Google's competing earbuds already have it, but now Apple could be entering the world of instant language translation.

Nvidia releasing playable Half-Life 2 RTX demo with "cutting-edge ray tracing"As its RTX Remix tools leave beta.Image credit: Orbifold Studios News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on March 14, 2025 Half-Life 2 is getting a "cutting-edge ray tracing" overhaul courtesy of Nvidia's RTX Remix modding tools, and there's a playable demo coming on 18th March ahead of a full release.As Nvidia explains it, RTX Remix is a way to "modernise classic games, enhancing their visuals while preserving the core gameplay that makes them special." And Digital Foundry's Alex Battaglia was impressed by the tech's potential when he took a look at Portal RTX back in 2022.Now though, after a year in beta, Nvidia's RTX Remix tools have been officially launched into the wild, gaining the likes of DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation and RTX Neural Rendering along the way. More pertinent to this story, however, is the news Nvidia's marking the occasion by releasing a Half-Life 2 RTX demo, showcasing the technology's capabilities, on March 18th.Here's a look at Half-Life 2 RTX in action.Watch on YouTubeHalf-Life 2 RTX is being released in conjunction with Orbifold Studios, and its impending Steam demo - which is only available to owners of Valve's full Half-Life 2 - will specifically feature Ravenholm and Nova Prospekt, both given an RTX Remix makeover. A full version of Half-Life 2 RTX by Orbifold is planned to release "at a later date". And if you don't already have Half-Life 2 in your Steam library, you might like to know there's currently 80 percent off."RTX Remix requires a GeForce RTX GPU to create RTX Remix Mods," Nvidia notes, "while mods and games built using Remix are compatible with any hardware that can run Vulkan ray-traced games." Full details of today's release can be found in Nvidia's announcement. All of which should stand you in good stead for Half-Life 3, which might just happen after all.

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Trade 'em allPokemon TCG Pocket trading overhaul announced, removing trading tokens entirely in favour of shinedustYou weren't unlocking flairs anyway, right?Image credit: The Pokemon Company. News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on March 14, 2025 The development team has made a sudden and impactful announcement regarding trading in Pokemon TCG Pocket, which will go into effect by the end of Autumn 2025. This includes the complete removal of trading tokens, shine dust taking its place as the trading currency, the ability to select cards you want to trade for, and more.This announcement, published via a lengthy image on official platforms including the Pokemon TCG Pocket Twitter, kicks off by thanking players for their feedback on the trading system. It then continues to the changes themselves, noting that the team hopes these will make the feature more "accessible and enjoyable".To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The complete list of changes to trading are:Trade tokens will be completely removed and players will no longer need to exchange cards to obtain the currency required for trading.Instead, trading cards of three-diamond, four-diamond, and one-star rarity will now require shinedust.When you open a booster pack, shinedust will be automatically earned if you obtain a card that is already registered in your Card Dex. Currently, shinedust is also required to obtain flair, so we are looking into increasing the amount offered since it will also be needed for trading. Altogether, this change should allow you to trade more cards than you could before this update.Trade tokens you currently own can be converted to shinedust when the item is removed from the game.There are no changes in how one-diamond and two-diamond rarity cards are traded.In addition, there's the in-development feature mentioned above, explained by the team as such:A feature will be added that allows you to share cards youre interested in trading for via the in-game trading function.The trading feature was added to the game earlier this year, and was immediately recieved with a mix of disappointment and eagerness from the community. The problems stemmed from two major issues: the trading currency limiting how much trading a player can do, as well as the rarity limit on cards tradable. Now, these changes address the first issue (everyone has loads of shine dust), whereas that second complaint will remain. Though, it's worth noting, that the team has expressed that these limits to what is tradable may change as more packs are added. An understandable approach if one's goal is to nip any rare trading ecosystems from growing.That ability to list cards you want to trade for is a nice touch too. Personally speaking, I've wanted a second victreebel for some time, but obviously haven't wanted to blow packs on old sets due to all the shiny new cards that came with Triumphant Light. This, one hopes, will help those looking for one-or-two specific cards without having to venture to various trading Discords or other community hubs.What do you think of this change? Let us know below!

