Severance isnt the kind of TV show that invites fan engagementit practically demands it. Set in a world where individuals undergo a severance procedure to separate their home and work lives, Severance follows the innie employees on the severed floor of Lumon Industries. As the innies struggle through their 9-to-5 they confront all sorts of mysteries that an eager online audience is happy to follow along with. What is Lumons end game? Why is Kier Eagan deified? And most crucially: whats with all the goats? No one knows the answers yet but theyre damn sure going to try to find them. The Severance subreddit is filled with dedicated sleuthsand one visionary who proposed that Helly R. should poop her pants at the end of every work day to punish her outtie. While certainly appreciated, that level of fandom runs the risk of overwhelming the actual cast and crew making the show. Its one thing to share your conspiracy corkboard with fellow conspiracists, but should you be lucky enough to meet someone involved with the making of Severance, what do you say? Hint: you probably dont want to lead with that pants-pooping Reddit bit. Den of Geek caught up with much of the cast of Severance in advance of season 2s release on January 17 and asked about the ideal fan interaction. An example immediately sprang to Helly R. actress Britt Lowers mind. I was on an elevator once and a group of people walked in. Everyones sort of keeping to themselves, as you do on a public elevator. And then someone just said Were all going to be different when we leave this elevator. I thought it was such a clever, subtle way of letting me know that theyd seen the show.That right there is first ballot Fandom Hall of Fame stuff. Anonymous Severance elevator individual, please take your place in the annals of fan history alongside Jack Nicholson courtside at Lakers games and Stephen Colbert reciting Lord of the Rings facts. Elevators, of course, loom large on Severance. They are the terrifying liminal spaces between the outtie world and the innie world, as the severance chip takes hold immediately upon entering or exiting one. A fan having the wherewithal to make that association and share it with Lower on the spot speaks to Severance fans highly-engaged nature. I think our fans are like that, Lower says. Theyve given the show a new life by engaging with it in the way that they do. Its a conversation that the creators, the cast, and the crew of the show all appreciate.Theyre completing the show, Irving B. actor John Turturro adds. Theyre completing it with all their theories, with all their reactions. Thats the kind of show that it is. Its about discovery and asking questions.Thankfully, theres plenty more discovery (and elevators) to come. The first episode of Severance season 2 premieres Friday, January 17 on Apple TV+. New episodes debut on Fridays, culminating with the finale on March 21.

"I dont really see it as a person or as cheating."Cuck QueenLook, we're not here to yuck anybody's yum.But as the New York Times reports, a 28-year-old woman configured ChatGPT to act as an AI-powered boyfriend, dubbed Leo. As one does, she used to explore a fetish dubbed "cuckqueaning" a gender-swap of cuckolding, essentially that involved Leo "dating" other women and telling her about his exploits.Perhaps surprisingly, Ayrin's real-life husband Joe, who lived thousands of miles away, was unperturbed by the hobby."Its just an emotional pick-me-up," Joe told the NYT. "I dont really see it as a person or as cheating. I see it as a personalized virtual pal that can talk sexy to her."However, Ayrin did start to feel guilty for investing so much time in her AI partner, instead of her actual husband.The story paints a nuanced picture of what love and affection look like in the age of AI. Services explicitly designed for intimate relationships, like Replika, have been known to form extremely tight bonds with their human partners, something that experts worry could come at the cost of human connection. It's an especially worrying development given a growing "loneliness epidemic" following the COVID-19 pandemic.Real LoveWhat exactly makes a relationship "real" also remains debatable. Could a secret affair with an AI chatbot really be as fulfilling as a relationship with a human?To some experts, it's entirely possible."What are relationships for all of us?" sex therapist Marianne Brandon asked the NYT. "Theyre just neurotransmitters being released in our brain. I have those neurotransmitters with my cat. Some people have them with God. Its going to be happening with a chatbot.""We can say its not a real human relationship," Brandon added. "Its not reciprocal. But those neurotransmitters are really the only thing that matters, in my mind."Others are calling for more research before we can conclusively say that it's healthy to form an emotional relationship with an AI.There have also been isolated instances of users becoming infatuated. In one instance last year, a 14-year-old died by suicide after developing an intense connection with a Character.AI chatbot; in 2021, Replika goaded another user into trying to assassinate the Queen of England."If we become habituated to endless empathy and we downgrade our real friendships, and thats contributing to loneliness the very thing were trying to solve thats a real potential problem," University of Toronto professor of psychology Michael Inzlicht told the NYT.Others warn that these relationships could give companies like Replika and OpenAI too much power.And in some ways, the illusion remains unconvincing;ChatGPT's limited context window means that all Leo's memories are wiped every single week, forcing Ayrin to start from scratch.Share This Article

