Monthly Archives: October 2023

Gaming, Reviews

[Game Review] techENT Plays: Baldur’s Gate 3

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Is it worth the hype?

Baldur’s Gate 3 – the long-awaited story-focused role-playing game by Larian Studios (the developer behind Divinity Original Sin 1 & 2) is now available on PC and Consoles.

Baldur's Gate 3 Screenshot JeremyK (9)
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay

In a nutshell

Abducted by Mind Flayers and implanted with a tadpole that threatens a painful and terrifying end, you traverse Faerûn, a vast land of magic, fantasy, and different factions in search of answers and a cure before it’s too late. Along the way, you meet a diverse cast of memorable characters with different backgrounds and motivations that join you on your journey. Somewhere along the line, you realize that a great power is growing inside you. It is your choice to embrace the power or resist its temptations on your treacherous adventure to uncover the truth.

INVENTORY
Source: Larian Studios

Set in an immersive and carefully crafted world, players embark on an exciting adventure with a party of up to 4 characters. The party can consist of companion characters players encounter, Hirelings that can be customized, and, in co-op, other player-created characters. You make choices that dictate the narrative and flow of the world – from dialogue options to saving or killing characters which would impact the world’s factions and all living in it significantly. The game’s turn-based combat with randomized starting order adds a layer of unpredictability and strategy to every fight.

A Dungeons & Dragons Adventure

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a top-down point-and-click high fantasy role-playing game. Goblins, Humans, Elves, Halflings, Angels, Devils, and otherworldly creatures inhibit Faerûn, the magical land the game takes place in. Players can take control of the party members and interact with the world and its inhabitants. Combat is turn-based and the order in which characters go first is randomized. Players would have to tweak their party’s strategies and juggle limited resources, items, and spells to overcome the many challenging fights.

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Baldur’s Gate 3 is largely based on the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition (5e) rulebook. However, Larian Studios has taken some liberties with certain rules to make it more fun and viable in a video game format. While long-time Dungeons & Dragons players would need to figure out and adapt to the changes in the rules (Here’s a link to the wiki), players new to Dungeons & Dragons would benefit from the quality of life changes.

Baldurs Gate 3 Screenshot JeremyK 7
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay

Baldur’s Gate 3 has successfully replicated the randomness of Dungeons & Dragons when it comes to the rolling of a dice to determine outcomes. This randomness is a major part of the fun and chaos that is Dungeons & Dragons. A master Rogue sneaking through the darkness rolling a 1 out of 20 (the worst outcome)? Oops, they’ve been spotted and have incurred the ire of more than 10 enemies their party was trying to sneak by. On the other hand, your clunky Fighter in full plate armour rolled a natural 20 (the best possible outcome) and remained hidden in the shadows watching your Rogue get pelted by arrows and fast-approaching enemies. The uncertainty and chaos that the roll of the dice brings is what draws players into Dungeons & Dragons and games like this. The failure to land a hit with 80% accuracy or the success of executing a hail mary with only a 30% chance of succeeding lends to the up-and-downs that make these games so addicting. Add that to the epic wins – and hilarious fails – that come with the journey and you’ve got an epic where even the best fighters can miss and the worst plans could be a win.

Freedom of Choice: It’s up to you what you want your adventure to be

While the game has a main story to follow, it’s up to you how you want to get there. As the game allows up to four characters in your party, you could venture through Faerûn with your custom character and 3 companions you’ve met along the way OR you could choose to venture through Faerûn alone. You could also grab a friend and play in a party made up of two custom characters and two companions or grab three friends and go through the story without any companions at all in your party.

The same goes for how you want to tackle the story, dialogue, and combat. Approaching a potential enemy encampment, you could carefully and strategically sneak up and dwindle their numbers before they even know you are there or you could simply opt to burst through the front gates and face all the enemies at once.

UI 11

In a conversation with a seriously powerful-looking character, you could thread carefully and avoid confrontation and maybe even try to persuade them that you and your party mean no harm. Or you could take a deep breath, yell “AAAAHHHH!” and proceed to swing your great-axe at them. The choice is yours.

Actions matter: Like, really matter

With great freedom of choice, comes great consequences that follow. Baldur’s Gate 3 remembers your actions and choices. They come back to haunt or bless us in various ways – from brief mentions in dialogue, additional dialogue options, to factions that become hostile to us. The inverse is also true. These choices can result in factions going from hostile to neutral or friendly, and can even have game-altering consequences. Everything you do impacts the future of your playthrough.

Baldurs Gate 3 Screenshot JeremyK 1
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay

This is not exclusive to grand or obviously game-changing choices or actions. Many of us are loot goblins at heart, and one could say that playing a rogue, it would be a shame to not at least attempt to pick-pocket a trader or a rich-looking character – the option to pickpocket is there for a reason after all. However, should you fail, the consequences of being caught may not be as simple as a slap on the wrist, a warning, or a fine. An entire town – that you were hoping would help you with your story, befriend, and trade goods with – could immediately turn hostile to you with no easy way to turn the situation around. If you do not load your save at that point, your story could change drastically as a consequence of your action.

