The capability of multimodal large language models (MLLMs) to enable complex long-chain reasoning that incorporates text and vision raises an even greater barrier in the realm of artificial intelligence. While text-centric reasoning tasks are being gradually advanced, multimodal tasks add additional challenges rooted in the lack of rich, comprehensive reasoning datasets and efficient training strategies. Currently, many models tend to lack accuracy in their reasoning when exposed to complex data involving images, which limits their application to real-world applications in systems with autonomous activity, medical diagnoses, or learning materials.Traditional methods for enhancing reasoning capacity rely largely on Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting or structured datasets. However, these approaches have significant drawbacks. Crafting annotated datasets for the task of visual reasoning is very resource-intensive and requires enormous human resources. Reasoning and summarizing in a single step often results in badly fragmented or just plain bizarre reasoning chains. Moreover, with the lack of datasets and the direct approach to training these systems, they cannot generalize effectively across a variety of tasks. These constraints call for new methodologies to be developed to amplify the reasoning capability of multi-modal artificial intelligence systems.Researchers from NTU, Tencent, Tsinghua University, and Nanjing University introduced Insight-V to tackle these challenges through a unique combination of scalable data generation and a multi-agent framework. It offers an incremental methodology for generating diversified and coherent reasoning pathways through a multi-granularity methodology of pathway evaluation to ensure the quality of the generated pathways. A distinct multi-agent system decomposes tasks into two specialized roles: the reasoning agent, which generates detailed logical steps, and the summary agent, which validates and refines these outputs for accuracy. By leveraging Iterative Direct Preference Optimization (DPO), a reinforcement learning method, the system achieves alignment with human-like judgment. This collaborative architecture enables significant advances in reasoning accuracy and task-specific performance.Insight-V has a structured dataset of more than 200K reasoning samples and over 1.2 million summarization examples obtained from related benchmarks such as LLaVA-NeXT and other curated data for training. The reasoning agent aims to give finalized step-by-step processes for solving logical problems, while the summary agent critically evaluates and polishes these steps to reduce errors. Training starts with role-specific supervised fine-tuning, gradually moving to iterative preference optimization, refining the output to be closer to actual human decision-making. This style of training maintains a structured approach toward robust generalization across domains and complex reasoning tasks.Multi-modal reasoning performance improvement of the system on benchmark tasks is major with a mean relative improvement of 7.0% over LLaVA-NeXT and 2.9% from the baseline model. Insight-V improves performance over tasks such as chart-oriented detailed analysis and mathematical reasoning besides generalization capability in perception-focused evaluation modules like TextVQA. This is the reason for steady performance improvement across these tasks that validates the utility and merit of the system, hence its placement firmly as a hallmark development in multi-modal reasoning models.Insight-V offers a transformative framework for addressing key challenges in multi-modal reasoning by integrating innovative data generation techniques with a collaborative multi-agent architecture. Improved reasoning over structured datasets, task-specific decomposition, and reinforcement learning optimizations are significant contributions in the context. This work ensures that MLLMs will indeed face reasoning-intensive tasks effectively while being versatile across different domains. In that regard, Insight-V serves as the basic basis for further development toward building systems that utilize complex reasoning within challenging visual-linguistic environments.Check out the Paper and GitHub Page. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. If you like our work, you will love ournewsletter.. Dont Forget to join our55k+ ML SubReddit. Aswin Ak+ postsAswin AK is a consulting intern at MarkTechPost. He is pursuing his Dual Degree at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He is passionate about data science and machine learning, bringing a strong academic background and hands-on experience in solving real-life cross-domain challenges. Read this AI Research Report from Kili Technology on 'Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities: A Comparative Analysis of Red Teaming Techniques'

So far this year, Target stands near the top of the heap as the retailer with the best Black Friday deals so far. One such deal is on an intriguing - and a bit controversial - pair of smart glasses. Right now, Target is offering a 20% discount off the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses, with prices starting at $239.20. That's the same 20% off deal you'll find at other retailers, however Target is also throwing in a $90 Target gift card with your purchase. Combine the two savings and you're saving up to 50% off. This will probably be the best deal you'll find on this specific product.Update: Amazon has matched this offer by throwing in $90 in Amazon digital credit.Up to $150 Off the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart GlassesRay-Ban Meta Wayfarer Smart Glasses with Bonus $90 Gift CardThe Meta Wayfarer glasses are an influencer's dream, and that's exactly what they're designed for: social media. They're surprisingly slim and lightweight for glasses equipped with an integrated 12MP video camera and speaker. You can use them to take quick snapshots or up to 60 second videos that you can then upload to your social media of choice. You can even livestream 30 second videos in 720p. Note that there's an LED that pulses whenever you're taking a photo or video to let others know that they're on camera. However, it's pretty discreet and can be easily covered up, much to the displeasure of anyone who happens to be in front of you.The Wayfarer glasses feature open-ear speakers with extended base and low distortion at high volumes in order to deal with wind and ambient noise. Five microphones built into the frame serve up good voice clarity when you're making or receiving phone calls or recording audio. Connectivity options are up to date with both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. The internal battery provides up to four hours of continuous playtime on a single charge and up to 36 hours from the charging case. The Wayfarers are available in several different sizes and lenses options. The least expensive models sport pink or green lenses. The mid-range models have polarized sunglass lenses. The high-end models have transition lenses that automatically darken when you go outside.If you've been wanting to give these glasses a try, this is the best deal you'll find for the foreesable future, unless Ray-Ban or Meta decides to discontinue the product. With these types of products, there will inevitably be privacy issues that you'll have to deal with, and it's up to you to be responsible for how to use them. But right now I'm here to say "if you're going to get them, there's no better place and time than Target on Black Friday."When Is Black Friday 2024?Were in the home stretch: Black Friday falls on November 29 this year. All month long, retailers have been rolling out sales, ramping up to massive discounts on Black Friday and through the weekend into Cyber Monday. There are already some fantastic deals available on PS5 consoles (including PS VR2) and controllers, video games, AirPods Pro, and tons more.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

