Month: August 2024

The live-action Naruto movie, directed by the filmmaker behind Shang-Chi, already has its script ready

After the success of the live action of One Piece, it was only a matter of time before Naruto, the other great work of the “Big Three” of anime in recent years, received its own live action version. The challenge seems tough, just like adapting One Piece seemed at first, but it will finally come in the form of a movie… and directed by the director of Shang-Chi.

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Although, at first glance, this idea seemed terrible, Destin Daniel Cretton makes us relax. Shang-Chi is remembered as one of the best movies from Marvel Studios in Phase 4, and it is clear that the director knows how to move the camera when it comes to action and martial arts. But what is the current state of the project?

Masashi Kishimoto is excited about the idea

As revealed by Entertainment Weekly, screenwriter Tasha Huo, known for the series The Witcher: Blood Origin and the upcoming animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, the script is already finished, so it’s time to enter the pre-production stage.

“I think it’s such a cool choice because he’s going to be able to capture how nuanced and special nature Naruto is without getting distracted by the bit world that it is, which I think could easily be done by someone who’s not a fan or someone who’s in it for the money,” Huo explains about Destin Daniel Cretton. “This is definitely a movie that comes at it from a love for who Naruto is and for that character and his relationships.”

The creator of Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto, adds that he felt much more at ease when he found out that Cretton was chosen for the movie: “When I heard of Destin’s attachment, it happened to be right after watching a blockbuster action film of his, and I thought he would be the perfect director for Naruto. After enjoying his other films and understanding that his forte is in creating solid dramas about people, I became convinced that there is no other director for Naruto. In actually meeting Destin, I also found him to be an open-minded director who was willing to embrace my input, and I felt strongly that we would be able to cooperate together in the production process.”

We already have a date for the new Xbox models

A couple of months ago, Xbox announced that we would have new models of Xbox arriving in stores this year. We didn’t have any more information than that, so many of us were eagerly awaiting news about the release date, especially considering that we were already in September and still had no news. Well, it’s been said and done.

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Just a few hours ago, Microsoft has confirmed the release date of all the new Xbox models that will hit the market during this 2024, as well as the official prices (something we didn’t have either, it must be said).

To begin with, the release date for all models will be this upcoming October 15th. From here, we have three new Xbox consoles available for all users. The first one is a 2 TB Xbox Series X in “galaxy” black color. The price is $720, the most expensive Xbox console on the market right now.

The second model is a white Xbox Series X 1 TB digital-only, which means it is a console with the power of Xbox Series X, but without the game reader. The price is $555.00.

Regarding the third and last one, the model is a white Xbox Series S with 1 TB for $388. The summary would be as follows:

  • Xbox Series X 2 TB Galaxy Black (with disc drive) for $720.
  • Xbox Series X 1 TB Robot White (without disc drive) for $555.
  • Xbox Series S 1 TB Robot White for $385.

All models are now available for pre-order through the official Microsoft website. There are no hardware changes beyond storage or opting out of the disc drive.

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The fastest microscope in the world freezes time in one quintillionth of a second

The subatomic world is difficult to grasp, not only because it is incredibly tiny, but also because it is super fast. Now, physicists from the University of Arizona have developed the fastest electron microscope in the world, capable of capturing phenomena that last only a quintillionth of a second.

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A good camera, with a shutter speed measured in milliseconds, could take a sharp photo of a person running. But the fastest cameras in the world, transmission electron microscopes, can capture events on an attosecond scale, such as photos of electrons running.

By the way, an attosecond is one quintillionth of a second, which makes a millisecond (one thousandth of a second) seem like an eternity.

A milestone in physics that could contribute to quantum physics, chemistry, and biology

If we scale up, there are as many attoseconds in a second as there are seconds in 31.7 billion years, which is more than twice the amount of time the universe has existed. These are truly unfathomable numbers.

In any case, as we read in New Atlas, previous efforts to capture events on that kind of timescale have reached up to 43 attoseconds, which researchers at the time described as ‘the shortest controlled event ever created by humanity.’ Now, the team from the University of Arizona has further reduced the time, freezing it in a single attosecond.

The new work is based on the research of Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huilliere, who generated the first pulses of light short enough to be measured in attoseconds. This earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2023.

For the new study, researchers developed what they call an ‘attomicroscope.’ First, an ultraviolet light pulse is fired at a photocathode, which releases ultrafast electrons inside the attomicroscope.

Next, a laser pulse is divided into two beams, which are sent to the electrons moving through the microscope. One of these beams is polarized and arrives at slightly different times, generating a ‘gated’ electron pulse that allows obtaining images of a sample, in this case, of graphene.

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Thanks to this technique, the team was able to generate electron pulses of only one attosecond in duration, which allowed them to observe ultrafast electron movements that are normally invisible. The researchers claim that this breakthrough could have applications in quantum physics, chemistry, and biology.

