Nintendo says Switch 2 preorders won't go live in the U.S. on April 9, citing President Trump's newly revealed tariffs.Read More

President Donald Trumps 25 percent tariffs on all auto-related imports have been called a debacle of epic proportions and a sure-fire way to tank the auto market by crushing demand. Analysts have been predicting everything from $12,000 per vehicle price hikes to the possible Cubanization of the US car fleet.Now that theyve had a few days to process the news, the automakers are starting to get their ducks in a row and make some moves.Heres how each company is responding:AudiNow that the tariffs are in effect, the German automaker is holding all vehicles assembled in Mexico and overseas at US ports until further notice, according to Automotive News. Audi currently has 37,000 units in dealer stock and at port which remain unaffected by the new import fees and are ready to sell. Audi reportedly said it would be marking unaffected units with a $0 No Added Import Fee option code for easy tracking.We are evaluating how to best proceed for our customers and our dealers, Audi spokesperson Mark Dahncke said.BMWBMW hasnt announced any specific response yet, but the company said last month that it expected a 1 billion hit to its 2025 earnings as a result of tariffs.BMW spokesperson Phil DiIanni declined to comment, aside from sending a statement highlighting the automakers commitment to making cars in the US.FordFord was first out of the gate with a response geared toward people panic shopping, hoping to capitalize on pre-tariff sticker prices. The automaker launched a new program called From America, For America that offers employee pricing to everyone.The promo runs April 3rd through June 2nd and offers significant savings on a number of 2024 and 2025 gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and diesel Ford and Lincoln vehicles, according to the company. EV customers will get the discount on top of the Ford Power Promise deal, which extends through June 30th and includes a complimentary home charger. Excluded from the limited-time offer are Ford Raptor models, 2025 Expedition and Navigator SUVs, and Super Duty trucks.We understand that these are uncertain times for many Americans, Ford says on its website. Whether its navigating the complexities of a changing economy or simply needing a reliable vehicle for your family, we want to help.The discount may help Ford clear out some of its ample inventory, which stood at a 74-day supply of vehicles on its dealers lots at the end of March, compared to 50 days for GM, according to JP Morgan Global Research.Image: Getty ImagesGMGeneral Motors responded by telling employees at its assembly plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that it would increase production of light-duty trucks and add some temporary hourly workers to backfill for employees during summer vacation. The company is also considering shifting some of its truck production from Mexico to the US. GM is not making any physical upgrades to the plant, just adding additional temporary people to support it.The Fort Wayne plant makes the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, which GM also manufactures at plants in Mexico and Canada. About half of GMs large pickup truck production is done in Mexico and Canada, according to a recent Barclays report.HondaThe Japanese automaker may not be merging with Nissan, but its already making moves to adjust to the tariffs. The company is planning on producing its next-generation Civic hybrid in Indiana instead of Mexico to avoid import duties, Reuters reported last month.Meanwhile, Honda dealers are reassuring their customers that most of their most popular vehicles are made in the US. And spokesperson Chris Martin referred to the Autos Drive America trade group, which asserts that it is impossible to rebuild those supply chains in a matter of weeks, especially with the added financial burden of tariffs.Hyundai / KiaHyundai gets the award for most Trump-appeasing announcement, with a commitment to spend $21 billion in the US (despite most of that investment already being underway). But while Trump was happy to brandish the announcement as proof his tariffs were working, the Korean automaker was also reportedly warning its dealers that prices could go up as a result of the new import duties.Hyundai Motor, including Kia, Hyundai and Genesis, remains committed to the long-term growth of the U.S. automotive industry through localized production and innovation, spokesperson James Bell said in an email.Jaguar Land RoverJLR is holding off on any immediate decisions, telling UK-based media that its local business remains resilient. But residents of the town where Jaguar operates its factory were dour about the news.Im appalled. It will kill Jaguar Land Rover here in the town, one resident told The Guardian. There could potentially be job losses because JLR export enormously to America. The knock-on effect is going to be enormous.Mercedes-BenzThe luxury automaker is reportedly considering pulling its least expensive models, like its entry-level GLA, from the US market, Bloomberg said. But no decisions have been made yet, as spokesperson Amanda Painter said that Mercedes-Benz was still currently assessing the impact of the US-tariff lines.Image: Bloomberg via Getty ImagesNissanNissan initially said that it would cut a shift at the Smyrna, Tennessee, assembly plant where it makes its popular Rogue SUV once Trumps tariffs went into effect. But now that the tariffs are here, the company reversed itself, committing to keeping two shifts at the factory.Nissan is making some other hard decisions, though. The automaker said it would pause orders of the Infiniti QX55, which