Hello Kitty is no stranger to ambitious crossovers, and the new Hello Kitty and Friends x Attack on Titan Collection combines the world of Eldia with the Sanrio icons of adorableness.
Source: Gizmodo – Behold the Cuteness of BoxLunch’s Hello Kitty and Attack on Titan Collab
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a weird phase right now, and no, I don’t mean Phase Five which began with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Over just a few short days, it became clear that the shared movie universe is undergoing a lot of change, and not for the best reasons. From actors to workers and even top…
Source: Kotaku – Marvel’s Undergoing A Big Shake-Up Right Now
The Document Foundation released today LibreOffice 7.5.2 as the second maintenance update to the latest and greatest LibreOffice 7.5 open-source and free office suite series to fix more bugs and annoyances.
Source: LXer – LibreOffice 7.5.2 Open-Source Office Suite Is Out with 96 Bug Fixes, Download Now
Enlarge (credit: Sean Gallup | Getty Images)
Google Bard is getting a little smarter today with the addition of math and logic capabilities. Google employee Jack Krawczyk announced the change on Twitter, saying, “Now Bard will better understand and respond to your prompts for multi-step word and math problems, with coding coming soon.”
Logic questions were a big flaw when Bard arrived tens of days ago, and some answers made Bard seem particularly dumb to early testers. In one example from last week, Bard repeatedly asserted that one plus two equaled four. Today, Google’s state-of-the-art AI chatbot models can now correctly say that the answer is three. So there has been at least some change. It can also correctly list the months in a year instead of making up names like “Maruary.”
Bard still gets tripped up by really basic logic questions, though. HowToGeek’s Chris Hoffman posed the question to Bard on day one, “What’s heavier, five pounds of feathers or a one pound dumbbell?” Google Bard responded with the ridiculous claim that “There’s no such thing as 5 pounds of feathers.” In the replies, ChatGPT didn’t do any better, saying that five pounds of feathers and a one pound dumbbells “weigh the same amount, which is five pounds.”
Read 5 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Google Bard gets better at homework with improved math and logic capabilities
DirecTV users can now watch Ted Lasso without buying extra hardware. The television provider announced today that the Apple TV+ app is now available to install on the company’s DirecTV Stream box.
This is the first time Apple’s streaming network has been available on DirecTV Stream, a multipurpose device for subscribers that supports live TV, streaming apps, on-demand content and DVR recordings. The satellite provider launched the device in 2020; subscribers can rent it for $20 per month, and it’s bundled with some premium plans. In addition, it includes a remote control with access to Google Assistant.
The Apple TV+ app will include the iPhone maker’s original content like Ted Lasso, Severance and CODA, and access to Apple’s broader library of rentals / purchases for television series and movie rentals. Additionally, it includes in-app support for premium add-ons like AMC+, Paramount+ and Starz. The app is widely available on other streaming devices, including PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV and smart TVs from Samsung, LG and others.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-tv-app-is-now-available-for-directv-stream-box-users-214547480.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Apple TV+ app is now available for DirecTV Stream box users
Wine 8.5 is out to end out the month as the newest bi-weekly development release for enjoying the ability to run Windows games and applications on Linux and other platforms…
Source: Phoronix – Wine 8.5 Released With VKD3D 1.7 Included, WinRT App Dark Theme
After testing its FLEX rover in the California desert last year, Astrolab is now making plans to transport the vehicle to the Moon. The astronautics startup signed an agreement with SpaceX to deliver Astrolab’s first lunar rover to the Moon on a future Starship mission.
Source: Gizmodo – SpaceX’s Starship Megarocket Slated to Deliver This Wild Lunar Rover to the Moon
Enlarge / This micrograph shows the presence of the fungal agent Blastomyces dermatitidis, 1978. (credit: Getty | CDC/Dr. Libero Ajello)
Toxic fungal spores wafting around a Wisconsin neighborhood—possibly spread by recent construction in the area—sparked an outbreak of rare infections that left one person dead, state health officials reported Friday in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In all, the outbreak cluster included five pet dogs and four people, with the onset of symptoms spanning from October 2021 to February 2022. While two of the cases in people were mild, the other two required hospitalization, including the fatal case. The five dogs were reported to have mild to moderate cases.
The outbreak was caused by the poorly understood fungus Blastomyces (B. dermatitidis and B. gilchristii), which lurks in moist soil and decomposing organic matter, such as wood and leaves, often near water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the fungus could exist throughout the eastern US, but its distribution is uneven. It’s often found around the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and the Great Lakes. Parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota are considered hotspots.
Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Deadly fungal outbreak in Wisconsin linked to neighborhood construction
An anonymous reader shares a report: A dozen years ago, Groupon shot to fame popularizing the online group buying format, confidently rejecting a $6 billion acquisition offer from Google and instead going public with a $17.8 billion market cap. The company today says it has 14 million active users, but almost consistently for the last decade, its financial position has been in a slow decline — with stagnation in its core business model, little success in efforts to diversify, declining revenues and ongoing losses. And today comes the latest chapter in that story. The Chicago-based company, which today has a market cap of just $103 million (a drop of 99.4% from its public market debut), has appointed Dusan Senkypl, a current board member, as interim CEO. Senkypl will run the company… out of the Czech Republic. His appointment is effective immediately, the company said in a statement today. He replaces Kedar Deshpande, who had been Groupon’s CEO for just 15 months.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Groupon, Which Has Lost 99.4% of Its Value Since Its IPO, Names a New CEO
Fox News will be forced to defend its promotion of the “Big Lie” in court, as a Delaware judge ruled that a jury would need to decide whether there was “actual malice” in how the network let election disinformation loose upon its millions of viewers.
