Generative drug design offers a transformative approach to developing compounds that target pathogenic proteins, enabling exploration within the vast chemical space and fostering the discovery of novel therapeutic agents. Unlike traditional methods, such as high-throughput or virtual screening that rely on predefined molecular libraries with limited diversity, generative models can create entirely new molecules with specific pharmacological properties. This capability is especially valuable for addressing drug resistance and designing compounds for proteins lacking viable candidates. However, many generated molecules need more practical applicability due to a narrow focus on specific drug-related properties, limiting their contribution to the overall drug discovery pipeline.Recent advancements in deep learning have introduced innovative generative modeling techniques, including autoregressive models, GANs, VAEs, and diffusion models, enabling drug-like compounds to be generated conditioned on target proteins. These methods significantly enhance the potential of target-based drug design, offering access to previously underexplored chemical classes. Despite their promise, these approaches often lack validation through biophysical or biochemical assays, with many generated compounds exhibiting poor drug-like properties, such as limited synthetic accessibility. As a result, while generative models demonstrate the ability to create novel compounds, their real-world impact on drug discovery still needs to be constrained by challenges in translating these compounds into effective drug candidates.Researchers from Microsoft Research AI for Science and other institutions developed TamGen, a target-aware molecular generation method using a GPT-like chemical language model. TamGen generates drug-like compounds by representing molecules in a sequential SMILES format, integrating modules for target protein-encoding and compound refinement. Applied to tuberculosis drug discovery, TamGen identified 14 compounds targeting the ClpP protease, with the most effective showing an IC50 of 1.9 M. This approach improves molecular quality, balancing pharmacological activity and synthetic accessibility, demonstrating TamGens potential to generate novel candidates for antibiotic development and therapeutic innovation.TamGen is a framework designed to map protein binding pockets, represented by amino acid sequences and their 3D coordinates, to ligand SMILES strings. The model processes 3D input using embedding layers for amino acids and their coordinates, incorporating data augmentation for rotation and translation invariance. A protein encoder, utilizing distance-aware attention, generates continuous representations, while a contextual encoder based on VAE facilitates diverse ligand generation. Pretrained chemical language models refine the outputs. Training minimizes ligand generation error and enforces latent space regularization. Experiments with datasets like CrossDocked and PDB validated its effectiveness in generating compounds, including tuberculosis inhibitors.TamGen is a drug design framework combining a GPT-like chemical language model, a Transformer-based protein encoder, and a VAE-based contextual encoder. Pre-trained on 10 million SMILES from PubChem, its compound decoder generates molecules auto-regressively, enabling both target-specific and independent designs. The protein encoder integrates sequence and geometric data, while the contextual encoder facilitates refinement and multi-round optimization. TamGen outperforms other methods in metrics like binding affinity, synthetic accessibility, and diversity and generates compounds 85394 times faster. Applied to tuberculosis ClpP protease, TamGen produced unique inhibitors with low IC50 values, showcasing its potential for efficient drug discovery.In conclusion, Designing compounds with strong binding affinities to pathogenic proteins can expedite drug discovery by exploring broader chemical spaces through generative AI. TamGen, an AI-driven framework, achieved state-of-the-art results, identifying potent Mycobacterium tuberculosis ClpP protease inhibitors. Its success lies in three aspects: a pre-trained compound decoder generating high-quality molecules, effective protein pocket representation using sequence and geometry, and a VAE-based contextual decoder enabling iterative compound refinement. While offering innovation, challenges remain, including limited in vivo data and synthesis delays. Future improvements aim to integrate 3D generation methods and reinforcement learning for better docking scores, stability, and drug-likeness, enhancing TamGens utility.Check out the Paper and Details. 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. Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities: A Comparative Analysis of Red Teaming Techniques Read the Full Report (Promoted)The post TamGen: A Generative AI Framework for Target-Based Drug Discovery and Antibiotic Development appeared first on MarkTechPost.

