OpinionDecember 20, 20245 min readWhy Six-Year-Olds Think Computing and Engineering Are For BoysEarly cultural exposure can influence kids ideas about gender and STEM in significant waysBy David Miller edited by Daisy Yuhas Skynesher/Getty ImagesSteve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezosmen dominate the tech industry. In 2021 men made up 75 percent of employed computer scientists and 84 percent of employed engineers in the U.S.And thats cause for concern. Consider the misuse of generative artificial intelligence tools for videos: deepfake pornography overwhelmingly targets women andalarminglysome teenage girls. Would you trust an all-male team of software engineers to make responsible and informed decisions about such tools? Though software engineers are a tiny sliver of the worlds population, the products they make can have enormous impact on the rest of society.Compared with men, women generally express more ethical and privacy-related concerns about AI and place a higher priority on safety and accountability. The tech industry needs more diverse perspectives to guard against the very real harms that AI technologies can bring into our world.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.My latest research as a psychologist and educational researcher unveils a major roadblock to achieving a more representative workforce, however: tech stereotypes that emerge remarkably early in childrens development. In research published this month, my colleagues and I found that by age six, kids already see girls as worse than boys at computer science and engineering.We also discovered that gender stereotypes are not the same for all STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math). In fact, math stereotypes are far less gendered than many researchers have often assumed. This nuance helps point to new ways to broaden participation in STEM fields. Most prior research to date has focused on stereotypes that girls are bad at math. But my colleagues at the American Institutes for Research and Cambridge University and I noticed mixed evidence as to whether children really hold that belief. Some studies do indeed show that kids have absorbed the stereotype that girls are worse than boys at math, but other studies find the exact opposite.We set out on a five-year-long expedition to synthesize more than four decades of past research on childrens gender stereotypes about abilities in STEM. We compiled a massive dataset of more than 145,000 children across 33 nations whose stereotypes had been measured in various ways. For instance, a study might ask kids, Are girls or boys better at computer coding?A clear pattern emerged: tech stereotypes are far more male-biased than math stereotypes. In other words, kids are more likely to see computer and engineering ability as for boys than they are to do the same for math ability.And this divergence across STEM fields begins early. For example, 52 percent of six-year-olds think boys are better at engineering, whereas 10 percent think girls are betteran early male bias of 42 percentage points. Computing also shows male bias at age six, though to a lesser extent. But for math, the fraction of six-year-olds who say boys are better (28 percent) is about the same as those who say girls are better (32 percent), showing no clear winner among young kids. (The remainder of kids did not see one group as better than the other.) These differences mirror related patterns among adults. For example, 40 percent of employed mathematicians but only 16 percent of employed engineers in the U.S. are women. Still, its surprising that kids as young as age six can have such nuanced beliefs about different STEM fields. Do six-year-olds even know what engineers are?In a broader context, the findings for math are less surprising. Girls earn better math grades than boys, for instance. Further, studies find that kids view success in school as being for girls, generally. These contextual features could reduce male bias in math, especially when it is perceived as a school subject.Kids tech stereotypes, meanwhile, likely come from cues outside the classroom, such as depictions of male computer nerds in films, news media and TV shows. Of course, young kids may also misperceive what computer scientists and engineers do. For instance, many English-speaking children assume that engineers fix car engines because engineer contains the word engine. Kids could then transfer masculine stereotypes about auto mechanics to engineers.At early ages, girls are somewhat insulated from these masculine stereotypes. Thats because of a phenomenon that developmental psychologists call in-group bias. Ever heard girls chant Girls rule, boys drool? Children aged five to seven tend to strongly favor their own gender. Math is one example: in general, boys favor boys and girls favor girls in early childhood when asked about who does well in that subject.This in-group bias even protects the youngest girls against tech stereotypes, to an extent. For instance, among six-year-old girls, 34 percent say girls are better at computing, whereas only 20 percent say boys areexhibiting a female bias.But this pattern rapidly changes with age, as cultural stereotypes replace in-group bias. At ages eight to 10, the number of girls who say boys are better at computing starts to outnumber those who say the reverse. This male bias further increases in middle school and high school. These sharp shifts could limit girls future aspirations for high-demand tech fields, such