Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is a machine learning framework that combines the advantages of both retrieval-based and generation-based models. The RAG framework is highly regarded for its ability to handle large amounts of information and produce coherent, contextually accurate responses. It leverages external data sources by retrieving relevant documents or facts and then generating an answer or output based on the retrieved information and the user query. This blend of retrieval and generation leads to better-informed outputs that are more accurate and comprehensive than models that rely solely on generation.The evolution of RAG has led to various types and approaches, each designed to address specific challenges or leverage particular advantages in different domains. Lets explore nine variations of the RAG framework: Standard RAG, Corrective RAG, Speculative RAG, Fusion RAG, Agentic RAG, Self RAG, Graph RAG, Modular RAG, and RadioRAG. Each of these approaches uniquely optimizes the efficiency and accuracy of the retrieval-augmented generation process.Standard RAGThe Standard RAG framework is the foundational model of Retrieval-Augmented Generation. It relies on a two-step process: The model first retrieves relevant information from a large external dataset, such as a knowledge base or a document repository, and then generates a response using a language model. The retrieved documents serve as additional context to the input query, enhancing the language models capacity to create accurate and informative answers.Standard RAG is particularly useful when the query requires precise and factual information. For instance, the retrieval component pulls relevant sections from the dataset in question-answering systems or tasks that summarize large documents. At the same time, the generation model synthesizes the information into coherent output.Despite its versatility, Standard RAG could be more flawless. The retrieval step sometimes fails to identify the most relevant documents, leading to suboptimal or incorrect responses. However, by continually refining the retrieval mechanisms and underlying language models, Standard RAG remains one of the most widely used RAG architectures in academia and industry.Corrective RAGThe Corrective RAG model builds upon Standard RAGs foundations but adds a layer designed to correct potential errors or inconsistencies in the generated response. After the retrieval and generation stages, a corrective mechanism is employed to verify the accuracy of the generated output. This correction can involve further consultation of the retrieved documents, fine-tuning the language model, or implementing feedback loops where the model self-assesses its output against factual data.Corrective RAG is especially useful in highly precise domains, like medical diagnosis, legal advice, or scientific research. In these areas, any inaccuracies can have significant consequences; therefore, the additional corrective layer safeguards against misinformation. By refining the generation stage and ensuring that the output aligns with the most reliable sources, Corrective RAG enhances trust in the models responses.Speculative RAGSpeculative RAG takes a different approach by encouraging the model to make educated guesses or speculative responses when the retrieved data is insufficient or ambiguous. This model is designed to handle scenarios where complete information may not be available, yet the system still needs to provide a useful response. The speculative aspect allows the model to generate plausible conclusions based on patterns in the retrieved data and the broader knowledge embedded in the language model.While speculative responses may only sometimes be fully accurate, they can still provide value in decision-making processes where complete certainty is not required. For example, in exploratory research or initial consultations in finance, marketing, or product development, Speculative RAG offers potential solutions or insights to guide further investigation or refinement. However, one of the main challenges with Speculative RAG is ensuring that users know the speculative nature of the responses. Since the model is designed to generate hypotheses rather than factual conclusions, the speculative nature must be communicated clearly to avoid misleading users.Fusion RAGFusion RAG is an advanced model that merges information from multiple sources or perspectives to create a synthesized response. This approach is particularly useful when different datasets or documents offer complementary or contrasting information. Fusion RAG retrieves data from several sources and then uses the generation model to integrate these diverse inputs into a cohesive, well-rounded output.This model is beneficial in complex decision-making processes, such as business strategy or policy formulation, where different viewpoints and datasets must be considered. By incorporating data from various sources, Fusion RAG ensures that the final output is comprehensive and multi-faceted, addressing