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29 Sep 08:01

Spy Thriller Argylle From Kingsman Director Gets First Trailer With John Cena, Henry Cavill, And More Big Names

Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn's next movie, Argylle, now has its first trailer--and it's a pretty wild ride. A spy thriller with a twist, Argylle tells the story of reclusive author Elly Conway and her cat Alfie. Conway loves a quiet night at home with her cat, but she's thrust into a new world of action and adventure when her spy novel comes to life.

Conway becomes the subject of her own story when she teams up with Aiden (Sam Rockwell) to chase down a real spy organization. The movie also stars Henry Cavill, John Cena, Ariana DeBose, Dua Lipa, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Sofia Boutella, and Samuel L. Jackson. In case you were wondering, Alfie the cat is played by Chip, a cat owned by supermodel Claudia Schiffer, who is married to Vaughn.

The screenplay for Argylle was written by Wonder Woman's Jason Fuchs. "When I read this early draft manuscript, I felt it was the most incredible and original spy franchise since Ian Fleming's books of the 50s. This is going to reinvent the spy genre," Vaughn said previously.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
26 Sep 09:38

Thrawn's Stormtroopers In Ahsoka Aren't Actually Stormtroopers

by staff@slashfilm.com (Ryan Scott)
Thrawn's troopers on Ahsoka are a new class of stormtroopers known as night troopers ... and they could be a big part of his plan to take down the New Republic.

26 Sep 09:06

The Continental: All The Best John Wick Easter Eggs And References

by staff@slashfilm.com (Jeremy Mathai)
The new John Wick spinoff series The Continental has arrived on Peacock, and there are a handful of franchise Easter eggs for fans to pick up on.

26 Sep 09:01

How The Continental Expands The World Of John Wick

by staff@slashfilm.com (Bill Bria)
The Continental is the first John Wick spinoff to make it to streaming or the screen, and it expands upon the rich Wick lore in numerous, intriguing ways.

28 Aug 16:40

Video Friday: Robot vs. Door

by Evan Ackerman


Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion.

IEEE RO-MAN 2023: 28–31 August 2023, BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA
IROS 2023: 1–5 October 2023, DETROIT
CLAWAR 2023: 2–4 October 2023, FLORIANOPOLIS, BRAZIL
ROSCon 2023: 18–20 October 2023, NEW ORLEANS
Humanoids 2023: 12–14 December 2023, AUSTIN, TEXAS

Enjoy today’s videos!

Loco-manipulation planning skills are pivotal for expanding the utility of robots in everyday environments. Here, we propose a minimally guided framework that automatically discovers whole-body trajectories jointly with contact schedules for solving general loco-manipulation tasks in premodeled environments. We showcase emergent behaviors for a quadrupedal mobile manipulator exploiting both prehensile and nonprehensile interactions to perform real-world tasks such as opening/closing heavy dishwashers and traversing spring-loaded doors.

I swear the cuteness of a quadrupedsusing a lil foot to hold open a spring-loaded door just never gets old.

[ Science Robotics ] via [ RSL ]

In 2019, Susie Sensmeier became one of the first customers in the United States to receive a commercial drone delivery. She was hooked. Four years later, Susie and her husband, Paul, have had over 1,200 orders delivered to their front yard in Christiansburg, Va., via Wing’s drone delivery service. We believe this sets a world record.

[ Wing ]

At the RoboCup 2023, one event was the Dynamic Ball Handling Challenge. The defending team used a static image with the sole purpose of intercepting the ball. The attacking team’s goal was to do at least two passes followed by a goal. This procedure was repeated three times on three different days and fields.

[ B-Human ]

When it comes to space, humans and robots go way back. We rely heavily on our mechanical friends to perform tasks that are too dangerous, difficult, or out of reach for us humans. We’re even working on a new generation of robots that will help us explore in advanced and novel ways.

[ NASA ]

The KUKA Innovation Award has been presented annually since 2014 and is addressed to developers, graduates, and research teams from universities and companies. For this year’s award, the applicants were asked to use open interfaces in our newly introduced robot operating system iiQKA and to add their own hardware and software components. Team SPIRIT, from the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics at the German Aerospace Center, worked on the automation of maintenance and inspection tasks in the oil and gas industry.

[ Kuka ]

We present tasks of traversing challenging terrain that require discovering a contact schedule, navigating non-convex obstacles, and coordinating many degrees of freedom. Our hybrid planner has been applied to three different robots: a quadruped, a wheeled quadruped, and a legged excavator. We validate our hybrid locomotion planner in the real world and simulation, generating behaviors we could not achieve with previous methods.

[ ETHZ ]

Giving drones hummingbird performance with no GPS, no motion capture, no cloud computing, and no prior map.

[ Ajna ]

In this video we introduce a new option for our Ridgeback Omnidirectional Indoor Mobile Platform, available through Clearpath Robotics integration services. This height-adjustable lift column is programmable through ROS and configured with MoveIt!

[ Clearpath ]

How do robots understand their surroundings? How do they decide what to pick up next? And how do they learn how to pick it up?

[ Covariant ]

Our Phoenix robots can successfully and accurately perform tasks that require the dexterity of two hands simultaneously, also known as bimanual object manipulation!

[ Sanctuary AI ]

By this point, I should be able to just type O_o and you’ll know it’s a Reachy video, right?

[ Pollen Robotics ]

28 Aug 16:34

moment of silence for everyone who relied on AI chat bots for research when it’s going around saying…

themysticallovecabbage:

fluffy-critter:

psychotic-gerard:

moment of silence for everyone who relied on AI chat bots for research when it’s going around saying shit like this.

[image description: search that reads “country in africa that starts with K”. the featured snipped is from www.emergentmind.com and reads “While there are 54 recognized countries in Africa, none of them begin with the letter “K”. The closest is Kenya, which starts with a “K” sound, but is actually spelled with a “K” sound. It’s always interesting to learn new trivia facts like this.” /end ID]

16 Aug 09:13

First look at Toxic Avenger Remake Starring Peter Dinklage And Kevin Bacon

The first wave of Fantastic Fest was announced today, and the Austin-based genre festival revealed a surprise for its opening night. Legendary's all-new version of the Troma Entertainment classic, The Toxic Avenger will have its worldwide debut debut on September 21. The film comes from writer/director Macon Blair, who was most recently seen in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

The reimagining of the 1984 horror-comedy stars Peter Dinklage as Toxie, as well as Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Elijah Wood, Sarah Niles, Julia Davis, Julian Kostov, and Kevin Bacon. The story is about a toxic accident transforming mild-mannered janitor Winston Gooze into a radioactive solider of the future, who wields a mop he shares a telepathic bond with.

