• Google Street View helped police solve a missing persons case
    www.theverge.com
    A Google Street View image played in role in solving a missing person investigation in Spain, according to reports from the BBC and The New York Times. The image, which can still be seen on Street View, shows what appears to be a person loading a large object into the trunk of a car, as Gizmodo points out. Another image showed someone transporting a large white bundle in a wheelbarrow, the BBC reports. Part of the human remains of the missing person have been found buried in a cemetery in a town in the province of Soria and advanced technical means had to be used to locate them.One of the clues that investigators had to solve the crime, although it was not decisive, was some images that they detected during the investigations in a location search application.This is the Google Street View image allegedly linked to the crime. Screenshot: GoogleThough the press release doesnt explicitly name the location application it used, a spokesperson for the Spanish National Police confirmed to The New York Times that it was Google Maps while also saying, The image was not the key to solving the case.Authorities were investigating the case of a 33-year-old man who disappeared last year while visiting a partner in Tajueco, Soria, according to the Spanish outlet El Pas. Police arrested a woman and her ex-partner in connection with the crime in November.Google Maps has been credited with helping investigators in the past, with Italian authorities using Street View to trace the location of a mafia fugitive in 2022.
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  • Microsoft Release Free GitHub CoPilot
    gamefromscratch.com
    There is a new version of GitHub CoPilot that is completely free to use, no credit card or subscription required. The only requirement is a GitHub account and a compatible IDE ( Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code and JetBrains products as well as GitHub.com currently ). Details of the new free tier from the Visual Studio Code blog.Were excited to announce an all newfree plan for GitHub Copilot, available for everyone today in VS Code. All you need is a GitHub account. No trial. No subscription. No credit card required.With GitHub Copilot Free you get2000 code completions/month. Thats about 80 per working day which is a lot. You also get50 chat requests/month, as well asaccess to both GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet models.If you hit these limits, ideally its because Copilot is doing its job well, which is to help you do yours! If you find you need more Copilot, thepaid Pro planis unlimited and provides access to additional models likeo1andGemini(coming in the new year).With this announcement, GitHub Copilot becomes a core part of the VS Code experience. The team has been hard at work, as always, improving that experience with brand new AI features and capabilities. Lets take a look at some of the newer additions to GitHub Copilot that dropped in just the past few months. This is your editor, redefined with AI.Key LinksGitHub Copilot Free AnnouncementGitHub Copilot HomepageYou can learn more about the new GitHub Copilot free tier in the video below.
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  • Advancing Clinical Decision Support: Evaluating the Medical Reasoning Capabilities of OpenAIs o1-Preview Model
    www.marktechpost.com
    The evaluation of LLMs in medical tasks has traditionally relied on multiple-choice question benchmarks. However, these benchmarks are limited in scope, often yielding saturated results with repeated high performance from LLMs, and do not accurately reflect real-world clinical scenarios. Clinical reasoning, the cognitive process physicians use to analyze and synthesize medical data for diagnosis and treatment, is a more meaningful benchmark for assessing model performance. Recent LLMs have demonstrated the potential to outperform clinicians in routine and complex diagnostic tasks, surpassing earlier AI-based diagnostic tools that utilized regression models, Bayesian approaches, and rule-based systems.Advances in LLMs, including foundation models, have significantly outperformed medical professionals in diagnostic benchmarks, with strategies such as CoT prompting further enhancing their reasoning abilities. OpenAIs o1-preview model, introduced in September 2024, integrates a native CoT mechanism, enabling more deliberate reasoning during complex problem-solving tasks. This model has outperformed GPT-4 in addressing intricate challenges like informatics and medicine. Despite these advancements, multiple-choice benchmarks fail to capture the complexity of clinical decision-making, as they often enable models to leverage semantic patterns rather than genuine reasoning. Real-world clinical practice demands dynamic, multi-step reasoning, where models must continuously process and integrate diverse data sources, refine differential diagnoses, and make critical decisions under uncertainty.Researchers from leading institutions, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Stanford University, and Harvard Medical School, conducted a study to evaluate OpenAIs o1-preview model, designed to enhance reasoning through chain-of-thought processes. The model was tested on five tasks: differential diagnosis generation, reasoning explanation, triage diagnosis, probabilistic reasoning, and management reasoning. Expert physicians assessed the models outputs using validated metrics and compared them to prior LLMs and human benchmarks. Results showed significant improvements in diagnostic and management reasoning but no advancements in probabilistic reasoning or triage. The study underscores the need for robust benchmarks and real-world trials to evaluate LLM capabilities in clinical settings.The study evaluated OpenAIs o1-preview model using diverse medical diagnostic cases, including NEJM Clinicopathologic Conference (CPC) cases, NEJM Healer cases, Grey Matters management cases, landmark diagnostic cases, and probabilistic reasoning tasks. Outcomes focused on differential diagnosis quality, testing plans, clinical reasoning documentation, and identifying critical diagnoses. Physicians assessed scores