A group of talented fans have made a native PC port of Star Fox 64, which they are calling Starship. Even better? Its technically legal. Harbour Masters, the team behind the project, used a tool that converts the original game ROM into PC executable code, so it doesnt actually use any proprietary Nintendo code.This is the same method used to create the native PC port of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and that ones still available for download. Members of this crew also ported Majoras Mask and Super Mario 64 using the same conversion tool. There is one major caveat here. Youll need your own legally-sourced Star Fox 64 game ROM to play.Star Fox 64: now on PC, thanks to an unofficial port.https://t.co/YZULlJdrqw pic.twitter.com/q684NpU49p Andy Robinson (@Andy_VGC) December 23, 2024 Just like previous ports, Starship features all kinds of modern bells and whistles to set itself apart from the 1997 original. The frame rate is higher and the port includes frame smoothing technology for better visuals. There are custom-made textures and the ability to run on widescreen monitors, as seen above.Theres also another major benefit. This port is moddable, so who knows what well see in the future once people get their hands on it. The teams Ocarina of Time port has received plenty of love from the modding community. Some mods allow for abilities sourced from newer Zelda games and one even throws functioning Pikmin into the mix because, well, why not?According to Redditors, the Star Fox 64 port is easy to get going on a Steam Deck, if thats your bag. It requires Proton and some light hurdle-jumping, as the code isnt Linux-based. Its been a while since weve gotten a legitimate Star Fox game from Nintendo, and it was a weird one, so this could sate that neverending urge to do barrel rolls.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/fans-made-a-native-star-fox-64-pc-port-with-some-modern-flourishes-174612229.html?src=rss

It looks like Meta is preparing to add displays to its popular line of Ray-Ban smart glasses, according to a report by Financial Times. These screens could show up in a future iteration of the device as early as next year. The likely release window is the second half of 2025.According to folks familiar with Metas plans, the screens will be on the smaller side and will likely be used to display notifications or responses from Metas AI virtual assistant. Its highly unlikely that the company is planning on making this a full mixed-reality device just yet.For that, Meta has the recently-unveiled Orion AR glasses, which are still several years out. The same report indicates that the positive response to the Orion glasses has likely accelerated development and possibly ensured a commercial release. It was uncertain if those glasses would remain an in-house prototype.The Ray-Ban smart glasses have been a surprise hit for Meta, and its easy to see why. They look great and perform admirably. The current model includes in-ear speakers, cameras, microphones and access to Metas virtual assistant.I quite enjoy the simplicity of the current design, particularly when taking photos and videos. My hope is that screens do not get in the way of that simplicity and that they dont come at the expense of, say, improvements to the camera system.Ray-Ban Meta glasses, after all, are the perfect device for snapping quick photos of a pet. Have you ever tried to will an animal to keep still so you can dig your phone out of a bag to take a photo? Those darned cuties never do. The Ray-Bans solve that problem.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/meta-is-reportedly-adding-displays-to-its-ray-ban-smart-glasses-162634427.html?src=rss

High-ranking US officials have been urged by CISA to enable advanced security features.

More than five million people had sensitive data exposed, including healthcare and payment info.

Windows 11s December update introduces visual glitches, problems that are torpedoing the Start menu, and a sprinkling of other bugs.

Trump nominated top tech leaders for key spots in his administration, including executives who've held roles at Andreessen Horowitz and PayPal.

Accenture Song brings alive the intricate artistry that is The Penguin, visually bringing Gotham City to vivid life. This team also crafted the iconic skyline in a digital environment, the gritty essence of Gotham City on full display. Additionally, impressive fire and water FX simulations were delivered by the team, adding a depth to the dramatic scenes of the series.The opening and closing shots of the series are real highlights, demonstrating Accenture Songs ability to combine creativity and technical precision. These sequences not only set the tone but also underline the transformation of Gotham into a living, breathing character within the story.From the smallest details to grand cinematic vistas, the VFX work exemplifies the dedication and talent of the team in shaping The Penguins dark, atmospheric world. Fans can now delve into the breakdown and witness the artistry behind these memorable scenes.The post The Penguin: VFX Breakdown by Accenture Song appeared first on Vfxexpress.

