Ubisoft has delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows yet again, this time by another month.Assassin's Creed Shadows was due out February 14, 2025, but will now launch on March 20 instead. This is the game's second delay, after an initial release date of November 12, 2024 was pushed back to this year."As part of the renewed focus on gameplay quality and engaging Day-1 experiences, it has been decided to provide an additional month of development to Assassins Creed Shadows," Ubisoft said."This additional time will allow the team to better incorporate the player feedback gathered over the past three months and help create the best conditions for launch by continuing to engage closely with the increasingly positive Assassins Creed community. The game is now scheduled for March 20."Assassin's Creed Shadows - Reveal ScreenshotsIGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot, added: "we are all behind our teams efforts to create the most ambitious Assassins Creed opus of the franchise and made the decision to provide an extra month of development to Shadows in order to better incorporate the player feedback gathered over the past three months that will enable us to fully deliver on the potential of the game and finish the year on a strong note."This second delay to Assassin's Creed Shadows comes during one of the most troubling times in Ubisoft's history. The company is reportedly in buyout talks with Chinese megacorp Tencent after a torrid 2024 in which it closed studios, shut down games, and made mass layoffs. Star Wars Outlaws failed to meet sales expectations, and Call of Duty competitor XDefiant was discontinued.Ubisofts shares fell to their lowest level in the last decade in September after Ubisoft made a series of dramatic announcements around the performance of its games. As well as delaying Assassins Creed Shadows, Ubisoft announced a return to Steam after a period of PC launch exclusivity on the Epic Games Store, with Star Wars Outlaws recently releasing on Valves platform. However, the generally much-loved Assassins Creed Origins suffering a review-bomb campaign on Steam after a Windows PC update rendered it unplayable for some.As part of the "strategic update" announced alongside Assassin's Creed Shadows' latest delay, Ubisoft said it had appointed "leading advisors to review and pursue various transformational strategic and capitalistic options to extract the best value for stakeholders." That's a lot of corporate speak that hints at a potential sale."This process will be overseen by the independent members of the Board of Directors," the company continued. "Ubisoft will inform the market in accordance with applicable regulations if and once a transaction materializes."Meanwhile, Ubisoft warned that "significant" cost reductions are to come to the tune of more than 200 million (approx. $205 million) by FY2025-26 vs. FY2022-23 on an annualized basis. As part of this came the aforementioned closure of XDefiant and its San Francisco developer or as Ubisoft put it: "In December, XDefiant was discontinued and three production studios in high-cost geographies were closed."Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura has shared a cryptic tease for the long dormant Kingdom Hearts 4 by pointing to the epilogue of Kingdom Hearts 3 and even a Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep connection.The Kingdom Hearts X/Twitter account shared a message from Nomura on Birth by Sleep's 15th anniversary, where he discussed the crossroad scene at its climax.He then connected some dots for less familiar fans, saying these crossroad scenes have long appeared in Kingdom Hearts and all follow the concept of giving something up to gain something in return. The brief epilogue at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3 was a crossroads scene in itself, and though he doesn't reference Kingdom Hearts 4 directly, he said an explanation of this epilogue is "a story for another time."When the Lost Masters gather at the crossroads in Kingdom Hearts 3, what is gained and what is lost? That's a story for another time.Nomura explained: "Crossroads act as an important point of divergence. To trace it right back, the motif was inspired by the well known crossroad myth from American folklore. The story goes like this: A young man makes a deal with the devil at a crossroads, trading his soul for the ability to play the guitar."The first time a crossroads appears in Kingdom Hearts is in Chain of Memories, which is about losing something to gain something. And in fact, all subsequent appearances of crossroads have the same significance."The greatest example is Birth by Sleep, a story where all three protagonists pay a heavy price to obtain something. But wait... When the Lost Masters gather at the crossroads in Kingdom Hearts 3, what is gained and what is lost? That's a story for another time."This tiny, cryptic tease for Kingdom Hearts 4 is the most fans have had in years. Despite being revealed in September 2022 with a full cinematic trailer, developer Square Enix has since gone incredibly quiet and, in series tradition, left fans pining for more information.The trailer showed flashy gameplay with protagonist Sora but Square Enix said this was from an Unreal Engine 4 demo, whereas the actual game will be made in Unreal Engine 5. It's already been analyzed completely too, and some even think there's evidence of a Star Wars section.Otherwise, Nomura has said Kingdom Hearts 4 will, after 22 years and a whopping 18 games, finally shift the Kingdom Hearts narrative towards its conclusion.Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

