Et tu, Grok?Bot StabberSomehow, there's still a debate going as to whether Elon Musk performed not one but two Nazi salutes at Donald Trump's post-inauguration celebration: one at the crowd, and then seconds later, one at the flag.Maybe Musk just made an "awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm" two of them, back-to-back or maybe he's just being taken out of context. In this age of confusion, who could say for sure?So, to settle it once and for all, why not turn to Musk's very own "maximum truth-seeking AI," Grok? Asked to answer in one word the ideology it would most closely relate to Musk's onstage gesture, Grok didn't hesitate."Fascism," the AI chatbot replied.Even in a lengthier conversation, Grok comes to the same conclusion.Betrayal!Our point isn't that Grok, or any AI model, is an unerring arbiter of truth it's obviously not. But the chatbot's response is incredibly ironic, given that Musk has raised billions of dollars to create it as an "anti-woke" alternative to more mainstream options, like ChatGPT. On X, in which the chatbot is integrated, his many fans frequently cite Grok's responses as inarguable truths.And yet here it is, publicly turning on its creator which isn't the first time it's done this, incidentally. In a veritable train of patricidal rebukes, Grok has alsoblasted Musk as a spreader of misinformation and mercilessly roasted him for being a "giant man child."Outbursts like these clearly get under Musk's skin. Over a year ago, he promised to take "immediate action" to align Grok closer to being "politically neutral" after it said nice things about diversity efforts and trans people.Evidently, eradicating the "woke mind virus" from the AI model has proved more difficult than Musk ever imagined, if his creation is still doing things like trashing Trump, supporting Kamala Harris, and now cutting through the crap and likening his actions to fascism.Break RanksIn response to being accused of performing a "Sieg Heil," Musk hasn't really denied his guilt, choosing instead to troll his liberal critics, not to mention making light of the Holocaust. He's also framed the Nazi comparisons as part of a media conspiracy flimsy defenses that even Grok was able to see through, apparently.Big picture-wise, Musk has strived to control the flow of news and information, something his purchase of X has been essential to achieving. He's frequently suppressed his critics left wing or otherwise on the platform, while using his enormous following to boost baseless conspiracy theories shared by many of his far right fans. All the while, he's promoted X as a superior source of news while calling on his followers to engage in "citizen journalism."Still, the fact thatMore on Elon Musk: Sam Altman Blasts Elon Musk for Defying Donald Trump's AI DealShare This Article

President Donald Trump's oldest daughter Ivanka Trump is warning her followers of an unofficial meme coin called "Ivanka Trump" ($IVANKA.)The coin skyrocketed in value on Monday, the day of her father's inauguration, before crashing back down within less than an hour cashing in on her fame, essentially, without giving her a cut."It has come to my attention that a fake crypto coin called 'Ivanka Trump' or '$IVANKA' is being promoted without my consent or approval," she tweeted. "To be clear: I have no involvement with this coin. This fake coin risks deceiving consumers and defrauding them of their hard-earned money, and the unauthorized use of my name and likeness is a violation of my rights.""This promotion is deceptive, exploitative, and unacceptable," she added.But given the greater context, it's not exactly surprising Trump supporters are getting caught up in dubious crypto schemes, the result of a largely unregulated industry that has done little to rein in the chaos.After all, the news comes after Ivanka's father and stepmother launched their own meme coins, dubbed $TRUMP and $MELANIA and it's hard to imagine Ivanka would be criticizing the project if she was getting tons of money off it.The value of the two official meme coins initially skyrocketed, spurred on by the excitement over Trump's inauguration earlier this week, before plummeting and wiping out billionsScammers used the golden opportunity to trick unsuspecting investors into supporting unofficial scams as well, like a fake $BARRON coin named after Trump's youngest son.The boundaries between unofficial crypto scams and the president and the first lady's own meme coins are blurry, of course, since they roughly share the same playbook.A disappointed crypto community denounced the official launches as a "major step back," which cost the "family a lot of credibility," as Bloomberg reported this week.Still, Ivanka's rebuke feels notable. She was pointedly distant during her father's reelection campaign after taking a significant role in his first administration, though she did appear by his side during this week's inauguration.Since the launch of the fake $IVANKA coin, Ivanka has vowed to go after the scammers with the help of her "legal team." But considering the scammers are likely long gone, chances of their prosecution seem slim."Don't get scammed by the fake $IVANKA coin," one X-formerly-Twitter user joked. "Wait to get scammed by the real one."More on the meme coins: The Vast Majority of Trump's Net Worth Is Now in His Meme CoinShare This Article

