Elden Ring is already quite a challenging game, especially since it's made by FromSoftware, the creators of the Dark Souls franchise. However, even with this Action RPG testing the player's limits with various boss battles that players are likely to die to repeatedly, some players may still wish to make Elden Ring even harder.

As the Asgardian God of Thunder, Thor is one of the strongest characters in Marvel Comics. However, when the multiverse doors open, being able to control lightning isnt enough. So, to match the powers of other cosmic beings, Thor has seen many different versions, each stronger than the last.

The Justice League is DC Comics' flagship organization, a collection of the world's greatest heroes brought together to combat planetary-level threats. Featuring an assortment of demi-gods, intergalactic entities, and some of the brightest minds in the galaxy, there are few foes insurmountable to their combined might.

As wildfires in the Los Angeles area continue to spread and force people from their homes, various shelter options have opened to offer free or discounted stays for evacueesincluding Airbnb. Through a partnership with 211 LA, Airbnb.org (the nonprofit arm of the short-term rental platform) is facilitating emergency temporary housing for displaced residents. In addition, those who manage or have plans to stay in Airbnbs in the LA area will get a reprieve from cancellation fees and penalties under the platform's major disruptive events policy: Hosts can cancel bookings without consequences, and guests are eligible for full refunds if their trip hasn't started (or partial refunds for any unused nights if it has). VRBO has activated a similar policy for hosts and guests on its platform. How to set up a free Airbnb stayTo apply for temporary housing support from Airbnb.org, residents in affected areas must fill out an intake form through 211 LA. Those who have lost their homes or been forced to evacuate from the Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Sylmar areas are eligible. In order to request assistance, you must have an Airbnb account or be able to create one. Hosts can also sign up to offer free or discounted stays to hose affected by disasters. If no stays are available or you are seeking alternatives for shelter, many hotels in the area are offering discounted rates for evacuees. Discover Los Angeles has a list of hotel options, while Travel + Leisure has compiled hotels and resorts across California and Nevada that have reduced rates, waived fees, or pet allowances (see both the list and the article comments). For those needing transportation to shelter, Uber is offering free rides up to $40 (code: WILDFIRE25), while Lyft is providing two rides up to $25 each (code: CAFIRERELIEF25). Planet Fitness locations in LA are open for residents and first responders needing showers and wifi access. If you are displaced and have to pay for shelter and food, save receipts to submit to your homeowners insurance, as you may be eligible for reimbursement for those expenses. Finally, Mutual Aid LA has a list of resources for those displaced or in need of support, including animal boarding and community shelters.

Have you ever streamed Dark Souls before? Trust me, the last thing you want when youre struggling with a boss is for the chat to start piping in to tell you how to beat itan annoyance streamers have started to call backseating. Now, imagine the chat is an AI and that it can interrupt your games audio to tell you what to do. Youve got Razers new Project AVA.An AI esports coach, Project AVA is essentially a companion that can watch your footage alongside you and provide you with advice as you play. This works for both single player and multiplayer titles, as I saw in demonstrations showing off AVA at work in both Black Myth: Wukong and League of Legends.While you play, AVA might tell you how to take down a particular boss, or which items will make for the best build, or where your opponents might be. Its not cheating, per se, since AVA can only see your screen and doesnt have information that you dont, but it certainly aims to up your awareness. For instance, it might keep track of your minimap in League to tell you where your opponents are. Or, in a single player game, it might tell you when the boss is about to attack, how long to dodge, and when you can punish. It can also answer questions, if you want to direct its advice.Its just a concept for now, but what Ive seen has me worried that Razer might have lost the plot here. I play video games to engage with the challenges a developer has presented me and to solve their puzzles (yes, combat can be a puzzle). Figuring out a bosss tells or finding the most optimal build myself is part of the fun for me, and having an AI tell me what to do right away is more likely to make me feel spoiled on the content than supported. Worse, it could make me worse at the game, as I could start to lean on its advice rather than learning how to read attack patterns or understand what my gear is doing myself.AVA is also loud, and while I didnt have my hands on the controller myself, I worry it would distract me more than help, or at the very least interrupt my games soundscape (which sometimes already gives you hints on what to do!).Then theres the issue of where AVA is getting its advice. For instance, if AVAs telling me how a boss attacks in Black Myth: Wukong, is it pulling that data from a guide, from the developers, or from collected footage of many playthroughs? If the former, it should probably be credited. If the latter, where did that training data come from? If the middle, then Id prefer to see the hints developers have already given me, in the form of a bosss animations.Granted, I can see the appeal of getting some help once youre into the point of trying to master a gamesay, if youre practicing a speedrun or trying to climb the ladder in ranked. No player is an island, and I do look up guides from time to time. This does lead to maybe AVAs most promising features, in that Razer says it might base some advice on playstyles from specific esports superstars. An ideal version of AVA would be like having Faker looking over your shoulder while you play.But it could also easily go the other way. I play a lot of Final Fantasy XIV, and in that game, raiding can come across a bit like a choreographed dance. If AVA learns how each raid is played ahead of time and then simply tells me exactly what to do as I play, what am I getting out of that experience? Am I engaging with the game, or am I just pressing buttons while AVA has all the fun for me?

CES 2025 is nearing a close, and I couldnt be more excited. Not because I dislike the show floor or meeting face-to-face with people I usually only see online, but because Ive been spending the week in a hotel room with a broken heater. Thats why, when I got to try Razers concept heating and cooling gaming chair today, I was just about ready to stage a heist.Dubbed Project Arielle, the chair isnt confirmed for market yet, instead simply demonstrating an idea Razer is considering. But its an idea I fully support. Using the companys existing Fujin Pro chair as a base, Project Arielle includes a heater and a bladeless fan, turning its mesh back into a temperature control system. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt The way it works is that the fan draws in air from the bottom of the device, which then gets filtered through vents on the sides of the chairs back and exhausted over your neck. Your butt and arms dont get any climate control, at least for now, but it still felt like a literal breath of fresh air.I was a bit skeptical going in, unsure if the Arielle was really going to be much different from sitting a few feet away from a fan. But the breath of cool air on the nape of my neck was undeniably refreshing after walking around the crowded show floor.For my money, though, I preferred the heating, which plays to the strengths of a mesh back by keeping your back warm without getting it sweaty. It's a little less innovative than the cooling mode, but while heated gaming chairs do exist right now, they rarely have as much coverage as the Arielle, and often use materials that can get stuffy after a while.According to Razer, the chairs heater can warm you up to about 86 degrees Fahrenheit, while its fan can reduce your perceived temperature by nine degrees. Why perceived temperature and not actual temperature? Well, if a fan is blowing right on your neck, you might feel a bit chillier than a thermometer would indicate. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt As for controls, theres a small panel located on the seat that lets you switch from heating to cooling as well as change fan speeds, but granular temperature settings arent possible for the moment. Theres also orange lighting to indicate when the device is warming and blue for when its cooling, but those are the only colors it can show for now.Anyway, Im about to go bury myself under some blankets, waiting for the day that this thing comes out for real. Last years Razer concept, Project Esther, did eventually make its way to market as the Razer Freyja, so its not out of the question.

Here's the biggest tech news stories, from CES 2025, Samsung, Apple TV, OnePlus and more for January 11, 2024.

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