DriftingSpirit Member Oct 25, 2017 18,463 As we tend to brag from time to time, it's becoming more and more evident that the winner of the console wars isn't a console at all—but the humble personal computer. We're totally not biased in this opinion given the name of our website, and I don't appreciate the insinuation. In all seriousness, there is some truth to it. Console exclusives keep coming to PC, their sales are down, and the conveniences of couch play are no longer the domain of the console alone. Even Nintendo, everlasting bastion of the console exclusive, is struggling to market its Switch 2 in a way that doesn't make it look like a Steam deck with fewer games. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden, speaking to podcast PlayerDriven, did some wondering out loud on the subject, and he thinks that the console war's triumvirate of manufacturers is something that needs to go, full stop: "Ultimately, I would like the games industry to have the same penetration rate as television sets do." Penetration rate is just fancy exec talk for 'what proportion of the population has this thing'. For example, most households in the UK have a kettle. Because we like our tea very much. "So how do you get there? One thing, I don't think you get there by having only three manufacturers." Click to expand... Click to shrink... Layden posits that "The architecture in the current version of [consoles] and of high-end PCs are quite close now, they're all quite similar. And any changes or any enhancements to that—like we like to say in the studios, 'only the dog can hear that'. Like, 'we're gonna have 20% more ray tracing'. Okay?" Click to expand... Click to shrink... Sure, you can grab an absolute terror for a couple thousand dollars—way more expensive than a console would run you—but Layden is right in that only graphically-minded freaks like our hardworking hardware team are going to be able to notice the difference. If you're aiming for the same ubiquity of a kettle, TV, or fridge? The vast majority of people won't see much change between a mid-range gaming PC and a console. In an ecosystem where visual fidelity is a huge selling point, as long as you can conceivably push for "20% more ray-tracing", people are gonna want that. Even if the senses required to notice it are an acquired taste. Not to mention, AI, which could be used to further technological equity between rigs, is mostly just being used to make games even more ultrareal. I don't see a Blu-ray-style future for PC gaming any time soon. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Source   Valcrist Tic-Tac-Toe Champion Member Oct 25, 2017 10,742 Not the first time he has said it and not the first time he was wrong.   flatearthpandas Member Oct 26, 2017 6,791 Very obnoxious article, to be honest. And Layden's comment matches it to a T.   wonzo Member Oct 25, 2017 1,773 tired of hearing from this attention deprived clown   Aspect Member Feb 19, 2023 2,304 Lmao Shawn Layden Valcrist said: Not the first time he has said it and not the first time he was wrong. Click to expand... Click to shrink... First post nails it.  nsilvias Member Oct 25, 2017 29,443 > I don't see a Blu-ray-style future for PC gaming any time soon. what  Dyle One Winged Slayer The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 32,653 Even Nintendo, everlasting bastion of the console exclusive, is struggling to market its Switch 2 in a way that doesn't make it look like a Steam deck with fewer games. Click to expand... Click to shrink... PCGamer never disappoints with their console war nonsense. How do they come up with this stuff?   Slayven Never read a comic in his life Moderator Oct 25, 2017 101,597 Layden posits that "The architecture in the current version of [consoles] and of high-end PCs are quite close now, they're all quite similar. And any changes or any enhancements to that—like we like to say in the studios, 'only the dog can hear that'. Like, 'we're gonna have 20% more ray tracing'. Okay?" Click to expand... Click to shrink... He is right.....I mean does the average gamer even know what ray tracing ins? We are in a bubble, sometimes in a bubble of a bubble   blueredandgold Member Oct 25, 2017 8,295 bark bark bark   tjh282 Member May 29, 2019 1,040 This dude love doing interviews my word.   Nida Member Aug 31, 2019 14,754 Everett, Washington As someone who has been going between a game running at 120 FPS to Avowed and AC Shadows running at 40 he's just wrong. Now if you could make your console run everything at resolution at 60 or 120 maybe he would have an argument.  Sabin Member Oct 25, 2017 5,989 He is not wrong. Modern consoles are pretty much just rebranded PCs at this point with static hardware and the fidelity upgrades with each gen are getting smaller and smaller.  headspawn Member Oct 27, 2017 14,955 Dyle said: PCGamer never disappoints with their console war nonsense. How do they come up with this stuff? Click to expand... Click to shrink... The statement is so backwards and dumb at the same time, impressive.  The Boat Member Oct 28, 2017 5,124 I didn't read it was PC gamer in the title but I knew it was them when I read the quotes. It's actually impressive how bad they are.   Flame Lord Member Oct 26, 2017 3,539 Valcrist said: Not the first time he has said it and not the first time he was wrong. Click to expand... Click to shrink... What is he wrong about? What could you name that's different between a modern console and PC that the layman cares about?  