“Next-gen” upgrade fees are coming to Switch 2. Ahead of the console’s launch in June, more and more publishers are sharing new details about the Switch 2 versions of games that are already on Switch, and many will require a $10 fee in order to unlock them. But what exactly are you paying for?Suggested ReadingThe Best Reveals From The Game Awards 2023 Share SubtitlesOffEnglishSuggested ReadingThe Best Reveals From The Game Awards 2023 Share SubtitlesOffEnglishThe Best Reveals From The Game Awards 2023In the case of first-party Nintendo games, it’s pretty clear. The Mario maker already revealed new content and features coming to the Switch 2 versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for an extra $10, such as additional story logs, achievements, and daily stat bonuses for Link. Super Mario Party Jamboree, meanwhile, is getting new modes and Kirby and the Forgotten Land is effectively getting a DLC expansion, both for $20 more than the existing versions.While making some of that stuff exclusive to the Switch 2 versions of the games is perhaps questionable, it’s at least clear what you’re getting for paying to upgrade (or alternatively, you can access the new content for “free” with a paid Switch Online membership). In the case of third-party games, however, it’s much less obvious. Hogwarts Legacy owners on Switch recently reported seeing an option for a $10 upgrade to the Switch 2 version in the eShop, and a similar option is already listed for Civilization 7. Warner Bros. Games says the $10 upgrade pack gets players DLSS support, faster broom flying, 1080p resolution in handheld mode, and mouse controls. Presumably the Switch 2 version of Civ 7 will follow a similar pattern. While fans could just play the Switch 1 version on their new Switch 2s using backwards compatibility, neither game looks particularly good on the current hardware, providing an extra incentive to upgrade. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma players will need the upgrade pack to access better frame rates and mouse controls as well. Not every third-party game is going this route. Sonic X Shadow: Generations is $50 on Switch 2, the same as its price last fall on Switch 1. Sega didn’t respond to a request for comment about whether there will be a free upgrade path for existing owners of the remaster. It also remains to be seen how indie games like Hades 2, which launches on both Switch 1 and Switch 2 at the same time, bridge the next-gen gap. Supergiant Games previously confirmed the action-RPG roguelike runs at 1080p on the newer hardware, but wouldn’t say if that would cost fans extra. Players have been through this song-and-dance before when games jumped from $60 to $70 between PlayStation 4/Xbox One and PS5/Xbox Series X/S. Even that rollout happened more slowly, though. PS5 upgrades for Sony games were free up through Horizon Forbidden West, which the company backed down on charging for following online backlash. After that, Sony at least tried to sweeten the pot with new accessibility settings and bonus “Director’s Cut” content in some cases, like Nintendo is doing now. But plenty of third-party “next-gen” upgrades, like Borderlands 3 and No Man’s Sky, Borderlands 3 and No Man’s Sky. How many game upgrades on Switch 2 will do the same? For launch at least, it doesn’t look like many. And I assume Nintendo is only just getting started with finding ways to double-dip on its back catalog with Switch 2 editions of other games like Splatoon 3, Luigi’s Mansion 3, and Super Mario Odyssey. Maybe other publishers will follow suit. Who’s ready to pay $10 for a version of Mortal Kombat 1 or Doom (2016) without insane load times?. Source: https://kotaku.com/switch-2-upgrade-pack-hogwarts-legacy-civ-7-1851780505 #hogwarts #legacy #civilization #and #more #reveal #upgrade #fees #for #switch #improvements

The Talos Principle: Reawakened is a great remaster of the classic 2014 puzzle game, and not just because of the Unreal Engine 5 boost it gave the graphics. It added a whole new expansion on top of the original game and the Road to Gehenna DLC, a prequel to the game's story called In the Beginning. In the Beginning includes 18 new puzzles for players to solve, and what makes it and The Talos Principle: Reawakened particularly special is that 16 of these 18 puzzles were designed in collaboration with members of the game's community, people who had been making puzzles themselves for the last decade because they loved the game and its mechanics. Which also explains why these puzzles are some of the most difficult ones to solve across the entire Talos Principle series. This guide will show you how to solve the Conundrum Cascade puzzle. However, if you just want a hint before reading the full solution, then what I'll say is, don't forget to use the ladders. I think if I said anything more, I'd give away too much. If you want me to give more away, read on for the full solution. The Talos Principle: Reawakened - In the Beginning - Conundrum Cascade Puzzle Guide Phase One - Get the hexahedron and both connectors To start solving this puzzle, you need to get the hexahedron that's behind a shield on the right side of the puzzle area. Pick up the fan that is on the ground and in front of a pressure switch right in the middle of the puzzle area. Place it on the pressure switch on the right side of the puzzle area to deactivate the shield blocking the path to the hexahedron. Grab the hexahedron and place it on the pressure switch in the middle of the puzzle area when you walk into the puzzle. Place the fan back on the vent in front of the hexahedron, and use it to fly up into the air to grab the first connector (C1). Drop back down to the ground with C1 in hand. Connect C1 to the red laser generator in the middle and the red node on the left side of the puzzle area. Pick up the fan and place it on the vent that was sitting behind the shield that is now deactivated by C1. Grab the hexahedron and let the fan launch you into the air onto the platform in the middle of the puzzle. Place the hexahedron on the left-most pressure switch to activate the vent and fan next to it. Launch yourself to a smaller platform where you'll find a switch that will keep the shields blocking your path to the ladders permanently deactivated. Flip the switch, and jump down to the ground. For this next part, you can either use the fan to launch yourself back up to the taller platform in the middle of the puzzle area, or climb the ladder, but the point is you need to get back up there, and drop the hexahedron and the fan that was already up there down to the ground. Collect the hexahedron, both fans, and C1 together. Place one fan on the vent, then place the hexahedron on top of that