What are the Forbidden Lands? The setting of the newest installment in the Monster Hunter series has tons of new mysteries to investigate and discover! These exotic locales showcase unique ecosystems that host their own challenges and wildlife for the Hunter to take on.

A great draw of Hogwarts Legacyperhaps the biggestis living within the castle walls as a student. There are probably only a handful of Harry Potter fans out there who haven't dreamed about getting their Hogwarts letter one day and being whisked off to a magical life. For the most part, this is what they get inHogwarts Legacy. There are naturally several aspects that fall short, a key one being the most obvious: the overall student life itself.

No one in the year of our lord 2025 is going to argue its easy to make an anime. Its perhaps a more straightforward process than its ever been in human history, but the artistry and imagination of it still requires a lot. Dive just a little bit into the background of any of your favorite shows and youre liable to find tight timelines, overworked animators, and a whole load of personal opinions on whether the show is even good enough to warrant all this fuss.Zenshu knows this pain acutely, even if its protagonist, Natsuko Hirose, feels she is immune to it. Shes been driving toward being not just an anime director, but a virtuoso. Her ability to draw fast and well quickly lands her at the helm of her first feature only to end up overworked and eventually dying from food poisoning. Except shes not really dead; she wakes up in A Tale of Perishing, her favorite anime from childhood, where she has the ability to magically draw figures that come to life to fight off enemies.The show pulls no punches about what being a workaholic animator has done to Natsukos life and psyche. When we meet her in the beginning, shes an anime protagonist by way of The Addams Familys Cousin Itt, with hair constantly covering her face. Shes so burnt out, frustrated, and blocked that the battles of a feudal fantasy world feel like a reprieve. But Zenshu is a show that is about love and care, however sublimated. And across the 12 episodes of its first season, it never settles for being just a typical isekai adventure.Sure, the show could certainly have enough fun with its core concept to carry it for years. The Nine Soldiers, the main protagonists of A Tale of Perishing, are a fun bunch, and Natsukos otherworldly disruption of their adventure would be enough to power an adventure show for a while. The creators of Zenshu clearly have a good time poking fun at 90s anime tropes, whether its Natsukos magical girl transformation sweeping the hair out of her eyes and landing her at a desk, or her inadvertently inspiring a bimbo babe to become jacked.But by the end, these ideas get pulled together to something much more formidable and compelling than it might appear at first. Across its back half, Zenshus run of episodes moves from looking at how Natsukos drive to become a prolific animator (based on her die-hard affection for A Tale of Perishing) led her to live her life with blinders on to an epic battle among the Nine Soldiers. In a lesser show, these might feel like disparate extremes. But with Zenshu, the build felt perfect. Each battle leveled up the action and the stakes (and looked great while doing so), giving us another notch of Natsuko opening herself up to the people around her beyond being just a source of inspiration. Before she knows it, shes tangled up in the lives of those around her and all the better for it.In that way, Zenshu works on several levels of story. The main story is charming, and its neat watching the entire show use that to quietly push Natsuko through her creative blocks, as her magic becomes more complicated to use; she not only has to avoid recreating shapes but push through creations that get weaponized against her. Again: Making anime is hard work! And Zenshu never forgets the value in making our hero experience art rather than just simply creating it. The creative disconnect she had before she died what the ba-dump love moment should feel like in her film gets answered when she finally gets out of her own head long enough to experience it herself. When characters die or get threatened, Natsuko moves from ironic detachment to being openly moved. Its cute that the real creative verve was the friends we made along the way, but Zenshu lets these moments feel true and earned; theres a believable shift in Natsukos inner world over the course of the series that compels her to finally respond to the outer one.In many ways Zenshu feels like a love letter to anime, its fans, and all the delicious pain and imagination that comes with creating it. Was her adventure real? A dream? Some sort of fanfiction? Who knows; the ending which, bittersweetly, seems pretty final on screen is delightfully clipped. But the story persists anyway, whether Natsuko really changed it canonically or not. And it changed her, too. Her passion for the movie alters the course of her life time and time again: It propels her to become a creator, to obsess and hone her skills, to find connections. It only makes sense that, at the end of the remarkably self-contained season, it prompts her to find healthier and happier relationships to both work and those around her, too. Theres some encouragement to all of us, anime creators and consumers alike, to slow down and appreciate what makes life feel worth it.As the show pulls back the curtain on Natsukos specific struggles, it