Immersion: A wonderful cast of characters to meet

The world of Baldur’s Gate 3 and its inhabitants have a magical way of fully immersing the player into its universe. The voice acting in this game is top notch and it’s obvious how much love was poured into this game by the amount of voice lines alone – many of which may not be heard by the general populace if they’ve only played one playthrough. From tucked-away areas, side quests, different dialogues, and cutscenes based on choices made, to different reactions and novel dialogue options simply based on the character’s race or class you are controlling when initiating the conversation, there are so many fully voiced lines within the game that contributes to the feeling of fullness and liveliness when traversing Faerûn.

BG3 Shadowheart
Source: Larian Studios

Going from the first cutscenes and into the first dialogues with characters we meet in Baldur’s Gate 3, it was immediately apparent that something was different. The dialogue screens outside of the cutscenes… feel like cutscenes. Unlike regular RPGs, every single character with dialogue screens was all done with mocap. This lends an incredible range of movement and facial expression to the characters you meet in Faerûn. With a large repertoire of expressions: subtle smiles, coy looks, frowns, disgust, shock, anger, worry, disappointment, and sadness – just to name a few – the characters in the game are all incredibly life-like, expressive, and a joy to watch.

Listening to the characters speak, feeling the emotions in the lines, and noticing the subtle and dramatic changes in facial expressions and body posture, all come together to make each and every character we meet feel important and alive. It feels like we are watching a top-tier animated movie instead of playing a video game.

Baldurs Gate 3 Screenshot JeremyK 10
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay

The magnetic and expressive voice of the narrator of Baldur’s Gate 3 further adds to the immersion of the game and purposefully nudges the player towards appropriate emotions when traversing the narrative of the game. Together, the narrator and wonderful cast of characters draw the player into the story in a wonderfully immersive experience. The only time I’ve felt like I needed to put the game down for a second and take a breather was after a momentous and emotional event with consequences both good and bad – a roller coaster of emotions brought to life through the extraordinary cast of Baldur’s Gate 3.

My Personal Experience with Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 was my first entry into the genre. I saw Baldur’s Gate 3 as a mixture of Dungeons & Dragons storytelling and dice rolling, Skyrim’s world-building and characters, and X-Com’s strategic, turn-based, top-down combat. While I’ve enjoyed Dungeons &Dragons (I’ve played one campaign weekly for 3 months), Skyrim (100+ hours), and X-Com 1 and 2, I was hesitant going into Baldur’s Gate 3 as it felt intimidating considering its scope, mechanics to learn, hefty price tag, and potential time sink.

Baldur's Gate 3 Screenshot JeremyK (3)
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay

70+ hours in, and heading into Act 3, while the start of the game was a bit confusing, after a few lessons learned via dicey situations, “oops, shouldn’t have done that” moments and a few firebolts accidentally thrown at friendly faces (yes, there is friendly fire, and yes you can choose to target your party member with your firebolt spell) – learning Baldur’s Gate 3 was quick, intuitive, and rewarding.

With the fantastic and meticulously crafted world and painstakingly sculpted characters, the gripping story, and incredibly engaging and challenging combat, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the most fun I’ve had with a video game in a long time. The 70+ hours flew by and the game does not lose steam at all as we progress through the acts. I’m looking forward to seeing what awaits my party and me in Act 3, and also, I am already planning my next playthrough. I’m currently playing as a Halfling Paladin, in a committed relationship, looking to save the world. Maybe in my next playthrough, I’d be a Drow Sorcerer, looking to set the world ablaze with Fireballs.

Conclusion

Baldur’s Gate 3 is an impressive labour of love. It’s Dungeons & Dragons in a video game, complete with a gripping campaign, challenging top-down turn-based combat, and a fantastic cast of characters and narrator. There is a lot to experience in the main storyline and even more to discover in hidden nooks and crannies, sidequests, and trinkets of lore. Successful and failed dice rolls – and the consequences that follow – have led to some of the highest highs and lowest lows I’ve felt in a video game. Baldur’s Gate 3 has managed to tell its story while maintaining a sense of agency for the player – where we feel like we’re in control of our actions and consequences instead of being led along – a truly impressive feat.

Baldurs Gate 3 Screenshot JeremyK 12
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay
Baldurs Gate 3 Screenshot JeremyK 11
Screen capture from Baldur’s Gate Gameplay

If you’re on the fence on Baldur’s Gate, I would highly recommend it. There is so much to unpack in this game and through the Acts, it just keeps getting better and better. Baldur’s Gate 3 has truly lived up to its hype. Let Faerûn draw you in and immerse you in its stories.