Image: NintendoUpdate [Fri 14th Mar 2025, 1:35am]: Nintendo has now officially released this update for Splatoon 3, bumping the game up to Version 9.3.0. You can see the full English patch notes in the original story below.Original Story: Nintendo has announced it will be rolling out Splatoon 3's first update of the year this week - bumping the game up to Version 9.3.0.This update will include adjustments to weapons, Splatfest changes, and all sorts of bug fixes. You can see the official patch notes courtesy of Nintendo's support page below.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube798kWatch on YouTube Nintendo has also mentioned how the "next update" will focus on changes to the balance of battles based on the "long-term analysis of battle data".Here's the full rundown of Version 9.3.0:Splatoon 3 - Version 9.3.0 (March 13, 2025)Changes to MultiplayerSpecifications for some main weapons have changed.WeaponChange DetailsSploosh-o-maticNeo Sploosh-o-maticIncreased the speed of shots by approximately 3% and extended the flight distance.Splattershot Jr.Custom Splattershot Jr.Increased the speed of shots by approximately 3% and extended the flight distance.Aerospray MGAerospray RGIncreased the speed of shots by approximately 3% and extended the flight distance.N-ZAP '85N-ZAP '89Movement speed while firing is now about 5% faster.Reduced the scatter of shots while on the ground by approximately 5%.Splattershot NovaAnnaki Splattershot NovaReduced the scatter of shots while jumping by approximately 33%.Big Swig RollerBig Swig Roller ExpressSlightly expanded vertical swings collision detection with players to make it easier to hit opponents.PainbrushPainbrush NouveauShortened the interval between continuous swings by approximately 1/30th of a second.Mini SplatlingZink Mini SplatlingReduced the time required to charge fully by approximately 1/20th of a second.With this change, the time until the first level of charge ends is also reduced by approximately 1/30th of a second.Heavy SplatlingHeavy Splatling DecoOrder Splatling ReplicaIncreased firing duration by approximately 11%.Reduced the time required to charge fully by approximately 1/20th of a second.With this change, the time until the first level of charge ends is also reduced by approximately 1/30th of a second.Dapple DualiesDapple Dualies NouveauIncreased the speed of shots by approximately 3% and extended the flight distance.Splat DualiesEnperry Splat DualiesOrder Dualie ReplicasSlightly expanded the collision detection with players of shots fired from a normal posture to make it easier to hit opponents.There is no change to the fact that collision detection is greater for shots fired after a Dodge Roll.Recycled Brella 24 Mk IRecycled Brella 24 Mk IISlightly expanded the width of spray droplets created by shots.Reduced the amount of ink consumed when firing a shot by approximately 14%.Snipewriter 5HSnipewriter 5BSlightly decreased the width of spray droplets created by shots.Mint DecavitatorCharcoal DecavitatorLengthened the time required for movement to begin when lunging forward with a charge swipe by approximately 1/30th of a second.Reduced the width of spray droplets created by the ink wave of horizontal slashes by approximately 12%.Specifications for some special weapons have changed.Special WeaponChange DetailsUltra StampIncreased the damage dealt by the explosion at the point of impact when the stamp is thrown in the following ways.Increased the damage dealt to opponents near the center of the explosion from 60.0 to 220.0.Increased the damage dealt to opponents further from the center of the explosion from 30.0 to 60.0.Triple SplashdownIncreased the radius inked by the explosion by approximately 11%.TrizookaFor the explosion at the point of impact, reduced the damage dealt to opponents further from the center of the explosion to 35.0.The damage dealt to opponents near the center of the explosion remains 53.0.Shortened the duration by approximately 1/2 a second when not equipping the Special Power Up gear ability.The effect gained from equipping the maximum number of Special Power Up gear abilities will not change.Points required for some special weapons have been changed.WeaponBeforeAfterOctobrushOrderbrush Replica200190Enperry Splat Dualies200190Douser Dualies FF200190Recycled Brella 24 Mk II200190S-BLAST '91190200Snipewriter 5H210220In Bluefin Depot, moved the lamp that was on the bridge in the center of the stage to the top of the elevator.Changes to SplatfestsTerrain for Tricolor Turf War has changed in some stages.StageChange DetailsEeltail AlleyChanged some terrain near the attacking teams spawn points to terrain that cannot be inked.It is now easier to progress forward because, along with slightly expanding the selectable area in Squid Spawn when the defending team starts, shielding objects have been added near the spawn point.Hammerhead BridgeAdded shielding objects to make it easier for the attackers to progress forward.Expanded the area inked by the Sprinkler of Doom.MakoMartExpanded the area inked by the first Sprinkler of Doom.Crableg CapitalChanged some terrain near the attacking teams spawn points to terrain that cannot be inked.Bluefin DepotExpanded the terrain near the attacking teams spawn point.Changed some terrain near the defending teams spawn point to terrain that cannot be inked.Made it easier to invade the center by expanding the grate platform near the height difference connecting the area near the attacking teams spawn points to the center, and also adding an inkrail.Changed the positions of some obstacles to make it easier to go for the Ultra Signal.This update focuses on making changes to multiplayer balance.Upon analyzing the battle data since releasing the last update and considering weapons relationships to the weapons for which we improved performance last time, we have slightly extended the flight distance of shots for some weapons with shorter shot flight distances than those we improved last time, and made changes to strengthen the traits of or compensate for the weaknesses of some weapons with shot flight distances similar to those we previously improved.Regarding the Snipewriter 5H, Snipewriter 5B, Mint Decavitator, and Charcoal Decavitator, we made changes to slightly reduce the ability to maintain ink from a distance to give opponents wielding weapons with shorter shot flight distances more time to counter.For the Trizooka, we have maintained its trait