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Nearly a year after Adobe first teased video AI features, the company is finally bringing its new video AI model to market.Today, the company is launching its Firefly Video Model in public beta. The model comes alongside a new Firefly web application, which essentially gathers all of Adobes AI tools, including existing features like Text to Image and Generative Fill, under one roof. Users can access Fireflys web app through two subscription tiersFirefly Standard and Firefly Prowhich retail for $9.99 and $29.99 per month, respectively. [Image: Adobe]What is Adobes new Firefly video model?Firefly Video Model is Adobes answer to existing video models like Open AIs Sora and Metas new Movie Gen. Using the brands new suite of tools, creators can turn a written prompt into a video clip, convert an existing image into a video, and even translate audio and video into multiple different languages.Adobes video AI capabilities are late to market, but thats par for the course for a brand that got into generative AI nearly a year after its main competitors back in 2022. In the past, Adobe has set itself apart in the AI space with stringent IP protections (it only trains Firefly on licensed content and bills its new video model as the industrys first commercially safe video AI) and by making significant improvements to its new features over time. It remains to be seen whether Firefly Video Model will follow a similar upward trajectory. What can it do?[Image: Adobe]Text to VideoFireflys Text to Video feature is most comparable to OpenAIs Sora. Users enter a specific prompt in a text box, which is then converted to a five-second video clip. The feature incorporates Adobes signature easy-to-follow UI with a drop-down menu that allows creatives to tweak aspects of its output like shot size, camera angle, and motion.Image to VideoAdobe is positioning its Image to Video feature as a kind of brainstorming tool for video editors. Its similar to Text to Video, except the user can input an image alongside a written prompt to bring a specific frame to life. In a demo video shared by the company, an editor takes a still frame of an astronaut flipping a switch and asks Image to Video to create a shot of the astronaut unplugging a cord instead. Its an example of a quick edit that could help an editor better convey their projects intended mood to supervisors, she says. [Image: Adobe]Translate VideoTranslate Videoavailable in 20 different languagesis Adobes offering to help creators cut down on translation and dubbing services. Per a press release, With voice, tone, cadence and acoustic match when translating video content into different languages, creators can [spend] less time on dubbing performance and audio mixing.Right now, Firefly Video Model isnt especially groundbreaking, but it will help plenty of Adobe creators streamline their production processes without turning to an outside video AI application, especially when just about every design platform wants to be creatives only platform.In an interview with Fast Company back in September, Adobe CTO Ely Greenfield noted that, for a generative AI tool that produces common stock images to make it into an Adobe product, the result should be acceptable 10/10 times. However, he added, for results with more specificity, getting it right 1/10 times is still a huge savings. It can be a little frustrating in the moment, but if we can give people good content 1/10 times that saves them from going back to reshoot something on deadline; thats incredibly valuable. As Adobe continues to iterate on its Firefly Video Model, that success rate is only bound to go up.
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E-Commerce
Straws might seem insignificant, inspiring jokes about the plastic vs. paper debate, but the plastic straw has come to symbolize a global pollution crisis over the past decade. On Monday, President Donald Trump waded into the issue when he signed an executive order to reverse a federal push away from plastic straws, declaring that paper straws dont work and dont last very long. Trump said he thinks its OK to continue using plastic straws, although they’ve have been blamed for polluting oceans and harming marine life. In 2015, video of a marine biologist pulling a plastic straw out of a turtles nose sparked outrage worldwide and countries and cities started banning them, starting with the Pacific Island nation Vanuatu and Seattle in 2018. Heres what to know about the larger fight over single-use plastics in the United States: What happens to plastic straws? More than 390 million plastic straws are used every day in the United States, most for 30 minutes or less, according to advocacy group Turtle Island Restoration Network. Plastic straws are usually thrown away after one use, going on to litter beaches and waterways and potentially killing marine animals that mistake them for food. The straws are not recyclable because they are so small. They take at least 200 years to decompose, the network said. They break down into incredibly tiny bits of plastic smaller than a fraction of a grain of rice. These microplastics have been found in a wide range of body tissues. Though research is still limited overall, there are growing concerns that microplastics in the body could potentially be linked to heart disease, Alzheimers and dementia, and other problems. Trump’s executive order claims that paper straws use chemicals that may carry risks to human health are more expensive to produce than plastic straws. Researchers from the University of Antwerp found forever chemicals known as PFAS to be present in paper, bamboo, glass and plastic straws, but not stainless steel ones, according to a 2023 study. The advocacy group Beyond Plastics said that while plastics are often cheaper than paper products, the cheapest option is to skip the straw. Judith Enck, a former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator who now heads up Beyond Plastics, said she hopes that people react to the executive order by committing to using fewer plastic straws and that local and state governments do, too. Its easy to just kind of almost poke fun of this, ignore it, she said Tuesday. But this is a moment that we as individuals and state and local policymakers can make a statement that they disagree with this executive order and are committed to using less plastic straws. Its not that hard to do. Several states and cities have banned plastic straws and some restaurants no longer automatically give them to customers. What is being done globally? President Joe Biden administrations had committed to phasing out federal purchases of single-use plastics, including straws, from food service operations, events and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035. The move was a way for the federal government to formally acknowledge the severity of the plastic pollution crisis and the scale of the response required to effectively confront it. Erin Simon, an expert on plastics and packaging at the World Wildlife Fund, said at the time that it sent a message around the world: If we can make change happen at scale, so can you. The declaration came in July, just a few months before negotiators met in South Korea to try to finish crafting a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution. Negotiators didnt reach an agreement late last year, but talks resume this year. Under the Biden administration, the United States at first adopted a position viewed as favoring industry, stating that countries should largely develop their