In todays world, youve probably heard the term Machine Learning more than once. Its a big topic, and if youre new to it, all the technical words might feel confusing. Lets start with the basics and make it easy to understand.Machine Learning, a subset of Artificial Intelligence, has emerged as a transformative force, empowering machines to learn from data and make intelligent decisions without explicit programming. At its core, machine learning algorithms seek to identify patterns within data, enabling computers to learn and adapt to new information. Think about how a child learns to recognize a cat. At first, they see pictures of cats and dogs. Over time, they notice features like whiskers, furry faces, or pointy ears to tell them apart. In the same way, ML uses data to find patterns and helps computers learn how to make predictions or decisions based on those patterns. This ability to learn makes ML incredibly powerful. Its used everywherefrom apps that recommend your favorite movies to tools that detect diseases or even power self-driving cars.Types of Machine Learning:Supervised Learning:Involves training a model on labeled data.Regression: Predicting continuous numerical values (e.g., housing prices, stock prices).Classification: Categorizing data into discrete classes (e.g., spam detection, medical diagnosis).Unsupervised Learning:Involves training a model on unlabeled data.Clustering: Grouping similar data points together (e.g., customer segmentation).Dimensionality Reduction: Reducing the number of features 1 in a dataset (e.g., PCA).Reinforcement Learning:Involves training an agent to make decisions in an environment to maximize rewards (e.g., game playing, robotics).Now, lets explore the 10 most known and easy-to-understand ML Algorithm:(1) Linear RegressionLinear regression is a statistical method used to model the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In simpler terms, it helps us understand how changes in one variable affect another.How it Works:Data Collection: Gather a dataset with relevant features (independent variables) and the target (dependent) variable.Model Formulation: A linear equation is used to represent the relationship:y = mx + by: Dependent variable (target)x: Independent variable (feature)m: Slope of the line (coefficient)b: Intercept of the lineModel Training: The goal is to find the optimal values for m and b that minimize the difference between predicted and actual values. This is often achieved using a technique called least squares regression.Prediction: Once the model is trained, it can be used to predict the value of the dependent variable for new, unseen data points.Use Cases:Predicting house prices based on square footage, number of bedrooms, and location.Forecasting sales revenue for a product.Estimating fuel consumption based on vehicle weight and speed.(2) Logistic regressionLogistic regression is a classification algorithm used to model the probability of a binary outcome. While it shares similarities with linear regression, its core purpose is classification rather than prediction of continuous values.How it Works:Data Collection: Gather a dataset with features (independent variables) and a binary target variable (dependent variable), often represented as 0 or 1.Model Formulation: A logistic function, also known as the sigmoid function, is used to map the input values to a probability between 0 and 1:p(x) = 1 / (1 + e^(-z))Where:p(x): Probability of the positive classz: Linear combination of the features and their coefficientsModel Training: The goal is to find the optimal coefficients that maximize the likelihood of the observed data. This is often achieved using maximum likelihood estimation.Prediction: The model assigns a probability to each data point. If the probability exceeds a certain threshold (e.g., 0.5), the data point is classified as belonging to the positive class, otherwise, its classified as the negative class.Use Cases:Email spam detection.Medical diagnosis (e.g., predicting disease risk).Customer churn prediction.Credit risk assessment.(3) Support Vector MachinesSupport Vector Machines (SVM) are a powerful and versatile machine learning algorithm used for both classification and regression tasks. However, they are particularly effective for classification problems, especially when dealing with high-dimensional data.How it Works:SVM aims to find the optimal hyperplane that separates the data points into different classes. This hyperplane maximizes the margin between the closest data points of each class, known as the support vectors.Feature Mapping: Data points are often mapped into a higher-dimensional space, where its easier to find a linear separation. This is known as the kernel trick.Hyperplane Selection: The SVM algorithm searches for the hyperplane that maximizes the margin, ensuring optimal separation.Classification: New data points are classified based on which side of the hyperplane they fall on.Types of SVMs:Linear SVM: Used for linearly separable data.Nonlinear SVM: Uses kernel functions to transform the data into a higher-dimensional space, enabling the separation of non-linearly separable data. Common kernel functions include:Polynomial Kernel: For polynomial relationships between features.Radial Basis Function (RBF) Kernel: For complex, nonlinear relationships.Sigmoid Kernel: Inspired by neural networks.Use Cases:Image classification (e.g., facial recognition).Text classification (e.g., sentiment analysis).Bioinformatics (e.g., protein structure prediction).Anomaly detection.(4) K-Nearest NeighborsK-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) is a simple yet effective supervised machine learning algorithm used for both classification and regression tasks. It 1 classifies new data points based on the majority vote ofHow it Works:Data Collection: Gather a dataset with features (independent variables) and a target variable (dependent variable).K-Value Selection: Choose the value of k, which determines the number of nearest neighbors to consider.Distance Calculation: Calculate the distance between the new data point and all training data points. Common distance metrics include Euclidean distance and Manhattan distance.Neighbor Selection: Identify the k nearest neighbors based on the calculated distances.Classification (for classification tasks): Assign the new data point to the class that is most frequent among its k nearest neighbors.Regression (for regression tasks): Calculate the average value of the target variable among the k nearest neighbors and assign it to the new data point.Use Cases:Recommendation systems.Anomaly detection.Image recognition.