Praedyth Member Feb 25, 2020 8,360 Brazil The plus side of Shu's retirement is those headlines will be a 50/50 chance of being Shawn lmao   SaintBowWow Member Oct 25, 2017 4,216 He's right. High end gaming hardware is getting into audiophile territory where only enthusiasts who knew how to pick up on minuscule quality improvements really give a shit. A base PS5 can play any modern game at a quality level that the vast majority of the market would find completely acceptable.   massoluk Member Oct 25, 2017 7,646 Thailand Slayven said: He is right.....I mean does the average gamer even know what ray tracing ins? We are in a bubble, sometimes in a bubble of a bubble Click to expand... Click to shrink... Agreed. Lost me with DLSS and shits. All these jargons are alien languages. Even Nintendo, everlasting bastion of the console exclusive, is struggling to market its Switch 2 in a way that doesn't make it look like a Steam deck with fewer games. Click to expand... Click to shrink... You are drunk, PCGamer   krae_man Master of Balan Wonderworld Member Oct 25, 2017 10,533 If we are talking about hearing, wouldn't consoles have better audio because consoles are more likely to be connected to living room TV's which are more likely to have surround sound systems?   Alienous Member Oct 25, 2017 9,868 nsilvias said: > I don't see a Blu-ray-style future for PC gaming any time soon. what Click to expand... Click to shrink... The context is in the article. The idea is manufacturers making console-like PC hardware with a common specification, like meeting the blu-ray standard. Basically Valve's Steam Machine concept, if that's familiar.  thepenguin55 Member Oct 28, 2017 13,849 Does this guy do anything other than comment on the industry now? Like what is his job now? Why is he seemingly getting interviewed all the time and people always seem to wanna pay attention to what he has to say? I'm constantly baffled by how many comments I have to come across by this "former PlayStation exec".   NSESN ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 25, 2017 27,432 Even Nintendo, everlasting bastion of the console exclusive, is struggling to market its Switch 2 in a way that doesn't make it look like a Steam deck with fewer games. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Lol PC Gamer writers need to leave their own bubble. It isn't Switch 2 that looks like a Steamd deck, it is the Steam Deck that looks like a switch  stormfire Member Nov 26, 2018 3,294 thepenguin55 said: Does this guy do anything other than comment on the industry now? Like what is his job now? Why is he seemingly getting interviewed all the time and people always seem to wanna pay attention to what he has to say? I'm constantly baffled by how many comments I have to come across by this "former PlayStation exec". Click to expand... Click to shrink... He works for Tencent as a strategic advisor.   NSESN ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 25, 2017 27,432 Dyle said: PCGamer never disappoints with their console war nonsense. How do they come up with this stuff? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I still don't know how they are still allowed here after their nintendo museum stunt   Servbot24 The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 47,057 Slayven said: He is right.....I mean does the average gamer even know what ray tracing ins? We are in a bubble, sometimes in a bubble of a bubble Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yep. This thread is full of the exact people who would notice a dropped frame. 99% of the population would not. It makes perfect sense to target the 99% when you're developing a game - especially when pleasing the 1% is so much more expensive. thepenguin55 said: Does this guy do anything other than comment on the industry now? Like what is his job now? Why is he seemingly getting interviewed all the time and people always seem to wanna pay attention to what he has to say? I'm constantly baffled by how many comments I have to come across by this "former PlayStation exec". Click to expand... Click to shrink... What would be the allowable number of interviews for him to accept?   Flame Lord Member Oct 26, 2017 3,539 NSESN said: Lol PC Gamer writers need to leave their own bubble. It isn't Switch 2 that looks like a Steamd deck, it is the Steam Deck that looks like a switch Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yeah and the Switch 2 looks like a Steam Deck, I don't think that statement is particularly out there.  NSESN ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 25, 2017 27,432 Flame Lord said: Yeah and the Switch 2 looks like a Steam Deck, I don't think that statement is particularly out there. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Because it looks like a Switch. Nintendo isn't to blame that Valve got inspired by their design seriously PC fans trying to force the Deck like a big competition to Nintendo never made sense.  Transistor This isn't going to go the way you think Administrator Oct 25, 2017 40,847 Washington, D.C. PC Gamer's hilarious takes always make me laugh like a madman   thepenguin55 Member Oct 28, 2017 13,849 Servbot24 said: Yep. This thread is full of the exact people who would notice a dropped frame. 99% of the population would not. It makes perfect sense to target the 99% when you're developing a game - especially when pleasing the 1% is so much more expensive. What would be the allowable number of interviews for him to accept? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Preferably zero. I'm sick of hearing of him and his incredible "insights".   