Month: May 2024

That’s Million Dollar Secret, the new show on Netflix

“Forget about calling a friend: the only person you can trust in Million Dollar Secret is yourself“. That’s how Netflix describes its new contest, which starts when one of the 12 participants receives a one million dollar prize at the beginning of the first episode.

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Throughout the eight episodes that make up the series, participants must eliminate the “secret millionaire” to have the opportunity to keep their money. Every time a millionaire is eliminated, the money will go to another contestant. Because here, only one can remain standing.

The famous actor and comedian Peter Serafinowicz will be the one leading the way as the presenter of the format. And if his name doesn’t ring a bell, his face might: we’ve seen him in movies as famous as Shaun of the Dead, Grindhouse, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Million Dollar Secret is directed by the same team that created Squid Game: The Challenge. According to The Verge, the latter holds the honor of being the 15th most-watched program on Netflix during the second half of 2023, reaching over 33 million views.

Netflix defines Million Dollar Secret as a game of strategy and alliances: “If you attack too soon, you will become the target, but if you fail, you will lose all hope of collecting the money. And if the millionaire goes too far, he can get rid of the money to survive one more day in the competition. In this ruthless game of high-risk strategy, alliances can change in the blink of an eye.”

For now, Netflix has not confirmed when the contest will arrive on the platform, but it is probably closer than we think.

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Sam Altman could be about to destroy OpenAI’s mission

The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, is considering restructuring the maker of ChatGPT to focus on becoming a profitable company.

Sam Altman has spoken about turning OpenAI into a regular for-profit company, according to a report by The Information on Wednesday, citing a person who had spoken with Altman about the matter.

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Unlike most companies, OpenAI says it operates as a “limited-profit company”, with its for-profit arm governed by a non-profit organization. Elon Musk has already denounced the company for changing course and betraying its principles.

The company announced in a blog post in March 2019 that it was transitioning from being a typical non-profit organization to better pursue its mission of building safe artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the world.

A policy change that may explain why Sam Altman was fired

Altman’s leadership of this new AI company backed by Microsoft has not been without controversy. In November, Altman was briefly removed after the former OpenAI board claimed that he “had not always been honest in his communications” with them.

“For years, Sam made the work of the board of directors very difficult by hiding information, distorting what was happening in the company, and in some cases, lying directly,” said Helen Toner, former member of the OpenAI board, in an interview on the podcast ‘The TED AI Show’ that aired on Tuesday.

Toner said that Altman was a deceptive figure who lied and concealed information from the board on “multiple” occasions. According to Toner, the OpenAI board knew nothing about the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.

Instead, the board only found out about the existence of the chatbot, like everyone else, when news of its launch began to spread on Twitter.

Toner, who left the board shortly after Altman was reinstated as CEO, also accused him of lying about his financial interests in OpenAI.

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“We are disappointed that Ms. Toner continues to review these issues,” said OpenAI President Bret Taylor in a statement to the podcast. “Our focus remains on advancing and pursuing OpenAI’s mission to ensure that AGI benefits all of humanity,” we will see how they do it.

Has the operation of Google’s search algorithm been leaked? This is what the company says

Earlier this week, there was a massive data leak allegedly revealing key details about Google’s search ranking algorithm. Despite the magnitude of the revelation, the company remained silent about the accuracy and specifics of the leak. Now, Google has decided to break the silence.

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In a statement sent to various media outlets, including Search Engine Land, Google expressed its concern about the misinterpretations being made of the leaked information, stating that the leaked data is taken out of context, incomplete, and can lead to incorrect conclusions. “We caution against making inaccurate assumptions about search based on decontextualized, outdated, or incomplete information,” the company said. Google emphasized that, while the basic principles of its ranking do not change, the specific signals it uses do change frequently.

The company also emphasized its policy of not commenting on specific elements of its ranking algorithm, citing security reasons. A Google spokesperson explained that spammers and other malicious actors could take advantage of this information to manipulate search results. The company reiterated its commitment to protecting the integrity of its results and to continue providing accurate information, but without going into specific details about each ranking signal.

