SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Grade " 2,282 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
McKinley Park News - Students Strut Science at McKinley Park High’s STEM Night
McKinley Park High at its new Bridgeport campus presented 9th to 12th grade students demonstrating principles of science, technology, engineering and math at its STEM Night event on April 8, 2026, including comment from Principal Seat Vedziovski about the growth and development of the school.
N.Y. program to use to $125M to upgrade upstate multifamily housing
It will offer building owners incentives for energy efficient upgrades, electrification projects and climate resiliency improvements.
Apple to Upgrade These Two Devices With OLED Displays Later This Year
Apple plans to release iPad mini and MacBook Pro models with OLED displays this year, according to industry sources who spoke to South Korea's ETNews. The current iPad mini and MacBook Pro models have LCD displays with either LED or mini-LED backlighting. The move to OLED technology would result in improved image quality, thanks to richer colors and higher contrast ratio with true blacks. Samsung will supply the OLED displays for both devices, the report said.
NFL re-draft lands Falcons Steelers superstar T.J. Watt
Atlanta gets a massive upgrade over one of their biggest blunders on the edge in this re-draft.
Microsoft Finally Ups FAT32 Size Limit
You probably don’t spend a lot of time using the FAT32 file system anymore, since it’s thoroughly been superseded many times over. Even so, Microsoft has seen fit to deliver an upgrade …
26 Cheap And Easy Home Upgrades And Projects To Do
"It was supposed to be a temporary solution until I saved some money — but I like it so much I still haven't changed it three years later."
iPhone Loyalty Hits 96.4% as Android Users Four Times More Likely to Switch
Customers are more loyal to Apple than ever, according to a smartphone loyalty survey conducted by phone trade-in site SellCell. 96.4% of customers surveyed said they planned to stick with an iPhone for their next upgrade, and 3.6% said they would choose a different brand. That's up from 91.9% in SellCell's 2021 survey and 90.5% in 2019. Android users were less loyal to their brand, and are almost 4x more likely to switch than iPhone users.
Now You Know: ‘Be a Marine Scientist’ at Rookery Bay’s Marine Science Camp
Area students entering grades seven through 10 can experience hands-on science this summer at Rookery Bay Research Reserve’s Marine Science Summer Camp.
Kettering Health Sees Increased Credit Rating from Moody’s Reports
Moody’s Ratings has upgraded Kettering Health’s credit rating to “A1,” placing the system in the upper tier of Moody's rating scale.
Flutter Entertainment Stock (FLUT) Opinions on Citi Downgrade
Citi Downgrade Triggers Alarm: Social media erupted today after Citigroup double-downgraded Flutter Entertainment to sell, citing mounting U.S. business risks for its FanDuel unit. Users dissected concerns over slowing growth, intensifying competition, and potential regulatory hurdles. The stock tumbled in premarket trading amid the fresh bearish call.Profitability Doubts Mount: Conversations highlighted slashed EBITDA forecasts and reduced buyba
Apple leaks four iOS 27 features, including overdue Wallet upgrade
As we approach WWDC kicking off in June, we’re learning more about what to expect from iOS 27. A new...
TSMC Will Force Smartphone Makers To Make Chipset Downgrades This Year, With DRAM Shortage Also Contributing To This Burden
Even though 2nm chipset launches are expected in Q4 2026, one tipster claims that TSMC will be partly responsible for smartphone companies making downgrades
Galaxy S27 To Become Much Snappier Next Year, And It Won’t Be Because Of The Industry’s First 2nm Chipsets
Samsung is rumored to mulling an upgrade for some Galaxy S27 models that will make them much snappier and response than previous launches
Microsoft prepares display upgrades and two stage launch for new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop with Intel and Snapdragon chips this year
New Surface PCs from Microsoft will consist of new chips, display upgrades, and higher starting prices this spring and summer.
AirPods Max 2 Review: A Bigger Upgrade Than You Think
You might not be able to tell the difference between the AirPods Max 2 and the originals at a glance, but the internal upgrades are a big deal.
The Vivo X300 FE is official with a first-ever telephoto upgrade
Another day, another X300 flagship by Vivo!
Carver Academy student takes 3rd in chemistry at state science fair
DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — A student from Carver 9th Grade Academy in Dothan placed high in Alabama’s state science fair. Gabrielle Saffold earned third place in the senior division for chemistry and mater...
