Microsoft's indie-focused ID@Xbox games showcase returns this monthWith "trailers, gameplay, and reveals".Image credit: Microsoft News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Feb. 3, 2025 Microsoft's indie-focused ID@Xbox digital showcase returns on 24th February, promising "trailers, gameplay, and reveals" from the likes of Raw Fury, Don't Nod, and 11 Bit Studios.If that's piqued your interest, ID@Xbox more specifically airs from 6pm BST/10am PT/1pm ET on Monday, 24th February. It'll be viewable on unspecified "IGN platforms" (it's officially part of this year's IGN Fan Fest), but expect that to include the usual places such as YouTube.As to what it'll feature, all that's been confirmed so far is a reveal of Balatro's next collaboration. But we do know at least 15 companies intend to show their games over the course of the stream, with the following studios and publishers set to appear:To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Newscast: Xbox Developer Direct - four promising games also coming to PlayStation.Watch on YouTube11 Bit StudiosBigFanCritical ReflexDaedalicGame Source EntertainmentNo More RobotsPanicPlaystackRaw FuryThunder Lotus GamesCult GamesTeam17CurveAkapuraDon't NodID@Xbox has traditionally been a fairly long, meandering showcase so if history's anything to go by, expect it to last a few hours at least. There's usually some goodies in there, though, and this year's participant list suggests we might be seeing - among other things - more of Don't Nod's imminent Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, Spiritfarer developer Thunder Lotus' co-op action roguelike 33 Immortals, and (hopefully) Panic's intriguingly bizarre Blippo+.ID@Xbox will, of course, be Microsoft's second showcase in as many months, with January having brought us the Xbox Direct - complete with some Ninja Gaiden surprises, release dates for the likes of Doom: The Dark Ages, and more. And if you missed the big announcements, there's a convenient Xbox Direct round-up waiting for you over here.

CanadaShould Canada ban X and Tesla? Why calls are growingBy Dylan RobertsonThe Canadian PressPosted February 3, 2025 9:25 amUpdated February 3, 2025 12:42 pm5 min readIf you get Global News from Instagram or Facebook - that will be changing. Find out how you can still connect with us.1:34Trump tariffs: Doug Ford bans contracts with U.S. companies like StarlinkTrump tariffs: Ontario's Doug Ford bans contracts with U.S. companies like Starlink.AsU.S. President DonaldTrumpand ElonMusktakeaimatCanada, some high-levelobserversare callingonthe federal government to consider sanctioning or even banningcorporationsowned by those close toTrump muchasit did with Russian oligarchs after the invasion of Ukraine.We better have a report coming uponAmerican interference, former foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy saidata recent panel discussion.He told the Jan. 27 event held by the Canadian International Council that hes increasingly worried about meddling in Canadian domestic affairs byMusk, a social media mogul and the worlds richest man.He added that other owners of big digital platforms could undermine Canadian democracy.They are going to try to affect our election, said Axworthy, who was foreign minister from 1996 to 2000.Axworthy argued the federal government must make sure that they dont screw the thing up, and make sure that we arent denied our rightful place to make our own choices in the next election. Muskhas emergedasa close ally ofTrump. He raised some $200 million USforTrumps election campaign and attended the presidents swearing-in ceremony.Atan inauguration rally later that day,Muskmade a gesture that many interpretedasa Nazi salute; he denied that was the case. 1:03Elon Musk defends one-armed gesture at Trump inaugurationIn recent weeks,Muskhas promoted far-right groups and parties engaged in election campaigns in Germany and the U.K. He addressed supporters of the far-right Alternative fr Deutschland (AfD) in Halle, GermanyonJan. 25.He has been accused of using his social media site X, formerly knownasTwitter, to spread disinformation about European policiesonpublic safety and online regulation.Muskalso has tweeted occasionally about Canadian politics. He praised Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus resignation and dismissed him online by echoing Trumps talk ofCanadabecoming aU.S. state. Get breaking National newsFor news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.Girl, youre not the governor ofCanadaanymore, so (it) doesnt matter what you say,MuskpostedonJan. 8. Muskhas faced pushback elsewhere over allegations of meddling in democracy.Forfive weeks ending last October, Brazils supreme court had internet providers block X over a dispute that stemmed from the companys refusal to ban far-right accounts affiliated with a 2023 attackonthat countrys Parliament.X ultimately complied with those orders and paid millions of dollars in fines.The European Commission is investigating whether X is breaching EU content-moderation rules. It has stepped up a probe launched in 2023 by seeking new information to determine whether the sites algorithms are boosting far-right views while limiting other perspectives.Muskis also CEO of the automotive corporation Tesla. Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland recently calledonOttawa to impose a 100 per cent tariffonTesla vehicles in retaliationforTrumps planned 25 per cent tariffs. 