Legendary released a teaser image of Dinklage with his mop's radioactive glow, but mostly obscured in the darkness, so we still have a little bit of time before his ghastly face is revealed.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
15 Aug 08:18

Loki and Sylvie Reunited in a McDonald's Commercial, and Mobius Is There Too

by Adele Ankers-Range

McDonald's has released a promotional video for its "As Featured In" meal, featuring a reunion between Loki and Sylvie ahead of Season 2.

The fast-food chain started stirring up mischief on August 7 when it shared a brief video on X (formerly known as Twitter) teasing a Loki collaboration. McDonald's has now shared an extended version of the video showing Tom Hiddleston's Asgardian trickster approaching Sophia Di Martino's Sylvie at the counter.

The video promotes the restaurant's new "As Featured In" meal, comprising popular menu items referenced in various movies and TV shows over the years. It has an additional clip of Owen Wilson's Mobius "enjoying a meal" with a TVA prisoner, played by Rafael Casal, shown in the final seconds.

Another McDonald's video advertising its Loki-branded Sweet and Sour sauce reveals more character footage. In it, the God of Mischief reunites with Slyvie, who appears to be working in the restaurant, before cutting to a clip of Mobius insisting that he must get some apple pie before leaving.

The meal itself offers customers a choice of a Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese or a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, with fries, a beverage and a limited edition Sweet 'n Sour Sauce in collaboration with Loki. Those wanting more exclusive content of Loki Season 2 can get sneak peeks by scanning the sauce pots in Snapchat.

Loki Season 2 will pick up after the first season and bring "new excitement as it thrusts the infamous God of Mischief into a new set of adventures with the TVA". Those adventures will include a visit to the Golden Arches at some point during the six episodes that will air, starting with the premiere on Disney+ on October 6.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

14 Aug 07:31

Parks and Recreation Cast Reunites for the WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strikes and They Brought Li'l Sebastian

by Adam Bankhurst

Many members of the cast and crew of Parks and Recreation reunited for the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes and they even brought the legendary Li'l Sebastian with them.

Those in attendance included Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate), Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt), Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson), Retta (Donna Meagle), Jim O'Heir (Jerry Gergich), Ben Schwartz (Jean-Ralphio Saperstein), Alison Becker (Shauna Malwae-Tweep), and even Sam Elliot (Ron Dunn).

The stars were joined by the likes of Parks and Recreation showrunner and co-creator Michael Schur, co-creator Greg Daniels, and writer Greg Levine.

While it was great to see all of these people together again, the star of the show was definitely L'il Sebastian, Pawnee's beloved miniature horse. You can see pictures of L'il Sebastian and the cast and crew below, and it really made us miss this show and hope that these talented individuals will be back to work soon with a fair deal.

While Andy Dwyer actor Chris Pratt wasn't at the picket line that day, he did share his support on Twitter.

The Writers Guild of America strike has been going on since May 2 and the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14, and they are still negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

As for Parks and Recreation, it ran for 126 episodes over seven seasons from 2009-2015 and followed the Parks department of Pawnee, Indiana. For more, you can check out our list of the top 10 Parks and Recreation episodes and why we said the show was one of TV's best comedies ever.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

14 Aug 07:26

Metro 2033 Author sentenced to eight years in prison for criticizing Russia

Dmitry Glukhovsky, the esteemed author of "Metro 2033" and its subsequent novels, which inspired the acclaimed game series, has come under scrutiny from Russian authorities. Due to his cri...
11 Aug 11:00

The long-rumored 'Quake II' remaster is out now on PC and consoles

by Kris Holt

The rumors were true: Bethesda has announced an upgraded version of Quake II. Best of all, you can play it today on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. The enhanced edition is on Game Pass on PC, console and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Those who own the original game on GOG or Steam are getting a free upgrade.

Nightdive Studios worked with Bethesda to modernize id Software's 1997 first-person shooter. You can relive the single-player campaign or try it for the first time with Sonic Mayhem's original soundtrack and all kinds of other enhancements. The visuals have been upgraded to include widescreen support, 120Hz refresh rates and 4K resolution.

Content that was cut at one point is back in the enhanced edition of Quake II, which includes the Nintendo 64 port as well. You'll be able to dive into the original expansions — Mission Pack: The Reckoning and Mission Pack: Ground Zero — which include more than 30 extra single-player levels and 20-plus deathmatch maps between them.

There's a brand-new expansion titled Call of the Machine as well. Wolfenstein: The New Colossus studio MachineGames (which is working on an Indiana Jones game) built 28 more campaign levels and a completely fresh deathmatch map for this expansion.

On the multiplayer front, there's splitscreen support, including local and online co-op for up to four players. You can battle it out in deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag with up to 16 players.

Full crossplay is a welcome inclusion across all platforms. However, if you're on PC and want to hop into a lobby with your buds who are playing on console or via the cloud, you'll need to use a controller. This is to nullify the aiming advantage that keyboard and mouse players have.

Last but not least, there are some welcome updates to make Quake II more accessible. Players will receive an accessibility options notification after they install the game. Settings include high contrast, voice chat transcription, input remapping options, aim assist and the ability to automatically switch to a new weapon when you pick it up.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-long-rumored-quake-ii-remaster-is-out-now-on-pc-and-consoles-183652854.html?src=rss
20 Jul 08:03

Raspberry Pi Smart Bird Feeder Identifies Feathered Dinner Guests

Hermy65 has built a Raspberry Pi smart bird feeder that can recognize birds who stop by for a snack and documents them so you can see who visited later.
18 Jul 07:28

Ex-Naughty Dog Bruce Straley on Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning's Similarity to Uncharted 2

by Taylor Lyles

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is out now in theatres, and there's one scene that might look a little familiar to fans of the Uncharted series.

It even caught the eye of Bruce Straley, the co-director of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, who, in a recent tweet, compared images of a scene from the film involving a dangling train car with images from Uncharted 2, along with a caption that included: "…the sincerest form of flattery!" As a quick refresher, Uncharted 2 came out in 2009, and one of the most iconic scenes from the game is protagonist Nathan Drake dangling from a train car.

Of course, the idea of the dangling train car is not something Uncharted 2 created. The 1997 film The Lost World: Jurassic Park also includes a scene just like those in Uncharted 2 and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. However, Christopher McQuarrie, the director of the last several Mission: Impossible films, previously said he took inspiration from the Uncharted games.

McQuarrie said such in 2015 when he explained the plane sequence in Rogue Nation was inspired by 2011's Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, which also included a plane sequence.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

18 Jul 07:23

An email typo has reportedly sent millions of US military messages to Mali

by Will Shanklin

A typo has reportedly routed millions of US military emails — some containing highly sensitive information — to Mali. The problem stems from entering .ML instead of .MIL for the receiving email address domain. As reported by the Financial Times, the one-letter mistake has exposed data like “diplomatic documents, tax returns, passwords and the travel details of top officers” — and much more. Although the misdirected emails have (so far) landed with a contractor tasked with managing Mali’s country domain, control of .ML will soon revert to Mali’s government, which has ties to Russia.