Walmart is updating its 4K streaming box with Gemini and Matter support
The new Onn 4K Pro could make it easier to search for something to watch using Google’s upgraded assistant.
Walmart’s Google TV Streamer competitor starts hitting store shelves for $60 with a big downgrade
Walmart’s new Onn 4K Pro streaming box is starting to hit store shelves, with the device set to rival Google...
Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick HD is its ‘slimmest ever’
Amazon just gave its most affordable streaming stick an upgrade.
Prince Harry says children should be an 'upgrade' of their parents as he talks mental health in Melbourne
The Duke of Sussex combines two of his passions, mental health campaigning and sport, on the second day of an Australia visit.
SB 1397: Better Science = Better Policy
Managing California’s majestic mountain lion population, particularly in areas of conflict with areas where humans...
Cinergy Entertainment Group Partners with Unique X for Full-Circuit Technology Upgrade
Unique X has confirmed a new collaboration with Cinergy Entertainment Group to deploy its cinema software solutions across Cinergy’s entire estate. Through this agreement, Cinergy will roll out RosettaBridge TMS to every site, complemented by the implementation of RosettaNet CMS and BaseKey KDM. Together, these solutions will form a cohesive, circuit-wide platform designed to unify […]
Susquehanna Valley 10th graders learn the science behind hot air balloons
The presentation is taught to the kids to help bring their earth science class into the real world.
New Mexico childhood obesity up as Trump administration cuts erode healthy food programs
By third grade, New Mexico childhood obesity rates outpace the national average — which hovers around 20% for those 2 to 19.
Motorola Razr 70 Ultra specs leak
If you were expecting huge upgrades compared to the Razr 60 Ultra, you'll be disappointed. Last week we saw the upcoming Motorola Razr 70 Ultra in some...
Gemini for Google Home Keeps Getting Huge Upgrades
We can't seem to go a week at this point without Google pushing out several upgrades and changes to its Google Home products. From Gemini for Home to bug and reliability fixes, we're really...
Dallas ISD voters to decide largest school bond in state history
On May 2nd, voters living in Dallas ISD will decide whether to pay $33 more a year in property taxes to pay for a $6.2 billion bond package. The plan would build 26 new schools and make major upgrades to facilities and technology at every campus. Lone Star Politics speaks with Miguel Solis, former President of DISD Board of Trustees and now the President of the Commit Partnership.
The next MacBook Neo already sounds like a big upgrade for one reason
Last week a new report on the MacBook Neo’s success contained details on Apple’s plan for the next-gen Neo, which could be a big upgrade.
Delta Rolls Out New Business Class Suites in Premium Push
Delta Air Lines Inc. will introduce an upgraded version of its Delta One business-class suite, continuing the arms race by US carriers to offer plusher and plusher accommodations to win over high-spending passengers.
Player Grades: Cavs vs Wizards – Tyrese Proctor ends strong
Proctor helped the Cavs finish the season strong.
Samsung Confirms Upgrade Offer—Galaxy Owners Must Now Decide
Millions of Samsung phones are vulnerable to attack — you must act now.
Bill calls for mental health assessments be made available for all Virginia 6-12th graders
A proposed law would ask that mental health assessments be made available for all sixth-12th grade public school students in Virginia.
Falcons projected starting defense with player grades
Projecting the Falcons starting lineup on defense with player grades
Finally, a Foldable That Fits: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Wide Leaks a Massive 4:3 Screen Upgrade
Samsung Galaxy Z Wide Fold rumor points to a 4:3 inner display; One UI animations may target tablet-like multitasking in 2026.
Let’s all go to the science fair
“While participation was down this year, I believe the changes in the judging and awards element allowed us to focus on the most important things which were the students and their projects,” said Sara Milner, pre-K through fifth grade curriculum supervisor for Duxbury Public Schools. “We wanted the event to be about showcasing the students’
Local youth science fair winners to compete in Canada-wide fair next month
Hundreds of Grade 5-12 students gathered at the Olympic Oval on Saturday for the final day of the Calgary Youth Science Fair, which named 17 finalists, who will compete in the national fair next month...
College basketball transfer portal tracker: Fit grades for every top commitment from the 2026 cycle
Tracking and grading the major commitments as the 2026 college basketball transfer portal season heats up
Here's why AirPods Pro 3 are more upgrade worthy than you may think
When AirPods Pro 3 initially debuted, I was a little bit hesitant about upgrading. I felt that AirPods Pro 2...