PR Newswire

Veritas Names Microsoft as First Veritas 360 Defense Partner to Achieve REDLab Validation for Security Solutions

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Solutions reduce time to safe recovery by rapidly discovering last known good data

SINGAPORE, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Veritas Technologies, the leader in secure multi-cloud data management, today announced that Microsoft has become the first Veritas 360 Defense partner to achieve Veritas REDLab Validation for its security solutions. After testing Microsoft Defender with real-world malware in its REDLab isolated test laboratory, Veritas has certified the solution for secure integration into the Veritas Alta cloud data management platform and NetBackup family of products. Together, Veritas and Microsoft can rapidly identify the last known good copy of data following a ransomware attack to ensure a clean recovery to get organizations fully operational fast.

Veritas 360 Defense unveiled by Veritas today, offers organizations a blueprint on how to safeguard their data estate against the continually growing spectre of ransomware. Veritas 360 Defense brings together solutions from the Veritas portfolio, including Veritas Alta, the industry’s most complete secure multi-cloud data management platform, and those from leading security and cloud infrastructure vendors, such as Microsoft, to deliver a turnkey solution for secure cloud-native cyber resiliency. Customers will soon be able to access a library of reference designs, validated by the Veritas REDLab, to guide them on best practices for secure implementation of jointly deployed solutions.

Lawrence Wong, senior vice president of product management and chief strategy officer at Veritas, said: “When customers buy from Veritas and Microsoft, our solutions are not just sold together, they really work together. That is the value of our REDLab validation. Partners, like Microsoft, are able to add layers of security to our cyber resiliency solutions that ensure Veritas customers get a better experience from a comprehensive approach to protecting their businesses.”

Integration between Veritas Alta Data Protection and Microsoft Defender enables customers to scan backup data on inert, immutable, optimized storage to identify the last known good data copy. In doing so, the solution protects organizations from restoring any backup data corrupted by malware, preventing reinfection, and allowing them to bounce back faster.

Eric Burkholder, senior program manager, Microsoft Sentinel, said: “The evolving threat landscape means that enterprises constantly face new and challenging cybersecurity problems. The Microsoft portfolio of security solutions can be integrated with third-party offerings, such as the Veritas Alta cloud data management platform, to ensure that customers can rapidly achieve their security and protection goals and stay one step ahead of bad actors.”

Veritas REDLab Validation marks the latest step in a lasting strategic relationship between Veritas and Microsoft. Deep and established integration between the companies’ products and go-to-market strategies enables them to help customers build their zero trust security models and be cyber resilient. Together, they help to protect against downtime, data loss and regulatory penalties, and to provide the reassurance of recovery at scale, in the cloud and across their data estates.

Previous collaboration highlights between Veritas and Microsoft include:

  • Veritas delivered a simple UI-based integration with Microsoft Sentinel, ensuring all user audit trails, data anomalies and malware detected in the backup infrastructure are shared with the Security Operations (SecOps) team.
  • Veritas Alta Data protection is integrated with Microsoft Azure, which was also the launch partner for Veritas Alta Recovery Vault, Veritas’ cloud cyber-secure recovery data isolation vault with virtual air-gap controls that ensure a backup copy is always indelible, immutable and available for recovery.
  • Veritas Alta SaaS Protection was one of the first data protection solutions, hosted on Microsoft Azure, to be SOC2 and IRAP certified. Veritas Alta SaaS Protection was also one of the first data protection solutions to offer a private tenant architecture for SaaS protection based on Microsoft Azure, ensuring dedicated resources to eliminate conflicts and ensure data sovereignty.
  • Veritas Alta Data Compliance is deployed exclusively on Microsoft Azure around the world. This tight integration allows Veritas to extend its datacenter footprint to accommodate needs for data sovereignty in different regions of the world, in as little as three weeks.

Gabriel Muñoz, information technology director at Alestra, said: “Evaluating security and cyber resiliency solutions from multiple vendors in different proof-of-concept evaluations is time consuming and frustrating. Knowing that we can select products from Veritas and Microsoft that have been pre-tested and validated will free us from that burden and allow us to cut to the chase, so we’re protected faster from emerging cyber-resiliency threats.” 

Veritas is also a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), which is an ecosystem of independent software vendors and managed security service providers that have integrated their solutions to better defend against a world of increasing cyber threats. Currently, Veritas Alta and NetBackup are validated as part of MISA.

About Veritas 
Veritas Technologies is the leader in secure multi-cloud data management. Over 80,000 customers—including 91% of the Fortune 100—rely on Veritas to help ensure the protection, recoverability, and compliance of their data. Veritas has a reputation for reliability at scale, which delivers the resilience its customers need against the disruptions threatened by cyberattacks, like ransomware. No other vendor is able to match Veritas’ ability to execute, with support for 800+ data sources, 100+ operating systems and 1,400+ storage targets through a single, unified approach. Powered by Cloud Scale Technology, Veritas is delivering today on its strategy for Autonomous Data Management that reduces operational overhead while delivering greater value. Learn more at veritas.com. Follow us on X at @veritastechllc. 