using validated metrics like Bond Scores, R-IDEA, and normalized rubrics. The models performance was compared to historical GPT-4 controls, human benchmarks, and augmented resources. Statistical analyses, including McNemars test and mixed-effects models, were conducted in R. Results highlighted o1-previews strengths in reasoning but identified areas like probabilistic reasoning needing improvement.The study evaluated o1-previews diagnostic capabilities using New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) cases and benchmarked it against GPT-4 and physicians. o1-preview correctly included the diagnosis in 78.3% of NEJM cases, outperforming GPT-4 (88.6% vs. 72.9%). It achieved high test-selection accuracy (87.5%) and scored perfectly on clinical reasoning (R-IDEA) for 78/80 NEJM Healer cases, surpassing GPT-4 and physicians. In management vignettes, o1-preview outperformed GPT-4 and physicians by over 40%. It achieved a median score of 97% for landmark diagnostic cases, comparable to GPT-4 but higher than physicians. Probabilistic reasoning was performed similarly to GPT -4, with better accuracy in coronary stress tests.In conclusion, The o1-preview model demonstrated superior performance in medical reasoning across five experiments, surpassing GPT-4 and human baselines in tasks like differential diagnosis, diagnostic reasoning, and management decisions. However, it showed no significant improvement over GPT-4 in probabilistic reasoning or critical diagnosis identification. These highlight the potential of LLMs in clinical decision support, though real-world trials are necessary to validate their integration into patient care. Current benchmarks, like NEJM CPCs, are nearing saturation, prompting the need for more realistic, challenging evaluations. Limitations include verbosity, lack of human-computer interaction studies, and a focus on internal medicine, underscoring the need for broader assessments.Check out the Paper. 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. Dont Forget to join our60k+ ML SubReddit. Sana Hassan+ postsSana Hassan, a consulting intern at Marktechpost and dual-degree student at IIT Madras, is passionate about applying technology and AI to address real-world challenges. With a keen interest in solving practical problems, he brings a fresh perspective to the intersection of AI and real-life solutions. [Download] Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities Report (Promoted)
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  • Transforming Biology with Generative AI: Unveiling GenBio AIs State-of-the-art Multiscale Models
    towardsai.net
    NewsTransforming Biology with Generative AI: Unveiling GenBio AIs State-of-the-art Multiscale Models 1 like December 19, 2024Share this postLast Updated on December 19, 2024 by Editorial TeamTL;DR: GenBio AI is advancing biology with Generative AI by developing AI-Driven Digital Organisms (AIDO). The AIDO system integrates multiscale foundation models for DNA, RNA, proteins, and cellular systems, allowing researchers to simulate, predict, and program biological outcomes from molecular to systemic levels. These tools aim to transform drug discovery, disease understanding, and personalized medicine, setting the stage for a new era in biological research.Advancing Biology with Generative AI: Inside GenBio AIs AI-Driven Digital OrganismBiology is entering an era where artificial intelligence is redefining the way we approach research and discovery. Leading this transformation is GenBio AI with its groundbreakingAI-Driven Digital Organism (AIDO), an integrated system of multiscale foundation models that enables researchers to simulate, program, and predict complex biological outcomes. AIDO addresses critical challenges in medicine, biotechnology, and life sciences by unifying insights across molecular, cellular, and systemic levels.Professor Eric Xing, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of GenBio AI, underscores the ambition behind AIDO:GenBio will usher in a new era of medical and life sciencethrough a paradigm shift powered by next-generation Generative AI technology beyond what has already brought us disruptive results such as ChatGPT. Our transformative technology allows biological data of all types and scales to be utilized to distill holistic and comprehensive knowledge of how living systems work. Therefore, multiscale biological complexities are no longer barriers but opportunities for breakthrough insights.Moving Beyond Silos with AIDOTraditional biological models often operate in isolation, analyzing narrow datasets like DNA or proteins without integrating broader system interactions. AIDO disrupts this approach by creating a cohesive framework where modular models interact seamlessly, enabling a comprehensive understanding of biology as an interconnected system.Key Features of AIDO:Multitasking Efficiency: Handles up to 300 tasks simultaneously, surpassing the one or two tasks most current systems manage.Interoperable Modules: Models for DNA, RNA, proteins, single cells, and evolutionary data work in concert, addressing the siloed nature of traditional approaches.Comprehensive Data Utilization: Incorporates diverse biological data types, from sequences to structures, providing unprecedented insight into complex systems.By bridging biological scales, AIDO equips researchers with tools to analyze interactions across molecular, cellular, and organismal levels.Breaking Down the AIDO Foundation ModelsGenBio AIs first phase of AIDO introduces six foundational models, each designed to tackle specific biological challenges:AIDO-DNA: A 7-billion-parameter model trained on data from 796 species, offering advanced insights into genomic structure and function.AIDO-RNA: The largest model of its kind with 1.6 billion parameters, tailored for RNA structure prediction, genetic regulation, and vaccine design.AIDO-Protein: A computationally efficient model that facilitates exploration of protein functionality, essential for drug discovery.AIDO-Single Cell: Processes entire human transcriptomes without truncation, uncovering complex cellular dynamics with precision.Protein Structure Model: Focuses on three-dimensional protein modeling, uncovering relationships between structure