In addition, Google emphasized that it would be incorrect to assume that the leak provides a complete or up-to-date picture of how its search algorithm works. The company reminded that its ranking system is constantly evolving and that it will continue to communicate any relevant information to the SEO community.

Regardless, little or nothing is going to change as a result of this leak. Mike King, the founder and CEO of iPullRank, as well as one of the first to analyze the leaked documents, said this week that, regardless of the actual functioning of Google’s algorithm, the key to good SEO remains creating attractive content and websites for users. “We have to build content and a website that people want to visit, want to spend time on, want to click on, and want to link to,” King pointed out.

The origin of this leak dates back to March 13, when an automated bot called yoshi-code-bot published thousands of documents on Github, apparently from Google’s internal Content API Warehouse. This leak is reminiscent of the one that occurred in 2023 with Yandex Search, which provided an unprecedented insight into its ranking factors.

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PlayStation has just revealed its console and PC release strategy: does it make sense?

The strategy of releasing those games later on PC is to get PC players to buy a PlayStation console so they can play the sequels at launch.

When Xbox announced that some of its games would be coming to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 (Sea of Thieves or Hi-Fi Rush, among others), the gaming industry trembled with a clear message: the era of exclusivity is over, it’s time for cross-platform games.

And alongside Xbox, many of us were hoping that Sony would take the same direction, especially considering the policy of the Japanese company in the last four years, in which they have been releasing some of their great PS4 and PS5 games on PC. Now, the new CEO of the PlayStation division has clarified the future of the brand a bit and has left us quite confused.

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HellDivers 2

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The senior vice president and head of PlayStation Studios, Hermen Hulst, who will be appointed co-CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, has revealed that in the future PlayStation will release games as a service on PlayStation 5 and PC. Just like it happened with Helldivers 2.

“Indeed, we are going to bring our titles to the PC platform and we have a dual approach,” Hulst said. “Regarding games as a service, we will release our titles simultaneously, that is, on the same day and at the same time on PlayStation 5 and PC,” he explains. We can deduce that they will do the same with their beloved Destiny, now that they have acquired Bungie.

But the big triple A games of history and action will only come to PS5

Hulst added that they are taking a different approach with their narrative single-player games. The strategy of releasing those games later on PC is for PC players to buy a PlayStation console in order to play the sequels.

“But with our flagship titles, our narrative single-player titles, which are… as you have seen in the presentation, the backbone of what PlayStation Studios has done in recent years and in our history, we take a more strategic approach,” explains Hermen Hulst.

This translates to the fact that triple A games will continue to arrive on PC with years of delay, as they believe that this encourages computer gamers to buy a PS5, since they won’t want to wait 2 or 3 years between the release on PS5 and the PC port.

“We have great hopes of being able to attract new players to PlayStation in general, but also to the PlayStation platforms in particular,” concluded the co-CEO of PlayStation.

-28%
HellDivers 2

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28.68€ 40€

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It seems that Sony has chosen the most difficult path to succeed, as has been demonstrated throughout modern history, where becoming multiplatform is bringing more benefits and business than ever. We will see if it works for PlayStation.

Marvel’s Spiderman 2 continues to dominate: it has already surpassed 11 million copies sold

It seems that everything Spiderman touches turns into gold. The arachnid hero sweeps wherever he goes, whether it’s in movies, series or in this case, video games. Sony has confirmed that Marvel’s Spiderman 2 has already surpassed 11 million games sold on PlayStation 5.

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Thus, Insomniac’s game surpasses the 10 million mark it reached in February 2024. Since its release, Marvel’s Spiderman 2 has become one of Sony’s great successes. Just 24 hours after its release, the game sold 2.5 million copies. Later, it reached 5 million in October.

These new figures come from the event held by Sony with investors, the Business Segment Meeting 2024. Here, a review was made of the company’s latest successes, such as Helldivers 2, which has already surpassed 12 million copies sold.

