In Doom: The Dark Ages, you have a long list of weapons at your disposal, each gun with its own flavor. But regardless of whether we are talking about the Combat Shotgun or the Chainshot, you will always need ammo upgrades for them. Right after your Health and Shield capacity, ammo is one of the most important resources in Doom: The Dark Ages. It’s also one of the scarcest. Since you can’t store thousands of bullets for all the weapons you have in the game, any chance of recovering ammo or increasing the amount you can keep with you is always welcome.  This guide helps you understand how to get ammo upgrades in Doom: The Dark Ages plus shows you where to find all ammo upgrades. How to upgrade ammo in Doom: The Dark Ages To upgrade your ammo capacity, you need to collect the Demonic Essence of specific leaders — and to do so, you must find and defeat them first. When you find leaders from whom you can collect Demonic Essence, a yellow icon showing three bullets appears above their heads. Unlike the other two types of upgrades, Health and Shield, when you defeat a leader, they will give you an upgrade for one of the three kinds of ammo in the game: Shells, Cells, Spikers, Skulls, Reaver, and Launcher. These upgrades are permanent, so you don’t need to worry about having to chase leaders in every chapter. Below, you find all the chapters in which there are leaders who give you ammo upgrades in Doom: The Dark Ages. The Holy City of Aratum (Chapter 5) The fifth chapter of Doom: The Dark Ages is the first time you have access to your cyberdragon to explore the areas and look for its secret landing zones. This is a lengthy chapter, but there’s only one ammo (Shell) upgrade to get. To find the leader, after you’re done with the tutorial, fly with your dragon to the first ship to your right. You will need to destroy all its canons for the landing spot to appear. Once you’re in, there isn’t much secret. Just keep following the path available to you until you reach the last room. The objective sign will take you to the lowest platform in front of a red energy gate which you must destroy dashing with your shield. However, before you can even try, the leader will appear.  Your first ammo upgrade leader is an armored Hell Knight. This enemy uses the jumping Hell Surge attacks which the regular version you’ve already faced does. They will also throw Hell Surge axes at you, so stay alert to parry them.  The challenge in this fight is to fight this aggressive enemy in a tiny corridor. Focus on using the Accelerator to break their armor faster and don’t let them corner you.  The Siege – Part 1 (Chapter 6) Doom: The Dark Ages’s Chapter 6 will force you to traverse a long and a little bit confusing map. To find the leader who will give you an ammo (Spiker) upgrade, you want to visit the area to the left corner of the map from the starting gate. The place is marked by a red skull icon on your map. This fight is the first involving the morale system, which means that, before you can actually fight the leader — who will be attacking as soon as they spot you — you need to kill the other demons in the area to deplete its morale bar. Once you have killed enough demons and a message appears saying “Leader Shield Disabled!,” it’s time to shoot. The leader this time is an armored Mancubus and as you might have expected your top priority is to destroy their armor. Keep a safe distance from them since the Mancubus will pop their flamethrowers at you if you get too close. You can play it safe and look for their signature attack, a wall of energy that always has one side which you can parry.  Ancestral Forge (Chapter 9) Finding the leader in Chapter 9 who gives you an ammo (Cell) upgrade is just a matter of reaching the end of the level. You will need to face another armored Mancubus. Take advantage of the Shield Rune you unlock in this chapter and parry all their attacks.  Be careful with the regular enemies around you as you fight the Mancubus. The fight is easier than the previous one, so you don’t need to worry too much. You should, however, deal with the Pinky Rider who is in the arena as soon as possible to make your life easier. The Forsaken Plains (Chapter 10) Your main goal in Chapter 10 is to destroy the two Hell Cannons in the Forsaken Plains. By going to the one on the right side of the map, you will be closer to the leader you want to fight to unlock an ammo (Skull) upgrade. They are indicated by an icon of a crowned skull in a higher segment of the region. When you reach the place, all you find is a tree. Destroy it with your shield to summon some waves of enemies. After defeating them, the leader will appear. This time you need to fight a Revenant, but they don’t have a morale bar, making the encounter less demanding. Revenants are pretty agile so try your best to get closer to them before taking a shot. They usually shoot Hell Purge projectiles and skulls. You know the drill, go parry them.  