Month: August 2024
For Ohio State Football, It’s Championship ‘or Bust’
Expectations are high for the Buckeyes every year. But this season feels different.
Expectations are high for the Buckeyes every year. But this season feels different.
After Starring in the Olympics, Gabby Williams Signs With W.N.B.A. Team
Williams, who will return to the Seattle Storm, led France in points and assists en route to earning a silver medal.
Williams, who will return to the Seattle Storm, led France in points and assists en route to earning a silver medal.
The Basketball Magazine That Disrupted the Sports Media Landscape
SLAM was unlike anything in modern journalism. Thirty years later, the “outcasts” were honored by the Basketball Hall of Fame.
SLAM was unlike anything in modern journalism. Thirty years later, the “outcasts” were honored by the Basketball Hall of Fame.
What We Learned From Watching Four Premier League Games in Four Days
Opening weekend brought optimism, anger, disconnect and pleasant surprise.
Opening weekend brought optimism, anger, disconnect and pleasant surprise.
Hate AI art? You’re gonna love what Procreate just promised to do – or not do
Art app Procreate declares it will never use generative AI and pushes back against AI in art.
Popular digital art app Procreate has staked out a firm position against generative AI in its features and art as a whole. The decision is in stark contrast to the rapid movement by Adobe and other developers toward embedding AI throughout their platforms. One of the biggest issues is that AI image makers like Midjourney, OpenAI’s DALL-E, and Stability AI rely on large-scale scraping of online content, including copyrighted works, to train their models. This practice has led to legal challenges, including a class-action copyright infringement lawsuit against several AI companies.
Procreate has been a staple for digital artists since its launch in 2011, earning plaudits for its interface and Apple iPad-focused tools. Artists can create intricate, high-quality illustrations using touchscreens and styluses through Procreate, but that won’t ever extend to AI features. The company and CEO, James Cuda, made it very clear how he feels.
“I really f***ing hate generative AI. I don’t like what’s happening in the industry and I don’t like what it’s doing to artists,” Cuda said in a video released on social media about the decision. “We’re not going to be introducing any generative AI into our products.”
AI Art Fight
The point of the announcement, according to Procreate, is to resist AI because of how it breaks down the integrity of human-driven artistic processes. Procreate believes adding AI-generated content would undermine the creativity that is the cornerstone of its success. There are plenty who agree in the art and illustration world who have voiced their appreciation for Procreate’s decision. There’s been frustration among artists at how AI-driven platforms seem to exploit their work without consent or payment. The outcry has had some effect on the brands trying out AI image creators. For instance, the illustration app Clip Studio Paint canceled plans for an AI image generator in 2022 after a wave of complaints from its user base.
And while Adobe has incorporated several generative AI features across its product platforms, it hasn’t been immune from criticism. When Adobe quietly updated the terms of service agreement in a way that appeared to suggest it would leverage content made by users to train AI models, there was a huge furor and even vows of boycotts. Adobe clarified that it does not train AI on customer content but still felt the need to amend the terms of service to underline that fact.
And the rapid adoption of AI among other platforms demonstrates not all artists agree that generative AI is not inherently at odds with human creativity. AI tools can be treated as just another source for bringing ideas to the digital canvas, facilitating creation rather than supplanting it.
More cynically, the loud declaration positions Procreate as an alternative to Canva, Adobe, Figma, or any other illustration platform that is embracing AI to one degree or another. Procreate can claim to be an ally of its artists who reject AI tools in a way that those others can’t. Still, the legal and regulatory battles over AI image creators are far from over. The results could mean Procreate seems prescient or obstinate, but it will undeniably have a place in the story as a whole.
“Our products are always designed and developed with the idea that a human will be creating something,” Cuda said. “You know, we don’t exactly know where this story’s gonna go, or how it ends, but we believe that we’re on the right path supporting human creativity.”