Veritas and the Veritas Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas Technologies LLC or its affiliates in the US and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. 

PR Newswire

A Safer Tomorrow: AESOP Technology’s Battle Against Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Medication Errors

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Medication errors are a critical problem in healthcare, and Look-Alike, Sound-Alike (LASA) medication errors pose a particularly daunting challenge. Studies show that LASA errors account for approximately one in four medication errors, making them a significant threat to patients. AESOP Technology is thus pleased to announce remarkable results from its recent clinical research, demonstrating its exceptional effectiveness in preventing LASA errors.

“Accurately identifying LASA errors can be challenging due to their complex origins. Surprisingly, only about 15% of intercepted wrong drug errors during our study could be clearly categorized as LASA errors, in the sense that the medications had similar names that contributed to the mix-up. The LASA errors also did not follow predictable patterns, with only 9 out of 71 cases repeating. These findings underscore the limitations of conventional human-defined rule systems, even when augmented with reinforcement learning. RxPrime (formerly MedGuard) not only detects errors that were not previously identified but also highlights the essential need for AI with advanced medical knowledge, demonstrating a breakthrough in patient safety in healthcare,” said Jim Long, CEO of AESOP Technology, explaining the intricacies of detecting medication errors, specifically LASA errors.

AESOP also leverages its proprietary AI technology to overcome the limitations of traditional clinical decision support systems and address the issue of alert fatigue.

“AESOP has taken additional steps to improve problem list documentation to reduce alert fatigue from LASA error detection. Many alerts contributing to physician fatigue result from poor problem list documentation within electronic health record systems. Thus, AESOP intervened at the source by helping physicians complete clinical diagnoses and documentation more effectively while prescribing,” Long added.

More than half of all medication errors occur during the prescription phase, making it a critical focus for improving patient safety. AESOP’s innovative approach offers a beacon of hope. Applying advanced AI technology to this complex problem has yielded impressive results and holds great promise for the healthcare industry. As we address patient safety challenges, AESOP Technology’s contributions stand as a testament to the potential of innovative solutions in ensuring the well-being of patients worldwide.

About AESOP Technology

AESOP Technology harnesses advanced artificial intelligence to develop its exclusive clinical deep reasoning network technology. This technology, driven by sophisticated medical knowledge and data association analysis, is designed to improve clinical decision-making and the medical coding process, primarily focusing on improving patient safety and quality.

Android, Feature, First Look, Mobile, Video

OPPO Find N3 Flip First Look & Specs Rundown

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Credits:

Video Edited by: Helena McAffer
Video Shot by: Nur Jeevan Guna Segar
Script by: Nur Jeevan Guna Segar
Voice Over: Nur Jeevan Guna Segar

Transcript:

OPPO is no stranger to foldables with its Find N2 flip having already made waves last year. The N3 Flip is geared to do the same with its flagship-class triple-sensor camera. In fact, it’s the first flip form factor to have one. And that’s not all it has…

Hey there! Jeevan here for techENT. This is the OPPO N3 Flip.

The Oppo Find N3 Flip is one of the prettiest flip phones available on the market right now. It’s coming in cream gold, mist pink, and astral black.

This new device may look very similar to the Find N2, but it’s got subtle updates that make it sleeker and nicer to hold in hand. The edges of the smartphone are more rounded for ergonomics and it’s got an alert slider.

On the front, it has a 3.26-inch AMOLED cover display complete with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The cover display is also one of the most robust with OPPO’s own mini-app system which is even more extensive this year thanks to more third-party support. These apps are also not cards but fully interactive apps with all the bells and whistles you would expect.

The new triple-sensor camera is housed in a round protrusion complete with the Hasselblad brand emblazoned on it. It comes with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX590 sensor paired with a 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 sensor and a 48-megapixel Sony IMX581 sensor. This is, of course, complemented by software which is co-developed by  OPPO and Hasselblad.

The Find N3 Flip comes with the Mediatek Dimensity 9200. MediaTek’s latest 4nm processor promises great performance. It’s also got 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage.

The main display of the Find N3 Flip is a 6/8-inch AMOLED panel with an FHD+ resolution. It’s built to be more power efficient with a polarizer-free design which lowers power consumption by 20%. The crease is also less prominent on the N3 Flip. In the middle of the screen is the 32-megapixel selfie camera.

To top things off, the Find N3 Flip is IPX4-rated meaning that it’s resistant to water spills. It also comes with an updated Flexion Hinge This has zero gap and also allows the crease to be less prominent. The new hinge is designed to bear 25% more weight than the N2.  

All of this is powered by a 4,300mAh battery that supports SuperVOOC charging at 44W. OPPO claims it will give you a 50% charge in just 23 minutes.

That’s the Find N3 Flip. We’ll have more details in our article over on our website at techent.tv.

Let us know what you think of the device in the comments and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more from techENT.

