The failed Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482 has finally returned to Earth after 53 years in orbit. It disappeared into the Indian Ocean early Saturday morning.

Alienware 16 Aurora and Alienware 16X Aurora were launched by the company on Friday as the latest entry and mid-level laptops from the Dell subsidiary. These laptops sport a more subtle, sober design than other Alienware models. They are equipped with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 processors, up to 64GB of RAM, up to 2TB of SSD storage, and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPUs. They run on Windows 11 out-of-the-box and offer support for Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.Alienware 16 Aurora, Alienware 16X Aurora Price and AvailabilityAlienware 16 Aurora pricing starts at $1,149 (roughly Rs. 98,100) while the Alienware 16X Aurora begins at $1,949 (roughly Rs. 1,66,500). Both laptops are available in three variants with better GPUs, and the company will also let customers order customised builds via its website. There's no word from the company about availability in other regions, including India.Alienware 16 Aurora, Alienware 16X Aurora SpecificationsBoth the newly announced Alienware 16 Aurora and Alienware 16X Aurora models sport 16-inch (2,560×1,600 pixels) IPS displays with up to 240Hz refresh rate (120Hz on the 16 Aurora model) and up to 500nits peak brightness. The laptops are equipped with up to a 1080p IR camera with Windows Hello support.Alienware 16X AuroraPhoto Credit: AlienwareThe Alienware 16 Aurora is equipped with up to an Intel Core 9 270H processor, while the Alienware 16X Aurora can be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU. The laptops can be equipped with up to 64GB of RAM and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics.The company has equipped these laptops with up to 2TB of NVMe SSD storage. Both models are equipped with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, an RJ45 Ethernet port, and an audio jack. Both models offer support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth connectivity. While the Alienware 16 Aurora is available with a 60Wh or a 96Wh battery and measures 356.98×265.43×22.7mm (2.57kg), the Alienware 16X Aurora is only available in a single 96Wh configuration and measures 356.98×265.43×23.80mm (2.66kg). 

Sega confirmed last year that a new Virtua Fighter title had entered development at Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku studio. A couple of brief teasers have shown glimpses of the beloved fighting series’ long-awaited revival, but we’ll likely see plenty more. Taking to Twitter, Sega recently announced that it will premiere a Virtua Fighter Direct for Spring of 2025 this Sunday, May 11, at 10 AM ET / 7 AM PT. Sega has said little about what the Direct will entail other than teasing “new developments in the Virtua Fighter series.” However, it seems safe to say that we will be hearing more about the aforementioned upcoming franchise revival. In addition to English, the stream will also be available with Japanese, French, Italian, German, and Spanish audio, as well as Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean subtitles. There’s currently no word on what platforms the next Virtua Fighter is in development for, nor when it’s to be released. Stay tuned for more updates on the game in the coming days.

Qurupeke Member Oct 25, 2017 1,322 Clair Obscur has been out for a few days now and is already receiving glowing reviews. It recently came to my attention that one of its first mods, Easier Dodge and Parry, has seen around 88K total downloads across its various difficulty levels, while the version that tightens the parry window has garnered around 500 downloads in comparison. The version that makes the parry window five times easier in particular is at 22K downloads. All of those were available just a few days after the game's release. It's also interesting to note that the game itself offers three difficulty levels, with normal and expert sharing the parry timing, and easy being a bit more lenient. Furthermore, while this is more of an endgame thing, the developers recently had to nerf one popular skill that has been performing way better than it should, though it's worth noting that this is basically still just one of the components of the insane damage people are doing in the endgame. It's a bit hard to speak for everyone of course, but while the game has its difficulty spikes, it offers more than enough tools to easily roll through its critical path and most of the post-game, which is why I'm surprised these mods are so popular. I definitely don't follow the mod scene closely, and maybe I'm just viewing this through a bubble, but one thing that stood out to me was how much the "I beat Sekiro's final boss with cheats and I feel fine" article was ridiculed a few years ago, but it definitely feels like such mods are quite popular, at least among those that play on PC. They definitely don't seem to be the norm, the game has over 2M sales with probably way more players because of GamePass, but still, 88K downloads doesn't seem like a small number. So, how do you feel about the game's difficulty and balance, and what do you think about such mods? Is it something you use or you would use?  Glio Member Oct 27, 2017 27,651 Spain Parrying and dodging are the worst parts of an otherwise very interesting combat system. With its AP system and having to choose six skills, it feels like a kind of card game where you're rewarded for synergizing, making interesting builds, and carefully considering your character rotations to maximize AP usage. And all of that can go to waste because the boss decides that this time it combo will have one more attack after a feint.  