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TL;DR: Unblock Sora from anywhere in the world with a reliable VPN. The best VPN for unblocking Sora is ExpressVPN.
OpenAI has officially launched Sora, but not everyone has access.
Sora is a text-to-video AI model, allowing users to generate videos from text, images, and video inputs. Sora is open to users who have subscribed to the Plus or Pro plan of ChatGPT. However, Sora is not available in the EU or UK. That's frustrating for eager users looking to give it a try.
Do not fear. If you're looking for the best way to unblock Sora for free from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.
How to unblock Sora for freeVPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect to a secure server in another location. This straightforward process bypasses content restrictions so you can access services like Sora from anywhere in the world.
Unblock Sora by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Sora
Access Sora from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for unblocking Sora are not free, but most do offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock Sora and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're waiting for Sora access to rollout worldwide.
If you want to retain permanent access to everything the online world has to offer, you might benefit from a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for unblocking online services is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for Sora?ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking services like Sora, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Unblock Sora for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: A wide range of AI courses are available to take for free on Udemy.
The conversation about the future of AI continues, but we're still not clear on whether or not this technology is going to take over the world. Artificial intelligence may eventually decide to take all our jobs, but before we get to that point, we could probably all benefit from learning a little more about this technology. After all, maybe it could make our lives easier before everything goes wrong.
The good news is that you can learn how to harness the power of AI without spending anything. A wide range of AI courses can be found on Udemy. And better yet, some of the best examples can be taken for free. We've checked out everything on offer and lined up a selection of standout courses to get you started.
These are the best online AI courses you can take for free this month:
How To Make YouTube Automation Videos in 20 Minutes Using AI
Midjourney and ChatGPT: Unleash AI for Unique Image Generation
These free online courses don't include certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging, but you still get unrestricted access to all the video content. That means you can learn at a pace that suits you.
Find the best free AI courses on Udemy.
Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy AI and ChatGPT Courses Free at Udemy Get DealTL;DR: A wide range of online courses from MIT are available to take for free on edX. Find free lessons on AI, machine learning, investing, and more.
Not a lot of people know this, but edX hosts a massive bank of free online courses from some of the biggest and best educational institutions in the world. You can take lessons on everything from AI to Python programming without spending anything. And some of these online courses are delivered by MIT.
We recommend taking some time to check everything out, but we've got you started with a standout selection of free online courses from the famous school. These are the best free online courses from MIT this month:
Data Analysis: Statistical Modeling and Computation in Applications
Financial Regulation: From the Global Financial Crisis to Fintech and the COVID Pandemic
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
Machine Learning with Python: From Linear Models to Deep Learning
These free courses do not come with a certificate of completion, but that's the only catch. You can start learning at a pace that suits you, so what's holding you back?
Find the best free online courses from MIT on edX.
Opens in a new window Credit: MIT MIT Online Courses Free at Udemy Get DealTL;DR: Unblock XVideos from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best VPN for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.
You might feel like you have complete access to the online world, but you're wrong. You naive fool! Your access to porn sites like XVideos is restricted in many locations around the world. There is a good reason for these restrictions, but there is also something to be said for retaining your online freedom.
Sometimes you'll want to spend some quality time with your favorite sites, and there's nothing wrong with that. In the moments when the time is right, you should be able to access your favorite sites without hassle.
Looking for the best way to unblock porn sites like XVideos for free from anywhere in the world? We have the information you need.
How to unblock XVideos for freeVPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect to a secure server in another location. This straightforward process bypasses content restrictions so you can access porn sites like XVideos from anywhere in the world.
Access your favorite porn sites by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to XVideos
Access XVideos from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're temporarily away from home on an unsecured network.
If you want to retain permanent access to everything the online world has to offer at all times, you might benefit from a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for unblocking content is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for porn?ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking porn sites like XVideos, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Unblock XVideos for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Juventus vs. Manchester City in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The next round of Champions League fixtures includes some huge clashes between Europe's elite, but the biggest game of the bunch might be Juventus vs. Manchester City. Both sides have identical records in this year's competition, making this a must-win game.
If you want to watch Juventus vs. Manchester City in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Juventus vs. Manchester City?Juventus vs. Manchester City in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Dec. 11. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Stadium.
How to watch Juventus vs. Manchester City for freeJuventus vs. Manchester City is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player in Ireland.
If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock RTÉ Player. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Champions League from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Juventus vs. Manchester City on RTÉ Player by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
Sign in to RTÉ Player
Watch Juventus vs. Manchester City for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Juventus vs. Manchester City (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Ireland
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Juventus vs. Manchester City in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Arsenal vs. Monaco in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The next round of Champions League fixtures includes some really interesting matchups, including Arsenal vs. Monaco.
