Godot 4.4 Beta Released / News / January 17, 2025 / Godot, ReleaseFollowing 7 different Dev releases [ our coverage of Godot 4.4 Dev1 and Dev2, Dev3, Dev4 and Dev5 as well as Dev6 and the addition of Jolt Physics in Dev7 ] Godot 4.4 Beta 1 is here. This release adds a few more new features on top of the previously feature packed Dev releases and represents the last major additions to the 4.4 branch, everything else from this point to release candidate should only be small fixes and improvements.Highlights of the Godot 4.4 Beta release include:Typed Dictionary support in GDScriptMetal rendering support and Metal upscaling on Apple devicesNew embeddable Game window for runtime interaction with your gameJolt Physics engine integrationREPL evaluation in debuggerPhysics based snapping for 3D object placement in the worldInteractive camera previewFavoriting of properties in the inspectorThere are of course several hundred other fixes and improvements in the Godot 4.4 Beta release.Key LinksGodot 4.4 Beta Release AnnouncementGodot 4.4 Beta Interactive ChangelogGDQuest Demo GitHubYou can learn more about the Godot 4.4 Beta release and see several of my favorite new features in action in the video below.

LLMs are essential in industries such as education, healthcare, and customer service, where natural language understanding plays a crucial role. Though highly versatile, LLMs challenge is adapting to new tasks. Most fine-tuning methods are resource and time-consuming. Moreover, the fine-tuning approach often results in overfitting or sacrificing general adaptability for task-specific performance. This is a barrier for LLMs to address dynamic new and unforeseen tasks and creates a bottleneck in the overall application.One of the most prominent methods to address these challenges is Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA), which updates small, task-specific matrices while freezing the rest of the models parameters. Although this reduces the computational cost of fine-tuning, it has limitations, such as increased sensitivity to overfitting and the inability to scale efficiently across tasks. Moreover, LoRAs design lacks inherent compositionality, limiting its ability to integrate multiple domain-specific skills.The researchers at Sakana AI and Institute of Science Tokyo introduced Transformer, a novel self-adaptive machine learning framework for large language models. Transformer employs a groundbreaking method called Singular Value Fine-tuning (SVF), which adapts LLMs in real time to new tasks without extensive retraining. By focusing on selectively modifying the singular components of the models weight matrices, Transformer enables dynamic task-specific adjustments. This innovation reduces the computational burden associated with fine-tuning, offering a scalable and efficient solution for self-adaptation.At the heart of Transformer is the SVF method, which fine-tunes the singular values of weight matrices. This approach drastically minimizes the number of trainable parameters compared to traditional methods. Instead of altering the entire model, SVF leverages reinforcement learning to create compact expert vectors specialized for specific tasks. For the inference process, Transformer works on a two-pass mechanism: the first is to analyze what the task might be and requires, and in the second, it dynamically integrates various relevant expert vectors to produce suitable behavior. Modularly, the approach ensures efficiency in addressing such a wide array of tasks through Transformer.Transformer performed outstanding performance in extensive benchmark evaluations. For instance, the framework shows improvements of over 39% compared to baselines in visual question-answering domains. In mathematics-related problem-solving, when testing was done on the GSM8K datasets, this model showed its strength by winning more than any fine-tuning method, reaching about a 4% improvement in its performance. On programming tasks under the MBPP-pro benchmark, Transformer displayed considerable accuracy improvements for domain-specific tasks and its general performance on various types of domains. As a result, Transformer adapted efficiently to unseen tasks like ARC-Challenge and Humaneval by either maintaining or exceeding the baseline performance metrics.An important overall outcome was the SVF methods efficiency. This improved training times and reduced the need for significant computational requirements as this method used fewer than 10% of the parameters required by LoRA. For example, for the GSM8K dataset, only 0.39 million parameters were needed for SVF training versus 6.82 million using LoRA to achieve higher performance. In addition, the model demonstrated good compositionality; vectors trained as an expert for one task could be reused and added together with others for a different, unrelated task, indicating the ability to scale up this Transformer framework.The researchers achieved this leap forward by addressing core limitations in existing methods, such as overfitting and inefficiency. By leveraging reinforcement learning, the SVF method provided principled regularization, preventing performance collapse on small datasets or narrow task domains. This allowed Transformer to excel despite limited training data while maintaining task adaptability.Conclusion: A research team from Sakana AI provided a scalable and efficient solution to task-specific adaptation in LLMs. Transformer, with its SVF method, is a highly significant advancement within the field that will pave the way for computationally efficient self-adaptive AI systems that are highly versatile. This approach will answer present challenges and lay a foundation for future developments of adaptive AI technologies.Check out the Paper and GitHub Page. 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 our65k+ ML SubReddit.(Promoted) Nikhil+ postsNikhil is an intern consultant at Marktechpost. He is pursuing an integrated dual degree in Materials at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Nikhil is an AI/ML enthusiast who is always researching applications in fields like biomaterials and biomedical science. With a strong background in Material Science, he is exploring new advancements and creating opportunities to contribute. Meet 'Height':The only autonomous project management tool (Sponsored)

