Technology

West Virginia might not top the charts for internet speed, but Charles Town residents still have access to several solid internet providers.

• Hades 2 will be a Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 exclusive at launch
• Supergiant Games announced the news alongside a new Creator's Voice video shared today
• Hades 2 will be coming to other platforms at a later time

Supergiant Games has announced that Hades 2 will be a Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive at launch.

Hades 2 has been in Early Access for almost a year now and we recently learned that the sequel to the popular roguelike game will also be heading to the Nintendo Switch 2 when it's ready for a full release.

Now, alongside a new Creator's Voice video showcasing the behind-the-scenes development of the game, Supergiant has revealed that the game will be exclusive to the Switch and Switch 2 when it releases but that it's still planned for other consoles and PC post-launch.

Supergiant shared the news on X / Twitter, saying, "While we have no set date just yet for v1.0 of HADES II, we can confirm its console launch will be on #NintendoSwitch2 as well as the original Nintendo Switch, where HADES got its start."

Battle beyond the Underworld using dark sorcery to take on the Titan of Time in #HadesII. This bewitching sequel is coming first on console to both Nintendo Switch and #NintendoSwitch2. pic.twitter.com/dpsJZ56hLvApril 2, 2025

During the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct last week, a bunch of other Switch 2 exclusives were also revealed, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and The Duskbloods.

We also learned that the console will be released on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Switch 2 pre-orders are officially live in the UK, but fans in the US will need to wait a little longer to secure theirs as Nintendo has delayed Switch 2 pre-orders from its original April 9 date to assess the potential impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.

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Our CNET experts have narrowed down the top refrigerator options from brands like Whirlpool, Samsung and more for every need.

The German juggernaut faces off against Italian grit in this quarterfinal clash.

• Turkey plans to expand the authorities' power to block access to social media on the grounds of "national security"
• Global companies with over 1 million users in Turkey will also be required to set up a local company
• Messaging platforms are also included in the so-called "over-the-top service providers" expected to follow the new rules

Turkey plans to expand authorities' power to block access to social media and messaging platforms on "national security" grounds without a court order.

As per a report by the Turkish news site Ekonomim and reported by Bianet English, the draft amendment would also require these so-called "over-the-top service providers" to establish a local company when they have more than 1 million users in Turkey.

The draft law follows a 42-hour social media shutdown, amid protests sparked by the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, that forced citizens to turn to the best VPN apps. Unrest is still ongoing across the country at the time of writing.

Turkey's internet control

Turkey is infamous for seeking control over the internet. VPN provider Surfshark, for instance, recorded a total of 17 instances in which authorities enforced some form of internet restriction since 2015. Instagram, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Telegram are the main targets.

Examples include a block on X at a time when people needed it most – the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that shook both Turkey and Syria in February 2023. Social media and messaging apps went dark during times of political turmoil in 2024, too.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Turkish authorities have also been cracking down on VPN services, the most popular tool to bypass government-imposed internet restrictions, since at least December 2023. People have reportedly managed to evade this ban, however, as most VPNs, like Proton VPN, keep recording usage spikes across the country.

Halting the spread of hate speech and disinformation is usually the motive behind these temporary blocks to people's online communications, as per current regulations upon obtaining a court order.

The draft amendment would, however, empower the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) to directly restrict access to social media and messaging apps "on grounds of national security, public order, public health, or similar public interest considerations," Bianet English reported.

As the news site points out, BTK already has the power to throttle bandwidth by up to 90 percent for up to 24 hours during emergencies, de facto making accessing targeted websites and apps almost impossible.

The amendment could also expand on existing requirements to appoint a local representative, mandating a new obligation to set up a local company for providers with more than 1 million users in Turkey.

Mass censorship & information control is spreading worldwide. Turkey’s new “cybersecurity” law is widely seen as another censorship tool.Setting up a @signalapp proxy server helps keep private communication alive even when regimes try to shut it down.https://t.co/hpfgwQtrut pic.twitter.com/2Fl7doIEA0March 30, 2025

The news of the draft amendment comes at a delicate time of political turmoil. Protests over the arrest of the major opposition leaders are still ongoing, in fact, with journalists increasingly facing arrest.