2:02How Canadians are planning to push back against Trump-imposed tariffsUniversity of Waterloo political scientist Emmett Macfarlane has calledonthe federal government to go much further. In a Jan. 21 blog post, he argued that Ottawa should consider banning X, Tesla and Musks satellite broadband company Starlink. We should treatTrumpand members of his administration like ElonMuskasakin to Russian oligarchs, Macfarlane wrote. We need to impose meaningful costsontheU.S.forits economic aggression.Both Freeland and Macfarlane cited concerns about tariffs, not political interference.But Axworthy said both things should worry the federal government. He said Ottawa should apply measures to theU.S. and people in Trumps inner circle using the same logic of containment that Washington applied to the Soviet Union after the Second World War. Axworthy described that policyasone of deploying sanctions and diplomatic measures that send a strong message without leading to direct conflict.Every time they may make a move, theres a counter-move, he said. Do it nicely, do it quietly but also let them know whats happening.NDP MP Charlie Angus said recently that hes asked ElectionsCanadato join European efforts to investigate the algorithms used by X to see if (Musk) is trying to push contentforextremist groups.I do not believe were prepared in any wayfordealing, particularly, with the threat that is coming from ElonMusk, who has revealed himself to be dangerously anti-democratic, he said. 2:04China and Mexico follow in Canadas footsteps, vow swift response to Trump tariffsHe criticized those who seek to appease the gangster class from Mar-a-Lago, referring to Trumps private residence. The Canadian Press has askedforMusks response to these criticisms through the media relations officesforX and Tesla.Axworthy said Trumps threats to expand American territory and makeCanadapart of the United States should be met with a united front among the countries he is talking of absorbing.I would be more supportive if our foreign minister was visiting Greenland and Denmark and Panama and Colombia and Mexico to talk to them about, How do we contain this a hole?' he said.Axworthy arguedCanadainstead almost threw Mexico under the bus whenTrumpstarted threatening tariffs. Some premiers suggested thatCanadadraft a trade deal with theU.S. separate from Mexico and blamed the countryfordriving Trumps concerns about fentanyl and migration.If youre into a tough negotiation, its better to have three peopleonyour side, Axworthy said.Former prime minister Joe Clark told last Mondays panel that Washington has become a hostile neighbour andCanadamust manage the relationship without losing sight of its own interests and relations with other countries.No one knows when the barrage will stop, he said. We have a role of our own, a history of our own (and) interests of our own in the wider world. Journalistic standardsReport an error&copy 2025 The Canadian Press

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In BriefPosted:1:52 PM PST February 3, 2025Image Credits:Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto / Getty ImagesNo, DeepSeek isnt uncensored if you run it locallyTheres an idea floating around that DeepSeeks well-documented censorship only exists at its application layer but goes away if you run it locally (that means downloading its AI model to your computer.)But DeepSeeks censorship is baked-in, according to a Wired investigation which found that the model is censored on both the application and training levels.For example, a locally-run version of DeepSeek revealed to Wired thanks to its reasoning feature that it should avoid mentioning events like the Cultural Revolution and focus only on the positive aspects of the Chinese Communist Party.A quick check by TechCrunch of a locally-run version of DeepSeek available via Groq also showed clear censorship: DeepSeek happily answered a question about the Kent State shootings in the U.S., but replied I cannot answer when asked about what happened in Tiananmen Square in 1989.Topics

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to make artificial general intelligence (AGI) which is roughly defined as AI that can accomplish any task a human can openly available one day. But in a new policy document, Meta suggests that there are certain scenarios in which it may not release a highly capable AI system it developed internally.The document, which Meta is calling its Frontier AI Framework, identifies two types of AI systems the company considers too risky to release: high risk and critical risk systems. As Meta defines them, both high-risk and critical-risk systems are capable of aiding in cybersecurity, chemical, and biological attacks, the difference being that critical-risk systems could result in a catastrophic outcome [that] cannot be mitigated in [a] proposed deployment context. High-risk systems, by contrast, might make an attack easier to carry out but not as reliably or dependably as a critical risk system.Which sort of attacks are we talking about here? Meta gives a few examples, like the automated end-to-end compromise of a best-practice-protected corporate-scale environment and the proliferation of high-impact biological weapons. The list of possible catastrophes in Metas document is far from exhaustive, the company acknowledges, but includes those that Meta believes to be the most urgent and plausible to arise as a direct result of releasing a powerful AI system.Somewhat surprising is that, according to the document, Meta