as a special weapon capable of turning the tables if used well, while simultaneously making it easier to counter by shortening the time that players on the opposing team must be wary of the Trizooka and reducing cases where such players are defeated due to accumulated damage despite taking evasive actions.Additionally, for Tricolor Turf War, we have adjusted the arrangement of certain stages that have significant statistical leaning in the win ratio for the attacking teams or defending team.The next update will focus on changes to the balance of battles based on long-term analysis of battle data.Bug FixesFixes to Player ControlsMade it so that, when a player uses Super Jump immediately after Squid Spawn, the phenomenon where sometimes an opponents attack was blocked immediately after landing will no longer occur.With this fix, when players do a Super Jump, the armor state from Squid Spawn will always end before landing.Fixed an issue where the controller rumbled when shots from the Luna Blaster, Luna Blaster Neo, and Order Blaster Replica hit terrain.Fixed an issue where, when shots from a Bloblobber or Bloblobber Deco touched a barricade and bounced off, the shots would not display properly on other players screens.Fixed an issue where, when a player with a splatling capable of storing a charge shot performed certain actions to use their sub weapon while storing a charged shot, the charged shot would not end.Fixed an issue where sometimes, when repeatedly performing dualie Dodge Rolls or splatana lunges while standing on the edge of an elevation difference, the players position would become greatly misaligned on other players screens and stay that way.Fixed an issue where sometimes, when the player touched the Rainmaker shield while charging using Reefslider, the Reefsliders position would display as misaligned to other players.With this fix, players will not be knocked back when charging using Reefslider, even if they touch the Rainmaker shield.Fixed an issue where sometimes, when a player made continuous stamp attacks with the Ultra Stamp, the interval between attacks would appear irregular to other players.Fixed an issue where sometimes, when a player in a bad wireless environment did a Super Jump immediately after using Triple Splashdown, their position would not display properly to other players.Fixes to MultiplayerFixed an issue in Undertow Spillway on Rainmaker mode where sometimes, when a player acquired the Rainmaker at the bottom of an elevation difference while dropping from the top of that elevation difference, the count would progress unintentionally.Fixed an issue in Mahi-Mahi Resort where sometimes, when the counterattack shot of the Ink Vac landed at the boundary between certain walls and the ground, it would disappear without exploding.Fixed an issue in Bluefin Depot where, from certain walls, it was possible to get into the opponents base using unintended methods.Fixed an issue in Lemuria Hub in Rainmaker mode where sometimes, when a player acquired the Rainmaker at the bottom of an elevation difference while dropping from the top of that elevation difference, the count would progress unintentionally.This follows the release of 9.2.0 last November, which included changes to amiibo, changes to multiplayer, Splatfests, and a lot of bug fixes. Changes, bug fixes and much moreWhat do you think of this latest update for Splatoon 3? Let us know in the comments.[source en-americas-support.nintendo.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:23 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesPokmon Scarlet & Violet: Mystery Gift Codes ListAll the current Pokmon Scarlet and Violet Mystery Gift codesTony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Has Been Butchered For The Switch RemakePop shuvit up your...Capcom Provides Update On Game Changes In 'Fighting Collection 2'Here's what you can expectBest Nintendo Switch RPGsThe finest trad-style Switch RPGs available to humanity

Image: NintendoSwitch 2 is on the horizon and analysts are predicting it to be the "biggest-ever console launch" in the industry's history as well as the "pricest" Nintendo machine to date.Bloomberg has spoken to multiple analysts who "regularly communicate the company" and its "software and hardware partners" and it's believed it could come with a price tag of "$400 or more". The US tariffs might also "complicate the picture and pressure Nintendo's margins".The Toyko-based industry-watcher Serkan Toto expects the system to "sell boatloads" in its opening months regardless of the price - noting how an exciting lineup of games can be expected across the current and next-generation Nintendo systems this year:We can expect a great software lineup in year one, from new Mario Kart and 3D Mario after eight years to Pokmon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4. There will also be third-party support from day one, most probably including blockbusters like Call of Duty.Macquarie Capital analyst Hiroshi Yamashina has also chimed in - suggesting the Switch will be priced between $399 and $449, and Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda estimates it could go as high as $499. Nintendo is believed to have a "first-day inventory" of around "6 million to 8 million" units, which could establish the new hardware as the "biggest console launch ever".Nintendo is expected to share more details about the price and release date of the Switch 2 during its April broadcast. The latest predictions follow a similar story in February, suggesting the Switch 2 would be about $400. A complete guide to Switch 2 - confirmed details, rumours, leak historyAbove the Switch, but below its competitorsFollowing multiple rumoursWhat are your thoughts about this price point? Do you think Switch 2 could end up being the biggest console launch to date? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.[source bloomberg.com]See AlsoShare:100 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNew 18+ LEGO Mario Kart Set Is A Better Build Than We ExpectedPole position on our wishlistsNintendo & Pokmon Company Had An "Adversarial Relationship", Say Former NOA Staffers"There was a little bit of salt"Samsung Shows Off Its Switch-Inspired Foldable HandheldIt's pretty ugly, thoughSwitch Emulator 'NxEmu' Is Back And Hopes To Avoid Nintendo's WrathHeh, good luckRumour: Xbox Expected To Join Switch 2 With A New Handheld This YearMicrosoft could be testing the waters...

