Month: November 2024

The Pentagon wants AI to improve its nuclear weapons, is that good news?

For those who don’t know, the U.S. is one of the countries that have declared they will always keep nuclear weapons control in the hands of humans, not AI, for the peace of mind of millions of people. However, the Pentagon is now not averse to using artificial intelligence to “improve” nuclear command, control, and communications systems, which is concerning, as the line between human control and machine control is very thin. At the end of last month, the head of the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force General Anthony […]

For those who don’t know, the U.S. is one of the countries that have declared that they will always keep control of nuclear weapons in the hands of humans, not AI, for the peace of mind of millions of people.

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But now the Pentagon is not reluctant to use artificial intelligence to “enhance” nuclear command, control, and communication systems, which is concerning, as the line between human control and machine control is very thin.

At the end of last month, the head of the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force General Anthony J. Cotton, stated that the command was “exploring all possible technologies, techniques, and methods to contribute to the modernization of our NC3 capabilities.”

The future seems to belong to AI, even in weaponry

In recent years, several AI-controlled weapons systems and military vehicles have been developed, such as fighter jets, drones, and machine guns. However, their use on the battlefield raises concerns, so the prospect of AI, which still makes many mistakes, being part of a nuclear weapons system seems like a nightmare scenario from Hollywood science fiction.

Cotton tried to alleviate those fears at the 2024 Conference of the Department of Defense Intelligence Information System. He said (via Air & Space Forces Magazine) that although AI will enhance nuclear command and control decision-making capabilities, “we must never allow artificial intelligence to make those decisions for us.”

Already in May, Paul Dean, an arms control official at the State Department, stated in a briefing that Washington has made a “clear and firm commitment” to keep humans in control of nuclear weapons.

Dean added that both Great Britain and France have made the same commitment. Dean said that the U.S. would welcome a similar statement from China and the Russian Federation.

Cotton stated that the increase in threats, the avalanche of sensor data, and cybersecurity issues make the use of AI a necessity to keep U.S. forces ahead of those who intend to challenge the United States.

“Advanced systems can inform us more quickly and efficiently,” he said, emphasizing once again that “we must always keep a human decision in the loop to maximize the adoption of these capabilities and maintain our advantage over our adversaries.” Cotton also spoke about using AI to give leaders more “decision space.”

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For the Pentagon, the use of AI could help quickly match, interpret, and present all the data collected by these systems.

Although the nuclear launch codes are not figuratively handed over, the use of AI in any nuclear weapons system could be risky, something that, according to Cotton, must be addressed.

In February, the researchers conducted simulations of international conflicts with five different LLMs: GPT-4, GPT 3.5, Claude 2.0, Llama-2-Chat, and GPT-4-Base and found that the systems often escalated the war and, in several cases, deployed nuclear weapons without prior warning.

The most exclusive adventure in Halo history is coming to Steam: it could only be played at E3 2003

It is very common for studios to create demos for specific events. Especially if they are large. Although it is becoming less common, an E3 certainly warrants making a unique demo exclusively to be played during the event. Even if something has to be created from scratch. Offering a bit of everything the game can provide, even if it won’t make it to the final version, so that journalists and perhaps a handful of players can see the studio’s vision of what the game will be. And that’s what happened in […]

It is very common for studios to create demos for specific events, especially if they are large. Although it is becoming less common, an E3 certainly warrants making a unique demo exclusively to be played during the event. Even if something has to be created from scratch. Offering a bit of everything the game can provide, even if it won’t make it to the final version, so that journalists and perhaps a handful of players can see the studio’s vision of what the game will be. And that’s what happened in 2003 with Halo 2.

Bungie, for E3 2003, decided to create a demo that would encapsulate everything the final game would be. Everyone who got to play it was amazed by it. The problem is that, like almost all demos of this kind, it was created solely and exclusively for its exhibition at this event. This means that outside of E3 and Bungie’s offices, it has never been playable, creating a sort of legend. Until now.

Halo Studios together with Xbox Games Studios have decided to release this legendary demo as a free mod for Halo: The Master Chief Collection through Steam Workshop to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the game on next Saturday, November 9th.

