Tootfinder

Apple unveils Mini Apps Partner Program, offering a reduced 15% commission on IAPs for mini apps, or "self-contained" experiences built with web tech like HTML5 (Sarah Perez/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/13/apple-halves-commissions-for-m…

Apple halves commissions for mini app makers | TechCrunch
Apple introduces a new program for app developers offering a reduced 15% commission on qualifying mini app transactions.

S-D-RSM: Stochastic Distributed Regularized Splitting Method for Large-Scale Convex Optimization Problems
Maoran Wang, Xingju Cai, Yongxin Chen
https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.10133 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2511.10133 https://arxiv.org/html/2511.10133
arXiv:2511.10133v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: This paper investigates the problems large-scale distributed composite convex optimization, with motivations from a broad range of applications, including multi-agent systems, federated learning, smart grids, wireless sensor networks, compressed sensing, and so on. Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and its variants are commonly employed to solve such problems. However, existing algorithms often rely on vanishing step sizes, strong convexity assumptions, or entail substantial computational overhead to ensure convergence or obtain favorable complexity. To bridge the gap between theory and practice, we integrate consensus optimization and operator splitting techniques (see Problem Reformulation) to develop a novel stochastic splitting algorithm, termed the \emph{stochastic distributed regularized splitting method} (S-D-RSM). In practice, S-D-RSM performs parallel updates of proximal mappings and gradient information for only a randomly selected subset of agents at each iteration. By introducing regularization terms, it effectively mitigates consensus discrepancies among distributed nodes. In contrast to conventional stochastic methods, our theoretical analysis establishes that S-D-RSM achieves global convergence without requiring diminishing step sizes or strong convexity assumptions. Furthermore, it achieves an iteration complexity of $\mathcal{O}(1/\epsilon)$ with respect to both the objective function value and the consensus error. Numerical experiments show that S-D-RSM achieves up to 2--3$\times$ speedup compared to state-of-the-art baselines, while maintaining comparable or better accuracy. These results not only validate the algorithm's theoretical guarantees but also demonstrate its effectiveness in practical tasks such as compressed sensing and empirical risk minimization.
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Parece que España estš desarrollando un sistema de identificación de edad de "conocimiento cero" para evitar que menores de 16 años "accedan" a redes sociales. https://www.eldiario.es/tecnologia/gobiern

Long winter nights, red light on, UV burner on... So have missed making my own prints, and so glad to be able to pick this up again (and also working with older techniques, which are new to me), all after more than three decades... Still some more kinks to work out before I can share some proper prints, e.g. experimenting with different exposure times, toners (gold/selenium), fixers, concentrations... All very much like a science experiment and meticulous log keeping has been key (as have be…

OK, das ist ziemlich cool: Der Macher des sowieso ganz großartigen Podcasts #SearchEngine - @… - hat zusammen mit @… und

Become a piece on an immersive life-sized Monopoly™ board in Union Station, Washington, DC, January 10-12
https://www.visitatlanticcity.com/articles/post/visit-ac-invites-consumers-to-discover-the-de…

Visit AC Invites Consumers to Discover the Destination Through Immersive MONOPOLY Experience
Visit Atlantic City Invites Consumers to Discover the Destination Through Life-Sized, Immersive MONOPOLY Experience at Union Station in Washington, D.C. The interactive pop-up activation celebrates

BrainForm: a Serious Game for BCI Training and Data Collection
Michele Romani, Devis Zanoni, Elisabetta Farella, Luca Turchet
https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.10169 https://

BrainForm: a Serious Game for BCI Training and Data Collection
$\textit{BrainForm}$ is a gamified Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) training system designed for scalable data collection using consumer hardware and a minimal setup. We investigated (1) how users develop BCI control skills across repeated sessions and (2) perceptual and performance effects of two visual stimulation textures. Game Experience Questionnaire (GEQ) scores for Flow}, Positive Affect, Competence and Challenge were strongly positive, indicating sustained engagement. A within-subject stu…

Ex-NFL commissioner Tagliabue dies at age 84 https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46905612/former-nfl-commissioner-paul-tagliabue-dies-age-84

Perché la maggior parte dei siti web non ha effettivamente bisogno dei banner di consenso ai #cookie
La maggior parte dei siti web delle piccole imprese non ha effettivamente bisogno di quei fastidiosi banner di consenso ai cookie che interrompono l'esperienza dell'utente. Il vero colpevole non sono le leggi sulla privacy, ma gli strumenti di tracciamento pesantemente sorvegliati…

Elon Musk says Apple and Google's Gemini deal "seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google given that [they] also have Android and Chrome" (Joe Rossignol/MacRumors)
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/12/elon-musk-reacts-to-gemini-siri/

Elon Musk Reacts to Apple and Google Teaming on Gemini-Powered Siri
Elon Musk today expressed concern about Apple and Google partnering on a more personalized version of Siri powered by Google's generative AI...