Google's new Gemini 2.5 Flash AI model introduces adjustable "thinking budgets" that let businesses pay only for the reasoning power they need, balancing advanced capabilities with cost efficiency.Read More

How Humble Bundle allocated $12.4 million of its funding in 2024 – including a substantial focus on games industry charities From mental health to diverse perspectives in game development, these are the causes Humble supported last year Image credit: Humble Bundle Feature by Samuel Roberts Editorial Director Published on April 17, 2025 Humble Bundle – which operates a digital storefront and gaming membership service – has unveiled its latest social impact report, revealing it raised $12.4 million for various causes in 2024. More generally, Humble's causes are focused around health and well-being, crisis and disaster relief, equity and opportunity, quality education, and climate change and sustainability. The organisation supported 4,500 charities across the year in total. Humble says it's raised over $266 million since its first bundle launched in 2010. As shown in the infographic below, the money it raised last year had a far-reaching impact. Image credit: Humble Bundle (Note: Humble Bundle shares GamesIndustry.biz's owner, IGN Entertainment Inc.). In games specifically, which is an area of social impact that hasn't historically received as much dedicated attention from large-scale corporate charity initiatives, Humble works with charities focused on diversity, opportunity, equity, mental health support and resilience and accessibility. "As a company whose business resolved around entertainment products and software tools, it is important to us, as well as our audience and partners, to find more ways to ensure that we're contributing to the industries we’re a part of and the people who make up those industries," says Kamini Tiwari, VP of Social Impact at Humble Bundle. "From day one everyone at Humble has wanted to find ways to give back through our work and it's all the more rewarding when we can see the impact hitting even closer to home." When it comes to diversity, equity and opportunity, Humble observes that only 24% of game developers in the US are women, despite women making up almost 50% of the gaming market. To level the playing field in terms of bringing different perspectives to games, Humble supports a number of relevant organisations, such as Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund, XPerience Studios and The ESA Foundation. The Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund offers workshops and camps specifically for girls, helping them prepare for future careers in games. From its 2024 funds, Humble is supporting GMGSF on a comprehensive college scholarship, 20 scholarships for its three-week summer camp, 800 workshop scholarships for students around the world and 10 GDC scholarships. It'll also enable access to free game dev tutorials and college resources, reaching 15,000 students. Image credit: Girls Make Games XPerience Studios, meanwhile, is an organisation with the goal of lifting up minority developers using acceleration grant programs and mentorship. In 2024, funds raised by Humble's community helped XPerience Studios to launch the XP Fund, which provides funding resources and guidance to underrepresented indie devs – helping their games, and the stories behind them, secure visibility they otherwise wouldn't get. Humble selected XPerience as a charity partner in 2024 partly as a means of evolving its own work through the Black Game Developer Fund. The XP Fund is currently taking applications, and will provide grants to four developers or studios to help take their projects to the next stage of development. XPerience will also send 25 game developers to games conferences. Through the ESA Foundation, Humble's support funded four scholarships for undergraduates from underrepresented groups. Humble's funding is also providing career development webinars, high-spec laptops, paid attendance and other forms of support to those selected. According to Humble, all of this amounts to creating equitable opportunities for communities that have historically lacked them, helping them build the skills and secure the funds needed for bringing their ideas to life. "From day one everyone at Humble has wanted to find ways to give back through our work and it's all the more rewarding when we can see the impact hitting even closer to home." Kamini Tiwari, Humble "Our community lets us know how they want us to show up, because these are causes that are as important to them as they are to us," says Tiwari. "It's really a credit to them that we've been able to do the work we've done over the past fourteen years." When it comes to mental health in gaming, Humble partnered with three key organisations in 2024: Safe In Our World, Take This and Crisis Text Line. Humble's collaboration with Safe In Our World has also focused on games industry-specific issues, including mental health challenges created by the rampant volume of studio closures and layoffs in recent years. Humble's funds were used by Safe In Our World to provide free training and coaching programs for over 100 industry workers in 2024. Humble is also supporting the creation of the organisation's Global Mental Health Accreditation scheme, launching in spring 2025. The goal is to create an industry standard for mental health in the workplace. Nonprofit Take This's work is all about reducing stigma around mental health in gaming, and it's well-known in the US for its AFK rooms at PAX events. In 2024, the organisation's future was looking uncertain – but Humble's funding has