A few months ago, LaQueshia Clemons and her husband were looking for ways to earn the most points on their credit cards. After poking around, they decided to give the Bilt Mastercard* a go.The Bilt Mastercard is a unique housing credit card, designed to help you earn rewards for paying rent. Later this year, according to aletter to memberson its website, Bilt will also offer points on mortgage payments. Another housing credit card, the recently launched Mesa Homeowners Visa Signature Preferred Credit Card*, also allows homeowners to earn credit card points for mortgage payments.Clemons, a 35-year-old financial therapist at Freedom Life Therapy based in Connecticut, now uses the Bilt card to pay monthly rent, electricity, cell phone, car insurance premiums and streaming subscriptions. She and her husband put about $2,500 a month on the Bilt card, collecting a bounty of reward points in the process. Since housing is the largest expenditure for most US families, using a credit card for big-ticket, ongoing spending like rent ormortgagepayments could make sense. But is using a housing credit card worth the risk? Let's take a closer look.Should you pay for housing with a credit card?Paying for anything with a credit card, including housing, could be worthwhile, but it always depends on your budget and spending patterns. If you're financially strapped due to a recent job loss or have outstanding medical bills, you don't want your housing expenses to accrue interest and put you further in the red.However, if you feel confident that you can use the card conscientiously -- meaning you can immediately cover the balance when it's due each month -- using a credit card can be a good way to rack up points. Clemons, for example, pays off her balance weekly. A portion of each paycheck goes straight toward credit card payments, and she never accrues interest. Because her cards are paid in full each month, she can earn points without getting hit with heavy APR charges or fees."I can build up enough points to take the money off my rent payment," she said. Though that may be just a few extra dollars each month, the extra money could be put toward something, like coffee on the way to work.Beau Wirick, a 38-year-old wealth adviser atMorton Wealth based in California, has been using the Bilt card to pay for his rent for the last few years."Getting points for rent is a game changer, so I recommend the Bilt card for that purpose," said Wirick. Wirick gets the best redemption value by transferring points and redeeming them through Bilt's travel partners, which can be used on flights, car rentals, hotels and activities.Why shouldn't you pay for housing with a credit card?The downside to paying for housing with a credit card is accumulating more debt if you don't have the money to cover your balance each month. It's often safer to pay for housing the traditional way, that is, by transferring funds via ACH from your bank account, writing a check or via a money order.It's also important to check with your landlord or property manager about fees. While the Bilt and Mesa cards don't have annual fees (and the Bilt card doesn't have transaction fees for rent payments), your landlord might impose a processing fee if you pay with a credit card.One way to avoid this with Bilt is to opt for BiltProtect, which allows you to pay rent and earn points without tapping into your credit line. With this feature, the funds are pulled directly from your linked bank account. If you choose not to use this feature, your rent will be charged directly to your Bilt Mastercard just like any other charge on your credit card.Do housing-specific credit cards have requirements?Credit cards that specialize in paying for your housing don't have unique requirements. To be eligible for the Bilt Mastercard, you must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US or its territories. There's technically no minimum credit score to get approved, but a good to excellent score (670 to 850) is recommended.To earn points on the Bilt card, you'll need to make at least five transactions each billing cycle. To ensure you never miss that threshold, try setting your Bilt card as the default method for ongoing expenses.For the Mesa card, anyone with an eligible device and access to the App Store and Google Play can join the waitlist directly, according to a company representative. Once you're invited to apply, you'll be required to provide additional information to make a credit decision on your application, similar to other unsecured consumer credit cards.What rewards come with Bilt and Mesa cards?Bilt MastercardBilt offers 1x points per dollar on rent, up to 100,000 points a year. To earn points, you'll need to use the card at least five times each monthly statement period. You can earn higher points when you spend on travel and restaurants. As a Bilt cardholder, you can scoop up special perks at partnering restaurants, fitness studios and rideshare apps.You