It's late to the party, but behind the scenes, Bloomberg reports that Apple is secretly working on a new feature for its AirPods that could translate face-to-face conversations in real-time.The live translation tech will be tied to iOS 19, Apple's upcoming update to its operating system used on the iPhone and other mobile devices, which is anticipated to be one of its most dramatic software overhauls in the company's history, according to . The release of iOS 19 is expected to be sometime this year.Apple's translation feature, as reported, could facilitate in-person conversations between, using the example provided by Bloomberg, an English speaker using AirPods, and a Spanish speaker.Paired with an iPhone, the English interlocutor would hear the Spanish speech translated into their native tongue through the AirPods. Then when they respond, the iPhone would play a Spanish translation of what they said through the device's speakers. And voila: language barrier broken.This isn't new tech, exactly. Google has offered live translation capabilities with its Pixel Buds since 2017, but the experience leaves much to be desired. Meanwhile, Samsung debuted a similar feature with its Galaxy Buds last year, compatible only with users of its Galaxy smartphones. Samsung's translation tech, dubbed "Interpreter," was marketed as part of its suite of "Galaxy AI" features, but it's unclear how much of the technology was actually leveraged there.So far, the "AI" buzzword hasn't cropped up in the reports on Apple's translation feature. The Cupertino-based corporation has notably struggled with its AI efforts, halting its consistently inaccurate AI-summarized headlines feature and, most recently, putting its AI upgrades for Siri on the backburner.Beyond the AirPods feature, Apple also plans to improve its translation tech in general with the software update, per the report. And it's about time: the company first released its "Translate" app with iOS 14 in 2020, to markedly negative reviews.And that's pretty much it. Details, so far, are scant. We'll probably hear more about the AirPods feature plus the long-awaited third-gen version of the AirPods Pro, which will reportedly sport built-in cameras at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, which is when many with their ears to the ground in the Mac world expect iOS 19 to be officially announced. For now, what new twist Apple will be bringing to the table here, besides maybe a more seamless all-around translation experience, is anyone's guess.Share This Article

All jobs Remote High Ticket Sales Closer Posted 1 hour ago Apply now Hi there!Are you looking for that rare opportunity that deeply impacts the clients you serve? We have been market leaders in the beauty industry since 2016 serving salon owners with transformational education. Over the last 4 years we've built our reputation on one single offer and we're at a point where our lead volume is so high that it's time to hire the perfect sales advisor.Why PIP University existsWe're on a mission to change the landscape of our industry. It's changed drastically over the last 5-10 years, so much so it's almost unrecognizable. Our curriculum took 4 full years to build out. It is the most forward thinking, implement-able education that's available. Profitable businesses, career hairstylists and thriving families is a byproduct of our program and the more we can get it into the hands of salon owners across the country, the more lives we can Positively Impact. (PIP = Positively Impacting People)This is impossible without you. Right now, the interest for our program is so strong, we can't enroll salons fast enough. This role is our #1 priority for our company.What does PIP University do?We help salon owners increase their profit margin to 20% after working with us for 12 months in our robust, digital course. They have a timeline and tasks they complete across 8 chapters and 70 lessons within our program. This helps them to work less behind the chair themselves, greatly increase revenue, profit, and grow their team.One of our students Ashley Thomas, a salon owner in Pennsylvania, started working with us at the end of her first year in business. She had a smaller team and told us that she had no systems or structure. By the end of her 2nd year in business, they hit a million (2021). By 2023 she had purchased and renovated a 5k sq ft historic building, grew her team significantly and hit over 1.6M in sales.These are the people you'll be bringing to us. Do you want to be a part of leaving this kind of mark on people and their families?Who will you work with?You will work closely with Samantha, our Director of Sales, and Jacob our Media Ad buyer.You will also be working alongside the rest of our team. We have a healthy, fast paced environment where we're all self driven and still collaborative!Where will you work?We work remotely and have since the beginning. We're scattered all over, from Omaha to Vegas and Houston to Chicago.That means you have the flexibility to work from home, or a co-working location, or to take the family to Bali for the summer and never skip a beat. You will own 2 primary metrics as a Sales Representative:1. Book to Close rate2. The # of closed clients / $ revenue generated3. # of calls booked off our paid funnelThose 3 primary metrics will be supported by a number of strategic activities:Effective outbound communication to increase the number of leads we talk toMaking offers to qualified leadsManaging the sales process to close leads quickly and efficientlyAre you a fit for this role?If you come from corporate America and crave autonomy, leadership that encourages your ideas, and being a part of a forward-thinking, healthy team, you're in for a treat.If you've been doing this solo but need more collaboration, support, and resources to make the impact you know you can, you'll thrive at PIP University.If you come from an agency, our strategic risk taking, innovation and quick shifting might be uncomfortable for you at first. But your past experience will serve you well here. You'll get to really dive in and do your thing.However, if you operate best with clearly defined day to day duties and leadership coaching you on every step...... this is not the job for you.One of our Core Values states: We are in the pursuit of mastery. We are here to develop unshakeable skill sets. It's not enough to make an incremental difference. We want to do in a day what others do in weeks. To accomplish in a month, what takes others years.Do you want to be on the front lines and directly involved in growing some of THE coolest and most innovative companies in the world?I can't wait to connect with you!Heather ManuelCreator of PIP UniversityRequirementsYou have 2+ years success as a sales representative. I.e. 2+ years direct sales experience ideally door to door; phone sales; solar sales; credit card processing sales; online training program sales, SaaS sales, etc.You LOVE making offers, closing deals, and know how to navigate the "I need to think about it"You genuinely love listening and uncovering marketing & sales pain points,You love applying a proven strategy and creating an open dialogue with the client about whether they see the valueYou are hungry to earn uncapped commissionsYou take ownership for your resultsYou know how to run a clean sales process and are good at managing pipelines and opportunitiesYou are are an extremely hard worker who doesn't "show up" and "hope someone signs up" but comes early, stays late, and does whatever it takes to close dealsYou love transactional selling and don't feel the need to be "friends" with prospects. You know how to close a deal and don't live in a never-ending cycle of "follow up"You are a proven sales closer ideally with 1 call close or 2 call close phone experienceIdeally, you understand the digital marketing domain and strategies.Ideally, you live in one of the 4 North American time zonesYou are available 9 am - 5 pm Monday through Friday for workBenefitsWork from anywhere (we're 100% remote)Uncapped commission planRegular bonus opportunitiesExtensive resource allowanceCompUncapped commission for High-Ticket programOTE $125k+Quartely bonus potentialApply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now PIP University View company Jobs posted: 3 Related Jobs Remote Sales and Marketing jobs

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,369 for March 19.