If you see them becoming all white, don’t waste your bullets. The Revenant doesn’t take damage while frozen in this state. It is worth parrying the projectiles they will shoot though since they seem to break their ice skin. From Beyond (Chapter 13) In Chapter 13, you’ll again fly around with your cyberdragon, destroying ships and dealing with tentacles from another dimension. Usual stuff. During this chapter, there is also an ammo (Reaver) upgrade for you to gain. By following the main mission of this chapter, you will eventually get to the first landing spot on the map. It’s a tower that you access after destroying a ship. Once you land, the battle against an armored Mancubus will start.  Although the strategy won’t change when fighting them directly, you must first clean the area to deplete its morale bar. Always try to look for the larger enemies since killing the smaller ones doesn’t affect the bar. Spire of Nerathul (Chapter 14) Spire of Nerathul takes you to a region you haven’t explored yet but don’t fret. The dangers are still the same ones. As you progress in the main mission of Chapter 14, you will destroy a statue of the Old One and drop into a hole that takes you to an arena. Enemies will spawn and after defeating some of them, Chapter 14’s ammo (Launcher) upgrade leader will appear, a Revenant. Follow the same strategy suggested for Chapter 10’s leader. Just be careful because a Komodo, a large behemoth of Hell will fight alongside the leader. The Kar’Thul Marshes (Chapter 16) There is one leader that will give you an ammo (Shell) upgrade in Chapter 16 and you can find them by just following the main mission. As you make your way to gather the second Relic Fragment, you will find an arena where the leader is. You will be facing an armored Mancubus again to get your hands on this upgrade. The real challenge in this fight is to handle the Pinky Rider, the Cyberdemon, and the Cosmic Baron who are also in the arena. Kill them all to disable the leader’s shield. Temple of Lomarith (Chapter 17) Chapter 17, the Temple of Lomarith is a quite confusing map and there are two leaders for you to chase. You find the first one as you’re trying to rescue Thira. The area has a huge gate in the middle so it’s hard to miss. Be ready to fight your way through waves of enemies containing powerful ones like the Vagary before you can disable the leader’s shield. When their morale bar is completely depleted, you can look for the armored Pinky Rider, the first leader you fight in this chapter. Defeating them unlocks an ammo (Spike) upgrade. Now, the second leader is hidden. By following the main mission, you eventually get to a section where you use green gates to reach some floating wreckage of ships. Before you use the second gate, look to your left and you will see that you can dash to destroy a wall.  Drop to the level below and you will see a tree. Once you use your shield to destroy it, the room will be sealed and waves of enemies will start to appear. After killing some enemies, the leader, a Revenant, will come and you must defeat them to unlock an ammo (Cell) upgrade. You are already familiar with this enemy. Just be careful since the room is small and you will be fighting large enemies inside of it. Harbor of Souls (Chapter 19) After one hell of a ride to the underworld, it’s time for you to find your back to the Mortal Plane. However, before you do so, there’s a leader you need to defeat and an ammo (Skull) upgrade to claim. Keep following the main mission and you will find it. You face another armored Pinky Rider in this chapter, who has a morale bar. Take advantage of the Berserk cell in this arena to fight the strongest demons around. With them out of the way, beating the Pinky Rider is quite simple.  Resurrection (Chapter 20) There is a lot to be done in Chapter 20, but luckily finding the leader — who gives you an ammo (Reaver) upgrade — of this chapter is not one of the most difficult challenges it offers. Your main goal in the first segment of this chapter is to destroy the Siege Towers. Following this objective will inevitably lead you to the left part of the map where there is a red zone with a crowned skull icon. By getting there, you will find the leader. This time a Komodo is the leader, a quite challenging enemy to face. Focus on clearing the area of other large enemies and, when facing the Komodo, focus on parrying their attacks. They unleash long sequences of attacks so learn them to know the right moment to fight back. Reckoning (Chapter 22) There’s one last leader in Doom: The Dark Ages for you to hunt down. You can find them by reaching the last red zone on the top side of the map. Once you claim their Demonic Essence, you will receive an ammo (Launcher) upgrade. There are some tough fights before you can reach the place, so be prepared. The leader of Chapter 22 is a Cyberdemon and they are in their regular version, so you know what to do. Get close to them, parry their attacks, and hit the Cyberdemon hard. They have a morale bar, forcing you to fight a Komodo and other strong demons before the final encounter.

Not Forgotten was once the best Hand Cannon for PvP in Destiny 2, but since its glory days, many other weapons have risen and fallen with the ever-shifting Crucible meta. While Not Forgotten is still a perfectly usable gun, there are a lot of other options to choose from, including ones that can outperform this once-feared weapon.

