ZA/UM Studio, the company behind Disco Elysium, just announced a new game called Project [C4]. Its being described as a genre-defining RPG and theres a teaser trailer thats light on gameplay but heavy on disturbing imagery.Based on the trailer, we still dont know if the game will pull mechanics or visuals from the highly-regarded Disco Elysium. A press release did note that folks would play as a spy of some kind and suggested that the game could actually, in part, take place in the human brain. Everything else is still shrouded in secrecy.Whats not shrouded in secrecy? ZA/UM has had, to put it lightly, a tumultuous several years since Disco Elysium was released in 2019. It has been plagued by layoffs, firings and departures of the core team that made Disco Elysium, including creator Robert Kurvitz, art director Aleksander Rostov and writer Helen Hindpere.Back in 2022, the companys new executive suite fired all three, accusing them of misconduct and attempted intellectual property theft. Its worth noting that Kurvitz wrote the novel that Disco Elysium is based on, so we arent sure how someone could steal from their own book. Lawsuits were filed and Kurvitz and Rostov set up their own company.The pair also refuted the allegations of IP theft, writing in an open letter that they were fired as they attempted to investigate suspicious activity surrounding the takeover of ZA/UM by Estonian businessmen Ilmar Kompus and Tnis Haavel. These two were previously convicted of investment fraud. The pair has also been accused of creating a hostile work environment, particularly for women."I know at least five women who've left or been made to leave the studio since Discos launch, naming Tnis Haavel as a major factor. There are zero women in creative leadership and very few women in leadership positions in general, a former writer for Disco Elsyium told PC Gamer amidst recent company-wide layoffs.A handful of other previous ZA/UM employees recently formed a dev company called Longdue to create a new game that acts as a spiritual successor to Disco Elysium. Kurvitz and Rostovs company, Red Info, is said to be making a new game with the financial backing of NetEase, but no concrete details have been released.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-studio-that-technically-made-disco-elysium-has-a-new-game-in-the-works-185218695.html?src=rss

Facebook engineers say that it's time for QLC flash to solve the problem of slower hard disk drives in data centers.

Mufasa: The Lion King arrives on Disney+ this month.

Reddit shares rose more than 10% following an analyst note on Tuesday that said the company's shares remain "extremely attractive."

The Girl Scouts have been sued by consumers over the alleged presence of heavy metals and pesticides in its popular Thin Mints and other cookies.A proposed class action lawsuit was filed on Monday night in federal court in the New York City borough of Brooklyn against the 113-year-old nonprofit and the cookies licensed producers, ABC Bakers and Ferrero USAs Little Brownie Bakers.It cited a December 2024 study commissioned by GMO Science and Moms Across America that tested samples of 25 cookies from three U.S. states.The study said Girl Scout cookies contained at least four of five heavy metals aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury that can harm peoples health or the environment, often at levels exceeding regulators recommended limits.It also said all samples contained glyphosate, a pesticide used in some weed killers, with Thin Mints containing the highest levels.While the entire sales practice system for Girl Scout Cookies is built on a foundation of ethics and teaching young girls sustainable business practices, defendants failed to uphold this standard themselves, the lawsuit said.The defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Girl Scouts, short for Girl Scouts of the United States of America, addressed the study in a February 6 blog post.It said heavy metals occur naturally in soil, with trace amounts not a safety issue, while glyphosate is found nearly everywhere in the food chain. Girl Scouts also said its bakers are committed to complying with all food safety standards.The health and safety of Girl Scouts and cookie customers is our top priority, the New York-based nonprofit said. Rest assured: Girl Scout Cookies are safe to consume.Cookies are sold by registered Girl Scouts from January to April, with net proceeds supporting councils and local troops. About 200 million boxes are sold annually, NPR reported in 2023.The lawsuit is led by Amy Mayo, a resident of Bayside, New York.Mayo said she bought numerous Girl Scout products such as Adventurefuls, Peanut Butter Patties and Caramel deLites, believing they were quality and safe cookies.She said she would not have bought the cookies or would have paid substantially less had Girl Scouts disclosed the presence of dangerous toxins.The lawsuit seeks at least $5 million in damages for U.S. cookie purchasers, for alleged violations of New York consumer protection laws, and an injunction requiring accurate labeling.Blake Yagman, a lawyer for Mayo, in an interview said the government does not adequately regulate many privately sold products such as Girl Scout cookies.Lead is our foremost concern, but the presence of the other four heavy metals and pesticides is deeply concerning, especially because these products are marketed to and sold by children, he said.Several chocolate makers including Hershey faced lawsuits after Consumer Reports in December 2022 found elevated levels of cadmium, lead or both in their products.The case is Mayo v Girl Scouts of the United States of America et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 25-01367.Jonathan Stempel, Reuters

