The mobile version of Dark and Darker is finally here, and it was well worth the wait. Dark and Darker Mobile brings several features from the PC version, including its brutal high-risk, high-reward gameplay. Dying in any game can be frustrating, but in this battle royale, its especially punishing, as death means losing all your hard-earned gear and equipment.

Helldivers 2 has reached its first anniversary, marking whats been a wild year for Arrowhead Game Studios. The co-op action shooter took off as soon as it was released on Feb. 8, 2024, enjoying an explosive launch with hundreds of thousands more players than Arrowhead expected. Ive been logging in consistently throughout the first year, joining the Helldivers on the front lines of the evolving Galactic War.That initial momentum has hit a few obstacles throughout the year, but after some careful balance patches and narrative events, Im optimistic about the future of Helldivers 2. The game looks very different a full year after launch, with a third faction, the Automaton-bombing Democracy Space Station, and a massive spore cloud cooking out in Terminid space. Polygon spoke with Mikael Eriksson, game director on Helldivers 2, about lessons learned over the games lifespan so far and a glimpse at what comes next.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Polygon: Helldivers 2 enjoyed a popular launch, and an unexpectedly large player base to manage. How did the surprise success affect the first years development?Mikael Eriksson: The launch success, the sheer magnitude of players, and the Saurons Eye of the world shifting to look at us was beyond anything that we had anticipated. We had to scramble to bring things under control, and it took us quite a long time after launch to get to a point where we were in control of the situation. The first three to six months were not at all as we had expected. At least 50% of plans were different, because we had to shift so much to focus on build quality. So many of our devs were thrown into making sure players could access the game, that we didnt have crashes and bugs, and so forth.We imagined a ceiling of 150,000 concurrent users at maximum, and this was considered very optimistic. So we didnt build for any more capacity, then we had way more players than that. Even if our back-end team did an amazing job of raising the ceiling up to, like, 300,000, it filled up in minutes.A lot of coordination in Helldivers 2 is done in external platforms like Discord or Reddit. Are there plans to introduce in-game ways for players to give battle orders or set up a plan of action for an invasion?Definitely. I love the community and the posting on social forums; we dont want them to stop doing that because its all amazing. If anything, Im going to give a shoutout to all the hilarious memes. Its the best thing we do after dropping major updates; scrolling through all the uploaded memes makes my day every time.But we do have plans to improve this in-game as well, to give players the ability to group up and form plans and so forth. I cant say too much right now, but were expanding on it a lot.An early tension between players, I think, was the difference between the highly tactical players who were playing to test themselves and the goofy players who love the Looney Tunes-style antics of being blown up or crushed by a friendly Hellpod. Was this something Arrowhead had to reconcile, and if so, what was that like?Were a goofy bunch. Personality-wise, we like to make people laugh, and thats one of our main goals we have with the game. Games are more fun together, and when youre experiencing challenging, intense moments together in the game and you die unexpectedly, that can really make you laugh.We struggled a lot leading up to launch in just making death be fun in our game. For a long time, people were frustrated and didnt like when they died unexpectedly. We wanted that to be the case, for you to be super invested and lean forward on the couch and give your best effort to succeed at the mission and so forth, and then we wanted you to die unexpectedly, because thats fun.Our creative director, Johan [Pilestedt], said once that the main metric hes passionate about is laughter per minute. In that sense, were like a party game. Its important to us that when youre playing, you do laugh, you do experience these hilarious, emergent moments. We dont think thats at odds with being precise about functionality and weapon design in the game. We have a lot of players that care deeply about the intimate details of how things should work, like weapon design and systems, the recoil and the way bullets can behave, and so forth.One of the reasons thats important to us is believability is incredibly important in our game, and weapon functionality is part of that, and friendly fire is also part of that. If you get hit by a Hellpod, you should die. If your friend shoots you in the head, you should die from that. And we believe that when we create the world and focus on believability, those hilarious moments can happen. I dont see these as contradictory in any way.Over the first year, we mostly fought against Terminids and Automatons, and some players felt like the Automatons were the tougher faction. Now, with a year of balance changes and the introduction of the Illuminate, how has that changed? Do players still abandon the robot front because theyd just rather fight bugs, or has that evened out over time?What youre saying is true; there are definitely some players who play primarily against one faction. What I can say is that we do actually see from data that what players care about the most is the Major Orders and story development of the game. When theres a story that focuses on the bot front, for instance, we see massive impacts of players fighting the bots. Our players want to feel like theyre part of the community and theyre fighting for the cause of Super Earth.Its one of the biggest trends our game has, the immense power of role-playing the Galactic War. Thats what were expanding a lot. We expanded a little bit on it in 2024, and we have massive plans to expand even more going forward. If we have a Major Order to play against the bugs, we see way more