and biological activity.Evolutionary Information Model: Provides insights into molecular evolution, connecting genetic data across species.These models not only excel individually but also operate as an integrated system, making AIDO a comprehensive toolkit for biological research. You can download them on GitHub or Hugging Face.Transformative Applications of AIDOAIDOs real-world applications are poised to address some of the most pressing challenges in medicine and biotechnology:Accelerating Drug DiscoveryTraditional drug development is costly and time-intensive, often with high failure rates. AIDO allows researchers to simulate and test millions of potential compounds in hours, drastically reducing both time and costs.Advancing Personalized MedicineAdverse drug reactions remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide. By creating digital patient twins, AIDO supports the design of personalized treatments that reduce risks and improve therapeutic outcomes.Understanding Complex DiseasesFrom cancer to neurodegenerative disorders, many diseases involve systemic interactions. AIDOs multiscale approach equips researchers to study these mechanisms and identify new pathways for intervention.Source: GenBio AIGlobal Expertise, Global ImpactGenBio AIs achievements are the result of a collaborative effort among world-renowned scientists and institutions. Headquartered in Palo Alto, with labs in Paris and Abu Dhabi, the companys team includes experts from Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and MBZUAI. These partnerships have resulted in six peer-reviewed papers presented at NeurIPS, showcasing the rigorous research behind AIDO.Professor Eran Segal of the Weizmann Institute of Science highlights the significance of this work:GenBio AIs six multiscale foundation models are a leap forward in our ability to understand and predict biological phenomena. We now have the capacity to uncover systemic insights into how organisms function. This is transformative for genomics research, where the ability to simulate and program at multiple scales opens new avenues for precision medicine and disease intervention.Professor Fabian Theis of Helmholtz Munich adds:GenBio AIs achievement in creating scalable state-of-the-art models on multiple scales is a game-changer. This technology not only accelerates our ability to explore cellular dynamics but also bridges the gap between molecular and systems biology, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for disease modeling and therapeutic innovation.Explore the Research:The Road AheadThe development of AIDO represents just the beginning of GenBio AIs roadmap. The company envisions deeper integration between foundational models in future phases, expanding the systems utility for synthetic biology, environmental sustainability, and longevity research.Dr. Le Song, Co-Founder and CTO of GenBio AI, encapsulates the vision:What we have built is revolutionary because our integrated system will use these state-of-the-art models to create interactive digital versions of biological systems that can be safely experimented on and precisely modified. This technology lets us program biology the way we program computers, opening up possibilities weve never had before in medicine and biotechnology.As AIDO evolves, it promises to reshape how we approach biological research, offering scientists the tools to address complex challenges with precision and efficiency. For researchers working in genomics, drug development, or systems biology, AIDO provides a unified platform to tackle the most ambitious questions in life sciences.GenBio AI is setting the stage for a future where biology is not just observed but actively designed and improved.Source: GenBio AI Releases Phase 1 of Worlds First Digital Organism to Transform Medical ResearchShare this post
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  • Beast Games Review
    www.ign.com
    The first two episodes of Beast Games are streaming on Prime Video. Jimmy MrBeast Donaldson didnt become the biggest YouTuber in the world because of charisma, cleverness, or creativity. The new Prime Video series Beast Games makes it abundantly clear he has none of these qualities. The creator is trying to translate the style, stunts, and back-patting generosity of his YouTube channel to a longer-form project, but the results which involve him vamping along while 1,000 contestants compete in so-so games for a grand prize of $5 million prove his near-ubiquity online is merely a triumph of spectacle. Beast Games resembles a MrBeast video in how it relies on constant reminders that what youre watching is wild when, in reality, its almost entirely wearisome. The MrBeast formula involves frying attention spans by throwing plenty of annoyingly loud, yet empty, escalations at the viewer. The same is true of the way Beast Games hits you over the head with refreshers about whats unfolding right in front of your eyes as contestants rally together to shoot a ball into a giant cup. The first two episodes are completely averse to the kind of tension that better reality competitions earn by, say, letting us get to know their contestants and/or not hopping from shot to shot and scene to scene with the energy of a teenager downing their first Red Bull. One of Donaldsons YouTube breakthroughs involved a 17-hour marathon in which he recited the name Logan Paul 100,000 times, establishing a pattern that carries over to Beast Games: Doing the most in terms of volume while doing the least when it comes to actual entertainment value.It all feels eerily similar to when Donaldson recreated Netflixs Squid Game for a 2021 video, missing the entire point of the dystopian series and instead positioning the prospect of desperate people pitted against each other as something aspirational. But, as he assures us ad nauseam, Beast Games takes that concept and blows it up to a tremendous scale, tastelessly allowing us to see greater numbers of real people crying about the millions of dollars theyre losing. Its a shallow series best suited to existing MrBeast fans, reality show completionists, or people looking for background noise while they scroll on their phones.And yet something sinister lurks beneath the surface of this disposable