classifies system risk not based on any one empirical test but informed by the input of internal and external researchers who are subject to review by senior-level decision-makers. Why? Meta says that it doesnt believe the science of evaluation is sufficiently robust as to provide definitive quantitative metrics for deciding a systems riskiness.If Meta determines a system is high-risk, the company says it will limit access to the system internally and wont release it until it implements mitigations to reduce risk to moderate levels. If, on the other hand, a system is deemed critical-risk, Meta says it will implement unspecified security protections to prevent the system from being exfiltrated and stop development until the system can be made less dangerous. Metas Frontier AI Framework, which the company says will evolve with the changing AI landscape, appears to be a response to criticism of the companys open approach to system development. Meta has embraced a strategy of making its AI technology openly available albeit not open source by the commonly understood definition in contrast to companies like OpenAI that opt to gate their systems behind an API. For Meta, the open release approach has proven to be a blessing and a curse. The companys family of AI models, called Llama, has racked up hundreds of millions downloads. But Llama has also reportedly been used by at least one U.S. adversary to develop a defense chatbot. In publishing its Frontier AI Framework, Meta may also be aiming to contrast its open AI strategy with Chinese AI firm DeepSeeks. DeepSeek also makes its systems openly available. But the companys AI has few safeguards and can be easily steered to generate toxic and harmful outputs.[W]e believe that by considering both benefits and risks in making decisions about how to develop and deploy advanced AI, Meta writes in the document, it is possible to deliver that technology to society in a way that preserves the benefits of that technology to society while also maintaining an appropriate level of risk.

Dune: Part Two, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice led all winners at the 52ndAnnual Saturn Awards, which recognizes programming, performances and special effects in genre entertainment within the Film and Television categories. Since 1972, The Saturn Awards have been presented each year by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The event took place at the Hilton Universal City Hotel, with fans able to watch LIVE on The Roku Channel and ElectricNOW.William Shatner was presented with the Saturns Lifetime Achievement Award by actor and son in-law, Joel Gretsch. The second annual Lance Reddick Legacy Award was handed out to actor Laurence Fishburne by actor LeVar Burton. Actor and star of the Disney series Shgun, Hiroyuki Sanada was presented with The Robert Forster Artists Award by writer/director/producer Jonathan Nolan.Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and writer-producer Bob Gale of Back to the Future were in attendance to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the all-time classic time- travel adventure and to receive The George Pal Memorial Award for its filmmakers and stars. Comedians Dana Gould and Bobcat Goldthwait presented the Award to all three.The Amazon series Fallout took home The Spotlight Award, presented to its cast and creators by actor Ron Perlman. Actor Tyler Hoechlin and the writers of the WBTV show Superman & Lois, Brent Fletcher and Todd Helbing, were awarded the Dan Curtis Legacy Award, presented by actor George Newbern.This years show was dedicated to all those affected by the Los Angeles Wildfires and the true superheroes the firemen and emergency responders whose bravery, dedication, and sacrifice helped protect lives and property in the face of devastating challenges.The complete list of this years winners is as follows:SPECIAL AWARDS:Lifetime Achievement Award William ShatnerLance Reddick Legacy Award Laurence FishburneGeorge Pal Memorial Award The 40th Anniversary of Back to the FutureSpotlight Award FalloutRobert Forster Artists Award Hiroyuki SanadaDan Curtis Legacy Award Superman & LoisFILMBest Science Fiction Film: Dune: Part Two Best Fantasy Film: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Best Horror Film: Alien: RomulusBest Action / Adventure Film: Deadpool & WolverineBest Thriller Film: Strange DarlingBest International Film: Godzilla Minus OneBest Animated Film: The Wild RobotBest Independent Film: Late Night with the Devil Best Actor in a Film: Nicolas Cage (Dream Scenario) Best Actress in a Film: Demi Moore (The Substance)Best Supporting Actor in a Film: Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine)Best Supporting Actress in a Film: Rebecca Ferguson (Dune: Part Two)Best Younger Performer in a Film: Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)Best Film Direction: Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two)Best Film Writing (Screenplay): Osgood Perkins (Longlegs)Best Film Music (Composer): Danny Elfman (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice)Best Film Editing: Dean Zimmerman & Shane Reid (Deadpool & Wolverine) Best Film Production Designer: Patrice Vermette (Deadpool & Wolverine) Best Film Make-Up: The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin)Best Film Costume: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Colleen Atwood)Best Film Visual / Special Effects: Dune: Part Two (Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salacombe, Gerd