(5) K-Means ClusteringK-means clustering is a popular unsupervised machine learning algorithm used for grouping similar data points. Its a fundamental technique for exploratory data analysis and pattern recognition.How it Works:Initialization:Choose the number of clusters, k.Randomly select k data points as initial cluster centroids.Assignment:Assign each data point to the nearest cluster centroid based on a distance metric (usually Euclidean distance).Update Centroids:Calculate the mean of all data points assigned to each cluster and update the cluster centroids to the new mean values.Iteration:Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the cluster assignments no longer change or a maximum number of iterations is reached.Use Cases:Customer segmentation.Image compression.Anomaly detection.Document clustering.(6) Decision TreesDecision Trees are a popular supervised machine learning algorithm used for both classification and regression tasks. TheyHow it Works:Root Node: The tree starts with a root node, which represents the entire dataset.Splitting: The root node is split into child nodes based on a specific feature and a threshold value.Branching: The process of splitting continues recursively until a stopping criterion is met, such as a maximum depth or a minimum number of samples.Leaf Nodes: The final nodes of the tree are called leaf nodes, and they represent the predicted class or value.Types of Decision Trees:Classification Trees: Used to classify data into discrete categories.Regression Trees: Used to predict continuous numerical values.Use Cases:Customer segmentation.Fraud detection.Medical diagnosis.Game AI (e.g., decision-making in strategy games).(7) Random ForestRandom Forest is a popular machine learning algorithm that combines multiple decision trees to improve prediction accuracy and reduce overfitting. Its an ensemble learning method that leverages the power of multiple models to make more robust and accurate predictions.How it Works:Bootstrap Aggregation (Bagging):Randomly select a subset of data points with replacements from the original dataset to create multiple training sets.Decision Tree Creation:For each training set, construct a decision tree.During the tree-building process, randomly select a subset of features at each node to consider for splitting. This randomness helps reducethe correlation between trees.Prediction:To make a prediction for a new data point, each tree in the forest casts a vote.The final prediction is determined by the majority vote for classification tasks or the average prediction for regression tasks.Use Cases:Recommendation systems (e.g., product recommendations on e-commerce sites).Image classification (e.g., identifying objects in images).Medical diagnosis.Financial fraud detection.(8) Principal Component Analysis (PCA)Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a statistical method used to reduce the dimensionality of a dataset while preserving most of the information. Its a powerful technique for data visualization, noise reduction, and feature extraction.How it Works:Standardization: The data is standardized to have zero mean and unit variance.Covariance Matrix: The covariance matrix is calculated to measure the relationships between features.Eigenvalue Decomposition: The covariance matrix is decomposed into eigenvectors and eigenvalues.Principal Components: The eigenvectors corresponding to the largest eigenvalues are selected as the principal components.Projection: The original data is projected onto the subspace spanned by the selected principal components.Use cases:Dimensionality reduction for visualization.Feature extraction.Noise reduction.Image compression.(9) Naive BayesNaive Bayes is a probabilistic machine learning algorithm based on Bayes theorem, used primarily for classification tasks. Its a simple yet effective algorithm, particularly well-suited for text classification problems like spam filtering, sentiment analysis, and document categorization.How it Works:Feature Independence Assumption: Naive Bayes assumes that features are independent of each other, given the class label. This assumption simplifies the calculations but may not always hold in real-world scenarios.Bayes Theorem: The algorithm uses Bayes theorem to calculate the probability of a class given a set of features:P(C|X) = P(X|C) * P(C) / P(X)Where:P(C|X): Probability of class C given features XP(X|C): Probability of features X given class CP(C): Prior probability of class CP(X): Prior probability of features XClassification: The class with the highest probability is assigned to the new data point.Use Cases:Text classification (e.g., spam filtering, sentiment analysis).Document categorization.Medical diagnosis.(10) Neural networks or Deep Neural NetworkNeural networks and deep neural networks are a class of machine learning algorithms inspired by the structure and function of the human brain. They are composed of interconnected nodes, called neurons, organized in layers. These networks are capable of learning complex patterns and making intelligent decisions.How it Works:Input Layer: Receives input data.Hidden Layers: Process the input data through a series of transformations.Output Layer: Produces the final output.Each neuron in a layer receives input from the previous layer, applies a weighted sum to it, and then passes the result through an activation function. The activation function introduces non-linearity, enabling the network to learn complex patterns.Types of Neural Networks:Feedforward Neural Networks: Information flows in one direction, from input to output.Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs): Designed to process sequential data, such as time series or natural language.Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs): Specialized for image and video analysis.Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): Comprising a generator and a discriminator, used for generating new data.Use Cases:Image and Video ProcessingNatural Language Processing (NLP)Speech RecognitionGamesMachine learning has become an indispensable tool in our modern world. As technology continues to advance, a basic understanding of machine learning will be essential for individuals and businesses alike. While weve explored several key algorithms, the field is constantly evolving. Other notable algorithms include Gradient Boosting Machines (GBM), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and LightGBMBy mastering these algorithms and their applications, we can unlock the full potential of data and drive innovation across industries. As we move forward, its crucial to stay updated with the latest advancements in machine learning and to embrace its transformative power. Pragati Jhunjhunwala+ postsPragati Jhunjhunwala is a consulting intern at MarktechPost. She is currently pursuing her B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Kharagpur. She is a tech enthusiast and has a keen interest in the scope of software and data science applications. She is always reading about the developments in different field of AI and ML. [Download] Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities Report (Promoted)

