Technology

A video apparently developed for internal Sony use hints that the company may be working on giving its game characters AI capabilities.

The changes would impact the design of icons, apps, system buttons and more.

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• Hard drives are getting larger, but performance is a problem in data centers
• Meta sees QLC flash as a solution, bridging the gap between HDDs and TLC
• With 512TB QLC SSDs planned, Meta is shifting away from E1.S and E3

Hard disk drives are still the go-to storage choice for most data centers, mainly because they are cheaper and use less power than TLC flash.

But while HDDs are getting ever larger, their input/output performance hasn’t kept up. As a result, bandwidth per terabyte has been shrinking, forcing data centers to move frequently accessed data to TLC flash or overprovision storage.

In a recent Facebook Engineering blog post, Meta outlined its approach to integrating QLC flash as a solution to these challenges. QLC flash has existed since 2009, but adoption has been slow due to limited capacity, high cost, and lower write endurance.

QLC SSDs are the future

Meta explained it sees QLC as the middle ground between HDDs and TLC SSDs. The technology delivers enough performance for workloads that previously relied on 16TB and 20TB HDDs and supports large batch I/O tasks that need more than HDDs can offer. Since most power consumption in flash storage comes from writes, QLC’s lower write activity makes it a feasible, energy-efficient option.

While QLC is currently cheaper than TLC, it is not yet at a price point for widespread deployment. The power savings make it an attractive option for certain workloads however, and recent advancements are making the flash format more practical. The arrival of the 2Tb QLC NAND die and the widespread use of 32-die stacks are driving higher storage density and QLC SSDs are expected to scale faster than TLC. This will ultimately help to improve server efficiency while lowering costs.

Meta is planning for QLC SSDs to reach capacities as large as 512TB and sees E1.S and E3 form factors as dead on arrival for its needs. Instead, it intends to focus on U.2-15mm and Pure Storage’s DirectFlash Module for scaling QLC in its infrastructure.

Meta is also refining its storage software to handle the high-density nature of QLC. Since QLC SSDs have a large gap between read and write speeds, proper scheduling is needed to maintain performance.

As QLC technology advances, Meta expects its role in data centers to grow, a view that's shared by StorageReview.

The site's Brian Beeler writes, “Our testing has reinforced QLC’s role in AI storage. A recent deep dive explored how Solidigm’s D5-P5336 QLC SSD performs in checkpointing workloads for AI model training. These tests showed that while TLC SSDs still lead in write-heavy environments, QLC SSDs hold their own regarding capacity, efficiency, and read performance - making them a strong option for AI pipelines.“

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Xabi Alonso's men must overcome a three-goal deficit against their Bundesliga rivals.

The Italian giants take a comfortable two-goal advantage into the second leg at San Siro.

• Mufasa: The Lion King arrives on Disney+ on March 26
• Despite earning a lot at the box office, the movie has a disappointing 57% Rotten Tomatoes score
• It recently joins Moana 2 among the line-up of original Disney movies

Disney+ is expanding its library this month, as Mufasa: The Lion King arrives on one of the best streaming services on March 26, so you can bring the thrill of the Pride Lands to your own home. This follows other new movies, such as Moana 2 which arrives on Disney+ on Wednesday, March 12.

Despite the box office success of the original animated movie, though, Mufasa: The Lion King won't be added to our Best Disney+ movies roundup due to its disappointing 57% Rotten Tomatoes score. Still, if you want to watch the film and decide for yourself, it'll soon be available to stream.

Now is the perfect time to try out Disney+, as there's a great Hulu bundle deal available so you can check out the finest the streaming services have to offer.

Disney+ and Hulu ad-supported bundle: was $10.99 per month now $2.99 at Hulu and Disney+
A bundle normally priced at $10.99 per month, you'll save 72% with this great Disney+-Hulu offer. It's for the ad-supported versions of both services and lasts for four months, after which the price goes up to $10.99 per month if you don't cancel. The offer runs until March 31, though, so be sure to snap it up while you can!View Deal

Is Mufasa: The Lion King a sequel?

(Image credit: Disney / YouTube)

If you're curious where Mufasa: The Lion King falls into the timeline, it's technically classified as a prequel and a sequel. This is because it's set after the events of the 2019 remake, The Lion King, while also exploring Mufasa's formative years, so it covers an extensive timeline.