Lashley <<Tag Here>> Member Oct 25, 2017 65,215 Don't see the harm The people who ridiculed that article aren't the same people who download these mods. They're the people who whine about accessibility settings as if they're forced to use them.  Vicman Member Jan 29, 2024 623 Glio said: Parrying and dodging are the worst parts of an otherwise very interesting combat system. With its AP system and having to choose six skills, it feels like a kind of card game where you're rewarded for synergizing, making interesting builds, and carefully considering your character rotations to maximize AP usage. And all of that can go to waste because the boss decides that this time it combo will have one more attack after a feint. Click to expand... Click to shrink... And here I am thinking that parrying is the best part of the combat system.   tiebreaker "This guy are sick" Member Oct 25, 2017 14,470 They can take Stendahl from my cold, dead hands.   Uzzy Gabe’s little helper Member Oct 25, 2017 34,290 Hull, UK Look people can use whatever mods they want on their own PC, it's their choice and I'll support that ability to have that choice. However, if you use this cause it's too hard, you're weak, your bloodline is weak, and you will not survive the winter.  KD_2099 Member Oct 30, 2017 35 Glad I got the Simon trophy before the Stendahl nerf   oni-link tag reference no one gets Member Oct 25, 2017 17,326 UK Glio said: Parrying and dodging are the worst parts of an otherwise very interesting combat system. With its AP system and having to choose six skills, it feels like a kind of card game where you're rewarded for synergizing, making interesting builds, and carefully considering your character rotations to maximize AP usage. And all of that can go to waste because the boss decides that this time it combo will have one more attack after a feint. Click to expand... Click to shrink... They're the best parts of the combat system, it stops combat just being about strategy, you need a good strategy and then you need the skill to pull it off It also allows for amazing emergent moments where you're about to die and manage to pull off a parry that triggers a counter that breaks the boss that allows you to get back into the fight I get people have preferences though, but removing or making dodge/parry trivial would make the combat sterile and routine Though if people have more fun that way, then I'm glad the mods are available for them!  Greywaren Member Jul 16, 2019 12,963 Spain I'm gonna be honest here, I haven't had any issues with parrying, even less with dodging. There are sound cues everywhere and maybe an enemy will catch you off guard once or twice, but the attacks are more often than not very telegraphed and easy to remember. That being said, I'm glad the mod exists for people who think it's too hard, of course.  blueredandgold Member Oct 25, 2017 8,591 My character builds don't seem fun anymore, the difficulty doesn't necessarily compound this, but it's a factor that ends up making you second guess your chosen path(s) and decisions. Guides aren't all that helpful when you next catch a stray end boss spoiler because your search history decides that's a good idea for your recommendations.  Steven1090 Member May 5, 2024 304 I find expert perfectly fair to be honest and I've been killing the chroma enemies at low levels. Everytime i get hit feels like my fault. A big part of the fun for me is learning the attack patterns of all the enemies. I put it onto story just to see the difference and it feels like it's 3x more forgiving.   Glio Member Oct 27, 2017 27,651 Spain oni-link said: They're the best parts of the combat system, it stops combat just being about strategy, you need a good strategy and then you need the skill to pull it off It also allows for amazing emergent moments where you're about to die and manage to pull off a parry that triggers a counter that breaks the boss that allows you to get back into the fight I get people have preferences though, but removing or making dodge/parry trivial would make the combat sterile and routine Though if people have more fun that way, then I'm glad the mods are available for them! Click to expand... Click to shrink... But I like turn based games being just about strategy, if I want to use my skills, I play an action game.   texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,259 Indonesia It's the best part of PC modding, you can adjust it to your liking. All that matters is you having fun with the game. I thought we've way passed judging people for playing games on easy mode in here.  Raketenbohne Member Dec 14, 2024 391 I'm in Act 3 and have never used parry since the tutorial because it's way too hard to pull off. Playing on Normal btw. Would love to have the option on PS5 to make parry at least a little bit easier. Dodging and gradient guards are great though!  Kentsui Member Oct 26, 2017 1,789 The Parrymaxxing mindset as I call it around this game and the peer pressure to go glass canon or nothing, is dumb in the first place. But as someone who's notoriously bad with everything parry/dodge and let go of several playthroughs of Souls games very early because of that, I had very little issues adapting to this game, and allow myself some breathing room with a more tanky/defensive support character as a comeback safety net. The start of the game is a bit rough i'll give them that cause you go against mobs pretty much naked, but you start to find things to help you out pretty quickly. I ultimately have no issue with people downloading something like that, and especially when it comes to any form of disability, but most cases I've seen are people who aren't even trying a little bit and that's a bit of a shame really, so it definitely shouldn't be standard. We also see successful no dodge/parry runs arise focusing on the critical path of the story, so is it really an issue of the game ?  