PresidentDonald Trumpsaid Tuesday that he will double hisplanned tariffson steel and aluminum from 25% to 50% for Canada, escalating a trade war with the United States northern neighbor and standing unmoved by recent stock market turmoil and rising recession risks.Trump said on social media that the increase ofthe tariffsset to take effect on Wednesday is a response to the price increases that the provincial government ofOntario put on electricitysold to the United States.I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social.After abrutal stock market selloffon Monday and further jittersTuesday, Trump faces increased pressure to show he has a legitimate plan to grow the economy instead of perhaps pushing it into a recession. But so far the president is doubling down on the tariffs he talked up repeatedly during the 2024 campaign and throwing a once stable economy into utter turmoil as investors expected him to lead with deregulation and tax cuts instead of colossal tax hikes.The U.S. president has given a variety of explanations for his antagonism of Canada, saying that his separate 25% tariffs are about fentanyl smuggling and voicing objections to Canada putting high taxes on dairy imports that penalize U.S. farmers. But he continued to call for Canadato become part of the United Statesas a solution, a form of taunting that has infuriated Canadian leaders.The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State, Trump posted on Tuesday. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear.IncomingCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carneysaid Tuesday that his government will keep tariffs in place until Americans show respect and commit to free trade after Trump threatened historic financial devastation for Canada.Carney, who will be sworn in as Justin Trudeaus replacement in the coming days, said Trumps latest tariffs are an attack on Canadian workers, families, and businesses.My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade, Carney said in a statement.Canadian officials are planning retaliatory tariffs in response to Trumps specific steel and aluminum tariffs and they are expected to be announced Wednesday.Carney is referring to Canadas initial $30 billion Canadian (US$21 billion) worth of retaliatory tariffs have been applied on items like American orange juice, peanut butter, coffee, appliances, footwear, cosmetics, motorcycles and certain pulp and paper products.Ontario Premier Doug Ford, after responding to Trump by raising electricity prices, said Tuesday on MSNBC that the U.S. people and its business leaders needed to speak up against the chaos caused by Trumps launching of a trade war.If we go into a recession its self made by one person. Its called President Trumps recession, Ford said. It shouldnt be this way. We should be booming, both countries.The U.S. president condemned the use of electricity as a bargaining chip and threat, saying in a separate social media post on Tuesday that Canada will pay a financial price for this so big that it will be read about in History Books for many years to come!Ontario provides electricity to Minnesota, New York and Michigan and Trump pledged to declare a national emergency in those states.Trump also has targeted Mexico with 25% tariffs because of his dissatisfaction over drug trafficking and illegal immigration, though he suspended the taxes on imports that are compliant with the 2020 USMCA trade pact for one month.Asked if Mexico feared it could face the same 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum as Canada, President Claudia Sheinbaum, said No, we are respectful.Trump was set to deliver a Tuesday afternoon address to the Business Roundtable, a trade association of CEOs that during the 2024 campaign he wooed with the promise of lower corporate tax rates for domestic manufacturers. But his tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, steel, aluminum with plans for more to possibly come on Europe, Brazil, South Korea, pharmaceutical drugs, copper, lumber and computer chips would amount to a massive tax hike.The stock markets vote of no confidence over the past two weeks puts the president in a bind between his enthusiasm for taxing imports and his brand as a politician who understands business based on his own experiences in real estate, media and marketing.Harvard University economist Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary for the Clinton administration, on Monday put the odds of a recession at 50-50.All the emphasis on tariffs and all the ambiguity and uncertainty has both chilled demand and caused prices to go up, Summers posted on X. We are getting the worst of both worlds concerns about inflation and an economic downturn and more uncertainty about the future and that slows everything.The investment bank Goldman Sachs revised down its growth forecast for this year to 1.7% from 2.2% previously. It modestly increased its recession probability to 20% because the White House has the option to pull back policy changes if downside risks begin to look more serious.Trump has tried to assure the public that his tariffs would cause a bit of a transition to the economy, with the taxes prodding more companies to begin the years-long process of relocating factories to the United States to avoid the tariffs. But he set off alarms in an interview broadcast on Sunday in which he didnt rule out a possible recession.I hate to predict things like that, Trump said on Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures. There is a period of transition, because what were doing is very big. Were bringing wealth back to America. Thats a big thing. And there are always periods of it takes a little time. It takes a little time. But I dont I think it should be great for us. I mean, I think it should be great.The promise of great things ahead did not eliminate anxiety, with the S&P 500 stock index tumbling 2.7% on Monday in an unmistakable Trump slump that has erased the market gains that greeted his victory in November 2024. The S&P 500 index fell roughly 1% in Tuesday afternoon trading.Trump has long relied on the stock market as an economic and political gauge to follow, only to seemingly ignore it as he remains determined so far to impose tariffs. When he won the election last year, he proclaimed that he wanted his term to be considered to have started Nov. 6, 2024 on Election Day, rather than his January 20, 2025 inauguration, so that he could be credited for post-election stock market gains.Trump also repeatedly warned of an economic freefall if he lost the election.If I dont win, you will have a 1929-style depression. Enjoy it, Trump said at an August rally in Pennsylvania.Josh Boak, Rob Gillies and Michelle Price, Associated PressFabiola Sanchez contributed to this report.