Once again, there's a huge cast attached to this movie, such as Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara.

Additional voices include Mads Mikkelsen and Seth Rogen, the latter of who just snagged a big new comedy at Apple TV+.

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Subscribers can also play Space Invaders next month.

• Apple has added two new services to its Apple One services subscription bundle
• Its new Invites app has been added, with News+ Food following in April this year
• Despite this bundle saving money on multiple service subscriptions, we're not entirely convinced it's worth it

For the past five years, Apple One has been helpful when it comes to saving you money on Apple’s growing list of services from Apple News+ to Apple Music, bundling them under one subscription umbrella for a lower monthly fee for three different tiers; Individual, Family, and Premier. In a recent update, Apple has added two new perks to its Premier plan, possibly to entice more customers, but is its near $40 monthly fee justifiable?

In the past few weeks, Apple has added its new Apple Invites app to the Apple One Premier bundle and will add Apple News+ Food to the mix in the upcoming iOS and iPadOS updates. Apple One Premier already packs Apple News, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness, and Apple Arcade with the added bonus of 2TB of iCloud storage, standing at $37.95/ £36.95 a month, while its Individual ($19.95/ £18.95) and Family ($25.95/ £24.95) tiers cost less, but don’t offer Apple News or Apple Fitness.

Apple One price plans start at $19.95 a month for the Individual tier. (Image credit: Apple )

Not only is Invites an Apple One newcomer but it’s one of the latest additions to Apple’s long line of services, providing a space for users to get more organized with event planning. Aside from sending out invites, which is implied in the service's name, you can curate and add descriptions to your events, and even create a guestlist to keep track of your RSVPs.

The second new benefit in the Premier plan is Apple News+ Food, which is due to roll out to Apple One in the upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates in April. As its name implies, this new service will pack all things food and recipes, but what’s more exciting is that the new service will offer content about restaurants, and guides on healthy eating and kitchen essentials all from leading publications including Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and more. For those who thrive in the kitchen, this could be a useful app.

How much money are you actually saving?

Bundle services like Apple One have one main aim: to save you money. But outside of that, it’s clear that subscriptions like this one are designed to get you signed up to as many of Apple’s services as possible. There’s also the high chance that you wouldn’t take advantage of all of the services on offer (I know I wouldn’t), which makes bundles like this rather off-putting if you know you won’t use them to the full extent. With that said, here’s a price break-down of individual apps compared to the Apple One Premier tier.

This means that you'd be saving $29/ £27.99 a month if you subscribed to all six of Apple One Premier's services at once, but even so, is there any point in paying for something you know you'll never use, even if you aren't really paying for it?

Is it enough to entice non-subscribers? I’m not entirely convinced

Though Apple One reads as a helpful and money-saving resource bundle on paper, I'm not if all of its services would genuinely be taken advantage of by a single subscriber - especially when many of us rely on alternatives such as Spotify, Strava, and even the BBC Breaking News app to guide us through the day. At least these are the services I use.

As convincing as Apple Premier One sounds, my stubborn-mindedness wouldn't pay for something I know I would never use. I'm talking Apple Arcade, and even Apple News+ for current affairs, which I can easily replace with updates from social media and the web. Even if it will save me money, I'd rather just not pay for it altogether.

The only services I could really see myself using are Apple Fitness+ and the upcoming News+ Food add-on, but even then, that's what I use Strava and TikTok food recipes for.

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• Apple will soon end support for its old HomeKit architecture
• A note about the change was spotted in the iOS 18.4 beta source code
• After upgrading, you will no longer be able to use an iPad as a Home Hub

It looks like Apple will soon require all users to upgrade to the latest HomeKit architecture – which is bad news if you're currently using an iPad as a Home Hub.

The source code for the third beta version of iOS 18.4, which was released to developers earlier this week and seen by 9to5Google, contains a string warning users that support for the old version of Apple Home will end soon and that they should upgrade to the new architecture now "to avoid interruptions" to their smart home devices.

The new HomeKit architecture is intended to be faster, more efficient, and more reliable, but until now, it's been voluntary. In fact, some users have deliberately delayed as long as possible because after upgrading, they will no longer be able to use an iPad as a Home Hub to control their smart home devices.

Home is where the hub is

Reactions to the news have been mixed, with some users on the HomeKit subreddit expressing shock that anyone would have held off upgrading this long, while others are left frustrated at the prospect of having to change their hardware.

Comment from r/HomeKit

If you currently use an iPad as your HomeKit Hub, don't panic – you may already have another device you can use instead. Apple HomePod speakers will work as hubs for your smart home system, as will an Apple TV. You can see Apple's guide to setting up a Home Hub here for more details.

You'll probably have some time to plan your next move, too. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta and expected to roll out next month.

Still, it seems likely that the HomeKit upgrade won't become mandatory until the launch of iOS 19, which is expected to arrive in November, along with the rumored Apple HomePod Hub – which could prove to be an ideal iPad alternative for use around the home.

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• Leaked footage from inside Sony Interactive Entertainment showed off an AI-powered character
• Horizon's Aloy was used as the prototype, harnessing OpenAI tech
• This could be an hint at the future use of AI in PlayStation games

Future PlayStation games could have generative AI-powered characters if this leak is anything to go by.

A video posted by X (formerly Twitter) user Oliver Darko shows what appears to be leaked footage of a presentation by Sharwin Raghoebardajal, a director of software engineering at Sony Interactive Entertainment, discussing work on an AI prototype as part of Sony’s PlayStation Studios Advanced Technology Group.

The footage (sadly, it's not available to embed) showed Raghoebardajal interacting with an AI-powered Aloy from the Horizon series; it would appear this prototype has been created with the help of developer Guerrilla Games.

Raghoebardajal asks this AI Alyo “How are you?”, and after a pause, she responds, complete with accurate facial moments, that she’s ok but is “dealing with a sore throat”. The interaction feels a tad stifled and a little ‘uncanny valley’ but demonstrates generative AI in action.

The conversation then evolves into Raghoebardajal asking about the premise of the Horizon series and - *spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn* - how Aloy feels about being a clone. She responds it’s a unique feeling.

The Verge got access to the full video and repeated that the prototype uses OpenAI’s Whisper speech-to-text tech, Sony's own Emotional Voice Synthesis to generate a somewhat realistic voice, and large-language models GPT-4 and Llama 3 to power AI Aloy’s decision-making.

While this is very much a prototype and has some clear obstacles to overcome, like faster responses and less stilted speech, it’s an interesting demonstration of how AI tech could be used in games.

This is just a glimpse of what is possible,” said Raghoebardajal, The Verge reported.

A new horizon for AI in games?

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation)

The natural reaction to this tech would be a concern that generative AI could be used to potentially replace voice actors and writers in the gaming industry. While I think that’s a legitimate concern worthy of deeper discussion and scrutiny, from this demo it doesn’t seem like generative AI is anywhere near up to the task of replacing the quality of speech and narrative delivered by human development teams, certainly not for AAA games.

However, much like Horizon Call of the Mountain was used as a high-end showcase for all the features of PSVR 2, there’s scope that the same approach could be used to create a spin-out game or virtual experience using AI and the Horizon setting.

I could imagine a short-form experience where you visit a handful of small hubs across both Horizon games and interact with their inhabitants, who use generative AI tech to answer questions and serve up observations.

Equally, given the extensive lore in the Horizon universe, I could see an AI-powered Aloy being used as some form of in-game or app-based companion to serve up information about certain parts of the world or how to tackle some of the robotic enemies.

I know from my experience taking on some of the larger dinosaur-like machines in Horizon Forbidden West I could’ve done with someone or something directing me on what to target instead of me speedily scanning for vulnerable parts while desperately avoiding unnervingly accurate, health bar-deleting attacks.

Of course, Sony appears to be very much at the experimental stage here, and I doubt we’ll see a deluge of AI in PS5 games anytime soon. But I’d also be surprised if AI wasn't used in PlayStation games further down the line, say when the PS6 arrives.

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• President Trump picks Sean Plankey as CISA director
• Plankey also served as part of Trump's previous administration
• CISA faces potential turbulence under Trump

President Trump has announced Sean Plankey as his pick for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director in Sean Plankey.

Plankey’s nomination will be heard before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and if confirmed, he will head up the agency following some potentially interesting directional changes. This follows the news that the US is set to pause cyber-offensive operations against Russia, despite CISA reaffirming its commitment to defending against all cyber-threats, “including from Russia”.