is built at its COMPAS plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Nissan said production is expected to continue for those models sold in other markets.We are reviewing our production and supply chain operations to identify optimal solutions for efficiency and sustainability, spokesperson Lloryn Love-Carter said in a statement. Our objective is to implement the most effective industrial strategy to offer Nissan and Infiniti customers great product and strong value.PorschePorsche has never been the cheapest sports car on the block, but tariffs are likely to put renewed pressure on its prices. Last month, the companys executives told reporters that it was likely to pass the cost of tariffs along to its customers, according to The Wall Street Journal.StellantisThe parent company of Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Maserati, and others has good news and bad news to share in response to the tariffs. The good news is that its copying Fords idea of employee price discounts to the public. The bad news is that its temporarily laying off 900 workers while pausing production at several factories.Stellantis said it would be pausing production at its Windsor, Ontario, plant for two weeks, from April 7th to April 14th, with operations resuming on April 21st. Its also pausing production at its Toluca, Mexico, plant for the month of April. The layoffs will affect workers at the Warren Stamping and Sterling Stamping plants in Michigan, as well as the Indiana Transmission Plant and Kokomo Transmission Plant and Kokomo Casting Plant in Indiana.We understand that the current environment creates uncertainty, Antonio Filosa, chief operating officer for the Americas at Stellantis, said in an email to employees. Be assured that we are very engaged with all of our key stakeholders, including top government leaders, unions, suppliers and dealers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, as we work to manage and adapt to these changes.Stellantis employee pricing program will run through April 30th. Discounts vary based on model and location.TeslaTesla, which is dealing with its own problems, hasnt immediately responded to the news of the tariffs. That said, CEO Elon Musk has made several comments in response to commentary on X that Tesla is better insulated from the new fees as a result of selling only vehicles made in the US to American customers.Important to note that Tesla is NOT unscathed here, Musk said. The tariff impact on Tesla is still significant.Image: Getty ImagesToyotaThe biggest automaker in the world is keeping its cards close to its vest for now. Toyota has no immediate plans to raise prices as a result of the tariffs, both Japanese media reports and Reuters confirm. Spokesperson Rick Bourgoise declined to comment further.VolkswagenVW is adding import fees to the price of imported cars sold in the US, The New York Times reported. The exact amount will be determined later this month. It was the clearest example yet of Trumps tariffs leading to higher costs for consumers.VolvoVolvo is thinking about boosting its US-based production, including bringing new models to the factory it operates in Ridgeville, South Carolina, the companys CEO told Bloomberg. Volvo already builds the EX90 SUV and Polestar 3 at the plant in order to take advantage of the federal EV tax credit.Volvo spokesperson Sophia Durr declined to comment on any further plans.See More:

AI agents are increasingly vital in helping engineers efficiently handle complex coding tasks. However, one significant challenge has been accurately assessing and ensuring these agents can handle real-world coding scenarios beyond simplified benchmark tests.Augment Code has announced the launch of theirAugment SWE-bench Verified Agent, a development in agentic AI tailored specifically for software engineering. This release places them at the top of open-source agent performance on the SWE-bench leaderboard. By combining the strengths of Anthropics Claude Sonnet 3.7 and OpenAIs O1 model, Augment Codes approach has delivered impressive results, showcasing a compelling blend of innovation and pragmatic system architecture.The SWE-bench benchmark is a rigorous test that measures an AI agents effectiveness in handling practical software engineering tasks drawn directly from GitHub issues in prominent open-source repositories. Unlike traditional coding benchmarks, which generally focus on isolated, algorithmic-style problems, SWE-bench offers a more realistic testbed that requires agents to navigate existing codebases, identify relevant tests autonomously, create scripts, and iterate against comprehensive regression test suites.Augment Codes initial submission has achieved a 65.4% success rate, a notable achievement in this demanding environment. The company focused its first effort on leveraging existing state-of-the-art models, specifically Anthropics Claude Sonnet 3.7 as the primary driver for task execution and OpenAIs O1 model for ensembling. This approach strategically bypassed training proprietary models at this initial phase, establishing a robust baseline.One interesting aspect of Augments methodology was their exploration into different agent behaviors and strategies. For example, they found that certain expected beneficial techniques like Claude Sonnets thinking mode and separate regression-fixing agents did not yield meaningful performance improvements. This highlights the nuanced and sometimes counterintuitive dynamics in agent performance optimization. Also, basic ensembling techniques such as majority voting were explored but ultimately abandoned due to cost and efficiency considerations. However, simple ensembling with OpenAIs O1 did provide incremental improvements