distraction. While some of this, yes, has to do with the concerning allegations of sexual harassment, chronic mistreatment, and more that cast a shadow over the series (Donaldson has said this is blown out of proportion and claimed he has yet-unreleased footage to prove it) it also has to do with what made it into the final cut. Donaldson frequently interjects to encourage his viewers to scan a QR code for a chance to win what he says is a $4.2 million dollar giveaway that critics and consumer advocates have already warned could trap participants into a payday loan-esque swindle. In addition to the ethical nightmare of someone with such a largely, predominantly young fanbase shilling for such a predatory enterprise, Beast Games partnership with MoneyLion grinds everything in the show to a halt. Ad reads are par for the course for MrBeast; theyre often dropped right into the middle of the action in his YouTube videos. But whats awkward there is even more awkward on a show thats ostensibly a bigger, more serious project from the creator. As is often the case with online celebrities operating in such scammy ways, its about getting the bag at all costs. Its a shallow series best suited to existing MrBeast fans, reality show completionists, or people looking for background noise while they scroll on their phones.But Beast Games isnt just surprisingly dull. It's also almost entirely devoid of anything to get invested in. Though future episodes may delve deeper into competitors personalities and motivations the bread and butter of any reality show once their ranks are whittled down, the beginning of the series is so impatiently frenetic that were barely introduced to any of them. Some of this, again, carries over from YouTube, where MrBeasts output often feels like a bunch of TikTok videos crammed together out of fear that youll get bored unless something new is thrown in your face right this second. But Beast Games is uniquely out of its depth. The spread of games is vast they include contestants trying to convince their teammates to eliminate themselves and a block-stacking challenge but they all prioritize breadth over depth. The ones that could be more psychologically tense have no weight, passing with breakneck speed so we can get to the next one then the next one and so on. They all feel like they were made up in five minutes, and theres nothing memorable about them aside from how they steal the iconography and callousness of Squid Game.An ongoing TV series requires more than a YouTuber bludgeoning his audience with reminders of whats at stake. Even when Beast Games stumbles into a potentially fun challenge like a trivia game where we get to see the personalities of the players briefly shine throughThe Best TV Show of 2024This brings us back to Beast Games biggest problem: MrBeast himself. Donaldsons entire persona and approach to creating content may have cracked the code for generating record-setting YouTube views, but that doesnt translate to TV. He just isnt funny enough to carry a show like this; everything he does and says sounds like hes trying to sell you something rather than genuinely amuse you. If there were anyone else at the center of Beast Games then it might be more engaging. Instead, what we have is a strange, woefully overstretched re-creation of his YouTube videos and Donaldson chiming in with what he seems to think is witty commentary. In reality, it can largely be boiled down to endless variations of Can you believe that just happened?MrBeast, when it all comes down to it, is a hype man for himself, his brand, and his content. He just wants us to keep watching, and Beast Games is another part of that. The show, much like the man behind it, isnt inventive, thoughtful, or even entertaining. But it's there, and there's a lot of it seven more episodes are set to debut through February. Its a show thats the equivalent of the sketchy financial company Donaldson hawks throughout: corrosive to the culture, yet possibly too big to fail.
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  • AU Deals: A Campside Chat with Ryozo Tsujimoto on Monster Hunter Wilds, the Cheapest Prices Available, and More!
    www.ign.com
    In 2004 I caught excited whispers and game mag glimpses of a waking giant on the horizon. The fuzzy intel received: Capcom would be releasing a Japanese-only PS2 game where one tracked and killed kaiju in epic battles of attrition. An impulse import purchase was made, and, about a hundred hours later, I managed to overcome a Fatalis-sized language barrier (and fangs and claws) to achieve victory in my first Monster Hunter of many.Fast forward 20 years, and I'm somehow sitting down for a chat with one of the key persons responsible for my younger self's torment and triumphs, Series Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto. When I whip out my original PS2 copy and explain the origins of how I became hooked on his franchise, despite such a hostile introduction to it, he's delightedperplexed that I even attempted such a thing, but delighted.Why? Because a chocobo wouldn't last five minutes in these wilds.Though its three-day beta wasn't a perfect experience (as is the nature of betas), I then explain to Tsujimoto-san that I'm basically already on board with his latest entry, Monster Hunter Wilds. And so, over the course of an afternoon, he reiterates the parts of Wilds that excite him and his team most, and I pepper him with questions about this new venture and how far we've all come as Hunters over the decades.We'll dive into that in a second. For now, though, I should service any fellow "my mind is pretty much made up to play this" types with the cheapest prices. If you'd like to skip the window shop, please click here to skip past it.The Cheapest Monster Hunter Wilds DealsMonster Hunter WildsTL;DR: this seems to be a great balance between what made both World and Rise so great.Physical:Amazon: $99 PS5 | XboxBig W: $99JB Hi-Fi: $109 Standard | $119 SteelbookMightyApe: $89 Standard | $109 SteelbookDigital:PS Store: $114.95 Standard | $144.95 Del. | $179.95 Premium Del.Xbox Store: $114.95 Standard | $144.95 Del. | $179.95 Premium Del.Steam: $104.95 Standard | $134.95 Del. | $164.95 Premium Del.Monster Hunter Wilds InterviewI begin my chat with Tsujimoto by commending him and his marketing team on the decision to definitively nail down some lore in the recently released Welcome to Monster Hunter explainer. I do, however, admit to him that my 2024 bingo card did not have Hollywood actress Daisy Ridley does a 10-minute doco on Monster Hunter on it. "We understand that we have lots of players playing [Monster Hunter]," he explains, "but we're going to get even more players. So we thought we'd explain what the Monster Hunter universe is for the old, long-time players while also helping new players into it. As for using Daisy Ridley, I think we just thought she was the best person to explain how the world, how the series was, but also...