#theverge.com

Netflix games are here

And so it begins. (Possibly or maybe this will just be a little side thing for them).

Gameplay: Bug Fables

May God bless you all

The Verge article: https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/2/22...

...Supercomputers are thought by both the US and China to be integral for national security and scientific research. Such systems are used for a variety of tasks, including civilian work like climate forecasting and product design. However, they're also useful for more high-stakes research, including cybersecurity and nuclear weaponry.

...China's investment in high-performance chips and supercomputers in recent years has been significant and effective. In 2001, there were no Chinese supercomputers in the world's top 500 ranking. Now, there are 167 — more than the US, which has 165 entries. The development of TaihuLight was funded under the so-called "863 program," a government project aimed at ending reliance on foreign technology.

New Post has been published on https://videogaming.newonline.help/spacex-capsule-with-four-astronauts-on-board-docks-with-the-international-space-station/

SpaceX capsule with four astronauts on board docks with the International Space Station

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft with four astronauts aboard successfully docked with the International Space Station early Saturday to start its six-month mission, NASA announced. Crew-2, as it’s been dubbed, is SpaceX’s third astronaut mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. It brings NASA’s Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Thomas Pesquet, a French aerospace engineer from the European Space Agency (ESA) to the ISS, which travels at more than 17,000 miles per hour in orbit roughly 250 miles above Earth.

A Falcon 9 rocket which was used for SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission in 2020, launched early Friday for its 24-hour trip to the ISS. The Falcon 9 carried Endeavour, the same Crew Dragon capsule that launched SpaceX’s debut astronaut mission last year.

The four astronauts were welcomed aboard the ISS shortly before 8AM ET by the Expedition 65 crew of Shannon Walker, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Mark Vande Hei of NASA, as well as Soichi Noguchi of JAXA and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov.

Kimbrough, McArthur, Hoshide, and Pesquet will now spend six months in space conducting science experiments, including a focus on “tissue chips,” which NASA describes as “small models of human organs containing multiple cell types that behave much the same as they do in the body.” The chips may help identify drugs or vaccines more quickly than the current processes.

The mission marks the first time SpaceX has reused a craft for a crewed mission. SpaceX has launched and reused several Falcon 9 rockets and uncrewed Dragon capsules as part of an initiative to save time and money on space exploration.

New Post has been published on https://videogaming.newonline.help/youtube-makes-it-easier-to-save-on-data-with-new-video-resolution-options/

YouTube makes it easier to save on data with new video resolution options

The YouTube mobile app for iOS and Android now has new video settings that might make it a bit easier to save on data while watching video on the go (via MacRumors). Along with specific resolutions in the video player, you can now toggle between three separate modes that either favor video quality, data use, or whatever works best for your current internet connection.

You might already be familiar with “auto” mode as the default setting for most videos, which automatically adjusts video resolution depending on your current internet speed to give the best experience. YouTube’s new additions are the “higher picture quality” mode, which uses more data when not on Wi-Fi and defaults to 720p, and a “data saver” mode that maxes out at 480p.

YouTube’s new video settings include options for “higher picture quality” and “data saver.”

While these umbrella modes are good for quick scenario-specific adjustments to resolution, you can still dig in and get granular with specific resolutions. And any resolution adjustments can be set for the specific video you’re watching or system-wide for everything you watch, with specific behaviors for Wi-Fi and mobile networks. YouTube has had resolution settings and ways to keep the app from downloading / streaming HD videos for a while, but this automates the data-saving process and reframes it in a way that’s easier to understand.

Video settings can also be applied system-wide, with separate behavior for mobile and Wi-Fi.

In an ideal world, none of this would matter and you could just watch high-resolution cooking videos (my preferred YouTube zone-out material of choice) to your heart’s content. But even on “unlimited” plans, most mobile carriers still cap video resolution at 480p. Videos watched at higher resolutions typically count against some kind of premium data allotment or other terrible carrier jargon and hit you where it hurts — in your monthly bill.

YouTube’s new video settings aren’t a magic bullet solution, but they make it easier to switch to a carrier-acceptable resolution without having to think about it. And when all my brain wants is ASMR donut videos, that certainly helps.

New Post has been published on https://videogaming.newonline.help/apples-spring-loaded-event-the-8-biggest-announcements/

Apple’s Spring Loaded event: the 8 biggest announcements

Apple just wrapped up its “Spring Loaded” event, announcing new iPads, iMacs, and more. It was jam-packed with news from the company.