Randolph Elementary holds annual Science Fair
Here are the Science Fair's fifth grade winners. Pictured, from left to right, are Emma Wernimont, Hunter Bussian, Riley Irrthum, Emmett Endres, Jude Quinnell and Finley Garner. Submitted photo
Photo Of Cameron Brink, LeBron James Grabs Basketball World's Attention
WNBA star Cameron Brink was at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night to watch LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers square off against the Phoenix Suns. Unfortunately for the Lakers, this month hasn't been very kind to them. A few days ago, All-Star guard Luka Doncic suffered a grade 2 hamstring ...
Samsung Confirms Upgrade Offer—Galaxy Users Must Now Decide
Millions of Samsung phones are vulnerable to attack — you must act now.
Google’s Gmail Upgrade Decision—2 Billion Users Must Act Now
You have been warned — do not lave this "overwhelming" decision until it's too late.
Gadsden to invest $2.7 million in sports complex upgrades along Coosa River
Gadsden city leaders are investing millions of dollars into the city’s sports complex, with new construction aimed at expanding playing space and drawing larger
ASUS introduces ROG Equalizer 12V-2x6 cable, ASUS to offer discounted upgrade for existing ROG PSU users
Update: ASUS has clarified that the upgrade program will not include a free cable. Eligible users will instead receive a discount on the ROG Equalizer
Google Offers Free PC Upgrade For 500 Million Windows Users
All change for Windows — it's now decision time for 30% of all PC owners.
49ers land Steelers’ 16-sack edge rusher in trade proposal
The 49ers could use their draft capital to upgrade positions of need with veterans instead of rookies.
Fitch cuts FS KKR Capital rating to junk territory as asset quality weakens
Fitch Ratings on Thursday downgraded its rating on a private credit fund jointly run by Future Standard and KKR to junk territory, citing continued deterioration in its asset quality.
Pixel 11 Series to See Big Display Upgrade
Industry sources have confirmed that Google’s upcoming Pixel 11 series will utilize Samsung’s new M16 OLED panels. These are the same panels expected to be used by Apple for its... #Google #Pixel11
Apple’s AirPods Max 2 Aren’t a Worthy Sequel to the Original
Apple Inc.’s AirPods Max 2 — the first substantial update to the company’s $549 headphones — don’t represent an upgrade-worthy sequel but should intrigue customers looking to buy the brand’s over-ear offering for the first time.
Google Offers Free PC Upgrade For 500 Million Windows Users
All change for Windows — it's now decision time for 30% of all PC owners.
Debut novel grapples with injustice, expectations
BRATTLEBORO — A "high stakes, dystopian novel" for middle grade readers is a gripping story that explores injustice and societal expectations.
18 new features coming to Windows 11 in 2026, confirmed by Microsoft
Windows 11 is getting major upgrades with faster performance, improved File Explorer, better updates, native apps, etc. Here is the full list.
Jabra Evolve3 85 Headset Review: Top Voice-Calling Performance and a Game-Changing Design
Jabra's flagship headset leaves off the boom microphone and has a remarkably slim design. A significant upgrade over the Evolve2 Series, it earns a CNET Editors' Choice award.
Cyberpunk 2077 gets a free PS5 Pro upgrade today that brings PSSR and better ray tracing options
After denying it would happen initially, CD Projekt Red has just dropped a PS5 Pro patch for Cyberpunk 2077 that includes PSSR-boosted resolution and better RT.
$9M 24-acre Jay park renovation will include sports complex, disaster hub
A $9.1 million upgrade of Jay park will include full-scale sports complex, playground, outdoor workout area and a disaster response hub.
Power outages disrupt North Texas businesses, raise concerns in Celina
Repeated power outages in Celina are disrupting businesses and costing thousands as officials work on upgrades to improve reliability.
Apple has the lowest grades in laptop, phone repairability analysis
The MacBook Neo is a step in the right direction, though.
500 Million Windows PCs Are About to Become Unsafe—Now There's a Free Upgrade to Keep Them Running
Microsoft left Windows 10 users with older hardware behind. Google has a free and convenient fix.
Instant grades for Patriots trading Marte Mapu to Texans
The Patriots are sending the linebacker and special teamer to Houston.
Review: Cyberpunk 2077's PS5 Pro Patch Goes Heavy On RT And Performance Upgrades
Three new modes, backed by the new PSSR.