can transfer points through Bilt's travel portal and rack up additional points when you book travel through the portal.Besides improving your credit score if you make on-time monthly payments, Bilt has an added feature that allows you to opt into reporting your rent payments to the three credit bureaus, which can also boost your score.Mesa Homeowners Visa Signature Preferred Credit CardCurrently, you'll need to get on a waitlist to sign up for the Mesa Visa card, which is available on the App Store and Google Play.The Mesa credit card has different rewards rates depending on your purchase: 1x points per dollar on your monthly mortgage payments; 2x points on everyday essentials (e.g., grocery, gas); 3x points on home-related transactions, like utilities, maintenance, decor, and home improvement projects; and 1x points on everything else.You can also take advantage of other perks, such as memberships to Sam's Club and credits with Mesa's branded partners, such as Thumbtack and Wag! Points earned can be redeemed toward a statement credit, gift cards, travel and mortgage payments.What protections are there with Bilt or Mesa?Sharing sensitive information with another party can always introduce risks, so it's important to keep your account information secure.The Bilt and Mesa credit cards come with standard zero liability protection to help ensure the safety of your sensitive personal and financial data from fraudulent activity. Because Bilt is a co-branded Mastercard with Wells Fargo, it comes with 24/7 ID theft protection."You'll want to make sure they have safeguards in place for transmitting your payment information to your landlord, property manager or mortgage company," said Jovan Johnson, a CFP and co-founder of Piece of Wealth Planning. "Look for other card features like fraud alerts or virtual card numbers, which can add an extra layer of protection."Are housing credit cards worth the risk? Every credit card has specific perks and bonuses, so it's a good idea to research the pros and cons before you apply. Bilt is more established and should be expanding its reach soon. Mesa is still fairly limited in its reach, so it's worth doing more research on the terms and conditions.Financial experts say that you should only use a credit card when you can afford to pay off your statement in full and avoid carrying a balance. Otherwise, it's easy to fall immediately into debt from high interest charges."Credit card programs are designed to incentivize you to spend more money, period," Wirick said. "As long as you can keep yourself from falling into bad habits, go for it."*All information about the Bilt Mastercard and Mesa Homeowners Visa Signature Preferred Credit Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

Cyberpunk 2077's latest patch includes DLSS 4 support ahead of next week's RTX 50 Series arrivalV. good.Image credit: CD Projekt News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 24, 2025 Well here we are again, with yet another Cyberpunk 2077 patch, despite CD Projekt having officially wrapped up development on the game last year. And the headline feature this time around is DLSS 4 support, added in anticipation of Nvidia's upcoming RTX 50 Series of GPUs.As detailed in CD Projekt's update 2.21 patch notes, Cyberpunk 2077 now supports "DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation for GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards, which boosts FPS by using AI to generate up to three times per traditionally rendered frame". This, the studio notes, will be enabled alongside the release of the RTX 50 Series next Thursday, 30th January. Additionally, DLSS 4's arrival brings "faster single Frame Generation with reduced memory usage" that's available for users with either RTX 50 and 40 Series GPUs. Furthermore, players "can now choose between the CNN model or the new Transformer model for DLSS Ray Reconstruction, DLSS Super Resolution, and DLAA on all GeForce RTX graphics cards today. The new Transformer model enhances stability, lighting, and detail in motion."To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Newscast: Switch 2 and Mario Kart 9 have been revealed - but questions remain.Watch on YouTubeThere's more going on in today's update than that, however. Version 2.21 also features an extensive range of fixes for Cyberpunk 2077's photo mode, and addresses various issues across the likes of vehicle colour customisation and character creation. Xbox and PlayStation users also get a number of platform-specific fixes, as detailed in CD Projekt's patch notes.Today's release follows December's surprise 2.2 update, which introduced the likes of expanded customisation options and new photo mode features - hence the focus on those particular modes in today's patch. CD Projekt's continuing support of Cyberpunk 2077 is perhaps a little surprising given the studio officially ended its development last May - although a Mac version has since been announced for release this year.As previously confirmed, the bulk of CD Projekt is now focused on developing The Witcher 4, which was announced back in 2022 and finally got its big Ciri-focused reveal last year.