in accuracy, underscoring the value of ensembling even in constrained scenarios.While Augment Codes initial SWE-bench submissions success is commendable, the company is transparent about the benchmarks limitations. Notably, SWE-bench problems are heavily skewed toward bug fixing rather than feature creation, the provided descriptions are more structured and LLM-friendly compared to typical real-world developer prompts, and the benchmark solely utilizes Python. Real-world complexities, such as navigating massive production codebases and dealing with less descriptive programming languages, pose challenges that SWE-bench does not capture.Augment Code has openly acknowledged these limitations, emphasizing its continued commitment to optimizing agent performance beyond benchmark metrics. They stress that while improvements to prompts and ensembling can boost quantitative results, qualitative customer feedback and real-world usability remain its priorities. The ultimate goal for Augment Code is developing cost-effective, fast agents capable of providing unparalleled coding assistance in practical professional environments.As part of its future roadmap, Augment is actively exploring the fine-tuning of proprietary models using RL techniques and proprietary data. Such advancements promise to enhance model accuracy and significantly reduce latency and operational costs, facilitating more accessible and scalable AI-driven coding assistance.Some of the key takeaways from the Augment SWE-bench Verified Agent include:Augment Code released Augment SWE-bench Verified Agent, achieving the top spot among open-source agents.The agent combines Anthropics Claude Sonnet 3.7 as its core driver and OpenAIs O1 model for ensembling.Achieved a 65.4% success rate on SWE-bench, highlighting robust baseline capabilities.Found counterintuitive results, where anticipated beneficial features like thinking mode and separate regression-fixing agents offered no substantial performance gains.Identified cost-effectiveness as a critical barrier to implementing extensive ensembling in real-world scenarios.Acknowledged benchmark limitations, including its bias towards Python and smaller-scale bug-fixing tasks.Future improvements will focus on cost reduction, lower latency, and improved usability through reinforcement learning and fine-tuning proprietary models.Highlighted the importance of balancing benchmark-driven improvements with qualitative user-centric enhancements.Check outthe GitHub Page.All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,feel free to follow us onTwitterand dont forget to join our85k+ ML SubReddit. Asif RazzaqWebsite| + postsBioAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.Asif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Meet Open-Qwen2VL: A Fully Open and Compute-Efficient Multimodal Large Language ModelAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Researchers from Dataocean AI and Tsinghua University Introduces Dolphin: A Multilingual Automatic Speech Recognition ASR Model Optimized for Eastern Languages and DialectsAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Introduction to MCP: The Ultimate Guide to Model Context Protocol for AI AssistantsAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/Snowflake Proposes ExCoT: A Novel AI Framework that Iteratively Optimizes Open-Source LLMs by Combining CoT Reasoning with off-Policy and on-Policy DPO, Relying Solely on Execution Accuracy as Feedback

Its been a wild news roller coaster for U.S. gamers this week. It began with the celebratory full reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 in all its glory and games, followed closely by audience dismay over its $450 price tag and $80 for Mario Kart Tour, only for everyone to reel once again this morning as Nintendo announced it would hold off on pre-orders for the system until it could assess the impact of the Trump Administrations sudden, sweeping, unprecedented tariffs on just about every nation in the world.Weve written elsewhere about why the Nintendo Switch 2 cost so much to begin with, and what impact the industrys trade association thinks these new tariffs are likely to have on games writ large. But right now, the real question on everyones minds is, whats Nintendo going to do? When pre-orders do open, will the Nintendo Switch 2 be even more expensive?Normally, when there are questions to the tune of what is going to happen with video games?, I go ask a panel of expert industry analysts. While they cant literally predict the future, most of the time, they have a pretty solid consensus understanding, backed by evidence and data, of whats most likely to happen, and I turn around and write about that. Ive already done it twice this week.But for the first time since I started interviewing analysts on such topics, every single analyst I spoke to was effectively stumped. Several had guesses one way or another: Nintendo will raise the price, or wont. But every single one of them heavily caveated their response with an emphasis on the chaos of the moment. This has never happened before, its all happening very fast, and absolutely no one can accurately predict what Nintendo, Trump, or anyone will do tomorrow, next week, or months down the road.So with that rather astonishing disclaimer in mind, heres what all the analysts I spoke to did say:Sky-High SwitchWith everyone I spoke to taking their best wild guesses on what was going to happen, I ended up with a pretty divided panel. On the side of Nintendo will raise prices was Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games. Though he says he at first thought it was too late for Nintendo to raise prices after it had announced them, this delay has changed his mind. At this stage, he doesnt think Nintendo has much of a choice.It is very difficult to predict, but Nintendo will likely take a few days to run simulations and then announce hikes, not only for the system itself but also games and accessories, he said. I hope I am wrong but if sustained, these sky-high tariffs leave them no choice. Would you be surprised now to see Switch 2 hit US$500 for the base model? I wouldn't.What I also want to add is this: Why on earth did Nintendo not wait for the US to fix their tariffs first and then decide on pricing during a Direct a few days later? This made no sense.PlayMat Piscatella, senior analyst at Circana, heavily caveated his opinion (as did basically everyone else) with a reminder that this is all unprecedented and unpredictable. But ultimately, he too came down on the side of games prices generally, including Nintendo prices, likely going up. But how much, and on what is anyones guess. Based on the conversations I'm having, the breadth and depth of the tariffs surprised everyone, not just consumers, he said.Piscatella told me that Nintendo likely had some assumptions in mind about what the tariffs would be when it set the price originally. But when the actual tariffs came in on Wednesday, it was probably much higher than Nintendo, or anyone, anticipated.Every reasonable and responsible business that relies on international supply chains will be reevaluating its US consumer pricing at this point. They have to.Some territories and regions globally have historically been subject to higher pricing than other parts of the world when it comes to video games. The US could certainly be joining that group because of these tariffs. The haphazard and chaotic nature of the tariffs and their announcement obviously has many scrambling to navigate the fallout.Every reasonable and responsible business that relies on international supply chains will be reevaluating its US consumer pricing.Manu Rosier, director of market analysis at Newzoo, also predicts that hardware prices will increase, though he suggests software will likely not be impacted in the same way.While physical versions might be subject to tariffs, the growing dominance and lower cost of digital distribution would likely limit any broader effect, he said.Regarding hardware, however, the situation is more sensitive. If a 20% tariffor any substantial increasewere to be introduced, its unlikely that companies like Nintendo would absorb the additional cost by cutting into their margins. In such cases, the burden could shift to consumers in the form of higher retail prices.Holding the LineOn the other side of speculation, again with a heavy dose of telling me how unprecedented this is and how no one really knows what will happen, I find Joost van Dreunen, NYU Stern professor and author of SuperJoost Playlist. He acknowledges that a price increase on the Nintendo Switch 2 is possible, especially given the high tariffs on Vietnam. But he thinks the company will try very, very hard to avoid that."I believe the volatility from the Trump tariffs was already considered in the Switch 2's $449.99 pricing, he said. Given the first Trump administration's impact, Nintendo, like other manufacturers, has since restructured its supply chain to mitigate such geopolitical risks. Historically, Nintendo has aimed for a launch price around the $400 mark, adjusted for inflation, suggesting that the current price already reflects an anticipation of potential economic challenges stemming from ongoing trade disputes.Nevertheless, the unpredictable nature of these tariff decisionsexemplified by the recent situation in Vietnaminjects a significant amount of uncertainty into the market. This could compel Nintendo to find ways to absorb or offset additional costs, especially when initial product margins are typically narrower. While I expect Nintendo will strive to maintain the $449.99 price point, the external economic pressures may eventually force a reassessment if the trade landscape deteriorates further."Nintendo will not want to change the price having announced it, but I think everything is on the table now.Piers Harding-Rolls, games researcher at Ampere Analysis, agrees, saying that Nintendo runs the risk of consumer backlash if it raises prices further:The extent of the tariffs and its impact on Vietnamese exports are really bad news for Nintendo, he says. The company is now in between a rock and a hard place, having already announced the launch price. I have already suggested that the pricing would stay as announced until 2026 at the earliest but then might be adjusted if the tariffs stay in place. This delay in pre-orders is to give the company more time and it will be hoping some sort of solution will be found over the next few weeks. This is a pretty fluid situation after all. Nintendo will not want to change the price having announced it, but I think everything is on the table now. If the pricing does change, it will impact the brand and the US consumers view of the product at launch. I dont think that will put off loyal fans, but it might put off broader consumers who will take a wait a see approach. Thats particularly important during its first holiday season.Living in Unhinged TimesFinally, I spoke to Rhys Elliott, games analyst at Alinea Analytics. Elliott joined the first camp of analysts in predicting higher prices on both Nintendo hardware and software due to Trumps tariffs. He also pointed back to his comments in my previous analyst piece, where he spoke on Nintendo announcing cheaper digital editions of Nintendo Switch 2 games in certain markets. It seems the lower prices in other markets were to nudge Switch 2 buyers to digital, as I mentioned my comments to IGN about Mario Kart Worlds pricing. Nintendo might have wanted to do something similar in the US, but the tariff situation is so chaotic that Nintendo was in wait and see mode and decided to hedge its bets to see if it needed to offset the tariffs.Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories GalleryElliott went on to project a rather grim picture of what will happen to the games industry more broadly as a result of the tariffs, with his predictions in line with what a spokesperson from the Entertainment Software Association warned me of earlier this morning on the same topic. He says that the tariffs will result in a weaker, poorer nation, with consumers ultimately paying the price. Heres the rest of Elliotts take on this:Some manufacturers Nintendo included have been shifting their manufacturing to non-tariff-impacted markets, Elliott says. And even if companies can afford to switch up (no pun intended!) their supply chains, who knows which markets will get tariffs next as recent news supports. Companies cannot just lift up their whole supply chain and move everything to the US. Its just not logistically possible. Under current law (I cant believe I have to qualify this, but here we are), Trump would not be in power anymore by the time such a move would be completed for Nintendo and other manufacturers. We are living in theres no other word for it .. unhinged times driven by an unhinged man (and other forces).We are living intheres no other word for it...unhinged times driven by an unhinged man (and other forces).These extreme tariffs will also be bad for consumers in the US but are positive for the US administrations populist faade. Policies that lead to higher prices for everyday people amid a cost-of-living crisis are deplorable. They're bad for gamers and the games business. I wont comment on the real reason for the US tariffs, but a much stronger, much richer nation is not it.Whats more, time and time again, data has shown that tariffs harm the economy. Comparative advantage is a core principle of international trade theory. Basically, consumption and economic well-being are stronger when countries focus on producing goods they can efficiently produce (at the lowest cost compared to other goods) and trade for goods they are less efficient at producing. The trade war flies in the face of these core economic principles.Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

This article contains spoilers for A Minecraft Movie.There was no joy or creativity at all! Thats how protagonist Steve (Jack Black) describes the Nether, a dark underworld introduced during the mandatory and expository voiceover that opens A Minecraft Movie.Of course, that description also describes A Minecraft Movie itself, a slog of IP-driven nonsense that somehow has the temerity to make its bad guys monsters bent on destroying joy and creativity in their endless search for more money. Granted, A Minecraft Movie isnt the worst bit of IP-driven media released lately, that dishonor still belongs to The Garfield Movie. But it does encapsulate everything wrong with modern Hollywoods focus on intellectual property and brand recognition, for four main reasons.An Over-Minded PlotFull disclosure: Ive never played Minecraft. But my kids have, and they tell me it isnt about action or plot. They enjoy Minecraft because it feels like the worlds biggest LEGO set, an endless play place where they can use blocks to create whatever they imagine. To be sure, director Jared Hess and his gaggle of screenwriters have the characters in the film say the same thing about the Overworld, the magical cube-based place where most of A Minecraft Movie is set. But absolutely nothing on screen reflects that love of imagination, starting with its plot.To prevent the villainous pig monster Malgosha (Rachel House) from leaving the Nether and invading the Overworld, Steve hides a MacGuffin called the Orb of Dominance in the real world. There it comes into the possession of Garrett The Garbage Man Garrison (Jason Momoa), a swaggering man-child whose inability to move on from his past life as an arcade champion has left him with a failing retro game store.Into the store comes pre-teen Henry (Sebastian Hansen), who has moved to town with his caretaker, older sister Natalie (Emma Myers of Wednesday), after the death of their parents. Henry finds the Orb, which guides himalong with Garrett, Natalie, and realtor Dawn (Danielle Brooks)into the Overworld.What follows is a series of set pieces designed to present the minutiae of the world in exacerbating detail, thus thrilling viewers who recognize this stuff from the games. However, the absolute lack of care about everything else, including plot mechanics that rely heavily on formula and tropes, will undoubtedly bore everyone elseespecially when they recognize that stuff from a million other movies. As a result, the movie amounts to little more than a pile-up of narrative complications and conveniences, introduced with byzantine rules. Each of these obstacles is then immediately resolved while remaining completely free of tension.Steve begins the movie captured by Malgosha, but is let go when he promises to bring her the Orb, something he never does and she never expects. Late in the film, Henry gets zapped by an Enderman, a dangerous monster who, in Steves words, scrambles minds. But Henry literally shakes it off after 30 seconds of visions, vanquishing this most dangerous of beasts with a few sword swipes.Adults who have never played the game feel absolutely nothing from these beats, but kids who have had their Minecraft sessions ruined by Endermen can fill in the gaps that the movie leaves. At least, thats what filmmakers are counting on: familiarity with the