December, 2024 - Softonic English

Users find adult content videos on Spotify

The well-known music platform Spotify has made headlines again, but for reasons you wouldn’t believe. Just a few days ago, a user pointed out a “peculiar” Spotify error on social media: when searching for music, one of the contents that appeared was a pornographic video. The user in question posted on Reddit showing how, when searching for a song by M.I.A, a video of Mia Khalifa, a well-known adult film actress, appeared instead. Additionally, The Verge verified how numerous similar contents could be seen within the tab of […]

The well-known music platform Spotify has made headlines again, but for reasons you wouldn’t believe. Just a few days ago, a user pointed out a “peculiar” Spotify error on social media: when searching for music, one of the contents that appeared was a pornographic video.

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The user in question posted on Reddit a post showing how when searching for a song by M.I.A, a video of Mia Khalifa, a well-known adult film actress, appeared instead. Likewise, The Verge verified how numerous similar contents could be seen within the videos tab on Spotify.

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byu/Milk_Steak_Jabroni intruespotify

The Verge also discovered that, within the platform, there were numerous users posting sexual audio and video content. For its part, Spotify commented that, at this time, it had already removed several of these profiles for violating the company’s policies.

Although it may come as a surprise to many, Spotify’s problem with porn has been around for a long time. Users have already expressed on more than one occasion how adult films have slipped into their search results, including audios. For listeners, it’s also not easy to report this type of content; if we wanted to do so, we would have to fill out a form from the website, as it is impossible from the app.

Spotify announced in early March 2024 the inclusion of videos within the application. The idea was to give the user the option to switch between video and song with just the press of a button. Although Spotify had already experimented with visual effects like including small looping videos, this new feature would allow us to enjoy music videos just as we would on YouTube.

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Adam Mosseri confirms improvements in message search on Instagram

Adam Mosseri, director of Instagram, has announced improvements in the search for direct messages. In a recent reel, Mosseri responded to a query posed by user @ben_yanes during one of his Q&A sessions on the platform, in which he suggested adding a search bar to filter keywords in the message request folder. Mosseri acknowledged the usefulness of this proposal, especially for creators who receive a large number of requests daily, and stated that he will talk to his team to implement it in 2025. Additionally, he hinted that the Instagram search system […]

Adam Mosseri, director of Instagram, has announced improvements in the search for direct messages. In a recent reel, Mosseri responded to a query posed by the user @ben_yanes during one of his Q&A sessions on the platform, suggesting the addition of a search bar to filter keywords in the message request folder.

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Mosseri acknowledged the usefulness of this proposal, especially for creators who receive a large number of requests daily, and stated that he will talk to his team to implement it in 2025. Additionally, he hinted that Instagram’s search system will continue to improve with new tools next year.

Currently, Instagram already allows users to search for conversations through a bar in the inbox, but lacks more advanced features like keyword filtering. This contrasts with WhatsApp, another app owned by Meta, which allows searching for specific terms in chats. For example, users can locate previous addresses by searching for related keywords.

With this functionality, Instagram aims to optimize the experience of its users, especially those with high engagement on the platform. Will we have to wait long to see it?

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OpenAI breaks barriers with the o3 model: is general artificial intelligence near?

On December 20th, OpenAI revealed that its model o3 achieved an 88% score on the demanding ARC-AGI benchmark, far surpassing the previous record of 55% and reaching the level of the human average. The company’s major breakthrough raises the possibility that artificial general intelligence (AGI) might be closer than many had imagined. However, the scientific community remains skeptical about the true extent of this progress. The ARC-AGI benchmark evaluates the generalization capability of AI systems, measuring how many examples they need to adapt to new situations. […]

On December 20th, OpenAI revealed that its model o3 achieved an 88% score on the demanding ARC-AGI benchmark, far surpassing the previous record of 55% and reaching the level of the human average. The company’s major breakthrough raises the possibility that artificial general intelligence (AGI) is closer than many imagined. However, the scientific community remains skeptical about the true extent of this progress.