X accounts of protesters and opposition figures have also been reportedly blocked at Erdogan's orders.

Additionally, on March 13, 2025, a new cybersecurity law was also enforced, introducing new powers to fight back against cybercrime in the country. These include "two to five years in prison for falsely claiming that a cybersecurity-related data leak has occurred," Bianet English reported.

Yet, digital rights now fear these new powers are too broad and could be used to restrict independent reporting and stifle dissent, the Global Voices reported. This could de facto increase internet censorship levels even further.

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• Nintendo has reportedly delayed Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in Canada
• This is to align with the delayed US pre-order timing
• The console is still set to launch on June 5, 2025

I have some seriously bad news if you are a Canadian gamer hoping to get your hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order.

According to Canadian technology website MobileSyrup, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have now been delayed past their original April 9, 2025, start date in the country.

In a statement given to the site, Nintendo of Canada reportedly said that “pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in Canada will not start on April 9, 2025 in order to align with the timing of pre-orders to be determined in the US."

Thankfully, this will not affect the existing launch date of the console. “Nintendo will provide updated information at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged,” the statement continued.

The news follows the announcement earlier this week that Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders would be delayed in the US.

In a statement provided to TechRadar Gaming, Nintendo said that "pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions."

The company also stated that it "will update timing at a later date" and affirmed that "the launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged."

The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch worldwide on June 5, 2025. It will cost $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle. Pre-orders from the My Nintendo Store are scheduled to open on April 8 in the UK, though many retailers are currently offering them ahead of that date.

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Full spoilers follow for The Last of Us season 1. Light spoilers also follow for season 2.

The Last of Us season 2 is almost here. HBO's incredibly popular TV adaptation of Naughty Dog's hit video game franchise returns to our screens on April 13 (US) and April 14 (UK and Australia). There's no time like the present, then, to find out who's part of its ensemble cast.

Below, I've listed every actor who'll appear in The Last of Us TV show's second chapter, where you might have seen them before, and which character they're playing. Once you're reached the end of this guide, you'll be an expert on the hit series' character roster.

So, without further ado, here's all you need to know about who'll appear in The Last of Us' (TLoU) sophomore season.

Pedro Pascal as Joel

Joel still hasn't told Ellie what he did to save her life in the season 1 finale (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The internet's favorite zaddy (don't ask...), Pascal reprises his role as one of TLoU's primary characters in season 2.

In the critically-acclaimed Max show's latest chapter, Joel has become an integral part of the Jackson, Wyoming community. However, his surrogate relationship with Ellie has become strained in the five years (in-universe, anyway) since we last saw them – and it's got nothing to do with what he did in the season 1 finale. Expect that to come to the fore at some point this season.

As an actor, Pascal needs no introduction. Following his break-out roles in Netflix's Narcos TV series and HBO's Game of Thrones adaptation, he's gone on to appear in other projects including The Mandalorian, Gladiator II, and Wonder Woman 1984. He's also set to play Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which arrives in theaters on July 25.

Bella Ramsey as Ellie

Ellie is one of three main characters you'll see in season 2 (Image credit: HBO)

The other main character in TLoU is Ellie, who will be portrayed by Ramsey once more.

Season 2 will reunite us with an Ellie whose in her late teens. She's as headstrong as ever but, having made friends of her own age in Jackson, she's not only spending less and less time with Joel, but seemingly punishing him for reasons yet to be revealed. TLoU season 2's latest trailer confirmed there'll be a huge showdown between the pair, so you better prepare yourself for an incredibly heart-wrenching scene at some point this season.

Like Pascal, Ramsey is a Game of Thrones alumnus – in fact, it's the show that marked her major acting debut. Since then, she's featured in Chicken Run 2, His Dark Materials, Catherine Called Birdy, and Becoming Elizabeth among other film and TV productions.