fan, with C1 on top of the hexahedron. Place the other fan down on the pressure switch so the hexahedron and C1 are flying in the air. Use the ladder to climb up to the top of the platform and grab C1 and the hexahedron. Place the hexahedron next to the window on the right side of the platform, and then connect C1 to the red laser generator and the red node that will deactivate the shield blocking the path to the second connector (C2). Jump back down to the ground and use either of the fans to deactivate the first shield with the pressure switch on the right side of the puzzle area, and grab C2. Bring C2 into the middle of the puzzle area before you put it down. Now you've acquired all the tools you need to actually go ahead and solve the puzzle. Phase Two - Go for the solve Pick up C2 and connect it to the red laser generator and the red node on the left side of the puzzle area. Grab one of the fans and place it on the vent. Grab the other fan and launch yourself and the fan back up to the platform in the middle of the puzzle area. Place the fan back on the vent at the top of the middle platform. Grab C1 and place it on the left-most pressure switch to activate the fan. Pick up the hexahedron to launch yourself and the hexahedron to the smaller platform on the left side of the puzzle area. Place the hexahedron on the pressure switch, and jump back down to the ground. Grab C2 and connect it to the red node on the opposite side of the wall that's on the left side of the puzzle area. Use the ladder, or use the fan to launch yourself back up to the middle platform. Grab the fan off the vent, and drop down to the ground, and place it on top of the vent that's on the ground in the middle of the puzzle area. Grab the other fan and place it down next to the pressure switch on the ground in the middle of the puzzle area. Use the ladder leading up to the smaller platform, and grab the hexahedron. Place it on fan overtop the vent and then place the other fan on the pressure switch to have it flying through the air. Head up the ladder to put the hexahedron back on the middle platform. Grab C1 and connect it to the red laser generator and C2, then place it on top of the hexahedron like you did earlier. Jump back down to the ground and use the ladder leading to the shorter platform to step on the pressure switch, so the laser can pass through and hit C2. Once C2 activates the node behind the wall, you can step off the switch with the shield deactivated. Grab one of the fans and place it on the vent next to C2. Grab the other fan and launch yourself, with the second fan, up to the middle platform. Place the fan on either of the two pressure switches to the right of the pressure switch that activates the fan. Jump back down to the ground and stand next to C2. Pick it up, and for the final time, launch yourself to the middle platform. Connect C2 to C1, and to the red node that will deactivate the shield blocking the path to the tetromino. Place it down on the pressure switch next to the switch you placed the fan on. The fan and C2 standing on their pressure switches will deactivate the shield at the top of the middle platform, allowing the laser to pass through and hit the node to deactivate the shield blocking the path to the tetromino. Jump down to walk over to the tetromino and claim your prize. That's how to solve the Conundrum Cascade in the new In the Beginning expansion that came with The Talos Principle: Reawakened. Deal of the Day Source: https://wccftech.com/how-to/the-talos-principle-reawakened-in-the-beginning-conundrum-cascade-puzzle-guide/ #the #talos #principle #reawakened #beginning #conundrum #cascade #puzzle #guide

There is a lot to love in Andor. It is a dense show, a big show, one that is filled with fascinatingly layered characters worth diving deep into, twisting plotlines that hold a mirror up to our world and the galaxy far, far away alike. It’s a show that, in spite of a certain reputation in contrast to other Star Wars stories, is filled with little nods to the franchise’s history old and new. But right now, at least in our moment of interest, it’s a show where Cassian Andor’s blaster pistol goes vuh-weeeeee. Just like Andor more broadly, there’s also a lot to love about Cassian’s blaster pistol. It’s a MW-20 Bryar pistol, itself one of those aforementioned little nods: the design is heavily inspired by the legendary K-16 Bryar pistol wielded by Kyle Katarn in the Star Wars video game series Dark Forces, a character with intriguing parallels to Cassian even beyond the latter in part subsuming the role of the former in modern continuity. It’s a good-looking gun design even beyond that legacy, just a flat wedge of weaponry with a handle attached—different enough to Han’s iconic DL-44 but in that sort of vein, that excellent Star Wars mix of looking just askance to a real-world gun but with a greebled, sci-fi layer. It also does a little flippy-thing with the body of the blaster that’s very cool, which brings us to that sound. The vuh-weeeeeewith incredible sound design, it’s maybe one of Andor‘s best additions to the auditory canon. It’s subtle, but pointed, a layer of Cassian’s intimidation whenever he pulls the pistol out to point at someone. Star Wars guns don’t need cocking or reloading like some actual weapons do; a blaster bolt is superheated gas condensed into a shard of pure energy. Maybe that’s the gas being primed, maybe the chamber is re-filling the flow of tibanna ready to be charged up and fired. Honestly I don’t really care to know, because while the internal mechanics of a MW-20 Bryar blaster pistol might be cool, but they’re kind of not the point. © Lucasfilm The vuh-weeeeeeka-chunk noise too, presumably of that spinning section locking back into place on the blaster, but it’s the vuh-weeeeee that really sticks in your ear, this high-pitched little whine. In Andor Cassian is the kind of man who rarely pulls out a blaster pistol to not use it: from Skeen to Cloris, when the bryar’s broken out, he means business. You hear that ka-chunk, as it settles into a vuh-weeeeee, and you know Cassian’s good to go, and that somebody’s probably about to get a bolt put through them. This high strung, intense little noise is not unlike the wielder of the weapon that makes it. After all, what is Cassian Andor if not a primed bolt of pure energy, ready to go off at a moment’s notice, ready to be aimed in the direction of something and fired at it for maximum effect? All it takes is a ka-chunk, then a vuh-weeeeee, and he’s ready to burn a hole through the structures of power he’s rebelling against. Perhaps all that’s true. But maybe it’s also just true that vuh-weeeeee sounds cool as hell, and in a show already bursting with so many ideas and details, at the end of the day, you also just need a bunch of cool spacey noises. Andor is all that character work, all that symbolism and commentary, but it’s also the vuh-weeeeee. And it wouldn’t quite be Star Wars if it wasn’t both. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. Source: https://gizmodo.com/andor-cassian-bryar-pistol-sound-star-wars-2000601838 #love #when #cassians #blaster #does #the #thing

