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Now thatDragon Age: The Veilguardis out of the way, BioWares full focus is now going to be on the next mainlineMass Effectinstalment. The studio announced back in 2020 that it had started working on the sci-fi RPG series comeback, and in the aftermath ofVeilguardslaunch, it has now become the studios next main project, especially with noDragon AgeDLC in the works. WhatMass Effect 5(or whatever it ends up being called) will bring is anyones guess, with little to nothing known about the game up to this point, but as with all fans of the series, we have a number of different, specific expectations that were hoping the game will meet. Here, thats exactly what well be going over.FLESHED OUT CHOICE AND CONSEQUENCE MECHANICSPlayer choice and branching plotlines have ever been BioWare hallmarks, but the studio doesnt always deliver in this department. Many have expressed how de-emphasized such mechanics are inVeilguard,which, with the exception of its spectacular ending, doesnt focus on choice and consequence mechanics nearly as much as some of BioWares best games. Our hope is thatMass Effect 5will see the developer going back to its best. After all, the originalMass Effecttrilogy touted some of the best, most compelling, most talked about choice and consequence sequences in games to date, so wed sure love to see the next instalment continue that tradition.BETTER DIALOG CHOICESAmong other things,Veilguardhas criticized by many for its dialog choices, not only because often the different options presented to players are really just presenting the illusion of choice and ultimately leading down the same road, but also because, well, tonally, you cant ever really be anything more than mildly annoyed as a character. TheMass Effectseries revolutionized dialog choices with its wheel snappy writing, so itd be a shame to see its next entry have the same issues asDragon Ageslatest outing. Better and more effective dialog choices are going to be non-negotiable.THE RETURN OF PARAGON AND RENEGADEThe inherently binary nature of the original trilogys Paragon and Renegade system has been criticized by some over the years, but you can count us in the group thats desperate for it to return in the nextMass Effect. Being able to tailor Shephards personality with good and evil actions and watching the story respond and react was always a fascinating part of theMass Effectexperience, whileMass Effect 2and3took things even further with Paragon and Renegade prompts, some of which made for some of the series most iconic moments to date. Were desperate forMass Effect 5to emulate that.BETTER WRITINGBioWare has been stumbling in the writing department for a long time now.Mass Effect: Andromedawas a miss,Antheman even bigger one, whileDragon Age: The Veilguardswriting also has more than its fair share of critics. While it wouldnt be accurate to pain old BioWare as the masters of sharp writing,betterwriting was certainly something that we once took for granted with the studios games, though clearly, thats no longer the case. Wed be surprised ifMass Effect 5didnt retain plenty of the corniness that BioWare and its games have always been known for, but it definitely needs to be much better and more snappily written than the studios recent output.PLAYING AS ALIENSThis is something that fans have been hoping to see forever, but BioWare has yet to acquiesce. Shepard and Ryder were both human protagonists, but our hope is thatMass Effect 5willfinallylet us decide which race we want to play as. Being able to play as, say, a krogan, turian, asari, or quarian, and having the story and everything in it react according to which of them youre playing as is a dream thatMass Effectfans have had forever. Heres hoping the next game turns it into a reality.MEMORABLE COMPANIONSWe take this for granted withMass Effectgames, and really, with BioWare games in general, but we do, of course, have to mention this in aMass Effect 5wishlist. Credit where credit is due- this is one department where BioWare impresses even when its not at its best.Veilguardhas an excellent cast of characters, while evenAndromedahas its high points, even if it doesnt really hold a candle to the originalMass Effecttrilogys cast. WillMass Effect 5buck that trend? Its fair to say thats unlikely (or so we hope, at least).NEW ALIEN RACESMeeting new alien races and getting to learn everything there is to learn about their histories and cultures is always a highlight in any Mass Effectgame. In fact, the relative lack of new races inAndromeda, in spite of the game being set in a new galaxy, was one of its biggest letdowns. SeeminglyMass Effect 5is headed back to the Milky Way, but were hoping to see plenty of new races nonetheless. After all, theres a lot of our galaxy that is still unexplored or uncharted in theMass Effectuniverse, which means new alien races could pop up and become major players on the interstellar stage.FOCUS ON LESSER-KNOWN OLDER RACESOf course, its more or less a given that many of the series older, familiar alien races will be returning, and though we do obviously expect the likes of the turians, krogans, asari, and others to be major players, we would love for some of the previously less prominent races to become more important as well. From the drell and the colus to the hanar and the batarians and others, theMass Effectuniverse has plenty of alien races that we know plenty but noteverythingabout- and wed sure like to dive deeper into their lore.COOL NEW PLANETSA guarantee if there ever was one- assuming all goes well, of course. Getting to explore new planets is always a big part ofMass Effectgames, and wed love for that to be a highlight in the series next outing. Alien worlds, wondrous sights and sounds, and perhaps even varying traversal mechanics across different planets- were hoping to see at least some of it, if not all of it.NOT OPEN WORLDYes, we do wantMass Effect 5to wow us with its alien worlds, but one thing we donotwant is for the game to have an open world structure.That was one ofAndromedasbiggest failings, and not making the same mistake was one of the best things thatThe Veilguarddid, even with its issues. Wed love for the nextMass Effectto employ a similar structure- though we do hope that it features much better and less repetitive linear mission design thanVeilgaurd.PAST CHOICES CARRY OVERTheMass Effectseries was once built around the idea of letting players take