Kaitlyn Dever as Abby

Abby is out for revenge in The Last of Us season 2 (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The deuteragonist of Naughty Dog's divisive game The Last of Us Part II, HBO's live-action retelling will finally introduce us to Abby.

She'll be played by No One Will Save You's Kaitlyn Dever and, after the release of one of season 2's most recent teaser, some TLoU fans are already concerned for Dever's welfare. The reason? Abby is a highly controversial figure among sections of the fanbase. Let's hope Dever has the support structure around her to cope with any toxicity that comes her way.

For the uninitiated: Abby is a member of the militia group known as The Fireflies. She's also the daughter of one of the faction's members who was murdered by Joel in the season 1 finale. Its follow-up, then, will see Abby embark on a mission of revenge, with Joel firmly planted in her crosshairs.

Dever was recently seen starring in Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar TV series. She's also appeared in Last Man Standing, Justified, Rosaline, Good Grief, and Booksmart among other productions.

Gabriel Luna as Tommy

Tommy has taken on a bigger leadership role in the years since we saw him (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Another returning face, Luna's Tommy – aka Joel's brother – has taken on a more central role in Jackson since season 1 ended. Indeed, he now sits on its council. When he's not sorting out issues within the community, he's either helping to bring up his son and, as she continues to shun Joel, become another surrogate father to Ellie.

Best known for playing Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD TV show before playing Tommy in one of the best Max shows, Luna has also appeared in True Detective, FUBAR, Wicked City, and Terminator: Dark Fate.

Rutina Wesley as Maria

Maria is the leader of Jackson's council (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The fourth and final actor to reprise their season 1 role, Wesley's Maria is Tommy's wife. She's also the democratically elected leader of Jackson's council and mother of their pair's child.

A regular on The CW's Arrow TV show, viewers may recognize Wesley from Hannibal's TV adaptation, The Cleveland Show, and Outsiders. Her most prominent role to date, though, was in popular fantasy horror drama True Blood.

Isabela Merced as Dina

Dina (left) is an incredibly important person in Ellie's (right) life (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Arguably the most important addition to the show's cast (outside of Abby, anyway), Dina will be played by Isabela Merced.

Ellie's closest friend and love interest, Dina is a free spirit who's also incredibly loyal to Ellie. Fans of the game series' second title will know, though, that their relationship will be put to the test as the story unfolds in this season's seven-episode installment and, potentially, its yet-to-be-greenlit third season.

2024 was a breakout year for Merced, with the US-Peruvian actor featuring in Madame Web, Turtles All the Way Down, and Alien: Romulus. Before then, she voiced Kate in Dora the Explorer: In the City!, played the titular character in Dora the Explorer's live-action film, and appeared alongside Dever in Rosaline.

Young Mazino as Jesse

Jesse (left) is something of a mentor to Ellie (right) (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Best known for portraying Paul Cho in season 1 of Netflix's acclaimed TV Original Beef, Young Mazino is set to play another of Ellie's close friends Jesse in TLoU season 2.

A selfless individual who's always looking out for Jackson's younger citizens, Jesse is also Dina's on-and-off boyfriend. Major spoilers notwithstanding, he'll embark on a quest alongside Ellie and Dina that'll similarly test his devotion to the former.

An actor whose roles came in solitary TV episodes until his breakthrough role in Beef, Mazino was last seen in A24 psychological thriller Opus, which wasn't one of 2025's best new movies.

Danny Ramirez as Manny

Manny is one of four Firefly group members who joins Abby on her quest for vengeance (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

One of four Fireflies who joins Abby to seek retribution for what Joel did in season 1 episode 9, Manny is a loyal soldier whose biggest fear is failing those he's closest to.

Fresh off making his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) big-screen debut in Captain America: Brave New World, Ramirez will play Manny. Viewers will know him from Top Gun: Maverick, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Black Mirror.

