If youre a Baldurs Gate 3 player on PlayStation 5, you can check out the games long-awaited Patch 8 ahead of schedule. And the developers have no idea why.No, the Patch 8 stress test hasnt yet begun, Larian Studios said in a clearly frustrated Bluesky post. Yes, PS5 players do currently have access to Patch 8. While we work with our partners to understand whats going on, please note that any new saves made while on Patch 8 will not be compatible with Patch 7. Hows your Monday going?No, the Patch 8 stress test hasnt yet begun.Yes, PS5 players do currently have access to Patch 8.While we work with our partners to understand whats going on, please note that any new saves made while on Patch 8 will not be compatible with Patch 7.Hows your Monday going? Larian Studios (@larianstudios.com) 2025-01-27T15:42:03.794ZSo, yes, while youre free to play around with Patch 8 on PlayStation 5, it sounds like youre going to want to be careful of doing so with your main Baldurs Gate 3 save lest it becomes unplayable when/if this unplanned access is taken away.Baldurs Gate 3s Patch 8 is set to add a bunch of cool features, including cross-play between all platforms, a robust photo mode, and 12 new subclasses, before Larian Studios says goodbye to the game and franchise for good. It doesnt currently have a release date apart from a vague 2025 window, but registration is ongoing for an upcoming stress test.

Thinking about getting a new iPhone? You certainly have options: Apple's latest generation of smartphones, the iPhone 16 series, offers four different models, each with their own plusses and minuses. If you're not set on having the latest and greatest, you could consider last year's iPhone 15, or even 2022's iPhone 14. They're all great.However, there's one iPhone that stands out from the rest: the iPhone SE. Unlike every other iPhone Apple currently sells, this one has a Home button. In fact, the phone looks nearly identical to the iPhone 8 Apple released back in 2017, which itself borrows the design from 2014's iPhone 6. That means it has a smaller, lower quality display than many might be used to these days, a single camera that isn't as capable as newer iPhones, and poor battery life for its size. In short, the current SE is a bit of a black sheep, and is probably not the iPhone I'd recommend you buy in 2024even if it only costs $429. That price is the main selling point of the SE brand, especially when this particular model launched back in 2022. Apple takes the design from the last generation (in this case, the iPhone 8 style), packs a modern chip inside, and slashes the MSRP. In effect, you get an iPhone that can keep up with the performance of the flagship Apple phones, but at half the cost, if not more. Sure, the cameras aren't as good, and the device looks a bit dated, but again, you get a lot of iPhone for the price. To be frank, if you're eyeing a mid-range device at a good price, I wouldn't recommend buying an iPhone at all right now. But if you can wait until spring, Apple might just have exactly what you're looking for in a brand-new SE (which, according to rumors, might even have a different name). 2025 could be the year of the SEAs reported by MacRumors, analysts have confirmed Apple is working on a fourth-generation iPhone SE. The only "confirmed" spec from this report is an Apple-made 5G modem. If true, it would be the first iPhone with a non-Qualcomm 5G modem, but it's not clear whether that would mean any performance gains or other positive changes for customers. Analysts say the SE is set to launch at the end of Q1 2025, which might track with a rumored March announcement. Apple unveiled the SE 3 in March 2022, so it'd be consistent. According to the rumors, we'll see an iPhone SE 4 (or whatever it releases as) with some decent specs. MacRumors says the new SE could have a 6.1-inch OLED display with Face ID, an upgraded A-series chip (though it's not certain which chip Apple would use), USB-C, a 48 MP rear camera, 8GB of RAM, and this new 5G modem. That extra RAM would allow the SE 4 to run Apple Intelligence, which is obviously important to Apple, but perhaps not to anyone who has already turned it off.If those features come to pass, this would be quite the upgrade over the current iPhone SE. The SE 3 is rocking a 4.7-inch 750p LCD, a much smaller and lower resolution display than what's rumored. It also uses the A15 Bionic chip, which is still powerful enough in 2024 (it's the same chip used in the iPhone 14), has a Lightning port, a 12 MP rear camera, 4GB of RAM, and, of course, a Qualcomm 5G modem. The SE always borrows from the previous generation of iPhone, and right now, that's likely the iPhone 14. Based on these rumors, the new SE would have some edge over the iPhone 14: The 14 has 12 MP rear cameras, 6GB of RAM, a Lightning port, and doesn't support Apple Intelligence, all of which the rumored SE improves upon. And while the 14's A15 Bionic chip is plenty powerful for iOS 18, the SE 4 will undoubtedly come with a newer A-series chip. The A15 was the newest iPhone chip at the time when the SE 3 came out: If Apple continues the trend, the SE 4 could get the iPhone 16's A18 chip. Even the 15 Pro's A17 chip would be quite the upgrade.There's also a potential name change in store for the iPhone SE 4, as noted leaker Majin Bu (don't you have Saiyans to fight?) has said Apple is considering naming it the iPhone 16E, pushing it as a budget version of its most recent model rather than a separate line altogether. Bu's report follows a similar statement from popular Chinese account Fixed Focus Digital.What would a new iPhone SE look like?Aside from the internals, leakers have also now gotten their hands on supposed dummy units of the iPhone SE 4. As expected, these look a lot like the iPhone 14, but with two noticeable changes. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The biggest changes here, at least according to a video from also coming from Majin Bu, are the swap to a USB-C port and the move to a single camera lens. The former is necessary for the phone to be sold in the EU and constitutes a modest upgrade over the 14, while the latter is likely a cost-cutting measure, but could still be considered an upgrade if the single lens is more powerful than the prior dual lenses, as rumored. Notably, while the move to a single camera lens is a change from the iPhone 14, the current iPhone SE also only uses a single camera lens, and it does provide for a less noticeable camera bump.Over the old SE, the Home button is also now gone, and noticeably, a notch is here in place of the Dynamic Island Apple made standard on all new iPhones starting with the iPhone 15. That's not wholly a surprise, given the base iPhone 14 had a notch too, but anyone who was hoping Apple would leave notches entirely in the past after the iPhone 15 announcement will likely need to wait for the SE 5 (or whatever it's called) to see that wish come true.Bu isn't the first leaker to come forward with an iPhone SE 4 dummy, although their post is certainly clearer than prior looks, especially regarding the notch.Will Apple keep the price low?Of course, the value of a rumored SE all hinges on the price. Ideally, Apple would keep the same $429 price point for the SE 4which, itself, was a hike from the $399 starting price for past SE models. These rumors point to a excellent all-around iPhone that omits certain modern or "Pro" features like a Camera button, Action button, zoom lens, titanium build, 120Hz ProMotion display, Always-On display, Dynamic Island, and a brightness maximum of 2,000 nits. Hopefully, scrapping these features most users don't want or need can motivate Apple to price the SE accordingly. As of this writing, rumors don't suggest what Apple will do, one way or another.At the end of the day, most people looking to buy an iPhone want something that can handle iMessage and FaceTime, run their favorite apps, and take great photos and videos. The SE traditionally handles these tasks without issue, so if the fourth-generation iPhone SE does indeed deliver on these rumors, and is priced appropriately, it might be the best iPhone for most of us.