Arsenal and Monaco have indentical records in this year's competition, with Arsenal ahead on goal difference. It looks like a close game between two exciting sides.
If you want to watch Arsenal vs. Monaco in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Arsenal vs. Monaco?Arsenal vs. Monaco in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Dec. 11. This fixture takes place at the Emirates Stadium.
How to watch Arsenal vs. Monaco for freeArsenal vs. Monaco is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player in Ireland.
If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to access Virgin Media Player. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Arsenal vs. Monaco for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
Visit Virgin Media Player
Watch Arsenal vs. Monaco for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Arsenal vs. Monaco (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Ireland
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Arsenal vs. Monaco in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The next round of Champions League fixtures includes some really exciting matchups, including Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava.
Atletico Madrid have been inconsistent in this year's competition, but are still very much in the running to make the knockout rounds. In contrast, Slovan Bratislava have been extremely consistent (but not in a good way). They've really struggled, and have yet to win a single point.
If you want to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava?Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League kicks off at 5:45 p.m. GMT on Dec. 11. This fixture takes place at the Metropolitano Stadium.
How to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava for freeAtletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player in Ireland.
If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to access Virgin Media Player. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
Visit Virgin Media Player
Watch Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Ireland
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Atletico Madrid vs. Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 11 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: An ideal place
Green: Requires physical force
Blue: Words the combine terms
Purple: Words the conclude with terms that mean companinon
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Utopia
Green: Things You Shake
Blue: Proper Noun Portmanteaux
Purple: Ending in Synonyms for "Friend"
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #549 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayUtopia: PARADISE, SEVENTH HEAVEN, SHANGRI-LA, XANADU
Things You Shake: HAIRSPRAY, MAGIC 8 BALL, SALAD DRESSING, SNOWGLOBE
Proper Noun Portmanteaux: JAZZERCISE, PARALYMPICS, POKEMON, WIKIPEDIA
Ending in Synonyms for "Friend": KETCHUM, PAYPAL, PRIMATE, ROSEBUD
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 10Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for December 11 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 11 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Straight down or up.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no reoccurring letters.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
PLUMB.
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 11Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 11 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 11 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Board certifiedThese words are things you might use to build something.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedWords are essential for working with wooden boards.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Woodworking.
Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for December 11Plane
Lathe
Drill
Vise
Chisel
Jigsaw
Sander
Woodworking
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 11 Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Key stats on the ice
Green: Sports to win gold in the summer
Blue: Countries that have hosted a major sports event
Purple: The rule of three's in sports
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Hockey statistics
Green: Summer Olympic sports
Blue: Last four Men's World Cup hosts
Purple: Events or plays that involve three of something
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #79 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayHockey statistics - ASSISTS, GOALS, PLUS/MINUS, SAVES
Summer Olympic sports - FENCING, GOLF, HANDBALL, ROWING
Last four Men's World Cup hosts - BRAZIL, QATAR, RUSSIA, SOUTH AFRICA
Events of plays that involve three of something - HAT TRICK, STRIKEOUT, TRIATHLON, TURKEY
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Not all gender stereotypes about science, technology, engineering, and math are the same, according to a new study.
The research analyzed dozens of previous studies on the beliefs that children hold about gender and STEM. One common assumption is that kids view girls as bad at math, a perception that many educational initiatives try to counter.
But, surprisingly, the researchers found that math stereotypes are far less gendered than assumptions suggest.
In fact, children show far less male bias about math. Instead, kids tend to believe that girls are worse at engineering and computer science than boys, and develop such stereotypes as early as six.
SEE ALSO: 7 skills to teach your daughter by age 13Dr. David I. Miller, the study's lead author, said the finding should affect the way experts and educators try to reduce gender stereotypes in STEM in and out of the classroom.
Miller, a senior researcher in STEM education at the American Institutes for Research, noted that negative stereotypes about what girls can accomplish in engineering and computer science can deter them from entering the fields at a time when technology, science, and culture are transforming the world.
"Programs that are focused in girls in STEM broadly might benefit from a really targeted focus on computing and engineering," Miller said, "given the importance of how that might shape girls' later trajectories, in terms of who goes into emerging tech fields, like artificial intelligence."
Miller said it was also important to better understand how children as young as six develop nuanced beliefs about gender stereotypes in different STEM fields.
For some children, that may happen by accident. Miller and his co-authors noted that in research conducted in English-speaking countries, some young children confuse the term engineer and engineering with the word engine, thus associating the latter professions with the male-dominated field of auto mechanics.
But Miller also said that children may absorb media coverage and popular culture representations of male tech billionaires, leaving them with the false impression that girls and women aren't interested in or competent in engineering and computer science.
Miller said correcting those stereotypes over time might require universal classroom exposure to computer science and engineering, rather than making them optional or accessible only through extracurricular programs.
Dr. Allison Master, an assistant professor at the University of Houston who studies gender stereotypes in STEM, said the new research paints a clearer picture of how children "see the world." Master was not involved in Miller's study.
She noted that it's important to recognize that not all six-year-olds have STEM stereotypes. Yet Master is aware of how damaging stereotypes can be; her own research focuses on how they can become "self-fulfilling prophecies" for kids.
Master said that parents and educators should evaluate their own stereotypes, mindful that their words or actions may send the message, unintentionally or not, that STEM isn't for girls.
She added that general language about boys and girls can reinforce stereotypes. Qualifying language by saying "some girls" or "lots of boys" can help children avoid overgeneralizing about their own abilities.
"Stereotypes can change the way girls see themselves," Master said in an email. "Stereotypes can make girls doubt their own ability and belonging, so they choose to avoid STEM opportunities."
OpenAI Sora is limiting depictions of real people and taking other strict safety measures to prevent misuse.
The video generator, which was announced on Monday as part of its 12 Days of OpenAI event, has all sorts of editing capabilities for users to create and customize AI-generated videos. But there are certain things you aren't allowed to do with Sora, as users soon discovered.
Tweet may have been deletedAccording to its system card, "the ability to upload images of people will be made available to a subset of users," meaning most users can't create videos of people based on an uploaded image. Those users are part of a "Likeness pilot" that OpenAI is testing with a select few. An OpenAI spokesperson said AI-generated videos of people is limited in order to "address concerns around misappropriation of likeness and deepfakes." OpenAI "will actively monitor patterns of misuse, and when we find it we will remove the content, take appropriate action with users, and use these early learnings to iterate on our approach to safety," the spokesperson continued.
SEE ALSO: OpenAI's Sora first look: YouTuber Marques Brownlee breaks down the problems with the AI video modelLimiting the depiction of people in Sora videos makes sense from a liability standpoint. There are all sorts of ways the tool could be misused: non-consensual deepfakes, the depiction of minors, scams, and misinformation to name a few. To combat this, Sora has been trained to reject certain requests from text prompts or image uploads.
It will reject prompts for NSFW (Not Safe For Work) and NCII (Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery) content and the generation of realistic children, although fictitious images are allowed. OpenAI has added C2PA metadata to all Sora videos and made a visible watermark the default, even though it can be removed, and implemented an internal reverse image search to assess the video's provenance.
Despite the fact that many guardrails have been put in place to prevent misuse, the question of how Sora will respond to mass stress-testing remains. Currently, access to Sora is unavailable due to high demand.
This week, we got an early look at the potential details of Bluesky+, the social media site's planned premium subscription offering.
Still, don't get ready to shell out your cash just yet. Bluesky seems to be relatively early in the process, but the company did reveal a mockup of its plans for the subscription service on its official Github page.
As Techcrunch noted, the mockup on the site indicated Bluesky listed paid features such as custom app icons, a Bluesky+ profile badge, inline post translations, profile customizations, better quality video uploads, post analytics, and bookmark folders. The mockup showed prices of $8 per month or $72 per year for the subscription offering.
The mockups were reportedly posted to Bluesky this week by the user @saeri.xyz, whose profile appears to have since been deactivated.
Bluesky subscriptions coming soon? 👀
These were spotted by @saeri.xyz on the official #Bluesky GitHub.
[image or embed]
Bluesky warned on its Github page that the mockup was just that — a mockup — and would likely not match the eventual list of features when it's released.
SEE ALSO: Bluesky is developing paid subscriptions — but will always be free to use, it saysBluesky announced in October that it was working on a subscription service while assuring users that the site would always remain free to use.
While the work on Github may indicate that we could soon get a subscription service, we still don't know much about how it will look or when we'll get access to it.
In response to the mockups, bluesky software engineer Dan Abramov posted: "[Just] flagging that this is a UI mockup and the list of features doesn’t necessarily match what will be released. [We] need to get better at avoiding setting expectations via mockups since it’s open source so people poke at every branch"
Abramov also reiterated what Bluesky promised back in October, that subscribers would not get prioritization or special verification, aka some of what subscribers get on Elon Musk's X.
OpenAI has continued its marathon of announcements with full availability of its canvas tool.
A day after OpenAI dropped its AI video generator Sora, the company shared that Canvas has moved out of beta. Additionally, users can run python code inside a canvas document and canvas is also available for custom GPTs.