The following review contains spoilers for the first episode of Dune Prophecy, Two WolvesInside of each of us, there are two wolves. And inside the second episode of Dune: Prophecy there are also two wolves. The episode is, in fact, named Two Wolves, and for the most part, its divided in half: We bounce back and forth between Tulas conflict over putting Lila through The Agony and Valyas trip to Salusa Secundus to investigate the threat of Tiran-Arafael. Its a separation that makes things feel more focused than last week, but more lopsided as well, as the Sisterhood storyline proves once again to be much more interesting than the goings on of the Imperium.For the most part, the heavy focus on the Harkonnen sisters respective journeys is a positive. Theyre the primary protagonists of Dune: Prophecy, and Emily Watson and Olivia Williams are the best actors on the call sheet, so splitting them up and giving them their own threads to follow is a good change of pace. As much as the Imperial familys storyline continues to feel dull, adding Valya into it shakes things up a bit: Her investigation into Tiran-Arafael and her realization that Desmond Hart isnt susceptible to The Voice offers some real intrigue, too, but while Watsons doing the lords work, Travis Fimmel struggles to balance born-again fanatic with existential threat to the Sisterhood. What should be unsettling and intimidating at best comes off as wild and unruly, and at worst becomes outright wacky.Tulas arc in Two Wolves doesnt just benefit from Williams emotional and subtle performance. Its also a much more engaging storyline with life and death stakes, implications for the lore of the Bene Gesserit and the wider Dune universe, and a satisfyingly dark conclusion that propels some of the more compelling mysteries set up in the premiere forward. Not all of the visual elements come together in the depiction of the Agony again feeling more like an imitation of what Denis Villeneuve did with Dune and Dune: Part Two but getting to see clearly what its like to commune with ones foremothers is another interesting lore drop. Chloe Leas performance as Lila is another standout in Two Wolves portraying someone who feels the Sisterhood is her family, and is willing to (and ultimately does) sacrifice her life for the betterment of that Sisterhood. And Lea makes you believe it. Its also well juxtaposed by sisters Emeline and Jen whose thoughts on martyrdom are very much the opposite. The divide in the Sisterhood during this era is deepened, and the prospect of one side winning out in the end even more gripping.Dune: Prophecy Episode 2 GalleryOutside the two main focuses of Two Wolves, theres one other tangential storyline that gets just a bit of screentime: Keiran Atreides is involved in a fledgling rebellion against the Corrino Empire, and theyre planning a big, spectacular debut for themselves. But with so much focus on Tula and Valyas various issues, we dont get a chance to warm up to any of these newly minted rebels. The ragtag band dont immediately instill any sort of inspiration or intrigue because were given only surface-level introductions to these seemingly important characters. And its almost immediately revealed that the blue-in-blue eyed Mikaela is actually a Sister, playing her role in the balance of power that the Sisterhood is trying to achieve. Its a sort of awkward introduction that could have made for a big moment later down the line, but it feels as though the constraint of a six-episode series restricts a lot of the story Dune: Prophecy is trying to tell.

Beyond the obviou$ one, there is little reason for Netflixs Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramsey to exist. Nearly 30 years after the tragic murder of six-year-old JonBent Ramsey, the case remains as cold as the fateful Boulder, Colorado night on which it occurred.Despite the lack of fresh developments (or maybe because of it), the true crime-consuming public remains captivated with the story of this innocent child pageant participant killed in her upper class familys home on Christmas night in 1996. Countless online forums are singularly devoted to solving the mystery that has beguiled so many professional investigators for years. JonBent sleuthing is more than a cottage industry, its its own culture nestled within the larger true crime phenomenon. Its only natural then that streaming titan Netflix would want to break into that conversatoin. Hell, it has done so already with 2017 documentary Casting JonBenet. Whats one more docuseries on top of that?The problem with that latest effort, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramsey, though, is that there is truly nothing left for it to say after decades of other, better articulations of the case. In lieu of anything novel to report, Cold Case largely hands the mic over to one of the chief players involved, JonBents father John Ramsey, and invites him to share his narrative alongside a handful of sympathetic interviewees.This is not to say John Ramseys story is unimportant. Though true crime devotees often view him and the rest of the family as chief suspects due to the crimes locked-room mystery nature, the Ramseys remain very much Not Guilty in the eyes of the law. But his perspective is just that: a perspective. Longtime followers of the JonBent Ramsey case have more than enough testimony to wade through. What theyre in the market for is more evidence. This three-episode Netflix series, directed by Making a Murderers Joe Berlinger, is unable to provide that. Perhaps nothing can.Granted, if your only experience with the JonBent Ramsey case is through watching Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramsey then you might find the documentary understandably riveting. The JonBent story has stood the test of time for a reason. But if youre familiar at all with the mountains of other JonBent documentaries, books, articles, theories, and forums, then this is all merely rehash. In fact, there are some crucial details about the case missing from this doc. Details likeThe Autopsy Reports Contain Additional InformationCold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramseys three episodes all cover different aspects of the case. Episode 1 Keep Your Babies Close largely recounts the details of the fateful 1996 Christmas night and its immediate aftermath. Episode 2 Umbrella of Suspicion details parents John and Patsy Ramseys experience as chief suspects in the murder of their daughter before the state of Colorado opts not to indict them. Episode 3 The Truth Is Going to Prevail looks into several candidates in the intruder theory that posits a home invader killed JonBent.While the latter two episodes are more openly subjective in presenting John Ramseys account and subsequent intruder theories, episode 1 is designed to be the objective foundation upon which the rest of the docuseries rests. Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramsey does a pretty good job in creating this foundation, even crafting a very useful 3D rendering of the Ramsey house on 15th Street to guide viewers through the events. Still, for all of the crucial bits of information the episode includes (the ransom letter, the garrotte, the broken paintbrush, etc.), it also omits or doesnt fully touch upon some others.The most prominent bit of evidence that Cold Case doesnt dive into concerns the autopsy reports. The docuseries notes that there was evidence of sexual trauma in JonBents initial post-mortem investigation. What it doesnt mention, however, is that several medical professionals believe there is evidence of sustained sexual trauma in a time period before the day of her murder. In Boulder police detective Steve Thomass 2001 deposition for the Wolf v Ramsey civil trial (snippets of which are featured in the docuseries), he mentions the hiring of child sexual abuse medical expert John McCann to look into the JonBent case. In his 2000 book JonBenet: Inside the Ramsey Murder Investigation, he alludes to a panel of pediatric experts from around the country who looked into the matter and came to the same conclusion that JonBent suffered genital trauma prior to the day she was killed.Thomas and his panels findings are corroborated by James Kolars 2012 book Foreign Faction Who Really Kidnapped JonBenet?, which reports that Boulder County Coroner Dr. John Meyer found evidence of previous sexual trauma in addition to the immediately pre-mortem trauma he first reported. Meyer enlisted child abuse specialist Dr. Andrew Sirotnakfor a second opinion, who ultimately concurred.Another detail from autopsy reports that Cold Case doesnt dwell on is the pineapple that JonBent ingested shortly before her death. According to post-mortem examiners in Thomas investigation, the condition of the pineapple in JonBents intestine suggested that she had eaten it one and a half to two hours before being killed. Why is this detail important? Truth be told it might not be. Children eat pineapple all the time. But the reality of the situation is that the pineapple is one of the few bits of hard evidence that amateur sleuths have access to and it invariably plays a role in nearly every theory regarding the case.Those who ascribe to the theory that John and Patsy harmed their child point to the fact that they never mentioned the pineapple in their initial statements to the police, and JonBent eating at the kitchen table just hours before her death contradicts an intruder timeline. Those who ascribe to the theory that JonBents brother Burke killed her, accidentally or otherwise, point to the presence of his fingerprints on the bowl of fruit and the child-like haphazard cutting of the pineapple as evidence for their claims.As is the case with pretty much everything regarding this story, we will likely never know the real significance of the pineapple. But that doesnt mean it isnt significant. Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramsey merely tosses the pineapple information in at the end, roughly five minutes before the final credits roll, along with the dismissive text that a 2016 CBS special speculated that Burke killed JonBent because she ate some of his snack. It goes on to note that Burke sued CBS and the producers for $750 million, eventually settling for an undisclosed sum.There Are Some Flaws in Lou Smits Intruder TheoryMuch of Cold Cases second and third episodes follow the dogged work of veteran detective Lou Smit as he investigates, first in an official capacity and then independently, his theory that an intruder killed JonBent. Smit is a fascinating figure in this case. Born in Colorado Springs and based there for the entirety of his career, Smit, who died in 2010, was both a deeply religious man and a tremendously gifted investigator. Prior to his work on the JonBent mystery, Smit was known for his involvement in many prominent murder mysteries, including several that ended up being featured in true crime TV series like Forensic Files and Homicide Hunter. In a 2000 episode of Geraldo Riveras talk show, Cold Case boogeyman and intruder theory skeptic Steve Thomas even said that Smit is a guy I respect, I have a great deal of admiration for, that I still consider a friend.Still, despite Smits apparent earnestness and talent, many observers of the JonBent case have expressed doubt in his intruder theory. Part of that skepticism is due to a perceived bias Smit prayed with the then-suspects Ramseys shortly after meeting them. More of it, however, comes down to the usual problem with every theory this story: theres just not enough evidence!In the series second episode, Smit shares that he believes a stun gun is the most important missing piece in this case. He points to small, circular bruises on JonBents neck as telltale signs of a stun gun injury from a likely intruder. But of course, no such stun gun has ever been recovered. And no expert of note has concurred with Smits assertion that the injuries to JonBents neck came from a stun gun. Stun guns, or TASERS, use pointed projectiles that embed themselves in the targets skin. JonBents bruises dont feature any of the telltale puncture wounds that would accompany these pointed probes.Similarly, Smits other purported bits of evidence supporting the intruder theory dont hold up particularly well. He suggests that the disheveled pattern of JonBents bedsheets resembles someone being dragged out of bed, when, to my (and many others) untrained eyes it just looks like a childs normal unmade bed. He concurs with John Ramsey that the suitcase placed under the basement window represented the intruders escape plan. This conflicts with one of the crime scenes more consequential (and sadly poorly-photographed) pieces of evidence of an unbroken spider web extending from the window to the windowsill. Additionally, why would an intruder arrange a suitcase vertically to elevate themselves upward? Surely a horizontal orientation is more stable and wouldnt run the risk of toppling over? Thinking even further, why wouldnt an intruder just leave via the front door after committing a crime that the entire house already slept through?We bring all of this up not to fully discount the intruder theory (which is indeed as viable as any) or besmirch Lou Smits well-earned good name. Instead, we bring it up to illustrate Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramseys fundamental lack of curiosity and its apparent disinterest on pushing back on theories its subjects present.John Mark Karr (And Many Other Creeps) Have Been Ruled OutSpeaking of the intruder theories, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramsey offers up plenty of actual potential intruders to have committed the crime. Through Lou Smits theorizing and journalist Michael Traceys investigating, Cold Case provides the following names for consideration: Gary Oliva Randy Simons John Brewer Eustace John Mark Karr a.k.a. DaxisThe problem with this rogues gallery is that they have all already been eliminated as suspects for one reason or another. On October 21, 2003, the Boulder District Attorneys office publicly declared it had cleared Oliva as a suspect based on a background investigation and an interview. John Brewer Eustace was similarly ruled out in 1997 with a reliable alibi. Randy Simons was never considered a serious suspect though it is admittedly chilling how closely into the world of child beauty pageants a convicted child sexual abuser was able to get. Simons is actually credited as the photographer of the photo of JonBent Ramsey that accompanies the Wikipedia entry of this case.And then theres John Mark Karroh John Mark Karr. Boulder County Investigators can be forgiven for arresting John Mark Karr in 2006 and having him swiftly extradited from Thailand. This is a case that everyone is understandably desperate to solve and Karrs blunt and detailed confession to Michael Tracey was the most compelling bit of evidence that emerged since that fateful Christmas night in 1996. Unfortunately, Karrs confession quickly fell apart under closer scrutiny. His claim of drugging and slowly strangling Jonbent Ramsey doesnt correspond to the physical evidence presented by her body. Additionally, his DNA didnt match any of the DNA found in the crime scene, most crucially the unknown strand of male DNA now popularly known as UM1. In Cold Case, Tracey purports that Karr knew John Ramseys nickname for his mother-in-law Nedra was Neddy. John Ramsey also claims that his housekeeper reported that she saw a man who looked like John Mark Karr prowling their Michigan property. Are those data points interesting? Sure. But its hard to conclude that any coincidences or claims match up against the DNA evidence. As John says himself: John Mark Karr is a very strange guy but until we have a DNA match, we dont know who the killer is.DNA Might Never Be Enough to Find the KillerNow, about that DNA. Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramseys biggest shortcoming is its inability to do a deep dive into the nettle that is DNA evidence in this case. Granted, it can be forgiven for not wanting to fully wade in as the DNA is by far the hardest part of this whole ordeal to wrap ones head around.Theres a popular perception that DNA provides the definitive smoking gun in every crime. That is true to some extent DNA is reliable in positively identifying and ruling out suspects (as it has with several suspects in this case), but its also a delicate thing. Scientists require an ample amount of genetic material to extract enough DNA to provide a complete genetic code while legal professionals need an unsullied crime scene and a consistent chain of evidential custody to be confident there isnt any cross contamination. Unfortunately, the JonBent case is lacking on both of these fronts. Perhaps the most useful online resource to understand the implications of DNA in this case comes from the DNA FAQ on the r/JonBenetRamsey subreddit. There, readers can get a better idea of why getting answers in this case doesnt simply boil down to run the DNA code, find the murderer. The long and short of it all is that investigators have had hundreds of items to sort through including underwear, fingernails, ligatures, and more. And the profiles generated from those artifacts are often frustratingly incomplete. None of that is to even mention the contaminated nature of the initial crime scene. Of course, DNA science is always advancing and some are hopeful that new technologies could provide further clarity. John Ramsey himself mentions this possibility near the end of Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey, pointing out that genealogical databases like Ancestry and 23andMe have been used to find killers through familial DNA as was the case in the Golden State Killer murders. It might not be quite that simple here.Original grand jury deputy prosecutor Mitch Morrissey (who is interviewed in this doc) explained in a 2020 interview that identifying killers through familial DNA requires more genetic material than JonBent investigators currently have. Where you could test maybe eight skin cells and get a profile and, you know, solve your murder or exonerate an innocent person, you cant do that with sequencing. Youve got to have a pretty good amount of DNA, he said. We May Never Know Who Killed JonBent RamseyThe hardest pill to swallow for those who closely follow the JonBent Ramsey case is that we will likely never know what really happened to this innocent little girl. Everyone has their murderer of choice in this story whether it be John Ramsey, Patsy Ramsey, Burke Ramsey, or one of the many possible intruders into their home. The real villain here, however, is Christmas.Because this crime happened in an affluent, safe community on Christmas night, the Boulder Police Department didnt necessarily have its A-Team of investigators to dispatch once the 9-1-1 call came in. And since that 9-1-1 call initially reported the crime as a kidnapping, the police officers on-site did not think to properly secure the property as a crime scene. As such, all of the best potential evidence was lost and/or contaminated within hours of polices arrival. Thats why, some 30 years later, amateur detectives are reduced to arguing about a bowl of cut up pineapples.Still, we should not let the likely impossibility of ever solving this crime acquit Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramsey from not even making a worthy attempt. At best, Cold Case is looking to exploit an old story for new clicks. At worst, its running cover for one of the suspects involved.All three episodes of Cold Case: Who Killed JonBent Ramsey are available to stream on Netflix now.

This review contains spoilers forDUNE: PROPHECYepisode 2.Dune: Prophecys second episode Two Wolves features the best and worst of what the show has to offer, all within the same scene. The scene takes place deep within the palace of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong), where his daughter Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) and his swordmaster Keiran Atreides (Chris Mason) spar.The hidden passion between the two plays out in a series of thrusts and parries, their personal shields flashing blue with every brutal, but ultimately harmless attack. Finally, Keiran pulls Ynez close and points his weapon at her throat. The red glow from her shield indicates that the weapon moves slowly enough to penetrate, but when combined with the look of longing on Ynezs face, the hue also suggests romantic longing between the pair.The look lasts just a couple of seconds before Ynez pushes Keiran away. And despite declaring I dont want to talk just one minute earlier, right before she began sparring with Keiran, Ynez does exactly that: talk.Specifically, she talks about an incident from her childhood, when she and her brother Constantine were kidnapped by an enemy to the throne. Keiran responds in shock because the Corrinos kept the incident secret, and yet Ynez states it openly.The fight scene shows what Dune: Prophecy can be and what it too often is. It can be a rich character story, one that uses its sci-fi setting and compelling visuals to add depth to people caught in a battle between galactic powers. However, Dune: Prophecy is most often a show in which people stand in rooms and make statements, declaring things that are apparently supposed to be secret.On one hand, the emphasis on revelation makes sense. Two Wolves, written by Elizabeth Padden and Kor Adana and directed by John Cameron, mostly deals in investigation after the horrible murders at the end of the premiere The Hidden Hand. Two people burned alive from the inside, Mother Kasha (Jihae) influential member of the Sisterhood and trusted Truthsayer to the Emperor and young Pruwet Richese (Charlie Hodson-Prior), the child groom intended for Ynez.The surprise attack sends all of the shows many schemers into a spiral to figure out what happened. Javicco and his wife Empress Natalya (Jodhi May) must not only deal with a direct affront to their power, but also Javiccos feelings toward his former lover Kasha. Grief