Google has been taking its crusade against adblockers to a whole new level lately, so if youve started getting unskippable multi-hour ads on YouTube, that might be why. Over the past week, Redditors have been sharing screenshots showing that theyve been served ads with runtimes as long as three hours, with no skip button in sightand that's to watch videos that are much shorter than the ads themselves.Android Authority was the first to report on the phenomenon, linking to threads from users Lin1ex and Standard-Slip6572, who complained about the feature-length interruptions, complete with images of their screens. The publication also pointed to commenters who made further claims, saying they were served 10-hour or even 90-hour ads, although these more extreme accusations lacked photo evidence.If that all sounds a little unbelievable to you, you have good instincts. And in one of the linked photos above, you might see a small pop-up, separate from YouTubes UI, that says Skipping adsThis pop-up led Android Authority to question whether its only users running ad blockers who are getting this kind of treatment, a question author Aamir Siddiqui reached out to YouTube for confirmation on. While the company exactly admit to any specific punitive behavior for users employing adblockers, its answer does seem to hint at whats going on, if you read between the lines....the use of ad blockers violate YouTubes Terms of Service, Googles statement reads. Weve launched a global effort to urge viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium for an ad free experience.By YouTubes own admission, unskippable ads are supposed to be limited to 15-seconds, so something is definitely going on here, assuming the Redditors claims are true. While I myself have gotten hour-long ads before, a skip button has always appeared for them.Ive reached out to YouTube myself for further clarification, but in the meantime, it's worth noting that the move does line up with the companys recent behavior. Previously, the company has injected ads straight into videos so that ad blockers cant detect them, as well as used pop-ups to block users with ad blockers from watching videos at all. Google Chrome as a whole has also started disabling certain ad-blockers, thanks to a controversial change to the API extension developers use.If you notice an unskippable multi-hour ad on YouTube, try disabling your ad blocker to see if that fixes the issue. If it does, and this new change works like YouTubes prior anti-ad-blocker rollouts, you might then want to try watching the video again in incognito mode to see if the measure is linked to your accountthis should help you diagnose whats going on so you can more easily know what to do next.

