In BriefPosted:11:04 AM PST January 11, 2025Image Credits:ActivisionWhats behind ballooning video game budgets?Why does it cost some companies hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a popular video game?A couple weeks ago, The New York Times blamed the never-ending quest to deliver more photo-realistic graphics and it suggested the industry is beginning to see diminishing returns, leading to layoffs and studio closures.However, Bloombergs Jason Schreier argues this analysis is a little bit off the mark. He doesnt deny that budgets have grown dramatically ($20 million for Naughty Dogs Uncharted 2 in 2009 vs. $220 million for their Last of Us Part II in 2020) or that graphics play a role, but he said it really boils down to needing bigger teams for longer periods of time due to improved graphics, yes, but also the growing scope of games.Plus, he writes that everyone whos spent at least a few years in the industry has their own horror story about management decisions like feature that gets canceled because the CEOs teenage kid didnt like it or teams of hundreds of people floundering in pre-production as they try to figure out what a games core loop will actually look like.So if game companies are really worried about ballooning budgets, Schreier says they should focus their introspection on mismanagement that can end up wasting everyones work and time.Topics

POLAND - 2023/10/19: In this photo illustration Anthropic logo is displayed on a smartphone with ... [+] stock market percentages on the background. (Photo Illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesNvidia is the biggest company by market cap, but the big model services companies are becoming household names. OpenAI is at the top, but Anthropic is a runner-up in many ways.One of the things I heard from a recent AI Daily Brief podcast with Nathaniel Whittemore is the announcement that Anthropic is getting $2 billion in new funding, for a $60 billion evaluation overall.That makes both of the Amodeis (Dario and Daniela) billionaires as well as five other top brass at the firm. So whos funding Anthropic this way?Amazon, Etc. On BoardBy most accounts, the top contributor is Amazon, which has integrated Anthropics Claude model into some of its web services.Heres a resource from Amazon talking about the use of Anthropics Claude 3 Haiku:MORE FOR YOUUnlock the power of fine-tuning Anthropic's Claude 3 Haiku model with Amazon Bedrock. This comprehensive deep-dive demo guides you through the process, from accessing Amazon Bedrock to customizing Claude 3 Haiku for your business needs. Discover how to boost model accuracy, quality, and consistency by encoding company and domain knowledge. Learn to generate higher-quality results, create unique user experiences, and enhance performance for domain-specific tasks. Don't miss this opportunity to harness the full potential of Claude 3 Haiku by getting started with fine-tuning today.The co-branding here is obvious.Other companies like Google have also chipped in, and new reports show that Lightspeed Venture is also on board. In a way, it makes sense that Amazon, for one, would fund the company this way, based on the partnerships in play.But theres some amount of speculation on the overall context of this deal, too.Burning Through Cash? Whats the Runway?A recent opinion article at Marketwatch talks about how both OpenAI and Anthropic are spending quite a lot of money on compute and other web services.Therese Poletti reports that OpenAI was forecasted to lose $5 billion in 2024, where the company appears to be losing money on its ChatGPT subscriptions, because people are using up too much compute power.Anthropic, she notes, is following suit, racking up its use of AWS capacity.Plummeting Costs of InferenceAlthough both OpenAI and Anthropic are spending a lot of money, some people with industry knowledge point to a prediction that new types of networks are going to greatly decrease the cost of a ChatGPT session or any other kind of AI use.They point to a hyper-process that follows the outlines of Moores law, where computing costs came down as hardware got smaller. Citing various kinds of scaling laws, these experts are suggesting that were going to see much lower costs for token use, and some of that is going to be enabled by multi-agent AI. In other words, individual AI components can work together, and bring their own skill sets to the table.I go back to Ethan Mollicks bullish predictions on what robots and AI entities will be able to do within just a few years anything from changing a diaper, to comforting the sick, or making a meal, or designing a greeting card.Those are my examples, not his, but there are compelling arguments to be made that the technology is going to become faster, cheaper and quite a lot better in 2025!The Anthropic news is one more way station toward a burgeoning industry that is going to become much more important as the months go on.