Exist 2 Inspire Powered by Friendship™ Member Apr 19, 2018 4,641 Germany I played on PS5 and i almost immediately put the game on easy and enabled auto QTEs. Easily the worst part of the game so i'm not surprised the mod is so popular.   moqz Member Jan 28, 2025 446 oni-link said: They're the best parts of the combat system, it stops combat just being about strategy, you need a good strategy and then you need the skill to pull it off It also allows for amazing emergent moments where you're about to die and manage to pull off a parry that triggers a counter that breaks the boss that allows you to get back into the fight I get people have preferences though, but removing or making dodge/parry trivial would make the combat sterile and routine Though if people have more fun that way, then I'm glad the mods are available for them! Click to expand... Click to shrink... You summed it up better than I ever could have. Clair Obscur has probably my favorite combat system in any turn based RPG because it is just so much more engaging with the parries (on top of an already amazing character builder).   defaltoption Plug in a controller and enter the Konami code The Fallen Oct 27, 2017 12,394 Austin tiebreaker said: They can take Stendahl from my cold, dead hands. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I think it got patched like an hour ago lol, I didn't get to use it but I remember seeing that name in the patch notes after I closed the game.   BassForever One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 31,596 CT Steven1090 said: I find expert perfectly fair to be honest and I've been killing the chroma enemies at low levels. Everytime i get hit feels like my fault. A big part of the fun for me is learning the attack patterns of all the enemies. I put it onto story just to see the difference and it feels like it's 3x more forgiving. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I've yet to play the game, but the complaint I've seen from a lot of my friends who are playing it is that the story difficulty makes the everything too easy, but on normal the timing is ridiculously strict for dodge/parry.   oni-link tag reference no one gets Member Oct 25, 2017 17,326 UK Glio said: But I like turn based games being just about strategy, if I want to use my skills, I play an action game. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yeah, and I get that, but the game is trying to do this, and there isn't much else out there that is doing it I don't think the game reviews as well as it does if the combat system is just standard turn based with you making choices, asking you to think for your turn and plan ahead, and then brace for the bosses turn is pretty unique. You also get more AP back for parrying, so even the amount of choices you have for your turn is impacted by your choices during the bosses turn. It's more engaging than a lot of turn based games where a lot of the time you're just watching yourself get hit  Robin64 One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 6,664 England Glio said: But I like turn based games being just about strategy, if I want to use my skills, I play an action game. Click to expand... Click to shrink... This is where I am with the game. Initially loved it, but then I'd hit an enemy that would one-shot my character if I didn't know that their attack was a triple weirdly-timed set of swings and I wasn't able to dodge it. Not fun. I didn't like repeatedly dying to things just to learn their attacks before I could then fight them decently. And even then, when a fight is kinda long (like some oddly hard enemy I came across), just one slip-up and it's all over. Can't be doing with that level of tension.  tiebreaker "This guy are sick" Member Oct 25, 2017 14,470 defaltoption said: I think it got patched like an hour ago lol, I didn't get to use it but I remember seeing that name in the patch notes after I closed the game. Click to expand... Click to shrink... They can't patch my game if I'm offline!  Camisado Member Nov 3, 2017 1,565 I personally wish I could separate out the combat difficulty from the parry/dodge timing difficulty. I've really struggled with the timings on normal difficulty, everything comes later than I expect and it's just a huge bummer. Having to have easier combat in general just because I couldn't master those timings was super disappointing for me. Maybe a patch in the future?  Speedstersonic Queerness Shining Bright Member Mar 11, 2020 8,951 KD_2099 said: Glad I got the Simon trophy before the Stendahl nerf Click to expand... Click to shrink... Even on story difficulty, idk how you do that legit tbh. That fight is nuts, and one fuckup and you're done. That fight just isn't very forgiving of mistakes at all. I played through whole game on hard and i couldn't do it on story  moqz Member Jan 28, 2025 446 I don't think the windows are even particularly strict on normal and expert. I don't know what the exact amount of frames would be, but it's pretty generous and on top of that there are always audio cues. I think the thing the game really needs is a quick restart for battles. I think that would alleviate a lot of the fatigue in learning combos that people have.   Roytheone Member Oct 25, 2017 6,062 They should let you set timing Windows seperate from the overall difficulty imo. Like how the lost crown and doom The dark ages let's you do.   Hamchan The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 5,879 Normal has been great for me, even getting a bit easy in the second half of the game, and I'm loving the parry and dodge timing. But it's cool that PC gaming allows players this flexibility to mod games to how they prefer it.  