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Don’t Nod’s Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will launch in two parts starting February 18, 2025
Don’t Nod’s spiritual successor to its popular video game series Life is Strange, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, is confirmed to launch in two parts, and the first gameplay trailer is being revealed. The first part, Tape 1, will launch on February 18, 2025. You can expect Tape 2 to come out exactly one month later, on March 18, 2025.
Earlier this year, Don’t Nod decided to delay the game’s release from late 2024 to early 2025. The primary reason is Square Enix and Deck Nine Games are working on Life is Strange: Double Exposure, a new game in the series. It’s planned for an October release on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Gamers on the Switch will have to wait.
It’s safe to say that the delay of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is to prevent it from competing with the new Life is Strange title, as they would share similar audiences. Having some breathing room between the two would also allow fans to play them at comfier pace.
The new trailer showcases gameplay from Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, which allows the main character, Swann, to switch between 1995 and 2022 timelines. The game will feature a dynamic dialog system, which changes dialog based on where players look or what they choose to say. Performing or ignoring actions will also affect outcomes.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. There’s currently no word about a Switch version. Don’t Nod also announced plans for physical PS5 copies, but there’s no release date set for them yet.
If you happen to be at Gamescom 2024, feel free to check out Don’t Nod’s space in the B2B and B2C areas. Besides a photo booth themed after Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, you might even bring a keepsake home.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dont-nods-lost-records-bloom–rage-will-launch-in-two-parts-starting-february-18-2025-203015444.html?src=rss
Don’t Nod’s spiritual successor to its popular video game series Life is Strange, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, is confirmed to launch in two parts, and the first gameplay trailer is being revealed. The first part, Tape 1, will launch on February 18, 2025. You can expect Tape 2 to come out exactly one month later, on March 18, 2025.
Earlier this year, Don’t Nod decided to delay the game’s release from late 2024 to early 2025. The primary reason is Square Enix and Deck Nine Games are working on Life is Strange: Double Exposure, a new game in the series. It’s planned for an October release on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Gamers on the Switch will have to wait.
It’s safe to say that the delay of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is to prevent it from competing with the new Life is Strange title, as they would share similar audiences. Having some breathing room between the two would also allow fans to play them at comfier pace.
The new trailer showcases gameplay from Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, which allows the main character, Swann, to switch between 1995 and 2022 timelines. The game will feature a dynamic dialog system, which changes dialog based on where players look or what they choose to say. Performing or ignoring actions will also affect outcomes.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will be available on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. There’s currently no word about a Switch version. Don’t Nod also announced plans for physical PS5 copies, but there’s no release date set for them yet.
If you happen to be at Gamescom 2024, feel free to check out Don’t Nod’s space in the B2B and B2C areas. Besides a photo booth themed after Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, you might even bring a keepsake home.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/dont-nods-lost-records-bloom–rage-will-launch-in-two-parts-starting-february-18-2025-203015444.html?src=rss
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will launch in two parts in early 2025
Dont Nod has announced that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will launch in two parts next year.
Developer Dont Nod has announced that Lost Records: Bloom & Rage will be released in two parts early next year.
Revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, the first part of Bloom & Rage will launch on February 18, 2025, followed by part two on March 18 for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
The developer best known for its Life is Strange series also shared a brand-new trailer alongside the release dates, which offered a first look at the gameplay of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, including a look at the game’s core cast – Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat – and the navigation between the game’s dual timelines of 1995 and 2022.
We also got to witness some dialogue choices that, in true Dont Nod fashion, will have a great impact on the narrative. Bloom & Rage also features a dynamic dialogue system, which “promises another level of immersion” as it can change depending on where the player looks and what they say.
Players can also choose to ignore and interrupt other characters, which will make conversations feel more authentic and choices more important.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage was first announced during The Game Awards 2023 last December and was slated to release in late 2024. From the first cinematic trailer, it was revealed that the game will be a “story-driven journey through time” featuring a supernatural aspect.
“The magical summer of 1995 is one of self-discovery and forging unbreakable bonds for high school friends Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat,” the game description reads.
“27 years of no contact later, fate reunites them to confront the long-buried secret that made them promise to never speak again.”
