China's largest search engine Baidu has said it will make its latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology accessible to developers and businesses as part of the company's latest move into AI, big data and cloud computing.

    AI solution "Tianzhi" was launched at a cloud-computing summit held in Beijing Wednesday. It includes services in three fields: sensing technology, such as image and voice processing, machine learning, and deep learning, an advanced form of machine learning, said Zhang Yaqin, CEO of the Nasdaq-listed company, at the summit.

    Developers can access facial or voice recognition, algorithms(演算法) for data analysis and projections, and deep learning applications, Zhang said, adding that the technology could help users innovate in their sectors.

    "With more devices connected to the cloud, enterprises will use cloud computing and AI more frequently," said Wu Hequan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, "Open AI technology can play a bigger role."

    The company also revealed a plan to invest 10 billion yuan (1.45 billion U.S. dollars) in cloud computing in the next five years and establish an innovation center, which will serve 10 million enterprises.

    A little boy discovered what looked like a map to an unknown place. He soon realized it was the beginning of an exciting treasure hunt.

    He found two pieces of paper along with the mysterious map. One was written with the instructions, “FIND THE WORDS.” The other piece of paper had several strange symbols scattered all over it.

    Dad, fortunately, was there to help his son figure out the mystery. He folded up the paper with the symbols on it, and together they formed a message, which had another set of instructions, “UNDER STEPS.” The smart little boy knew exactly what to do so he went to look under the steps of his house. Without too much effort, he found a box below the staircase.

    It didn't take him long to figure out what to do next: open it up! Inside the box were some very interesting objects, including another piece of a treasure map and two broken pieces of paper. These were the most interesting finds because they contained what appeared to be a collection of letters on them. Finally, they knew where the treasure was from the letters: IN THE BUSH UNDER YOUR YARD.

    After searching all over the yard, following several clues and wondering where everything would lead, the pair finally found what they had been looking for. And it was exactly what you would want after such an adventure: a treasure box!

    The pair pulled it out of the ground and cleaned away all the dirt. The dad put the box in front of his son, and the little boy couldn't contain his excitement. So he opened it up and finally found out what was inside.

    Inside was more treasure than any little boy could ever want. There were hundreds of coins and all sorts of pirate treasure, including what looks like a pearl necklace and some silver dishes.

    See our editors' top 5 picks in print books and Kindle books, and discover our editors' picks for the best books of the year.

    # 1 Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

    In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grami revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. Based on years of research and new evidence, the book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction.

    Kindle: $14.99 Hardcover: $ 17.37 Paperback: $15.36

    # 2 Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

    Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the fierce pull of motherhood and the danger of believing that following the rules can avoid disaster,

    Little Fires Everywhere is the perfect gift for the holidays!

    Kindle: $13.99 Hardcover: $ 20.96 Paperback: $ 12.95

    # 3 Bear Town by Fredrik Backman

    It is a novel about a forgotten town bothered by scandal and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything into a better place. Winning a junior ice hockey championship might mean everything to the residents of Beartown.

Kindle: $10.99 Hardcover: $ 12.95

    # 4 Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

    Profoundly intimate and powerfully inventive, Exit West tells an unforgettable story of love, loyalty, and courage that is both completely of our time and for all time.

Kindle: $12.99 Hardcover: $ 15.73 Paperback: $11

    # 5 Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Harari

    Yuval Noah Harari, author of the international phenomenon Sapiens, returns with an equally original and attractive book, turning his focus toward humanity's future, and our quest to upgrade humans into gods.

    Kindle: $17.99 Hardcover: $ 28.95 Paperback: $22.99

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    The 14-year-old, Amit Dodani, a talented speaker and persuasive debater at school, suffered as a child from a speech disorder.

    He began working with a speech therapist (理疗师) when he was 6 years old, but it was his decision to try out for debate team at the end of seventh grade that helped him most.

    “That experience changed my life,” he wrote after his team went on to nationals. “It gave me hope, and helped me see my own true potential.”