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The ARC-AGI benchmark evaluates the generalization capability of AI systems, measuring how many examples they need to adapt to new situations. Unlike models like GPT-4, which rely on millions of data points for common tasks, o3 demonstrates a remarkable “sample efficiency”. This implies that it can learn with very few data points, a crucial skill for solving new and uncommon problems (an approach considered a fundamental element of intelligence).

The ARC-AGI tests present visual problems in the form of grids, where the AI must deduce patterns that transform an initial grid into a final one. The model has to generalize rules from only three examples to apply them correctly in a fourth case, in a manner similar to the IQ tests used in schools, but at a much more complex and abstract level.

Although the technical details about the functioning of o3 are limited, it is speculated that its success lies in finding “weak rules”, that is, general and simple norms that maximize its adaptability to new situations. Some researchers compare this strategy to the method used by AlphaGo, the Google model that defeated the world champion of Go, an ancient board game that requires subtle and instinctive skill.

For now, o3 remains a mystery. OpenAI has shared few details beyond initial tests and private presentations. Once the model is available to the public, its economic impact and its real potential to revolutionize entire sectors can be assessed. If it proves to adapt like an average human, o3 could mark the beginning of a new era in artificial intelligence.

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Palworld is far from dead: it's back in Steam's top 10 with its latest update

Palworld had a great initial hype, but it gradually faded away. After its strong first few weeks, the game quieted down significantly. This led many people to think it had died or that, at the very least, interest in it had disappeared. And those people were wrong. Because with the release of a major update for the game, Palworld has returned to the top. Palworld returns to the top of Steam with Feybreak. Palworld has released its new patch, Feybreak. And with it has come its highest peak of popularity since its launch, with around 200,000 players […]

Palworld had a great initial hype, but it gradually faded away. After its strong first weeks, the game dimmed quite a bit. This made many people think that it had died or that, at least, the interest in it had disappeared. And those people were wrong. Because according to a major update for the game, Palworld is back at the top.

Palworld returns to the top of Steam with Feybreak

Palworld has released its new patch, Feybreak. And with it has come its highest peak of popularity since its launch. With around 200,000 concurrent players, it comfortably ranks in the top 10 most played games on Steam. Demonstrating that its popularity was not just a passing trend.

These numbers, of course, are far from the numbers it managed to achieve in the early days of its release. That doesn’t take away from the fact that they are excellent numbers. And a demonstration that the game is alive and kicking. Another demonstration that games as services do not live and die at their launch, but rather maintain themselves with ups and downs through patches and new content releases. Something in which Palworld is no exception.

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Palworld is an action game for PC developed by Pocketpair. In this multiplayer adventure and open-world game, players can explore a vast land full of creatures called Pal. They can be tamed, sold, made to help in battles, among other things—the choice is up to the player.

AI could help us "translate" the language of animals

Shane Gero, a biologist specializing in cetaceans from Carleton University in Canada, has been researching whale communication for over 20 years. According to his work, sperm whales have specific sounds that identify their families and use “dialects” depending on their location. Although various species like dolphins, elephants, and birds also use patterned sounds to communicate, understanding these subtleties is a challenging task for humans. This is precisely where artificial intelligence comes into play, as it is capable of distinguishing these small variations. According to a recent article in Nature, in the past year, […]

Shane Gero, a biologist specializing in cetaceans from Carleton University in Canada, has been researching whale communication for over 20 years. According to his work, sperm whales have specific sounds that identify their families and use “dialects” depending on their location. Although various species like dolphins, elephants, and birds also use patterned sounds to communicate, understanding these subtleties is a challenging task for humans. This is precisely where artificial intelligence comes into play, as it is capable of distinguishing these small variations.

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According to a recent article in Nature, in the past year, several AI-supported studies have revealed that African elephants and common marmosets assign names to their companions. Additionally, various machine learning tools are mapping the calls of crows, allowing for the exploration of animal self-awareness. Despite these advances, translating animal sounds remains a challenge of enormous proportions. “It is a big assumption to think that we can apply that technology to other species and obtain translations,” explains David Gruber, founder of the CETI Project (Cetacean Translation Initiative), focused on the acoustic communication of sperm whales.