than half of players playing against bugs, then we switch it around to bots or Illuminates or whatever it might be.I think its inevitable that players will have their own favorite faction, and if every faction had the exact same kind of experience, then were not expanding the game enough. We want to offer different experiences, challenges, and emotions with these factions. We want to expand on them in many different ways going forward. The Jet Brigade, for example its an offshoot of the bot faction, a few units that behave a little bit differently that we can toggle on and off. They add a new flavor to the faction, and as we go into the future, with all factions, we want to add special units or modifications to the factions to push them in different directions, so even within the broader bots, bugs, or Illuminate factions, they would have their own different branches.Over the last year, what did the team learn from the story beats that played out over Major Orders, like the black hole in Meridia, or the defeat and sudden return, with Factory Striders of the Automatons?Ill try to cram everything into this answer that I want, because its something Im super passionate about. From the get-go with the Galactic War and the game master and how we build the game in general with a systemic approach we wanted to emulate a tabletop role-playing kind of experience. Theres a bunch of ways the story that youre playing can turn out, and theres randomness factored in alongside the choices of the people youre playing with. That sort of emergent storytelling is something we think is super fun, and its what we want to do with the war and the game master.When we first launched the game, I thought, OK, we have a version 1.0 here, but were imagining a 3.0 or 5.0 thatll be super epic. I didnt anticipate how powerful it already was. When we had Malevelon Creek moments, or Meridia, or whatever people were role-playing and we had players super invested in the story. It was such a beautiful thing to see, and it blew us away. Then we had to talk about what players can expect going forward.Were building this system to be more interesting in many different ways. One of the main ways were expanding on the Galactic War is the game master, like the game master in a tabletop role-playing game the people who have tools at their disposal like control events, functionality, specific enemies, specific missions, modifications to the game rules, and so forth.The second track is community-controlled functionality events, like the [Democratic Space Station]. That was a shaky launch, but its at least one of the steps, and were planning to improve on the DSS and keep building on the functionality. Its one of the ways we want to give a chess piece to the community, and we have several more planned as well. We want to give the community ways to have a real impact on the outcomes of the Galactic War and leave permanent marks. Theyd be able to change the game meta in considerable, noticeable ways, just like people in a tabletop role-playing game.The third factor were investing a lot of time into is random events. If youre playing a tabletop role-playing game, you have a die, you throw the die, and you dont know whats going to happen. Everything might go very well; everything might go south quickly. These random events are super important, and we want to create these events to be things that we cant even control and the community cant control. I believe having this randomness factored in can create really intense moments. Its already created intense moments for us because to begin with, we didnt have these random events in place, and our community surprised us with what they were able to do. Our game master had to really scramble to keep up and was spending very long hours doing so, which wasnt great, and weve since improved that. So it shouldnt make anyone work overtime, but at least we are building into these random events super storms on planets, galactic catastrophic events, and so forth.The Illuminates are the newest faction, but their roster is much smaller than the other two factions. Can we expect new Illuminate units to hit the battlefield in the coming months?Im going to be a little bit cryptic. One thing that Ive struggled with, personally, is that we cant do a roadmap in a traditional way for our game. We dont want to spoil anything, but we know what the Illuminates high-level purpose and goals are. With the introduction in conjunction with The Game Awards, what we wanted to focus on more than anything was an alien invasion kind of fantasy.Its no surprise that were super inspired by movies, and its known that the main inspiration for bugs is Starship Troopers and bots are the Terminator movies. We want you to feel like youre part of these movies; we consider our game to be something like a systemic, emergent action movie simulator, or something like that. So when we started the Illuminate, the question was: What sort of movie do we want to emulate? We landed on getting to live through an alien invasion fantasy and then a zombie horde experience, and we combined those two.The Illuminate are more advanced than they might seem, and they have a long history in the Helldivers universe. Therell be a lot more coming with the Illuminate, and their intentions will become gradually more clear as the story progresses.The Illuminates arrived alongside urban maps, and its a great change of pace to fight through city streets as opposed to wilderness or rocky maps. Are there plans to bring urban maps to Automaton and Terminid maps as well?One of the most important things when heading into the live-service environment was to make the universe more believable. So Helldivers have ventured out into space, theyre colonizing planets, they have these expansionist ambitions. But the question youd ask yourself playing at launch is, Where is everybody? There were a few outposts, small buildings, SEAF soldiers. But it didnt feel like the planet was inhabited, and that was never the intention. The Helldivers are expanding in all directions, into bug and Automaton territories. It makes total sense there should be settlements there. So, all I can say is: Keep playing and youll find out.

We may still be in the midst of winter, but that hasnt stopped Netflix from throwing a few great thrillers onto its streaming service. Every month, we handpick a few of the best thrillers on Netflix that fit the current season. Sometimes they pair well with an upcoming release. Other titles might be new additions to the platform.This month, weve got a foodie-murder hit that seems to be growing into a modern classic, a high-finance romantic drama, and one of the biggest Indian movies ever made.Editors pick: The Menu Director: Mark MylodCast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas HoultThe further we get from its 2022 release, the more it feels like The Menu is going to be remembered as a cult classic. The film is a clever, bare-bones thriller that follows guests at an ultra high-end restaurant. But when they arrive for dinner, the chef makes it clear that hes doing things a little bit differently this time, and that none of them will be getting out alive. The film is tense, its beautifully shot by frequent Succession director Mark Mylod, and it features wonderful performances across the board. But the films real secret weapon is its devious, pitch-black sense of humor. Mylods camera relishes in watching the rich diners sweat, whether its over their tax evasion or their undeveloped palates. Austen GoslinFair Play Director: Chloe DomontCast: Phoebe Dynevor, Alden Ehrenreich, Eddie MarsanSet in the world of high finance, Fair Play follows two co-workers, Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) at a high-profile hedge fund who are secretly in a relationship. When Emily gets a promotion that Luke expected, their happy relationship turns sour, with each vying for control, power, and a better place at the firm. What makes Fair Play fun is how much it feels like a throwback. Despite its undeniably modern sheen, this feels like a thriller sent straight from the 1990s, full of bizarre but enjoyable twists designed to keep the heat turned up on everyone in the film. AGPushpa 2: The RuleDirector: SukumarCast: Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh FaasilThe biggest box-office hit in the history of Indian cinemas suddenly dropped on Netflix last week. Pushpa 2: The Rule is the blockbuster sequel to Pushpa: The Rise (streaming on Prime Video, and well worth watching), building on the first movies story to create an even bigger globe-trotting crime thriller.After the events of the first movie, Pushpa (played by the magnetic Allu Arjun) is now a powerful smuggling kingpin whos basically unlocked an infinite money glitch. Despite his wealth, he finds that bribes alone cant solve all of his problems, especially not with returning villain SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat (Fahadh Faasil), a police officer that Pushpa outfoxed and humiliated in the first movie. With showstopping dance numbers, incredible fight sequences, and Arjuns charismatic leading performances, Pushpa 2 is a must-see for fans of the first film or fans of massive Indian blockbusters. Director Sukumar has a great eye for loud visuals and explosive set-pieces, and I cant wait to see what he does next after the massive success of this franchise. One note, though: The Reloaded version on Netflix is nearly four hours long. Make sure you have your snacks ready. Pete Volk

If you need to download and install TikTok in the US, you can do so on Android even though the app isn't back on the Play Store yet. In a tweet, the TikTok Policy account has announced that the service has made Android Package Kits available for download through its official web site. Companies don't typically endorse sideloading, but Tiktok is, of course, a special case.The app briefly went offline on January 19 before a law banning it in the US unless its parent company ByteDance sells it to an owner based in the country took effect. Under that law, the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store are required to remove its listing if they don't want to get slapped with a fine amounting to $5,000 for every user in the US who downloads the app. It didn't take a full day before TikTok restored access to its service, but its app has yet to reappear on Google's and Apple's stores in the US.We're enhancing ways for our community to continue using TikTok by making Android Package Kits available at https://t.co/JoNVqKpnrS so that our U.S. Android users can download our app and create, discover, and connect on TikTok.More information at our Help Center: TikTok Policy (@TikTokPolicy) February 8, 2025 One of the executive orders President Donald Trump signed when he took office put a 75-day pause on the law that banned the app, giving ByteDance until April to reach a deal. Trump has reportedly put Vice President J.D. Vance in charge of negotiating a potential sale before the deadline. ByteDance repeatedly said in the past that it had no plans to sell the social media app, but one of the company's biggest investors recently said that a deal is in "everybody's interest." Several companies and individuals have already expressed their intention to purchase TikTok in the US, including Perplexity AI and MrBeast.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/tiktok-advises-android-users-in-the-us-to-sideload-the-app-130015055.html?src=rss

Greek scientists combine AI and laser holograms to create an "uncrackable" encryption system.

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

Want more housing market stories from Lance LambertsResiClubin your inbox?Subscribeto theResiClubnewsletter.Zillow economists have developed an economic model called Zillows Market Heat Index, which measures the competitiveness of housing markets across the U.S. This model analyzes factors such as home price changes, inventory levels, days on market, and buyer demand to generate a score indicating whether a market is hot (favoring sellers) or cool (favoring buyers).A higher score indicates a hotter metro-level housing market where sellers have more power. A lower score indicates a colder metro-level housing market where buyers have more power.According to Zillow, a score of 70 or above indicates a strong sellers market, 55 to 69 is a sellers market, 44 to 55 is a neutral market, 28 to 44 is a buyers market, and a score of 27 or below is a strong buyers market.Nationally, Zillow rates the U.S. housing market at a 50.Click here to view an interactive version of the map below.Among the 200 largest metro area housing markets, these 10 are the hottest markets, where sellers have the most power:Rochester, New York: 146San Jose, California: 120San Francisco, California: 91Hartford, Connecticut: 83Syracuse, New York: 81Bridgeport, Connecticut: 76Buffalo, New York: 75Manchester, New Hampshire: 75Boston, Massachusetts: 74New York, New York: 73And these are the 10 coldest markets, where buyers have the most power:Beaumont, Texas: 9Gulfport, Mississippi: 12Macon, Georgia: 17Brownsville, Texas: 21Evansville, Indiana: 23Kennewick, Washington: 23Longview, Texas: 24Lubbock, Texas: 26Mobile, Alabama: 28Cape Coral, Florida: 32Does ResiClub agree with Zillows assessment? Directionally, I believe Zillow has correctly identified many regional housing markets where buyers have gained powerparticularly around the Gulfas well as markets where sellers have maintained their grip, including large portions of the Northeast and Southern California.However, I believe Zillows model underestimates the strength sellers still hold across much of the Midwest. These two maps better illustrate my perspective on the current power dynamic. You can find my latest regional (metro and county-level) active inventory analysis hereand the latest regional (metro and county-level) home price analysis here.