Nefzer)TELEVISION:Best Science Fiction Television Series: Fallout Best Fantasy Television Series: House of the Dragon Best Horror Television Series: FromBest Superhero Television Series: Agatha All AlongBest Action/Thriller Television Series: Cobra KaiBest Adventure Television Series: Monarch: Legacy of MonstersBest Animated Series: Star Wars: The Bad BatchBest Television Presentation: The Walking Dead: The Ones Who LiveBest Actor in a Television Series: Colin Farrell (The Penguin)Best Actress in a Television Series: Rosario Dawson (Star Wars: Ahsoka)Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series: Antony Starr (The Boys)Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series: Cristin Milioti (The Penguin) Best Younger Performer in a Television Series: Xolo Mariduea (Cobra Kai) Best Guest-Star in a Television Series: Mark Hamill (The Fall of the House of Usher)Home Entertainment:Best Classic Home Media Release: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Kino/Lorber Studio Classics)Best Television Home Media Release: Star Wars: Andor The Complete First Season (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)Best Film Home Media Collection: Batman 85th Anniversary Collection (Warner Home Video)Best 4k Home Media Release: Saw X (Lionsgate Home Video)Source:The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.

Stratasys, a provider of polymer 3D printing solutions, announced a $120 million equity investment by Fortissimo Capital, an Israeli private equity firm focused on technology and industrial sectors. Fortissimo will acquire 11,650,485 newly issued ordinary shares at $10.30 eacha 10.6% premium over the January 31, 2025 closing priceraising its stake from 1.5% to roughly 15.5%. The transaction includes an 18-month lock-up and standard standstill provisions is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025 after review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.Fortissimos investment agreement allows for an increase in its holding up to 24.99%, although its voting power will be limited to 20%. A tender offer for at least 15% of Stratasys outstanding shares may elevate Fortissimos ownership to 35%, subject to an advisory vote by unaffiliated shareholders. Stratasys has maintained its limited duration shareholder rights plan for all investors except Fortissimo. These financing terms are intended to bolster the companys balance sheet and facilitate strategic growth in the evolving additive manufacturing sector.Stratasys Headquarters in Rehovot, Isreal. Photo via Stratasys.Yoav Zeif, Chief Executive Officer at Stratasys, noted, Fortissimos investment underscores confidence in our leadership and performance. Zeif, who leads the company known for its polymer 3D printing solutions across aerospace, automotive, consumer products, and healthcare sectors, emphasized that the new capital injection would support both organic and inorganic expansion. Fortissimos Managing Partner, Yuval Cohen, a veteran in guiding technology-focused companies, added, We are confident in Stratasys leading role in shaping the industry and look forward to collaborating with its strong management team. Cohen is set to join the Stratasys Board of Directors at closing, replacing a director scheduled to step down.Operational Reforms in 3D PrintingNano Dimension, an Israeli company specializing in 3D printed electronics, has faced increasing shareholder pressure due to financial instability. Following a stock value decline of over 80% since 2021, the companys interim CEO, Julien Lederman, issued a letter addressing investor concerns. Lederman acknowledged the need for internal restructuring, emphasizing governance improvements, disciplined capital allocation, and a path toward cash flow positivity by Q4 2025. He also detailed ongoing merger negotiations with Desktop Metal and Markforged, currently under regulatory review, while litigation with Desktop Metal adds further complexity. As part of its restructuring, Nano Dimensions board has opted not to renew its shareholder rights plan, signaling a shift toward greater transparency.Investor sentiment in additive manufacturing has changed significantly in recent years, moving away from speculative investments toward companies demonstrating clear financial discipline and practical applications. A review of 2024 investment trends in 3D printing highlights how venture capital firms are now favoring companies that can provide measurable cost savings and operational efficiencies. Application-driven firms, particularly those specializing in aerospace and medical components, have received increased financial backing, while hardware-focused startups promising incremental advancements have struggled to attract funding. This shift reflects broader expectations that 3D printing companies must prioritize sustainability and profitability rather than relying on growth projections alone.Ready to discover who won the 20243D Printing Industry Awards?What will the future of 3D printing look like?Which recent trends are driving the 3D printing industry, as highlighted by experts?Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to stay updated with the latest news and insights.Stay connected with the latest in 3D printing by following us on Twitter and Facebook, and dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry YouTube channel for more exclusive content.Featured image shows Stratasys Headquarters in Rehovot, Isreal. Photo via Stratasys.