If you want to read about what was announced as it happened, check out our live blog with commentary from Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn, and Chaim Gartenberg. But if you just want the news, read on.

Apple’s new iPad Pro.

Image: Apple

Apple unveiled its newest iPad Pro tablets, and they’re equipped with the same Apple-designed M1 chip in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini (and the new iMac, also announced today). The 12.9-inch model has an upgraded display that uses 10,000 Mini LEDs, and Apple calls it the Liquid Retina XDR display. Both iPad Pros also have a new 12-megapixel ultrawide camera that can automatically track you during video calls.

You can order the tablets order on April 30th, and they will be available in the second half of May. The 11-inch model starts at $799, and the 12.9-inch model starts at $1,099.

Apple’s new iMac.

Image: Apple

Apple debuted a completely redesigned iMac that also has the M1 chip. It’s really thin, has a 24-inch screen, a 1080p FaceTime camera, and comes in seven different colors. They’ll also come with a new wireless keyboard that includes Touch ID for authentication.

You can buy the new iMac in four colors starting at $1,299, and in seven colors and better specs starting at $1,499. You can order it starting April 30th, and it will be available in the second half of May.

Apple’s AirTags.

Image: Apple

At long last, Apple took the wraps off its long-rumored AirTags item trackers, which you can track in the Find My app. You can customize your AirTag with emoji, too. You’ll be able to pre-order them on Friday for $29, and they’ll be available on April 30th. You can also get a four-pack for $99.

Apple’s Cindy Lin discussing Apple TV.

Image: Apple

Apple revealed a new Apple TV 4K, which comes equipped with the same A12 Bionic chip found on the iPhone 12. It can now play HDR and high frame rate videos. It will start at $179 for 32GB. It will be available to pre-order on April 30th and will be available in the second half of May.

Apple’s new Apple TV remote.

Image: Apple

Apple revealed a new Apple TV remote, which is made of aluminum and has a click pad at the top. There’s also a Siri button on the side.

Ted Lasso, from Ted Lasso.

Image: Apple

Apple debuted a charming new trailer for the second season of its beloved show Ted Lasso. The season debuts on July 23rd.

The new purple iPhone.

Image: Apple

The iPhone 12 will soon come in purple

Apple is releasing a new purple iPhone 12. It will be available for pre-order on Friday, and it launches on April 30th.

Apple announced that subscriptions are coming to the Podcasts app, which give you benefits like ad-free listening. The service will launch in 170 regions and countries next month. The company is also redesigning the Podcasts app.

New Post has been published on https://videogaming.newonline.help/dont-park-your-hyundai-kona-ev-inside-because-it-could-catch-fire/

Don’t park your Hyundai Kona EV inside because it could catch fire

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall for 2019–2020 Hyundai Kona and 2020 Hyundai Ioniq electric vehicles after over a dozen battery fires were reported. The agency is also warning owners against parking their vehicles near their homes or any flammable structure.

An electrical short in the Kona’s lithium-ion battery cells increases the risk of fire while parked, charging, and driving, NHTSA said, adding, “The safest place to park them is outside and away from homes and other structures.”

Last month, Hyundai announced that it would recall some 76,000 Kona EVs built between 2018 and 2020 over battery fire concerns. It was the second recall for the Kona but the first one that was global in nature. The automaker also said it would recall some Ioniqs and electric buses that it manufactures. In total, Hyundai said it would recall 82,000 vehicles, which it estimates will cost $900 million.

Hyundai said it would recall 82,000 vehicles, which it estimates will cost $900 million

The Kona’s battery is manufactured by LG Energy Solutions, which, like Hyundai, is also based in South Korea. LG Chem is a major supplier of lithium-ion batteries to automakers like General Motors, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and their respective parent companies Volkswagen Group and Daimler.

Hyundai is the latest automaker to issue a voluntary recall due to battery defects. Last year, GM said it would recall nearly 69,000 Chevy Bolts, and Audi recalled over 500 E-Tron SUVs, both over risks for battery fires. China’s Nio recalled nearly 5,000 of its ES8 electric SUVs after multiple reports of battery fires surfaced in 2019.

There’s no evidence that electric vehicles catch fire at a rate that’s any different from internal combustion cars, but the topic has received increased scrutiny as more EVs hit the road. First responders are even being trained to handle EV battery fires since they can’t be extinguished via some traditional methods.

Tesla’s vehicle fires have especially caught a lot of attention — to the point that CEO Elon Musk has publicly pushed back on the coverage of those incidents. Other automakers, like Jaguar, have experienced isolated fires with their electric cars.

New Post has been published on https://videogaming.newonline.help/vaccines-are-changing-how-we-interpret-covid-19-numbers/

Vaccines are changing how we interpret COVID-19 numbers

It’s never been possible to know for sure how many people in the United States are sick with COVID-19 at a particular time. Instead, we combine all of the metrics — the percentage of tests run that come back positive, the number of new cases reported each day, people coming to the emergency room sick with COVID-19 symptoms — to get an estimate. It’s like the story of the blind men and the elephant: experts can feel out the different pieces of information to get a sense of what an outbreak looks like, even when they can’t see it directly.

We’ve seen the same elephant emerge over and over again over the past year. First, the percentage of tests that come back positive increases. After a slight lag, hospitalizations start to rise, and then deaths. But this time, there’s a new wrinkle: vaccinations. That’s going to change the pattern and make the COVID-19 trends over the next few weeks and months harder to interpret.

One of the most important data points to track the virus’s spread has been the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19-like illness at a particular time. It’s a concrete metric. If someone is so sick that they need to be hospitalized, they’re usually in the hospital. Other measures, like the case rate and test positivity rate, are finicky; they fluctuate based on how many people decide to get tested.

If someone is so sick that they need to be hospitalized, they’re usually in the hospital

“Hospitalizations are our hard outcome. Everything else is so dependent on testing,” says Melissa McPheeters, co-director of the Center for Improving the Public’s Health through Informatics at Vanderbilt University. That’s why we’ve looked to hospitalization trends to get a sense of the direction of the pandemic, even when case rates wobble.

Now, COVID-19 cases are starting to go up again in the United States. But this time, over 70 percent of people over the age of 65 in the United States have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That’s the group that, if they catch the virus, is most likely to be hospitalized or to die. Now they’re vaccinated — and their risk of hospitalization and death is incredibly small.

That could throw our normal data patterns out of whack. Cases could go up because many states are relaxing restrictions while most people still aren’t vaccinated. But the unvaccinated people getting sick may be younger and less likely to be hospitalized.

Our normal method of visualizing the elephant wouldn’t work anymore. It’s a good problem to have — fewer people in the hospital is a wonderful victory. But when case numbers wobble and testing goes up and down, hospitalizations will no longer be a reliable backstop to clarify what’s happening with the pandemic. “I don’t know that we can get as good of a sample of what’s going on in the community,” McPheeters says.

It might mean that we need to recalibrate the way we monitor the pandemic. Maybe there will be fewer people in the hospital, but we could take a closer look at that group, for example. If lots of people from one area of a city are in the hospital, or people who work in a similar industry, that might be a signal that there is more virus in that particular community — which could help people to determine their risk and show officials where to direct resources. “It’s not just how many people, it’s who is ending up in the hospital,” McPheeters says.

For the past year, people have scrutinized COVID-19 metrics to guide decisions on how they should behave — whether to send kids to school, meet up with a few friends, or get groceries delivered. Eventually, as more people get vaccinated, new patterns could start to emerge that might guide that analysis. And when the pandemic starts to fade, we won’t have to scrutinize the COVID-19 numbers quite as closely. But for now, everything is in flux, and we can’t assume that a number means the same thing today as it did in January.

Here’s what else happened this week.

Research

Unlocking the Covid Code Take a deep dive into the world of genetic sequencing — and explore how this tool could change public health in a post-pandemic world. (Jon Gertner / The New York Times)

No one can find the animal that gave people COVID-19 Groups are searching for the animal that first passed the virus that causes COVID-19 to humans, kicking off the pandemic. It’s not an easy task, and international politics is making it that much harder. (Anthony Regalado / MIT Tech Review)

Development

AstraZeneca’s wild ride On Monday, AstraZeneca announced that its vaccine was 79 percent effective. The next day, the government issued an incredibly unusual public rebuke of the company, saying those numbers were outdated. AstraZeneca released new numbers later this week finding that it was really 76 percent effective. Whew. In the end, it’s a pretty good vaccine with a bad communications problem. The FDA committee hearings for this one are going to be interesting. (Nicole Wetsman / The Verge)

Pfizer Begins Testing Its Vaccine in Young Children Children under 12 are starting to participate in clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer and Moderna are both starting their own trials to test how well the vaccines work in younger patients — and whether they are safe. (Apoorva Mandavilli / The New York Times)

Here’s a great video from our colleagues at Vox explaining the differences between vaccine efficacy numbers.