PSSR Games List for PS5 Pro: Native 2.0 and Upgradeable 1.0 Titles
Here's the full list of PS5 Pro games that support PSSR: native PSSR 2.0 titles and original 1.0 games upgradeable via the system toggle.
Satechi’s 3-in-1 travel stand now wirelessly charges your phone at 25W
The upgraded version of Satechi’s folding multi-device charger gets a design update and support for Qi2.2.
Google Offers Free PC Upgrade For 500 Million Windows Users
All change for Windows — it's now decision time for 30% of all PC owners.
One Of Raleigh's Most Iconic Entertainment Venues Is Getting A Huge Upgrade In 2026
Get your concert shoes on! The Red Hat Amphitheater is getting a major upgrade in 2026 that'll offer better sound, better stage design, and even better snacks.
Pocket-Sized E-Ink Gets A Firmware Upgrade
Not so long ago, e-ink devices were rare and fairly pricey. As they have become more common and cheaper, some cool form-factor devices have emerged that suffer from subpar software. [Concretedog] p…
Suncoast Science Center Fab Lab Opens Registration for 2026 Summer STEAM Camps and New High School Trade W ...
The Suncoast Science Center Fab Lab opens registration for 35+ weeklong 2026 summer STEAM camps for grades 2-8, plus a new Skill Lab Trade Series for high schoolers in Sarasota.
A Look At BrightSpring Health Services (BTSG) Valuation After Strong Revenue Growth And Upgraded EBITDA Guidance
BrightSpring Health Services (BTSG) is drawing attention after reporting a quarter with 16.3% year on year revenue growth and full year EBITDA guidance that exceeded analyst expectations. See our latest analysis for BrightSpring Health Services. The latest $43.10 share price comes after a 2.6% 1 day share price return and a 9.8% 90 day share price return. The 1 year total shareholder return of about 1.5x reflects how investors have reacted to the strong results and recent leadership...
ACPS student takes first place award at state science fair; seven others also recognized
Howard Bishop Middle School 8th-grader Aradhya Kasala won a first-place award at the State Science and Engineering Fair of Florida
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro Disappoints In CPU Performance Despite Moving To 2nm Process; New GPU & AI Upgrades Could Make Up For It
A tipsterclaims that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro will offer lackluster CPU performance but its GPU and AI capabilities could cover up
Flying in Korean Air's upgraded business class suite; mostly worth it
I spent hours in Korean Air's upgraded business class, Prestige Suites 2.0. The seat, food, and amenities on my flight were great despite one con.
NFL.com grades Broncos’ 2025 draft class after Year 1
One year later, what grade would you give the Broncos' 2025 draft class?
Why Smart Founders Build Big Business Infrastructure Before They Scale
Scaling a company takes more than grit and growth. Founders who invest early in institutional-grade benefits can reduce risk, attract top talent, and build a culture that performs under pressure.
This $199 Microsoft upgrade is just $13 for a limited time
Don't replace your PC — refresh it.
Google Changes Gmail After 22 Years—Why You Need A New Email Address
Google's upgrade means 2 billion Gmail users must now decide what to do next.
Google Changes Gmail After 22 Years—Why You Need A New Email Address
Google's upgrade means 2 billion Gmail users must now decide what to do next.
Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July as part of Google Messages upgrade
Samsung has shared an “End of Service Announcement” for its Messages app in the US. Google Messages is the intended replacement.
Celtics upgrade Nikola Vučević to questionable for Sunday's game vs. Raptors after 14-game absence
Weatherly Middle School Science Olympiad team qualifies for states
Weatherly Middle School Science Olympiad team has qualified for the state competition at Penn State Altoona on April 25. The team, made up of sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grade students, competed at the regional competition at Penn…
Rewards before awards: The benefits of science competitions
Orlando Science Center inspires students from kindergarten to 12th grade to pursue STEM careers with a variety of science competitions. Young people grow stronger in critical thinking, problem-solving, public speaking, organization and time management skills, among others, when they participate. OSC science competitions help students develop these essential life skills that allow them to be
Crimson Desert on PS5 Pro: 30fps Quality Mode Gets A Big Image Quality Upgrade
PSSR Native AA looks much better, but can impact performance.
The scores are in. One Taste, Charlie Grainger's receive high grades.
Six restaurants between Bryan and Effingham Counties were inspected in March and April. Is your favorite eatery on the list?