What awaits us is something we only know from videos, magazine comments, and internet forums. So the experience of playing it, finally, more than 20 years later, is a true fantasy for any self-respecting Halo fan. A gesture of affection that shows that video games are better when made with passion.

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Halo: The Master Chief Collection is an action game developed by 343 Industries, Splash Damage, and Ruffian Games, and published by Microsoft Studios. The action game is a curated collection of every main Halo games published in the market since 2001.

Sega confirms what we already suspected: Persona is one of its best-selling franchises worldwide

We all know that the Persona series is making a big impact. It’s no longer what it used to be. If it was once a niche series that only a few of us played, now it’s a giant that rubs shoulders with the big JRPGs. Even with the big names in video games. But it’s one thing to know it, because you can tell by how it’s talked about and treated in the media, and another to have confirmation with data, figures, and executives doing somersaults every time they remember it’s a franchise that belongs to their company. Which is exactly what has happened in […]

We all know that the Persona saga is making a big impact. It is no longer what it used to be. If before it was a niche saga that only a few of us played, now it is a behemoth that rubs shoulders with the great JRPGs. Even with the big names in video games. But one thing is to know it, because it is noticeable in how it is talked about and how it is treated in the media, and another is to have confirmation with data, figures, and executives doing somersaults every time they remember that it is a franchise that belongs to their company. Which is exactly what has happened in this year’s financial reports from Sega.

From Sega they have confirmed to their shareholders that the Persona series has sold 23.5 million copies of its games worldwide so far. An impressive figure for a JRPG, especially considering that its popularity didn’t start until the 3rd installment and didn’t explode until the 5th. This has been confirmed by Sega itself, stating that the most popular installment of the franchise is Persona 5, being the best-selling title of the series by far at the moment. Making it one of the IPs that generate profits for Sega today.

Praising the uniqueness of its characters and setting, the overflowing style, and how easy it is to relate to its stories, they also wanted to highlight how its transmedia approach has helped. Since its emphasis on concerts, animes, and mangas of the franchise has helped attract fans who have not played the games previously.

Similarly, other franchises are proving to be profitable for Sega. Among them are Yakuza, Sonic, Hokuto no Ken, and Phantasy Star Online: New Genesis, emphasizing that they have a diverse catalog that currently allows them to work on multiple projects while ensuring economic viability and stability. With recognized IPs that are popular among the general public, among which Persona seems to be one of their main flagships currently.

That is why, in the future, we can expect to see more of all these franchises. Although they have not specified what plans they have for any of them, and it is still too early for them to talk about how they perceive the reception of their recent Metaphor Re-Fantazio, it seems that Sega is experiencing a new golden age. Something that, with Persona 6 on the horizon to be announced and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii announced for February 21, 2025, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC, does not seem likely to change in the near future.

Persona 5 Royal DESCARGAR
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Persona 5 Royal is a roleplaying game developed by Atlus. This is the definitive edition of the Persona 5 game. Here, players can get added content to the popular 2016 action RPG. It adds an extra semester at the end of the vanilla game. This semester comes with its story segment and palace.

Nintendo Switch 2 is on the horizon, but the original is still selling like it's being given away

We know you’re waiting for the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2. So are we. So is Nintendo. That’s why they’ve made so many announcements over the past two weeks when, normally, they wouldn’t have announced anything. Because they know they have everyone’s attention. Something that has a bit of cruelty, even if they give us our own Nintendo Spotify. But they have good reasons. And it’s because, no matter how much we wait for its successor, the Nintendo Switch continues to sell as if it were going out of style. According to the figures reported by Nintendo in their latest quarterly results, between June 30 and the […]

We know you are waiting for the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2. So are we. Nintendo, too. That’s why it has made so many announcements over the past two weeks when, normally, it wouldn’t have announced anything. Because it knows it has everyone’s attention. Something that has a bit of cruelty, even if it gives us our own Nintendo Spotify. But they have good reasons. And the fact is that no matter how much we wait for its successor, the Nintendo Switch continues to sell as if it were going out of style.