05/20 — 2025 by abduzeedo Discover Coolbeans' vibrant branding and visual identity. See how fresh aesthetics redefine sober social experiences with captivating design. Gen Z is setting a new trend for social gatherings, stepping away from alcohol and drugs. This shift has opened a unique opportunity for businesses like Coolbeans, which is redefining sober spaces as vibrant and lively places to hang out. They offer delicious caffeinated beverages in an environment that feels effortlessly free and youthful.   A Fresh Aesthetic and Playful Tone The brand identity and art direction, led by Sarah See, embrace a fresh, youthful aesthetic. See's approach to language is notably "tongue in cheek and not too serious," adding a playful touch to the brand's voice.   The design utilizes stark white as a backdrop, which makes the logo pop and subtly hints at the clean, sharp flavors of their drinks. This minimalist approach creates a striking visual impact.   The Wordmark: A Display of Liberation The Coolbeans wordmark is a key element of its branding and visual identity. It features a spectrum of greens and blues, paying homage to the rainbow and queer communities. This thoughtful color choice adds depth and meaning to the brand's visual representation. Furthermore, the wordmark uses warping to create a sense of movement and energy, symbolizing liberation. This dynamic visual element reflects the brand's vibrant and free-spirited nature.   The color palette is further enhanced by the hard contrast of cobalt blue against a soft mint green. The design team delved into the "nitty gritty details," exploring various wordmarks and experimenting with printing on contrasting fabrics, ensuring every element was meticulously considered.   Sensory Experience Through Cold Brew Coolbeans offers cold brew coffee in both 330ml and 220ml cans. These cold brew options provide an uplifting, sober alternative to the usual canned beers and ready-to-drink beverages often found at social gatherings. The visual, material, sound, and taste of a Coolbeans cold brew can hit "many sensory markers," providing a perfect non-alcoholic option.   The brand extends beyond beverages to merchandise and packaging, as seen with their branded tote bags and coffee bean bags. The consistent use of the vibrant wordmark across these items reinforces the Coolbeans brand. Even their hats carry the distinctive Coolbeans logo, extending the brand's presence into everyday wear. From their clean can design to their playful coasters that invite you to "Grab a Cool One" or declare "Too Cool for School", every detail reinforces the brand's message.   Coolbeans is based in Cape Town and Sydney, bringing its unique sober experience to new audiences.   The thoughtful branding and visual identity of Coolbeans exemplify how design can shape new social norms and experiences. It’s a compelling example of how a fresh aesthetic can redefine a market. Explore more of Sarah See's work Credits Brand Identity and Art Direction: Sarah See Photography:  Esra Afsarr and Daniel Hooper Mockups: Mockup Maison, Bendito Mockup, Unblast Branding and visual identity artifact Tags branding

Our latest and most advanced technologies — from AI to Industrial IoT, advanced robotics, and self-driving cars — share serious problems: massive energy consumption, limited on-edge capabilities, system hallucinations, and serious accuracy gaps.  One possible solution is emerging in the Netherlands. The country is developing a promising ecosystem for neuromorphic computing, which draws on neuroscience to boost IT efficiencies and performance. Billions of euros are being invested in this new form of computing worldwide. The Netherlands aims to become a leader in the market by bringing together startups, established companies, government organisations, and academics in a neuromorphic computing ecosystem. A Dutch mission to the UK In March, a Dutch delegation landed in the UK to host an “Innovation Mission” with local tech and government representatives. Top Sector ICT, a Dutch government–supported organisation, led the mission, which sought to strengthen and discuss the future of neuromorphic computing in Europe and the Netherlands.  We contacted Top Sector ICT, who connected us with one of their collaborators: Dr Johan H. Mentink, an expert in computational physics at Radboud University in the Netherlands. Dr Mentink spoke about how neuromorphic computing can solve the energy, accuracy, and efficiency challenges of our current computing architectures.  Grab that deal “Current digital computers use power-hungry processes to handle data,” Dr Mentink said.  “The result is that some modern data centres use so much energy that they even need their own power plant.”  Computing today stores data in one place (memory) and processes it in another place (processors). This means that a lot of energy is spent on transporting data, Dr Mentink explained.  In contrast, neuromorphic computing architectures are different at the hardware and software levels. For example, instead of using processors and memories, neuromorphic systems leverage new hardware components such as memristors. These act as both memory and processors.  By processing and saving data on the same hardware component, neuromorphic computing removes the energy-intensive and error-prone task of transporting data. Additionally, because data is stored on these components, it can be processed more immediately, resulting in faster decision-making, reduced hallucinations, improved accuracy, and better performance. This concept is being applied to edge computing, Industrial IoT, and robotics to drive faster real-time decision-making.  “Just like our brains process and store information in the same place, we can make computers that would combine data storage and processing in one place,” Dr Mentink explained.   Early use cases for neuromorphic computing Neuromorphic computing is far from just experimental. A great number of new and established technology companies are heavily invested in developing new hardware, edge devices, software, and neuromorphic computing applications. Big tech brands such as IBM, NVIDIA, and Intel, with its Loihi chips, are all involved in neuromorphic computing, while companies in the Netherlands, aligned with a 2024 national white paper, are taking a leading regional role.  For example, the Dutch company Innatera — a leader in ultra-low power neuromorphic processors — recently secured €15 million in Series-A funding from Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund, the EIC Fund, MIG Capital, Matterwave Ventures, and Delft Enterprises.  Innatera is just the tip of the iceberg, as the Netherlands continues to support the new industry through funds, grants, and other incentives. Immediate use cases for neuromorphic computing include event-based sensing technologies integrated into smart sensors such as cameras or audio. These neuromorphic devices only process change, which can dramatically reduce power and data load, said Sylvester Kaczmarek, the CEO of OrbiSky Systems, a company providing AI integration for space technology.   Neuromorphic hardware and software have the potential to transfer AI running on the edge, especially for low-power devices such as mobile, wearables, or IoT.  Pattern recognition, keyword spotting, and simple diagnostics — such as real-time signal processing of complex sensor data streams for biomedical uses, robotics, or industrial monitoring — are some of the leading use cases, Dr Kaczmarek explained.  When applied to pattern recognition and classification or anomaly detection, neuromorphic computing can make decisions very quickly and efficiently,  Professor Dr Hans Hilgenkamp, Scientific Director of the MESA+ Institute at the University of Twente, agreed that pattern recognition is one of the fields where neuromorphic computing excels.  “One may also think about [for example] failure prediction in industrial or automotive applications,” he said.    The gaps creating neuromorphic opportunities Despite the recent progress, the road to establishing robust neuromorphic computing ecosystems in the Netherlands is challenging. Globalised tech supply chains and the standardisation of new technologies leave little room for hardware-level innovation.  For example, optical networks and optical chips have proven to outperform traditional systems in use today, but the tech has not been deployed globally. Deploying new hardware involves strategic coordination between the public and private sectors. The global rollout of 5G technology provides a good example of the challenges. It required telcos and governments around the world to deploy not only new antennas, but also smartphones, laptops, and a lot of hardware that could support the new standard.  On the software side, meanwhile, 5G systems had a pressing need for global standards to ensure integration, interoperability, and smooth deployment. Additionally, established telcos had to move from pure competition to strategic collaboration— an unfamiliar shift for an industry long built on siloed operations. Neuromorphic computing ecosystems face similar obstacles. The Netherlands recognises that the entire industry’s success depends on innovation in materials, devices, circuit designs, hardware architecture, algorithms, and applications.  These challenges and gaps are driving new opportunities for tech companies, startups, vendors, and partners.  Dr Kaczmarek told us that neuromorphic computing requires full-stack integration. This involves expertise that can connect novel materials and devices through circuit design and architectures to algorithms and applications. “Bringing these layers together is crucial but challenging,” he said.  On the algorithms and software side of things, developing new paradigms of programming, learning rules (beyond standard deep learning backpropagation), and software tools native to neuromorphic hardware are also priorities.  “It is crucial to make the hardware usable and efficient — co-designing hardware and algorithms because they are intimately coupled in neuromorphic systems,” said Dr Kaczmarek.  Other industries which have developed or are considering research on neuromorphic computing include healthcare (brain-computer interfaces and prosthetics), agri-food, and sustainable energy.  Neuromorphic computing modules or components can also be integrated with conventional CMOS, photonics, AI, and even quantum technologies.  Long-term opportunities in the Netherlands We asked Dr Hilgenkamp what expertise or innovations are most needed and offer the greatest opportunities for contribution and growth within this emerging ecosystem. “The long-term developments involve new materials and a lot of research, which is already taking place on an academic level,” Dr Hilgenkamp said.  He added that the idea of “materials that can learn” brings up completely new concepts in materials science that are exciting for researchers.  