Image: NintendoEarlier today, Nintendo released its latest quarterly financial update for FY2025 and the findings were... much as you might expect. Sure, Switch crossed the big 150 million units milestone, but Nintendo also lowered its sales forecast for the second quarter in a row as interest continues to drop.Now, you might assume that the drop in Switch sales is a natural product of Switch 2 anticipation we officially know that the console is coming this year, after all but, as Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa told investors shortly after the report was published, you can't put all the blame on hardware hype (thanks, Eurogamer).Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube795kWatch on YouTube As reported by Japanese newspaper The Sankei Shimbun (and translated via Google), Furukawa doesn't think that Switch 2 rumblings are harming the current Switch's sales, instead pointing to the declining figures as a product of an ageing console:We don't think the impact of refraining from purchasing [because of Switch 2] is that great. We think it's a solid eighth year, but we haven't reached our target.What's more, the outlet reports that Furukawa reassured investors that 'Switch 1' sales would continue "as long as there is demand", so don't expect to see the classic model disappearing from the shelves any time soon.It's true, the Switch is soon to enter its ninth year on the market, and with 2024's somewhat subdued release schedule (particularly compared to the year prior), interest and sales numbers were always bound to slip. But the dropoff is bigger than any year previously, and it has been steeper than even Nintendo expected.We can't help but think that Switch 2 anticipation has a little to do with it. Nintendo's latest batch of figures only accounts up to the end of December 2024 (before the official Switch 2 reveal), but the hype train has been chugging along for years at this point. Eventually, people are bound to hold off buying while they patiently wait for something new, right?Fortunately, the anticipation can only stick around for a few more months. All eyes on that 2nd April Direct, then. Sobering sales, analyst angst, obvious answerFollowed by a hands-on tourDo you think Switch 2 anticipation is to blame for Switch 1's falling sales? Let us know in the comments.[source sankei.com, via eurogamer.net]See AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related Articles69 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Supercharge' eShop Sale (North America)Every game we scored 9/10 or higherEx-PlayStation Boss On Switch 2's Name: Nintendo Created So Much "Brand Value""Why would you mess with that?"Random: Local Supermarket Wins Trademark Battle Against NintendoIt didn't expect to beat "such a commercial monster"Rumour: Switch 2 Game Cases Might Take Up More Space On Your ShelfHere's how they could compare to the current Switch cases

Hiya, folks, welcome to TechCrunchs regular AI newsletter. If you want this in your inbox every Wednesday, sign uphere.You mightve noticed we skipped the newsletter last week. The reason? A chaotic AI news cycle made even more pandemonious by Chinese AI company DeepSeeks sudden rise to prominence, and the response from practically ever corner of industry and government.Fortunately, were back on track and not a moment too soon, considering last weekends newsy developments from OpenAI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stopped over in Tokyo to have an onstage chat with Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Japanese conglomerate SoftBank. SoftBank is a major OpenAI investor and partner, having pledged to help fund OpenAIs massive data center infrastructure project in the U.S.So Altman probably felt he owed Son a few hours of his time.What did the two billionaires talk about? A lot of abstracting work away via AI agents, per secondhand reporting. Son said his company would spend $3 billion a year on OpenAI products and would team up with OpenAI to develop a platform, Cristal [sic] Intelligence, with the goal of automating millions of traditionally white-collar workflows.By automating and autonomizing all of its tasks and workflows, SoftBank Corp. will transform its business and services, and create new value, SoftBank said in a press release Monday.I ask, though, what the humble worker is to think about all this automating and autonomizing? Like Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the CEO of fintech Klarna, who often brags about AI replacing humans, Son seems to be of the opinion that agentic stand-ins for workers can only precipitate fabulous wealth. Glossed over is the cost of the abundance. Should the widespread automation of jobs come to pass, unemployment on an enormous scale seems the likeliest outcome.Its discouraging that those at the forefront of the AI race companies like OpenAI and investors like SoftBank choose to spend press conferences painting a picture of automated corporations with fewer workers on the payroll. Theyre businesses, of course not charities. And AI development doesnt come cheap. But perhaps people would trust AI if those guiding its deployment showed a bit more concern for their welfare.Food for thought.NewsDeep research: OpenAI has launched a newAI agentdesigned to help people conduct in-depth, complex research usingChatGPT, the companys AI-powered chatbot platform.O3-mini: In other OpenAI news, the company launched a new AI reasoning model, o3-mini, following a preview last December. Its not OpenAIs most powerful model, but o3-mini boasts improved efficiency and response speed.EU bans risky AI: As of Sunday in the European Union, the blocs regulators can ban the use of AI systems they deem to pose unacceptable risk or harm. That includes AI used for social scoring and subliminal advertising.A play about AI doomers: Theres a new play out about AI doomer culture, loosely based onSam Altmans ousting as CEO of OpenAIin November 2023.My colleagues Dominic and Rebecca share their thoughts after watching the premiere.Tech to boost crop yields: Googles X moonshot factory this week announced its latest graduate.Heritable Agricultureis a data- and machine learning-driven startup aiming to improve how crops are grown.Research paper of the weekReasoning models are better than your average AI at solving problems, particularly science- and math-related queries. But theyre no silver bullet.A new study from researchers at Chinese company Tencent investigates the issue of underthinking in reasoning models, where models prematurely, inexplicably abandon potentially promising chains of thought. Per the studys results, underthinking patterns tend to occur more frequently with harder problems, leading models to switch between reasoning chains without arriving at answers.The team proposes a fix that employs a thought-switching penalty to encourage models to thoroughly develop each line of reasoning before considering alternatives, boosting models accuracy.Model of the weekImage Credits:YuEA team of researchers backed by TikTok owner ByteDance, Chinese AI company Moonshot, and others released a new open model capable of generating relatively high-quality music from prompts. The model, called YuE, can output a song up to a few minutes in length complete with vocals and backing tracks. Its under an Apache 2.0 license, meaning the model can be used commercially without restrictions.There are downsides, however. Running YuE requires a beefy GPU; generating a 30-second song takes six minutes with an Nvidia RTX 4090. Moreover, its not clear if the model was trained using copyrighted data; its creators havent said. If it turns out copyrighted songs were indeed in the models training set, users could face future IP challenges.Grab bagImage Credits:AnthropicAI lab Anthropic claims that it has developed a technique to more reliably defend against AI jailbreaks, the methods that can be used to bypass an AI systems safety measures.The technique, Constitutional Classifiers, relies on two sets of classifier AI models: an input classifier and an output classifier. The input classifier appends prompts to a safeguarded model with templates describing jailbreaks and other disallowed content, while the output classifier calculates the likelihood that a response from a model discusses harmful info.Anthropic says that Constitutional Classifiers can filter the overwhelming majority of jailbreaks. However, it comes at a cost. Each query is 25% more computationally demanding, and the safeguarded model is 0.38% less likely to answer innocuous questions.

