Roblox is more than a multiplayer game: it has become a whole metaverse full of endless possibilities, both for users and for big companies. One of them, Walmart, has developed a new experience that will allow players to order physical items and have them delivered to their homes.
Announced in 2023, Walmart Discovered is the name of this experience, which stems from the collaboration between the retail chain and Roblox. Now, Walmart has announced that, starting today, players will be able to access the Walmart Discovered showcase. Here, virtual versions of currently sold physical items at Walmart will be displayed.
If a player wants to buy an item from the ones shown, a window will open within Roblox imitating a Walmart store and then they will be able to purchase it as if it were a “real” store.
From here on, the process to follow will not be very different from buying on Amazon. Players will have to enter their name, address, and credit card information so that the item can be delivered to their home.
Currently, the experience of buying at Walmart through Roblox is only available for players over 13 years old and residents in the United States. If the tests are successful, the possibility of developing similar experiences with shopping areas and physical deliveries would be opened.
Google would have been inspired by the Live Activities of the iPhone to bring widgets to the lock screen of phones with Android 15 through the widget “At a Glance”, as reported by Mishaal Rahman, an Android expert at Android Authority. To do this, the company would want to integrate the RemoteViews API, used by Android widgets, into the Smartspace API of At a Glance.
Although the idea sounds promising, Google would have to overcome several technical obstacles. The current version of At a Glance does not have enough space on the lock screen to display third-party widgets in full size, it can only extract the relevant information and display it in a summarized way. In addition, At a Glance is only available on Pixel devices on the lock screen, which limits its reach.
If Google wants to extend this functionality to other Android devices, it will have to collaborate with other manufacturers. One possible solution would be to reposition the At a Glance widget at the bottom of the lock screen, an idea that Google is considering, according to Rahman, who found clues to this possibility in the beta version of Android 15.
It is not clear if Google will introduce support for widgets similar to Live Activities in Android 15, but it is very likely to be a reality in future Android 16. Google is expected to provide more details about this and other features at the upcoming Google I/O conference.
Google Chrome has received a new update and among its improvements, we have found one that may be of great interest to users of this browser. To be exact, the main improvement brought by this update (M124) is the one that affects its address bar, called Omnibox by the Mountain View company, and therefore, to all of us who use it in our daily lives.
The way this is going to experience a substantial improvement is by making its users receive better recommendations through machine learning. In this way, we should start receiving more appropriate recommendations for what we need and search for. This novelty replaces the algorithms that the mentioned Chrome address bar used until now to offer its recommendations.
Google Chrome’s address bar suggestions are about to change forever
The previous operation of this Omnibox to display its recommendations was to use algorithms, which assigned scores to each recommendation, but this method is outdated for modern needs, according to the developers themselves. Therefore, this is the reason why the recommendations themselves have not changed for quite some time and what has led to the implementation of these machine learning models.
However, the scoring system remains, but with this new update, the score is reduced or increased based on the user’s actions, which will make Omnibox offer us more accurate and appropriate recommendations. In other words, now Google can “collect more recent signals, retrain, evaluate, and implement new models periodically over time,” as they indicate in their statement on the official Chromium blog.
The operation of this new method can be explained simply with this example: if we type in the address bar and enter a recommended address, but then immediately click on the bar again, Chrome will be aware that this page was not the one we were looking for and will lower its score. Therefore, that suggestion will appear further down in the recommendations, reaching a point where it may not even appear if its score is very low.
They have also talked about the future and the potential that this new method of machine learning has. For example, Chrome developers indicate that, possibly, in the future they will be able to “potentially incorporate new signals, such as differentiating between the time of day to improve relevance” so that we can have even more accurate recommendations. In addition, it is also indicated that they want to “explore training specialized versions of the model for particular environments: for example, mobile, business or academic users, or perhaps different locations”.
This new machine learning system for the Google Chrome address bar should already be active, as long as you have the latest version of the browser from Mountain View. If you don’t see any changes, we assume it’s just a matter of time before you start noticing the changes in your recommendations.
The Memory feature of ChatGPT is now available for all ChatGPT Plus subscribers outside of South Korea and Europe, as reported by The Verge. Announced in February, this new feature is aimed at improving the personalization of the popular OpenAI chatbot by allowing it to store long-term user queries, reminders, and preferences.
Although ChatGPT can remember details during an active conversation, this information disappears if enough time passes or if a new conversation is started. Memory works primarily in two ways: it allows users to indicate to ChatGPT to remember certain details and it also learns from conversations to provide more personalized responses to each user’s needs.
Once it memorizes the user’s preferences, Memory can automatically apply them in conversations with ChatGPT without the need for additional reminders. Since some people may be concerned about the chatbot storing their personal information, OpenAI ensures that users will always have control over which data is retained and used for model training.