The “typo leak” was exposed by Johannes Zuurbier, a Dutch contractor managing Mali’s country domain. Zuurbier says he made numerous attempts to warn the United States about the issue — beginning in 2014 — urging it to take it seriously; he says he hasn’t had any luck. He claims he started collecting the email this year as his contract’s expiration date (and handover of the domain, including the misfired emails, to the Malian government) approaches, as a last-ditch attempt to persuade the US to act with urgency. In a letter to the US in early July, Zuurbier wrote, “This risk is real and could be exploited by adversaries of the US.” He says he has collected around 117,00 emails, and nearly 1,000 more arrived last Wednesday alone.

Although Zuurbier says none of the messages were marked as classified, they still contain sensitive data about US military personnel, contractors and families. Reported contents include the travel plans for a May trip by US Army Chief of Staff, General James McConville, for a May trip to Indonesia. Other exposed information includes maps of installations, photos of bases, identity documents (including passport numbers), crew lists of ships, tax and financial records, medical data, ships’ crew lists, naval inspection reports, contracts, criminal complaints against personnel, internal bullying investigations and bookings. One email from an FBI agent included a Turkish diplomatic letter to the US, warning about possible operations by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“If you have this kind of sustained access, you can generate intelligence even just from unclassified information,” former NSA head and retired four-star US Navy Admiral Mike Rogers told FT. Rogers says this isn’t uncommon, noting that people making mistakes isn’t out of the norm. However, he adds, “The question is the scale, the duration and the sensitivity of the information.”

Lt. Cmdr Tim Gorman, speaking for the Pentagon, told FT that the Department of Defense “is aware of this issue and takes all unauthorised disclosures of controlled national security information or controlled unclassified information seriously.” He said emails sent from .MIL to .ML address “are blocked before they leave the .mil domain and the sender is notified that they must validate the email addresses of the intended recipients,” which suggests the misdirected emails may have come from US military workers’ personal accounts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/an-email-typo-has-reportedly-sent-millions-of-us-military-messages-to-mali-193515052.html?src=rss
17 Jul 08:20

Marvel’s Secret Invasion Stars Reveal The Extent of the Show’s Secrecy

by Ryan Leston

Spoiler warning: The following article contains full spoilers for Marvel's Secret Invasion.

Marvel’s Secret Invasion has everyone wondering who the Skrulls are, but it turns out even the cast didn't know.

Speaking to IGN, Dermot Mulroney (who plays Ritson) and Charlayne Woodard (who plays Varra) revealed that Marvel kept its stars firmly in the dark even while filming.

“I had a brief meeting with Emilia Clarke one day,” said Mulroney. “We’re not in any scenes together so it was just lucky they had scenes on one set, and I was shooting on another set.

"The following day, I walked by a very friendly-looking Skrull who I didn’t immediately recognize to be Emilia Clarke… so this Skrull waves and says ‘Hi’, and I don’t have any idea who it is.” Clarke does indeed play a Skrull called G’iah, the daughter of Talos (played by Ben Mendelsohn).

"I was only really seeing the scenes that included President Ritson. Even now, there are parts of Secret Invasion where I don’t know what happens."

“They controlled the script,” he explained. “I was only really seeing the scenes that included President Ritson. Even now, there are parts of Secret Invasion where I don’t know what happens. There was a lot of confusion on the set of Secret Invasion, a lot of secrets.”

One of those secrets was revealed during Episode 4, which saw the return of Don Cheadle as Rhodey as he attends a clandestine meeting with Nick Fury’s wife, Priscilla. Not only did Woodard have no idea about the big twist, but she also had no idea she would be acting opposite Cheadle himself.

“I came onto the set, it was the very first week of shooting and I had my script, but I did not know who was playing whom,” revealed Woodard. It turned out to be a pivotal scene, with Rhodey outed as a Skrull infiltrator.

“It was really something to know that I’m about to do a scene and we’re going to meet in church, and I have to let him know that we can’t do this. I can’t do this,” she said. “And then, I walk into the makeup trailer, and low and behold, it’s Don Cheadle.”

“I tried to be cool,” she laughed. “I tried to sit there and calm my heart as I sat there and got my makeup done right down the trailer from him. On the way to the church, we were walking into the set and I let him know that I feel like I know everything about him. ‘I’ve seen everything you’ve done and I’m fangirling right now’.”

It’s not unusual for Marvel projects to be shrouded in secrecy. After all, the Avengers: Endgame directors wouldn’t even give Tom Holland a script.

IGN’s Secret Invasion debut review gave it 7/10 and said: “Secret Invasion is a welcome and solid return for the MCU’s lesser-used gritty espionage template, even if its first two episodes lack the sense of fear that it really needs.”

Want to read more about Secret Invasion? Check out why Secret Invasion fans are freaking out about a big reveal as well as why Emilia Clarke insists that green screen acting is still acting.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

17 Jul 08:17

Streaming Is Broken: The Strikes Can Save It

by Amelia Emberwing

Streaming is my job. Whether it be analyzing the stories of streaming TV and movies, what they mean, their impact and where they could be going, or talking about the business-y inside baseball of it all, my career is currently wholly dependent on the existence of streaming as a medium. It is my livelihood, sometimes my obsession and, despite the threat it has posed to theatrical exhibition — something else that I love with every bit of my cranky little heart — I still believe in its promises of accessibility and its potential as a new frontier for original and diverse stories.

You know what else I believe in? That writers and actors deserve fair compensation for their work and time that they put in to create the art that we’ve loved over recent years. Whether it be shows like WandaVision, Loki, Andor, Succession, or The Boys, or films like CODA, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, One Night in Miami or The Sound of Metal, they are all created by the very people calling for fair wages and reasonable treatment. And they are not receiving it.

When streaming was first introduced, these unions were asked to take lesser deals on good faith because no one was sure what would happen with this weird new media. But now it’s 2023, and the executives in charge are taking home millions while many writers and actors are being paid a pittance in residuals while also facing the looming threat of AI.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been striking for 73 days. As of yesterday, the Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the fight with guild President Fran Drescher fired up and clearly tired of being ignored.

“You cannot change the business model as much as it [streaming] has changed and not expect the contract to change too,” said Drescher. “We’re not going to keep doing incremental changes on a contract that no longer honors what is happening right now with this business model that was foisted upon us. What are we doing, moving around furniture on the Titanic? It’s crazy.”