This article contains spoilers for Abbott Elementary season 4 episode 9 Volunteers.At first glance, a crossover episode between Abbott Elementary and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia makes all the sense in the world. Both comedies are beloved by their respective fans, set in the City of Brotherly Love, and most crucially: air on networks (ABC and FX) owned by the same corporate parent (Disney). There is, of course, that one little hang up. It just so happens that Abbott Elementary is a warm PG-rated fable about the power of friendship and public education. Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a jet-black narrative about five of the most selfish and degenerate people who have ever lived. To put it mildly, theres a bit of a tonal imbalance at play here. So much so that Abbott Elementary creator and IASIP fan Quinta Brunson has all but begged her shows audience to tread carefully when venturing out to sample Its Always Sunnys 16 (and counting) seasons. It remains to be seen how Abbott Elementary die hards respond to Always Sunny once they get into the shows immense catalogue on Hulu (or Netflix in the U.K.). One things for sure though: they will make the attempt. Because Abbott Elementary season 4 episode 9 Volunteers, the first of two planned crossovers between the shows, is a sublime TV-watching experience. Like the best TV crossovers, Volunteers has a way of highlighting each programs strengths while still maintaining the tone and formatting of the host show. In the case of this crossover, that means the visiting characters from Paddys Pub on IASIP have their rough edges slightly sanded down for a fruitful, yet mostly family-friendly trip to Willard R. Abbott Elementary School. The arrival of Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) also gives the characters of Abbott Elementary to expand their comedic horizons a bit. Mr. Johnson (William Stanford) matter-of-factly stating that his school is named after an old racist isnt unusual for the tone of the show. What is, however, is the old racist receiving the news responding with no trace of discomfort. Janine (Brunson) must level her game up immensely when Dee expresses a romantic interest in Gregory, completely unconcerned by his relationship status. Watching the diminutive Janine go toe-to-toe with the statuesque (or ostrich-esque) Dee is a real delight. Similarly, Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) gets off an honest-to-goodness ass-eating joke. She goes on to clarify that she is a bear in this scenario and will be eating the rest of Goldilocks too but what a moment for ABCs censors. Of course, this being an actual episode of Abbott Elementary, Volunteers is more about incorporating the Sunny crowd into the schools cheerful orbit. This is easier said than done. Frank Reynolds, God bless him, eats dirt, gets trapped in a raccoon cage, and sleeps under a piss-soaked blanket. The show also doesnt even make an attempt to humanize Dennis, with the five-star man announcing that he knows quite a bit about filming and consent and ducking away from the cameras. While Dennis absence is largely due to Howertons limited availability as hes filming the Netflix series Sirens, its also probably for the best. Of all the Sunny characters neuroses, Dennis serial killer vibes would be the hardest to introduce into network television. Thankfully, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia features a character who has truly belonged on Abbott Elementary this whole time. Charlie Kellys transparent illiteracy has long been one of IASIPs funniest running jokes. While all of the shows players are ignorant and undereducated to differing extents, poor Charlie never quite got the hang of reading. He was always more interested in topics like milk steaks, bird law, and little green ghouls than books. His inability to sound out words always livens up a scene. (Note that in the first clip of the following video Charlie is wearing the very same jacket he eventually wears on Abbott Elementary.)Charlies illiteracy has grown both funnier and sadder as the show has gone along. While the characters were all 20-somethings when Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia began, four of the five actors in the main cast are now pushing 50 years old while the ageless and sprightly DeVito hit 80 last year. A 47-year-old janitor who cant read offers up a a far different comedic dynamic than a 25-year-old janitor who cant read. Like it often is, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia was accidentally on the cutting edge with this silly joke about one of its characters. The United States is currently in the midst of an adult literacy crisis. According to a National Center of Education Statistics study, one-in-five American adults were found to be functionally illiterate while more than half of American adults read at below a sixth grade level. Given the talent and social awareness of Abbott Elementarys writing staff, it was only a matter of time before the show opted to address the literacy crisis. How lucky were they then to suddenly gain access to one of televisions most beloved illiterate characters!Melissa, Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph), and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) taking an interest in Charlies education is undeniably wholesome and sweet. Charlie goes from not being able to read a hall pass to being able to rattle off facts about birds, his favorite topic. When Principal Ava (Janelle James) asks Whats happening in here, is someone walking on water?, Jacobs response feels earned and accurate: Even better, we taught one of the criminals to read at a kindergarten level.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Whether Charlies newfound literacy sticks in Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 remains to be seen. He already struggled a bit at the end there differentiating between Guest and Ghost. But for one glorious episode of television, Charlie Kelly: King of the Rats got the empathetic treatment he deserves. The Abbott Elementary crossover episode with Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia is available to stream on Hulu now.

