#industrial automation 2024

[techtoio]

The Latest Breakthroughs in Technology for 2024

Introduction

Welcome to TechtoIO, your go-to source for the latest in tech news and trends. As we dive into 2024, the tech landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace. From artificial intelligence advancements to breakthroughs in quantum computing, this year promises to be a landmark in technological innovation. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the most exciting developments in technology for 2024, offering insights into how these advancements will impact our lives and industries. Read to continue

[success-strategies1]

The Future is Now: How AI and Automation Are Revolutionizing 2024

Find out how AI and automation are reprogramming industries and people’s lives in the year 2024. Our text covers the most pressing issues, brand new concepts, and implications for the human resources field in this context. H1: Introduction:

Introduction to AI and automation Appreciating the changes and how not keeping up would be futile. H2: Growing Use of AI in 2024: On the growth in adoption of AI within sectors Artificial intelligence-derived technological interventions

H3: Automation within the Constraints of a Busy Schedule; The background of the issue of doing day-to-day activities faster and easier The era of smart homes and personal assistants is here, and society is embracing it. H3: Employment of the AI and the Automation: Effect of AI and Automation on The Enrichment of Jobs The Emergence of New Types of Occupations. H2: Top 5 Industries Revolutionized by AI at Present: 1. Healthcare 2. Manufacturing 3. Finance 4. Retail 5. Education H3: Use of AI for Enhancing Health Systems: AI that predicts and develops recommendations and plans for treatment Roles played by robots when it comes to surgery processes

H3: AI in the Manufacturing Industry: The Future of Manufacturing: Smart Factories Preferably with Robotism, Automated Warehouses, etc. Conclusion: Other aspects eased by modern technologies H3: AI’s Impact on Finance: This Part Demonstrates the Influence of AI on Financial Activities Facilitated by Artificial Instrumental Advantages. For instance, telemarketing correspondent inquiries. H3: AI in Retail: The configuration of retail strategy and value chain strategy is reflected in the adjusted supply chain architecture. In Conclusion. H3: AI in Education: Extends to current applications of AI in education..

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Benefits and Costs: Current Challenges: Possibilities of Job Losses and the Skills Required H2: AI and Automation in the Near Future: Prospects and Possibilities for the Next Five Years Improving firms in incorporation of these concepts in the industry. The SWOT

H2: Conclusion:

Summarizes the impact of AI and automation within the context of ‘2024’. What should be done and what is to be done next? H2: FAQs: What about the question regarding automation—how it is changing the employment sector? Can technology ever fully eradicate the need for human workers?

What are the common functions that, however, are these days being performed by automated labor? What are the opportunities that technology offers, especially for independent enterprises? What skills do people should acquire or develop to have a chance of being effective at work? Introduction.

Everyone has been and is hearing a lot of talk about self-driving cars and robots taking over people's work for a few years now. However, as crazy as the idea of them is, in 2024 it is no longer just things we hear; they are actually happening. Everything from turning around businesses to finding a place to sleep at night, there is no doubt about it that these advancements are changing everything we know about the world. Therefore, changes like this are very important.

For this paper, we will expound on the revolutionary ways through which artificial intelligence as well as automation is taking a grip of the year 2024, the sectors most hit, and what features the future will bring. Shall we begin?

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The Evolution of AI in 2024: Considering the way artificial intelligence has grown, its impact in 2024 is. Not even at the present could these industries and the advancement in AI afford to be separated. Important Breakthroughs in AI: Artificial intelligence is now not a thing of the past, for it is advancing right in 2024 from the point of sophistication and attention. AI assistive technology has revolutionized many a task. Automation of Everyday Businesses: Not only our economic perspective alters with the present progression toward automation but also other aspects of our lives. It’s true even for children’s toys. The Emergence of High-Tech Homes and Robo-Manservant: Think of being back in your house all day only to find out that your house knows all that stuff and even knows the choice of the music that you love playing. With smart houses, it is no longer a figure of speech. It is social reality. Alexa and Google Assistant are ever-present smart helpers in our habits and routines, allowing us to organize our day-to-day routine in a more efficient way.

Partake in the Age of Artificial Intelligence! click and join Health Tips by 90s Mantor0 and literary be at the edge of the sea in terms of AI and automation. The Future of Employment: There is no doubt that the ways in which work is done have been dramatically changed due to technology. Therefore, what was being done by hand in the past is today done by machines. Current and emerging trends on AI and its impacts on the job market; Robots are being used more and more for routine activities, which humans can then stop doing and start on other tasks that are more stimulating or more strategic. For such employees, they should not only be open to such opportunities and paths but should offset the tremendous technological advances that continue to require people to seek new skills and competencies to remain employable. The Top 5 Sectors That Are About to Experience a Revolution As a Result of AI Now it is time to consider the use of AI and automation in specific sectors: 1. Medication Industry: The field of medicine is currently being revolutionized by AI, which aims at creating backing for the work of doctors and also to benefit patients. AI-Driven Diagnostics and Treatment Schemes: AI has the ability to diagnose patients better and more accurately in a fraction of human performance time. Therefore, it can be used to deliver diagnostics and treatment plans to the place where the patients are in real-time. The Role of Robots in Surgery:

The practice of robotic surgery has gained popularity as it assists in making accurate cuts and reduces the recovery period and healing process. 2. Production: Artificial intelligence has also been introduced in industries to make the manufacturing process faster. Smart factories and automated robots. The factories have the artificial intelligence-programmed robots doing works such as quality inspection and assembling and also carrying out predictive maintenance strategies that ensure all the machines are up all day long. 3. Finance: The financial sector has made a step in the integration of artificial intelligence, ranging from auto-trading to fraud detection and even risk management. AI-driven trading platforms: These computer programs can process a lot of data much faster than the human brain and make decisions in split seconds for quite profitable trades in the financial markets while reducing the chances of human intervention errors. 4. Retail: It's no mystery that AI is having a massive influence on modern-day retail by enhancing consumer pleasure and hands-free inventory approaches. Personalized Shopper Experience Retailers are leveraging AI to make hyper-personal product suggestions; this ensures that customers always enjoy unique buying encounters based on the details available about them. 5. Education: AI is used to provide tailored learning experiences in education by assisting students and educators in the process of implementing education according to the specifics of students’ individual abilities and needs. AI: A Crucial Component in the Learning Process: Gone are the days when a teacher would have to explain first, then organize tasks and correct, then/or thereafter feed students information. Thanks to AI, a teacher can tell where all the students are stuck and, without struggling, give each student a lesson tailored to address what problem he or she may be having at that particular time. Advantages and disadvantages of AI and automation: Nevertheless, AI and automation have some weaknesses as well. Operating Cost Effectiveness and Time Savings By using AI, companies can get busy with scaled activities while still doing repetitive work of the staff. At the same time, it offers the improvement of the company’s operations as well as considerably lower inputs. Future Work and Age-Related Job Loss Occurred along with the Skills Lost One of the negative consequences of this is also the fear that dynamic changes in the area of AI quite often result in job understating. AI with Automation in the Near Future: The following question pertains to the future of AI and how long people will learn and actually utilize it. What will happen in the next few years? If more capabilities of AI technology are used—this one even more in such areas as health, industry, and finance. We may also experience autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and AI-driven infrastructure components working at the core of everyday life. Trends and Technologies on the Rise: Most of the up-and-coming fads revolve around the more advanced development of quantum computing and the concepts of ethics surrounding the applications of AI to adjust it in a way that is of significant advantage to everyone’s wellbeing. In conclusion.