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A Tesla Semi crashed and caught fire on a California highway
Image: Tesla
A Tesla Semi truck crashed into trees and caught fire off the side of a highway in California early Monday, causing road closures on I-80 for almost 16 hours. As reported by KCRA 3 News, Cal Fire crews first headed to the crash site near the Nevada border after 3AM local time.
Firefighters doused the Tesla Semi with thousands of gallons of water to cool its lithium-ion EV battery pack down to a manageable target temperature of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit while waiting for its cells to burn out. Around 4PM the crew got the batteries to a safer temperature and began work to move what was left of the Semi to Tesla’s Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada. The highway was fully reopened after 7PM.
Westbound Interstate 80 reopened more than 13 hours after a Tesla Semi caught fire east of Nyack early Monday, the Cal Fire said. Eastbound I-80 remains closed.Read more here: https://t.co/f11gJBbmWS pic.twitter.com/b6f8qjcoPw— kcranews (@kcranews) August 20, 2024
California Highway Patrol told KCRA 3 that the driver of the Semi was taken to a hospital after walking away from the crash. Now, authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, including whether the driver had fallen asleep. The Semi was operated by Tesla, which often uses the class 8 commercial truck to haul freshly made EV batteries from the Gigafactory to its Fremont, California car manufacturing plant. In this case, it was not pulling a trailer, so it seems the Semi’s own batteries were burning.
It’s not the first time big Tesla batteries have caught fire in California. The company’s Megawatt energy storage batteries went aflame at a local utility in 2022, shutting down part of a highway.
**UPDATE** I-80 WB traffic is still being diverted at SR-20 due to a big rig fire near Nyack. An alternate route for commercial traffic is US395 NB to WB SR-70. I-80 EB traffic remains closed at Applegate. There is no estimated time of reopening. https://t.co/1pUugGaWZh pic.twitter.com/hwBt9pXUyz— CHP Headquarters (@CHP_HQ) August 19, 2024
Image: Tesla
A Tesla Semi truck crashed into trees and caught fire off the side of a highway in California early Monday, causing road closures on I-80 for almost 16 hours. As reported by KCRA 3 News, Cal Fire crews first headed to the crash site near the Nevada border after 3AM local time.
Firefighters doused the Tesla Semi with thousands of gallons of water to cool its lithium-ion EV battery pack down to a manageable target temperature of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit while waiting for its cells to burn out. Around 4PM the crew got the batteries to a safer temperature and began work to move what was left of the Semi to Tesla’s Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada. The highway was fully reopened after 7PM.
Westbound Interstate 80 reopened more than 13 hours after a Tesla Semi caught fire east of Nyack early Monday, the Cal Fire said. Eastbound I-80 remains closed.
Read more here: https://t.co/f11gJBbmWS pic.twitter.com/b6f8qjcoPw
— kcranews (@kcranews) August 20, 2024
California Highway Patrol told KCRA 3 that the driver of the Semi was taken to a hospital after walking away from the crash. Now, authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, including whether the driver had fallen asleep. The Semi was operated by Tesla, which often uses the class 8 commercial truck to haul freshly made EV batteries from the Gigafactory to its Fremont, California car manufacturing plant. In this case, it was not pulling a trailer, so it seems the Semi’s own batteries were burning.
It’s not the first time big Tesla batteries have caught fire in California. The company’s Megawatt energy storage batteries went aflame at a local utility in 2022, shutting down part of a highway.
**UPDATE** I-80 WB traffic is still being diverted at SR-20 due to a big rig fire near Nyack. An alternate route for commercial traffic is US395 NB to WB SR-70. I-80 EB traffic remains closed at Applegate. There is no estimated time of reopening. https://t.co/1pUugGaWZh pic.twitter.com/hwBt9pXUyz
— CHP Headquarters (@CHP_HQ) August 19, 2024
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on Xbox and PC in December – and comes to PS5 in Spring 2025
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will launch on December 9 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, and come to PS5 in Spring 2025.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will launch on December 9 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, and day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Bethesda announced the release date during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 alongside a brand-new trailer, where we also got confirmation that the upcoming game will be coming to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025.
