The entire Annapurna Interactive team has left the company after its executives walked out, according to Bloomberg. Apparently, the video game publisher's president, Nathan Gary, had been negotiating with Annapurna Pictures' founder Megan Ellison to spin off Annapurna Interactive into its own entity. A company spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg that the parties had explored the possibility of a spinoff, but their discussions broke down. Gary and the publisher's other executives had resigned and walked out as a result, and the team's other members had followed suit.
"All 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned," the team said in a joint statement. "This was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make and we did not take this action lightly."
Annapurna Interactive, like other publishers, teams up with developers, funds their games, takes care of the QA process and then markets and distributes titles when they're ready for the public. Its partner developers have reportedly been scrambling to find out what the team exodus means for them over the past few days. Bloomberg says Hector Sanchez, an Annapurna Interactive co-founder, assured developers that the company will honor their agreements. Sanchez had been at Epic Games the past five years, but he recently rejoined the publisher as its president for Interactive + New Media. Annapurna will also reportedly hire new staff members to replace those who left, essentially building a brand new team.
"Our top priority is continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition,” Ellison told Bloomberg News. “We’re committed to not only our existing slate of games but also expanding our presence in the interactive space as we continue to look for opportunities to take a more integrated approach to linear and interactive storytelling across film and TV, gaming, and theater."
The publisher made a splash when it debuted with What Remains of Edith Finchback in 2017, and it now has a number of critically acclaimed and popular games under its belt. Its games include the cat simulator Stray, a puzzle adventure game featuring a world-hopping beetle called Cocoon, pop album rhythm action game Sayonara Wild Hearts, and action adventure game Outer Wilds, which is set in a solar system trapped in a time loop.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/annapurnas-entire-video-game-team-has-reportedly-left-the-company-123045395.html?src=rss
Vodafone is now taking pre-orders on the new iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max and they are available on Vodafone Xchange,.. Vodafone Xchange is a new program that has transformed the way customers upgrade their iPhones. This innovative service allows users to upgrade to the latest iPhone models annually without incurring […]
California firefighters needed to spray 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish a roadside Tesla Semi fire, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced in a preliminary report. Crews also used an aircraft to drop fire retardent in the "immediate area as a precautionary measure," according to the agency.
The crash happened at 3:13 AM on August 19 on the I80 freeway east of Sacramento. The tractor-trailer departed the roadway while navigating a curve, struck a traffic delineator and eventually hit a tree. The driver was uninjured but taken to hospital as a precaution.
California Highway Patrol
The Tesla Semi's large 900kWh battery caught fire and reached a temperature of 1,000 degrees F while spewing toxic fumes. It continued to burn into the late afternoon as firefighters dowsed it with water to cool it down (Tesla sent a technical expert to assess high-voltage hazards and fire safety). It wasn't until 7:20 PM (over 16 hours after the crash) that the freeway was reopened.
All of that caught the attention of the NTSB, which sent a team of investigators, mainly to examine the fire risks posed by large lithium-ion battery packs. The agency — which can only make safety recommendations and has no enforcement authority — said that "all aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause."
Given the long road shutdown time, dangerously hot fire and toxic fumes, the accident is likely to provoke a lot of discussion in and out of government. The NTSB concluded in 2021 that battery fires pose a risk to emergency responders and that manufacturers' guidelines around such fires were inadequate.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-semi-fire-required-50000-gallons-of-water-to-extinguish-120006477.html?src=rss
Airtable is a cloud-based collaboration platform that combines elements of a database with the usability of a spreadsheet. It allows users to organize data in a flexible, visual format that resembles a spreadsheet but with enhanced database functionalities like linking records, creating relations, and automating workflows. This versatile project management platform that offers both free […]
My Apple devices are some of my most beloved and prized possessions – in the sense that I simply cannot do without them! My MacBook holds all the documents and data I hold holy in my life, whereas my iPhone stores the details of everyone I know. I would truly be lost without my gadgets. As ingenious as Apple products can be, it’s always fun to amp them up with a few exciting accessories, and in turn, create the ultimate productive and streamlined setup for you. These innovative designs will help you amplify your Apple products, offering you boosted functionality and additional perks.
