Netflix has released a very strange simulation game called Thronglets that is tied to the new Black Mirror Season 7 episode called Plaything.Read More

Star Citizen funding reaches $800m | News-in-brief Cloud Imperium's multiplayer remains in early access, aiming for a 2026 launch Image credit: Cloud Imperium Games News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on April 10, 2025 This is a News-in-brief article, our short format linking to an official source for more information. Read more about this story by following the link below: Star Citizen funding reaches $800m

After years of diminishing returns, Black Mirror returns to form in season 7 with one of its best outings yet. The anthology series demonstrates its range and flexibility by getting back to its most dystopian roots, delivering an extremely fun sequel to a fan favorite episode, and tapping Paul Giamatti for a beautifully melancholy story about dealing with painful memories. Some of the episodes are a bit predictable or too focused on recapturing Black Mirror’s past glories, but for once, there isn’t a single dud in the mix.Series creator and writer Charlie Brooker said people can get enough dystopia just looking out their windows these days, so the season 7 leans towards lighter and more optimistic stories. But the premiere, “Common People,” is as dark and bleak as anything he’s penned since season 1. Rashida Jones and Chris O’Dowd are immediately charming as Amanda and Mike, a working-class couple trying to start a family, but there are few things scarier than seemingly normal, happy people in an episode of Black Mirror. When a health crisis lands Amanda in the hospital, an experimental treatment seems like a miracle – but puts her very mind at the mercy of a greedy corporation.The episode is a perfect crystallization of Black Mirror’s original mission to explore the dark intersection of technology and human nature. It’s a thorough rebuke of the United States’ cruel healthcare system, where people with chronic illness and lower incomes are made to suffer pointlessly while the wealthy enjoy the best treatment for both necessary and elective care. Beyond condemning corporate greed, “Common People” is also a scathing rebuke of people who find desperation entertaining, imagining an all too realistic livestream that’s a fusion of GoFundMe and MrBeast where people debase themselves for small donations. It’s a deeply tragic episode that evokes a feeling of powerlessness as potent as season 1’s “Fifteen Million Merits.”Equally tearjerking is “Eulogy,” the rare Black Mirror episode where the novel technology is purely used for good. Here the disc used to play video games in “USS Callister” and “Striking Vipers” allows Phillip (Giamatti) to share his memories of his late ex, so they can be used in her funeral service. The journey through old pictures is gorgeously directed by Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor, with images coming into focus or even blossoming into color as Phillip reconnects to moments he thought he would rather forget and reconciles with his own role in the breakup. This is a classic Giamatti role – an isolated crank who might just have a good heart – and he unsurprisingly nails every aspect of the emotional journey.“Bete Noire” is a quirkier tale, following confectionary developer Maria (Siena Kelly) as her world starts to unravel when Verity (Rosy McEwen), a former classmate, appears at the taste test for Maria’s latest creation. The discordant tone is set early by the ominous music that marks each passing day in Maria’s life: It feels totally at odds with the beginning of the story, where the biggest problem at the confectionary seems to be a staffer who’s annoyed that someone else is drinking her almond milk. McEwen does a great job alternating between the meek, helpful Verity all of Maria’s colleagues see to a gleeful, gaslighting villain. The plot is a bit too obvious, given frequently the high-tech way Verity is messing with Maria has been used in other, recent science fiction, but the episode still delivers a solid mix of psychodrama and comedy.The nostalgic, queer love story of “Hotel Reverie” aims for the magic of season 3’s “San Junipero” – but in premise and execution, it’s an example of how remakes rarely live up to the original. This time, the sparks fly between Brandy Friday (Issa Rae) – an A-lister who steps into the lead role in a new version of a beloved film – and the AI recreation of the original’s star, Dorothy (Emma Corin). Corin and Rae have great chemistry, and Awkwafina adds plenty of comedy by leading the film crew trying to keep the slapdash production going as things quickly go off the rails. But “Hotel Reverie” ultimately feels more like a Star Trek holodeck episode than the second coming of Black Mirror’s romantic masterpiece.For once, there isn’t a single dud in the mix of episodes.