grips Pruwets father Duke Ferdinand (Brendan Cowell), who demands justice and threatens to disrupt the empires spice operation unless he gets it. But Ferdinands wife Orla (Laura Howard) urges caution, because she serves the Sisterhood.Keiran and his colleagues in an anti-Corrino rebellion, including Harrow Harkonnen (Edward Davis) and the Fremen Mikaela (Shalom Brune-Franklin), see the attack as a chance to make their move against the Emperor. However, Mikaela recognizes clear attraction between Keiran and Ynez, which both threatens her secret rebellion and possibly also her even more secret work with Valya and the Sisterhood. For his part, Constantine uses the attack to slip away from the public eye and enjoy a tryst with the Dukes older daughter Lady Shannon Richese (Tessa Bonham Jones), who has her own plans at work when she informs the boy about the power of spice.Finally, theres Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula (Olivia Williams), the former of whom sees the attack as a direct affront to the Sisterhood. Valya seeks guidance from her mentor Mother Raquella, whom she plans to contact by making young acolyte Lila (Chloe Lea), Raquellas granddaughter, undergo the Agonies and access her genetic memories. The decision to put Lila at such great risk angers Tula and sets her plotting against her sister, but Valya remains certain that they must take immediate action against a direct threat to the Sisterhood.Valya, it turns out, is correct. We know this not because any subtle suggestions or obscure visuals, but because Desmond Hart tells her that he plans to destroy the Sisterhood, straight to her face. Against all odds, Hart is becoming the most exciting character to watch on the show, and not just because of his more direct connections to the familiar aspects of Dune. Hart might have powers he derived from an encounter with a sandworm on Arakkis, but we watch because of Travis Fimmels odd take on the character.A model-turned-actor, Fimmel has always excelled at posing and floundered at suggesting interiority, a problem in most cases, but a virtue here. Hart cannot keep a secret, which makes him an agent of chaos in a world dominated by secrets. When he teams with Javicco and even demonstrates the ability to resist Valyas use of the voice, Hart establishes himself as the true menace of the show.Fimmels skin-deep take makes sense alongside Dune: Prophecys other great strength, its powerful visuals. Series cinematographer Nikolaus Summerer doesnt quite reach the heights of the Denis Villeneuve films, but he creates some striking images for the show.Two Wolves includes a striking depiction of genetic memory, one that begins with obvious CG insert shots of blue liquid overtaking red blood cells and then portrays Lila, drapped in white robes, surrounded by shades. The shades overtake her, representing the ancestors using her body, complete with a figure whose face shifts into indistinct forms.Its a genuinely horrifying scene, one that gives Williams something to do as Tula worries over Lilas body. However, the real standout here is Chloe Lea, who conveys Lilas fear and loss of self through her writhing and twisting and then conveys Lilas ancestors murderous control by holding herself completely still.These two moments of visual complexity and character depth almost taunt the viewer, teasing them with a great Dune show. Its too bad that Dune: Prophecy just wants to talk instead.New episodes of Dune: Prophecy premiere Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO and Max, culminating with the finale on December 22.Learn more about Den of Geeks review process and why you can trust our recommendationshere.

Apples had a very eventful fall, with a jam packed September event, an iPad mini 7 launch in mid October, followed up by an exciting week of announcements at the end of the month. With all of those new product announcements, there were also a number of discontinuations of older products, meaning theyre no longer available to purchase from the Apple Store. However, theres still good deals to find on last gen products from third parties.Apple introduced a new iPad mini model in October, with support for Apple Intelligence, compatibility with Apple Pencil Pro, as well as a fix for the jelly scrolling problem from the iPad mini 6. Its a relatively small upgrade, but one that was much needed after a 3 year wait.There isnt really much of a great reason to want an older generation iPad mini model, but if you dont care about Apple Intelligence you can pick up the last generation model for $349 with 64GB of storage.#2 FineWoven iPhone casesApple debuted their highly controversialFineWovencases with the iPhone 15 last year, as an environmentally friendly replacement to leather. It was meant to be a premium feeling fabric material, but it missed the mark completely. The cases scratch far too easily, and ultimately failed to satisfy as a premium product.Apple seemed to acknowledge this, andFineWoveniPhone cases no longer exist for iPhone 16 models. They did keep aroundFineWovenMagSafe wallets and Apple Watch bands, though. If youd like to pick up a FineWoven case for your iPhone 15, theres a variety of deals on Amazon including this one for iPhone 15 Pro for only $21.#3 M3 MacBook ProApple unveiled the new MacBook Pro with M4 late last month, with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chipsets, an upgrade to Thunderbolt 5 on higher end models, much needed RAM upgrades, support for Center Stage, and an option to configure your Mac with a nano-texture display.There are a couple cool deals to find on the M3 MacBook Pros, including this one deal at Best Buy where you can pick up the base model for $1199 a great price for a 14-inch MacBook Pro, given the display quality.#4 M2 Mac miniApple unveiled the largest redesign to Mac mini earlier this month, being significantly smaller than the prior model, frontal I/O, and M4/M4 Pro chipsets. This design also bumped up on the RAM, with M4 coming with 16GB by default and M4 Pro coming with 24GB by default. Its also Apples most powerful desktop Mac.There really arent any noteworthy deals on the outgoing Mac mini model, but you shouldnt buy it anyways, given the scale of the redesign. You can pick up the M4 Mac mini for $499 on Amazon after clipping the on page coupon. The outgoing model is available for $469 currently, but you shouldnt buy it since you also get half the RAM.#5 M3 iMaciMac also got a refresh last month, jumping from M3 to M4, support for additional Thunderbolt ports, as well as gaining the same Center Stage capability as the MacBook Pro. Plus, it now comes with 16GB of RAM by default all at the same starting price of $1299. It also got a fresh set of colors.There also arent any great deals on the outgoing M3 iMac right now, but you can save $150 on the current model after clipping the on page coupon, making it $1149 on Amazon.#6 and 7 iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro MaxAs has been tradition since 2018 with the release of the iPhone XS, Apple has once again discontinued the previous generation of flagship iPhones, meaning the iPhone 15 Pro models went away upon the unveiling of the iPhone 16 Pro models. However, theres definitely a unique reason to want to buy a 15 Pro refurbished, since theyre one of the only iPhones that support Apple Intelligence.You can pick up a renewed premium 128GB iPhone 15 Pro for $719 currently, and a renewed premium 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max for $894 currently. Amazon Renewed Premium devices come with a 1 year return window, so youre covered in case something happens.#8 iPhone 13Apple introduced theiPhone 13in 2021, with a number of upgrades, including longer battery life, a new camera system, and a smaller notch. It started at $799, and has received a number of price cuts over the years, and reached a low of $599 prior to being discontinued.Although Amazon doesnt really sell new iPhones in the US, you can find refurbished deals, as low as $370 for an unlocked iPhone 13 in excellent condition.#9, 10, and 11 Lightning Magic AccessoriesWith the new Mac refresh this fall, Apple transitioned the Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard to USB-C, discontinuing all of the Lightning versions.There are a couple deals on Lightning versions of these accessories, though Id recommend against buying a Lightning version of an accessory youll probably keep for quite a while. Nonetheless, Magic Mouse with Lightning is on sale for $12 off, and Magic Trackpad with Lightning is around $20 off currently.#12 Apple Watch Series 9After the release of the thinner Apple Watch Series 10, Apple discontinued the older Apple Watch Series 9, likely because the Series 10 retained the same starting price, and there just isnt a ton of room in the pricing ladder for a watch between the SE and Series 10.There are some deals on Apple Watch Series 9, including this one for $299 but Id avoid buying it given the fact that you can currently pick up a Series 10 for as little as $329.#13, 14, and 15 Remaining Lightning AirPodsWith the introduction of AirPods 4 and USB-C AirPods Max, Apple replaced all of the remaining AirPods with a Lightning port, including AirPods 2, AirPods 3, and AirPods Max (Lightning). Apple introduced two variants of AirPods 4 at varying price tags, one with noise cancellation and one without. Id avoid picking up AirPods 2 or AirPods 3 personally, since AirPods 4 are such a good deal. You can pick up the basic version for $119, or the noise cancelling version for $168. Id also consider USB-C AirPods Pro 2 if youre interested in noise cancellation, which are currently available for $169.Also, there are some nice clearance deals on AirPods Max (Lightning), being available for as low as $399.While the latest tech always looks flashy and appealing, its always worth considering deals on the recently discontinued stuff, at least in my opinion.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? 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In a move to improve repairability across its product lineup, Apple will soon be selling MacBook Pro speakers as an individual component, something that the company hasnt done since the 2015 MacBook Pro model.According to MacRumors, Apple shared a memo with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, notifying them that individual speakers will be offered as a standalone repair for the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M4 chips.Additionally, another MacRumors source indicates that Apple will be expanding this repair to older 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models:According to a reliable source, Apple is now giving technicians access to individual speaker parts forALL14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon, going back to models with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.Apple uploaded speaker repair guides to its website earlier this week, highlighting the complex and tedious process though the parts arent yet available on the self service repair store.Prior to this, replacing speakers on MacBook Pro models from 2016 onwards required replacing the entire top case, which was a very expensive repair, since it involved replacing most of your MacBook chassis. Now that speakers will be available as an individual repair, it should become much more affordable.There isnt any word on whether or not this repair will expand to other Mac models in the future, such as the MacBook Air.Either way, this is a nice step towards more repairable Apple products.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Everyone is pretty bad at reading, though.Link in BioA team of researchers led by Penn State have found that American conservatives on Facebook are substantially more likely to share article links containing false information without even reading them.Liberals aren't off the hook, though;Facebook users overall were astonishingly bad at vetting information before spreading it online."The closer the political alignment of the content to the user both liberal and conservative the more it was shared without clicks," study author and media effects researcher S. Shyam Sundar said in a Penn State writeup of the research. "They are simply forwarding things that seem on the surface to agree with their political ideology, not realizing that they may sometimes be sharing false information."Reading RainbowSundar and his team's study, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, is an alarming indication about how dismal media literacy and due to the time period it focused on, the past may be prelude to Donald Trump's upcoming second presidency.Why? The group's research looked at 35 million public Facebook posts shared between 2017 and 2020, the bounds of Trump's first presidency.In total, about 75percentof users, regardless of political stance, shared links without clicking on them first. Behavior sharply divided along political lines, though, with conservatives making up about 77 percent of those shares, compared to just 14percent of liberals.It's easy to imagine why. Trump often crusades against the media, repeating many times that reporters should be jailed for breaking news, or assaulted in jail until they give up their sources.Trump's favorite frenemy, Elon Musk, likewise enjoys expressing his disbelief in factual reporting on X-formerly-Twitter, posting many times to his 205 million followers that the press "[lies] relentlessly," and shouldn't be trusted."Disinformation or misinformation campaigns aim to sow the seeds of doubt or dissent in a democracy the scope of these efforts came to light in the 2016 and 2020 elections," Sundar said in Penn State's blurb.But Sundar wasn't prepared to discover how these powerful disinformation campaigns could be."It was a big surprise to find out that more than 75percent of the time, the links shared on Facebook were shared without the user clicking through first," he said. "That was a surprising, very scary finding."Share This Article