Servbot24 The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 47,057 thepenguin55 said: Preferably zero Click to expand... Click to shrink... There you go. The "why doesn't he ever shut his yap" thing that Gamers love to do always boils down to "I don't like him cuz he said something that ever so slightly diminishes my toy"   Lump One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 18,108 I'll say that the PS5 Pro bridges some tech that really does close the latest gaps between PCs and consoles. It has got an upscaling solution - even if 1-2 years behind DLSS's standard, but we've seen the promise of FSR4 and it feels like that gap can and will be closed by the time the PS6 rolls around. It has got more raytracing capability to give it some impressive effects that were mostly exclusive to PC, but even then the base PS5 brought some measure of raytracing. You see those reflections in AC Shadows at 30fps Quality or 40fps Balanced and it really would make any casual player hard pressed to tell a major difference between what you can get on PC for anywhere close to that PS5 Pro pricepoint. It was even the PS5 that flanked the PC market for a while when it came to DirectStorage, which above raytracing and upscaling is what I consider the be the biggest differentiator of this generation. So in terms of architecture, what does the PC market have over consoles right now? Frame generation, yeah - but like the earliest AI upscaling iterations, it's in a bit of rough shape for a lot of games right now. The feeling is pretty janky and floaty for low framerate titles too. I'm sure the PS6 generation will get in on this and it'll probably be better then, but imo outside of some select games, it's mostly a novelty feature right this moment on PC unless you have some truly pricey hardware to make already high framerates even higher. If you really want to get into the dog-can-hear range, we can talk about Sony's HDMI 2.1 bitrate output being too low for full 4:4:4 chroma at 4k 120fps. This is the real nerdshit though, and exactly what the quote is talking about. The vast majority of users don't know or don't care enough about this for it to be a dealbreaker by any measure. So yeah, overall I agree. Especially when taking into account the kinds of PCs you can put together for $700 or even $1000, the PS5 Pro offers the visual bells and whistles that the vast majority of players can expect from a PC in the same or even fairly bit higher price range. You really have to get into ~$1500+ territory with a PC these days to truly outclass the PS5 Pro in a way that can be properly appreciated by either an enthusiast or casual player.  riotous Member Oct 25, 2017 12,298 Seattle Let me play all console gsmes with mouse and keyboard and install mods then. Graphics are not what really matter when gameplay can be so different because of control schemes.  RayCharlizard Member Nov 2, 2017 4,257 riotous said: Let me play all console gsmes with mouse and keyboard and install mods then. Graphics are not what really matter when gameplay can be so different because of control schemes. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I'm honestly surprised Microsoft hasn't made a Steam Input like solution in reverse for Xbox where at a system level you can just map gamepad inputs to keyboard and mouse.   AzerPhire Member Oct 25, 2017 1,398 I mean they are not exactly wrong. The differences between generations has gotten smaller, there are less unique hooks (Motion controls, special controllers, storage formats) that separate each manufacturers console and the company that has sold the most the past generation has 15 year old graphics tech driving it. Chasing graphics is not working anymore. Games cost more and gamers are playing the same games across multiple generations of devices. Even Microsoft and Sony are looking at handheld options and these will need to be scaled down considerably to have decent graphics and battery performance.  Mobius and Pet Octopus Member Oct 25, 2017 16,272 I have 2 dogs so I guess I am going for a PC.   monketron Member Oct 27, 2017 3,963 RayCharlizard said: I'm honestly surprised Microsoft hasn't made a Steam Input like solution in reverse for Xbox where at a system level you can just map gamepad inputs to keyboard and mouse. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Because you'd piss off every console pvp player who doesn't want to play against mouse/keyboard.  Bonfires Down Member Nov 2, 2017 3,240 I do wonder how things will shake out if the Switch 2 is indeed powerful enough to play most third party games. If much of the audience consider that performance 'good enough' and it becomes a battle of exclusives vs Sony - well, i'd bet on Nintendo in such a battle.   DJtal Member Oct 30, 2017 1,789 Capetown / South Africa Probably why online gaming prices on PC just got raised. I guess even my dog can be an exec for a videogame company.   Cronogear ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 27, 2017 4,861 Even Nintendo, everlasting bastion of the console exclusive, is struggling to market its Switch 2 in a way that doesn't make it look like a Steam deck with fewer games. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Didn't even click on the article, knew it was PC Gamer after this line.   Alexandros Member Oct 26, 2017 19,451 I think it's a realistic statement that applies to the average buyer. What few people usually mention is that it's also true for current-gen consoles themselves compared to lower-end hardware like their predecessors. So many people out there are perfectly happy playing old games with 'outdated' graphics. Dyle said: PCGamer never disappoints with their console war nonsense. How do they come up with this stuff? Click to expand... Click to shrink... PC Gamer aggressively hunts for clicks on almost every article. It's very disappointing, given the publication's history.  