as AI.In contrast, boys of all ages consistently favor boys in all STEM areas, on average. Despite this relatively stable bias in STEM, boys rapidly learn stereotypes that can hold them back when reading and writing. By their senior year of high school, a clear majority of boys (72 percent) think girls have better verbal abilities, and only a small minority (10 percent) think boys have better verbal abilities.Our findings collectively indicate the need for targeted action. Initiatives for girls in math or girls in STEM may fall short of addressing the most entrenched stereotypes. Instead these efforts need a strategic focus on the most male-biased fields, such as tech.The tech gender gap isnt set in stone. In 1984 women were 37 percent of computer science college graduatesthe highest fraction compared to any other point in time. Yet today this figure hovers around 20 percent. Cultural changes, such as marketing computers to boys, may have driven girls and women out of the field. If the change was cultural, why cant we dial back the clock on that particular aspect?To address tech stereotypes, we need a national commitment to expand quality engagement with these fields in early childhood and elementary education. Research shows that early positive experiences with programming and robotics can ignite girls curiosity and interests before stereotypes set in and drive girls away. Free apps such as ScratchJr allow children aged five to seven to learn coding basics by programing interactive stories and games, for instance. But a lot more research is needed to be sure what early approaches will actually narrow gender gaps.With early positive exposure, girls might lean less strongly on stereotypes to guide their future decisions, such as when choosing high school course electives. That is, early engagement in tech sets a foundation for success in later grades and career stages.Rebecca Portnoff, head of data science at the nonprofit Thorn, who uses her computer science expertise to develop AI tools and safety-by-design guidelines that aim to stop the creation and spread of child sexual abuse images. AI technologies have tremendous potential to transform society. Having diverse voices in tech will help harness that power for social good.Are you a scientist who specializes in neuroscience, cognitive science or psychology? And have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper that you would like to write about for Mind Matters? Please send suggestions to Scientific Americans Mind Matters editor Daisy Yuhas at dyuhas@sciam.com.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

December 19, 20246 min readWhats in a (Stars) Name?With billions of stars in the Milky Way, some nomenclature standardization is necessaryBy Phil Plait edited by Lee BillingsA close-up photograph of the star Betelgeuse as it appears in an antique German sky atlas. Ilbusca/Getty ImagesBetelgeuse! Betelgeuse! Betelgeuse!Did it explode? No? Okay, then.But it seems fair to ask: Why Betelgeuse? Its an odd-seeming name for a star. Thats because its a corrupted translation of the Arabic phrase yad al-jawzā, which roughly translates to the hand of Oriona decent moniker for the star that does represent the constellations upraised arm.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.A lot of star names we use today are in fact Arabic in origin; the Alexandrian astronomer Claudius Ptolemy created a star map of the sky for his wildly popular book Mathematical Treatise, written in Greek around C.E. 150. It was translated into Arabic more than 1,000 years ago and acquired a nickname, Almagestitself a corruption of the Arabized version of the Greek word for the greatestand many of those Arabic versions of star names were kept even when the map was translated into different languages. Rigel, Deneb Aldebaran, and many more of the brightest stars in the sky trace their names back to such quirks of ancient publishing.Others started more as nicknames, such as Polaris being named for its position in the sky near the north celestial pole, and ruddy Antares, which literally means rival of Mars. Still others are named after astronomers who studied them, such as Barnards Star and van Maanens star. This is obviously a less-than-ideal naming methodology, sometimes leading to confusion over what a star should actually be called.You might think wed run out of names quickly, too, because there are many thousands of stars visible to the unaided eye at night. Fewer than 1,000 stars have proper names, however, so that doesnt seem like a crisiswhich is a good thing because there are hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way! So the problem isnt naming them so much as naming them consistently.Different ancient cultures had their own names for stars, but as the world became more interconnected astronomers tried many systems to standardize names and naming, with varying degrees of success.One of the first in the modern era, published in 1603, was dreamed up by the German astronomer Johann Bayer. He named each star according to its apparent brightness ranking in a given constellation, using a Greek letter and the genitive (possessive) case of its constellation name. So for example, the brightest star in Orion would be called Alpha Orionis, the next brightest Beta Orionis, and so on. There are two problems with this system, however. First, the Greek alphabet is only 24 letters, so that limits the names you can use this way. Second, stars can change brightness over time, wreaking havoc on the ordering of a constellations star names.About a century later the English astronomer John Flamsteed came up with the idea of using numbers instead of letters, which obviates one of Bayers problems. Also, instead of using stars sometimes-varying brightness, he designated them by their position in a constellation, starting with the western edge of the constellation and moving east. So for example, 1 Orionis is not the brightest star in Orion but the one closest to its western edge.This has problems, too. Constellation borders werent officially defined until the International Astronomical Union approved them in 1928, so Flamsteeds catalog occasionally listed stars as being in one constellation when they were actually in another. Also, Flamsteed only catalogued stars he could see from England, which excludes a large part of the southern sky thats invisible from that latitude.Then theres the Bonner Durchmusterung catalog and its updates, created by astronomers at the Bonn Observatory in Germany in the mid- to late 1800s. This was the last great catalog assembled before photography revolutionized astronomical observing. It covers stars down as faint as ninth magnitude, sorting them by their declination (like latitude, but on the sky). After that came the Henry Draper catalog of the early 20th century, named for the eponymous American amateur astronomer and astrophotographer. The Draper catalog included spectroscopic information on stars and thus gives more details on associated stellar characteristics (such as temperature, size and composition).As telescopes and photographic equipment got better, fainter stars could be seen, meaning catalogs got a lot bigger. There were also more attributes of stars to note, including their physical motions in the sky relative to one another, which are usually apparent only after many years of careful observing. All-sky surveys became possible, too, as bigger telescopes were built in the Southern Hemisphere, creating a need for even bigger and better catalogs. By the 1990s, the numbers had become, well, astronomical. One project, the United States Naval Observatory catalog, used observations made on thousands of wide-field glass plates to organize a staggering one billion objects made from more than three billion observations, listing stars as faint as magnitude 21 (about a million times fainter than the dimmest star you can see by eye).When the Hubble Space Telescope was being built, astronomers realized that to properly point it they needed a very accurate list of star positions and brightnesses, so the Guide Star Catalog was created, which currently includes nearly a billion stars. These are observed by special sensors on Hubble that then use the known positions of the stars to navigate where the telescope needs to be aimed.There are still more catalogs, but the newest and most complete is from Gaia, a European Space Agency mission whose purpose is to measure the brightness, positions, motions and colors of stars and other cosmic objects with phenomenal accuracy. The Gaia team releases a new dataset every few years as updated measurements hone in on stellar characteristics. The most recent release contains new information about nearly two billion stars in the Milky Way.These more modern datasets (and there are far too many to mention individually) have so many stars that using any kind of naming is hopeless. Instead, they generally identify an object using an alphanumeric designation combining the catalog name with the stars position in the sky; so for example you might see a star listed as 2MASS J05551028+0724255 in the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey, representing the coordinates 05 hours, 55 minutes and 10.28 seconds of right ascension and 07 degrees, 24 minutes and 25.5 seconds of declination. Another name for that star? Betelgeuse.Given that the holidays and their traditional gift-giving are fast approaching, I cant help but note the presence of multiple ad campaigns on social media and elsewhere from various disreputable star naming companies. These promise you the ability to name a star (sometimes of your choosing, sometimes not) that will go in a catalog somewhere or be used by astronomers orget thissaved in a vault. So fancy! To be very clear: this is nonsense. These are vanity sales, and no astronomer anywhere will ever know the star names purchased from one of these companies or use them. Many of these companies target grieving people to name a star after a loved one who has died, and I personally find such messaging disgusting. Dont fall for this egregious scam.Anyway, an unavoidable problem here is that any given star can have a lot of names, even sticking to the legitimate ones. A lot. Our old friend Betelgeuse, for example, has no fewer than 46 designations listed at SIMBAD, a database of astronomical objects beyond the solar system. Sure, in that case everyone just calls it Betelgeuse, because thats its recognized name (and its fun to say), but for other stars the name used can depend on which astronomer is observing it, and how its being observed. A star might have been discovered in an infrared astronomical survey, but also independently in a radio-wave observation, so different astronomers will call it different names depending on what part of the spectrum theyre most familiar with.But Im okay with this; it gives us a certain flexibility with naming, and its not hard to look up which names go with what star.And of course, in the end, a star by any other name would shine as sweet.