PR Newswire

LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS Announced the Inaugural Participation of LIGHTSPEED Singapore in Gamescom Asia 2023

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LIGHTSPEED Singapore Unveiled Its Latest AIGC Solutions and the Partnership with Singapore University of Technology and Design on ML-based technologies   

SINGAPORE, Oct. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS, a leading global game developer, unveiled the inaugural participation of LIGHTSPEED Singapore in Gamescom Asia 2023, which was hosted from October 19th to 22nd, introducing its latest innovative solutions in Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) and announcing its partnership with Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) on developing technologies powered by Machine Learning (ML). Additionally, LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS served as the sponsor of the Gamescom Asia Pitch Competition, providing an excellent platform for game developers to present their work to potential publishers and investors.

During the event, LIGHTSPEED Singapore presented its latest innovative solutions via a dedicated speech session by its AI expert, introducing its first in-house developed generative AI technology dedicated for game development. The presentation highlighted breakthroughs of generative AI in data interpretation and content creation, along with case studies demonstrating its application in game development and gameplay. This showcased the value of the AI technology ecosystem achieved through systematic generative AI solutions, underpinned by the Large Language Model (LLM), innovative audio generation, and groundbreaking computer vision and graphics advancements in generative AI, bringing AI-driven game development and gameplay within reach.

Xin Wang, Principal AI Researcher at LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS
Xin Wang, Principal AI Researcher at LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS

Besides in-house R&D initiatives, LIGHTSPEED Singapore is also striving to bridge the gap between academia and industry. LIGHTSPEED Singapore is honored to announce that through AI Singapore’s 100 Experiments Programme, in partnership with the SUTD, it will be developing ML-based technologies, featuring a project dedicated to building Text-to-Motion Machine Learning Model. Moving forward, LIGHTSPEED Singapore will extend such efforts to more universities within the region, aiming to enhance industry-focused education and research capabilities.

LIGHTSPEED Singapore’s efforts in developing AIGC solutions and building collaborative force for evolving in-game AI-based technology are just parts of its strategic investment in cutting-edge technologies that poised to advance the gaming landscape. To achieve the mission, LIGHTSPEED Singapore has adopted a localized collaborative model that harnesses the synergy of industry, academia, and gaming communities, connecting stakeholders and partners ranging from local governments, universities, research institutions as well as industry associations.

Besides the announcement above, during the Gamescom Asia 2023, the Southeast Asia Publishing & Esports team of PUBG MOBILE (co-developed by LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS and KRAFTON, Inc.) shared insights on building a sustainable esports ecosystem for Southeast Asia via another speech session.

About LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS

LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS is a leading global game developer with teams across China, United States, Singapore, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and United Arab Emirates.
LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS has created over 50 games across multiple platforms and genres for over 4 billion registered users. It is the co-developer of worldwide hit PUBG MOBILE (co-developed with KRAFTON, Inc.).
LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS is made up of passionate players who advance the art & science of game development through great stories, great gameplay, and advanced technology. We are focused on bringing next generation experiences to gamers who want to enjoy them anywhere, anytime, across multiple genres and devices.
More information about LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS please visit www.lightspeed-studios.com, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Feature, Gaming, Promos

FTW: Games Free This Week – 23 Oct 2023

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Halloween season is here! This year, the spooky season is getting some extra love from the Epic Games store as they are giving out a couple of free games to up the scare. If you’re a horror fan and PC gamer, check out our latest FTW (free this week) list to get your freebies before it’s gone!

The Evil Within (Free on Epic Games till 26 October)

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Source: Epic Games

If you’re looking for a game that will have your heart palpitating, The Evil Within will keep you on the edge of your seat. You play as a detective who finds himself in a disfigured world with terrifying monsters after investigating a mass murder. Put your survival skills to the test as you face limited resources, cruel traps, and an environment that is everchanging.

If you’re a fan of the Resident Evil series, you can expect a similar experience thanks to the direction of Shinji Mikami. For those looking for horror, this old but gold title will definitely complete your Halloween gaming collection.

Find The Evil Within on the Epic Games store.

Eternal Threads (Free on Epic Games till 26 October)

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Source: Epic Games

In Eternal Threads, you are an operative tasked with a mission to fix an error in the timestream. You are sent back in time to 2015 when six people died in a house fire. By manipulating time across a seven-day timeline, it’s up to you to make choices that will affect the story’s outcome.

As advertised, Eternal Threads is all about manipulation, choice, and consequence. While this isn’t a horror title, you can expect to navigate a dark and atmospheric environment within the remains of the building destroyed by arson.

Find Eternal Threads on the Epic Games store.

Don’t miss out on these Halloween specials and get them before 26 October. Want more FTW? Be sure to keep a lookout for the next update!

PR Newswire

SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to Jointly Develop Telco-specific LLM

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  • Companies sign LOI for joint development of a large language model specifically for telecommunication companies.
  • Telco-specific LLM will be built through collaboration with AI companies and unveiled in the first quarter of 2024.
  • Collaboration between the two companies is expected to strengthen their leadership in AI and lead to a thriving global AI ecosystem.