Welcome to TechCrunch Fintech!This week were looking at a startup out to help people navigate long-term care, a flurry of activity in Africa, another fintech company shutdown, and more.To get a roundup of TechCrunchs biggest and most important fintech stories delivered to your inbox every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. PT, subscribe here.The big storyImage Credits:WaterlilyLong-term care is not something most people think about until they are older, or until they are forced to. And by then, it is often too late. This topic is personal to me, as I saw both my oldest brother and my mother suffer from illnesses and require long-term care in recent years. Not only is it difficult to find quality care, but it is also extremely expensive even if you were fortunate enough to purchase some sort of insurance policy. So when I was recently pitched a story on a startup using AI to help people navigate long-term care planning, I was intrigued. Lily Vittayarukskul started Waterlily in late 2021 after her family was wiped out financially by helping care for her aunt who had been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. The company uses artificial intelligence to predict a familys future long-term care needs and costs and then guides them in building a care plan and figuring out the right way to pay for it. Fascinating. Im not the only one who thinks this way. Vittayarukskul initially started Waterlily as a solo founder until Evan Ehrenberg, a small angel investor, came along. Ehrenberg who had previously founded and sold Clara Health helped with early research and was struck by the industrys response. Curious, he tested the platform and was shocked by his long-term care predictions so much so that he changed his diet, hired a personal trainer, and updated his financial plans. That experience pulled him in deeper. By 2022, Ehrenberg who became MITs youngest neuroscience PhD had joined Waterlily as a co-founder. Dollars and centsImage Credits:MooveUber-backed Moove, an Africa-born mobility fintech that offers vehicle financing to ride-hailing and delivery app drivers across six continents, has acquired Kovi, a Brazilian urban mobility provider. Moove co-founder and co-CEO Ladi Delano told TechCrunch that the deal bumps the mobility fintechs annual revenue to $275 million. Last March, Moove reported a $115 million ARR.Formance believes theres value in offering a modular platform thats similar to Amazon Web Services take on cloud hosting: Customers can use a single service, but its more efficient if you house all your cloud infrastructure under the same roof. And its just raised $21 million in a round co-led by PayPal Ventures and Portage.French embedded banking startup Swan has raised another 42 million (around $44 million at current exchange rates). The company considers this round to be the second part of the Series B that was originally announced in September 2023.Cedar Money recently closed $9.9 million in seed funding led by QED Investors. Like many cross-border payment platforms using stablecoins, Cedar Money acts as a bridge. It launched in early 2024, starting operations in Nigeria.Guinea-based fintech Cauridor recently raised $3.5 million in seed funding to continue building its payment rails that let merchants, banks, telecom operators, and money transfer companies move funds in and out of Africa.What else were writingImage Credits:Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto / Getty ImagesThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has hit U.K.-based remittance company Wise with an approximately $2 million fine for what it described as a series of illegal actions.Cushion, a fintech startup that described itself as the Plaid for buy now, pay later (BNPL), has shut down. Founder and CEO Paul Kesserwani said that despite bringing multiple new fintech products to market, Cushion didnt reach the scale needed to sustain the business.Elon Musk-owned social network X announced a partnership with Visa to handle person-to-person payments for its upcoming X Money product.With its 700,000 customers, Alan could be considered as a mature company. But the health insurance company that wants to become a digital companion for your health is still growing like a startup.Serial entrepreneur and former recording artist Victor D. Lombard, also known as DIVINE, announced the launch of a new fintech company for musicians in partnership with RAKIM, one of hip-hops most influential emcees.The rise of stablecoins now a $205 billion market is driven by real-world utility, not speculation, particularly in emerging markets where the most compelling use cases unfold. Tage Kene-Okafor does a deep dive.Nu Mexico hits 10 million customer milestoneReal estate fraud prevention startup Closinglock secures $34MTrump stands to gain $250 million after media company expands into financial servicesIta Unibanco bets big on AI with NeoSpace investmentAdvisor AI startup Jump completes $20M Series A fundingThanks for reading! Until next week follow me on X @bayareawriter for breaking fintech news, posts about coffee, and more.