President Donald Trump is considering using a Qatari Boeing 747-8 given as a gift as Air Force One while the new presidential jet faces delays.The ruling family of Qatar gifted the US president the $400 million luxury jumbo jet, and Trump said he would "never be one to turn down that kind of offer."The potential plane deal faced pushback from critics and even some Trump allies over security concerns and the legal and ethical issues associated with using a foreign-origin aircraft as Air Force One, the president's airborne command center.Besides Air Force One, the presidential fleet includes other fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft depending on the mission. Presidential aircraft fleet A VC-25A aircraft and a VH-3D Sea King helicopter taxi following former President Joe Biden's sendoff ceremony at Joint Base Andrews. US Air Force photo by Hayden Hallman Air Force One is a call sign that refers to any US Air Force aircraft transporting the president, though it is commonly recognized by its blue-and-white livery.The Air Force has two "specially configured" Boeing 747-200B jets that are primarily used as Air Force One. The VC-25A aircraft is uniquely modified to serve as an airborne command-and-control center for the president, staff, and guests with the same level of safety and security as the White House.Other than the number of passengers it can carry, the main differences between the VC-25 and the standard Boeing 747 include more advanced electronic and communications equipment, a self-contained baggage loader, and the capability for in-flight refueling.The VC-25 also has a rest area and mini-galley for the aircrew, six passenger lavatories, and a compartment with medical supplies and equipment for minor in-flight emergencies. Marine One Nighthawk 46 arrives for the 46th president's send-off ceremony at Joint Base Andrews. US Air Force photo by Hayden Hallman For shorter distance trips, especially to and from the White House, the president flies in Marine One, which includes military helicopters like the VH-3D Sea King and the VH-60N White Hawk.In service for nearly five decades, both military helicopters are set to be phased out and fully replaced with modernized rotary-wing aircraft, the VH-92A.The next-generation Marine One is designed to be a militarized variant of the Sikorsky VH-92 Patriot. Other aircraft An 89th Airlift Wing C-40 and C-37 sit near UH-1N Iroquois helicopters and a C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Andrews. US Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace/RELEASED The presidential fleet also includes other fixed-wing aircraft besides the modified 747. The C-32A, a modified Boeing 757-200, is better suited for smaller airports or low-profile missions.The C-40, based on the Boeing 737, can be used to fly the president but is more often used for Cabinet members or other VIP individuals.Based on General Dynamics' Gulfstream long-range business jets, the C-37 is used to transport high-ranking government and Defense Department officials for worldwide missions. 'Next Air Force One' An artist rendering of the "Next Air Force One," the VC-25B, which will succeed the current Air Force One, VC-25A. Courtesy rendering/US Air Force The two planes currently being used as Air Force One have been in service for nearly four decades. They are set to be replaced by a modernized variant dubbed the "Next Air Force One."Officially designated the VC-25B, the new presidential aircraft is set to feature "electrical power upgrades, a mission communication system, a medical facility, an executive interior, a self-defense system, and autonomous ground operations capabilities," according to an Air Force release.The two future VC-25B jets were initially scheduled to be fielded in 2024, but supply chain issues and shifting requirements could postpone their delivery to 2029.Facing pressure from the White House to have the new aircraft ready before Trump leaves office in January 2029, the Air Force and Boeing are aiming to have the new aircraft delivered by 2027, according to Darlene Costello, the Air Force's principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition, technology, and logistics. A 'security nightmare' US President Donald Trump's motorcade is parked next to a Qatari Boeing 747 on the tarmac of Palm Beach International Airport. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images An Air Force official told Air and Space Forces Magazine that the service is coordinating with the White House and Boeing "to further define the requirements and acceleration options while ensuring we provide a safe, secure, and reliable aircraft for the president."Trump has previously expressed his frustration with receiving the next-generation Air Force One, suggesting earlier this year that he may seek "alternatives, because it's taking Boeing too long."Despite the backlash, the president doubled down on his proposal to use the Qatari jet as Air Force One, saying he doesn't plan on using it after his term and would donate it to a future presidential library."I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane,'" Trump told reporters Monday.Though free in cost, there's still a major cost to overhaul and retrofit the plane with the strict security requirements needed to serve as Air Force One."Along with the obvious ethical and legal issues, a $400M gifted luxury jet is not Air Force One," US Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut wrote on X. "Retrofitting a plane from Qatar would create huge costs & a security nightmare that would impede the work underway to deliver the actual AF1 by 2027." Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-one-aircraft-trump-boeing-747-2025-5 #see #the #us039s #presidential #aircraft #fleet #that #trump #wants #add #with #million #gift