potential biases from relying on a single dataset. One of the key challenges with Fusion RAG is the risk of information overload or conflicting data points. The model needs to balance and reconcile diverse inputs without compromising the coherence or accuracy of the generated output.Agentic RAGAgentic RAGThis autonomous behavior makes Agentic RAG particularly useful in dynamic environments where the required information may evolve, or the retrieval process needs to adapt to new contexts. Examples of its application can be found in autonomous research systems, customer service bots, and intelligent assistants that need to handle evolving or unpredictable queries. One challenge with Agentic RAG is ensuring that the autonomous retrieval and generation processes align with the users objectives. Overly autonomous systems may stray too far from the intended task or provide irrelevant information to the original query.Self RAGSelf RAG is a more reflective variation of the model that emphasizes the systems ability to evaluate its performance. In Self-RAG, the model generates answers based on retrieved data and assesses the quality of its responses. This self-evaluation can occur through internal feedback loops, where the model checks the consistency of its output against the retrieved documents, or through external feedback mechanisms, such as user ratings or corrections.Self-RAG is particularly relevant in educational and training applications, where continuous improvement and accuracy are essential. For example, in systems designed to assist with tutoring or automated learning, self-RAG allows the model to identify areas where its responses might be lacking and adjust its retrieval or generation strategies accordingly.A major challenge with Self RAG is that the models ability to self-evaluate depends on the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the retrieved documents. If the retrieval process returns incomplete or incorrect data, the self-evaluation mechanisms may reinforce these inaccuracies.Graph RAGGraph RAG incorporates graph-based data structures into the retrieval process, allowing the model to retrieve and organize information based on entity relationships. It is particularly useful in contexts where the data structure is crucial for understanding, such as knowledge graphs, social networks, or semantic web applications.By leveraging graphs, the model can retrieve isolated information and their connections. For example, in a legal context, Graph RAG could retrieve relevant case law and the precedents that connect those cases, providing a more nuanced understanding of the topic.Graph RAG excels in domains that require deep relational understanding, such as biological research, where understanding the relationships between genes, proteins, and diseases is crucial. One of the main challenges with Graph RAG is ensuring that the graph structures are updated and maintained accurately, as outdated or incomplete graphs could lead to incorrect or incomplete responses.Modular RAGModular RAG takes a more flexible and customizable approach by breaking the retrieval and generation components into separate, independently optimized modules. Each module can be fine-tuned or replaced depending on the specific task. For instance, different retrieval engines could be used for different datasets or domains, while the generative model could be tailored for particular types of responses (e.g., factual, speculative, or creative).This modularity allows Modular RAG to be highly adaptable, making it suitable for various applications. For example, in a hybrid customer support system, one module might focus on retrieving information from a technical manual, while another could retrieve FAQs. The generation module would then tailor the response to the specific query type, ensuring that technical queries receive detailed, factual answers. At the same time, more general inquiries are met with broader, user-friendly responses. The key advantage of Modular RAG lies in its flexibility, which enables users to customize each system component to suit their specific needs. However, ensuring that the various modules work seamlessly together can be challenging, particularly when dealing with highly specialized retrieval systems or combining different generative models.RadioRAGRadioRAG is a specialized implementation of RAG developed to address the challenges of integrating real-time, domain-specific information into LLMs for radiology. Traditional LLMs, while powerful, are often limited by their static training data, which can lead to outdated or inaccurate responses, particularly in dynamic fields like medicine. RadioRAG mitigates this limitation by retrieving up-to-date information from authoritative radiological sources in real-time, enhancing the accuracy & relevance of the models responses. Unlike previous RAG systems that relied on pre-assembled, static databases, RadioRAG actively pulls data from online radiology databases, allowing it to respond with context-specific, real-time information.RadioRAG