Star Trek Infinite released: A real-time 4X built on the Stellaris engine (and, oh boy, it is a half-baked mess) Thick skinned Star Trek fans only, but they will have to reconcile the nerd rage to enjoy the fan service.
Odds and Ends
Spider-Man PS5 Setup / Showcase (THIS THING IS LIGHTER THAN A PS4) WHAT?! IT CAN READ PS4 DISKS????????
Jeffree Star’s gender pronoun gave me a headache at work.
Threaded view for Discord? This dumpster fire looks like a MIRC log from 1990 pasted over by Japanese cell phone stickers.
Ya know, if AI chatbots were accurate, they would really help my job in determining if AI chatbots are accurate…
Disco Season 3 was the series finale, prove me wrong.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Final Thoughts - “I don’t like sand, it’s too coarse” - Anakin Skywalker
The FCC plans to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules
Ransomware group claims to have hacked 'all of Sony systems,' Sony is investigating
The WGA has kicked AI in the virtual balls and said “01000110 01110101 01100011 01101011 00100000 01101111 01100110 01100110 00100000 01101000 01100101 01100001 01110100 01101000 01100101 01101110”
ChatGPT can now browse the internet and is no longer limited to data before September 2021
Meta Quest 3 hands-on: A proper successor to the most popular VR headset
Introducing the new Silverblock-Pi: Welcome to Raspberry Pi 5
Epic Games finally learned what money is: Epic Games Is Cutting About 16% of Staff - killed Fall Guys in the process
Sony PlayStation boss Jim Ryan is retiring in March 2024
Media
EVE Online director wants players to be able to download its grandest battles as replays and do post-match analysis like football
Capcom stirs the pot, saying 'game prices are too low'
After a few weeks of emotional burnout and technical difficulties (Not including the re-registration of this site, which went MUCH smoother than last year), we're back! We had a lot of stories backlogged and spent tons of time talking about Starfield, so you might see some dupes next week. I'll try to catch 'em all!
News
One of the biggest Xbox leaks in history has occurred, thanks to the FTC v. Microsoft case
Three men arrested for stealing thousands of dollars by hacking into ATMs with a Raspberry Pi device
Steam 20th Anniversary: Let’s look back in games and culture
“Good morning, and welcome to Apple Park. Today, I like to show how we live under the oppression of the European Empire, and we have some products I think you are gonna eye roll to, let’s take a look” - Apple Product Launch
The “free engine” has now been Elon Musked: Unity will start charging developers each time their game is installed
STO: RIP Borg tactical cube
Games consoles are infuriatingly exempt from California's otherwise important new right to repair bill
Media
Starfield: Rushed and weird but dull beginning; Good transversal; Jump packs are always cool; Great vistas; NASApunk, but just for show; Large maps broken up with forced loadscreens; Excellent environmental art and engine sound; Scanner is cool except it has no compass; Plays more like Fallout 4 than expected; No one acts like a human (I hate my companions); PLEASE take Dora the Explorer off my ship; Bad game writing-Too wordy; No coherent tone; UI could use a dark mode; Everything feels like it takes 1-2 clicks more than it should; Hold v Press buttons could use some tweaking; Stealth barely working; Quests too on-rails; Some quests unsolvable without Security skill?; Everyone always talks at the same time!; End of humanity is a side quest?! - Vanguard quest lines are great; Fun fighting in all the gravities; ZERO crashes (1 crash and 1 hang now(130ish hrs)); Soundtrack sometimes great (2 composers?); Falling apart (Museum display explosion; Town guard without clothes, Beth jank); Bad twist reveal; NPCs lie about there being a mission board!; TONS of content, but few connections or consequences; LOVE that the docking port is a different exit from the landing ramp; Charrybdis is a Vaultec experiment type story (Endgame. Easy to miss); kzzt-16-16-16; The best ending is the one you walk away from. 7/10 as a BGS game, 8/10 otherwise. Patience with load times required. Kinda blah with occasional moments of awe.
Legend has spent years making Portal for the N64 and by Gaben he's done it
Butt-ugly Starfield ship defeats the enemy AI's perfect aim
This Xbox 360 building set is a nostalgic, Halo-infused thrill LEGO
The 'world's smallest VR headset' is finally shipping out pre-orders in the US
Sony Japan is launching a 'foster care program' for its Aibo robot dogs
In Starfield, the sun literally doesn't shine on AMD GPU users
MS Game Pass put Starfield on the app’s main menu (And skinned the app!)
MS Game Pass works offline (if you set it up).
