LatestMachine LearningThe Quantum Breakthrough That Could Change Everything 0 like February 27, 2025Share this postAuthor(s): Cezary Gesikowski Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium.Quantum computing will enable us to solve some of the worlds most pressing problems, from curing diseases to addressing climate change. Satya Nadella, Microsofts CEOImage: The Majorana 1. Photo by John Brecher for Microsoft | Microsoft.comIn February 2025, Microsoft unveiled the Majorana 1 chip, a breakthrough in quantum computing that has been compared to the seismic impact of the Attention Is All You Need paper on artificial intelligence (AI). Just as the transformer architecture revolutionized deep learning by streamlining neural networks, the Majorana 1 chip introduces a radical new approach to quantum computing: topological qubits. This innovation could finally make quantum computing practical, scalable, and capable of solving problems currently beyond classical computers reach.But what does this mean for the future of technology, and why should you care? Lets dive into the science, the skepticism, and the staggering potential of this quantum leap.At the heart of the Majorana 1 chip is a novel Topological Core architecture, which leverages a new class of materials called topoconductors. These materials enable the creation and control of Majorana particles exotic quasiparticles first predicted by Italian physicist Ettore Majorana in 1937. Majorana-based Read the full blog for free on Medium.Join thousands of data leaders on the AI newsletter. Join over 80,000 subscribers and keep up to date with the latest developments in AI. From research to projects and ideas. If you are building an AI startup, an AI-related product, or a service, we invite you to consider becoming asponsor. Published via Towards AITowards AI - Medium Share this post

"Fucking Idiots." In December of 2024, that is what Barbara Broccoli, the second generation steward of the most bankable MI6 agent there is, called her opposite numbers at Amazon who referred to the titular spy as content and didnt think Bond was a hero."Fucking Idiots" is a quote I get to use without any editorializing on my part thanks to a producer who looked after James Bond for decades, single-handedly fending off Amazon because of at least some degree of perceived fucking idiocy.Just two short months later, Amazon and Broccoli, along with co-producer Michael G. Wilson, reached a deal to cede creative control of Bond, James Bond, to a company owned by one of the richest men on the planet, one of the few alive with the potential to be an actual Bond villain in real life.For now though, Jeff Bezos and his "fucking idiots" at Amazon will just be the villains of the storied franchises next chapter. Their weapon will not be a satellite riddled with lasers or an army of algorithm-infused nanobots or biological weapons developed at a Swiss allergy institute catering exclusively to hot young women from around the world. It wont be anything cool at all. Amazon is set to deploy the cruelest weapon of them all. One thats been crumbling entertainment franchises for years now IP slop.Firstly, I want to make something clear. This is not Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilsons fault. The deal is reportedly worth a billion dollars and if anybody has a problem with somebody making a billion dollars for made up stories about a super spy, they should just stop.While I was very much high-fiving from afar at the thought of Barbara Broccoli holding the 007 franchise hostage in the face of Amazons team of "fucking idiots," I also dont blame her at all. Broccolis name has been on every Bond movie since 1979s Moonraker, for which she was an additional assistant director. She took over the title of producer on 1995s Goldeneye, a title she held until the recent Amazon deal. Thats just as long a stretch as her dad Albert Broccolis, who, along with Harry Saltzman, held the reins from Dr. No through License to Kill.The point is, Bond has always been a family business, and the entire point of any family business is to one day sell it. Its called a harvest strategy and anybody in their 60s whos spent their entire adult life and professional career growing the family business ought to have one. So honestly, good for her. For us Bond fans out here in the real world, who are not suddenly a billion dollars heavier, the outlook is much bleaker. PlayHistory Is Not on Bonds SideIP Slop is designed to make money via the path of least resistance, no matter how it might degrade the source material. Rights holders know theres a large audience out there for their IP who are eager and willing to consume it, regardless of its quality. And thats the key.These slop-mongers are just throwing shit at