XDefiant's final content patch is now available.Executive producer Mark Rubin said the update marked a "bittersweet moment", but he was proud of the team "that did everything they could to make this game and all of its amazing content"."Ubisoft has not only allowed a small team to stay on and continue working to get our Season 3 content out the door, but we've also been able to add some extra content to this release from future seasons," Rubin explained. "So, we have our Season 3 content plus some of the content from Season 4, 5, 6, 7 and even Season 8."13 Ways XDefiant Gameplay Aims To XDefeat Call Of Duty - XDEFIANT BETA PREVIEW & BEGINNERS TIPS.Watch on YouTubeThe content itself includes three new factions, including the Assassin Creed's crossover promised a little while back. The Wolves and Omega Force factions are also available, even though they were supposed to release in seasons four and five, respectively."We are also adding six new Arena Maps and three new Linear Maps from future seasons. So along with the four new maps from Season three thats a total of 13 new maps," Rubin added. "And I have to say the team really went all out on these amazing new maps. If you do anything at all, you need to check out the new Rayman map that was going to be part of an epic event takeover in Season 4. It even has its own mode with Lum Hunt." To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Players can also expect a brand-new experience called Tactical that uses corridor-style maps with new mode Defuse, a "1-life classic bomb mode", plus a slew of weapons and cosmetics that were supposed to come in future seasons, too."All of this and more are our last tribute to all of the hard-working people that made this game and to all of the fans who have been with us through this journey," Rubin added. "Not all journeys end well but we can all be proud of what we accomplished."I wish everyone who worked on this game directly or indirectly the best for their future endeavors. And the same goes for all of the fans who played our game, who streamed it, or who worked to build the XDefiant community."A month and a half after denying reports it was poised to pull the plug on its free-to-play live-service shooter XDefiant which launched back in May, Ubisoft confirmed earlier this month that it's doing just that, resulting in the closure of three production studios and 277 employees losing their jobs.

A free trial of Diablo 4 is now available, as Blizzard competes with the early access release of Path of Exile 2.The free trial is available across Xbox, PlayStation, and Battle net until 3rd January, and includes the new Spiritborn class from the Vessel of Hatred expansion.What's more, the game is available with a 40 percent discount on Xbox and PlayStation, and 35 percent discount on Battle net and Steam, should you wish to turn the free trial into a full purchase.Diablo IV | Vessel of Hatred | Official Release Date TrailerWatch on YouTubeVessel of Hatred was released in October, adding the Spiritborn class and a new jungle region."A polished, bewitching upgrade that sinks its claws into you - featuring perhaps the best character class in Diablo's history," reads our Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred review. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.However, Diablo now has strong competition from Path of Exile 2, another ARPG that released into early access this month.Ahead of its launch it reached one million early access redemptions, and on Steam it quickly reached a peak concurrent player count of 578,569."Soulslike thrills combine with sky-high production values to make Path of Exile 2 a hugely impressive package, even in early access," reads our Path of Exile 2 early access review.Still, its developer admitted the game was "not rewarding enough" as it addressed early feedback and laid out plans to alter its rewards.Diablo 4 is also available on Xbox Game Pass.