Microsoft’s Windows Upgrade Deadline—Now Just 8 Weeks Away
Check your PC now — you must not miss this critical deadline.
A Look At Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) Valuation After Recent Analyst Downgrades And Earnings Miss
Recent shifts in analyst sentiment toward Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MLCO) have put the stock in focus, after several major banks flagged slower expected Macau EBITDA growth, liquidity questions, margin pressure, and mixed quarterly results. See our latest analysis for Melco Resorts & Entertainment. At a share price of US$5.68, Melco Resorts & Entertainment has seen a 1 day share price return of a 1.56% decline and a 90 day share price return of a 24.37% decline. The 1 year total...
Body parts wow life science students at pathology lab
If you want to capture the attention of seventh-graders, show them body parts, specifically internal organs.
Kentucky Science Center offering day camps for kids during Spring Break
The Kentucky Science Center is offering day camps for students in Pre-K through 5th grade.
Gadsden breaks ground on latest phase of upgraded sports park
Phase 5 of the project will include improvements made along the riverfront.
Gemma 4 and what makes an open model succeed
Having written a lot of model release blog posts, there’s something much harder about reviewing open models when they drop relative to closed models, especially in 2026. In recent years, there were so few open models, so when Llama 3 was released most people were still doing research on Llama 2 and super happy to get an update. When Qwen 3 was released, the Llama 4 fiasco had just gone down, and a whole research community was emerging to study RL on Qwen 2.5 — it was a no brainer to upgrade. Today, when an open model releases, it’s competing with Qwen 3.5, Kimi K2.5, GLM 5, MiniMax M2.5, GPT-OSS, Arcee Large, Nemotron 3, Olmo 3, and others. The space is populated, but still feels full of hidden opportunity. The potential of open models feels like a dark matter, a potential we know is huge, but few clear recipes and examples for how to unlock it are out there. Agentic AI, OpenClaw, and everything brewing in that space is going to spur mass experimentation in open models to complement the likes of Claude and Codex, not replace them. Especially with open models, the benchmarks at release are an extremely incomplete story. In some ways this is exciting, as new open models have a much higher variance and ability to surprise, but it also points at some structural reasons that make building businesses and great AI experiences around open models harder than the closed alternatives. When a new Claude Opus or GPT drops, spending a few hours with them in my agentic workflows is genuinely a good vibe test. For open models, putting them through this test is a category error. Something else to be said about open models in the era of agents is that they get out of the debate of integration, harnesses, and tools and let us see close to the ground on what exactly is the ability of just a model. Of course, we can’t test some things like search abilities without some tool, but being able to measure exactly the pace of progress of the model alone is a welcome simplification to a systematically opaque AI space. Share The list of factors I’d use to assess a new open-weight model I’m considering investing in includes: Model performance (and size) — how this model performs on benchmarks I care about and how it compares to other models of a similar size. Country of origin — some businesses care deeply about provenance, and if a model was built in China or not. Model license — if a model needs legal approval for use, uptake will be slower at mid-sized and large companies. Tooling at release — many models release with half-broken, or at least substantially slower, implementations in popular software like vLLM, Transformers, SGLANG, etc due to pushing the envelope of architectures or tools. Model fine-tunability — how easy or hard it is to modify the given model to your use-case when you actually try and use it. The core problem is that some of these are immediately available at release, e.g. general performance, license, origin, etc. but others such as tooling take day(s) to week(s) to stabilize, and others are open research questions — with no group systematically monitoring fine-tunability. In the early era of open models, the days of Llama 2 or 3 and Qwen pre v3.5, the architectures were fairly simple and the models tended to work out of the box. Some of this was due to the extremely hard work of the Llama, Qwen, Mistral, etc. developer teams. Some is due to the new models being genuinely harder to work with. When it comes to something like Qwen 3.5 or Nemotron 3, with hybrid models (either gated delta net or mamba layers), the tooling is very rough at release. Things you would expect to “just work” often don’t. I’ve been following this area closely since we released Olmo Hybrid with a similar architecture, and Qwen 3.5 is just starting to work well in the various open-source tools that need to all play nice together for RL research. That’s 1.5 months after the release date! This is just to start really investing more into understanding the behavior of the models. Of course, others started working on these models sooner by investing more engineering resources or relying on partially closed software. The fully