Source: Gizmodo – Dominion Will See Fox News In Court After Judge Rules the Election Lies Were ‘Crystal Clear’
The US government might not lean solely on lawsuits to limit online ad monopolies. A bipartisan group of senators has introduced the AMERICA Act (Advertising Middlemen Endangering Rigorous Internet Competition Accountability — yes, it’s overwrought) with the intention of breaking up the ad businesses of tech giants like Google and Meta.
Large digital ad firms (those handling more than $20 billion in transactions) wouldn’t be allowed to own both an ad exchange as well as either a demand- or supply-side platform. A supply-side platform owner couldn’t own a demand-side system (and vice versa), while those buying and selling ads couldn’t own either of the other platforms except to sell their own ad stock.
Companies that are medium-sized or larger (those handling over $5 billion in transactions) would also have to make the “best execution” for ad bids rather than deliberately holding back to serve their own operations. They need to be transparent and provide fair access to technical capabilities and data. If they do run businesses on two sides of the market, they have to establish “firewalls” to minimize abuse and conflicts of interest.
The bill is sponsored by a seemingly unlikely mix of senators that includes Mike Lee, Amy Klobuchar, Ted Cruz and Elizabeth Warren, among others. They aren’t subtle about the ultimate goal: they expect Google and Meta to divest “significant portions” of their ad businesses to comply with the would-be law. Amazon and Apple might also have to take the AMERICA Act into account, the politicians say.
The sponsors single out Google as the bill’s main target. As with lawsuits from the Justice Department and multiple states, the measure’s creators accuse Google of manipulating the ad market in ways that unfairly disadvantage competitors. Google’s control over a wide portion of the advertising system allegedly lets it charge “monopoly rents” across much of the internet.
We’ve asked Google and Meta for comment. They’ve previously fought bills and lawsuits meant to restrict their ad operations.
If the AMERICA Act passes, it would deal a significant financial blow. Google and Meta still rely on ad sales as their main sources of revenue, and in some cases use it to prop up other projects. Meta is sinking billions into its metaverse ambitions, as an example. While there’s no way of knowing just how much revenue these companies would lose through divestments, they might have to rethink their broader strategies.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senate-bill-seeks-to-break-up-google-and-meta-ad-businesses-211308768.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Senate bill seeks to break up Google and Meta ad businesses
Google’s laissez-faire attitude to companywide perks is coming to an end as it looks to reallocate funds and create cost-cutting measures. Google laid off thousands of employees amid recession fears, and it’s also prioritizing Artificial Intelligence technology as the company takes drastic steps to keep up with other…
Source: Gizmodo – Googlers Will Enjoy Fewer Free Snacks and Workout Classes Under Fresh Cuts
When the Ryzen 7 5800X3D came out and allowed AMD users to instantly upgrade an aging AM4 machine with a CPU competitive against Intel’s latest and greatest, a whole lot of people snatched them up, including your author here. It’s a great CPU for PC gamers, with enough cores to handle background tasks while gaming, and enough cache to allow
Source: Hot Hardware – Bug In ASUS, ASRock, Gigabyte And MSI Utilities Can Instantly Kill An OC’d Ryzen CPU
One of the writers that helped build out James Cameron’s Sully family in Avatar: The Way of Water, Josh Friedman, has been hired to pen the script for Marvel’s new Fantastic Four movie.
Source: Gizmodo – Avatar 2 Co-Writer Josh Friedman Tapped for Marvel’s Fantastic Four
140 years ago, an agate specimen from India was registered in the Mineralogy Collection at London’s Natural History Museum. Now, a team of researchers say the suspiciously spherical agate formed inside a 60-million-year-old dinosaur egg.
Source: Gizmodo – Sparkly Rock in Museum Turns Out to Be 60-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Egg
Audible is testing ad-supported access to select titles for non-members, the Amazon-owned audiobook company revealed on a help page on its website. From a report: The company confirmed to TechCrunch that the test is very limited and does not apply to paid members. The move indicates that the company may be exploring the possibility of an ad-based membership option. Audible declined to comment on any specific plans. The test includes audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals. Audible says the test applies to a limited subsection of titles on its platform. Content providers were informed of the change and given the chance to opt out of ads. Users who are part of the test will hear a total of eight ads within a 24-hour period. Audible says it has taken additional measures to make sure that ads won’t be heard too frequently within a short time span.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Audible is Testing Ad-Supported Access To Select Titles For Non-Members
Enlarge / Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez star as Elgin (a bard) and Holga (a barbarian) in D&D: Honor Among Thieves. (credit: Paramount Pictures)
Of all the films due for release this spring, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was one of my most anticipated premieres, solely on the strength of those killer trailers. The film does not disappoint. It’s a fresh, good-humored, energetic, and vastly entertaining fantasy/action/comedy, boasting a stellar cast and solid emotional core that serves as a worthy homage to the famous RPG that inspired it.
(Some spoilers below, but no major reveals.)
Honor Among Thieves is set in the hugely popular Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The film’s official premise is short and sweet: “A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.”
Read 9 remaining paragraphs | Comments
Source: Ars Technica – Review: D&D: Honor Among Thieves is a worthy homage to the classic RPG
Are you gloating today? Have recent events filled you with a triumphant and malicious satisfaction, a sense of gratification or delight, a desire to rub it in someone else’s face? Maybe you’re Photoshopping prison bars onto photos of a certain political figure and posting them to your long-dormant Facebook account so…
Source: LifeHacker – Why You Shouldn’t Gloat (Even When It Feels Good)
We’ve known since January 2023 that Square Enix’s failed live-service superhero RPG Marvel’s Avengers would have its life support plug pulled on September 30. At that time, developer Crystal Dynamics announced that all cosmetics “will be made available to all players for free” once the game’s final update rolls…
Source: Kotaku – Dying Marvel’s Avengers Game Unlocks Nearly Everything For Free