Read more>>>>>>>>>>

[jcmarchi]

New o1 model of LLM at OpenAI could change hardware market

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/new-o1-model-of-llm-at-openai-could-change-hardware-market/

New o1 model of LLM at OpenAI could change hardware market

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OpenAI and other leading AI companies are developing new training techniques to overcome limitations of current methods. Addressing unexpected delays and complications in the development of larger, more powerful language models, these fresh techniques focus on human-like behaviour to teach algorithms to ‘think.

Reportedly led by a dozen AI researchers, scientists, and investors, the new training techniques, which underpin OpenAI’s recent ‘o1’ model (formerly Q* and Strawberry), have the potential to transform the landscape of AI development. The reported advances may influence the types or quantities of resources AI companies need continuously, including specialised hardware and energy to aid the development of AI models.

The o1 model is designed to approach problems in a way that mimics human reasoning and thinking, breaking down numerous tasks into steps. The model also utilises specialised data and feedback provided by experts in the AI industry to enhance its performance.

Since ChatGPT was unveiled by OpenAI in 2022, there has been a surge in AI innovation, and many technology companies claim existing AI models require expansion, be it through greater quantities of data or improved computing resources. Only then can AI models consistently improve.

Now, AI experts have reported limitations in scaling up AI models. The 2010s were a revolutionary period for scaling, but Ilya Sutskever, co-founder of AI labs Safe Superintelligence (SSI) and OpenAI, says that the training of AI models, particularly in the understanding language structures and patterns, has levelled off.

“The 2010s were the age of scaling, now we’re back in the age of wonder and discovery once again. Scaling the right thing matters more now,” they said.

In recent times, AI lab researchers have experienced delays in and challenges to developing and releasing large language models (LLM) that are more powerful than OpenAI’s GPT-4 model.

First, there is the cost of training large models, often running into tens of millions of dollars. And, due to complications that arise, like hardware failing due to system complexity, a final analysis of how these models run can take months.

In addition to these challenges, training runs require substantial amounts of energy, often resulting in power shortages that can disrupt processes and impact the wider electriciy grid. Another issue is the colossal amount of data large language models use, so much so that AI models have reportedly used up all accessible data worldwide.

Researchers are exploring a technique known as ‘test-time compute’ to improve current AI models when being trained or during inference phases. The method can involve the generation of multiple answers in real-time to decide on a range of best solutions. Therefore, the model can allocate greater processing resources to difficult tasks that require human-like decision-making and reasoning. The aim – to make the model more accurate and capable.

Noam Brown, a researcher at OpenAI who helped develop the o1 model, shared an example of how a new approach can achieve surprising results. At the TED AI conference in San Francisco last month, Brown explained that “having a bot think for just 20 seconds in a hand of poker got the same boosting performance as scaling up the model by 100,000x and training it for 100,000 times longer.”

Rather than simply increasing the model size and training time, this can change how AI models process information and lead to more powerful, efficient systems.

It is reported that other AI labs have been developing versions of the o1 technique. The include xAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic. Competition in the AI world is nothing new, but we could see a significant impact on the AI hardware market as a result of new techniques. Companies like Nvidia, which currently dominates the supply of AI chips due to the high demand for their products, may be particularly affected by updated AI training techniques.

Nvidia became the world’s most valuable company in October, and its rise in fortunes can be largely attributed to its chips’ use in AI arrays. New techniques may impact Nvidia’s market position, forcing the company to adapt its products to meet the evolving AI hardware demand. Potentially, this could open more avenues for new competitors in the inference market.

A new age of AI development may be on the horizon, driven by evolving hardware demands and more efficient training methods such as those deployed in the o1 model. The future of both AI models and the companies behind them could be reshaped, unlocking unprecedented possibilities and greater competition.

See also: Anthropic urges AI regulation to avoid catastrophes

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, a

Tags: artificial intelligence, machine learning, models

[akulride]

DRIVE PILOT, the highly automated driving system from Mercedes-Benz, has won one of the most prestigious awards in the automotive industry: the Golden Steering Wheel 2024. The Auto Bild and Bild

[ippnoida]

Valmet's papermaking line for Asia-Pacific customer

Valmet will supply a complete papermaking line from stock preparation to reel and winders with services and a comprehensive automation solution package to one of its major customers in Asia-Pacific. The papermaking line will produce uncoated woodfree grades. The start-up is scheduled for 2026.

The order is included in Valmet's orders received in the fourth quarter 2024. The value of the order will not be disclosed, but such a papermaking line is typically worth between 90 million Euros and 120 million Euros.

This order follows the customer’s previous papermaking line order to the same site, announced in June 2024. “This other fine papermaking line order is strengthening Valmet's position as a supplier for high-speed fine paper machine lines and continues our good co-operation and long-term partnership with the customer,” says Markus Veikkola, Sales Director, China and Asia Pacific, Board and Paper Mills, Paper business line, Valmet.

Delivery’s technical information

Valmet’s delivery will include stock preparation and a high-speed papermaking line from headbox to winders. The delivery also includes a wide range of automation solutions, flow control solutions, Valmet Industrial Internet solutions, paper machine clothing, spare parts, and consumables packages.

[ragini-14]

Integrated Marine Automation System Market 2024 Size Predicted to Increase at a Positive CAGR

The Global Integrated Marine Automation System Market research report published by Exactitude Constancy reveals the current outlook of the global and key regions from the following perspectives: Key players, countries, product types, and end industries. The report studies the top companies in the global market and divides the market into several parameters.

This Integrated Marine Automation System Market research report pinpoints the industry's competitive landscape to understand the international competition. This report study explains the expected growth of the global market for the upcoming years from 2024 to 2030. This research report is accumulated based on static and dynamic perspectives on business.

The global integrated marine automation system market is expected to grow at 10% CAGR from 2024 to 2030. It is expected to reach above USD 10.38 billion by 2030 from USD 4.40 billion in 2023.

Browse Complete Summary and Table of Content @

https://exactitudeconsultancy.com/ja/reports/2212/integrated-marine-automation-system-market/

[svayarobotics]

The Trust Factor: How Reliable Automation Redefines Industry Standards

In the dynamic landscape of contemporary industries, the integration of reliable robotics and automation stands as a beacon of transformation. The fusion of these advanced technologies redefines the very fabric of .moperational standards, reshaping how industries operate, innovate, and thrive.

Reliable robotics serves as the cornerstone in this evolution. These cutting-edge mechanisms epitomize precision, consistency, and unwavering performance, fundamentally altering the way tasks are executed. Their sophisticated algorithms, guided by intricate sensors and AI, imbue them with an unparalleled ability to execute tasks flawlessly.

The essence of reliable robotics lies not just in the automation of repetitive tasks but in their unfaltering dependability. Whether it's precision manufacturing, intricate surgical procedures, or autonomous logistics, the advent of reliable automation has ushered in an era of heightened efficiency and accuracy.

Industry landscapes are witnessing a profound metamorphosis, transitioning from conventional modes of operation to a realm dictated by reliable robotics. The adoption of automated systems reduces human errors to minuscule margins, ensuring a level of consistency that was previously unimaginable.

The interplay between reliable robotics and automation extends beyond mere operational enhancements. It intertwines with the fabric of trust within industries. As organizations embrace these technologies, a newfound trust in their operational processes emerges. Stakeholders rely on the consistency and predictability these systems offer, fostering a renewed sense of confidence in the quality of outputs.

Moreover, the integration of reliable automation introduces a paradigm shift in safety standards. In sectors like manufacturing and healthcare, where precision is paramount, the utilization of robotics minimizes risks associated with human errors, significantly enhancing safety protocols.

The reliable aspect of these technological marvels instills a sense of assurance. Unlike their predecessors, these systems boast an impressive track record of maintaining functionality and delivering results within specified parameters. This reliability isn't merely a feature; it's a foundational element that reshapes how industries perceive and implement automation.

The pursuit of reliable robotics isn't without its challenges. Ensuring the seamless integration of these systems into existing infrastructures requires meticulous planning and adaptation. Calibration, maintenance, and constant monitoring become essential to sustain the reliability quotient.

The true essence of reliable automation lies not just in its technical prowess but in its ability to evolve and adapt. Continuous advancements in AI, machine learning, and robotics engineering pave the way for systems that not only meet but exceed reliability benchmarks.

As industries embrace this transformative journey, the ripple effects are far-reaching. The benchmarks set by reliable robotics redefine what was once deemed standard. They compel industries to recalibrate their operational expectations, setting a new norm where reliability isn't an aspiration but an inherent trait.

In conclusion, the convergence of reliable robotics and automation has propelled industries into an era where trust, precision, and consistency redefine the benchmarks of success. The infusion of these technologies reshapes industry standards, fostering a landscape where reliability isn't just an attribute but the very essence of operational excellence.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Podcasting “Capitalists Hate Capitalism”

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

This week on my podcast, I read "Capitalists Hate Capitalism," my latest column for Locus Magazine:

https://locusmag.com/2024/03/cory-doctorow-capitalists-hate-capitalism/

What do I mean by "capitalists hate capitalism?" It all comes down to the difference between "profits" and "rents." A capitalist takes capital (money, or the things you can buy with it) and combines it with employees' labor, and generates profits (the capitalist's share) and wages (the workers' share).

Rents, meanwhile, come from owning an asset that capitalists need to generate profits. For example, a landlord who rents a storefront to a coffee shop extracts rent from the capitalist who owns the coffee shop. Meanwhile, the capitalist who owns the cafe extracts profits from the baristas' labor.

Capitalists' founding philosophers like Adam Smith hated rents. Worse: rents were the most important source of income at the time of capitalism's founding. Feudal lords owned great swathes of land, and there were armies of serfs who were bound to that land – it was illegal for them to leave it. The serfs owed rent to lords, and so they worked the land in order grow crops and raise livestock that they handed over the to lord as rent for the land they weren't allowed to leave.

Capitalists, meanwhile, wanted to turn that land into grazing territory for sheep as a source of wool for the "dark, Satanic mills" of the industrial revolution. They wanted the serfs to be kicked off their land so that they would become "free labor" that could be hired to work in those factories.

For the founders of capitalism, a "free market" wasn't free from regulation, it was free from rents, and "free labor" came from workers who were free to leave the estates where they were born – but also free to starve unless they took a job with the capitalists.

For capitalism's philosophers, free markets and free labor weren't just a source of profits, they were also a source of virtue. Capitalists – unlike lords – had to worry about competition from one another. They had to make better goods at lower prices, lest their customers take their business elsewhere; and they had to offer higher pay and better conditions, lest their "free labor" take a job elsewhere.

This means that capitalists are haunted by the fear of losing everything, and that fear acts as a goad, driving them to find ways to make everything better for everyone: better, cheaper products that benefit shoppers; and better-paid, safer jobs that benefit workers. For Smith, capitalism is alchemy, a philosopher's stone that transforms the base metal of greed into the gold of public spiritedness.

By contrast, rentiers are insulated from competition. Their workers are bound to the land, and must toil to pay the rent no matter whether they are treated well or abused. The rent rolls in reliably, without the lord having to invest in new, better ways to bring in the harvest. It's a good life (for the lord).

Think of that coffee-shop again: if a better cafe opens across the street, the owner can lose it all, as their customers and workers switch allegiance. But for the landlord, the failure of his capitalist tenant is a feature, not a bug. Once the cafe goes bust, the landlord gets a newly vacant storefront on the same block as the hot new coffee shop that can be rented out at even higher rates to another capitalist who tries his luck.

The industrial revolution wasn't just the triumph of automation over craft processes, nor the triumph of factory owners over weavers. It was also the triumph of profits over rents. The transformation of hereditary estates worked by serfs into part of the supply chain for textile mills was attended by – and contributed to – the political ascendancy of capitalists over rentiers.

Now, obviously, capitalism didn't end rents – just as feudalism didn't require the total absence of profits. Under feudalism, capitalists still extracted profits from capital and labor; and under capitalism, rentiers still extracted rents from assets that capitalists and workers paid them to use.

The difference comes in the way that conflicts between profits and rents were resolved. Feudalism is a system where rents triumph over profits, and capitalism is a system where profits triumph over rents.

It's conflict that tells you what really matters. You love your family, but they drive you crazy. If you side with your family over your friends – even when your friends might be right and your family's probably wrong – then you value your family more than your friends. That doesn't mean you don't value your friends – it means that you value them less than your family.

Conflict is a reliable way to know whether or not you're a leftist. As Steven Brust says, the way to distinguish a leftist is to ask "What's more important, human rights, or property rights?" If you answer "Property rights are human right," you're not a leftist. Leftists don't necessarily oppose all property rights – they just think they're less important than human rights.