open and distributed ecosystem takes a long time to get going on some new models. All of this is lead-in for the most important question for open models — how easy is it to adapt to specific use-cases? This is a different problem for different model sizes. Large MoE open-weight models may be used by entities like Cursor who need complex capabilities in their domain, e.g. Composer 2 trained on Kimi K2.5. Other applications can be built on much smaller models, such as Chroma’s Context-1 model for agentic search, built on GPT-OSS 20B. The question of “which models are fine-tunable” is largely background knowledge known by engineers across the industry. There should be a thriving research area here to support the open ecosystem model. The first step is to understand characteristics of different base and post-trained models to understand what they look like. The second step is to tune pretraining recipes for open models so they’re more flexible. Interconnects AI is a reader-supported publication. Consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe For The ATOM Project and other Interconnects endeavors, we’ve put in substantial effort to measuring adoption trends in the open ecosystem. Everything takes a long time to unfold after a model is first publicly available — and adaptability is why. What we know for sure now, when Qwen has been going from strength to strength with its releases, is that technical staff across the industry has gotten comfortable working with Qwen models. Countless research methods and datasets were made to work with Qwen. It’ll take patience for any other model family to get to this point — a patience I’m not sure many open model builders have. This takes us to Gemma 4, Google’s latest open models. Gemma 3 was released more than a year ago, in March of 2025, and is a bit underrated. Gemma 4 comes in 4 sizes for now, with a bigger, MoE model of over 100B total parameters rumored but not released yet. The models we have today come in sizes of ~5B dense, 8B dense, 26B total 4B active MoE, and 31B dense. I’m most excited that they’re finally adopting a standard Apache 2.0 open source license. This’ll massively boost adoption. The standard of better licenses for strong open-weight LLMs was set by mostly Chinese open model labs in the last 1-2 years, and now U.S. companies are following suit. I will personally be so happy if the horrible Llama licenses and Gemma terms of service were an ~18-month transient dynamic of the industry being nervous about releasing strong open models. The Gemma 4 scores look very solid, the small models have incredible benchmark scores (especially in general domains like LMArena) and the 31B model rivals the recent Qwen 3.5 27B, which is the leading member of that class. The ~30B size range is an important one, as it’s accessible both to researchers and to enterprises looking to deploy the model in real use-cases. Where the 7B model scale is the default for tinkering and research, a 30B model is the default for seeing if an open model can unlock substantial value in your specific workflow — a good mix of intelligence, low price, tractability for downstream training, etc. This takes us back to the above adoption criteria I mentioned for open models and the bigger question — do I think Gemma 4 will be an overwhelming success? Previous Gemma models have been plagued by tooling issues and poorer performance when being finetuned. Gemma 4’s success is going to be entirely determined by ease of use, to a point where a 5-10% swing on benchmarks wouldn’t matter at all. It’s strong enough, small enough, with the right license, and from the U.S., so many companies are going to slot it in. I’m cautiously optimistic that Gemma 4 is going to work better here. Winds are shifting for open models built in America. We saw GPT-OSS go through a bumpy launch to become an overwhelming success. There’s a collective energy around the likes of Reflection, Arcee, Nemotron, Gemma, Olmo, and peers that show substantial demand for building new stacks around open models. There’s capital to be spent on AI stacks across the economy by those who want more ownership of everything, including the model. After launching The ATOM Project 240 days ago, the conversation is shifting into the next stage. Summer of 2025 was a crisis moment where the U.S. AI scene realized it can’t wait and figure out open models after building AGI. The two markets will capture different areas and proceed in parallel. Now that more companies in the U.S. are releasing strong models, we need to improve the ecosystem so that these models are easy to use, understand, and build value around. It’s the hard work to build another inflection point in these adoption plots I’ve been updating consistently, but that’s the work to be done. Join me in it. More data coming soon! Here’s a sneak peek:
Trying Amtrak's business class on long ride; not worth it every time
My eight-hour ride in Amtrak's business class on the Pennsylvanian to New York City had perks, but the upgrade didn't feel so different from coach.
Samsung TVs are getting a free upgrade that makes casting much easier
Samsung Smart TVs are gaining native Google Cast support via a new update.
Apple reportedly has four new products ready to launch, pending one thing
Apple has at least four new products that reportedly are ready to launch, save for one key holdup: the forthcoming Siri upgrades.