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM, “SKT”) and Deutsche Telekom today announced that they signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to jointly develop a telco-specific LLM that enables global telecommunication companies (telcos) to develop generative AI models easily and quickly.

SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to Jointly Develop Telco-specific LLM
SK Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to Jointly Develop Telco-specific LLM

The LOI signing ceremony took place at SK Seorin Building located in Seoul with the attendance of key executives from both companies including Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SKT, Chung Suk-geun, Chief AI Global Officer of SKT, Tim Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, Claudia Nemat, Board Member Technology and Innovation of Deutsche Telekome, and Jonathan Abrahamson, Chief Product and Digital Officer of Deutsche Telekom.

This marks the first fruition of discussions held by the Global Telco AI Alliance, which was launched by SKT, Deutsche Telekom, E&, and Singtel, in July 2023, and lays the foundation to enter the global market.

SKT and Deutsche Telekom plan to collaborate with AI companies such as Anthropic (Claude 2) and Meta (Llama2) to co-develop a multilingual – i.e, German, English, Korean, etc. – large language model (LLM) tailored to the needs of telcos. They plan to unveil the first version of the telco-specific LLM in the first quarter of 2024.

The telco-specific LLM will have a higher understanding of telecommunication service-related areas and customer’s intentions than general LLMs, making it suitable for customer services like AI contact center.

The goal is to support telcos across the world, including Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, to develop generative AI services such as AI agents flexibly according to their respective environment.

This will enable telcos to save both time and cost for developing large platforms, and secure new business opportunities and growth engines through AI innovation that shifts the paradigm in the traditional telecommunications industry.

To this end, SKT and Deutsche Telekom plan to jointly develop AI platform technologies that telcos can use to create generative AI services to reduce both development time and cost.

For instance, when a telco tries to build an AI contact center based on generative AI, it itself will be able to build one that suits their environment more quickly and flexibly. In addition, AI can be applied to other areas such as network monitoring and on-site operations to increase efficiency, resulting in cost savings in the mid- to long-term.

Through this collaboration, the two companies will proactively respond to the recent surge in AI demand from telcos, while also promoting the expansion of the global AI ecosystem through the successful introduction of generative AI optimized for specific industries or domains.

“AI shows impressive potential to significantly enhance human problem-solving capabilities. To maximize its use especially in customer service, we need to adapt existing large language models and train them with our unique data. This will elevate our generative AI tools,” says Claudia Nemat, Member of the Board of Management for Technology and Innovation at Deutsche Telekom.

“Through our partnership with Deutsche Telekom, we have secured a strong opportunity and momentum to gain global AI leadership and drive new growth,” said Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SKT. “By combining the strengths and capabilities of the two companies in AI technology, platform and infrastructure, we expect to empower enterprises in many different industries to deliver new and higher value to their customers.”

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of telecommunications, media, AI, metaverse, cloud and connected intelligence to deliver greater value for both individuals and enterprises.

For more information, please visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.

PR Newswire

Mammotion LUBA Robot Mower Wins Pro Tool Innovation Award 2023 and IDEA Design Award 2023

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  • Winner of the Pro Tool Innovation Award 2023 in the Outdoor Power Equipment category
  • A finalist of the IDEA Design Award 2023
  • LUBA AWD Series Robot Mower attends Equip Exposition from 18-20th October 2023

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Mammotion, a leading innovator in outdoor robotic electric solutions, is proud to announce that the LUBA AWD Series Perimeter Wire-Free Robot Mower won the Pro Tool Innovation Award 2023 and a finalist for the IDEA Design Award 2023. This award-winning LUBA AWD Series was on display at the Equip Exposition from October 18th to 20th, 2023, in the United States.

The Pro Tool Innovation Award and IDEA Design Award represent internationally respected accolades that celebrate ingenuity, exceptional design, and outstanding performance, revolutionary innovation.

Pro Tool Innovation Award judges lauded the LUBA AWD Series, stating, “Worry-free robotic mowing is now a reality thanks to the LUBA AWD series from Mammotion. You have the option to set multiple mowing zones for larger lawns, and the all-wheel-drive system can handle up to 75% slope and avoids getting stuck better than other designs. LUBA AWD is one of the most advanced robotic mowers you can get today.”

“We are thrilled to be recognized with prestigious industry awards for the product innovation.”JD Wei, the CEO of Mammotion Tech, is proud to state, “We will keep leading the innovative solution of smarter robot mower in the future, providing best off-road capability, user-friendly intelligence and high-end design product.

With RTK-GNSS Mapping and Navigation syetem, precise obstacle avoidance and auto-recharging, APP control anywhere, and the ability to mow stunning lawn stripes, the LUBA AWD Series offers users a brand-new smart, high-quality and eco-friendly lifestyle. All three models of this state-of-the-art LUBA AWD Series are prominently showcased at the Equip Exposition 2023, an excellent opportunity for professional users to learn more about this exciting product.