Think of conflicts between property rights and human rights: the grocer who deliberately renders leftover food inedible before putting it in the dumpster to ensure that hungry people can't eat it, or the landlord who keeps an apartment empty while a homeless person freezes to death on its doorstep. You don't have to say "No one can own food or a home" to say, "in these cases, property rights are interfering with human rights, so they should be overridden." For leftists property rights can be a means to human rights (like revolutionary land reformers who give peasants title to the lands they work), but where property rights interfere with human rights, they are set aside.

In his 2023 book Technofeudalism, Yanis Varoufakis claims that capitalism has given way to a new feudalism – that capitalism was a transitional phase between feudalism…and feudalism:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/28/cloudalists/#cloud-capital

Varoufakis's point isn't that capitalists have gone extinct. Rather, it's that today, conflicts between capital and assets – between rents and profits – reliably end with a victory of rent over profit.

Think of Amazon: the "everything store" appears to be a vast bazaar, a flea-market whose stalls are all operated by independent capitalists who decide what to sell, how to price it, and then compete to tempt shoppers. In reality, though, the whole system is owned by a single feudalist, who extracts 51% from every dollar those merchants take in, and decides who can sell, and what they can sell, and at what price, and whether anyone can even see it:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/01/managerial-discretion/#junk-fees

Or consider the patent trolls of the Eastern District of Texas. These "companies" are invisible and produce nothing. They consist solely of a serviced mailbox in a dusty, uninhabited office-building, and an overbroad patent (say, a patent on "tapping on a screen with your finger") issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office. These companies extract hundreds of millions of dollars from Apple, Google, Samsung for violating these patents. In other words, the government steps in and takes vast profits generated through productive activity by companies that make phones, and turns that money over as rent paid to unproductive companies whose sole "product" is lawsuits. It's the triumph of rent over profit.

Capitalists hate capitalism. All capitalists would rather extract rents than profits, because rents are insulated from competition. The merchants who sell on Jeff Bezos's Amazon (or open a cafe in a landlord's storefront, or license a foolish smartphone patent) bear all the risk. The landlords – of Amazon, the storefront, or the patent – get paid whether or not that risk pays off.

This is why Google, Apple and Samsung also have vast digital estates that they rent out to capitalists – everything from app stores to patent portfolios. They would much rather be in the business of renting things out to capitalists than competing with capitalists.

Hence that famous Adam Smith quote: "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices." This is literally what Google and Meta do:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_Blue

And it's what Apple and Google do:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/27/23934961/google-antitrust-trial-defaults-search-deal-26-3-billion

Why compete with one another when you can collude, like feudal lords with adjacent estates who trust one another to return any serf they catch trying to sneak away in the dead of night?

Because of course, it's not just "free markets" that have been captured by rents ("Competition is for losers" -P. Thiel) – it's also "free labor." For years, the largest tech and entertainment companies in America illegally colluded on a "no poach" agreement not to hire one-anothers' employees:

https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/03/apple-google-other-silicon-valley-tech-giants-ordered-to-pay-415m-in-no-poaching-suit/

These companies were bitter competitors – as were these sectors. Even as Big Content was lobbying for farcical copyright law expansions and vowing to capture Big Tech, all these companies on both sides were able to set aside their differences and collude to bind their free workers to their estates and end the "wasteful competition" to secure their labor.

Of course, this is even more pronounced at the bottom of the labor market, where noncompete "agreements" are the norm. The median American worker bound by a noncompete is a fast-food worker whose employer can wield the power of the state to prevent that worker from leaving behind the Wendy's cash-register to make $0.25/hour more at the McDonald's fry trap across the street:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/02/its-the-economy-stupid/#neofeudal

Employers defend this as necessary to secure their investment in training their workers and to ensure the integrity of their trade secrets. But why should their investments be protected? Capitalism is about risk, and the fear that accompanies risk – fear that drives capitalists to innovate, which creates the public benefit that is the moral justification for capitalism.

Capitalists hate capitalism. They don't want free labor – they want labor bound to the land. Capitalists benefit from free labor: if you have a better company, you can tempt away the best workers and cause your inferior rival to fail. But feudalists benefit from un-free labor, from tricks like "bondage fees" that force workers to pay in order to quit their jobs:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/21/bondage-fees/#doorman-building

Companies like Petsmart use "training repayment agreement provisions" (TRAPs) to keep low-waged workers from leaving for better employers. Petsmart says it costs $5,500 to train a pet-groomer, and if that worker is fired, laid off, or quits less than two years, they have to pay that amount to Petsmart:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/04/its-a-trap/#a-little-on-the-nose

Now, Petsmart is full of shit here. The "four-week training course" Petsmart claims is worth $5,500 actually only lasts for three weeks. What's more, the "training" consists of sweeping the floor and doing other low-level chores for three weeks, without pay.

But even if Petsmart were to give $5,500 worth of training to every pet-groomer, this would still be bullshit. Why should the worker bear the risk of Petsmart making a bad investment in their training? Under capitalism, risks justify rewards. Petsmart's argument for charging $50 to groom your dog and paying the groomer $15 for the job is that they took $35 worth of risk. But some of that risk is being borne by the worker – they're the ones footing the bill for the training.

For Petsmart – as for all feudalists – a worker (with all the attendant risks) can be turned into an asset, something that isn't subject to competition. Petsmart doesn't have to retain workers through superior pay and conditions – they can use the state's contract-enforcement mechanism instead.

Capitalists hate capitalism, but they love feudalism. Sure, they dress this up by claiming that governmental de-risking spurs investment: "Who would pay to train a pet-groomer if that worker could walk out the next day and shave dogs for some competing shop?"

But this is obvious nonsense. Think of Silicon Valley: high tech is the most "IP-intensive" of all industries, the sector that has had to compete most fiercely for skilled labor. And yet, Silicon Valley is in California, where noncompetes are illegal. Every single successful Silicon Valley company has thrived in an environment in which their skilled workers can walk out the door at any time and take a job with a rival company.

There's no indication that the risk of free labor prevents investment. Think of AI, the biggest investment bubble in human history. All the major AI companies are in jurisdictions where noncompetes are illegal. Anthropic – OpenAI's most serious competitor – was founded by a sister/brother team who quit senior roles at OpenAI and founded a direct competitor. No one can claim with a straight face that OpenAI is now unable to raise capital on favorable terms.

What's more, when OpenAI founder Sam Altman was forced out by his board, Microsoft offered to hire him – and 700 other OpenAI personnel – to found an OpenAI competitor. When Altman returned to the company, Microsoft invested more money in OpenAI, despite their intimate understanding that anyone could hire away the company's founder and all of its top technical staff at any time.

The idea that the departure of the Burger King trade secrets locked up in its workers' heads constitute more of a risk to the ability to operate a hamburger restaurant than the departure of the entire technical staff of OpenAI is obvious nonsense. Noncompetes aren't a way to make it possible to run a business – they're a way to make it easy to run a business, by eliminating competition and pushing the risk onto employees.