makes it all the more impressive how much fun Zenshu is. It looks great, whether its the bombastic fantasy action or the sketchy, colorful magic that seems to glimmer off the screen. Theres dynamic action and slow-boil romance, nuggets of wisdom and, ultimately, a splendidly ambitious story. It is a love letter to how impossible anime can feel from all sides of it and how much a true labor of love can feel like magic in the end.Zenshu is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rethinking human-like avatars in generative AIchatbotsSource: authorChatbots are considered tricky to design because most designers focus on creating a great UI, while the conversational aspect often remains an afterthought. Lets break down what 80% of chatbot designers focus onthe UI. This includes message bubbles, recommendations, headers, input sections, and often, a fancy chatbotavatar.Or they aim for the cool approach-giving the chatbot a highly realistic AI-generated face that moves its lips while synthesizing speech from text. When choosing the most suitable avatar for a chatbot assistant on a complex sales dashboard, the question arose: How realistic should the chatbots face be? Should we match it to the audiences context, or should it portray thebrand?Source: authorIn many cases, stakeholders suggestions may lean toward making it human-like hyper-realistic thinking its a brilliant idea, but the Uncanny Valley Effect (UVE) is precisely why you shouldnt give your chatbot a hyper-realistic avatar.Lets dial it back abitVisuals have always made a strong statement with all interfaces. Printed on paper, visuals have been convincing; on digital interfaces, they have been both useful and influential. Visual elements play with linguistic elements in a chatbot to convey feelings or emotions.After decades of designing UI, designers tend to cling to visual aesthetics, leading to eye-pleasing explorations on Dribbble. This is great until UI isnt the only thing in thepicture.Chatbots are designed to replace human agents in many domains, from online tutoring to customer service to cognitive therapy. But the interactions often feel machine-like. Besides building UI elements, a significant part of chatbot design focuses on usability and humanizing the experience. Avatars are considered a crucial element in this effort.Chatbots existed long before avatars became a consideration. For instance, ELIZA, the first artificial intelligence chatbot in 1966, imitated a therapist and made users believe they were conversing with a realhuman.As chatbots evolved, designers began incorporating visual elements to enhance user interaction. This led to the emergence of chatbot avatarsgraphical representations that add a layer of personality and engagement to conversations.The term Conversational Avatar was first used in 1999 in a paper by Justine Cassell and Hannes Hgni Vilhjlmsson titled Fully Embodied Conversational Avatars: Making Communicative Behaviors Autonomous.What are avatars for chatbots?A visual representation of the chatbot that appears as the entity the user is talking to in conversations. The avatar is based on its personality, accommodating various factors, including the target audience and brand guidelines.Emotional Connection: Avatars create an experience of co-presence for the user and increase the level of social presence in the shared virtualspace.Extension of Brand Identity: The avatar can embody your brand personality. Think of a mascot-style avatar for a playful brand or a sleek, professional one for a corporate setting adding to visualappeal.But not all avatars are created equal. Choosing the right type of avatar depends on the chatbots purpose, audience, and brand identity. Ever wondered why Gemini, Copilot, ChatGPT, Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant dont haveavatars?Choosing the rightavatarThe best avatar aligns with your brand and target audience. Here are some options to consider:Cartoon Characters: Friendly and approachable, perfect for casual interactions.Brand Mascots: Reinforce brand recognition and add a touch offun.Photorealistic Avatars: More human-like, supposedly ideal for building trust and credibility.Advanced systems like ChatAvatar can generate photorealistic 3D avatars of human faces through conversational text prompts. Many articles also recommended in Choose a Human-like Appearance for chatbots.While avatars can enhance chatbot interactions, making them too human-like can have unintended consequences. Remember I mentioned UVE -Uncanny Valley effects?wellThe Uncanny Valley: when almost human getscreepyWhen something appears almost human but has imperfections, it triggers a sense of eeriness or discomfort in us. This might be because it confuses our brainsis it real or not? It can lead to feelings of disgust, fear, or even revulsion.Source: https://essay.utwente.nl/78097/1/BachelorThesis_upload.pdfPicture a graph with a deep valley in the middle. On the left side, you have robots or animations that are clearly not humanthink industrial robots. As you move to the right, things get more human-like. But then you hit the uncanny valleythat unsettling dip where things look almost human, but not quite. This is where the UVE kicksin.For chatbots, the uncanny valley is especially relevant. We want avatars to be relatable and engaging, but if they look too human-like with even slight flaws in expression, it can backfire and creep usersout.Imagine having an average AI chatbot with a super realistic avatar, which initially