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Lunar Remastered Collection Physical Edition (PS4, Switch) $55 | Releases April 18 See at Amazon Lunar Remastered Collection launches on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on April 18, and the console versions are getting Amazon-exclusive physical editions. At the time of writing, Amazon hasn't unlocked preorders yet, but store pages are live for physical editions for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. We'd recommend double-checking by clicking the links below, as preorders should unlock very soon. We'll update this preorder guide once Amazon starts taking preorders.Lunar Remastered Collection Amazon Listings:Continue Reading at GameSpot

World of Warcraft has delayed the launch of the second Plunderstorm event in order to handle some unexpected problems. Though World of Warcraft still plans to launch Plunderstorm before the end of January 14, fans will have to wait a little longer than expected to enjoy the battle royale game mode once again.

Quantum computing is one of the most exciting areas in computer science, promising progress in accelerated computing beyond whats considered possible today.Its expected that the technology will tackle myriad problems that were once deemed impractical, or even impossible to solve. Quantum computing promises huge leaps forward for fields spanning drug discovery and materials development to financial forecasting.But just as exciting as quantum computings future are the breakthroughs already being made today in quantum hardware, error correction and algorithms.NVIDIA is celebrating and exploring this remarkable progress in quantum computing by announcing its first Quantum Day at GTC 2025 on March 20. This new focus area brings together leading experts for a comprehensive and balanced perspective on what businesses should expect from quantum computing in the coming decades mapping the path toward useful quantum applications.Discussing the state of the art in quantum computing, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang will share the stage with executives from industry leaders, including:Alice & BobAtom ComputingD-WaveInfleqtionIonQPasqalPsiQuantumQuantinuumQuantum CircuitsQuEra ComputingRigettiSEEQCLearn About Quantum Computing at NVIDIA GTCQuantum Day will feature:Sessions exploring whats possible and available now in quantum computing, and where quantum technologies are headed, hosted by Huang and representatives from across the quantum community.A developer day session outlining how partners are working with NVIDIA to advance quantum computing.Educational sessions providing attendees with hands-on training on how to use the most advanced tools to explore and develop quantum hardware and applications.A Quantum Day special address, unveiling the latest news and advances from NVIDIA in quantum computing shortening the timeline to useful applications.Quantum Day at GTC 2025 is the destination for leaders and experts seeking to chart a course into the future of quantum computing.Registerfor GTC.

We tend to imagine the hardest part of surviving a zombie apocalypse would be, well, the zombies. But as properties like The Last Of Us, The Walking Dead, and Navaar Jacksons tabletop role-playing game The Corrupted show us, its actually other people.While there are other games that tackle the zombie trope, like Free Leagues licensed RPG for The Walking Dead and D&Ds Domains of Dread, the scale of the problems in The Corrupted are brought down to an interpersonal level making them arguably more devastating. An intimate game about a small group of survivors, The Corrupted uses a familiar base d20 system and adds in mechanics that highlight the difficulties of adjusting to the new normal of a post-fall world with people you dont even know.While there are combat mechanics for high intensity moments, the main thrust of the game is the emotional toll the apocalypse takes on this small group. Resource management heightens the survival element of The Corrupted, as food, water, and other tools like bullets are tracked over time.The base abilities for the game include Empathy, Intellect, Judgement, Brawn, Agility, and Vitality with nearly all of those featured during out-of-combat play. Failed rolls dont simply prevent players from achieving their goals, they also actively cause Stress and a unique compromised condition which elevates the stakes of any conflict. Unresolved Stress then compiles into conflicts.The conflict system mechanically represents tensions that arise from the literal stress and trauma of not only survival, but of existing alongside other people. Those mechanics impact how player characters relate to each other as well as themselves, providing opportunities for conflict to arise between players as the outside world throws an unending series of obstacles at them.For those interested in seeing just how emotionally devastating this game can be, Jackson produced Ties That Bind. A slice-of-life zombie apocalypse actual play of The Corrupted, Ties That Bind features Jackson alongside award-winning actual play performers Hamnah Shahid and Josephine Kim. The stunningly edited audio AP weaves between the day to day life of three survivors as they deal with the interpersonal and ethical complications of figuring out what comes after the apocalypse, with the lives they led before the pathogen tore through the United States.The Corrupted is currently available for $20 at Plus One Exp, where it was published as part of the companys monthly Zine Club. Digital copies are available on Jacksons itch.io page for $16.