Lant_War Classic Anus Game The Fallen Jul 14, 2018 25,018 Trying to understand what he's saying but I don't get it. He says architecturally PCs and Consoles are too similar nowadays, true He says most graphic advancements go unnoticed by the majority of players and are driving up cost, true But then: He proposes something "along the lines of the 'game' format … We'd get a pretty good game format OS—if the players could agree to come together—and then licence that out. Just like we do with Blu-ray, just like we do with the compact disk—and let people compete on content." Click to expand... Click to shrink... ??? Is this actually saying anything? I honestly can't tell or how it's related to the graphics topics from before.  Fossora Member Jun 14, 2023 2,177 In terms of visual fidelity it's pretty hard to disagree. Games have been pretty enough for a while, and while yes you can often get more performance (and often stuttering) out of a high-end PC, it's not like back in the PS3/360 days where the difference between a 720p/30fps low-res console game and a 1080p/60-120fps was a pretty night & day difference. It's why I haven't paid much attention to Digital Foundry for the past 8 or so years outside of news regarding upcoming hardware. They do fantastic stuff & I've nothing but respect for the work they do, but games nowadays just look ridiculous on all hardware. Diminishing returns have more than set in, and the focus now for me is on clean IQ and interesting artstyles moreso than a pissing contest between hardware vendors. I think the new Switch 2 Metroid looks more aesthetically pleasing than most of these big fancy RTX titles, and I'm a higher-end PC gamer with little to no interest in the Switch 2.  JohnnyToonami Member Dec 16, 2018 6,155 Earth Slayven said: He is right.....I mean does the average gamer even know what ray tracing ins? We are in a bubble, sometimes in a bubble of a bubble Click to expand... Click to shrink... Your 100% right. A longtime friend whose played games all his life not only doesn't even know what ray tracing is, he doesn't even care about FPS, resolutions, etc, etc. He's just happy playing and enjoying games in a way that works for him. This is what 99% of video gamers are actually like.  Juryvicious Member Oct 28, 2017 8,033 Valcrist said: Not the first time he has said it and not the first time he was wrong. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Agreed. Overall just an obnoxious, and clearly wrong, and slanted, thing to say.  vio55555 Member Apr 11, 2024 3,122 Bonfires Down said: I do wonder how things will shake out if the Switch 2 is indeed powerful enough to play most third party games. If much of the audience consider that performance 'good enough' and it becomes a battle of exclusives vs Sony - well, i'd bet on Nintendo in such a battle. Click to expand... Click to shrink... In Japan, Switch 2 will likely be even more dominant than Switch 1 for 3rd party game market share among consoles. Perhaps like upwards of 90% of some games head-to-head; anybody trying to sell 3rd party games in Japan will need to be on PC and/or Switch 2 (preferably both). Outside Japan, it's probably not realistic until a theoretical Switch 3 in ~8 years. Switch 2 will have games where it compares favorably to PS5/Xbox Series I'd imagine, but it's hard to change that habit over one generation. There will be plenty of Switch 2 owners though that like buy more 3rd party software than they did on Switch. Personally, I view PS5 Pro as basically having reached the point where diminishing returns are so strong on performance that it's difficult to imagine PS6/next Xbox being some significant leap over it. If you get a Switch 3 that's comparable to PS5 Pro in 8-ish years, you're probably looking at the point where it'd be good enough for most gamers outside Japan to consider as their 3rd party device of choice.  Kyle Cross Member Oct 25, 2017 9,337 What's with the hostility against Layden on Era lately? Dude was great at PlayStation and he often has solid takes. Don't tell me people hate him now just because he does a lot of interviews.  

If you’ve ever considered jumping into the BattleTech tabletop game, right now, Humble is offering an $18 bundle that includes all of the rulebooks you need to start playing, in addition to several sourcebooks, campaigns, and technical manuals to supplement your experience. While you technically don’t need fancy miniatures to play BattleTech, picking up an inexpensive introductory set like the Battletech Beginner Box is a great way to start building out your mini-Lance. The most important parts of this bundle are the Battlemech Manual, Alpha Strike: Commander’s Edition, and BattleTech: Total Warfare, which will get you up to speed on everything you need to play or run your own campaign. However, this bundle also features technical readouts for classic and modern ‘Mechs, in addition to BattleTech: A Time of War, which folds in rules for a more personal TTRPG experience on top of ‘Mech combat. BattleTech is a massive tabletop franchise that spans roughly a millennium of human history and has even recently announced a new, Warhammer-inspired, set titled BattleTech: Gothic. This bundle, however, sticks to the classic franchise and includes everything you need to set up campaigns, from the Succession Wars stretching all the way into the Ilkhan era. Humble Bundle sets always put aside a portion of your purchase to benefit a non-profit. This particular bundle will help fund No Kid Hungry, an organization that helps to provide children with nutrition at schools and at home. However, you can always customize how much of your purchase goes to the publisher, to Humble, or to charity by using the “adjust donation” drop-down menu and selecting a custom amount.

Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech Finance Germany Pushes for Caution on EU Tariff Retaliation Chris Wray • Apr 11, 2025 at 02:08pm EDT This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy. The current situation regarding tariffs is fluctuating, to say the least. There are concerns over future action, despite the recent news of a 90-day pause on non-retaliatory entities and a reduction of tariffs set on entities like the EU. These concerns come from the fact that the European Commission is planning retaliatory measures should talks fail, including a possible tax on digital advertising revenues. In response, Germany is pushing for caution on such a move. As reported by the Financial Times, German finance minister Jörg Kukies stated: "There are products where the ability to substitute from other services and other goods from other regions of the world is easy, and there are sectors where it is more difficult." Kukies followed this, saying, "We just have to be nuanced and differentiated." The Digital Specter Looms A possible tax on digital advertising has been mooted in several countries, with French finance minister Eric Lombard telling the FT: "We have said everything is on the table. Among the set of measures that we could take, there could be measures that concern the digital industry. It is one of the elements on the table." Understandably, countries like Ireland and Luxembourg, which host many US tech companies, are reticent. Furthermore, reports indicate that countries like the UK are considering reducing taxes on digital services as an offer to the White House to generate goodwill or lower tariffs. Other countries are remaining quiet about possible retaliatory action, waiting until the proposals from the European Commission are released, allowing for an informed debate. Elon Musk, a close advisor to Donald Trump and the owner of X, is undoubtedly familiar with the European Union and the European Commission and potential moves against high-profile digital corporations. In 2023, the commission opened formal proceedings against X under the Digital Services Act, and only recently did the commission ask the company to hand over internal documents about its algorithms as it investigates possible breaches around content moderation. Considering his political position within the United States, the commission has deepened the investigation following Musk's repeated attacks on European governments, particularly what could be perceived as interference in foreign elections. Dictating Future Trade and Tariffs With President Trump stating his pause and reductions on tariffs are for "a short period of time" and the EU having been reduced from 20% to 10%, any action from the EU could be seen as aggressive and result in an increase to 20%, or as seen in the case of China, as high as 125%. Germany and other countries within the European Union will be keen to prevent a full-blown trade war, particularly given the ramifications for local businesses and international stock markets. Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

أجواء عدائية في اجتماع أميركي أوكراني بشأن اتفاق المعادنترامب (يمين) يريد الاستفادة من معادن أوكرانيا لاستعادة المليارات التي قدمت مساعدات عسكرية لكييف (رويترز)12/4/2025نقلت وكالة رويترز عن مصدر مطلع أن مسؤولين أميركيين وأوكرانيين عقدوا اجتماعات الجمعة حول مقترح أميركي للوصول إلى ثروات أوكرانيا من المعادن، مضيفا أن احتمال تحقيق انفراجة ضئيل نظرا للأجواء "العدائية" في الاجتماع. وذكر المصدر أن التوتر في المحادثات التي عقدت في واشنطن نابع من أحدث مسودة مقترحة قدمتها إدارة الرئيس الأميركي دونالد ترامب، والتي جاءت أكثر توسعا من النسخة الأصلية. وأضاف المصدر أن "بيئة التفاوض عدائية للغاية"، في إشارة إلى المسودة "المتطرفة" التي قدمتها إدارة ترامب الشهر الماضي. وأكد متحدث باسم وزارة الخزانة الأميركية هذه المناقشات، ووصفها بأنها "فنية بطبيعتها". وتمنح أحدث مسودة الولايات المتحدة مزايا الوصول للثروات المعدنية في أوكرانيا وتُلزم كييف بوضع كل الدخل الناتج عن استغلال الشركات الأوكرانية الحكومية والخاصة للموارد الطبيعية في صندوق استثماري مشترك. مع ذلك لا يوفر الاتفاق المقترح ضمانات أمنية أميركية لكييف، وهي أولوية قصوى للرئيس الأوكراني فولوديمير زيلينسكي، في الحرب ضد القوات الروسية التي تحتل نحو 20% من أراضي أوكرانيا. اتفاق مربح للبلدين وقال المصدر إن إحدى "المفاجآت" التي عُثر عليها في الوثيقة هي مطالبة الولايات المتحدة بسيطرة شركة تمويل التنمية الدولية التابعة للحكومة الأميركية على خط أنابيب لنقل الغاز الطبيعي من شركة الطاقة الروسية العملاقة غازبروم عبر أوكرانيا إلى أوروبا. إعلان وأضاف المصدر ذاته أن الحكومة الأوكرانية عينت شركة المحاماة هوغان لوفيلز مستشارا خارجيا بشأن اتفاق المعادن. وقال زيلينسكي الأربعاء الماضي إن اتفاق المعادن يجب أن يكون مربحا لكلا البلدين وأن يصمم بطريقة تساعد في تحديث أوكرانيا. وذكرت مصادر مطلعة أن كبار المسؤولين الأوكرانيين، بمن فيهم رئيس الوزراء دينيس شميهال ووزير المالية سيرهي مارتشينكو، سيتوجهون إلى واشنطن في غضون أسبوعين لحضور اجتماعات صندوق النقد الدولي والبنك الدولي، بما في ذلك اجتماع وزاري يركز على أوكرانيا في 25 أبريل/نيسان. ويسعى ترامب للتوصل إلى اتفاق يشمل المعادن الأوكرانية، بما في ذلك المعادن النادرة الثمينة، في إطار جهوده لإنهاء الحرب وأيضا كوسيلة لاستعادة مليارات الدولارات قدمت في صورة مساعدات عسكرية أميركية لكييف. المصدر : رويترز

Webpush Close تخطى قائمة التنقل Search بحث متقدم المدينة الفجر الشروق الظهر العصر المغرب العشاء دبي 04:41 05:57 12:23 15:50 18:43 19:59 القائمة «راكز» تعزز العلاقات الاقتصادية مع بريطانيا المصدر: لندن - وام التاريخ: 12 أبريل 2025 تصدرت هيئة مناطق رأس الخيمة الاقتصادية (راكز)، مشهد تعزيز العلاقات الاقتصادية بين دولة الإمارات والمملكة المتحدة، من خلال رعايتها الرئيسة لحفل الاستقبال، الذي نظمته غرفة التجارة البريطانية في دبي، بالعاصمة البريطانية لندن، وذلك ضمن جهودها المستمرة لدعم التعاون التجاري والاستثماري بين البلدين. واستقطب الحدث نخبة من كبار التنفيذيين وقادة الأعمال من مختلف القطاعات في المملكة المتحدة، ضمن سلسلة من الفعاليات التي تنظمها الغرفة لتعزيز حضور الشركات البريطانية في دولة الإمارات ومنطقة الشرق الأوسط. يشار إلى أن تنظيم هذا اللقاء يأتي في وقت تشهد فيه المنطقة اهتماماً متزايداً من مجتمع الأعمال البريطاني. Share جميع الحقوق محفوظة © 2025 مؤسسة دبي آخر تحديث للصفحة تم بتاريخ: 11 أبريل 2025 21:09 أعلى

Are you ready to solve the Sanctum Sigil Puzzles in Blue Prince? There are eight of these in the game, and they're all found in the same general area. However, the clues you need are scattered all over the estate. Our guide has all the solutions, but be forewarned that there will be spoilers ahead.How to solve the Sanctum Sigil Puzzles in Blue Prince - Sigil Puzzles guideThe Sigil Puzzles are found in the Inner Sanctum of the Underground. You reach this area as part of general progression to arrive at Room 46. You're then asked to head down below so you can open the last lever for the Antechamber. That particular lever is also surrounded by eight doors.To unlock each door, you need to have a Sanctum Key. You can use a key on any door, though it's better to just move from left to right. Moreover, once unlocked, each door remains open for future runs. How does the Sigil Puzzle work?Every room in the Inner Sanctum has a large mechanism at the back. You can also interact with a dial that switches multiple parts of the mechanism:The mechanism has a symbol in the center known as the core. As such, we'll just refer to each Sigil Puzzle by its core.The first (topmost) dial changes the inner shapes (motes).The second dial changes the dividing lines or rays.The third dial alters the number of motes and rays.The fourth dial (the one at the very bottom) switches the outermost symbols (border).If you have the correct pattern, you can press the button to see if you got it right. Clues for the Sigil Puzzle: Part 1The clues for the Blue Prince Sigil Puzzle can be found all over the estate. Here are a couple of examples:If you drain the Fountain, you can check an area with a round altar.If you have access to the Secret Garden, you can destroy the weakened wall. If all wind vanes are pointing south, you should see a sigil. Clues for the Sigil Puzzle: Part 2More clues can be found if you look closely at various objects:A book called Realm and Rune can be purchased from the Bookshop, and you can request it in the Library. It tells you about the functions of the mechanism.The passports found in the Vault deposit boxes contain a sigil diagram, too.If you unlock the Lost and Found floorplan, you might see a broken piece of a full sigil on the shelf.In any case, we do recommend searching for these tidbits. However, you can also keep scrolling down if you want to see all the solutions for the Blue Prince Sigil Puzzles. Again, we're going to tackle the diagrams found in the rooms from left to right. Sigil 1: PlateInner motes: 5x chipsRays: 3x Byzantine crossesBorder: Small and large opaque circles Sigil 2: PentagonInner motes: 8x double trianglesRays: 4x Byzantine crossesBorder: Wavy lines Sigil 3: MountainInner motes: 5x square boxesRays: Lightning strikesBorder: Spiky triangles Sigil 4: HourglassInner motes: 5x flowersRays: 3x triple rodsBorder: Horizontal and vertical lines Sigil 5: HeartInner motes: 8x triple vertical linesRays: 4x skewersBorder: Alternating reversed triangles Sigil 6: CapInner motes: 8x control padsRays: 8x singular straight linesBorder: Hollowed circles Sigil 7: Jigsaw Inner motes: 8x Nordic sun wheel--i.e. circles with bars and dotsRays: 5x wavy curved linesBorder: Tire treads Sigil 8: DiamondInner motes: 4x double triangles (bottom half)Rays: 5x smooth curved lines (upper half)Border: Shaded boxes Sigil Puzzle rewardCongratulations! You've completed the Inner Sanctum Sigil Puzzle in Blue Prince. You'll receive the Trophy of the Sigils for your efforts. Moreover, don't forget some interesting stuff from each of the rooms:There are Mora Jai color boxes--i.e. mini puzzles--that you can open. Doing so nets you an Allowance Token to boost your starting gold.There are also various paintings depicting Herbert's travels around the world. While you won't be boarding a plane with him anytime soon, these paintings and the letters he left behind are clues for the next puzzle: Eight Realms in Eight Days.A surreal adventure filled with wonders and mysteries await you in Blue Prince. If ever you feel stuck or lost at any point in time in your playthrough, don't forget to check our Blue Prince guides hub.