According to the figures reported by Nintendo in its latest quarterly results, between June 30 and September 30, 2024, 2.62 million Switch units and 39.64 million games for the console were sold. This means that the console has already sold 146.04 million units worldwide, achieving absolutely staggering numbers for a console in its eighth year of life.

That doesn’t mean that Nintendo isn’t having to readjust their expectations for the current fiscal year. Having initially planned to sell 13.5 million units for the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2025, they have reduced these expectations to the still quite impressive figure of 12.5 million units. An absolutely staggering figure for a console that already has more than 140 million units in the market, but with Black Friday and the holiday season ahead, it’s far from being something crazy or impossible. Not for Nintendo.

Similarly, we have learned for the first time the figures that the new Nintendo games are making. The big winner has been The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, with 2.58 million units sold. Closely following are Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, selling 1.94 and 1.57 million respectively during this period, making the former surpass the total sales it had during its original release on GameCube. Thus proves the incredible strength of the Nintendo Switch.

Although the expectations from now on for the console are already declining, as we have said, the numbers are still staggering. Nintendo Switch still has plenty of life to last up to a year in the market on its own, if Nintendo needs it, and that’s why we shouldn’t be surprised if they don’t rush not only to announce its successor but also to launch it. So, for now…Patience. Nintendo Switch 2 will arrive. It just doesn’t seem like it’s going to be any time soon.

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Nintendo Switch Online is an essential app if you want to fully enjoy Nintendo Switch multiplayer games like Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS, or Pokkén Tournament DX. Its main advantage: it helps you coordinate strategies with your friends through its voice chat.

If you can keep your smile for 7 minutes, you will be able to see this exclusive preview of Smile 2

There are few movies currently in theaters as terrifying as Smile 2. The unsettling sequel to the psychological thriller that terrified audiences in 2022 is reaching new heights thanks to its large doses of frenetic darkness, and its marketing campaign is on par with the footage itself. The film’s team has launched a creepy challenge: if you can smile non-stop for 7 minutes, you can watch the beginning of the movie for free. That’s right, Paramount has set up a website where, if the viewer maintains a constant smile in front of the […]

There are few movies currently in theaters as terrifying as Smile 2. The unsettling sequel to the psychological thriller that terrified audiences in 2022 is reaching new heights thanks to its large doses of frenetic darkness, and its marketing campaign is on par with the footage itself.

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The film’s team has launched a spooky challenge: if you can smile non-stop for 7 minutes, you can watch the beginning of the movie for free. That’s right, Paramount has set up a website where, if the viewer maintains a constant smile in front of the camera, the first minutes of the film will be unlocked. But beware: if you stop smiling, the screen will turn red and the chilling message “KEEP SMILING” will appear, reminding you to keep that smile to continue.

The website where you can experience this madness is the following: https://apps.paramountpictures.com/movie/smile/web/smile-player/us/

A viral marketing campaign

This is not the only marketing action they are doing for Smile 2. To promote the first installment, the studio hired actors who smiled disturbingly at sporting events and placed cars with the image of actor Ray Nicholson smiling sinisterly in Los Angeles.

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The production has also created social media profiles for Skye Riley, the main character of the movie, played by Naomi Scott. They have even released a fictional music album under her name, announcing a “Skye Riley World Tour” to sell tickets… which, in reality, redirect to purchasing tickets to see Smile 2 in theaters.

In this second installment of a franchise that is already an instant classic, we follow Skye Riley, a pop star preparing for her world tour when she starts experiencing terrifying events. But the “smile curse” seems to have caught up with her, forcing her to confront her past while struggling to survive and keep moving forward. Without a doubt, it has everything to become a top-tier film.

It is one of the most unsettling horror sagas and has just announced its third installment

The horror saga The Orphan is one of the most unsettling in cinema in recent years, thanks to a unique protagonist and a premise full of plot twists that never ceases to surprise. Now, the third part of the saga has just been officially announced, which will once again feature Isabelle Fuhrman in the role of Esther, a “child” who never ages and uses her appearance to cause mischief. Fuhrman has played Esther in the previous films, and is now about to do so again, establishing herself as a sort of “Benjamin Button” of the genre. […]

The horror saga Orphan is one of the most unsettling in cinema in recent years, thanks to a unique protagonist and a premise full of plot twists that never ceases to surprise. Now, the third part of the saga has been officially announced, which will once again feature Isabelle Fuhrman in the role of Esther, a “child” who never ages and uses her appearance to commit mischief.