Gero, with funding from the CETI Project, has collected data from more than 30 families of sperm whales in the Caribbean. These whales, which forage at depths of up to 2,000 meters, use sound clicks called “codas” to communicate. Each group, led by females, has unique diets, behaviors, and dialects. Differences in the rhythm of the codas create cultural boundaries between clans, according to Gero. Thanks to AI, analyzing these sounds has become more efficient, allowing for the identification of complete conversations and subtle variations like “rubatos” and “ornaments” (terms borrowed from music).

In parallel, Mickey Pardo, a behavioral ecologist, has demonstrated that African elephants emit unique sounds that could be names. Using AI models, he discovered that these sounds have a 27.5% accuracy in identifying individuals. In similar experiments, neuroscientist David Omer found that tamarins from the same family share acoustic characteristics when “naming” each other.

The aim of these studies is not only to understand these languages but also to expand animal vocabularies, such as location terms in elephants. AI tools are not only deciphering patterns but also illuminating the rich world of animal communication, with great potential to promote species conservation.

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Remedy confirms what we already suspected: the universe of Alan Wake and Control has only just begun

Alan Wake 2 was one of the great games of 2023. With good reason. Remedy Entertainment showed that they have everything necessary to succeed with one of the biggest horror games in recent years. Visually spectacular, narratively exceptional, and gameplay-wise brilliant, it left us wanting more. More Alan Wake, but more of its universe in general. And it seems that we won’t have the chance to be left wanting more. We have only seen the beginning of the Alan Wake and Control universe. In an interview with IGN, Sam Lake, the […]

Alan Wake 2 was one of the great games of 2023. With good reason. From Remedy Entertainment, they demonstrated that they have everything necessary to succeed with one of the biggest horror games of recent years. Visually spectacular, narratively exceptional, and gameplay-wise brilliant, it left us wanting more. More Alan Wake, but more of its universe in general. And it seems that it’s something we won’t have the chance to be left wanting more of.

We have only seen the beginning of the Alan Wake and Control universe

In an interview with IGN, Sam Lake, the creative director of Remedy, mentioned that the studio has “just begun” to establish the connection of a shared universe between its games. Saying that it is still “too early to talk about an end”.

Why is this? Because at least Alan Wake and Control share a common universe, with hints suggesting that at least Quantum Break would also be part of the same continuity. It all started with the AWE DLC of Control, which connected the game with the events of Alan Wake, and has been developed even more explicitly with the latest DLC of Alan Wake 2. Something that, according to Lake’s own words, will continue to be developed in the future.

In fact, it is something that is expected to continue developing in the near future. With Control 2 in development and with FBC: Firebreak, a cooperative multiplayer game set in the same universe with a planned release for 2025, it is expected that we will continue to see how this universe develops over the coming years. Although Lake has not given more concrete details about what we can expect to see, beyond that it will continue to develop through the already announced titles and others yet to be announced.

If we add to this that Alan Wake 3 is on the horizon, but a very distant horizon, it seems we have stories in the universe of Alan Wake and Control for many years. And we are glad about that. Because anything that comes from Sam Lake is always welcome.

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In 2010, a video game broke all the molds and offered a unique experience like we had never experienced in the survival horror genre. Alan Wake, released by Remedy Entertainment, became one of the best action and psychological horror titles in recent years, becoming a cult classic in just a few years. So Alan Wake II had to arrive at some point, and now it has, managing to even surpass the first title.