Google announced on Thursday that Android phones will soon support Auracast, a new Bluetooth technology that uses a phone to enable a direct connection from hearing aids to audio broadcasts in noisy environments.With Auracast, compatible hearing aids and earbuds can receive direct audio streams, such as a PA system at a train station or an audio broadcast at a concert. Google notes that hearing aid presets can be applied to these broadcasts, which means users can personalize streams to their hearing.At launch, the feature is coming to Samsung Galaxy phones with One UI 7 and Google Pixel 9 phones running the latest Android 16 beta. The feature works with compatible LE Audio hearing aids, including ones from companies like GN Hearing and Starkey.Google also announced that Pixel 9 devices can now connect to broadcasts through QR codes, which removes the need for people to go into their settings when trying to access a public broadcast.The latest Android 16 beta also brings a new accessibility feature that will allow users with low vision to outline text in order to make it easier to read. It also includes a Local Network Protection (LNP) feature that Google says will give users more control over which apps can access devices on their local network.Android 16 is expected to launch sometime in June.

Y Combinator, one of the worlds most prolific startup accelerators, sent a letter on Wednesday urging the Trump administration to openly support Europes Digital Markets Act (DMA), a wide-ranging piece of legislation that aims to crack open Big Techs market power.The DMA designates six tech companies as gatekeepers to the internet Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta, and Microsoft and limits these technology kingpins from engaging in anticompetitive tactics on their platforms, in favor of interoperability. The law became applicable in May 2023, and its already had a major impact on American tech companies.In a letter to the White House posted on X by YCs head of Public Policy, Luther Lowe, the startup accelerator argued that the DMA shouldnt be lumped in with other European tech legislation, which U.S. officials often criticize as being overbearing.Instead, YC argues in the letter that the spirit of Europes DMA is in line with values that promote not hinder American innovation.[W]e respectfully urge the White House to recalibrate its stance toward Europes digital regulation, drawing a clear line between measures that hamper innovation and those that foster it, states YCs letter, which was also signed by YC-backed startups, independent tech companies, and trade associations.Its not entirely surprising that YC would come out in explicit public support of the DMA. After all, the accelerator markets itself as a champion of Little Tech an American venture-backed ecosystem of technology startups.YC argues in the letter that the DMA opens up key avenues to create opportunities for American startups in AI, search, and consumer apps, and prevents Big Tech companies from boxing out smaller ventures.Specifically, YC in its letter points to Apple reportedly delaying its LLM-powered version of Siri until 2027, years after competitors brought generative AI voice assistants to market. YC argues this represents a lack of competitive pressure, noting that third-party developers of AI voice assistants are unable to integrate their services into Apples operating systemsYC might take Big Tech to task for its reported anticompetitive behavior and take shots at companies like Apple, which it argues harms the venture-backed startup ecosystem. But YC and other supposedly Little Tech-aligned VCs are actually becoming quite influential in Washington.Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), which published a Little Tech Agenda last year, spends millions of dollars trying to influence policy battles at the federal and local levels. According to data from Open Secrets, a16zs contributions during the 2024 U.S. election cycle totaled $89 million. YC, still a smaller player in American politics, contributed around $2 million.Whats less clear here is how the Trump administration will respond to the DMA in the long run and YCs endorsement of it.President Trump signaled in January that he would protect American tech companies from overzealous European regulators. However, Trump has also historically been tough on Big Tech firms like Apple, Google, and Meta.During the Paris AI Action Summit in February, Vice President J.D. Vance criticized a few of the EUs laws against tech companies, including the Digital Services Act and General Data Protection Regulation. However, Vance didnt mention the DMA, which more narrowly targets anticompetitive tech industry practices.Lowe told TechCrunch last year during a StrictlyVC event that the DMA is not perfect, but at least theyre taking a stab at figuring out how do we curb the most egregious forms of self-preferencing by these large firms.Lowe did not immediately respond to TechCrunchs request for comment.