This article contains spoilers for .Well, that is how you deliver an adrenaline-fueled finale, providing answers and a tantalizing cliffhanger. It is a delicate balance that Silo achieves for the second season in a row. The climatic moments of Season 1 showed Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) walking out into a barren wastelandnot the lush green vista displayed on her helmet screenand the engineer and former sheriff quickly discovered that her underground community was far from alone. Juliette returns to the outside world again this time, but it doesnt end there. Instead, a triple whammy in the final 10 minutes includes an existential threat, a potential major character death, and a glimpse at a world before living underground. While some of the season has progressed at a slower pace, Into the Fire doesnt hold everything back for the climax, and the whole hour is Silo at its best, mixing heartfelt interactions with high-stakes scenarios. Silo Season 2 Ending Explained It is conceivable that Into the Fire couldve cut to black after Juliettes conversation with a now-nihilistic Bernard and the subsequent life-or-death cliffhanger. That still wouldve been a solid way to end the season. Thankfully, Silo doesnt settle for satisfactory. An enticing flashback to a Washington D.C. resembling our current landscape (with a radioactive twist) gives insight into what led humankind to survive below ground for apparently the last 352 years (Bernard mentions this as the number of years humans have lived in silos, and I dont know if I can trust him or his sources). Lets unpack Juliette finally making it back to Silo 18 in a full circle moment after she first left at the end of Season 1. Fergusons character has spent the majority of the 10 episodes of Season 2 opposite Steve Zahns sole survivor, Solo, in neighboring Silo 17. Of course, he isnt actually the only person inhabiting this now-dilapidated structure, and his name isnt even Solo. Early on, I guessed that Solos childlike behavior pointed to him being alone since a young age, which is finally confirmed in the penultimate episode. Solo is actually Jimmy, and the finale uncovers his parents' integral role in saving thousands of lives (even if almost everyone would later perish). Opposite the hardened Juliette, Zahns Jimmy offers sweet naivety and even some much-needed whimsy. Juliettes edges soften further when Jimmys life is threatened by a young family led by young mom Audrey (Georgina Sadler) trying to gain access to the vault Jimmy is protecting. By the end of the penultimate episode, Jimmy opens up the vault to all, but this still doesnt completely quell Audreys rage. PlayBe angry at the motherfuckers who built this place and put us in it! is Juliettes sage advice in the finale. Pointing the finger of blame at each other is futile. Because Juliette has zero time to deal with anyones BS (petty or serious), the finale delivers a speedy resolution to Audreys incessant complaining. Juliettes lecture taps into Jack Shephards mantra of live together, die alone on Lost, and telling Audrey, Be angry with each other, not at each other, does the trick. Maybe stitch that advice on a few cushions, as bumper stickers have no place in this car-less world. Of course, they cant yell at the architects of the 51 subterranean structures built 352 years ago, but there is a chance we just met one in the flashback.Before Juliette leaves her temporary home, she voices her fears that the people I love might be killing each other. Little does she know that her father has already laid down his life to save others. Inside Silo 18, it is chaos, but the moment Juliette appears on the horizon, the fighting stops, and the cheer that erupts when she starts to clean is electric. Emotions are already running high, and hearing the cry of Juliette Lives! now they know this sentiment matches reality is a stirring moment. The cloth the former sheriff uses to clean also bears a vital message: not safe do not come out. Juliette never minces words. Just because Juliette has beat the odds doesnt mean she has it easy, as she now contends with a despondent Bernard pointing a gun at her in the tunnel into the silo. Juliette radiates with impatience and annoyance at yet another obstacle blocking her path. Bernard is very wah wah poor me, telling Juliette there is no point in trying to save the people of Silo 18 because it has never been in their hands. It is impossible not to read Bernards complaints as anything but self-pity because he justified his crimes for the greater good. His petulance is a reaction to being manipulated. Until now, he thought he knew all the answers but is equally in the dark about why an Algorithm has been programmed to poison the 10,000 inhabitants if word of the AI's existence is shared. Robbins makes the mayor sound sniveling and small even as he towers over Fergusons Juliette. Silo Season 2 GalleryWhen the door started shutting on Juliette and Bernard, potentially leaving them stranded in the tunnel to the outside world, Juliette instinctively jumped into the small room. You cant go in there! Youll burn to death, Bernard yells. Bernard tries to yank Juliette out, but the door closes before he can. The fire that cleanses this space (which we saw in the pilot) ignites, which is not great for Juliette or Bernard. Juliette dies? But this is not the end of the episode. Its on the heels of Juliettes apparent death, that the flashback begins. Cutting from Juliette and Bernards perilous conditions to rain in a pre-dystopia Washington D.C. is incredibly disorientating because everything looks different from the environment we have spent two seasons experiencing. It takes a few beats to adjust to the familiar symbols of our present-day or the not-too-distant futurethere are no wacky clothes or technology to suggest it isnt 2025. One major difference is that patrons are scanned for radiation before they can enter a bar, which is part of the norm. An unnamed congressman (played by Ashley Zukerman) thinks he is going on a first date but quickly learns that Helen (Jessica Henwick) is gathering information for a story she is working on for The Washington Post. We then see a dirty bomb detonated in the nations capital that is blamed on Iran, but Helen thinks a bigger conspiracy is at play and wants to know what caused