Jour : 12 février 2025

Android users can download and install the official TikTok app directly from its website.
Android users in the U.S. are now able to download and install TikTok directly from the company’s website, following the app’s removal from the Google Play Store last month. This workaround comes at a crucial time for the Chinese social media giant, whose status in the U.S. has seen dramatic shifts since January.
TikTok’s brief nationwide ban was quickly followed by President Trump’s executive order which established a crucial 75-day grace period. Yet even with this temporary reprieve, both Google and Apple maintain their cautious stance, keeping TikTok off their respective stores amid concerns over potential fines that could reach $5,000 per user under the Supreme Court’s legislation.
In response, TikTok’s direct-to-consumer approach now offers Android users the ability to download the app through a process called sideloading — installing applications from sources outside the Google Play Store. This method utilizes Android Package Kits (APKs), the standard installation format for Android applications.
Installing TikTok on Android directly via the company’s website requires a slightly different approach than using Google’s official app store:
Installing any app outside of the Google Play Store naturally raises security considerations. Traditional app stores serve as gatekeepers by automatically scanning for malware and monitoring application behavior. Sideloading, by contrast, bypasses these built-in protections.
It’s similar to the difference between purchasing from an authorized retailer versus buying directly from a manufacturer. While both paths can be legitimate, official stores provide additional layers of verification and quality assurance. Users who opt for sideloading take on the full responsibility of ensuring that their downloads come from trustworthy sources.
If you do opt to install TikTok on Android using this method, it’s strongly advised to obtain it exclusively from TikTok’s official website, to ensure that you have the authentic, verified version of the application. While you can download other TikTok APK files from other online sources, you can’t guarantee their legitimacy.
Apple doesn’t allow sideloading in the U.S.
TikTok is unable to provide an app download for iOS devices, as Apple doesn’t allow sideloading on devices based in the U.S. This is in contrast to Europe, where Apple has had to enable sideloading under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) — a comprehensive set of regulations aimed at increasing digital market competition.
As a result, iPhone users in the U.S. can only access TikTok through their web browser. While users can add a shortcut to tiktok.com on their home screen, this won’t offer the full functionality and touch-friendly navigation provided by the dedicated app.
This contrasts sharply with Android’s approach, where sideloading is a supported feature that users can enable through official device settings. It’s this fundamental difference that allows TikTok to offer direct APK downloads for Android users, while iPhone users must rely on web browser access.
Beyond the standard app, TikTok Lite — a streamlined version initially launched in 2018 to serve markets with limited connectivity and devices with storage constraints — is also available for Android users to download and install.
While the main TikTok app’s storage footprint can expand to nearly 2GB, TikTok Lite starts at just 30MB and typically stays under 125MB even with extended use. This dramatic size reduction makes it an attractive option for those who don’t want to eat into their device’s storage space.
These space savings do, however, come with some notable compromises. While TikTok Lite maintains the same familiar interface, users will experience more frequent buffering since the app doesn’t store video data locally. The app also offers fewer sharing options and simplified privacy controls, limiting users to basic functions like toggling between public and private accounts and managing contact visibility.
TikTok’s path back to official app stores remains complex, balanced between regulatory demands and proposed solutions. While President Trump’s executive order provides some breathing room, fundamental challenges persist. Tech companies could still face massive potential penalties, and suggested remedies — including a proposed U.S. sovereign wealth fund investment — face significant practical and constitutional hurdles.
The situation’s implications extend beyond TikTok too, potentially reshaping how foreign-owned tech platforms operate in American markets. For now, Android’s open ecosystem provides an alternative way to install the app for those U.S users that don’t currently have it, while many iOS users adapt to browser-based alternatives. The following weeks may shed some light on the next steps in TikTok’s turbulent journey.

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Former Activision Blizzard Boss Bobby Kotick Slams Warcraft Film, Calls It ‘One of the Worst Movies I’ve Ever Seen’  IGN
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Altcoin Season Is Imminent with This New Crypto Gem Airdropping Investors Generational Wealth  Coinspeaker
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Ryan Grubb may come to Alabama football with the reputation as Kalen DeBoer’s quarterback guy. But the new Alabama offensive coordinator was not a quarterback first. 