the wall, and not in a way thats looking for something that sticks. Instead it just seems to be an insistence on putting everything out there. The least insidious version of it sounds something like here are all the names of characters youre familiar with because we, the parent company, finally wrangled 60 years worth of them into one corporate structure. This is what you want, right? The more villainous flavor says, Actually, scratch that. This is what you want. No question mark.The same report that surfaced the "fucking idiots" quotes highlighted some of the ideas being tossed around the fulfillment center. They included spinoff series for Moneypenny or other Double-O agents and even referred to entries in a would-be Bond shared universe as content. But for a company for which this content will not be its primary source of revenue, that content effectively becomes something else. It begins to be in service of the primary source of revenue.Ask Disney how its worked out for them. Marvel has been, with the exception of a few thrilling moments here and there, creatively bankrupt since Avengers: Endgame. It was a fabulous final act thats become synonymous with sticking the landing and plainly impossible to replicate. Endgame was made because of careful groundwork laid in the MCUs early days. Long gone, however, are the days of risky propositions like Robert Downey Jr. and headlines confounded by the casting of unknowns. Those days have been replaced with studio mergers, fan cast cameos and any name they want to lead their next project because they can afford it.You could also ask Kathleen Kennedy about it. On top of being a producer with a resume decades long and full of movies that made a generation fall in love with movies, myself included, shes reportedly nearing the end of her own tenure in the Disney IP mines with a baby Yoda and an imbalance of announced-but-unmade projects as part of her legacy. But Disney had cartoons to remake in live action and theme park tickets to sell and a streaming service to populate, so it would be naive to think theres a sole culprit for Star Wars' recent rise in output and drop in relative quality. Creatively speaking, there are few who will argue were in the midst of the glory days of either Marvel or Star Wars, but damn if Disneyland and their Avengers Campus and Galaxys Edge isnt bursting at the seams with merch. This is the direct result of IP Slop, the late stages of a steady flow of middling, but well-populated movies. Star Trek suffered a similar fate over on Paramount+. I would argue, though, that franchise has "slopped" more thoughtfully than they might have because Lower Decks was clearly not made by "fucking idiots." But with major franchises fueled by corporations wanting to cash in on every square inch of intellectual property they can get their bottom-line loving hands on, maybe George Lucas was a bit of a case study in getting out at the right time for Broccoli and Wilson? Lucas was famously ahead of the curve on securing merchandising rights, so hes undoubtedly savvy enough to have seen the direction the corporate winds were blowing.This is all of course just business. Its nothing new for "fucking idiots" to aim for as big a return on their investments as possible. Marvel was notorious for licensing their IP to anybody willing to pay for decades before hitting it truly big as their own film studio. But few industries combine art and consumerism the way that Hollywood does, and just as few feature such devoted fan bases. Where IP Slop really begins shaping a franchises creative output is when the fans are considered something else customers.PlayTemporary PeopleA spectacular quote Barbara Broccoli reportedly bandied about in her conversations about the "fucking idiots" at Amazon came from her father. Dont have temporary people make permanent decisions.The first thing Jeff Bezos did after the deal was announced was poll his customers on their preference for the next James Bond actor. Where businesses are concerned, more than executives, more than rank and file employees, the most temporary of all people in their equation are their customers. The casting of Bond has always, to be fair, been the subject of much public scrutiny. You can place bets on it, actors often have odds assigned to the likelihood of their casting and countless listicles with headlines like The Most Likely Actor to Be the Next Bond Is Not Who You Think It Is get updated on the regular to keep the algorithm busy. But the truth is, Bonds casting decisions have always lived with permanent people. Theyve also been a pendulum of sorts, rocking back and forth between actors that make the role and actors who take it over. Sean Connery was a nobody; even Ian Fleming wanted somebody else. Two or three