this catastrophic event if there wasnt a radiological attack. Now, that is an expos I want to read.A couple of other pertinent facts indicate the congressman could be one of the Foundersor at least helped build the silos. He is from Georgia (the tourism guide relic is about this state), has a masters in engineering, and served in the Army Corps of Engineers. It might be tenuous, but does being an engineer run in the family? Is this Congressman Nichols? Not revealing his name suggests we will recognize a connection, and while an ancestor link might be a stretch, there is a direct nod between the convenience store-bought gift the politician gives Helen and an item in Silo 18. Helen finds it a curious choice, but the duck Pez is an icebreakereven if he gives it to the reporter when departing. Notably, this is another relic from Season 1 that opened a can of worms, and seeing it in its original context is equally intriguing and mind-blowing. Are Juliette and Bernard Dead?One reason it took Juliette so long to get back to the silo is she didnt have anything to wear! Okay, this isnt a fashion concern but a practical onethough Juliette is rocking her limited wardrobe. When she returns, Juliette is wearing a firefighter suit from Silo 17, as her original standard issue is no longer usable, and the replacement from Jimmy is equally damaged. This likely saved her life, as the material will be fire retardant. Bernad probably isnt so lucky, and it doesnt help that the best doctor in the silo (Juliettes dad) is also dead. But why did the door start to shut? It cant be a coincidence that it begins to close after Juliette says she has figured something out about the Safety Procedure. The Algorithm likely heard this comment and is taking measures to protect its failsafe. But Juliette has beaten the odds before and will likely do so again. What is the Algorithm? After solving Salvador Quinns (who was the head of I.T. and helped suppress the rebellion 140 years ago) message, Lukas converses with the Algorithm at the door in the depths of the silo at the end of the penultimate episode. The Algorithm warns that if he tells anyone about what he saw or heard, the disembodied voice (aka the Algorithm) will have no choice but to initiate the Safeguard. Quinn understood that the founders havent been entirely truthful, and Lukas has learned the same. The Algorithm appears to be an AI-voiced machine that has ultimate control over the lives (and deaths) of everyone in the silo. In fact, no one has referred to this entity as the Algorithm out loud yet, but this is the name given in the Apple TV+ closed captions. While we have the answers about what the safeguard does, many questions remain. One of the biggest mysteries going forward centers on the Algorithms true purpose, exactly who programmed it, and whether anyone else in the other silos knows the inner workings of this machine. PlayHow Can They Stop the Safeguard Procedure?If a safeguard is meant to protect, then the Safeguard Procedure takes this to an extreme and has little regard for human life. Thanks to her time with Jimmy, Juliette knows where the pipe is that can pump in enough poison to kill everyone. If anyone can challenge the Algorithm that controls the means to wipe out the world, it is Juliette and the Mechanical team. First, Juliet will have to get into the silo and make sure the Safeguard Procedure isnt implemented. If this season was about toppling Bernard and finding out the truth, then Season 3 could be about dismantling an even more insidious system. While Bernard says he doesnt care why the Founders created this failsafe,I know I am not alone in wanting to know the motives behind this choice. Will Juliette Return to Silo 17?Jimmy asks Juliette to come back to Silo 17, and Juliette smartly doesnt make a promise beyond telling Jimmy, Nothings gonna stop me from trying. Given how much Jimmy and Juliette bondedculminating in Jimmy embracing his new friendit would be fantastic to see Zahn as Jimmy return in Season 3 as Juliettes new friend. Considering Jimmys parents already solved this deadly mystery, it doesnt stretch logic that Juliette will have to return to Silo 17 to gather more intel on stopping the Safeguard Procedure. Who Is in Charge Now?With Bernard presumed dead, a new mayor is needed. Even if he survives, Bernard has eroded all trust and should be in jail for his crimes (including killing Judge Meadows earlier this season). Mechanical has managed to literally divide the silo by blowing up the stairs between levels 90 and 92 (RIP Dr. Nicholls, who sacrificed his life for the cause). While the rebellion has been quelled, a new leader must be anointed. Juliette is the obvious choice, even if she doesnt want the role. Camille Sims (Alexandria Riley) is currently holed up in the vault, and her husband, Robert Sims (Common), is Bernards shadow and will likely see himself as the natural successor. The Sims are a formidable couple and surprised us this season by helping the rebels, but a taste of the vault and being at the beck and call of the Algorithm will change the landscape. Round two of Juliette vs. Robert Sim is incoming, and I foresee Silo 18 will still be divided, with actual facts and knowledge being a powerful commodity in this fight for survival. The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie of 2024Will We See More From the Past? Of course, there is much more to tell about the dirty bomb in the past and the potential conspiracy. Ending the season with this revelation suggests we will see more of the congressman representing Georgias 15th districtSuccession and Glass Onion. One of Silos strengths is how it plays with time, refusing to date when events take place with a handy screen graphic and instead letting us solve the puzzle. From the pilot that acted as a prologue to the Season 2 premiere opening with the rebellion in Silo 17, Yost likes to keep the audience on its toes. There is plenty of opportunity to reveal flashbacks of the early days of the silos (including the conception and construction), and the challenge for the writers will be to balance the present-day struggles with everything that led to this point. The finale proves that this community is desperate to discover the truth behind their living conditions, and drip-feeding a few revelations makes us hungry for more.

In mid-April 1999, production designer Christopher Hobbs lost a nights sleep to the creation of several enormous pyramid-shaped jellies. Each one contained over 150 packets of Rowntrees lime-flavoured jelly cubes, was topped with a single red cherry rigged to vibrate on demand, and naturally had been designed in homage to the work of Spanish surrealist sculptorJoan Mir.The jellies were to furnish a banquet table at Gormenghast Castle, a labyrinthine location from the mind of writer-artist Mervyn Peake which was being brought to life for a landmark BBC adaptation of the first two novels in his 1940s Gormenghast trilogy. They were one tiny background element in a web of painstaking design from theGormenghastart team. The sets were dotted with references to 20thcentury artists Max Ernst and Paul Klee, as well as filmmakers Luis Bunuel and Federico Fellini. Spot the painting, sort of thing, explained director Andy Wilson in this behind-the-scenes interview. We were trying to make an artists vision of the world.In that, the four-partGormenghastadaptation excelled. The castle sets, which filmed almost every sound stage at Shepperton Studios in the spring and summer of 1999, were rich with ideas, atmosphere and detail. From the soon-to-be-burned-down library to the attics, rooftops, hall of Bright Carving and cat room, watching the series was like touring a surrealist exhibition.Peopling that exhibition wereGormenghasts characters, oddities created by Peake in his absurdist satire on class, nobility and ritual. Castle cook Swelter, family childminder Nannie Slagg, brainless royals Cora and Clarice, Dr Prunesquallor and his long-necked sister Irma, as well as the ruling family Lord Groan Lady Gertrude, Lady Fuschia and the infant heir Titus were played by the cream of the British stage and screen. Christopher Lee, Celia Imrie, Zoe Wanamaker, Richard Griffiths, Stephen Fry, Spike Milligan the collected cast would fill every portrait frame hanging on the walls at BAFTA twice over.In what seemed like the only allowance made to mainstream appeal, the handsome Jonathan Rhys Meyers was cast in the lead role of Steerpike, the novels unbeautiful kitchen boy whose ascent through the castle threatens the old regime. (In fact, director Andy Wilson described Rhys Meyers as looking exactly like a Mervyn Peake drawing of Steerpike, so even his good looks turned out to have been instrumental in the overall goal of evoking Peakes vision.)With a high-calibre cast, beautiful costumes and a bigger budget than most BBC four-parters could dream of (reports ranged from 6 million to 10 million), as well as a pre-publicity campaign that saw Rhys-Meyers Steerpike on the front of magazines and the sides of buses,Gormenghastwas set to become a BBC Two drama showcase for the new millennium. And so it was, for episode one, drawing a healthy audience for the channel of 4.2 million. By the next episode though, that number had almost halved to 2.4 million, and dwindled from there. Despite praise for its design and cast, the adaptation was quickly labelled a flop.What made viewers turn away? The story, said some, and the unlikable characters. Then-ITV controller of network drama Nick Elliott described the adaptation as emperors clothes time when speaking toThe Guardianin 2000. There was no serious content in terms of narrative or people you take seriously enough to want to watch. I have to admit I turned off.One argument is that not enough had been done to soften Peakes spiky, satirical and lets face it, bizarre and slow, story for a broad audience that needed characters to root for. Steerpike was an antihero just as US prestige TV was being born, but unlike Tony Soprano or Stringer Bell, he came from the world of fantasy, a genre thats historically struggled to be taken seriously for adult audiences on UK television.The creators ofGormenghastseem to have had something of a hold-your-nose attitude to the fantasy genre themselves. As director Andy Wilson explained in this featurette. Theres no magic, theres no zapping, theres noStar Wars, theres no zap guns or poufs when people turn into frogs. Its all very realistic and the characters have a very realistic set of emotions.Thats one take on it. Another might be that Peakes cerebral satire of arcane ritual, child emperors and fusty passed-on tradition was neither realistic enough nor fantasy enough for its audience. Simply put, it fell between two stools and a pre-Game of Thrones TV audience didnt quite know what to make of it. Had there either been magic and zapping, or had the characters not felt as though theyd walked out of a queasily adult take on Alices Wonderland, perhaps viewers would have got it, but then of course, it wouldnt have beenGormenghast.BeingGormenghastseems to have been the adaptations real problem. Peakes ensemble characters may sound like theyre out of Dickens, but theres none of Dickens appealing sentimentality in play here. These characters are vain, greedy, stupid, self-serving and callously insane, as befits this class satire. AsDownton AbbeyandThe Crownhave shown, audiences love a ruling-classes drama, but they prefer nostalgic ones where the ruling classes are winsome and put-upon and trying their best to stem the tide of crude modernity. A royal family drama that starts with a labouring mother pushing out an infant and then demanding Bring him back when hes six and turning back to her albino raven and roomful of white cats isnt going to warm anybodys cockles about the good old days.Gormenghastwas very much not a good old days drama. It was weird and absurdist and political and loftily ambitious. Despite the relatively big budget and dedicated work from the art team, it still struggled to evoke the scope and depth of Peakes vast creation. Hoping for mainstream success with the first screen adaptation of these 20th-century-crisis novels was in all likelihood, a folly. The planned TV version announced in 2018 would probably have fallen at the same hurdles.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!But what a folly the 2000 version was. Unsettling and visionary, it may not have won over audiences hearts and minds, but it stands as a monument to audacious artistry from the kind of creators who cared about every last detail on screen, from the castle walls to the banquet table jellies.

Next Week on Xbox provides an overview of the upcoming games set to launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass. Detailed information about these upcoming games is provided below, with links to their profiles for further details (please note that release dates are subject to change).Lonely Mountains: Snow RidersMegagon IndustriesGet it nowLonely Mountains: Snow Riders January 21Game Pass / Optimized for Xbox Series X|SAvailable on day one! Crash over and over until you master the mountain in the snowy follow up to Lonely Mountains: Downhill. Now supporting up to 8 players via cross platform multiplayer work your way down the slopes as a group sharing a small number of checkpoints, or risk it all in a breakneck race to the base!RoboDunkJollypunch Games$14.99Pre-orderRoboDunk January 21Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryRobodunk is NBA Jam meets Rogue Legacy with robots. A combat dunkball game with sky-high dunks, satisfying tackles and explosive weapons. A roguelite campaign where every match is different, and you can buy the next permanent upgrade even if you die.AquarunAfil GamesGet it nowAquarun January 22Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryDive into the vibrant world of AquaRun, a fast-paced 2D pixel art platformer that tests your reflexes, precision, and determination! Inspired by the best of hardcore platforming games, AquaRun challenges you to guide a fragile yet determined character through 40 meticulously designed levels filled with relentless obstacles, devious traps, and tricky platforms.DISORDER for XboxGRUMPY$29.99Pre-orderDisorder January 22Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Xbox Play AnywhereEscape the department store and uncover the hidden truth in this full 3D roguelike dungeon crawler. The girl gradually overcomes her trauma by uncovering the truth of her past. Join the journey of a heartbroken girl finding her true self.ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the MistBinary Haze Interactive Inc.Get it nowEnder Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist January 22Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryA dark fantasy 2D side-scrolling action RPG where you venture through the desolate Land of Fumes trying to save both humans and Homunculi. Follow the journey of destruction and rebirth in a post-apocalyptic world, decades after the disastrous Rain of Death.Let Me SleepSilesia Games Sp. z o.o.Get it nowLet Me Sleep January 22You are a helping hand for a guy who is so tired that he can never get enough sleep which is not surprising, considering that hes trying to rest in a house full of horrors and monsters! Be a helpful force in his life and solve spooky puzzles (sometimes even nasty puzzles) for the sake of helping your friend sleep safe and sound, of course.Mika and The Witch's MountainChibigGet it nowMika and The Witchs Mountain January 22Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryMika and the Witchs Mountain is a fantasy adventure about an aspiring witch who delivers packages to the townspeople of a small island. Explore every cranny and soar through the sky with your magic broom.Popotinho's AdventuresEastasiasoft LimitedGet it nowPopotinhos Adventures January 22Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryGuide Popotinho safely back to his home as you run, hop and double-jump your way through side-scrolling platformer stages inspired by genre classics. Collect fruit to earn extra lives, grab hearts to replenish health and more as you traverse 50 tricky landscapes, from grasslands and forests to the dark of falling night.Shalnor: Silverwind SagaJohnny OstadGet it nowShalnor: Silverwind Saga January 22Rynna has arrived on one of Shalnors most dangerous Islands. Prepare yourself for an epic RPG, action adventure game. With focus on gauntlet-style combat, traps, boss fights and beautiful pixel-art scenery.Stellar StriderRainForest Game StudioGet it nowStellar Strider January 22Optimized for Xbox Series X|STake off on a crazy adventure with Stellar Strider, a precision platformer packed with challenges, obstacles, flying saws, lightsabers, aliens, and gravity inversion.Dance of CardsPineapple WorksGet it nowDance of Cards January 23Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart Delivery / Xbox Play AnywhereDance of Cards is a tactical gambling RPG where you try to survive seven days of a deadly cruise by playing poker. With no option to escape, they are forced to accept the rules and put their lives at stake for a fleeting hope of salvation.DreamcoreTln Industries Get it nowDreamcore January 23Optimized for Xbox Series X|SStep into the surreal with Dreamcore, a body-cam styled psychological horror game that plunges you into the eerie beauty of liminal spaces. Unravel the mysteries of Dreamcores non-linear worlds and uncover its hidden secrets. Can you discover what lies beyond the edge of reality?My Horse: Bonded SpiritsPlayWay S.A.Get it nowMy Horse: Bonded Spirits January 23Optimized for Xbox Series X|SBegin your adventure as the reluctant future heir of a stud farm. Prove that you are more than just a spoiled brat. Start from scratch and learn how to keep and manage a stud farm; it will be a challenge that will prove incredibly rewarding return the stud farm to its former glory! Along your journey, discover that nothing is as lasting as the bond with your horses!Mystery Box: Escape The RoomOcean MediaGet it nowMystery Box: Escape the Room January 23Welcome to the new chapter of the Mystery Box series. Youre trapped inside dark rooms and must solve intriguing enigmas to open boxes and escape. Interact with bizarre mechanisms, think out of the box to gain your freedom, and discover historical unsolved mysteries. Can you make it?STAR WARS: Episode I: Jedi Power BattlesAspyr$19.99Pre-orderStar Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles January 23Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryTake back the Theed Palace in this fast and furious lightsaber action game. You will have the power of the Force and your trusty lightsaber to help you ward off legions of battle droids, destroyer droids, assassins, and other creatures from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.Sword of the Necromancer: ResurrectionGrimorio of Games$24.99$19.99Pre-orderSword of the Necromancer: Resurrection January 23Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryReturn to the world of Sword of the Necromancer like never before! Resurrection is a 3D remake of the original game, completely reimagined with new graphics and gameplay mechanics. Dive into an adventure full of emotions, strategy, and action, with an artistic style inspired by the classics of the 6th generation console era, now brought to the modern age.SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada Pre-OrderBandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.4$39.99Pre-orderSynduality: Echo of Ada January 23Optimized for Xbox Series X|STaking place in the year 2222, years after a mysterious poisonous rain called The Tears of the New Moon wiped out most of humanity and birthed deformed creatures that now hunt the population. Amidst the calamity, humans are forced to build an underground haven to survive. Take on the role of a Drifter whose goal is to collect the rare resource known as AO Crystals. In your quest, you must collaborate with your artificial intelligence partner to face xenomorphic creatures known as Enders and survive the hazards on the surface.Aery Peace of Mind 2EpiXR Games$11.99Pre-orderXbox One X EnhancedAery Peace of Mind 2 January 24Xbox One X EnhancedAn interactive game experience that is designed to relax your mind and soul. Jump into the role of a little bird, explore beautiful landscapes and collect magical crystals that mark certain landscapes.Cyber Tank 2XitilonGet it nowCyber Tank 2 January 24Optimized for Xbox Series X|SA challenging puzzle game which adds various mechanics on top of the Sokoban genre like shot reflections, destroyable ice, crumbling floors, and more. Collect all the 135 holographic cubes across 45 mind-twisting levels and reach the exit!Cycle Chaser H-5Ratalaika Games S.L.Get it nowCycle Chaser H-5 January 24Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryA horizontal arcade-style shoot-em-up. Defeat foes to harvest their energy for maximum power and defense! Mysterious aliens, led by a brainwashed soldier, have occupied a scorched Earth. 400 years later, a lone pilot seeks to rescue him from this cycle of destruction. Do you have what it takes to defeat the rampaging alien forces? Burn through waves of impenetrable foes with a sleek arsenal of weapons.Meow Moments: Celebrating Renewal & RomanceMens Sana InteractiveGet it nowMeow Moments: Celebrating Renewal & Romance January 24Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryCats and friends come together to commemorate special occasions in two vibrant scenes that capture the warmth of new beginnings and heartfelt connections. Every corner is filled with details that spark the imagination, inspiring you to create your own stories around the lively moments you find.Monster PanicHappy PlayerGet it nowMonster Panic January 24Optimized for Xbox Series X|S / Smart DeliveryQuickly get to the most thrilling part of Rogue-like! Unlock your favorite classes, upgrade your preferred talents, face hundreds to thousands of monsters, make your choices, and play in your own style! But first, you need to make sure you can survive!