Try, try again SpaceX test-fires Starship for an all-important next flight A notice to mariners suggests SpaceX's next Starship test flight could launch as soon as May 21. Stephen Clark – May 13, 2025 6:33 pm | 0 Starship's six Raptor engines fired for about 60 seconds Monday on a test stand in South Texas. Credit: SpaceX Starship's six Raptor engines fired for about 60 seconds Monday on a test stand in South Texas. Credit: SpaceX Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more SpaceX fired six Raptor engines on the company's next Starship rocket Monday, clearing a major hurdle on the path to launch later this month on a high-stakes test flight to get the private rocket program back on track. Starship ignited its Raptor engines Monday morning on a test stand near SpaceX's Starbase launch facility in South Texas. The engine ran for approximately 60 seconds, and SpaceX confirmed the test-firing in a post on X: "Starship completed a long duration six-engine static fire and is undergoing final preparations for the ninth flight test." SpaceX hasn't officially announced a target launch date, but maritime warnings along Starship's flight path over the Gulf of Mexico suggest the launch might happen as soon as next Wednesday, May 21. The launch window would open at 6:30 pm local time (7:30 pm EDT; 23:30 UTC). If everything goes according to plan, Starship is expected to soar into space and fly halfway around the world, targeting a reentry and controlled splashdown into the Indian Ocean. After Monday's successful static fire test, SpaceX is in the final stretch of preparations for Starship's ninth full-scale test flight. Last month, SpaceX test-fired the rocket's massive booster stage, known as Super Heavy. The Super Heavy booster assigned to the next Starship launch will become the first that SpaceX will reuse from a previous test flight. This, alone, is a significant step for the Starship program. SpaceX wants the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage to become rapidly reusable, eventually operating more like an airplane than a legacy rocket. The booster slated to launch on Flight 9 made its first flight in January, when it soared to the edge of space, released SpaceX's Starship upper stage, and returned to the launch pad, where it was caught in mid-air by heavy-duty mechanical arms. SpaceX will again try to catch the Super Heavy booster on Flight 9. Righting the ship While reusing the first stage is a noteworthy milestone, the next flight is important for another reason. SpaceX's last two Starship test flights ended prematurely when the rocket's upper stage lost power and spun out of control, dropping debris into the sea near the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. With Flight 9, SpaceX hopes to get the Starship program back on track. The company aimed for as many as 25 Starship test flights this year, but will now likely fall short of that number. Near-term goals beyond Flight 9 include returning Starship from low-Earth orbit to the launch site, with a tower catch similar to the one SpaceX used to recover the Super Heavy booster. Then, SpaceX will begin flight experiments with an in-space refueling system to transfer super-cold liquid propellants between two Starships in orbit. This is an important milestone for NASA, which has a contract with SpaceX worth more than $4 billion to develop a version of Starship for landing humans on the Moon. To do that, SpaceX must launch around 10 Starship refueling tankers—the exact number remains unclear—to gas up the Moon-bound Starship lander before it can depart low-Earth orbit. SpaceX founder Elon Musk also wants Starship to fly to Mars, which will, likewise, require a mastery of in-space refueling. NASA may also soon rely on Starship and other massive commercial rockets to launch astronauts from Earth. The Trump administration has proposed canceling NASA's Space Launch System rocket after two more flights in favor of lower-cost commercial options. Starship's black heat shield tiles are visible here during the rocket's static fire test on Monday morning. Before any of this becomes possible, SpaceX must prove it has overcome the setbacks encountered on the two previous test flights. Both flights failed at roughly the same time—approximately eight minutes after liftoff—near the end of the ship's engine firing. SpaceX investigators, working under the oversight of the Federal Aviation Administration, determined the Starship test flight in January failed after propellant leaks led to fires in the rocket's aft compartment, or attic. This led to the early shutdown of the rocket's engines and eventual breakup. Engineers concluded the leaks were most likely caused by vibrations during the ship's climb into space. The vibrations were in resonance with the vehicle's natural frequency, intensifying the shaking beyond the levels SpaceX predicted. For the next test flight on March 6, SpaceX made changes to the ship's feed lines routing fuel to its Raptor engines, made adjustments to propellant temperatures, and flew the engines at a new throttle setting. But that didn't solve the problem. Once again, Starship's engines cut off too early, and the rocket broke apart before falling to Earth. SpaceX said "an energetic event" in the aft portion of Starship resulted in the loss of several Raptor engines, followed by a loss of attitude control and a loss of communications with the ship. The similarities between the two failures suggest a likely design issue with the upgraded "Block 2" version of Starship, which debuted in January and flew again in March. Starship Block 2 is slightly taller than the ship SpaceX used on the rocket's first six flights, with redesigned flaps, improved batteries and avionics, and notably, a new fuel feed line system for the ship's Raptor vacuum engines. SpaceX has not released the results of the investigation into the Flight 8 failure, and the FAA hasn't yet issued a launch license for Flight 9. Likewise, SpaceX hasn't released any information on the changes it made to Starship for next week's flight. What we do know about the Starship vehicle for Flight 9—designated Ship 35—is that it took a few tries to complete a full-duration test-firing. SpaceX completed a single-engine static fire on April 30, simulating the restart of a Raptor engine in space. Then, on May 1, SpaceX aborted a six-engine test-firing before reaching its planned 60-second duration. Videos captured by media observing the test showed a flash in the engine plume, and at least one piece of debris was seen careening out of the flame trench below the ship. SpaceX ground crews returned Ship 35 to the production site a couple of miles away, perhaps to replace a damaged engine, before rolling Starship back to the test stand over the weekend for Monday's successful engine firing. Now, the ship will head back to the Starbase build site, where technicians will make final preparations for Flight 9. These final tasks may include loading mock-up Starlink broadband satellites into the ship's payload bay and touchups to the rocket's heat shield. These are two elements of Starship that SpaceX engineers are eager to demonstrate on Flight 9, beyond just fixing the problems from the last two missions. Those failures prevented Starship from testing its satellite deployer and an upgraded heat shield designed to better withstand scorching temperatures up to 2,600° Fahrenheit (1,430° Celsius) during reentry. Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 0 Comments Source: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/05/spacex-test-fires-starship-for-an-all-important-next-flight/ #spacex #testfires #starship #for #allimportant #next #flight