*laughs* I guess there were a few people in our team who were just big fans of her."I tell him that sounds fair enough. Also, given the Nat Geo nature of the trailer, I suggest that Sir David Attenborough would've been a solid pick, too. Again, he seems delighted.PlayBefore we move away from the contents of said trailer, I note something of a ludo-narrative dissonance with a line that's stated within. One thing I never thought I'd see woven into MH canon is the concept of Hunters being responsible conservationists who "maintain balance" in their world. You know, as opposed to being carcass-stripping profit fiends, which is certainly how I've played over a dozen outings in this series.I don't say this next part to him, mostly due to a fear of it becoming lost in translation, but the trailer almost felt like some sort of in-universe propaganda reel. Because when I heard the term 'maintainers of balance,' it sounded eerily like a Helldiver talking about 'bringing managed democracy' to an environment."So, I understand how it's hard to believe that hunters are responsible for maintaining the balance of the world because of the nature of the game," he says. "It's not so much greed, but more like a need for people [in this world] to hunt, and that might look like they're constantly taking things away from the game. But in the Monster Hunter world, it's meant to bethat's their job. Balance of the world is indeed what [players will] do."As opposed to being carcass-stripping profit fiends, which is certainly how I've played.I tell him that I'm fascinated to see how that cultural dynamic plays out in Wilds. Particularly as he and his team have self-described this entry as having "the most immersive story in the series yet." I've certainly seen inklings of that in the beta and promo material, though I doubt he'll reveal too much of that to me as we rapidly approach the February 28th launch date.Instead, I press Tsujimoto-san on what interests me far morethe titular wilds and the lethal cast of monsters within. The beta certainly gave me the impression of a larger, richer playspace, but I also imagine that, developmentally speaking, this expansion comes with challenges as well as cool new wrinkles to the formula."So if you're looking at things under the hood, there's been a lot of improvement in technology with Monster Hunter Wilds," he says. "One of the key things that we worked on was the mentality of the [monster] herds. Obviously, we did have herds in games past, but we only had a few entities of the herd. In short, what we had "looked like" a herda mass controlled by one AI for the group.I love that with our advancement of technology we can tackle that differently. Now, we have herds where each individual monster can act on its own and show this uniqueness through the improvement of our AI tech."[Does best Muldoon voice]: "Clever girls..."I agree with him that it's a pretty neat upgrade. Indeed, when I first watched it play out on-screen, I had a mini Dr. Alan Grant from Jurassic Park moment. Even though I expected they would, I caught myself marvelling at the way these majestic beasts do move in herds. How far we've come from the sometimes ropey monster pathing of those PS2 days...Struck by a little bit of nostalgia, I mention to Tsujimoto-san that it was a sobering moment to hear that Wilds is not only going to be available widespread on all major platforms but will support cross-play among them. I know that his role on that first Monster Hunter game was rooted in networking code, and I ask him if it blew his mind to watch this niche PS2-only game bloom into a multi-plat, 100 million units sold worldwide monster in its own right. "I think the [whiplash feeling from back then to now] feels like that because joining the old PS2 multiplayer had so many hurdles to it," he reminisces. "You know? You had to buy a separate Network Adapter unit to plug into your PS2, then physically plug into an actual network in order to join in and experience Monster Hunter fully. The team and I knew about that difficult environment when we went into development. It was going to be hard, but we had our [other early online] work on Resident Evil Outbreak and Auto Modellista to draw upon. Despite those challenges, I imagined a future where the effort would be worth it as people gravitated more and more to networked play. And so we strived to build the know-how and insight to build the knowledge banks needed to bring these places to such a future.I know it sounds like a bit of a lie, but this is what we always imagined, back when we started making these." It sounds like a bit of a lie, but this is what we always imagined, back when we started.I tell Tsujimoto that I don't think it sounds like a lie at all. More like good old-fashioned forward-thinking visionary stuff. That being said, only a very small slice of Aussie gamers got to play Capcom games onlinebecause kilobytes were still being delivered to many of us by bullock train in 2004though MH was still revered as a touchstone title for future-minded players.From here, we part ways after he rather graciously signs my original copy of Monster Hunter, and the remainder of our time morphs into a reminder presentation of the key improvements of Wilds to be most excited about. Many of those facets were covered here in our preview coverage; I highly suggest you watch and absorb the info within to sharpen your understanding of (and longswords for) what sure looks to be a cracking sequel already.PlayBack to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.