1. Battery-Free Amplifying iSpeakers
Dubbed the Battery-Free Amplifying Speakers, these innovative speakers are portable and battery-free. It is designed for the iPhone and is intended to be a novel and exciting version of the traditional no-power smartphone speaker. The speaker is made from Duralumin – an aluminum alloy used in aviation and aerospace industries. Besides being functional and portable, the speaker is also sleek, and aesthetically pleasing, making for a great addition to any space.
2. Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Station
Designed for the Apple ecosystem of devices, the Qi2-certified 15W MagGo Wireless Charging Station can be folded into an easy-to-carry form, imparting it with ultra-portable aesthetics. The charging ports are all equidistant, and they include a Qi2-certified 15W charger, a 5W Apple-certified Apple Watch charger, and a 5W Qi puck in the middle. The devices can be used to charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro at the same time while you travel.
3. AirTag Carabiners
Dubbed the AirTag Carabiners, this elegant and well-designed product is a new and improved replacement for conventional metal carabiners. The sleek and stylish carabiners are precision-made, and they are packaged in a neat and organized body, making sure your keys are always with you. The carabiners feature a portable form, making them pretty easy to carry no matter where you go.
The SHARGE Forged Carbon Fiber Power Bank series provides high-capacity portable batteries that weigh less than their conventional counterparts. The batteries offer improved ruggedness and survivability, and they’re quite aesthetically pleasing too thanks to their camo-like design. The natural aesthetic is created by utilizing carbon fiber chips. The Power Bank series is available in a regular 10,000mAh CarbonBlade design, and two Qi2 and MagSafe-compatible packs.
5. AirPods/AirPods Pro Neck Strap
This AirPods/AirPods Pro Neck Strap is a great way of ensuring you never lose your precious AirPods! It features a neck strap made from a woven necklace, which keeps your AirPods around your neck at all times. This neck strap perfectly combines fashion, good looks, and practicality to form a unique and clever Apple accessory amped with a patented One-Click Magnetic Lock, which keeps your earbuds in place safely.
Say hello to the Cardlax AirPods Washer – an automatic cleaning tool for AirPods. It is a new and innovative way to clean wireless earbuds, especially your AirPods. You can clean your earbuds with complete ease! It features a tailored high-quality, soft brush and built-in sponge which is soaked with an anti-bacterial cleaning solution, ensuring every corner of your wireless earphones is cleaned within two minutes. You can eliminate the tedious and time-consuming tools, and use the Cardlax EBW.
7. The WITHit Stainless Steel D-Link Bracelet
Meet the WITHit Stainless Steel D-Link Bracelet – a stylish and functional bracelet that merges the functionality of your smartwatch with the beauty of fine jewelry. It features a sophisticated design, amped with premium electroplated stainless steel with custom lugs and a buckle that converts your smartwatch into a stylish fashion statement. The buckle is pretty sturdy, ensuring your watch is always safely attached. The band is also universal so it fits most wrists.
8. SnapGrip
Say hello to SnapGrip – pocket-sized portability with next-generation charging. SnapGrip is inspired by the digital camera and showcases a sleek and ergonomic design that is not just super portable, but also quite user-friendly. The magnetic mounting system ensures that setup is easy peasy, and a total breeze, ensuring you can snap on everything effortlessly. This ensures fewer hassles, and issues, allowing you to focus on capturing content and engaging with your audience.
9. AirBox
Dubbed the Airbox, this all-in-one portable wireless charger is sized like a spectacle case, and as you open it, it reveals storage spots, and charging zones for your phone, Apple Watch, AirPods, and an Apple Pencil. The charging pad for your iPhone has a neat non-slip mat and a coil that powers your phone with 10W of power. The AirBox serves more than just a charger, it allows you to carry your tech in a single cohesive unit that can be slid right into your laptop bag.