Is your rsum on trend? If it is, youll get more interviews. If not, expect to be rejected or ghosted by recruiters and hiring managers. These tips will help you craft a rsum that reflects your success in a changing world.First, understand whats top-of-mind for CEOs and feature solutions in your rsum. Transformation, artificial intelligence, and return-to-office are more urgent than ever.TransformationCEOs worry that their organizations wont be viable in 10 years if they dont transform. So, ask yourself what youve contributed to preparing your organization for the future. Then, feature your greatest accomplishments and highest impact in rsum bullets.Ideas include:New business modelsMarket expansionsTechnology modernizationCustomer experience improvementsThese types of change need efforts at all levels of the organization. Whether you led, were on the team, or supported a team member, identify and share your contributions to transformation.Finally, weave transformation skills into your rsums narrative. Some examples include:Needs assessmentsCross-functional collaborationData analyticsProcess and workflow automationsArtificial IntelligenceMany CEOs say they dont feel prepared to integrate AI across their organizations. Beyond that, they dont have AI-ready workforces. Use your rsum to show that youre ready and willing to hit the ground running.If you have any of these accomplishments, mention them:Increase your productivity with AIBuild an AI-based productImpact critical performance metrics such as revenue and profitability with AIResolve an AI-related ethics issueRegardless of your level, you can prove youre future-ready by talking about what youve done with AI. If you can, boil your achievement down to tangible, measurable impacts.Make sure to mention AI-related skills including specific AI tools and applications and certifications.Availability to work in the officeMany CEOs want their employees back in the office three to five days a week. If you want to work on-site full-time, say that in your rsum. Add a page footer such as: Available for on-site, hybrid, and remote roles.People who will work on-site have access to more job opportunities. They also have less competition for those jobs.These tips will make you a more attractive 2025 employment candidate. Transformation and AI experience signal future-readiness and high potential for near-term positive impact.

As the automotive industry continues to expand the horizons of innovation and aesthetics, January 2024 has become a stage for some of the most breathtaking and avant-garde vehicle designs. This month, designers have introduced a diverse array of automotive masterpieces that seamlessly combine state-of-the-art technology with stunning visual appeal.We have assembled a selection of the top ten automotive designs revealed in October 2024, showcasing the creativity and craftsmanship that propel the industry forward. Whether you are an automotive aficionado or someone who appreciates extraordinary design, these vehicles are bound to inspire and captivate.1. MOD Easy Electric Cruiser BikeCalled the MOD Easy Electric Cruiser Bike, this innovative electric bicycle incorporates a sidecar that beautifully blends retro aesthetics with modern functionality. It embodies the essence of classic motorcycles while integrating practical features that ensure a smooth and enjoyable riding experience. It is designed for those who seek the pleasure of commuting from A to B with ease, and it provides the perfect balance of style and utility.It focuses on allowing riders to enjoy the journey and exudes a rugged, vintage charm with its matte green frame accented by sleek black details. This color scheme is ideal for individuals who appreciate an evergreen and adventurous look. The addition of the sidecar, equipped with large wheels enhances its functionality and also adds a unique and distinctive flair.2. TWR SupercatCalled the TWR Supercat, this model is a visually stunning and dynamic reinterpretation of the classic XJS. It was designed by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, and it was launched to coincide with Jaguars strategic shift towards an all-electric future. This classifies as an important moment in the brands growth and evolution. It draws inspiration from racing models like the XJR-15, and the XJ220.The TWR Supercat features a sleek carbon fiber bodywork, which conceals a supercharged 5.6L V12 engine, tuned by the engineering masters at TWR. The car is a powerhouse, and it delivers 660 horsepower and 730 Nm of torque, which is channeled to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.3. IchibanDubbed Ichiban, this electric motorcycle is a perfectly balanced mix of an Akira-themed two-wheeler and low-slung sports bike aesthetics. This bike is a perfect representation of riot and freedom. It is supposed to be the first electric bike with a full-wheel drivetrain, thereby offering excellent performance and enhanced riding comfort, with digital intrusion kept to a minimum.The bike delivers the ideal mix of EV performance and HUD elements that are analog, creating and supporting a unique and surrela interaction between the vehicle and the rider. According to the design, the bike isnt simply a mode of transportation, it is a liberating streak of freedom in an excessively connected world.4. Bugatti AvallonThis Bugatti Avallon concept refines and fine-tunes the elements that define the marque. It adopts the brands iconic split