Because capitalists hate capitalism. And who can blame them? Who wouldn't prefer a life with less risk to one where you have to constantly look over your shoulder for competitors who've found a way to make a superior offer to your customers and workers?

This is why businesses are so excited about securing "IP" – that is, a government-backed right to control your workers, customers, competitors or critics:

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

The argument for every IP right expansion is the same: "Who would invest in creating something new without the assurance that some­one else wouldn’t copy and improve on it and put them out of business?"

That was the argument raised five years ago, during the (mercifully brief) mania for genre writers seeking trademarks on common tropes. There was the romance writer who got a trademark on the word "cocky" in book titles:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/16/17566276/cockygate-amazon-kindle-unlimited-algorithm-self-published-romance-novel-cabal

And the fantasy writer who wanted a trademark on "dragon slayer" in fantasy novel titles:

https://memex.craphound.com/2018/06/14/son-of-cocky-a-writer-is-trying-to-trademark-dragon-slayer-for-fantasy-novels/

Who subsequently sought a trademark on any book cover featuring a person holding a weapon:

https://memex.craphound.com/2018/07/19/trademark-troll-who-claims-to-own-dragon-slayer-now-wants-exclusive-rights-to-book-covers-where-someone-is-holding-a-weapon/

For these would-be rentiers, the logic was the same: "Why would I write a book about a dragon-slayer if I could lose readers to someone else who writes a book about dragon-slayers?"

In these cases, the USPTO denied or rescinded its trademarks. Profits triumphed over rents. But increasingly, rents are triumphing over profits, and rent-extraction is celebrated as "smart business," while profits are for suckers, only slightly preferable to "wages" (the worst way to get paid under both capitalism and feudalism).

That's what's behind all the talk about "passive income" – that's just a euphemism for "rent." It's what Douglas Rushkoff is referring to in Survival of the Richest when he talks about the wealthy wanting to "go meta":

https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/13/collapse-porn/#collapse-porn

Don't drive a cab – go meta and buy a medallion. Don't buy a medallion, go meta and found Uber. Don't found Uber, go meta and invest in Uber. Don't invest in Uber, go meta and buy options on Uber stock. Don't buy Uber stock options, go meta and buy derivatives of options on Uber stock.

"Going meta" means distancing yourself from capitalism – from income derived from profits, from competition, from risk – and cozying up to feudalism.

Capitalists have always hated capitalism. The owners of the dark Satanic mills wanted peasants turned off the land and converted into "free labor" – but they also kidnapped Napoleonic war-orphans and indentured them to ten-year terms of service, which was all you could get out of a child's body before it was ruined for further work:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/26/enochs-hammer/#thats-fronkonsteen

When Varoufakis says we've entered a new feudal age, he doesn't mean that we've abolished capitalism. He means that – for the first time in centuries – when rents go to war against profits – the rents almost always emerge victorious.

Here's the podcast episode:

https://craphound.com/news/2024/04/14/capitalists-hate-capitalism/

Here's a direct link to the MP3 (hosting courtesy of the Internet Archive; they'll host your stuff for free, forever):

https://archive.org/download/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_465/Cory_Doctorow_Podcast_465_-_Capitalists_Hate_Capitalism.mp3

And here's the RSS feed for my podcast:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/doctorow_podcast

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/18/in-extremis-veritas/#the-winnah

[techtoio]

How AI is Transforming Everyday Technology

Introduction

Welcome to TechtoIO! Today, we delve into one of the most exciting developments in modern technology: artificial intelligence (AI). AI has moved beyond the realm of science fiction and is now an integral part of our daily lives. From smart homes to personalized recommendations, AI is transforming everyday technology in ways we once only dreamed of. In this article, we explore how AI is reshaping various aspects of our lives and what we can expect in the near future. Read to continue

[reasonsforhope]

Yesterday [April 30, 2024], a bipartisan collection of US Senators introduced the Fans First Act, which would help address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, and protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets.

Today, the artists and Congressmen allege, buying a ticket to a concert or sporting event requires negotiating a minefield of predatory practices, such as speculative ticket buying and the use of automated programs to buy large numbers of tickets for resale at inflated prices.

The legislation would ban such practices, and include provisions for guaranteed refunds in the event of a cancellation.

The political campaign organizers, calling themselves “Fix the Tix” write that included among the supporters of the legislation is a coalition of live event industry organizations and professionals, who have formed to advocate on behalf of concertgoers.

This includes a steering committee led by Eventbrite [Note: lol, I'm assuming Eventbrite just signed on to undermine Ticketmaster and for PR purposes] and the National Independent Value Association that’s supported by dozens of artistic unions, independent ticket sellers, and of course, over 250 artists and bands, including Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews, Cyndi Lauper, Lorde, Sia, Train, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, and hundreds more which you can read here.

“Buying a ticket to see your favorite artist or team is out of reach for too many Americans,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

“Bots, hidden fees, and predatory practices are hurting consumers whether they want to catch a home game, an up-and-coming artist, or a major headliner like Taylor Swift or Bad Bunny. From ensuring fans get refunds for canceled shows to banning speculative ticket sales, this bipartisan legislation will improve the ticketing experience.”

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Peter Welch (D-VT) also signed on to the Fan First Act.

In the House, parallel legislation was just passed through committee 45-0.

[Note: That's a really good sign. That kind of bipartisan support is basically unheard of these days, and rare even before that. This is strong enough that it's half the reason I'm posting this article - normally I wait until bills are passed, but this plus parallel legislation with such bipartisan cosponsors in the senate makes me think there's a very real chance this will pass and become law by the end of 2024.]

“We would like to thank our colleagues, both on and off committee, for their collaboration. This bipartisan achievement is the result of months and years of hard work by Members on both sides of the aisle,” said the chairs and subchairs of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

“Our committee will continue to lead the way on this effort as we further our work to bring this solution to the House floor.”

“The relationship between artist and fan, which forms the backbone of the entire music industry, is severed,” the artists write. “When predatory resellers scoop up face value tickets in order to resell them at inflated prices on secondary markets, artists lose the ability to connect with their fans who can’t afford to attend.”

-via Good News Network, May 1, 2024

[jcmarchi]

Unlock Your Production Potential with Roland Hardware | Optimize Workf - Videoguys

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/unlock-your-production-potential-with-roland-hardware-optimize-workf-videoguys/

Unlock Your Production Potential with Roland Hardware | Optimize Workf - Videoguys

Join us for this week’s Videoguys Live as Gary teams up with Don from Roland to showcase the powerful hardware solutions that can take your production to the next level! Discover how Roland’s innovative gear can streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and help you achieve professional results in any project. Whether you’re a content creator, live streamer, or videographer, this webinar is packed with valuable insights to elevate your setup. Don’t miss it—tune in live!

Watch the full video below:

Roland Video Solutions

Entry Level

Start streaming with your phone or camera

Portable and easy to setup and use

For streamers and content creators

Mid Level

More features and hands on controls

Automation features to streamline production

Education and Worship markets

High Level

SDI inputs in addition to HDMI for longer cabling

Advanced signal routing and more customization

Suitable for installations

Entry Level Solutions

Great for green screen applications

Easy to use

3-year warranty

Great audio control

HD Video Switcher

4 HDMI inputs

Control Software

HD Video Switcher

4 HDMI inputs

2 XLR inputs

Control App

3G-SDI Video Switcher

3 SDI inputs

1 HDMI input

Control Software

Direct Streaming AV Mixer

2 HDMI inputs

4 XLR inputs

LAN Streaming

Video Playback

Automation Tools

Mid Level Solutions

HDMI and SDI solutions for larger productions​

Advanced features including PTZ Control and Macros​

High quality scalers on select inputs

HD Video Switcher

8 HDMI inputs

AUX Video Output

Automation

Control Software and App

Direct Streaming AV Mixer

6 HDMI inputs

AUX Video Output

LAN & USB Streaming

Video Playback

Control 6 PTZ Cameras

High Level Solutions

HDMI and SDI solutions for larger productions​

Advanced features including PTZ Control and Macros​

High quality scalers on select inputs

Streaming Video Switcher

8 SDI inputs

8 HDMI inputs

3 AUX Video Outputs

USB Streaming

Control 16 PTZ Cameras

Automation

Control Software and App

HD Video Switcher

4 SDI inputs

4 HDMI inputs

2x 4K thru I/O

LAN & USB Streaming

Video Playback

Recording Automation

2 AUX Video Outputs

Control 8 PTZ Cameras

Control Software and App

Direct Streaming AV Mixer

6 SDI inputs

6 HDMI inputs

LAN & USB Streaming

Video Playback and Recording

Control 12 PTZ Cameras

Auotmation

Control Software and App

4K Solutions

4K Streaming AV Mixer

6 SDI inputs

6 HDMI inputs

AUX Video Output

LAN & USB Streaming

Video Playback

Control 12 PTZ Cameras

4K HDR Multi-Format Switcher

2 SDI inputs

4 HDMI inputs

AUX Video Output

4K HDR and Scaling on all inputs

Control 6 PTZ Cameras

Web browser control

Meet the V-80HD

The Little Brother of the Best Selling, Industry Award Winning V-160HD

Video Functions​

8 inputs 5 layers Video Switcher​

4 SDI and 4 HDMI Inputs (inc. HDMI 2.0 input x 2 w/ thru) 2 SDI and 3 HDMI Outputs​

Support Roland Graphics Presenter Video Player​

32 still images can be stored in internal storage.​

Audio Functions​

28 Ch. Digital Audio Mixer.​

(4ch Analog, 16ch HDMI&SDI, 2ch BLE, 2ch USB, 2ch Audio Player, 2ch Video Player/SRT)​

HDMI/SDI outputs are equipped with 8ch embedded function. Built-in audio effects for live streaming.​

Built-in effect preset function. Easy to setup.​

Streaming Functions​

Support USB streaming (YUY2 and Motion JPG) Support Direct Streaming & Recording / SRT Output. Support SRT Input (exclusive with Video Player)

Remote Functions​

LAN, RS-232, Tally, GPIO, Foot Control are supported. PTZ Camera control is supported up to 8 PTZ camera Smart Tally control is supported.​

Video Monitoring and Switching using iPad Remote App and RCS (Win, Mac)​

Easy to Use​

Assignable Pads (8 pads x 8 Banks)​

Seamless scene memory, macro & sequencer functions Built-in 4.3-inch LCD screen​

​

  ​

  Video Processing​

1080/60p​

1080/60p​

HDMI Video Input​

4 (4 x scalers including 2x 4K scalers)​

8 (4 x scalers)​

HDMI Video Output​

3​

3​

SDI Video Input​

4​

8​

SDI Video Output​

2​

3​

Stream/Record USB to Computer​

USB-C Up to 1080/60p​

USB-C Up to 1080/60p​

Stream/Record Directly from LAN​

(RTMP, SRT)​

​

Record Internally to SD Card​

YES​

​

Graphics Presenter (Roland Fill+Key)​

YES​

OCT 2024​

Audio Mixer​

28 channels​

40 channels​

PTZ Camera Control​

8 cameras​

16 cameras​

Aux Outputs​

2​

3​

Automation​

YES​

YES​

New Tech in the V-80HD

SRT In/Out

4K pass thru

Roland Fill + Key for Graphics Presenter

8 customizable control pads

64 different operations

Scene recall

Macros

Sequence steps

Trigger audio and video clips

Start/stop streams

Recall PTZ camera presets

[letstalktag]

If Studios Won’t Support a Celebrity Project, They Won’t Support the Rest of Us.

Any excuses we make for why shows we don’t like fail don’t matter. “If they wanted it to stay on, they should’ve made it good lol”, “Maybe next time they’ll make something people actually like lmao”

There won’t be a next time. As CEOs are rapidly replaced with finance-minded men who don’t care about the craft and don’t have experience in any creative fields, the will to invest in good, long-form media with good, long-form stories shrinks.

These men want viral, instant success to show their shareholders, and every dollar they “save” by cutting productions and low-key union busting goes straight into their own pockets in the form of bonuses.

The insidious formula currently in use, following Netflix’s lead, is these companies order one season (~16-24 episodes) from an animation studio, split it into two or three short seasons for streaming, market it to death to gain new subscribers, and then cancel the show.

This means that they don’t order a new season from the animation studios, which legally obligated the entire crew to a small pay raise, and also tricks new subscribers into staying on their platform. The data shows that most people will allow passive subscriptions to continue, even if they hardly use the service, because it’s more convenient to ‘just have it.’ So these shows, in essence, are not being viewed as shows by the streaming companies. They’re 16 episode ads to convince you to sign up for the streaming companies, and everyone who cares about the shows, and the stories, and the characters we love, gets laid off and spends the next several months (at best!) looking for a new job.

Now, with the threats of automating our storytelling and the active practice of exploiting our non-union neighbors, unemployment in nearly every creative field is at an all-time high. We need animation fans, industry hopefuls, and fellow professionals all over the world to stand with us, to give creatives a future and make this industry a better place for all of us.

To learn more about The Animation Guild Negotiations 2024, head over to https://www.tagnegotiations2024.com

And remember to #StandWithAnimation !

[mariacallous]

The price of bitcoin went over $100,000 for a few hours on Dec. 5, peaking at $103,400. The financial press can’t resist constructing a hand-waving story of market forces, so bitcoin going past $100,000 has been attributed to a market reaction to President-elect Donald Trump’s lining up a slate of pro-cryptocurrency cabinet, advisory, and regulatory picks after the crypto industry put more money into funding Republican candidates in this last election cycle than anyone had previously put into an election in history.

But crypto trading is thin and almost entirely unregulated—perfect conditions for commodity market manipulation. The public image of cryptocurrency is still shaped by the 2023 trial of Sam Bankman-Fried of the failed FTX crypto exchange, culminating in his conviction—and not to mention the hangover from the NFT fiasco. Crypto is seen as the domain of cheap scammers. Ordinary people are not flocking into crypto.

Coincident with the bitcoin price news was the collapse of the Hawk Tuah crypto token. Haliey Welch, who told an oral sex joke that went viral on YouTube, leveraged her momentary fame into a career as an influencer and podcaster. This culminated in the meme-coin cryptocurrency $HAWK, marketed entirely on amusement value, which crashed on launch in what looked very like a pump-and-dump—tokens were dumped on ordinary buyers soon after launch, crashing the price.

Welch denied that insiders had dumped her token and blamed automated snipers who bought the token the moment it was released, then dumped immediately. The Hawk Tuah-token fiasco only strengthened crypto’s image as a place where fools lose their money being foolish.

The price of bitcoin has recovered since the November 2021 peak of the last bubble—but actual-dollar retail trading volumes have not. Coinbase’s retail trading volumes are $127 billion so far in 2024—much better than 2023’s $75 billion, but nothing like the 2021 bubble’s $545 billion.

Bitcoin remains a strangely useless asset that doesn’t do anything. All you can do with it is buy, sell, or hold. The only use for cryptocurrency other than pure zero-sum speculation is bitcoin’s original use case: evading regulations, most often for illegal purchases, money laundering, or dodging sanctions. One might be justified in evading some regulations in some cases—but most are there for good reason.

The largest actual-U.S.-dollar crypto exchange is Coinbase. But price discovery takes place at the venue with the largest trading volume: the offshore exchange Binance. This exchange admitted a string of money laundering offenses in 2023, was fined over $4 billion, and was placed under stringent compliance monitoring by the U.S. Department of Justice and FinCEN.

But the Binance trading floor itself remains an unregulated free-for-all as long as U.S. entities are not caught trading there. Every market manipulation that would be illegal in the United States happens at Binance and similar unregulated, offshore floating crypto casinos—wash trading, flash crashes, delayed settlements, spoofing, and the exchange trading against its own customers.

Bitcoin trading volume is substantially against two dubious U.S.-dollar stablecoins: tether and FDUSD. These are minted in round billions at a time. It is frankly not plausible that anyone put billions of U.S. dollars into tethers or FDUSD to buy bitcoins on an offshore exchange with above-board intentions. They could have just used the money to buy bitcoins directly at a U.S.-dollar crypto exchange or, safest of all, to buy bitcoin ETF shares from any securities broker. The purpose of buying billions of tethers is to manipulate the price of bitcoin.

Each stablecoin is supposedly backed by a U.S. dollar held in a bank account—except when it isn’t. Tether Inc. has long created tethers out of thin air as loans, with the listed backing asset being the loan itself. Banks do this, too, but banks are regulated. Eighteen billion tethers have been created just since Trump’s election on Nov. 5, bringing the total issuance to 135 billion. How far could you pump the price of bitcoin with 18 billion instant pseudo-dollars?

The other use case for tethers is crime. Zeke Faux’s Number Go Up details the value of tethers as a dollar substitute for those too crooked to get dollars—it’s the favored currency for “pig-butchering” romance scams run by human traffickers. The U.K. National Crime Authority and the U.S. Treasury recently cracked an international money-laundering ring that used tethers to serve drug dealers, ransomware groups, Russian espionage operations, and sanctioned entities; the NCA called tether, not bitcoin, the “cryptocurrency du jour.” The news of the bust came out just before bitcoin hit $100,000. Tether-fueled bitcoin pumps seem to coincide with bad news mentioning tethers.

Tether Inc. is sensitive to the criminal use case for its coin and frequently freezes tainted tethers on the requests of the Office of Foreign Assets Control and FinCEN—but only after the fact. This requires Tether Inc.’s operations to be much more organized than they have been previously—such as during the years when the reserve was tracked, not in proper accounts but in a shared spreadsheet that was often out of date. Despite its compliance efforts, Tether Inc. is the subject of an ongoing federal criminal investigation by the Manhattan office of the Southern District of New York into possible anti-money-laundering and sanctions failures.

Tether Inc. has worked to mend its reputation in the corridors of power. The company does not operate in the United States, but it does keep much of the cash portion of its reserve in U.S. Treasury bills. These are custodied by Cantor Fitzgerald, whose CEO, Howard Lutnick, wanted to become Trump’s new Treasury secretary and will be brought in for commerce. Cantor Fitzgerald recently bought a share in Tether Inc.

After the crypto industry’s success with directing unheard-of quantities of campaign funding to the cause of electing Trump, we should anticipate further such attempts to curry favor. The Trump family’s own crypto project, World Liberty Financial, was set to fail until crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, proprietor of offshore crypto exchange HTX, dived in and bought $30 million of its WLFI coin—taking World Liberty over the threshold so Trump would get a $15 million payout from the project.

Sun is given to flashy stunts, like purchasing Maurizio Cattelan’s duct-taped banana artwork Comedian (with cryptocurrency) and then eating the banana on stage. These give the media something to talk about other than Sun’s legal and regulatory issues, most recently the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s ongoing suit against Sun for securities violations. Sun looks forward to a more “friendly” U.S. crypto market under the new administration, with the pro-crypto Paul Atkins as Trump’s planned SEC chair.

One of the greatest channels for payback to his crypto allies may be Trump’s proposal at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in June for a U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve, apparently on the basis that the nation needs a store of this speculative commodity largely used for crime. Trump originally proposed that the government hold onto bitcoins that had been seized as proceeds of crime, rather than sell them off.

The current proposal to bolster crypto is Senator Cynthia Lummis’ Bitcoin Act of 2024, in which the Treasury and the Federal Reserve would buy 200,000 bitcoins each year for five years. The U.S. government would become the bitcoin holder of last resort, and the beneficiaries would be the crypto industry—and not ordinary Americans.

The incoming U.S. administration wants to clear “experts” from the bureaucracy. If the incoming executive branch wants crypto to operate freely, it will do its best to force crypto through and remove all possible impediments. Crypto’s perennial issues with fraud and impoverishing retail investors, and regulator’s fears of the risk of contagion from crypto to the wider economy, are likely to be glossed over so as to ensure market opportunities for administration insiders.

But in the end, gravity still works, and a balloon can be inflated only so much. The bitcoin bubble is an artifact of market manipulation and has no more economic substance than the Hawk Tuah coin does. The U.S. government may be ripe for plunder, but other nations need to take steps to shield themselves from the impact of rug-pulling on a global scale.

[steppingonyourshadow]

Selected excerpts from Elle September 2024

Right now, in his dressing room after the shoot, Xiao Zhan is holding his grain salad and doing a pitch perfect impression of his meeting with Legend of Zanghai director Zheng Xiaolong.

"I was a little unsure, so I asked him if he wanted me to be a little thinner or a bit more buff. He said thinner, of course thinner, looks really good, sharp." When he met Zheng Xiaolong again for the costume fitting shoot, "he said, aiyo, you did it." During that time, he lost more than 10 jin [around 6-8 kgs].

In the second half of 2019, when he was shooting The Oath of Love, Xiao Zhan would shoot during the day, and record the variety show Our Song at night. Both were challenging. The former was his first male lead role in a modern urban drama, he didn't have much experience and was under a lot of pressure; the difficulty with the latter were the harmonies, "[I] had to memorize all the harmonies that differed from the melody, and not be led stray."

"Back then I didn't mind, I'd sleep a couple of hours and wake up a new man. But now even if the spirit is willing, the body will raise complaints."

Earlier this year, while shooting in Hengdian, he got tonsillitis. Swallowing hurt, but he went to work as usual. It wasn't until the director came over to ask him what was going on with his eyes that he looked in the mirror and realised they were swollen. He kept going until the afternoon, "until I fully resembled a frog."

He then had to go to hospital. Getting sick is normal and he got better after taking medication. What he can't do is what the doctors always say: you have to rest.

More importantly, "you might become less perceptive, that's what I'm really afraid of - becoming more mechanical and automated." When he said this he emphasised "really". When he speaks with seniors in the industry, "they also say you have to experience life."

Actually, a life in the spotlight is more or less incompatible with normality. But that's what the work of an actor requires of him - to stay in touch as much as possible with the wrinkles of an ordinary existence.

Recently he watched a segment from a variety show depicting the ordinary working life of today's youth. Before he entered the industry, Xiao Zhan opened his own studio and had an ordinary job, so he can still relate to the difficulties associated with working life, but new terminology and tools which had appeared [since he left] weakened his sense of connection. He realised that to a certain extent he had gradually lost touch.

At the beginning of June, Xiao Zhan had a short holiday, and he took a trip back to Chongqing. He really likes going for walks, and one evening he wandered for hours, down old alleyways, to the Liberation Monument, and went past the place where he used to work.

In 2014, the 23 year old Xiao Zhan graduated from university and began working at a design studio as a designer. Every morning at the beginning of each work day he'd change from the second line to the third at Niujiaotuo Station, make his way through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, squeeze onto the light rail. Many times it was so crowded on the train he'd have his face pressed up against the glass window.

Since he was stuck anyway, he'd look down at the Jialing River, the strange rock formations revealed at low tide and various groups of people, those doing a winter swim, running, fishing, in the spirit of an optimist.

He still really enjoys observing humanity around him -

"Why are you still here so late?"

"The ones walking really fast definitely just finished work and are hurrying to get home. Their expressions and behaviour is just like when I used to have to try and make the subway, it's the last train of the day and you have to run for it, all flustered. Some delivery guys rushing forward with no regard for their own safety. And some very relaxed folks sitting there drinking beer, scattering home after getting to the bottom of their bottle, and then the next day begins."

"All of them going through their own compelling stories, and their lives together make up our society. It's really marvelous, they're all protagonists in their own biographies. In which direction will the story go tomorrow?"

At that moment, he was like any other person who'd spent a long time away, busy with work, and finally had a chance to go home, who finds that "it's been a long time, a lot has changed".

"It's not like I was overjoyed and sentimental [about being home]. I'm just living my life, that's all."

After two and a half days, Xiao Zhan had to go back to Beijing because of work commitments, and then he hurried on to Shanghai to head to France. This time he took his parents along. This was the first family trip for a long time. In a single week, they went from France to Switzerland and then back to France. Every detail became magnified during the trip - they were happy, they bickered, or just went for an ordinary walk - "it was all very vivid".

The day they were due to part, after having a meal together in a restaurant in the south of France, a car arrived for him - he had to leave first. Before he left his mother hugged him and told him to take care of himself. Unusually, his dad also gave him a clumsy hug.

The taste of life is in the details.

"Before I used to think work was everything and life wasn't that important, beyond having a place to sleep and then getting up, going to work, coming home from work, and resting. But now, with my parents getting older, after not living with them for a good while, you'll feel like your lives are getting further and further apart, even with family." He really doesn't want to see that happen.

The way to avoid losing touch and regain a sense of reality doesn't sound difficult, "take time whenever possible to go out and see the world. The important thing is to experience life, experience this world. Even if it's something upsetting, something cruel, that's still life, and will still turn into energy when you need it."

Halfway through the interview, Xiao Zhan suddenly said that he felt conflicted about doing long interviews. On the one hand he worried about not having matured enough and showing timidity during the conversation, and on the other hand he wants to use the conversation to excavate some subtle emotions, because he's no good personally at describing them in words.

Observation, feeling, understanding, describing - these are the key to an actor's creative expression.

"Conversation is also a form of muscle memory," Xiao Zhan says. "Although I'm very introverted, I'm not anti-social. Because I think actors need to learn to express themselves, their inner thoughts, and internalise what the other person is transmitting to you."

Before Sunshine By My Side started shooting, he met up with the main creatives and had a few script meetings in order to deepen their understanding of each other and the character. In the early days of Legend of Zanghai, the producer mentioned that Xiao Zhan would engage in in-depth discussions of the script; he'd have a lot of his own thoughts about any scene.

Xiao Zhan isn't an actor by training. When he first started acting in Battle Through the Heavens and The Wolf, he had strong doubts and asked himself: am I suited to this? Repeatedly negating and overturning his sense of self caused him to lose confidence.

Sometimes he'd be asked if he hadn't auditioned at 23, debuted, joined the industry, what would he be doing now? He's thought about it, but he won't look back.

When he couldn't give a good performance, he put in extra time doing acting classes, watching the monitors, asking seniors for advice. Taking it seriously plus putting in the work slowly led to improvement.

Later, when he started shooting Where Dreams Begin, Xiao Zhan's character Xiao Chunsheng was a Beijing compound kid, very different from him, right down to the accent. He didn't feel comfortable. Before many scenes, the director Fu Ning would run over and whisper, don't be afraid Zhanzhan, just come out and say it, if you feel it then you can say it, the audience can actually feel your emotions and what you want to express.

He gradually became more self-aware: "technique is perhaps not my strongest suit, I rely more on feeling. When I feel it, that's when I have the confidence to act it out. If I rely purely on technique, I think that's not sufficiently moving."

It's been 8 years since Xiao Zhan's first acting experience. Going through his credits, one can see male protagonist roles of many different genres across TV and film. But he still thinks of himself as a newcomer. Given the opportunity, he still wants to work with more and more veteran creative teams.