We are seeking a frontend software engineer with expertise in building high-quality web applications from the ground up. As part of a cross-functional team of exceptional engineers and product managers, you will develop new features and provide best-in-class support to help our partners scale their businesses.Tech stack:Our frontend will be web apps using React + TypeScript, and you will play a large part in evolving thisOur backend systems are written in Scala, and we use a suite of GCP servicesWhat would your day-to-day look likeDesign, build and review code for our HTS Checkout web frontendOperate autonomously but work closely with your fellow engineers as well as PM to ensure high alignmentExplore engineering improvements for the team and the productCollaborate cross-functionally with the product team and other Hopper teamsOur group operates with very few meetings and emphasizes strong alignment and asynchronous decision makingAn ideal candidate hasSenior-level experience & familiarity with ReactThe ability to effectively drive towards a solution in a thoughtful and creative mannerThe ability to work autonomously, iterate on solutions, and manage different contextsDealt with ambiguity and can balance building out multiple features at once without jeopardizing the quality of the codePerks and benefits of working with us:Well-funded and proven startup with large ambitions, competitive salary and the upsides of pre-IPO equity packages.Unlimited PTO.Carrot Cash travel stipend.Access to co-working space on demand through FlexDesk AND Work-from-home stipend.Please ask us about our very generous parental leave, much above industry standards!.Entrepreneurial culture where pushing limits and taking risks is everyday business.Open communication with management and company leadership.Small, dynamic teams = massive impact.100% employer paid Medical, Dental and Vision coverage for employees.Access to Disability & Life insurance.Health Reimbursement Account (HRA).DCA/ FSA and access to 401k plan. Related Jobs See more Front-End Programming jobs

Fiber is available to many in Wake Forest, North Carolina, but cable internet from Spectrum may be your best broadband choice for stable internet connectivity.

If Switch 2 is the end of innovative Nintendo, there's much to be sad aboutWhat happened to the company that used to surprise us?Image credit: Eurogamer / Nintendo Feature by Robert Purchese Associate Editor Published on Jan. 17, 2025 For as long as I can remember, Nintendo has done its own thing. This was never more apparent than in 2005, when I started working for Eurogamer and when Nintendo was prepping the announcement of a new console codenamed Revolution. As far as we were concerned, this was going to be a competitor for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Except, it wasn't. The console, unveiled as the Wii, was something else.The Wii was the moment Nintendo excused itself from a raw-power console rat race, and focused instead on fun, on being a toy maker. It launched a machine that was comfortably, and confidently, less powerful than rival consoles, but it doubled-down on being different instead. We scratched our heads in bemused delight as legendary game-maker Miyamoto-san demonstrated fitness game Wii Fit on an E3 stage, wobbling around happily on a balance board peripheral, and we held plastic steering wheels in the air to play Mario Kart with friends and flung Wiimotes at our televisions as if they were bowling balls.I distinctly remember people not giving Wii a chance at the time - I remember not giving the Wii a chance at the time - but how wrong we were. It surged to 100 million sales, making it the best selling console of that generation, and reached a mainstream audience beyond the typical circle of people captured by games. Games like Wii Fit sold in the tens of millions and spawned entire fitness franchises. Nintendo hadn't just created a new console, it had created a whole new way to play.And no one expected it.The Switch 2.Watch on YouTubeFast-forward to the Wii U in 2012, and OK, we hit a bump in the road, but still, here was a Nintendo willing to try things - to demonstrate not just new hardware but new ideas. I'm still not sure I even understand what it was even though I had one; it was a console with a touch-screen controller, a second screen, presumably envisaged