Grubb was a tight end, fullback and running back first, playing for four seasons at Buena Vista University. From there, he has coached running backs, wide receivers and the offensive line, someone who was in charge of multiple program’s run games.
As Grubb takes over a Crimson Tide offense, the quarterback position remains at the forefront. But the Alabama run game may be the most important piece to Grubb’s puzzle in 2025. 
Grubb is inheriting a unit that averaged 10 more rushing attempts per game than pass attempts in 2024. It’s an Alabama unit that finished with more than three rushing touchdowns per game.
But heading into 2025, it’s a unit in flux. 
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Alabama no longer has Jalen Milroe, who accounted for more than 35% of Alabama’s rush attempts, over 32% of the team’s rushing yards and nearly half of the Crimson Tide’s rushing touchdowns. Alabama no longer has Justice Haynes, who is one of three Crimson Tide backs that had more than 27 carries in 2024. 
In 2025, with a quarterback battle looming large, Alabama is returning less than a fourth of its scoring production in the run game.
What will Grubb’s run game at Alabama look like? And what does it mean for backs like Jam Miller or Richard Young? 
The pendulum has swung in both extremes in Grubb’s offenses. 
At Sioux Falls, as the team’s offensive line coach and run game coordinator, Grubb’s offenses were heavily run-first, peaking in 2008 when the Cougars averaged more than 51 carries per game compared to 23 pass attempts. From 2007-09, the Cougars averaged three rushing touchdowns and more than 189 rushing yards per game. 
In Grubb’s first 15 seasons in college football, in stops at South Dakota State, Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan and Fresno State, his offenses averaged more pass attempts than rush attempts twice.
But for the past five seasons, four of which have been with DeBoer as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Grubb has led his offenses to the other extreme. 
In five seasons at Fresno State, Washington and with the Seattle Seahawks, Grubb’s offenses have been extremely pass heavy. With Michael Penix Jr. and Geno Smith as his quarterback, Grubb’s offenses have averaged at least 10 more pass attempts than rushing attempts each game. 
No matter the balance of the run and pass game, Grubb offenses have seemingly leaned toward the use of multiple running backs. 
Since 2017, Grubb has had five seasons where multiple running backs have finished a season with at least 100 carries. He’d be continuing a recent trend at Alabama, which has had two or more 100-carry running backs or quarterbacks in each of the last three seasons.
But Grubb has had his share of bell-cow backs. 
In 2019, Ronnie Rivers led Fresno State with 177 carries, 899 rushing yards and a Mountain West-leading 13 rushing touchdowns.
In 2023, while Penix finished second in the Heisman Trophy race, Dillon Johnson had 233 carries — 14th most in college football — for 1,195 rushing yards and a Pac-12-leading 16 rushing touchdowns. 
Running backs in Grubb’s offenses have not been major threats in the passing game. 
In 2019, Rivers had 43 catches for 348 yards and three touchdowns, the best receiving season of any Grubb running back. 
Alabama already has an idea of what the top of its running back depth chart looks like. 
Miller is set to return in 2025 after leading the Crimson Tide running back room with 145 carries, 668 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 2024. But he will look to bounce back after a rough end to 2024 where he didn’t score a touchdown while averaging 3.1 yards per carry in his final five games. 
After Haynes’ transfer to Michigan, 2025 may give Young a chance to shine. A former top-55 recruit, Young has 36 career carries across two seasons, three of which have been scores. Grubb’s offense seems to favor multiple running backs, which could favor Young as the most experienced back behind Miller. 
Both Miller and Young are built like prototypical Grubb running backs. Both are smaller, sturdy, seemingly north-south running backs who will be tasked with providing stability for an offense with a first-time starter at quarterback.
Alabama will open the 2025 season at Florida State Aug. 30.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him atcgay@gannett.com or follow him@_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

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Bills on supplemental teacher pay, sexual education materials and chaplain-counselors moved largely along party lines. (Getty Images)
Indiana’s Senate on Tuesday approved a trio of education measures – on supplemental teacher pay, sexual education materials and chaplain-counselors – largely along party lines. Then, the chamber nearly split on bulked-up carbon storage regulations.