Good news, friends: Amazons Black Friday 2024 sale is underway. That means, among many other things, you can get the lowest prices of the year on Amazon devices. (Really, even lower than Prime Day). Were talking discounts on the smart speaker, Echo, fresh Kindle deals, (including the new Kindle model just going on sale), Fire TV Stick deals, and more. Below, weve gathered all the Black Friday 2024 deals on Amazon devices into one place, so you can grab whatever devices grab you.Featured in this ArticleAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K MaxAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K2024 ModelKindle Paperwhite2024 ModelNew Amazon Kindle2024 ModelKindle Paperwhite SignatureNewest ModelAmazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)2024 ReleaseNew Amazon Fire HD 8 TabletIf you want a quick look at all the best Black Friday deals on Amazon devices, scroll sideways through the above list. For a more detailed look at what's available, keep on reading.Amazon Echo Deal: 54% offNewest ModelAmazon Echo Dot (5th Gen)The latest Echo, Echo Dot, is pretty miraculous. It connects to Alexa, giving you access to music streaming services, weather reports, timers, reminders, and all the rest. It also sounds phenomenal, way better than youd probably expect from a speaker this compact. I use mine all the time. In fact, Im going to buy another one for the office. For those in United Kingdom, see the Echo Dot deal in the UK.Which Echo device is best for you?If you're not sure which Echo device to buy, keep in mind the latest Echo Dot model above is best for smaller spaces, while the 4th Gen Echo ($54.99) is better for bigger rooms such as the living room. We'd recommend getting the Echo Dot as it's been updated and has everything you need, without taking up as much space as model like the Echo Plus. Also, there are bundles to consider before you buy, including the Echo with Mandalorian Baby Grogu Stand bundle, as well as the limited-edition Jack Skellington bundle.Fire TV Stick DealsAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K MaxAmazon Fire TV Stick 4KMaybe you have an older TV that doesnt have smart TV features, or maybe your smart TV has a garbage interface that makes you wait far too long for streaming apps like Netflix, Max, and Disney+ to load. Plugging a Fire TV stick into the HDMI port solves that problem handily.The Fire TV Stick 4K is a solid buy at this discounted price, but the 4K Max offers faster performance and Wi-Fi 6e support, making it the more future-proof option. Both of options are Xbox Cloud Gaming compatible, so you can play any game from that library straight from your new Fire Stick once you pick up a subscription.Amazon Kindle and Tablet Deals2024 ModelKindle Paperwhite2024 ModelNew Amazon Kindle2024 ModelKindle Paperwhite SignatureMy Kindle Paperwhite is one of my favorite devices. In addition to having access to the vast Kindle offerings available, it also connects to my Libby account so I can borrow all the ebooks I want for free. No matter which Kindle you get, the display will look great and it offers a distraction-free reading environment, letting you disconnect from the intrusive apps on your phone or tablet.New Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet is just $54.992024 ReleaseNew Amazon Fire HD 8 TabletIf youre in the market for a tablet but dont want to spend a ton of money on it, a Fire HD tablet is a solid buy. And you can get one on sale right now for $54.99, which is a pittance for a tablet you can use to browse the web, stream videos, check social media, and more. That said, there are some great iPad deals going on if you have a bit more to spend and want to check out the Apple side of things.Also to consider:SanDisk 128GB Ultra - $13.79Don't Forget Accessories!5ft USB to Micro-USB CableSee it at AmazonAmazon 9W, 1.8A Power AdapterSee it at AmazonUniversal Book Cover for e-reader DevicesSee it at AmazonMagnetic Stand Protective Cover CaseSee it at AmazonSmart TV DealsOur Top PickLG 77" Class OLED evo C4Hisense 65" U7N ULED Mini-LEDSony 65" A95L Bravia XR OLEDSamsung 85" QN90D Neo QLEDSee it at AmazonSony 85" Bravia X90L Full Array LEDLG 83" Class OLED evo G4Sony 65" Class BRAVIA 7 Mini LEDSee it at AmazonSamsung 85" QN900D Neo QLEDSee it at AmazonWhen 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 and controllers, video games for all platforms, AirPods Pro, and tons more. Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky and Threads.

I adore PC gaming. It's the platform that gets almost every game, with plenty coming out on PC years earlier than they reach consoles. And if you enjoy your games on PC, you know one of the best times to buy games is during Steam's sales. Many people (myself included) have been looking forward to the Steam Autumn Sale, which runs from now until December 4th.Strangely, the Steam Autumn sale is currently being outdone by a Black Friday sale going on at Fanatical, even though Fanatical is selling the exact same Steam keys! If you want to buy some games (and who doesn't?) and save extra cash, check out my round-up of the best deals on digital PC game codes. Metaphor: ReFantazio for $45.49Metaphor: ReFantazio (PC)This Atlus RPG is one of my current obsessions. It's $45.49 on Fanatical or $52.49 on Steam. Metaphor: ReFantazio was also nominated for Game Of The Year at The Game Awards.In our review of Metaphor, we said, "Theres a certain familiarity in Metaphor: ReFantazio, but Atlus takes the principles of its already excellent RPGs and refines them in a way that effortlessly ushers you through its brutal, and sometimes beautiful, new fantasy world. The Archetype system and all the new wrinkles it added to the turn-based battles build upon a strong foundation, and the social elements are streamlined to better deliver the most important aspects of the stories they tell. The sense of adventure you get from traveling across the kingdom and the powerful sense of purpose you have to do so drive its memorable journey, distinguishing itself from those that came before it."Play"When I finally closed the book on Metaphor after 80 hours, I felt a unique warmth in its message, because its driven by the ideals of a just society smartly contextualized in a unique metanarrative. Metaphor: ReFantazio is poetic, and at times, idealistic, but it also understands its complexities and that change requires action, and that even far-fetched fantasy stories can serve as inspiration to make our world a better place."Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for $35.19ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree (PC)This Steam Deck playable masterpiece is one of the finest pieces of DLC I've ever played (FromSoft has been known to do that). It's only $35.19 on Fanatical, and full price at $39.99 on Steam. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree was also nominated for Game Of The Year at The Game Awards. In our 10/10 review of Shadow of the Edrtree, we said, "FromSoftware says Shadow of the Erdtree is the only expansion Elden Ring will get, so its fortunate that its hard to imagine a better DLC than this as long as youre not hoping for it to do anything radically outside the box. Everything I loved about the original has been condensed into an incredibly tight package one thats the size of many standalone games all on its own, and can only be considered small in comparison to the absolutely massive world of Elden Ring itself."Play"Erdtrees absolutely jam-packed with secrets, valuable treasures, challenging boss battles, and horrific monstrosities to face off against, as well as cool new weapons, spells, Ashes of War, Spirit Ashes, talismans, and more to play around with and use to find even more novel ways to tackle its memorably brutal battles. Add on some very interesting lore revelations, not to mention the same spectacular visual design and stellar music that accompanies its larger-than-life bosses, and youve got what is certainly one of the best DLC expansions Ive ever played."Helldivers 2 for $27.99HELLDIVERS 2 (PC)This chaotic multiplayer gem is playable on Steam Deck and only $27.99 on Fanatical, or $31.99 on Steam. (If you watch the video review below, you'll also see me make a ridiculous decision at 7:10 while trying to get back to the ship)In the Helldivers 2 review, we said, "Helldivers 2 is the rare modern multiplayer game that does almost everything right. It gives you a ton of freedom, feels fantastic to play, and has a smart progression system that doesnt nickel and dime you or rely too much on a paid battle pass. It manages to keep its missions fresh by introducing a ton of enemies, modifiers, and objectives, and varying them in interesting ways."Play"There are some matchmaking and performance issues that still need to be worked out, and you can only go so far by yourself or with random players but if youve got a solid squad, its an incredible time, and certainly one of the most fun multiplayer shooters Ive played in years. When Im not Helldiving, Im thinking about Helldiving, counting down the time until my next drop. Now, if youll excuse me, Im going to pour myself a nice, hot cup of Liber-tea and get back at it. Those bugs and robots look like they could use some freedom, and Managed Democracy isnt going to spread itself. For Super Earth!"Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero for $61.59Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (PC)This Steam Deck playable return-to-form for arena fighters is just $61.59 on Fanatical, as opposed to $69.99 on Steam.In our review of Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, we said, "Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a final flash from the past, sometimes to a fault, as demonstrated by its archaic menus and remedial training tools. Its Episode Battles have the kind of reaction-heavy difficulty that doesnt really exist in most games these days, more than once crossing the line between challenging and frustrating."Play"But the feeling of traveling back to a simpler time when games didnt have to be balanced or competitive to be fun is a good one, especially when that action stays so true to that of the show its recreating. Reliving a story that was foundational to my youth, looking and sounding as great as I remember it, with the opportunity to alter it in sometimes dramatic new ways is clever, and the addition of tools to attempt to create our own stories could elevate the experiment even further if a community can figure out how to make the most of them."Silent Hill 2 Remake for $41.99Silent 2 Remake (PC)Silent Hill 2 got a beloved remake this year, and it's already available for $41.99 on Fanatical, but still $55.99 on Steam. Silent Hill 2 was also nominated for several awards at The Game Awards, including Best Narrative, Best Action/Adventure game, and more.In our review of Silent 2, we said, "Silent Hill 2 is a welcome modernisation of a survival horror masterpiece. It smoothly polishes down the rough edges of the original games combat while taking a piece of heavy grit sandpaper to scuff up every rust and mold-covered surface of its nightmarish environments, successfully making them appear far more abrasive and menacing to explore."Play"Previously primitive boss battles have been transformed into substantially more intense encounters, and its intimidating audio design kept me acutely aware that every fog-cloaked street I walked down could quickly hurry me towards my own dead end. It does feel a little padded out in parts, and I do wish that Bloober Team had streamlined some of its more convoluted puzzle sections to prevent the storys momentum from sagging on occasion. Still, intermittent pacing problems aside, Silent Hill 2 is a great way to visit or revisit one of the most dread-inducing destinations in the history of survival horror."God Of War for $17.99God of War (PC)This Steam Deck-verified RPG made quite the splash when it was revealed. It's been a while, but you can get it for $17.99 on Fanatical and $19.99 on Steam.In our review of God of War, we said "I expected great action from God of War, and it delivers that handily. But I didnt expect it to be a thrilling journey in which every aspect of it complements the others to form what is nothing short of a masterpiece."Play"Its a game in which Kratos, a previously one-note character, becomes a complex father, warrior, and monster, embattled both on the field and within his own heart about how to treat his son; one in which the world opens up and shifts, offering rewards in both gameplay and knowledge of its lore that I treasured with each accomplishment. The obvious care that went into crafting its world, characters, and gameplay delivers by far the most stirring and memorable game in the series.Ghost of Tsushima - Director's Cut for $41.99Ghost of Tsushima - Director's Cut (PC)Jin Sakai's journey to reclaim Tsushima comes with some extras in the Director's Cut version, which was originally a PS5 exclusive. Right now you can grab a PC Steam key on Fanatical for $41.99, even though it's $47.99 on Steam.In our Ghost of Tsushima review, we said, "Ghost of Tsushima is an enormous and densely packed samurai adventure that often left me completely awestruck with both its visual spectacle and excellent combat. By steadily introducing new abilities instead of stat upgrades, its swordplay manages to stay challenging, rewarding, and fun throughout the entire 40 to 50 hours that it took me to beat the campaign."Play"A few aspects are surprisingly lacking in polish in comparison to other first-party Sony games, especially when it comes to enemy AI and the stealth part of its stealth/action split. Still this is an extraordinary open-world action-adventure game that solves several issues that have long gone unaddressed in the genre, while