their momentous, galaxy-changing decisions from one game into the next. Not being able to do the same withMass Effect 5would be a big miss, in our opinion. Allowing players to re-make a bunch of major decisions from past instalments at the outset of a new save should be the way to go for the next game, in our book. That does mean BioWare might have to pick a canon ending forMass Effect 3, but of course, ifMass Effect 5is actually set in the Milky Way, it might have to do that anyway.ANDROMEDA PLOTLINES RESOLVEDBioWare and EA deciding not to make anAndromedasequel meant a bunch of plotlines were left unresolved, but thankfully, project director Michael Gamble has suggested thatME5will tie those loose ends up. How that will happen and whether or not we can expect to see the Andromeda and Milky Way plots maybe even converging remains to be seen, but one way or another, resolution for all previous threads seems like something of a necessity.ANDROMEDA-STYLE COMBATMass Effect: Andromedastumbled in a number of significant ways, but there were some areas where it was an unequivocal win. Combat, for instance, is a department wherethe game deserves all the props.Mass Effect 2and3were no slouches with their cover-based third-person shooting either, but the level of mobility and flexibility thatAndromedabrought to the table took things to a whole another level. Hopefully, the next game will be similar.EXTENSIVE PROGRESSION AND CUSTOMIZATIONMass Effect games have very rarely had universally beloved progression and customization mechanics- either they were too streamlined, like withMass Effect 2, or too scattered and lacking in cohesion, like with Andromeda. Mass Effect 5 needs to strike a better balance- allow players to craft their builds with actual flexibility, with control afforded over weapons, gear, abilities, and what have you, and ensure that it doesnt feel bloated the way it often does with RPGs of this kind.ANOTHER EXCELLENT HUBBioWare games deliver some of the best hub locations youll ever see, from the Normandy in theMass Effecttrilogy to the Skyhold inDragon Age: Inquisitionto the Lighthouse in the much more recentVeilguard. Theres little doubt in our minds thatMass Effect 5will keep that going- or so we hope, at least.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been making significant advances with an exponentially growing trajectory, incorporating vast amounts of data and building more complex Large Language Models (LLMs). Training these LLMs requires more computational power and resources for memory allocation, power usage, and hardware. Optimizing memory utilization for different types and configurations of GPUs is complex. Deciding the types and number of GPUs required for training a specific model has become an error-prone process for developers. Apart from that, different LLM tasks need to be efficiently scheduled across the heterogeneous GPUs.The complexity of the LLMs makes it impossible to guarantee that the utilization of the resources is efficient. To address these issues, a team of researchers have developed Frenzy, which automates resource allocation and scheduling.Traditional methods allocate GPU resources statically without adapting to dynamic memory requirements during training. Configurations must be done manually, which imparts only limited adaptability to the different types of GPUs and their memory capacities. This leads to suboptimal utilization of hardware resources, increasing training costs and time. Therefore, there is a need for a new approach to fight inefficient resource allocation, adapt to hardware heterogeneity, and raise the efficiency of complex LLMs.The proposed method, Frenzy, trains LLMs on heterogeneous GPU clusters. The key features of Frenzy include:Memory-Aware Resources Predictor (MARP): MARP can predict peak memory usage by analyzing the LLM architecture.Heterogeneity-Aware Scheduling (HAS): HAS distributes LLM tasks efficiently across different GPUs based on their memory capacity and computational power.Serverless Integration: Developers need not specify GPU requirements; this system can automatically do that.Dynamic Memory Optimization: The system continuously monitors memory usage, and bottlenecks are avoided by redistributing memory-intensive tasks.Experiments demonstrated that Frenzys memory usage prediction accuracy exceeds 92%. It reduced the scheduling overhead by 10 times compared to the traditional approaches. The average job completion time also decreased by 12% to 18%. Frenzy achieves superior resource allocation and adapts dynamically to GPU clusters.In summary, Frenzy tackles a critical bottleneck in training LLMs with a memory-aware, serverless system tailored for heterogeneous GPU clusters. Dynamic resource scheduling and memory-aware optimizations yield significant increases in efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This research represents a stride toward sustainable and scalable LLM training solutions by offering a robust framework for effectively harnessing heterogeneous GPU clusters. Frenzys adaptability and high performance set a new landmark in LLM training and opened up broader adoption in research and industry.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. Afeerah Naseem+ postsAfeerah Naseem is a consulting intern at Marktechpost. She is pursuing her B.tech from the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Kharagpur. She is passionate about Data Science and fascinated by the role of artificial intelligence in solving real-world problems. She loves discovering new technologies and exploring how they can make everyday tasks easier and more efficient. [Download] Evaluation of Large Language Model Vulnerabilities Report (Promoted)

AI in Medical Imaging: A Life-Saving Revolution or Ethical Minefield? 1 like December 24, 2024Share this postLast Updated on December 25, 2024 by Editorial TeamAuthor(s): Mukundan Sankar Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.Photo by Accuray on UnsplashArtificial intelligence (AI) is shaking up all aspects of how we do anything, including the very core of medical imaging. Visualize a machine that analyzes a CT scan and spots early signs of cancer. Before even the most skilled human eye can. Sounds impossible, doesnt it?But behind the glossy headlines and the marvels of technology lies a darker, messier reality. We need to talk about this now!Because whats the cost of these radical shifts that AI brings? And Im not just talking dollars here. Im talking about the ethics of AI in medical imagery, where lives are literally on the line. Let me break it down because this isnt just an issue for tech nerds and medical professionals. This is about all of us, and its happening right now.AIs impact can be felt in every field, including medical imaging. AI revolutionizes this field in ways we couldnt have imagined a decade ago. Machines now accurately read and analyze X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. For example, a recent UCLA study reported that AI detected prostate cancer with an 84% accuracy rate, while human doctors achieved 67%. Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