The first major Japanese indie game will receive a remaster in 2025

Now indie games are something common, but they are a relatively recent phenomenon. At the beginning of the millennium, they didn’t exist. In fact, they only had their explosion during the early part of the previous decade. Only from the 2010s did they start to shine on their own until they reached where they are today: one of the greatest creative forces in video games. Something where the first of the Japanese indie games that reached the West, Recettear, shone on its own. Recettear returns, now with updated graphics. Today, the developer EasyGameStation has announced that it will release an HD version of Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale. […]

Now indie games are commonplace, but they are a relatively recent phenomenon. At the beginning of the millennium, they did not exist. In fact, they only had their explosion during the early part of the previous decade. It was only from the 2010s that they began to shine on their own until they reached where they are today: one of the greatest creative forces in video games. Something where the first Japanese indie game that reached the West, Recettear, shone brightly.

Recettear Returns, Now with Updated Graphics

Today the developer EasyGameStation has announced that it will release an HD version of Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale. With a release date planned for 2025, that means it will be launched 15 years after its original release.

Recettear is a very special title because, in fact, it was the first Japanese indie title to be published on Steam. This, along with a very positive reception, with around 300,000 units sold at its launch, managed to pave the way for many other titles from Japan. For example, Cave Story, by Pixel, the game that would kick off the indie phenomenon.

Now then, what is Recettear about? Well, in the game we play as the daughter of a shopkeeper in a fantasy world and we have to take charge of the store. This means selling items, managing the shop, and also exploring the dungeon to obtain merchandise to trade. All of this with strict monthly limits, as the rent doesn’t pay itself. This creates a very enjoyable gameplay loop that managed to captivate the audience.

Although it still doesn’t have a specific date, just that generic 2025, we do know that the game will have a new interface and new graphics, in addition to a 16:9 resolution. Great news that keeps us attentive to one of the great games that have defined the present of video gaming as we know it.

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale DOWNLOAD

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale is a full version Windows game, belonging to the PC Games category with a subcategory of Action. If you're looking for action, this is your game.

OpenAI announces structural changes to facilitate funding for its AI

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, revealed last Friday its plans to reform its corporate structure, transforming its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC) in Delaware, United States. According to the company, this change would allow for greater investments by removing the limitations imposed by its non-profit parent organization. Additionally, the move would help OpenAI secure funds in a context where the development of high-capacity artificial intelligences requires multi-million dollar investments. The reorganization addresses the financial challenges of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) that surpasses human intelligence. In […]

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, revealed last Friday its plans to reform its corporate structure, transforming its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC) in Delaware, United States. According to the company, this change would allow for greater investment by removing the limitations imposed by its non-profit parent. Additionally, the measure would help OpenAI secure funds in a context where the development of high-capacity artificial intelligences requires multimillion-dollar investments.

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The reorganization addresses the financial challenges of achieving a general artificial intelligence (AGI) that surpasses human intelligence. In October, the company raised 6.6 billion dollars in its latest funding round and was valued at 157 billion, depending, of course, on this restructuring and removing the profit cap for investors in two years. However, OpenAI assured that the non-profit entity will retain a “significant interest” in the new PBC through shares, making it one of the best-funded non-profit organizations in the world.

The decision has not been without controversy. Elon Musk, co-founder of OpenAI and now one of its main critics, has attempted to block the plan, claiming it prioritizes profits over the public good. Musk even sued the company, stating it violated contractual agreements. Additionally, Meta asked the California attorney general to stop the transformation to PBC. However, OpenAI maintains that the changes are necessary to continue developing its mission.

Although becoming a PBC involves balancing social objectives with profit generation, some experts like Ann Lipton, a corporate law professor, warn that this structure does not guarantee the fulfillment of its mission. “In practice, it is the majority shareholders who decide how faithful a public benefit corporation is to its mission,” she explained.

Analysts consider this change essential to compete with rivals like Anthropic and xAI, which recently raised billions in funding. “This is the critical step for OpenAI to continue attracting capital,” noted Gil Luria, an analyst at DA Davidson & Co, although he added that the move “does not necessarily imply that OpenAI will go public”.