Post-season 2, his next role will see him play his MCU character Joaquin Torres/Falcon again in Avengers: Doomsday, with the Marvel Phase 6 film set to be released in May 2026.

Tati Gabrielle as Nora

Nora also joins Abby in an attempt to hunt down Joel (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Another member of Abby's strike team, Nora is a military medic who struggles with the person she used to be. Tati Gabrielle will bring Nora to life in HBO's TV adaptation.

Gabrielle won't be unfamiliar to many TV fanatics. Indeed, she had sizeable roles in popular Netflix projects You, Kaleidoscope, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Away from starring in projects for the world's best streaming service, Gabrielle can also be seen in Sony's Uncharted movie and TV show The 100. She'll next appear in Mortal Kombat 2 this October.

Spencer Lord as Owen

Owen is the most reluctant member of Abby's group over her plan to find and kill Joel (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Ally number three of Abby's, Owen is a gentle giant who, despite his caring nature and reluctance to fight, is forced to use his brute strength to take down his foes. He's also the voice of reason within the group and ensures the impulsive Abby doesn't over-commit when it isn't necessary.

Spencer Lord, who's most famous for TV shows Family Law and Heartland, will portray Owen. He also played Terry in Riverdale, but that was only a two-episode stint on that program.

Ariela Barer as Mel

Mel is the medic for Abby's five-strong party (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The final addition to Abby's five-strong party, Mel is a doctor who, while committed to her role as the group's healer, is conflicted in her feelings on the realities of war and the increasingly divisive nature of post-apocalyptic Earth.

Perhaps best known for playing Gert Yorkes in Marvel's non-canonical MCU TV show Runaways, Barer will portray Mel. Barer is also the co-writer and producer on critically-acclaimed eco-action thriller How to Blow Up a Pipeline, and has also starred in Rebel, Atypical, and 2021's Saved by the Bell reboot.

Jeffrey Wright as Isaac

Isaac isn't someone to be trifled with (Image credit: HBO)

The only star to play the same character he voiced in The Last of Us game series, Jeffrey Wright has been hired to play Isaac. A former US Marine, Isaac is the ruthless de-factor leader of another militia known as the Washington Liberation Front.

Like Pascal, Wright needs no introduction. The beloved actor has appeared in comic book movies and shows, such as DC film The Batman and Disney+ series What If...?, as well as other popular franchises including The Hunger Games, James Bond, and Westworld.

Catherine O'Hara as Gail

Gail is the only character who's been created for season 2 of the hit HBO TV series (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The only new character created for TLoU's TV adaptation, Gail is a Jackson-based psychotherapist who Joel will confide in.

She'll be played by Catherine O'Hara, who was confirmed to be play a supporting role in season 2 last February. However, her character's identity was kept a secret until a few weeks before season 2's release – indeed, HBO didn't even reveal who she was portraying following the release of The Last of Us season 2's first trailer.

An iconic actor whose career spans 50 years of TV and film, O'Hara is most famous for her roles in Beetlejuice, the Home Alone movies, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. More recently, she's appeared in highly-rated Apple TV+ show The Studio, Universal Pictures' The Wild Robot, and the critically-panned Universal/Apple joint venture flick Argylle.

Joe Pantoliano as Eugene

Eugene's backstory will be expanded upon in HBO's small-screen adaptation (Image credit: HBO)

A character who's only briefly referenced in Naughty Dog's two games, Eugene is a former Firefly who joined the Jackson community alongside Tommy. In HBO's retelling, however, he'll be Gail's husband. In much the same way that Bill and Frank's history was greatly expanded on from the games in season 1 episode 3, Eugene's backstory will be explored in-depth in the TV show, too.

Pantoliano, who played Cipher in The Matrix's original film trilogy and Ralphie in The Sopranos, boarded the project many, many months ago. His involvement in HBO's remake, though, was only recently made public.

The Last of Us season 2 will be released on Max (US and Australia) and Sky/Now TV (UK).