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by CardPointers: The best way to maximize your credit card rewards. 9to5Mac Daily listeners can exclusively save 30% and get a $100 Savings Card.New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.Add 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

It's about time.Failed ExperimentApple has temporarily halted its disastrous "Apple Intelligence" feature which consistently bungled its one task of summarizing breaking news alerts.An upcoming iOS 18.3 update will disable the summaries for news and entertainment apps, as the Washington Post's Geoffrey Fowler reports.Apple's admission that its feature has failed is rare for the iPhone maker,and signals the egregiousness of the disaster: for over a month, the company's feature has been consistently botching the news reporting of real publications and pushing them to the company's untold millions of users.Earlier this week, Fowler found that a recent push notification by the feature"got every fact wrong in its AI summary"of a story about Donald Trump's defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth."It's wildly irresponsible that Apple doesn't turn off summaries for news apps until it gets a bit better at this AI thing," Fowler wrote in his post on Bluesky.Pathological AIApple seems to have listened, a change serving as a tacit admission of nagging issues plaguing large language model-based products. Despite several years of being in development, tools like Apple's summarizing tool are still struggling with "hallucinations," a problem some experts believe could be intrinsic to the tech.Apple hasn't entirely given up on the feature, though, promising to bring it back after making changes.In December, the BBC filed a complaint with the tech giant after the feature consistently botched summaries of its news reporting, going so far as to falsely state that Luigi Mangione, the man suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.At first, Apple appeared to be unwilling to stop the experiment, telling the BBC in a statement that a "software update in the coming weeks will further clarify when the text being displayed is summarization provided by Apple Intelligence."But considering the latest news, the company seems to have changed its tune in light of growing pressure.It's not just Apple Google and OpenAI have also struggled to address the "hallucination" problem, with the former's AI search feature infamously telling people to put glue on their pizzas to make sure the toppings don't slide off.More on the feature: Apple's AI Is Constantly Butchering Huge News Stories Sent to Millions of UsersShare This Article

Jan 17, 2025Ravie LakshmananFirmware Security / VulnerabilityCybersecurity researchers have disclosed three security flaws in Planet Technology's WGS-804HPT industrial switches that could be chained to achieve pre-authentication remote code execution on susceptible devices."These switches are widely used in building and home automation systems for a variety of networking applications," Claroty's Tomer Goldschmidt said in a Thursday report. "An attacker who is able to remotely control one of these devices can use them to further exploit devices in an internal network and do lateral movement."The operational technology security firm, which carried out an extensive analysis of the firmware used in these switches using the QEMU framework, said the vulnerabilities are rooted in the dispatcher.cgi interface used to provide a web service. The list of flaws is below -CVE-2024-52558 (CVSS score: 5.3) - An integer underflow flaw that can allow an unauthenticated attacker to send a malformed HTTP request, resulting in a crashCVE-2024-52320 (CVSS score: 9.8) - An operating system command injection flaw that can allow an unauthenticated attacker to send commands through a malicious HTTP request, resulting in remote code executionCVE-2024-48871 (CVSS score: 9.8) - A stack-based buffer overflow flaw that can allow an unauthenticated attacker to send a malicious HTTP request, resulting in remote code executionSuccessful exploitation of the flaws could permit an attacker to hijack the execution flow by embedding a shellcode in the HTTP request and gain the ability to execute operating system commands.Following responsible disclosure, the Taiwanese company has rolled out patches for the shortcomings with version 1.305b241111 released on November 15, 2024.Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

2025 is going to be a very busy year for Marvel. Weeks after the premiere of the final season ofWhat If...?and days after the debut ofFriendly Neighborhood Spider-ManSeason 1, the first of three 2025 Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbusters debuts in theaters.ItsCaptain America: Brave New World, with Anthony Mackies Sam Wilson fully adopting the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers, and then navigating a conflict with the United States new President, played by Harrison Ford. Clearly things dont gogreatbetween them, because as the new TV spot for the film shows, Sam winds upfighting theFords Thunderbolt Ross in the form of the new(and red)Hulk. (Also part of the White House blows up in the trailer? Sam, cmon, get it together.)Watch the newBrave New Worldteaser below:READ MORE: Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie, Ranked From Worst to BestThe details of the plot are still a little fuzzy here, but they do seem to involve a brewing international conflict over the dead body of the Celestial that was left poking out of the Earths crust at the end of Eternals. (Remember that? Marvel kind of forgot about that for a couple years, but now thatcliffhanger is finally paying off. Or at leastthatone specificEternalscliffhangeris paying off. Whether we ever see Harry Styles character from that movie again remains to be seen.)Here is Brave New Worldsofficial synopsis:In Captain America: Brave New World, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.Get it? Seeing red? Clever.Captain America: Brave New Worldis scheduled to open in theaters on February 14. Tickets for the film are on sale now.Get our free mobile appThe Best Marvel Movies Not Made By Marvel Studios

Are YOU passionate about media buying, creative strategy & CRO?Do YOU want to lead a full paid marketing team to increase AOV, profitability, and help us scale our paid advertising? If youre nodding a resounding YES!keep reading!We are an 8-figure ecommerce brand that sells products for kids in more than 15 countries. We launched the brand at the beginning of 2022 and scaled it from 0 to multiple 7 figures in our first year, did 8 figures in sales in 2023 and multiple 8 figures in 2024.If you're sick of flat lining in your career and ready for growth, apply to join our team now. Our goal is to become a 9-figure brand within the next couple of years and innovate our industry by introducing custom and unique products that will help our customers' lives.And THATS where you come in.Were seeking a results-driven and detail-oriented Head of Performance Marketing to lead our marketing initiatives and ensure our strategies are aligned with business objectives. But first, are you the RIGHT FIT? Our CEO, Simone Nanni, has recorded a short video explaining our expectations and what success looks like in this role. This is your chance to ensure you're truly aligned with what were looking for. Watch the Video HereIMPORTANT: Make sure to watch it before applying!QualificationsMinimum 1-year prior experience as a Head of Growth or Head of Performance Marketing in a D2C ecommerce brand.Strong and very extensive understanding of CRO, creative strategy & media buying.Intermediate email marketing knowledge (minimum).Passion for data-driven marketing strategy.Strong grasp of unit economics and offer creation aligned with those metrics.Expertise in funnels and their application to eCommerce.In-depth knowledge of upsells and cross-sells, and how to integrate them into a funnel.Intermediate (minimum) copywriting knowledge, working alongside a copywriting team.Strong communication skills (both visual and written).Ability to multitask and manage multiple projects at the same time in a fast-paced environment, without becoming overwhelmed.Outgoing personality with great interpersonal skills.Enthusiasm for staying on top of marketing trends and applying them strategically.Growth-orientedReady to take on a challengeNot looking for a 9-5 but rather willing to put in anything required to grow the businessResponsibilitiesLead and supervise our media buying, CRO, creative strategy, and email marketing teams:Live by the Forecasts: Continuously monitor our performance against the set forecasts. Regularly assess progress to ensure we stay on track to achieve our goals. If we fall short, identify the root causes, and take proactive steps to address them. Develop and execute actionable plans to close any gaps, ensuring our trajectory aligns with the forecasted targetsSupervise New Offers Creation: Supervise the offers created by our CRO team for current and new products.Supervise Upsells/Crossell Strategy: Supervise the creation of upsell funnels, including OCUs, advertorials, video sales letters (VSLs).Supervise A/B Testing: Supervise the design, coordination, and assessment of A/B tests across products; analyzing results to refine the company's funnel roadmap.Collaborate with Head of Product: Collaborate with the Head of Product to Develop and optimize upsells together with the CRO specialists, including post-purchase and cart upsells.Supervise our Email Marketing Team: Work closely with the email marketing manager to ensure we are growing the email channel according to forecast.Supervise the Market Research from the Creative Strategist: Work closely with our creative strategist to analyze the market research for a new or an existing product done by them.Supervise the Quality of Copy: From time to time, check the quality of the copies written by the scriptwriters to ensure that it meets our standards.Act as a Copy Chief for our Copywriters: Quality check the copy written by our copywriters for advertorials, product pages, VSLs, etc.Supervise our Media Buying Team: Check weekly the performance of our ads to ensure the media buyers are optimizing for profits, getting the best possible MER.Supervise Creative Strategist: Check in weekly with the creative strategist about new ideas that we are producing for our creatives & new iterations and give feedback.Our Core ValuesRespect: We value every individuals dignity and foster inclusivity and trust.Integrity: We do the right thing, always.Transparency: Open, honest communication is key.Ownership: We hold ourselves accountable and learn from mistakes.Growth Mindset: We continuously strive for improvement, both individually and as a team.Hard Work: Dedication and commitment drive our success.Why Join Us?Growth: From $0 to $30M/year in under 3 years. Our goal? $100M/year in the next two years.Dynamic Culture: Challenge and support each other to grow.Professional Development: Infinite opportunities as we scale to 9-figures.Perks: Yearly paid vacations, funded learning & mentorship opportunities.Healthy Competition: Drive continuous improvement with a competitive mindset.CompensationSalary is negotiable. We are seeking the best talent and dont want salary to be a barrierit will reflect your skills, experience, and the value you bring to the company.To applyFill out this Google Form to apply.Note:Due to the high volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to all candidates individually. If you do not hear from us within 1 month, please consider your application unsuccessful. Thank you for your understanding and interest in this role!