own plans instead of abiding by global rules. China, the United States and Germany are the biggest players in the global plastics trade. The United States changed its position heading into South Korea. The delegation said it would support having an article in the treaty that addresses supply, or plastic production. More than 100 countries want an ambitious treaty that limits plastic production while tackling cleanup and recycling. U.S. manufacturers have asked Trump to remain at the negotiating table but revert to the old position that focused on redesigning plastic products, recycling and reuse. Aren’t other plastics a problem? The environment is littered with single-use plastic food and beverage containers water bottles, takeout containers, coffee lids, straws and shopping bags. Every year, the world produces more than 400 million tons of new plastic. About 40% of all plastics are used in packaging, according to the United Nations. In 2023, Ocean Conservancy volunteers collected more than 61,000 plastic straws and stirrers polluting beaches and waterways in the United States. There were even more cigarette butts, plastic bottles, bottle caps and food wrappers, the nonprofit said. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels. Negotiators at the United Nations climate talks known as COP28 agreed in 2023 the world must transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels and triple the use of renewable energy. As pressure to reduce fossil fuels has increased globally, oil and gas companies have been looking more to the plastics side of their business as a market that could grow. Trump strongly supports and gets support from the oil and gas industry. ___ The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
As an introvert, I dread large conferences. I get invited to a number throughout the year, and I usually scramble to find excuses for why I cant attend. Since I have spent much of my career posing as an extrovert, some people are surprised to discover that I really dont enjoy networking at large gatherings. I worry about feeling overwhelmed by the crowds, not remembering peoples names, having to sit alone for meals, drawing a blank and not being able to engage in small talk, and, of course, worried I wont know anyone there. Just thinking through all of this is absolutely exhausting. Last year, I was invited to speak and attend Transform, a conference focused on driving innovation in the workplace. The same dread took over me as I committed to attend. And after spending a few days in Las Vegas with a few thousand attendees, I think I finally cracked the code for myself on how to approach large conferences as an introvert. So this year, as I prepare to attend again, I have a game plan to get the most out of this conference. Heres my advice on how to navigate and network at large conferences. Plan your days in advance, including who youll talk to Now, I prepare for the conference weeks before I even arrive. If possible, I try to stay at the hotel where the conference is taking place. And if not, as close as possible. I take a look at when the conference begins and when it ends, and I study the agenda topics and list of sessions. I take a note of the speakers and who is attending and see if I see any familiar faces. If available, I use the conference app to keep track of the sessions I want to attend and message and connect with people before the conference. I also check if any colleagues or friends are attending the conference, what days, and coordinate travel and even share Ubers to and from the airport. Last year, I planned to meet a friend who was also attending in the lobby in the mornings and walked to sessions together, and when I was feeling anxious I texted her to grab a coffee or snack. We also walked out of the conference at the end of the day and grabbed a drink. I was happy to have a buddy I could rely on when I was feeling out of place or overwhelmed by the crowds. Find the super connectors While large conferences can be intimidating, I also want to push myself to meet new people. I set a goal of meeting at least three new people a day. This can be daunting if you feel uncomfortable walking up to a stranger or breaking into a circle of people and introducing yourself. My plan now is to find the super connectors and have them help me meet new people. I try not to apply expectations on what these introductions could lead to. Some of these new people I have a lovely interaction with and we dont connect again. And some of these new people I hit it off with and we stay in touch post conference. My friend Dinah Alobeid, a communications executive, is a super connector who knows a variety of people across sectors and industries. She had me grab a coffee with her and then invited me to stand with her and her team at the Greenhouse booth in the exhibitor area. It was an easier way to meet people who came to their booth, as opposed to going around the large area alone and trying to force myself to stop and booth after booth after booth and make small talk (I did do that later, and of course brought my friend Sarah along.) My friend David Landman, an human resources executive, is also a super connector who seems to make friends wherever he goes. He plugged me into all the social events that were happening. He also found me the very first morning of the conference during a break and introduced me to people. He then got me invited to lunches, happy hours, and dinners so I didnt have to worry about who to meet with and if I would be sitting alone. He even met me in the lobby so we could walk over to evening events together. I felt so much more at ease not having to enter rooms alone where I may not know anyone. Prioritize time to decompress Finally, I stopped putting pressure on myself to do every single thing at the conference. Theres so much happening at a large conference like Transform you can want to make the most of it and take advantage of everything being offered. The first year I went, I tried to do it all, and left feeling exhausted and depleted. Now, I dont pressure myself to attend every single session. I take breaks, I grab a coffee and go and recharge for a few minutes alone. I usually have my journal with me to take notes. I also go back to my hotel room to freshen up or sit in the quiet and recharge before heading back downstairs. I give myself permission to leave when I want to. I also find by doing this, I am much more present and attentive when I am at the conference and one on one conversations. One evening, I wasnt feeling great and couldnt make it out to dinner plans. My friend Sally Wolf, a wellbeing advisor and keynote speaker, invited me to come to her hotel room, and join her and her friend Danielle Farage, a speaker on Generation Z corporate talent. I was hesitant at first to go, and then felt at ease as soon as I walked into their room. We nibbled on snacks and chatted for over an hour. It was great to connect with conference attendees in a more informal, casual setting. With preparation and pre-planning, with the help of super connectors, and prioritizing time to decompress, large conferences dont have to be an introvert’s worst nightmare. In fact, now with my plan in place, I am excited to attend Transform and other large conferences this coming year. I am on a mission to learn and open my mind to topics, be present and share my expertise and knowledge, and hopefully make at least one or two new friends along the way.
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E-Commerce
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