In the presentation, the projects that Sony is preparing for release on PlayStation 5 and PC were also shown, which are Marvel’s Wolverine, Death Stranding 2, and Ghost of Tsushima for PC. As for games as a service, we were able to see Destiny 2: The Final Shape, Concord, MLB The Show, Fairgames, and Marathon.

To find out the latest news from Sony, we will have to wait for the State of Play, which will take place tonight, May 30th, at 23:59 (peninsular time). According to the post published by the official PlayStation account, we will see “14 PlayStation 5 and PS VR2 games, including a glimpse of PlayStation Studios titles that will be released later this year”. It can be watched through the official PlayStation channels on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.

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People are going crazy over Hades I and they are mixing it with characters from other franchises

Hades II is causing a stir among the general public, so it’s no surprise to us that there’s a new trend: turning fictional characters into Hades II characters.

Hades II was released in early access less than a month ago and it is already a success story. Even though it still has a long way to go until the final version is launched, the number of players remains stable in a way that very few other games are capable of. Something that makes us think that, upon its release, it will be one of the great successes of the year. An easy bet, but no less true because of it.

The reasons for this success are more than evident. Playability-wise, it is a much more refined version of the original Hades, polishing some of its most controversial aspects. If we add to that the feedback they receive and implement from the players, the game is in a constant state of change. Except for one thing. There is one thing that never changes. And it’s not the war. It’s the artistic style of Hades.

One thing that many people fell in love with in Hades was its art direction. Hades II follows the same line, although, in some way, even more elegant and stylized. Something that has inspired artists on social media to recreate it with their favorite characters. Not necessarily from Hades.

Browsing through Twitter and other social networks lately, it is more than common to come across characters from other video games turned into characters from Hades. Whether it’s Solaire from Dark Souls, Ghost from Call of Duty, or Carmina Mora from Dead by Daylight; it is evident that people want more Hades 2. But this is not limited to video games. There are also people who have noticed the trendy anime, introducing the immensely popular Senshi from Delicious in Dungeon. And there are those who, in a mythological crossover, have even made their own interpretation of Jesus Christ in the game.

This is a demonstration of the cultural impact that Hades has had within the gaming community. Including the artists within it. A demonstration of how video games don’t end when we put down the controller and turn off the console. They continue in our imagination, our conversations, and our social networks. This time, as incredible illustrations that we wouldn’t mind ending up inside Hades II when it finally comes out.

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4.4
It is the first direct sequel developed by Supergiant Games, and the world is eager to play a game from these people again.

Apple is about to forever change its exclusivity policy

Tim Cook’s company had created an application for the Android SmartTV platform, but not for Android itself. Now the situation…

Apple is finally going to bring the Apple TV app to Android phones and tablets, according to Bloomberg. The company is in the process of hiring engineers to help build the necessary software.

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Previously, the company had created an application for the Android SmartTV platform, but not for Android itself (the one used in phones and tablets). And they have some amazing movies on the platform.

Until now, the answer to what Android phone users should do if they wanted to watch Apple TV+ shows or enjoy the MLS Season Pass was to use the web experience at tv.apple.com.

But, obviously, a native application is much more appealing and could include features such as offline downloads.

Apple wants to conquer more than 2.000 million Android users

The Apple TV app has many features, such as Apple TV+ original shows, other Apple TV channels, the store to buy and rent movies and series, and it is also home to Apple’s growing sports offerings, like Friday Night Baseball and MLS Season Pass.

By making the TV app available on Android, it is on par with Apple’s other major content service, Apple Music. Although Apple Music was initially launched exclusively on iOS with iOS 8.4 in 2015, it arrived on Android later that same year.

On the other hand, the current incarnation of the TV app debuted in 2019 and five years later it remains exclusive to iPhone until now.

Outside of the mobile, Apple has aggressively expanded the availability of the TV app to third-party platforms, motivated by the need to attract more users to its Apple TV+ streaming service.

The app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Xbox, Xfinity cable boxes, and other non-Apple devices. Last year, they even launched a native app for Windows.

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It’s good to hear that the company has finally given in on this matter. For instance, it will make it easier for non-iPhone users to sign up for and access Apple TV+.