10. Nomad 65W Power Adapter Apple Watch Edition
Named the Nomad 65W Power Adapter Apple Watch Edition, this particular power brick is created for Apple’s smartwatch and is designed to charge it in a pretty innovative way. The upper portion of the charger functions as the wireless charger which powers not only the Apple Watch but AirPods with cases that facilitate wireless charging. The power brick can conduct fast charging for the Apple Watch Series 7 and later, so you can start using your devices in no time.
The iPhone 16 event is over, and now we've got plenty of thoughts to share after playing with all of Apple's new hardware. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about the entire iPhone 16 and Pro lineup, and Senior Reporter Billy Steele joins to chat about his experience with the AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10. It turns out, the Apple Watch stole the show from the iPhone.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!
Post-Apple event thoughts on AirPods, Apple Watch Series 10, and, iPhone 16 with Cherlynn Low and Billy Steele – 0:47
Huawei releases a $2,800 tri-fold phone that won’t be coming to the US – 58:30
Taylor Swift endorses Harris for President, says AI material promoting Trump pushed her to make a statement – 59:24
No, Kamala Harris wasn’t wearing vaporware audio earrings at Tuesday’s debate – 1:01:00
Sony releases PS5 Pro Price, it’s $700! – 1:02:21
Meta admits to scraping all Australian user data for AI training – 1:04:12
Polaris Dawn astronauts perform first commercial spacewalk – 1:07:10
Around Engadget – 1:07:54
Pop culture picks – 1:09:33
Livestream
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low Guest: Billy Steele Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/engadget-podcast-iphone-16-airpods-4-and-apple-watch-series-10-impressions-113003225.html?src=rss
Writing accurate prompts can sometimes take considerable time and effort. Automated prompt engineering has emerged as a critical aspect in optimizing the performance of large language models (LLMs). As the quality of responses from LLMs heavily depends on how questions are framed, manual prompt engineering can be time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies. DSPy is a […]
OpenAI has unveiled yet another artificial intelligence model. This one is called o1, and the company claims it can perform complex reasoning tasks more effectively than its predecessors. Apparently, o1 was trained to “spend more time thinking through problems before they respond.” According to the company: “[the models] learn to refine their thinking process, try different strategies and recognize their mistakes.”
That more considered response means it’s significantly slower at processing prompts than GPT-4o. And while it might be thinking more, o1 hasn’t solved the problem of hallucinations — a term for AI models making up information. OpenAI’s chief research officer Bob McGrew told The Verge, “We can’t say we solved hallucinations.”
The FixHub is a USB-C powered soldering iron designed to help fix whatever’s on your workbench (and be easily fixable itself). The iron includes a 55Wh battery pack, which acts as a stand and temperature control. Founder Kyle Wiens told Engadget FixHub was born of frustration with soldering irons and their limits. So his company tried to fix those.
Elgato has introduced the Stream Deck Studio, a new version of its creative control tech targeting professionals. This 19-inch rackmount console has 32 LCD keys and two rotary dials. Oh, and a $900 price tag.
A decade — and countless clones — later, the original Flappy Bird is coming back. If you don’t recall the 2014 hit mobile game, you’d tap the screen to flap the bird’s wings and squeeze it through gaps between pipes. The game debuted in May 2013, but it didn't blow up until the following January. Developer Dong Nguyen soon revealed the game was raking in $50,000 per day from advertising. He decided to remove the game, but clones of his creation persisted. Under the banner of the Flappy Bird Foundation, some dedicated fans acquired the rights to the game, officially, so now it’s flapping back.
The ChatGPT-o1-Preview marks a significant development in AI-driven reasoning and problem-solving. Designed to excel in complex tasks like coding, mathematics, and STEM-related problem-solving, this model showcases the potential of advanced AI capabilities. It uses chain-of-thought reasoning to approach challenging problems step-by-step, resulting in more accurate, thoughtful responses. With a focus on high-stakes environments like competitive […]
The new BMW M5 Touring is already a marvel of engineering, combining exceptional performance, luxurious comfort, and versatile interior space. However, BMW enthusiasts now have the opportunity to take their vehicle to an even higher level with the introduction of BMW M Performance Parts. These carefully crafted, high-quality components are designed to enhance both the […]