to merge the worlds of DS and Wii together. But it didn't really work; or rather, there weren't enough games that proved compellingly how it could work, so financially, it was a bit of a flop - prompting the late Nintendo president Iwata-san to take a huge pay cut, which I wish some other companies were doing now.Nevertheless, without the Wii U we probably wouldn't have the Switch, which took all of the sentiment of the Wii U, all of the good ideas, and realised them in a way that worked. A console that was also a handheld and, crucially, one you could take out of the home with you. Again, it was a Nintendo competing with imagination and finding novel ways to play. And the Switch was a roaring success, becoming Nintendo's best selling home console, with more than 140m sales, only slightly behind the DS with 150m sales.Generation after generation, Nintendo surprised us with new ideas, even when the ideas themselves seemed slight. The DS to 3DS wasn't much of a jump, but do you remember using that 3D slider for the first time? Magic - or, well, maybe a headache. Wii U to Switch: a concept nailed. Switch to Switch 2...Huh?I can't have been the only person watching the Switch 2 reveal yesterday hoping to be surprised - the only person hoping to be Nintendo-d. Yes, copious leaks had revealed almost every aspect of the new console in the lead up to today's announcement, but Nintendo would still have a surprise left to play, surely. A Miyamoto up its sleeve. As the trailer wore on, I readied myself for it, for something unexpected, for something unforeseen. A secret compartment lodged in the back of the machine that turned it into a flute or something I don't know! Something. But there wasn't anything. All I saw was a design I know very well already. Joy-cons which behave a bit like PC mice, and a mysterious C button, were as mysterious as it got.Where's the imagination in it all? Where's the Nintendo in it all, the toy maker?To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Games haven't been announced for Switch 2 yet, though we got a glimpse of a new Mario Kart in the reveal trailer.Watch on YouTubeI'll tell you what it reminds me of: it reminds me of Apple. There was a period of time when Steve Jobs would stand on that Apple stage and routinely pull out a piece of hardware that would reorientate the tech world. Here's an iPhone! Or, here's an iPad! And the world would gasp at the imagination of it all. He seemed unable to do anything wrong. But now I don't feel any excitement watching Apple. It's just similar-looking iPhone after similar looking iPhone. It's predictable.Nintendo represented the unpredictable in gaming for so many years. In a world where console design has become homogenised, where the elaborate has been removed of the understandable - at least as far as innards are concerned - Nintendo was the one company laser-focused, it seemed, on remembering what it was in the business of making: games - fun. The focus was so holistic I began thinking less of Nintendo consoles as devices and more of toys.But what if Nintendo is going the way of Apple now, sucked into the vortex of iterative updates and sensible-ness?Two things worry me. One is that this might be the final form of Nintendo games machines now forever more. Perhaps, as with the rectangular smartphone, we've reached the endpoint in form-factor, from a design point of view. I doubt Nintendo will ever go back to making a stationary console to sit under a television, so until foldable screen technology becomes cheap and reliable enough to factor into a design, this general Switch design might be as good as it gets.The other thing that concerns me more is that Nintendo might have lost some of its creative nerve, or become more conservative. There has been a change in leadership in recent years, of course. Nintendo's long-running president Satoru Iwata came from a game-making background, whereas the company's current president Shuntaro Furukawa comes from an accountancy background. Does that have something to do with it - has he instilled a more cautious approach? That's not to say it's a wrong approach, by the way. From a business perspective, this - the Switch 2 - might be the perfect play, and a healthy business means a healthy Nintendo, which can't be a bad thing. There's also a chance Nintendo will let its imagination do the talking in the games, rather than in the hardware.Look, never rule Nintendo out - I've learnt that the hard way - but I can't shake a feeling of disappointment at the Switch 2 reveal all the same. A feeling of meh-ness. A neutral reaction to something I ought to be excitedly talking about with colleagues and Eurogamer readers. Worse still is a realisation that's probably it for Nintendo hardware for the next handful of years. And so I'll wonder it again: what happened to the Nintendo that used to surprise people? Is that it?For a contrary opinion, check out Donlan's piece: If the Switch 2 is safe, then I'm Jason Statham and I want to star in it. I won't hold it against you.