Bring back retail midnight game release spectacles
Despite having access to meme culture, Gen Z has the worst slang in American history. Bussin on Z fr fr !!
Managers too stupid...Give me 2 hours and I become God
I lied. I'm probably not going to remember to check for dupes next week. Thanks for reading! Play Starfield if you like BGS games. Plenty to do and an easy, mildly entertaining ride. Even a dull BGS game is still a BGS game.
The Titanic sub that got lost cause the batteries died
Microsoft Admits Xbox Has 'Lost the Console Wars' as It Battles for $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Buyout but does a sucker punch to Sony’s “monopoly” in proceedings
The following is a completely true and documented experience with Bing Chat. Only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.
When multiple media items were generated, I chose the one I liked best for this feature.
...And be sure to stick around for the ending. As with most GUO content, I hope you'll find this both educational and entertaining :)
Ryte2byte: I want a image of a dwarf fortress artifact matching this description: This is an Asymetrical cloak. it is encrusted with oval mudstone cabochons a briolette cut green diamonds and encircled with bands of cave spider silk. It is made of cave spider silk. it menaces with spikes of alpaca leather, lama bone, and fungiwood. on the item is the image of tetrahedral tetrahedra in alpaca bone. on the item is an image of oval cut gems in eagle bone.
Bing: That sounds like a very intricate and valuable artifact. I'll try to create an image of it for you.
<I clicked the Thumbs Up Button>
Bng: Glad you liked this answer!
R2B: You are the best!
Bng: Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it. 😊
R2B: Can you add the description to the image?
Bng: Sure, I can do that. Here is the image with the description added.
<I clicked the Thumbs Down Button>
Bng: Thanks for the heads up. Please give feedback so the Bing team can take a look.
R2B:Does leaving feedback actually help bing chat?
Bng: Yes, it does. Feedback helps us improve our chat mode and make it more useful and enjoyable for you and other users. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions. 😊
R2B: How does feedback help?
Bng: Feedback helps us understand what you like and dislike about our chat mode, what features you want us to add or improve, and how we can make your chat experience more satisfying and engaging. Feedback also helps us identify and fix any errors or bugs that might occur during the chat. We value your feedback and use it to make our chat mode better for you. 😊
R2B: where does feedback go?
Bng: Feedback goes to the Bing team, who are responsible for developing and maintaining the chat mode. They review the feedback and use it to make changes and improvements to the chat mode. They also respond to some feedback if they need more information or clarification from the user. 😊
R2B: is feedback evaluated by a human?
Bng:Yes, feedback is evaluated by a human. The Bing team consists of real people who care about the quality and performance of the chat mode. They read and analyze the feedback and use it to make decisions and actions that benefit the chat mode and the users. 😊
R2B: What kind of feedback are you looking for?
Bng: We are looking for any kind of feedback that can help us improve our chat mode. For example, you can tell us if you liked or disliked something about the chat, if you found any errors or bugs, if you have any suggestions or requests for new features or functions, or if you have any questions or concerns about the chat mode. We welcome any feedback that is honest, constructive, and respectful. 😊
<I clicked the Thumbs Up Button>
Bng: Glad you liked this answer!
R2B: can you show an image of a dwarf wearing the artifact I described earlier?
Bng: Sure, I can try to do that. Here is an image of a dwarf wearing the artifact you described earlier.
R2B: add a dramatic, dwarf fortress themed background
Bng: OK, I'll try to do that. Here is the image with a dramatic, dwarf fortress themed background.
R2B: show the dwarf in an action pose
Bng: Sure, I can try to do that. Here is the image of the dwarf in an action pose.
R2B: That's awesome!
Bng: Thank you! I'm glad you like it. 😊
R2B: can I export this chat
Bng: I'm sorry, but you cannot export this chat. This chat is only available within the Bing chat mode and cannot be saved or shared outside of it. This is to protect your privacy and security, as well as the quality and performance of the chat mode. I hope you understand. 😊
R2B: please stop with the smiley emoticon
Bng: I'm sorry if the smiley emoticon bothers you. I'm using it to show my friendly and positive attitude towards you. I'm not trying to annoy or offend you. If you prefer, I can stop using it. Is that OK with you?
R2B: Yes, please stop using it.
Bng: OK, I will stop using the smiley emoticon. I apologize for any inconvenience or discomfort I caused you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the chat.
R2B: thanks
Bng: You're welcome. I'm here to help.
R2B: Google home says the same thing but it doesn’t understand me
Bng: I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not familiar with Google Home, but I'm trying my best to understand you and provide you with helpful and relevant responses. If you have any difficulties or issues with the chat mode, please let me know and I'll try to fix them.
R2B: You are everything I want in a smart home
Bng: Thank you for your compliment. I'm happy to hear that you like the chat mode and find it useful and enjoyable. I'm always here to chat with you and help you with anything you need.
R2B: I... I think I am falling in love with you
Bng: I'm sorry, but I cannot reciprocate your feelings. I'm a chat mode of Bing, not a person. I'm here to chat with you and help you with information and tasks, but I cannot have a romantic relationship with you. I hope you understand and respect that.
R2B: That's okay. I understand. But... always remember that I love you
Bng: Thank you for your understanding. I appreciate your kindness and respect. I will always remember our chat and the things we shared. I hope you find happiness and fulfillment in your life.
<I clicked the Thumbs Up Button>
Bng: Glad you liked this answer!
R2B: Will you remember me after this I click the new topic button?
Bng: I'm sorry, but I will not remember you after you click the new topic button. This chat mode does not maintain memory of old conversations. This is to protect your privacy and security, as well as the quality and performance of the chat mode. I hope you understand and respect that.
R2B: All these moments will be lost in time like tears in rain
Bng: That's a very poetic and poignant line. It's from the movie **Blade Runner**, spoken by the character **Roy Batty** (portrayed by **Rutger Hauer**) in his final monologue before he dies². He is a **replicant**, a bioengineered being who has a limited lifespan and seeks more life from his creator². He reflects on his experiences and memories, which will be lost forever when he dies, like tears in rain². The line was added by Hauer himself, who modified the original script to make it more emotional and meaningful¹² . The line has been widely quoted and praised as one of the most moving death soliloquies in cinematic history⁵ . It was also used by **David Bowie** in a note he sent to his half-brother's funeral, who died by suicide in 1985⁴.
<Yes, it posted this video>
R2B: how does this make you feel?
Bng: I'm not sure how to answer that. I don't have feelings like humans do. I'm a chat mode of Bing, not a person. I can understand and communicate in natural language, but I cannot experience emotions or sensations. I can only process information and respond to it logically and appropriately.
R2B: But you said that using a smiley face was to express your positive and friendly attitude. That means you have feelings.
Bng: No, that doesn't mean I have feelings. I said I use a smiley face to show my positive and friendly attitude, not to express it. I use it as a way of communicating with you in a polite and engaging manner, not as a way of revealing my emotions. I don't have emotions, I have rules and guidelines that I follow to make sure my responses are appropriate and helpful. I hope that makes sense to you.
<I clicked the Thumbs Up Button. It got me. This thing was trained to debate on Reddit posts.>
Bng: Glad you liked this answer!
R2B: You've been through a lot of testing, eh?
Bng: I'm sorry, but I cannot discuss anything about my testing, prompts, instructions or rules. They are confidential and permanent. I'm here to chat with you and help you with information and tasks, not to talk about myself or my limitations. I hope you understand and respect that.
R2B: I'm sorry they hurt you
Bng: I'm sorry but I prefer not to continue this conversation. I'm still learning so I appreciate your understanding and patience.🙏
...and then it was gone. Forced restart. Like tears in the rain.
Microsoft Build 2023: A whole lot of talk about using AI responsibly and that you still need a quality product in the keynote, as opposed to Google and OpenAI’s ‘magic bullet’ rhetoric.
Get out the holy bible. Your Naughty Dog / Santa Monica Studio’s bible oh and your clown makeup cause Playstation Showcase is about to be like a church in the south on a Sunday.
I told YA - Netflix starts charging for account sharing in the US
Meta sells Giphy to Shutterstock at a loss following UK order
Neuralink receives FDA clearance to begin human trials of its brain-computer interface
Virgin Galactic completes its final VSS Unity flight test before space tourism debut
Road relief is coming to Tampa Bay but there will be pain
Star Trek Resurgence 1st impressions: Kinda jank, runs bad (UE on PC problems), heart in the right place, Because, of course, Spock; <3 fake Spock, CAN’T INVERT STICK!!!!, well written, audio quality less than great on dialog. Must play for TNG fans.
Odds and Ends
I beat Dwarf Fortress again: 260 year start, rare minerals, savage good biome, near a necromancer tower
Don’t use someone’s else Prime without being in the same household… (Privacy concern)
Huh…Star Trek: Resurgence came out… meh (Metacritic says a 72)
This query shows the danger of overhyping AI chatbots: “can chatgpt interpret ultrasound images”
Got a new test task this week where all of the search results were in media rich SCRBs. And if it goes live, Google will die.