Kentsui Member Oct 26, 2017 1,789 Speedstersonic said: Even on story difficulty, idk how you do that legit tbh. That fight is nuts, and one fuckup and you're done. That fight just isn't very forgiving of mistakes at all. I played through whole game on hard and i couldn't do it on story Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's supposed to be the ultimate challenge of the game, it's definitely intended to be completely unforgiving.   oni-link tag reference no one gets Member Oct 25, 2017 17,326 UK Camisado said: I personally wish I could separate out the combat difficulty from the parry/dodge timing difficulty. I've really struggled with the timings on normal difficulty, everything comes later than I expect and it's just a huge bummer. Having to have easier combat in general just because I couldn't master those timings was super disappointing for me. Maybe a patch in the future? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I struggled with parries at first but then I saw someone online say to hold the parry button for longer than you think you need to, and that actually helped me a lot Before that I was just tapping it quickly, now I just hold it down until the attack was either failed or parried successfully  Glio Member Oct 27, 2017 27,651 Spain oni-link said: Yeah, and I get that, but the game is trying to do this, and there isn't much else out there that is doing it I don't think the game reviews as well as it does if the combat system is just standard turn based with you making choices, asking you to think for your turn and plan ahead, and then brace for the bosses turn is pretty unique. You also get more AP back for parrying, so even the amount of choices you have for your turn is impacted by your choices during the bosses turn. It's more engaging that a lot of turn based games where a lot of the time you're just watching yourself get hit Click to expand... Click to shrink... Metaphor has a better reviews, and its combat system lacks real-time elements. This isn't a deal-breaker among critics,- it's a matter of preference. For you, this is better because it keeps you more engaged, for me, it's the equivalent of waving keys in front of me so I don't lose interest in something. There are combos in the endgame that are so long they're miserable. Or certain secret bosses that drastically penalize you for failing them. And I personally think that makes the experience worse.  dusan Member Aug 2, 2020 6,746 God damn it, I really, really want this for PS5 version.   Confused Cheeseburger Member Oct 27, 2017 3,299 I just beat chromatic ramasseur and frankly that raised the games score in my head lol   Speedstersonic Queerness Shining Bright Member Mar 11, 2020 8,951 Kentsui said: It's supposed to be the ultimate challenge of the game, it's definitely intended to be completely unforgiving. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Should still be more beatable on easiest difficulty for people just wanting to see the story scenes.   Krapaw_Enjoyer Member Aug 28, 2024 584 I think it should be there as an accessibility option but the fact that it's hard to dodge/parry is what make this game incredibly tense, meanwhile most turn by turn rpg can become quite the snoozefest   Brawly Likes to Brawl Member Oct 25, 2017 16,405 Ryohei Suzuki's bedroom I don't have a problem with this. I know someone that installed this because he loves turn based games but couldn't meet the timings because of a disability. Clair Obscur is not a Souls like outside of the save system so I'm not sure why that article is being brought up.  OP OP Qurupeke Member Oct 25, 2017 1,322 oni-link said: They're the best parts of the combat system, it stops combat just being about strategy, you need a good strategy and then you need the skill to pull it off It also allows for amazing emergent moments where you're about to die and manage to pull off a parry that triggers a counter that breaks the boss that allows you to get back into the fight I get people have preferences though, but removing or making dodge/parry trivial would make the combat sterile and routine Though if people have more fun that way, then I'm glad the mods are available for them! Click to expand... Click to shrink... This is where I'm at, I don't think I'd have the same enjoyment out of the various encounters without the satisfying beat of parrying enemies. Of course, it's just one part of it, and I wouldn't like every game to be like that. Still, the satisfaction you get is unmatched. That said, I feel that people not being willing to interact with every system in a game is not a Clair Obscur issue only, but it is what it is, everyone has their preferences.   NekoNeko Coward Oct 26, 2017 20,203 what i want is bigger fonts but i would like the story mode dodge timing for normal difficulty too.   leodrp Member Jan 23, 2025 122 Yep thats me, started the game and after I finished my first session, I went shopping for that easier parry mod. Have been using the twice easier version of it since then and it made the game feel just right for me. It went from being impossible to actually feeling good and rewarding. If you are some seasonal veteran in this type of timing stuff I can see it become too easy though.  Last edited: Yesterday at 6:14 AM Kill3r7 Member Oct 25, 2017 28,917 Trial and error, learning patterns, trying different strategies is as old as gaming and can be a very satisfying and rewarding experience. You can dodge everything more or less without much effort. Countering is more of a pain as it requires perfection but boy can it change the tide of battle quick. Enjoy the mods folks but know that the game is pretty forgiving.  