also just being an all around samurai slashin good time."Persona 5 Royal for $20.99Persona 5 RoyalThis game helped put Persona on the map (even though Persona 3 has a superior cast and story. I'll have that conversation in the comments if you like) and it's just $20.99 on Fanatical or $23.99 on Steam.In our Persona 5 Royal review, we said, "Persona 5 was already a strong front-runner for being the best JRPG ever made, and Royal really gets me wondering what else could even compete. The excellent story and its lovable, multidimensional characters along with the challenging, tactical combat are all refined and back for another round with new surprises and new friends in tow."Play"There are new areas to explore and new twists to leave your jaw on the floor. Very little has been left untouched, and just about everything that has been touched is better off for it. The Phantom Thieves have stolen my heart all over again, and I dont really want it back."More From Fanatical:Build your own Platinum bundle for $9.99:Game options include Definitely Not Fried Chicken, Nocturnal, FixFox and more.3 games for $9.99Build your own Platinum CollectionCraft your own bundle of super Steam games, with your all-new November 2024 edition of the best-selling Platinum Collection.See it at FanaticalFrom Humble:Humble has over 6,000 games on sale right now in its store's library! Humble Bundle's 'Pay What You Want' purchasing option allows you to always save big on bundles. For example, right now you can pay just a minimum of $19 and get 8 items in the Sci-Fi Shooter bundle, which is valued at $209. One of the best deals is 60% off Life is Strange, but there are literally thousands more. Use the filters to narrow down your favorite genres and scan the deals you want to see. Humble Bundle Sci-Fi Shooters BundleThis bundle supports One Tree Planted and Cool Effect. From the depths of space to a galaxy far, far away. Get award-winning and timeless sci-fi shooters with this bundle of awesome games! More Black Friday DealsA grab bag of daily game deals has arrived, and we've got other gaming lists to keep an eye on all this week. Be sure to see the best PlayStation Black Friday deals and Xbox deals, as well as highlighted SSD deals below that you may need sooner than later.XboxWD C50 1TB Expansion Card XboxPS5Lexar 1TB NM790 PS5/PC SSD with HeatsinkSteam Deck/SwitchSanDisk 1.5TB Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Memory CardPS5WD_BLACK 8TB SN850P NVMe M.2 SSD Officially Licensed Storage Expansion for PS5$599.99 at AmazonSteam Deck/SwitchLexar 1TB PLAY microSDXC Memory CardPS5Lexar 4TB NM790 SSD with HeatsinkOutside of video games, there are tons of LEGO, collectibles, streaming services, tech gadgets and more to shop for now through Cyber Monday. For instance, the incredibly popular (for good reason) Calvin and Hobbes Complete Hardcover box set is down to just $83. There are true hidden gems across retailers' sales, so keep your eyes peeled on IGN for the best discounts that are worth your time. Plus, you could even get some early holiday shopping done while you're at it. See our tech gift guide, our PC gift guide, our ultimate gamer gift guide, and more shopping guides for 2024.Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more forIGN,GameSpot, & Kotaku. You can get more than your fair share of him onBluesky & Backloggd, & enjoy his absurd video game talk show, The Platformers, on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

The most important scene in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isnt when Tony Stark tells a crowd, I am Iron Man. It isnt when Black Panther first exclaims, Wakanda Forever! It isnt when Thanos snaps his fingers. Its when the Avengers slump down after the Battle of New York and enjoy some much deserved shawarma. The heroes dont do anything spectacular. They have their costumes undone and they slouch instead of stand. They dont even speak with one another.At that moment, the MCU crystalized into a franchise less about superheroes using their fantastic powers to save the world, and more about a group of eccentric friends whom audiences like to see hanging out together. Such low-key moments with high-concept heroes certainly have precedence in the comics (think about the many X-Men baseball and basketball games). But the real forerunner of the MCUs buddy buddy approach is the 2004 Pixar adventure, The Incredibles. And its the story of an ordinary family with extraordinary powers.Super DomesticityThe jungle attack sequence that kicks off the third act of The Incredibles has some fantastic moments, especially for young Dash. Throughout the film, Dashs parents Bob and Helen have reprimanded him for using his super-speed. But when he and his sister Violet arrive on a jungle island filled with henchmen and robotic threats working for the villain Syndrome, Dash finally gets to explode.Dash zips around baddies and ducks from blasts. But hes most delighted at the moment when he realizes that he can run fast enough to skim across water. Looking down at the liquid below him, Dash lets loose a gleeful chuckle.Those types of well-observed character moments within superhero action make The Incredibles so special. Part 60s spy caper, part Fantastic Four homage, with just a bit of Watchmen thrown in, The Incredibles remains one of the best superhero movies ever made. Writer/director Brad Birds keen animator instincts understands how to use the familys powers for not just visually breathtaking set=pieces but also to explore the depth of his characters. The former Mr. Incredible looks constricted in his cubicle and tie; the one-time Elastigirl, now only Helen, stretches herself to clean the house and cook dinner and take care of the kids; Violet pops into nothingness when she feels too shy; and Dash can barely sit still without exploding into bursts of super-speed.The best example comes during one of the movies most mundane moments. Bob comes home late at night to find a furious Helen waiting for him. Its the stuff of hundreds of sitcoms and melodramas, only slightly improved by the superhero sheen. Bob downing a giant slice of cake and Helen acting the slighted wife almost becomes disastrously rote. But then Helen uses her stretchy arms to gently pull Bob back to her. When she charges Bob with missing life with their family in pursuit of reliving the glory days, he waves his arms and charges through the living room with the might of Mr. Incredible. Rather than fall back, Helen responds with her own display of power.Its not about you! she charges, growing taller to punctuate each syllable. Nothing in The Incredibles matches that scene because the powers work to reveal the internal state of the characters. Theyre less about superhero excitement than they are the relationships illuminated by these powers.Family AffiliationsThe jungle escape sequence climaxes with a big bad guy monologue from