Rodeo FXhas shared with AWN and VFXWorld a VFX breakdown reel and numerous before/after images highlighting some of their great work on HBOs sci-fi thriller Dune prequel series, Dune: Prophecy. With a crew of 450, the studio delivered 421 shots, across 44 sequence on the inaugural season.Recently renewed for Season 2, the show is set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides. It follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.Dune: Prophecyis inspired by the novel Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.After working on Dune and Dune: Part Two, Rodeo FX headed back once more to Frank Herberts universe for HBOs prequel series, Dune: Prophecy. The teams work included creating a full-CG environment of the Imperial Palace on Kaitain, featuring opulent gardens, grand monuments, and a vast ocean backdrop. Inspired by Petros Koublis' photography and the Mediterranean landscape, they developed custom vegetation, procedural shaders, and detailed assets to bring the world to life.The workflow began with concept designs provided by the client, which were further refined by Rodeo FXs in-house art department before the generalist team segmented the environment into distinct sub-zones. Real-world set elements were then seamlessly integrated for continuity with live-action plates.Advanced techniques, including water simulations, procedural ocean tools, and extensive instancing, were used for added realism. Thoughtful lighting design, including physical sky models and volumetric haze, added depth. This intricate and ambitious environment not only serves as the backdrop for key moments in Dune: Prophecy but also amply illustrates the artistry and technical expertise of the Rodeo FX team; their work on Kaitain earned a nomination for Outstanding Environment in an Episode at the 2025 VES Awards. Source: Rodeo FX Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.

Answers for today's NYT Mini Crossword are just ahead.New York TimesIn case you missed Thursdays NYT Mini, you can find the answers here:Wondering what team signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract? Not sure what a noted octet in higher education might be? Dont worry, because Im here to help you with some hints and the answers for today's NYT Mini crossword.The NYT Mini is a quick and dirty version of the newspaper's larger and long-running crossword. Most days, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays.Unlike its larger sibling, the NYT Mini crossword is free to play on the NYT Games app. However, youll need an NYT Games subscription to access previous puzzles in the archives.To help you avoid getting stuck and having to reveal missing letters, here are the NYT Mini Crossword hints and answers for Friday, March 14.Spoilers lie ahead, so remember to scroll slowly:NYT Mini Crossword HintsNYT Mini Across Hints1 Across: Female parent of a horse4 Across: A type of shot in tennis6 Across: Not heavy7 Across: Like poison and grape8 Across: Teachers _____, an educators favorite studentNYT Mini Down Hints1 Down: A finger2 Down: Feel compassion3 Down: Sounds like Brooklyns NBA team4 Down: Watch out for banana peels on the floor or you might do this5 Down: Have an interesting lifeNYT Mini Crossword Clues And AnswersNYT Mini Across Answers1 Across: Hydroelectric project DAM4 Across: Piece of the pie SLICE6 Across: Concern for a basement apartment LIGHT7 Across: Noted octet in higher education IVIES8 Across: Fur-riend PETNYT Mini Down Answers1 Down: Piece of the pi? DIGIT2 Down: Feel the pain ACHE3 Down: Team that signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract METS4 Down: Mess (up) SLIP5 Down: Like podcasts with a studio audience, say LIVECompleted NYT Mini crossword for Friday, March 14.New York TimesIt took me 0:46 to complete today's NYT Mini.Have to say, I didnt love this one. I know its a crossword puzzle from The New York Times, but it was a little too American-centric for my tastes in terms of references I didnt totally get. I dont think I would have figured out METS quickly without having a couple of the letters in place already, thanks to DAM and SLICE.I struggled with IVIES too, while I initially though LIGHT was night. To find the right answers for 6 and 7 Across, I had to tinker with the middle two letters of SLIP (which I have to admit I didnt figure out quickly either).Still, I cant be too mad about a sub-minute time.See you in two weeks for more NYT Mini fun!Make sure to follow my blog for more coverage of the NYT Mini and other word games, as well as video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Want to chat about the Mini, Connections and other NYT games? Join my Discord community!