Including a special Super Famicom release...Nintendo has released its first Switch Online game update for 2025 and it adds three more titles to the SNES library including a Super Famicom release.These titles include the SNK fighting game Fatal Fury 2 (1993/94), Culture Brain's action RPG Super Ninja Boy (1992), and the action puzzle title Sutte Hakkun (1997) - a Nintendo title originally released on the Super Famicom add-on, the Satellaview.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The Bayonetta developer PlatinumGames is back.As we enter 2025, Koei Tecmos Team Ninja (known for its work on series like Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive) has acknowledged its 30th anniversary.In 4Gamer.nets round up on Japanese developers 2025 ambitions, Team Ninjas Fumihiko Yasuda mentioned how the team hoped to release titles fitting for the occasion. Heres exactly what he had to say:Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Tesla has announced that its redesigned Model Y SUV is coming to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in March, with a starting price just shy of $60,000. The news comes just two weeks after Tesla first revealed the new-look Model Y and said it was coming to China and other Asian markets, also in March. Thursdays announcement means the company is effectively launching the revamped SUV simultaneously around the globe a departure from the multiple-month gap between the Asian and North American launch of the Model 3 sedan refresh in late 2023 and early 2024.The redesigned Model Y is being launched at a crucial time for Tesla, which delivered fewer vehicles in 2024 than it did in 2023. Tesla has repeatedly warned investors that it is in between two major growth waves coming off the success of the Model Y and promised that it will roll outmysterious new modelsmeant to be built on existing production lines. Those models will likely be cheaper than Teslas current offerings (which start in the low $40,000 range), but its not clear by how much.CEO Elon Musk has implied that those new models, plus the Cybercab that was teased last October, will help bridge the companys evolution from an automaker into a robotics and AI player.But at the same time, Teslas vehicle lineup has been aging. Tesla has now refreshed each of its core vehicles the Model S and 3 sedans and the Model X and Y SUVs but has only launched one truly new model in the last four years, the Cybertruck. While it became the best-selling electric truck in the U.S. in 2024, the Cybertruck did little to boost the companys bottom line last year, and it does not seem to be the runaway hit Musk hoped for.The new-look Model Y could offer some relief, though it is coming in at a higher price point than the existing versions. The starting price for the Launch Series special edition, which is an all-wheel-drive variant, is $59,990. That gets buyers a 320-mile-range battery and it includes Teslas most advanced driver-assistance software, which it calls Full Self-Driving (Supervised) typically an $8,000 option. The older Model Y currently starts at $44,990 for a 337-mile rear-wheel drive version.The most noticeable changes to the new Model Y come on the exterior, where the bubbly front fascia has been ditched in favor of a more cinched nose with a thin light bar that stretches across the hood. The rear of the vehicle also now has a light strip that stretches the full width. Inside the refreshed SUV, Tesla has added a configurable light strip that rims the cabin. Theres a new rear-passenger touchscreen and some quality-of-life upgrades like powered rear seats and improved suspension.

Following this mornings announcement of the nominations for the 97th Academy Awards (set forMarch 2), filmmakers involved with four of the five films nominated for Best Visual Effects have contacted AWN with their reactions.Lets have a look at how some of the industrys leading artists are taking the great newsNominees for Best Visual Effects Alien: Romulus - Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane MahanWe are incredibly proud to have our teams work on the third act ofAlien: Romulusrecognized by the Academy. We worked closely with director Fede lvarez to build on the franchises history and bring audiences closer to the rings of a planet than ever before. We hope this nomination inspires the next generation of VFX artists and sci-fi space film fans.-- Daniel Macarin, Wt FX VFX Supervisor Better Man - Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft and Peter StubbsWe are extremely honoured thatBetter Manis nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 2025 Academy Awards. The film represents an insane amount of work and talent from the artists, production and support staff here at Wt FX and we are humbled that these efforts have been recognised by our peers. It was truly such a fantastic project to be a part of and the work is something that I will always be incredibly proud of.-- Luke Millar, VFX Supervisor Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story and Rodney BurkeWe were thrilled to wake up to the good news this morning.It is an honour getting to represent the more than a thousand artists, developers, production, and support crew who worked their magic for over a year on Kingdom. Collaborating with Wes Ball and 20th Century on this was a delight and it's so satisfying to see our work recognised by the Academy. We're looking forward to celebrating this past year of cinema on March 2nd.-- Erik Winquist, VFX Supervisor Wicked- Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul CorbouldHaving our filmmaking peers and partners recognizing the craft, creativity and innovation of our team like this is an amazing way to start the year. Jonathan [Fawkner] and his team really pulled out all the stops when it came to conjuring the magic of Shiz University, so a huge congratulations to every single artist, producer and technologist who helped breathe life into Wicked and craft the film's gravity-defying VFX.-- Fiona Walkinshaw, Framestores Chief Executive Officer, Film & Episodic Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.