Gigabyte's Radeon RX 9070 XT GAMING OC graphics cardGigabyteMultiple pricing leaks for AMD's highly anticipated Radeon RX 9070 XT have surfaced in recent days, painting a rosy picture for AMD if the pricing is accurate as it will likely be undercutting all of Nvidia's new RTX 5000-series, including the GeForce RTX 5070 at $549.Pricing for the Radeon RX 9070 XT reference cardThe first leak stems from a member on Chiphell's forum, who claims that the reference card for AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT, will cost just $479. it should be noted that the reference card is usually quite basic in terms of cooling and most gamers opt for third party manufacturers with their own coolers for lower noise levels and better cooling. Still, it's price does tie in somewhat with a more recent leak that suggests pricing for those more elaborate models, often referred to as AIBs or partner cards.Pricing for the Radeon RX 9070 XT partner cardsThis is the pricing everyone would like to know seeing as cards such as the Gigabyte Gaming OC version of the RX 9070 XT are the one's most gamers tend to buy. A leaked page on a Philippine retailer (via Videocardz) states a price for this model of 35,00 Pesos. This equates to around $512 before taxes and likely closer to $600 after them.For reference, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 is slated to cost $549, which was confirmed by Nvidia early last week at CES in Las Vegas during CEO Jensen Huang's keynote presentation. The RTX 5070 Ti will come in at $749, so significantly more than the Radeon RX 9070 XT if the leaked pricing is to be believed.MORE FOR YOUIn its own presentation at CES, AMD revealed some interesting information about what graphics card models its new Radeon RX 9000 RDNA 4 graphics cards would be going up against. I short, it would be avoiding Nvidia's flagships and instead aiming for the mid range and competing with the likes of the RTX 4070 Ti and probably not performing much better than its current RX 7900 XT.AMD has named its new graphics cards the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 to allow for clearer comparison with ... [+] the competition, specifically the Nvidia RTX 4070 and 5070 modelsAMDHowever, in a recent performance leak, the RX 9070 XT was doing more than that and instead offering similar performance to the RTX 4070 Ti Super in one test and even eclipsing the RTX 4080 Super in another. It would be nice to think that performance over delivers compared to the image above, but realistically a $600 price tag would currently only mean competing with an RTX 4070 Super and even then you'd be hard pressed to find one under $650.If AMD could offer performance a step or two above this for the same price, it will be on the right track to offer Nvidia some stiff competition in the mid range, even if its own Radeon RX 7900 XTX will still be its fastest card. However, with both AMD and Nvidia launching new models over the next month or two, this should also see falls in pricing of the Nvidia RTX 4000 and AMD Radeon RX 7000 series cards.AMD's aim this time around is to target market share and to do that it needs to be extremely competitive on price. It will also have its own version of Nvidia's DLSS 4, which it announced at CES alongside the likes of the GeForce RTX 5090, which is called FSR 4. Already previewed by journalists at CES such as Digital Foundry, It's framerate boosting technology help it compete with Nvidia in offering higher frame rates, which should mean that even smooth gaming at 4K resolution is possible on the Radeon RX 9070 XT and 9070.As usual, the pricing is not confirmed, but with AMD most certainly having confirmed the new cards are coming, we don't have long to wait to see how AMD compared to Nvidia this time around.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Table of ContentsTable of ContentsAlienware Area 51HP Omen 16LMaingear Apex Force and Rush PCsHyte Nexus-powered casesCES 2025 has been a whirlwind of exciting PC gaming announcements, including new graphics cards and upscaling technologies from Nvidia and AMD. But as much as CES is about showing off new individual components and tech, its also a great place to see the gaming PCs of tomorrow.Sometimes CES is full of wacky designs that are more proof of concept than anything, but thats not been the case this year. We feasted our eyes on some truly gorgeous and impressive gaming PCs, and all of them are either ready to preorder now, or are coming down the pipe very soon. Here are the best gaming PCs of CES 2025.Recommended VideosLuke Larsen / Digital TrendsIf you had a rich gamer friend in the early to mid-2000s, theres a good chance thay had an Alienware gaming PC built inside the iconic Area 51 chassis. The Alienware brand has long since moved away from overt plastic styling and racing vents on the front, but parent company Dell brought back the Area 51 name at this years CES, with a fresh look.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming The new design mostly resembles a high-end DIY gaming PC, with a great-looking interior, well-thought-out layout, and thoughtful cable management. All components are standard and upgradeable, and the all-black, stealthy motherboard looks particularly cool.Luke Larsen / Digital TrendsThis model was fitted with all the bells and whistles, but when it goes on sale later in the first quarter of this year, the Alienware Area 51 desktop will come with a range of hardware options. That will include the latest Ryzen 9000 and Intel 200 processors, as well as Nvidia RTX 50-series graphics.