Republicans united behind “market force” teacher pay legislation with implications for unions, passing it on a 39-10 vote. 
Sen. Spencer Deery, R-Lafayette, told of how a school in his district struggled to retain special education teachers — but was paying them like other educators.
“At the same time in that school district, the highest-paid teacher was a gym teacher,” Deery said. “… I became kind of obsessed with this fact that our schools are not adequately using market forces to differentiate pay to attract and retain teachers in the highest-need areas, or the highest-value teachers that are most essential for the school.”
His Senate Bill 249 would let schools divert revenue available for collective bargaining toward supplemental pay. It would also require that “employment in a high need area” account for at least 10% of the calculations used to determine supplemental increases and increments.
Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, said she “couldn’t agree more that we need to find creative ways to pay teachers more, but Senate Bill 249 is not the way to do it.” 
She argued there are other ways to differentiate pay that don’t affect the pot of money open to collective bargaining. 
Deery said such mechanisms exist “in theory” but schools only use 0.2% of their state money on supplemental pay. His legislation next heads to the House for consideration.
Educational materials for “human sexuality” instruction were back up for debate. 
Senate Bill 442 requires school boards to approve materials, then publish basic information about them in a “conspicuous” place on the school’s website. The school’s parental consent form — which lets parents remove their children from sexual education classes — would need a link to that information.
Author Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, acknowledged that parents can already request access to the materials, but that his work would make it easier for them to know what’s being taught – and would “help parents better decide whether or not they want to opt out.”
“Most of what is being asked is already in (Indiana) Code,” said Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis. He said the legislation was “not necessary.”
He also asked what would happen if materials or even the class’ teacher changes during the academic year, since the postings are due in July. Byrne replied that school boards could “figure that out” — using the phrase repeatedly throughout their discussion.
Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, went further. She argued that Senate Bill 442 would let community members influence what gets taught at a cost to parents’ own rights.
The Senate approved the legislation on a 39-9 vote, also along party lines. Byrne’s previous attempt passed his chamber with similar margins last session but failed to get a House hearing.
And another repeat proposal — this one legalizing chaplain-counselors in public schools — moved on after a 32-16 vote.
Senate Bill 523 would let public schools bring in paid or volunteer chaplains and use them for both secular and religious counseling – the latter with parental permission.
Author Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport, said it wasn’t intended to replace traditional counselors. She added, “I pray you give every student the opportunity to become a stellar adult, and Senate Bill 523 is just that: another opportunity.”
Ford was the only other lawmaker to speak on the bill. He argued there’s no clear definition of “chaplain” and no mental health or cardiopulmonary resuscitation training requirements for them. He also asserted the changes could violate students’ rights to religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
“If we’re exempting chaplains from the same professional standards as other folks in the school, that just tells me that we’re actually not serving students — that we’re, rather, subjecting them to unconstitutional, government-sponsored religious advice,” Ford said.
Donato authored similar legislation last session, but it died in the House without getting an education committee hearing – as did the House’s own version.

Carbon regrets aired

A measure dealing with carbon dioxide storage and transmission pipelines splintered both caucuses.
Senate Bill 457 exempts such pipeline companies from needing to get certificates of authority in certain cases, tweaks fee amounts and directs fee proceeds away from topic-specific funds toward the state’s General Fund. It also creates a permit for certain carbon dioxide wells, adds inspection provisions and includes new fines for violations.
Author Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, dubbed it a “clean-up bill.” 
Lawmakers authorized a pilot project, led by Wabash Valley Resources, in 2019 and revisited it in 2023. In between, in 2022, they established regulations for carbon sequestration projects and exempted the pilot from those requirements.
Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, asked why the proposal ditches the trust funds. Glick replied that Sen. Ryan Mishler – the powerful Senate Appropriation Committee’s leader – had made those changes, adding, “You would have to ask” him. 