Sharing her passion for science
By Danielle Rush Communications Specialist, Indiana University Kokomo Hisako Masuda, Indiana University Kokomo professor of biochemistry, was honored by the Indiana Academy of Science (IAS) as its 2026 Distinguished Scholar. The award is given to an individual who is recognized by the IAS as having an exceptional record of scholarship. Recipients are selected from nominations submitted to its awards committee. “I was surprised,” said Masuda, who joined IU Kokomo’s faculty in 2013. “I feel there are many good scientists in the Academy, so I wasn’t expecting it at all.” Patrick Motl, dean of the School of Sciences, said the Academy recognizes up to one member per year, and that Masuda is the second or third IU Kokomo faculty member to receive the commendation. “Clearly this speaks to the strength of Dr. Masuda’s accomplishments in research and scholarship and that her work stands out amongst her peers in Indiana,” said Motl, who received the award in 2019. “Many of the institutions that participate in the IAS are undergraduate institutions or primarily undergraduate institutions, but even having that caveat, Dr. Masuda has built and maintains a very active research program in her lab, working exclusively with undergraduates. She is passionate about science and can share that passion with her students. To carry on a quality research program with so many students involved in so many projects is truly remarkable and I am glad that the IAS acknowledged that for Dr. Masuda.” The IAS specifically commended her for involving more than 50 undergraduates in her research in bacterial metabolism, genomics, and their phenotypic plasticity at IU Kokomo, and publishing 23 articles with many student co-authors. Masuda’s current work primarily focuses on biodegradation and chemical repurposing of nylon. Using soil bacteria, her lab studies bacterial biodegradation of nylon and other environmental pollutants. She applies principles of green chemistry while developing a method to convert nylon waste into other nontoxic polymers. In collaborative work with health scientists, her lab investigates gut microbiomes of Indiana native birds as well as human subjects in a clinical study. She became interested in converting plastic waste while earning her Ph.D. at Rutgers University, working on methods to remove environmental waste not using chemicals or other intrusive methods. She learned about Nylon 11, which is used in pipes for transferring oil, interior components for cars, catheters, and in other industrial hard plastics. Nylon 11 is nontoxic, she added, so it is safe to include students in the research. “Those are considered to be nonbiodegradable, and have to go to a landfill,” she said. “I thought if we could come up with a way to biodegrade it, that would make some kind of impact.” Eventually, she wants to develop a product that would convert nylon waste to something useful, and to reduce waste and microplastics in the environment. “That would be my goal at some point, that we can make that change, and also make people more aware of their use of plastics,” she said. “I hope students stop to think about what we can do as scientists to address issues currently impacting us.” She appreciates the IAS for its support of scientific research at Indiana institutions, and IU Kokomo and the School of Sciences for providing funding for students to attend the Academy’s annual meeting. She added that IU Kokomo has also supported her research with funding from the School of Sciences and Academic Affairs. “Without that, I couldn’t do my research,” she said. Masuda has also earned a Senior Research Grant from the IAS, IU Kokomo’s Distinguished Research Award, and the IU Kokomo Junior Faculty Annual Research Award. She is a Fellow of the Indiana Academy of Science. Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.
Your Samsung TV is getting a massive upgrade for free with Google Cast
Google Cast lands on Samsung TVs, and it’s not just for new models.
Alaska Airlines unveils lie-flat suites, upgraded perks in new international business class
Alaska Airlines unveiled its new international business class with lie-flat suites that will debut on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners this spring.
Scene One Entertainment completes purchase of Spectrum 8 Theatres, renovations coming soon
It's official: Scene One is the new owner of the Spectrum 8. CEO Joe Masher plans upgrades to parking and seating, as well as lobby renovations for Albany theater.
Which Jackson area school, restaurants failed health inspections?
A "C" rating is considered a failing grade by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
Lenovo has raised prices on its Android tablets, ended Legion Tab sales
Lenovo has ended sales of its Legion Tab (Gen 3) ahead of an upgrade and, in turn, more expensive sequel,...
“A computer should be yours”: Framework CEO calls out MacBook Neo design
Framework CEO Nirav Patel posted a teardown comparing Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo with the similarly priced Framework Laptop 12, arguing they embody opposing philosophies despite both targeting budget buyers. He praised Apple’s improved access to parts like the battery and ports, but criticized its soldered RAM and storage, and the costly display replacement, positioning Framework’s modular, upgradeable design as a longer-lasting alternative that reduces e-waste and avoids pulling users into Apple’s “walled garden.”