In May, a research team from MIT announced a new programming language, Finch.

It’s designed to support both flexible control flow and diverse data structures. “Finch facilitates a programming model which resolves the challenges of computing over structured arrays by combining control flow and data structures into a common representation where they can be co-optimized,” say its creators.

Not to be confused with the Swedish fintech of the same name (or equally, another identically-named language), Finch offers a sea-change in how programmers can approach structured array programming.

Arrays are a computer science fundamental, and along with lists, are the foundations of data structures. Universal across programming languages, arrays were introduced in Fortran in 1957 and are still used now in languages like Python, for example.

3 software roles across the EU

“Arrays have revolutionised how we express computation,” say the language’s authors. “However, arrays in these, and almost all prominent systems, can only handle dense rectilinear integer grids. Real-world arrays often contain underlying structure, such as sparsity, runs of repeated values, or symmetry. Support for structured data is fragmented and incomplete. Existing frameworks limit the array structures and program control flow they support to better simplify the problem.”

Because of this challenge, Finch is designed to address the limitations of existing implementations.

Sources agree, “One of Finch’s key innovations lies in its support for a rich, structured array programming language. By offering familiar constructs like for-loops, if-conditions, and early breaks over structured data, Finch elevates the productivity level to that of dense arrays. This allows programmers to work with complex data structures without sacrificing expressive power or efficiency.”

Because it is so new, Finch is a way off from being widely understood and adopted. Being specialised, it doesn’t yet have a broad community or as many learning resources compared to more general-purpose languages like Python, which also has strong support for array programming through libraries like NumPy and SciPy​.

So why should developers get to know the language?

Its authors say that Finch offers “more complex array structures than ever before. We are the first to extend level-by-level hierarchical descriptions to capture banded, triangular, run-length-encoded, or sparse datasets, and any combination thereof.”

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Finch use cases

When it comes to its use cases, it has a wide range of implementations. Finch’s core ability to handle sparse and structured arrays is what makes it a powerful tool for a wide range of applications.

It has technical advantages in areas such as control flow integration. Because it includes advanced compiler techniques to optimise sparse computations, this can reduce overhead and improve execution times on modern hardware platforms.

You can use it for implementations across database management, image and signal processing, machine learning and data science, or to create graph algorithms.

Ultimately, whether you decide to learn it will depend on what your needs are. If your work involves significant use of sparse matrices, structured arrays, or high-performance computing tasks, then Finch can be very beneficial.

If you are looking for a more general-purpose language with a larger community and a broader range of applications, other languages may better fit the bill.

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As we count down to TNW conference in Amsterdam on June 20 and 21, we’re profiling some of the sessions we’re most amped about.

As a cycling fanatic, I’m eagerly anticipating my conversation with Eliott Wertheimer, who joined VanMoof as co-CEO last year to rejuvenate the struggling ebike brand.

VanMoof filed for bankruptcy last year, leaving tens of thousands of riders stranded. Despite being one of the most heavily funded ebike startups in the world, VanMoof had been making major losses on its ebikes for years.

All startups struggle, especially those with big ambitions. Sometimes they go down for good, but other times they get a second chance. Thankfully, engineering firm McLaren Applied gave VanMoof a lifeline. They bought it out of administration in August of last year.

Reviving VanMoof

Eliott, who was working for Lavoie at the time, a subsidiary of McLaren Applied, got the job as co-CEO. He and his team had the tough task of saving a sinking ship — and they’ve done a bloody good job so far. In less than a year, they’ve managed to restart delivery of spare parts, opened dozens of third-party service centres, and resumed ebike sales.

Eliott will be pedalling into TNW Conference on Thursday, June 20, for an exclusive interview with yours truly on the Vision Stage. We’ll be discussing the trials and tribulations of reviving a struggling startup. How to pivot your strategy under pressure. And, most crucially, ways to build back trust in your brand.

A VanMoof arguably remains one of the most elegant, reliable, and high-performance ebikes around. Join the session and make up your own mind — do you think the company is doomed or will it return to its former glory like a phoenix from the ashes?

If you’re interested in attending TNW Conference (and saying hi to our editorial team) we’ve got a special offer for our readers. At the ticket checkout, use the code TNWXMEDIA to get 30% off your business pass, investor pass, or startup packages (Bootstrap and Scaleup).

This article features an interview with Jeroen van der Most, who is speaking at TNW Conference on June 20. Check out the full event schedule here.

The generative AI boom is a double-edged sword for artists. On one side, the tech threatens to replace the future jobs of human creators, while exploiting their old work as training data without compensation.

On the other edge of blade, AI is providing artists with empowering new tools. For Jeroen van der Most, they also empower his latest subject: vegetables.

The Dutchman a pioneer of AI art. His portfolio stretches back way before the current text-to-image craze driven by DALL-E 2, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion.

Van der Most (aka Most) also possesses technical expertise from previous work in data science. In 2010, he decided to redirect these skills. “I missed creativity and inspiration,” Most tells TNW.

He began his new career by using algorithms to rework Dutch masters like Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Since then, his art has covered bipartisan politics, climate change and, now, the food we eat. He calls his latest piece The Vegetable Vendetta.

Designed as an AI installation, The Vegetable Vendetta invites visitors to scan potatoes or broccoli with a camera. The scan then generates movies that mimic ads from the likes of McDonald’s and Nestlé — with vegetables in the starring roles.

The project points the lens at our broken food system.

Vengeance for vegetables

Overly processed ingredients, an obesity epidemic, and unsustainable supply chains have insidiously spread across diets and planet. All of these problems are driven by big brands with vast marketing budgets. Independent suppliers and local producers simply can’t compete with their promotional power.

AI can redress this balance. By lowering the entry barriers to visual creativity, the tech can democratise access to premium advertising.

Most wants to prove that AI can empower smaller players. He describes The Vegetable Vendetta as a “crusher” of the marketing dominance of food giants.

His system works by first extracting a vegetable from the camera footage. The image is then transformed through the likes of Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Kaiber, and Runway.

Algorithms then weave in movie scenes and spectacular surroundings. The final film combines persuasion with first-rate video production. Potatoes and broccoli mingle with beautiful people at joyous occasions in glamorous locations.

The modest vegetables become exotic objects of desire. You can watch the transformation for yourself in the video below:

The future of AI art

The Vegetable Vendetta highlights a positive impact that AI can have on art. Most acknowledges, however, that computation creativity also has downsides.

“Tech companies get their hands on too much power and might take it away from the creatives that made the input for AI models,” he says. “The power of creation with AI by everyone also leads to slacking, to quickly producing a lot of very mediocre content.”

AI could also dilute the craftsmanship of creativity. On the other hand, it opens creative doors to people without technical skills or training.

“It’s a big misconception that art is merely about output,” Most says. “Art is a continuous cycle of reinventing what art is. That’s what AI can bring.”

As for what it brings next to art, Most wants to see what happens when AI gains “superintelligence.” He also expects quantum computing to unleash new creative forms.

“Philosophically there’s so much in there that will drip into our societies,” he says. “The future’s going to be much weirder than we imagine.”

 Jeroen van der Most’s is one of many tech luminaries speaking at this year’s TNW Conference, which takes place on June 20-21 in Amsterdam. If you want to attend, we have a special offer for our readers. Use the code TNWXMEDIA at checkout to get 30% off your business pass, investor pass or startup packages (Bootstrap & Scaleup). We’re also offering a 50% discount for the Women in Tech ticket.

Sim racers get ready. Anybody who has been driving PC race sims for any length of time will have played Assetto Corsa or its spinoff AC Competizione. Many will have played in PCVR by either linking something like a Quest or Pimax Crystal and getting out on the track “for real”

I’d argue that once you have played a race game in VR you are never going back to flat again, flight and race games are perfect for VR so news that Assetto Corsa 2, or Evo as it will be known should have VR support from day one.

We don’t really know much about the game yet, other than we are expecting an announcement and maybe early access at some point in the middle of the year but in an interview translated on Traxion, Kunos co-founder and Executive Manager of Assetto Corsa Evo said, “We aim to have the VR on day zero. (We want) to offer VR support that is more dedicated because with Competizione, from this point of view, we struggled a lot. We worked with Epic [Games] engineers and Nvidia, they came to work [in our] Formello [office] with us for some time. In the end, we found the best possible compromise.”

“Let’s say that the VR fans rest assured.”

Even though VR racing accounts for a relatively small percentage of players, the ones who have VR tend to go all in with many building custom racing cockpits and adding expert gear from the likes of Moza Racing to their equipment list.

The Italian site that ran the interview in video form originally also claims that Kunos sent them the first, what they believe to be, the first screenshot from Assetto Corsa Evo and if that is the case, as you can see from looking at the car interior in the image, we could be in for another remarkable looking game.

More news on the release when we get it.

Featured Image: Courtesy of Multiplayer.it

Anybody who has ever started getting into DCS World (Digital Combat Simulator) will have had a similar starting journey. Start off with one of the two free planes, probably the SU-25T, and then jump on a forum for advice on what to buy next.

This advice will always generally be to go and purchase Flaming Cliffs as your first expansion as it will give you access to a handful of new aircraft to learn in, none of which are the hardcore high-fidelity ‘real-life’ controls of some of the amazing planes that are available.

In terms of bang for buck, Flaming Cliffs is where your learning curve is at.

Eagle Dynamics has just announced that the Flaming Cliffs module is to get a long-awaited upgrade to a 2024 version that will feature more aircraft and give players access to some new aerial experiences.

ED said, “Flaming Cliffs (FC) 2024 will expand the series with the inclusion of three new aircraft: the FC: F-5E, FC: F-86F, and FC: MiG-15bis. These aircraft are designed to be less complex and easier to learn, making them ideal for players who prefer a more straightforward flight simulation experience. The new models come with DCS Professional Flight Models that ensure a high level of realism.”

Existing Flaming Cliffs 3 owners with F-15C, A-10A, Su-27, J-11, Su-33, Su-25, MiG-29, and MiG-29S, can upgrade to the new version for an early mover $9.99 fee. This special offer will only be available until the end of July, thereafter the upgrade price will increase to $14.99.

Flaming Cliffs 3 is currently for sale priced at $49.99 and it’s not clear if this will rise when 2024 comes out. The above would suggest so but you will still struggle to find a better starting DCS World offering if you are serious about getting into the best combat flight simulator out there today.

If you are unsure about jumping in, you can find out everything you need to know about DCS with our handy guide.