has been rigorously tested using a dedicated dataset, RadioQA, composed of radiologic questions from various subspecialties, including breast imaging and emergency radiology. By retrieving precise radiological information in real time, RadioRAG enhances the diagnostic capabilities of LLMs, particularly in scenarios where detailed and current medical knowledge is crucial. Its performance across multiple LLMs, such as GPT-3.5-turbo, GPT-4, and others, has significantly improved diagnostic accuracy, with some models experiencing up to 54% relative accuracy gains. These results underscore the potential of RadioRAG to revolutionize AI-assisted medical diagnostics by providing LLMs with dynamic access to reliable, authoritative data, leading to more informed and accurate radiological insights.ConclusionEach variation of the Retrieval-Augmented Generation serves a unique purpose, catering to different needs & challenges across various domains. Standard RAG remains the foundation for most applications. In contrast, more specialized models like Corrective RAG, Speculative RAG, Fusion RAG, Agentic RAG, Self RAG, Graph RAG, Modular RAG, and RadioRAG offer enhancements tailored to specific requirements. As these models evolve, they can transform industries by providing more accurate, insightful, and contextually relevant information, further bridging the gap between data retrieval and intelligent decision-making.Sources Sana Hassan+ postsSana Hassan, a consulting intern at Marktechpost and dual-degree student at IIT Madras, is passionate about applying technology and AI to address real-world challenges. With a keen interest in solving practical problems, he brings a fresh perspective to the intersection of AI and real-life solutions. [Recommended Read] Nebius AI Studio expands with vision models, new language models, embeddings and LoRA (Promoted)

2023 Netflix film Bank of Dave was a triumph of what youd call not letting the truth get in the way of a good story. It was a good story, about a working class Northern hero standing up to snooty Southern toffs to provide for his community, and that community uniting to help him do it. There was a sweet romance, there were rousing courtroom scenes, and it was all capped off by a blistering fundraising concert by local band Def Leppard.How much of it was real? Premise aside, not much. Thats why the film came with the caption Based on a true(ish) story (if only Netflix had done the same for Baby Reindeer, the streamer could have avoided a defamation lawsuit).Played by Rory Kinnear in the films, Burnley businessman Dave Fishwick is as real as they come, and he did indeed fight the FSA to try to open a Burnley community bank, the profits of which would go to local charities. But unlike in the film, Fishwicks proposed Bank of Dave didnt win regulatory approval to operate as a bank, and has technically been an independent lending company since 2011. (In real life, the sign outside Fishwicks Burnley Savings and Loans town centre premises reads as slogan Bank on Dave instead of the fictional title Bank of Dave as seen in the 2023 film note that the angle of the real-life photos at the end of the feature doesnt show the full sign).The first films fundraising Def Leppard concert was also fictional, as were the characters of lawyer Hugh (Joel Fry) and doctor Alexandra (Phoebe Dynevor). Dave Fishwicks fight to simplify banking for the people of Burnley though, is absolutely real and was documented in a three-part Channel 4 series in 2012.Bank of Dave 2: The Loan RangerSpoiler warning: Bank of Dave 2 plot details belowNetflixs Bank of Dave was such a hit that its now spawned a sequel: Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger from the same writer and director team Piers Ashworth and Chris Foggin. In it, Dave responds to community outcry over the unethical methods of payday loan companies who exploit impoverished people.Film-Dave goes viral online with a series of videos showing him taking on local peoples payday loans and attempting to repay them in cash. Unable to find occupied premises or any way to transact with these firms in person, his videos highlight payday loan companies approach of getting vulnerable people on the hook and keeping them there accruing interest sometimes at a rate of over 1,000% for as long as possible.In the film, Dave targets the founder of one company in particular Quick Dough, which is backed by New Jersey criminal Carlo Mancini (played by Catastrophes Rob Delaney). After Mancinis operatives frame the Bank of Dave for money laundering, Dave fights the charges in court and eventually wins an extradition order for Mancini to be charged back in the UK, which he serves in person before making a quick getaway via Def Leppards private jet.Read more All of which has fans asking the same question: how much of this second true(ish) story really happened?Are Payday Lender Quick Dough and Carlo Mancini Real?No, but fictional companies Quick Dough and Snap Cash Advance are inspired by real payday loan companies such as