Never let anyone tell you its been a bad year for movies, because according to our review scores, there were plenty of excellent entries for film buffs to enjoy. Each year, we round up our best reviewed movies into a single list and going by our count, 22 films received top marks from IGNs official reviews in 2024, which means they were awarded either a 9 or a 10. With so many strong films coming out this year, we wont blame you if you missed a few, so were here to provide a full account of every 2024 film that IGN scored as either Amazing (9) or a Masterpiece (10).Lets start with the three movies that received a 10.Sasquatch and Mad Max SagasPlayFirst up is Sasquatch Sunset, a bonkers story about a family of non-verbal sasquatches. Reviewer Clint Gage is upfront about how divisive the movie likely is for audiences, but he loved it, calling it an emotional masterpiece of experimental cinema. Give it a try if youre open to something truly unconventional. Another unconventional movie from this year is Riddle of Fire, a stunning debut feature from Weston Razooli that is a bizarre mix of crime caper, fairytale fantasy, and video game quest logic (really) about a group of kids going on an adventure to find a blueberry pie for their sick mother. We wont spoil anything else about this special movie, but seek it out if you want to see one of the best and weirdest films of the year.Lastly for the 10s, we have Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the long-awaited prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road. Starring the always amazing Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger incarnation of Imperator Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road), this wasteland odyssey is in a much different tonal register from its 2015 counterpart, but its more melancholic and character-driven approach makes it an easy contender for one of the years best. Even if youre not typically a Mad Max person, its worth watching for Taylor-Joys fantastic performance and some stellar action sequences. Sadly the movie didnt light up the box office, so if you didnt check it out in theaters, be sure to give it a watch at home.TVs That Glow, Thinking About Dying, and Festival FavesAs for the 9s, we have quite a few to get through. Well start with I Saw the TV Glow, an arthouse horror film from director Jane Schoenbrun. This is one of the most intensely personal and idiosyncratic films of the year, and has not only taken the Letterboxd community by storm but has also received praise from iconic filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader. Speaking of iconic filmmakers, be on the lookout early next year for Steven Soderberghs Presence, an experimental horror film shot from the perspective of a paranormal entity. Siddhant Adlakha reviewed the film for IGN out of the Sundance Film Festival, saying its a resourceful haunted house thriller and a midnight genre romp. Presence will be released in theaters on January 24, 2025.Sometimes I Think About Dying GalleryAnd if were talking festival favorites, we have to mention The Brutalist, which has become one of the most acclaimed films of the year after a festival tour that included Venice, TIFF and NYFF. This three-and-a-half-hour epic comes from director Brady Corbet, and stars Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. Brody plays Lszl Tth, an architect and Holocaust survivor who travels to America and works to bring his wife and niece over from Europe. Although some may balk at the extended runtime (including an old-school intermission), reviewer Chase Hutchinson urges you to stick with it, saying that the film is a bold, beautiful, and brutal look at the United States, not how we like to think of the country, but how it actually is for those smothered underneath it.Some other film festival darlings this year include Sundance entry Sometimes I Think About Dying, a not at all SEO-friendly dark comedy starring Star Wars alum Daisy Ridley as a suicidal office worker who struggles with severe loneliness. Reviewer Marya E. Gates said Ridley delivers a rich and resonant performance, and that director Rachel Lamberts surreal touches heighten its melancholy. Theres also Sing Sing, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023, but was properly released this year by A24. The film stars Colman Domingo as Divine G, an incarcerated man who brings together his fellow inmates with a makeshift theater group. Reviewer Carlos Aguilar called the film, which is yet another winner for Domingos filmography, a touching drama and an inspiring reminder of how community and an outlet for self-discovery can positively shape someones outlook.Civil Wars, Challengers and KindnessPlayA24 distributed two other movies on our list, the first being Alex Garlands blockbuster Civil War. Garland is usually more well-known for his smaller scale science-fiction films like Ex Machina and Annihilation, but with this movie he jumped into a speculative action epic filled with excellent performances and stellar cinematography. Led by Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny, Civil War is tense and thrilling in all the right ways. The second movie here is Janet Planet, a coming of age film and the directorial debut of Annie Baker, which went on a multi-festival tour in 2023 before finally being released this year. Typically more associated with her work in theater as a playwright, Baker didnt miss a step in her transition to film, with IGNs review saying the films photographic aesthetic enhances its distinct sense of time, place, and memory.If you were looking for new entries from some of our most celebrated directors, 2024 was rife with those as well. Italian auteur Luca Guadagnino (Suspiria remake heads unite) turned in Challengers, a