Table of Contents Table of Contents Another step toward a true Sonos alternative Between HomePod and Era 100 Still no AirPlay Tomorrow, Wiim will announce its first wireless speaker, the Wiim Sound. It looks like a lot like Apple’s HomePod, with an almost cylindrical shape that’s wrapped in a fabric grille and topped with a set of touch controls. But the detail that will likely get the most attention is its built-in, 1.8-inch circular touchscreen. The hi-res screen offers the same album displays and controls as the one on the front of the Wiim Ultra, the company’s flagship network music streamer. As with all of Wiim’s products, its core feature set is designed to work seamlessly with the rest of the affordable Wiim ecosystem, giving Sonos owners even more reason to make a switch. Recommended Videos The Wiim Sound is set to debut at High End Munich 2025, an audiophile-centric audio show in Germany. Wiim hasn’t released pricing or specific availability yet, noting only that the Wiim Sound will arrive in “Q3 2025 on Amazon and at select retailers.” For now, it’s only available in black. Related Wiim The Wiim Sound isn’t the first Wiim-compatible wireless speaker. Earlier in 2025, the company announced it had partnered with Swedish brand, Audio Pro to create Wiim Edition versions of its A10 Mk II and C10 Mk II wireless speakers, which can be discovered and controlled natively within the Wiim Home app. However, the Wiim Sound marks an important milestone in the company’s evolution as it begins to build out an ecosystem of in-house designed products that let it compete more directly with Sonos. It’s not difficult to imagine that Wiim will continue this expansion, eventually working its way into the rest of Sonos’ categories, such as soundbars, Bluetooth speakers, and possibly headphones. Wiim Physically, the Wiim Sound straddles the line between the Apple HomePod and the Sonos Era 100. Its footprint (5.7 x 5.7 inches) is almost exactly the same as the HomePod, while its height, at 7.5 inches is slightly taller than the Era 100 (7.18 inches). The presence of the circular touchscreen will no doubt renew speculation about Apple’s next HomePod, which has been widely rumored to include some kind of display. Internally, the Wiim Sound is much closer to Sonos’ speaker, with a 4-inch woofer and two balanced-mode radiator (BMR) tweeters. Thanks to those dual tweeters, Wiim says the Sound can reproduce two-channel stereo, though like the Era 100, getting true stereo separation may be tricky. Wiim hasn’t revealed the amplifier layout details, but it claims there’s 100 watts of combined power on tap. On the bottom of the speaker are ports for power, and 10/100 Ethernet, plus a 3.5mm jack for analog inputs. Wireless connectivity is supported by both Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Wiim calls the Sound a smart speaker, but since there’s no built-in mic and no native voice assistant, that might be stretching the term. You can, however, use it as Amazon Alexa device via the included voice remote. For the Wiim Sound, the company has created a modified version of it Siri-remote clone, the Wiim Voice Remote 2. Alternatively, the Wiim Sound is compatible with Google Assistant and can respond to those voice commands if you own an Assistant-capable smartphone or other device. As with the rest of Wiim’s ecosystem, the Wiim Sound has an impressive array of streaming and EQ features, including: Hi-res audio support up to 24-bit/192 kHz Chromecast (Google Cast), Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, DLNA, or Alexa Cast 24 preset EQ profiles, a 10-band graphic equalizer, and an optional parametric EQ interface Room correction via a smartphone running the Wiim Home app You can control the Wiim Sound as part of a larger multiroom audio system within the Wiim Home app. This includes grouping the Sound with other Wiim components for synchronized playback as well as the ability to stereo-pair two Wiim Sounds. Interestingly, a single Wiim Sound can be used as center channel speaker, or two can be used as surround speakers within a 5.1 configuration. To do this, you’ll need a 5.1 source of sound — either a 5.1 audio recording that lives in your personal library on your home network, or from a TV plugged into one of Wiim’s HDMI-ARC compatible devices (Wiim Ultra, Wiim Amp, Wiim Amp Pro). For reasons known only to Wiim and Apple, the Wiim Sound is now the third Wiim streaming product to launch without support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 wireless streaming protocol. When the Wiim Ultra debuted without AirPlay, it was believed to be a temporary omission — one that would be rectified with a firmware update. This failed to happen, and then Wiim launched the Amp Pro, also without AirPlay. While AirPlay is a useful feature for iPhone users, letting them stream audio on their home Wi-Fi networks from any any app that supports it, its popularity among Wiim’s users is unclear. AirPlay 2 introduces lossy compression, which audiophiles consider an unacceptable tradeoff. Moreover, the trend toward streaming apps building their own version of AirPlay (Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect) plus the availability of Google Cast, reduces the need for AirPlay under most circumstances. Even on an iPhone when streaming Apple Music, Bluetooth can serve as an acceptable AirPlay alternative on Wiim’s products. Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/exclusive-wiims-first-wireless-speaker-takes-on-apple-and-sonos/ #exclusivethis #wiims #first #wireless #speaker