Il Giorno reported that house arrest is being sought for prominent Milanese architects Stefano Boeri and Cino Zucchi, along with architect, author, and professor Pier Paolo Tamburelli. The individuals are under investigation for bid-rigging in the competition for the European Library of Information and Culture (BEIC) project to be built near Porta Vittoria. Zucchi served on the jury, and Boeri was its chair. The commission was awarded in 2022 to a consortium of offices: Onsite Studio, baukuh, Yellow Office, SCE Project, Studio Mistretta, Starching, Stain Engineering, Dotdotdot, (ab)Normal, and Atmos Lab. Awarding the Library CommissionThe BEIC project is set to transform part of eastern Milan into a library hub. The investigation began in October 2023, when news surfaced of Italian authorities looking into the relations between winning team members and Boeri and Zucchi. The allegations center on their failure to report a potential conflict of interest. The two architect-jurors are active within the Department of Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, as are researchers Angelo Lunati and Giancarlo Floridi, who lead Onsitestudio, which was one of the awarded offices. The report also mentions Manuela Fantini of SCE Project, who has been a collaborator with Boeris office on prior buildings like the RCS Headquarters.Boeri leads the Milan-based Stefano Boeri Architetti in addition to serving as the president of Triennale Milano, and Zucchi leads the Milan-based Cino Zucchi Architetti. Tamburelli, beyond his work as a cofounder of baukuh, is the author of a 2022 book that reassesses Bramante and the 2023 title Grundkurs: What is Architecture About?. He was a founder and editor of San Rocco. Vox Albania reported that Italian authorities believe the house arrest measure is necessary because the three individuals, if allowed, may communicate with each other, present an alibi for their assorted presence in a place on a given day. (Boeri maintains an office in Tirana and previously designed the citys master plan.) According to the Guardia di Finanza investigation, Boeri was near [T]amburellis house the night before the tender was announced, and Corriere della Sera reported that contacts between the suspects were very frequent.The winning entry for the European Library of Information and Culture (BEIC) project to be built near Porta Vittoria in Milan (Courtesy Comune di Milano)In part the investigation relies on digital communication between the three individuals. Coverage in Corriere della Sera said that in the days ahead of the 2022 commission, the chats between the suspects [were] intense. There was reportedly a group chat between Lunati, Tamburelli, and others with the title Viale Molise, which is one of the streets that border the BEICs site. The story continues: Then there are messages, perhaps joking, between Zucchi and Tamburelli with attached, in one, the image of a book with a fan of 50 euro notes inside and, in another, the photo of a laughing tycoon handling banknotes. The overall assignment came with a fee of 8.6 million euros. A judge rejected the preventive seizure of almost 5.3 million from the seven involved and two architectural firms.The BEIC, previously estimated to cost 130 million euros, is in part funded by a foundation that retains its full confidence in the work of the Commission, according to a statement published in Il Giorno. Reactions From MilanIn a statement, Boeri toldAN, I am both surprised and extremely shocked. I confidently await the meeting with the preliminary investigation judge in order to finally clarify my position.Zucchi told Il Giorno, I am totally calm. Cino Zucchi Architetti and baukuh have not responded to ANs request for comment.In a note dated January 31, Triennale Milano expressed its full support for Boeri:The Board of Directors, the Director General, the Advisory Committee, and all the staff of Triennale Milano express their full support to Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano, confident that he will have the opportunity to clarify his position in the appropriate forums.The passion, pride, and daily work carried out together, with dedication and integrity, will guide us through this delicate moment, during which we remain fully confident in the actions of the judiciary.Triennale Milano remains committed to its goals and will ensure the excellence of its work, contributing to the construction of a better future for collective culture.Boeri has been the institutions president since February 2018. As Tom Ravenscroft wrote in Dezeen, this news arrives in the midst of wider investigations in Milan into fast-tracked building permits. Boeris Bosco Verticale was recently celebrated asDezeens most significant building of 2014.Preliminary hearings, which will also determine the need for house arrest, begin on February 4.

The added security is admirable, but the unexpected drawbacks aren't.

Nuance Audio showcased its glasses with built-in hearing aids at CES 2025. Now that the product is FDA-approved, it will be available in the US in the coming months.