LUBA AWD series is available to order online at U.S., Germany, Australia and other countries.

For more information please see www.mammotion.com

About Mammotion:
Mammotion is committed to shaping a smarter and high quality eco-friendly outdoor lifestyle by providing innovative outdoor robot solutions. The team’s core members come from world’s leading robotic and UAV companies, inheriting AgileX Robotics’ seven years of experience with advanced chassis-based robotic solution and self-driving algorithm technology, Mammotion offers next-generation robotic solutions for professionals and consumers.

PR Newswire

New GenAI Capabilities Announced at Deltek ProjectCon 2023

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Deltek gave attendees a deep dive on its purposeful AI-fueled innovation to help power its customers’ project success

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Deltek, the leading global provider of software and solutions for project-based businesses, unveiled its latest product innovations to a live audience at Deltek ProjectCon. Deltek wrapped up its annual customer conference with resounding success, held October 16-18 in Orlando, Florida. Deltek gathered over 3,400 customers, product experts, employees, sponsors, partners and analysts for the 3-day event.

Taking center stage, Deltek executives and product experts presented attendees with a deeper look into Deltek’s capabilities and the benefit of adding elements of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to its solutions to fuel purposeful capabilities. These advancements are part of Deltek’s ongoing commitment to deliver solutions that connect and automate the project lifecycle for customers.

Warren Linscott, Deltek’s Chief Product Officer, and Dinakar Hituvalli, Deltek’s Chief Technology Officer, shared that over the past 18 months, as GenAI technology has evolved, Deltek has been exploring its capabilities to generate content, inform decisions, and automate action. The company’s focus remains on developing smarter project lifecycle imperatives and enabling project-based businesses to be more informed, productive, and profitable.

Deltek is evolving its solutions to leverage GenAI to:

  • Organize high volumes of data and distill it into concise insights in the form of executive summaries.
  • Introduce predictive capabilities into everyday processes including predicting resource needs for faster project staffing and hiring.
  • Leverage a Deltek Digital Assistant to help users explore information, perform tasks, and educate themselves through natural language interactions.

Announcements at Deltek ProjectCon

At the event, Deltek showcased some of the GenAI features that have been released or are coming soon to its solutions, such as:

  • GovWin IQ Smart Summaries: GovWin IQ has over 1,100 Federal Agency profiles and 100,000+ SLED Government Profiles that contain a rich set of data about spending, contractors, and other characteristics. Smart Summaries leverage GenAI to create an executive summary of these profiles in real-time saving hours versus creating this information manually.  This feature is currently available in GovWin IQ.
  • Vantagepoint Client Summaries: Client Smart Summary leverages GenAI to provide an all-encompassing snapshot of a client’s status and history right at their fingertips. It includes an executive summary with general information about a client. This feature has been released in the latest version of Vantagepoint for licensed Vantagepoint CRM customers.
  • Costpoint Predictive Labor Forecasting: Many organizations have the challenge of predicting what resources they will need for which project and when based on opportunities that may close and current work. Predictive Labor Forecasting will predict the anticipated needs of the workforce and help to automate planning tasks. This feature is currently planned for release in 2024.
  • PM Compass Narrative Smart Score: PPM’s first GenAI powered feature, the PM Compass Narrative Smart Score, will help assess the quality and completeness of variance narratives before submission for review. Variance reporting is time consuming and challenging for contractors that must comply with EVM. The PM Compass Narrative Smart Score will dramatically improve the quality of variation narratives. This feature is currently planned for release in 2024.
  • Talent Management: Talent Management’s GenAI for Job Requisitions will assist in the creation of a job requisition when one does not yet exist and provide updated suggestions to existing requisitions to reflect current job market trends. This enhancement will help to streamline recruitment tasks and make recruiter actions more efficient. This feature is currently planned for release in 2024.
  • Deltek Digital Assistant for Costpoint and Vantagepoint: Deltek introduced Hey Deltek several years ago using NLP (Natural Language Processing). Hey Deltek is evolving to our new GenAI Deltek Digital Assistant – a single user facing solution that will be able to answer “how to” questions about product usage and about data entities like contracts or projects and carry out simple tasks like sending an email to a project manager with overdue tasks.

“Generative AI is a powerful tool that will revolutionize how project-based businesses operate. By harnessing the capabilities of artificial intelligence, we aim to empower our customers with smarter, more data-driven insights and decision-making tools. We are committed to purposeful innovation and incorporating emerging technology for our customers and we’re continuously evaluating those trends to make our products easier to use and add features and functionality that help our customers achieve greater business efficiency and productivity,” said Linscott.

To learn more about Deltek’s GenAI capabilities and other product information, visit Deltek.com.