True emotional attunement involves about noticing, responding and showing up when it counts. Here ... More are three things emotionally responsive partners do.getty Some individuals are naturally more attuned to their partner’s emotional cues. They notice changes in tone, body language or energy prior to being explicitly told that something’s wrong. Sometimes it’s a pause, a sigh or a shorter reply than usual. Others rely more on direct communication, expecting their partner to verbalize what they need. They may think, “If it’s important, they’ll tell me.” While it’s impossible and unrealistic to expect a partner to read your mind, emotional attunement supplements healthy, overt communication. Without it, there may be disconnects in otherwise stable relationships. One partner may interpret the other’s lack of responsiveness as indifference, while the other may simply not realize anything is amiss. And that’s where most people get it wrong — not because they don’t care, but because they’re looking for something more direct. Being emotionally receptive isn’t about fixing things for the other person or reading minds. It’s about tuning in. Here are three signs you’re emotionally in tune with your partner, making them feel truly seen, heard and cared for. 1. You Notice Subtle Changes In Their Nonverbal Cues Most people think emotional support means always saying the right thing. But in relationships, it often starts with recognition. Noticing a shift in your partner’s energy, or picking up on a silence that wasn’t there yesterday. How you respond in that moment — whether you lean in, pull back or overlook it — shapes how emotionally safe your relationship feels. A 2023 review published in Current Opinion in Psychology highlights how perceived partner responsiveness is a core component of emotional intimacy. When individuals feel that their partner understands, validates and cares for their internal experience, especially during everyday interactions, they’re more likely to feel secure and satisfied in the relationship. That responsiveness often begins with something as simple as noticing when the mood shifts. At the same time, nonverbal communication isn’t always clear. Another 2023 study published in Perspectives on Psychological Science cautions against the assumption that facial expressions or body language reliably convey emotional truth. According to the researchers, nonverbal cues are highly context-dependent and shaped by individual, cultural and relational factors. In other words, tuning in emotionally is less about decoding signals and more about staying attentive to changes within the patterns you’ve come to understand over time. Noticing a shift is only the first step. What you do next — how you respond to that shift — matters just as much. 2. You Validate Their Emotions Instead Of Minimizing Or Fixing Emotional receptivity isn’t limited to noticing when something is wrong. It also involves creating space for it without trying to control or dismiss it. When your partner expresses frustration, sadness or discomfort, the instinct might be to offer a solution or downplay the issue. But often, what they need most is to feel seen and heard. Offering validation means acknowledging what your partner is feeling without judgment or immediate redirection. It’s the difference between saying, “You shouldn’t feel that way,” and saying, “That sounds really difficult.” The first creates defensiveness. The second builds trust. This emotional availability also hinges on how a partner manages their own reactions during stressful moments. A 2020 study published in Emotion followed over 100 couples across 12 months and found that individuals with either highly inert or highly erratic emotional patterns were consistently perceived as less responsive by their partners. These perceptions, in turn, predicted steeper declines in relationship satisfaction. In other words, when someone struggles to respond to emotional cues in a balanced, context-sensitive way, either by shutting down or overreacting, it becomes harder for their partner to feel supported. Validation, then, is not just about what you say. It’s about how well your emotional presence matches the moment. Imagine you come home after a brutal day. You’re drained and frustrated. You sit down, and your partner, still in their own rhythm, says, “Can you help me with something real quick?” You say, “I’m really tired.” They don’t slow down. They stay upbeat, maybe a little impatient. “You’ll feel better if you get up. It’ll only take a second.” They mean well. But they haven’t shifted. They’re still in task mode while you’re barely holding it together. That kind of mismatch — where one person’s emotional state doesn’t adjust to the other’s — doesn’t just lead to hurt feelings. It leads to a partner feeling unseen, unsupported and eventually, disconnected. The fix isn’t dramatic. It starts with emotional awareness. It helps to pause long enough to register where your partner is emotionally and adjust your energy to meet that moment. If they seem overwhelmed, it might mean softening your tone, holding off on a request or simply saying, “You seem worn out. Want to sit for a bit?” This doesn’t require suppressing your own needs. It means making space for theirs too, especially in moments when they can’t carry both. Over time, these small adjustments signal something big: I care about you. I see where you are and I’m adjusting because I want you to feel seen. This willingness to shift and respond instead of react is at the heart of emotional responsiveness. 3. You Adjust To Meet Their Emotional Needs In The Moment Emotional support is often visible in our actions, through intentional shifts in energy, tone and timing. Receptive partners make small adjustments in real time based on what the other person seems to need. It could be pausing a story because your partner looks overwhelmed, skipping the joke when they’re quiet or holding off on a conversation when they’re not in a space to engage. None of this is about walking on eggshells. It’s about reading the room and respecting it. This kind of moment-to-moment flexibility, grounded in what the other person appears to need, is strongly linked to healthier relationships. A 2020 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science reviewed data from over 43,000 individuals across 174 studies and found that psychological flexibility — the ability to stay present and adjust behavior in emotionally challenging moments — is associated with greater relationship satisfaction, lower conflict and stronger emotional support. In contrast, inflexibility, or sticking to your own emotional rhythm regardless of your partner’s state, is linked to disconnection and higher levels of negative interaction. This kind of flexibility isn’t a path to losing yourself. It simply means recognizing that emotional needs aren’t always aligned in a given moment and choosing to respond accordingly. Partners who consistently do this are often described as easy to be around. Not because they avoid conflict, but because they create a sense of emotional safety. Their presence feels responsive, rather than rigid. The most responsive partners aren’t the ones who always get it right. They’re the ones who choose to be in tune with their partner, consistently and intentionally. Do you find your partner emotionally responsive? Take the science-backed Perceived Responsiveness Scale to find out. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2025/05/13/3-signs-youre-an-emotionally-responsive-partner-by-a-psychologist/ #signs #youre #emotionally #responsive #partner #psychologist