somebody elses depending on the story you believe. But Connery came to define the role and, more than that, define an archetype for an action star thats a casting shorthand still used to this day.After a quick stop to find another unknown in George Lazenby (one that actually worked out great where the character was concerned but ended after only one film for behind the scenes reasons) and another outing from a clearly disinterested, but well compensated, Connery, Roger Moore picked up the Walther PPK coming off of a well known and well liked stint on The Saint, stepping from one spy role immediately into another. Moore was followed by Timothy Dalton, who wasnt terribly famous at the time and definitely wasnt when hed originally been the choice to take over instead of Roger Moore, but he passed because he felt that he was too young for the role. The bit of intrigue with The Living Daylights though is that Pierce Brosnan was offered the tux but the popular series Remington Steele wouldnt let him out of his contract to make the film. By the time 1995 and Goldeneye came around, he was everybodys no-brainer choice to join MI6.In 2006 Daniel Craig kept the pendulum swinging, by veering back into the category of casting the unknown. The uproar about him simply being blonde aside, Craig defines the end of the Bond actor spectrum that makes the role their own. Barbara Broccoli explains it best. Shes talked about when she first realized Craig was the choice. It wasnt Matthew Vaughans Layer Cake like many assumed, it was 1998s Elizabeth. She said: I remember thinking, Oh my God, hes the guy, when he was in Elizabeth, walking down the corridor. I know that sounds crazy, but that was the moment I felt it in my gut. When your whole life is James Bond, some part of you is always looking for, who could play the role?When your whole life is James Bond, some part of you is always looking for, Who could play the role? -Barbara BroccoliThat gut instinct is the first thing to go when IP slop takes over. Barbara Broccoli, whos made Bond her life, sees something in an actor and just knows. But with Amazon, a room full of marketing people will weigh in, whole buildings full of people will have to sign off, even if its just rubber stamping the results of the online poll. Its Bond by committee, and theres not a single person on that committee wholl be risking anything. Theyre anonymously part of the process and not accountable for the results. So now, with Bezos (my God, theres a Z right in the middle of his name -- it looks and sounds like hes got a cat in his lap at all times) looking to his most temporary people for guidance, the pendulum is once again going to swing back toward a known quantity and what I fear will be the most boring Bond has been to date.But before we write off Bezos poll as just a cheeky bit of fun, we need to realize that fan input is all part of the IP slop formula. The evidence is in the course-correcting thats happened over the years from Star Wars (The Last Jedi into The Rise of Skywalker), the nods to fan casting from Marvel (John Krasinskis green screen cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and DC (The Snyder Cut being a thing in the first place). Fan backlash and fan expectations are 100% taken into account at all times in a corporate environment. Fans are, after all, customers. On the other hand, theres something that Daniel Craigs successful run proved. Fans dont always know what they want until they see it. The most dangerous thing about IP Slop is the idea that we never wouldve gotten Daniel Craig if we crowd-sourced every Bond. The fact that recent history is pointing toward this exact thing happening is actually something 007 is used to.PlayNo, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Play AlongOddly enough, this Amazon deal is fitting for Bond historically. As a franchise, 007 has always been very reactive. In 1977, The Spy Who Loved Me ended with James Bond will return in For Your Eyes Only, but after Star Wars took over the business, they audibled and made Moonraker next instead. Blacksploitation is a market we can make money in? Great, lets make Live and Let Die, gritty reboots are a thing? Awesome, Casino Royale can do that. He became monogamous in the '80s during the AIDS epidemic, his chauvinism was brought to account during the '90s. Bond has always found his place in the current industry climate. The question has always been, what does Bond have to offer this particular moment? And so now, in the age of IP Slop, Bond is subject to the whims of one of the worlds largest and most influential companies. Its par for his course to go with the prevailing winds of the business. The Bond-verse is coming whether any of us like it or not. Thanks to a bunch of "fucking idiots."