“Black Mirror often uses Easter eggs to connect its episodes into a shared universe, but season 7 draws the most direct connections. “Plaything” is effectively a dual-timeline spinoff of the interactive film “Bandersnatch,” following video game journalist Cameron Walker (played by Lewis Gribben in 1994 and Peter Capaldi in the present of 2034), whose life was transformed by the latest project from star developer Colin Ritman (Will Poulter), who served as the enigmatic mentor for the protagonist of Bandersnatch. Director David Slade seems to be emulating The Usual Suspects and Se7en in terms of structure and tone, with the story told in flashbacks presented by Cameron in an interrogation room. Unfortunately, the twist is predictable and the overblown good cop/bad cop dynamic doesn’t give Capaldi enough to work with.Fortunately, Black Mirror shines in its first true sequel, “USS Callister: Into Infinity." The crew of digitally cloned Infinity coworkers may have escaped from being tortured on Robert Daly’s (Jesse Plemons) private server, but now they’re struggling to survive and gather resources as CEO James Walton (Jimmi Simpson) aggressively monetizes the MMO they fled to. Like the original, this is a love letter to Star Trek, combining aspects of The Search for Spock and The Final Frontier with the goofy bumbling of Lower Decks. It evokes the franchise in its music, visuals, and structure – and captures the signature Trek charm of unlikely comrades taking big risks together.Cristin Milioti on her character's arc in “USS Callister: Into Infinity."“Now she's found that she's not the captain she thought she was, she is failing both the crew and herself and has run out of ideas as to how to get them out of an infinite, dangerous, and extremely boring existence. She's dealing with some of the same let-downs she would have to deal with in the real world, in fact. She's at her wits’ end, and once again, desperate to escape her situation.”Read the complete, exclusive look at "USS Callister: Into Infinity."“Into Infinity” also delves into some of the same philosophical questions as Severance, with technology creating multiple versions of the same person. Cristin Milioti does excellent work transitioning between the Nanette Cole who is still an insecure programmer and the one who’s become a hardened starship captain. But the real star is Simpson, who is hilarious both as Walton’s callous real world self and his pathetic in-game clone.

Warning: contains spoilers for Black Mirror episode “Bête Noire”. It’s done it. Black Mirror has finally delivered its most horrific, depraved vision yet: a universe ruled by someone who thinks that miso is an appropriate addition to a chocolate bar. Honestly, what sick mind comes up with this stuff?  That’d be writer Charlie Brooker, who can now use “Bête Noire” as Exhibit A in his unending clarification to interviewers that Black Mirror isn’t cynical about technology; it’s cynical about the people using the technology. In the 50-minute episode, directed by USS Callister and Demon 79’s Toby Haynes, a genius invents a computer powerful enough to reshape the world in any form, but instead of conjuring up a disease and poverty-less utopia, she chooses to torture her high school bullies to death. As Brooker has continually explained since Black Mirror’s arrival, tech ain’t the problem – we are. The tech in “Bête Noire” remains hidden for most of the episode, which presents as a domestic dramedy before exploding into a balls-out sci-fi in its final moments. It’s bottom-heavy, with most of the good stuff packed into the end, but led by two compelling performances – a naturalistic one from Domino Day’s Siena Kelly, and a heightened, unpredictable and compelling one from Blue Jean’s Rosy McEwen. The first half-hour plays out as a psychological mystery and then reveals itself as a gaslighting story about the deepest of deep fakes.  Set in fictional UK food manufacturing company Ditta, we follow Maria (Kelly), a Head of Flavour who’s poised to launch her latest invention – the aforementioned miso abomination. When Maria’s former classmate Verity (McEwen) arrives out of the blue to take a job in her department, Maria is unnerved… with good reason. Not that anybody, from boss Gabe (Ben Bailey-Smith) to boyfriend Kae (Michael Workeye), believes her, Maria thinks that Verity is out for revenge. At school, Maria had been part of the popular group who bullied Verity and spread a damaging rumour about her. When Maria discovers that one of her old school gang recently took her own life after losing grip on reality (the very suicide reported in the TV news report playing in the background of the opening scene), she suspects retribution.  Retribution is exactly what Verity has planned. All those weird little diagrams she used to draw of systems she wanted to build led her to create a “quantum compiler” that gives her omnipotent power. Like the monstrous little boy in The Twilight Zone episode “It’s a Good Life”, Verity can change reality on a whim. She’s used her compiler to – as she tells Maria in an expertly delivered line in their final confrontation – be everything and do everything. None of it though, satisfied her because her sci-fi superpowers couldn’t change her unhappy past. So, she’s taking action by hurting the people that once hurt her.  (Of course, changing reality isn’t only something that Verity can do with her remote-control widget; Maria does it too when she edits the story she tells to Kae about her schooldays. To avoid blame for starting the rumour that plagued Verity, Maria casually rewrites her past and recasts herself as a bystander instead of a participant in the bullying.) Brooker’s script quickly establishes Maria as the perfect candidate for being gaslit (deliberately manipulated and misled about her sanity). She’s a pedant whom we first meet correcting her boyfriend on the location of a potential holiday destination. Used to being right, she’s so fixated on petty detail that she corrects every misuse of the confectionary term “marshmallow” to “mallow”, even when it’s done by the head of the company. Changing realities that Maria knows to be fact is a silver bullet for a character like hers. Verity’s scheme is also helped along by the casual sexism of Maria’s boss and boyfriend, both of whom put her complaints down to stereotypical female jealousy and competitiveness. Verity’s plan works like a charm, until Maria fights back at the last moment. After an Everything Everywhere All At Once-ish demonstration of the compiler’s capabilities, Maria doesn’t kill herself but shoots Verity dead, takes control of the reality-change machine and wishes herself the Beyoncé-styled Queen of the Universe. Well, according to Kae, she always did like to be top dog. It’s a fun surprise that ends this fantasy-tinged episode on a cliffhanger that promises to become a fable about the dangers of getting what you want.   “Bête Noire” may seem slight and low-stakes compared to other Black Mirror episodes, but it touches on big themes through a small lens. How far ‘reality’ can be trusted now that search engines spew out AI hallucinations as fact and chatbots skew info to suit the biases of whomever they were programmed by, is a crisis of our time.  Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Not only of our time: in the 1940s, George Orwell warned about the past being rewritten in the most famous dystopia ever published. In Orwell’s 1984, the doublethink was enforced by totalitarian violence, in “Bête Noire”, sci-fi magic “retunes our corporeal frequency” to one of an infinite number of parallel realities where the alt-reality has always been the case, but it’s the same trick. Big Brother insisted that Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia to control its population; Verity changed the name of a fried chicken chain restaurant to mess with Maria’s head; and AI is turning the internet into a slagheap of brainless misinformation to make billionaires more money. Anybody have a pendant they can use to zap us out of this reality?  All six episodes of Black Mirror season seven are streaming now on Netflix. 

Apr 10, 2025Ravie LakshmananWebsite Security / Cybercrime Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of an artificial intelligence (AI) powered platform called AkiraBot that's used to spam website chats, comment sections, and contact forms to promote dubious search engine optimization (SEO) services such as Akira and ServicewrapGO. "AkiraBot has targeted more than 400,000 websites and successfully spammed at least 80,000 websites since September 2024," SentinelOne researchers Alex Delamotte and Jim Walter said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "The bot uses OpenAI to generate custom outreach messages based on the purpose of the website." Targets of the activity include contact forms and chat widgets present in small to medium-sized business websites, with the framework sharing spam content generated using OpenAI's large language models (LLMs). What makes the "sprawling" Python-based tool stand apart is its ability to craft content such that it can bypass spam filters. It's believed that the bulk messaging tool has been put to use since at least September 2024, starting off under the name "Shopbot" in what appears to be a reference to websites using Shopify. Over time, AkiraBot has expanded its targeting footprint to include sites developed using GoDaddy, Wix, and Squarespace, as well as those that have generic contact forms and live chat widgets built using Reamaze. The crux of the operation – which is to generate the spam content – is facilitated by leveraging the OpenAI API. The tool also offers a graphical user interface (GUI) to choose the list of websites to be targeted and customize how many of them can be targeted in a concurrent fashion. "AkiraBot creates custom spam messages for targeted websites by processing a template that contains a generic outline of the type of message the bot should send," the researchers said. "The template is processed by a prompt sent to the OpenAI chat API to generate a customized outreach message based on the contents of the website." An analysis of the source code reveals