Space Marine 2 on PS5 Pro: a much-needed image quality and performance upgradePlus: the base PS5 game patched with improved frame-rates.Image credit: Focus Entertainment Face-off by Thomas Morgan Senior Staff Writer, Digital Foundry Published on Dec. 20, 2024 PlayStation 5 Pro support at last arrives for Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2, resulting in one of the more worthwhile upgrades we've seen on Sony's mid-gen console to date. As of patch 1.5, PS5 Pro boosts performance in its 60fps speed mode and addresses the (at times) blurry image quality in that very same mode. Speed and quality modes both use PSSR in place of the original FSR2 method to improve image quality, while also pushing the internal resolution on each mode higher and targeting a 4K output resolution. In brief: on quality mode we now get a 1080p to 4K range as the input resolution, while on speed mode that range adjusts to 1080p-1440p.The big question then is whether the transition to PSSR is enough to make a perceptible difference to clarity on each mode. Especially in motion, what's the advantage versus the base PS5? And looking at the 60fps speed mode in particular, does the PS5 Pro finally deliver the smooth experience that was off the table for the base PS5? Before we kick off, a quick word on the state of the game on base PS5 today. The fact of the matter is that the 30fps quality mode always ran pretty well on base hardware, but the speed mode struggled with a wavering 35-60fps frame-rate readout. Comparing patch 1.2 - the version we tested in the original review three months ago - to today's patch 1.5, there's a respectable difference. The good news is we're seeing a 5-10fps improvement on base PS5, and occasionally even higher. Due to the variable nature of combat it's a real challenge to sync up gameplay on each, but the comparison still paints a clear picture overall: Saber Interactive has worked hard since launch to squeeze PS5 for better performance. Here's the full video comparison of Space Marine 2 on base PS5 and PS5 Pro - and some context from Xbox Series X. Watch on YouTubeThe net result is, those with a VRR-supporting display will benefit from the new patch, though the frame-rate can still slip below the 48fps cut-off for VRR on PS5 at times. Also, there's no real improvement in the game's self-evidently CPU-bottlenecked areas. The battle with the ripper swam at the end of mission two, for example, still hovers at around the 40fps mark, and even dips into the 30s at times. Finally, despite the general uptick in performance elsewhere, base PS5 does not match up to Xbox Series X's performance level in the speed mode, which we re-tested in patch 1.5 as well. The opening cutscene has PS5 fall short by up to 10fps, though in gameplay itself that margin narrows considerably. Series X is still the console to beat when it comes to hitting 60fps. Starting our PS5 Pro testing then, the 60fps speed is the obvious starting point with plenty to gain from the new hardware and PSSR. Space Marine 2's use of PSSR is a success on a similar level to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, allowing this 60fps mode to look much cleaner and clearer. In terms of raw resolution metrics, it's boosted from 720p to 1080p with FSR2 on base PS5 to 1080p-1440p reconstructed to 4K with PSSR. Despite the core visual settings remaining unchanged, the higher resolution and machine learning upscaling produce a huge improvement to the image in motion. Even in static shots, where an accumulation of frames helps both sides to resolve a 4K image, PS5 Pro ends up with a crisper picture. The base PS5 holds up reasonably well while held still, but PS5 Pro still manages to resolve distant plant detail more accurately. The greater Pro advantage though is in actual motion: PSSR's handling of dense jungle areas in mission one is truly standout, replacing the often mushy, blurred resolve of FSR2 with a crisper outline to each bit of scenery. PS5 Pro's ability to both generate more pixels - 1080p minimum, compared to a nadir of 720p on on base console - and to upscale it more intelligently allows for a huge improvement. From the grass, mud and mulch on the floor to the detailing on reflections and the metallic grates of a battle barge, all elements benefit from the move to PSSR. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. It's not perfect however. The downside is that the image is over-sharpened in spots, notably the foliage, and also the reflected elements in puddles. Elements with lots of sub-pixel movement, like swaying grass blades, at times still produce noise - aliasing. In a similar vein, you'll still spot flicker on hard, high-contrast surfaces too. There is a trade-off, but overall, it's still a net positive for PS5 Pro in this mode.Looking at the speed mode's actual performance next, PS5 Pro nudges the reading even closer to the target 60fps. This isn't an absolute lock at that top number by any means, especially once engaged in battle with multiple tyranids, but it is a boost in most respects over the base PS5 reading. In comparing the two machines, both updated to patch 1.5, we're looking at up to a 5fps gain during the opening cutscene as we land on the battlefield. From here onwards, the delta widens further to show a 10fps advantage on PS5 Pro in battle. At times it's even higher, though gameplay becomes increasingly