Hints and answers for Connections for March 19, #647.

March 17, 20254 min readBest-Yet Baby Pictures of the Universe UnveiledThe final results from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope offer the sharpest, most sensitive view of the early cosmos that anyone has ever seenBy Lee Billings edited by Dean VisserThe Atacama Cosmology Telescope, seen here on the Chilean peak of Cerro Toco, mapped the big bangs afterglow from 2007 to 2022. Mark Devlin, Deputy Director of the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and the Reese Flower Professor of Astronomy at the University of PennsylvaniaSometimes, a picture can be worth much more than a thousand words. For instance, one measure associated with the pictures belownew high-definition snapshots of the cosmos in its infancyis 1,900 zetta-suns.Two views of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the afterglow of the big bang, as seen by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). The upper image shows ACTs measurements of CMB temperature augmenting earlier measurements from the Planck satellite, while the lower image shows ACTs measurements of CMB polarization. Blue and orange denote variations in temperature and polarization. Each images zoomed-in portion is 10 degrees across, or twenty times the Moon s width seen from Earth.ACT Collaboration; ESA/Planck CollaborationOn supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Equivalent to almost two trillion trillion suns, thats the amount of mass (or its counterpart as energy) that these images show to exist in the entire observable universe, which extends almost 50 billion light-years in all directions. The images, released today, are among the final results from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), a National Science Foundationfunded observatory that operated on a mountaintop in Chile from 2007 until 2022. The researchers will present their results, which have not yet been peer-reviewed, tomorrow at a meeting of the American Physical Society.What I love about these new images is how they bring the whole history of the universe to life, says Jo Dunkley, a Princeton University cosmologist, who led the ACT analysis group. The fact that you can just look out into the sky to see the whole sweep of cosmic time is beautiful. And with ACT, weve been able to see this better than ever before.What Did ACT See?ACT observed the big bangs afterglow, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which was emitted when the universe was just 380,000 years old. Back then the cosmos was essentially a fireball, an expanding bubble of plasma as hotand as opaqueas the surface of the sun. This opacity makes the CMBs light the oldest that anyone can ever see. Building on past CMB surveys (such as that of the European Space Agencys Planck satellite), ACT measured the intensity and polarization of the light emitted by this material with unprecedented sharpness and sensitivity. These values were then translated into estimates of the temperature, density and velocity of the swirling primordial stuff from which galaxies and larger cosmic structures would eventually coalesce. Those estimates in turn let ACTs researchers effectively gauge the sum of all things and the way they came together.How Much Stuff Is in the Universe?Of the staggering 1,900 zetta-sun quantity the researchers came up with, only 100 zetta-suns come from normal matter: hydrogen makes up three quarters of the latter figure, and helium comprises the rest of it. Both of these elements emerged in the immediate aftermath of the big bang. All the rest of the elementsthe carbon in your cells, the calcium in your bones, the oxygen you breathe and even the gold in your jewelryshowed up much later, after the ignition of the first stars, and are akin to a rounding error, just a meager sheen upon the greater cosmic ocean.Of the remaining 1,800 zetta-suns worth of material out there, 500 zetta-suns represent dark matter, the invisible substance that serves as gravitational glue that holds galaxies together. But the bulk, some 1,300 zetta-suns, comes from the density of dark energy, the mysterious force thats powering an acceleration in the rate of cosmic expansion. So most of the universes stuff is actually in the form of things for which we only have placeholder namesand a very limited understanding.Why This MattersDespite how little we seem to know, the most salient figure to assign to this all-encompassing baby picture of the cosmos arguably isnt two trillion trillion suns (or a thousand words, for that matter). It is, in fact, six: the total number of core parameters that plug into the standard model of cosmology, called Lambda-CDM (with Lambda being a shorthand for dark energy and CDM referring to a sluggishly cold type of dark matter inferred from observations). Just six numbers, if properly arranged, seem to quite thoroughly explain the curious patterns imprinted on the CMBand how they led to the cosmos we dwell in today.Plancks results had already suggested a similar conclusion. But with ACTs five-times-higher resolution and three-times-greater sensitivity to polarization, researchers hoped to see signs of new physics beyond Lambda-CDM that its predecessor might have missed. We came into this thinking the detailed patterns wed see in ACTs polarization data would reveal something about alternative cosmic models, Dunkley says.And it didbut not exactly as hoped.Whats Next?Rather than discovering telltale quirks that signpost a path to unraveling the nature of dark matter, dark energy and other cosmic mysteries, ACTs results instead reinforced the soundness of the standard model of cosmology. The hoped-for breakthroughs may have to wait for fresh results from a new generation of CMB surveys, such as the Simons Observatory thats now being built on the very same Chilean mountaintop that previously hosted ACT.The [Lambda-CDM] model just matches perfectly with all our data, which is pretty amazing, actuallythat were able to look back to this earliest observable time, and this simple model is still working, Dunkley says. Somethings still missing from our understanding; we dont know what dark matter and dark energy are, for example. But this result is important because its showing us that a lot of other things that couldve made the universe more complicated arent happening. The early universe doesnt seem to be where our problem lies.