I may not be able to do my job without streaming, but right now streaming isn’t really living up to those promises I mentioned, and I’d like to see that change. Aside from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, the entire industry can benefit from the changes they’re fighting for — me included. And you the audience, too.

Or, as Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy put more eloquently in an interview with IndieWire, “I hope that the creative community can do what the business community in Hollywood seems to be failing to do, which is to try to preserve something amazing that’s been one of the great industries in American culture.”

Transparency Matters

Did you know that we don’t have an objective look at streaming viewership numbers? We have what they tell us, sure, but Netflix’s fudging of its own data has become so infamous over the years that it’s basically a meme now, and we have no reason to believe that the other major players are behaving any differently. It’s such an issue that it is a driving factor behind both of the strikes, with each guild insisting that transparency and third-party assessments of that data are critical to being able to negotiate a fair residuals model.

You know what I and entertainment editors around the world need to better be able to do our jobs? And which then will be better for the audience, who are trying to choose between the many different shows and movies that are available to stream? Transparent dang data. We have it for network television. We have it for film. But streaming remains the outlier. Why? Well, streaming services are in a bit of a tight spot in that they want investors to think their numbers are very high because it means they’ll keep giving them money, but they don’t want a universally agreed upon metric to measure those numbers in part because they might have to share some of that money with the people actually making the films and series that keep them going.

Gilroy actually went long on this fact in that aforementioned interview — one that was meant to be in celebration of his Emmy nominations. When asked about the rave reviews but lower audience of his show, the showrunner pointed out that he really has no idea what his viewership is or was.

“One of the central issues of this entire labor experience is that I don’t have any idea what the audience is,” Gilroy said. “We don’t know what that is, and I think that the obscurity of data doesn’t help anyone.”

But it’s one of Gilroy’s final sentiments that really drives home the urgency of the matter. “I think it’s distorted and warped and is close to ruining this amazing industry.”

Show Them the Money

When Abbott Elementary (which just scored eight Emmy nominations) aired its Season 2 finale, writer Brittani Nichols took to twitter to share this:

Now, I had a cursory understanding of how little residuals writers saw from streaming, but I didn’t have a full grasp on what it looked like for a network show that played next day on a given service (Hulu, in the case of Abbott Elementary), so I reached out to Nichols.

“The next day streaming model has made it so there's no point in re-airing our work,” Nichols told me. “Their goal is to get people to sign up for streamers so they point people there to watch the show instead of showing it again on TV. When they replay an episode on TV, the fee [we would get] is like $13,000. On streaming, we get paid a flat fee for unlimited plays. That flat fee is 5.5% of the re-air amount.”

Nichols went on to confirm that the largest new media (streaming) residual check she’s received was around $700. That’s not even a month’s rent in rural cities anymore, let alone Los Angeles. And she’s not alone.

On the day of SAG-AFTRA’s strike announcement, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law writer Cody Zigler tweeted this:

Everyone likes to talk about “Marvel money” but, based on this ant-sized residual for a series tied to the MCU, it seems like wherever that money is going, it sure isn’t to the creators. (We know where the money is going, we’ll get there in a tick.)

This isn’t an isolated issue, either. This is the reality that all television and film writers face within their current contract when it comes to their stories playing on a streaming platform. Charles Slocum, the assistant associate director of the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW), told Deadline earlier this year that in streaming “the companies have not agreed to pay residuals at the same level as broadcast, or the same reward-for-success as they have traditionally paid in broadcast. If you write for a streamer, you get two residual payments – one for domestic streaming and one for foreign streaming. It’s a set amount of money. If [the show is] a big hit, you do not get paid more residuals in streaming, whereas in the broadcast model, you do because of its success. That’s the sense that residuals were slashed – they have not agreed to a success factor when a program is made for streaming.”

It’s easy to fall back on the “they’re a bunch of rich people in Hollywood anyway” mentality, but that is plainly not the case. Most working actors and writers are regular folks trying to pay their bills like the rest of us, with only a small percentage of them falling under the “famous celebrity” banner. And the bottom line is, the harder it is for talented people to work in the industry, the more those same people will drift away into more stable forms of employment, which ultimately means the movies and shows that you are watching will suffer for it.

Bad Faith Arguments and Flimsy Goalposts

“There’s a level of expectation that they have, that is just not realistic,” Disney CEO Bob Iger told Variety about the strike(s). “And they are adding to the set of the challenges that this business is already facing that is, quite frankly, very disruptive.”

Oh Bobby. Bobby no.

All magic comes with a price, but it’s wild that the creators and the fans (via higher subscription fees and ticket prices) are the ones who should have to pay it while executives take home exorbitant paydays. Last year, The Hollywood Reporter did a full report on what those paydays look like, with Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav taking home $246.6 million (that is $675,000 per day), while Iger was able to snag a cool $45.5 million. Nine out of the 12 executives profiled saw an increase in pay from 2020, despite streaming services claiming record losses and many writers being paid at guild minimums and actors receiving pittances for residuals.

None of the executives trying to ice out writers and actors are going home with lesser paydays despite “record losses.” 

Zaslav can buy an entire house per day if it suits his fancy, while Iger (at a much smaller $70K or so a day) can skip off with a brand new Mercedes every 24 hours. But sure, Bob. Please tell me more about how disrupted you feel. Because none of the executives trying to ice out writers and actors are going home with lesser paydays despite “record losses.”

In the wake of the strikes, the studio executives’ collective messaging has been some version of asking striking writers and actors to think of the support staff they’re hurting. But if that’s the case, then why is social media filled with production coordinators and PAs telling stories of how the showrunners, writers, and casts came together to buy them lunches and ensure some kind of holiday bonus (because they have an unpaid two weeks off otherwise) when studios stopped doing so? And what about all the talk from those support staff workers of constantly declining pay?

(If you want more examples, just give “support staff” a peek on ol’ Twitter.)

The Artificial Intelligence in the Room

Artificial intelligence cannot create art. Period. In one case use, an algorithm scrubs through countless existing art pieces and Frankensteins them together to create a “new” image. AI can be used as a tool to help artists, but the idea that AI can create is obtuse and its top industry leaders agree that it needs to be regulated. Meanwhile, WGA wants to harness the tool to do exactly what it’s meant to do: make their jobs easier.

Studio executives and the AMPTP, however, have made the AI issue quite dire for WGA and, by proxy, writers of all kinds. The guild’s specific ask was as follows: Regulate use of artificial intelligence so it can’t write or rewrite literary material, can’t be used as source material, and guild material can’t be used to train AI. The AMPTP refused to come to the table at all on this specific line item, and instead offered an “annual meeting to discuss advancements in the technology.”

SAG-AFTRA members are met with something equally alarming, with studios seeking to use their likeness, sometimes in perpetuity. After their deal deadline expired, the AMPTP insisted that SAG-AFTRA was offered a “groundbreaking deal.” Here’s what SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland had to say about it in their strike press conference:

"In that 'groundbreaking' AI proposal, they proposed that our background performers should be able to be scanned, get paid for one day's pay, and their companies should own that scan, their image, their likeness, and for people to use it for the rest of eternity in any project they want with no consent and no compensation," he said. "So if you think that's a groundbreaking proposal, I suggest you think again."

That one-day’s pay that would screw them out of their likeness in perpetuity? It’s like $150. To make matters even worse, the work of including all of these digitally scanned people into the media would fall on the shoulders of VFX teams who — as you may recall from recent worker backlash against Marvel — do not have a union.

If you think a lot of our current art is derivative (a problem that is actually emblematic of shrinking writers rooms with fewer resources and a fierce studio devotion to IP) what do you think it will look like for your favorite TV show or movie series when it’s run by a tool whose only trick is to regurgitate information it already has? The “intelligence” part of artificial intelligence has and always will be a misnomer. It has information, but it will never have context.

As for its ability to recreate human performance? Its ability to simulate the presence of an actor? C’mon. We all know better than that.

It’s Always Been for the Fans

During yesterday’s press conference, one of the closing questions wondered how SAG-AFTRA would respond to fans that don’t care about their strike and just want their entertainment. To that, Drescher took rightful umbrage.

"What makes you think they're not interested in what's happening here?" she asked. "I think that they have an allegiance to all of us because we bring joy to their lives, and during COVID, they turned to us for everything. So I don't think that your assumption that they don't really care about anything but being entertained over the summer is the bottom line...”

Across both strikes, I’ve seen something really remarkable happening. People are paying attention and engaging in a way that they never had the opportunity to back in the 2007 writers’ strike (and certainly not in the previous SAG-AFTRA strike back in 1986). Social media has amplified the stories of mistreatment that otherwise would have been whispered at a party and never repeated. The people who love the art that these writers and actors create have a peek into their fight. And Drescher’s right. They do care.

How Will Movies and TV Change if the Writers and Actors Get What They Want?

I’m not that kind of witch, but if I were a betting gal I think a couple key things will happen if both guilds get what they ask for.

Fewer Shows and Movies, Better Quality: If they actually start paying people what they’re worth, I assume we’ll see fewer shows and movies (‘cause we all know those exec paydays ain’t getting any smaller). But, with full writers rooms and fair pay, I’m confident we’ll see a quality increase. The bond that the writers and actors have formed in their solidarity isn’t anything to sneeze at, either. That connection can go a long way when it comes to strengthening collaborations between two of the most integral parts of media. Better collaboration often results in stronger work, and we the fans get to benefit from it!

Groundbreaking Precedents for AI: SAG-AFTRA is one of the most well-known labor unions in the United States (everybody loves a celebrity). Partnering with WGA to draw a line in the sand over the AI threat to workers is a huge deal that I believe can benefit people in the many different industries beyond Hollywood that are facing the same existential danger that the technology presents. Precedents are important, and big wins on national platforms can help the little guys get what they deserve too.

Making writing and acting viable careers again opens the door for more diverse creators in the way that streaming was supposed to from the start.

More Voices in Front of and Behind the Camera: Unfair wages are one of the first things to freeze out minority voices. Many people cannot be in the entertainment industry in any capacity unless they have a spouse with a better job or still live with their parents. Making writing and acting viable careers again opens the door for more diverse creators in the way that streaming was supposed to from the start.

There could be more! There could be less. We really don’t know until we see what kind of deals these guilds walk away with. What I do know is that the entertainment industry — streaming in particular — is at a crossroads, and the people who made sure we had art while we were trapped in our homes in quarantine and had continued stories to return to once it was all over need our solidarity.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but they most definitely have mine.

If you’d like to show support, many WGA and SAG-AFTRA members are highlighting the Entertainment Community Fund as a way to best help both those on strike and those impacted by the loss of work. You can donate or even just share out the link to your networks, and you can learn more about the Fund’s mission on their website.

Amelia is the entertainment Streaming Editor here at IGN. She's also a film and television critic who spends too much time talking about dinosaurs, superheroes, and folk horror. You can usually find her with her dog, Rogers. There may be cheeseburgers involved. Follow her across social @ThatWitchMia

17 Jul 08:15

Assassin's Creed Mirage to Get Official Gaming Suit That Lets You Feel Parkour and Punches

by Anthony Wood

Ubisoft has partnered with OWO to create a haptic feedback vest that will allow wearers to physically feel the actions of protagonist Basim as he parkours, and fights his way through ninth-century Baghdad in Assassin’s Creed Mirage.

“By leveraging OWO’s ground-breaking technologies and expertise, we are able to immerse players in the world, sounds and sensations of Assassin’s Creed Mirage in an innovative and enhanced way,” said Fabian Salomon, lead producer at Ubisoft Bordeaux. “We can’t wait for our players to discover and enjoy the coming-of-age story of Basim with the power of OWO.”

The Assassin's Creed Mirage Edition of the OWO Haptic Gaming System includes the patented OWO Skin, 20 gel pads, an ‘OWO device’, and a game code, along with a charging cable, and storage pouch. The system is set to be compatible with PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game.

The vest itself has been given a bespoke Mirage aesthetic, and is made of a lightweight lycra augmented with a series of high conductivity electrodes and haptic pads that allow the wearer to feel a variety of sensations across the torso and arms.

It is also completely wireless, and will likely have a battery life of around eight hours, assuming that its specs are similar to those of the Founders Edition, which is the only other version of the system released to date.

Donning the vest will allow players to “feel all the impacts” and precise parkour movements that protagonist Basim makes and takes as he fights his way through Baghdad. According to OWO the Mirage edition of the haptic system will “incorporate new sensations never felt before” by existing users.

These haptic sensations can be controlled via the My OWO smartphone app, which allows users to customise their settings, and modify the intensity of the feedback as needed. To date no price has been given for the Assassin’s Creed Mirage Edition. However, the Founder Edition of the system is currently on sale for 499 Euros on OWO’s website, so with the addition of a game code, the new offering will more than likely meet that price point, or exceed it.

Whilst no confirmation has been given, the special edition will likely be usable with the library of games that are already compatible with the Founder Edition system, which includes a small pool of native games, and a wider selection of titles with modded support, including Fortnite, and Half Life Alyx.

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

12 Jul 08:45

Some Very Weird Deadpool 3 Photos Have Leaked Online

Set photos from the upcoming Deadpool 3 movie have been making their way onto social media, generating excitement among fans. One of the notable leaked images shows Hugh Jackman's Wolverine wearing the character's iconic yellow-and-blue costume, marking the first time it has appeared in the cinematic history of the franchise.

Among the leaked set photos, one stands out--a glimpse of the film's actual set featuring a ruined 20th Century Fox logo, the studio responsible for both Reynolds' Deadpool movies and Jackman's X-Men films before Disney's acquisition. This has led to all sorts of speculation about what the movie's wild plot might be, ranging from theories suggesting that Deadpool and Wolverine may have been pruned by the TVA and transported to The Void. There's a more modest theory circulating that Halle Berry's Storm may make a return.

While the leaked footage offers a glimpse into the anticipated fight sequence, the details surrounding the plot and context remain unknown. The fight heavily features Wolverine, with Deadpool enduring a significant beating. Given the characters' regenerative abilities, their battles tend to be ongoing.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
12 Jul 08:44

Mission Impossible's Pom Klementieff Was Thrilled To Trade In Her MCU Character For A Dark Villain

If you keep up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you surely know all about Pom Klementieff's portrayal of Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. The alien is silly, has a huge heart, and loves her friends above all else, even if she wants to beat up Drax at any given moment. Now, though, Klementieff is stepping away from the unbridled goodness of Mantis for her villainous turn in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 and couldn't be any more thrilled.

"I just enjoyed it so much… it's just like things are on the edge," the actress said of their turn as the villainous Paris, an assassin tasked with dispatching Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and Grace (Hayley Atwell). If you've seen the clips from the wild car chase featured in the movie, you should be very aware of just how "on the edge" Paris is, as she smashes through the streets of Rome in an armored SUV, attempting to kill Ethan.

According to Klementieff, she conceived of the character with Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie. However, she also called out the costuming, hair, and makeup departments on the film for bringing Paris to life.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
12 Jul 08:42

When You're Not Tom Cruise, Filming Mission Impossible Action Scenes Is "Terrifying"

Anytime a new Mission: Impossible movie lands in theaters, viewers watch in awe as star Tom Cruise repeatedly does what we all assumed was the sort of thing no human should try, taking on the most over-the-top and action-packed stunts we can imagine. Whether it's jumping motorcycles off of mountains or thrilling car chases through the tiny streets of Rome, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 seemingly has some of Cruise's best stunt work to date. And while he--on the surface--seems fearless in the face of these feats, the rest of the cast doesn't necessarily agree.

Warning: The following contains very light spoilers about two action sequences in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1.

"It is very terrifying," Read Reckoning star Greg Tarzan Davis tells GameSpot. "I won't lie, it's very terrifying." Davis was merely a passenger in one of the cars involved in the car chase through Rome, but even without the responsibilities of driving the car, he made it clear how intense the experience was.

Continue Reading at GameSpot
09 Jul 08:59

Belgian Tax Hack

by Bruce Schneier

Here’s a fascinating tax hack from Belgium (listen to the details here, episode #484 of “No Such Thing as a Fish,” at 28:00).

Basically, it’s about a music festival on the border between Belgium and Holland. The stage was in Holland, but the crowd was in Belgium. When the copyright collector came around, they argued that they didn’t have to pay any tax because the audience was in a different country. Supposedly it worked.

05 Jul 07:38

What is Threads? The Instagram alternative to Twitter explained

by Hannah Davies
Threads app logo

New Twitter alternatives are popping up left and right, with Bluesky Social and Threads being the next big contenders.

The landscape of Twitter has changed massively since Elon Musk took over the role of CEO. Twitter verification is now a paid subscription and a reading limit was even introduced to curb the apparent extreme levels of data scraping taking place on the site.

With all of this new discourse, new alternatives to Twitter have been appearing en masse. The latest is Threads, a social media app created by Meta.

If you want to learn more about Threads, including what it is and how to sign up, make sure you keep reading.

What is Threads?

Threads is a new social media app developed by Meta, meaning that it falls under the same umbrella as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. The app launched in full on 6th July 2023.

This app was built by the Instagram team and developed for “sharing text updates and joining public conversations”. 

Threads works in a similar fashion to Twitter, allowing users to post up to 500 characters and include links, photos and videos up to five minutes in length. Since Threads is connected to Instagram, users can follow their Instagram followers in the new app, allowing for immediate conversation. 

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One of the most interesting aspects of Threads is that it has been marketed as an app you should use alongside Instagram as opposed to an additional feature added to the Instagram app. The integration between these two apps has worked very well since its launch, with users being able to use the same username, profile picture and bio on both platforms. 

Threads app screenshots
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)

Users can control who can mention them in posts and replies within Threads. Users can also add hidden words to filter out undesired replies and posts, with the ability to unfollow, block, restrict or report any profiles that they don’t want to interact with. 

Threads is still in its infancy, so we expect that new features will pop up across the platform soon. At the time of writing, there is no way to find “Trending” topics like users can on Twitter, but Meta has claimed that it is working on improving recommendations in each feed and creating a more robust search function. 

How can I sign up for Threads?

If you want to sign up for Threads, check out our dedicated explainer which will walk you through the entire process. It is free to download on both the App Store and Play Store and available in the UK, America and across Europe.

It’s worth noting that to create a Threads account you will need an active Instagram account that you can access. If you want to find out how to follow all of your Instagram followers on the platform, check out this guide.

The post What is Threads? The Instagram alternative to Twitter explained appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

23 Jun 11:54

Studio Behind Secret Invasion's AI Intro Addresses Backlash: 'No Artists' Jobs Were Replaced'

by Ryan Dinsdale

Marvel's Secret Invasion has been met with a backlash for using AI to create its opening credits, though the animation studio behind it has promised "no artists' jobs were replaced" as a result.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Method Studios said the AI tools used to create the intro sequence fit the themes of the show and were only used additively.

"The production process was highly collaborative and iterative, with a dedicated focus on this specific application of an AI toolset," Method Studios said. "It involved a tremendous effort by talented art directors, animators (proficient in both 2D and 3D), artists, and developers, who employed conventional techniques to craft all the other aspects of the project.

"No artists’ jobs were replaced by incorporating these new tools; instead, they complemented and assisted our creative teams."

"However, it is crucial to emphasize that while the AI component provided optimal results, AI is just one tool among the array of toolsets our artists used. No artists’ jobs were replaced by incorporating these new tools; instead, they complemented and assisted our creative teams."

Secret Invasion's director and executive producer Ali Selim also said upon the show's premiere that the intro was deliberately warped and twisted to represent the deceptive nature of the show (which is about, well, a secret invasion).

Method Studios' statement continued: "Working on Secret Invasion, a captivating show exploring the infiltration of aliens into human society, provided an exceptional opportunity to delve into the intriguing realm of AI, specifically for creating unique character attributes and movements. Utilizing a custom AI tool for this particular element perfectly aligned with the project’s overall theme and the desired aesthetic."

The use of AI, which has been a hotly debated and controversial topic within the entertainment industry, has been criticised by many Marvel fans watching the new show.

"I don't know about anything but it’s just ugly to me," said one Reddit user. "Plus this is the worst time to use AI, especially when it’s at the very centre of the writer’s strike and a huge issue for media in general. A little tone deaf if you ask me."

Senior concept artist Jeff Simpson, who's worked for the likes of Ubisoft, Square Enix, and Marvel Studios itself, said on Twitter (above): "I’m devastated, I believe AI to be unethical, dangerous and designed solely to eliminate artists' careers."

IGN has contacted Marvel Studios for comment.

In our 7/10 review of Secret Invasion's opening episodes, IGN said: "Secret Invasion is a welcome and solid return for the MCU’s lesser-used gritty espionage template, even if its first two episodes lack the sense of fear that it really needs."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

23 Jun 11:49

Over 100 artists boycott venues that employ face-scanning tech

by Lawrence Bonk

Over 100 music artists, including Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine, have banded together to announce they are boycotting concert venues that use facial recognition technology, as originally reported by Rolling Stone. The artists cite a number of concerns, including privacy infringement and increased discrimination.

The boycott was organized by a digital rights advocacy group called Fight for the Future and its ultimate goal is the elimination of face-scanning technology at all live events. Beyond the two founding members of Rage Against the Machine, other participating artists include Speedy Ortiz, Anti-Flag, Boots Riley and Deerhoof, among more than 80 others. The full list is available right here.

In addition to artists, some venues are getting in on the action, pledging to not use this type of technology for their events. These include House of Yes in Brooklyn, the Lyric Hyperion in Los Angeles and the infamous Black Cat in Washington D.C. In recent months, over 40 big-time music festivals, like Coachella and SXSW, also vowed to stop using facial recognition technology.

Fight for the Future said in a statement that facial scanning companies are “morally corrupt” and that facial recognition tools are “so inaccurate” that they “actually create more harm and problems than they solve.” While the organization says this tech is rife with inaccuracies, for now, it dreads a future world “in which privacy is non-existent, where we are identified, watched and surveilled everywhere we go.”

Nobody wants a Minority Report-esque police state, but proponents of facial recognition tech tout some of the positives. For instance, Taylor Swift recently employed this technology to root out potential stalkers during concerts. However, it’s already being used to do some pretty foul stuff. Madison Square Garden has begun employing the technology to identify and ban lawyers involved with suits against the venue and affiliated companies.

Several attorneys have been forcibly removed from both MSG and Radio City Music Hall in recent months, prompting New York Attorney General Letitia James to issue a formal inquiry. The New York State Liquor Authority also recently initiated proceedings to strip the parent company, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, of its liquor licenses, as reported by the New York Post. MSG sued the state over this decision and doubled down, saying “we understand this policy is disappointing to some, but we cannot ignore the fact that litigation creates an inherently adversarial environment.”

MSG has received the lion’s share of scrutiny here, but other large venues throughout the country have also gotten their Orwell on, from New York’s Citi Field to Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium and Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, among many others. So this is definitely a thing.

Fight for the Future, along with Morello and artists like Speedy Ortiz, have found success with similar boycotts in the past. In 2022, Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver stopped using Amazon’s palm-reading technology following a protest from the organization.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/over-100-artists-boycott-venues-that-employ-face-scanning-tech-164554404.html?src=rss
21 Jun 14:41

Extraction 2: How They Made That Insane 21-Minute One-Shot

by Matt Fowler

Explosive, mind-bending action returns front and center with Netflix's Extraction 2, a sequel to the 2020 Chris Hemsworth mercenary adventure written by Joe Russo and directed by MCU stunt master/Captain America stunt double Sam Hargrave. Hargrave made his directorial debut with Extraction, which instantly placed him among the top action directors working today thanks to the ambitious intensity of the set pieces and a very impressive 12-minute oner/single take.

Extraction 2 not only ups the ante, action-wise, but it doubles it, unleashing a diabolical oner that lasts over 20 minutes. IGN spoke to both Hemsworth, who returns as black ops specialist Tyler Rake, and director Hargrave in order to dig into this very elaborate, difficult scene.

"The rehearsal process [for the oner] was four or five months from conception to finding the locations," Hargrave revealed, "mapping out the path, and then getting the actors doing all their moves.

"Then shooting, it took 29 days, I believe, to complete."

That's right. The time it usually might take to shoot a full movie was given to this very specific sequence, with the intent of melting viewers' faces. It's a sequence that finds Rake actually on fire, which was a stunt that Hemsworth did -- well, had to do, of course -- himself.

"Seven or eight takes I think we had," Hemsworth shared. "It was fun. As soon as my arm lit up, it was 'action'! Because it would burn for probably 15 seconds or something, and by the end of that little sequence of punches and kicks and so on, if the fire wasn't out, my instructions was to pat it out myself. It felt cool. It felt fun."

"Hopefully it'll look cool," Hargrave added.

It was fun. As soon as my arm lit up, it was 'action'!

Most everything you see these days gets enhanced digitally, from an effects standpoint, but this meticulous moment was almost 100% real and practical, according to Hemsworth. "Ninety-five percent of what you see on camera has been captured in the moment," he said. "And then for me, that's so refreshing as an audience member, but also, the immersive experience as the actor.

"I think we've all grown a little fatigued of the large, big, stunning visual effects. As amazing as they are, it ends up looking like you're watching a video game," Hemsworth continued. "But it's just an authenticity and a grit and a truth to what you're seeing, because that's real sweat. That's real exhaustion that we're going through. You're grinding away in this fight sequences, and I don't think you can really recreate that on a sound stage, green screen, and so on."

Speaking of video games, Hargrave didn't grow up with them, despite now being an expert in a specific art form for a specific genre of film. The last game he played was GoldenEye 007, for the N64 - and it wasn't even his.

"I never spent much time with them, but I think there's a presence of video games in popular culture that is hard to not feel inspired by," he explained. "Because, it's all over the place, whether or not you play them. And I think that what we share with these Extraction movies and certain video games is the immersive experience for an audience member. So for our movies, you're sitting back and you're watching it.

"However, "he added, "I want the feeling during this one-take sequence to be as if you, an audience member, were participating. So by the end of it, you should be tired, you should be catching your breath, because the nature of the camera and the stunts that these performers are doing is very intense. And that adrenaline and that energy that's expended on camera, you can feel it. It's a transfer of energy and that lends itself to that immersive experience."

What we share with these Extraction movies and certain video games is the immersive experience for an audience member.

Hemsworth, now a veteran of both superhero stories and action films, considers the "prison yard sequence" of Extraction 2's one take (yes, it's so long that there are actual separate battles) to be his favorite stunt of his career.