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsHPs latest miniature gaming PC, the Omen 16L, might have given our Jacob Roach pause for its interesting component options, but nonetheless, its one of the better-looking gaming PCs shown this year at CES. Its miniature design is perfect for lower-power components, lowering power costs and helping to keep temperatures and noise levels down.This is the smallest gaming PC HP has ever made, but it can still pack in some powerful hardware, like an Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti or an AMD RX 7600. Those arent the RTX 5090, but theyre still plenty capable for high-frame-rate, 1080p play in most games. Theyre also physically small enough to fit inside such a compact design, helping keep this chassis lightweight and portable it could be a great LAN machine.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsIf you want to go really low power, or have a more professional system inside this PC, there are also options for APU processors without a GPU, though that does sacrifice a lot of gaming ability.Keep an eye out for a closer look at this gaming PC in a review from us later this year.MaingearThe loudest and most eye-catching gaming PC designs at CES have to go to Maingears new Apex range of gaming PCs. These tempered-glass, wraparound chassis would look fantastic if they were just focused on the internals with gorgeous hardline watercooling, beautiful distro plates with unique designs, and some of the best RGB lighting youll find outside of a DIY enthusiasts system.But these PCs arent just full of great-looking and performing gear theyre covered in gorgeous sticker art, too. This gives them a real boutique gaming PC feel, and yet these are going to be sold as pre-built systems, for you and anyone else to buy. That potentially opens the door up to many more gamers and PC enthusiasts to enjoy a gorgeous hardline water loop without all the headaches. Well, most of the headaches. Maingear might build it for you, but maintenance will be down to you.MaingearHardware inside will range from the more-modest to the extremes of the latest generations of CPUs and graphics cards, each cooled by their own custom water loop. This kind of thing is usually only found in the back of custom PC manufacturers catalogues, reserved for the most demanding of gamers. But Maingear is bringing that kind of styling to the mainstream in beautiful fashion.Theres no confirmed release date or pricing on these just yet, but expect them to be very expensive. Just look at those nickel-coated fittings. They dont come cheap.HyteHyte went in a different direction with its PCs. As well as leaning into its kawaii aesthetic, it also has a range of new cases with a giant touchscreen on the front. It uses these in a range of different builds to show off different looks with different kinds of hardware. They can play videos or display useful system information this is something that Hytes Q80 CPU cooler has had for a while, but now its extending into larger case designs too.Its not just about looks, though, as these screens can handle media functions, launch apps, or provide news and updates on a separate, readily-accessible display.HyteAlso built into these Y70 chassis is a new custom distro plate for even more customizable watercooling.For more news from CES 2025, from cars, to displays, to floor cleaners, and more, check out our ongoing CES 2025 coverage. Want to get a head-start on some of the best tech of the year? Here are the best CES 2025 products you can buy or preorder right now.Editors Recommendations

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Table of ContentsTable of ContentsRazer Blade 16Asus ROG Flow Z13Lenovo Legion Pro 7iAsus ROG Zephyrus G14Alienware Area-51Its been a while since even many of the best gaming laptops have gotten a true refresh. That has to do with graphics cards. Nvidia has made us wait a few long years before stepping up to the new RTX 50-series cards, and without a GPU upgrade, its hard to justify buying an expensive new laptop.But with the RTX 50-series officially announced, a load of new and updated gaming laptops were announced at CES this year, and having checked them out myself in person, these are the five that really caught my attention.Recommended VideosLuke Larsen / Digital TrendsIts probably no surprise to see the Razer Blade 16 on this list but truthfully, this is one of the biggest changes to this design in many years. The chassis has been reduced significantly over last years model, which was actually quite thick. This time around, its just 0.59 inches at thinnest and 0.69 inches at its thickest. Thats incredibly thin. Razer says the slight incline not only helps with typing ergonomics but also with thermals, allowing for a small chamber at the bottom called a thermal hood. Adding in a larger vapor chamber internally and making the switch to AMD will help maintain similar thermals as the previous design despite being thinner again, according to Razer. Dont forget youre also getting up to an RTX 5090 for graphics, and the same killer OLED display.Luke Larsen / Digital TrendsThe ROG Flow Z13 is certainly the most unique gaming laptop I saw at CES this year. The 2-in-1 design already makes it stand out, for sure, but the chip inside is what truly makes this special. Its one of only a few devices to use AMDs new Ryzen AI Max+ Pro chips, which have a massive integrated GPU inside. Its so powerful, in fact, that