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TikTok's student loan forgiveness videos are misleading borrowers. Here's the truth.

It's a high-stakes quarterfinal encounter at the Emirates as the Gunners take on the defending champ.

The Apple TV app is still very fresh to Android devices since it finally became available in February this year to non-iOS users, and just after a mere two months the Android app is getting its first notable update that packs two features that could really improve your streaming experience.

Version 1.1 dropped yesterday (April 7) and 9to5Google was the first to jump on the news, revealing that the new update has added preview clips that play automatically in the app’s main carousel. In a way, they can also function as mini trailers that preview the best Apple TV+ movies and best Apple TV+ shows in its library.

But the second, and arguably more fascinating new feature, is the introduction of new automatic subtitle settings. There are two new controls, ‘Show on Muted’ and ‘Show on Skip Back’, and both sound rather helpful.

(Image credit: 9to5Google )

When you enable the ‘Show on Muted’ control this will automatically show subtitles when the volume of the Apple TV+ movie or show you’re watching is turned right down manually or muted. On the other hand, enabling the ‘Show on Skip Back’ setting will show subtitles temporarily when you rewind up to 30 seconds – perfect for if you get distracted and miss an important on-screen moment.

Topping things off, the Apple TV Android app has introduced an auto-play setting that will play recommended content once a movie, show, or even a sporting event has finished – much like YouTube’s way of auto-playing related videos, keeping your streaming experience on a continuum.

(Image credit: 9to5Google )

For its first major update, it has generally pleased Android users with its convenient new additions, but for those who are waiting for their iTunes movies and shows to show up, there's still a gap for improvement.

Where’s my iTunes purchases and new episode updates?

As it is for a majority of the best streaming services, they’re great for giving you reminders of new episodes to your favorite shows, or when a highly-anticipated movie you’ve been waiting for is finally released.

As it stands, this is a minor feature that’s missing from Apple TV's app on Android, and it’s not clear as to when – or if – this will ever be integrated. One other thing that loyal Apple TV+ subscribers are still waiting for is permission to migrate purchased content on iTunes, which was phased out of macOS in 2019.

Long before Apple TV+ made waves as one of the leading streaming services, iTunes was the place to go to purchase movies and TV shows, as well as songs and music videos. Thanks to Apple Music, subscribers can access its endless library of music without the fuss of having to rely on iTunes, but those who have purchased visual media through iTunes are still waiting for the day they can migrate these purchases to their Apple TV app accounts on Android devices.

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• Modders have been supercharging AMD’s RX 9070 GPU with a simple trick
• They’ve been using the BIOS for the RX 9070 XT with the vanilla GPU
• While this provides a major performance boost, which in fact makes the RX 9070 about as fast as the XT version, there are huge caveats here

It seems that AMD’s RX 9070 graphics cards can be supercharged simply by applying the BIOS for its higher-tier sibling GPU, the RX 9070 XT, based on experiments that’ve recently been conducted.

VideoCardz noticed that modders who inhabit the PC Games Hardware forum (a German tech site) have been playing around with installing the XT BIOS in non-XT models of the RX 9070.

Of course, this should not be done in theory. After all, these are two completely different models of graphics cards, and the BIOS for each is designed specifically for that GPU, and is not to be used elsewhere.

Doing this wouldn’t work at all in many cases – indeed, sometimes GPU owners are completely blocked from using firmware (another term for BIOS) in this way – but because the RX 9070 vanilla card is quite similar to the RX 9070 XT (in terms of many specs), and there are no such restrictions in place, this trick can be pulled off. (Although I still wouldn’t recommend doing this for reasons I’ll come back to).

However, that warning noted, what these modders found with the RX 9070 running an RX 9070 XT BIOS was illuminating, to say the least.

There were reportedly no issues using the XT BIOS in this way – at least on the face of it – which essentially applies more power and faster clock speeds to the RX 9070, and the graphics card can apparently still be overclocked on top of this, too.

