At Paramount’s CinemaCon 2023 panel today, producer Seth Rogen introduced a new clip from director Jeff Rowe’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, appropriately clad in a turtle-green suit. The animated reboot brings a new sense of style to the classic TMNT quartet—voiced for the first time in the franchise…
Source: Gizmodo – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’s New Footage Sounds Totally Radical
Brave browser: Every Web search result seen in Brave Search is now served by our own index. We’ve removed all search API calls to Bing, which previously represented about 7% of query results.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Brave Search Removes Last Remnant of Bing From Search Results Page
The Justice Department filed a motion on Thursday to hold Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira without bail, arguing he is a flight risk and presents “an ongoing risk both to the national security of the United States and to the community.” Teixeira, 21, allegedly released sensitive and confidential government information on…
Source: Gizmodo – The FBI Found a Bazooka in Alleged Pentagon Leaker’s Home
A product advertising leak, which appears to have surfaced via US tech retail giant Best Buy, has allayed our darkest ASUS ROG Ally fears today. The listing shows the highly anticipated AMD Z1 Extreme APU packing handheld will launch at $699. Some will be pleased at this price, as it makes the new Steam Deck challenger from ASUS just $50 more
Source: Hot Hardware – Best Buy’s ASUS ROG Ally Price Reveal Positions Handheld As A Steam Deck Killer
If you’ve ever felt like your melatonin gummies hit harder than you expected, it’s possible that you didn’t actually take the dose you thought you did. In a recent study, melatonin gummies labeled as containing 3 milligrams actually had anywhere between 3.6 milligrams and a whopping 10.4, depending on brand.
Source: LifeHacker – Some Melatonin Gummies Are Way Stronger Than Advertised
Enlarge / Eddie Robles drives a Maricopa County Vector Control fogging truck through a neighborhood August 4, 2004, in Tempe, Arizona. Areas known to have high populations of mosquitos are being fogged at night to kill the bug and help prevent the spread of the West Nile virus. (credit: Getty | Jeff Topping/)
As the COVID-19 pandemic raged around the country in the summer of 2021, another virus—an endemic one spread by mosquitoes—thrashed residents of one Arizona county, causing a record-shattering outbreak that left 101 people dead, according to a study published today by Arizona health officials.
The virus is West Nile, which constantly lurks in hundreds of bird species in the US and spreads to humans via mosquito bites. Most people infected—about 8 out of 10—will have no symptoms. But the unlucky remainder will develop a nondescript illness with fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Fatigue and weakness from a symptomatic case can linger for weeks to months. A small fraction of the symptomatic cases will develop a serious, life-threatening neuroinvasive case, such as meningitis or encephalitis.
West Nile Virus (WNV) was discovered in the US in 1999 and first detected in Arizona in 2003, when just 12 cases were recorded. Since then, the state’s yearly totals have often been around 100 cases, with Maricopa County always claiming the lion’s share. The outbreak record was set in 2004, quickly after its discovery. That year, the state saw 391 cases, 355 of which were from Maricopa.
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Source: Ars Technica – Massive West Nile Virus outbreak in Arizona shattered records, killed 101
Dead Island 2’s zombie-stocked netherworld is a lot easier to weather with friends, so it’s helpful that the game prioritizes multiplayer just as much as the original Dead Island did. But even so, this bloodbath of a sequel approaches co-op differently in a few important ways.
Source: Kotaku – Here’s Your Complete Guide To Dead Island 2 Multiplayer
Google keeps vast amounts of data on everything but seems to have trouble keeping a lid on the details of its own hardware products prior to announcing them. It is no surprise then that most of the details surrounding the upcoming Google Pixel 7a have already leaked out, including the design and purported specifications, but the latest leak
Source: Hot Hardware – Latest Pixel 7a Leaks Answer The Last Remaining Questions Ahead Of Google I/O
Boutique music gadget manufacturer Teenage Engineering is back with a new product and it’s a whole lot more interesting than a $1,600 desk. The CM-15 is a legitimate portable condenser microphone built for studio use and remote setups. The company describes it as the world’s “first all-in-1 mic offering” as it features multiple connection and power options.
You can power this thing via traditional phantom power by plugging it into any suitable mixer or audio interface. There is also a built-in battery that gets ten hours of use per charge. Don’t have access to any of that? Just plug it into any USB-C port to get some juice. That’s pretty convenient. As for connections, there is a 3.5mm line output, a mini XLR and the aforementioned USB-C port. The microphone includes a built-in preamp, so you can go straight into a computer, phone or another Teenage Engineering device like the similarly impressive (and expensive) OP-1 Field.
Just like the recently-released TX-6 mixer, the CM-15 is tiny but still manages to find room for some audio wizardry. It contains a true 1-inch large-diaphragm capsule, which is a rarity in portable recording gear. The microphone also features ESS Sabre analog-to-digital conversion, which TE says helps the mic “preserve high-fidelity sound and capture exceptional detail in any recording situation.”
There’s a gain switch on the back to match the audio source, and the 3.5mm line out can plug right into a video camera for synced audio/visual content. The machined metal build looks durable and adds to the overall aesthetic appeal of the microphone. It ships with various adapters for universal compatibility with mic stands and features a built-in tilting mechanism for precise placement. There’s a mini-tripod available for the mic, but it costs an extra $100.
Now onto the price. This is a Teenage Engineering product through-and-through, so get ready to fork over $1,200 to bring this little beast home. For a complete TE setup that includes the CM-15, a TX-6 mixer and an OP-1 Field synthesizer, that cost skyrockets to $4,400. The microphone starts shipping in June.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teenage-engineering-enters-the-microphone-space-with-the-gorgeous-cm-15-181721397.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – Teenage Engineering enters the microphone space with the gorgeous CM-15
The Debian release team has just announced a tentative ship date for Debian 12.0 “Bookworm”…
Source: Phoronix – Debian 12.0 “Bookworm” Planned For Release On 10 June
The Transformers franchise is returning to its animated roots with Transformers: One, and now we know who’ll be lending their voice to the film.
Source: Gizmodo – Chris Hemsworth Leads Star-Studded Animated Prequel Transformers: One
Steven Shiau announced today the release and general availability of Clonezilla Live 3.1 (3.1.0-22) as a major update to this Debian-based GNU/Linux distribution for disk cloning and imaging.
Source: LXer – Clonezilla Live 3.1 Released with Memtest86+ 6.10, Improved RAID Support
Meta sees “an opportunity to introduce AI agents to billions of people in ways that will be useful and meaningful,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors Wednesday. From a report: While he was vague about how exactly Meta will add generative AI to its apps, Zuckerberg gave the most detailed preview yet during the company’s earnings call for the first quarter of this year, when it reported $28.6 billion in revenue and a record 2 billion daily users of the Facebook app, beating Wall Street’s estimates. Meta’s profit for the quarter was $5.7 billion, a 24 percent decrease from the same time last year. “We’re exploring chat experiences in WhatsApp and Messenger, visual creation tools for posts in Facebook and Instagram and ads, and over time video and multi-modal experiences as well,” Zuckerberg said on the earnings call. “I expect that these tools will be valuable for everyone from regular people to creators to businesses. For example, I expect that a lot of interest in AI agents for business messaging and customer support will come once we nail that experience. Over time, this will extend to our work on the metaverse, too, where people will much more easily be able to create avatars, objects, worlds, and code to tie all of them together.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Zuckerberg Says Meta Wants To ‘Introduce AI Agents To Billions of People’
Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios has previewed some of the game’s accessibility features. First and foremost, the studio is hoping to make it easier for blind and low-vision players to enjoy the racing sim with the help of audio cues.
Turn 10 spent two years building Blind Driving Assists with the help of accessibility consultant Brandon Cole (who is blind) and other blind and low-vision players. The feature offers supplemental audio cues to help players navigate. They’ll receive audible information on things like track position and orientation, and their approach and progress during turns. Players will also learn details about the car, including the level of deceleration needed and when to shift gears if they’re using manual transmission.
In a video that shows off the feature and details its development, Cole notes that the steering guide option pans the engine noise and tire sounds to the left or right, depending on the direction players should turn. Beeping sounds will tell players when they’re nearing the edge of the track. Cole says that, with the help of the cues, he was able to win a race against a bunch of AI-driven cars.
