DeepSeek, a Chinese open-source AI firm, is taking over the discussion in tech circles.Tech stocks, especially Nvidia, plunged Monday.Companies leading the AI boom could be in for a reset as DeepSeek upends the status quo.DeepSeek, a Chinese company with AI models that compete with OpenAI's at a fraction of the cost, is generating almost as many takes as tokens.Across Silicon Valley, executives, investors, and employees debated the implications of such efficient models. Some called into question the trillions of dollars being spent on AI infrastructure since DeepSeek says its models were trained for a relative pittance."This is insane!!!!" Aravind Srinivas, CEO of startup Perplexity AI, wrote in response to a post on X noting that DeepSeek models are cheaper and better than some of OpenAI's latest offerings.The takes on DeepSeek's implications are coming fast and hot. Here are eight of the most common.Take 1: Generative AI adoption will explode"Jevons paradox strikes again!" Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella posted on X Monday morning. "As AI gets more efficient and accessible, we will see its use skyrocket, turning it into a commodity we just can't get enough of."The idea that as tech improves, whether smarter, cheaper, or both, it will only bring in exponentially more demand is based on a 19th-century economic principle. In this case, the barrier to entry for companies looking to dip their toe into AI has been high. Cheaper tools could encourage more experimentation and further the technology faster."Similar to Llama, it lowers the barriers to adoption, enabling more businesses to accelerate AI use cases and move them into production." Umesh Padval, managing director at Thomvest Ventures told Business Insider.That said, even if AI grows faster than ever, that doesn't necessarily mean the trillions of investments that have flooded the space will pay off.Take 2: DeepSeek broke the prevailing wisdom about the cost of AI"DeepSeek seems to have broken the assumption that you need a lot of capital to train cutting-edge models," Debarghya Das, an investor at Menlo Ventures told BI.The price of DeepSeek's open-source model is competitive 20 to 40 times cheaper to use than comparable models from OpenAI, according to Bernstein analysts.The exact cost of building DeepSeek models is hotly debated. The research paper from DeepSeek explaining its V3 model lists a training cost of $5.6 million a harrowingly low number for other providers of foundation models.However, the same paper says that the "aforementioned costs include only the official training of DeepSeek-V3, excluding the costs associated with prior research and ablation experiments on architectures, algorithms, or data." So the $5 million figure is only part of the equation.The tech ecosystem is also reacting strongly to the implication that DeepSeek's state-of-the-art model architecture will be cheaper to run."This breakthrough slashes computational demands, enabling lower fees and putting pressure on industry titans like Microsoft and Google to justify their premium pricing," Kenneth Lamont, principal at Morningstar, wrote in a note on Monday.He went on to remind investors that with early-stage technology, assuming the winners are set is folly."Mega-trends rarely unfold as expected, and today's dominant players might not be tomorrow's winners," Lamont wrote.Dmitry Shevelenko, the chief business officer at Perplexity, a big consumer of compute and existing models, concurred that Big Tech players would need to rethink their numbers."It certainly challenges the margin structure that maybe they were selling to investors," Shevelenko told BI. "But in terms of accelerating the development of these technologies, this is a good thing." Perplexity has added DeepSeek's models to its platform.Take 3: Considering a switch to DeepSeekOn Monday, several platforms that provide AI models for businesses Groq and Liquid.AI to name two added DeepSeek's models to their offerings.On Amazon's internal Slack, one person posted a meme suggesting that developers might drop Anthropic's Claude AI model in favor of DeepSeek's offerings. The post included an image of the Claude model crossed out."Friendship ended with Claude. Now DeepSeek is my best friend." the person wrote, according to a screenshot of the post seen by BI, which got more than 60 emoji reactions from colleagues.Amazon has invested billions of dollars in Anthropic. The cloud giant also provides access to Claude models via its Amazon Web Service platform. And some AWS customers are asking for DeepSeek, BI has exclusively reported."We are always listening to customers to bring the latest emerging and popular models to AWS," an Amazon spokesperson said, while noting that customers can access some DeepSeek-related products on AWS right now through tools such as Bedrock."We expect to see many more models like this both large and small, proprietary and open-source excel at different tasks," the Amazon spokesperson added. "This is why the majority of Amazon Bedrock customers use multiple models to meet their unique needs and why we remain focused on providing our customers with choice so they can easily experiment and integrate the best models for their specific needs into their applications."Switching costs for companies creating their own products on top of foundation models are relatively low, which is generating a lot of questions as to whether DeepSeek will overtake other models from Meta, Anthropic, or OpenAI in popularity with enterprises. (It's already number one in Apple's app store.)DeepSeek, however, is owned by Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer and the same security concerns haunting TikTok may eventually apply to DeepSeek."While open-source models like DeepSeek present exciting opportunities, enterprisesespecially in regulated industriesmay hesitate to adopt Chinese-origin models due to concerns about training data transparency, privacy, and security," Padval said.Security concerns aside, the software companies that sell APIs to businesses have been adding DeepSeek throughout Monday.Take 4: Infrastructure players could take a hitInfrastructure-as-a-service