sets the users expectation too high for a response, only to be let down by generic responses. Cartoon-like characters are particularly appreciated in HCI (HumanComputer Interaction) because they lower customer expectations towards the characters skills and help match the systems technical abilities.Source: https://essay.utwente.nl/78097/1/BachelorThesis_upload.pdfResearch provides evidence that UVE, engendered by the avatars hyperrealistic design and animacy, negatively impacts participants purchase intention and their willingness to reuse the anthropomorphic chatbot. These results are consistent with predictions fromUVE.Given these psychological effects, do chatbot avatars actually improve user engagement? Research suggests the answer isnt so straightforward.Mixed results on the benefits of chatbotavatarsWhile researchers found that avatars smoothen the interaction process, other studies have mixed results. Some participants find interactions with avatar-involved chatbots more engaging, while others say there is no need for anavatar.With conflicting findings, its clear that avatars arent always necessary. Instead of focusing on making chatbots more human-like, should we rethink what users actually need fromthem?In the era of deepfakes and AI imitating human speech, it is difficult to control a designers urge to make it unique, different, and more realistic with a human-like avatar for chatbot. This might explain why leading AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) dont haveavatars.Still, I askedthem.Source:authorSource:authorSource: authorThe bottomlineA well-designed and implemented chatbot personality supersedes the need for a human-like avatar to make a human connection. We keep working towards making technology more like humans, but sometimes, even humans dont truly understand each other. The person living with me might not know I am looking to buy a smart watch, but my social media algorithms knows that and even recommends me nice options. Maybe users might stop seeking human connections in AI/algorithms and start accepting the magic-like experience, where AIthe machineunderstands their needs, provides resolutions at the right time and helps them accomplish their tasks. We are so used to projecting emotions onto things, thats our human habit of anthropomorphizing everything. Blurring the lines between making technology more human and making humans more accepting of technologys benefits and tools. We could improve things by using technology as it is, rather than spending excessive time and effort trying to humanize technology and create another set ofhumans.References/further readsUsability of information-retrieval chatbots and the effects of avatars ontrustMillennials attitude toward chatbots: an experimental study in a social relationship perspectiveHumanizing chatbots: The effects of visual, identity, and conversational cues on humanness perceptionsWhy the Chatbot Avatar DoesntMatterOur human habit of anthropomorphizing everythinghttps://botpenguin.com/glossary/chatbot-avatarDo chatbots really need faces? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

How to avoid anchoring problems that result in stuck designersContinue reading on UX Collective

If youre a content creator or YouTuber, Sony, Canon and other camera companies want your business. There are more vlogging-specific models than ever, with several new models having arrived since our last guide, including Fujifilms XM-5.Recent vlogging-specific models include Sonys new ZV-E1 full-frame mirrorless that launched last year, DJIs Osmo Pocket 3 and Canons compact PowerShot V10. Others in this guide, like the new Panasonic G9 II and Canons EOS R6 II are hybrid mirrorless cameras that offer vlogging as part of a larger toolset.Many have certain things in common, like flip-around screens, face- and/or eye-detect autofocus and stabilization. Prices, features and quality can vary widely, though. To that end, weve updated our guide with all the latest vlogging cameras designed for novice to professional creators, in all price ranges. Engadget has tested all of these to give you the best possible recommendations. Table of contents Best vlogging cameras for 2025 Upcoming cameras What to look for in a vlogging camera Best vlogging cameras for 2025 Best action and portable cameras If youre just starting out in vlogging or need a small, rugged camera, an action cam might be your best bet. In general, theyre easy to use as you dont have to worry about things like exposure or focus. Recent models also offer good electronic stabilization and sharp, colorful video at up to 4K and 60 fps. The downsides are a lack of control; image quality thats not on par with larger cameras; and no zooming or option to change lenses. The best compact vlogging cameras Compact cameras are a step-up option from smartphones or action cameras, with larger sensors and much better image quality. At the same time, theyre not quite as versatile as mirrorless or DSLR cameras (and not necessarily cheaper) and they lack advanced options like 10-bit video. For folks who want the best possible quality without needing to think too much about their camera, however, its the best option. The best mirrorless vlogging cameras This is the class that has changed the most over the past couple of years, particularly in the more affordable price categories. Interchangeable lens cameras give you the most options for vlogging, offering larger sensors than compact cameras with better low-light sensitivity and shallower