Wonga, Payday UK, Payday Express and Ladder Loans, while Rob Delaneys fictional character of Carlo Mancini was invented to stand for the individuals backing such companies from countries other than the UK.Theres no record of Dave Fishwick being framed for money laundering or serving an extradition order to anybody, but his campaign against companies like the since-dissolved Wonga certainly raised public and political awareness in the run-up to governmental reforms that led to many such companies being dissolved. He did make a series of videos showing him taking on peoples payday loans and attempting to repay them at various premises, and travelled to the US in an attempt to track down the people behind the payday loan companies. Legislation was passed in 2014 which forced Wonga and others to pay compensation claims to customers who were sent faked solicitor letters, and to write off loans theyd made to clients who had no means of repaying them.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Did Def Leppard Smuggle Dave Out of the US in a Private Jet?Unsurprisingly, no. Speaking to Kat Deeley on ITVs This Morning in January 2025, Fishwick explained: That bit is slightly magical. There was no Def Leppard concert at the MetLife Stadium, and no smuggling Dave out of the country disguised as a bit of musical equipment. That all evolved out of Daves fandom of the band.However, that really was Def Leppard in both films, and the band did film karaoke scenes singing Stand By Me at Burnley music venue The Talbot for the movie sequel.Who Played Themselves in Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger?Aside from the members of Def Leppard, This Morning presenters Dermot OLeary and Alison Hammond had cameos as themselves, as well as BBC Lancashire radio DJ Graham Liver, on whose phone-in show Dave is seen appearing.Two other cameos to look out for are by the real Dave Fishwick, who is credited as playing one of Mancinis henchmen in the New Jersey-set scenes, and who also appears along with wife Nicky (both wearing wigs) in the background of the sequels final karaoke scenes.Bank of Dave: The MusicalWhat next for the Dave Fishwick story? A stage musical is in the works, with original songs being written about Daves original banking campaign and the town of Burnley. After that, speaking to ITVs This Morning in January 2025, Fishwick hasnt ruled out the possibility of another Netflix sequel.You can also see the 2014 Channel 4 documentary that inspired the sequel on Netflix from January 15.Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger is out now on Netflix.

Jan 11, 2025Ravie LakshmananAI Security / CybersecurityMicrosoft has revealed that it's pursuing legal action against a "foreign-based threatactor group" for operating a hacking-as-a-service infrastructure to intentionally get around the safety controls of its generative artificial intelligence (AI) services and produce offensive and harmful content.The tech giant's Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) said it has observed the threat actors "develop sophisticated software that exploited exposed customer credentials scraped from public websites," and "sought to identify and unlawfully access accounts with certain generative AI services and purposely alter the capabilities of those services."The adversaries then used these services, such as Azure OpenAI Service, and monetized the access by selling them to other malicious actors, providing them with detailed instructions as to how to use these custom tools to generate harmful content. Microsoft said it discovered the activity in July 2024.The Windows maker said it has since revoked the threat-actor group's access, implemented new countermeasures, and fortified its safeguards to prevent such activity from occurring in the future. It also said it obtained a court order to seize a website ("aitism[.]net") that was central to the group's criminal operation.The popularity of AI tools like OpenAI ChatGPT has also had the consequence of threat actors abusing them for malicious intents, ranging from producing prohibited content to malware development. Microsoft and OpenAI have repeatedly disclosed that nation-state groups from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia are using their services for reconnaissance, translation, and disinformation campaigns.Court documents show that at least three unknown individuals are behind the operation, leveraging stolen Azure API keys and customer Entra ID authentication information to breach Microsoft systems and create harmful images using DALL-E in violation of its acceptable use policy. Seven other parties are believed to have used the services and tools provided by them for similar purposes.The manner in which the API keys are harvested is currently not known, but Microsoft said the defendants engaged in "systematic API key theft" from multiple customers, including several U.S. companies, some of which are located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey."Using stolen Microsoft API Keys that belonged to U.S.