body aesthetic, showcasing the mechanical heart-like kinetic. The vehicle integrates aerodynamics so naturally and harmoniously, that they seem like natural extensions, rather than add-ons.Each vent, crease, and intake plays some kind of role in the design, by creating a visual language that is both traditional and futuristic. The Avallon showcases Bugattis iconic horseshoe grille with a sharper and more modern design language. It is surrounded by big, angular air intakes that channel the airflow around the nose, thereby providing better aerodynamics.5. Twike 5Say hello to the Twike 5a pedal hybrid vehicle crafted for environmentally conscious individuals seeking a sustainable mode of transportation. Designed by automaker TWIKE GmbH, this innovative vehicle is a three-wheel trike featuring one wheel at the front and two at the rear. It combines an electric motor with a pedal trike, and offers a unique travel experience, accommodating two passengers while maintaining a lightweight profile of approximately 600 kilograms.It can reach speeds of up to 190 kilometers per hour and can travel up to 500 kilometers on a single charge. This velomobile-style electric trike provides both efficiency and versatility. Instead of a traditional steering wheel, the Twike 5 is equipped with dual joysticks positioned at the sides of the operator, allowing for intuitive control while in drive mode.6. Ducati OdiosoRevival Cycles built the Ducati Odioso a sidecar cross bike blessed with flamboyant and unique looks to impress. This build is truly one-of-a-kind since the Donar two-wheeler is the Ducati ST4 a sports touring bike that is powered by a 916cc desmodromic engine made between 1999 and 2005. The motorcycle is equipped with a trellis frame and an outlandish exterior. It is outfitted in vibrant and peppy hues of green, pink, and blue.The builders took an ST4 and modded it into a sidecar cross-bike. Odioso actually means obnoxious in Italian, and this bike truly does justice to its name. The sidecar-cross-inspired design looks quite different from the original Ducati ST4, but it is quite impressive. It is equipped with a996cc L-Twin motor four-stroke engine that generates 120 horsepower.7. Infinite Machine P1Meet the Infinite Machine P1 Electric Scootera state-of-the-art personal transportation device that draws inspiration from the futuristic design of the Cybertruck. Designed by Eddie and Joseph Cohen, this e-scooter boasts a sleek yet sturdy construction, utilizing anodized aluminum and steel to achieve a durable and stylish exterior.The Infinite Machine P1 is engineered to deliver exceptional performance and a seamless user experience. It features Apple CarPlay integration, enabling riders to access turn-by-turn navigation directly from the scooters interface, ensuring a hassle-free journey to their destination. The scooter also allows users to enjoy their favorite playlists on the go, transforming each ride into a practical and enjoyable experience with a touch of modern convenience.8. E-THUNDERCalled the E-THUNDER a high-performance electric bike designed to turn heads wherever it travels. It features a striking and aggressive handlebar design, paired with large wheels, this bike commands attention and respect on the road. Its bold aesthetic extends throughout the frame, which features a high saddle that echoes the sleek, stealthy profile reminiscent of a Stealth bomber aircraft.E-THUNDER offers a modern solution for both daily commuting and intensive lower-body workouts, particularly in challenging hilly terrains. Its advanced suspension system, combined with wide tires, delivers a smooth and comfortable ride, even on steep inclines. Riders can also adjust the handlebar positioning, providing optimal comfort and control, making each journey as pleasant as it is efficient.9. Garage 54s SUV With SpringsYoutuber Garage 54 embarked on an interesting experiment and created a pretty intriguing and one-of-a-kind automotive design. He equipped the car with wheels of springs, instead of the conventional rubber treads. He wanted to outfit and empower the vehicle to travel on off-road trails and snowy roads without any hassles or problems.However, sadly, the experiment did fail since metal isnt the best alternative, and the springs were welded to the tires. But, Garage54s ambitious project highlights the creative potential and exploratory spirit within the automotive community. It opens up discussions on how traditional materials can be reimagined and how innovations can be developed to enhance vehicle performance in challenging environments.10. Robo-EVThe Robo-EV by the PIX Moving Team is a cutting-edge micro car, uniquely crafted entirely through 3D printing in a single piece. Designed specifically for congested city mobility, its construction process is both straightforward and efficient. The recently developed prototype showcases its impressive capabilities. On the inside, the Robo-EV is equipped with smart technology designed to enhance the driving experience.One of its impressive features is its AI system, which can analyze the mood and tone of the driver in real-time. This intelligent vehicle provides emotional support via its language processing capabilities, allowing for engaging two-way interactions. The cars voice system doubles as a sophisticated voice assistant, contributing to a seamless user experience.The post 10 Best Automotive Designs Of January 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.