game creating a tension or excitement the film never has time to be bothered with engineering.Characters Youve Seen BeforeEver since he warned us about the dangers of Pitfall! in a 1982 Atari commercial, Jack Black has charmed audiences with his outsized enthusiasm. His role as Steve asks him to do the same, and so he waves his hands to underscore the mystery of the flying boots and swaggers across the screen when blocks appear wherever he points. He enters each new location with a loud, Whoa-ho! demanding that we be just as excited.Black has also been the secret weapon for many terrible IP movies. Consider how he brought energy to later Kung Fu Panda and Jumanji entries, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Borderlands. But the grind seems to have finally caught up with him. Theres sadness in his eyes this time as he does his usual moves. The louder he gets, the more tired he seems.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!To a certain extent, Momoa picks up some of the slack. He too usually plays big, lovable bros, and his loudness can sometimes compensate for Blacks exhaustion. However, hes trying to create a real performance with Garrett, and he really shouldnt. Not only does A Minecraft Movie not warrant actual acting, but Garretts a terrible character to take seriously. Why would kids want to see an adult be sad about video games? Its their dream come true!Outside of Garrett and Steve, A Minecraft Movie fills out its cast with one-note character types. Theres the smart, awkward kid who needs to believe in himself; theres the caretaker who needs to learn to trust her charge; theres a sassy plus-sized woman of color (played by an actor who just earned an Oscar nom for The Color Purple!) to drop one-liners; and theres a big tough baddie who acts like a nice guy.As with the plot, A Minecraft Movie goes for the easy money guaranteed by safety, not for the creativity it claims to celebrate.Millions of PeachesPerhaps the most craven part of A Minecraft Movie involves its many, many songs. Now singing has long been a part of Blacks act, ever since his incredible take on Lets Get it On in High Fidelity. But when the entire movie stops so he can drop a 30-second ditty about eating lava-cooked chicken or an ode to his doggie Dennis, its clear that A Minecraft Movie hopes to have its own Peaches, a la The Super Mario Bros. Movies viral sensation.Songs arent the only thing A Minecraft Movie rips off from other video game adaptations though. The film is also fond of wry asides that comment upon the oddity of the world, with confused reaction shots and one-liners (usually involving Brookss Dawn). This can occur when a bone magically turns an angry wolf into a happy pup, or day turns to night within seconds. Its as if the movie would like you to know that it also thinks the source material is dumb, even though the source material is the only part of the film that isnt generic.Finally, and least surprisingly, A Minecraft Movie features two end-credit scenes, one with a celebrity cameo and the other with a sequel tease. The first appears mid-credits, and pays off a running gag about a villageran NPC from the game who says nothing but looks at things with confusionwho makes it to the real world and goes on a date with Henrys principal.The principal is played by Jennifer Coolidge, best known lately for incessant credit card commercials, which means that shes an air-headed and slightly too sexual older woman who throws herself at the silent villager. But when a former beau arrives and challenges the villager, he speaks in the sonorous tones of Matt Berry. In this case, the joke is funny because its funny, and not just because Matt Berrys funny, and we like him in other things.In the final scene, Steve returns to his old house to find it now occupied by a woman who introduces herself as Alex. I clocked the voice as that of Kate McKinnon, but needed my daughter to explain that Alex is the female counterpart to Steve, a girl-character for players who want to play as a girl. And thats it. But it was enough to get my daughter excited, which I guess is the point.It Doesnt Have to Be This WayA Minecraft Movie is incredibly dull, but in certain moments it shows flashes of originality. That somehow makes the movie worse.Its been a long time since Hess did anything as impactful as Napoleon Dynamite or Nacho Libre, but his droll, late-80s aesthetic brings some character to the few scenes before the heroes go to the Overworld. A sequence involving Henry accidentally sending a rocket pack into the giant potato at the center of town is strangely funny. Even the decision to dress Momoa in a pink frilly jacket and Brooks in a pastel jumpsuit is a choice.Perhaps the most interesting parts are the most upsetting. Although the film retains the blocky designs from the game, it covers them with real textures. Thus the enemy piglins all have flabby, harry skin, complete with hairs and pustules. The villagers have the same uni-brows and massive Squidward-style noses they sport in the game, but here, the unibrows are bushy and full, and the noses look like someone slapped uncanned Spam on their faces.In these moments, A Minecraft Movie threatens be something closer to the original Super Mario Bros. movie of 1993 or Street Fighter (1994), or even Double Dragon (1994), video game adaptations that arent good by any standard and that still exist to pump money from an IP, but at least fail in a way thats interesting. At least they show some imagination.A Minecraft Movie, as much as it says otherwise, is not a movie about imagination. Its a movie about money and nothing else. And it certainly wont be the last.A Minecraft Movie currently exists in theaters worldwide.