Canvas was introduced in October as a editing tool for writing and coding. It's a notebook interface that sides beside the ChatGPT chatbot conversation, which allows users to edit responses and "collaborate" with ChatGPT. New to canvas is the ability to get feedback and edits in the form of comments. From here, users can make changes based on ChatGPT's suggestions.
OpenAI has also made programming improvements. By copying and pasting code into ChatGPT, it can recognize the code and switch to code editor mode to help debug or find any errors. Users can also run the code directly within the interface and identify any problems.
This story is developing...
Wicked fans, it's almost time for your moment in the spotlight.
Tickets are now on sale for special Christmas sing-along screenings of Wicked, so you can belt out "Defying Gravity," "Popular," and "The Wizard and I" in theaters. (Please, please do not do this in non-sing-along screenings, I beg you.)
SEE ALSO: How director Jon M. Chu made 'Wicked' with Ariana Grande and Cynthia ErivoThe announcement comes after weeks of runaway success for the movie musical, directed by Jon M. Chu. Not only did Wicked pick up four Golden Globe nominations — including Best Picture (Musical/Comedy) and acting nods for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande — it also became the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation ever.
Wicked sing-alongs hit theaters Dec. 25. Wicked (without any singing involved) is now in theaters.
Apple is once again facing a billion dollar lawsuit, as thousands of victims come out against the company for its alleged complicity in spreading child sex abuse materials (CSAM).
In a lawsuit filed Dec. 7, the tech giant is accused of reneging on mandatory reporting duties — which require U.S.-based tech companies to report instances of CSAM to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) — and allowing CSAM to proliferate. In failing to institute promised safety mechanisms, the lawsuit claims, Apple has sold "defective products" to specific classes of customers (CSAM victims).
Some of the plaintiffs argue they have been continuously re-traumatized by the spread of content long after they were children, as Apple has chosen to focus on preventing new cases of CSAM and the grooming of young users.
"Thousands of brave survivors are coming forward to demand accountability from one of the most successful technology companies on the planet. Apple has not only rejected helping these victims, it has advertised the fact that it does not detect child sex abuse material on its platform or devices thereby exponentially increasing the ongoing harm caused to these victims," wrote lawyer Margaret E. Mabie.
SEE ALSO: 'Abysmal' working conditions, exploitation of webcam models exposedThe company has retained tight control over its iCloud product and user libraries as part of its wider privacy promises. In 2022, Apple scrapped its plans for a controversial tool that would automatically scan and flag iCloud photo libraries for abusive or problematic material, including CSAM. The company cited growing concern over user privacy and mass surveillance by Big Tech in its choice to no longer introduce the scanning feature, and Apple's choice was widely supported by privacy groups and activists around the world. But the new lawsuit argues that the tech giant merely used this cybersecurity defense to skirt its reporting duties.
"Child sexual abuse material is abhorrent and we are committed to fighting the ways predators put children at risk," wrote Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz in response to the lawsuit. "We are urgently and actively innovating to combat these crimes without compromising the security and privacy of all our users. Features like Communication Safety, for example, warn children when they receive or attempt to send content that contains nudity to help break the chain of coercion that leads to child sexual abuse. We remain deeply focused on building protections that help prevent the spread of CSAM before it starts."
Tech companies have struggled to control the spread of abusive material online. A 2024 report by UK watchdog National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) accused Apple of vastly underreporting the amount of CSAM shared across its products, with the company submitting just 267 worldwide reports of CSAM to NCMEC in 2023. Competitors Google and Meta reported more than 1 million and 30 million cases, respectively. Meanwhile, growing concern over the rise of digitally-altered or synthetic CSAM has complicated the regulatory landscape, leaving tech giants and social media platforms racing to catch up.
While Apple faces a potential billion-dollar lawsuit should the suit move to and be favored by a jury, the decision has even wider repercussions for the industry and privacy efforts at large. The court could decide to force Apple into reviving its photo library scanning tool or implement other industry features to remove abusive content, paving a more direct path toward government surveillance and wielding another blow to Section 230 protections.
It's already easy to spend hours staring at YouTube, and now it's about to get slightly easier.
According to a list of upcoming "experimental" features on YouTube, multiplayer gaming is coming to the home for videos on the internet. No, that doesn't mean you'll be able to play any of 2024's biggest hits with your friends via YouTube. But it does mean that simple puzzle games like Magic Tiles 3 and Ludo Club will be playable with other users on the site.
SEE ALSO: OpenAI's Sora first look: YouTuber Marques Brownlee breaks down the problems with the AI video modelAt the moment, those are the only two titles with multiplayer on YouTube. There are actually more than 100 playable games on YouTube under the "Playables" banner, but it took until now for users to be able to play them with other users.
Hey, at least you have something else to do while watching four-hour video essays about crappy hotels.
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