sweat and sex drama featuring both a love triangle and lots of tennis. Starring Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh OConnor, the movie was widely beloved by film fans and critics, including our own. For movies that were not widely beloved, see Francis Ford Coppolas long-gestating passion project Megalopolis, which stumbled with critics and audiences but found some defenders, including here at IGN. Starring Adam Driver as a visionary architect in an alternate 21st century, its a movie thats difficult to describe without sounding a bit off the wall. Well just say that if you were looking for something that could only have come from a singular artistic mind (for better or worse), Megalopolis is truly a one of a kind experience.In Anora, Mikey Madison plays a sex worker who goes through a bizarre series of events when her new husbands parents try to get their wedding annulled.The surreal sensation Yorgos Lanthimos also returned to theaters this year with Kinds of Kindness, an anthology film featuring three darkly comedic stories. Reuniting with regular muse Emma Stone (you saw Poor Things last year, didnt you?), the Greek director delivered yet another gonzo movie primed for the sickos. His style isnt for everyone, but if you can get on his wavelength, theres no one doing this exact kind of movie at his level right now. And of course we also have Sean Bakers Anora, one of the most talked about movies of the year as we prepare for award season. Mikey Madison, who before this was most well-known for her work in Scream 5, has become an early favorite for Best Actress categories due to her performance as the title character, a sex worker who goes through a bizarre series of events when her new husbands parents try to get their wedding annulled.The Dead Live!PlayAnd if were talking auteurs, we have to mention Nosferatu, the latest film from acclaimed director Robert Eggers. Known for excellent films like The Witch and The Northman, Eggers channels his Gothic energy by remaking the 1922 classic from F. W. Murnau, which is commonly considered one of the most historically important horror films of all time. Although some fans of the original novel may lament its deviations from the source material, Nosferatu pulls from a fascinating mlange of influences besides the book and Murnaus film, such as the 1932 black and white film Vampyr, the 1979 remake from Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Coppolas 1992 adaptation, and even features a little bit of DNA from The Exorcist. This one is dropping in theaters on Christmas Day, so if youre in the mood for a blood-soaked period piece after opening your presents, be sure not to miss it.There were some strong franchise entries this year as well. A Quiet Place: Day One, the third film in the sci-fi horror series, surprised by being far better than your average prequel has any right to be. Featuring great performances from Lupita Nyongo and Joseph Quinn and a confident character-driven story, Day One proved that this franchise has more life in it than many would have expected. We also saw the conclusion of Warner Bros. two-part animated adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons seminal graphic novel classic Watchmen with Watchmen: Chapter II. Reviewer Zaki Hasan had nothing but praise for the second installment, writing that the many ways it sticks to its roots delighted this fan of the comic, but it can just as easily serve as an entree into this story for someone experiencing it fresh.Nosferatu pulls from a fascinating mlange of influences besides the book and Murnaus film.Sticking with animation, the Looney Tunes will soon get in on the action with The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. After the incredibly disheartening situation with the shelving of Coyote vs. Acme, this film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and is set to be released worldwide on February 28, 2025. Reviewer Rafael Motamayor said the film has enough gags per minute to leave audiences short of breath with laughter, but also a big heart that shows why these characters are so beloved even after nearly 90 years. On that note, another animated staple will soon be making a comeback with Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, a new feature-length film in the British claymation franchise. It features the return of The Wrong Trousers antagonist Feathers McGraw, and according to IGN reviewer Ryan Gaur, it stands shoulder to shoulder with some of Aardmans best work. That one will be dropping on BBC One and BBC iPlayer December 25 and streams on Netflix beginning January 3. 2025.Wicked AnimeFor the anime fans in the audience, we want to highlight two particular films. The first is The Concierge, an adaptation of Tsuchika Nishimuras manga series The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store, which is centered around a shopping center for anthropomorphic animals (the staff are human, if you were wondering). Reviewer Kambole Campbell praised how the film adapted the manga, saying that The Concierge has a lively, expressive art style and wonderfully absurd characters. The second is Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle, which is a sequel to the anime television series Haikyu!! This series is about the Karusono High School volleyball team and member Shoyo Hinata in particular, with the film detailing a particularly important match against Nekoma High School. Reviewer Mike Mamon said the film is a delightful watch for long-time fans that doubles as an entertaining sampler for those curious about this beloved series.Wicked GalleryAnd last on our list is the long-anticipated film adaptation of Wicked, the beloved Broadway musical that acts as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. This Part 1 of 2 from director Jon M. Chu stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda. Given the box office totals and A CinemaScore, IGN reviewer Alyssa Mora wasnt alone in loving the way the film brings the musical to the big screen. She wrote that this film adaptation epitomizes what modern movie musicals can and should be, and that Wicked will undoubtedly immortalize Grande and Erivo in movie musical history. Thats some high praise! Of course, you know what shes talking about since youve seen it already, havent you?What were your favorite movies of 2024? Lets discuss in the comments!Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Bluesky.