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  • Target Slashes 30% Off the Lenovo Legion Go Gaming Handheld PC (Arrives by Christmas)
    www.ign.com
    For the final days leading up to December 25, Target has the lowest price on one of the best Windows-based gaming handhelds. Right now you can pick up a Lenovo Legion Go gaming handheld for only $479.99 shipped after a 30% off instant discount. If you're a Target Circle Card holder, then you can get an additional 5% off. The Legion Go shares the same processor, RAM, and Windows 11 operating system as the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme, but it also benefits from a bigger and sharper display, detachable controllers, and a larger battery.Lenovo Legion Go 512GB Gaming HandheldLenovo Legion Go AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme 512GB Gaming HandheldThe Lenovo Legion Go is a Windows-based gaming handheld that's powered by an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU with Radeon graphics and 16GB RAM, which is the same configuration as the one found in the $700 Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme. The Legion Go also boasts a a bigger and sharper 8.8" 2560x1600 144Hz IPS touchscreen display and detachable controllers like the Nintendo Switch. Since the Legion Go operates off Windows 11, it works with most PC game clients, including Steam, Origin, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Genshin Impact, Battle.net, and more.In Jacqueline Thomas' Lenovo Legion Go review, she wrote that "it is easily the best handheld gaming PC on the market right now as measured by screen size, horsepower, and USB-C port placement, but there are some caveats. It's absolutely massive, and the 1600p display is more than even this powerhouse chip can handle. That means you're going to have to spend some time tinkering with and specifically lowering quality settings to get your games running properly. Even then the battery life isnt great, and naturally youre paying a premium over the Steam Deck OLED for the bigger display, a full Windows 11 license, and extra oomph. But if you love the idea of the Switch, where you can remove the controllers, prop the screen up on a beefy kickstand, and sit back and enjoy? This is the one for you."After the article was written, the Asus ROG Ally X was released and has taken over the throne as the new "best gaming handheld". However, the Ally X is far more expensive: even with today's Cyber Monday deal, it still costs $699.99. The Legion Go is definitely a much better value for the price.If you end up getting this deal, we'd recommend picking up a portable power bank for extended travels and a Micro SD card. We've compared the Steam Deck to the ROG Ally and although the Legion Go isn't mentioned, the article gives you a good idea of the major differences between a Steam-based and Windows-based gaming handheld.PlayWhy Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.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.
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  • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Post-Credit Explained: Who Are These Fan Favorite Characters?
    www.denofgeek.com
    This article contains spoilers for Sonic the Hedgehog 3.Sonic saves the day. Even if you keep drowning in Chemical Zone and throwing your old Sega Genesis controller across the room, you know that every Sonic the Hedgehog story ends with the Blue Blur triumphant and Robotnik defeated. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is no different. By the end of his third big screen outing, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) befriends new antagonist Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) and stops Gerald Robotnik and his grandson Ivo Eggman Robotnik (both played by Jim Carrey, hammy as ever) from blowing up the world. Sonic even wins a footrace against Tails (Colleen OShaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba).But the post-credit scene shows that theres much more to the story, and to Sonics group of friends. The post-credit scene finds Sonic getting a bit too enthusiastic about his race and stopping in a New York forest. Before he can make his way back to Green Hills where his animal friends and human pals Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie (Tika Sumpter) wait, a new foe robotic foe arrives well, a legion of new robotic foes arrive: an army of Metal Sonics. Fortunately, Sonic gets an assist from a welcome face in the form of Amy Rose.These reveals will have the longtime Sonic fans in the audience cheering, but for those who left the franchise after playing Sonic and Knuckles, heres a primer.As Sonic himself points out, the mechanical assailant looks a lot like himwhich is exactly the point. Metal Sonic debuted in 1993s Sonic CD, an appropriately sci-fi villain to match the futuristic feel of playing a game on disc instead of a cartridge. Like most villains in the world of Sonic, Metal Sonic is a creation of Robotnik, who decides that the only way to defeat Sonic is to match him. Thus Metal Sonic has the same speed and skills as the hero, along with some extra bells and whistles.However, Metal Sonics greatest asset is his logical mind. Unlike his flesh and blood counterpart, Metal Sonic has no weaknesses for chili dogs, tiny captive animals, or his human pals. As a robot designed to improve upon the original in every way, Metal Sonic puts his mission before everything else, even turning against his maker from time to time after Robotnik keeps testing him in order to prove hes the One True Sonic the Hedgehog.Amy RoseAmys sudden appearance during the post-credit scene isnt an accident. Like