iOS 18s new Control Center has proven to be much more than a one-off design change. Apple has steadily added new capabilities to Control Center via software updates, and iOS 18.4 continues that trend in a big way thanks to several nice upgrades.#1: New Ambient Music controlsiOS 18.4 introduces a whole new section of Apple Music controls called Ambient Music. Here youll find the following four controls:ChillProductivitySleepWellbeingEach of these let you quickly trigger an Apple Music playlist that fits the given mood. You can also configure your chosen control to play a different playlist by defaulteither one you manually set yourself, or a recommended built-in.Ambient Music controls can be resized to take up one, two, or four slots inside Control Center, and they can also be assigned to your iPhones Action Button or Lock Screen.#2: Visual Intelligence & Talk to SiriIn the newly renamed Apple Intelligence and Siri section of Control Centers catalog, there are two new options.Joining the existing Type to Siri toggle, you can now also add Talk to Siri and Visual Intelligence as new controls.The former triggers Siri in voice mode, just like the side button does. The latter enables a key Apple Intelligence camera feature, which was formerly iPhone 16-exclusive, to also come to the iPhone 15 Pro and 16e despite the lack of Camera Control. Visual Intelligence makes an especially nice Action Button assignment.#3: Control Centers design updates in iOS 18.4Apple also has several design enhancements included with iOS 18.4. Those changes include:Focus control adding up and down arrowsBrightness slider changing animations based on levelVolume slider similarly animates dynamicallyThe Focus change makes it clear that you can tap the arrows to view your full lineup of Focus modes. It sits on the right side of the toggle, while hitting the left side turns the current Focus on and off.iOS 18.4s brightness and volume slider animations show off some of the fun design flourishes Apple is known for. With the brightness slider, for example, youll see the sun grow smaller and dimmer or larger and brighter based on your brightness setting.iOS 18.4 Control Center: wrap-upControl Center has gone through several updates over the course of its lifespan, but the latest iteration keeps proving itself the best. The ability for users to fully customize their own Control Center setups, and choose from a wide range of controls thats always growing, has made for a winning combination. iOS 18.4s additions only continue Apples success making Control Center better than ever.Which iOS 18.4 Control Center changes do you care about most? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

As the world economy reels from President Donald Trump's so-called "reciprocal tariffs," the trade war between China and the US is escalating to new heights.Nowhere is that more evident than in China's wild clapback in the form of an AI-generated music video blasting the United States, which came hours after Trump announced a 34 percent tax on Chinese imports.The English-language China Global Television Network (CGTN) released the song, called "Look What You Taxed Us Through" ahead of Wall Street's worst single-day performance since 2020, during the throes of the pandemic. The song's lyrics are written from the point of view of an American consumer, blasting Trump's economic policy and daily life in the US more broadly. While the music video is AI-generated a fact the CGTN advertises, unlike some American slopaganda it also makes use of clips and audio from real sources like Trump rallies, Tesla protests, and American social media."Groceries cost a kidney, gas a lung. Your 'deals'? Just hot air from your tongue," the song opens, overlaid with B-roll from Tesla protests and audio from inflation-wary Americans. It continues: "Elon's satellites crash, Bezos' wealth sinks, the GDP's limping, the Fed's out of tricks, your 'patriot tax' made Wall Street sick."While harsh remarks from US officials and mainstream media about China are nothing new, China rarely hits back with this much vinegar. Its appeal to US citizens to question their economy is clear: "CEOs buy yachts, we can't afford a stew!"But Beijing's retaliatory strategy goes far beyond campy propaganda. China has matched the US' tariffs with 34 percent tariffs on its own, sharply escalating a seven-year trade war. It also announced controls on rare earth exports, which could be a major blow for American manufacturing, as China produces about 90 percent of the world's refined rare earth metal.Unfortunately for people in the US, the CGTN's depiction isn't far off. Responding to the terrible rotten stock market dive, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell noted that Trump's tariffs are "larger than expected," adding that increased inflation, lost jobs, and stagnant economic growth are likely."We face a highly uncertain outlook with elevated risks of both higher unemployment and higher inflation," Powell fretted.US business leaders were a little less restrained."There will be blood," was the message from JP Morgan's Bruce Kasman, whose team released an analysis of the tariffs on Thursday. They warned that the risk of a recession has skyrocketed from an already uncomfortable 40 percent to a whopping 60. "At a basic level," Kasman's team calls the tariffs a functional tax increase on US citizens and businesses.So far, Trump's tariffs have wiped $2.5 trillion in US stock market value, and it's anyone's guess when we might hit the bottom. At least we'll get some crafty Chinese propaganda when we do.Share This Article