Warning: contains spoilers for Doctor Who Joy to the World.It wouldnt be Christmas without a Doctor Who special, and it wouldnt be a Doctor Who special without some sneaky little Easter eggs tucked in to the story for fans to discover. Steven Moffat-written Joy to the World doesnt disappoint , and not only tips its cap to Who stories past, but also includes nods to other fictional worlds, from Middle Earth to the Bond franchise, and to Moffats previous adaptation for HBO: The Time Travelers Wife.Weve noted those spots and a few others below. Let us know what we missed in the comments. Merry Christmas!The First Bond Girl on the Orient Express?On the Doctors undercover exploration of the Time Hotel posing as room service, he steps on board the Orient Express crossing Italy in 1962 and meets a passenger listed in the episode credits as Sylvia Trench. Played by Niamh Marie Smith, is that the same Sylvia Trench who was the very first Eon movie Bond Girl, played by Eunice Gayson and featured in Dr. No and From Russia With Love? Dr. No did come out in 1962, and the two characters do share a resemblanceBilbo Baggins Front DoorIn addition to the Star Trek mention in series 14s The Devils Chord, heres more proof that the Whoniverse has thrown open its arms to fantasy crossovers is the appearance of a round door in the Time Hotel (at 31:50 in the episode) that, according to Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings films, should lead directly to Hobbiton in the Shire on Middle Earth. Peter Jackson is a Who fan and rumours that he might guest-direct an episode swirled in seasons past.The Time Travelers RestaurantNotice the name of (presumably) the Time Hotels restaurant? DeTambles will have a familiar ring to fans of Steven Moffats US TV adaptation of Audrey Niffeneggers celebrated novel The Time Travelers Wife. DeTamble is the surname of that novels titular character, Henry DeTamble, as played by Theo James in Moffats HBO version, and by Eric Bana in the less good 2009 film adaptation.The newspaper tucked under the Doctors arm when hes stealing milk from the Time Hotels snack bar has a couple of interesting stories relating to Steven Moffats first episode as Doctor Who showrunner The Eleventh Hour. The headlines Prisoner Zero Found Innocent and (partially visible) Duck Pond Mystery are inspired by the villainous alien of that episode whod escaped jail through one of the time cracks caused by the explosion of the TARDIS and hidden out in the home of young Amelia Pond. The duck pond reference is also to that episode, when the Doctor realises something is wrong in Amy Ponds home village because of the lack of ducks on the local pond.The Girl in the Fireplace in the PressThe newspaper the Doctor is reading while hes mopping the stairs at the Sandringham Hotel with a mop straight out of Disneys Fantasia has headlines containing the word Versailles and an image of what might be a Clockwork Droid (its hard to make out) in reference to Steven Moffat-written series two episode The Girl in the Fireplace, itself inspired by Audrey Niffeneggers The Time Travelers Wife (see DeTambles, above).The Blue DiamondWhen the Doctor orders his disguise ham and cheese toastie and pumpkin latte from reception, hes told You just pay on the blue diamond. The blue diamond is of course, the classic and now new-again shape of the Doctor Who logo.Mr Benns Any Era Clothes BoutiqueWhere does a hotel guest buy era-appropriate garb to wear while on a Time Hotel minibreak? From Mr Benns Any Era Clothes, of course, the shop in the hotel lobby that seems to be named in honour of 1970s cartoon character Mr Benn, a bowler-hatted gentlemen who, every episode, went to a magical costume shop that transported him into the world of whatever he dressed up as. Note the costumes on display in the shop window a suit of armour, a spacesuit, etc. All the same ones as featured in the Mr Benn opening credits.A Catalogue of Classic Who Destinations!Check out the options advertised by the Time Hotels leaflet and almost all of them have featured in previous Doctor Who historicals, both classic and modern era. To pick out just a few: The O.K. Corral is the final episode in 1966 serial The Gunfighters. Pompeii was the setting for 2008 episode The Fires of PompeiiPyramids of Mars featured the pyramids of Giza (and this years return villain Sutekh). The Romans took place in the Roman era. An Unearthly Child went back to the Stone Age, and so on.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The Merchant Vampires of Venice?This may well be a case of looking too hard for something that isnt there, but the display advertising a West End run of Shakespeare play The Merchant of Venice that can be seen next to Anitas reception desk at the Sandringham Hotel (a real Cardiff hotel, by the way) could refer to Toby Whithouses series five script The Vampires of Venice, or it could refer to ex-Doctor Who actor Tracy-Ann Obermans current stage run as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice 1936. Or, it could just be a bit of set dressing and a nothing. Moving on! Villengard An Old Enemy As explored here and here, this is far from the first mention of intergalactic weapons manufacturer Villengard in Doctor Who, theyre a call-back to Steven Moffats first proper episode of the show series one two-parter The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. There, the villainous corporation was discussed by Captain Jack Harkness and the Ninth Doctor, who alluded to having destroyed its facilities and replaced them with a banana grove. Then, 19 years later, Moffat brought Villengard back in his 2024 script Boom, in which they were the baddies masterminding an unending war fought unbeknownst to its combatants purely for Villengards profit margin. The star seed is just the latest in a long history between the corporation and the Doctor. Doctor Who: Joy to the World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ now.