Pebble is back, baby. On Monday, Google (which owns Pebbles IP via its Fitbit purchase) open-sourced the OG modern smartwatchs software. Although that paves the road for anyone to make new Pebble-esque wearables (or custom firmware for the old models), one high-profile figure has already raised his hand: Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky.Google says the open-source PebbleOS includes most of the softwares source code. The only exceptions are proprietary code for chipset and Bluetooth software. Googles Matthieu Jeanson, Katharine Berry and Liam McLoughlin wrote that developers face a non-trivial amount of work in finding replacements for the stripped-out pieces of code. Migicovsky says he spurred the project by asking friends at Google if they would open-source the software.The Pebble founder, who went on to run Beeper (the iMessage for Android app that sparked a short-lived war with Apple), wrote on his blog that he wants his planned smartwatch to be a modern take on the original Pebble a spiritual successor that doesnt try to reinvent the wheel. No one makes a smartwatch with the core set of features I want, he wrote. I had really, really, really hoped that someone else would come along and build a Pebble replacement. But no one has.KickstarterHis wishlist for the as-yet-unnamed product includes an always-on e-paper screen, long battery life, a simple and beautiful user experience, physical buttons and hackability (like custom watch faces). Those were indeed the hallmarks of the innovative and charming Pebble, which broke Kickstarter records and preceded Apple, Samsung and Googles models by several years.The new watch were building basically has the same specs and features as Pebble, though with some fun new stuff as well, the Pebble founder wrote, adding that his team still needs to nail down the products exact specifications and timeline. It runs open source PebbleOS, and its compatible with all Pebble apps and watchfaces.Developers can get Googles open-sourced Pebble OS on GitHub. And if youre interested in Migicovskys as-yet-unnamed spiritual successor to the 2013 smartwatch, you can sign up for updates on its webpage.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/google-open-sources-the-pebble-smartwatchs-software-and-its-creator-is-making-a-new-model-220526568.html?src=rss

Swedish indie development studio Hazelight just dropped a new trailer for its forthcoming co-op adventure Split Fiction. This new footage takes a more indepth look at the actual nuts and bolts of the cooperative gameplay. Remember, Hazelight is the same company that made the genre-defining It Takes Two and A Way Out.Unlike the bickering parents of It Takes Two, this game stars a sci-fi writer and a fantasy author as they travel into various fantastical worlds. Its a story of friendship, and not marital collapse. This should make for fewer awkward conversations between couples as they play through the campaign.The company calls Split Fiction a boundary-pushing co-op adventure. There are all kinds of unique mechanics shown off in the trailer, which is quite a feat since previous footage already showed off dozens of fun-looking ideas. There are dragons, cyberpunk motorcycles and even Dune-like sandworms.Hazelight also announced a new mechanic called Side Stories, which are one-off adventures hidden in main story levels. This allows the main characters to do even more stuff, like surf on a sandfish or snowboard down a mountain during a heated battle. The co-op madness will never end.Split Fiction comes out on March 6 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game supports crossplay and purchasers will be able to invite friends to play with them for free on any platform.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-new-split-fiction-trailer-shows-off-some-intense-co-op-gameplay-190028752.html?src=rss

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

In posts on X on Monday, Google said it will follow the government's lead in changing the names on its Maps app.

See how MPC crafted the film.The post A new VFX breakdown for Mufasa is out appeared first on befores & afters.

The modern international food trade currently plays a significant role in breaking food insecurity in parts of the world. Although innovative, the downsides are the high expense of transit, supply chain vulnerability, and potential for environmental harm. The alternative? Helping farmers worldwide to successfully and sustainably overcome crop stressors such as insects that take a toll on crops grown to feed the populations close to them. AI can help make a positive difference.There are an estimated 570 million farms of varying sizes globally, a number not expected to expand significantly. The worlds population, however, is predicted to grow (from almost 8 billion to nearly 10 billion by 2050) requiring farmers to produce 50% more food on those 570 million farms, a significant problem, unless there is change.Farmers already lose 20-40% of their crops annually to weeds, pests, and disease; changing pressures caused by climate change and resistance are exacerbating the situation. Many current treatments to fight weeds, pests, and disease were developed over 30 years ago and today struggle against resistance. Farmers are resourceful and eager to find solutions but pests are nimble and persistent. North Americas corn rootworm, for example, has adapted to crop rotation. And Asias barnyard grass mimics rice plants to evade hand-weeding. Innovation is desperately needed to provide solutions.So, how can we ensure there is sustainable, more localized, food production in a world where farmers face these challenges? Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a promising tool to address these challenges by efficiently turning data into actionable recommendations and solutions.Take a page from pharmas AI bookAI is revolutionizing many industries, from education to energy. While its still early in its impact, improving crop yields and bringing agriculture into the future is shaping up to be another industry AI is poised to disrupt. AI can help with on-field tasks like efficiently powering a sprayer. It can also help with in-lab tasks like accelerating the discovery of safer, more effective crop protection solutions.Consider the pharmaceutical industry. AI is set to transform drug discovery by enabling the rapid development of vaccines and treatments to protect global health. Today, scientists can create annual vaccines for evolving viruses like COVID-19 and influenza while also advancing therapies for other common and rare diseases. AI is beginning to equip scientists with tools to navigate the vast diversity of chemical space, prescreening them for efficacy and then rapidly identifying the most promising molecules in the fight against disease. By analyzing data from sources like DNA-encoded chemical libraries, AI helps scientists pinpoint potential candidates from billions of options. Machine learning models further expand this exploration, unlocking chemical diversity from ultra-large, make-on-demand libraries.Now, apply that approach to agriculture, because crops get sick too. In humid regions, fungi threaten yields, while in arid climates, insect infestations can destroy fields within days. AI-driven innovation in crop protection can help address these challenges with the same urgency and precision as in pharma research and discovery. Sifting through genetic and chemical datasets can help farmers tackle evolving threats faster and more accurately.Traditional crop protection discovery is slow and expensive, typically taking more than 13 years to bring a product to market. AI-informed research can likely cut discovery time in half and ultimately generate higher quality leads.A better way to support farmersBeyond crop protection discovery benefits, the responsible use of AI in agriculture has the potential to transform global food systems, making them more sustainable and resilient in the face of challenges. With AI, farmers gain powerful tools to not only safeguard their crops but also to enhance overall productivity and sustainability.AI can help farmers anticipate and respond to the effects of climate change, such as altered growing seasons, pest invasions, and extreme weather events. With predictive tools, farmers can make informed decisions about crop rotation, pest control, and irrigation, leading to improved outcomes while navigating unpredictable conditions.Farmers can also harness AI to improve productivity while minimizing environmental impacts. AI-driven solutions can allow for precise monitoring of soil health, real-time weather analysis, and efficient resource use, ensuring that farmers apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides only where and when theyre needed most. This reduces waste, lowers costs, and mitigates the negative effects of overuse on the environment.The long-term potential of AI in agriculture lies in its ability to boost productivity for farmers and foster more sustainable food systems that can feed a growing global population while preserving the health of the planet.Looking to the futureAI is already making meaningful strides in revolutionizing agriculture and the potential is enormous. Enhancing crop protection and boosting productivity without the need for farmland expansion is only the beginning. The potential for breakthroughs is vast, with new solutions on the horizon that could significantly transform agriculture and drive further progress. By continuing to innovate and integrate AI into agricultural practices, well reach new levels of sustainability and efficiency, ultimately creating a more resilient and productive food system to support the world. As these technologies develop, ongoing research, ethical considerations, and farmer education will be critical to ensure AIs responsible integration into agriculture.Jacqueline Heard,PhD, MBA is cofounder and CEO of Enko.