OpinionMarch 18, 20254 min readNew Drugs, and Diets, Soothe Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseSeveral medications now calm painful inflammation in the intestines. Diets free of ultraprocessed foods also helpBy Lydia Denworth edited by Josh Fischman Jay BendtI recently met a 26-year-old chef named Caroline Horvatits whose story is simultaneously distressing and hopeful. About a decade ago, during high school, Caroline was stricken by gut pain so severe she couldnt sleep and missed her midterm exams. After a colonoscopy, a gastroenterologist diagnosed her with ulcerative colitis (UC), a disease where the bodys immune cells overreact and attack the colonpart of the large intestineleaving open sores in the lining.Colitis is one form of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, and there werent a lot of treatment options at the time. Caroline tried some long-standing anti-inflammatory drugs, such as steroids. But her mother worried that they had too many side effects. Eventually, Caroline dropped the drugs and focused on her diet.Her experience wasnt unusual. When gastroenterologist Bruce Sands of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City started practicing 30 years ago, he says, large numbers of his IBD patients couldnt be helped. But much has changed, he says, especially in the past 10 years. There are far more possibleand precisemedications for the more than two million American adults and more than 100,000 children and adolescents with colitis or the other major form of IBD, Crohns disease.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Both UC and Crohns involve chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract that is terribly painful and distressingly unpredictable. Flare-ups come on suddenly. They can lead to bleeding, cramping, diarrhea and unhealthy weight loss. Whereas colitis occurs in the lining of the colon, Crohns affects the entire GI tract.Every time we find a new mechanism of action, we find another group of patients who can be adequately treated. Bruce Sands, gastroenterologistThe growing variety of drugs target different types of cells in the immune system, and that gives clinicians and patients more options. There are six separate mechanisms of action for these drugs that have been recognized by the Food and Drug Administration. Every time we find a new mechanism of action, we find another group of patients who can be adequately treated, Sands says.The goal of most of these medications is to interrupt inflammation and the ensuing tissue damage. Researchers now better understand how different immune cell types sustain inflammation, and that has led to the identification of more precise targets. Gastroenterologist Alan Moss, chief scientific officer of the New Yorkbased Crohns and Colitis Foundation, says that older drugs such as the steroid prednisone suppress the entire immune system. But we now have drugs that are unique to treating the colon and the cells that attack the colon, he says. What this means, Moss notes, is that people are at much lower risk of getting more systemic side effects such as infections.For example, one of the most recently approved drugs, risankizumab (marketed as Skyrizi), blocks receptors for the cytokine interleukin-23 (IL-23), which is involved in many autoimmune diseases, and thereby interrupts the inflammatory cascade. Still others target cell proteins called phosphate receptors that affect the trafficking of immune cells into GI tract tissues. In 2024 Sands reported successful clinical trials for a drug that binds to TL1A, another protein that moves excessive numbers of immune cells into the bowels.These days theres also more precision in dosing, Moss says. Physicians adjust up or down based on how active the disease is, and they can now account for things such as weight, age and comorbidities.Even so, its estimated that were leaving probably half of our patients without remission, and they tend to cycle through one thing after the other, Sands says. A better way of addressing the disease might be combination therapy. A 2023 proof-of-concept study published in the Lancet reported on 214 patients randomly assigned treatment with a drug that inhibits tumor necrosis factor (TNF, which is the name of the wider family of proteins involved in gut inflammation), or with an anti-IL-23 drug, or with both. Of those who received both drugs, 83 percent achieved remission at 12 weeks versus 61 and 75 percent of those treated with just one drug. Researchers are also working to identify predictive biomarkers that would fine-tune treatment. Pediatric gastroenterologist Sana Syed of the Duke University School of Medicine has studies underway collecting detailed data on blood components, tissue, and more. She will then use machine learning to try to look for signs that indicate which patient will respond to which drug, so she can highlight them at diagnosis.Thats especially urgent in the pediatric population, for whom there are only two FDA-approved treatments, both anti-TNF medications. None of the recently approved or emerging therapies that are currently used to treat adults are within a decade of approval in children, Syed says. Pediatric doctors still use those drugs but do so without precise treatment guidelines.Drugs are not the only way to treat IBD. The past decade has also brought much greater appreciation of the role of environment, Moss says. Nutrition, stress and pollution all are factors. One piece of strong evidence for the particular importance of nutrition is that the incidence of IBD has grown at an alarming pace in parts of the world where it was once rare, such as Asia, Latin America and Africa. Its probably because theyre now adopting our westernized diets, Moss notes. Specific nutritional triggers vary from patient to patient, but ultraprocessed and sugary foods seem to contribute to the disease. Diets high in fiber, fruits and vegetables, however, often reduce symptoms.That is what helped Caroline. Two years of a very limited diet healed her gutand inspired a career. She and her partner now run a small farm in central New York State and have a cooking business focused on fresh food. I live mostly symptom-free, Caroline says. The hope is that, whether with drugs or diet, far more people will soon be able to say the same.