Warning: contains spoilers for Joy to the WorldLet joy be unconfined! Doctor Who has returned to its rightful place on the Christmas Day TV schedules with a big, heartfelt timey-wimey adventure. A lonely Doctor stumbles into a mystery involving returning corporate bad guys Villengard, who want to use the Ronseal-named Time Hotel to hatch a baby star from a psychic briefcase. Along the way, our hero makes a new friend, spends a year working as an odd job man, calls Nicola Coughlan a sad sack human train wreck, and nearly gets eaten by a dinosaur.Its good to be back, isnt it?Last years fun but uneven The Church on Ruby Road re-established the primacy of the Doctor Who Christmas Special, a festive tradition that had lain dormant for five years. It would be hyperbole to say that Chris Chibnall ruined Christmas for half a decade, but the phrase is in handy quote marks so by all means reproduce it out of context. Now we have Joy to the World, Steven Moffats first festive episode since 2017s Twice Upon A Time, and naturally fans have been curious about how he would approach it. A cheerfully broad romp like Voyage of the Damned, specifically designed for viewers semi-tranquilised on turkey, yule log and sherry? Or something spikier and sadder like Last Christmas?The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is a bit of both.Joy to the World generally plays it pretty safe, giving us a Christmas episode that could almost have been designed by committee, were there not such verve and energy coming off the screen. In the parlance of the times, Moffat understood the assignment reintroduce the idea of the festive special, give us a bunch of fun concepts and gags, provide Ncuti Gatwa with some opportunities to remind us that he has more charisma in one tooth than most British actors working today, wrap it all up in a nice big sentimental bow, and send us off to pick at the Christmas leftovers with a warm feeling in our hearts.It makes perfect sense as an approach. This is a Who Christmas episode largely free of continuity, so you can comfortably stick it on to enjoy with your family without the need for an accompanying PowerPoint presentation (I still have flashbacks to watching The Time of the Doctor with my family and having to provide a running commentary on three years worth of dangling plot threads, references and lore, which made me sound completely unhinged). The central emotional throughline the Doctor misses his companion doesnt really require any background knowledge to understand. The Time Hotel is a fun conceit whose mechanics Moffat is careful to explain and reiterate at regular intervals.Even the returning villain is just a faceless weapons manufacturer, perhaps the easiest instinctive boo-hiss imaginable. The references to last seasons Boom are fun continuity fodder for fans, but its not like youre going to have to explain to your great-auntie who Rassilon is.Read more As well as being accessible, the episode is full of delights. Nicola Coughlan lights up the screen, even if she ultimately doesnt get a huge amount to do (and considering that the climax of her arc is literally becoming a star, that shows how thinly sketched the character is). The Time Hotel is clever and allows for some great jokes, like the kitchens being 30 minutes in the future. The Doctor having to go to the future the long way round allows the episode to slow down for some lovely character moments, even if its an idea weve seen Moffat explore several times in the past (and its not the only one). The scene where the Doctor deliberately riles Joy is effectively brutal, and Gatwa beautifully plays both the viciousness and the subsequent regret. Theres also a big dinosaur, because its Christmas and its been a hell of a year, and we deserve a big dinosaur.And eventually it turns out that the star that guided various shepherds, kings and donkeys to Bethlehem was actually the result of an experiment in renewable energy by an evil corporation from the future, which is audaciously cheeky.All that being said, the broad, welcoming energy that makes Joy to the World effective on a macro level also makes it slightly sickly on a micro level. From an emotional perspective, the episode is at its most winning when its being quiet, allowing space for the melancholy that so often coexists with happiness during the Christmas period and that made A Christmas Carol and Last Christmas such standouts in the pantheon of Who specials.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!But too often it goes for the big swing, and over extends itself as a result. The Doctors year-long friendship with Anita, for example, is played wonderfully by Ncuti Gatwa and guest star Steph de Whalley, but what works about it is how low-key, almost mundane it is. The massive swelling tearful goodbye and the implication that Anitas feelings for the Doctor are romantic feels overblown where it should be quietly bittersweet.See also Joys big outburst revealing why she checked into the hotel alone, and why shes bubbling with rage. Again, Nicola Coughlan plays it very well. But it feels like its grasping for a level of emotional impact that hasnt really been earned, and the references to the pandemic and Partygate feel somewhat heavy handed. Cutting to Joys mum in hospital at the end is also tonally awkward, shifting that plot thread from a memorial for an intimate family tragedy and by extension all the millions of other intimate family tragedies suffered during that horrible period to a bit of hand-wavey sci-fi magic. Its undoubtedly well intentioned, and perhaps some will find it cathartic, but for me it left a slightly odd taste in the mouth.And then theres the matter of the Doctor. Ncuti Gatwa is wonderful, of course. But there is a slightly uneasy feeling that the show is unsure of what to do with the character, emotionally. Weve seen the Doctor moping around and missing their departed companion before. Weve even seen it at Christmas. Weve also seen them experience and appreciate a period of normal living among humans, and weve heard them advised by other characters that they shouldnt travel alone. The beats all feel very familiar.And its not like Rubys even dead! The Doctor can pop in and see her whenever he likes! Considering the terrible events that separated previous Doctors from beloved companions like Rose, the Ponds and Clara, a companion choosing to stay at home and spend time with her mum just doesnt have the juice to support this level of hand-wringing.But OK. Speaking of hand-wringing enough. Its Christmas, and Doctor Who is on TV, and the episode is good. Elements of it are even great! And it brings a message of hope something that, however heavy handed and ingratiating, is sorely needed here, halfway out of the dark. Its lovely to have it back.Now, if youll excuse me, Im off to pick at the leftovers.Compliments of the season to all Den of Geek readers!

Warning: plot spoilers for Doctor Who Christmas Special Joy to the World.Doctor Who is back with high-energy, heartfelt festive special Joy to the World. Being a Steven Moffat joint, its full of wild and inventive concepts, from time travelling hotel rooms to psychic briefcases, via bootstrap paradoxes and sentient stars.Oh, and the Doctor spends a year serving breakfasts and fixing microwaves.But dont worry if you were so deep in a food coma that you missed a key detail here and there, because were here to unpack some of those concepts and answer any questions you might have about the episode.Starting withHow Does The Time Hotel Work?A hotel, but instead of rooms, time portals package deals for all of historys biggest hits.Its kind of amazing Doctor Who hasnt used the idea of a hotel based on time travel before in fact, we wouldnt be surprised if Bad Wolf Ltd announces a spin-off anthology show built around the concept (and if they havent thought of it yet, and are inspired by this piece, wed like our cut of the profits please).Guests checking into the Time Hotel can use its various rooms to visit different periods in history, from ancient Mesopotamia to (somewhat morbidly) their favourite historical assassinations. Sensibly, Moffat doesnt get too complicated and timey-wimey with the idea the timelines in the various rooms all seem to be running discretely in parallel, so you cant check into a room until the contemporaneous guests vacate. The rest of the hotel like the front desk and the bar follows a single linear timeline, with a clearly defined present, to avoid paradoxes.Well, apart from the kitchens, which are 30 minutes in the future, so they can deliver your food milliseconds after you order it. Which is just good hospitality, when you think about it.How Did The Doctor Get The Code For The Briefcase?The Doctor of the past is given the code for the briefcase by his future self, who knows the code because he remembers it being given to him by his future self. This is known as the Bootstrap Paradox, an event that effectively has no origin point, because the presence of time travel gets around the need for cause and effect.As the Doctor puts it, basically, the code came from nowhere but then so did the universe, and no-one complains about that.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Steven Moffat has used this idea several times before, notably with the Doctors escape from the Pandorica in series fives The Big Bang. Hes rarely been quite as brazen with it as he is in Joy to the World, though, cheerfully lampshading the impossibility of the resolution through the Doctors brief exchange with Joy.How Did Trev Come Back?With technobabble, thats how!Alas, poor Trev (Joel Fry). In one of the episodes more brutal touches, the Doctors hapless would-be partner dies suddenly, painfully and alone, his promise not to let his new friend down unfulfilled.But, this being Christmas, he gets a second chance courtesy of the handy psychic graft that Trev mentions at the beginning of the episode, a communicator implant so sensitive that it automatically calls his mother if he forgets to flush the toilet.Luckily for poor Trev, having been telepathically connected to the briefcase containing Villengards baby star, his psychic graft interfaces with the case, duplicating his consciousness and uploading a virtual version into the cases communication software much like the hologram version of Splices soldier father in Villengards previous appearance, last series Boom.Now functionally immortal, A.I Trev is able