Fifty of the fastest-growing tech firms in the Netherlands are in Las Vegas this week. The crew crossedthe Atlantic to attend CES the worlds biggest tech show.By their side is economic affairs minister Dirk Beljaarts, whos on a mission to promote Dutch innovation. So is TNW. Weve partnered with the Consumer Trade Association which organises CES on its annual Match program at the event. The in-person meetings connect startups with investors and corporate venture arms.TNW has also checked out the Dutch delegation at CES. Here are seven members of the tech team that caught our eye.1. SunLEDThe sun is shining in Vegas, but the skies in Europe are pretty dark and grey in January.SunLED wants to brighten up our lives. The company develops near-infrared light technology thats proven to improve mental and physical health. The system integrates with computer screens, car interiors, and lamps.2. DeepSleepRead the case studyAfter youve enjoyed a bright day, DeepSleep can offer you a restful night. The startups wearables analyse brainwaves to predict upcoming neuralactivity. They then deliver gentle sensory stimuli to enhance deep sleep waves. In tests, 64% of users reported improved sleep quality, while 78% said their daytime fatigue had decreased.3. OrthoFoodieAnother startup planning to boost our health is OrthoFoodie. The companys app tracks your diet with a unique food analyser. After scanning a products barcode,users can instantly log nutritional data into a daily food diary. The app also offers personalised advice on your daily macro and micro needs.4. Medical-XSelf-care is all well and good, but sometimes we need healthcare from trained professionals. Enter Medical-X. Based in Arnhem, the company develops humanoid robots for medical training. Medical-X describes the droids as the worlds most realistic, advanced, and customisable patient simulators.5. WhisppLeiden-based Whispp has targeted another healthcare issue. The startup has launched an app for people with voice disabilities and severe stutters. Powered by AI, the system converts impaired speech into a clear and natural voice of the users choice without any delay.Time Magazine named Whispp one of the best inventions of 2024. Credit: Whispp6. AddopticsBetter sight is also on offer at CES. Rotterdam-based Addoptics plans to boost our vision in augmented reality by developing prescription lenses for AR glasses. The lightweight lenses are customised to fit any shape of smart frame. They could also boost adoption of AR.7. FlowbeamsFlowbeams has pioneered another path to better health: needle-free injections. Using a laser, the company first heats the relevant liquid. Theprocess creates a micro-bubble, which propels a thin jet through the skin for quick absorption in the body. Besides addressing needle-phobia, the techcould reduce infectionrisks and hazardous waste.All this new medtech has made us optimistic about our New Years resolutions for a healthier life. Yet our top seven is just a taste of the Dutch treats at CES. You can check out all 50 members of the delegation here. Story by Thomas Macaulay Managing editor Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he e (show all) Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse). Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

XOcean has secured $115mn to expand its fleet of uncrewed surface vessels.Founded in 2017 by James Ives, XOcean builds autonomous boats that zip around the ocean, using sensors to gather large amounts of data on everything from the subsurface structures to the temperature and clarity of the seawater.The bots which are about the size of a small car then relay this information in real time to a ground team via satellite link. They then turn the numbers and measurements into surveys, maps, or reports. This data is especially helpful for ocean research. Its also of great value to companies in offshore wind, oil and gas, and carbon capture.XOceans funding round was led by Big Oil-backed Climate Investment and SGS, an American VC focused on clean energy. The other key investors were Morgan Stanleys 1GT fund and an affiliate of the Crown Familys CC Industries.XOcean also raised $30mn back in June, bringing its total funding to date to $180mn. Although it has not publicly disclosed its valuation, Dealroom puts it north of $500mn.Whatever the precise figure, its certainly a lot of cash, especially for a company building tiny little boats that gather data that weve been able to collect through other methods for decades.However, the real added value is that XOcean can gather this data in a way thats safer, cost-effective, and ultra-low-impact, says Ives.Traditionally, mapping the ocean floor and collecting marine data requires a ship with a large crew working for extended periods at sea, Ives told TNW. When a customer needs data, it can be months before a traditional supplier has availability and costs are uncontrolled.Now, people who need this data can rely on a small, low-energy autonomous vessel to do the hard work.XOcean also promises that its vessels are greener. The company estimates that a fleet of its drones emit just 0.1% of the CO2 of the equivalent surveying boats with a crew on board.And its a pitch that seems to be paying off, not just in VC cash, but in real-world deployments. XOCEAN already works with offshore giants including SSE Renewables, rsted, BP, and