companies, such as Oracle, Digital Ocean, and Microsoft could be in a precarious position should more efficient AI models rule in the future."The sheer efficiency of DeepSeek's pre and post training framework (if true) raises the question as to whether or not global hyperscalers and governments, that have and intend to continue to invest significant capex dollars into AI infrastructure, may pause to consider the innovative methodologies that have come to light with DeepSeek's research," wrote Stifel analysts.If the same quantity of work requires less compute, those selling only compute could suffer, Barclays analysts wrote."With the increased uncertainty, we could see share price pressure amongst all three," according to the analysts.Microsoft and Digital Ocean declined to comment. Oracle did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.Take 5: Scaling isn't dead, it's just movedFor months, AI luminaries, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have been predicting a big shift in AI from a focus on training to a focus on inference. Training is the process by which models are created while inference is the type of computing that runs AI models and related tools such as ChatGPT.The shift in computing's total share to inference has been underway for a while, but now, change is coming from two places. First, more AI users means more inference demand. The second is that part of DeepSeek's secret sauce is how improvement takes place in the inference stage. Nvidia took a positive spin, via a spokesperson."DeepSeek is an excellent AI advancement and a perfect example of Test Time Scaling. DeepSeek's work illustrates how new models can be created using that technique, leveraging widely-available models and compute that is fully export control compliant," an Nvidia spokesperson told BI."Inference requires significant numbers of NVIDIA GPUs and high-performance networking. We now have three scaling laws: pre-training and post-training, which continue, and new test-time scaling."Take 6: Open-source changes model buildingThe most under-hyped part of DeepSeek's innovations is how easy it will now be to take any AI model and turn it into a more powerful "reasoning" model, according to Jack Clark, an Anthropic cofounder, and a former OpenAI employee, wrote about DeepSeek in his newsletter Import AI on Monday.Clark also explained that some AI companies, such as OpenAI, have been hiding all the reasoning steps that their latest AI models take. DeepSeek's models show all these intermediate "chains of thought" for anyone to see and use. This radically changes how AI models are controlled, Clark wrote."Some providers like OpenAI had previously chosen to obscure the chains of thought of their models, making this harder," Clark explained. "There's now an open-weight model floating around the internet which you can use to bootstrap any other sufficiently powerful base model into being an AI reasoner. AI capabilities worldwide just took a one-way ratchet forward."Take 7: Programmers still matterDeepSeek improved by using novel programming methods, which Samir Kumar, co-founder and general partner at VC firm Touring Capital, saw as a reminder that humans are still coding the most exciting innovations in AI.He told BI that DeepSeek is "a good reminder of the talent and skillset of hardcore human low-level programmers."Got a tip or an insight to share? Contact BI's senior reporter Emma Cosgrove at ecosgrove@businessinsider.com or use the secure messaging app Signal: 443-333-9088.Contact Pranav from a nonwork device securely on Signal at +1-408-905-9124 or email him at pranavdixit@protonmail.com.You can email Jyoti at jmann@businessinsider.com or DM her via X @jyoti_mann1

Its only a matter of time till Halo is on Switch 2 (Microsoft)The Tuesday letters page is surprised the PS5 is outselling the Xbox Series X by so much, as a reader asks when the first State of Play of the year will be.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukIntroductory gamesPhil Spencer can talk a lot of nonsense sometimes, but I really dont think he can be any clearer about his plans for Xbox exclusives. Everything is coming and theyre probably only waiting for an appropriate time to release the games on PlayStation 5 and beyond.They want the first Halo or Gears Of War to be an event, not just some quick remaster of a 10 year old game. Or at least thats what seems sensible to me, obviously I dont actually know what theyre going to do.But I wouldve thought Gears Of War: E-Day will be multiformat, especially since its a prequel. For Halo theyll either have to wait for the new game theyve teased or itll be the rumoured new remake of Combat Evolved. In fact, I imagine both that and E-Day were designed specifically to be the introduction to the franchises for new non-Xbox owners.For Starfield, I imagine maybe theyll wait for all the DLC to be out and do a deluxe edition or something like that.I cant deny its sad to see the Xbox dream die like this but if they continue to make good games it will never truly be over.JigsawQuid pro quoIt is going to be so odd seeing games like Halo and Forza on Switch 2, but Microsoft are clearly all for it so Im sure Nintendo isnt going to complain. I wonder though what else Microsoft is going to be needling Nintendo for.We already know theyd love to get Game Pass onto Switch 2 and doubly so now, given how irrelevant Xbox consoles have become. But how would Microsoft try to convince Nintendo now, in this new reality theyre working under?I cant imagine itd be as simple as just giving them money, so will they offer free streaming services for their own games, maybe? Thats tech that Nintendo is going to have to use someone else for and allowing Game Pass may be a relatively small price to pay for access.We have seen a lot stranger things in the last few years than Game Pass on Switch, so I wouldnt be that surprised if it happened.FocusNo changeAm I right in thinking that theres still no hint as to when Sony might have their first State of Play of the year? Theyre actually being more secretive than last year, at this point, because I remember last year they had a montage trailer in early January that confirmed a few things, but we havent had anything like that.Theyve got Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Ytei to talk about for definite this year and at some point theyve got to explain whats going on with Wolverine. So on paper theyve got a lot more to talk about than they did at the start of last year.What Im trying to say is that I see absolutely no sign of any change in approach with them. My theory is that theyve signed a marketing deal for GTA 6, and they just cant be bothered with anything else now theyve got that in the bag already.Tom MeadowsGC: There have been some vague whispers of February or March but nothing specific.Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukSister seriesIs anyone getting Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance vibes off of Ninja Gaiden 4? Obviously thats also a Platinum game but it seems to me that theyre purposefully playing off the game, with the sword combat and the way the camera works and everything.Not a problem with me, as I much preferred that game to any of the old Ninja Gaidens, but it does look a bit weird when you place it next to the new Ninja Gaiden 2 remaster. If you didnt know their names I dont think anyone would guess they were part of the same franchise.Like I say though thats not a problem for me, but I just hope this is a hit. If its not then Platinum is probably going to be in real trouble. I expect Microsoft to give Ninja Gaiden 4 quite a bit of marketing, so maybe thatll work, but well have to see.The BishopDead againI dont like to ask an obvious question but are we basically never getting another Dead Space game again, after the remake didnt do as well as EA wanted? That is such a shame because to me, as a fan, I thought it was pretty much the perfect remake and the team definitely understood the original and what it was all about.When it outsold The Callisto Protocol I though that was enough to secure it a future, but unfortunately not. I really dont know what EA was expecting. Sure, it wouldve been great if it was a breakout hit, but the original wasnt and basically no survival horror game has been since the 90s, that isnt called Resident Evil. Just seems like someone didnt do their research before even okaying the game.WhalemThe sweet spotWell, Mass Effect 2 being 15 years old certainly makes me feel old. And yet, if youd told me it was even older, Id probably have believed you. Not only is it a great game but it comes from a time when you could make giant, epic games in a relatively short amount of time and not break the bank. It was only three years between 1 and 2, and just two between 2 and 3. Nowadays youd have to double those development times, at least.I really do feel the Xbox 360 era was the sweet spot for games in terms of the balance between quality of graphics and length of time needed to make things. PlayStation 4 was probably sustainable but that was the absolute limit and now we see what happens now that limit has been passed and publishers refuse to stop.This puts Mass Effect 4 in a very difficult position, especially after the failure of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. If I had to guess Id say it was never coming out. If it does itll probably be by the skin of its teeth and with severe budget cuts.The problem is that to remake something on anything like the scale of Mass Effect 2, with the improvement in graphics people expect today, takes so much more, and thats before you start trying to do anything new on top. Mass Effect wasnt the most successful game ever, but it was pretty big, I thought, but even that isnt enough today, where its all or nothing and frequently nothing.DalsonSensible parametersId be surprised if the Nintendo Switch 2 price was anything surprising. Somewhere between 350 and 400 would be my guess. I dont think Nintendo are silly enough to make it more than that and while its a lot of money its well within birthday/Christmas range and less than most new consoles.Not that they have to really worry about that though, as the majority of people buying it at launch are going to be hardcore fans. So if they do get the price wrong, or people feel they want to wait for a Lite version, theres still going to be plenty of time for that.TiggerStrange daysWhat a strange situation we are in.After another year of, with the exception of Astro Bot, Sony giving us no reason to buy a PlayStation 5, let alone a PS5 Pro, and yet its still selling like hotcakes, 7% more than the PlayStation 4.Microsoft, on the other hand, have finally started to release worthwhile games in 2024 and with the Developer Direct signalled that 2025 is going to start as 2024 left off, with some promising games to come. Yet with all this they seem to actively not want to sell the actual console.Over Christmas you could get a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition for 309 or a full version for 389.Microsoft were still selling the 1TB Xbox Series S for 299 and the Xbox Series X for 479.Who in their right mind would buy one? Why no discounts to drive sales?Worse, there were no promotional bundles.No Call Of Duty bundleNo Indiana Jones And The Great Circle bundleNo Game Pass bundleThey have totally given up on the console market, but surely that should at least mean a fire sale to get rid of old stock. which makes me wonder just how many consoles are still being made?Maybe, as the EU have updated the Digital Markets act, Microsoft are counting on consoles having to open up to third party marketplaces, so they dont have to pay Sony and Nintendo 30% of their software sales. But that will lead to the PlayStation 6 costing a fortune and limiting its mass market appeal, as Sony will need to keep its profit margins up.Also, would it really open up to third party marketplaces in the US? Imagine if Call Of Duty was an Xbox Marketplace exclusive on the PlayStation 5 for a month? Would gamers flock to the Xbox Store over the Sony one or would there be a backlash similar to Steam users moaning about the Epic Store?But its all very depressing, as the Xbox Series X is an excellent machine, which I still use far more than my PlayStation 5.This is mainly due to:Game PassInstant resume, which is the most next gen console feature and something Im amazed Sony have not copied, even if just for the PS5 Pro.And my preference for the Xbox style controller, if only they had released Sebile I would say its the best console controller, but its really third party apathy to the DualSense features that keeps my preference in place.Irve77 (gamertag/PSN ID)Inbox also-ransI feel weve had so many rumours of Skies Of Arcadia coming back over the years that its probably never going to happen. I just dont think the original was well known enough and every year that pass less people are going to remember it.JoolsIs it just me or was The Simpsons: Tapped Out not very good? I remember playing it for half an hour and be disgusted at the microtransactions. Not something I feel very nostalgic about.KosMore TrendingEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.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

Why Xbox cant afford to give up on consoles despite going multiformatMichael BeckwithPublished January 28, 2025 1:00am The Xbox console still has a place even as Microsoft turns every other device into an Xbox (Microsoft)Even as Xbox console sales struggle, Microsoft remains committed to making more hardware and its all because of Game Pass.2024 marked a significant turning point for Microsofts gaming strategy. After years of pushing its own game exclusives, to coax people into choosing Xbox over PlayStation, higher-ups admitted to themselves that they just werent making enough headway.Xbox boss Phil Spencer himself corroborated rumours that a curated selection of Xbox exclusives would be ported to Nintendo Switch and, most shockingly of all, PlayStation 5. Since then, its become increasingly likely that most, if not all, future Microsoft games will be multiformat.Almost every upcoming Microsoft published game is already slated for PlayStation 5 and/or Nintendo Switch (the latest Xbox Developer Direct only highlighting one Xbox exclusive) and frequent rumours and Spencer himself suggest more ports of older Xbox games, including legacy franchises like Halo, will follow suit.This has, unsurprisingly, led to some Xbox fans describing the change of plan as a betrayal as well as worrying that Microsoft will eventually quit making consoles altogether.Despite what even Microsofts own actions would suggest though, not only is it not dropping out of the hardware race, but it cant afford to.Is Microsoft giving up on making Xbox consoles?No, Microsoft has no plans to stop making Xbox consoles. To a casual observer, its easy to assume otherwise, when Microsoft is promoting how you no longer need an Xbox console to play its games, but its not the case.PC, mobile phones, handheld devices, Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV Sticks; Microsoft has come up with multiple ways to get its Xbox Game Pass service into the hands of those who dont want to buy one of their consoles.Its newest marketing campaign explicitly highlights how all these alternate devices can technically be considered an Xbox, with examples like phones and Samsung TVs making use of cloud streaming to pull it off.It makes sense for Microsoft to de-prioritise pushing hardware when the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have unambiguously lost to the PlayStation 5 in terms of sales. Especially as theyre performing worse than the Xbox One.As highlighted in this Game Developer report, the Xbox One is estimated to have sold around 38 million units in its fifth year on the market. The last recorded lifetime sales for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are at a combined 28.3 million, with an estimate that theyll only reach 33 million by the end of their fifth year in 2025.Additionally, in the US specifically, lifetime sales for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are trailing behind the Xbox One by 18%, according to Circana analyst Matt Piscatella.If you shared all this information with someone whos not attuned to the games industry and told them Microsoft would stop making consoles, theyd probably believe you. Yet this is far from the case.Microsoft has promised its working on a next gen Xbox console that is focused on delivering the biggest technological leap ever in a generation and its building prototypes for a Xbox handheld which may or may not be the same thing.It may seem strange for Microsoft to continue investing in gaming hardware when current sales are so bad its had to start releasing games on rival consoles, but theres a very good reason for this and its because of Xbox Game Pass. How many of you use anything besides your Xbox or PC for Game Pass? (Microsoft)Why is Microsoft still making Xbox consoles?While Microsoft is unlikely to ever share detailed data for Xbox Game Pass subscriptions (which in turn tells you almost all you need to know), the aforementioned Game Developer report indicates that most Game Pass subscribers are also Xbox console owners.Game Pass remains a key part of Microsofts gaming strategy and despite the service regularly missing its growth targets, the company loves to tout how many people use it.Last February, Microsoft revealed it had 34 million Game Pass subscribers (via The Verge), which is a lot but the company wants almost triple that number 100 million by 2030, which is sounding more and more impossible by the day.Microsoft has never indicated how many of those subscribers are accessing Game Pass without an Xbox, but its not unreasonable to assume they are in the minority. After all, not everyone is going to own the specific TV or streaming stick needed to access Game Pass and, even if they do, cloud streaming isnt a viable option for everyone.Aside from needing a strong and reliable Internet connection, Xboxs cloud gaming service is gated behind Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, the most expensive tier at 14.99 a month. Plus, if you werent interested in getting an Xbox console to begin with, would you really be swayed into subscribing to Game Pass instead?One could argue that an easy way to attract more Game Pass subscribers is to bring the service to other consoles, namely the PlayStation 5, the Switch, and the upcoming Switch 2. But that would only further incentivise people into flocking to those consoles instead (plus, neither Sony nor Nintendo are likely to allow it).Remember the Flaming Moes episode of The Simpsons? Moes bar was incredibly popular because of the drink idea he stole from Homer, but the moment others learned the secret recipe and could offer it elsewhere, all Moes patrons left. It didnt matter that he did it first; that wasnt enough to keep customers coming back anymore.Itd be the same situation for Microsoft if Game Pass came to Switch or PlayStation. The companys already in a position where not enough people are buying Xbox consoles, so the last thing Microsoft wants is to make the one advantage Xbox has left available elsewhere. Even some Xbox owners may choose to ditch the console if Game Pass popped up on PlayStation 5 or Switch (20th Century Fox)This is why Microsoft needs to keep making new Xbox consoles, at least for the time being. Not to mention, Sonys going to make a more powerful PlayStation 6 eventually and, even if it cant compete sales-wise, it wouldnt look good if Microsoft didnt have a shiny, new console ready to go for the dedicated Xbox customers.If anything, the next console generation could allow Microsoft to regain some ground. As former PlayStation president Shawn Layden said this past December, console hardware has plateaued when it comes to raw power and any future improvements will be negligible at best.So, the next Xbox has an opportunity to try something radically different to give itself some unique selling point (beyond continued access to Game Pass) and further differentiate itself from the PlayStation 6.Assuming its not the same thing, the Xbox handheld Spencer has talked about could certainly reach a new audience; one thats more enamoured with devices like the Steam Deck and PlayStation Portal.Theres no telling where things will go for Microsoft from here. The Xbox Series X/S has sold less than the Xbox One and its reasonable assume to the next will sell less again, unless it actually does do something different other than being a decade late to the portable hybrid party.More TrendingMarket research already points to the next generation only having room for two consoles, one of which will almost certainly be the Switch 2, so theres a non-zero chance the Xbox will be pushed out entirely.But perhaps that doesnt matter to Microsoft, in the sense that they only have to tread water until streaming games is more viable for more people. Or perhaps until their other advantage over Sony, in terms of AI tech, can also be leveraged. Avid Sony supporters would certainly cheer at the prospect of Xbox going entirely third party, but less competition for Sony also means less reasons for it to try and its not exactly been going all out lately as it is.As things stand now, though, its far too early for Microsoft to embrace being merely a third party publisher. Not when a significant portion of its paying audience is still using its consoles and theres still a chance Game Pass could become their unique selling point. It may be losing its exclusives, but theres still a place for the Xbox for now at least (Microsoft)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

NordVPN is on a terrific run with its discounts and promotions in 2025. This time, despite no Holidays and other celebratory events, NordVPN is still discounted. In January, you can save at least 70% on NordVPNs 2-year plans.The price has officially dropped to only $3.39/mo for NordVPN Basic. However, youll find plenty more fantastic discounts on different types of plans. We have 2-year and 1-year deals, all way cheaper than usual. If youve been dreaming of NordVPN for a while, its time to react. Be quick!See at NordVPNHow to Make the Most of the VPN Winter Sale OfferVery few things are easier than this.Gizmodo allows you to instantly save on NordVPN by using the button above. The blue button transports you straight to the website, where youll right away see the prices.The Basic plan is now just $3.39/mo and offers a fully-featured VPN, with some of the best features on the market. However, Plus and Complete plans are total bargains! NordVPNYou can get those at $4.39/mo and $5.39/mo, both at 70% off. The final, Prime plan, is 72% off, and the price of $8.39/mo is totally fair considering the additions of:NordPassNordLockerNordProtectAll three will tremendously improve your security and privacy. We tested NordPass, concluding its one of the top password managers. NordLocker is your encrypted cloud storage, while NordProtect keeps your sensitive data safe.So, how to save 70% on NordVPN? As said, click any of the buttons/links, choose the deal, and pay for it.Now follow the steps to install NordVPN, open the app, and connect to a server. From now on, youve secured your privacy and can enjoy the internet anonymously.NordVPN Features RundownVery few providers can match NordVPN at this price range.In fact, despite the low price, NordVPN remains the best provider overall. Even the Basic plan houses a dozen or more amazing features, while other plans include more Nord Security software, with added Threat Protection Pro.Heres which features you can expect in this NordVPN sale:Unlimited bandwidthAbove 7,100 servers in 118 countriesState-of-the-art encryptionAbsolutely zero loggingStreaming optimization (Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, )P2P servers for safe and fast torrentingVPN Apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS10 simultaneous connections, and more.As you can see, NordVPNs feature list reaches great lengths. However, thats far from everything. We just scratched the surface.Savings are around the corner, so take a step, spend less, and secure your online identity today. NordVPN will pay off quicker than you realize. Seize this unique opportunity.Get Started With NordVPN At 70% Off

It appears unnecessary complaints from that small but loud section of toxic Star Wars fandom may have influenced Lucasfilm to cut short the life of The Acolytetoo soon. The series from Leslye Headland (Russian Doll) pushed the boundaries of the light and the dark side with its High Republic-era story starring Amandla Stenberg (soon to be seen in Children of Blood and Bone), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), and Jodie Turner- Smith (Tron: Ares). It became a hot topic among Star Wars fans last year over its ambitious take on the lore, and data has now revealed that it was Disney+s second most watched series of the year. Deadline shared the stats, citing research from Luminate which broke down televisions highs and lows of 2024. And while it noted that it was a rough year for franchisesMarvel, Star Wars, and Rings of Power all underperformed last yearit attributed specific fumbles to shows like Marvels Echo and Agatha All Along. However, IP franchises still did the best on the platform: Percy Jackson and the Olympians got the top spot with with over three billion minutes viewed, and The Acolyte came in second place with 2.7 billion. That suggests Acolyte had major viewership, which has made its cancelation make even less sense. Its interesting that the WandaVision sequel series didnt get the same heat as Acolyte.And while Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) may not be getting another season, at least its been teased that she and Wiccan (Joe Locke) may be going into other Marvel stories. Thats something Star Wars fans hope for Stenberg and Jacintos characters from Acolyte; that season finale was an all-timer and we sorely miss Oshamir. While a good portion of the Star Wars fandom loved the show and are still mad about its cancelation, the fact that it ended so suddenly speaks to the ineffectiveness of Lucasfilm to stand up against the relentless online bullying targeting its actors. If anything it once again felt as if the company bent to the dark side of the fans for their dollars, and then appealed to them with the nostalgia-riddled Skeleton Crew. Not letting Star Wars be challenging is such a shame. While we look forward to Andor season two, its concerning that the franchise will seemingly lean more heavily into the Grogu-inification of its fare, ultimately betting on safer choices when Star Wars needs to be a series that inspires hopenow more than ever. 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.

025S Harajuku Store / ATELIER KHJSave this picture! Sun Kim(ATELIER KHJ)Retail InteriorsShibuya, JapanArchitects: ATELIER KHJAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:167 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Sun Kim(ATELIER KHJ)More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Save this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The 025S Harajuku store is the first official showroom in Japan for the Korean total scent brand POINTTWOFIVE.SECOND. As the brand's first introduction abroad, the design aims to express the brand's philosophy of 'time' and 'story' through the concept of 'memory.'Save this picture!Save this picture!The showroom is spread across two floors and is designed around the concept of a repository for precious items. This memory-evoking repository serves not only as a storage space for scents but also as a functional fragrance counter, becoming an iconic structure within the space.Save this picture!Visitors interact with this structure, selecting and sampling scents that resonate with them, creating an experience that connects to the act of recalling memories. This space encourages visitors to go beyond simple fragrance sampling, offering a multi-sensory experience that stimulates various senses.Save this picture!Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Shibuya, JapanLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeATELIER KHJOfficePublished on January 28, 2025Cite: "025S Harajuku Store / ATELIER KHJ" 27 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026025/025s-harajuku-store-atelier-khj&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

Chinese AI App DeepSeek Rattles Tech MarketsBy John P. Mello Jr.January 27, 2025 6:15 PM PT ADVERTISEMENTEngage with IT decision makers and key influencers. TechNewsWorld's B2B marketing services deliver sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Fill your funnel and grow revenue with our lead gen expertise. Get Started Today. A popular app from China sent the tech markets plummeting Monday, fueled by fear that the United States may be losing its primacy in artificial intelligence.Nvidia shares dropped 16.9%, contributing to a 1.5% slide in the S&P 500, while tech titans contributed to the Nasdaq Composite Index falling 3.1%, its worst decline in over a month.The setbacks are being attributed to an announcement by China-based DeepSeek that it has developed an AI model that can compete with the likes of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini at a fraction of the cost and the rise over the weekend of the companys free app to the top of the charts in Apples App Store in the U.S.DeepSeek has gained popularity because it has shown simply how good it is at the tasks consumers care about, said Hodan Omaar, a senior AI policy analyst at the Center for Data Innovation, a think tank studying the intersection of data, technology, and public policy, in Washington, D.C.Hodan called out DeepSeek as a rising star in a report she wrote in June. One of the key points of that report was that the gap between the leading models from U.S. industry leaders and those developed by Chinas foremost tech giants and start-ups was quickly closing.So while some may be surprised that DeepSeeks new model is rivaling on English language tasks, the signs that it was heading in that direction with the strength of its earlier models were there, she told TechNewsWorld.An AI BargainMark N. Vena, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research in Las Vegas, noted that the DeepSeek app has recently surged in popularity due to its introduction of advanced AI features, such as real-time contextual insights and personalized search recommendations, which make information retrieval faster and more precise.Its new integrations with widely used productivity tools have also streamlined workflows, attracting professionals across industries, he told TechNewsWorld.Furthermore, he continued, recent