Lotus One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 123,672 The TTYD and Sekiro fan in me loves this shit personally, though I'll save Expert mode for a future playthrough I guess. It's pushing my shit in, but it's so much fun But yea, always neat that mods can provide options like that  Roytheone Member Oct 25, 2017 6,062 As an aside, when I play this game I will probably end up using the x1.3 mod. I suck at Parry timings and that seems like a good middle ground between making it easier but not trivializing it.   Jurec84 Member Oct 27, 2017 353 The game absolutely thrives and lives on moments when you do a parry and finish off a boss and the devs know it. Also the sound and visual effects make your heart beat faster as well. So I would say they are essential :) but yeah they should make them even more easy or add an auto option. But then again, souls games also don't have this.   Temperance "This guy are sick" Member Oct 25, 2017 6,956 [NO 2FA] moqz said: I don't think the windows are even particularly strict on normal and expert. I don't know what the exact amount of frames would be, but it's pretty generous and on top of that there are always audio cues. I think the thing the game really needs is a quick restart for battles. I think that would alleviate a lot of the fatigue in learning combos that people have. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Those really help. Quick restart would be nice.  Siri Member Nov 7, 2017 1,351 I used the 1.3x dodge mod along with the default difficulty as the parry windows just felt weird, and didn't look back. It provides enough of a window where an attack tracks just before/on contact visually, I still have to learn patterns and get punished for full damage if I fuck up the parry, and the dodge is still an option if I want a larger evasion window. Felt spot on.  Diogo Arez One Winged Slayer Member Oct 20, 2020 20,285 Not surprising tbh, wished there was an accessibility slider for it tbh   Kain-Nosgoth Member Oct 25, 2017 17,590 Switzerland i love parry, did the whole game with it without using dodge but also i don't care if people want to bypass it, anyone should enjoy the way they want  oni-link tag reference no one gets Member Oct 25, 2017 17,326 UK Qurupeke said: This is where I'm at, I don't think I'd have the same enjoyment out of the various encounters without the satisfying beat of parrying enemies. Of course, it's just one part of it, and I wouldn't like every game to be like that. Still, the satisfaction you get is unmatched. That said, I feel that people not being willing to interact with every system in a game is not a Clair Obscur issue only, but it is what it is, everyone has their preferences. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I think there is def a subset of people that just don't want to ever die/lose progress/need to try anything twice/engage with systems they don't like in games etc, and I think that's fine actually, not everyone has the will or time to play games that push back more than they're willing to engage with, and games are already long as hell. There is def a difference between valid criticism of a game vs criticism of a game for not catering the the specific requirements of each player, and it's not always easy to tell which is which when talking to people. I think as a criticism of the game, parrying and dodging are essential to what this game wants to achieve, and it's a lesser product if they're removed or diminished, however I can also see why some players would personally prefer not to have to engage with them as they are in the game, and that's why it's great there are easier modes and mods etc (even if I think playing it that way would be a lesser experience, It will nevertheless be the preferred way to play it for some players) It's the same thing for people who want to play Souls games on easy mode. They want to still play the game, but in a way that diminishes the intended experience of the game, however they'd get a lot more from the experience doing that vs playing it the intended way.  Mr.Deadshot Member Oct 27, 2017 23,038 Glio said: Parrying and dodging are the worst parts of an otherwise very interesting combat system. With its AP system and having to choose six skills, it feels like a kind of card game where you're rewarded for synergizing, making interesting builds, and carefully considering your character rotations to maximize AP usage. And all of that can go to waste because the boss decides that this time it combo will have one more attack after a feint. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Agree, it would have been better without the dodge and parry stuff. It also adds trial and error to the experience that feels unnecessary.   Agni Kai Member Nov 2, 2017 9,926 I only see weak people in this thread. You cheated not only the game, but yourself. You didn't grow. You didn't improve. You took a shortcut and gained nothing. You experienced a hollow victory. Nothing was risked and nothing was gained. It's sad that you don't know the difference.  Gans Member Oct 27, 2017 847 You cheated not only the game but yourself yada yada jk, put the mod, don't put the mod, for all I care get auto-dodge and just enjoy the story. It's a game, play it however you want. I do believe the game is better with the satisfaction of learning patterns, etc. and it feels very well balanced to me at Normal, but who am I to tell someone how to enjoy the game they paid for. Agni Kai said: You cheated not only the game, but yourself. You didn't grow. You didn't improve. You took a shortcut and gained nothing. You experienced a hollow victory. Nothing was risked and nothing was gained. It's sad that you don't know the difference. Click to expand... Click to shrink... That timing lol! 