Syndrome. Once a brilliant but overeager kid called Buddy, Syndrome plans to sell his inventions to the world. Sure, he wants to get rich, but he has a deeper motivation. When everyones super, nobody is, he sneers. Together with Bobs complaints about feeling unexceptional, Syndromes scheme has seemed to endorse a Ayn Rand style philosophy in Birds work, arguing that inherently excellent people deserve to step over the rules set for ordinary folks.Twenty years later, its hard to ignore a hierarchy of some sort in Birds movies, whether it be the Parrs, Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, or Frank Walker in Tomorrowland. But Buddys story has another, equally important motivation. Buddy first meets Bob as a child after hes given himself the name Incrediboy. Donned in a costume in the style of Mr. Incredible, Buddy hopes for welcome as a sidekick. But again and again, Mr. Incredible rejects him, grouching, Youre not affiliated with me!Buddy assumes that he gets rejected by Mr. Incredible because he lacks powers, but Bob never says that. Instead Bob insists, I work alone, an ethos he continues when lying to his family about his nightly activities. In fact, Bobs arc in The Incredibles is less about figuring out what to do with his exceptional status and more about learning how to be with his family and stop working alone.Learning to work with others is the ur-narrative of the MCU. No one considers themselves as exceptional as Tony Stark, but time and again he requires help from others: Pepper helps him fire the arc reactor to defeat Iron Monger in the first Iron Man, Rhodey stands by him in Iron Man 2, and all of Iron Man 3 is actually a therapy session with Bruce Banner.Nick Fury uses Colsons death to spur the Avengers into believing in something bigger than themselves. The Guardians of the Galaxy go from individual actors all turning on each other to a squabbling family. Captain Marvel spends all of The Marvels insisting that shes not doing a team-up with Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, until they suddenly are. All of these movies feature big set pieces that function as showcases for the spectacle of a hero working with others. To this day, The Avengers has a bravado oner that ends with the team all standing together with the camera swirling around them. The best part of The Marvels is the trio practicing their space swapping while jumping rope.In these movies, the awe and spectacle comes from the desire of belonging; a desire that is only met within various forms of family.Read more First Family FollowersBut before the big oners in The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, there was the climax of the jungle sequence in The Incredibles. After watching each member of the Parr family take down Syndromes baddies alone, we see them all stand together in a hero pose.The family dynamics in The Incredibles is directly influenced by Marvel Comics First Family, the Fantastic Four. Since those characters inception in comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Reed Richards and his wife Sue, her brother Johnny, and Reeds best friend Ben, squabble like any family, but they come together to support one another. Often that support looks like a superhero fight: Reed stretches into slingshot that Ben pulls back while Sue makes a forcefield filled with Johnnys flame. Its cool because theyre superheroes, and superheroes do cool things. But its meaningful because they complement one another, because theyre family.Despite three cinematic outings (four if you count the never-released Roger Corman flick), the Hollywood Fantastic Four weve so far gotten have never felt like a family. But the Parrs do. Hopefully that changes, though, with a highly-anticipated MCU movie on its way in less than a year.So far, it sounds like director Matt Shakman is making all the right moves, complete with a great cast and a compelling threat in Galactus. But if they really want to get the FF right, if they really want to capture the team that launched the Marvel Age of Heroes, Shakman and Kevin Feige need to follow in the footsteps of the Incredibles.The Incredibles is available to stream on Disney+

Microsoft this year teased a new feature for Windows called Microsoft Recall, which essentially captures snapshots of everything that happens on the PC and uses AI to let users quickly find something theyve forgotten. After much controversy, the feature is now available in beta and I believe Apple could do something similar on the Mac, but in the right way.Microsoft Recall lets PC users revisit the pastFor those unfamiliar, Microsoft Recall is a feature that lets users go back in time on their PC. Think of Time Machine on the Mac, but instead of revisiting old versions of a specific file, you can retrace all your steps on-screen. For example, Recall lets users quickly replay a meeting, recover deleted files or even view a webpage that is no longer available.Even though Microsoft promised that the feature would be secure and private, many security researchers pointed out that Recall would be a security disaster. Hackers could access sensitive data if they gained access to the computer, which led Microsoft to delay the feature in order to improve it. For instance, users now have the option to exclude some apps from being captured by Recall.Last week, a new beta version of Windows 11 was released with a preview of Windows Recall. Zac Bowden from Windows Central shared an in-depth demo of how the feature works and after watching it, I found myself wondering what it would be like if Apple released a similar feature.Apple should do the same with privacy in mindOn Windows, Microsoft Recall shows your computer screen in the center with a scrollable timeline at the top. However, when it comes to Apple, I can imagine something more integrated with the new Siri and Apple Intelligence. As announced at WWDC, Siri will soon gain the ability to learn personal context. This alone could be used as the foundation for a Recall-like feature.Apple has demonstrated things like being able to ask Siri about messages and emails youve sent to someone in the past. Imagine this expanded to even more apps and parts of the system. And of course, the Time Machine interface on the Mac could easily be repurposed for a feature like this.But the main point here is not about the feature itself, but about privacy. As you may know, most Apple Intelligence data is processed on-device and stored with encryption. That in itself would make me feel better about using an Apple Recall feature versus a solution from Microsoft or other companies. Apple would also certainly give users a lot of control over whether or not to store sensitive data.Again, Id love to see something like this on Mac and iOS, and I really believe that Apple can build a revisit the past feature with privacy in mind.What about you? What do you think of this idea? Let me know in the comments section below.Add 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