that the OpenAI client uses the gpt-4o-mini model and is assigned the role of a "helpful assistant that generates marketing messages." Another notable aspect of the service is that it can get around CAPTCHA barriers to spam websites at scale and evades network-based detections by relying on a proxy service that's typically offered to advertisers. The targeted CAPTCHA services consist of hCAPTCHA, reCAPTCHA, and Cloudflare Turnstile. To accomplish this, the bot's web traffic is designed to mimic a legitimate end user and makes use of different proxy hosts from SmartProxy to obscure the source of the traffic. AkiraBot is also configured to log its activities in a file named "submissions.csv" that records both successful and failed spam attempts. An examination of these files has revealed that more than 420,000 unique domains have been targeted to date. Furthermore, success metrics related to CAPTCHA bypass and proxy rotation are collected and posted to a Telegram channel via API. In response to the findings, OpenAI has disabled the API key and other associated assets used by the threat actors. "The author or authors have invested significant effort in this bot's ability to bypass commonly used CAPTCHA technologies, which demonstrates that the operators are motivated to violate service provider protections," the researchers said. "AkiraBot's use of LLM-generated spam message content demonstrates the emerging challenges that AI poses to defending websites against spam attacks." The development coincides with the emergence of a cybercrime tool referred to as Xanthorox AI that's marketed as an all-in-one chatbot to handle code generation, malware development, vulnerability exploitation, and data analysis. The platform also supports voice-based interaction via real-time voice calls and asynchronous voice messaging. "Xanthorox AI is powered by five distinct models, each optimized for different operational tasks," SlashNext said. "These models run entirely on local servers controlled by the seller, rather than being deployed over public cloud infrastructure or through exposed APIs. This local-first approach drastically reduces the chances of detection, shutdown, or traceability." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE    

The positionRemoteMore is helping a fast-growing tech company strengthen its internal security posture by hiring Security Architects to join product-driven teams.The company is a recognized innovator across multiple digital services, operating at scale with distributed engineering teams. As a Security Architect, you’ll play a key role in evaluating and shaping secure system designs, advising on risk, and enabling compliant growth.Security professionals will be matched to product teams where their expertise (e.g., cloud, DevSecOps, compliance, infrastructure security) is most impactful.This is a full-time, remote position.Your RoleConduct architecture-level security evaluations and gap analysesGuide cloud-native security strategiesAlign security design with compliance needs (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2)Collaborate with engineers and product teams to embed secure-by-design principlesRecommend tooling and controls for evolving threat modelsYou’re a fit if you have:5+ years of hands-on experience in Security Architecture or consulting roles, ideally supporting cross-functional product or infrastructure teamsExpert-level understanding of cloud security principles with hands-on experience across common security tooling (e.g., IAM, KMS, audit logging, threat detection, IaC security)Skilled in architecture reviews, threat modeling, and risk assessmentsFamiliarity with compliance frameworks (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR), and experience aligning technical architecture with regulatory requirementsStrong communicator — able to advise both technical and non-technical stakeholdersProactive, independent, and comfortable working in remote, async teamsBonus: Relevant certifications, such as AWS Certified Security – Specialty, CISSP, or ISO 27001 Lead ImplementerWhy should YOU apply?Work from anywhere in the worldCompetitive compensation based on your skillsCommunity of top-tier remote experts across cybersecurity, DevOps, and moreReal impact – support product teams at key growth stagesTo be considered for the position, please sign up to RemoteMore by following the apply button. Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Automatically Apply to Remote All Other Remote JobsLet your copilot automatically search and apply to remote jobs from We Work Remotely

The Norton Folgate site, comprising three urban blocks, sits within the Elder Street Conservation Area in a prominent position within the ‘City Fringe’ between the City of London and Shoreditch. While the conservation area is small, there are dramatic changes in character from one street to the next. The masterplan was developed to respond to this mixed character, bringing vacant or under-used buildings back into use and reconnecting and enhancing the public realm. Rather than applying a blanket strategy, the masterplan employs a building-by-building approach to the retained buildings, using restoration, refurbishment, extension, remodelling and façade retention to breathe new life into the architecture. Sensitively designed new buildings have been introduced in a palette of materials, including brick, which was selected for its robustness, quality, and appropriateness to the conservation area’s character. Given the variegated character of Norton Folgate, four different architectural practices were brought together to diversify the architectural approach and style. Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) was appointed as masterplanner and designed three buildings, Blossom Yard & Studios, Nicholls and Clarke, and Loom Court. Stanton Williams, Morris+Company and DSDHA designed Elder Yard and Studios, 15 Norton Folgate and 16 Blossom Street respectively, with East leading the public realm strategy. Paul Monaghan, co-founder, AHMMAdvertisement   Project data Start on site January 2019 Completion Gross floor area 2 of office space, c3,000m2 of retail space Site area 9,000m2 Public realm area 2,000m2 Architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, DSDHA, East, Morris+Company, Stanton Williams Client British Land Structural engineer AKT II M&E Arup Cost consultants Turner & Townsend, Alinea Project manager M3 Consulting Main contractor Skanska Planning consultant DP9 Façade consultant Eckersley O’Callaghan Sustainability consultant Atelier Ten Access consultant Hilson Moran Archaeology MOLA Fire engineer Kiwa Acoustic consultant Sandy Brown Lighting designer Studio Fractal Security consultant QCIC Health and safety adviser Arcadis Employer’s representative Rex Procter & Partners Whole-life carbon 998 kgCO2eq/m2         Specification A comprehensive study of the local context was undertaken at planning application stage to understand and develop the material palettes for the buildings, the architects liaising to produce a coherent approach to the masterplan materiality. The study showed there was a wide variety of brick tones in the locality. The new bricks have all been selected to respond to the context, both retained and new, and also to work together across the development to form a coherent, yet diverse new neighbourhood. The new brick palette includes a pale Marziale, warm Lindfield Multi, warm Danehill Yellow, red Floren Gothiek and a dark Nelissen Ferro. While some of the buildings have brick-faced precast elevations and some traditional brickwork, all share the principle of careful detailing to celebrate the brick used. This is evident in the clean, calm lines and reveals on Elder Yard, the piers and textured sawtooth spandrels on Blossom Yard, the dark brick warehouse piers of 16 Blossom Street and the clean articulation of the red brick at 15 Norton Folgate.  The proportion and scale of the brick facades has been carefully considered to reflect the warehouse heritage of the site – but also to display the brick in the best possible way. The result of using the clay bricks is to instantly anchor the masterplan into the urban context, linking the City to Shoreditch, and providing a new frame of reference that encourages people to use and re-adopt the area. Paul Monaghan, co-founder, AHMM   Architect’s choices East developed a public realm strategy that knits Norton Folgate into the spatial qualities and textures of Spitalfields.Advertisement Existing materials and reused split and honed granite setts were used in yards and streets. Where appropriate, special pieces – a large tree, say, or a seat – were located to create minor foreground moments, adding to the overall sense of continuity and a fine grain in around the area.  The landscape, much like the buildings, where the use of bricks is about interrupting the common assumption that the new displaces the old, engages and enhances the neighbourhood as part of a complex aggregate design. Dann Jessen, director, East   Selected products Granite setts Noblema 190mm x 130mm x 60-80mm sawn reclaimed granite setts, slip resistance +36 (wet/dry), edges vary) Blossom Yard, Nicholls & Clarke Yard noblema.co.ukDrainage channels Marshalls 150mm Birco, cast iron Blossom Yard, Nicholls & Clarke Yard marshalls.co.ukTree and plant pots Bespoke Concrete LG09 bespoke tree and plant pots, precast concrete,  light grey, acid-etched, Type 1: 1200mm x 2500mm, Type 2: 610mm x 600mm, Type 3: 410mm x 400mm Blossom Yard bespokeconcrete.co.ukPlanting Willerby Landscapes Various species Blossom Yard, Nicholls & Clarke Yard and Elder Passage willerby-landscapes.co.ukBricks Ibstock Staffordshire Blue Brindle, dragface Nicholls & Clarke Yard ibstock.co.ukInterpretation signage Dearneside Fabrications Bespoke cast ductile iron plates and discs, various sizes and thickness: 18mm base and 3mm relief (21mm total) Blossom Yard, Nicholls & Clarke Yard and Fleur de Lis Passage dearnesidefabs.co.uk  

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 10.