Perspectives

There were the two weeks in the summer when all she could smell was phantom smoke. The odor was so strong that she woke up one morning startled, convinced that something in her house was on fire. Sometime later, she was able to smell her boyfriend’s cologne again—but instead of the familiar scent she had always loved, it was a sickening chemical odor. There’s also the hand soap at work, which used to smell generically fruity to her but now smells exactly, and eerily, like Burger King Whoppers.

— Sarah Zhang writes about Ruby Martinez’s experience recovering her sense of smell after COVID-19 in The Atlantic.

As of December 10, my health-care plan had billed me for $536,000. My plan paid for most of it, but I still owe around $150,000. That doesn’t include my bill for the implant. The medical bills lag; it takes months for things to come through. At first, it was stressful for me to look at them, but now it’s a joke. I look at them and think, I don’t know how to pay that. My premium is $750 a month, and my co-workers have been chipping in to cover that.

— Liza Fisher tells journalist Wudan Yan about the costs of COVID-19 in a story for Intelligencer.

More than Numbers

To the more than 505 million people who have been vaccinated — thank you.

To the more than 125,864,307 people worldwide who have tested positive, may your road to recovery be smooth.

To the families and friends of the 2,761,409 people who have died worldwide — 547,756 of those in the US — your loved ones are not forgotten.

Stay safe, everyone.

New Post has been published on https://videogaming.newonline.help/balan-wonderworld-gets-day-one-patch-to-fix-potential-flashing-bug-posing-an-epilepsy-risk/

Balan Wonderworld gets day one patch to fix ‘potential flashing bug’ posing an epilepsy risk

Balan Wonderworld, a new game from two of the original creators of Sonic the Hedgehog, is out today. But before you jump into the game, make sure you’ve installed its day one patch. It fixes sequences in a “potential flashing bug” that could present a seizure risk. On Thursday, a video of the game’s final boss fight was uploaded to YouTube, and in it, there are occasional moments where the entire screen is taken over by rapid white flashes without warning.

“We have received reports of a photo-sensitive epilepsy risk from a potential flashing bug if playing the game un-patched,” the Balan Wonderworld account said on Twitter. “The Day 1 Patch prevents this issue as well as enhances the overall play experience.”

Please ensure that you install the Day 1 Patch before playing.

We have received reports of a photo-sensitive epilepsy risk from a potential flashing bug if playing the game un-patched.

The Day 1 Patch prevents this issue as well as enhances the overall play experience.

— Balan Wonderworld (@balanwworld) March 26, 2021

The patch comes after Game Informer editor Liana Ruppert wrote about the dangerous video on Thursday. You might recognize Ruppert as the person who wrote about experiencing a grand mal seizure while playing Cyberpunk 2077 ahead of its release, which led developer CD Projekt Red to release a patch a day after the game’s launch making changes.

Ruppert said people informed her of the Balan Wonderworld video on Thursday, and when she began watching it, “I immediately had to shut it off. Instantly, my right side dropped, and I could feel the onset of an episode.”

She then made a PSA on Twitter about the video and heard some scary stories from others who watched it — even from people with no prior history of epilepsy.

Since that tweet went live, I’ve had numerous people reach out, including developers and other QA devs, saying that they aren’t even epileptic, but they felt “odd” after watching. My husband, who had no prior issues with epilepsy or neurological triggers, complained of feeling dizzy before he threw up. Several others reported the same.

I also watched the video in question yesterday and again while writing this article. My eyes have hurt for nearly an hour, and my stomach is a little upset even after just watching it in a small window on YouTube. I can see how someone at risk of seizures might be particularly vulnerable if they were playing the game on their TV at home and this bug happened. (I am not linking to the video because, in my opinion, it is just that bad.)

Typically, there are many opportunities to catch this kind of bug, such as in QA testing or through the platform certification process. Somehow, though, this seemingly dangerous bug seems to have slipped by all of those potential checks.

I will give the Balan Wonderworld developers and publisher Square Enix some credit since they’ve already addressed the issue with the day one patch. And CD Projekt Red also acted swiftly to fix Cyberpunk 2077. But these shouldn’t have been issues in the first place, and developers, publishers, and platform holders need more stringent processes to ensure that their games don’t present health risks.