The Super Heavy booster at the launch pad ahead of Starship Flight 8. Image: SpaceX SpaceX is getting close to launching Starship Flight 9, according to an email sent by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the company's representatives. The firm has picked up the pace on Flight 9 since late last month after it tested the upper-stage Starship rocket at its test site and fired the rocket's engines twice. SpaceX has shipped Starship back to the test site again in what appears to be preparations for another static fire ahead of Flight 9. Over the past few weeks, two Coast Guard notices have indicated that Flight 9 will fly soon. The latest of these lists a launch period starting from May 20th, and an email sent by the FCC to SpaceX mentions May 19th to indicate that Starship will fly again soon. SpaceX Gears Up For Starship Flight 9 As It Ships Upper Stage Ship To Ground Test Facilities The latest information about a potential Starship Flight 9 launch date came earlier this week when a Coast Guard notice to mariners indicated that a launch could occur on any day starting from May 20th and ending on May 29th. The latest notice followed an earlier notice, which listed May 13th as the start date of a launch window that lasted until May 23rd. The first notice came just as SpaceX was communicating with the FCC about the frequencies to use for the Starship Super Heavy booster's ground testing before Flight 9. This booster first flew on Starship Flight 7, and Flight 9 will mark the first time SpaceX reuses a Super Heavy booster in a test flight. Around the same time the first notice was issued, SpaceX communicated with the FCC to discuss the frequencies it will use for Super Heavy ground tests during Starship Flight 9. The firm's application to the FCC notes that the application is "necessary to authorize 2056 MHz and 2062 MHz at low power (3W) for on-ground testing only of Starship Super Heavy vehicle communications to include Test Flight 9 day of launch starting at T-14 hours through T+10 minutes at the SpaceX test facility located in Boca Chica and Brownsville TX." The time period that the application requests to use the frequency starts from the 18th of this month and lasts for a month. As part of its correspondence with SpaceX, the FCC sent an email to SpaceX confirming that it "concurred" with SpaceX regarding the use of specific frequencies for pre-flight tests. The FCC advised SpaceX to work with it to secure approval, and added that the agency might be able to "provide a quick path in the short term" as the Starship Flight 9 launch window opened on May 19th. Footage from local media shows that SpaceX has transported the upper stage ship to its ground testing facilities for what will most likely be a static fire test. Provided that the static fire test is a success, SpaceX will be able to proceed towards the upcoming launch window after a long delay between test flights for the Starship program. Deal of the Day

الرئيسية/الأخبار/الخيول الروبوتية: هل تصبح وسيلة التنقل المستقبلية خارج المدن؟ الأخبار الخيول الروبوتية: هل تصبح وسيلة التنقل المستقبلية خارج المدن؟سباق عالمي نحو ابتكار بدائل روبوتية للخيول التقليدية بوظائف متعددة ومزايا مستقبليةكشفت شركة كاواساكي اليابانية، المتخصصة بصناعة الدراجات النارية، عن مشروعها الطموح لتطوير مركبة غير مألوفة أطلقت عليها اسم «كورليو»، تتخذ شكل حصان روبوت وتستهدف التنقل خارج الطرق المعبدة.صُممت المركبة الجديدة بجسم يشبه الحصان بلا رأس، ويرتكز على أربعة أرجل مفصلية تعمل بمحركات كهربائية، مع مقود يحل محل اللجام ودعامات للقدمين تؤدي وظيفة الرِكاب. واستبدلت الشركة الحدوات الحديدية التقليدية بأخرى مطاطية لامتصاص الصدمات وتحسين الثبات على الأسطح المختلفة.تعتمد المركبة على نظام تحكم متطور يستشعر حركات الراكب وتوزيع وزنه، ويمررها إلى منظومة ذكاء اصطناعي توجه المحركات للاستجابة بدقة والحفاظ على التوازن. وفق التصميم المستهدف، سيتمكن «كورليو» من حمل شخصين والتحرك بسرعة عالية نسبياً.زودت كاواساكي مركبتها بنظام ملاحة عبر الأقمار الاصطناعية وجهاز إسقاط ضوئي يعرض الاتجاهات ليلاً على الأرض أمام المركبة. وتخطط الشركة لتشغيلها بنظام توليد كهرباء يعتمد على محرك احتراق داخلي صغير يستخدم الهيدروجين النظيف، مع تخزين الوقود في القسم الخلفي من المركبة.رغم إقرار كاواساكي بأن تطوير حصان روبوت بمرونة وقدرات «كورليو» قد يتطلب عقدين قبل الوصول لمرحلة الإنتاج التجاري، فإن الشركة ليست وحيدة في هذا المضمار. حيث تعكف الذراع الروبوتية لشركة إكس بينغ الصينية المصنّعة للسيارات الكهربائية على تطوير مُهر روبوت صغير الحجم مخصص للأطفال، تصفه بأنه سيكون «أول مركبة ذكية» في حياة الطفل.في السياق ذاته، نجحت شركة بوسطن ديناميكس الأمريكية المملوكة لمجموعة هيونداي الكورية الجنوبية في بيع أكثر من 1500 وحدة من روبوت «سبوت» ذي الأرجل الأربعة الشبيه بالكلب. ورغم صغر حجمه، يستخدم سبوت في المصانع، خاصة لفحص المناطق الخطرة.مع سعر أساسي يبلغ 75 ألف دولار لروبوت سبوت، يتوقع أن تكون الخيول الآلية من طراز كاواساكي باهظة الثمن، رغم ميزة الاستغناء عن تكاليف الإطعام والعناية المستمرة المرتبطة بالخيول الحقيقية. المصدر Economist تابع عالم التقنية على

After last week’s announcement that GTA VI was being delayed into next year, Rockstar Games surprised us this week with a new trailer for the upcoming crime epic, and we studied it for every cool detail it might offer and every hint it might provide as to what we can expect from the game. Also, we learned that Destiny 2 is getting a Star Wars-themed expansion called Renegades, and glimpsed a leaked image of an Xbox-branded PC gaming handheld. And oh yeah, there’s a new pope! Read on for all these stories and more.

At Unity, we continually work to ensure our ironSource SDK is best-in-class. But with a huge amount of scale - more than 1 billion devices - ensuring a top SDK takes a village.Quality is a two part process - we need to (1) build a strong product for our developers, and that product needs to (2) ensure a good experience for users of our developers’ apps. And as we work to keep our developers and their users happy, the market continually pushes toward new and updated features. In this industry, there’s always a delicate balance between progression (e.g., testing for new software) and regression (e.g., confirming our software is still working well). Essentially, we can’t keep manually developing new features without supporting the features - and clients - we already have.Instead of needing to increase our resources, we can balance progression and regression with automation. Normally, you would have to manage a tradeoff between quality and quantity. But with automation, we don’t have to sacrifice one for the other - we can optimize toward progression and regression at the same time.So, how do we manage to scale while meeting and exceeding market demand and carrying the weight of hundreds of millions of daily active users? By ensuring every layer of our SDK delivery process is automated.Here’s how we use automation to ensure every one of our SDK integrations runs smoothly - from our developers and quality engineers, to our integration team. Layer 1: DevelopersLet’s start with developers because they’re the ones writing the code. From the moment our Unity LevelPlay developers start coding, we always have quality in mind - every part of our SDK is backed up with unit tests. Unit tests are basic, automated tests that ensure the SDK components are working well. Unit tests are constantly running, automatically checking if the API (application programming interface) is triggered with input, then output is as expected. Essentially, the tests confirm that the API is communicating properly. For example, if we want to integrate a new ad format into our new SDK version, the unit test would confirm that each ad format is presenting and working well.In fact, we’re not just ensuring that the API information is being communicated - we’re confirming that the information is consistently accurate. For example, within Unity LevelPlay mediation, there are different ad network requests popping up at all times. As the bidding system triggers an auction for the top ad network, it’s critical that every piece of data in this moving puzzle is up-to-date and accurate. If one piece is not accurate, it can affect the entire funnel, so our automated tests ensure we can keep a close eye on all of the moving pieces.This can be a very tedious task - highlighting why automation is so important. One of the biggest roles of automation infrastructure, particularly unit tests, is testing data all the time. Unit tests certainly cover regression, but not necessarily progression - so that’s where the next level of testing, integration testing, comes in.Layer 2: Quality EngineersThe next layer of progression is covered by the quality engineers, who specialize in a variety of testing - particularly integration tests. Integration tests automatically run on a daily basis, but instead of checking if our SDK component tests are working, integration tests check how these components work together. Continuing with our previous example, if we want to add a new ad format to our newest SDK version, quality engineers would set up an integration test, systematically checking how this ad format might interact with other ad formats. Even for automated tests, this can be a tedious process - with so many SDK components, there are an endless number of ways they could combine and interact. That’s why our SDK quality engineers tend to use the 80/20 rule, or testing the top 20% most common interactions to account for 80% of the combination scenarios. The larger the ground to cover, the higher the possibility of technical issues, so our quality engineers are encouraged to be hyper skeptical - and also assume there’s a technical issue, even if there’s not.Layer 3: Integration teamLet’s say the developers and quality engineers have already given this new SDK version the green light, including the new ad format. Even though this new version is ready for launch, it might not be able to thrive in every scenario - for example, it might not work well in a few countries that only have 3G.Before we release this new SDK update to developers, our integration team uses alpha apps, internal production apps made with in-house tech, to measure how the update will perform in a real scenario - both from the developer’s and user’s perspective. In our example, the integration team would test the SDK on real traffic in these countries, using the same tools that developers use, just in a closed environment. Both integrating the SDK into an alpha app and uploading the app into the store are fully automated processes. In many ways, the integration team works like a production line, with many automated steps along the way.Once the new SDK version is live, we can continually make adjustments to ensure the best quality user experience. As we develop many of our new SDK features, we include a toggle option - so if one feature ever becomes faulty for a certain audience, we can turn it off if needed.Combined, these three layers of testing ensure that we have a fortified automation infrastructure - ensuring that our products are high quality for every one of our many users. The automation process grants us the biggest gift possible - time - which we can use to focus on progression, and developing new and innovative features to keep our SDK best-in-class.

It’s already been a tumultuous year for the U.S. semiconductor industry. The semiconductor industry plays a sizable role in the “AI race” that the U.S. seems determined to win, which is why this context is worth paying attention to: from Intel’s appointment of Lip-Bu Tan — who wasted no time getting to work trying to revitalize the legacy company — to CEO, to Joe Biden proposing sweeping new AI chip export rules on his way out of office that may or may not actually stick. Here’s a look at what’s happened since the beginning of the year.  May A last-minute reversal May 7: Just a week before the “Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion” was set to go into place, the Trump administration plans on taking a different path. According to multiple media outlets, including Axios and Bloomberg, the administration won’t enforce the restrictions when they were supposed to start on May 15 and is instead working on its own framework.  April Anthropic doubles down on its support of chip export restrictions April 30: Anthropic doubled down on its support for restricting U.S.-made chip exports, including some tweaks to the Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion, like imposing further restrictions on Tier 2 countries and dedicating resources to enforcement. An Nvidia spokesperson shot back, saying, “American firms should focus on innovation and rise to the challenge, rather than tell tall tales that large, heavy, and sensitive electronics are somehow smuggled in ‘baby bumps’ or ‘alongside live lobsters.’”  Planned layoffs at Intel April 22: Ahead of its Q1 earnings call, Intel said it was planning to lay off more than 21,000 employees. The layoffs were meant to streamline management, something CEO Lip-Bu Tan has long said Intel needed to do, and help rebuild the company’s engineering focus.  The Trump administration further restricts chip exports April 15: Nvidia’s H20 AI chip got hit with an export licensing requirement, the company disclosed in an SEC filing. The company added it expects $5.5 billion in charges related to this new requirement in the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year. The H20 is the most advanced AI chip Nvidia can still export to China in some form or fashion. TSMC and Intel reported similar expenses the same week.  Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW Nvidia appears to talk its way out of further chip exports April 9: Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang was spotted attending dinner at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to reports. At the time, NPR reported Huang may have been able to spare Nvidia’s H20 AI chips from export restrictions upon agreeing to invest in AI data centers in the U.S.  An alleged agreement between Intel and TSMC April 3: Intel and TSMC allegedly reached a tentative agreement to launch a joint chipmaking venture. This joint venture would operate Intel’s chipmaking facilities, and TSMC would have a 20% stake in the new venture. Both companies declined to comment or confirm. If this deal doesn’t come to fruition, this is likely a decent preview of potential deals in this industry to come.  Intel spins off non-core assets, announces new initiative April 1: CEO Lip-Bu Tan got to work right away. Just weeks after he joined Intel, the company announced that it was going to spin off non-core assets so it could focus. He also said the company would launch new products including custom semiconductors for customers.  March Intel names a new CEO  March 12:  Intel announced that industry veteran, and former board member, Lip-Bu Tan would return to the company as CEO on March 18. At the time of his appointment, Tan said he Intel would be an “engineering-focused company” under his leadership.  February Intel’s Ohio chip plant gets delayed again February 28: Intel was supposed to start operating its first chip fabrication plant in Ohio this year. Instead, the company slowed down construction on the plant for the second time in February. Now, the $28 billion semiconductor project won’t wrap up construction until 2030 and may not even open until 2031. Senators call for more chip export restrictions February 3: U.S. senators, including Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo), wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Nominee-Designate Howard Lutnick urging the Trump administration to further restrict AI chip exports. The letter specifically referred to Nvidia’s H20 AI chips, which were used in the training of DeepSeek’s R1 “reasoning” model.  January  DeepSeek releases its open “reasoning” model January 27: Chinese AI startup DeepSeek caused quite the stir in Silicon Valley when it released the open version of its R1 “reasoning” model. While this isn’t semiconductor news specifically, the sheer alarm in the AI and semiconductor industries DeepSeek’s release caused continues to have ripple effects on the chip industry.  Joe Biden’s executive order on chip exports January 13: With just a week left in office, former President Joe Biden proposed sweeping new export restrictions on U.S.-made AI chips. This order created a three-tier structure that determined how many U.S. chips can be exported to each country. Under this proposal, Tier 1 countries faced no restrictions; Tier 2 countries had a chip purchase limit for the first time; and Tier 3 countries got additional restrictions.  Anthropic’s Dario Amodei weighs in on chip export restrictions January 6: Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei co-wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal endorsing existing AI chip export controls and pointing to them as a reason why China’s AI market was behind the U.S.’. He also called on incoming president Donald Trump to impose further restrictions and to close loopholes that have allowed AI companies in China to still get their hands on these chips.