I've completed Assassin's Creed Shadows' first narrative battle pass, and it seems to be setting up a new Desmond Lore and order. Image credit: Adobe / Eurogamer Feature by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on April 9, 2025 When Assassin's Creed Shadows launched last month, I wrote that the game's Animus Hub felt rather threadbare, but that this was not unexpected. The Hub's main feature, its battle pass-like "Projects", are specifically designed to unlock over time and reveal their rewards - a smattering of cosmetic items, in-game resources and new narrative content - at a slow pace, in order to keep you playing over the weeks to come. A month on, and thanks to early access to the game for Eurogamer's Assassin's Creed Shadows review, I've now completed the game's first Project, The Legacy. Doing so was straightforward, and only required about 10 minutes of playtime each week to speed through some simple Animus quests (mostly "go here, kill this guy"). My reward? A shiny new in-game armour set and some fresh Assassin's Creed lore. So - what's the story? Well, over the course of various text logs you'll discover a new front in the age-old Assassin-Templar conflict, set sometime in the relatively near future, and meet someone who feels suspiciously like they could become the series' new Desmond - its modern day protagonist. The location is Marrakech, at a time when it is nearly uninhabitable due to rising global temperatures, and the focus is on a small band of Assassins who take in a new member, and strike out at their long-time enemies. Eurogamer's Assassin's Creed Shadows review in video form.Watch on YouTube In general, this is a storyline that acts as a soft reboot of Assassin's Creed's modern day narrative - one that re-introduces the series' two main rival factions, emphasises the scrappy underground nature of the Assassins, and includes only a few clues to when it's actually set. My guess is this new narrative, with brief mentions of advanced-sounding AI and hints at a more advanced climate crisis, is likely at least 50 years in the future. This would comfortably move the story past the generation of modern day Assassins seen in previous games (such as William Miles, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, who last popped up in Assassin's Creed Valhalla). The shift also means this new era can skip past any consequences from Valhalla's ending. For now at least, there's no more detail on any of that here. To Marrakech, then, where there's a heat curfew and widespread death whenever there's a particularly hot day and power fails. A young man named Joel Eastman is visiting the city to find out more about what his late father had been doing. Eastman is British, originally from Gloucester, and admits that he disappointed his dad by not wanting to do more to help the world while growing up. In an early diary entry, we hear how he tries to make contact with a former associate of his father at a local market, but is easily spotted and tailed by mysterious figures that sound a lot like Abstergo goons. A later text log, from the viewpoint of someone named Hamza Belkacem, reveals that Eastman was caught in a firefight and injured one of the goons enough they were now in hospital - so Eastman is not as incapable as he first appears. A call log of a phone conversation between Eastman and Tatyana Dane, a former colleague of his father, describes the pair planning to meet and quickly escape from the city. Dane doesn't believe the call has been bugged, but the transcript suggests otherwise. Dane is initially suspicious of Eastman and critical of how conspicuous he's been, but Eastman says he has the dying words of his father he needs to share. We don't find out what these are, but they're enough that Eastman winds up with Dane's local Assassin group, and we discover that Joel's dad Geoff Eastman died alongside others in his operative cell while infiltrating an Abstergo compound. As often seems to be the case in Assassin's Creed, things are currently not going well for the Assassins at large. "We're scattered, stripped to the bone," Dane says to a fellow recruit. "Without new blood, they'll whittle us down to nothing." Image credit: Eurogamer/Ubisoft A transcript of a larger meeting attended by Eastman shows the group - around half a dozen members in size - planning a mission to hit back at the Templars by extracting a high value target travelling in a convoy. Joel Eastman is ultimately portrayed as capable, and when he demands to be involved in the operation, the local Assassin leader Poul Agard agrees. A diary entry from Eastman written on the road offers more background to his dislike of Abstergo, and why his dad saw the company as such a threat. By the latter half of this century, Abstergo has used Animus software to alter humanity's understanding of history, by presenting and popularising individual perspectives of the past as fact. Eastman's father had worked as an archeologist, seeking artefacts that could demonstrate the truth. The Legacy's final text log is a report written by a rather Templar-sounding individual named Director Ospanov, which details the outcome of the Assassins' extraction attempt from Abstergo's point of view. An important scientist, Dr Muller, was indeed taken by the Assassins, and seemingly chosen because he was an integral part of something called "Project Mnemosyne". Abstergo says Muller's work had ensured the company was on the verge of taking a revolutionary step forward. What could this be? Our only clue, perhaps, is that in Greek mythology, Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory. Next week, I'll begin unlocking the second of Shadows' two Projects, titled Awakening - and it seems certain that the game will add more over the coming months as Shadows' post-launch roadmap is revealed and released. These text-based logs are a long way from the playable modern day in previous games, but for fans of the series' ongoing storytelling, these do at least provide a few nuggets of new canon - and hopefully will act as fresh basis for something more substantial in the future. So, Joel Eastman, when will we get to play as you?