"[It was] the most complex and had the most amount of choreography and moves that I've ever been a part of," he said. "And once we completed that, it felt like we had big tasks ahead of us. But once we checked that off, I had a big sigh of relief and a lot of pressure was lifted. And there was 300 or 400 extras or background artists, stunt performers within that shot. And it was shot as a oner. So everything had to be seamless. It was like a beautifully choreographed dance that all had to be perfect. So a lot of pressure, but the reward was hugely, hugely profound and exciting and collaborative. Yeah, it's pretty special."

Extraction 2 is available on Netflix now.

Interviews by Scott Collura.

20 Jun 16:45

Arnold Schwarzenegger Believes He Could Be US President, If He Were Allowed To Be

Actor and former bodybuilding champion Arnold Schwarzenegger believes he has what it takes to be president of the United States, but the bad news for him is that it won't happen.

Speaking to Chris Wallace for his Max show Who's Talking, Schwarzenegger said "of course" he could be elected president were it not for the US Constitution rule that states the president must be a natural born US citizen. Schwarzenegger was born in Austria and is a naturalized US citizen. He was governor of California from 2003-2011.

"I mean, I think the field was wide open in 2016. And I think the field is open right now. I mean, think about it right now. I mean, who is there? There is really not a person that can bring everyone together," he said, as reported by Variety. "Who is here today that people say, 'Okay, he's not too old or he's not too this or too that, or is that because it's now a question about who do you vote against then who do you vote for?"

Continue Reading at GameSpot
29 May 07:20

A lawyer faces sanctions after he used ChatGPT to write a brief riddled with fake citations

by Igor Bonifacic

With the hype around AI reaching a fever pitch in recent months, many people fear programs like ChatGPT will one day put them out of a job. For one New York lawyer, that nightmare could become a reality sooner than expected, but not for the reasons you might think. As reported by The New York Times, attorney Steven Schwartz of the law firm Levidow, Levidow and Oberman recently turned to OpenAI’s chatbot for assistance with writing a legal brief, with predictably disastrous results.

Schwartz’s firm has been suing the Colombian airline Avianca on behalf of Roberto Mata, who claims he was injured on a flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. When the airline recently asked a federal judge to dismiss the case, Mata’s lawyers filed a 10-page brief arguing why the suit should proceed. The document cited more than half a dozen court decisions, including “Varghese v. China Southern Airlines,” “Martinez v. Delta Airlines” and “Miller v. United Airlines.” Unfortunately for everyone involved, no one who read the brief could find any of the court decisions cited by Mata’s lawyers. Why? Because ChatGPT fabricated all of them. Oops.

In an affidavit filed on Thursday, Schwartz said he had used the chatbot to “supplement” his research for the case. Schwartz wrote he was "unaware of the possibility that [ChatGPT’s] content could be false.” He even shared screenshots showing that he had asked ChatGPT if the cases it cited were real. The program responded they were, claiming the decisions could be found in “reputable legal databases,” including Westlaw and LexisNexis. 

Schwartz said he “greatly regrets” using ChatGPT “and will never do so in the future without absolute verification of its authenticity.” Whether he has another chance to write a legal brief is up in the air. The judge overseeing the case has ordered a June 8th hearing to discuss potential sanctions for the “unprecedented circumstance” created by Schwartz’s actions.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-lawyer-faces-sanctions-after-he-used-chatgpt-to-write-a-brief-riddled-with-fake-citations-175720636.html?src=rss
22 May 12:40

ChatGPT's Evil Twin, BratGPT, is Designed for World Domination

by francisco.alexandre.pires@proton.me (Francisco Pires)
Not all pieces of technology bring with them existential dread or efficiency improvements. Sometimes, tech is meant to be fun; and BratGPT certainly does turn up the grilling heat up to 11.
02 May 13:37

'Godfather of AI' leaves Google amid ethical concerns

by Jon Fingas

One of the pioneers of artificial intelligence has made a high-profile exit. Geoffrey Hinton, nicknamed the "godfather of AI," tellsThe New York Times he resigned as Google VP and engineering fellow in April to freely warn of the risks associated with the technology. The researcher is concerned that Google is giving up its previous restraint on public AI releases in a bid to compete with ChatGPT, Bing Chat and similar models, opening the door to multiple ethical problems.

In the near term, Hinton is worried that generative AI could lead to a wave of misinformation. You might "not be able to know what is true anymore," he says. He's also concerned it might not just eliminate "drudge work," but outright replace some jobs. Going forward, the scientist is concerned about both the possibility of fully autonomous weapons and the tendency of AI models to learn odd behavior from training data. While some of these issues are theoretical, Hinton fears an escalation that won't be checked without regulations or the development of effective controls.

Hinton says his stance began changing last year, when Google, OpenAI and others began creating AI systems that he believes are sometimes superior to human intelligence. AI has developed rapidly in just the past five years — it's "scary" what could happen in the next five, the researcher suggests.

In a statement to Engadget, Google's chief scientist Jeff Dean says his firm is still dedicated to a "responsible approach" and on guard for "emerging risks." The search giant recently released a rough version of its Bard chatbot in March following months of rumors the company is worried about the competitive threat of generative AI. Before then, it refused to publicly release AI models like its art-oriented Imagen over the potential for toxic content and copyright violations.

Hinton has devoted his career to studying the neural networks that are often key to AI, but is best known for developing an object recognition system in 2012. His breakthrough neural net could use training images to help recognize common objects. Google bought Hinton's DNNresearch startup in 2013, and the underlying concept of his invention helped foster a surge of development that led to today's generative tech.

Hinton isn't alone. A number of influential academics and tech luminaries, including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, recently signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause on AI development to address ethical and safety problems. As one of the most prominent figures in the industry, though, Hinton's word carries significant weight.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/godfather-of-ai-leaves-google-amid-ethical-concerns-152451800.html?src=rss
02 May 13:00

Keanu Reeves' Band Gets Back Together, Announces First Album In 23 Years

After a hiatus of over two decades, Keanu Reeves' former grunge band Dogstar has reunited and announced that they will be releasing new music this summer. The band first broke the news on Instagram, where they have been posting behind-the-scenes updates on their studio time since creating an account last summer.

Dogstar was formed in the early 1990s and featured Reeves on bass. Despite the actor's success in Hollywood, he continued to pursue his passion for music and toured with the band throughout the Nineties and early 2000s. The band's upcoming release will be their first new music since their 2000 album, Happy Ending.

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A post shared by Dogstar (@dogstarband)

In their latest Instagram post, the band expressed their gratitude for the overwhelming response they've received since announcing their return. They also confirmed that they will be rolling out new music this summer and plan to follow up with live performances.

Continue Reading at GameSpot