Blind and low-vision players can preview the audio cues in the accessibility menu. They’ll hear in-depth descriptions of what each cue means, thanks to the inclusion of a customizable screen narrator. Players can individually switch each set of cues on and off, and they’ll be able to tweak the pitch and volume of them. Although it will likely take a while for players to get used to the cues, they could be immensely useful for blind and low-vision folks who want to play Forza Motorsport.
Along with more common accessibility features such as full controller remapping, colorblindness filters and customizable subtitles, there’s another called One Touch Driving. This enables players to customize braking, steering and throttle assists to minimize the number of simultaneous inputs needed. They can enable as many of the assists as they like. Turn 10 worked with players who have mobility and stamina disabilities to create One Touch Driving, which is intended for those who may find it difficult to hold down buttons or press several buttons at the same time.
Forza Motorsport is slated to arrive later this year. It will be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Cloud Gaming and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/forza-motorsport-will-feature-audio-cues-to-help-players-with-visual-impairments-drive-180043633.html?src=rss
Source: Engadget – ‘Forza Motorsport’ will feature audio cues to help players with visual impairments drive
The GNOME 44.1 point release adds a section title in the Background Apps menu alongside other improvements and fixes. Learn more here.
The post GNOME 44.1 Improves Screencast Support, Quick Settings, More appeared first on Linux Today.
Source: Linux Today – GNOME 44.1 Improves Screencast Support, Quick Settings, More
Enlarge / After Balto died in 1933, his taxidermy mount was put on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. (credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History)
In 1925, a sled dog named Balto led his plucky canine team on the last leg of a grueling 127-hour dogsled relay across Alaska to bring lifesaving medicine to the people of Nome—the famous “Serum Run.” Balto was lionized for the feat, even inspiring a 1995 animated film and two sequels. Now scientists have sequenced the dog’s genome for the first time and compared it to modern dog breeds, shedding light on why Balto and similar sled dogs from that period proved well-suited to thrive in the harsh winter environment.
It turns out Balto was just part Siberian husky, and, contrary to popular legend, he was not part wolf. The authors even used the sequenced genome to reconstruct Balto’s physical appearance. These and other findings appear in a new paper published in the journal Science. It’s one of several featured in a special issue reporting on results from the Zoonomia Project, an international collaboration to sequence and compare the genomes of 240 mammals in order to discover the genomic basis of traits essential for all animals, as well as changes that underlie the unique traits of individual species.
“The fact that the DNA from a tiny sample of Balto’s skin can provide new scientific insights is a powerful reminder of how advances in science continually allow us to glean new information from museum collections,” said Gavin Svenson, chief science officer of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio, where Balto’s taxidermied remains are housed. “Every one of the millions of objects in our museum has the potential to reveal an important clue to a future scientist, who in turn can enhance our understanding of the past, present, and future of the world around us.”
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Source: Ars Technica – Scientists sequenced the genome of Balto, famous sled dog of 1925 “Serum Run”
A team of mathematicians and engineers is unraveling the wriggly mystery of blackworms; specifically, the researchers are trying to understand how the worms are able to disentangle even quicker than they (intentionally) intertwine.
Source: Gizmodo – Researchers Just Used Knots of Worms to Understand the Science of Tangles
In expansive new research out this week, scientists around the world have started to unravel the genetic secrets behind one of nature’s greatest success stories: mammals. They’ve catalogued and compared the genomes of more than 200 mammal species, including elephants, bats, and humans. Among other things, their…
Source: Gizmodo – A Massive Project Is Helping Scientists Unravel the Genetic Secrets of Mammals
Just how vulnerable are the thousands of government-operated satellites speeding along their orbits above our heads? A team of researchers proved they could hack into a European Space Agency-owned satellite, allowing them to take full control of its communication, imaging—and even its maneuverability systems.
Source: Gizmodo – Hackers Take Control of Government-Owned Satellite in Alarming Experiment
Balto the sled dog is famous for being part of a sled team that delivered medicine from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Nome, Alaska, through harrowing blizzard conditions in 1925. Now, a team of scientists has sequenced the dog’s genome using DNA found in his taxidermied remains.
Source: Gizmodo – Scientists Sequence Genome of Famous Good Boy Balto the Sled Dog