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What will the last episode of The Simpsons be like? The series itself fantasizes about it through Artificial Intelligence

The Simpsons is a series that “will never end,” as the highly recommended book by Juan Damián Pardo aptly states. However, for the first time in 35 years, the series itself has toyed with its final conclusion in a meta episode that caught everyone off guard. Season 36, which premiered on December 25th on Disney Plus, kicks off with an episode titled Bart’s Birthday, which explores precisely how this series might end. The episode, which is already the highest-rated in recent years according to IMDb, begins with a special cameo by Conan O’Brien, who was […]

The Simpsons is a series that “will never end,” as well described in the highly recommended book by Juan Damián Pardo. However, for the first time in 35 years, the series itself has played with its final conclusion with a meta episode that has caught everyone off guard. Season 36, which premiered last December 25 on Disney Plus, begins with an episode titled Bart’s Birthday, which explores precisely how this series might end.

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The episode, which is already the highest-rated in recent years according to IMDb, begins with a special cameo by Conan O’Brien, who was a writer for the series in the nineties. In his animated version, O’Brien explains that the Fox network has decided to use Artificial Intelligence to write the series’ final episode. What follows is a masterful parody of the predictable products generated by these technologies: a script that combines exaggerated tributes to series like Game of Thrones and Succession, plot twists that desperately seek to be memorable, and resolutions filled with clichés that only an AI could imagine.

A Finale Befitting AI

Among the highlights of the episode are the death of Mr. Burns, the unexpected discovery that the comic book store owner will become a father, and, of course, Bart’s eleventh birthday. This detail, far from being coincidental, is a joke about the eternal freezing of time in Springfield. After nearly four decades as a ten-year-old, Bart faces the possibility of growing up, a situation that causes a direct conflict between him and the AI.

But the episode not only plays with parody, but also reflects on the impact of technologies on narrative and creativity. The Artificial Intelligence, programmed to analyze millions of previous ideas and generate a “memorably perfect” ending, fails to foresee Bart’s emotional resistance. The young Simpson refuses to accept a script that forces him to grow up and abandon his identity as the eternal mischievous child. “My age must remain frozen,” Bart declares, in a moment overflowing with both metacommentary and nostalgia for everything already experienced.

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This confrontation highlights a universal truth: while AI can replicate patterns, it cannot capture the human essence that defines characters like Bart. The tension between algorithmic calculations and emotional complexity is the central axis of an episode that ends up being a mirror of our own relationship with technological progress. One of the best critiques made on television about AI, and the best example that, ahem, they will never be able to replace us… neither writers nor journalists.

Success or failure? How is Nosferatu doing at the box office?

Nosferatu was one of the most anticipated horror movies of the year, and it has undoubtedly lived up to expectations. Released last December 25th, the film has won over critics in an almost unanimous way. But has the same happened with the box office? Has it been a total success or a failure like The Northman was? It seems to be the former and by a large margin. The movie debuted with 40.3 million dollars in national revenue, making it the second-best opening for a Rated R movie […]

Nosferatu was one of the most anticipated horror movies of the year, and it has undoubtedly lived up to expectations. Released on December 25th, the film has won over critics in an almost unanimous way. But has the same happened with the box office? Has it been a total success or a failure like The Northman?

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It seems that it has been the first by a long shot. The film debuted with $40.3 million in national box office, making it the second-best opening for an R-Rated movie of the year —the first being Deadpool & Wolverine, unbeatable— and the highest-grossing film by Robert Eggers to date.

A Vampire Story Like You’ve Never Seen Before

Nosferatu is a gothic reinterpretation of Murnau’s horror classic. The story focuses on Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp), a young woman who becomes the obsession of an ancient vampire, Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård). Her husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), a real estate agent, travels to Orlok’s remote castle in Transylvania to close a deal, unaware of the danger lurking. As Orlok moves to the town of Wisborg, he unleashes a plague and chaos that only Ellen, facing her own demons, can stop.

The film is winning the hearts of those who love classic horror cinema, and it is undoubtedly the umpteenth confirmation that Eggers is a director to watch very closely. We will see what happens with the film, if it continues to make great numbers or falls by the wayside, but for now, we can already confirm that it is a complete success.

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