Author: EasyReadHeadlines.com

What just happened? Microsoft has introduced BitNet b1.58 2B4T, a new type of large language model engineered for exceptional efficiency. Unlike conventional AI models that rely on 16- or 32-bit floating-point numbers to represent each weight, BitNet uses only three discrete values: -1, 0, or +1. This approach, known as ternary quantization, allows each weight to be stored in just 1.58 bits. The result is a model that dramatically reduces memory usage and can run far more easily on standard hardware, without requiring the high-end GPUs typically needed for large-scale AI. The BitNet b1.58 2B4T model was developed by Microsoft’s…

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Pope Francis has died, the Vatican has announced in a video statement. The first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88 at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) on Monday, said Cardinal Kevin Farrell in a statement published by the Vatican on its Telegram channel. Francis had suffered various ailments in his 12 year papacy, with severe complications in recent weeks after a bout of double pneumonia for which he spent five weeks in hospital. His death comes one day after a brief appearance before thousands of Catholic pilgrims gathered in St…

The rapper and a bevy of his animation-enhanced friends appear in the visual for his Missionary single Snoop Dogg celebrates (and sometimes laments) his lifelong love affair with marijuana in the new video for “Last Dance With Mary Jane,” his song that features Tom Petty and Jelly Roll. The song samples the Tom Petty classic “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and so it’s no surprise that the late Petty also makes “appearances” along with his vocals and harmonica from his classic track being featured throughout the new video. The Dave Meyers-directed visual also features a number of Snoop’s famous pals —…

Verstappen’s radio messages during the race clearly indicated he did not approve of the penalty he was given, but he was warned to keep his thoughts to himself.Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he felt the penalty was “very harsh” and asked rhetorically: “Whatever happened to ‘let them race on the first lap?’ That just seems to have been abandoned.”The stewards’ verdict contained an answer to that – it said that the normal penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage was 10 seconds, but they reduced it to five because it was the first lap.Verstappen was…

Apple TV+ is currently available at a much lower price than usual, but time is running out if you want to take advantage of the offer. In the U.S., new and qualified returning customers can subscribe to Apple TV+ for just $2.99 per month, for three months. Afterwards, regular pricing of $9.99 per month applies. The offer is available in the Apple TV app, and at tv.apple.com, through April 24. Unfortunately, existing subscribers are not eligible to receive the discount. The promotion is running in other countries, too. In Canada, for example, the special price is set at $3.99 per…

DHL, the international courier firm, will temporarily pause shipments to the U.S. for items with a declared value of more than $800, the company announced in a notice. The announcement said that, starting Monday, the company will stop collecting and shipping orders from businesses abroad to private individual customers in the U.S. if the declared custom value exceeds $800. The suspension is temporary and will be in place “until further notice,” the notice said. The announcement follows a change in U.S. customs regulations governing which items need to be formally declared upon entering the country. An updated policy, effective April…

air pressure: The force exerted by the weight of air molecules. birds: Warm-blooded dinosaurs with wings that first showed up at least 150 million years ago. Birds are jacketed in feathers and produce young from the eggs they deposit in some sort of nest. Most birds fly, but throughout history there have been the occasional species that don’t. engine: A machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Sometimes an engine is called a motor. (in computer science) A computer program that performs a particular, narrow range of functions. flaps: (in aeronautics) These devices are attached to the back edge…

Refresh for latest…: Warner Bros/Legendary’s A Minecraft Movie continues to build, playing strongly through school holidays and the Easter frame with just a 28% slide versus last session at the international box office. The third overseas weekend blocked off another $59M in 76 markets, taking the offshore running cume to $376.2M. Global, in turn, blasted past the seven-century mark, now at $720.8M through today. Warners also notably set the vampires of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners on the loose in 71 international markets this weekend, alongside domestic. The original horror pic landed in line with overseas expectations at $15.4M. Adding in the domestic…

Read Dane Brugler’s 2025 ‘The Beast’ NFL Draft guide.At least beyond Cam Ward, there is no consensus on where each of this year’s crop of quarterbacks may get drafted. After Ward presumably becomes a Tennessee Titan, the rest of the group is a complete mystery. It’s just as likely Ward is the only quarterback we see on Thursday night as it is that four quarterbacks go in the first round.Lucky for us, we’re going to cut through all that uncertainty and play quarterback matchmaker, placing all of this year’s top quarterback prospects on the teams that make the most sense. In some…

Blow-dry brushes have changed my life. That’s a little extreme to say, I’m sure, but it’s solved a quest I’ve been on since I was a teenager. I’ve struggled to get my fine hair under control for more years than I care to name, and while my hair is naturally wavy, those waves are delicate and easy to destroy with a simple night of sleep or a grabby toddler hand. Hair straighteners left my hair feeling flat and fried, while my dexterity in controlling a blow dryer left quite a lot to be desired. But lucky for me, the solution…