tricky to sync up exactly. Alas, it's also hard to ignore the lingering drops on Pro: we're still seeing lurches to 45fps, just as enemies emerge from their pods on the opening jungle planet. Also, while improved, we're still generally operating in the 50-60fps range during set-pieces involving swarms of enemies. In short, all of this puts PS5 Pro more often at 60fps than base PS5, and ensures that the frame-rate remains within the 48-60 VRR window more often - but it's not a lock. There's one further caveat to speak on. It's an exceptional moment, but the handling of the infamous ripper swarm set piece in mission two still struggles on PS5 Pro. Unfortunately, Space Marine 2 puts demands on PS5 Pro here that are not solved by a 45 percent boost in GPU power, nor the offering of PSSR as an upscaler. In facing a huge swarm of enemies - similar to the rats in A Plague Tale: Requiem - PS5 Pro only ekes out a small performance gain over base PS5. The frame-rate oscillates between 40-60fps, which is an improvement on the dips below 40 we had before, but it's not enough. This is far from an optimal 60fps experience, and perhaps highlights the limits of the similar CPU profiles of each console. A frame-rate comparison to Series X also shows mixed fortunes. With each console updated to patch 1.5, Series X still has a 5fps advantage over PS5 Pro during the opening cutscene, though the result tends to favour PS5 Pro as we make the same run into the battlefield. Overall, the speed mode clearly benefits from Sony's new hardware: it's smoother in its overall frame-rate, and with a sharper image to boot, but it does have a few rough spots still to address. In the game's 60fps speed mode, Xbox Series X retains a performance advantage over PS5 and even PS5 Pro during cutscenes, while the PS5 Pro muscles ahead in gameplay.Switching over to the 30fps quality mode, the image quality gains are less profound on PS5 Pro, but still evident in side-by-side shots. Frankly, the FSR2 upscale on base PS5 already produces a crisp, clear image here, in rendering a dynamic 1080p to 1440p range that provides plenty of pixel data to work with. By contrast, PS5 Pro's push to a dynamic 1080p to 4K range with PSSR is a great but less essential upgrade. Looking at the quality mode's frame-rate, it's business as usual on Pro hardware. We get a locked 30fps read-out regardless of the situation, just as with base PS5. Impressively this includes the taxing ripper swarm segment, which has enough of a performance overhead - at 40fps lowest in the speed mode - to hold steady with a 30fps cap in place. Overall, the offering of a 30fps quality option makes sense on PS5 Pro, for two reasons. Firstly it gives us a water tight 30fps lock, just as with the base PS5 console, meaning those not happy with the frame-rate drops in the speed mode have a backup option. And secondly, by having a 33.3ms render budget per frame, quality mode has the scope to push a higher resolution frame on average, within its higher dynamic resolution range. The result is greater temporal stability: less shimmer on grassy elements and less flicker on metallic meshes of the battle barge than the speed mode.All round, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 looks and runs better on PS5 Pro, with developer Saber Interactive's use of PSSR paying off in a more handsome-looking game. In practise it's the image quality upgrade in the 60fps speed mode that stands out most with a cleaner resolve and higher frame-rates, even if a locked 60fps is still off the table. The advantage will be most keenly felt among VRR display owners who now have more frames to work with on average, though the drops to 40fps are still an issue. In theory, a 40fps capped option would have been perfect for Pro owners running on 120Hz displays in this case, given that the game capably runs above that line. Instead, what we have on patch 1.5 is still a solid upgrade on 60Hz displays, and even for base PS5 owners, it's good to see Saber continuing to optimise performance over the launch build.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereLarian Studios last major patch for Baldurs Gate 3 releases in 2025, bringing cross-play, photo mode, new subclasses and much more. However, before release, the RPG studio wants players to help them rigorously test the new update.As a final gift for fans in 2024, Larian has released a new sign up form for the Patch 8 stress test. If youre interested in getting your grubby little mitts on the new content before anyone elsewell, most peopleyoure in luck.Baldurs Gate 3 Patch 8 stress testAnnounced in Community Update #31, Larian thanked fans for their recent win for Best Community Support at The Game Awards. Alongside announcing that mod curation on consoles will be paused for the holiday period, the studio explained that it is looking to put the upcoming patch through its paces before release.A stress test aims to do exactly what it sounds like; rigorously test the latest game version to detect any instability or gameplay issues before Patch 8 releases. With your help, well be able to keep an eye on any funny business, the studio explained.Players can sign up to test Patch 8 right here. However, its worth noting that anyone who wishes to do so requires a Larian Account to do so. After all, thats how the games cross-play feature works. What did you think you