I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, Joanna Maciejewska once said and while the Poetry Camera defies that very statement, its a perfect representation of how technology can help foster collaborative art between humans and AI. The Poetry Camera isnt your average handheld instant shooter. Sure, it has a lens, and a shutter button, and it prints out stuff but unlike Polaroid that prints pictures out on film, the Poetry Camera captures a scene, identifies its elements, and then uses AI to make a beautiful poem based on what the camera clicked.The brain-child of Kelin and Ryan, the Poetry Camera is a toy that turns photography into something much more fun and experimental. Instead of composing powerful visuals by framing your shot perfectly the way a photographer does, youre invited to click photos of subjects that make for great poetry. Click a funny photo of a friend, a photo of a squirrel with an acorn, or maybe a baby with a cute cap. The AI reads the photo, identifies the elements, and writes a short poem on it, using AI in a way that feels more fun and art-driven and less existential or scary.Designers: Kelin Caroline Zhang & Ryan MatherEssentially, the Poetry Camera runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 chip, with a Camera Module 3 connected to an Adafruit Mini Thermal Printer. Connection to OpenAIs API allows the camera to feed AI images, and have it generate poetry as a result. The setup is fairly simple (you can find the entire DIY kit on GitHub if you want to build your own), and it all fits inside this adorable 3D-printed enclosure with just two controls a shutter button for clicking the photo, and a knob that lets you adjust the number of verses you want the camera to print. In a way, think of it as an exposure dial that gives the AI more leeway to see smaller details and conjure up longer poems with more depth as a result.The Poetry Camera is a pet project for now, as Kelin and Ryan arent preparing for mass production. Limited drops of the camera will be available to people who sign up for the newsletter on the website, although the price is unknown at the moment.This is far from the first time weve seen AI make its way into indie camera projects. Back in 2018 (long before GPTs), Dan Macnish created a camera that doodles what it sees, while in 2023, we got the Paragraphica a lens-less camera that used location and time data to create prompts that generated AI images. The Poetry Camera is, in ways, similar to the Paragraphica in the sense that it uses an AI to generate something new from an input. While Paragraphica did make images, like cameras are supposed to, the Poetry Camera turns scenes into sonnets, and if this is what the AI uprising will look like, count me in!The post This AI Camera Doesnt Take PhotosIt Prints Poetry Instead first appeared on Yanko Design.

Thanks to very picturesque descriptions of desert landscapes, most of us probably grew up with very negative images of these sun-kissed lands. But just like any other aspect of Mother Nature, you can always find beauty even in these unforgiving conditions. From the gently rolling dunes to the unique flora and fauna that not only survive but also thrive there, the desert is surprisingly full of life and surprises.The desert can also serve as a source of inspiration, from literature to art to, well, design. This striking coffee table, for example, clearly takes its visual cues from the land of sands but also sends a clear message through its simple use of materials and forms. Just like how the desert combines opposite themes of life and death, this table also harmonizes contrasting elements that are, in reality, connected through a common origin: sand.Designer: Karim+EliasIts almost hard to imagine how a very solid, smooth, and transparent glass actually comes from rough, grainy sand, but just like diamonds and pearls, the process can almost be compared to a trial by fire, almost literally, too. The two are almost thematically opposed to one another. One is a product of nature, the other, an achievement of man. One blinds and obscures while the other clarifies and magnifies.The Desert Drop table combines these two sand-themed objects in a composition that feels almost natural yet, at the same time, unstable. After all, whatever could be more precarious than a fragile sheet of glass laid over smooth, curved rocks that look like sand dunes that could collapse at any moment? Of course, its all just an illusion, just like much of this head-turning table.Three dune-like structures hold the irregular layer of glass aloft. The tabletop, however, is not your typical flat surface and has bumps where the glass meets the top of those stones. Its almost as if the glass melted as it descended on the sand before suddenly solidifying. From certain angles, it looks almost like a pool of water settling around desert oases, yet another one of the contrasts that give the desert life.This isnt the first table that marries contrasting glass and rock, but compared to that, there is a sense of serenity and elegance to the merger of these sand-born objects. It causes one to pause in awe and wonder, thinking of how such a fragile material could rest so firmly on top of unpredictable sand. Although this combination was born of man-made efforts, it exudes a beauty that makes it feel organic and natural, challenging our stereotypes of the harsh and deadly environments of the desert.The post Desertscape coffee table blends harshness and gentleness in beautiful harmony first appeared on Yanko Design.

Measles is known for its characteristic rash, but it can have serious respiratory and neurologic complications.

The internet giant owns 14% of the high-profile artificial intelligence company, according to legal filings obtained by The New York Times.