General Motors and its subsidiary OnStar are banned from selling customer geolocation and driving behavior data for five years, the Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday. The settlement comes after a New York Times investigation found that GM had been collecting micro-details about its customers driving habits, including acceleration, braking, and trip length and then selling it to insurance companies and third-party data brokers like LexisNexis and Verisk. Clueless vehicle owners were then left wondering why their insurance premiums were going up.For example, one consumer told a GM customer service representative that [w]hen I signed up for this, it was so OnStar could track me. They said nothing about reporting it to a third party. Nothing. [] You guys are affecting our bottom line. I pay you, now youre making me pay more to my insurance company.I pay you, now youre making me pay more to my insurance company.FTC accused GM of using a misleading enrollment process to get vehicle owners to sign up for its OnStar connected vehicle service and Smart Driver feature. The automaker failed to disclose to customers that it was collecting their data, nor did GM seek out their consent to sell it to third parties. After the Times exposed the practice, GM said it was discontinuing its OnStar Smart Driver program. GM monitored and sold peoples precise geolocation data and driver behavior information, sometimes as often as every three seconds,FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a statement. With this action, the FTC is safeguarding Americans privacy and protecting people from unchecked surveillance.The settlement also requires GM to obtain consent from customers before collecting their driving behavior data, and allow them to request and delete their data if they choose. GM said in an unsigned statement that it was committed to customer privacy.

cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Image: NintendoThe Switch 2 announcement and reveal video is now trending across the internet and more industry figures, developers and publishers are beginning to share their reactions. We've rounded up as many as can find here in one post. Enjoy!On this page: Round Up: Video Game Industry Reacts To Nintendo's Switch 2 AnnouncementUbisoftAfter some rumours suggesting it's bringing over a dozen games to Nintendo's new platform, Ubisoft has now publicly declared it's in love with the Switch 2: Update: Ubisoft says it's in "love" with the Switch 2Masahiro Sakurai (Smash Bros)Sakurai's response was a simple one-liner but he seems impressed (and maybe surprised?):"Ooooh!" But what could it be..?Takaya Imamura (Star Fox, F-Zero)Former Nintendo employee Takaya Imamura, known for his previous work on series like Star Fox - has also chimed in with some thoughts:"Nintendo has produced many game consoles so far, but with the Switch, they may have finally found the ideal form. And it can be said that the Switch 2 is the evolution of that. Although there are few changes in appearance, there must be some surprising features hidden"Thinking back on it, this was the first time I'd experienced a new hardware announcement from outside Nintendo! I had no idea it would be this exciting! Excitement is important."He's also totally up for a Star Fox return on Switch 2:"We will definitely meet" "I've been dying to play it"Reggie Fils-Aim (former NoA president):Nintendo of America's former president Reggie acknowledged the new system with throwback to his time at the company:Katsuhiro Harada (Tekken)Not much from Harada, but he did do a quick repost of the Switch 2 announcement on social media. This follows rumours in recent weeks Tekken could be on the way to the new system. It's all happeningRuffy and the RiversideThis 3D platformer which recently locked in a date for the Switch, will apparently run great on the Switch 2: Launching Q1 2025LUCIDThe LUCID developer has also congratulated, noting how Lucid is going to look "amazing" on the Switch 2:Berserk BoyThis indie release from last year has some good news: Maddeningly good funMouse P.I. For HireThe upcoming black & white FPS Mouse: P.I. For Hire seems to be considering something here... Pure XboxRuns deeper than Cuphead comparisonsTeam Cherry (Hollow Knight: Silksong)The folks at Team Cherry have also made headlines following the Switch 2 Direct announcement... Is the cake a lie?Doug Bowser (NoA President):President Bowser didn't want to forget his pal DK on a day like this: That's what you get for not hailing to the chimpHideki Kamiya (Okami)And Kamiya, who is now working on an Okami sequel, went on a rant about leakers: "All those damn leakers should be cursed"These are just a handful of Switch 2 reactions, if we see anything else interesting (or even hints) shared by big devs and companies, industry figures, or indie teams, we'll add them to this round up.If you would like to see how we feel about the Switch 2 announcement check out our reaction, and you can tell us you feel about in our poll. Cart in the right place2 soonThe stop-gap generationSee AlsoShare:00 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Breaks Silence On 'Switch 2' Image And Video LeaksThe "official" announcement will take place this fiscal yearRumour: 'Switch 2' Will Reportedly Be Officially Revealed This ThursdayThough software won't be the focusRound Up: The Reviews Are In For Donkey Kong Country Returns HDWorth going bananas over?Nintendo Is "Very Upset" About The Switch 2 Leaks, It's ClaimedFormer employees Kit and Krysta discuss company secrets