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Assassin's Creed Shadows reviewDuel protagonists.Image credit: Ubisoft Review by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on March 18, 2025 Majestic in scope, impressive in detail, Assassin's Creed Shadows honours the beauty of feudal Japan, even if its strongest moments are saved for the personal stories of its two protagonists.Alongside its tea ceremonies, rangu poetry and Sumi-e ink drawing, Assassin's Creed Shadows makes several mentions of the Sakura festival, Japan's annual cherry blossom celebration. The brief appearance of falling petals each year, lasting just a week or two, is seen as a symbol for the fleeting nature of beauty and life itself - the idea being, especially back during feudal times, that you should enjoy the moment while it lasts. You might survive the invasion of one warring daimyo, but another is likely not too far behind.Assassin's Creed Shadows reviewDeveloper: UbisoftPublisher: UbisoftPlatform: Played on PC, Xbox Series XAvailability: Out 20th March on PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X/SAssassin's Creed Shadows has that same sense of being present in one of its biggest changes to the series' gameplay - the new way you explore and uncover its world. Shadows' version of Japan is perhaps Ubisoft's most spectacular open world to date, and is designed to be explored in a more organic fashion. Missions typically no longer direct you by default to a specific location, and Ubisoft has grounded your eagle drone. Instead, you're provided with clues, able to narrow your search by pinging your map using scouts, and then left to use Shadows' new Observe mechanic - essentially Eagle Vision, but for quests and treasure. All this, while Shadows also constantly tries to tempt you slightly off-course - to investigate something else you might find along the way, or watch something happening in the game's world you may not see twice.Simultaneously, Shadows itself is anything but a fleeting beauty. It is another vast and generous adventure from the talented Quebec team that led the development of the Ancient Greece-set Assassin's Creed Odyssey and, similar to that game's trio of major plotlines, Shadows takes dozens of hours to fully reveal the shape of everything it has on offer. Its dual protagonists, for example, each of which have their own backstory and motivations, are introduced independently and in their own time. After that, and after a lot of stomping around Japan, it isn't until near the very end of Shadows' core story - a good deal north of 50 hours - that both characters' own personal journeys come to separate climaxes, and fresh plot threads emerge.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Watch on YouTubeShadows begins with a strong and near-exclusive focus on Naoe, a young woman from the rebel province of Iga whose father - part of the Ikko-ikki uprising - tries to defend their home against the invading daimyo Oda Nobunaga. Naoe's story, like much of Shadows, is deeply entrenched in Japan's real-life history - meaning major spoilers lurk for everyone on Wikipedia. And while there's still plenty here that's woven on top of actual events - Naoe joins her father wielding an Assassin's Hidden Blade inherited from her mother! - it's notable how straight Shadows typically treats its historical backdrop overall. Gone are the days of jokey in-universe lore tabs from Shaun Hastings, or the mythological bosses that fitted Odyssey's ancient world. What mentions there are of the Assassins are, for the vast majority of the game, kept to interactions with a handful of relics, or whispers of an organisation from a far-off land.Through Shadows' opening 10 hours, Naoe's personal story instead takes centre stage, allowing the game a more focused introduction and the ability to land several big emotional beats. While the rough plotline here has echoes of other games in the franchise, the impact of their events on Naoe feels stronger thanks to a combination of performances, cinematography, and Shadows having the confidence to include plenty of quieter moments amongst the drama. A string of flashback missions showcasing Naoe's pre-invasion life are available to dip into almost at will, enriching what is essentially an extended prologue and introduction to Shadows' main systems.Aside from a brief 20-minute sequence at the start of the game, Shadows' co-protagonist Yasuke remains otherwise unplayable and off-screen until the prologue's climax - something that initially comes as a surprise, considering the much-hyped ability to play the vast majority of Shadows as either shinobi or samurai. However, as with many things in Shadows, it's something that in the fullness of time feels a more natural choice and - dozens of hours with him later - far less of an omission. Image credit: UbisoftYasuke begins on the opposing side to Naoe, a key part of the same invasion of Iga that she and her father attempt to repel. The resulting conflict between the two, and the reasons for their eventual partnership, are rather swiftly dealt with at the expense of not elongating the game's first chunk further. Yasuke's late introduction does initially leave him feeling more of a secondary character but - again, in time - this feeling subsides as more about his motivations and own story ultimately becomes known, and you find a groove switching between both characters to make use of their gameplay strengths and weaknesses.Assassin's Creed has let you play as non-Assassin characters before - Valhalla's Eivor, most recently, was never a paid-up member of the Brotherhood, and neither was fan-favourite pirate Edward Kenway - but the series has never had a protagonist like Yasuke. After 10 hours as the nimble Naoe, this fully-trained samurai feels like a tank, able to take and deal far more damage than his shinobi co-star, and initially almost like an Assassin's Creed cheat code. But Yasuke's might is heavily balanced by the fact he's also far slower and less agile on his feet - something that, in a game designed around speedy parkour and stealth, is a significant trade-off. Yasuke is a poorer climber and unable to synchronise with some viewpoints, and feels more easily detected by nearby guards. Naoe, by contrast, is the fastest playable character in the franchise to date, and especially agile with her grappling hook for swinging across chasms or climbing vertically up pagodas.I ended up swapping back and forth between the two characters pretty regularly, and enjoyed the different playstyles as a way to keep things fresh. The vast majority of the game can be spent as either character, aside from some specific personal quests, and each is able to dabble in the strengths of the other: Yasuke is able to implement stealth, including Shadows' new prone movement option, just as Naoe is able to run headfirst into big fights without picking off anyone off first. Indeed, Shadows' focus on stealth overall benefits both characters through its lighting system, which sees its world illuminated by braziers, candles and lanterns that can be snuffed out to aid your sneaking, while any mission at night also has an obvious advantage. This is as good a