Shell. The scaleup has delivered data solutions to commercial and government clients in over 23 territories, it said.As we build more and more infrastructures out at sea, its no surprise that were seeing new technology hopping on board. A second example comes from Zelim, based out of Edinburgh, which is developing AI-powered person-overboard detection that aims to increase survival rates. Meanwhile, another British company, Beam, has built an underwater robot for inspecting offshore wind farms. Story by Sin Geschwindt Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecos (show all) Sin is a climate and energy reporter at TNW. From nuclear fusion to escooters, he covers the length and breadth of Europe's clean tech ecosystem. He's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. Sin has five years journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Get the TNW newsletterGet the most important tech news in your inbox each week.Also tagged with

Best of CES 2025: All of the wildest and most intriguing gear, new releases, and hands-on features [Updated]Justin Kahn - Jan. 9th 2025 10:04 am PTGuidesNews9to5Toys: New tech/lifestyle product news. Up to the minute reporting on the latest technology and lifestyle product introductions, in-depth reviews and notable consumer price fluctuationsCES 2025Popular in the Community{{#values}}{{#isDisplay}}{{/isDisplay}}{{#isAniviewVideo}}{{/isAniviewVideo}}{{#isSRVideo}}{{/isSRVideo}}

Tim Cook says that he uses his Vision Pro every day. And in multiple interviews this past year, hes mentioned a specific habit with the product thats a big part of his use: lying down. After following his lead, I can now report that this method can (almost) fix the Vision Pros biggest problem.Lying down makes Vision Pros weight easier to ignoreRecently, I finally gave in and bought a Vision Pro. So Ive been exploring ways to use the device, and naturally wanted to take inspiration from Apples CEO.Tim Cook has expressed on multiple occasions that home entertainment is a big use case for him. And when watching Apple TV+ and other content at home, he prefers to lie down flat.Ben Cohen at The Wall Street Journal:I asked Cook how hes using it. At work, of course, when he wants several windows open for multitasking. But especially at home. Ive always viewed having to sit in a certain place in your living room as really constrained, he says. He prefers to lie flat on the couch, project Ted Lasso and The Morning Show on the ceiling and stare into the Vision Pro. Its a lot more pleasant way to watch something than to sit like a statue in front of a TV, he insists.Last night I put the Tim Cook method to the test, lying down to watch some TV on Vision Pro.It turns outperhaps unsurprisinglythat its a pretty great experience.You can fully relax, throw a giant screen on your ceiling, and get a movie theater-like experience from home.But the thing I paid especially close attention to was how Vision Pro felt on my face while lying down.Weight is largely seen as the Vision Pros most significant flaw. Yes its expensive too, but judged on the products merits alone, weight is undoubtedly the biggest problem.Lying down doesnt remove that heaviness entirely, since its still very much pressing down on your face. But its a much more pleasant experience than wearing Vision Pro upright.I guess Apples CEO knows what hes doing by lying down with the Vision Pro so often.How often do you use Vision Pro lying down? Do you find it more comfortable? Let us know in the comments.Best Vision Pro accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Joining AirTag 4-packs and select Apple Watch Ultra configs back at the holiday pricing, todays deals are headlined by just about every configuration of M3 MacBook Air at $200 off the going rate and $400 under the price they fetched before Apple upgraded to 16GB of RAM pricing starts from $899. We also have open-box Apple Watch Series 10 models at up to $112 off to deliver some of the lowest prices all-time low alongside nearly 40% off one of the nicest leather bands in the game, Apple Watch chargers, and much more in todays 9to5Toys Lunch Break. more

Far-right hate speech incubator X is riddled with disinformation about the ongoing and devastating wildfires surrounding Los Angeles right now.The iconic Hollywood sign adorning the hills behind West Hollywood has quickly become a particularly popular inspiration for AI slop. A quick search on X reveals numerous fictional images and even videos showing the decades-old cultural icon up in flames.In reality, the landmark remains unaffected by the fires, with a wide freeway separating it from the still-burning Sunset Fire miles away though the blaze has engulfed more than 40 acres in the hills north of downtown LA.Other AI slop relating to the ongoing natural disaster is even more insidious. In an apparent effort to sow discord and score points with the platform's more gullible and potentially racist users, a user going by the name Kevin Dalton shared an imageof shadowy figures that seem to be looting the devastation of burning buildings."The remains of Pacific Palisades will get picked clean tonight," Dalton wrote in the caption.That's a common refrain among far-right pundits, who sow fear by tapping into racial animosity by baselessly accusing minorities of ransacking businesses following natural disasters.Except, in this case, the imagery is literally fake."Is this a real photo or AI?" someone asked."Grok... for now," Dalton replied.Understandably, the tasteless post drew the ire of other users on the platform."I cannot describe how enraging and utterly despicable it is to see people spreading AI-generated images of the LA fires when everyone around you is terrified, devastated, and trying to find accurate information to keep themselves and their loved ones safe," Wired senior business editor Louise Matsakis tweeted in response.Dalton has spent much of the last couple of days filling the platform with rage-inciting and -inducing posts about the ongoing situation, taking potshots at California governor Gavin Newsom and arguing that Trump should "fire" him, which isn't something the US president can do.It's a firehose of disinformation, in other words. In one post, Dalton furthered unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about a Newsom-affiliated arsonist being to blame for the blazes.It's far from the first time we've seen the spread of AI-generated content during or in the wake of a natural disaster. In October, an image depicting president-elect Donald Trump wading through Hurricane Helene floodwaters went viral.Other sloppily AI-generated images of devastation following the historic storm spread across a number of social media platforms, including Facebook.Particularly following a chaotic presidential election, there are plenty of reasons to believe that natural disaster AI slop is here to stay. Platforms have made it as easy as possible not only to create but to spread these images.And now that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has chosen to closely follow in the footsteps of X owner Elon Musk and largely give up on content moderation, there's more than just a chance we'll see plenty more disinformation being spread on social media in the future.It's a sad state of affairs, especially considering the real world of natural disasters. The wildfires the city of Los Angeles is currently battling have already left a devastating path of destruction.Preying on the victims by scoring cheap political points with AI-generated images isn't just tasteless; it's a worrying glimpse into the future of social media and how trust in the news cycle is being dismantled bit by bit.Share This Article

The bare minimum: don't create RoboHitler!RoboHitlerFresh on the heels of Meta-formerly-Facebook issuing a sweeping not to mention both inexplicable and all-around awful series of changes to its "hateful conduct" standards allowing for a much-expanded array of horrendous speech on its platform, an NBC investigation has revealed that the social media giant's platforms are literally hosting AI-powered Hitler chatbots.Last year, Meta launched an "AI Studio" allowing Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp users to create and converse their own AI chatbots. Per the company's AI Studio policies, these bots are supposed to follow a fairly strict set of rules: the chatbots can't impersonate a living person, and if they do evoke a real human, that person needs to have been dead for more than 100 years; they can't be based on fictional characters from copyright-protected media like movies, books, or videogames; and they can't embody religious figures or leaders. Known terrorists, mass murderers, hate groups, and other violent or explicit figures and topics are off-limits as well.What's more, Meta claims to review all bots before they go live to ensure they follow these guidelines, which the company touts as a defense against chatbots producing outputs considered "inaccurate, offensive, or otherwise objectionable."But according to NBC's reporting, alotof chatbots are slipping through those purportedly human-monitored cracks including chatbots impersonating the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, arguably humanity's most notorious mass murderer and undoubtedly a violator of Meta's very clear AI Studio policies.The discovery calls the social media giant's promised AI safety practices around its public-facing chatbot characters into question. And backdropped by its deeply controversial move to roll back accepted standards around hate speech, hosting Hitler-styled chatbots is somehow an even worse look than it would be on any given day.Violations on ViolationsNBC's review further discovered a number of other policy-violating chatbots, including AI bots created in the likeness of stars like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, and many modeled after copyright-protected fictional characters like Harry Potter and the "Frozen" franchise's Elsa. There's also, according to the reporting, a plethora of bots designed to emulate religious figures like Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and God.In a statement, a Meta spokesperson told NBC that the "AIs in question that violate our AI studio policies have already been removed, and we're continuously improving our detection measures to prevent creation and publication of AIs that violate our policies."But reassurance that bots were deleted afterthey were discovered by journalists doesn't exactly sow comfort in Meta's attention to ensuring that its much-publicized AI Studio bots are up to code, especially given how easily users were able to skirt by the company's existing defenses.Share This Article