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Fuhrman has portrayed Esther in the previous films, and now she is about to do it again, establishing herself as a kind of “Benjamin Button” of the genre. For now, Orphan 3 has confirmed the return of director William Brent Bell and screenwriter David Coggeshall, the creative team behind Orphan: First Kill (2022).

This girl does not grow even with hormones

Although the storyline of this third installment has not yet been revealed, the creators have left open the possibility of a prequel to the prequel or even a story set between the first two movies. It remains to be seen what will happen, although everything seems to indicate that we will have to wait until 2026 to see something.

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Apple continues to laugh with Apple Intelligence in these two new ads

The latest batch of Apple ads has arrived with a touch of humor to talk about the capabilities of Apple Intelligence. With the recent release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, we can use our iPhone, iPad, or Mac with the Writing Tools. These tools allow us to adjust the tone of our texts to options like friendly, professional, or concise, as well as summarize content into key points. Two elements that stand out in these funny ads. Who stole my pudding? In the first of the ads, Apple humorously shows […]

The latest batch of Apple ads has arrived with a touch of humor to talk about the capabilities of Apple Intelligence. With the recent release of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, we can use our iPhone, iPad, or Mac with the Writing Tools. These tools allow us to adjust the tone of our texts to options like friendly, professional, or concise, as well as summarize content into key points. Two elements that stand out in these amusing ads.

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Who has stolen my pudding?

In the first of the announcements, Apple comically shows an employee writing an angry email addressed to a coworker who apparently stole his pudding. Before hitting the send button, he decides to try the tone change option within the Writing Tools and transforms his message into something much more friendly and diplomatic.

The second announcement revolves around an employee who, in a meeting, needs to be aware of multiple documents quickly. Instead of diving into pages of content, they use Apple Intelligence capabilities to get the key points and not lose track of the conversation.

After the arrival of the first two announcements, Apple renews its comedic approach when presenting the news. Apple Intelligence is available on the iPhone 15 Pro, on all iPhone 16 models, and on any Mac or iPad with Apple silicon as well as on the new iPad mini. An extremely capable system of which we have only seen the beginning.

Microsoft's AI comes to your console: here's how you can take advantage of it on your Xbox

Microsoft has been testing a new AI-based Xbox chatbot, and now Xbox insiders can try it for the first time. This is the natural step for a company that is betting everything on AI. Earlier this year, we talked about the existence of this new “Xbox Virtual Support Agent,” and now Microsoft says it is designed “to help Xbox players more efficiently resolve their game-related support issues.” In other words, it aims to be a technical assistant. Xbox insiders in the U.S. can start to […]

Microsoft has been testing a new AI-based Xbox chatbot, and now Xbox insiders can try it for the first time. This is the natural step for a company that is betting everything on AI.

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Earlier this year we talked about the existence of this new “Xbox Support Virtual Agent,” and now Microsoft says it is designed “to help Xbox players more efficiently resolve their game-related support issues.” In other words, it aims to be a technical assistant.

Xbox insiders in the U.S. can start testing this new Xbox AI chatbot on the website support.xbox.com, and it will answer questions about Xbox console and game support issues.

“We value the opinion of registered Xbox users about this early experience and any feedback we receive will be used to improve the Virtual Support Agent,” says Megha Dudani, Xbox Product Director, in the press release.

This Xbox chatbot will appear as an AI character that animates when responding (like our beloved Clippy), or as a colorful Xbox orb. The reality is that it is part of a broader effort by Microsoft to apply AI to its Xbox platform and services, before some AI-based features soon arrive on Xbox consoles.

Xbox, a business that has not followed the same path as Microsoft

Unlike other parts of Microsoft, Xbox has been cautious in focusing on AI features, despite CEO Satya Nadella’s clear mandate to center all Microsoft businesses around AI.