On the other hand, Dr Mentink pointed to the opportunity to transform our economies, which rely on processing massive amounts of data.  “Even replacing a small part of that with neuromorphic computing will lead to massive energy savings,” he said.  “Moreover, with neuromorphic computing, much more processing can be done close to where the data is produced. This is good news for situations in which data contains privacy-sensitive information.”  Concrete examples, according to Dr Mentink, also include fraud detection for credit card transactions, image analysis by robots and drones, anomaly detection of heartbeats, and processing of telecom data. “The most promising use cases are those involving huge data flows, strong demands for very fast response times, and small energy budgets,” said Dr Mentink.  As the use cases for neuromorphic computing increase, Dr Mentink expects the development of software toolchains that enable quick adoption of new neuromorphic platforms to see growth. This new sector would include services to streamline deployment. “Longer-term sustainable growth requires a concerted interdisciplinary effort across the whole computing stack to enable seamless integration of foundational discoveries to applications in new neuromorphic computing systems,” Dr Mentink said.  The bottom line The potential of neuromorphic computing has translated into billions of dollars in investment in the Netherlands and Europe, as well as in Asia and the rest of the world.  Businesses that can innovate, develop, and integrate hardware and software-level neuromorphic technologies stand to gain the most.   The potential of neuromorphic computing for greater energy efficiency and performance could ripple across industries. Energy, healthcare, robotics, AI, industrial IoT, and quantum tech all stand to benefit if they integrate the technology. And if the Dutch ecosystem takes off, the Netherlands will be in a position to lead the way. Supporting Dutch tech is a key mission of TNW Conference, which takes place on June 19-20 in Amsterdam. Tickets are now on sale — use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 at the checkout to get 30% off. Story by Ray Fernandez Ray Fernandez is a journalist with over a decade of experience reporting on technology, finance, science, and natural resources. His work ha (show all) Ray Fernandez is a journalist with over a decade of experience reporting on technology, finance, science, and natural resources. His work has been published in Bloomberg, TechRepublic, The Sunday Mail, eSecurityPlanet, and many others. He is a contributing writer for Espacio Media Incubator, which has reporters across the US, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Get the TNW newsletter Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week. Also tagged with

AMD was quiet on the graphics card front for a couple of months following its simultaneous launch of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and the AMD Radeon RX 9070. At Computex 2025, AMD has expanded this lineup with a new desktop GPU: the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT.This new card will be available with 8GB of video RAM for $299 and 16GB of RAM for $349; products start shipping on June 5. If AMD’s performance claims hold up, the Radeon RX 9060 XT may dominate its budget-to-midrange market segment just as well as the new Radeon RX 9070 XT leads the firmly midrange $599 segment.AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT Slices the RX 9070 XT In Half!AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT reveal provided some basic details but failed to tell all. We now know it will have 32 AMD RDNA 4 Compute units, which alone reveals a lot. The resources included in a compute unit are a known quantity, and from this, I did a little math to determine that the Radeon RX 9060 XT will have 2,048 stream processors and 128 texture mapping units (TMUs).(Credit: AMD)You can also do the math to see that the RX 9060 XT will have 32 ray accelerators and 64 AI accelerators, but AMD already confirmed those specs for the card. What we don’t know about the hardware includes the number of raster operation processors (ROPs), the memory speed, and the width of the memory interface. These items are independent of the compute unit, though based on other AMD graphics cards, the RX 9060 XT will likely have 64 ROPs and a 128-bit memory interface with 20Gbps GDDR6 RAM.(Credit: AMD)This would effectively mean the Radeon RX 9060 XT would have about half the resources of the Radeon RX 9070 XT in all areas except RAM, as the Radeon RX 9070 XT itself has 16GB of 20Gbps GDDR6 memory.Breaking Down AMD's Performance ClaimsEstimating the performance of the Radeon RX 9060 XT from here is tricky. While the Radeon RX 9060 XT on paper may be equal to about half a Radeon RX 9070 XT, we don’t often see performance scale that linearly. Differences in clock speed further complicate this, as the Radeon RX 9060 XT can run at up to 3.1GHz, which is a bit faster than the Radeon RX 9070 XT, which tops out at 2.9GHz.