"We're excited to become a clinical-stage biotech company; it's exciting from an AI drug discovery standpoint," says Absci founder and CEO Sean McClain. AbsciArtificial intelligence has been working its way into the drug development process for years now, but with little to show so far in revamping the notoriously burdensome process. While drugs are being developed using AI in a variety of ways, no drugs developed completely by AI, from start to finish, have so far made it over the finish line of regulatory approval. For that reason, every attempt by an AI drug to get approval is a landmark of sorts. Tuesday, drug development startup Absci, based in Vancouver, Washington, announced such a landmark, the beginning of a Phase I clinical trial for a therapy it built from scratch using generative AI to treat irritable bowel disease. The company announced it has "dosed" the first patients in Phase I trials, meaning, administering doses of its drug, ABS-101, to healthy volunteers. "This is a very big milestone for the company," said Sean McClain, founder and CEO of Absci, in a conversation with me via Google Meet Tuesday afternoon."We're excited to become a clinical-stage biotech company; it's exciting from an AI drug discovery standpoint," he said.Phase I is the first of three phases in a proposed drug's clinical trial process that must be completed in order for the drug to be considered for approval by regulators (the Food & Drug Administration in the US). The purpose of Phase I is to prove that no adverse side effects result from the drug being put into humans for the first time.  Absci describes the process:The Phase 1 (ACTRN12625000212459p) randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, first-in-human study of single ascending doses of ABS-101 will evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) in healthy volunteers. The study is expected to enroll approximately 40 healthy adult participants. The primary endpoint is safety and tolerability, with PK, PD, and immunogenicity serving as secondary endpoints. The Phase 1 interim data readout is expected in the second half of 2025. Absci has used AI to dramatically streamline the drug development and pre-clinical process, known as the "front end" of drug development, where the discovery of drugs happens, and the initial validation using in vitro and in vivo animal models, before being put into human subjects. ABS-101 was developed from scratch and brought to the clinic in just 24 months, and at a cost of $15 million."Because of AI, we got to the clinic in roughly half the time, from five years to just over 24 months," McClain told me, "and with an order-of-magnitude less cost, $15 million to get this asset into the clinic versus what typically costs $50 to $100 million.Absci's AI-driven software tools, combined with its own wet lab, are a virtual reinvention of laboratory procedures.The company uses generative AI "to predict antibodies from scratch that can bind to a target of interest," McClain said. Traditionally, scientists in a wet lab would use an animal's immune system to generate an antibody. With generative AI, the antibody can be created as a computer model.Absci's ABS-101 is the first drug the company has ever brought to the clinic after over a decade spent on fundamental computer work and wet lab work. It is the company's lead drug candidate in its pipeline of drugs. The novel ABS-101 antibody, developed using generative AI, binds to the TL1A protein in immune cells whose over-expression has been linked to a variety of inflammatory autoimmune diseases.  Absci AbsciNot only did AI cut time and costs, but it has brought other novel advantages, said Christian Stegmann, the company's head of drug development, on the same call."Others have brought antibodies to the clinic that have had shortcomings, which we've tried to address," he said. A big issue has been that prior therapies "lead the patient to develop anti-drug antibodies, which can lead the patients to needing to switch treatments." The ABS-101, he said, is intended to have "reduced immunogenicity risk" by design, which will hopefully mean less drug resistance.In addition, the AI techniques allowed the company to go immediately to a "subcutaneous" method of administering the dose, rather than via a drip into the vein, as is standard in Phase I trials. "That is unusual; it usually comes much later in clinical development settings," said Stegmann. Using a needle versus a drip is important because, ideally, the final drug will be self-administered by patients. If the drug is already being tried out via needle rather than drip, it brings the therapy that much closer to its final form. "That allows us to be quicker in the overall clinical development pipeline, and to gather data for the setting that is actually going to reach the market" in the drug's final form, assuming it is ultimately approved."This is an advantage of AI," McClain said, "this ability to model not just for affinity and potency, but also to optimize for the manufacturability and such -- to go to all the attributes you want in the first go-around; that really helps."The full Phase I clinical trial will extend well into next year, said McClain and Stegmann. Gathering results is somewhat longer than for other Phase I trials because ABS-101 was designed to extend the time between doses. That is a benefit for patients as it makes less frequent dosing (less frequent needle pricks) possible, but it means the trial takes longer to carry out those dosages. "We have a long half life we have to monitor for a while," explained Stegmann.Well before the completion of Phase I, later this year, McClain expects to have a meaningful "read-out" of initial data from the Phase I. "We are going to, in Phase I, understand important pieces [of the whole trial process], as well as confirming whether we see the extended half-life" of the dosage, said McClain. "We will also get a look at the immunogenicity profile; there will be a lot of good information, as far as being able to show the efficacy" of ABS-101.Because of the incremental data Absci will get later this year, they will know enough to seek approval for Phase II and begin recruiting subjects before the completion of Phase I. Phase II is where the intense work of measuring the drug's effectiveness takes place, said McClain. "It's fair to say we will be moving faster into Phase II" than might otherwise be the case, he said. After ABS-101, McClain's next candidate