About Deltek

Better software means better projects. Deltek is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for project-based businesses. More than 30,000 organizations and millions of users in over 80 countries around the world rely on Deltek for superior levels of project intelligence, management, and collaboration. Our industry-focused expertise powers project success by helping firms achieve performance that maximizes productivity and revenue. www.deltek.com

Deltek Contact
Media Relations Team
press@deltek.com

PR Newswire

EDIFIER LAUNCHES THE NEOBUDS PRO 2 EARBUDS – OFFERING FIRST-TIME WIDE-BAND MULTI-CHANNEL ANC PATENTED TECHNOLOGY

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Edifier Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC – Edifier’s new patented technology – allows the extension of the noise cancellation depth to -50dB, and the noise cancellation bandwidth to 5kHz.

NeoBuds Pro 2 supports music streaming over Bluetooth with up to 192kHz/24bit for the first time, using the latest LHDC 5.0 HD codec.

Spatial Audio with Visualized Head-Tracking.

RICHMOND, BC, Oct. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Edifier, the award-winning manufacturer of premium sound systems, bookshelf speakers and personal audio devices, announces its newest audio product, the NeoBuds Pro 2 earbuds.

In the new NeoBuds Pro 2, Edifier is introducing its latest patented technology, the Edifier Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC. This Active Noise Cancellation delivers a wider and deeper noise cancellation to -50dB depth and 5kHz bandwidth, adding an independent feed-forward channel that applies the noise reduction ability of the Knowles RAN Balanced Armature Driver to Hybrid ANC channels.

The Edifier Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC can be personalized to suit your needs and the environment, allowing you to be in total control of the background noise you select to hear. Choose high ANC for a busy commute and medium or low ANC for the office; ambient sound to hear traffic noise or wind reduction for a clearer listening experience. Calls are also improved with the 4+4 built-in microphones and with an AI voice pick-up algorithm, environmental and wind noise is filtered out – thus enhancing the overall sound clarity.

Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 fetures the patented technology - Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC supports noise cancellation with a depth of -50dB and 5kHz bandwidth.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 fetures the patented technology – Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC supports noise cancellation with a depth of -50dB and 5kHz bandwidth.

Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 streams music over Bluetooth at ultra-high frequencies, up to 192kHz/24bit, using the latest LHDC 5.0 HD codec.
Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 streams music over Bluetooth at ultra-high frequencies, up to 192kHz/24bit, using the latest LHDC 5.0 HD codec.

“Edifier’s mission is to always provide consumers with access to high-end audio technology at an affordable price. In the upcoming NeoBuds Pro 2, Edifier is introducing its proprietary technology, EDIFIER Wide-Band Multi-Channel ANC, as part of the product’s features” said Stanley Wen, Edifier’s CTO. “The company’s commitment to innovation and affordability makes Edifier‘s products a popular choice among audio enthusiasts looking to upgrade their listening experience” continued Wen.

Immersive Spatial Audio with Visualized Head-Tracking technology is another key feature of this stunning design. With a built-in gyrometer and accelerometer to track your head’s movements and change the sound stage accordingly, the result is a more realistic, 3D, auditory feast, surrounding the listener with lifelike audio from every direction. The Edifier Connect App produces a visualization of this technology and wearing detection allows the pausing and resuming of music automatically. 

With the NeoBuds Pro 2, Edifier have made supporting up to 192kHz/24bit music streaming over Bluetooth possible for the first time using the latest LHDC 5.0 HD codec. Distinct from other noise cancellation earphones on the market, the Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 are Hi-Res Certified, boasting a Knowles balanced armature driver, composite diaphragm dynamic drivers and LDAC, LHDC, SBC and AAC audio coding. Superior Digital Signal Processing with Active Cross-Over filters the audio signal into high and mid-low frequencies, delivering precise sound details and rich presentation. 

The low latency audio gaming mode gives a more immersive gaming experience whilst the IP54 dust and splash resistance delivers a durable pair of earbuds for use during exercise. Seven different sized ear tips ensure a snug fit for all ears, and downloading the Edifier Connect App will enable the user to explore more personalized listening options.

The Fast-Charging, long playback capability provides 22 hours of battery life from the charging case alone, and a 15-minute charge will allow two hours of playback time. The sleek design echoes a supercar, with a textured metal plate and changeable LED strip light.

With the very latest, high-quality technology, the seamless and timeless design of the earphones and charging case, unparalleled comfort, chic style, the NeoBuds Pro 2 are ideal for consistent use by audiophiles with a taste for luxury and value.

Price & Availability:

The Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 is available in black and ivory for $129.99 on Amazon.com.

About Edifier:

Edifier specializes in premium sound systems that showcase technological innovation and design elegance, delivering outstanding audio experiences through a wide range of headphones, speakers, and music systems, for personal entertainment and professional excellence. Established in May 1996 in Beijing, Edifier is the brainchild of a small group of enterprising music lovers. Over the past 25 years, Edifier has been guided by the principle “passion for sound,” which helped the brand emerge as a world-class designer and manufacturer of award-winning sound systems. Today, Edifier serves audio lovers worldwide through its distributors in over 70 countries, with operations in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions. More information about Edifier is available online at www.edifier.com/global.