(Credit: AMD)Of course, according to AMD, performance looks promising. AMD compared the Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16GB of RAM with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti with 8GB of RAM in several games. AMD itself reported that in some of these games, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti gets the upper hand, but overall, out of 40 games tested, AMD said the Radeon RX 9060 XT would be about 6% faster on average.That 6% advantage isn’t huge, but AMD also pointed out the price difference. The 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti is priced at $379, while the Radeon RX 9060 XT with 16GB of RAM costs just $349. Figuring this in, AMD claimed that its product produced 15% better gaming performance per dollar, averaged across those 40 games it tested.(Credit: AMD)Naturally, we will need to test an AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT to confirm these performance claims. I certainly need to see how performance varies at different resolutions, too. Last generation, all of the cards competing in this market segment suffered with 128-bit memory interfaces, and this situation has played out again this generation.Recommended by Our EditorsBoth the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti and the GeForce RTX 5060 have 128-bit interfaces, but those cards also feature GDDR7 memory. This new type of memory is faster and supports greater bandwidth than GDDR6, which has helped lessen the impact of the 128-bit interface on the RTX 5060 Ti. I expect the same for the RTX 5060.(Credit: AMD)However, the Radeon RX 9060 XT still uses GDDR6 memory, and it seems likely that it also has a 128-bit memory interface. This will likely hamper the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT's performance, particularly at higher resolutions.AMD FSR RedstoneAlongside the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT announcement, AMD teased some new FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) technologies it is developing. These technologies are referred to as a group as “FSR Redstone.” For now, these are presented as separate from AMD’s recently released FSR 4 technology.(Credit: AMD)Four key technologies feature in FSR Redstone, all based around AI and machine learning. First is what AMD calls Neural Radiance Caching, which uses machine learning to understand how light moves through a scene for future reference. The idea here seems to be that the AI can see how the light is moving, and then repeat that with AI without the need to process it again with traditional graphics hardware.Next is ray regeneration technology, which creates pixels with the correct lighting where the rasterization hardware was otherwise unable to. The impact of these first two features seems to be focused on improving overall image quality and performance.Redstone's third and fourth technologies are enhanced super resolution and frame generation, respectively. Super resolution has been part of FSR from the beginning, and frame generation has been in AMD's toolkit since FSR 3, making neither of these technologies technically new. However, they appear to be working in different ways and using machine learning to improve performance.Which to Buy, 8GB or 16GB? Decide by June 5!If you are considering buying an AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT, you won’t have to wait long. AMD plans to ship the Radeon RX 9060 XT on June 5, with 8GB models selling for $299 and 16GB for $349. If you are interested, you now have a rather difficult choice.(Credit: AMD)Having more memory is often beneficial, making the 16GB version of the card feel more alluring. But if the Radeon RX 9060 XT has just a 128-bit memory interface with 20Gbps GDDR6, you should question how much benefit that additional memory will get you. Paying up for the extra RAM is almost worth it for the peace of mind of knowing you have it if you need it, but you’ll likely get better performance per dollar spent with the 8GB model. Until we test both options, however, we cannot say for sure which is best.

Google wants to make it easier to create AI-generated videos, and it has a new tool to do it. It’s called Flow, and Google is announcing it alongside its new Veo 3 video generation model, more controls for its Veo 2 model, and a new image generation model, Imagen 4. With Flow, you can use things like text-to-video prompts and ingredients-to-video prompts (basically, sharing a few images that Flow can use alongside a prompt to help inform the model what you’re looking for) to build eight-second AI-generated clips. Then, you can use Flow’s scenebuilder tools to stitch multiple clips together.Flow seems kind of like a film editing app, but for building AI-generated videos, and while I’m not a filmmaker, I can see how it might be a useful tool based on a demo I saw. In a briefing, Thomas Iljic, a product manager at Google Labs, showed me a few examples of Flow in action.In one demo, we watched an animated-style video; the “camera” zoomed out to reveal that the video was playing on a TV; the video zoomed out again to show the room the TV was in. Then, the “camera” slowly flew through a window and watched a truck pass by.It all looked pretty seamless, though I was only briefly seeing the video in a tiny Google Meet window, so I can’t speak to any AI strangeness that might be visible if you look closely. But the idea for Flow isn’t so much about creating long videos. Instead, it’s more about helping filmmakers quickly get their ideas “on paper,” says Iljic.As for Google’s new models announced at I/O, Veo 3 will have better quality, is easier to prompt, and can generate video and sound together (including dialogue), Matthieu Lorrain, creative lead at Google DeepMind, tells The Verge. It’s also better at understanding longer prompts and correctly handling a succession of events in your prompt.Veo 2 will offer tools like camera controls and object removal. And Google’s new image generation model, Imagen 4, has improved quality, can export in more formats, and is apparently better at writing real text instead of the AI garble that often appears in these images.Flow is launching today in the US for people who subscribe to Google’s new Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra plans. “Google AI Pro gives you the key Flow features and 100 generations per month, and Google AI Ultra gives you the highest usage limits and early access to Veo 3 with native audio generation,” according to a blog post.See More:

The Pokémon card scene is getting out of control again. Things appeared to die down for a bit following a pandemic-fueled collecting frenzy, but new sets in 2025 are selling out and prices on the secondhand market are skyrocketing. And it’s coming to a head at GameStop, the unlikely new epicenter for Pokémon TCG madness as the struggling video game retailer continues trying to reinvent itself. Suggested ReadingWhy People Are Rushing To Sell Their Xbox Series X To GameStop Right Now Share SubtitlesOffEnglishSuggested ReadingWhy People Are Rushing To Sell Their Xbox Series X To GameStop Right Now Share SubtitlesOffEnglishWhy People Are Rushing To Sell Their Xbox Series X To GameStop Right Now2025 kicked off for the TCG with the Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions expansion in January, which was followed by the Journey Together expansion in March, and now Destined Rivals is coming at the end of the month. But new sets are only part of the equation. Special promotional collections that feature specific cards and extra quantities of boosters are another big part of it. As Polygon reports, the Prismatic Evolutions Super-Premium Collection became a lightning rod for passionate fans and scalpers alike when it went up for sale on May 16. One viral photo on the GameStop Reddit claimed customers at one location had been camped out for multiple days in a row. Collectors at another store were allegedly huddled outside during a storm. Even in fair weather, the line etiquette has had some people fuming about people saving spots and cutting. “I gave my spot to the kid behind me because its just fucking cardboard guys, I hope they felt some ounce of shame or guilt but I know that’s not how these people operate,” wrote one angry guy about a family that apparently budged in front. “I hope they get traumatic delusions full effect,” he continued, referencing a nickname for Prismatic Evolutions that plays up how fans often seem to find their hopes of pulling good cards from the set amount to nothing. “Hope the kid I gave my spot to gets a god pack. Do better people holy fuck.” The growing discontent has led GameStop to institute a new rule for the upcoming Destined Rivals launch. Announced on Tuesday, new Pokémon TCG releases will now be limited to one unit per customer. So whether they’re aiming to snag single boosters or entire boxes, more people should have more shots at getting what they came for. It should also disincentive scalpers from swamping stores on days that new packs come out.“Finally!” responded one person on Instagram. “I just saw a scalper fall to his knees at GameStop,” wrote another. Many were disappointed the change didn’t come sooner. “If only this rule was applied when the Prismatic Super Premium Collection dropped, I would have been able to get one,” another person wrote. Many locations had been giving out two per customer for Prismatic, even though stores were getting as few as 10 boxes in total. Adding to some of the confusion has been a burgeoning ecosystem of communities and apps like Popfindr that help people track which stores are getting new stock for which sets when. Like whiskey nerds waiting outside liquor stores on small batch delivery days, some GameStop employees have noticed customers coming in asking them about store shipments they weren’t even aware of. “This app that people are using to get our inventory is actually starting to piss me off,” one GameStop employee wrote on Reddit. “Is anyone experiencing that at all? People have updates of when we get our shipment and it’s weird. I’ve had numerous phone calls and people coming in store telling me I received a shipment with quantity amounts. It’s frustrating.”Despite the lowkey chaos, GameStop has only doubled down on the Pokémon TCG market since it announced it would start grading and reselling cards last year. Some stores have become “takeover stores” where walls that used to be lined with games, Funko Pops, or other collectibles have been completely given over to displaying Pokémon TCG packs, only for them to get completely wiped out just days later. Once a bystander in that boom-bust cycle, GameStop now stands to profit off the hype of people reselling valuable cards. “As a card collector myself, I hate what the hobby has turned into and frankly, I wouldn’t even feel upset if GS stops selling TCG because there are just so many bad apples that ruin it for everyone,,” one fan commented on Reddit. “Like it is totally NOT OK for vendors and restockers to have to worry about being stalked because a scalper air tagged their car. It sucks that to even have a chance in getting cards for the hobby, you pretty much need to camp ahead of release day.”.