to spend millions of years inside the briefcase, patiently working out a way to jump across to the Doctors sonic screwdriver (or, as Nicola Coughlans Joy puts it, his zappy thing) and fulfil the promise he made millennia ago in the future a year or so back.Everybody lives! Sort of.Read more Why Did The Doctor Spend A Year At The Sandringham?Unfortunately, if you park your TARDIS in the Time Hotel, then use one of the Time Hotels rooms to visit a different hotel one year in the past, through a door that your future self promptly seals shut, youre obliged to go back to the future the long way, i.e, by living out 365 consecutive days in full linear order.Though luckily that allows for a delightful montage in which you fix microwaves by making them bigger on the inside, fix car sat navs so that they take the driver where they need to go rather than where they want to go, and learn the importance of chairs.And friendship, of course.What Did Joy Do With The Star Seed?Similar to Trevs unexpected second life, Joys climactic union with the star seed requires a certain amount of handwaving.Essentially, the psychic connection shared between Joy and all the other personalities killed by the briefcases security system allows them to override Villengards technology, join together and become one with the star seed. As Joy says, The star seed is in me now Villengard are nothing. Were far beyond them.The star is not just a star now its a composite entity, made up of the star seed and all the psychic echoes of the people within it. And together, theyre able to fly far away from Earth, where they can do no harm, and become a shining beacon of comfort in the night sky.And apparently absorb the essences of anybody else they want to, like Joys mother.On the face of it, this resolution is rooted more in poetry than in science-fiction. But, as famously pointed out by Anne Hathaway in Christopher Nolans Interstellar, love is the one thing were capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space.And shes a scientist.Hold On, Was That Bethlehem At The End?Indeed it was. Steven Moffat is no stranger to scribbling mischievously in the margins of history, but this might be his most audacious and potentially controversial scribble yet.Yes, the star that guided the three wise men and a motley entourage of shepherds, angels, donkeys and kids dressed like sheep, if the average nativity is to believed was actually an experiment by an evil weapons corporation from the future.Its cheeky, for sure. But its also, in its way, perfectly Christmassy. Something with corrupt and evil origins that, through the power of love, becomes a symbol of hope, shining through the centuries.Joy to the world, indeed.Doctor Who Christmas Special Joy to the World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Disney+.

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If you are a resident of California, you may be eligible to get paid from a $27.5 million settlement from Thomson Reuters. But move quickly, as you only have until Friday to opt in.Thomson Reuters is a Canadian media and technology conglomerate best known as the parent company of the British news outlet, Reuters. In October, the company reached a settlement agreement in a class-action lawsuit that alleged that it had used its own AI program, Clear, to collect personal information from people without their consent and then sold this information to various entities. The company was accused of doing this all across the US, but this specific suit pertains only to California residents.Survey results published by the International Association of Privacy Professionalsin a 2023 consumer trust report found significant concerns among respondents globally about the impact of AI technology on their privacy. Around 57% of consumers surveyed by IAPP said that "AI poses a significant threat to their privacy." The group also cited a 2023 study from KPMG and the University of Queensland which found that 53% of respondents believed "AI will make it harder for people to keep their personal information private."If you believe you might be eligible for this Thomson Reuters settlement, read on for all the details. For more on other class-action settlements, find out if you're eligible for 23andMe's data breach settlement.Why is the Thomson Reuters class action settlement?Thomson Reuters was initially sued in 2020 by California-based activist Cat Brooks and journalist Rasheed Shabazz. The pair accused the company of using Clear to harvest "a vast quantity of photos, identifying information, and personal data of American consumers, including Californians, without their consent." This information, the suit further alleged, was then sold off to "corporations, law enforcement, and government agencies."Who qualifies for this class-action settlement?This settlement is open to anyone who was an adult resident of California from Dec. 3, 2016, to Oct. 31, 2024. The payout for each claimant is estimated to be between $19 and $48.You can opt into this settlement byfilling out this online form.When is the deadline to opt-in for this class-action settlement?Eligible claimants have until the end of Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, to opt into the Thomson Reuters settlement. This deadline was initially set for Dec. 6 but was later extended.For more, see why Apple claims that AI will enhance its privacy offerings while Microsoft's AI tools have been hit with delays over privacy concerns.