Today is April 4 or 4/4, which is about as good a time as any to promote a newFantastic Four movie. Although Marvel showedoff new footage from the The Fantastic Four: First Stepsat CinemaCon this week, it hasnt appeared online yet. Instead, Marvel released a new retro-styled poster for the film.Although they only appear as silhouettes, thats Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Thing, Vanessa Kirby as the Invisible Woman, Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic, and Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch. (Not pictured: H.E.R.B.I.E. the Robot as himself.)Here is the new poster for the film in honor of 4/4...THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPSMarvelloading...READ MORE: A Big Marvel Actor Says The Studios Movies Arent to Her TasteTheres a fancy motion version of the poster on Instagram as well.A new feature on the movie published inEmpire Magazine, also for 4/4, includes several new images of the cast (not in silhouette) and comments from director Matt Shakman, who says that his approach to the retro-futuristic film was to make the audience feel like it was made in 1965, the way Stanley Kubrick would have made it. That includes an emphasis on practical sets and props including a miniature spaceship used for outer space photography, which was shot with old lenses.Of course, Shakman added, we still have a lot of CG.Youll be able to judge whether the filmachieves its Kubrickian ambitions whenThe Fantastic Four: First Stepsto opens in theaterseverywhere on July 25. All four of the films leads will then return inAvengers: Doomsday next spring, where they will fight Robert Downey Jr.s Doctor Doom.Get our free mobile app10 Actors Who Played Distractingly Bad Doubles in MoviesThese dual performances are doubly distracting.Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky

Our teams address substance exposed living and substance exposed pregnancy. You will work within a family-focused culture and have the benefit of learning both the clinical and business sides of the company. You will have a flexible schedule and the freedom to create groups and utilize evidence based practices you are most passionate about.As a clinician, you will work in collaborative settings to provide biopsychosocial assessments, individual and group therapy, and work with your team to coordinate care across a range of substance use disorder treatment settings. You will enjoy the flexibility and autonomy to work from home.Compensation: Potential to earn up to $75,000 a year based on your clinical hours, plus benefits.Comprehensive Benefits Package includes:Medical, Dental and Vision InsuranceSupplemental Life InsuranceShort Term and Long Term Insurance paid by Mindoula401k, with a company match3 weeks paid vacation each year, 4 mental wellness days and 11 holidaysParental Leave: 8 weeks of paid parental leavePersonal Development Program: $500 credit reimbursement per calendar yearHow you'll contribute:Assesses, plans and implements care strategies that are individualized by member and directed toward the most appropriate and least restrictive level of care.Collaborates with member, family and healthcare providers to develop an individualized plan of care.Conducts individual counseling and group therapy with adolescents and adults.Identifies and initiates referrals for social service programs including financial, psycho-social, community and state supportive services.Advocates for members and families as needed to ensure the patients needs and choices are fully represented and supported by the healthcare team.Utilizes approved clinical criteria to assess and determine appropriate level of care for members.Documents all member assessments, care plan and referrals provided.Responsible for achieving set goals; Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).Learning the StrongWell model and taking responsibility and ownership for outcome based care.Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings and utilization management rounds and provides information to assist with safe transitions of care.Promotes responsible and ethical stewardship of company resources.Maintains excellent punctuality and attendance during work hours.Qualifications:LCSW, LMFT, LPC, in Tennessee.Preferred experience with substance abuse population.Background in maternal; substance abuse preferred.Experience with adults and adolescents.Familiarity with Medicare and Medicaid procedures.Remote Work Experience.Come be part of the solution!Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now

The end of A Minecraft Movie plants the seed for a bigger, blocky, cinematic universe to take shape.