However, it is unclear how long it will take for the Android version of the TV app to be released. If Apple has just started its development, it could take a while.

The casting for Knives Out 3 continues to confirm top-level stars

There are few sagas today like Knives Out. The Netflix franchise is one of the most coveted at the moment, and the character of Benoit Blanc has already become, on his own merits, one of the most important detectives in cinema. Undoubtedly, the first two films were great feats that made it clear that Rian Johnson is more than the director of Star Wars Episode VIII. However, the third promises even more.

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For a few days now, we have been receiving information little by little about this third movie. We know that it will be called Wake Up Dead Man, that it will be released at some point in 2025 on Netflix and that it will feature actors Andrew Scott (Ripley, Sherlock), Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, Civil War) and Josh O’Connor (Challengers, Only You). But now two more actresses have just been confirmed.

Glenn Close and Kerry Washington join this new crime

The first actress who has been confirmed is none other than the wonderful Glenn Close. The interpreter behind Cruella de Vil, Fatal Attraction and The Good Wife will have an important role in Wake Up Dead Man. In addition, the news of her inclusion does not come alone. Kerry Washington, famous for films like Django Unchained and the series Scandal, will also be in the feature film.

On the other hand, there are also strong rumors of two top-level actors for this ensemble cast. Specifically, the name of Tom Hardy (Venom, Mad Max: Fury Road) and Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls) are being mentioned, who after several years out of the spotlight due to addiction problems, would return to the forefront of Hollywood.

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However, we still don’t have verified information about the plot of Wake Up Dead Man, but what is clear is that Benoit Blanc will once again embody our favorite detective. Johnson does mention that he is eager to carry it out, especially to continue exploring this character and his world. But don’t expect a typical copy. He has made it clear: “It’s a challenge to discover how it can be completely different from this sequel and the first one.”

A new movie of The Exorcist is on its way… with Mike Flanagan as director!

There are few horror directors today at the level of Mike Flanagan. The director of Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game has been killing it on Netflix for years with impressive horror series like Midnight Mass or The Haunting of Hill House, and now he’s about to make a comeback to the big screen with an equally interesting proposal.

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As just announced, Flanagan has returned to Blumhouse production company to produce and direct a new movie of The Exorcist. The filmmaker will readapt the classic in a unique way, as announced. In this way, he will not follow the latest sequel of the saga, The Exorcist: Believer, and it will serve as a completely independent film, allowing him to reinvent it as much as he wants.

“The Exorcist is one of the reasons why I became a filmmaker”

“The Exorcist is one of the reasons I became a filmmaker, and it is an honor to have the opportunity to try something fresh, bold, and terrifying within its universe. Meeting up with my friends at Blumhouse, with whom I have made some of my favorite works, only makes this more exciting,” the director declared in Deadline.

The president and CEO of Morgan Creek, David Robinson, has also spoken about the project, making it clear that the film is in good hands with Mike Flanagan: “It is an honor to work with Mike. I believe his vision for this franchise is going to surprise audiences worldwide, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with him, Trevor, Jason, and the entire Blumhouse team.”

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With this new version of The Exorcist, Mike Flanagan will have a total of four collaborations with Blumhouse, as he has previously directed Oculus (2013), Hush (2016), and Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) for the studio. It was Flanagan’s leap to the forefront of horror, and now it is confirmed again with this feature film.

Moana 2 already has a trailer: discover how Disney’s Maori adventure will continue

Moana is one of the latest releases from Disney Animation that had a great public impact, and the studio wasted no time in confirming its sequel after the success of the first one. Now, we have just received the trailer for Moana 2, and it certainly seems that the story will continue to delight children around the world.

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With a set date for November 29 of this same year, Moana 2 brings back Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson as its protagonists, as well as Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina in the composition of the songs —although Lin-Manuel Miranda will not return this time—. This is its trailer:

Disney’s new heroine confirms her sequel

David G. Derrick Jr., an experienced storyboard artist from the House of Mouse for films like the first Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, or Strange World, makes his directorial debut in Moana 2. Initially, the film was conceived as a Disney Plus series, but they ultimately decided to go down this path.