When choosing a horror game on Steam to quench that thirst for fear, many players assume their access to the title is permanent, that once bought, it’s theirs to keep. But this isn’t always guaranteed. Many games on Steam are protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management), which often requires an active connection to the Steam client to verify ownership, primarily to deter piracy. If the platform goes offline, an account is suspended, or access is otherwise restricted, players could suddenly find themselves locked out of the very games they paid for.

This story was first published in Switchboard, a newsletter from Polygon that delivers all the latest Switch 2 news, reporting, and rumors directly to your inbox. Sign up here to get it weekly. One of the big new features that Nintendo touted at last week’s Switch 2 reveal was GameChat, a built-in communication system that — as long as you pay for Nintendo Switch Online — will let players communicate via voice and video chat, and share streams of gameplay with each other. People who play online games seriously have been doing this for many years, through services like Discord, Ventrilo, and Steam. Nintendo’s own solutions for voice and video chat have been underbaked and experimental over the past two decades, and the arrival of GameChat is a sign that the company is finally taking voice and video chat seriously. It’s not for lack of trying. Nintendo brought voice chat to some of its games as early as 2006, through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. But unlike with GameChat, Nintendo has often approached voice and video chat on a game-by-game basis, or it has offloaded chat to external apps. But as Nintendo’s Sumikazu Ono, who was in charge of overseeing development of the Switch 2’s built-in features, says in an interview on Nintendo’s website, the goal for GameChat was “no setup required.” “Voice or video chat for gaming often involves a little extra work in setting up the equipment,” explains Nintendo’s Yoshitaka Tamura in that same interview. “But Switch 2 has a built-in microphone, so you can easily use voice chat, and the Nintendo Switch 2 camera, which is sold separately, is simple to use with a setup that is not too complicated.” That’s a far cry from how Nintendo first handled voice chat. When Nintendo implemented chat in games like Metroid Prime Hunters, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin, players needed to input a 12-digit Friend Code to add another player to their friends list in order to chat with them. Voice chat in those Nintendo DS games was limited to certain modes, clumsy, and of low quality. Nintendo later developed a proprietary microphone for the Wii called Wii Speak, which was supported by about a dozen games for the system, including Animal Crossing: City Folk and Monster Hunter Tri. Nintendo even created a dedicated Wii Speak Channel for the console, but chat features were limited to users who had shared Friend Codes with each other. Nintendo tried voice chat again on Wii U, with Wii U Chat, which included video powered by the system’s GamePad, which had a built-in camera and microphone. Wii U Chat was limited, but it included a fun feature: Users could draw on the screen to share messages with anyone on the other end of a call. (Wii U Chat shut down alongside MiiVerse in 2017.) For the Switch, Nintendo decided to let a smartphone app handle voice chat. Again, it was only supported in certain games, and Nintendo’s solution was imperfect. Many users opted not to use Nintendo’s app, and stuck with existing communication apps like Discord to handle their real-time chats. Voice chat via the Nintendo Switch Online app was the latest example of Nintendo’s cautiousness when it comes to online interactions. Nintendo also released a Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app, which lets parents control game time and whether children can use features like voice chat. The Parental Controls app can let parents approve who a child can GameChat with on a user-by-user basis. Nintendo finally seems slightly more comfortable with online interactions, given that it’s implementing them more broadly at the system level with Switch 2. That’s likely a reflection of just how commonplace video chat has become — especially since GameChat was developed starting in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, and when Zoom became the go-to way for friends and companies to communicate. Thanks to existing Nintendo Accounts, which have been in use for years now by tens of millions of players, it will be easier than ever to connect with voice and video chat on a Nintendo console. There’s a whole