HP has finally opened up preorders for its 2025 Omen Max 16 gaming laptop. It will be equipped with the latest and greatest hardware, including the upcoming Intel Core Ultra 9 HX-series processor and GeForce RTX 5080 mobile GPU. Orders are estimated to start shipping out on March 13. This will likely be HP's new flagship gaming laptop and will coexist alongside the standard Omen and the slim Omen Transcend gaming laptops.Preorder the HP Omen Max 16" RTX 5080 Gaming LaptopOut in March.HP Omen Max 16 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop$2,699.99 at HPThe HP Omen Max 16 launch edition will be an Intel-based system and the base config is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, which is a more performance-minded chip compared to the current Core Ultra 9 185H, which focuses on efficiency. The rest of the specs include a 16" QHD+ 240Hz display, 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD for $2,699.99. This price is about $500 less than the upcoming Razer Blade 16 laptop with similar specs.When does this laptop ship out?HP estimates that the HP Omen Max 16 is expected to ship out sometime in early to mid March, which is only a few weeks away. The RTX 50-series mobile GPUs haven't been released yet, so we don't have benchmarks just yet.Alternative: Preorder the New Razer Blade LaptopsRazer's new 2025 lineup of gaming laptops are now up for preorder. The Razer Blade 16 and Razer Blade 18 can now be ordered directly from Razer.com and will be equipped with the upcoming Intel and Ryzen processors (depending on which display size you get) as well as the anticipated RTX 5000-series mobile GPUs in three variants: RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, and RTX 5090. Preordering will also get you some bonus accessories depending on the model.Razer Blade laptops are well known for their impeccable build quality. The chassis is built from a single piece of aluminum and is designed to be exceptionally thin and light for a gaming laptop. In order to get away with the svelte form factor, Razer employs its own proprietary cooling design which incorporates a vacuum sealed, liquid filled, copper vapor chamber to effectively whisk away the heat. Much like Apple MacBook Pros, a lot of engineering goes into a Razer Blade laptop, which is why they command a premium price compared to other mainstream brands.Preorder the New Razer Blade 18 Gaming Laptop with New RTX 5000 Series GPU$3,199.99 at RazerPreorder the New Razer Blade 16 Gaming Laptop with New RTX 5000 Series GPU$2,799.99 at RazerWhy Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Legendary actor Gene Hackman has passed away at the age of 95. While the circumstances of his death are still being investigated (he, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were found dead in their New Mexico home), those details can only help us understand this loss rather than truly process it. The great Gene Hackman is gone.Of course, its been quite a while since weve seen Gene Hackman grace a screen of any size. Aside from some interviews and public appearances (and an accidental cameo on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives), Hackmans last movie was the 2004 comedy Welcome to Mooseport. According to Hackman, a combination of fatigue and health problems caused him to do what few actors his stature can ever truly do: walk away.It was an unlikely ending to an acting career that began just as strangely. Hackmans breakthrough film role (Buck Barrow in 1967s Bonnie and Clyde) didnt come until he was 36 years old. Before then, Hackman served in the Marines, worked odd jobs, and took on a scattered series of acting gigs.Famously, Hackman and his Pasadena Playhouse classmate Dustin Hoffman were once voted by their classmates as Least Likely to Succeed. In a later interview, Hackman explained that he and Hoffman were labeled character actors, at best. Neither Dustin nor myself looked like the leading men of that era, Hackman said.Though everything that came next may inspire some to label those critics as Hackman haters, there was conventional wisdom in their words. Stars are rarely born in their late 30s from such a coarse cocoon. If you were going to advise your friend Gene Hackman to continue being an actor, you would likely preach reason. Youd tell him to be happy being the surly dad, the heavy, or whatever Police Office #3 roles he could get. Anything more than that surely seemed out of reach.Yet, Hackman embodied a creed that working people like him have preached from their heart during the toughest times, All I need is a chance to prove myself.And so he did. Granted, Hackman was fortunate to break through in an era of movies when subverting traditions was not only en vogue but in-demand. There were few other periods when the guy who looked like he was born in a barn to become your grandpas perfect fishing buddy could have risen to star status.Yet, even that special time for films produced few leading men like Gene Hackman. When you think of Hackman, your mind may go to his iconic work in films like The French Connection, Hoosiers, and Unforgiven. Each of those movies (and many more) saw Hackman play the kind of gruff powerhouse that exudes gravitas. Its those kinds of roles that sometimes define the actor and, admittedly, may have made Hackman a prolifically powerful performer in any era.To truly appreciate what made Hackman a special and different leading man, though, you have to embrace his willingness to be vulnerable in a way that so many other leading men were not. Unlike other actors who were just itching to treat vulnerability as the wound that allowed them to unleash a cornered animal, Hackman was comfortable with letting us linger in a quiet, uncomfortable pain that didnt need to be converted into fuel for rage. Just watch him hang around the margins in The Conversation as he slowly tries to understand the people he listens in on with such apparent detachment. He doesnt need to be larger than life when he makes life so fascinating.Once he established himself as one of the most real performers in a famously fake industry, Hackman utilized his stature in the most wonderfully wild of ways. You could certainly argue Hackman is the most underrated comedic actor ever. His role in The Birdcage saw him play the kind of uptight, conservative presence in a wacky scenario you may expect from an actor like Hackman, but that only scratches the surface of his comedic chops. He could be wacky in Young Frankenstein or sleazy and scheming in Get Shorty without compromising his raw presence. In Superman, he perfectly portrayed Lex Luthor as equally campy and maniacal in ways that will likely never be replicated.Strangely, Hackmans three Best Supporting Actor nominations and one win in that Academy Award category may be the greatest testament to his leading man status. While Hackmans work ethic made him famously intense on movie sets, he was more interested in commanding your attention than demanding it. Even as his star power grew, he was more than willing to take on supporting roles of substance where his abilities could be best utilized for the good of the right project and right crew. Its the kind of commitment to a selfless goal that more egoistic stardom seekers can rarely appreciate even though that quality often separates great leaders from privileged posers.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!For me, there is no better display of everything Gene Hackman was a performer than Wes Andersons The Royal Tenenbaums. Hackman may have battled with Anderson behind the scenes (Anderson said he wrote the part for Hackman against his wishes), but the results are magical. In Royal OReilly Tenenbaum, Hackman found a central character who gave ample space to a true ensemble cast while stealing the show by effortlessly veering between being hilarious, heartbreaking, and uplifting. Weve seen it all from Hackman before, but to see it so perfectly crystallized in one of the actors last major performances reminds you of the gift Hackman possessed that he so generously shared with the world.Just look at those who followed in Hackmans footsteps if you want to appreciate how the ways he changed the idea of a leading man changed movies for the better. All-time great actors like Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Edward Norton, Joaquin Phoenix, Christian Bale, and more have cited Hackman as one of the biggest inspirations on their work. Everyone from Clint Eastwood and Edgar Wright to Nathan Lane and George Takei have taken to social media today to call Hackman the greatest. Hackmans ability to remain true to himself in nearly every way while delivering in such a wide variety of roles spread across decades amazes those who know and love this industry most.Yet, Gene Hackman remains a one of one performer who existed in that miniscule middle space on the Venn Diagram that separates actors from stars. He could be tough, he could be funny, he knew when to take over, he knew when to step aside, and he felt real because he was real. He was the kind of leading man we need on the biggest screens, in our hearts, and in the world.

Forza Horizon 5 is getting one of its biggest updates!This April, the Horizon Festival evolves with Horizon Realms. This brand-new feature will let players dig into Forza Horizon 5s history of Evolving World updates. Explore 12 fantastic Evolving World locations: 11 of the best previously limited-time locations and the premiering Stadium Track.Collect new Horizon Realms-exclusive accolades to unlock four new-to-Horizon reward cars. Revisit your favorite environments, or discover them for the first time, in Horizon Realms available for every platform on April 25! A Selection of the Best Evolving WorldsHorizon Realms gives players the chance to explore a hand-picked collection of some of the communitys favorite previously released Evolving World updates. Get ready to (re-)discover and adventure though these beloved locations while behind the wheel of your favorite cars: Stunt Park Ice Rink Oval Track Summer Party Neon Airstrip Da de Muertos Winter Wonderland Lunar Drift Arena Retrowave Highway Cars and Coffee Stadium MazeAlong with these 11 returning environments, we are bringing the brand-new Stadium Track!You can also race around this Evolving World with the new permanent race route coming to the game, the Horizon Stadium Circuit. You can find details further into this post.New Dedicated Accolade TabA new Accolade Tab exclusive to Horizon Realms will be added to the game featuring 60+ accolades. While most of them are new to this update, you will also be able to unlock previously released accolades tied to the returning Evolving Worlds that are now accessible with Horizon Realms. Each of the Evolving World locations featured in Horizon Realms includes 5 new accolades to unlock!Find them under the Horizon Realms Accolades tab. You can also find an Accolade for the Horizon Stadium Circuit under the Road Racing tab.Complete Horizon Realms Accolades to acquire 12 new badges coming to the game. Plus, for the first time ever, unlocking an accolade will reward the player with #Forzathon Points! Go for a 100% in every Realm and unlock rewards with your newly acquired Points. Obtain 4 New Reward CarsEarning accolades will also score new cars for your garage. Complete unique challenges featured on every Realm to unlock four new-to-Horizon reward cars: Lamborghinis take on a hyper hybrid, the 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto Stomp the off-road scene with the 2023 Lamborghini Huracn Sterrato The mightiest version of the Exige, the 2018 Lotus Exige Cup 430 Ride the king of the Ice Age with the 2022 Hennessey Mammoth 6x6Two Ways to Dive into Horizon RealmsThere will be two different ways to experience Horizon Realms: Skill ModeChoose one of the Horizon Realms to enter and try to bank as much Skill Score as possible. Each Evolving World has its own separate Skill Score leaderboard, and there will also be a total Skill Score Leaderboard tallying up all points banked on each Realm so try to take the top spot in all of them! Earning enough Skill Score will also unlock new player Badges unique to Horizon Realms! Free ModeThis mode puts the leaderboards to the side and focuses on players having a good time in their favorite Realms. Enter on your own or with your friends in a Convoy to explore your favorite Realms, obtain Badges tied to previous content updates, unlock accolades to earn #Forzathon Points, and more! Start Your Engines at the New Horizon Stadium CircuitLine up at the starting line of a brand-new race route: the Horizon Stadium Circuit! Featuring corners, bends, and racing decorations, this new track will become a permanent race route in the game complete with its own event icon on the map and Rivals leaderboard!Score your best time on this new race route in Rivals and Horizon Open and explore the Stadium Track Realm in Horizon Realms' Free Mode and Skill Mode.Explore Nissans Heritage with a New Car PackFour new cars from throughout Nissans automotive history will become available for purchase as Forza Horizon 5 releases for PlayStation 5 with the Nissan Retro Rides Car Pack. This new DLC pack includes the 1989 Nissan Pao, 1991 Nissan Figaro, 1989 Nissan S-Cargo, and the 1987 Nissan Be-1. Add these cars to your collection and customize them how you want! The Nissan Retro Rides Car Pack will be available starting April 25 for $4.99/4.99/3.99. Players who bought the Ultimate Car Pack Collection will receive this Car Pack at no additional cost. Pre-order Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 Today!Forza Horizon 5 is now available for pre-order ahead of its PS5 release on April 29! Visit the PlayStation Store to pre-purchase one of Forza Horizon 5s different editions. Standard Edition comes with the complete base game and its free content and features like Horizon Realms. Get access to an extra 42 cars added with Car Pass by purchasing the Deluxe Edition of Forza Horizon 5. Upgrade your adventure to the fullest with the Premium Edition. This edition comes with both Forza Horizon 5 expansions (Rally Adventure and Hot Wheels), 42 additional cars from Car Pass, VIP Membership, and extra perks that are included in the Welcome Pack.Pre-ordering Premium Edition also grants you Early Access to the game, starting April 25, 2025! No matter which version of the game you choose to pre-order, you will get a special bundle completely free of charge with your purchase including: Forza Horizon 5s cover car: the 2021 Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG ONE5,000 #Forzathon Points which can be used to buy cars and cosmetics 5 Backstage Passes which can be used to unlock any hard-to-find car available in the Backstage ShopIf youre already playing Forza Horizon 5, be sure to share the news with your PS5 friends and invite them to join us at the Horizon Festival as cross-play will be available between all platforms! PlayStation 5 Graphics ModesForza Horizon 5 on PS5 features two rendering modes to choose from: Performance (60fps) and Quality (30fps). On PS5 Pro, the Performance mode receives increased visual fidelity, while Quality mode adds ray traced car reflections to Races and Free Roam. We hope you are looking forward to exploring Forza Horizon 5s vast open world and features with Horizon Realms across all platforms the game is available on. Remember that you can pre-order any version of Forza Horizon 5 starting today on the PlayStation Store to receive a special bundle; pre-purchasing Premium Edition will grant you Early Access on April 25. Well see you at the Horizon Festival soon!

Benjamin and Chance wrap up the iPhone 16e reviews that dropped this week, and bemoan the UK forcing Apple to remove Advanced Data Protection in the region, before turning their attention to the fun news of the week that is the new beta season. iOS 18.4 and visionOS 2.4 include a bunch of features, from new Apple Intelligence updates to an entirely Food section in News+.And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin finally has a new standing desk set up.Subscribe at9to5mac.com/join.Sponsored by Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MACHAPPYHOUR at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/machappyhour. Sponsored by ChargeASAP:Check out the Flash Pro Ultra, featuring a new 275W power bank with an OLED screen that can charge up to 6 devices simultaneously, including your MacBook, phone, smartwatch, and more!Sponsored by Shopify: Grow your business no matter what stage youre in. Sign up for a $1 per month trial atshopify.com/happyhour.Supported by HelloFresh: Get one free item per box for lifewith promo codehellofreshpodcast! more

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by ChargeASAP: Check out the Flash Pro Ultra, featuring a new 275W power bank with an OLED screen that can charge up to 6 devices simultaneously, including your MacBook, phone, smartwatch, and more!New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

The United Arab Emirates' so-called "spy sheikh" controls a whopping $1.5 trillion in wealth and he's funneling a colossal stream of it into AI, making him one of the world's most powerful figures in the space.As the Wall Street Journal reports, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan the son of the UAE's founder and brother to its crown prince, and at one time a top contender for the throne himself has already swiftly begun achieving his dream of becoming a global AI power player thanks to MGX, his mysterious AI investment vehicle.Launched in 2024, this "investment fund of the future" boasts $100 billion in investments from Tahnoon, who along with possessing a purportedly vast personal fortune is the head of two Emirati wealth funds that put him in control of more than quadruple Elon Musk's net worth,which stands at roughly $356 billion.While we don't know much about the exactitudes of MGX's projects, the Abu Dhabi-based fund briefly went viral in January after being announced as one of the investors backing Stargate, President Donald Trump's new $500 billion AI initiative. Shortly thereafter, people began buying up stock in a company that uses "MGX" as its ticker which turned out to belong to Metagenomi, a California-based biotech startup, and not the Emirati AI fund.Beyond that, most of the sheikh's public profile involves either "Hydra," the chess computer he poured money into in the early-to-mid-2000s or his family's corruption scandals, which include allegations of widespread human rights abuses and illegal financial practices so egregious, it earned the confederation of Arab states a recurring spot on the United Nations' "black list."If none of that was sketchy enough, Tahnoon is also an advisor to the Emirates' national security apparatus,where he's been implicated in spycraft, including the distribution of a messaging app that US officials alleged was used to eavesdrop on users.Despite those concerns, Musk and the Trump administration seem more than happy to jump into bed with Tahnoon and the feeling seems to be very mutual.Ahead of the presidential election last year, the sheikh flew to the United States to meet with the South African-born billionaire at his Giga Texas factory and was seen posing outdoors a major thing for Tahnoon, who suffers from an eye condition that requires he wear sunglasses even indoors in jeans and a t-shirt instead of his traditional Emirati prince's garb. Though the specifics of that discussion weren't publicized, it seems highly unlikely that the moneyed pair talked about the UAE's well-documented record of torturing migrant workers.While Tahnoon is most certainly not the only purported human rights criminal to be investing big in AI, he's perhaps one of the most prominent ones ever to do so though in the eyes of these American benefactors, that may be a good thing.More on weird AI investors: Theres Something Very Weird About This $30 Billion AI Startup by a Man Who Said Neural Networks May Already Be ConsciousShare This Article