Sephiroth ranks very high on the “cool” scale, and a huge reason for that is his ōdachi, the extra-long katana he wields, called the Masamune. He’s not the first Final Fantasy character to wield a sword that has this particular name, but he’s probably the most notable, not least because of a very infamous murder he commits with this sword at a key moment in the original FF7 (and also in FF7 Rebirth, although the scene plays out somewhat differently).I’ve been both fascinated and amused by the ostentatious appearance of Sephiroth’s sword ever since I first saw cosplayers brandishing their versions of it at conventions in my teen years, and I’ve always wanted to know what went into its supremely impractical design.So who better to ask than designer Tetsuya Nomura, the Square Enix visionary who first put this sword into Sephiroth’s hands? And so, in honor of Cool Sword Day, here’s Nomura explaining the sword’s backstory, its surprisingly variable length, and more.Image: Square EnixPolygon: What led to the decision to name Sephiroth’s sword after the medieval blacksmith Masamune?Tetsuya Nomura: The Masamune has appeared throughout the Final Fantasy series as the strongest sword. When thinking about equipping Sephiroth with a sword that is a worthy match for him, I figured there was no better option than Masamune.Whose idea was it to give Sephiroth this specific type of sword, rather than a buster sword for example?That would be mine. Each time Cloud went through a tweak in design, the accompanying buster sword seemed to grow larger. Reason being, I thought the juxtaposition between Cloud wielding a giant “sword” and Sephiroth, who is far more powerful, wielding a skinny “katana” would be quite interesting. Additionally, the contrast between a wide broadsword and a long Japanese katana is also inspired by the rivalry of two famous Japanese swordsmen, Musashi and Kojiro.Were there any other design ideas for his sword that were not chosen and that you would be willing to share with us?As mentioned earlier, I had a specific sword in mind for Sephiroth, so I didn’t have any other ideas.Did the length of Sephiroth’s sword make it difficult to design fight scenes, especially in FF7 Rebirth where you actually get to play as Sephiroth? Sephiroth has appeared in many different titles before, and with each appearance, the length of his sword is adjusted based on the title’s specifications. In other words, we didn’t design the scene based on the length of the sword, but rather, designed the length of the sword based on the game design.I have a rough guideline that his sword should be around 10 feet long, but this has never been consistent across any of his appearances, including Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, or any merchandise, etc.Do you ever alter the length of the sword in certain scenes, such as lengthening it for visual effect or shortening it to accommodate certain moves?The Masamune’s blade has an organic quality to it, lengthening and shortening as needed. In the recently released second season of The First Soldier arc in Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, there actually is a scene in which the Masamune grows longer for the first time. I would love for you to check it out.Did someone in the universe of FF7 make this sword especially for Sephiroth?I mentioned The First Soldier arc in Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis a moment ago, but if you look at season one, when young Sephiroth first appeared, you will see that he is equipped with a Shinra military sword. That means it won’t come as a surprise if other people were also equipped with it. That said, I personally think that a military sword is more of an accessory for ceremonial purposes, and so Sephiroth would probably be the only person who would actually wield it after customizing it to be more suited for combat. Typically, a sword is heavily impacted by the skill of its wielder, and it is prone to become useless unless the wielder has the appropriate prowess; so, it is rare for someone to use a sword in combat.Also, in the aforementioned second season of The First Soldier arc of Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, you will experience the episode in which young Sephiroth obtains the Masamune, as well as meet the blacksmith who created the sword, so we’ll be diving deeper into the lore of the Masamune for the first time. The settings and background were brewing in my head, but in order to depict this in the game, I consulted Motomu Toriyama, the Co-Director of the Final Fantasy VII remake series and Director of Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, and we decided to ask Kazushige Nojima, Scenario Writer for the Final Fantasy 7 series to write this for us.See More:

Photo Credit: Google Android XR smart glasses will work with the paired smartphone to provide hands-free access Highlights Google is all set to re-enter the smart glasses market The glasses can see and hear the wearer's surroundings with Gemini These smart glasses feature a camera Advertisement Google showed off its Android XR Glasses at Tuesday's annual Google I/O Developers Conference in California. Developed through an expanded partnership with Samsung, these AI-powered glasses add Gemini to smart glasses. Google is also working with eyewear brands like Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to design the new smart glasses. They feature a live language translation feature and boast speakers. They can be paired with smartphones to run apps. They offer an optional in-lens display for discreet information viewing.Google Shows Off Android XR-Based GlassesThe Alphabet-owned tech brand outlined its plans for Gemini-powered Android XR smart glasses at the Google I/O 2025. Google is collaborating with Samsung, Gentle Monster and Warby Parker to design smart glasses. Looking ahead, the brand is eyeing to team up with more partners such as Kering Eyewear to expand the range of smart glasses available to users.These smart glasses feature a camera, microphones and speakers. They will work with the paired smartphone to provide hands-free access for users. An optional in-lens display discreetly shows helpful information right when users need it. Google states that the Android XR glasses can see and hear the wearer's surroundings with Gemini integration, offering contextual awareness to assist better and remember what matters to the user most throughout the day.Google offers a glimpse of how its apps might appear on XR glasses. The preview also showed how Android XR glasses could be used in everyday situations like messaging friends, making appointments, asking for turn-by-turn directions and taking photos, among others. The live translation feature was demonstrated, where the glasses displayed subtitles in real-time between two people, breaking the language barrier.Google said that it is developing a unified software and reference hardware platform to empower the ecosystem to build smart glasses. Developers are confirmed to start working with this platform later this year. Google started collecting feedback from trusted testers using early prototypes, and more about the progress will be revealed in the coming months.This move put Google in direct competition with Meta's Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Apple is also said to be developing its own smart glasses.  For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: Google, Android XR glasses, Android XR, Google IO 2025 Nithya P Nair Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More Related Stories