In the new trailer, which is narrated by voice actor and Indiana Jones star Troy Baker, we got to witness the titular protagonist punching Nazis and exploring old ruins and temples, spanning multiple locations like Rome, Thailand, and Egypt in the year 1937.
Though the game is in first-person throughout combat, the game does feature instances of third-person action in certain sequences. Cutscenes are also in third-person, and we see plenty of those in the latest trailer, too.
The Great Circle also has a journal and camera feature, allowing players to record their discoveries in the game that will reward Adventure Points depending on your findings.
Pre-orders are also now available on all platforms, with a Standard Edition, Digital Premium Edition, and a Collector’s Edition up for grabs, each with its own unique goodies.
Pre-purchasing, or playing the gaming on Game Pass, will reward bonus items such as The Last Crusade pack, which features the iconic outfit and whip from the 1989 film.
We actually learned of a December release date, as well as the future PlayStation 5 launch, through an industry insider earlier today.
The report also followed rumors from earlier this year (via The Verge) that Microsoft was considering bringing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to PS5 months after its Xbox and PC launch, in a bid to push its new multi-platform approach.
TechRadar Gaming’s Managing Editor, Rob, recently got the chance to attend an exclusive hands-off preview of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and it’s shaping up to be a whip-cracking action-adventure game.
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Apple Now Gives Customers 45 Days to Extend AppleCare+ Coverage After Expiration
Apple in August increased the period in which customers can extend their AppleCare+ coverage after it expires. Apple used to allow coverage to be extended for 30 days after the end of the original AppleCare+ plan, but that has now changed to 45 days.
The AppleCare+ extension support document says that customers have 45 days to sign up for a new AppleCare+ plan after existing coverage expires, with options for extending plans by 24 months, 36 months, monthly, or on an annual basis until canceled.
AppleCare+ plans can be extended for 45 days after expiration in Australia, Austria Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In China, there is still a 30-day limit.
An upfront AppleCare+ plan for iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch is eligible for updated coverage that renews monthly or annually, while upfront AppleCare+ plans for Mac can be enrolled in a new coverage plan that renews on an annual basis.
Customers who want to renew their expired AppleCare+ plans can go to Apple’s support website to see if their devices are eligible. Apple does not guarantee that AppleCare+ can be renewed, and it does not alert customers when AppleCare+ is expiring unless required by law.
AppleCare+ expiration dates can be checked in the Settings app on iPhone or iPad, in the System Settings app on a Mac, or on Apple’s website.Tag: AppleCareThis article, “Apple Now Gives Customers 45 Days to Extend AppleCare+ Coverage After Expiration” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple in August increased the period in which customers can extend their AppleCare+ coverage after it expires. Apple used to allow coverage to be extended for 30 days after the end of the original AppleCare+ plan, but that has now changed to 45 days.
The AppleCare+ extension support document says that customers have 45 days to sign up for a new AppleCare+ plan after existing coverage expires, with options for extending plans by 24 months, 36 months, monthly, or on an annual basis until canceled.
AppleCare+ plans can be extended for 45 days after expiration in Australia, Austria Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In China, there is still a 30-day limit.
An upfront AppleCare+ plan for iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch is eligible for updated coverage that renews monthly or annually, while upfront AppleCare+ plans for Mac can be enrolled in a new coverage plan that renews on an annual basis.
Customers who want to renew their expired AppleCare+ plans can go to Apple’s support website to see if their devices are eligible. Apple does not guarantee that AppleCare+ can be renewed, and it does not alert customers when AppleCare+ is expiring unless required by law.
AppleCare+ expiration dates can be checked in the Settings app on iPhone or iPad, in the System Settings app on a Mac, or on Apple’s website.
This article, “Apple Now Gives Customers 45 Days to Extend AppleCare+ Coverage After Expiration” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums