a postapocalyptic love story about transformation Buoy meets satellite soulmate in Love Me Ars chats with directors Andy and Sam Zuchero and props department head Roberts Cifersons. Jennifer Ouellette Jan 31, 2025 1:15 pm | 0 Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun star in Love Me Credit: Bleecker Street Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun star in Love Me Credit: Bleecker Street Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreThere have been a lot of films and television series exploring sentient AI, consciousness, and identity, but there's rarely been quite such a unique take on those themes as that provided by Love Me, the first feature film from directors Andy and Sam Zuchero. The film premiered at Sundance last year, where it won the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, and is now getting a theatrical release.(Some spoilers below.)The film is set long after humans and all other life forms have disappeared from the Earth, leaving just remnants of our global civilization behind. Kristen Stewart plays one of those remnants: a little yellow SMART buoy we first see trapped in ice in a desolate landscape. The buoy has achieved a rudimentary sentience, sufficient to respond to the recorded message being beamed out by an orbiting satellite (Steven Yeun) overhead to detect any new lifeforms that might appear. Eager to have a friendeven one that's basically a sophisticated space ChatBotthe buoy studies the vast online database of information about humanity on Earth the satellite provides. It homes in on YouTube influencers Deja and Liam (also played by Stewart and Yeun), presenting itself to the satellite as a lifeform named Me.Over timea LOT of timethe buoy and satellite (now going by Iam) "meet" in virtual space and take on humanoid avatars. They become increasingly more advanced in their consciousness, exchanging eccentric inspirational memes, re-enacting the YouTubers' "date night,"and eventually falling in love. But the course of true love doesn't always run smooth even for the last sentient beings on Earthespecially since Me has not been honest with Iam about her true nature.At its core, Love Me is less pure sci-fi and more a postapocalyptic love story about transformation. "We really wanted to make a movie that made everyone feel big and small at the same time," Sam Zuchero told Ars. "So the timescale is gigantic, 13 billion years of the universe. But we wanted to make the love story at its core feel fleeting and explosive, as first love feels so often."The film adopts an unusual narrative structure. It's split into three distinct visual styles: practical animatronics, classical animation augmented with motion capture, and live action, each representing the development of the main characters as they discover themselves and each other, becoming more and more human as the eons pass. At the time, the couple had been watching a lot of Miyazaki films with their young son."We were really inspired by how he would take his characters through so many different forms," Andy Zuchero told Ars. "It's a different feeling than a lot of Western films. It was exciting to change the medium of the movie as the characters progressed. The medium grows until it's finally live action." The 1959 film Pillow Talk was another source of inspiration, since a good chunk of that film simply features stars Rock Hudson and Doris Day chatting in a split screen over their shared party linewhat Andy calls "the early 20th century's version of an open Zoom meeting."Building the buoy The sequences with the SMART buoy were shot on location using animatronic robots. Bleecker Street The sequences with the SMART buoy were shot on location using animatronic robots. Bleecker Street The satellite scenes were shot on a soundstage. YouTube/Bleecker Street The satellite scenes were shot on a soundstage. YouTube/Bleecker Street The sequences with the SMART buoy were shot on location using animatronic robots. Bleecker Street The satellite scenes were shot on a soundstage. YouTube/Bleecker Street One can't help but see shades of WALL-E in the plucky little space buoy's design, but the basic concept of what Me should look like came from actual nautical buoys, per props department head Roberts Cifersons of Laird FX, who created the animatronic robots for the film. "As far as the general shape and style of both the buoy and our satellite, most of it came from our production designer," he told Ars. "We just walked around the shop and looked at 1,000 different materials and samples, imagining what could be believable in the future, but still rooted somewhat in reality. What it would look like if it had been floating there for tens of thousands of years, and if it were actually stuck in ice, what parts would be damaged or not working?"Cifersons and his team also had to figure out how to bring character and life to their robotic buoy. "We knew the eye or the iris would be the key aspect of it, so that was something we started fooling around with well before we even had the whole designcolors, textures, motion," he said. They ended up building four different versions: the floating "hero buoy," a dummy version with lighting but limited animatronics, a bisected buoy for scenes where it is sitting in ice, and a "skeleton" buoy for later in the film."All of those had a brain system that we could control whatever axes and motors and lights and stuff were in each, and we could just flip between them," said Cifersons. "There were nine or 10 separate motor controllers. So the waist could rotate in the water, because it would have to be able to be positioned to camera. We could rotate the head, we could tilt the head up and down, or at least the center eye would tilt up and down. The iris would open and close." They could also control the rotation of the antenna to ensure it was always facing the same way.It's always a challenge designing for film because of time and budget constraints. In the case of Love Me, Cifersons and his team only had two months to make their four buoys. In such a case, "We know we can't get too deep down the custom rabbit hole, we have to stick with materials that we know on some level and just balance it out," he said. "Because at the end of the day it has to look like an old rusted buoy floating in the ocean."It helped that Cifersons had a long Hollywood history of animatronics to build upon. "That's the only way it's possible to do that in the crazy film timelines that we have," he said. "We can't start from scratch every single time; we have to build on what we have." His company had timeline-based software to program the robots' motions according to the directors' instructions and play it back in real time. His team also developed hardware to give them the ability to completely pre-record a set of motions and play it back. "Joysticks and RC remotes are really the bread and butter of current animatronics, for film at least," he said. "So we were able to blend more theme park animatronic software with on-the-day filming style."On locationOnce the robots had been completed, the directors and crew spent several days shooting on location in February on a frozen Lake Abraham in Alberta, Canadaor rather, several nights, when the temperatures dipped to -20 F. "Some of the crew were refusing to come onto the ice because it was so intense," Sam Zuchero recalled. They also shot scenes with the buoy floating on water in the Salish Sea off the coast of Vancouver, which Andy Zuchero described as "a queasy experience. Looking at the monitor when you're on a boat is nauseating."Later sequences were shot amid the sand dunes of Death Valley, with the robot surrounded by bentonite clay strewn with 65 million-year-old fossilized sea creatures. The footage of the satellite was shot on a soundstage, using NASA imagery on a black screen. YouTube influencers Deja and Liam become role models for the buoy and satellite. Bleecker Street YouTube influencers Deja and Liam become role models for the buoy and satellite. Bleecker Street Me and Iam meet in virtual space. Bleecker Street Me and Iam meet in virtual space. Bleecker Street Attempting to recreate the influencers' "Date Night." Bleecker Street Attempting to recreate the influencers' "Date Night." Bleecker Street Me and Iam meet in virtual space. Bleecker Street Attempting to recreate the influencers' "Date Night." Bleecker Street Cifersons had his own challenges with the robot buoys, such as getting batteries to last more than 10 seconds in the cold and withstanding high temperatures for the desert shoot. "We had to figure out a fast way to change batteries that would last long enough to get a decent wide shot," he said. "We ended up giving each buoy their own power regulators so we could put in any type of battery if we had to get it going. We could hardwire some of them if we had to. And then in the desert, electronics hate hot weather, and there's little microcontrollers and all sorts of hardware that doesn't want to play well in the hot sun. You have to design around it knowing that those are the situations it's going into."The animated sequences presented a different challenge. The Zucheros decided to put their stars into motion-capture suits to film those scenes, using video game engines to render avatars similar to what one might find in Sims. However, "I think we were drinking a little bit of the AI technological Kool-Aid when we started," Andy Zuchero admitted. That approach produced animated versions of Stewart and Yeun that "felt stilted, robotic, a bit dead," he said. "The subtlety that Kristen and Steven often bring ended up feeling, in this form, almost lifeless." So they relied upon human animators to "artfully interpret" the actors' performances into what we end up seeing onscreen.This approach "also allowed us to base the characters off their choices," said Sam Zuchero. "Usually an animated character is the animator. It's very connected to who the animator is and how the animator moves and thinks. There's a language of animation that we've developed over the past 100 yearsthings like anticipation. If you're going to run forward, you have to pull back first. These little signals that we've all come to understand as the language of animation have to be built into a lot of choices. But when you have the motion capture data of the actors and their intentions, you can truly create a character that is them. It's not just an animator's body in motion and an actor's voice with some tics of the actor. It is truly the actors."Love Me opens in select theaters today. Trailer for Love Me. Jennifer OuelletteSenior WriterJennifer OuelletteSenior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 0 Comments

Starting in March Dell risks employee retention by forcing all teams back into offices full-time "Dell may be missing out on some great talent..." Scharon Harding Jan 31, 2025 12:40 pm | 44 Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreDell is calling much of its workforce back into the office five days a week starting on March 3. The technology giant is framing the mandate as a business strategy, but theres reason to believe the policy may drive employee turnover.Business Insider detailed an internal memo today from CEO and Chairman Michael Dell informing workers that if they live within an hour of a Dell office, theyll have to go in five days a week."What we're finding is that for all the technology in the world, nothing is faster than the speed of human interaction, Dell wrote, per Business Insider. "A thirty-second conversation can replace an email back-and-forth that goes on for hours or even days."The publication said that those living further from an office can continue to work remotely. It's possible that employees could try to move to avoid the mandate, but it's unclear how that might work after it takes effect. Business Insider reported that Dell's note asked workers to hold questions for now because the company is still working through details, and additional information will be available soon."Adding further complication, Dell is said to have previously made fully remote workers ineligible for promotion. This has implications for the type of talent that will be able to rise within the company.Deena Merlen, partner at Reavis Page Jump LLP, an employment, dispute resolution, and media law firm, explained:"If only those who are willing and able to come into the office will get promoted, Dell will be left with a workforce where this qualification impacts the talent pool. Dell may be missing out on some great talent because of this added requirement."Marlen also noted the requirement for Dell's policies to consider the needs of workers with disabilities necessitating remote work. Dell would face "exposure to liability to the extent remote workers who are otherwise qualified are passed over for promotion because their disability requires them to work remotely as a reasonable accommodation" if it failed to oblige with workplace anti-discrimination laws, she told Ars.Similarly to Amazon, which issued a five-day return-to-office (RTO) mandate for corporate employees effective this month, Dell's RTO mandate may face real estate obstacles, which it would address in February, according to Business Insider.In a statement to Ars, Dells PR team said:"We continually evolve our business so we're set up to deliver the best innovation, value, and service to our customers and partners. That includes more in-person connections to drive market leadership."The road to full RTOAfter Dell allowed employees to work from home two days per week, Dells sales team in March became the first department to order employees back into offices full-time. At the time, Dell said it had data showing that salespeople are more productive on site. Dell corporate strategy SVP Vivek Mohindra said last month that sales' RTO brought huge benefits in "learning from each other, training, and mentorship.The companys manufacturing teams, engineers in the labs, onsite team members, and leaders had also previously been called into offices full-time, Business Insider reported today.Since February, Dell has been among the organizations pushing for more in-person work since pandemic restrictions lifted, with reported efforts including VPN and badge tracking.Risking personnelLike other organizations, Dell risks losing employees by implementing a divisive mandate. For Dell specifically, internal tracking data reportedly found that nearly half of workers already opted for remote work over being eligible for promotions or new roles, according to a September Business Insider report.Research has suggested that companies that issue RTO mandates subsequently lose some of their best talent. A November research paper (PDF) from the University of Pittsburgh, Baylor University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business researchers that cited LinkedIn data found this particularly true for high-tech and financial firms. The researchers concluded that average turnover rates increased by 14 percent on average after companies issued RTO policies. This research, in addition to other studies, has also found that companies with in-office work mandates are at risk of losing senior-level employees especially.Some analysts dont believe Dell is in danger of a mass exodus, though. Bob O'Donnell, president and chief analyst at Technalysis Research, told Business Insider in December, "It's not like I think Dell's going to lose a whole bunch of people to HP or Lenovo."Patrick Moorhead, CEO and chief analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said he believes RTO would be particularly beneficial to Dell's product development.Still, some workers have accused Dell of using RTO policies to try to reduce headcount. There's no proof of this, but broader research, including commentary from various company executives outside of Dell, has shown that some companies have used RTO policies to try to get people to quit.Dell declined to comment about potential employee blowback to Ars Technica.Scharon HardingSenior Technology ReporterScharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Toms Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK. 44 Comments

Melania Trump grew up in Sevnica, Slovenia.Sevnica, Slovenia. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images Trump was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, on April 26, 1970.She spent her childhood in Sevnica, a small town 30 miles away.Sevnica is located along the Sava River in central Slovenia.Sevnica, Slovenia. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images It has a population of 17,611, according to data collected by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Sloveniain 2022.When Melania Trump was born, Slovenia was a communist country ruled by President Josip Tito and known as Yugoslavia.Sevnica, Slovenia, covered in snow. Awakening/Future Publishing via Getty Images Slovenia became independent in 1991.Before Trump's rise to fame as a model and then FLOTUS, Sevnica was known for its furniture and clothing factories, as well as its annual salami festival.Sevnica, Slovenia. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP/AFP via Getty Images Sevnica produces over 150 kinds of salami, a feat celebrated at its annual Salamiada festival.Now, Sevnica produces a salami named after the first lady.A salami named First Lady in Sevnica, Slovenia. Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters Sevnica's tourism doubled in the year before Donald Trump took office as interest in Melania Trump grew, a tour guide told Reuters in January 2017.For 2017 as a whole, the number of foreigners visiting Slovenia jumped 17% when compared to the previous year, with a total of 3.4 million visitors, Reuters reported in January 2018.The small town capitalized on its claim to fame as the former FLOTUS' hometown, offering tours, foods, and souvenirs named after her.As a child, Trump then known as Melanija Knavs lived in this block of Communist-era apartments.Melania Trump's childhood apartment in Sevnica, Slovenia. Awakening/Future Publishing via Getty Images Her father, Viktor Knavs, worked as a car salesmanTrump has one sister, Ines Knauss, and a half-brother, Denis Cigelnjak.Trump attended Sevnica's Savo Kladnik Elementary School.Melania Trump's elementary school in Sevnica, Slovenia. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images Mirjana Jelancic, a friend of Trump's who went on to become principal of the school, told ABC News in 2016 that the young Trump was "an angel" and "a very good student."Her family later moved to a modest house on Ribniki Street.Melania Trump's childhood home in Sevnica, Slovenia. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images When Trump and her sister, Ines, were in high school, the Knavs family moved to Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital. There, Trump was scouted by photographer Stane Jerko and signed with a modeling agency when she was 18.Trump remained connected to her hometown over the years, donating $25,000 to a medical center there in 2005.A medical center Melania Trump donated to in Sevnica, Slovenia. Awakening/Future Publishing via Getty Images Trump made the donation after her wedding in 2005, The New York Timesreported.Residents of Sevnica celebrated President Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 election.Sevnica residents celebrate President Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 election. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images Trump is the second first lady born outside the US. The first was John Quincy Adams' wife, Louisa Catherine Adams, who was born in London.Sevnica locals also gathered to watch both of Donald Trump's inaugurations.Locals toasted Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration in Sevnica, Slovenia. Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters The Rotary Klub Sevnica held events in honor of Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017 and 2025. Proceeds from the 2025 event went toward a youth scholarship fund, the Slovenian outlet Dolenjski Listreported.American artist Brad Downey commissioned a monument of Trump from Slovenian sculptor Ales "Maxi" Zupevc in 2019 that was erected in a field outside Sevnica.A monument of Melania Trump in a field outside Sevnica, Slovenia. JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images The wooden statue, modeled after Trump's blue Ralph Lauren inauguration dress, garnered mixed reviews.A bronze statue replaced the original wood one after it was vandalized and burned in 2020.A bronze replica depicting first lady Melania Trump. Ales Beno/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A plaque at the site says the new bronze statue is "dedicated to the eternal memory of a monument to Melania which stood in this location from 2019-2020."

Auquan was founded in 2018 by Chandini Jain, a former analyst and derivatives trader.It launched an AI product in late 2023 that can automate research work usually done by analysts.It has since inked deals with UBS, Blue Owl Capital, and T. Rowe Price.The wave of fintechs building autonomous agents for finance firms designed to do the work of a junior analyst or banker is swelling.One such startup, Auquan, uses generative AI to automate the time-consuming but ubiquitous task of gathering and processing data and putting that information into a written template, like a due diligence report, an investment committee memo, or a pitch book.Demand for this kind of technology is heating up in the finance industry, which is often bogged down with manual processes around data management, processing, and analysis. Since launching in October 2023, Auquan has brought in close to $2 million in annual recurring revenue and secured UBS, T. Rowe Price, and Blue Owl Capital as customers, according to CEO and cofounder, Chandini Jain.From banking to software engineering to research, finance firms are keen to implement AI assistants that can carry out multi-step processes. While it's still too early to tell just how much the technology will impact adopters' bottom lines, venture-capital investors are writing checks to get in on the ground floor of what some industry leaders are calling a revolutionary technology.In addition to scoring big-name clients and its revenue stream last year, Auquan also closed $8 million in seed funding. The round was led by Peak XV and included Neotribe Ventures.Auquan has made inroads with various divisions at financial firms, from private-market investing to investment banking, as well as risk and compliance, and investor relations, Jain said. Across those functions, it's most heavily used by analysts or associates to produce documents or templates for their MDs, partners, or division heads.Due-diligence reports are a big use case for Auquan. The startup automates the creation of 3,300 due diligence reports for 20 different clients, saving them a cumulative 55,000 hours of work, according to customer estimates.How Auquan works behind the scenesAuquan is built to try to mimic the humans whose jobs it is doing, Jain said.The first step is accessing the raw data. Auquan pulls data from providers, like FactSet, CapIQ, and Pitchbook, as well as public data sets from government agencies and news sites. It can also plug into a client's internal file systems.The second part involves the user stating an intent with an example, such as "I want to create an investment committee memo and I want it to come out looking like this template document," Jain said. Under the hood, the tech relies on an "agent super orchestrator" that breaks down the specific jobs to be done and organizes several "mini agents" to take on each of those jobs, Jain said.In the investment committee memo example, there might be an agent that identifies the fields that need to be filled, another to run searches on underlying vendor data, another that scans public data, and a writing agent that takes all of the info and puts it into a company-specific format based on the template, like if a section should be presented in bullet points or a table. It's exported in the desired interface, such as a PowerPoint presentation or a Google Doc with the proper corporate branding. All of this happens automatically without human intervention, Jain said.The first draft is presented to the user as a starting point. The user can make edits and tweaks for future documents, she said. The agent super orchestrator will assign new mini agents as needed, she added.Pricing for Auquan is based on clients' estimated desired outcomes, Jain said. Examples of outcomes are producing one slide deck, one report, or one compliance check. Once the client chooses what workflow to automate, Auquan charges a dollar amount for that outcome, and multiplies it by how many times that process is expected to run, she said.Too much data, not enough peopleJain knows firsthand how labor intensive it is to extract insights from data. Before Auquan, she worked as an analyst at Deutsche Bank and derivatives trader at the Dutch market-maker and proprietary trading firm Optiver, where she was drowning in information with not enough time or help to distill it."If I or anyone on my team could make the case for why we thought any data set would help us make better decisions, we could buy it no questions asked," Jain said. "What we didn't have a lot of was resources or time to go through that information," she said.She would learn from conversations with financial clients that she wasn't alone in that problem. The broad applicability has won over investors.Here's the pitch deck Auquan used to raise $8 million.

