Blog

A ‘The Witcher’ anime film is coming to Netflix

[ad_1]

Netflix clearly knows its adaptation of The Witcher is a hot property (shifting metrics aside), and it’s determined to milk that success for all it’s worth. The service has confirmed rumors that it’s working on an anime movie offshoot, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. It’s not saying much about the plot besides talk of a “new threat facing the Continent,” but fans may like the talent attached to the project. The Witcher series’ Beau DeMayo and Lauren Hissrich are involved, and Legend of Korra‘s Studio Mir is producing the title.



[ad_2]

Source link

Google helps publish the largest high-res map of brain connectivity

[ad_1]

Anyone can see and download the data, and there are papers both available and on the way detailing the work. The brain map won’t accomplish much by itself. However, it could prove to be a treasure trove of data for scientists looking to understand fruit flies in particular or brain functionality at large.

With that said, it’s important to temper expectations. Even as large as this map is, it represents just a quarter of the 100,000 neurons in a typical fruit fly. Most larger species’ brains are considerably more complex, and a human’s 86 billion neurons would take much, much more work to map correctly. This is an important moment, but it’s ultimately a stepping stone.

[ad_2]

Source link

Google Collections will save and organize your searches

[ad_1]

Google will recommend Collections based on activities like cooking, shopping and hobbies. That could make it easier to keep track of a recipe you searched for last week or a wishlist purchase without digging through your history. Once you’ve saved a Collection, Google will use AI to recommend related websites, images, products and searches. You’ll find those suggestions by clicking on the “Find More” button within a Collection. You’ll also be able to share Collections and collaborate with others.

The new feature builds on the activity cards that Google introduced in 2018. At the time, Google said these AI-based recommendations will change the way we use the internet in the decades to come. The feature has a kind of Pinterest-esque quality, but it could be legitimately useful — and perhaps a bit disturbing when you realize how much Google knows about your search habits.

Users around the globe can now share or collaborate on Collections, which you’ll find in the Google App and on the web, in the side menu. Suggested Collections and recommendations begin rolling out today. Those features will be available first in the US.

[ad_2]

Source link

Project xCloud is coming to Canada

[ad_1]

The company previously vowed to bring the preview to India, Japan and western Europe this year. Don’t despair if you’re not a Canuck, then. While a full-fledged launch is likely some ways off, Project xCloud is quickly becoming more than just a small experiment and might soon catch up to Google Stadia’s coverage.

[ad_2]

Source link

‘Project: Mara’ is Ninja Theory’s new psychological horror game

[ad_1]

The developer shared a short teaser that shows a few seconds of gameplay footage. Toward the end of the 42-second clip, we see an extreme close of a female character, presumably the eponymous Mara. As the camera pans to her side, we catch a glimpse of what seems like another character. In its other shots, the teaser is most reminiscent of the action and atmosphere of P.T. In fact, it seems Project: Mara will use the same minimalist approach as Hideo Kojima’s short-lived masterpiece. In a developer diary, Tameem Antoniades, the studio’s co-founder, said Project: Mara will feature one character in one location.

With Project: Mara, Ninja Theory is now officially working on four separate projects. In addition to a sequel to Senua’s Sacrifice, it’s developing a 4v4 team-based melee combat game called Bleeding Edge. Last year, it also announced Project Insight, an initiative the studio says aims to help gamers recognize and control their anxieties. Typically, four different projects at the same time would probably tax a studio to its limit, but it seems Ninja Theory’s new small teams approach is letting it explore interesting concepts sustainably. We’ll likely learn more about Project: Mara over the next couple of months.

[ad_2]

Source link

PGA Tour highlight videos are coming to Facebook Watch

[ad_1]

You won’t have to venture far beyond your Facebook feed to get a pro golf fix this year. The social network has reached a deal with the PGA Tour to bring daily round recaps and player-oriented highlight videos to Facebook Watch in 2020, starting with the Farmers Insurance Open on January 23rd. These will be “expanded” videos with material from both core TV broadcasts as well as the digital-only PGA Tour Live service. You should see coverage from 30-plus events like The Players Championship and FedExCup Playoffs.

[ad_2]

Source link

Microsoft accidently exposed 250 million customer service records

[ad_1]

Security researcher Bob Diachenko and Comparitech discovered the vulnerability on December 29th. Microsoft quickly fixed the issue two days later. It says the exposure was caused by a “misconfiguration” of one of its internal customer support databases. The company claims it found no evidence of “malicious use.”

The server included conversation logs dating as far back as 2005 between Microsoft support personnel and customers from across the world. According to Comparitech, the database wasn’t password-protected.

Microsoft says the “vast majority” of personal data that was exposed was redacted. However, Comparitech notes some information, such as email and IP addresses, was stored in plain text. Had someone been able to access the logs, they could have used them to more easily impersonate the company’s support staff in a phishing scheme.

“We want to sincerely apologize and reassure our customers that we are taking it seriously and working diligently to learn and take action to prevent any future reoccurrence,” Microsoft said. The company has started notifying people whose data was stored on the database.

In the wake of this latest exposure, Microsoft says it plans to audit its internal security rules, as well as implement additional tools to redact sensitive user information automatically. It will also put in place new and expanded alerts to notify its service teams when it detects a security misconfiguration.

For Microsoft, this is its second major data security incident tied to its customer support system in a single year. In April 2019, the company disclosed that hackers had used a customer support representative’s credentials to breach the email accounts of some of its users. Ultimately, the issue in both cases is that internal support systems have almost unprecedented levels of access to user information, making them enticing targets to hackers. Dave Aitel, the chief security technology officer at Cyxtera, told Wired at the time of the Microsoft email breach, “support is a big security hole waiting to happen.”

[ad_2]

Source link

Germany has to pay Microsoft for failing to upgrade from Windows 7

[ad_1]

Microsoft offers extended security updates to enterprise and business clients, but at a hefty price — ZDNet reported that the company will charge $50 per machine during the first year of end-of-life support and that the price will increase after each additional year. When an organization has tens of thousands of computers, those fees add up quickly.

Maintaining thousands of computers is a tough job — viruses, malware, software updates, hardware issues and user errors form a nearly endless to-do list for admins. But when end-of-life is announced for an operating system, upgrading to the latest version is typically a high priority. We are talking about a government organization, though, so a lack of both funding and technical expertise are to be expected. Luckily, upgrading is much easier for home users, who can still take advantage of a loophole to upgrade to Windows 10 for free.

[ad_2]

Source link

EA is shutting down its mobile ‘Tetris’ games

[ad_1]

EA hasn’t given an explanation for retiring the games. It did say, “we have had an amazing journey with you so far but sadly, it’s time to say goodbye.” The decision likely comes down to licensing. EA was once the exclusive Tetris license holder, but that expired a while ago, and it appears EA just doesn’t want to renew. Existing users should be able to continue playing the games until they expire in April.

When Tetris turned 35 last year, we called it one of the best puzzle games of all time, partly because of its enduring popularity. EA’s decision to retire the app will undoubtedly upset diehard fans. Though, fans can choose from plenty of other mobile Tetris games. Tetris Royale, the mobile title by N3TWORK and The Tetris Company that will include a 100-player battle mode, is in development for iPhone, iPad and Android, and it should be ready sometime this year. If you have a Switch, you might opt for Tetris 99.

In a statement posted in the App Store, EA wrote:

Hello Fans, We have had an amazing journey with you so far but sadly, it is time to say goodbye. As of April 21, 2020, EA’s Tetris® app will be retired, and will no longer be available to play. Kindly note that you will still be able to enjoy the game and use any existing in-game items until April 21, 2020. We hope you have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of this game and we appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you!

[ad_2]

Source link

Lucid opens European pre-orders for its currently unfinished EV

[ad_1]

For the equivalent of $1,000, early adopters in select European countries can claim the Lucid Air. According to the company, “high demand in the EV-friendly region accelerated these plans.” The announcement puts Lucid on the hook to deliver, which is something that it and other companies (looking at you Faraday Future) have struggled with.

When the Lucid Air was first unveiled, Lucid Motors claimed the luxury EV would have a 400-mile range, a combined 1,000 horsepower and a zero to 60 MPH acceleration of 2.5 seconds. It was poised to compete with the Tesla Model S, but four years later, the Lucid Air still isn’t ready.

The company planned to invest $700 million in an Arizona-based EV factory, but it struggled to get financing in place. In late 2018, Lucid got a billion-dollar cash infusion from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Now, Lucid Motors says it expects the factory to be completed in late 2020.

Until then, Lucid is manufacturing 80 beta prototypes at its Silicon Valley headquarters. It plans to use those vehicles for comprehensive testing, including crash testing. There’s still time for more setbacks, but the fact that the company is taking pre-orders in Europe could indicate a new level of confidence.

The vehicle will be available in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Lucid Motors says it selected those countries based on charging infrastructure, market acceptance and size. It plans to expand to other European countries and to produce a right-hand-drive model for the UK.

[ad_2]

Source link