In 2020, Ged Wright discussed the visual effects behind the first Sonic the Hedgehog film. He later contributed to the sequel and its spin-off series, Knuckles.How was this new collaboration with Director Jeff Fowler?Sonic 3 is the 4th project weve collaborated on together and there is a reason Im still loving turning up to work every day, because working with Jeff Fowler is the BEST! We have a great time making Sonic movies and really want the entire visual effects and film making team to feel the same way.As a team weve been through quite the journey, from breaking the internet with ugly Sonic to wildly enthusiastic fan engagement and love for the stories that have been told so far. Through all that noise, as a production, weve been pretty water tight and focused on telling the best stories we can.Director Jeff Fowler on the set of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 / Photo Credit: Mark MainzHow did you organize the work with your VFX Producer?While the Sonic movies are considered hybrid, they have become more and more VFX and animation heavy. There are more characters, more environments, more of everything really and naturally the production schedule stays the same. This means were essentially making an animated movie on a live action schedule. To mitigate this and manage the process weve implemented a couple of, I think, really innovative things.Firstly we do really, really high end previz and postviz, Ive failed to get anyone interested in this outside of our team, but really this is the backbone of the entire process. To put this in context, we finished shooting this movie in March and delivered an animated movie the same year. The only way to get that done is to lean in early and have the work pass down the pipeline to vendors as seamlessly as possible. So weve created an inhouse pipeline using maya and blender for animation, scene assembly and rendering in EEVEE for previz and postviz.When a shot is turned over, production delivers a package of data to a vendor that includes the film final matchmove, geometry caches, anim curves etc. I like to think of it as a relay race, the production wants to give the vendors as much of a head start as possible. Again to put that in context, just turning over a matchmove and layout can put a facility 6-8 weeks ahead of where they would otherwise be, this allows us to iterate and try and beat the story up. Is it infallible, not at all, but its the engine of the whole film making process.Anyways, there is a complete lack of interest in this industry wide, which I find really funny.Secondly and even more unusual, we made the characters shareable.We have 7 vendors on Sonic 3 all using the production rigs, groom, fur deformer. lood dev etc. We distribute this from production and the vendors can either use this as is or adapt it to their pipelines.To make this happen we partnered with a rigging outfit called Red9 and Untold Studios, the rigs are constructed in Maya using no proprietary nodes, so its just vanilla Maya. And the groom, groom deformer and lookdev are handled in houdini. We lookdeved the characters in Arnold and also pass along a pose library to help with the animation work.For some of our partners, this can be used as is, for others with more legacy pipelines or using renderman there is obviously some translation that is required. It took a huge leap of faith and a lot of hard work, so thank you to everyone that came along for the ride, while it wasnt without its challenges, it allowed us to divide the show up. This meant when there are 8 weeks to go and the entire show is WIP, no one facility had more than 300 odd shots to get to final. Ive been there at a vendor, you can get that much done!Oh and we also finaled 280 inhouse shots, using the same in-house postviz pipeline and rendered in blender cycles. We have shots that intercut between Renderman and cycles in the same scene from different vendors. Its pretty cool, we didnt invent any fancy Sonic Blue screens or do too many wire removals, but we did do a lot of VFX work.How did you choose the various vendors and split the work amongst them?We had a working relationship with all the vendors, aside from Rodeo FX, from Knuckles. This really helped the short hand of the show and the various teams stayed pretty consistent as we moved onto Sonic 3. Which was incredibly helpful in getting Sonic 3 done to such a high level. As far as splitting the work up, some vendors put their hands up for some work, who wouldnt give ILM the super battle and really heartfelt animation on the moon, Rising Sun Pictures did fantastic work and coming of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny made the Robotnik head replacements in the laser hallway look easy. So in a lot of respects the vendors cast themselves. I can say I personally loved working with such a talented group!What is the your role on set and how do you work with other departments?I work with Jeff and Brandon the DP, generally giving annoying notes when its too late to actually do them or sulking at the side of set when were doing something unplanned. Otherwise Im sent off to shoot plates and direct 2nd unit when they let me.Sonics speed has always been a defining feature. How did you approach enhancing the visuals of his movements across the three films, especially to keep them fresh and engaging for audiences?Technically there is an Houdini FX rig that is shared for the trails. Creatively its finding ways in the story to make the most of what makes Sonic fun. Tails and Knuckles were introduced in the second film with their unique abilities and personalities.What were the main challenges in animating their interactions with Sonic and making their powers distinct visually?Nothing stands out, they have their own rules, the tricky bit is the amount of animation required, the time frame and the fact they look real-ish but are super stylized. Clement Yip joined the team, he was the animation supervisor at MPC on Sonic 1 and came onto the production team for Sonic 3. This was a huge help in getting a consistent performance across the entire show and multiple vendors.Over the course of the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, how have the visual effects for Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles evolved in terms of design, realism, and animation?There have been ongoing design tweaks to the characters, however the single most significant change has been for production to drive the creation and distribution of the characters.One of the challenges coming out of delivering Sonic 2 with the pressures of the pandemic, was that we had a single facility working on the films up to that point. For us it was the talented folks at MPC that were taking the lead. The issue for us as a production is that there isnt a great way to break the work up by taking a traditional approach, as the various facilities all have different rigging, grooming, etc technology and approaches.Which means needing to get a huge volume of work through one facility, this works if you have a long schedule, but we like to go fast on the Sonic movies.One option is to have multiple vendors create their version of the asset, which weve all done before, which works great with hard surface work and is possible, if a bit painful, with furry characters. However you are duplicating work and spending a lot of money on doing the same thing twice, three times though which kinda sucks.It felt to me that there was a better way, both with off the shelf technology progressing, for instance houdinis grooming tools are fantastic, and as a result of Maya still being the animation backbone of most shops. Obviously there was plenty that was bumpy along the way which was a first in visual effects because normally everything just works first time. The bumps for us were absolutely worth it, we had eight different outfits all working with the same rigs, sharing a core animation pose library, and creating a consistent character performance and look across the film.Sonics speed has always been a defining feature. How did you approach enhancing the visuals of his movements across the three films, especially to keep them fresh and engaging for audiences?I always try and film at least some kind of plate for the high speed travelling action & were still doing this. But more and more this is then being matched and replaced by a CG world to get the specificity and timing of action that Jeff is after. If there was something meaningful we could line up on and film, this might not be the case, but there it is.Shadow is a fan-favorite character with a darker tone compared to Sonic. What was your creative approach to designing and animating Shadow to reflect his unique personality and powers?Shadows teleporting powers went through a long development process and while it was looking cool, didnt do what we need it to do and wasnt quite in line with the character. The talented Tyson Hesse had a good pitch for a simpler look and then the team at Fin Design + Effects really took that and made it even better. Other that that he was worked up in the same way as all the others.Jim Carrey plays both Ivo Robotnik and Gerald Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. What were the biggest visual effects challenges in creating scenes where the two characters interact or share screen time?We talked about this a lot during pre production and explored all kinds of different approaches from ML head replacements, to 3D heads, etc. It was worthwhile looking into and we used the full range of techniques for the final film.The single best path we took was to keep it simple and treat the work as though we were shooting Jim normally. We ended up using motion control a lot less than Id planned, we want to keep things humming along and intuitve for Jim and not turn it into a technical exercise.Brandon the DP, directed American Pickle with lots of twinning of Seth Rogan and his insight really helped. And then Jim absolutlely crushed the performance of both Robotnics. This went from being one of the most concerning aspects of the show, to just going through smoothly as it was shot well and the performances worked.A big thanks for your time.WANT TO KNOW MORE?Fin Design + Effects: Dedicated page about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on Fin Design + Effects website.ILM: Dedicated page about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on ILM website.Rodeo FX: Dedicated page about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on Rodeo FX website.Untold Studios: Dedicated page about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on Untold Studios website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

Iconic franchise and its community of 500M+ pay homage, look ahead through birthday releases, in-game offerings, collaborations, and more REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) proudly celebrates 25 years of The Sims . Since its launch in 2000, The Sims has captivated players worldwide with its unparalleled creativity and charm. The beloved life simulation game and pop culture phenomenon started from humble beginnings but quickly became one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, with more than 500 million lifetime players to date. As The Sims celebrates its 25th birthday, its commitment to innovation and creativity remains as strong as ever, with continued expansions designed to inspire and connect players worldwide.The Sims will host The Sims 25 Hour Livestream, uniting the community for an epic, global 25th birthday celebration of all things The Sims. (Graphic: Business Wire)Read below and/or visit The Sims newsroom for more about what is planned as The Sims marks its 25th year milestone.500 MILLION THANK YOUSWhen The Sims first launched, it pioneered the life simulation genre, which today is one of the fastest-growing segments in the video game industry. The Sims remains a leader in the genre, appealing to a diverse global audience and fostering one of the largest gaming communities particularly among female gamers. The Sims is more than just a game its an entertainment platform offering a canvas for creativity and a medium for storytelling, amplified by our worldwide community of Simmers, said Kate Gorman Revelli, Vice President and General Manager, The Sims .We are proud to have built such a strong community around shared values over the past 25 years. As we celebrate this milestone together, we look back at the past and what we have accomplished so far, while keeping a clear focus on what is next for TheSims . Our eyes are set on one goal: to continue expanding The Sims universe across modalities of engagement, including more entertainment experiences. We have a lot to share over the next 25 years, from a movie to more in-game gameplay, content creation, and social connection points. We are now more than ever energized to continue building platforms that involve, engage, reward, and delight our community.WHERES THE PARTY AT?The Sims 25 Hour Livestream on YouTube, Twitch and TikTokToday, February 4, beginning at 2 PM PST, The Sims will host The Sims 25 Hour Livestream , uniting The Sims community for an epic, global celebration of all things The Sims for 25 consecutive hours of gameplay, giveaways, and streams that are not to be missed. Celebrity fans including rapper and singer Doja Cat, rapper Latto, and Drag Queen comedy duo Trixie Mattel & Katya will join in on the celebration, making it an unforgettable event for fans. Simmers can also look forward to appearances from a variety of fan-favorite Sims storytellers, builders, and streamers from around the world, including Angelo & Lexy, LoserFruit, Cristinini, Dan & Phil, Plumbella, SpringSims, Ironmouse, Ebonix, Krystalogy, Julien, Deligracy, Caryn & Connie, and many more. Birthday Events and Updates across The Sims 4 and The Sims FreePlayAlso today, a massive The Sims 4 base game update adds more than 70 new in-game items for all players to enjoy, as well as introducing a special The Sims 4 Blast From The Past Event.The Sims 4 music fans will also be rewarded with new songs in Simlish on the in-game radio from popular musical artists, including Kim Petras XXX on the Pop station and Gigi Perezs Fable on the Alternative station. Simmers can also unlock Keke Palmers The Game Song for the Retro station, in The Sims 4 Blast From The Past Event.In