Black Myth: Wukong is proving to be a headache for players on PS5

There is an unwritten rule: when a video game studio does not provide code to test their title on a specific console, it is most likely that version is the worst of all. In the specific case of Black Myth: Wukong for PlayStation 5, this rule is once again fulfilled to the letter.

-17%
Black Myth: Wukong

From: Instant Gaming

€49.99 €60

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The folks at Digital Foundry have released a comprehensive and extensive video analyzing the performance of Game Science’s highly successful game. Unlike the PC version – which is the one provided to the press – the Sony console version is quite disappointing in terms of technical performance.

Players who have been able to play it on PS5 have complained about an irregular frame rate and the problems this brings at a gameplay level. However, Digital Foundry’s analysis corroborates all of this: the game is not able to maintain a stable 60 frames per second during battles, with prolonged drops to 40 frames and even approaching 30. All of this in a constant roller coaster that fluctuates between 30 and 60, but never staying at the 60 it should have.

As pointed out, these frame rate drops translate into the game, especially during combat. Outside of combat, Black Myth: Wukong is indeed capable of maintaining 60 frames per second in performance mode, but that’s not where the main focus of the game lies.

It should be noted that graphically the game does maintain a robust and solid visual aspect. In this sense, the differences with the PC version are also present – logical – but it has nothing to do with performance.

-17%
Black Myth: Wukong

From: Instant Gaming

49.99€ 60€

Buy Offer

A mayor promised to govern through AI in the United States: He has lost the election

A candidate for the mayorship of Wyoming who proposed letting an artificial intelligence bot run the local government lost his mayoral race last Tuesday, and by a wide margin. It seems that the promises of AI are losing strength, as it did in the United Kingdom a few months ago.

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The candidate, Victor Miller, announced his candidacy for the mayor of Cheyenne earlier this year, and quickly made headlines after deciding to run with his customized ChatGPT bot, named Vic (Virtual Integrated Citizen), and declaring his intention to govern in a hybrid format, which experts say was a first in American political campaigns.

Before Tuesday’s elections, the AI bot explained to the local television, Your Wyoming Link, that its role in the government would be to provide data-based ideas and innovative solutions for Cheyenne, while Miller would serve as the official mayor if elected by the voters and ensure that “all actions are carried out legally and practically.”

Miller and his bot only received 327 votes out of the 11,036 cast

On Tuesday night, Miller admitted his defeat and stated that the campaign was not about him as a candidate, but about “offering voters an innovative choice: the possibility of electing an AI that would make 100% of the decisions in office.”

And he added that his role was “simply that of the necessary human interface to bring this new form of intelligence to the ballot box, since current laws do not allow AI to run independently.” So, Miller decided to pass the buck to someone with a “let’s see, if I didn’t run in the elections, the bot would. He’s the one who lost.”

Despite his poor result at the polls, Miller said of his collaboration with the robot: “The seeds of a revolution in governance have been planted, and they are already starting to sprout.” We understand that by sprouting he means that it has begun to irreversibly decompose.

People don’t trust AI in general, with millions of layoffs worldwide due to the implementation of these tools, let alone wanting it to govern your town. It doesn’t seem like a very desirable future.

These are some of the functions that you will use the most from Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is determined to transform how we use our Apple devices. Although it will not be officially available until October, users have already tested some of its features thanks to the betas. Below, we will show you some of the features of Apple Intelligence that you will use the most on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

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Smart answers and text correction

If you don’t know how to respond to an email, don’t worry: Apple Intelligence will help you with that. When composing an email, Apple Intelligence will analyze your message and generate multiple responses based on the ongoing conversation. From your keyboard, you can choose among the responses and select the one you like the most.

Apple Intelligence’s writing features also extend to other applications, such as Pages or Notes. It will help you correct texts, rewrite them, and also provide suggestions to improve your writing.

Reducing interruptions

Apple Intelligence introduces a new concentration mode called Reduce Interruptions. When activated, it will analyze your notifications to show you only what may require your immediate attention. To access it, simply go to the Control Center and select the concentration modes. There you will find the option to Reduce Interruptions.

Smart summaries

Apple Intelligence allows us to summarize practically any text from our device. For example: imagine that you have received a long email, and you barely have time to read it properly. Thanks to this feature, you can summarize any email in a matter of seconds.

This feature is also available in Safari, for example. With a simple gesture, Apple Intelligence generates summaries of large articles, news or posts, very useful to stay informed at all times.

Ask Siri in writing from your iPhone

Siri stops being a voice assistant to become a full-fledged AI assistant. This means that we no longer have to speak out loud to take advantage of its capabilities. To activate it, you just have to double tap on the bottom of the iPhone and type your request. Ask it to set a timer, tell you the weather, play music… you decide.

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WhatsApp usernames will include a (very) useful feature

WhatsApp is working on a new feature that promises to significantly improve the privacy and security of its users. According to WABetaInfo, after analyzing the beta version of the app for Android (2.24.18.2), the new username system that WhatsApp intends to implement will come with a PIN security feature, designed to combat spam, a problem that has affected the platform for a long time.

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This new feature allows WhatsApp users to set a PIN of at least four digits, which will act as an additional layer of security, greatly reducing the spam received. Thanks to this novelty, those who have not previously interacted with a user will not be able to send them messages just by knowing their username.

The PIN system will not affect conversations with contacts you have already interacted with, allowing current chats to continue unchanged. However, the feature is still in beta testing and there is no confirmed date for its official release yet. It is expected to be available to all users before the end of the year.

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The latest beta of iOS 18 is almost finalized

There is less and less time left for the global release of iOS 18. If you can’t wait, luckily for you, you have the public betas at your disposal. The latest one to be released, iOS 18 beta 7, is shaping up to be an almost finalized version of what we will soon see on our iPhones.

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Although it doesn’t bring many new features, some are already pointing out that we could be facing the last beta before the final release. The major changes in these betas have occurred in their early stages. Now, we will have to wait for its official release.

Specifically, it has been Mark Gurman who has stated that this latest beta version would be the ‘final’ one. Therefore, from now on, the only thing we will see are performance improvements and bug fixes.

Gurman’s words are clear and suggest that the next version we will have will be known as RC. These are the initials for Release Candidate, which translates as candidate for release. Essentially, it is a version that is almost identical to the final one.

This will not prevent Apple from continuing to work on other features that are exclusive to the iPhone 16, for example. In fact, we will probably see clues in the beta code that indicate what is to come.

Apple Intelligence, the latest to arrive in Europe

To see the next big feature of iOS 18, we will have to wait until October, when Apple Intelligence will arrive. Unfortunately, European users will not be able to try it, at least until 2024. The same would happen with iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing.

According to Euronews, one of the main requirements of the Digital Markets Act is interoperability. According to Apple, this would conflict with their stance on user privacy and security. With this law, Europe wants to limit the power of big tech companies like Amazon, Meta, or Apple itself.

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Infinity Nikki, the most spectacular open-world RPG we have seen, opens its pre-registration

The world of mobile video games is much more extensive than you imagine. Something that we already showed you with our list of the best games that have come out so far this year. But if we aim at franchises that go beyond the classics, we can find that there are very established games that we have hardly heard of. One of those cases is the Nikki series, by Infold Games.

The protagonist, Nikki, is a stylist and, as expected, her games have a lot to do with fashion and getting fabulous outfits. But her new game, Infinity Nikki, has surprised because it is a fantasy game. Presenting us with a charming open world with a fantasy setting and elements of horror, we will have to explore this world solving puzzles, overcoming obstacles, and solving different mini-games.

When it comes to a Nikki game, a large part of the weight of the game will be placed on designing and obtaining different garments, to achieve beautiful looks for Nikki. But even if that’s not what interests you the most, Infinity Nikki looks like a spectacular open-world game in the style of Genshin Impact with its own unique personality.

If you are interested in this game powered by Unreal Engine 5, you can pre-register now to play it on both iOS devices on the Apple Store and Android devices on Google Play. In addition, the game will also be released on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC on a yet to be announced date.

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4.4
Shining Nikki is a role-playing game by YU JUE. This role-playing game combines the otome genre with fashion.

The Mafia returns, but not in the way we would expect

Mafia is one of those franchises that has never managed to reach the heights of its references, but they have a devoted fan base. The first Mafia is a beloved cult game with a fantastic remake. The second Mafia would refine what we saw in the first one. And although the third one left us with mixed feelings, it is a game full of interesting ideas and incredible mechanics. That’s why, even if it doesn’t have the popularity of GTA, the announcement of a new Mafia is incredible news.

During the Opening Night Live of Gamescom, a new Mafia title was announced. Named Mafia: The Old Country, a teaser was presented to us where we could infer some aspects about it. With Italian newspapers scattered on a table and an older man looking out a window, it was clear that we were not in the USA. And this has been confirmed by its developers, the people from Hangar 13.

The peculiarity of Mafia: The Old Country is that it will take us back to the origins of the Mafia. Set in the early years of the 20th century in Sicily, we will experience a linear story that will allow us to learn how this organization originated. In addition, we will also see how it shaped what the characters of the franchise will experience years later. They have emphasized that, despite the obvious change that comes with the change of era, they seek to maintain the realism and emphasis on narrative for which the Mafia saga is known.

While they have promised to show us more in December, Hangar 13’s general manager, Roman Hladík, has asked us to be patient. Although they still can’t show anything else, their interest is to show as much as they can when the time is right. So we can only speculate about what awaits us in this Mafia, barely formed, from the early 20th century.

Mafia: The Old Country has a release date of 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. The remake of the first game, Mafia: Definitive Edition, was released in 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and it’s an excellent way to satisfy your cravings while waiting for more information about this interesting journey to the heart of Sicily.

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4.5
Mafia: Definitive Edition is the ultimate remaster of Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven, the title that gave birth to this iconic saga developed by Hangar 13 and marketed by 2K Studios. It is an action and adventure game inspired by Chicago in the thirties.