helped it remain operational. As a result, Take This will continue to host AFK quiet rooms at PAX East, PAX West, PAX Unplugged and MomoCon in 2025. Humble also worked with Crisis Text Line in 2024, launching a resource hub and co-branded text line to offer immediate, confidential 24/7 support to those who needed it in gaming. Humble's funds supported over 4,400 conversations with those who used the service. Humble collaborated with Crisis Text Line on its Gamer's Guide to Battle Loneliness initiative. | Image credit: Crisis Text Line "One of things that’s been important to us is trying to ensure that the ways we partner with charities is meaningful," says Tiwari. "In many cases, we're simply donating funds, and we know how important that is not just for us but for many other organisations out there who are in on social impact. But we also like to find ways to break through the noise a little and support our charity partners' awareness-building efforts, such as the dedicated line we worked on with Crisis Text Line, as well as target our support toward specific programs within our partners' broader operations." With Child's Play, Humble helped provide games for therapeutic purposes in hospitals in the US and the UK, as well as supporting a groundbreaking interventional cardiac MRI suite at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Tennessee. And with Special Effect, the accessibility specialist charity, Humble's funding helped it expand with two additional staff hires, as well as delivering 100 bespoke assistive controllers and 100 new eye-tracking setups built for players with disabilities. The funding also helped with the launch of four accessible Eye Gaze Games mobile apps. Widening the lens Outside of gaming, Humble has extended its support of charities to other areas it works in, namely literature and software. Tiwari says its audience, as well as its publishing and development partners, are passionate about charities related to these areas, in addition to the broader societal and environmental causes that Humble supports. According to Tiwari, "Literacy- and tech-related charities are vital, as they directly support the advancement of our society, and they're deeply connected to our identity as a company. There is an ongoing need for funding and support in these areas, which is why we're committed to broadening our focus and making a meaningful impact where it matters most." In the book industry, Humble's funding supports organisations like the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the National Coalition Against Censorship, EveryLibrary Institute and It Gets Better, as well as literacy programs like Room to Read and First Book. Humble's impact in software mirrors many of its goals in the games industry: supporting charities that promote engineering-related education for low-income communities, women and minorities, with the goal of creating the next generation of knowledge workers and leaders. Humble partnered with Girls Who Code to offer 5,750 girls free access to after-school clubs, where they could learn about universal programming concepts, and thereby encouraging them to consider pursuing careers in STEM-related fields. It also backs the Hidden Genius Project, which trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship and leadership skills, which tallies with Humble's overall goal to advance educational access, equity and opportunity. Humble is providing funds for 230 Macbooks for students in its 15-month Intensive Immersion mentorship program. As mentioned, Humble's funding extended to many other real-world causes in 2024, too, with $1.2 million raised for disaster response, recovery and resilience building charities. $2.3 million was raised for disease, prevention, research and cures, while 4,577,744 meals were provided in 2024 too. It's a reminder that Humble's goals remain distinct among retailers – customers buying games, books, or software have made a measurable difference to communities affected by natural disasters and societal upheaval. "We're immensely grateful to our community and our partners for coming together to make what we hope is a real and lasting difference in the world," Tiwari says. Find more details of how the funding was allocated in the full Humble 2024 Social Impact Report here.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is sending out mass layoff notices that appear to be in defiance of a court order blocking further layoffs following DOGE-induced cuts.  “I regret to inform you that you are affected by a reduction in force (RIF) action,” says a notice reviewed by The Verge that was sent by CFPB Acting Director Russell Vought to an agency employee. “This RIF action is necessary to restructure the Bureau’s operation to better reflect the agency’s priorities and mission.” Access to CFPB systems will be cut off after Friday, and employees will be placed on administrative leave until their official end date, the notice says.  Fox Business reports that around 1,500 workers will receive RIF notices across core functions, based on an unnamed source. On Thursday night, CFPB Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta sent a notice of the agency’s supervision and enforcement priorities that said the CFPB would “shift resources away from enforcement and supervision that can be done by the States” and rescinded previous enforcement and supervision priority documents, The Wall Street Journal reported. In March, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration not to “terminate any CFPB employee, except for cause related to the individual employee’s performance or conduct; and defendants shall not issue any notice of reduction-in-force to any CFPB employee.” An appeals court order this month partially stayed that portion of the injunction, but only to the extent it would keep the CFPB from issuing a RIF that the agency determined “after a particularized assessment, to be unnecessary to the performance of defendants’ statutory duties.” The union that brought the original complaint to stop the agency from being gutted filed a motion late Thursday asking the court to require the government to explain how the mass terminations don’t violate its preliminary injunction. “The plaintiffs have been told that entire offices, including statutorily mandated ones, have or soon will be either eliminated or reduced to a single person,” the filing says. “It is unfathomable that cutting the Bureau’s staff by 90 percent in just 24 hours, with no notice to people to prepare for that elimination, would not ‘interfere with the performance’ of its statutory duties, to say nothing of the implausibility of the defendants having made a ‘particularized assessment’ of each employee’s role in the three-and-a-half business days since the court of appeals imposed that requirement.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee who helped establish the agency, called the agency’s “dismantling” of the agency “yet another assault on consumers and our democracy by this lawless Administration, and we will fight back with everything we’ve got.” Updated March 17th: Added filing from CFPB worker union and statement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

AI systems are becoming increasingly dependent on real-time interactions with external data sources and operational tools. These systems are now expected to perform dynamic actions, make decisions in changing environments, and access live information streams. To enable such capabilities, AI architectures are evolving to incorporate standardized interfaces that connect models with services and datasets, thereby facilitating seamless integration. One of the most significant advancements in this area is the adoption of protocols that allow AI to move beyond static prompts and directly interface with cloud platforms, development environments, and remote tools. As AI becomes more autonomous and embedded in critical enterprise infrastructure, the importance of controlling and securing these interaction channels has grown immensely. With these capabilities, however, comes a significant security burden. When AI is empowered to execute tasks or make decisions based on input from various external sources, the surface area for attacks expands. Several pressing problems have emerged. Malicious actors may manipulate tool definitions or inject harmful instructions, leading to compromised operations. Sensitive data, previously accessible only through secure internal systems, can now be exposed to misuse or exfiltration if any part of the AI interaction pipeline is compromised. Also, AI models themselves can be tricked into misbehaving through crafted prompts or poisoned tool configurations. This complex trust landscape, spanning the AI model, client, server, tools, and data, poses serious threats to safety, data integrity, and operational reliability. Historically, developers have relied on broad enterprise security frameworks, such as OAuth 2.0, for access management, Web Application Firewalls for traffic inspection, and general API security measures. While these remain important, they are not tailored to the unique behaviors of the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a dynamic architecture introduced by Anthropic to provide AI models with capabilities for tool invocation and real-time data access. The inherent flexibility and extensibility of MCP make traditional static defenses insufficient. Prior research identified broad categories of threats, but lacked the granularity needed for day-to-day enterprise implementation, especially in settings where MCP is used across multiple environments and serves as the backbone for real-time automation workflows. Researchers from Amazon Web Services and Intuit have designed a security framework customized for MCP’s dynamic and complex ecosystem. Their focus is not just on identifying potential vulnerabilities, but rather on translating theoretical risks into structured, practical safeguards. Their work introduces a multi-layered defense system that spans from the MCP host and client to server environments and connected tools. The framework outlines steps that enterprises can take to secure MCP environments in production, including tool authentication, network segmentation, sandboxing, and data validation. Unlike generic guidance, this approach provides fine-tuned strategies that respond directly to the ways MCP is being used in enterprise environments. The security framework is extensive and built on the principles of Zero Trust. One notable strategy involves implementing “Just-in-Time” access control, where access is provisioned temporarily for the duration of a single session or task. This dramatically reduces the time window in which an attacker could misuse credentials or permissions. Another key method includes behavior-based monitoring, where tools are evaluated not only based on code inspection but also by their runtime behavior and deviation from normal patterns. Furthermore, tool descriptions are treated as potentially dangerous content and subjected to semantic analysis and schema validation to detect tampering or embedded malicious instructions. The researchers have also integrated traditional techniques, such as TLS encryption, secure containerization with AppArmor, and signed tool registries, into their approach, but have modified them specifically for the needs of MCP workflows. Performance evaluations and test results back the proposed framework. For example, the researchers detail how semantic validation of tool descriptions detected 92% of simulated poisoning attempts. Network segmentation strategies reduced the successful establishment of command-and-control channels by 83% across test cases. Continuous behavior monitoring detected unauthorized API usage in 87% of abnormal tool execution scenarios. When dynamic access provisioning was applied, the attack surface time window was reduced by over 90% compared to persistent access tokens. These numbers demonstrate that a tailored approach significantly strengthens MCP security without requiring fundamental architectural changes. One of the most significant findings of this research is its ability to consolidate disparate security recommendations and directly map them to the components of the MCP stack. These include the AI foundation models, tool ecosystems, client interfaces, data sources, and server environments. The framework addresses challenges such as prompt injection, schema mismatches, memory-based attacks, tool resource exhaustion, insecure configurations, and cross-agent data leaks. By dissecting the MCP into layers and mapping each one to specific risks and controls, the researchers provide clarity for enterprise security teams aiming to integrate AI safely into their operations. The paper also provides recommendations for deployment. Three patterns are explored: isolated security zones for MCP, API gateway-backed deployments, and containerized microservices within orchestration systems, such as Kubernetes. Each of these patterns is detailed with its pros and cons. For example, the containerized approach offers operational flexibility but depends heavily on the correct configuration of orchestration tools. Also, integration with existing enterprise systems, such as Identity and Access Management (IAM), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) platforms, is emphasized to avoid siloed implementations and enable cohesive monitoring. Several Key Takeaways from the Research include: The Model Context Protocol enables real-time AI interaction with external tools and data sources, which significantly increases the security complexity. Researchers identified threats using the MAESTRO framework, spanning seven architectural layers, including foundation models, tool ecosystems, and deployment infrastructure. Tool poisoning, data exfiltration, command-and-control misuse, and privilege escalation were highlighted as primary risks. The security framework introduces Just-in-Time access, enhanced OAuth 2.0+ controls, tool behavior monitoring, and sandboxed execution. Semantic validation and tool description sanitization were successful in detecting 92% of simulated attack attempts. Deployment patterns such as Kubernetes-based orchestration and secure API gateway models were evaluated for practical adoption. Integration with enterprise IAM, SIEM, and DLP systems ensures policy alignment and centralized control across environments. Researchers provided actionable playbooks for incident response, including steps for detection, containment, recovery, and forensic analysis. While effective, the framework acknowledges limitations like performance overhead, complexity in policy enforcement, and the challenge of vetting third-party tools. Here is the Paper. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and join our Telegram Channel and LinkedIn Group. Don’t Forget to join our 90k+ 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/Model Performance Begins with Data: Researchers from Ai2 Release DataDecide—A Benchmark Suite to Understand Pretraining Data Impact Across 30K LLM CheckpointsAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/OpenAI Releases Codex CLI: An Open-Source Local Coding Agent that Turns Natural Language into Working CodeAsif Razzaqhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/6flvq/SQL-R1: A Reinforcement Learning-based NL2SQL Model that Outperforms Larger Systems in Complex Queries with Transparent and Accurate SQL Generation

Let's make this simple: You want to know if there are any post- or mid-credits scenes in Sinners. The answer is yes, in a big way, since it has one of both.Check back on this page Friday for a full spoiler breakdown of the movie!Set in 1932, writer-director Ryan Coogler’s Sinners (review) involves twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) returning home to the town of Clarksdale, Mississippi, after seven years away in Chicago. World War I veterans who then made a living as criminals – it’s mentioned they worked for Al Capone – the two are now opening a juke joint in an old sawmill they bought from a local named Hogwood (David Maldonado).But you know what? There are vampires in this town.PlayDoes Sinners Have a Mid- or Post-Credit Scene?It sure does! In fact, the film has one of those mid-credit scenes that actually feels like the proper final scene of the movie itself rather than just a fun bonus. To use a comparison from Ryan Coogler’s pals at Marvel Studios, where he learned a thing or two about credits scenes, this is like the one in Spider-Man: Far From Home with J. Jonah Jameson’s news report, where it would be a genuine shame to miss if you leapt out of your seat immediately.There's also a post-credits scene, but we'll avoid digging in on either of them until Friday. So be sure to check back here for that discussion, including with commentary from Coogler himself...

Much like playing one, crafting a Soulslike is a brutal dance of precision and punishment. CI Games knows this all too well after a decade of swinging for the fences with Lords of the Fallen. The game stumbled at launch, as technical hiccups and design quirks dimmed its ambitious glow, but Version 2.0, available today on Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass, flips the script. This isn’t just a polish job. It’s a refined beast that proves the studio’s grit and player feedback can forge something truly special. Here’s why this definitive edition deserves your attention. A Rocky Start, A Relentless Comeback Lords of the Fallen hit the ground running with big ideas: a heavy metal-soaked dark fantasy, the eerie Umbral realm of the dead, and Unreal Engine 5’s bleeding-edge tech. But launch woes, including clunky performance and a combat pace that didn’t quite click, left some players cold. CI Games didn’t flinch. Over 50 updates later, we’ve turned a shaky debut into a lean, mean Soulslike machine. Version 2.0 isn’t about rewriting history. It’s about delivering the game we, and the players, always wanted. What’s New in 2.0? Co-op and More, Refined Version 2.0 brings a slew of upgrades, starting with full seamless co-op that’s now a core pillar of the experience. You and a friend can tackle Mournstead’s dual realms together, with fully shared progression ensuring you’re always in sync (story, loot, and all). The free friend’s pass sweetens the deal, letting you invite a buddy to play for free across any platform with no strings attached. Global matchmaking and improved online stability mean you won’t be left hanging when the Scarlet Shadow comes calling. Combat gets a glow-up with enhancements that make every swing feel sharper, such as tighter animations and more responsive controls. Jumping now feels natural with a dedicated button and smoother handling, opening up Mournstead’s verticality without breaking its gothic flow. The character creator has been expanded with new options and models, letting you craft a Dark Crusader that truly feels yours. Auto vigor pickup streamlines the grind, while a revamped UI, which is more reactive and intuitive, keeps you in the fight instead of the menus. New players will appreciate the overhauled tutorial, now streamlined for a smoother, more accessible start without sacrificing the genre’s bite. Quality-of-life tweaks abound: stat indicators, a dynamic HUD, better button prompts for soulflays, and a guidebook make the journey less cryptic. And for those Umbral dives, the lamp guidance system now highlights vestiges when raised, making navigation through the realm of the dead less of a guessing game. Standing Out in a Crowded Crypt Soulslikes live or die by their identity, and Lords of the Fallen has carved its own niche. Umbral’s risk-reward twist, which involves trading a life for juicier loot while dodging death’s grasp, feels fresh, especially with smoother transitions and lamp guidance in 2.0. Combat leans into speed and aggression, blending dual-wielding and spell-slinging with a heavy metal edge that’s all its own, like thundering riffs over somber strings. The improved jumping fits snugly into a world retooled for verticality, letting you explore Mournstead’s haunting heights with confidence. Version 2.0 sharpens this identity further. The seamless co-op transforms the lonely crusade into a shared saga, with Umbral’s stakes hitting harder when a friend’s got your back. The expanded character creator lets you step into Mournstead with a look that’s uniquely yours. It’s not perfect, as some quirks linger, but it’s a distinct take on the genre that’s finally hitting its stride. Players Built This Beast What makes Version 2.0 sing isn’t just CI Games’ hustle. It’s the community’s fingerprints all over it. We’ve listened to feedback from Reddit, social media, and playtests, which shaped everything from the new UI to the co-op overhaul. The lamp guidance came from players wanting clearer paths in Umbral. The seamless co-op was a direct response to fans craving a tighter tandem experience. This isn’t lip service. Over 18 months, the team sifted through feedback, tweaking and testing until Mournstead felt alive, not just for them, but for you. Version 2.0 celebrates that bond, proving a rocky launch doesn’t have to be the end. Why Now? Lords of the Fallen version 2.0 isn’t chasing trends. It’s carving its own bloody niche. Whether you’re a lapsed player wondering if it’s worth a second shot or a newcomer eyeing it on Game Pass, this is the moment to jump in. Solo, it’s a punishing, polished trek through a world dripping with dread. With a friend, it’s a co-op Soulslike that finally nails the formula. CI Games hints at a “bold, brutal” future for the series, but right now, 2.0 stands tall as a testament to overcoming hurdles and keeping promises. Lords of the Fallen‘s version 2.0 update is live today on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass. Grab a controller, call a friend, and see if you’ve got what it takes to conquer Mournstead. The light’s finally shining through the dark. Lords of the Fallen CI Games ☆☆☆☆☆ 488 ★★★★★ $69.99 $20.99 Get it now Xbox Game Pass Free Trial Version 2.0 – Out Now Following over 50 post-launch updates, the definitive Lords of the Fallen Version 2.0 has finally arrived and adds further significant improvements, including: Shared-Progression Crossplay Co-Op Building on seamless co-op, both players will now save all mainline progress as long as you’re on the same ‘New Game’ playthrough and have killed the same number of main bosses (within one). In all play sessions, both players will retain all loot, 100% vigor, and have the ability to revive each other. Free Friend’s Pass Invite any friend to join your adventure in online co-op even if they don’t own the game. Friends will retain all loot and character progression between online sessions, and have free offline access to the full tutorial and character creator. Revamped Combat & Movement V2.0 introduces enhanced character movement and combat, including more precise attack animations and improved weapon responsiveness, more effective evasions, a refined lock-on system, new grievous strike button prompts, and more. Dedicated Jump Button Players can now jump at any time with a single button press allowing for much more intuitive platforming. Full Weapon Audio Overhaul Every weapon now delivers a richer, more impactful soundscape, amplifying every swing, parry, and block for a more immersive and satisfying combat experience. Overhauled Character Creator Craft more realistic and visually striking characters with improved facial detail, body shapes, and overall visual fidelity for both male and female models. Modernized UI & HUD Options A new user interface is cleaner and easier to navigate, while you can now also disable the HUD for a more immersive experience or use the dynamic HUD setting, where it fades in and out based on gameplay. Improved Tutorial Experience The updated tutorial offers clearer, more intuitive instructions. Additionally, a new in-game guidebook means you can reference previous prompts at any time throughout your adventure. Umbral Lamp Guidance Your Umbral lamp now has the ability to highlight the path towards your next vestige point, aiding lost crusaders through the winding passages of Mournstead. Lords of the Fallen introduces an all-new, epic RPG adventure in a vast, interconnected world. Aeons after his defeat by the hands of man, the demon God Adyr’s resurrection draws nigh. As a fabled Dark Crusader, journey through the realms of the living and the dead in this expansive RPG experience to overthrow Adyr once and for all. Featuring colossal boss battles, fast challenging combat, and deep, immersive storytelling. Explore A Vast, Interconnected World Journey across two expansive, parallel worlds – the world of the living and the dead – with each harbouring its own pathways, secrets, treasures… and foes. Master Fast, Challenging Combat Choose from 100s of unique weapons, from heavy-hitting flails to rapid-fire crossbows, or forgo metal for magic with devastating attacks of the arcane. Unite in Online Multiplayer Experience the campaign alone, or unite with other players in full ‘shared progression’ online co-op. Provided you and your companion are on the same ‘New Game’ playthrough and have defeated a similar number of main bosses (within one), both players will save all mainline progress. Or invite any friend who doesn't own the game to adventure by your side using the Free Friend’s Pass. Customise your Journey With the Advanced Game Modifier System, fully customise your gaming experience, including enemy density, randomised loot, pre-upgraded weapons, permadeath, and more. Define Your Legend Personalise your character’s appearance before selecting one of nine varied character classes. Whichever starting path you take, develop your own playstyle by upgrading stats and weapons. Post-Launch Updates Over 50 post-launch updates have been released, vastly improving the experience with significant performance enhancements, rigorous difficulty balancing in response to player feedback, multiple new questlines, enhanced combat and character movement, and a number of new Quality-of-Life features.

A new contest is searching for solutions to a defining problem of the AI era: soaring energy consumption. The Energy Innovation for AI Startup Challenge launches amid growing concern over the environmental cost of artificial intelligence. Just last month, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that global electricity demand from data centres is set to more than double by 2030 — with AI the main driver. Demand from dedicated AI data centres alone is forecast to more than quadruple. The surge threatens to deepen an already critical issue. Last year, Growth in global energy demand soared to almost twice its recent average, according to the IEA. As the increase accelerates, it’s set to intensify climate change, strain infrastructure, widen inequalities, and deplete vital resources. The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!It’s a problem partly caused by tech. It’s also a problem we need tech to solve. That’s the impetus behind the Energy Innovation for AI Startup Challenge. Powered by Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) — the world’s largest startup competition for entrepreneurs addressing global challenges — and run in partnership with TNW, the contest is looking for startups tackling AI’s growing appetite for energy. The challenge welcomes a range of ideas, from advanced renewables and next-gen energy systems to smart grids and data centre optimisation. Young Sohn — the chairman and co-founder of XTC and the founding managing partner of VC fund Walden Catalyst Ventures — said the need for new approaches is essential.  “The next era of AI cannot be built on yesterday’s energy paradigms,” he told TNW. “We’re challenging innovators to deliver transformative energy solutions that will power the AI revolution sustainably.”  Applications for the challenge are open now — but startups need to act fast. The deadline for entries is April 30. Five finalists will pitch their ideas on stage at TNW Conference on June 19 in Amsterdam.  As well as gaining global exposure, the startups will connect with top-tier investors, corporate leaders, and policymakers. Sohn — who will discuss the future of deep tech at TNW Conference with former ASML CEO Peter Wennink — urged startups to submit their energy ideas. “Show us your breakthroughs in advanced renewables, high-density energy storage, intelligent grid architectures, or novel harvesting technologies — the systems that will allow AI to scale responsibly,” he said. “The five selected startups invited to pitch on stage at TNW 2025 will define how the world balances technological progress with planetary boundaries.” If you want to watch the pitching contest, Young Sohn’s talk with Peter Wennink, or anything else on the packed agenda for TNW Conference, we have a special offer for you. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the check-out to get 30% off your ticket. Story by Thomas Macaulay Managing editor Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he e (show all) Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse). Get the TNW newsletter Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week. Also tagged with

Apple’s Reminders app has become a powerful task manager in recent years, and there’s one highly versatile feature that helps me stay sane when my to-do list grows out of control: Smart Lists. My Reminders Smart List to focus on what matters most The Reminders app is equipped with several built-in lists where I spend most of my time on any given day. ‘Today’ and ‘Scheduled’ are my typical go-tos, as I imagine they are for most users. But there are times my to-dos get a little unruly, and I need a separate, unique list to ensure the most important tasks get done. Apple lets you build custom Smart Lists in Reminders that collect tasks based on a variety of factors: Tags, Date, Time, Location, Flag, Priority, and Lists. My task needs aren’t too complex, but there is one Smart List that’s been a lifesaver for me. I have a list that shows all flagged to-dos due that day (or overdue). The idea is simple: if my Today list grows too long, and I need to break through the clutter to focus on just the most important work, I can quickly flag several tasks and switch to my Smart List. Inside my Smart List, I’ll see only what matters most, and immediately feel more at peace and able to start working. Creating your own Smart List in the Reminders app Apple makes it easy to create a Smart List to suit your needs. Here are the steps I took to create mine, which you can follow to duplicate it: Hit ‘Add List’ Under ‘List Type’ choose ‘Smart List’ Tap ‘Edit Filters’ For the Date setting, pick ‘Today’ Be sure to turn on the ‘Include Past Due Reminders’ toggle that appears Finally, for the Flag setting choose ‘Flagged’ The reason this list works so well for me is that it’s very easy to flag tasks in Reminders. The app does offer a ‘Priority’ feature that could theoretically be used instead, but assigning priority is more cumbersome in the app than flagging a task. I also prefer the visual of the orange flag, which puts me on alert. On iPhone and iPad, flagging tasks is as easy as a swipe left then quick tap of ‘Flag.’ Priority requires diving into the info screen. Thanks to this convenient swipe option, it takes only seconds for me to flag tasks in Today that will then show up in my custom Smart List. Some might ask: why not just use the built-in Flagged list Reminders already offers? Simple: I don’t want to see all tasks that I’ve flagged, only the ones that need attention that day. With my custom Smart List, I get the Today list I need, but pared down to a manageable length showing only what matters most. Do you use Smart Lists in Reminders, and if so, what for? Let us know in the comments. Best iPhone accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re 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. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

A team of astronomers announced this week that they've detected a possible sign of life on an exoplanet 124 light years away using the James Webb Space Telescope. Even more enticingly, the exoplanet, dubbed K2-12b, was already suspected to be an ocean world.The biosignature is a molecule called dimethyl sulfide. On Earth, it's exclusively produced by phytoplanktons and other microbes. Thus, the authors of the new study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, maintain that the best explanation for the detection is that K2-12b is brimming with life.But the situation may not be so clear cut. While dimethyl sulfide is an organic material on our planet, there's a body of evidence suggesting that nonbiological processes elsewhere in the cosmos could produce the compound, notes science writer Corey S. Powell in a Bluesky thread. A study published this February reported a possible detection of dimethyl sulfide in the interstellar medium, the clouds of gas and dust found in the space between stars. Another paper published last year showed that the molecule could be produced from interactions with UV light in a lab analog of an exoplanet atmosphere. Astronomers have also found the putative biosignature on a completely barren comet. Needless to say, all this strongly call into question if the mere presence of dimethyl sulfide's is anything approaching a definite indicator of extraterrestrial life.The researchers behind the latest paper, for their part, seem to want to have it both ways: a splashy announcement with quotable moments about its immense significance, but sprinkled with notes of caution that cover their butts if the findings turn out to show something else."It is in no one's interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life," Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the recent discovery, said at a Tuesday news conference, as quoted by the NYT. Nonetheless, he called it a "revolutionary moment.""It's the first time humanity has seen potential biosignatures on a habitable planet," Madhusudhan added.Notably, NASA, which released a press release for Madhusudhan's previous work that found methane and carbon in K2-12b's atmosphere, didn't comment on this latest study.K2-12b appears to be larger than Earth, with five times the mass, but is smaller than Neptune. It orbits in its star's "Goldilock's zone," where temperatures are just right to have liquid water on its surface. Madhusudhan's work indicates that the exoplanet's atmosphere is swamped with levels of dimethyl sulfide thousands of times higher than on Earth.Even if dimethyl sulfide is a reliable biosignature, some astronomers are skeptical that it's been detected here.The detection seems "tentative," Edward Schwieterman, an astrobiologist at the University of California, Riverside who wasn't involved in the research, told NPR. "It is not a sure thing." Schwieterman suspected that the signal might go away when other teams take a look."I think this is one of those situations where extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence," Laura Kreidberg, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany who was not involved in the research, told NPR. "I'm not sure we're at the extraordinary evidence level yet."Share This Article

Leaving Clueless alone as a treasured and perfect ’90s classic that is beyond reproach and cannot be improved upon? As if!No IP can be left alone these days. And thus, per Variety, we are getting word that Peacock is now developing a Clueless sequel series — and yes, this would be a sequel series, with the star of the original film, Alicia Silverstone, set to reprise her role as Cher.Their report claims that there are no details about the plot “aside from the fact the show will serve as a follow-up to the cult classic film,” and that this project is different than another potential Clueless show that was pitched five years ago to Peacock with a different creative team.That potential Clueless show was described at that time as “a Mean Girls meets Riverdale meets a Lizzo music video” and was set in high school and was more of a reboot. It would have been about “what happens when the high school Queen Bee (Cher) disappears and her life-long number two (Dionne) steps into Cher’s vacant Air Jordans.”Warner Bros. PicturesParamountloading...READ MORE: 20 Beloved ’90s Foods That No Longer ExistEven if this second Clueless revival happens, it will not be the first Clueless TV show. After the first film became such a huge cultural touchstone in 1995, it was quickly adapted to television — with Rachel Blanchard replacing Silverstone as Cher — in a show essentially just continued the basic concept of the film for three seasons on ABC and UPN.For her part, Silverstone did reprise the role of Cher recently ... in a Super Bowl ad.Promoting that ad back in 2023, Silverstone said that there was never a second Clueless film because “[director] Amy Heckerling never wanted to do” a sequel.“She got asked so many times and she just refused. She just felt like there’s magic in what we did,” she added.Magic or no magic, Variety reports that Heckerling is an executive producer on this Clueless sequel series.Get our free mobile appThe 10 Best Action Movies of the Last 10 Years (2015-2024)Shootouts, fist fights, car chases, spectacular leaps ... these are the best action movies of the last ten years.