As VideoCardz notes, the RX 9070 supercharged in this way was about 15% to 20% faster than the GPU normally is – with that extra overclocking applied, mind. This means it’s close to stock RX 9070 XT performance (without any overclocking) when using the BIOS meant for the XT (but then the 9070 XT could also be overclocked, of course).

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Three words – don’t do it

How can the RX 9070 almost be the equal of its XT spin? Well, I must again underline that the RX 9070 coming close to the 9070 XT’s performance in this way is due not just to the use of the BIOS from its beefier sibling, but also due to the GPU being overclocked on top of that.

In short, this is a lot of fudging and pushing the boundaries of flashing a non-intended BIOS version into the RX 9070. Even without the extra overclocking, you may well see a lack of stability from the 9070 GPU trying to cope with using an XT BIOS, and frankly, I think this is likely – though the odds may depend on how good a chip you’ve got. (There are variances in the quality of GPUs, which means you’ll get slightly better results in situations where you’re really pushing the chip if you’ve been lucky and won the so-called ‘silicon lottery’).

With overclocking as an additional measure here, augmenting the XT BIOS, I’d say that’s quite likely to cause glitches. Indeed, some of the modders involved here reported their PC locking up at times, but they were able to tweak their way around these issues. It’s definitely the case that those who aren’t, at the very least, highly confident in their tech abilities should not be attempting anything like this.

Even if things do appear to be okay to begin with when using this trick – which is the case for some, apparently – who's to say whether a future driver update might throw a spanner in the works? Or whether a future game could have problems with an RX 9070 that’s turbocharged in this way.

Longer-term, you’ll also be running an RX 9070 graphics card consistently well above the power – and temperatures – its cooling system was designed for. So, especially if it’s an entry-level board without the greatest cooler, that could lead to potentially serious problems eventually.

The other point to remember here is that if something does go wrong, either with your initial attempt or at a later date, you could end up with a bricked GPU. And if you think that your warranty will cover the results of an alien BIOS being flashed to your graphics card, well, think again – it won’t, and you’ll be out to the tune of a whole lot of cash.

Proceed very much at your own peril, given all this, but it’s still interesting to see the results of experiments like this – and how fast the RX 9070 can be when powered up in this manner.

If you want to try and get more performance out of your RX 9070 graphics card, I’d suggest simply looking to overclock it (with the correct BIOS for the GPU). But even then, you’ll need a sound grasp of technical knowledge to proceed, ideally, because things can still go awry with overclocking.

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With the regrettable Studio Ghbli AI trend in our rearview mirror, we've stumbled right into our next unfortunate AI trend: Action Figures of ourselves.

To be clear, I've made one of myself with ChatGPT 4o's new native image capabilities because how could I not? As you might expect, ChatGPT's work is exceptional. I fed OpenAI's GPT 4o model a full-length photo of me and used this prompt:

Create an action figure of the person in this photo. It must be in its packaging and with things that represent his interests like computers, robots, cameras, smartphones.

The initial results were good, though I neglected to tell ChatGPT to use my name on the packaging. The platform also stumbled a bit when I asked for adjustments to the figure, with each iteration looking less and less like me.

It doesn't matter. I did it, and so have thousands of others. At least we're not, as with the Ghibli and Muppets AI memes, stealing someone else's intellectual property (IP) to create new and uncanny images.

(Image credit: ChatGPT 4o - AI-generated images)

I can understand why everyone is doing it. First of all, these images look just like real action figure packaging. The addition of interest accessories and, though I didn't ask for it, an optional head, is perfect.

There is a proportional relationship between this quality and how quickly these AI image trends spread. The generative images are so good that as soon as they started to appear on social media, others started investigating how to make one for themselves.

AI Action Figures in packaging are so popular that there are, unsurprisingly, YouTube tutorials. That's how I figured out how to do it. I found a Spanish-language one created about a week ago. The translation gave me just enough detail to know how to form the proper action figure prompt.

The true cost of AI memes

This is all good fun, but there are concerns.

First of all, AI image generation is not without cost. Sure, there’s the price of a ChatGPT Plus membership (around $20 / £16 / AU$30 a month), although you can generate around three images a day on the free tier, depending on current demand. Perhaps more importantly, there’s the cost of AI models like 4o.

A Queens University Library report claims, "Artificial Intelligence models consume an enormous amount of water and emit large amounts of carbon in their production, training, operation, and maintenance." Another Cornell University study calls out AI's growing freshwater use footprint, claiming "training the GPT-3 language model in Microsoft's state-of-the-art U.S. data centers can directly evaporate 700,000 liters of clean freshwater."

If you don't think these AI trends and the memes they spawn are attracting wide use, stressing the system, and possibly eating natural resources, just look at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's comments.

it's super fun seeing people love images in chatgpt.but our GPUs are melting.we are going to temporarily introduce some rate limits while we work on making it more efficient. hopefully won't be long!chatgpt free tier will get 3 generations per day soon.March 27, 2025

We have a joke in my house that every time we create one of these AI memes, it kills a tree. That's hyperbole, of course, but it's safe to say that AI content generation is not without costs, and perhaps we should be thinking about it and using it differently,

That is the other question. With so many consumers primarily using AI for trend image generation, are they missing the point?

The growing intelligence of AI means that someday in the not-too-distant future it could be as smart or smarter than us (Artificial General intelligence could arrive as soon as next year). Meanwhile, we'll all be using it to create funny movie posters and then shocked when AI takes our jobs.

(Image credit: ChatGPT 4o - AI-generated images)

The way into AI and perhaps keeping control of the narrative is by using AI as a practical tool. It's not as much fun, but ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Apple Intelligence, and soon Alexa+, all feature myriad tools for improving things we do every day, including writing, creating outlines, polishing presentations, and summarizing long articles. Yes, they can create complete images and short videos, but tools like Adobe Firefly are more helpful for adjusting existing ones in more subtle ways, like removing backgrounds or distracting people and objects.

There are people using AIs like ChatGPT 4o for these tasks but those workaday activities are drowned out by a flood of AI trend images and memes like the ones above of my life-like action figure in plastic packaging.

It is kind of cool, right?

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• White House updates its AI directives for quicker modernization
• Federal agencies are set to adopt AI in various capacities
• The naming of Chief AI Officers is still required

The White House has released two updated ‘America First’ AI directives to modernize the federal government, at the risk of removing some of the safeguards put in place to protect citizens and businesses.

The changes form part of President Trump’s push to maintain US global dominance within artificial intelligence and reverse some safeguards left over from the Biden era.

On the whole, the goal appears to be to maximize efficiency and remove unnecessary steps so that the US can continue to develop the technology and its implementation at a rapid rate, preventing it from being left behind.

Trump wants US to remain an AI leader

Keen to demonstrate action as well as intent, Lynne Parker, Principal Deputy Director of the White House OSTP, said: “This administration is focused on encouraging and promoting American AI innovation and global leadership, which starts with utilizing these emerging technologies within the Federal Government.”

Parker added that the new policies would provide “much-needed guidance” while “removing unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions.”

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a tool that can be plugged into knowledge workers’ computers for some productivity enhancements, though.

The Department of Justice is using the tech to better understand drug trafficking, while the Department of Veterans Affairs has been using AI for lung cancer identification and analysis.

Like Biden’s previous executive order, the Trump administration is calling on agencies to name Chief AI Officers to take responsibility and guide their teams with more structure.

Despite the desire for rapid growth, the memorandum continues to stress the importance of ongoing safety: “Through this memorandum, agencies are directed to provide improved services to the public, while maintaining strong safeguards for civil rights, civil liberties and privacy.”