updates emphasizing enhanced data security and privacy protections have resonated with users seeking trustworthy digital solutions.It has the reputation of being one of the best generative AI engines but is substantially less expensive to use than its competitors, added Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst with the Enderle Group, an advisory services firm in Bend, Ore.People like a bargain, he told TechNewsWorld. Willy Leichter, CMO of AppSOC, an application security and vulnerability management provider in San Jose, Calif., agreed. Any breakthrough that reduces the massive computing resources and costs of large-scale AI will be popular, he told TechNewsWorld. Lowering the costs to entry will benefit innovators, criminals, and anyone else using AI on a budget.Curiosity may also be contributing to the apps popularity. Its ability to produce results comparable to Western AI giants using non-premium chips has drawn international interest, explained Ted Miracco, CEO of Approov Mobile Security, a global mobile application security company.Its also possible that interest in Chinese apps has been piqued by the TikTok ban, RedNote, and other Chinese apps in the news, he told TechNewsWorld.Questions About PerformanceDeepSeek raised some eyebrows last week when it released its DeepSeek R-1 model, which it stated beats OpenAIs latest o1 model on several benchmark tests.Heres the rub and my biggest concern about DeepSeek, Vena said. Verifying DeepSeeks performance claims can be challenging due to limited transparency and potential restrictions on independent testing or auditing, especially since it operates within Chinas regulatory environment.Concerns around access to proprietary data and algorithms, as well as potential bias in publicized benchmarks, further complicate the validation process, he added.Additionally, Vena continued, geopolitical tensions and mistrust between nations may make third-party verification more difficult, raising questions about the credibility of its claims.Leichter noted that verifying DeepSeeks claims and doing apples-to-apples comparisons will be difficult. The shortcuts these Chinese developers found may have hidden flaws, massive security gaps, or other issues we cant anticipate yet, he said.For people building AI on the cheap, this may not matter, but large businesses building AI applications will need much more assurance that China is likely to provide, he noted.Miracco explained that verifying DeepSeeks claims is challenging due to both language barriers and limited transparency. Chinese tech companies operate under strict government oversight, which may prevent the release of unbiased benchmarks or third-party audits, he said.We believe the Chinese government has a vested interest in proving that sanctions in semiconductors and AI will be ineffective, he added. The release of DeepSeek performance claims will no doubt support that narrative.Export Controls DownsideMiracco argued that DeepSeek is trying to demonstrate that innovation can bypass hardware limitations through optimization and ingenuity.This is intended to prove that export controls alone may not be sufficient to curb technological progress in adversarial nations, he said. The U.S. may need to double down on sanctions by focusing more on software-based regulations such as open-source restrictions partnerships, and fostering innovation to maintain its edge, rather than relying solely on restricting hardware exports.Enderle countered, however, that restrictions on chip exports implemented by the Biden Administration may have had some unintended consequences. DeepSeek showcases those blocks are forcing China to advance its own technology more quickly and China appears to be even better than Japan was at reverse engineering or even stealing competitive technology, he observed. The blocks made duplicating and exceeding U.S. tech a top national priority for China, and DeepSeek is only one of the troubling results, he said.Vena asserted that DeepSeeks ability to achieve results comparable to leading U.S. AI firms using less advanced chips challenges the rationale behind export controls.This demonstrates that cutting-edge AI capabilities are not solely dependent on the most advanced hardware, he explained. Consequently, restricting access to top-tier Nvidia products may not fully prevent the development of competitive AI systems, potentially undermining the effectiveness of such controls.However, he added, export controls may still serve a broader purpose by retarding technological advancements in rival nations and preserving U.S. leadership in the most sensitive and high-performance AI applications.Democratizing Cutting-Edge TechAndrew Bolster, senior R&D manager at Black Duck Software, an applications security company in Burlington, Mass., maintained that the release of DeepSeek undeniably showcases the immense potential of open-source AI.By making such a powerful model available under an MIT license, it not only democratizes access to cutting-edge technology but also fosters innovation and collaboration across the global AI community, he told TechNewsWorld.However, he continued, DeepSeeks rumored use of OpenAI Chain of Thought data for its initial training highlights the importance of transparency and shared resources in advancing AI. In the context of Open Source AI, its crucial that the underlying training and evaluation data are open, as well as the initial architecture and the resultant model weights.DeepSeeks achievement in AI efficiency leveraging a clever reinforcement learning-based multi-stage training approach, rather than the current trend of using larger datasets for bigger models signals a future where AI is accessible beyond the billionaire classes, he predicted. Open-source AI, with its transparency and collective development, often outpaces closed-source alternatives in terms of adaptability and trust, he said. As more organizations recognize these benefits, we could indeed see a significant shift towards open-source AI, driving a new era of technological advancement.Nevertheless, the markets may be selling the existing AI ecosystem short. I think the markets are overreacting to the source of the innovation, as opposed to the innovation itself, observed Chirag Dekate, vice president analyst at Gartner, a research and advisory company based in Stamford, Conn.Because of that, it is amplifying jingoistic perceptions, he told TechNewsWorld.It is also amplifying perceptions that you dont need data centers, [and] you dont need GPUs when the underlying facts are completely the opposite, he said. In order to deliver AI at scale, in order to create AI-native societies of the future, you still need underlying infrastructure.John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John.Leave a CommentClick here to cancel reply. Please sign in to post or reply to a comment. New users create a free account.Related StoriesMore by John P. Mello Jr.view allMore in Artificial Intelligence

Researchers studying the science of sleep are building a growing body of evidence connecting both the quantity and quality of slumber to the risk of developing Alzheimers disease. Now a group shows that people who take longer to enter the dream phase of sleep known as rapid eye movement (REM) may be exhibiting an early symptom of the disease, according to work published in Alzheimers and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. What are the Sleep ImplicationsThe results have implications for three groups: people concerned about their Alzheimers risk, doctors who diagnose and treat the disease, and researchers who study sleep.For that first group, Yue Leng, a psychiatry professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and an author of the study, has a simple message: You really, really need to pay attention to your sleep, she says.Researchers dont yet know whether someones difficulty entering REM is only a diagnostic tool for Alzheimers disease or a contributing factor to the diseases onset. But noticing such a problem should be a wakeup call.Physicians might want to add that issue to their diagnostic toolbox when screening for Alzheimers disease. They also might consider recommending various therapies that could improve someones sleep quality perhaps by using light therapy to help reset their circadian rhythm or by recommending melatonin.And researchers might consider exploring different stages of sleep when looking at Alzheimers disease. Leng says much of the work so far has centered on long wave sleep, which constitutes the bulk of our slumber.Taking a Look at SleepTo reach these conclusions, researchers monitored the sleep of two groups of people with an average age of 70 half of whom had been diagnosed with Alzheimers. Researchers monitored their brainwave activity, eye movement, heart rate and breathing during an overnight stay.They then divided the results into early and delayed REM sleepers. The early group achieved REM less than 98 minutes after falling asleep. The late group reached it more than 193 minutes after falling asleep. Alzheimers patients in the study were more likely to have delayed REM sleep, and they also tended to have higher levels of two toxic proteins amyloid and tau considered reliable biomarkers for Alzheimers disease. They also had 39 percent less of a specific healthy protein that tends to decline in people with Alzheimers.For now, finding Alzheimers biomarkers requires brain imaging, which often happens well after a patient experiences cognitive decline and memory loss. Being aware of a difficulty falling asleep or the inability to dream might provide an earlier warning, which could then improve treatment.I would advocate for more attention to this particular stage of sleep, Leng says. If you have concerns, you should be talking to clinicians about this Alzheimer's disease risk.This article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only. Read More: The 4 Main Types of DementiaArticle SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Alzheimers and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. Association of rapid eye movement sleep latency with multimodal biomarkers of Alzheimer's diseaseBefore joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.

Sakura Rabbit, a fantastically talented 3D artist who often graces our pages, is back with a beautiful winter scene she created with Unity.Lit by the gentle sun, the environment is wrapped in snow, with a river frozen in place by the cold. This is a little present to Sakuras followers before the Chinese New Year. You can get the Unity HDRP project source files if you subscribe to her FANBOX.Also, you can enjoy Sakuras works, like her realistic rain shader, real-time mesh deformations, and automatic paving effect, on her X/Twitter.Sakura can also work with faces almost like a magician as you can see in her eye tracking project. And you dont want to miss the real-time creases she showcased in June.Characters, environments, props, effects nothing is impossible for Sakuras talented mind and hands, so feel free to support her future endeavors.Join our 80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads,where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.Source link The post Sweet Winter Environment Made with Unity appeared first on CG SHARES.

Witness Lutong Hes first steps as an environment artist in Synoptic Sanctum, a futuristic laboratory/workshop created with Maya, Substance 3D Painter, Unreal Engine 5, and Marmoset Toolbag.The Sanctum was born from Hes original concept and helped hone her abilities and get enough experience and expertise to call herself a true environment artist.This project allowed me to refine my skills in hard surface modeling, texture design, set-dressing, and scene lighting. This marks the beginning of my journey as an environment artist, and Im excited for the opportunities ahead to turn imagination and passion into reality.Hes ArtStation portfolio is not that big yet, but you can find her older collaboration project.Follow He for more and join our 80 Level Talent platformand ournew Discord server, follow us onInstagram,Twitter,LinkedIn,Telegram,TikTok, andThreads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, and awesome artworks.Source link The post Futuristic Laboratory Set Up in Unreal Engine 5 appeared first on CG SHARES.