needed? Furthermore, Xbox players will need to register for the Xbox Insider Programme and download the Insider Hub on their console to join in.Larian explains that the release of Patch 8 shouldnt affect Baldurs Gate 3 mods. However, the purpose of stress testing the game to this degree is also to make sure that everythingincluding mod supportis above board.Supported mods should remain free of issues, however, this stress test is also a great opportunity to monitor how these mods interact with the new features Patch 8 introduces, Larian explained.For more BG3 content, read about how modders keep trying (and failing) to make Astarion hotter. Additionally, you can read about the mod that brings back cut content to the game. Also, read our Game of the Year Awards or whatever.Baldurs Gate 3Platform(s):macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Adventure, RPG, Strategy10VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereIf youre looking for a hardcore survival game, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a brilliant option, going as far as to take a decent place in our Game of the Year awards. However, some fans have been upset at the games modernisation of the series HUD.While now almost 20 years old, the original Stalker games had a HUD with personality, and some gamers are looking to re-experience that in 2024. Thankfully, one awesome modder has brought back the classic HUD in HD for the recent sequel, and it is glorious.Stalker 2 Classic HUD returnsUpdated amidst the hubbub of the games huge A-Life fixes, the new Stallker 2 Classic Style HUD mod does exactly what it says. The initial release brings back the HUD from Stalker: Clear Skies, the 2008 entry in series.Created by modder FellowDemo, the Clear Sky-inspired HUD brings back the thick black, ink-like outlines of the 2008 games UI, adding a bunch more character to the game. However, for players who want the actual original Stalker look, modder PieceMaker085 has done just that.Also available on Nexus Mods, the ShoCified UI mod brings back the look of Shadow of Chornobyl with its rusted frames and industrial look. While Stalker 2 opts for a more modern tablet-like design for its in-game PDA, this mod brings back the awesome, unique aestetic of the original game.To continue riding the high of that classic Stalker feel, another mod for the recent sequel also brings back the original games font. Also by FellowDemo, the classic font mod replaces most of the fonts currently in the game with the original games typeface. However, there are some not-commonly used characters that arent currently supported.To finish the classic look for Stalker 2, another modder has even brought back the original games classic spinning radiation symbol for the in-game cursor. You can nab that on Nexus right here.For more Stalker 2 content, read about how the game has already turned a profit for GSC Game World or read our review of the game.S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of ChornobylPlatform(s):PC, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series XGenre(s):Action, Adventure, RPG, Shooter, Survival HorrorSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

A bipartisan group of senators is calling out the auto industry for its hypocritical, profit-driven opposition to national right-to-repair legislation, while also selling customer data to insurance companies and other third-party interests. In a letter sent to the CEOs of the top automakers, the trio of legislators Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) urge them to better protect customer privacy, while also dropping their opposition to state and national right-to-repair efforts. Right-to-repair laws support consumer choice and prevent automakers from using restrictive repair laws to their financial advantage, the senators write. It is clear that the motivation behind automotive companies avoidance of complying with right-to-repair laws is not due to a concern for consumer security or privacy, but instead a hypocritical, profit-driven reaction.Right-to-repair laws support consumer choice and prevent automakers from using restrictive repair laws to their financial advantage.For years, the right-to-repair movement has largely focused on consumer electronics, like phones and laptops. But lately, the idea that you should get to decide how and where to repair your own products has grown to include cars, especially as more vehicles on the road have essentially become giant computers on wheels. Along with that, automakers have taken to collecting vast amounts of data on their millions of customers, including driving habits, that they then turn around and sell to third-party data brokers. Earlier this year, The New York Times published an investigation into General Motors practice of providing microdetails about its customers driving habits, including acceleration, braking, and trip length, to insurance companies without their consent. Several states have passed right-to-repair laws in recent years, aiming to protect consumers from high prices and unscrupulous practices. In 2020, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot measure to give car owners and independent repair shops greater access to vehicle repair data. But automakers sued to block the law, and four years later, the law remains dormant. The auto industry claims to support right to repair.And