time as any to praise Shadows' more interactive and destructible world, which boasts all sorts of objects - fruit stalls, shoji paper doors, bamboo foliage - that you can slice up or slice enemies through, and typically cover in arcing splashes of blood. The advancement of Assassin's Creed's veteran Anvil engine for Shadows is impressive, and frequently results in moments where you need to simply stop what you're doing to take it all in: the water droplets dribbling down a tiled roof to then ping off Yasuke's helmet on a wet day, the ever-swirling wind currents whipping up autumn leaves or winter snow from the roads, or small details such as a heron in a nearby pond scarfing down its lunch.Yasuke's own story takes longer to be uncovered, though his arrival in the game eventually lands when you regroup with some of his former acquaintances from his time serving Oda Nobunaga. Shadows' willingness to nip between moments within its own timeline ensures this later section still features an intriguing recap of Yasuke's life in Japan so far, while avoiding any dwelling on his life prior, keeping the game's focus on events within the country itself. Much has, of course, been written online about Yasuke's inclusion in Shadows - an ugly situation that Ubisoft finally put to bed via an impassioned speech from Assassin's Creed boss Marc-Alexis Cot at the end of last year. Needless to say, Yasuke's unique perspective as someone who owes their life and status to the target Naoe is seeking - in a way perhaps no other character in Japan could - only serves to justify his inclusion further. Image credit: UbisoftFor the bulk of Shadows' mid-section - its middle 40 hours, after that 10-hour prologue - most main missions have Naoe and Yasuke working together, albeit with the other off-screen. Shadows encourages you to play as both as much as possible, and often has the two meet up simply to give you a chance to smoothly switch from one to the other, though sometimes you'll also get a chance to see the pair discuss the latest plot development, typically after their latest main target has been wiped off the board.Modern Day and Animus HubShadows lacks a modern day component outside its Animus Hub, a new launcher for the series' recent games that sits within the game's main menu. It's also here you can track weekly quests, which unlock some in-game gear and text-based lore - with the first storyline following a near-future Assassin operation in Marrakech.The game is still set within an Animus, and as Shadows progresses you get a few brief moments where you hop out of Naoe and Yasuke and experience a story beat within the Animus' code. But there's nothing here that requires prior knowledge, or that feels much other than extraneous.During this section, Naoe and Yasuke are free to explore the entirety of the game's map to target the Shinbakufu, a masked group of powerful figures who assisted in the Igan invasion and swiped a mystery box macguffin. It's here that Shadows' main gameplay loop kicks in, with the pair travelling region to region, assisting the locals and typically taking down the local puppet master hiding in their big castle. As with other recent Assassin's Creed epics, a lot of this involves taking down forts and encampments, grabbing better gear and growing your own pool of resources and stat points in the process.Naoe and Yasuke each have a selection of weapon types to choose between, and each group of these has their own skill tree of special attacks to unlock and upgrade. For Naoe, I ended up favouring her chain-sickle kusarigama weapon to target groups of enemies at range, keeping them at a distance. But I also ended up fully upgrading her tantō dagger, which pairs best alongside the Hidden Blade for quick and stealthy assassinations. For Yasuke, I favoured his naginata pole arm, again to put distance between him and enemies, but also because of a brilliant special attack where you can pin enemies to walls like kebabs. Different tiers of special attacks unlock through the game as you hit various levels, but all feel relatively grounded, especially compared to some of the superpower-like abilities in Odyssey.If you've played Assassin's Creed Mirage, you'll recognise its excellent visual target board and quest log, which returns for Shadows in expanded form. Alongside the main Shinbakufu group, you'll soon find yourself chasing numerous smaller clans of local bad guys, the discovery of which expands your quest board further - and it's a thrill to discover quite how much there is to offer as the board grows and grows. Intriguingly, not every target has to be snuffed out - a small selection of quests allow you to show mercy to some characters, one major choice of which causes a rare spat between Naoe and Yasuke as a result (one of the few times I felt the game's choices had some real consequence). And by the end of the game - well, let's just say you'll still have plenty to do on your target board that'll encourage you to keep playing, well after the credits roll. Image credit: UbisoftShadows' middle portion - where the bulk of its main targets lie - is where the game sags slightly. There was never a moment I was bored, and exploring more of Shadows' world rarely tires, but not every area is as strong as its counterparts. It's also here that the game's focus notably shifts away from Naoe and Yasuke's personal quests for an extended period, meaning that when they are picked up again after, it has been dozens of hours since the last big development. I'd have loved more interaction between Naoe and Yasuke during this period, as an early scene around a campfire suggests we'll get, but after a lengthy introduction and a large map to explore, the game just wants to get going. There are story beats - such as the disagreement between the game's main characters mentioned above - that feel ripe for further exploration, just as there are wider topics thrown up by the game with room for deeper exploration - charismatic leaders converting youth into followers, the need for violence to provoke change - that are pretty quickly left on the table. But in a game this big - in terms of its content, and for it to find as big an audience as possible - and when both characters have to remain playable, rather than going off in a huff for an extended period, I wasn't overly surprised to see some compromises made, and the action move on.Alongside its targets, Shadows' quest screen also lets you track the missions available from your allies - those found in each area of the country, as well as a core group of followers who you can optionally invite to join your cause. These sidekicks are a mixed bag - most are mildly interesting, though one particularly flirty character is intolerable. I recruited them all