button dedicated to it. For Switch 2 owners who are as cautious as Nintendo’s been over the past two decades, Takuhiro Dohta, senior director at Nintendo EPD’s programming management group, said in a Q&A in New York City last week that “you won’t find yourself in a situation where you’ll be placed in a chat with strangers. And in terms of the friend list, you can import it from the Nintendo Switch so that you can do some fine tuning and adjusting [of users], because there’s bound to be people who like to chat and there’s people who don’t prefer to chat.” So while Nintendo’s voice chat growing pains have been very visible (and often frustrating) for multiple console generations, much of that awkwardness appears to have been eliminated for Switch 2. Just remember, though, GameChat will only be free for a limited time. You might want to keep the Nintendo Switch Online app installed on your phone if you don’t feel like paying to chat with your friends.

YouTube Music is a decent Spotify alternative, especially if you're already paying for YouTube Premium to remove the ads. There's a big downside, though: Google doesn't offer a desktop app for YouTube Music, meaning you have to run the application in a browser. It also means you can't really customize YouTube Music the way you can with Spotify.That's why YouTube Music Desktop App—a free application not made by Google, to be clear—exists. The app, compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux puts YouTube Music in its own window, outside of your browser, while also adding extensions for things like downloading songs, skipping the non-music parts of videos, and blocking ads. The get started, simply download the application and launch it. You can log into Google, if you have an account, but you don't have to—you can start searching for and listening to music right away. The application is essentially a browser with a few extensions, so there shouldn't be any security concerns logging in. If you've used YouTube Music at all, everything should look very familiar—it's the web application but in a dedicated window.There are a few tweaks you can make in the Options menu that you should be aware of. You can set the application to run from the system tray, if you want, meaning if you close the window your music keeps playing. You can also choose which page you want to open when you launch the application. Credit: Justin Pot The real fun, though, is found in the Plugins section. Here, there are a wide variety of tweaks you can turn on. SponsorBlock automatically skips the non-music parts of music videos—for example, some music videos have intros or interstitials that you might not want to hear if you're just trying to listen. There's a tool to remove all Google login requests, if you'd rather not log in or be asked about logging in. There's a simple visualizer, if you'd rather see dancing bars in place of album art or the music video. And there's a plugin that lets you prevent videos from playing altogether. You can find a full list of the plugins on Github if you'd like to learn more.All of these features, along with putting YouTube Music in its own window, makes YouTube Music just a lot more pleasant to use. Give this application a shot if you're tired of forgetting which tab in which browser window is handling your music.

Ireland's data privacy regulator is investigating Elon Musk's X. The country's Data Protection Commission (DPC) said on Friday (via Reuters) that it's opening an inquiry into the social platform's use of European users' public posts to train its Grok AI chatbot. In this case, Ireland handles EU regulation enforcement because X's European headquarters are in Dublin. The DPC said it will probe "the processing of personal data comprised in publicly-accessible posts posted on the 'X' social media platform by EU/EEA users." Under Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules, Ireland has the legal muscle to fine X up to four percent of its global revenue. "The purpose of this inquiry is to determine whether this personal data was lawfully processed in order to train the Grok LLMs," Ireland's DPC said. If this sounds familiar, the DPC took X to court in 2024, seeking an order to stop it from training Grok on EU user data without consent. That followed a platform policy change in July that let the social site use public posts to train its AI chatbot. However, Ireland's data regulator ended the legal proceedings weeks later, saying the company had agreed to permanently limit its use of EU users' personal data in Grok. The DPC hasn't specified why it now believes the company may be violating GDPR rules. The DPC's last fine against the company (then known as Twitter) was a €450,000 penalty in 2020 for failing to notify the regulator about a data breach within the 72-hour window.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/irelands-privacy-regulator-is-investigating-xs-use-of-public-data-to-train-grok-182010855.html?src=rss