depth of field to isolate you or your subject. They also offer better control of your image with manual controls, log recording, 10-bit video and more. The drawbacks are extra weight compared to action or compact cameras, extra complexity and higher prices. Upcoming cameras If youre not quite ready to buy, there are some interesting options on the horizon. Canon just teased a camera which could be the R50 V, likely to be a vlogging-focused update to the R50 I recommended. Canon may also announce the availability of the PowerShot V1, a compact camera with a Type 1.4 sensor thats larger than the 1-inch sensors found on most compact cameras. Meanwhile, Panasonic just announced the S1R II, a 45-megapixel hybrid camera. Though the high resolution would suggest its mainly for photography, the S1R II can shoot 8K video at up to 30 fps and capture 5.7K 30 RAW internally. Its fairly expensive, but considerably cheaper than other options including the Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 II. That model is now on pre-order and set to start shipping by the end of March stay tuned for Engadgets review. What to look for in a vlogging camera Vlogging cameras are designed for filmmakers who often work alone and either use a tripod, gimbal, vehicle mount or just their hands to hold a camera. It has to be good not just for filming yourself, but other B-roll footage that helps tell your story. The number one requirement is a flip-around screen so you can see yourself while filming. Those can rotate up, down or to the side, but flipping out to the side is preferable so a tripod or microphone wont block it. Continuous autofocus (AF) for video with face and eye detection is also a must. It becomes your camera assistant, keeping things in focus while you concentrate on your content. Most cameras can do that nowadays, but some still do it better than others. If you move around or walk a lot, you should look for a camera with built-in optical stabilization. Electronic stabilization is another option as long as youre aware of the limitations. Youll also need a camera with a fast sensor that limits rolling shutter, which can create a distracting jello wobble with quick camera movements. Steve Dent/Engadget 4K recording is another key feature. All cameras nowadays can shoot 4K up to at least 24 fps, but if possible, its better to have 4K at 60 or even 120 fps. If you shoot sports or other things involving fast movement, look for a model with at least 1080p at 120 fps for slow-motion recording. Video quality and color accuracy are other important considerations, especially for skin tones. Good light sensitivity helps for night shooting or concerts, and a log profile helps improve dynamic range in very bright or dark shooting conditions. If you want the best possible image quality and can afford it, get a camera that can record 4K with 10-bits (billions) of colors. That will give you more options when you go to edit. Dont neglect audio either; if the quality is bad, your audience will disengage. Look for a camera with a microphone port so you can plug in a shotgun or lapel mic for interviews, or at least one with a good-quality built-in microphone. Its also nice to have a headphone port to monitor sound so you can avoid nasty surprises after youve finished shooting. Youll also want good battery life and, if possible, dual memory card slots for a backup. Finally, dont forget about your cameras size and weight. If youre constantly carrying one while shooting, especially at the end of a gimbal or gorillapod, it might actually be the most important factor. Thats why tiny GoPro cameras are so popular for sports, despite offering lower image quality and fewer pro features.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/best-vlogging-camera-151603452.html?src=rss

One of Samsung's CEOs, Jong-hee Han, has died due to a heart attack, according to Reuters and CNBC. He was 63. Han joined the company in 1988 and became the head of product research and development for visual display in 2011. He then led Samsung's TV business before he was named as the head of Samsung DX, which is what the company calls its merged mobile and consumer electronics divisions, in 2021. In 2022, he officially became the company's Vice Chairman and CEO. Han had no experience in mobile before he started leading the company's DX group, but Samsung gave him credit for helping it get to the top of global TV sales for 15 years.CNBC says Han was one of the executives who hosted Samsung's annual general shareholders meeting just a week ago and answered questions about the company's poor stock performance. During the meeting, Han apologized to the shareholders, telling them that Samsung "failed to adequately respond to the rapidly evolving AI semiconductor market." He also told the shareholders that Samsung was having difficulties when it came to semiconductor-related mergers and acquisitions due to regulatory issues, but that the company was "determined to produce some tangible results this year."Based on the notice Samsung published, Han's co-CEO Young-Hyun Jun is now the sole CEO of the company. Jun, who also heads Samsung's semiconductor business, was appointed as Han's co-CEO in November 2024. It's not clear whether Samsung is planning to appoint another CEO in the future.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/samsung-ceo-jong-hee-han-has-died-120029286.html?src=rss

A new motherboard compatibility listing from MSI has hinted towards a 24GB version of the RTX 5080.