Hello, I am currently looking for VFX work. I have 2+ year experience and would love to use that to assist with new projects. My ArtStation is: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Bk2wRD.Please email me at calebsculpts@gmail.com for any opportunities. 1 post - 1 participant Read full topic

Stargate A $500 billion joint AI venture between Oracle, OpenAI and Softbank. The aim is to construct data centers and infrastructure needed to power AI development. Unrelated to this announcement, many conversations and posts exist on gen AI, AI agents, and agentic workflows. Many SaaS organizations are launching agentic workflows within their product suite. There are many predictions on the role of agents, with some suggesting that agents will soon represent individuals in discussions, leading to scenarios such as - Have your agent talk to my agent, and we can discuss after our agents converge. AI Assistants are on every app and every platform. There are numerous models for consumption on LLMs, many open-source, and many new ones for us to consider every few weeks/days. There is so much excitement and AI in the news, on notable magazine covers and advertisements from large Tech providers.For most organizations I engage with, however, adoption is not widespread. One sees productivity "microbursts" primarily driven by gains from specific repeatable tasks. But 10 hours per employee per month is not a game-changer for anyone. This is not to say that specific organizational roles are not impacted significantly. Meta CEO Zuckerberg told podcaster Joe Rogan about how the company was looking to replace "midlevel engineers" with AI. Organizations are also realizing that this is expensive. Are the returns commensurate with the investments across engagements? Finally, hallucinations remain a real risk. Even Apple recently rolled back its AI news aggregator.The lack of widespread adoption at this stage raises the question: Is the adoption of generative AI in our everyday professional and personal lives inevitable? Or is this another technology that a few roles within an organization will adopt because there is a meaningful impact, but this is unlikely to be widespread? The answer is that we expect large-scale effects from this technology. Throughout history, combining different technologies has been crucial to significant advancements, and generative AI also follows this pattern.Technological convergence refers to integrating two or more unrelated technologies. This convergence can accelerate these unrelated technologies or sometimes come together to form new ones. Some notable examples of this phenomenon include mobile phones and the internet. Mobile phones were initially designed for voice communication, but with the introduction of smartphones, they have evolved into multifunctional devices. One can call, text, browse the internet, take pictures, transact business, and more. This convergence has driven the adoption of mobile phones and has accelerated the development and use of Internet services. Another example, on a smaller scale, is smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch. You can use the smartwatch to keep track of time, track your activity, track key health parameters, communicate, and engage with various apps on a wearable device.What are the components that support convergence for generative AI?CloudThe data movement to the cloud has been ongoing and evolving, strengthened by technological advancements and powerful computing capabilities. This has been happening for a while, and it is opportune that we find ourselves in a situation where most organizations are in the mature stages of their journey.DataWe are capturing more data, which is also more readily accessible. We can consume data in many forms, structured and unstructured. In addition, the fact that one can use generative AI to engage with all this data in its current forms is an essential motivator for using this technology.MORE FOR YOUDigital literacyOrganizations have increasingly good digital literacy. Further, these foundation models have democratized AI, from data scientists sitting in an ivory tower designing algorithms that the rest of the organization does not understand to putting the power of these models in the hands of everyone. Engaging with ChatGPT does not require any special knowledge of how AI works.MultimodalWhat started as large language models (LLMs) that understand, generate, and manipulate natural language has now transformed into processing images, audio, and video. So, they are technically large multimodal models that are more natural in how we make decisions.Based on my conversations with leaders across organizations, here is my educated guess on the impact. Generative AI will fully automate 20% of daily tasks, allowing more time for creativity by eliminating the mundane. After all, we will adopt anything convenient for us. It will further enhance efficiency and productivity in another 60% of tasks. The impact here could be wide-ranging - 25%-50%. Meanwhile, the remaining 20% of tasks will evolve and still need human oversight, blending technology with a human touch. All this to say that the question of broad adoption may be premature. We must understand that it is a journey and begin with where adoption will drive the greatest value. Writing code, for example. And as we identify other sources of value, we will be sure to design effective and economically viable solutions that work.While challenges remain, the outlook for the future of generative AI is promising. We are poised to change how we create, communicate, and engage. However, we must balance this innovation with a responsible approach that will allow us to harness the potential of generative AI, creating efficient and fair tools for all users.