Torment your sims like its 2004 (EA)EA has re-released the first two games in The Sims series on PC, with almost every slice of DLC included.After several hints on social media, EA has officially announced the return of The Sims and The Sims 2.To mark the series 25th anniversary of the series (which is technically next week on February 4), both games have been re-released today on PC in new Legacy Collection bundles across the EA app, Epic Games Store, and Steam.Both collections, which contain basically all their respective DLC, have been updated to run on Windows 10 and 11 but theyre essentially the same games so dont expect any big quality-of-life improvements.The Sims: Legacy Collection costs 17.99 and The Sims 2: Legacy Collection is priced at 24.99. If you want both games, a 25th Birthday Bundle is priced at 34.99, saving you 8.The Sims: Legacy Collection contains all the DLC for the original game, but theres one DLC pack missing from The Sims 2: Legacy Collection the IKEA Home Stuff DLC presumably for licensing reasons. You can check out a list of all the confirmed DLC packs below.For those who spent hours in the original games, you can copy over old save files into these new versions as well, along with original mods.While these re-released collections arent the remasters some might have hoped for, this is the first time the original Sims has been released digitally so its nice to have a version which is easily accessible at least.EA has other The Sims projects in the works. The MySims: Cozy Bundle, which is already available on Switch, is set to come to PC on March 18, 2025, and while there wont be The Sims 5, developer Maxis is working on a multiplayer spin-off codenamed Project Rene.More TrendingThese Legacy Collections are only the beginning of the 25th anniversary celebrations, with a special livestream set to air on February 4 which promises updates for The Sims 4.The Sims and The Sims 2 Legacy Collection DLC listThe Sims Legacy CollectionThe Sims: Livin LargeThe Sims: House PartyThe Sims: Hot DateThe Sims: VacationThe Sims: UnleashedThe Sims: SuperstarThe Sims: Makin MagicThe Sims 4: Throwback Fit KitThe Sims 2 Legacy CollectionThe Sims 2: UniversityThe Sims 2: NightlifeThe Sims 2: Open for BusinessThe Sims 2: PetsThe Sims 2: Bon VoyageThe Sims 2: SeasonsThe Sims 2: FreeTimeThe Sims 2: Apartment LifeThe Sims 2: Holiday Party PackThe Sims 2: Family Fun StuffThe Sims 2: Glamour Life StuffThe Sims 2: Happy Holiday StuffThe Sims 2: Celebration! StuffThe Sims 2: H&M Fashion StuffThe Sims 2: Teen Style StuffThe Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design StuffThe Sims 2: Mansion & Garden StuffThe Sims 4: Grunge Revival KitEmailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

MultiVersus being shut down in May as it flops for a second timeAdam StarkeyPublished January 31, 2025 5:04pmUpdated January 31, 2025 5:05pm Super Warner Bros. is over (Warner Bros.)Warner Bros. crossover fighter MultiVersus is officially ending after its next season, as history repeats itself.Many games have tried to emulate the success of Nintendos Super Smash Bros. series, and while none of them have come close to its level of success, or quality, MultiVersus was definitely one of the best.Warners free-to-play platform fighter originally launched in beta form in July 2022 and was initially a huge success, but its popularity dropped significantly in the following months. The beta was taken offline in June 2023, as its player count dwindled, before a relaunch in May last year, with overhauled mechanics and other additions.Now, eight months later, Warner Bros. has announced MultiVersus is being laid to rest once again.In a post from developer Player First Games, the team confirmed the upcoming fifth season of MultiVersus will be its last. The season, which will see Aquaman and Lola Bunny added to the roster, begins February 4 and runs until May 30, 2025.After that date, all online features in MultiVersus will be switched off and it will be delisted. The game will still be playable offline though, either solo against AI opponents or with up to three other players in local multiplayer, as long as you download the latest version of the game and log in at some point during season five.As of today (January 31), all real money transactions within MultiVersus have been removed. Any remaining in-game currency (Gleamium) you have purchased, or character tokens, can still be used until season five ends on May 30 at 9am PT/5pm GMT.All content in season five will be obtainable through gameplay, including Aquaman and Lola Bunny, who will be given to players as battle pass and daily login rewards, respectively.https://twitter.com/multiversus/status/1885327981758865568We want to thank every player and person who has ever played or supported MultiVersus, the post reads. All of us on the Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games teams have poured our heart and soul into this game. We will be forever grateful for the incredible support of the MultiVersus community throughout this journey.While its tempting to blame MultiVersuss free-to-play model for its downfall, the enduring success of Brawlhalla proves you can have a long-lasting live service platform fighter but that games popularity has been a slow burn since launching in 2017, and its likely to have been a considerably cheaper venture than MultiVersus.To compare the numbers over the past 24 hours, Brawlhalla hit a concurrent peak of 13,998 players on Steam, while MultiVersus only managed 648 players.The shut down of MultiVersus isnt surprising, considering Warner Bros. admitted it had underperformed last year, costing them $100 million.More TrendingIts failure comes hot on the heels of the companys other live service flop, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, although there are still mixed messages as to whether its going to take the hint and move away from games as a service titles in the future. Superman could take on Bugs Bunny (Warner Bros.)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

People associated with Elon Musks so-called Department of Government Efficiency have been trying to access the U.S. governments payment systems, according to a shocking new report from the Washington Post. And while its not clear why DOGE wants access, experts are alarmed because theres basically no plausible explanation that doesnt involve tinkering with critical government functions by sidestepping Congress. The system is run by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service and handles everything from Social Security and Medicare payments to salaries for federal employees. Literally tens of thousands of functions are paid through the system, according to the Post, including tax refunds. The system paid out about $5.4 trillion in the form of 1.3 billion payments last year. The Washington Post reports that David A. Lebryk, a senior Treasury official whos been with the agency since 1989, announced his retirement in an email on Friday morning to staff. Lebryks departure is apparently related to the interference by DOGE-affiliated goons to access these payment systems, though its not clear how Lebryk may have pushed back, and the exact nature of the disagreement was not immediately clear. DOGE isnt a real government agency but was created by President Trump through an executive order on Jan. 20, the day he was inaugurated. Even the executive order puts Department of Government Efficiency in quotes, in what appears to be an attempt to fight off any legal challenges to Trumps attempts at creating a new federal agency. Only Congress can create and abolish federal agencies. But even though DOGE doesnt have a real mandate, Musk is treating it like one, according to reports from multiple news outlets. The billionaire oligarch has set up an office not far from the White House and has reached his tentacles into virtually every agency. Only about 30% of Americans support Musks efforts with DOGE, according to a recent poll.Nobody knows yet why Musk and his mafia want access to the government payments system, but some on social media have speculated it could have something to do with the billionaires recent deal with Visa to offer payment services on his social media platform X. Thats just speculation obviously, but the more likely motivation could very well have something to do with stopping payment on all kinds of congressionally mandated programs. Trump tried to stop spending on roughly $3 trillion in programs related to health care and housing assistance, among a host of others, immediately attracting lawsuits from state attorneys general. A federal judge in Washington D.C. put a halt to the freeze on Tuesday, but the obvious concern is that the U.S. court system doesnt actually have an enforcement mechanism for rulings. Congress can write laws and the judiciary can issue orders, but the system only works if everyone agrees to abide by the rules. And if the executive branch under Trump and Musk can stop payments to programs they dont like, ignoring entirely what Congress and the courts say, its game over for the country.Heres hoping it doesnt come to that. But Trumps attempt to stop payment on trillions of dollars of programs earlier this week clearly shows he doesnt believe he has to play by the rules of our democracy. Nobody knows for sure whats ahead. But its wild to think that it hasnt even been two full weeks since Trump was inaugurated. There are dark times ahead. Congress famously has the power of the purse. But it looks like DOGE is trying to snatch it.

By Cheryl Eddy Published January 31, 2025 | Comments (0) | Combat Monsters: Untold Tales of World War II Blackstone Publishing, Inc. The new year is no longer quite so new, and the book releases are starting to pick up the pace. This month youll find a fresh sci-fi adventure from Edward Ashtonwholl soon see his earlier novel Mickey7 come to theaters as Mickey 17as well as another tale, Victorian Psycho, thats also headed for the big screen. Plus: ragtag space missions, fantasies inspired by history and mythology, fairies, monsters, dystopias, and way beyond. February 4 Tor Books, Delacorte Press, Liveright The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune This standalone supernatural thriller follows an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors on the run from cultists and the government. (February 4) The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi, translated by Cat Anderson A young woman embarks on a magical journey from a seaside cafe where ordering a special meal allows visitors to reunite with loved ones who have passed on. (February 4)Enemy of My Dreams by Jenny Williamson In the last days of the Roman Empire, a desperate princess and a brutal Gothic warlord forge a dangerous alliance. (February 4)Galaxy Raiders: Abyss by Ian Douglas A new military sci-fi series begins with this tale pitting amortal humans against a mystifying alien intelligence in a galaxy-spanning conflict. (February 4) Grave Empire by Richard SwanThis first entry in a new series begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawedand where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days. (February 4) Kingdom of Claw by Demi WintersReturn to the Kingdom of seldur, where enemies become lovers and dark secrets hide around each corner, in the sequel to the Viking-inspired romantic fantasy The Road of Bones. (February 4) Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel A twentysomething is rapidly growing weary of caring for her reckless teenage brother, especially since their other brother has offered zero help. When the trio has to go on the run and ends up at a spooky cabin in the woods, she worries that her recurring nightmare may soon infiltrate reality. (February 4)Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito The riveting tale of a bloodthirsty governess who learns the true meaning of vengeance. Fun fact: A24 has already picked this one up for a feature adaptation. (February 4) Bride by Ali Hazelwood A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance. (February 6)Mother of Serpents by John R. Gordon After moving with his husband and young son from Brooklyn to a small town in Maine where hes the only Black person, a man must figure out if the uncanny