TikTok's future in the United States is looking more uncertain than ever. With a potential ban just days away, angry TikTok users are looking for alternativesand they're not all turning to American-based platforms like Instagram.Instead, these users, who dub themselves "TikTok refugees," are looking to stick it to the U.S. government, who is trying to ban their favorite app over issues of national security. TikTok's parent company is ByteDance, which is based in China. As such, the TikTok refugees are largely targeting social media platforms that are also run by companies based in China. An app called RedNote is one of the most prominent options getting attention. Perhaps that's an understatement: As of this writing, RedNote is the number one app on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.What is RedNote?RedNote's Chinese name is Xiaohongshu, which translates to "Little Red Book." (Also the name of the collection of writings of Chinese political revolutionary Mao Zedong.) It's a popular social media app in its native country, created in 2013 by developer Xingyin Information Technology. It is similar to, but not an exact replica of TikTok. Like TikTok, RedNote hosts short-form videos you can scroll through endlessly. But in addition to videos, the app also lets you create collaborative "boards," and even shop in its in-app marketplacethough I'm not sure what the shipping costs would be to buy used furniture from across the world. At the end of the day, it's a social media experience, one that the U.S. government probably didn't anticipate would play host to disgruntled Americans. Of course, what's drawing the crowds are RedNote's TikTok-like short videos. I downloaded the app to see what the hullabaloo is all about. What data RedNote asks for when you install itAs far as privacy and security goes, the app will scrape your device ID, and developer Xingin can potentially use that to track you across other apps and websites. That's not great, but it's also not unusual: For context, TikTok also tracks your device ID, as well as your email address and phone numbertwo data points RedNote does not track. RedNote also collects other data points that are linked directly to you, including your purchases, search history, user ID, and contacts. Finally, the app takes a number of data points that are not directly linked to you, including your advertising data, product interaction, coarse location, product interaction, precise location, physical address, name, phone number, photos or videos, audio data, customer support info, user content, crash data, and performance data. It's worth noting again that plenty of apps ask for data points like this, both linked and not linked to your identity. It's your choice what you're comfortable with offering up, and there are always steps to take to prevent certain data from leaking from your device to the app. For example, you can use a VPN to mask your location and device ID, or disable your location settings for the app altogether; create an account through Apple and use Hide My Email to shield your email address from the app; disable photos and videos access for the app, except for specific pictures and clips you choose to share; and block the app from accessing your contacts, if you'd rather find your friends there one-by-one. What it's like using RedNote as an English speakerAs I scroll through the app, it largely looks like TikTok meets the Instagram Explore page. Indeed, RedNote's main feed is called "Explore," a grid layout of different videos you can check out. Tap one, and it plays. Scroll down, and you can watch another video. If you've used a short-form video platform before, you'll get the gist pretty quick. In fact, there's a dedicated "Trending" tab, that is your basic short-form video experience. Of course, there are some feature unique to RedNote: Pinch in, and you clear the UI, to focus on the video at hand. Long-press, and you'll find a series of extra options, including "Auto scroll," if scrolling by hand gets to be too much.In most respects, this is a short-form video app that anyone who has watched TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts can understand quicklyperhaps minus actually reading a lot of the writing in it. Not only is the developer of this app based in China, the primary language of the app itself is reportedly Mandarin, which means most of the discourse on it is not in English. If you, like me, do not know a word of Chinese, you may miss out on things as you scroll through comments and captions in a language you don't understand. Of course, there are ways to translate elements of your display, but you might not have to: Part of the quirk of so many English-speaking American users flooding the app is that the Chinese-speaking users are now posting in English as well. Users from both countries have even been chatting and joking with one another: Chinese-based users are posting in English, saying that they're happy to see Americans, as their jobs as their "Chinese spies" will be saved. (Others are asking Americans for help with their English homework.) In general, users from both countries seem to be having a good time getting to know one another. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. As much buzz as RedNote is getting this week, it's obviously nowhere near as popular as TikTok, even in China: The former has 300 million active users, compared to TikTok's one billion. But should TikTok be banned in the U.S. next week, the app may lose its 170 million American usersat least the ones that don't use workarounds to keep the app alive. It will be interesting to see how RedNote continues to grow, and whether that growth will in turn inspire the U.S. government to try to ban it as well. If the TikTok ban is successful, it's not hard to see a RedNote ban become a reality, too.

Sonos is continuing to clean house as the company recovers from the hits it took following a disastrous mobile app redesign last year. Just a day after CEO Patrick Spence departed the company, chief product officer Maxime Bouvat-Merlin is also leaving. He will act as an advisor to interim CEO Tom Conrad during the leadership transition before fully exiting Sonos.Conrad informed Sonos employees about the latest leadership change in a company-wide email today. The CPO role is being made redundant, with Sonos' product team reporting directly to Conrad for the time being.Sonos has been in a tailspin since releasing a mobile app update in May that contained many bugs and was missing key features. The company's financial results took a dive, and it laid off about 100 employees in August. Sonos has made several efforts to keep customers aware of its plans to recover from the app launch, and the decision to replace top leadership seems like the latest move to win back public trust in the business.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sonos-chief-product-officer-is-also-leaving-the-company-223256031.html?src=rss

Amazon plans an AI revamp for Alexa.

The SEC on Tuesday filed a suit against Elon Musk, alleging the billionaire violated securities law by acquiring Twitter shares at "artificially low prices."

President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed an ambitious executive order on artificial intelligence that seeks to ensure the infrastructure needed for advanced AI operations, such as large-scale data centers and new clean-power facilities, can be built quickly and at scale in the United States.The executive order directs federal agencies to accelerate large-scale AI infrastructure development at government sites, while imposing requirements and safeguards on the developers building on those locations. It also directs certain agencies to make federal sites available for AI data centers and new clean power facilities. Those agencies will help facilitate the infrastructures interconnection to the electric grid and help speed up the permitting process.While the tech industry has long relied on data centers to run online services, from email and social media to financial transactions, new AI technology behind popular chatbots and other generative AI tools requires even more powerful computation to build and operate.A report released by the Department of Energy last month estimated that the electricity needed for data centers in the U.S. tripled over the past decade and is projected to double or triple again by 2028, when it could consume up to 12% of the nations electricity.In a statement, Biden said AI will have profound implications for national security and enormous potential to improve Americans lives if harnessed responsibly, from helping cure disease to keeping communities safe by mitigating the effects of climate change.However, we cannot take our lead for granted, the Democratic president said. We will not let America be out-built when it comes to the technology that will define the future, nor should we sacrifice critical environmental standards and our shared efforts to protect clean air and clean water.Under the new rules, the departments of Defense and Energy will each identify at least three sites where the private sector can build AI data centers. The agencies will run competitive solicitations from private companies to build AI data centers on those federal sites, senior administration officials said.Developers building on those sites will be required, among other things, to pay for the construction of those facilities and to bring sufficient clean power generation to match the full capacity needs of their data centers. Although the U.S. government will be leasing land to a company, that company would own the materials it creates there, officials said.With less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, a big question is whether the incoming administration will keep or rescind the new order. Much of the orders focus is on reducing the bottlenecks of getting energy-hungry data centers connected to new sources of electricity including renewable sources such as wind and solar.It has to be a priority because otherwise youre going to have blackouts, youre going to have citizens or businesses being affected by this, said computer scientist Sasha Luccioni, climate lead at the AI company Hugging Face. Making it easier to facilitate interconnection of infrastructure to the electric grid is kind of a no brainer that would be useful for the next administration, no matter what their priorities are in terms of sustainability or climate.Biden said the efforts are designed to accelerate the clean energy transition in a way that is responsible and respectful to local communities and does not add costs to the average American. Developers selected to build on government sites will be required to pay all costs of building and operating AI infrastructure so that development does not raise electricity prices for consumers, the administration said.The orders also direct construction of AI data centers on federal sites to be done with public labor agreements. Some of the sites are reserved for small and medium-sized AI companies, according to government officials.Government agencies will also complete a study on the effects of all AI data centers on electricity prices, and the Energy Department will provide technical assistance to state public utility commissions regarding electricity tariff designs that can support connecting new large customers with clean energy.As part of the order, the Interior Department will identify lands it manages that are suitable for clean energy development and can support data centers on government sites, administration officials said.The volumes of computing power, electricity needed to train and operate frontier models are increasing rapidly and set to surge even more, said Tarun Chhabra, deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for technology and national security. By around 2028, we expect that leading AI developers will be seeking to operate data centers with as much as five gigawatts of capacity for training AI models.Deploying AI systems at scale also requires a broader network of data centers across different parts of the country, he said.From a national security standpoint, its really critical to find a pathway for building the data centers and power infrastructure to support frontier AI operations here in the United States, he said, adding that building data centers in the U.S. will prevent adversaries from accessing these powerful systems to the detriment of our military and our national security.That type of investment will also prevent the U.S. from growing dependent on other countries to access AI tools, Chhabra said.The executive order comes on the heels of the Biden administrations proposed new restrictions on exports of artificial intelligence chips, an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries. That proposal raised concerns of chip industry executives as well as officials from the European Union over export restrictions that would affect 120 countries.Missing from the order is how to manage the water consumption of AI data centers. There is a growing concern in states with multiple data centers over how to balance the economic development they bring with their impact on water resources as they use vast amounts of water for cooling, said J. Alan Roberson, executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators.Across the country, everyone is trying to get a better idea of the impact of data centers on water use now and in the future, he said.The executive order could have instructed federal agencies to collect information about how much water data centers use to help state and local officials making zoning decisions about whether to allow them, but it did not, he added.Sarah Parvini, AP technology writerAP writers Matt OBrien and Jennifer McDermott contributed to this report.