Traders look like theyre ready to rumble today.Rumble, the YouTube alternative video-streaming platform that has become popular in right-wing circles, said on Friday that it has secured a $775 million investment from cryptocurrency company Tether. Following the news, Rumble Inc. shares (NASDAQ: RUM) skyrocketed up almost 94% as of 11 a.m. ET on Monday, inching near $14. The stock had previously peaked at $14.37 per share way back in February 2022, but it has fallen since then. Todays gains mark a fresh high point for the stock.Tethers investment will see it purchase more than 103 million shares at $7.50. Rumble said it will use $250 million to support the platforms growth and the rest to fund a self-tender offer for 70 million Class A shares.I could not be more excited about this collaboration with Tether, said Chris Pavlovski, Rumbles chairman and CEO, in a statement. I truly believe Tether is the perfect partner that can put a rocket pack on the back of Rumble as we prepare for our next phase of growth.Additionally, Paolo Ardoino, Tethers CEO, said that the investment represents a meshing of the two companies shared interests. Tethers investment in Rumble reflects our shared values of decentralization, independence, transparency, and the fundamental right to free expression, Ardoino said in statement. In todays world, legacy media has increasingly eroded trust, creating an opportunity for platforms like Rumble to offer a credible, uncensored alternative.Rumble stock has struggled since its debutDespite having been founded more than a decade ago, Rumble has only gained traction over the past few years. Its become a haven for content creators focused on topics such as conspiracy theories about vaccines and the 2020 election, and some of its most-watched channels include those hosted by Dan Bongino, Steve Bannon, and Steven Crowderall conservative-minded creators.Pavlovski has argued that the sites makeup is more politically diverse than is generally reported, and last year he shared data indicating that independents and people with no party affiliation made up its largest share of users.Rumble went public via a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) merger in 2022, but its stock has failed to gain traction since, trading under $10 a share for most of the past two years. It will be interesting to see if Fridays news changes the stocks fortunes over the long term.

A balanced planet requires more energy with less carbon. The energy transition to a lower carbon future is arguably the largest and most significant challenge ever contemplated or attempted in the history of our planet. Achieving a balanced planet means our current energy mix must evolve to include more lower- and zero-carbon forms of energy, such as geothermal and hydrogen. Hydrocarbons, however, will still play a critical role for decades to support a secure energy mix, so it is imperative that the industrys operations decarbonize rapidly.Digital technology is key to ensuring the reliability and sustainability of todays energy systems and creating and scaling the energy systems of tomorrow.Today, the adoption of digital technologies is making a material impact on the oil and gas industry. It is improving efficiency, reducing cycle times from exploration to production, and increasing productivity while lowering costs, reducing risks, minimizing the footprint of operations, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.Whats driving the impact?Three key technologies are driving this impactthe cloud, edge, and artificial intelligence (AI).The cloud represents a genuine technology and business paradigm shift. It enables near-limitless computing power to be applied to the complex modeling and simulation processes essential in understanding the earths subsurface, collapsing cycle times in field development processes from months to days. Further, the cloud enables data to come together from all corners of an operators business, connecting planning to operations, the subsurface to the surface infrastructure, and experts to data they can trust.Edge computing promises new levels of system connectedness, paving the way for closed-loop decisions and advanced automation and autonomy. Wells, as just one example, are a key component of the oil and gas value chain and remain the primary way of accessing and extracting oil and gas. From well construction to production operations right through the life of a well, digital operations are fundamentally reshaping how the industry works. Autonomous drilling of entire well sections is now a reality thanks to AI and edge computing and advanced digital workflows. This is resulting in more consistent and efficient drilling and faster well delivery, while reducing costs and carbon emissions, not to mention improved safety.AI can make sense of the data coming from huge and scattered information sources much better and faster than humans can do using conventional approaches. SLB in partnership with Geminus AI recently delivered a hybrid AI application that uses data-based and physics-based approaches to optimize economic performance while reducing carbon emissions at a natural gas plant. The application has the capability to evaluate 20,000 complex scenarios in under a tenth of a second, enabling operators to interactively explore the impact of changing process settings on the plants carbon footprint and yield. Generative AI promises to transform again the way we interact with technology.The future of energy systemsAs digital technologies lower the carbon intensity of oil and gas operations, they are also paving the way for the new energy systems of tomorrow. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and International Energy Agency agree that net zero will be difficult to achieve without carbon capture, utilization and storage, an innovative technological approach to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and industrial facilities. Digital technologies are critical for planning and operating these systems. Optimized digital twins that can accurately predict and simulate the behavior of these reservoirs would enable cost-effective and rapid scale up, ensuring both safety and performance over the life of these projects.Many of the lessons learned in the digital transformation of the oil and gas industry are applicable to new energy sectors like wind, solar, and hydrogen as they continue to grow and become a larger part of the energy mix.In both oil and gas and new energy systems, the impact of digital transformation will increasingly intensify. Only 20% of SLBs oil and gas customers, for example, have started their transition to the cloud. Automation and autonomous operations have only scratched the surface (and subsurface). As with other sectors, the energy industry is just now beginning to tap the transformational potential of AI and generative AI. From digitally connected solutions that reduce personnel footprint in the field or make operations more efficient to measuring, reporting and taking prescriptive actions that reduce or eliminate emissions, digital and AI will play a massive role in ensuring the sustainability of todays and tomorrows energy systems.Rakesh Jaggi is president of Digital & Integration at SLB.