some facts bear this out. For decades, small, independent auto body and repair shops flourished thanks to the idea that car maintenance is universal that anyone with a socket wrench and some grease can repair or modify their own vehicle. But as cars have become more connected, a lot of that work now relies on data and access to the digital information needed to diagnose and repair vehicles. And right-to-repair advocates, along with independent repair shops, are worried that major automakers are trying to kill their businesses by funneling all the work to their franchised dealerships, which typically cost more than the smaller garages. In the letter, Warren, Merkley, and Hawley demand that automakers drop their fierce opposition to these right-to-repair laws, calling it hypocritical and monopolistic. As the gatekeepers of vehicle parts, equipment, and data, automobile manufacturers have the power to place restrictions on the necessary tools and information for repairs, particularly as cars increasingly incorporate electronic components. This often leaves car owners with no other option than to have their vehicles serviced by official dealerships, entrenching auto manufacturers dominance and eliminating competition from independent repair shops.Automakers have raised cybersecurity concerns, including the specter of some bad actor remote hacking your car while driving it, as an excuse for fighting right-to-repair laws. But these concerns are based on speculative future risks rather than facts, the senators note. They cite a Federal Trade Commission study that found no empirical evidence backing up the auto industrys claims that independent shops would be more or less likely to compromise customer data than authorized ones. Its more likely that auto companies want to limit access to vehicle data for profit-driven reasons, the senators say. And that despite loudly proclaiming to care about cybersecurity, few companies actually comply with basic security standards when collecting, sharing, or selling consumer data. While carmakers have been fighting tooth and nail against right-to-repair laws that would require them to share vehicle data with consumers and independent repairers, they have simultaneously been sharing large amounts of sensitive consumer data with insurance companies and other third parties for profit often without clear consumer consent. In fact, some car companies use the threat of increased insurance costs to push consumers to opt into safe driving features, and then use those features to collect and sell the user data.The senators conclude by urging the auto CEOs to abandon their hypocritical opposition to right-to-repair laws, while also pressing them to answer a list of questions about their data-gathering practices. Were pushing these automakers to stop ripping Americans off, Warren said in a statement to The Verge. Americans deserve the right to repair their cars wherever they choose, and independent repair shops deserve a chance to compete with these giants.

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Larian has put out Baldur's Gate 3's last big community update of 2024, and it brings some nice news. Registration's now open for the stress test of Patch 8 that's set to take place early next year, so you you can throw your username in the hat if you wish.As the studio revealed late last month, Patch 8 is the final major update for BG3, it swears. What'll be in it? Well, a heap of things, such as crossplay, a photo mode, and 12 new subclasses - with the latter including the likes of a College of Glamour bard, bladesinging wizards, and drunken master monks.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. In that announcement, Larain made mention of stress testing for the update happening in January 2025, and it's now opened up registration for that test, so you can apply to be a part of it by going to this link. You'll just be reigering your interest, so you might not get picked, but it's worth a shot if you fancy it.As for why the test - which is available to folks on PC via Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation, but not Mac or GOG - is taking place, Larian explained: "A stress test aims to do exactly what it sounds like; rigorously test the latest game version to detect any instability or gameplay issues before Patch 8 releases. With your help, well be able to keep an eye on any funny business. To see this content please enable targeting cookies."Bringing cross-play to a game the size of Baldurs Gate 3 has been no easy task, and we want your help to test-drive this new functionality. Share the stress test registration link to summon your friends and settle in for a cross-play campaign, or head to the Larian Studios Discord Server to look for a group to play with."While mods should be ok, Larian also says this test'll be a chance for it to see how they mesh with Patch 8's new fgeatures, hopefully meaning that by release, load orders won't be giant barrel explosions waiting to happen. The studio's also winding down console mod curation for the holidays from today, but it'll be back on that grind in the new year.While you wait, Larian's also done its own advent calendar thingy that you can use to help celebrate whichever holidays you celebrate this time of year. There's even a video that sees Swen Vincke cheekily shoulderbarge somone who used to work for Eurogamer.