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by Roborock: Check out Roborocks incredible Black Friday Deals now.New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.Add 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

This is absolutely tragic. Up in SmokeIn Northern California, a group of recent high school graduates have died in a Cybertruck inferno.As San Francisco'sKTVU reports, four young people who graduated high school last year in the town of Piedmont had been inside the Tesla vehicle when it slammed into a barrier and caught fire in the middle of the night.Another driver reportedly pulled off the road to help after the Cybertruck crashed, and managed to pull one person out of the fiery wreckage. That lucky grad survived and was taken to a nearby hospital, while the other three none of whom have been identified by name died at the scene.According to local police, the Cybertruck fire was so hot and burned so fast that water wasn't able to douse it out."The heat was just too intense," Piedmont police chief Jeremy Bowers toldKTVU.Getting WarmerThough the report didn't speculate as to why the fire burned so hot, the lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles like Cybertrucks caused consternation among firefighters.During another fire involving one of the vehicles in Texas earlier this year which ironically occurred after its driver crashed into a fire hydrant the blaze took more than an hour to extinguish due to the high temperatures at which those mega-combustible batteries burn.Notably, that debacle was the second Texas Cybertruck to catch fire in less than a month and in the first instance, the driver lost their life.While Cybertrucks' crappy paint jobs and clueless owners are easy to dunk on, we're increasingly seeing that these low-poly vehicles can be extremely hazardous. In the case of the Piedmont Cybertruck fire, that danger cost three recent high school graduates their lives.More on Cybertrucks: Thousands of Cybertrucks Recalled for Bricking While DrivingShare This Article

You don't own your social media account. Not on Musk's platform, anyway.No AccountabilityEver the center of attention, Elon Musk through his social media site X,formerly Twitter has managed to barge his way into the ongoing sale of Infowars to The Onion.In case you're not up to speed, the satirical publication recently declared that it was buying Infowars, the website founded by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, in a bankruptcy auction.But the sale has hit a few snags, and a big one has come from the Musk camp. On Monday, lawyers representing X submitted a court filing arguing that The Onion couldn't buy Infowars' X accounts, because X not Jones' media brand owns them.In fact, the lawyers wish to emphasize, X owns all accounts on the platform."X Corp.'s [terms of service] make clear that it owns the X Accounts, as the TOS is explicit that X Corp. merely grants its users a non-exclusive license to use their accounts," Musk's lawyers wrote in the filing submitted to a federal court in Texas, as quoted by Axios.This Means WarJones was ordered to pay over $1.5 billion in damages to the victims' families of the Sandy Hook mass shooting, after he claimed that the horrendous tragedy was a hoax. Both Jones and Infowars declared bankruptcy, with their assets being liquidated to go towards the families, who helped arrange the sale of Jones' website to The Onion.If Musk has it his way, however, its accounts on X may not be Jones', Infowars', or the families' to sell. Users are merely granted a "license" to accounts on the platform, X is asserting, but they do not own them.As someone who's adopted a conspiratorial, Infowars-esque worldview in recent years, Musk's intentions for interfering with the sale are suspect. He personally intervened to restore the X accounts of both Jones and Infowars, which were suspended under previous ownership, and even appeared to promote their posts across the website.Musk has also frequently tweeted about how much he hates The Onion, accusing it of being "woke." Instead, he has championed The Babylon Bee, the Christian right's answer to the satirical publication.Social-fightX's legal filing disclaims that it solely opposes the sale of the X accounts, and not the sale overall. But with the primary Infowars account boasting over 600,000 followers, it's undeniably a major draw of the acquisition.Maybe Musk, a devout culture warrior, can't stand the idea of his "woke" enemies puppeting the corpse of what was once a major arm of far right media. Or it could be that this is just X's way of reminding us who's in charge of its territory.It's worth noting, though, that Musk has used this trick for political aims in the past, as Axiosnotes, when he seized the handle @America for his America Super PAC to back Donald Trump.More on Musk's platform: Checkmarked X Users Caught Promoting Sites That Sell Child Sex Abuse VideosShare This Article

Nov 28, 2024Ravie LakshmananNetwork Security / Cyber EspionageU.S. telecom service provider T-Mobile said it recently detected attempts made by bad actors to infiltrate its systems in recent weeks but noted that no sensitive data was accessed.These intrusion attempts "originated from a wireline provider's network that was connected to ours," Jeff Simon, chief security officer at T-Mobile, said in a statement. "We see no instances of prior attempts like this."The company further said its security defenses prevented the threat actors from disrupting its services or obtaining customer information. It has since confirmed that it cut off connectivity to the unnamed provider's network. It did not explicitly attribute the activity to any known threat actor or group, but noted that it has shared its findings with the U.S. government.Speaking to Bloomberg, Simon said the company observed the attackers running discovery-related commands on routers to probe the topography of the network, adding the attacks were contained before they moved laterally across the network. T-Mobile is the first company to publicly acknowledge the cyber incident.The development comes shortly after reports that a China-linked cyber espionage group called Salt Typhoon (aka Earth Estries, FamousSparrow, GhostEmperor, and UNC2286) targeted multiple U.S. telecom companies, including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies, as part of an intelligence gathering campaign."Simply put, our defenses worked as designed from our layered network design to robust monitoring and partnerships with third-party cyber security experts and a prompt response to prevent the attackers from advancing and, importantly, stopped them from accessing sensitive customer information," Simon said. "Other providers may be seeing different outcomes."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE