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PlayStation Plus May subscribers are unlocking a swathe of great t**les very soon

If you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, there's a good chance you keep your eyes on the games you unlock every month simply by being a part of the service. Well, the company has confirmed the list of games it's planning to release for May, and things are looking pretty sweet.
If you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber, there's a good chance you keep your eyes on the games you unlock every month simply by being a part of the service. Well, the company has confirmed the list of games it's planning to release for May, and things are looking pretty sweet.

Norway

Published by: aplhsindia.in

SoundCloud changes its TOS again after an AI uproar

Music-sharing platform SoundCloud is saying it “has never used artist content to train AI models,” and that it’s “making a formal commitment that any use of AI on SoundCloud will be based on consent, transparency, and artist control.” The update comes several days after artists reported that changes made last...
Music-sharing platform SoundCloud is saying it “has never used artist content to train AI models,” and that it’s “making a formal commitment that any use of AI on SoundCloud will be based on consent, transparency, and artist control.” The update comes several days after artists reported that changes made last year to its terms of use could mean it reserved the right to use their music and other content to train generative AI tools.“The language in the Terms of Use was too broad and wasn’t clear enough. It created confusion, and that’s on us,” writes SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton.The terms that SoundCloud is currently using were updated in February last year with text including this passage:In the absence of a separate agreement that states otherwise, You explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services.”But Seton says that “in the coming weeks,” that line will be replaced with this:We will not use Your Content to train generative AI models that aim to replicate or synthesize your voice, music, or likeness without your explicit consent, which must be affirmatively provided through an opt-in mechanism.Seton reiterates that SoundCloud has never used member content to train AI, including large language models, for music creation or to mimic or replace members’ work. And, echoing what a SoundCloud spokesperson told The Verge in an email over the weekend, Seton says if the company does use generative AI, it “may make this opportunity available to our human artists with their explicit consent, via an opt-in mechanism.”Ed Newton-Rex, the tech ethicist who first discovered the change, isn’t satisfied with the changes. In an X post, he says the tweaked language could still allow for “models trained on your work that might not directly replicate your style but that still compete with you in the market.” According to Rex, “If they actually want to address concerns, the change required is simple. It should just read “We will not use Your Content to train generative AI models without your explicit consent.” SoundCloud did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

Boston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

EA is bringing employees back to the office three days per week

EA Sports FC 25. | Image: EA EA is asking employees to return to the office for three days per week under a hybrid model – and it sounds like the company will be significantly reducing remote hiring. CEO Andrew Wilson and president of EA Entertainment and technology Laura Miele...
EA Sports FC 25. | Image: EAEA is asking employees to return to the office for three days per week under a hybrid model – and it sounds like the company will be significantly reducing remote hiring. CEO Andrew Wilson and president of EA Entertainment and technology Laura Miele sent emails to staff about the change, IGN reports, and corporate communications VP Justin Higgs confirmed the new hybrid model to The Verge.“We’ve adopted a globally consistent hybrid work model to bring teams together with greater clarity and intent – enabling faster decisions, sharper execution, and stronger connection to one another,” Higgs says. Hybrid roles will spend “at least three days a week in the office,” though there will be “flexibility” on other roles.Miele’s email details how EA locations will have a 30-mile radius around them to help determine if an employee falls under the on site, hybrid, or remote model for work, IGN reports. Here’s what Miele says, per IGN:Employees who live within 30-miles/48-km of an EA location will transition to a Hybrid work model.Employees who live outside the 30-mile/48-km radius will be considered remote unless their role is designated as On Site or Hybrid.The “offsite local” work model is going to be sunset within 3 to 24 months. In addition, “any work model exception and future Remote hires will require a CEO Direct’s /my approval,” Miele’s email says, according to IGN.The changes to EA’s policies follow recent layoffs of between 300 and 400 people, layoffs at BioWare announced in January, and a layoff of about 5 percent of its staff early last year.

Los Angeles

Published by: aplhsindia.in

DOOM: The Dark Ages — 100% completion guide for chapter 6

Chapter 6: Siege - Part 1 in Doom: The Dark Agesintroduces the biggest map in the game yet. Going through an entire battlefield in the city outskirts, the Doom Slayer has plenty of hidden collectibles and secret areas to unlock in order to get 100% completion of this huge, sprawling...
Chapter 6: Siege - Part 1 in Doom: The Dark Agesintroduces the biggest map in the game yet. Going through an entire battlefield in the city outskirts, the Doom Slayer has plenty of hidden collectibles and secret areas to unlock in order to get 100% completion of this huge, sprawling level.

Atlanta

Published by: aplhsindia.in

This mini PC handles all your daily tasks with ease and it’s now just $140

Desktop PCs aren't all that common anymore, especially with the popularity and power that laptops deliver. But if you have a screen, and you're looking for an affordable alternative, then a mini PC is the way to go. Not only are most devices now quite powerful, but you're also going...
Desktop PCs aren't all that common anymore, especially with the popularity and power that laptops deliver. But if you have a screen, and you're looking for an affordable alternative, then a mini PC is the way to go. Not only are most devices now quite powerful, but you're also going to be able to save space when it comes to the clutter on your desk.

Houston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

5 weird but practical things you never thought you could 3D print

Most people think of 3D printing in terms of figurines, brackets, or cosplay armor. But once you start exploring the weirder side of functional prints, you’ll find plenty of oddball designs that actually solve real problems. Some of them are so surprisingly useful, you’ll wonder why you didn’t print them...
Most people think of 3D printing in terms of figurines, brackets, or cosplay armor. But once you start exploring the weirder side of functional prints, you’ll find plenty of oddball designs that actually solve real problems. Some of them are so surprisingly useful, you’ll wonder why you didn’t print them sooner. Let’s dive into some strange but genuinely practical things that you might never have imagined making out of filament.

Houston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

This modern cassette boombox will lure you in with glowing VU meters

The GB-001 is a modern take on the classic ‘80s boombox with features like Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery. | Image: We Are Rewind We Are Rewind, a Paris-based company that has relaunched the cassette player with modern features like support for wireless headphones and rechargeable batteries, has announced a...
The GB-001 is a modern take on the classic ‘80s boombox with features like Bluetooth and a rechargeable battery. | Image: We Are RewindWe Are Rewind, a Paris-based company that has relaunched the cassette player with modern features like support for wireless headphones and rechargeable batteries, has announced a larger boombox version. Streamlining the design of the portable stereos that were popular in the ‘80s, the €449 (around $500 USD) GB-001 can function as a Bluetooth speaker and stream audio from a mobile device. But its most appealing feature is its ability to play and record to cassettes, potentially reviving the mixtape for another generation.The GB-001’s cassette deck mechanism features a user-adjustable motor with internal speed regulation for accurate playback. It also has a “noise reduction circuit” that emulates Dolby B so it can properly play tapes recorded using that older noise reduction system without any loss in sound quality. It can record on tapes, too, from external sources that include a wired microphone or a pair of mics connected wirelessly over Bluetooth.The GB-001 has four speakers — two “powerful woofers for extended bass response” paired with two “soft dome tweeters for refined voices and treble.” We Are Rewind describes the GB-001 as having a “natural sound signature” so, unlike the boomboxes of the ‘80s, it’s not going to drown out lyrics with overpowering bass. And in keeping with current trends in audio gear, the GB-001 includes a “spatialisation function for a wider, more immersive stereo image.”A rechargeable, user-replaceable 3,000mAh battery provides up to 10 hours of playback through the speakers when playing a tape, or up to 15 using an external audio source. That jumps up to 15 and 28 hours, respectively, when using headphones, but We Are Rewind didn’t specify if that’s through the 3.5-millimeter audio jack or Bluetooth.Even if you’re not in need of its cassette capabilities, the design of the GB–001 still makes it an appealing alternative to Bluetooth speakers that often look like beach toys. It not only has a retro-looking folding carrying handle, it also sports a pair of functional analog VU meters that are backlit with a soft warm glow. For those of us who grew up enamored with the design of stereos from the ‘70s and ‘80s, the VU meters alone could help justify the splurge.

Dallas

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Leica can now style your iPhone photos to mimic a pro photographer

The Greg Williams preset is the 16th photo filter to come to Leica’s Lux app. | Image: Leica Camera Leica is bringing a new kind of filter effect called “Artist Looks” to its Lux camera app for iPhones, with the first one adjusting your photos to resemble  the style and...
The Greg Williams preset is the 16th photo filter to come to Leica’s Lux app. | Image: Leica CameraLeica is bringing a new kind of filter effect called “Artist Looks” to its Lux camera app for iPhones, with the first one adjusting your photos to resemble  the style and body of work of celebrity photographer Greg Williams. Artist Looks, like the other color and black-and-white looks in Leica’s app, are essentially one-click filter presets for easy photo editing. It’s the first time Leica Camera has collaborated with a pro on looks designed to mimic their personal aesthetic. In Williams’s case, his Artist Look is lightly inspired by Kodak Tri-X film, converting your color photos to black and white — with the white point shifted a touch to make the whites slightly off-white and yielding a more vintage warm-tone feel.The Leica Lux app update version 1.7 on the iOS App Store will offer the Greg Williams look for Lux Pro account subscribers paying $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually, or included for anyone who buys Leica’s phone grip that now costs $625 post-tariffs.The Lux app is Leica’s dedicated camera app for iPhones, allowing free and paid users to take smartphone pictures with a bit of Leica’s color science. In addition to a selection of Leica-tuned photo filters like Classic, Chrome, and one based on the vintage Leica I Model A camera, the app also offers some signature looks taken from specific Leica lenses. The in-app “lenses” are essentially portrait mode processing recipes modeled after lenses like the 50mm f/1.2 Noctilux or a 35mm f/1.4 Summilux.Leica is also releasing an update to its Fotos app that allows owners of the Leica Q3, Q3 43, SL3 and SL3-S to download the Greg Williams look directly into their cameras. And if you don’t have one of those newer models, the Fotos app can apply the filter to JPG files shot with any Leica with Wi-Fi that can upload images to the app. There’s no paywall for the Artist Look in the Fotos app, other than the barrier to entry of owning an actual Leica.Photo filters and film recipes are nothing new to mobile photography or users of Fujifilm cameras. While Fujifilm leans on its own film stocks for reference in its popular X100 line, other camera-makers typically go the standard route (vivid, neutral, etc.) or get creative, like Panasonic’s Lumix S9 camera and its many custom profiles. This new way of leaning on a pro photog’s own style is certainly novel. It might be cool to see some iconic Leica photographers get their own Artist Look, if I’m ever strolling down the street and feeling a little Elliott Erwitt-y. Though, I imagine some pros may charge a pretty penny to cop their style.

Boston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

Despite the drama, x86 isn’t going anywhere

Windows on Arm saw its breakout moment in 2024 after years of failed attempts at disrupting the dominance of x86 processors. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips were unveiled as part of new laptops from Microsoft, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Asus, and others. The early skepticism over Qualcomm's battery life and performance...
Windows on Arm saw its breakout moment in 2024 after years of failed attempts at disrupting the dominance of x86 processors. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chips were unveiled as part of new laptops from Microsoft, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Asus, and others. The early skepticism over Qualcomm's battery life and performance claims gave way to mostly glowing reviews as Windows on Arm laptops registered a solid win.

Boston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

5 games I wish were remade for younger gamers, instead of being lazy remasters

Growing up, some games really meant something, and left you feeling impacted in some way, becoming integral building blocks as we learned the language of games. Now, there are plenty of reasons why gamers at large don’t like the fact that we’ve entered an era of modern remasters and remakes...
Growing up, some games really meant something, and left you feeling impacted in some way, becoming integral building blocks as we learned the language of games. Now, there are plenty of reasons why gamers at large don’t like the fact that we’ve entered an era of modern remasters and remakes — and one of them is the lack of new IPs, sure — but at the same time, let’s not forget that modern remakes do have their benefits when done right.

New York

Published by: aplhsindia.in

3 reasons Windows 11 is the best advertisement Linux ever had

Windows 11 was a strange shift in Microsoft's approach to new operating systems. Previously, if you wanted to install a new edition of Windows on your computer, it came down to whether your hardware was powerful enough to handle it. If you could use the new OS without slowing down...
Windows 11 was a strange shift in Microsoft's approach to new operating systems. Previously, if you wanted to install a new edition of Windows on your computer, it came down to whether your hardware was powerful enough to handle it. If you could use the new OS without slowing down or crashing regularly, you were all set. If you couldn't, you upgraded.

Houston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

I use this app instead of Spotify or iTunes for my music — 5 reasons why

At this point in music, streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music lead the pack. You get a subscription (or not with ads) and listen to your music wherever. You will also likely create playlists. However, I have thousands of songs on the desktop that I ripped from CDs in...
At this point in music, streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music lead the pack. You get a subscription (or not with ads) and listen to your music wherever. You will also likely create playlists. However, I have thousands of songs on the desktop that I ripped from CDs in FLAC format years ago.

Boston

Published by: aplhsindia.in

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