Microsoft has largely focused on the developer side of AI tools so far, but that is clearly changing with the introduction of an assistance and support chatbot.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it was working to bring AI features to game content creation, game operations, and its Xbox platform and devices. This includes experimenting with AI-generated art and assets for games, AI game testing, and generative AI NPCs that Microsoft.

iOS 18.2 beta 2: all the new features

The second beta version of iOS 18.2 brings several interesting changes as it prepares and evolves for its official release in early December. With new features in the Find My app, the evolution of ChatGPT integration, and various system adjustments, this beta brings all the minor changes that we didn’t see in the first one. Now that the image tools have already made their appearance, let’s review all the new features in this second update. Changes in Find My, improvements in ChatGPT, Notes, changes in Camera Control, and much more The beta 2 of iOS […]

The second beta version of iOS 18.2 brings several interesting changes as it prepares and evolves for its official release in early December. With new features in the Find app, the evolution of ChatGPT integration, and various system adjustments, this beta brings all the minor changes we didn’t see coming in the first one. Now that the image tools have already made their appearance, let’s review all the new features in this second update.

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Changes in Search, improvements in ChatGPT, Notes, changes in Camera Control, and much more

Beta 2 of iOS 18.2 not only refines or improves the new features we’ve already seen, but also adds several new ones. Changes that are spread across almost all parts of the system. Here is the list:

  • Share object location: Now we can share the location of a lost object with anyone. By generating a link, this person will be able to see the location of our object and help us recover it, even on non-Apple devices. The link expires one week later or when the object is recovered.
  • Show contact information: We can allow any device to display our contact information (phone number and email) to facilitate the recovery of lost objects.
  • ChatGPT limits: In this version, a section has been added in the settings so we can check the free usage limits of ChatGPT, and the option to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus appears for those who want more extensive access.
  • Mail App Notifications: Now we can decide whether we want to see the full count of unread messages or just those in the Primary section.
  • Image Creation in Notes: In the Notes app, when selecting text, we can now choose the “Create Image” option, which generates an image based on the context of the selected text.
  • AE/AF Lock: On iPhone 16, we can now lock exposure and autofocus with a slight press on the camera control. This option must be activated in the settings.
  • Double-Click Speed on Camera Controls: We can now adjust the double-click speed on camera controls, choosing between “Default,” “Slow,” and “Slower” in the accessibility settings.
  • Improvements in battery life and temperature: Apple has adjusted the system to optimize battery performance and reduce device temperature, especially during the use of demanding apps.
  • New icons in the Settings app: In dark mode, the icons in the Settings app now have a darker appearance that allows for better screen contrast.
  • iPhone Mirroring with active Hotspot: We can now use the iPhone screen mirroring feature while the phone shares its internet connection with a Mac.
  • New actions in Shortcuts for the Fitness app: Specific actions have been added for the Fitness app in Shortcuts, such as opening Fitness settings, session history, or the awards section.
  • Changes in the default browser in the European Union: Users in the European Union will now have to select a default browser when opening Safari on iPadOS 18.2, similar to what has already been implemented in iOS 18.

The beta 2 of iOS 18.2 brings a good number of new features. The truth is that we could have expected less, given the focus on the arrival of the second part of Apple Intelligence, but it is clear that Apple has decided to go beyond what was announced during the WWDC 2024. We are on the verge of a very interesting update.

Goodbye to interactive movies: Netflix is removing almost its entire catalog

The streaming platform will only leave four titles available.

Netflix is going to remove from its platform almost all interactive shows and movies. We learned about this news just a few minutes ago thanks to information published by the portal The Verge.

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According to reports, as of December 1, they will no longer be available for viewing. Although most of the catalog is leaving, Netflix will only keep four productions: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, and You vs. Wild.

As can be seen, only the most important ones will remain, although there are others, like Carmen Sandiego or Boss Baby, that are directly out.

Why are they being deleted? According to Chrissy Kelleher, a spokesperson for Netflix, “the technology has fulfilled its purpose, but it is now limiting our technological efforts in other areas.”

If you still want to try some of the many titles available, you still have the chance.