Prior to the 2024 election, Plankey predicted a second Trump presidency would bring “more pointed measures at [our] adversaries,” anticipating a landscape with “more delineation between competitive nations versus adversarial ones.”

A supportive President?

Considering President Trump’s appointment of some pretty controversial cabinet members, Plankey does seem a more balanced pick, as he hold qualifications for the role. This includes experience as weapons and tactics branch chief at US Cyber Command, and global head of cybersecurity software for Indigo Vault - a post-quantum encryption document protection platform.

Industry professionals like Brian Harrell have previously praised Plankey’s appointment, calling him a “straight shooter” who will refocus CISA towards risk reduction and protection against adversaries.

In the first Trump administration, Plankey served as Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy, Security, and Emergency Response (CESER).

President Trump created CISA in 2018 with the aim of protecting government agencies and US infrastructure from cyberattacks and digital threats. Trump was “definitely supportive of cybersecurity issues”, in his previous administration, Plankey confirmed, so the partnership is certainly well established.

“For all the misinformation and disinformation on President Trump’s goals, our cybersecurity positions are not radical,” Plankey said before the election.

“Use cyberspace operations strategically and tactically to achieve U.S. national security goals. This is how you effectively protect the interests of America and if this is radical then the disinformation campaign has won."

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• In 2024, Americans lost $12.5 billion to scams, up $2.5bn year-on-year
• Scams originating online outperformed more traditional methods
• The elderly are no longer the ones losing most money

American citizens lost $12.5 billion to different kinds of fraud in 2024, a new report from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has claimed, meaning the number is up by $2.5 billion compared to the year before.

Fraud is not getting more frequent, the FTC says, but it is getting more expensive. One in three people who reported fraud in 2024 said they lost money, up from one in four last year.

Of the $12.5 billion, a huge chunk (more than $3 billion) came from scams that originated online, heavily outpacing the roughly $1.9 billion lost to more traditional scams (phone calls, for example). Phone calls, however, led to higher total losses, with victims losing a median of $1,500 per person, and scams going through bank transfers and payments accounted for $2 billion in losses, more than any other payment method. Cryptocurrency scams came in second with $1.4 billion drained.

Investment scams

Investment scams were the real money-makers for fraudsters, FTC further said, with four in five (79%) people who reported an investment scam actually losing money. The median loss was north of $9,000. Total losses from investment scams hit $5.7 billion, a $1 billion increase from last year.

Social media continues to be a major risk factor, as well, with seven in ten people who were contacted by scammers on social platforms losing money. Total losses through these platforms reached $1.9 billion, it was said.

One particular scam format - fake jobs - skyrocketed over the last half a decade. Between 2020 and 2024, reports nearly tripled, and losses ballooned from $90 million to $501 million.

Interestingly enough, the older generation is no longer the one losing most money. Those aged 20-29 reported losing money more often than any other age group. However, the elderly (70+) suffered far worse financial damage than any other demographic.

Via BleepingComputer

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• A leaker claims Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will launch on April 17 for PS5
• Preorders open on March 25 and there will be a Standard and Premium Edition to choose from
• Preordering the Premium Edition will allow two days early access

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is reportedly coming to PlayStation 5 next month.

That's according to the reliable leaker Billbil-kun for French outlet Dealabs, who claims that after a few months of Xbox and PC exclusivity, MachineGames' first-person action-adventure game will finally be released for PS5 on April 17, 2025 (via Eurogamer).

The game was recently spotted on the ESRB website and a French user on X / Twitter also spotted a PS5 listing that originally mentioned a May 30 release date before the same user said it was changed to April 17, days later.

Billbil-kun claims that the PS5 version will be up for preorder on March 25, 2025, in Europe and that there will be two versions of the game available at launch, including a Standard and Premium Edition.

The leaker was unable to find any information about a potential PS5 Collector's Edition.

Billbil-kun has a strong previous track record of PlayStation-related leak accuracy so this is definitely one to take notice of.

Just like the Xbox and PC versions, players who preorder the Premium Edition will be able to play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle two days early, on April 15.

It's also said that both the Standard and Premium Editions will be available as physical copies and be priced the same as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions.

So this means the Standard will cost $69.99 / £69.99 / €79.99, while the more expensive Premium Edition will cost $99.99 / £99.99 / €109.99.

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