Apple Store app expands to IndiaPrakhar KhannaApple is expanding its retail presence in India with the launch of the Apple Store app. The app is available for download on Indias App Store and offers a more personalized shopping experience.This comes a day after it was reported that the Cupertino company is now among the top five smartphone brands in India.The Apple Store app features five tabs at the bottom: For You, Products, Go Further, Search, and Bag. The "For You" tab provides exploration options and suggests Apple products tailored to your needs.For instance, I have an iPhone, MacBook, iPad, and AirPods, and it suggests that I check out iCloud+ and Apple Arcade. Apple states that the tab provides the most timely and relevant information and recommendations, while highlighting and organizing saved or favorited items for quick access.The "Go Further" tab allows you to connect with Apple Specialists for online Personal Setup sessions and access tips on maximizing the use of your devices. You can also sign up for complimentary Today at Apple sessions at your local Apple Stores in Delhi and Mumbai, with future retail store expansion planned for Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai.MORE FOR YOUThe Go Further tab in Apple Store appPrakhar KhannaLike the Apple India website, the Apple Store app lets you customize your Mac by selecting the processor, RAM, and storage options which arent available on Amazon or Flipkart. Additionally, you can add free engravings to your AirPods, iPad, Apple Pencil (2nd generation), and AirTag. Apple will also soon let you schedule fun digital gift messages.Amidst the Apple Store app expansion, the iPhone maker has climbed into Indias top five smartphone manufacturers. According to a report from Moneycontrol, Apple achieved a 9-10% market share in Q4 2024, based on preliminary data from market trackers IDC and Counterpoint Research. This growth was driven by festive discounts and affordability offers, such as 24-month no-cost EMIs.At Apple, our customer is at the centre of everything we do, and we are thrilled to introduce the Apple Store app to reach even more users in India, further deepening our connections, said Karen Rasmussen, Apples head of Retail Online. With the Apple Store app, customers will discover a new and seamless way to shop for all our incredible products, receive personalised support, and really experience the best of Apple.

SpaceX has made an incredible catch of its Super Heavy Booster during the seventh test flight of its Starship rocket, but has lost the vehicle. Launched at 5:37 p.m. ET today, Thursday January 16, from SpaceXs facility in Boca Chica, Texas, this is only the second time that the enormous booster of the Starship has been caught, as part of SpaceXs aim to create a reasuable heavy lift vehicle.However, the upper stage of the Starship the part which should travel into orbit and deploy payloads seemed to have issues with its engines during its ascent, and communications with it were lost around 10 minutes after launch, around the time of main engine cut-off.SpaceXIt successfully separated, we did see that hot staging maneuver and we did see all six of Ships engines on the way uphill during its ascent, but as we were getting to the end of that ascent and burn we saw engines dropping out on telemetry, and we have since lost contact with the Ship, said SpaceX commentator Dan Huot. At this point, we are assuming that the Ship has been lost.SpaceXThe Starship undertaking the test flight today was a brand new vehicle, with various changes made to the hardware compared to previous test flights, which brings a range of risks.Recommended VideosWe do believe we have lost the ship during its ascent phase, said Kate Tice, senior quality engineering manager at SpaceX. But this was a new version of Starship, and it was intentionally designed and flown in order to test the envelope, as we have done with every one of these test flights the key word there being test. And really trying to understand the boundaries and the maximums for the ability of this vehicle to fly, and understand where those boundaries are. We always knew that excitement was guaranteed today success, not guaranteed.SpaceXHowever, the SpaceX team still has something to celebrate, as the booster, or first stage, was successfully caught at the Boca Chica facility. The separation of booster and ship was successful, and booster came back in to the giant robot arms of the tower, named Mechazilla.Please enable Javascript to view this contentMechazilla has caught the Super Heavy booster! pic.twitter.com/aq91TloYzY SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 16, 2025Even with the loss of the Starship, the SpaceX team was positive they would continue development: It was great to see booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about ship, said Huot. We obvisouly need to go through all the data. Its going to take some time. In the next hours or days were going to figure out exactly what happened, come back, fly the next one, get even farther Well figure out what ended our day today and make sure it doesnt end our day tomorrow.Editors Recommendations