All posts tagged: leads

Talking robot guide dog uses AI to describe the world as it leads

Talking robot guide dog uses AI to describe the world as it leads

Published by Jenni Sidey

A robot dog that talks back may sound like a novelty. In this case, it is meant to solve a practical problem: guide dogs can lead, but they cannot explain. That gap is what researchers at Binghamton University and State University of New York, set out to address with a robotic guide dog system that uses a large language model to hold spoken conversations with visually impaired users. The machine can suggest routes, explain trade-offs before a trip begins, and describe what is happening during the walk itself. “For this work, we’re demonstrating an aspect of the robotic guide dog that is more advanced than biological guide dogs,” said Shiqi Zhang, an associate professor at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science’s School of Computing. “Real dogs can understand around 20 commands at best. But for robotic guide dogs, you can just put GPT-4 with voice commands. Then it has very strong language capabilities.” The project builds on earlier work from Zhang’s team, which trained robotic guide dogs to respond to leash …

Spain leads Europe’s shift away from Donald Trump’s US – POLITICO

Spain leads Europe’s shift away from Donald Trump’s US – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

People in Spain also indicated a broad willingness to rush to the defense of an EU country under attack from a foreign power, and large backing for a European army. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has stood out as the U.S. president’s chief critic in Europe and an outspoken opponent of the war in Iran. After Madrid banned the U.S. from using jointly operated military bases or the country’s airspace to carry out attacks in the Middle East, Trump issued an ultimately empty threat to cut commercial ties with Spain. The European Pulse survey, conducted by Cluster17 for POLITICO and beBartlet, polled 6,698 Europeans across Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Belgium from March 13 to March 21. Fifty-six percent of people in Spain said they strongly disapprove of the U.S.-Israeli offensive against Iran and 43 percent said Madrid should publicly oppose the military operation and push for an end to the conflict. Only Italian respondents indicated stronger opposition. Of the six countries polled, respondents in Spain were least in favor of remaining neutral and …

Times ‘fewer, better stories’ strategy leads to audience growth

Times ‘fewer, better stories’ strategy leads to audience growth

Published by Sam Flores

Times deputy head of digital Anna Sbuttoni, Times homepage on 7 April 2026, and Times story ‘The day coal died’ The Times says a strategy of publishing “fewer, better stories” has led to three consecutive months of record-breaking global audience growth. The Times news desk has reduced the number of stories it publishes by 20% since the mindset change while the sports desk cut its output by 30%. But deputy head of digital Anna Sbuttoni said “they didn’t lose any audience. In fact, they gained it.” Across the whole newsroom, The Times has gone from publishing more than 200 stories a day to about 150 – a 25% cut. This was not a cost-cutting exercise, Sbuttoni said, with staff levels remaining neutral. She added: “We’ve had three consecutive months of all-time, record-breaking audience growth at The Times,” referring to internal global traffic figures for the website and app (excluding Apple News), “and we’re publishing fewer stories than we ever have.” Sbuttoni said organic search traffic to the website was up 29% year on year and …

MacIntyre Leads as Storm-Delayed Texas Open Heads for Marathon Finish

MacIntyre Leads as Storm-Delayed Texas Open Heads for Marathon Finish

Published by Sam Flores

Robert MacIntyre made one birdie in six holes and was leading by two shots Saturday in the Texas Open when storms halted play for just over five hours until the PGA Tour decided to suspend the third round for the rest of the day. That sets up a marathon finish Sunday in the final event before the Masters, with some players having to go 30 holes to finish the tournament. Groups will stay together the rest of the way. MacIntyre was at 15-under par at the TPC San Antonio. Ludvig Aberg had three birdies in six holes playing alongside MacIntyre to reach 13 under. No one played more than 14 holes of the third round. That included Matt Wallace, who was 7 under for the round through 14 holes and within four shots of the lead. Marco Penge, who makes his Augusta National debut next week, shot 30 on the front nine and was at 10 under through 11 holes. Penge was among 15 players in the Masters who made the cut. Copyright 2026 The Associated …

Aaron Judge’s 2-Run Homer in 1st Inning Leads Yankees Over Marlins 8-2 in Home Opener for 6-1 Start

Aaron Judge’s 2-Run Homer in 1st Inning Leads Yankees Over Marlins 8-2 in Home Opener for 6-1 Start

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the first inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Miami Marlins 8-2 in their home opener Friday for their second 6-1 start in three seasons. Trent Grisham reached leading off with the first of 11 walks by Marlins pitchers and Judge drove a slider into the left-field seats against Eury Pérez (0-1). Ben Rice homered and hit a two-run double for the Yankees. Will Warren (1-0) allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings, including solo homers by Xavier Edwards in the first and Owen Caissie in the fifth. Miami entered the game at 5-1, matching its franchise-best start, and had spent six days atop the NL East — double its total for 2021-25 combined. Miami pitchers had their most walks since April 2023; they had walked just nine in the team’s first six games. Pérez (0-1) allowed four runs, two hits and a career-high six walks in four innings. He forced in runs on consecutive pitches in the second when he walked …

Drew Barrymore’s greenhouse-style reading nook leads inspiration for lavish million New York home

Drew Barrymore’s greenhouse-style reading nook leads inspiration for lavish $5million New York home

Published by Daniella Wilson

There is a moment, stepping into Drew Barrymore’s Upstate New York home, where everything suddenly makes sense. It isn’t the kitchen or even the layered living spaces filled with art and personality. It is the greenhouse-style reading nook, where walls of glass blur into the landscape beyond and the outside world quietly becomes part of the room. And now, in a move that has surprised fans and design lovers alike, Drew is saying goodbye to the deeply personal retreat she so carefully created. The actress has listed her extensively renovated Westchester County estate for just under $5 million, just months after transforming it into a one-of-a-kind sanctuary. Purchased in 2024 for $4.4 million, the circa-1747 property sits on 12 acres in Harrison, New York, and includes a 5,600-square-foot main house, along with a guest cottage, pool house and sweeping landscaped gardens. Despite the scale and beauty of the home, Drew is parting ways as her family’s needs evolve. A home with a deeper calling From the outset, this was never just a real estate purchase. Drew …

Jon Bernthal Leads Broadway Take

Jon Bernthal Leads Broadway Take

Published by Daniella Wilson

In his review for The New York Times, the critic Vincent Canby wrote of Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon, “If you can let yourself laugh at desperation that has turned seriously lunatic, the film is funny, but mostly it’s reportorially efficient and vivid, in the understated way of news writing that avoids speculation.” He is right, of course: Lumet’s 1975 masterpiece is, on occasion, ruefully amusing, the tics and foibles of regular life incongruously interrupting a situation most dire and extraordinary.  For the most part, though, Dog Day Afternoon is a sober thriller (Canby called it a melodrama) about a small-time Brooklyn bank heist blown up into a hostage crisis and city-wide fascination, about a man hard done by the system, who, for a few glorious and dangerous hours, almost breaks free by bending that very system to his will. There is a lot of serious stuff whirring through the film’s mind, a consideration of the fraught tempers of its fraught times. It crackles with immediacy, murmurs with furious sorrow.  But the creators behind the new …

Cooper leads Whatley by 8 points in NC Senate race: Survey 

Cooper leads Whatley by 8 points in NC Senate race: Survey 

Published by Sam Flores

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is leading former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Michael Whatley by close to 8 points in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), according to a new poll.  A Carolina Journal poll, conducted by Harper Polling and released Thursday, showed Cooper receiving about 49 percent support while Whatley… Source link

Death of football manager Steve Bruce’s infant grandson leads to calls for urgent action | UK News

Death of football manager Steve Bruce’s infant grandson leads to calls for urgent action | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

A coroner has called for action after the death of baby Madison Bruce Smith, who died after he was placed in an “unsafe sleeping position” in his cot by an unregulated maternity nurse. The four-month-old grandson of football manager Steve Bruce was found unresponsive by his father, ex-Leeds United and Fulham striker Matt Smith, on the morning of 18 October 2024. Madison could not be resuscitated at the family home in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital where he was pronounced dead by paramedics. Mr Smith and his wife, Bruce’s daughter Amy, had employed Eva Clements through a company named Ruthie Maternity Services after their son had difficulties sleeping in the afternoons. They believed Ms Clements was skilled, fully trained and vetted, and that the company was a well-established maternity and sleep support service, but Stockport Coroner’s Court heard that neither was regulated. The inquest heard Madison’s parents would “never have dreamed” of putting their son down to sleep in the prone position, but had been advised to by the maternity nurse …