approaching clinical trials is ABS-201, which has two indications of note, one for treating hair loss in the form of alopecia, and another for endometriosis. ABS-201 is expected to enter a Phase I trial in the first half of next year, McClain said.By any measure, drug development needs an overhaul. Creating new drugs, or even repurposing old ones, comes with an enormous cost. A new drug takes, on average, 10 years to develop, from fundamental chemistry through clinical trials to regulatory approval. It can cost almost $3 billion, and the failure rate of most new drug candidates is 96%. There has been a lot of activity so far, without a breakthrough AI drug. The US Food & Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research received over 500 drug applications through 2023 that used some sort of "AI component," according to CDER's materials on AI in drug development. But, as Nature Magazine's Melanie Senior reported in December, "No AI-enabled drug candidate has yet made it past regulators, despite several being in clinical trials."Aside from Absci, a small cohort of startups have made progress getting into trials even if they don't yet have a clinical result. For example, BPGbio of Framingham, Mass., has a drug for pancreatic cancer, developed using AI approaches, that is working its way through Phase II clinical trials.  Beyond the results of ABS-101, and other trials, the goal of Absci is to ultimately "predict the biology." That means the company will seek to "actually start to predict where an antibody should bind to a target to give us the biological response that we want."Absci's stock is publicly traded on Nasdaq. The shares have defied a tough stock market this year, rising 12% versus a 2% decline for the Nasdaq Composite Index. After hours on Tuesday, as Absci issued its press release, the stock surged by as much as 25% in late trading. Featured Source: https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-ai-designed-drug-for-ibd-was-just-given-to-human-subjects-for-the-first-time/ #this #aidesigned #drug #for #ibd #was #just #given #human #subjects #the #first #time

Model of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel.’ Image © Thierry Stefanopoulos – La Cinémathèque française. All images courtesy of the Design Museum, London, shared with permission This Fall, 600+ Objects Spanning Wes Anderson’s Career Will Go on View at the Design Museum May 13, 2025 FilmHistory Kate Mothes From his earliest filmic experiments in the 1990s to international blockbusters, Wes Anderson has carved an instantly recognizable, unique, and much-memed cinematic niche. Muted hues, quirky characters, and a throwback sensibility bring off-the-wall, ensemble narratives to life. London’s Design Museum, in collaboration with la Cinémathèque française, presents the first retrospective of the film director’s creative output, from early releases like Bottle Rocket (1996) to more mainstream hits like The Darjeeling Limited (2007) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). Rat puppet, Arch Model Studio, from ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox.’ Photo by Richard Round-Turner, © the Design Museum Including more than 600 objects, most of which will go on display in Britain for the first time, the exhibition will showcase iconic set pieces, preparatory notes, puppets, and models from numerous films. Just a few highlights include a miniature motorcycle that belonged to Mr. Fox in the titular The Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Sam Shakuski’s Scout kit from Moonrise Kingdom (2012), and Anderson’s personal notebooks from The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). Wes Anderson: The Archives opens on November 21 and continues through July 26, 2026. Tickets are available now, and you can plan your visit on the Design Museum’s website. Vending machines, Atelier Simon Weisse, from ‘Asteroid City.’ Photo by Richard Round-Turner, © the Design Museum Miniature motorcycle of Mr. Fox, Arch Model Studio, from ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox.’ Photo by Richard Round-Turner, © the Design Museum Miniature model and train sign from ‘The Darjeeling Limited,’ and a blackboard depicting the Solar System from ‘Asteroid City.’ Photo by Richard Round-Turner, © the Design Museum Tracy’s puppet (detail), Arch Model Studio, from ‘Isle of Dogs.’ Photo by Richard Round-Turner, © the Design Museum Wes Anderson’s personal notebooks from ‘The Royal Tenenbaums.’ Photo by Roger Do Minh, © Wes Anderson Sam Shakuski’s Scout kit from ‘Moonrise Kingdom.’ Photo by Richard Round-Turner, © the Design Museum Next article Source: https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/05/wes-anderson-archives-exhibition/ #this #fall #objects #spanning #wes #andersons #career #will #view #the #design #museum

During Amazon’s recent annual upfront presentation, MGM+ and Prime Video unveiled a first-look image from Spider-Noir, coming in 2026. The live-action series is based on the Marvel “Spider-Man Noir” comic, which follows an aging and down on his luck private investigator in 1930s New York, who is forced to grapple with his past life as the city’s one and only superhero. The project will be available in both black and white and color. The cast includes Nicolas Cage, Lamorne Morris, Brendan Gleeson, Abraham Popoola, Li Jun Li, Karen Rodriguez, and Jack Huston. Guest stars include Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher, Michael Kostroff, Scott MacArthur, Joe Massingill, Whitney Rice, Amanda Schull, Andrew Caldwell, Amy Aquino, Andrew Robinson, and Kai Caster. Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag, Killing Eve) will direct and executive produce the first two episodes. Oren Uziel (The Lost City, 22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (Marvel’s The Punisher, Shantaram) will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Uziel and Lightfoot developed the series with the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse team of Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal. Lord and Miller executive produce for their shingle Lord Miller along with Aditya Sood and Dan Shear. Pascal will also serve as an executive producer via Pascal Pictures. Spider-Noir is produced by Sony Pictures Television exclusively for MGM+ and Prime Video. Hnedel Maximore serves as the visual effects supervisor for Amazon Studios. Spider-Noir will debut domestically on MGM+’s linear channel, then globally on Prime Video the next day. Source: Prime Video Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions. Source: https://www.awn.com/news/first-look-revealed-spider-noir-live-action-series #first #look #revealed #for #spidernoir #liveaction #series