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The Verge
Microsoft says it needs games like Hi-Fi Rush the day after killing its studio
Today, one day after Microsoft announced that it would shut down four of its games studios, Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, held a town hall to discuss the division’s future goals. “We need smaller games that give us prestige and awards,” Booty told employees, according to internal remarks shared with The Verge.
For some listeners on the call, it was a surprising goal: Microsoft had just shut down the Japanese developer Tango Gameworks, which was coming off the small, prestigious hit title Hi-Fi Rush.
Hi-Fi Rush, which was a surprise release last year, was praised for its innovation and charm. The rhythm action game featured music by The Black Keys and Nine Inch Nails, with an art style that evoked the hyper-stylized games of the...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 11:45 pm
Intel and motherboard makers disagree on how to stabilize your crashing i9 CPU
Recently, motherboard makers have issued BIOS updates to improve the stability of Intel 13th and 14th Gen i9 chips in crashing games. But Intel, which announced last month that it was investigating these issues, is now asking gamers not to implement those settings.
The companies now seem to be at odds on how to adjust your CPU. Motherboard makers like Asus are recommending an “Intel Baseline Profile” with “basic functionality” and “lower power limits,” while Intel says you should go with a higher power profile depending on your motherboard and chip.
Here’s Intel’s full statement, from Anandtech:
Several motherboard manufacturers have released BIOS profiles labeled ‘Intel Baseline Profile’. However, these BIOS profiles are not the same...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 11:38 pm
Microsoft’s ‘air gapped’ AI is a bot set up to process top-secret info
Microsoft Strategic Missions and Technology CTO William Chappell announced that it’s deployed a GPT-4 large language model in an isolated, air-gapped environment on a government-only network. Bloomberg first reported the setup, citing an unnamed executive who claimed that the Azure Government Top Secret cloud-hosted model represents the first time a “major” LLM has operated separated from the internet.
Chappell announced the AI supercomputer on Tuesday afternoon at the “first-ever AI Expo for National Competitiveness” in Washington D.C. Unlike the models behind ChatGPT or other tools, Microsoft says this server is “static,” operating without learning from the files it processes or the wider internet.
Chappell told Bloomberg, “It is now...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 11:31 pm
Here are the best Apple Watch deals right now
In September, Apple launched its latest batch of smartwatches, introducing the Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($799) alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 ($399). Each wearable has its own pros and cons, as does the second-gen Apple Watch SE ($249), but the introduction of the new wearables also means there are now more Apple Watch models on the market than ever before — and a lot more deals to be had.
But with all of those options, which one should you pick? Generally speaking, you want to buy the newest watch you can afford so that it continues to receive software updates from Apple. The latest update, watchOS 10, launched in September on the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer, though no one can say with certainty whether the Series 4 will get the next...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 10:34 pm
A Disney, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle is on the way
There’s a new streaming bundle coming to town. Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to offer Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max in a bundle that will become available in the US this summer.
The new bundle will include both ad-supported and ad-free options, but there’s still no word on how much it will cost. Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery say they will share “additional details” about the bundle in the “coming months.” Once available, you’ll be able to purchase the bundle from Disney Plus, Hulu, or Max’s website.
This fall, the Disney-owned ESPN will also offer a live sports streaming service with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox.
The bundle comes at a pivotal point for the streaming industry, where companies are now turning their...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 10:33 pm
China’s Chang’e 6 Moon probe has a mysterious guest on board
China’s Chang’e 6 lunar probe mission is bound for the far side of the Moon, and there seems to be a small rover affixed to the side of the lander, as seen in new images released by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
China’s National Space Administration announced today that the probe, which launched last week, has successfully entered the Moon’s orbit, a big step toward landing the spacecraft early next month.
Yeah, okay. That looks like a previously undisclosed mini rover on the side of the Chang'e-6 lander lol. Via CAST: https://t.co/gS0Jy5L9hw pic.twitter.com/9vvTnribpl
— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) May 3, 2024
But as Space.com reports, people have noticed that CAST’s published images show a mysterious mini rover — one that...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 10:15 pm
OpenAI’s Model Spec outlines some basic rules for AI
AI tools behaving badly — like Microsoft’s Bing AI losing track of which year it is — has become a subgenre of reporting on AI. But very often, it’s hard to tell the difference between a bug and poor construction of the underlying AI model that analyzes incoming data and predicts what an acceptable response will be, like Google’s Gemini image generator drawing diverse Nazis due to a filter setting.
Now, OpenAI is releasing the first draft of a proposed framework, called Model Spec, that would shape how AI tools like its own GPT-4 model respond in the future. The OpenAI approach proposes three general principles — that AI models should assist the developer and end-user with helpful responses that follow instructions, benefit humanity...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 10:01 pm
Walmart shopper data will soon feed targeted ads on Disney Plus and Hulu
Advertisers can now use Walmart’s shopping data to target Disney’s streaming portfolio, which includes Disney Plus and Hulu, Adweek reports. The news comes after the companies announced a partnership between Disney Advertising and Walmart Connect, the retailer’s media business, on Wednesday.
As a part of the deal, Walmart advertisers will be able to match the retailer’s shopper data with Disney’s proprietary Audience Graph tools, helping them target audiences and measure data better. Datasets will be combined using clean-room technology so that — theoretically — user data can’t be shared with other external parties.
“Approximately 145 million customers shop with us online and in stores weekly,” Ryan Mayward, senior vice president of...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 9:03 pm
People sure are pressed about Apple’s crushing iPad commercial
Credit where it’s due: the commercial for the new iPad Pro is impeccable. In the commercial, a hydraulic press, like the kind that crushes Skittles all day on TikTok, slowly descends onto a whole amalgamation of artistic endeavors. As the large metal plate drops like Tesla’s stock in 2024, it crushes musical instruments and destroys classical sculptures. Tubes of paint pop like balloons sending a cascade of color across Apple’s carefully constructed canvas of stuff. Finally, it accomplishes its job. This gathering of creations meant to represent the whole history of human creativity is laid flat by the unstoppable force of Apple’s hydraulic press.
And then, as the press slowly rises, all of that artsy mess disappears. What is left behind...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 8:29 pm
The Xbox app on Windows is getting even more handheld-friendly
Microsoft introduced a compact mode for its Xbox app on Windows last year, which is designed to improve the handheld experience. While compact mode initially focused on UI improvements for small screens, Microsoft is moving on to tackling some of the challenges of navigating around the Xbox app with a D-pad and sticks.
In a new update for Xbox Insiders today, Microsoft is adding a new “Jump back in” feature that lets you quickly launch games you’ve recently played on a Windows handheld. Jump back in will list up to nine games on the main screen of the Xbox app, and you can press the menu button on a controller to launch the game directly.
It’s intelligent enough...
Published on 8 May 2024 | 8:11 pm