Far from standing still, OpenAI has improved the Memory function during these months. Now, it will notify users when memories are updated and allow managing what ChatGPT retains. Among the usage examples shared by The Verge, it includes adapting the wording of meeting notes, generating content for social media based on previously provided information, or suggesting ideas for events such as birthday cards.
ChatGPT Memory Customization Options
At this time, OpenAI has not explained why Memory is not available in Europe or South Korea. The company plans to extend the feature to its ChatGPT Enterprise and Teams subscribers, as well as to custom GPTs from the GPT Store, although it has not specified when this will happen.
The introduction of Memory marks a significant step in the development of ChatGPT, positioning it as a more “intelligent” and personalized virtual assistant, although it also raises serious questions about privacy and the use of users’ personal data in AI training.
Digital should also consider the inherent complexities of technological development and the potential side effects of its policies. Ensuring that Europe remains a center of technological innovation is crucial.
In a recent opinion published yesterday, the European Union has designated Apple’s iPadOS operating system as a digital “gatekeeper” under the new Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations. This announcement is a continuation of the European regulatory trend of restricting the operations of technology companies and demanding certain changes that, now that they are already being applied to the iPhone, have generated more questions than answers regarding the future of innovation within the European Union.
By designating iPadOS as the gatekeeper, the European Commission imposes on Apple the obligation to open its ecosystem to changes that go beyond its control and its ability to offer a level of device integration that is unmatched in the market.
The most notable measure of these new requirements is that, if this decision is upheld, Apple will have to open the doors to alternative app stores. Some big companies, like Meta, have announced that they will not launch stores of this kind, but we have seen the arrival of one, the AltStore, which is already available on the iPhone.
The second measure is that, although we have been able to install alternative browsers on our iPad for years, now the system presents us with a list of options when configuring the device for the first time. A measure that has received criticism from the developers of these alternative browsers for preventing users from consulting information about the choice before making it, but in any case, a system to remind us that there are more browsers available.
Three reasons to justify the decision
Last September, the European Commission designated Apple as a gatekeeper under the new DMA regulations for its iPhone operating system, iOS, its web browser Safari, and its App Store. Simultaneously, the Commission initiated an investigation to determine whether they would decide that iPadOS should also be considered a gatekeeper.
The investigation has recently concluded, and according to the press release from the EU, it has been decided that iPadOS should be subject to the requirements of the DMA. The arguments put forward are that the number of business users exceeds the established threshold. While the number of users is close to the threshold without exceeding it, the EU argues that it is expected to increase in the future, which would justify its consideration as a gatekeeper.
In addition, the EU states that both individual users and business users are confined to using iPadOS due to Apple’s vast ecosystem, which discourages switching to other operating systems.
Are they good or bad news?
From an economic perspective, the imposition of these regulations raises the question of whether fair competition is truly being encouraged or if success is being penalized. Apple has built its platform through continuous innovation and a massive investment of time and resources.
Forcing the opening of its ecosystem could not only undermine its business model, but also send a worrying message to other technology companies about the risks of achieving significant success in Europe.
By imposing excessive restrictions and obligations, the EU could inadvertently discourage technology companies from operating within its borders, which in the long run could discourage investment and availability of products and services in the European market.
Finally, there is the question of whether the designation of iPadOS as a gatekeeper by the EU really achieves the goal of maintaining market competition. Although it is true that Apple enjoys its position, the imposed solution may not be proportional or suitable for fostering real competition. Rather, it could level the playing field artificially, which could ultimately harm both consumers and innovators.
Although the intentions of the European Commission to regulate digital markets and promote competition are understandable, the designation of iPadOS as a gatekeeper raises several questions about the effectiveness and repercussions of such measures. Regulatory intervention, although necessary in certain contexts, must be carefully balanced with the need to maintain an environment that fosters technological and economic innovation.
Ultimately, as the EU seeks to adjust the dynamics of the digital market, it should also consider the complexities inherent in technological development and the potential side effects of its policies. Ensuring that Europe remains a center of technological innovation requires not only regulations, but also a deep respect for the principles of market and competition that have so far allowed technology to flourish.
In recent years, Apple has reportedly managed to attract at least 36 professionals from Google with experience in artificial intelligence, according to an analysis of LinkedIn profiles conducted by Financial Times. Additionally, six of these former Google employees are listed as authors of an Apple research paper on multimodal language models, published last month.
Business Insiderhighlights that nine out of the 31 authors of the document had Google as their latest employer on LinkedIn, while two came from Microsoft. This talent migration is happening amidst intense competition among tech giants to strengthen their AI teams.