-based Microsoft customers, defendants created a hacking-as-a-service scheme accessible via infrastructure like the 'rentry.org/de3u' and 'aitism.net' domains specifically designed to abuse Microsoft's Azure infrastructure and software," the company said in a filing.According to a now removed GitHub repository, de3u has been described as a "DALL-E 3 frontend with reverse proxy support." The GitHub account in question was created on November 8, 2023.It's said the threat actors took steps to "cover their tracks, including by attempting to delete certain Rentry.org pages, the GitHub repository for the de3u tool, and portions of the reverse proxy infrastructure" following the seizure of "aitism[.]net."Microsoft noted that the threat actors used de3u and a bespoke reverse proxy service, called the oai reverse proxy, to make Azure OpenAl Service API calls using the stolen API keys in order to unlawfully generate thousands of harmful images using text prompts. It's unclear what type of offensive imagery was created.The oai reverse proxy service running on a server is designed to funnel communications from de3u user computers through a Cloudflare tunnel into the Azure OpenAI Service, and transmit the responses back to the user device."The de3u software allows users to issue Microsoft API calls to generate images using the DALL-E model through a simple user interface that leverages the Azure APIs to access the Azure OpenAI Service," Redmond explained."Defendants' de3u application communicates with Azure computers using undocumented Microsoft network APIs to send requests designed to mimic legitimate Azure OpenAPI Service API requests. These requests are authenticated using stolen API keys and other authenticating information."It's worth pointing out that the use of proxy services to illegally access LLM services was highlighted by Sysdig in May 2024 in connection with an LLMjacking attack campaign targeting AI offerings from Anthropic, AWS Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, Microsoft Azure, Mistral, and OpenAI using stolen cloud credentials and selling the access to other actors."Defendants have conducted the affairs of the Azure Abuse Enterprise through a coordinated and continuous pattern of illegal activity in order to achieve their common unlawful purposes," Microsoft said."Defendants' pattern of illegal activity is not limited to attacks on Microsoft. Evidence Microsoft has uncovered to date indicates that the Azure Abuse Enterprise has been targeting and victimizing other AI service providers."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Jan 11, 2025Ravie LakshmananFinancial Crime / CryptocurrencyThe U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday indicted three Russian nationals for their alleged involvement in operating the cryptocurrency mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io.Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko and Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik were arrested on December 1, 2024, in coordination with the Netherlands' Financial Intelligence and Investigative Service, Finland's National Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).It was not revealed from where they were apprehended. The third individual, Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov, is still at large.The defendants have been accused of operating cryptocurrency mixers (aka tumblers) that served as safe havens for "laundering criminally derived funds," including the proceeds of ransomware and wire fraud, thereby allowing state-sponsored hacking groups and cybercriminals to profit off their malicious operations.Specifically, they allowed their paying users to send cryptocurrency to designated recipients in a manner designed to obfuscate the source of the cryptocurrency and the fact that they originated from various cyber crimes."Blender.io and Sinbad.io were allegedly used by criminals across the world to launder funds stolen from victims of ransomware, virtual currency thefts, and other crimes," said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia.Blender, launched in 2018, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in May 2022 after it turned out that the North Korea-linked Lazarus Group used the service to launder cybercrime proceeds, including those stemming from a hack of Ronin Bridge."The service was advertised on a popular internet forum as having a 'No Logs Policy' and deleting any traces of user transactions," the DoJ said. "Additionally, in the advertisement, Blender was described as not requiring users to sign up, register, or 'provide any kind of detail except the receiving address!'"It's also accused of facilitating money laundering for Russia-aligned ransomware gangs like TrickBot, Conti (formerly Ryuk), Sodinokibi (aka REvil), and Gandcrab. While Blender ceased operations a month prior to the sanctions announcement, blockchain intelligence firm Elliptic revealed in May 2023 that the service "highly likely" rebranded and relaunched as Sinbad in early