sora Turbo. The launch has triggered an online frenzy among users, causing the company to temporarily halt new account creations after finding itself overwhelmed by an avalanche of traffic. Sora uses text prompts to create content, similar to other content creation programs such as ChatGPT. Unlike traditional AI programs which produce written responses, Sora creates high-quality videos based on a user's text input. Adding it to @everartai asap so you can bring your images to life pic.twitter.com/wMehxOc8cm
How Hamlet found a virtual stage in Grand Theft Auto
Young cast member Nora has benefited from this opportunity. She openly thanks those in game for giving her the opportunity to act and express herself freely, particularly as someone going through a gender transition. "It's amazing that her first production experience of Shakespeare, beyond studying in school, was in Grand Theft Auto," Grylls says. "That's what kept us going really, the fact people kept coming back because they wanted to." Grylls, Crane and Oosterveen's committed madness has paid off.
Reddit's latest AI update makes finding the answers you want much easier
Reddit continues to grow in popularity as a search engine alternative, with millions of Redditors contributing answers, perspectives, and summaries on the hottest topics. Now, the social platform is making it easier to find the insights you need with help from artificial intelligence (AI). Also: OpenAI's Sora AI video generator is here - how to try it Starting today, we're rolling out a limited test in the U.S. of Reddit Answers--an AI-powered way to get the information, recommendations, and hot takes you only go to Reddit for. Users can then visit the full conversation from where the answers were generated using the inline footnotes or the area beneath the answer. Reddit shares that this experience is part of a longer-term vision to improve the Search experience on the platform, making it "faster, smarter, and more relevant."
The Most Hyped Bot Since ChatGPT
For more than two years, every new AI announcement has lived in the shadow of ChatGPT. No model from any company has eclipsed or matched that initial fever. But perhaps the closest any firm has come to replicating the buzz was this past February, when OpenAI first teased its video-generating AI model, Sora. Tantalizing clips--woolly mammoths kicking up clouds of snow, Pixar-esque animations of adorable fluffy critters--promised a stunning future, one in which anyone can whip up high-quality clips by typing simple text prompts into a computer program. But Sora, which was not immediately available to the public, remained just that: a teaser.
Assassins Are Having a Moment. Netflix's Addictive New Hit Captures Their Dangerous Allure.
"I don't kill anyone who doesn't deserve it," says Sam (Ben Whishaw), the self-described "triggerman"--hit man--in the new Netflix spy thriller Black Doves. Sam, like the series' other main character, Helen (not her real name, played by Keira Knightley), works for Black Doves' eponymous organization. They are spies, more or less, but spies for hire, and when you get right down to it, most of Sam's gigs seem to be carrying out hits for drug dealers. Sam isn't the only hit man featured in a sleek, starry TV thriller this winter. On Peacock, Eddie Redmayne plays Alex in a new adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal.
OpenAI makes AI video generator Sora publicly available in US
Anyone in the US can now use OpenAI's artificial intelligence video generator, Sora, which the company announced on Monday would become publicly available. OpenAI first presented Sora in February, but it was only accessible to select artists, film-makers and safety testers. At multiple points on Monday, though, OpenAI's website did not allow for new sign-ups for Sora, citing heavy traffic. Sora is known as a text-to-video generator, a tool that can create AI video clips based on a user's written prompts. An example on OpenAI's website has the prompt of "a wide, serene shot of a family of woolly mammoths in an open desert".
The 10 Best Books of 2024
Slate has relationships with various online retailers. If you buy something through our links, Slate may earn an affiliate commission. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. All prices were up to date at the time of publication. It shouldn't be surprising that my list of my favorite books of 2024 includes a number of works by older writers working out what it means to make art as a career--what their creative future might look like.
Amazon's newest Kindle Scribe is better than ever - but I'd recommend this model instead
Amazon just released its newest Kindle Scribe last week, but I've been using the older Scribe model for two years now, and I don't plan on upgrading any time soon. Sure, it's tempting to spring for a new device, but Amazon released a handful of hardware and software updates for the first-generation Kindle Scribe that significantly improve its functionality. I updated my original Kindle Scribe to the 5.17.2 software and am very pleased that Amazon continues to enhance this pen-enabled e-reader on a regular basis. If you haven't seen the update pop up on your own Kindle, you may have to run it manually. It's very easy for a Windows computer, but takes a bit more work for a Mac since you first need to download and install the Send to Kindle utility.