On the other hand, Google has managed to attract professionals like Logan Kilpatrick, who previously worked at OpenAI. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, has also tried to recruit AI researchers from Google, sending them personal emails. In addition, Microsoft hired Jason Taylor last week, a former Meta executive, to integrate him into their artificial intelligence supercomputing team as Corporate Vice President and Deputy Chief Technology Officer.
And this would only be the beginning. This month, Microsoft announced its plans to establish an AI hub in London, which would directly compete with Google DeepMind, and aims to hire “exceptional individuals” in the near future.
The competition is not limited only to big companies, as even startups want to hire recognized professionals in the field of AI to keep growing.
Mustafa Suleyman, the new CEO of Microsoft AI, described the current landscape as “hypercompetitive” at both ends of the business spectrum: “In small startups, everyone is very creative. And at the larger end, everyone competes fiercely.” This environment, Suleyman claims in an interview with Business Insider, makes this a “fiercely competitive” time to work in the technology industry.
The war for talent in artificial intelligence is a reflection of the strategic importance that companies assign to this area and the need to have the best professionals to stay at the forefront in a constantly evolving market.
When it was launched in early 2020, Google’s augmented reality search feature was a great help for some people.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the search for augmented reality (AR) went to Google’s graveyard. Earlier this year, Google laid off hundreds of AR hardware employees. The company also lost key leaders from its AR team last year and, according to insiders, shut down its AR glasses Project Iris in June.
When it was launched in early 2020, Google’s augmented reality search feature was a great help for some people stuck in COVID isolation, especially for those with children to entertain.
It started with animals like tigers, alligators, and real ducks, but Google added more creatures over time, such as dinosaurs and bugs. Eventually, the collection grew to include artifacts from NASA and fictional characters like Pac-Man, Hello Kitty, and even Pedro Pascal’s son, better known as Baby Yoda.
Some media outlets have asked Google to explain what is happening, but they have not received a response at this time. We will update the information if this changes.
Meanwhile, now might be a good time to go check out some AR animals – if they are still appearing on your phone… just in case.
Undoubtedly, we come to talk about news that is more than interesting in the field of artificial intelligence, and more specifically in the case of ChatGPT. As some of you may already know, OpenAI, the creators of the aforementioned chat, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the well-known media outlet Financial Times, and the objective of this is what we are going to tell you now.
As announced in the official statement shared by OpenAI, with this agreement, the two companies will work together to improve ChatGPT and provide it with attributed content. They also indicate that this collaboration will serve to incorporate Financial Times journalism into ChatGPT and develop new artificial intelligence products and features for the readers of the mentioned media, as stated in the press release.
OpenAI and Financial Times partner with this great deal
Therefore, “ChatGPT users will be able to see selected attributed summaries, quotes, and enriched links to FT journalism in response to relevant queries,” they indicate. The news doesn’t end there, as it has also been revealed that Financial Times employees use ChatGPT Enterprises, the enterprise version of OpenAI’s conversational AI chat. They use it to “benefit from the gains in creativity and productivity” provided by AI.
“The Financial Times is committed to human journalism, produced by our unparalleled newsroom, and this agreement will expand the reach of that work while deepening our understanding of readers’ demands and interests,” said John Ridding, CEO of the FT Group, in the statement.
“Apart from the benefits for the Financial Times, there are broader implications for the industry. It is correct, of course, that artificial intelligence platforms pay publishers for the use of their material. OpenAI understands the importance of transparency, attribution, and compensation, all of which are essential to us. At the same time, users clearly want these products to contain reliable sources,” he adds.
“Our partnership and ongoing dialogue with the Financial Times aims to find creative and productive ways for AI to empower news organizations and journalists, and enrich the ChatGPT experience with real-time world-class journalism for millions of people worldwide,” adds Brad Lightcap, COO of OpenAI.
In any case, this is a great advancement for ChatGPT to be able to offer more accurate information to its users, obtaining the most recent information and news through sources that are restricted for other competitors. That is, this type of agreements allows the mentioned chat to increasingly leave behind the practice of obtaining information from the web without any verified sources.
In fact, it is worth mentioning that OpenAI has reached content agreements with several news groups, such as the Spanish group Prisa Media or the French Le Monde. If this continues, it could ensure that the information is reliable and that the content creators (the corresponding media) are paid for their work, since without these types of agreements, the AI associated with Microsoft would continue to collect a large amount of data without any attribution or compensation.
Google has revealed that it prevented 2.28 million malicious apps from being published on the Play Store, the Android app store, during the year 2023. Among the data published by the company, it is included that nearly 200,000 apps were rejected or corrected to solve problems with access to confidential data, and that 333,000 malicious accounts were blocked in the app store for attempting to distribute malware or for repeatedly violating the platform’s policies.