experiences he soon begins having spring from his troubled mindor are in fact actually real. (February 7)February 11 Del Rey, Graydon House, Tor Books Beauty in the Blood by Charlotte Carter A curse rolls out over centuries, murky and unknowable as swamp waters, shaping and destroying lives. (February 11)Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi This coming-of-age horror tale set at a rural Pennsylvania orphanage is described as The Exorcist meets Lord of the Flies. (February 11) But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo The Shape of Water meets Mexican Gothic in this sapphic monster romance novella wrapped in gothic fantasy trappings. (February 11)Combat Monsters edited by Henry Herz This collection takes real events from World War II and injects them with fantastical creatures that mirror the unreality of war itself. Each storyand two poemsfeature mythical, mystical, and otherwise unexplainable beings that change the course of history. (February 11) The Crimson Road by A.G. Slatter This dark gothic fantasy set in the same universe as the authors All the Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns, and The Briar Book of the Dead is described as a tale of vampires, assassins, ancient witches, and broken promises. (February 11)The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore At an elite boarding school where celebrities are created using strange medical techniques and other sinister methods, the most famous resident begins to break down while a pair of friends turned rivals grapple with the highs and lows of sudden success. (February 11) Emily Wildes Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves. (February 11)The Moonlight Healers by Elizabeth Becker A powerful debut with a magical twist about one womans discovery of her familys secret healing abilities and the mysterious consequences she must contend with when she uses them on someone she loves. (February 11) The Poorly Made and Other Things: A Story Collection by Sam Rebelein This short story set in the same county as the authors Edenville explores tales that play with the uncanny to explore themes of loneliness and grief. (February 11)Sanctum of the Soul by Kel Kade The genre-bending Shroud of Prophecy series ends with this epic conclusion. (February 11) The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey After a mysterious death on a Scottish island with a history of mysterious deaths, two detectives from Glasgow arrive to investigateand are soon met with hostility and dark secrets galore. (February 11)February 18 Tor Books, Berkley, Tor Books Ambessa: Chosen of the Wolf by C.L. Clark This book set in the League of Legends universe is described as a thrilling epic fantasy novel where Ambessa Medarda truly learns what it means to be a Chosen of the Wolf. (February 18) A Curse for the Homesick by Laura Robson On an island where certain women temporarily have the power to turn people to stone, a woman and man fall in love despite the fact that her mother killed his parents years beforeand despite the fact that hes determined to stay there, while she dreams every day of leaving. (February 18)A Dragon of Black Glass by James Rollins The penultimate book in the authors Moonfall series is a tale of relentless adventure and the struggle for survival in a harsh world that hangs by a thread. (February 18) The Garden by Nick Newman A darkly beautiful, eerie, hypnotic novel about two elderly sisters living alone at the edge of the world. (February 18) Hungerstone by Kat Dunn A compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula. (February 18) I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now Im Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens. (February 18) Picks and Shovels by Cory Doctorow The author returns to the world of Red Team Blues to bring us the origin story of Martin Hench and the most powerful new tool for crime ever invented: the personal computer. (February 18) Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli The Crimson Moth duology concludes in this epic fantasy tale of witches and forbidden romance. (February 18) Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods A dark and enchanting historical fantasy combining elements of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal. (February 18) The Witch of Whispervale by R.A. Salvatore From the author and Drizzt DoUrden creator, this next installment in the DemonWars fantasy series continues the story of the traitorous invasion by the Xoconai of the eastern realms of Corona. However, the heroes of the last war against their demon god may be forgotten, but they are not powerless. (February 18) Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis In a gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion and love turns their world upside down. (February 18) February 25 Gollancz, St. Martins Press, Orbit The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu, translated by Jesse Kirkwood Seven struggling customers are given the unique opportunity to take home a blanket cat but only for three days, the time itll take to change their lives. (February 25) A Circle of Uncommon Witches by Paige Crutcher A witch generationally cursed to never find true love sets out to break the spell cast on her family, and must team up with the last person who wants to help herthe witch who set the curse in the first place. (February 25) Dance of Shadows by Gourav Mohanty As the royal houses of Sons of Darkness intrigued, maneuvered, and finally met in open battle with devastating consequences, far more sinister deeds were unfolding just over the Eastern horizon. Dance of Shadows is that story. (February 25) The Dark Mirror by Samantha Shannon The fifth book in the Bone Season series follows Paige Mahoneys quest to recover her memories while stopping a sinister plot that threatens all of Europe. (February 25) Destinys Way by Jack Campbell Lieutenant Selene Genji is hurled into the past to try and save a world that doesnt want her in this action-packed adventure. (February 25) Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, Londons most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue. (February 25) Fortress Sol by Stephen Baxter Decades after his mother cut off his hand to spare him from a life of working in Mercurys mines, a man instead toils on a structure that protects the solar system from aliensand becomes caught in the tension when a mysterious ship arrives from a forgotten colony planet. (February 25) The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton This standalone novel from the author of Mickey7 is part first contact story, part dark comedy, and part bizarre love triangle that asks an important question: how far would you go to survive? And more importantly, how many drinks would you need to go there? (February 25) Futures Edge by Gareth L. Powell When archaeologist Ursula Morrow accidentally infects herself with an alien parasite, she fears she may have jeopardized her career. However, her concerns become irrelevant when Earth is destroyed, billions die, and suddenly no one needs archaeologists anymore Two years later, shes plucked from a refugee camp on a backwater world and tasked with retrieving the artifact that infected her, as it just might hold the key to humanitys survival. (February 25) Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki A young Scottish woman is magically transported to the last Samurai era, where she encounters ghosts from the past, her own Japanese ancestry, and a love that transcends time. (February 25) George R.R. Martin Presents Wild Cards: House Rules: A Novel in Stories presented by George R.R. Martin An original anthology centered around one very unusual house in Cornwall which serves as a nexus to the multiverseset in the Wild Cards universe. Contributors include Stephen Leigh, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Caroline Spector, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Peter Newman, and Peadar Guiln. (February 25) Greenteeth by Molly ONeill This cozy fantasy novel contains a story of fae, folklore, and found family, narrated by a charismatic lake-dwelling monster. (February 25) Heart of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes The viral TikTok fantasy romance, now in a special print edition with exclusive bonus material Oncoming darkness threatens to engulf a noble king and his powerful queen in this breathtaking, epic conclusion to the Bride of the Shadow King series. (February 25) The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker A young mother is struck by sudden and puzzling psychological symptoms that illuminate the mysterious dimensions of the human mindand of love. (February 25) Swordheart by T. Kingfisher The delightful charm of The Princess Bride meets the delicious bodyguard romance of From Blood and Ash in this cozy fantasy romance. (February 25) Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.Books Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Thomas Maxwell Published January 30, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published January 28, 2025 By Cheryl Eddy Published January 1, 2025 By Thomas Maxwell Published December 23, 2024 By Cheryl Eddy Published November 29, 2024 By Cheryl Eddy Published November 1, 2024

Jean Moulin Building / AZC ArchitectsSave this picture! Julien HourcadeFranceArchitects: AZC ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:5289 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Julien HourcadeMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. This project aims to transform a former office building, constructed in 1987 in La Celle-Saint-Cloud by architect Jacques Grellier, into a social residential complex of 69 apartments along with 1,400 m of activity spaces. Facing the Chteau de la Seine Saint Cloud estate, the site benefits from an exceptional setting characterized by the natural hillside terrain.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The building, with a floor area of 5,400 m, is situated on a 6,182 m plot and is ideally located near the city center and the train station, both within walking distance. Designed with a post-and-beam concrete structure, the building stands out with its six staggered floors and facades featuring precast concrete spandrels with an exposed aggregate finish.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The two lower levels, initially designated for parking and technical facilities, retain this function, while the four upper levels, previously used as offices, are converted to accommodate residential units. The lowest level (R0) houses technical spaces, 69 parking spaces, and accessible entrances for individuals with reduced mobility, providing a direct connection to vertical circulation. The R1 level, formerly divided between parking and offices, has been cleared of its initial functions to be dedicated to new activities. Pedestrian access is maintained and enhanced by adding a landscaped ramp, offering an easy pathway from the outside.Save this picture!The upper floors (R2 to R5) have undergone partial structural transformation to meet residential program requirements. A new spatial configuration is achieved by modifying the central voids to expand patios and optimize apartment layouts. These patios, measuring 10.4 meters per side, play a key role in orienting cross-ventilated apartments and accommodating smaller units. The existing staircases, spacious and naturally lit, are preserved to encourage foot traffic, while an existing elevator shaft is also repurposed. This renovation project, conducted in consultation with heritage authorities, demonstrates the feasibility of adapting a building to contemporary needs while preserving its distinctive architectural character. This approach balances conservation and change, highlighting the effectiveness and durability of the original design choices.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeAZC ArchitectsOfficeMaterialConcreteMaterials and TagsPublished on January 31, 2025Cite: "Jean Moulin Building / AZC Architects" 31 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1025894/jean-moulin-building-azc-architects&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

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