Metal Sonic, Amy also joined the fictional world with Sonic CD, although shes been a bit more prominent in other media.As a pink hedgehog with a dress, Amy does fall into the standard trope of giving a male character a girl counterpart in the most superficial way possible. The giant mallet she wields, officially known as the Piko-Piko Hammer, does offset her some from her masculine counterpart, but too many Amy stories limited her roles to having a crush on Sonic and nagging when Sonic did something she didnt like. Even in Sonic CD, Amy was little more than a damsel in distress.However, Amy has begun to come into her own, especially in the past 10 years. In the pages of the Sonic the Hedgehog comics that fan-favorites Ian Flynn and Evan Stanley have been writing for IDW Publishing, Amys become something of a fortune teller, which adds depth to her positive attitude. Last years Amys 30th Anniversary Special, written by Flynn and penciled by Aaron Hammerstrom, serves as a perfect example, as Amys divination allows her to stop Metal Sonic and free her friends.Amy doesnt speak in the teaser, but well likely see a big name get cast in the role, someone on the level of Elba and Reeves. Could Anya Taylor-Joy make a jump from Nintendo to play another video game heroine?Fun as these reveals are, they may also re-contextualize Robotniks fate at the end of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Robotnik seems to sacrifice himself, helping Shadow prevent the space station from crashing into the Earth. Which makes sense, because even though Robotnik can keep coming back in the games, Jim Carrey demands a high price tag and may be done with the sequels.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Then again, Carrey is one of the best parts of the movies and a big draw for those indifferent to the adventures of fast furry animals. Sonic CD, the game that introduced Metal Sonic and Amy, has a time-travel conceit, sending the heroes through various periods in pursuit of Eggman.Could this mean that Robotnik lives in the future and sent Metal Sonic back to the past to destroy his hated enemy? And could Amys adoration of Sonic come from the fact that she grew up with his legend, instead of the usual little-girl crush from the games?Well find out when Sonic the Hedgehog 4 inevitably gets announced.Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is now playing in theaters nationwide.
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  • You Season 5 Teases Joes Past Coming Back to Haunt Him
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    This article contains a few spoilers from You season 4.Weve known for a while that season 5 of You was going to be Joe Goldbergs (Penn Badgley) swan song. When the series was renewed for a fifth season back in 2023, it was announced at the time that it would be the shows final season. Netflix has now revealed that season 5 is set to premiere in 2025, showing us a couple of hints at what this final chapter might entail for Joe.In addition to this announcement, Netflix has released two posters, both centered on Joes victims across the last four seasons. Because of this, it seems reasonable to guess (or at least hope) that maybe Joe will finally face some consequences for the trail of bodies hes left in his wake across the last four seasons.For the briefest of moments last season, it seemed like Joe may have felt some remorse for what hes done. His brain created an entirely separate personality in order for him to continue killing, and he came close to taking his own life when he realized that no matter what he does, hes a killer at heart. However, despite surviving his attempt at death by suicide, Joe doesnt see this second chance as an opportunity to atone and face the consequences for what hes done. Instead, with the encouragement of his new incredibly wealthy partner Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), he decides to double down on his misdeeds.One of the posters shows newspaper clippings of Joes victims surrounding his face, with different letters circled and underlined as though someone is looking for clues in the headlines. Nadia (Amy-Leigh Hickman) may have been temporarily taken off the board after Joe framed her for her friends death, but shes one of the few people still living who knows about Joes true nature. Marriene (Tati Gabrielle) is also currently in the wind after faking her death with Nadias help and escaping from Joe. Its not entirely unlikely that either of them, or someone else from Joes past, could be back on his trail as the new season begins.The other poster also features newspaper clippings, but this time arranged in a shadow box of sorts, along with other mementos from Joes past victims. Joes past and his victims are very clearly the focus of these quick teases of the new season. Exactly how they factor into his present or his future has yet to be revealed, but this show is known for taking some pretty big swings. Hopefully these swings involve some actual consequences for Joe, but well just have to see.A show like You has to toe the line between making Joe too sympathetic and coming down too hard on him too soon. This show probably wouldnt have lasted for five seasons if Joe had been caught and gone to prison in season 2. But at the same time, it doesnt seem right to give him a true happily ever after either, given how many people hes killed and everything else hes done to cover his tracks. It will be interesting to see what this final season has in store for Joe and the people pulled into his orbit. Will he continue to embrace the darkest parts of himself without consequence, or will his past finally come back to haunt him?