    Since he launched MynameMystory last year, the site has attracted national and even international attention. Amit's mom said her son's website is meant to send a message that no one is alone in their experience, showing how people overcame their challenges and how others can, too.

    “The big thing that clicked in Amit was the belief that people are really needed (to help each other) in this country,” she said. “I wasn't surprised he wanted to do this, because at such a young age he had this spirit in him.”

    In addition to the website, Amit also wanted to expand the idea of sharing stories. So he asked his friends and classmates to donate books to distribute to local hospitals. He hoped to collect perhaps 1,000, but in just two weeks, he received more than 2,300 donations.

    “There was an absolute connection between the website and books,” Amit said. “But books are something that can really make a difference to someone who is in the hospital and can't go to school.”

    Amit said he's hoping to organize a large live event for MynameMystory at the end of this year at Chaminade High School in West Hills. Those who shared their stories on the website will be invited to speak and encourage others to share their stories of overcoming challenges.

    “We're hoping for big things,” Amit said. “We have a lot of events planned out for the future. The goal is basically to inspire people in a different way.”

    Over the past century, an alarming number of animals have become endangered or even extinct. Below are some animals whose numbers have been rapidly dropping in recent years.

    Panda Bear

    One of the biggest reasons contributing to the decline in the panda species is the destruction of its natural habitat. Farmers in China have gradually been claiming more and more of the land. As a result, pandas are forced to move away to places where it is hard to find bamboo for food.

    Green Turtle

    The green sea turtle species has survived for several millions of years, so you might wonder why it's only becoming endangered now. A major cause is the change in climate and temperature, which both affect the hatching rates of turtle eggs. Climate changes also cause violent weather and rising water levels to flood areas where turtles usually go to lay their eggs. Apart from this, oil spills and other poisonous pollution, as well as increased fishing activities can cause sickness, or even death to the green turtles.

    Cheetah

    Cheetahs are famous for being the fastest animal on land but even they can't run from some of the larger threats that have harmed them. Like the panda bears, cheetahs have gradually been losing their natural homes due to humans claiming land and developing in those areas. To make matters even worse, smaller animals move away when these areas are occupied, which means that the cheetah has less food! Don't forget that other large animals, such as lions, are also fighting for any food that they can find, so occasionally young cheetahs end up as prey too.

    Indian Elephant

    Elephants are extremely intelligent animals and also the largest mammals that live on land. Sadly, in Asia many elephants were killed so that people could remove their tusks to use as decorative objects. While this practice has been banned now, some people still illegally continue. Forests in India have also been steadily destroyed and elephants are sometimes killed when they end up on human territory.

Are you a moviegoer? If, like me, you're a fan of film, then there's no better place to watch something than on the big screen at the cinema. You enter the dark theatre and take your seat, ready to be entertained. But while you are absorbed in some movie magic, many others are now getting their film fixed at home.

Over the last few years, cinemas have seen a comeback. Customers have been attracted by comfortable seats, and lots of choice of things to watch. Multiplexes in particular can screen up to twenty films at the same time, suiting all different tastes. In addition, 3D and even 4D movies can give the audience an extra immersive experience. So what's not to like about a trip to the cinema?

The coronavirus pandemic has put the future of cinema under the spotlight. Some have had to close because of reduced ticket sales. In the UK, it's brought about a surge in TV watching and online streaming. It's reported that half of UK adults will keep and continue using their new streaming subscriptions.

This isn't great news for cinemas. They rely on the release of a big blockbuster to bring the crowds back, but the launch of new films, such as James Bond: No Time To Die, are being delayed. Disney has released its $200m blockbuster, Mulan, online instead of in movie theatres. John Fithian, from the National Association of Theatre Owners, told Variety magazine: This idea of waiting out the pandemic to make your movies more profitable doesn't make sense to me. There won't be as much of an industry left to play your movies in if you do that. "