Sen. Randy Niemeyer, R-Lowell, objected to carbon storage’s recent prevalence. 
Three years ago, he said, “nobody knew that this pipeline stuff was going to go into … counties in the rural area.” But when he and others discovered companies were “doing seismic testing … in those areas without any authorization, it kind of hit home.” 
Niemeyer said there’s not enough local control in Senate Bill 457. He added, “I just can’t support any legislation dealing with this garbage situation. It’s not that I’m against it. I don’t think it’ll work. But the way we implemented it out of here was not good, in my opinion.”
Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington, said he supported the ongoing pilot but “would like to see (it) through.” He feared “standardiz(ing” the process before the pilot’s implementation. 
Glick’s bill passed on a narrow, 27-21 vote. 
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle
February 12, 2025
by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle
February 12, 2025
Indiana’s Senate on Tuesday approved a trio of education measures – on supplemental teacher pay, sexual education materials and chaplain-counselors – largely along party lines. Then, the chamber nearly split on bulked-up carbon storage regulations.
Republicans united behind “market force” teacher pay legislation with implications for unions, passing it on a 39-10 vote. 
Sen. Spencer Deery, R-Lafayette, told of how a school in his district struggled to retain special education teachers — but was paying them like other educators.
“At the same time in that school district, the highest-paid teacher was a gym teacher,” Deery said. “… I became kind of obsessed with this fact that our schools are not adequately using market forces to differentiate pay to attract and retain teachers in the highest-need areas, or the highest-value teachers that are most essential for the school.”
His Senate Bill 249 would let schools divert revenue available for collective bargaining toward supplemental pay. It would also require that “employment in a high need area” account for at least 10% of the calculations used to determine supplemental increases and increments.
Sen. Andrea Hunley, D-Indianapolis, said she “couldn’t agree more that we need to find creative ways to pay teachers more, but Senate Bill 249 is not the way to do it.” 
She argued there are other ways to differentiate pay that don’t affect the pot of money open to collective bargaining. 
Deery said such mechanisms exist “in theory” but schools only use 0.2% of their state money on supplemental pay. His legislation next heads to the House for consideration.
Educational materials for “human sexuality” instruction were back up for debate. 
Senate Bill 442 requires school boards to approve materials, then publish basic information about them in a “conspicuous” place on the school’s website. The school’s parental consent form — which lets parents remove their children from sexual education classes — would need a link to that information.
Author Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, acknowledged that parents can already request access to the materials, but that his work would make it easier for them to know what’s being taught – and would “help parents better decide whether or not they want to opt out.”
“Most of what is being asked is already in (Indiana) Code,” said Sen. J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis. He said the legislation was “not necessary.”
He also asked what would happen if materials or even the class’ teacher changes during the academic year, since the postings are due in July. Byrne replied that school boards could “figure that out” — using the phrase repeatedly throughout their discussion.
Senate Minority Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, went further. She argued that Senate Bill 442 would let community members influence what gets taught at a cost to parents’ own rights.
The Senate approved the legislation on a 39-9 vote, also along party lines. Byrne’s previous attempt passed his chamber with similar margins last session but failed to get a House hearing.
And another repeat proposal — this one legalizing chaplain-counselors in public schools — moved on after a 32-16 vote.
Senate Bill 523 would let public schools bring in paid or volunteer chaplains and use them for both secular and religious counseling – the latter with parental permission.
Author Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport, said it wasn’t intended to replace traditional counselors. She added, “I pray you give every student the opportunity to become a stellar adult, and Senate Bill 523 is just that: another opportunity.”
Ford was the only other lawmaker to speak on the bill. He argued there’s no clear definition of “chaplain” and no mental health or cardiopulmonary resuscitation training requirements for them. He also asserted the changes could violate students’ rights to religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
“If we’re exempting chaplains from the same professional standards as other folks in the school, that just tells me that we’re actually not serving students — that we’re, rather, subjecting them to unconstitutional, government-sponsored religious advice,” Ford said.
Donato authored similar legislation last session, but it died in the House without getting an education committee hearing – as did the House’s own version.

Carbon regrets aired

A measure dealing with carbon dioxide storage and transmission pipelines splintered both caucuses.
Senate Bill 457 exempts such pipeline companies from needing to get certificates of authority in certain cases, tweaks fee amounts and directs fee proceeds away from topic-specific funds toward the state’s General Fund. It also creates a permit for certain carbon dioxide wells, adds inspection provisions and includes new fines for violations.
Author Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, dubbed it a “clean-up bill.” 
Lawmakers authorized a pilot project, led by Wabash Valley Resources, in 2019 and revisited it in 2023. In between, in 2022, they established regulations for carbon sequestration projects and exempted the pilot from those requirements.
Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, asked why the proposal ditches the trust funds. Glick replied that Sen. Ryan Mishler – the powerful Senate Appropriation Committee’s leader – had made those changes, adding, “You would have to ask” him. 
Sen. Randy Niemeyer, R-Lowell, objected to carbon storage’s recent prevalence. 
Three years ago, he said, “nobody knew that this pipeline stuff was going to go into … counties in the rural area.” But when he and others discovered companies were “doing seismic testing … in those areas without any authorization, it kind of hit home.” 
Niemeyer said there’s not enough local control in Senate Bill 457. He added, “I just can’t support any legislation dealing with this garbage situation. It’s not that I’m against it. I don’t think it’ll work. But the way we implemented it out of here was not good, in my opinion.”
Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington, said he supported the ongoing pilot but “would like to see (it) through.” He feared “standardiz(ing” the process before the pilot’s implementation. 
Glick’s bill passed on a narrow, 27-21 vote. 
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Leslie covers state government for the Indiana Capital Chronicle with emphases on elections, infrastructure and transportation. She previously covered city-county government for the Indianapolis Business Journal. She has also reported on local, national and international news for the Chicago Tribune, Voice of America and more. She holds an undergraduate degree in journalism from Northwestern University.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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An international law firm has blocked general access to several artificial intelligence (AI) tools after it found a "significant increase in usage" by its staff.
In an email seen by the BBC, a senior director of Hill Dickinson, which employs more than a thousand people in the UK, warned staff of the use of AI tools.
The firm said much of the usage was not in line with its AI policy, and going forward the firm would only allow staff to access the tools via a request process.
A spokesperson from the Information Commissioner's Office – the UK's data watchdog – told BBC News that firms should not discourage the use of AI in work.
The spokesperson added: "With AI offering people countless ways to work more efficiently and effectively, the answer cannot be for organisations to outlaw the use of AI and drive staff to use it under the radar.
"Instead, companies need to offer their staff AI tools that meet their organisational policies and data protection obligations."
In the email, Hill Dickinson's chief technology officer said the law firm had detected more than 32,000 hits to the popular chatbot ChatGPT over a seven-day period in January and February.
During the same timeframe, there were also more than 3,000 hits to the Chinese AI service DeepSeek, which was recently banned from Australian government devices over security concerns.
It also highlighted almost 50,000 hits to Grammarly, the writing assistance tool.
However, it is not clear on how many occasions staff visited ChatGPT, DeepSeek, or Grammarly, or how many staff visited repeatedly, as several hits could have been generated by a user during every time they used the websites.
The email to Hill Dickinson employees said: "We have been monitoring usage of Al tools, particularly publicly available generative Al solutions, and have noticed a significant increase in usage of, and uploading of files to, such tools."
Hill Dickinson, who have offices in several parts of England and abroad, later told BBC News: "Like many law firms, we are aiming to positively embrace the use of AI tools to enhance our capabilities while always ensuring safe and proper use by our people and for our clients."
The firm added that its AI policy, which includes guidance that prohibits the uploading of client information and requires staff to verify the accuracy of the large language models' responses, will ensure that usage "will remain safe, secure and effective".
The firm is now only granting access to AI tools via a request process. It is understood that some requests have already been received and approved.
A spokesperson from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which regulates solicitors in England and Wales, told BBC News: "Despite this increased interest in new technology, there remains a lack of digital skills across all sectors in the UK.
"This could present a risk for firms and consumers if legal practitioners do not fully understand the new technology that is implemented."
According to a survey of 500 UK solicitors by legal software provider Clio in September, 62% anticipated an increase in AI usage over the following 12 months.
It found law firms across the UK were using the technology to complete tasks such as drafting documents, reviewing or analysing contracts and legal research.
A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology spokesperson described AI as a "technological leap" that will "free workers from repetitive tasks and unlock more rewarding opportunities".
They told BBC News: "We are committed to bringing forward legislation which allows us to safely realise AI's enormous benefits. We are engaging widely and will launch a public consultation in due course to ensure our approach effectively addresses this fast-evolving technology."
Additional reporting by Liv McMahon
Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved.  The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
 

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To reach your strength and cardio goals, experts recommend building a road map. Here’s how to do it.
By Jen Murphy
Maintaining your enthusiasm for a long-term fitness goal is challenging for any exerciser. Whether you are hoping to run a marathon or do your first pull-up this year, you need a plan to get there. That means setting up a series of benchmarks, like how many push-ups you can do, with assessments along the way to track your progress.
“I like to think of a benchmark as a snapshot of your fitness at a specific time,” said Dr. Tamanna Singh, co-director of the Cleveland Clinic Sports Cardiology Center. “Having an objective measure of current strength and cardiovascular health is key to building a safe exercise program.”
But the first step is knowing and accepting your starting point, she said. It’s easy to overestimate.
Plan to track progress, and adjust accordingly. Albert Matheny, a strength and conditioning specialist and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab in New York, said a good timeline to retest your benchmarks is every four to eight weeks.
How quickly you progress depends on your current fitness level and how often you work out, but it often takes six to 10 workouts to see lasting improvement, Mr. Matheny said. So if you train three times a week, you could see improvement in just two weeks.
It isn’t always a steady progression though; jumps and plateaus are normal. “It’s a waste of time if you aren’t pushing your body,” Dr. Singh said. “Discomfort is where we grow.”
If you’re new to exercising and have never used fitness benchmarks, below are three simple progressions, designed by Mr. Matheny.
If level one feels too easy, find one that feels challenging, but can still be performed with good form. When you can complete an exercise in the allotted time or do all of the reps without fatigue, move on to the next level.
Below are three sets of benchmarks, designed by Mr. Matheny, for lower and upper body strength, and cardiovascular fitness: a squat, push-up and running. Start at a level that feels just beyond your ability.
Take the sit-to-stand test and count the number of repetitions you can do. If you can only do 10 in 30 seconds, or cannot get up out of the chair without using your hands, start at level 1.
Level 1: Start seated in a chair. Stand and then sit back down without using your hands. Perform 10 times in 30 seconds.
Level 2: Do a full body weight squat. Start with one round of 10 repetitions. Increase to three rounds of 10, with 60 to 90 seconds rest in between.
Level 3: Add weight — be it a dumbbell, kettlebell or backpack with books. Select a load where you can do five squats with good form. Work up to 15. Progress to three sets of 15 with a two-minute rest between sets.
Level 4: Increase by no more than 10 percent of the weight you had been lifting, Mr. Matheny said. Build up to three rounds of 15 reps, with two-minute rests.
Keep going: You can continue to increase the weight. Or try a sumo squat, where your stance is wider and toes are turned out, to target your glutes and inner thighs. Challenge your balance with single-leg variations like a split squat; build power by doing jump squats.
Level 1: Place your hands about shoulder-width apart on a table. The higher the surface, the easier it will be. Step your feet back until your arms are completely straight. Build up to holding for 30 seconds.
Level 2: Place your hands on the seat of a chair and hold for 30 seconds. Work up to 60 seconds.
Level 3: Hold a plank on the floor with straight arms for 30 seconds. Work up to three rounds of 60 seconds with 60 to 90 seconds rest in between sets.
Level 4: Start with three kneeling push-ups. Build up to three sets of 10 with 60 to 90 seconds rest in between sets.
Level 5: Aim to do three regular push-ups. Work up to three rounds of 10 reps with 60 to 90 seconds rest.
Keep going: Elevate your feet on a short stool, about one foot off the ground, then a chair and eventually a stability ball, which will challenge your core. Target your triceps with narrow, or diamond push-ups, where you hold your hands together with your thumbs and forefingers touching; add weight by wearing a weighted vest or placing a small weight on your back.
Level 1: Progress to walking for 10 minutes with no rest. Continue until you can do this at a pace where you can hold a conversation without losing your breath.
Level 2: Continue adding walking increments of five minutes. Aim to walk continuously for 30 minutes.
Level 3: Maintain the same time or distance but add a weighted vest or backpack. Or walk hills or an incline on a treadmill.
Level 4: Walk-jog on a flat surface. Start with 30 seconds of jogging and one minute of walking. When you can do this at a conversational pace for five minutes, try jogging for one minute and walking for 30 seconds. Aim to do this at a conversational pace for 30 minutes.
Level 5: Jog for five minutes and walk for one and repeat four times. Add time or take out the walking.
Keep going: Challenge your fast-twitch muscle fibers by incorporating sprints. Try hills and stairs or running with a weighted pack.
An earlier version of this article misidentified the number of squats one should do in level four. It is 15 reps, not 15 sets.
When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com.Learn more
High intensity workouts are a great way to get in some quick exercise. Here’s one to get you started.
To reach your strength and cardio goals, experts recommend setting up a series of benchmarks. Here’s how.
Pilates is booming. Here’s how to get started.
Is your workout really working for you? Take our quiz to find out.
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Want to build a home gym? These five things can help you transform your space into a fitness center.
Transform your upper-body workouts with a simple pull-up bar and an adjustable dumbbell set.
Choosing the best running shoes and running gear can be tricky. These tips make the process easier.
A comfortable sports bra can improve your overall workout experience. These are the best on the market.
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The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.Read More
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Cosmos » AI
Cosmos science journalist
In pursuit of creating artificial intelligence that can “think” more like a person, researchers have developed a new machine learning algorithm that uncovers patterns in data without human guidance.
The algorithm, called Torque Clustering, can efficiently and autonomously analyse vast amounts of data.
It could be used to detect disease patterns, uncover fraud, or understand behaviour if used in fields such as medicine, finance, and psychology. The open-source code has been made available to researchers.
According to Chin-Teng Lin – a distinguished professor at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in Australia and co-author of a paper detailing the method – nearly all current artificial intelligence technologies rely on ‘supervised learning’.
“This is an AI training method that requires large amounts of data to be labelled by a human using predefined categories or values, so that the AI can make predictions and see relationships,” he explains.
But supervised learning has a number of limitations.
“Labelling data is costly, time-consuming and often impractical for complex or large-scale tasks,” Lin explains.
Unsupervised learning works with unlabelled data.
“In nature, animals learn by observing, exploring, and interacting with their environment, without explicit instructions,” says Lin.
“The next wave of AI, ‘unsupervised learning’, aims to mimic this approach.”
Clustering is a common technique used in many fields of science, which involves grouping a set of objects together. Objects within a group, or cluster, are more similar to each other than to objects in another cluster.
Lin and lead author of the paper, Dr Jie Yang, also from UTS, found that their new Torque Clustering method outperforms all other state-of-the-art clustering algorithms.
“What sets Torque Clustering apart is its foundation in the physical concept of torque, enabling it to identify clusters autonomously and adapt seamlessly to diverse data types, with varying shapes, densities, and noise degrees,” says Yang.
“It was inspired by the torque balance in gravitational interactions when galaxies merge. It is based on 2 natural properties of the universe: mass and distance.”
The researchers explain in the paper that “…Torque Clustering simulates the process of galaxy minor mergers, so that clusters with larger masses continuously merge adjacent clusters with smaller masses.”
The researchers suggest Torque Clustering could also support the development of general artificial intelligence, particularly in robotics and autonomous systems, by helping to optimise movement, control and decision-making.
The research appears in the journal EEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence.

Originally published by Cosmos as Next wave artificial intelligence a step closer to autonomous AI
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