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  • Day of the Fight: How a Boardwalk Empire Reunion Made Jack Hustons Dream Come True
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    Jack Huston knew if he ever directed a movie, it would not simply be something he wanted to make. It would be something he needed to pursue. An idea which loomed so large and for so long in his minds eye that only he could bring it to life. And, perhaps fittingly, it might have begun with an image that never left him in all the years and days which passed since he played the soulful hitman Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire.It began on a New Jersey set and with a co-star pounding away on a sack filled with dirt.I used to watch him punch sandbags in between takes and always going off to the boxing gym, Huston muses when thinking back on his earliest days working opposite Michael Pitt on the HBO period drama executive produced by Martin Scorsese. At the time, Pitt and Huston had a lot of scenes together with the pair playing WWI veterans who for better or worse (usually worse) get caught up in the bootleg racket. But during this same era in their careers, Huston was also making note of his colleagues baleful expressions, and the fact he was increasingly taking up boxing as a hobby.Michael carries himself like a boxer, Huston says. He always has Its there, its in his face. But he also has this sort of amazing vulnerability and sensitivity in his eyes. That look stayed with Huston, perhaps not least of all because alongside moviemaking, boxing is in the Huston familys blood. Before becoming one of the great writer-directors of the Hollywood Golden Age, Jacks grandfather John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo) saw success as a pugilist, winning the Amateur Lightweight Boxing Championship of California while only a teenagerand all before a broken nose changed Johns long-term career interests.Something about the solitary figure, of a man in a ring battling his opponent but also himself, has obvious cinematic appeal. So when Huston sat down to write a screenplay about such a classic silver screen silhouette, the words came pouring out; as did memories and that sandbag.I wrote every word for [Michael], Huston admits. I couldnt imagine it being anybody else. I heard his voice in my head as I was writing. He even named his fictional boxer after him, turning Michael Pitt the actor into Irish Mike Flannigan the boxera professional bruiser who is in desperate need of grace.When Day of the Fight begins, viewers are keyed into the grim reality of Mike Flannigan being down on his luck. He apparently just got out of a very long stint in prison for a crime that is not immediately apparent, and in the ruins of his life, he has been informed by a doctor that he absolutely should not box again ahead of the films titular prize fight. But that bout, like absolution, only comes at night. So the rest of the film is about Mike preparing for the big event, not so much like a fighter but as a condemned man putting his affairs in order. He is even able to find something as elusive and sparkling as redemption in a handful of dwindling hours.When he steps into the Den of Geek studio, Huston describes the movie as ultimately being about a life in a day, as well as a narrative about more than who wins or loses during a ringside donnybrook.I always think the best boxing films arent really boxing films; theyre films about the boxer, the writer-director explains. Its one of the most fascinating professions. We always talk about how you could walk into any boxing gym and there might be 30, 50 other stories just like Irish Mikes. Their profession itself sort of takes them on these very interesting paths. For Mike, that path is perhaps less about his solitary nature as the man in the ring, and more the people along the way who are there to prop the fallen challenger back up.If youre on a good path, the people closest to you, the people that really matter in our life are far more willing to forgive than we might expect, Huston suggests.A sense of community has also come through like vivid technicolor to Huston, even as he toiled over ensuring his first directorial feature would be black and white (never an easy fight to pick in the 21st century). It indeed took a village of old friends and colleagues sticking their necks out to get Day of the Fight made, including again that Boardwalk Empire connection via the HBO series Emmy-nominated star, Steve Buscemi.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!It was an uphill battle, Huston says of the process of getting the movie made. So it was incredibly important for us, in order to get the film financed, that certain people showed up. In the case of Buscemi that meant combining two minor tertiary characters from Hustons earlier drafts into a larger role that would allow Buscemi to reunite with his former onscreen protege, Michael Pitt.Huston recalls, We got a hold of Steves manager, and they were like absolutely not. Like it has to be [a much bigger part]. So I was like, Im just gonna call Steve. I made a phone call and I think I sent him the script the day before Thanksgiving, and the day after Thanksgiving, I got a message saying, Yeah, Ill be there first day.Buscemi showed up on set for a day and took the bare minimum SAG pay for his work. But it helped get Day of the Fight made. Thats the stuff where you get emotional, because this film is impossible without these guys who actually showed up when it mattered. And theres a lot of people in my life who showed up when it mattered, and theres some people who dont.Hustons experience on the project is filled with dozens of similar stories, including convincing Joe Pesci to come out of retirement again after The Irishman for a small but pivotal part. It took those contributions plus a million others to get the film as Huston imagined on the screen, complete with haunting black and white interspersed with flints of color.Black and white is almost like a magnifying glass into the soul, Huston says. Theres something about when you put a camera on somebody and you see in black and white, its almost like Im looking inside them. And I found that very early on with Michael that I could put the camera on him and it harkens back to the old [Marlon] Brando, [Paul] Newman, [James] Dean.Of course cinema history runs through Hustons veins. As the grandson of the aforementioned John Huston, and the great-grandson of actor Walter Huston, and several more generations of filmmakers and actors, Jack was raised to love the magic of the moving image.I sit here as an incredibly proud grandson and great-grandson, and nephew, Huston says. I was so lucky that I grew up watching those movies and that they were played for me. Our entire family are lovers of film. Thats the best part about it. We cant think of anything wed like to do more than sit around watching movies.Still, while making Day of the Fight, Jack can hear old John Hustons famous gregarious drawl in his head, familiar to viewers of anything from Chinatown to the Rankin/Bass Hobbit movie.I do feel him sort of chuckling to himself, just because of how difficult its been, Huston laughs. Its like, Well, you wanted to make a movie and you wanted [to make it black and white]. You can imagine this being a really sort of earn the stripes because of how unbelievably hard it was.But like Irish Mike, Jack learned a sense of community can get you to the final bell.Day of the Fight is in limited release in theaters now in the U.S.
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