Approximately one million taxpayers will automatically receive special payments of up to $1,400 from the IRS in the coming weeks. The money will be directly deposited into eligible peoples bank accounts or sent in the mail by a paper check.The IRS said its distributing about $2.4 billion to taxpayers who failed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns. People who missed one of the COVID stimulus payments or had received less than the full amount were able to claim the credit. But the IRS on Friday said it discovered many eligible taxpayers hadnt done so.Looking at our internal data, we realized that one million taxpayers overlooked claiming this complex credit when they were actually eligible, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement.Heres more about the unexpected cash this group of taxpayers will soon receive:Whats the likelihood Ill receive a check?Sorry, its probably pretty low. The IRS said most taxpayers eligible for the federal stimulus payments, formally known as Economic Impact Payments, have already received them.The special payments announced by the IRS are being sent to those taxpayers who filed a 2021 tax return but left the data field for the Recovery Rebate Credit blank or they filled it out as $0 when they were actually eligible for the credit.How will this work?Eligible taxpayers dont have to take any action. The payments will go out automatically this month and should arrive by direct deposit or check by late January 2025. Theyll be sent to the bank account listed on the taxpayers 2023 return or to the address IRS has on file.Payments will vary but the maximum amount will be $1,400 per individual. The IRS has posted information online about eligibility and how the payment was calculated.IRS plans to send separate letters to eligible taxpayers notifying them of the special payment.What if I havent filed my 2021 tax return yet?You still might be able to receive the money. However, taxpayers need to file a tax return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit by the April 15, 2025 deadline, even if any income from a job, business, or other source was minimal or nonexistent, according to the IRS.How many rounds of COVID stimulus payments were there?There were three rounds of payments to households impacted by the pandemic, totaling $814 billion. IRS based the amounts that taxpayers received on their income, tax filing status, and number of children or qualifying dependents.In March 2020, eligible individuals received up to $1,200 per income tax filer and $500 per child under the CARES Act. In December 2020, eligible individuals received up to $600 per income tax filer and $600 per child under the Consolidated Appropriations Act. In March 2021, eligible individuals received up to $1,400 per income tax filer and $1,400 per child under the American Rescue Plan Act.Susan Haigh, Associated Press