October 2022.More than a year later, international law enforcement seized the online infrastructure associated with Sinbad and sanctioned the mixer for processing millions of dollars' worth of virtual currency from Lazarus Group heists.Ostapenko, 55, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.Oleynik, 44, and Tarasov, 32, have been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. If convicted, all three defendants face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison for the charges.The development comes as Chainalysis said it identified over 1,100 victims of cryptocurrency scams as part of Operation Spincaster and Operation DeCloak in partnership with Canadian law enforcement authorities, resulting in an estimated collective loss of over $25 million.In these scams, victims are typically instructed by scammers to set up their own self-custodial wallet, purchase crypto at centralized exchanges (CEXs) in Canada, and send these funds to a self-custody wallet."Scammers make payments to victims, enticing them to add funds into their self-custodial wallets," Chainalysis said. "Scammers then entice victims to send crypto to destination addresses, thereby draining the victim's wallet/funds."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Looking forthe most recentMini Crossword answer?Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands and Connections puzzles.I would've aced today's Mini Crossword if not for 1 Down. That was something I had never heard of before, and I tried a varietion on it as just a guess, then had to backtrack when those letters didn't work out. Oof. Need some help with today's Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Strands answers, you can visitCNET's NYT puzzle hints page.Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini CrosswordLet's get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers. The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for Jan. 11, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNETMini across clues and answers1A clue: Streak of lightningAnswer: BOLT5A clue: Flowers with "tiger" and "trumpet" varietiesAnswer: LILIES7A clue: Surface to stretch onAnswer: YOGAMAT8A clue: Condition treated with exposure and response prevention therapy, for shortAnswer: OCD9A clue: "Rocks," to a bartenderAnswer: ICE19A clue: "Wait, seriously?!"Answer: WHATTHE12A clue: Actress with a record number of Oscar nominations (21)Answer: STREEP13A clue: AssistsAnswer: AIDSMini down clues and answers1D clue: Information sets used in machine learning and predictive analytics, collectivelyAnswer: BIGDATA2D clue: Portuguese greetingAnswer: OLA3D clue: Not infiniteAnswer: LIMITED4D clue: Shows the ropes toAnswer: TEACHES5D clue: Scottish bodies of waterAnswer: LOCHS6D clue: Like some prices and roller coaster dropsAnswer: STEEP7D clue: "Thatreallyhurts!"Answer: YOW11D clue: Prefix with -ceratopsAnswer: TRIHow to play more Mini CrosswordsThe New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day's Mini Crossword for free, but you'll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

What we've been playing - A scary village, brilliant side quests, and chilly walksA few of the things that had us hooked this past week. Feature by Tom Orry Editorial Director, Gamer Network Additional contributions byEd Nightingale, and Victoria KennedyPublished on Jan. 11, 2025 11th JanuaryHello and Happy Saturday (if you celebrate such things)! Did you have a nice week? I hope so.This is our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing. This time, we got scared in a snowy village, we are very much enjoying a much-loved series, and returning to an old classic at a slower pace.Catch up with the older editions of this column in our What We've Been Playing archive.Resident Evil Village, PS5 ProWatch on YouTubeI'd got a couple of hours into Resident Evil 8 on Xbox, but then thought I'd play on Steam Deck, before giving up as it was too scary. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and running as best it can on current consoles thanks to the PS5 Pro, I'm back for a third try. I'm pleased to report that I'm loving Village at the moment. The setting is gorgeous and having played RE4 Remake not long ago I'm finding this a whole lot more unsettling.I play a lot of horror games, but I can't say that I have developed any sort of a tolerance for them. I get scared at the most trivial things, such as a hanging object moving or a door closing. Village's depiction of a small town that has been abandoned/devastated is a macabre delight to explore, but boy does it have a lot of doors (that close) and things (that are hung).At this point I'm properly invested and it's going to take a lot more than some dangling lumps of meat to send me running to another game.