Asus has switched away from using a discrete RTX 4050 or 4060, which were available in last years model. AMD is comparing it to the Apple M4 Pro, saying it surpasses it in some performance testing. Thats a huge deal.The fact that such a chip and such a laptop even exist make it worth mentioning on this list. But Ive always loved the design of the ROG Flow Z13, specifically in how it keeps the heat away from your hands while gaming. If this fancy new Ryzen chip can make it a faster, cooler, and quieter laptop, Ill be delighted.Jacob Roach / Digital TrendsThe Legion Pro 7i has long been one of our favorite gaming laptops for those who want a blinged-out powerhouse and arent afraid to pay for it. This year, though, it got a fairly significant upgrade to its design. Its still a large-and-in-charge type of gaming laptop, but this time Lenovo has replaced mini-LED with OLED, which is a major step up.The other noticeable change is in the back, which replaces rear-facing ports with some RGB vents and returns the the array of ports to the sides. Lenovo says its for improved thermals, which this laptop will need if it hopes to cool the 250 watts of total power shared between the CPU and GPU. Well have to see how it shakes out when reviews launch, but this is one to look out for.Chris Hagan / Digital TrendsThe ROG Zephyrus G14 is a mainstay among our recommendations for best gaming laptop, and after last years significant redesign, I wasnt expecting any serious changes this year. And there werent. And yet, the small tweaks make this already spectacular laptop that much better.First off, its made the switch from AMD to Intel the opposite move that the Razer Blade 16 made. That means its configurable up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H and 64GB of memory. The most meaningful change, however, is an added 2mm of thickness, which is allowing Asus to stuff in up to an RTX 5080 this time around. Last years model topped out at an RTX 4070. And lastly, Asus has moved one of the USB-C ports to the other side of the chassis to make for more convenient charging options.Chris Hagan / Digital TrendsUnlike many of the other gaming laptops on this list, the Alienware Area-51 isnt trying to be sleek or dainty. Alienware surely wouldnt have revived the Area-51 branding if that was the goal. That doesnt mean the Alienware Area-51, which will come in both a 16-inch and 18-inch size, has a sloppy design. Not at all.This is a meticulously crafted new look, harkening back to the classic Alienware vibes while still modernizing as many elements as possible. The edges are softer and more rounded again, the ring of light on the thermal shelf is refined and more subtle, and even the hinge has a more streamlined aesthetic. All are changes for the better. I still wish we were getting some better display options here like mini-LED or OLED, but its hard not to respect what Alienware has done with the triumphant return of the Area-51.Editors Recommendations

Mark Zuckerberg explained why Meta is replacing fact-checkers on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.He said the change aims to address ideological censorship concerns and enhance user voice.Critics argue the move is a setback for accuracy.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained his rationale for changing the company's content moderation policies during Friday's episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.Earlier, on Tuesday, Zuckerberg posted a video message to Meta's blog announcing that he would replace fact-checkers with community notes, a system similar to what Elon Musk uses on X.The announcement was criticized by dozens of third-party fact-checking groups, which signed an open letter to Zuckerberg denouncing the changes as a "step backward" for accuracy.Zuckerberg told Rogan his reason for the changes was "censorship.""You only start one of these companies if you believe in giving people a voice," he said. "It goes back to our original mission, it's just give people the power to share and make people more open and connected."Zuckerberg said that over the past 10 years, there's been a greater push for "idealogical-based censorship" on the platform, fueled especially by the 2016 election, Brexit, and the COVID-19 pandemic. "We just faced this massive, massive institutional pressure to start censoring content on ideological grounds," he said.Zuckerberg initially gave into the pressure, believing it stemmed from genuine concerns about misinformation. After the 2016 election, he implemented a system of third-party fact-checkers tasked with correcting statements like "the earth is flat." However, the system quickly veered into gray areas, leading to accusations that the company's moderators were biased.Pressure on Meta's content moderation policies continued, reaching a fever pitch during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Biden administration rolled out its vaccine program. "While they're trying to push that program, they also tried to censor anyone who is basically arguing against it," Zuckerberg said. "They pushed us super hard to take down things that were, honestly, were true."That means he has been considering changing Meta's content moderation policies for a while now."I think that this is going to be pretty durable because, at this point, we've just been pressure tested on this stuff for the last 8 to 10 years with like these huge institutions just pressuring us," he said. "I feel like this is kind of the right place to be going forward."

TropiBox Kochi House / TAB/Tropical Architecture BureauSave this picture! Turtle Arts PhotographyHousesKozhikode, IndiaArchitects: TAB/Tropical Architecture BureauAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:3500 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Turtle Arts PhotographyManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: Saint-Gobain, Blum, Hafele, Legrand, Mitsubishi Electric Lead Architects: Uvais Subu More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!"The architecture cannot be totally explained but must be experienced." TropiBox Kochi features interconnected levels and open spaces, with pavilions designed to surprise and create a cohesive whole. Careful attention to detail, scale, and proportion enhances the human experience. Inspired by Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, TAB has crafted a unique blend of greenery-filled architecture and tropical modernism. The primary challenge was to design a home that provides each inhabitant with their own space while encouraging interaction. The building is organized using a vertical stacking strategy, with gardens and glass walls nestled between two main concrete faades. This design approach improves the microclimate by introducing natural ventilation and daylight into every room while the alternating openings enhance visibility and interaction among family members.Save this picture!The I-shaped plan creates two distinct levels due to the existing site, separating public and private zones. The central dining area serves as a communal gathering space, receiving abundant sunlight through a roof opening, and connecting to the kitchen, garden courtyard, and pool. Palms and plants form various courtyards, linking the open living room, dining area, bedrooms, and study. The vertical variation of spaces offers interesting sightlines and maintains natural ventilation, providing a comfortable environment in Kerala's tropical climate. materials such as natural stone, wood, and exposed concrete, combined with the microclimate, help reduce operational and maintenance costs. The architecture not only addresses functional and aesthetic concerns but also fosters a connection between people and nature.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The house's exterior is characterized by clean curved lines, planter boxes, and minimal solid forms, reflecting tropical modernism. Planter boxes on the front faade provide privacy and visual connections, creating a dynamic visual element that complements the surrounding built environment. The design emphasizes playing with levels, turning spaces like the living room, kitchen, family living area, and staircase openings into design elements. These spaces facilitate a seamless flow and movement, blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors and maximizing natural light and ventilation throughout.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The upper living area features no closed planes from east to west, with a mezzanine floor offering optimal north exposure and minimal south exposure, allowing free wind flow and natural lighting. One main courtyard is strategically placed alongside the compound wall, connected to the open kitchen and formal living area. The outdoor patio features a pool, offering a serene and relaxing space for residents.Save this picture!The dining area, located at the heart of the house, includes a large opening and double-height skylight, framing picturesque views of the entire house. This framing adds depth and meaning to the design, emphasizing the importance of personalized and meaningful experiences in architecture.Save this picture!Save this picture!TropiBox Kochi is a captivating example of architecture that presents an introverted faade while revealing an invitingly open plan and surprising spatial experience inside. The result is a beautiful and functional space that embodies architectural principles while providing a serene and relaxing home for residents. The front and back yards serve as buffer spaces to reduce heat from the outside environment. The front yard offers a relaxing area for morning coffee, where wind, sunlight, and the shadows of the curved lines on the planter box wall intersect.Save this picture!The mezzanine, a family space that includes a balcony or meditation area, contains two bedrooms (one for the couple and one for a baby), a kitchen, and a dining table. This shared space allows residents to feel the breeze and enjoy the interplay of shadow and sunlight as they move from the ground floor to the stairs.Save this picture!Using simple materials and energy-efficient designs, TropiBox Kochi fosters a deeper emotional connection with the environment, encouraging residents to experience all the seasons of Kerala. The home promotes human interactions, offering a functional space that harmonizes with the environment. It features natural air conditioning and temperature-balancing mechanisms, focusing on both the interior and exterior environment to support the family's well-being.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeMaterialConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on January 11, 2025Cite: "TropiBox Kochi House / TAB/Tropical Architecture Bureau" 11 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025546/tropibox-kochi-house-tab-tropical-architecture-bureau&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Nosferatu rocked audiences after its Christmas release in theaters, providing a stunning and shocking story filled with spectacular visuals and an ominous vibe. The Robert Eggers-directed movie features an eclectic cast starring many notable names. However, Nosferatu's lead happens to be relative newcomer Lily-Rose Depp.

Nintendo has consistently brought its A-game with its first-party lineup on the Nintendo Switch. Many of the most iconic Nintendo franchises have had some of their best and most popular entries on the Switch and have contributed to the platform becoming a cultural phenomenon. The Switch has also been a playground for Nintendo to revive some long-dormant franchises, including even obscure games like Endless Ocean and Famicom Detective Club.

In the ever-changing landscape of superhero media, where new projects are greenlit before scripts are even finished, the silence surrounding The Penguin Season 2 is baffling. Starring Colin Farrell in a Golden Globe-winning role as the Gotham crime lord Oz Cobb, The Penguin was a breakout hit, both critically and commercially. Fans eagerly tuned in, critics lauded the storytelling and performances, and the series brought an intriguing, gritty perspective to the DC Expander Universe. Yet, despite its acclaim and obvious potential for more stories, the absence of an official renewal raises eyebrows.