Via Cybernews

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• A browser UX feature that helps users determine which links they visited in the past can be abused
• Over the years, there were multiple attempts to fix it
• Google claims the next version of Chrome finally addresses it

Google is finally fixing a vulnerability in its Chrome browser that’s been present since its very inception, and that could be used to spy on people’s web surfing habits.

In a blog post, Google’s Kyra Seevers explained that when a person clicks on a link displayed in a web page, it turns from blue to purple. The idea behind this design was to improve the user experience and help people navigate the web easier.

This change of state is handled by CSS, but malicious actors found different ways to abuse this UX feature to spy on people’s browsing habits. For example, a malicious website could include thousands of links to popular websites, but style them in a way that the visitors don’t actually see them. The site then uses JavaScript or CSS to check which of those links should appear purple, effectively learning which sites the victim already visited.

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Chrome 136 to the rescue

Apparently, the problem is not limited to Chrome but instead is present on most browsers these days. In fact, the problem predates Chrome, which was first introduced in 2008.

“These attacks can reveal which links a user has visited and leak details about their web browsing activity,” Seevers explained.

“This security problem has plagued the web for over 20 years, and browsers have deployed various stop-gaps to mitigate these history detection attacks. While the attacks are slowed down by these mitigations, they are not eliminated.”

However, the next version of the browser, Chrome 136, is supposed to “render these attacks obsolete.” This is accomplished by partitioning :visited link history, Seevers further stated.

Chrome 136 is scheduled for release in late April 2025.

Via The Register

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• The Nintendo Switch 2 eShop won't have any background music
• Music will be absent because Nintendo wanted to prioritize gameplay videos featured on the store
• Switch 2 producer Kouichi Kawamoto said his main focus was performance and making a "smoother experience" for users

Just like on the Nintendo Switch, the Switch 2 eShop won't feature any background music while you browse releases.

In a new interview with Polygon following the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, console producer Kouichi Kawamoto confirmed that the new eShop won't have any theme songs, unlike the Wii and Wii U, but there's a practical reason why.

"Unlike back then, the eShop now has lots of videos that are showcasing the games," Kawamoto said. "We didn’t want to intrude on that, so we don’t have music there."

While there won't be any catchy music to get stuck in your head, Kawamoto explained that his main focus for improving the Switch 2 eShop was performance and making it a smoother experience for users.

"I wanted to make sure that it was a smooth experience. That the scrolling of the list doesn’t stall, that it’s very smooth, pages load fast," he said.

The Nintendo Switch 2 releases worldwide on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Pre-orders are scheduled to open on April 8 in the UK, but Nintendo has delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the US from its original April 9 date "in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions".

Nintendo will update the pre-order timing at a later date but confirmed that the console will still launch on June 5.

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Some third-party developers are already praising the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, with Firaxis Games confirming that Sid Meier's Civilization 7 will run quite well on the console.

That's according to Game File, who spoke to several developers at a hands-on press event following the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, namely Firaxis executive producer Dennis Shirk, who said that the studio is "extremely happy" with the handheld's power.

"We were able to make this look like a mid-tier PC, because it's got enough power," Shirk said. "We are extremely happy, and it's been easy. Their software development kit is great, the customer support, their developer support, developer relations is great."

The lead also said that Nintendo wanted Civilization 7 on the Switch 2 because the game is "a great showcase" for the console's brand new mouse function and "pairs up so well with our existing PC audience because we have crossplay."

Civilization 7 is currently available on the original Switch, but with the Switch 2's new features, the game will be much improved, and the same can be said for Hogwarts Legacy, according to Avalanche senior producer Jimmie Nelson.

"We originally started with our Switch version," Nelson told GameFile. "We got very good results really quickly, but we felt like we could make a higher quality product if we brought in a lot of the high-resolution assets and raised the resolution, textures, lighting, and world streaming."

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle.

Pre-orders are scheduled to open on April 8 in the UK. Nintendo has announced that it has delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the US from its original April 9 date as it assesses the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.

Nintendo confirmed it will share the new pre-order date soon and that the console's launch date is unchanged.

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