-Tom OYakuza: Like A Dragon, PS5 Image credit: SegaI've had Like A Dragon on my backlog forever, ever since I played Yakuza Kiwami years ago and then skipped the rest of the series. I knew I'd love its zany storytelling, turn-based combat and RPG trappings. I didn't know I'd love them this much, though.For the unaware, Like A Dragon is the seventh in the series and switched from action game to RPG pastiche, fuelled by new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga's predilection for Dragon Quest. Its turn-based combat is dynamic and I adore how RPG stereotypes are given real world Japan parallels: its job system ranges from homeless man mage to healer pop idol, while skills, gear and items, pun-infused enemy types, and more are all recognisable from modern Japanese culture. It's hilarious too, particularly the side quests where I've assisted various idiotic men in compromising positions: from repeatedly pissing in a river, to a fetish for nappies, and the inability to feel sado-masochistic pain. It's entirely bizarre, but also a genuinely well-crafted send-up of the genre.I'm annoyed at myself for not playing it sooner, but equally I'm glad to be playing it now. I was lucky enough to visit Japan last year and have spent plenty of time in Like A Dragon's fictional metropolis recognising the streets of Shinjuku (I stayed right there!) and the Yokohama Cosmo Clock 21 - it's surprisingly accurate. And it's allowed me to appreciate more thoroughly the game's nuanced take on modern day Japan.My aim was to race through this series entry to get to last year's Infinite Wealth - and if it's even half as good, it absolutely would've made it into my top games of 2024. But I'm having such a great time with Like A Dragon I don't want to rush it. I'm utterly enthralled.-EdRise of the Tomb Raider, Xbox Series X Image credit: Crystal DynamicsWhen the weather outside is cold and often dreary (let's face it, this is Britain), it's perhaps advisable to play something set on a far off sunny shore, to help offset the chill of the real world. For some reason, however, I have not been doing this, and instead I have chosen to spend the coldest time of the year playing Rise of the Tomb Raider.Rise of the Tomb Raider is the second entry in the series' reboot trilogy, and it's certainly not set in the Caymans. Rather, Lara is doing her utmost to find a mysterious artefact known as the Divine Source - which is said to hold the promise of immortality - in the freezing, ice-laced wilderness of Siberia. She isn't alone in her search though, and so of course there is plenty of fighting bad guys and hopping between bushes/trees/buildings/cliff edges and so on, while Lara deploys her trusty ice axes to save her from coming to a messy end. You know, standard stuff.I've already completed Rise of the Tomb Raider before, so I know how the story ends, but even so, I have enjoyed heading back to Siberia for another go around. I am being more thorough this time, and seeking out all of the optional challenge tombs that are scattered throughout. I am also doing more of the little side quests that Lara gets asked to carry out. And you know, it has actually been a very chill way to spend my evenings. While my first playthrough was so focused on finding out the story, this time the story has taken a backseat. I am now just enjoying taking some explorative snowy walks with Lara, while staying warm and dry myself. Those sunny shores can wait a little bit longer.-Victoria

Its now broadly accepted that customers and employees who receive corporate gifts end up appreciating the brand much more, and for not a lot of outlay. The market for this has thus exploded. One market player, the New York-based Snappy, which has raised over $125 million to date, is now acquiring Covver, a corporate merchandise gifting platform. Terms were undisclosed, although TechCrunch understands the deal involved a mix of cash and shares.Covver was previously backed by TLV Partners, based in Tel Aviv, Israel, and has raised $7 million to date. It specializes in swag-style merchandize for companies, and also offers points-based recognition solutions for employees. It also personalizes the products automatically. So for instance, someone could send me swag with my job title (Editor-at-large) and the system would automatically create swag with my job title on it, no graphic design required.In an interview with TechCrunch, Hani Goldstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Snappy, said Covvers expertise in swag and company store solutions complements Snappys ability to deliver these kinds of gifting experiences, and that the platforms would be unified, with Cover effectively becoming the swag channel on Snappys platform.What Covver built was an amazing experience for swag thats based on AI and does it extremely well and innovatively, she said. They were specializing in swag. So we felt like this solution can take all the personalization magic and bring it into the combined world of how we do gifting better, to become the leading gifting platform worldwide.Theres about $50 billion worth of gift cards, only in the US, she added. The corporate gifting world is worth about $260 billion. But people dont know what to buy, so they use gift cards. So that provides choice, right? But that it becomes very