because not doing so would be missing content, though their main function is to be called upon in battle, similar to the ability to call in Assassin recruits of old. A smaller selection of these characters can also be romanced - Naoe and Yasuke have a couple of hookup options each in the game - though with the exception of one major storyline for Yasuke (not specifically locked behind the need to romance that character), there's little depth here.Assassin's Creed Shadows accessibility optionsAim asist, quick-time events toggle, text size and colour options, HUD size and colour options, dynamic music and sound mix controls, additional sound cues and audio glossary, subtitles and closed captions, cutscene narration, left-handed controller layout, auto movement, options to disable chromatic aberration and motion blur, remove blood effects and dismemberment.Your recruits will set up home in Naoe and Yasuke's homestead, a version of the much-expandable Viking village seen in Valhalla, now with the ability to place, customise and decorate buildings, props and pathways at your leisure. It's a fun mode I dabbled with for only an hour or so in total during my playthrough, but would encourage greater exploration of to anyone with more time. Not only do your settlement's buildings - a forge, a tea house, a shrine and so forth - all unlock useful abilities when built and upgraded, but it's also here you'll find short snippets of dialogue with your followers each time you visit, fleshing out their characters to some degree. New items for your homestead can be found throughout Japan as well, and are doled out fairly regularly (best of all, you can acquire an enormous menagerie of pets) so it's worth popping back whenever possible, though the game rarely forces you to do so - unlike Valhalla, where story arcs always sent you back home. Image credit: UbisoftWhittle down the Shinbakufu and the game's final act will kick in, one which returns to focus strongly on Naoe and Yasuke's own stories after a lengthy wait. It's here that things really kick into gear once more, and several big lingering questions finally get answered. And yes, for longer-term Assassin's Creed fans, there are a couple of moments that will excite those with a wider knowledge of the lore. But in general, Shadows is more standalone than perhaps any other game in the franchise to date, its focus fully on Japan, and free of any continuing characters or modern day storylines. That said, there's definitely space left for the future - within Shadows itself through more stories, or perhaps in another game entirely. Before the end credits roll, each character's story is rounded out but also given a tease of what's next, too.Tonight I'll be back in Shadows' open world, as I have done every night for the past couple of weeks. It's currently winter in my game, and while the seasons didn't impact my gameplay much pre-credits, my post-game returns to certain areas are finally allowing me to see its impact versus the last time I was in town. It's another thing that Shadows' lengthy run-time is finally bringing into focus - and another example of the need to enjoy things while they're around. It'll be time for Sakura blossoms again soon.A copy of Assassin's Creed Shadows was provided for review by publisher Ubisoft.

Assassin's Creed Shadows' new Anvil engine features impress on PS5 and Series XAn evolutionary step for the series, but Series S cutbacks bear mention.Image credit: Ubisoft Face-off by Thomas Morgan Senior Staff Writer, Digital Foundry Published on March 18, 2025 Assassin's Creed Shadows marks a series milestone as the first entry developed with a total focus on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. It's a bold transition with a clear pay-off in its technology, as last-gen PS4 and Xbox One machines are left behind to ensure the core gameplay incorporates the latest features of Ubisoft's Anvil engine. That includes ray-traced global illumination, procedural weather simulation and world destruction physics - all exciting additions that help elevate its feudal era Japan setting, in ways not possible in 2023's Assassin's Creed Mirage. Not all of these new features are universally available though, with developer Ubisoft Quebec opting for a number of modes that trade off between fidelity and performance on each platform. We'll look at the game's higher-end features on PS5 Pro and PC in future articles, with this one focusing on the current-gen console experience on PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S. The questions here are straightforward: how do each of these three platforms compare, especially the least powerful Series S with its single 30fps mode? And out of the multiple modes available on PS5 and Series X, which are worth considering? Here's the full video version of this article, showing how Shadows builds on past AC titles and compares between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Watch on YouTubeThe new tech of the Anvil Engine deserves a moment in the spotlight. After all, on console and PC, this is the first series entry to officially adopt ray tracing and it has a big impact on the world's presentation. PS5 and Series X run with RT global illumination (RTGI) in their 30fps and 40fps modes across the entirety of the world, adding richer and more realistic ambient light bounce and shading. RT reflections are also included in Shadows, though it's restricted to the more powerful PS5 Pro and PC versions of the game - and this means the base consoles make do with screen-space reflections (SSR). Meanwhile, the 60fps performance modes on PS5 and Series X trade out ray tracing for a less accurate baked GI method, as we saw in ACs Valhalla and Mirage, though the hideout area forces a 30fps presentation with RTGI enabled regardless of mode. Likewise, Series S only receives RTGI in the hideout, with baked GI used elsewhere across the world. The advantage of RTGI is that its more accurate simulation is better-suited to Shadows' dynamic landscapes, with its diverse weather, seasons and destructible environments all affecting light and shadow. The improvement is evident in the richer, more detailed pockets of shade between objects, the shading of character faces in daylight and the interiors of buildings. Diffuse light bounce from nearby scenery also helps to realistically brighten shaded patches with an appropriate hue. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Ubisoft's classic baked GI method is still respectable, but has clear limitations by comparison. It over-saturates certain details of the world (vegetation especially) in an attempt to match up to the RTGI lighting, while interiors and up-close character detail lack the same richness of shading depth. It's perhaps not surprising that RTGI isn't available across the main world on Series S, given that it has a third of the compute power of Series X, but it gives a noticeable fidelity win to Series X and PS5. Another major Anvil engine upgrade is in its physics. Ubisoft's efforts are extensive in this aspect this year, with physics-based weather simulation injecting some much-needed energy into the game's environments. Riding to your next mission, you'll spot a procedural system, called Atmos, dynamically generating clouds overhead, while the team's wind simulation uses fluid dynamics to create everything from light gusts to gales. The impact is most obviously seen around forests: fallen leaves swirl through the air, trees sway with the bluster, and even the direction of rainfall is affected. Destruction physics are also much more widely deployed this time. Impressively, it's possible to smash your way through the contents of most items strewn across a market stall, or even slice through fabric with the tear line matching the arc of your katana. If you prefer a more stealthy approach, you'll also catch the way blades of grass flatten in the direction of travel, leaving a persistent trail as you crawl through. It makes the world feel much more tangible, and marks a sea change from the cross-gen AC titles that came before it.1 of 8 Caption Attribution Ray traced global illumination only runs in a limited capacity on Series S, and the same applies to the 60fps perfomance mode on Series X. As a result, the 30fps quality or 40fps balanced modes on PS5 or Series X are the preferred picks.Given Shadows' open world is filled with complex hills, valleys and large settlements, Ubisoft has also gone to great lengths to optimise its terrain streaming. To that end, a new virtualised geometry system is added to Anvil, similar in principle to Unreal Engine 5's Nanite, allowing geometry across a scene to gradually sub-divide into smaller polygonal meshes the further it appears in the distance. This technology helps hide hard LOD steps while ensuring the terrain is packed with detail - though foliage pop in is still visible on PS5 and Series X. All of these technologies are included on all consoles, though there is one omission on Series S: strand-based hair. It's a beautiful addition that affects most major characters sporting tresses of some kind. Individual strands of hair - as on our shinobi heroine, Naoe - animate dynamically, with each one interacting with its neighbours as the character moves or the wind blows. This is again exclusive to the 30 and 40fps modes, with the 60fps mode falling back to a simpler card-based system outside of the hideout and cutscenes. Indeed, this is the approach taken on Series S too, which goes even further, and removes strand-based hair for the hideout area outright. In a three-way comparison between the 60fps performance, 40fps balanced and 30fps quality modes, it's clear that RTGI and hair physics are the main factors to consider, but there are resolution differences too (as shown in the table below). Each mode upscales to a 4K output via TAAU on PS5 and Series X, while Series S scales to 1620p. Beyond the native resolutions, shadow quality is degraded slightly on performance mode on Series X and PS5, though texture quality, draw distance and physics-based extras remain the same regardless of mode. Series S sees more significant cutbacks however: it runs with lower quality texture assets and lower quality shadows, though thankfully other areas like foliage draw distances match the higher-powered base consoles. In terms of performance, the 30fps quality mode is well optimised and locks to its target frame-rate nearly always. Much like other recent Assassin's Creed titles though, occasional drops are possible where dynamic resolution scaling takes a moment to adjust = should the rendering load change rapidly. You can force this by looking straight up and then at some complex geometry, then back again, but in more realistic gameplay only a few combat scenarios cause drops on PS5 or Series X. Frame-rate stability is similar in the 40fps balanced mode for 120Hz displays, with a good lock to the target frame-rate. If you want to keep the visual niceties but get a more responsive experience at the expense of a softer image, this is a solid choice. Curiously, the hideout area and cutscenes still run at 30fps, with the frame-rate switching abruptly once you pass the threshold to that region. The 40fps balanced mode is well optimised on PS5 and Series X and keeps RTGI - plus strand hair physics - in tact across all areas of the world. Rounding out the selection is the performance mode, which offers a more fluid experience that benefits combat, notably in timing ripostes, but the visual downgrades are worth considering. Frame-rates are less stable here, too, with semi-frequent drops into the 50s - though this is well within the range of VRR on both PS5 and Series X. Cutscenes and the hideout area continue to switch to 30fps in this mode, which is all the more jarring coming from a 60fps baseline. Interestingly, it's necessary for the game to fade to black in this transition for this mode, presumably to engage the otherwise disabled RT and hair physics, while it's seamless in the 40fps mode.The Series S version presents the least stable 30fps mode. Despite its many cutbacks to RTGI, hair physics and resolution, it's not quite as watertight as you might hope. Frame-rate dips are noticeably more common than on Series X or PS5 in their equivalent 30fps options, with battles and cutscenes being the most frequent cause of disruption as resolution bottoms out at 720p. The hideout area at least locks to 30fps with RTGI enabled, but it's safe to say that the overall experience is noticeably less smooth on the junior Xbox machine and you don't truly get the generational leap that Shadows is offering elsewhere. The outlook is a positive one overall though: Assassin's Creed Shadows is the series' most exciting new entry in years, with PS5 and Series X at last showing off their mettle via new Anvil Engine features. Simply put, the physics-based, ray-traced nature of its feudal Japan setting is the absolute star of the show. The drawback is that only the 40fps mode on PS5 and Series X really offers a satisfying blend of fidelity and responsiveness, with the 60fps mode perhaps cutting too many of its new features - while Series S suffers further cutbacks. Still, Ubisoft deserves praise for putting out a game with such clear technical ambition, married to an undeniably compelling setting. Having reviewed a great many Assassin's Creed games for Digital Foundry over the last 14 years, Shadows is a real highlight - and above all, shows the promising direction the series is headed.