It's easy to be smug about AI "art" because, hey, doesn't that stuff look like garbage?But the reality isn't so simple. To the untrained eye, it seems that AI-generated images are more than just passable; in some cases, they seem to match up to the old masters themselves.That at least appears to be the findings of a recent blind test conducted by the blog Astral Star Codex, which found that the readers who took part incorrectly distinguished between AI images and human art 40 percent of the time.But perhaps the most striking takeaway was that overall, the participants slightly preferred the AI creations to human ones, with six of the top ten most-liked images being AI-generated, and the top two slots going to the AI paintings.This preference was even the case among participants who identified as having a profound distaste for AI illustrations perhaps demonstrating the unnerving capabilities of the technology.For the record, this was not a scientifically conducted test. But with 11,000 participants, it's big enough to be interesting. Via an online survey, respondents were asked to look through fifty curated images that had no accompanying details, and on each, opine whether they were human or AI. The ending included additional questions asking to explain certain decisions, expand on participants' familiarity with art, and other relevant inquiries.The blog's selection of images, meanwhile, was wide-ranging, including numerous classicist and impressionist paintings, a host of contemporary digital art, and AI facsimiles of all of the aforementioned. To make the test challenging, the chosen AI images did not include obvious giveaways like botched hands or gobbledygook text, and were often made by experienced prompt engineers (self-styled AI artists, in other words.)Certainly, some pictures could be clocked as AI from a mile away, like one of an anime girl, and an especially gaudy depiction of giant cats in a throne room. Others, though, like a quasi-impressionist night scene, are far more difficult to pin down.As we said, the takeaways are complicated. Perhaps the preference for the AI-images, many of which happened to be in the impressionist style, merely reflects partipants' taste for paintings of that era, as Astra speculates.It's also worth noting that significant human labor went into selecting only the most convincing AI art, meaning participants were being presented with only the cream of the crop.As for the people who loathed AI images but seemed to prefer them when all the labels are stripped away, it's possible the selection don't reflect what they specifically associate as bad with AI images (like the weird "sheen" you see in so many of them).The upshot, though, is that most of us don't have the refined visual palette to distinguish a human touch from a convincing machine one which makes sense, since the AI models are fine-tuned to ape existing artworks by sort of averaging them all together and selecting for the most pleasing parts. Recently, we've seen people similarly leaning towards AI with poetry, something that very few people actually read regularly.At the same time, the test showed that there are indeed total aliens out there who correctly identified almost every single picture, with an elite five readers scoring 49/50.We'll close with a response from an experienced artist who partook in the challenge, and who displayed a remarkable talent for being a veritable art blade runner. A big telltale, she told Astral, is that the details in human pictures "have a logic to them," while AI ones are merely "superficially detailed."Summarizing her view, AI art is like the culinary equivalent of trying to replace food with a tasty and nutritionally adequate protein shake that you could make for cheap.Sure, you're getting your fill, and the slurry pleases the taste buds. But "imagine people calling this the future of food and saying chefs are obsolete," she wrote, per Astral. It'd probably drive you crazy, especially if you're an artist.Share This Article

The followingpiece contains SPOILERS for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.Unless you have an Antikythera handy, you will not be able to unsee them if you keep reading.They say you cant teach an old dog new tricks.Howabout a guy named after an old dog?That, in a nutshell, is the premise ofIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.ThefifthIndiana Jonesfilm opened last year tomediocre reviews and middling box office. Believe it or not, it fared worse with critics than the much-malignedIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. (It alsoearned less than half ofCrystal Skulls worldwide gross.) Headlines in every major Hollywood tradetsk-tskedits exorbitant budget supposedly somewhere in the $300-400 million range which made Dial of Destinynot only one of the most expensive films in history, but also one of the biggermoney losers as well.IfeltDial of Destinywas basically finewhen it debuted in theaters last summer. It seemed like a more successful farewell to Indy than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and that seemed like enough of a win to me. But Ive thought a lot aboutit since then. At first I wasnt sure why. Its clearly not a superior adventure movie, especially not by the standards of theIndiana Jones franchise, which produced some of the greatestaction movies of the 20th century. DespiteDial of Destinysmassive budget, some of itsvisual effects areinexplicably rough. So are some of its big set pieces.INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINYLucasfilm Ltd.loading...READ MORE: How Spider-Mans Co-Creator Left His Mark on Indiana JonesButDial of Destinymight also be the most thoughtful film in theIndiana Jones series. Heck, itmightbeonly thoughtful film in theIndiana Jones series. By some metrics, thatmay not be a good thing. Who goes to a summer blockbuster about a crusading herosaving antiquities from Nazisfor thoughtfulness?Me, I guess. After a second look at Dial of Destiny,Ive come toreallyappreciate the care with which this sequel was conceptualized and constructed to emphasizeitsaging stars strengthsandweaknesses, both to the films benefit. I like that it is an action movie with a lot on its mind and its heart on its sleeve. And I love that Disney decided in an era when Hollywoodnever makes movies about old people tospend $300 million on one about an 80-year-old man reckoning with grief, his own mortality, and the relentlessmarch of time.This is not a formula for a four-quadrant hit, so it shouldnt be surprising that Dial of Destiny struggled to connect with audiences, especially younger ones. Somewhat perversely, that only makes me like it more. This movie takes somehuge swings. They dont all connect, but even some of theelements that dont quite work still make sense within the movies larger story and themes: Namely a man of the past learning to live in the present.Lucasfilm Ltd.Lucasfilm Ltd.loading...Case in point:Dial of Destinys cold open, set in 1944 and chronicling a young Indiana Jones as he evades a bunch of Nazis stealing some priceless historical artifacts. The sequence takes place 25 years before the rest ofDial of Destinys main story, and features a version of leading man Harrison Fordde-agedvia a variety of digital technologies. Young Indy rescues hiscolleagueBasil Shaw (Toby Jones), and together they grabhalf of the Antikythera, an ancient dial created by famed Greek mathematician Archimedes,that was in the possession of a Nazi scientist namedJrgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen).In addition to the younger Harrison Ford (who was supposedly created with cutting-edge AI software that compiled and combined images of the real Ford frompriorStar WarsandIndiana Jones movies),Dial of Destinys opening action scenefeatures enough special effects to filla standard Hollywood production: Planes and explosions and cannon fire and a fist fight on top of a speeding train.Truth be told, none of it looks especiallyfabulous including the de-aged Indiana Jones. In individual frames (like the one above) it could almost pass for the real thing. In motion, especially when you hear Fords growly older voice coming out of it, it rarely passes muster. While it surely took an enormous amount of effort to get CGIndythis close to the real thing, its never close enough to fool the naked eye. Its Indiana Jones and the Uncanny Valley.INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINYLucasfilm Ltd.loading...You could argue that usingthat much digital technology in anIndiana Jones movie is a betrayal of the series original ethos and aesthetic. As first conceived by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, and then written by Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Steven Spielberg, Indiana Joneswas designed asan adrenalized throwback to Saturday morning serials of the 1930s and 40s like Spy SmasherandDaredevils of the Red Circle. As such, Spielbergs originalIndiana Jonestrilogy was jammed with practical effects; fist fights, falling boulders,truck crashes, and the like.Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny which was directed byLogansJames Mangold instead of Spielberg features far more digital effects and stunts than any of the earlier films. And, again, some of them dont look fantastic. But the choice to bring Indy into the 21st century, at least technologically speaking, very much matchesMangolds broader ideas for Indyabout embracing the way things are, instead of bemoaning the way things used to be.After the long opening in 1944, that narrative resumes in New York City on 1969s Moon Day, when the Apollo 11 astronauts are the guests of honor ata ticker tape parade through the streets of Manhattan. Indiana Jones, now separated from his wife Marion (Karen Allen) and days from retirement at Hunter College, could care less about any of that. While everyone else in New York is at the parade, Indy bellies up to a bar to drown his sorrows. This is not the hero we remember fromRaiders of the Lost Ark.INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINYLucasfilm Ltd.loading...Hes not the man his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), remembers either.Helena the grownchild of Indys old friend Basil finds Indy and asks for his help retrieving the two halves of theAntikythera. Jones is hesitant; hesthrough with adventure and he knows thatBasils obsession with Archimedes dial ruined his life.Then it turns outVoller who played a key role in helping NASA land on the moon is after Helena and the dial too, backed by CIA agents who killed Indys co-workers and framed him for their murder. That sends Indy hopscotching across theplanet to clear his name and find Helena and theAntikythera before Voller and his goons.If you know anything about theIndiana Jonesfranchise, you know how this will end: In Indiana Jones total failure. True to form, Indys efforts to keep Voller from the Dial only help him acquire it, and along the way another one of Indys friends gets murdered (Antonio Banderas, making adistractingly brief cameo as a scuba diver named Renaldo). Voller assembles theAntikythera, which can locate fissures in time. Then he commences with his ultimate plan: Totravel back to the 1930s and alter the course of history to ensure Germany wins World War II.And then ...wellthen the movie takes a major turn.INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINYLucasfilmloading...Voller, brilliant as he is, fails to account for continental drift, a concept that hadnt been discovered yet in the days of Archimedes. As a result,instead of 1930s Germany, the Antikythera sendsVoller and Indyto 212 B.C. and the Siege of Syracuse back to the days of Archimedes himself. Their plane crashes, all of the Nazis are killed, and a wounded Indybegs Helena to leave him in the past, despite the fact that modern medicine is the only thing that couldheal his injuries.Earlier inDial of Destiny, Indiana Jonestold his old buddy Sallah that his days of excitement have come and gone, possibly a meta acknowledgement that the early blockbuster era the character belonged to has given way to a very different type of big-budget cinema. In that context, Indys disgust with the astronauts of Apollo 11almostfeels like a metaphorical attack on the sci-fi moviesthat replaced serialsin the 1950s and 60s and perhaps a commentary about thesuperhero movies that gluttodays cinematic marketplace. After all, the original Fantastic Four were astronaut explorers transformed bycosmic rays. Howcan a dude with a whipmeasure up in a world with a geniusin a suit of armor, or a demigod with a hammer that shoots lighting?In other words, Indiana Jones no longer pursues relics; he is one. Or, at least, hethinks he is one. And that sort of thinking becomesa self-fulfilling prophecy much like a creating a dial (of destiny) that can send people back in time, which men of the future use to travel back to the past, whichArchimedesthen uses as the inspiration for a dial (of destiny) that can send people back in time.Thats why it was important that Mangold filledDial of Destiny with modern special effects. To be in this new world, you have to fully commit to it. Just because the effects didnt look as convincing asthe ones in other movies doesntmean the underlying conceitwas unsound. It just means the execution was a little off.LucasfilmLucasfilmloading...When Indy refuses to leave ancient Syracuse, Helena knocks him unconscious and drags him back to 1969. (In an eloquent grace note in this story about time loops,Dial of Destinyjourney around the world and across thousands of yearsthen returns to its first shot of 1969,looking out the window of Indiana Jones apartment at his fire escape, where a pair of socks flapin the breeze.) When Indy wakes up, his estranged wife Marionis waiting to see him.Someone told me youre back, Marion says to Indy. Are you back?And then the two recreatethe famous scene fromRaiders of the Lost Arkwhen Indy complains that he hurts everywhere and Marion kisses him in the only place on his body thatdoesnthurt. For the final time, John Williams Marions Theme swells on the soundtrack. InRaiders of the Lost Ark,that music served asthe backdrop to two beautiful young peoples romantic, globetrotting adventures. InDial of Destiny it plays as those same people, now 40 years older, embrace in adingy Manhattan kitchen.Before Marions return, Indyhad every reason to be depressed, and Ford gives one of the best performances of his career as this exhausted shell of Indys former self. The scene where Helenaasks what he would do if he could travel to the past, promptsa devastating monologue that single-handedly redeems every secondKingdom of the Crystal Skull spent on the Mutt Williams character.Back onthe beach in Syracuse in 212 B.C.,Indiana Jonesspeaks thefivewords essential to understandingDial of Destiny:My god, were witnessing history!Indeed, he is. But thatline exposes a deeper truth that Indy andperhaps the audience missed the first time around. (I certainly did the first time I watched it.) Remember the very explicit date when Dial of Destinysmain story takes place: Moon Day, when the Apollo 11 astronauts received a heros welcome in New York City in tribute for their Moon landing, one of the 20th centurys grandest scientific achievements.That was history, too. And Indiana Jones could have witnessed it and chose not to.Seeing Marion again helps Indy finally reckon withthisimportant truth. History is a beautiful, fascinating thing, filled withmagic and wonder. The history of cinema informed every bit ofIndiana Jones conception and creation, after all. Sometimes, though, the present is beautiful and fascinating too, if were willing to look forward rather than back.Get our free mobile appThe Greatest Indiana Jones Movie That Was Never MadeA few years before Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released, Frank Darabont wrote a very similar (but vastly superior) script called Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods. Here are some of its most notable differences from the version that was made.