addition, players of The Sims FreePlay can also celebrate with special events and rewards and enjoy 25 days of in-game gifts, featuring some of the most famous items from The Sims history.THE SIMS IS ICONIC The Sims and The Sims 2 Retro Re-Releases Longtime fans and new players alike can experience the magic of The Sims from the early 2000s, with the 25th Birthday Merch Collection The Sims 25th Birthday merchandise collection, featuring limited edition apparel, retro pins, a 2000s-themed gamer mat, and more, is available on February 5, 2025 at shopthesims.com.Plumbob Green with PantoneThe Sims is seeing Plumbob Green with its new official Pantone color, created in collaboration with the Pantone Color Institute. The new signature color pays homage to The Sims iconic green Plumbob, which has become a symbol for personal expression and creative inspiration. According to the Pantone Color Institute, Plumbob Green is a supercharged yellow-green imbued with vitality. A richly saturated hue, its animated appearance exudes a positive approach and upbeat attitude. The bold Plumbob Green invites a spirit of playful happiness. Simmers can catch the color Plumbob Green in the 25th Birthday merchandise collection.YouTube CollaborationYouTube has always been a central hub for Simmers to showcase, stream, and relive their creativity in The Sims . To celebrate todays milestone, The Sims is teaming up with YouTube to spotlight The Sims community across formats on YouTube, from a new effect on YouTube Shorts to a long form video in partnership with lilsimsie and many more global Sims creators! Be sure to head to YouTube today to catch all the surprises in store including a special transformation of the YouTube logo (known as the Yoodle). The power of two iconic symbols the YouTube icon and the Plumbob join together for a special celebration of The Sims community on YouTube. The Ultimate Sims Playlist on Spotify The Sims has teamed up with Spotify for the ultimate throwback: a playlist curated for you based on YOUR top songs featured in Sims games. From unforgettable pop hits to beloved indie anthems, this playlist celebrates the artistry, creativity, and partnerships that have fueled The Sims community for over two decades. Whether youve been a fan from the start or are just discovering the magic of The Sims , this playlist is the perfect way to celebrate the soundtrack that has brought so many player stories to life.MySims: Cozy Bundle Retro Re-Release MySims fans can look forward to the PC release of the MySims: Cozy Bundle on March 18, 2025. The bundle, currently available on Nintendo Switch, features retro re-releases of two fan-favorite games, MySims and MySims Kingdom , where players can unleash their creativity as they explore familiar worlds full of puzzles to solve, locations to discover, tons of characters with big personalities to meet, and a lot to build, paint, and decorate. MySims: Cozy Bundle is available for preorder on PC via EA app, Epic Games Store, and Steam. Find downloadable assets for The Sims 25th birthday via the EA Press Portal here. For more information about The Sims and the 25th Birthday celebrations, check out The Sims 25th Birthday newsroom post , join The SimsDiscord community server, and follow @TheSims on X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest news and updates.About Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.In fiscal year 2024, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately $7.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Apex Legends, The Sims, EA SPORTS Madden NFL, EA SPORTS College Football, Need for Speed, Dragon Age, Titanfall, Plants vs. Zombies and EA SPORTS F1. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Dragon Age, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, FIFA and F1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.Category: EA Studios Tara Moore Global Integrated Communications Director, Lifestyle [emailprotected] Dana Berkowitz Senior Manager, Global Integrated Communications, Lifestyle [emailprotected] Source: Electronic Arts Inc.

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Philadelphia Aerial View | Actionvance via UnsplashBuying or selling property is one of the most significant financial decisions youll make. A knowledgeable and professional real estate agent can be the difference between a smooth transaction and a stressful experience. Whether youre exploring the Eastern U.S. with professional real estate agents in Lehigh Valley or finding your slice of paradise in the Southwest, finding the right agent requires careful research and understanding of their expertise in the local market.Southern states have charm, calm, and often a lower cost of living. You can also find realtors in Alabama through reliable online directories or referrals to guide you on your home search. These resources help you connect with professionals who know the local housing market, ensuring your transaction is handled efficiently and with personalized care.Why You Need a Real Estate AgentHandling a real estate transaction on your own might seem appealing, but its a complex process that benefits from professional expertise. Heres why a real estate agent is indispensable:Market Expertise: They understand property values, market trends, and how to price or bid competitively.Negotiation Skills: Experienced agents advocate for your best interests, whether buying or selling.Connections: From inspectors to contractors, agents have access to trusted professionals you may need during the process.Streamlined Process: They handle everything from showings and paperwork to closing, saving you time and effort.Qualities to Look for in a Great AgentNot all agents are created equal. The best ones combine technical expertise with a client-centered approach. Look for these qualities:Effective CommunicationReal estate transactions require quick decisions and constant updates. An agent should be easy to reach and willing to explain every step of the process.Experience and Track RecordAsk about the agents past transactions and whether they specialize in properties like yours. Experienced agents anticipate challenges and resolve them effectively.Honesty and IntegrityAn agent should prioritize your needs over making a quick sale. They must be transparent about pricing, negotiations, and any potential hurdles.Evaluating Potential AgentsOnce youve identified a few agents, evaluate them carefully to find the one best suited to your needs.Conduct InterviewsAsk questions about their experience, strategies, and approach to handling transactions. A good agent will also ask you questions to better understand your goals.Verify CredentialsEnsure the agent is licensed and check for additional certifications, such as Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) or Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR).Review TestimonialsLook for patterns in client reviews. Consistent praise for communication, expertise, and results indicates a reliable agent.The Importance of Local ExpertiseAllentown, Pennsylvania, Aerial ViewLehigh Valley, PennsylvaniaThis area blends urban convenience with suburban charm, making it a sought-after location for families, professionals, and retirees. Working with professional real estate agents in Lehigh Valley ensures you gain insight into property values, neighborhood amenities, and upcoming developments.Alabama Real EstateFrom vibrant cities like Birmingham to rural retreats, Alabama offers diverse housing options. Find realtors in Alabama through online tools that can connect you with agents who understand the regions market trends and zoning regulations, ensuring a smooth transaction tailored to the states unique dynamics.Leveraging Technology in Real EstateModern agents use technology to streamline the buying and selling process. Tools such as virtual tours, automated listing alerts, and digital paperwork enhance efficiency and convenience. Agents who embrace these innovations demonstrate adaptability and a commitment to excellent service.ConclusionWhether buying, selling, or investing, finding the right real estate agent is essential to achieving your goals. By exploring local expertise through Professional real estate agents in Lehigh Valley or using resources to find realtors in Alabama, you can connect with professionals who bring knowledge, experience, and dedication to your journey. With the right agent by your side, youll navigate the market confidently and successfully.Real Estate Leave a comment

Mushroom Hike Tunnel Book (2024). All images courtesy of Shelley Aldrich, shared with permissionImaginative Scenes Vibrantly Expand in Shelley Aldrichs Illustrated Tunnel BooksFebruary 4, 2025Kate MothesBefore photography, slide projectors, movies, television, or anything electronic, entertainment came from what we now think of as analog sources. In the 1700s, for example, your leisure time may have been spent listening to live music, visiting an art show or a theatre performance, playing games, and reading books.Inspired by theatrical stage sets, one innovation that rose to popularity in the 18th century was the tunnel book. Known at the time as peep shows, the art form combined storytelling with numerous layers that, when opened up, created the illusory effect of depth and perspective. Typically small and delicate, the scenes frequently depicted figures in a range of landscapes and commemorated special events.Narnia Tunnel BookFor self-taught illustrator Shelley Aldrich, the tradition inspires an ongoing series of vibrant books and folded visual narratives. Using primarily watercolor and gouache, she paints flowers and text that nod to folk tales and famous stories, like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Hobbit. Ive always enjoyed crafts, but I didnt really begin painting (or making) art until I was 45, Aldrich tells Colossal. My background was in marketing and financial analysis, which I did for more than 20 years. After I left my career to raise my girls, I fit painting into bits of free time to keep my mind growing.Aldrich learned the basics of creating a tunnel book from another artisan on Instagram, and she adapted the method to her own style. She always enjoyed stationery design, toys, and books that had tiny, hidden compartments or miniature surprises. She says, Its no wonder that when my first daughter was born, I started making tiny scrapbooks that involved moving elements: flaps that opened, hidden letters, mini books, and spinning objects. That was probably the beginning of my paper fascination.Aldrich continues to experiment with different paper tricks, such as sliding doors and increasingly elaborate folds. She constructs scenes inspired by nature, as well as recognizable elements of famous stories, like the magical portal from the first Narnia book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.Narnia Tunnel Book (2024), openRecently, I have been discovering vintage paper art that is rarely seen except in museums, Aldrich says. I cant wait to figure out all the techniques, mash them together and make modern pieces that have never been combined before. She is currently experimenting with the possibilities of combining tunnel books with Victorian puzzle purses, which were used as a means of exchanging private or romantic messages that could be encased in intricate folds.I still love the feeling of awe when you experience something that makes your heart swell, Aldrich says. As you get older, I think this happens less because of the responsibilities and burdens of being an adult. You tend to see less magic. I hope, with my art, to evoke the childlike wonder and hope that is in all of us.Find more on the artists website and Instagram.The Hobbit combination puzzle purse and tunnel book, closedThe Hobbit combination puzzle purse and tunnel book, openHighgrove Tunnel Book (2024)Highgrove Tunnel Book (2024)Winter Garden Tunnel Book (2024)Wonka Tunnel Book (2025), closedDetail of Wonka Tunnel Book, openDetail of Narnia Tunnel BookShakespearean sonnet combination puzzle purse and tunnel book, closedNext article

Put lots of qubits together and you have quantum computing, requiring datacentres that can support it.A quantum datacentre though is not just about having a building with a quantum computer in it. And there remain questions about what quantum computers should look like and how they should connect in the datacentre context, says Andrew Lord, senior manager, optical and quantum networks research at BT Group.A datacentre in essence delivers connectivity, often connecting multiple people or customers with racks, compute equipment and the rest. Adding quantum compute as part of an overall compute resource that answers questions should help with certain challenges, although plenty of uncertainty remains.Also focused on the long-term challenges of quantum datacentres and their connection at BT is specialist optical and quantum research professional Emilio Hugues-Salas. Solving for the hard physics around qubit-based quantum computer language versus classical computings zeros and ones could take five to 10 years, even though the work is moving quite fast.A qubit is the quantum version of a binary bit of zeros and ones in classical computing. Its a two-state or two-level quantum mechanical system. When measured, electrons can have apparent spin up and spin down with certain probabilities attached.Looking at definitions, at the requirements and architecture of a quantum datacentre, suggests an architecture that enables secure access to quantum compute, where you not only have the traditional GPUs but quantum processing units you can use depending on requirement and application, Hugues-Salas says.But its like back when we didnt know what the internet was for, adds Lord. Honestly, a lot is about making quantum available just to see what people will do with it anything from finding new drugs to modelling basic molecules or photosynthesis.In such energy-hungry areas just one major breakthrough could prove the value and be worth the effort because its too costly with current technology.For example, Id like to minimise energy consumption in the BT network, but its just too hard and will take too long. Then, by the time Ive done it, things have changed, says Lord. And you might only need to access a quantum computer for a few crucial seconds to do it.BT also works on quantum networking and computing, including anything quantum that might overlap with BT interests, such as trialling quantum interconnect into regular Equinix datacentres in London.The latter is a near-commercial grade project thats mainly about secure linking. Customers can then put their data onto the cloud securely, do operations and connect multiple their own customers via the cloud, Lord says.When it comes to quantum computing in general, Owen Rogers, senior research director of cloud computing at Uptime Intelligence, has an analogy: imagine you have a plastic combination padlock, but to unlock the padlock without the code, you do not want to have to try every possible combination.But lets say that on the combinational rings, theres a tiny bit of metal that happens to be on the correct number. Conceivably you might simply wave a magnet across the padlock to correctly interlock and unlock the correct numbers, Rogers says. Quantum computing is really a way of solving things in parallel, using the uncertainty of what particles do.Remaining challenges, though, are multi-faceted. Obviously, quantum algorithms require special skills, and then there are technical and engineering problems.For instance, the more qubits you have, the more susceptible you are to noise. A sensitive individual particle must be kept in a state where you can control it. That means a cooling requirement, even cryogenic cooling.You have to remove as much interference as possible, says Rogers. And the datacentre has to have those abilities.Quantum computing research today is costly with only a small chance of success, but the benefits payoff if quantum computing can be made to work might be astronomical. For instance, if a team can quickly solve something that would have been impossible before or without making assumptions.However, we might reach a certain level of qubits and then the interference is exponentially worse, and we just cant increase them, for example, says Rogers.In the UK, multiple projects in development include five new quantum research hubs announced in July 2024. Among these is Heriot-Watt Universitys Integrated Quantum Networks (IQN) hub. The idea is that quantum internet linking quantum computers could deliver massive compute, leveraging quantum entanglement and memory.Another is the industry-partnered QCI3 hub at Oxford University. QCI3 researches interconnected and integrated quantum computing implementations, eyeing an estimated potential $1.3tn market for quantum ML and neural networks by 2030.Dominik Andrzejczuk, CEO at QDC.ai with investments in two Oxford quantum hardware companies trapped-ions technology based Oxford Ionics, and full-stack photonics focused Orca computing confirms that the engineering challenges are taking time to solve.That said, ion-trap architectures are good at controlling very high-quality qubits with the same CMOS fabrication techniques as superconducting qubits, with Andrzejczuk adding: That means that potentially they could scale easily.His background in physics drew him to quantum, he tells Computer Weekly, but theres a schism in the quantum sector between scientific computing, leaning into operations research from first principles and Silicon Valley AIs work.With artificial intelligence (AI), you take a bunch of random data and a machine figures out the function. Its strength is also its weakness, because you need so much hardware to work fast.However, as has become apparent with certain large language models (LLMs), this doesnt scale well, with Andrzejczuk pointing out: OpenAI is burning billions of dollars every single year.A scientific computing approach starts from the other end, with a physicist or mathematician examining the dataset, then developing the function to fit onto that data and then indicating the function, parameters and constraints to the machine.Related operations research can be highly specific to use cases in areas such as logistics with myriad variables and constraints thats harder for machine learning.One perfect use case is airlines and transport. If youre delayed or cancelled, you have to call somebody to rebook your ticket. The magnitude of data for an ML algorithm to solve that is astronomical, Andrzejczuk says.Representing an optimisation problem in a classical computer can be simple, with integer values. But in a quantum context, quadratic, unconstrained binary optimisation means your variables have to be binary, rather than integers.Think of 600 trucks as some sort of sequence of ones and zeros, Andrzejczuk says. Then we need an extraction layer. We need to convert a problem that is, lets say, semantically written in plain English, into some sort of binary code. Those tools just dont exist right now.Further investment in the billions of dollars are still needed to push it forward, but if it works, everybody wins, Andrzejczuk adds.Jerry Chow, IBM fellow and director of quantum systems and runtime technology, agrees that its early days they are really more than physics experiments, and progress is being made with deployable computational tools and quantum-centric supercomputing:Right now [at IBM], we are exclusively putting out systems of 100 qubits or more. And were in a world thats starved of compute.IBM operates 14 utility-scale quantum systems, including quantum datacentres in Poughkeepsie, New York and Ehningen, Germany as well as dedicated systems colocated with its clients.IBMs Quantum Network comprises about 250 enterprises, research institutions, startups, universities and industry leaders, including 80 in Europe. Its quantum roadmap factors in the time predicted to solve remaining challenges out to 2033.The point here is that quantum does certain workloads very differently, says Chow. We see that Quantum Network as how well find and use these tools for quantum advantage.Multiple solutions will be combined, including QPUs, GPUs and CPUs. Hosting at Poughkeepsie has comprised several to double-digit numbers of quantum computers, varying by the processor used.At what we call utility scale, certainly there are quantum circuits beyond exact simulation with CPU or GPU resources. The next best ways of handling some of these circuits, in fact, are with maybe some tensor network methods or some kinds of approximate computing methods that leverage high performance nodes, says Chow.Performance depends on qubit numbers or scale, speed, and quality or error rate accuracy of execution of quantum circuits. Users can try 127-qubit systems free; IBM offers 10 minutes a month of Quantum Platform execution time, with systems, documentation and learning resources.IBM is hoping thereby to foster scientific and even business related demos delivering speed, accuracy or cost-effectiveness, not to mention ecosystem development in train from the domain-specific Qiskit function service to third-party middleware-type integrations.Read more about quantum computingA 4,000m2 facility based at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus is to house a new national quantum facility equipped with 12 quantum computers.Five university hubs are receiving funding to support the development ofquantum applicationsthat can support healthcare and businesses.