The Google Pixel 9a's camera is apparently prone to overheating, but a software update might soon fix this.

You pay $75 more for your hotel room than the guest in an identical room next to yours. A friend is charged an extra $10 while online shopping for the same item. The difference in these prices isnt a result of simple supply-and-demand economics, but rather algorithms that analyze customers personal data in order to maximize what an individual will pay.Traditional pricing is based on market forces. Price discrimination is different, explains Justin Kloczko of the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog. Its based on you: Did you keep that tab open on your phone for some medication you are thinking of buying? Does the retailer know you prefer expedited shipping? Congrats, youre going to pay more than someone else who isnt considered to want the product as badly.These arent hypothetical scenarios: Retailers and platforms are doing this right now, a practice that critics call surveillance pricing. The issue was a focus of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission under former Chair Lina Khan. In the final days of the Biden administration, the FTC released a study showing that third-party companies use AI tools to help retailers boost revenue by as much as 5%, either through cost savings or by hiking prices for customers. But under President Donald Trumps new FTC chair, Andrew Ferguson, the agency seems unlikely to pursue the matter. Ferguson abruptly shut down the public comment period on surveillance pricing in January, and just last week Trump illegally fired the two remaining Democratic FTC commissioners, both of whom had championed studying the issue.With the federal government in retreat, California lawmakers are stepping up with a series of bills aimed at stopping companies from charging you based on who you are and what they know about you.The practice relies on intermediary companies hoovering up your personal information as well as data about your online and offline habits, and using AI to predict what price youll pay. Based on your private data, they may decide that because its your payday, youd be likely to pay more, explains Victoria Noble, a staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which sees surveillance pricing as a problem attributable, in large part, to failures inor the absence ofprivacy legislation. Or when you need something the most, such as in an emergency, you would also likely pay more.Californias legislative package takes aim at different ways that AI is being used to set prices. One bill, advanced by Assemblymember Chris Ward and cosponsored by Consumer Watchdog, would block retailers from using a consumers personal information to adjust prices; another is aimed at algorithms that personalize prices based on explicit or perceived characteristics gathered from personal data. Yet another bill would prohibit algorithms from setting rental property prices and would allow tenants to sue landlords who use such technology.Its not just consumers who are being targeted. A bill from California Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry addresses algorithmic price-fixing, which involves competitors using AI to collude to set higher prices. AI price-fixing is anti-competitive, restricts supply, and artificially inflates prices, she says, citing a case where, between 2022 and 2024, the price of frozen french fries rose by almost 50%, even though the underlying costs declined after manufacturers used a software program called PotatoTrac to share pricing data. A group of restaurant owners sued the manufacturers, alleging anti-competitive behavior.As the California Legislature, where Democrats control both houses, weighs these bills, it remains unclear whether Governor Gavin Newsom, who has occasionally vetoed AI-related measures (including a notable safety-related bill last year), would support such legislation. Also unclear: how watered-down the bills might be before they make it to his desk. But if passed, they could force companies operating in California to charge everyone equally, at least within the states borders.Now is the time to intervene on algorithmic pricing, say advocates. These technologies will only become more invasive, says Kloczko of Consumer Watchdog. AI is trying to hack our minds so it can predict our desires and fears in order to get us to buy more things for as much money as possible.Regulators are just starting to understand how widespread these practices are and how they impact the everyday lives of consumers. The FTC investigation started under Khans leadership found about 250 businesses across retail sectors use consumer information to set prices. Companies track behaviors from location to mouse movements, and even monitor what products you leave unpurchased in online shopping carts to decide what to charge you. Initial staff findings show that retailers frequently use peoples personal information to set targeted, tailored prices for goods and servicesfrom a persons location and demographics, down to their mouse movements on a web page, Khan wrote in a statement last year.But now the FTC is pulling back on the issue. After Ferguson shut down the request for information and public comment periods for surveillance pricing and several other issues, Alvaro Bedoya (one of the two commissioners fired by Trump last week) criticized the decision, saying, Chairman Ferguson seems uninterested in the challenges that regular human beings face.Aguiar-Curry says federal inaction makes state action crucial, especially in California, the home of major tech companies: Its more important than ever for California to lead on policies that make living more affordable, she said. Whether we have partners in Washington or not, protecting consumers and small businesses from illegal and unethical business practices is good policy and makes good sense.