In addition to preventing the publication of malicious apps, Google focused on protecting user privacy on a massive scale. This, according to Steve Kafka, Khawaja Shams, and Mohet Saxena from Google, included strategic partnerships with SDK providers to limit access and sharing of sensitive data, benefiting over 790,000 apps.
At the same time, Google strengthened the developer onboarding and review processes, requiring more identifying data and demanding that they complete a rigorous verification process when setting up their Play Console developer accounts.
In addition, Google introduced an “independent security review” badge in the data security section of the Play Store, providing users with an additional guarantee about the security of VPN apps that have undergone a mobile application security assessment (MASA) audit.
Google also acted in favor of users by removing approximately 1.5 million apps from the Play Store that were not adapted to the latest APIs, a measure that ensures that users only have access to secure and updated apps.
Google’s fight against digital wrongdoers is not limited to technical actions, but also involves legal actions. This month, the company filed a lawsuit in the United States against two Chinese scammers for their involvement in an online fraud scheme that involved downloading fake apps from the Play Store to steal funds from users.
Another Crab’s Treasure is a Dark Souls-style game that invites us to step into the shoes of the most unlikely hero of the ocean: a hermit crab.
If there is a trend in the world of video games that everyone imitates, it is that of From Software. Everyone wants to make their own soulslike. The game that is like a Dark Souls, but with a little twist of their own. The reality is that it seems that no one knows how to do it gracefully. Practically all attempts so far have been disappointing, showing that From Software has something special. Unique. That, or other studios have limited themselves to copying where they should be inspired.
Because, recently, a small indie study has shown that it is possible to make a soulslike with personality and that truly feels satisfying. Not as a mere copy, but something else. Because at Aggro Crab, when they decided to make their indie soulslike, they decided to follow the path that no one had followed: that of parody.
Another Crab’s Treasure puts us in the shoes of a hermit crab, named Kril, who one day is told that he has a huge debt with the baroness who controls those lands. Because he has been unintentionally evading taxes, his house and shell are expropriated, and Kril decides to go to the ocean to discuss with the baroness the possibility of recovering his house. But between the baroness’ refusal to return his shell and the environmental pollution that is destroying and driving the other animals crazy, Kril will become the unlikely hero that the ocean needs.
One of the main charms of Another Crab’s Treasure is that it is a delightful game with a great sense of humor. It has constant wordplay, visual jokes, and a fair amount of slapstick, making it an excellent comedy game. But all of this is enhanced when we accept that, in addition, it is a parody of the Souls games. It looks at them with as much admiration as affection, not allowing itself to be trapped by their influence.
By parody here we don’t mean satire. A parody doesn’t have to be mocking; it can simply imitate what is being parodied, giving it a twist. Which is the case of Another Crab’s Treasure. A game where deranged knights attack us from so far away that it takes almost ten seconds for them to reach us. Huge shells allow us to level up or travel between them. Or in general, characters give us cryptic references and the game invites us to think about it through the environmental narrative that Dark Souls integrated so well into the collective unconscious.
In fact, Another Crab’s Treasure, at its core, is a soulslike. If you know the button configuration of any From Software game, you know the one of Another Crab’s Treasure. Instead of souls, there are microplastics, instead of bonfires, there are magical shells. But there is one thing that sets the game apart. The shells.
As Kril is a hermit crab, it doesn’t wear armor, but different shells. To protect ourselves, we will have to hide inside it, which will cause structural damage. If it suffers too much, our shell will break. In addition, each shell has its own associated magical power, which we can use by spending umami, making the selection of the shell an important strategic element. We not only want the shell with the most defense for its weight, but we also have to consider how we are going to play and what spells each one offers us.
Another thing that sets it apart from From Software games is its platforming. With many jumping sections, with a Sekiro-style grappling hook, in the game we will have to do a lot of platforming throughout its 12-15 hours. The problem is that the jumps are usually very tight and the controls are not always perfect, making some of these sections a bit more complex. Although never anything so important as to be serious.
In addition, this is a game by Aggro Crab. An indie studio of 12 people. It is normal for it not to have the same finesse as a game by From Software, a studio of 288 people with 28 years of experience. Its small control frictions and slightly crazy jumps are a logical price to pay for the wonderfulness of the rest of the game.
Because Another Crab’s Treasure can say something that most soulslikes can’t: it has personality. It wants to talk about capitalism, the environment, what it means to have a home. It wants to have a dark touch, but it wants to be a cute, fun, and funny game; sometimes even with a quite dark humor, reminiscent of Monty Python. Because it’s not just another attempt to be Dark Souls. It’s something else. And something that any Souls fan, who wants a true twist on the concept, should try.
Another Crab’s Treasure is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PC, and GamePass. And it is the perfect game to alleviate the wait until the arrival of the Elden Ring expansion.
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