Teslas Q1 Sales May Be Its Worst In Years As Analysts Warn Stock Could Sink 50% JP Morgan even lowered its price target for Tesla shares to just $120 by the end of Q1 https://www.carscoops.com/author/bradcarscoops-com/ by Brad AndersonMarch 17, 2025 at 13:07 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"JP Morgan analysts said that Tesla could end Q1 with just 355,000 deliveries globally.This would represent an 8% over-year-over decline from the first quarter of 2024.The same analysts also suspect Teslas share price could plummet to just $120.Teslas rough patch isnt showing signs of letting up anytime soon, and analysts arent optimistic it will turn around soon, either. The latest blow? JP Morgan suggests that Elon Musks ongoing ties to the Trump administration could continue dragging Tesla down, possibly hammering both its share price and its sales figures through the first quarter.Last week, JP Morgan trimmed its forecast for Teslas first-quarter deliveries from an already modest 444,000 units to just 355,000 units. Thats not just below JP Morgans prior estimates, its also well short of the broader consensus expectation of 430,000 units. If those numbers hold, it would mark an 8% year-over-year decline compared to the first quarter of 2024.Read: Tesla Plans Smaller Model Y Thats 20% Cheaper To ProduceWhile estimating delivery figures from a carmaker like Tesla can be difficult, things are trending downward for the EV brand. Through January and February, sales cratered by 44.4% in Norway and an even steeper 70.6% in Germany. Similar declines have been reported in Australia and China, compounding the pressure.In the same investor note, JP Morgan slashed its price target for Tesla shares to a mere $120, representing more than a 50% drop from the $249 mark it was trading at last week. Teslas market cap has already plummeted roughly 49% since December, free-falling from a peak value of $1.54 trillion to under $800 billion, Business Insider notes.JP Morgan auto analyst Ryan Brinkman put it plainly in a research note published Wednesday, writing, We struggle to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry, in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly, according to Fortune, which reviewed the note.Musks Political Ties Stir Investor WorriesJP Morgan says the sudden drop in Teslas value is incomparable with any other moment in automotive history, noting that Musks involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency is weighing heavily on perceptions of the Tesla brand.Mr. Musks work with the Department of Government Efficiency has proven controversial domestically, and while as many members of the political right may be pleased as those on the left are displeased, the effect on Tesla sales seems nevertheless negative, the analysts said. Growing discontent for Tesla is not only visible through declining sales, but also by the recent protests at company showrooms, and an uptick in vandalism on Tesla vehicles and Supercharger stations not just in the US, but also internationally. Load more comments

Since Amazon announced plans for a generative AI version of Alexa, we were concerned about user privacy. With Alexa+ rolling out to Amazon Echo devices in the coming weeks, were getting a clearer view of the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the AI voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality of already-purchased devices.Ars TechnicaThis story originally appeared on Ars Technica, a trusted source for technology news, tech policy analysis, reviews, and more. Ars is owned by WIRED's parent company, Cond Nast.In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally and, therefore, avoid sending voice recordings to Amazons cloud. Amazon apparently sent the email to users with Do Not Send Voice Recordings enabled on their Echo. Starting on March 28, recordings of every command spoken to the Alexa living in Echo speakers and smart displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the cloud.Attempting to rationalize the change, Amazons email said: As we continue to expand Alexas capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazons secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature.One of the most marketed features of Alexa+ is its more advanced ability to recognize who is speaking to it, a feature known as Alexa Voice ID. To accommodate this feature, Amazon is eliminating a privacy-focused capability for all Echo users, even those who arent interested in the subscription-based version of Alexa or want to use Alexa+ but not its ability to recognize different voices.However, there are plenty of reasons people wouldn't want Amazon to receive recordings of what they say to their personal device. For one, the idea of a conglomerate being able to listen to personal requests made in your home is, simply, unnerving.Further, Amazon has previously mismanaged Alexa voice recordings. In 2023, Amazon agreed to pay $25 million in civil penalties over the revelation that it stored recordings of childrens interactions with Alexa forever. Adults also didnt feel properly informed of Amazons inclination to keep Alexa recordings unless prompted not to until 2019five years after the first Echo came out.If that's not enough to deter you from sharing voice recordings with Amazon, note that the company allowed employees to listen to Alexa voice recordings. In 2019, Bloomberg reported that Amazon employees listened to as many as 1,000 audio samples during their nine-hour shifts. Amazon says it allows employees to listen to Alexa voice recordings to train its speech recognition and natural language understanding systems.Other reasons people may be hesitant to trust Amazon with personal voice samples include the previous usage of Alexa voice recordings in criminal trials and Amazon paying a settlement in 2023 in relation to allegations that it allowed thousands of employees and contractors to watch video recordings of customers' private spaces taken from Ring cameras, per the Federal Trade Commission.Save Recordings or Lose FunctionalityLikely looking to get ahead of these concerns, Amazon said in its email today that, by default, it will delete recordings of users Alexa requests after processing. However, anyone with their Echo device set to Dont save recordings will see their already-purchased devices Voice ID feature bricked. Voice ID enables Alexa to do things like share user-specified calendar events, reminders, music, and more. Previously, Amazon has said that "if you choose not to save any voice recordings, Voice ID may not work." As of March 28, broken Voice ID is a guarantee for people who don't let Amazon store their voice recordings.Amazon's email says:Alexa voice requests are always encrypted in transit to Amazons secure cloud, which was designed with layers of security protections to keep customer information safe. Customers can continue to choose from a robust set of controls by visiting the Alexa Privacy dashboard online or navigating to More > Alexa Privacy in the Alexa app.Amazon is forcing Echo users to make a couple of tough decisions: Grant Amazon access to recordings of everything you say to Alexa or stop using an Echo; let Amazon save voice recordings and have employees listen to them or lose a feature set to become more advanced and central to the next generation of Alexa.However, Amazon is betting big that Alexa+ can dig the voice assistant out of a financial pit. Amazon has publicly committed to keeping the free version of Alexa around, but Alexa+ is viewed as Amazon's last hope for keeping Alexa alive and making it profitable. Anything Amazon can do to get people to pay for Alexa takes precedence over other Alexa user demands, including, it seems, privacy.This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.