Image by Getty / FuturismDevelopmentsThe United States just had its first measles death in a decade, the Associated Press reports, a grim inflection point as the extremely contagious yet easily preventable respiratory disease continues to spread nationwide.According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the "school-aged child" was "not vaccinated" before being hospitalized after testing positive for measles.As of this week, there have been 124 confirmed cases since late January in Texas, most of which are affecting children. 18 people have been hospitalized in the state so far, according to the agency.The outbreak has since spread, with nine cases being confirmed in Lea County, New Mexico, which borders Texas.Further cases have been observed in Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New York City and Rhode Island, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) literally coast to coast, and that's just the ones we know about."This death underscores the real danger of measles it's a severe disease that can take lives despite being preventable with vaccination," epidemiologist John Brownstein told ABC News.According to the World Health Organization, measles vaccinations have averted more than 60 million deaths between 2000 and 2023. Despite the availability of a "safe and cost-effective vaccine," there have been over 100,000 measles deaths around the world, mostly "among unvaccinated or under vaccinated children under the age of five years."The disease was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 thanks to a nationwide vaccination program.Of course, that was then. Nowadays, newly-confirmed Health and Human Services secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., an outspoken vaccine critic, is attempting to downplay the severity of the situation, arguing that "it's not unusual" during this week's Cabinet meeting, as quoted by ABC News."We have measles outbreaks every year,"he said.The CDC recommends that children should get two doses of a widely-available measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.But low vaccination rates continue to be a problem in the US, particularly in religious communities that oppose inoculation.According to state health department spokesperson Lara Anton, the West Texas measles cases were concentrated in a "close-knit, undervaccinated" Mennonite community, the Associated Press reports.Meanwhile, Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency has also gutted the US Agency for International Development, putting potentially lifesaving scientific research into HIV/AIDS vaccines on ice.Share This Article

We are building a Talent Pool for future opportunities at WALTER, and we are currently looking for exceptional and experienced Executive Assistants based Latin America to join our growing team of professionals. While this is not a current job opening, we are gathering talented individuals for future roles. By applying, you'll be considered for upcoming projects as they arise.If you're a multitasking wizard, able to navigate tasks with the finesse of a digital nomad, all while needing minimal oversight, we're looking for you!Responsibilities could include:Provide administrative support to various departments.Handle incoming customer calls.Manage calendars, schedule meetings, and handle email correspondence.Assist with document preparation and data entry.Perform research and provide insights as needed.Communicate effectively with international teams.And much more depending on the client!RequirementsExperience: Previous experience in customer support, administrative assistance, executive assistance, relationship management is required.Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills are a must. Your ability to engage customers and colleagues will set you apart!Tech-Savvy: Familiarity with customer support tools (like Zendesk or Freshdesk) and productivity software (like Google Workspace or MS Office) will be advantageous.Problem-Solving: You should approach challenges with a solution-oriented mindset, ready to think outside the box!Detail-Oriented: Paying close attention to details will ensure accuracy in your work and customer interactions.Reliability: We value dependability. You should be committed to meeting deadlines and keeping everyone informed.Experience working in a start up environment is a huge plusSchedule flexibility and availability during U.S. business hoursBenefitsWhy Join Our Talent Pool?Opportunity for future work as positions become available.Flexible, remote work environment.Join an inclusive, collaborative team and get the opportunity to be part of some of the best companies in the industry.To Apply:Please submit your resume and cover letter outlining why you're a great fit for the Virtual Assistant role. We will review your application, and if your qualifications align with our needs, well reach out to schedule an interview and keep your information on file for future opportunities.