transactional. Its like Hey, Mike, heres 100 bucks! But I wanted to make you feel delighted. So what we want to do is make gifting easy, but still keep the magic and personalization.In a statement, Roee Hemed, CEO of Covver said: By joining forces with Snappy, were unlocking new possibilities for our customers, including expanded product solutions and the ability to leverage Snappys trusted gifting platform.Snappy was first launched on TechCrunch back in 2016 as a consumer app, and bootstrapped its progress until it eventually raised from investors including Notable Capital, Hearst Ventures, Qumra, 83 North, and other VCs.It claims to have over 47% of Fortune 100 companies as clients such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Comcast.However, it does have competitors. Sendoso has raised $152.7 million to date, Postal raised $46 million, and Dublin-based corporate gifting platform &Open raised $26 million in 2022.Topics

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 14: Dana White meets with the press following Vegas 67 at UFC Apex for UFC ... [+] Fight Night - Vegas 67 - Strickland vs Imavov - Event on January 14, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV, United States. (Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesUFC 311 is still scheduled to take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 18, for now. However, as California wildfires continue to rage and impact the area, the possibility of the event moving to another location has been discussed.According to longtime combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani, there are several important updates and details about the wildfires impact on the event.UFC has had talks about the status of UFC 311 next weekend, Im told, Helwani wrote in an X post on Friday, January 10.UFC 311 is currently slated for the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. Obviously, that region is facing a devastating wildfire crisis at the moment. The NFL announced yesterday that they are moving the Rams x Vikings playoff game, scheduled for Monday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, to Glendale, Ariz. As of right now, 311 is staying at Intuit. The hope is it remains there. But they are monitoring and ready to move the card, if need be. No talks of delaying the card. Obviously, that call needs to happen soon. The event is eight days away. Vegas would be the frontrunner. Worth noting: T-Mobile Arena is not booked next Saturday, Jan. 18.The fighters involved on the card probably wouldnt be too inconvenienced by the move. Its about a one-hour and 15-minute flight from LAX to Las Vegas International Airport. Because the UFCs Performance Institute is also in Las Vegas, athletes who are on the card will likely get additional support to prepare at the P.I.MORE FOR YOUThe UFC would likely have to refund tickets for fans who already purchased a seat at the Intuit Dome. Some sort of transfer could be handled for fans who are able to make the fight in Vegas, if it were moved.The fans who wanted to attend the event will be the most negatively impacted, as most will likely lose out on an opportunity to watch the event live.On a much more important note, White and the UFC have already pledged and volunteered support to people and the regions affected by the wildfires. White took to social media to make it known he and the UFC were at the regions service.Heres to hoping the wildfires are controlled sooner rather than later, and if the people of Los Angeles are able to enjoy the UFCs presence in their region after this natural disaster, hopefully the event serves as a positive break from a tough reality.Whats Next For the UFC?LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 10: (L-R) Opponents Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas of Brazil face off ... [+] during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino on January 10, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesIts been three weeks, but it feels like two months since the UFC had an event. While the Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas main event at UFC Vegas 101 isnt one of the most star-studded Fight Night feature bouts youll ever see, it is action from the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world.Here is a look at the card and the weigh-in results.Mackenzie Dern (116) vs. Amanda Ribas (116)Santiago Ponzinibbio (171) vs. Carlston Harris (170)Abdul Razak Alhassan (185.5) vs. Cesar Almeida (185.5)Chris Curtis (185.5) vs. Roman Kopylov (185.5)Christian Rodriguez (145) vs. Austin Bashi (145.5)Uros Medic (171) vs. Punahele Soriano (171)Jose Johnson (128.5)* vs. Felipe Bunes (126)Marco Tulio (185.5) vs. Ihor Potieria (188)*Thiago Moises (155.5) vs. Trey Ogden (155.5)Preston Parsons (171) vs. Jacobe Smith (170.5)Ernesta Kareckaite (126) vs. Nicolle Caliari (125.5)Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (205) vs. Bruno Lopes (205.5)Fatima Kline (116) vs. Viktoriia Dudakova (116)Nurullo Aliev (155.5) vs. Joe Solecki (155)*Missed weight