Potentially heralding a fundamental shift in definitions of open source, HashiCorp moved to more restrictive licensing for infrastructure-as-code (IaaS) tool Terraform in 2023. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) has since cited more risk and pressure to evaluate options, especially for single-supplier open source offerings.However, Amanda Brock, chief executive officer at open source-championing non-profit OpenUK, argues that datacentres should be using more open source-related tech, not least because it could slash carbon emissions.When youre able to use the specs openly and collaboratively to build something, you also can use the data that enables you to know when and how you can best use power, she says.Although big companies have been accused of strip-mining open source, not giving back enough of a share of the revenue, Brock says it seems unlikely that licensing requirements might change to deter datacentres from open source.Im not going to say theres no risk [of this], but weve also seen one of the first companies to move to Elastic come full circle. Having moved away from open source, then having been able to resolve things with AWS, who they were blaming, Brock says. So, I think its a smaller problem than the impression given.The critical shift in 2024 might be the counter-move to forking the result of the HashiCorp move was a fork to OpenTofu. That said, it has always been difficult for firms that have set up as open source to stay pure and true to that ideal, she adds.If youre using a project thats got a number of big corporates using it, were increasingly going to see anybody who risks shifting their licence hammered by forks. That can completely change the marketplace, she says.Forking was once considered the nuclear option for avoiding a specific leadership direction on software. Taking the same code, devs create a branch in the repository, and the organisation essentially goes in two directions at that point, with maintaining, updating and similar tasks done in the individual projects. Sometimes this does not work, and the projects re-emerge later on.It is a lot of work, and a big deal. In the 30 years or so...of open source, there have only been something like half a dozen successful forks, Brock says, citing Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Elasticsearch, Redis and Valkey. OpenUKs February event OpenCon may discuss related issues.Peter Zaitsev, founder of open source database supplier Percona, broadly agrees. Some folks may just have to pay up but that is often not how it happens for important open source projects. Alternatives are being created.Even if suppliers do pull a fast one on projects critical for the open source ecosystem, with strong communities the fork option will simply become more popular in the next couple of years, citing the Elastic drama which ended with re-releasing under a more restricted open source licence.In the case of Red Hat Enterprise, the move fed further development in enterprise Linux alternatives, he adds.The likes of PostGreSQL may not have all Oracles features but can still cover off most organisational needs. And for many users of WordPress or similar, whether its actually open source likely does not matter, Zaitsev points out.Colin Eberhardt, chief technology officer at software consultancy Scott Logic, is willing to bet that 70-95% of datacentre software is already open source related, given the prevalence in standard enterprise software.Even in investment banks, roughly 70% applies and theyre pretty careful about the code they run, Eberhardt says. You write a small amount of code that sits on top of a largely open source stack these days, regardless of industry.Cloud infrastructure, software and platform engagements may have a lot more code running, of course, but also a regular colocation-type datacentre is likely simpler. Any resulting problems from licensing challenges can be resolved in multiple ways not least because licence changes to free and permissive open source only roll forwards, he says.Yes, they can then change the licence and say, from this point onwards, youre not free to use it, you must meet these conditions or pay this money, Eberhardt says. But there are high-profile cases of forks occurring, including OpenTofu, because of arguments about licensing and who makes the money.If it really is open source, organisations remain free to look after it themselves if they have the capability. And, at the same time, there are bigger risks open source use can expose organisations to, because, as Eberhardt adds, with a lot of open source software, there are no future obligations.For instance, a poorly maintained open source project is an attack vector. At the same time, most of the supply chainattacks which have begun to multiply in recent years are not random, but targeted.If I wanted to do an interesting attack, Id look at something used in infrastructure projects that would get me into datacentres, banks and things like that and take everybody down, says Eberhardt. Concerns about licences are not wrong, but relatively minor.What should open source users be doing, then?Eberhardt says organisations need to better understand their open source usage, especially if they rely on it. Is it run in a sustainable way? Is there a single-person dependency somewhere? Licensing is the easy box to check.I have worked on projects where there was a framework that they picked that was a core component, and we looked at it and it was only maintained by one person. And I asked whether anyone knows who that person is, he says.Consider popular Linux Foundation projects and subgroups, for example, and work out any related risks and how to mitigate them. Could the organisation maintain the setup if it fell apart? Are sections of code interchangeable?For large organisations, requirements might be fairly rigid. Smaller firms might suffer more from developers making unilateral decisions on downloading things to patch something over or the like. Part of the answer there is to ensure everything is properly and fully documented.Im amazed that people dont actually know what code theyre using, where its come from. So, thats definitely the first step, or if youre releasing an enterprise application, understand what code youre actually using. Learn a bit more about that code, he says.If 90-odd percent of the code youre running was written by someone else and given to you for free, you need to invest some time into understanding the dynamics of that relationship.Jad Jebara, co-founder, president and CEO of cloud-based datacentre infrastructure management (DCIM) company Hyperview, underlines that open source and open source standards have been instrumental for innovation. So, its not about ditching anything open source to avoid related risk.For so much open source now, its supported commercially, and there are reasons why, including that not everybody has staff to do all the techie stuff, he says.Without open source, the internet as we know it, the infrastructure, the digital economy doesnt exist. So, now on the hardware level, with the Open Compute project, you need scale to manufacture the hardware standards, but it drives innovation, sustainability and the density in the datacentres and that will never change.Which is not to say the developer compensation model does not resent problems. Going from an open source towards for profit changes the use model and makes it harder to understand the intricacies of data security, data residency and financial remuneration, Jebara says.Initiatives such as the Apache and Linux foundations that drive cloud native do good work, but its not enough from a licensing perspective, or for cyber security and vulnerability management. User organisations must ensure they know whats inside the tech they use: Is anything end of life, or end of service or support, for example?Therefore, depending on the business model, more stringent licensing can be a net benefit to the user, especially when certain assurances are part of a more commercial package.Its really about the allocating of your resources. And not every datacentre is created equal, Jebara says. But most of it is not going anywhere, including from the datacentres.Read more about open sourceLinux Foundations decision to ban Russian maintainers has the potential to destroy open sources global collaboration model.As open source matures, the Cloud Native Computing Foundation is grappling with issues ranging from licence rug-pulling and the rise of artificial intelligence to the changing dynamics of open source contributions.