Concord 2? Bungie considers controversial price for Marathon, its new game-as-a-service

Concord 2? Bungie considers controversial price for Marathon, its new game-as-a-service

PlayStation has been going through a period of ups and downs lately. It all started with the fiasco of Concorda hero shooter that took eight years to complete and recently had its servers shut down. Then came the great reception of Astrobot — which was soon forgotten by the announcement of the controversial PS5 Pro, which will cost no less than US$700.

Now, the Japanese giant may find itself involved in a new controversy, since Bungie (the house's first-party studio) can price Marathonhis new project, at US$40. With that, the extraction shooter can cost around R$200 in direct conversion and without taxes.

This is stated by the sources of The Game Post. According to reports, Bungie's new shooter could be similar to Sony's other two recently released live service games: the controversial Concord and the acclaimed Helldivers 2.

Concord was a flop, but Helldivers 2 brought prestige to Sony

There's a good and a bad side to Bungie's new project being inspired by Sony's last two service games.

The bad thing, of course, is that Concord left a bitter taste and did not attract the attention of players, being removed from the PS Store just two weeks after its release. According to reports, the game would have sold only 25 thousand copies in its available time.

On the other hand, Helldivers 2 proved its worth and established itself as the fastest-selling PlayStation game. It even “far exceeded expectations” by selling over 12 million copies in its first 12 weeks of availability.

Marathon may have a structure in the best Scape From Tarkov style

Still according to sources from The Game Post, the structure of Marathon can be very similar to the molds of Escape From Tarkov — but with the “Bungie touch”. In addition, it was also reported that the shooter has two maps in currently playable states, one set in the snow and the other on an abandoned planet.

Marathon may have a structure along the lines of Scape From Tarkov.Marathon may have a structure along the lines of Scape From Tarkov.Source: Bungie

While Sony has never confirmed a release window for MarathonBungie's new shooter was supposedly scheduled for 2024. Well, None of this has been officially confirmed, so treat the information with great caution. — because these are just rumors.

Looking forward to Marathon? Share your expectations for Bungie's new shooter on social media Voxel!

Ctrl: check all shortcuts with the 'Control' key

Ctrl: check all shortcuts with the 'Control' key

If you are a more experienced computer user, you already know that it is possible to use several shortcuts to activate commands more quickly. In this list, we can also include those with the Control key (or Ctrl, if you prefer).

With this feature, you can write more efficiently. With that in mind, we have prepared a list for you who want to learn how to use Ctrl more efficiently. Check it out!

Common shortcuts using the 'Ctrl' key

These shortcuts are widely used in almost all Windows applications and interfaces. They involve basic operations such as copy, paste and save – essential for daily use of the system. Follow along:

  • CTRL + C: copies the selected item to the clipboard;
  • CTRL + V: pastes the contents of the clipboard at the current cursor position;
  • CTRL + X: cuts the selected item to the clipboard;
  • CTRL + Z: undoes the last action performed;
  • CTRL + Y: redo the last undone action;
  • CTRL + A: selects all the contents of a document or window;
  • CTRL + S: saves the current document or file;
  • CTRL + P: opens the print window for the current document;
  • CTRL + F: opens the search bar to find text or items in the document/window;
  • CTRL + N: opens a new document or window;
  • CTRL + O: opens an existing document or file;
  • CTRL + W: closes the current window or document.
  • CTRL + T: opens a new tab in the browser or in some applications;
  • CTRL + Tab: switches between open tabs in a browser or application;
  • CTRL + Shift + T: reopens the last closed tab in the browser;
  • CTRL + Esc: opens the Windows Start menu.
  • CTRL + L: focus on the address bar in browsers or File Explorer;
  • CTRL + D: adds the current page to favorites in the browser;
  • CTRL + R: refreshes the current page in the browser or the active window.

The Ctrl key offers several useful shortcuts for Windows users. (Source: GettyImages/Reproduction)The Ctrl key offers several useful shortcuts for Windows users. (Source: GettyImages/Reproduction)Source: GettyImages/Reproduction

Editing shortcuts using the 'Ctrl' key

Here we have some useful shortcuts when working with text documents or presentations. They facilitate quick text formatting and help organize content. Check it out:

  • CTRL + B: applies bold formatting to selected text;
  • CTRL + I: adopts italic format in the selected text;
  • CTRL + U: applies underline to selected text;
  • CTRL + E: centers the selected text or object;
  • CTRL + L: aligns the text or object to the left;
  • CTRL + R: aligns the text or object to the right;
  • CTRL + J: justifies the selected text or object.

Navigation shortcuts using the 'Ctrl' key

These shortcuts allow you to quickly navigate within long documents and pages, helping you move your cursor to different parts of the content. They are:

  • CTRL + left/right arrow: moves the cursor word by word in the text;
  • CTRL + up/down arrow: moves the cursor through paragraphs in the text;
  • CTRL + Home: takes the cursor to the beginning of the document;
  • CTRL + End: takes the cursor to the end of the document;
  • CTRL + Enter: inserts a page break into the document.

System shortcuts using the 'Ctrl' key

In this regard, shortcuts are specific to the Windows operating system and allow quick access to critical functions, such as task management and window control.

  • CTRL + Alt + Del: opens the security screen, allowing access to the Task Manager, shutdown, etc.;
  • CTRL + Shift + Esc: opens Task Manager directly;
  • CTRL + Alt + Tab: shows all open windows to switch between them;
  • CTRL + Shift + N: creates a new folder in File Explorer;
  • CTRL + Shift + Esc: directly opens the Task Manager.

We hope these commands help you make your day-to-day use of the computer even more dynamic. Oh, and since these shortcuts were focused on Windows, how about checking out the dynamic features on Mac? See you next time!

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Text updated by Douglas Vieira, 09/17/2024.

Google funds satellite and AI project to detect forest fires

Google funds satellite and AI project to detect forest fires

A Google-funded initiative has a bold goal to reduce wildfires on Earth. The idea behind the so-called Earth Fire Alliance is to monitor the planet from above, using a constellation of satellites that is always alert.

The alliance was unveiled in May 2024, concerned about forest fires, particularly climate-related ones, in regions such as the United States, Australia and southern European countries. Google.org announced a $13 million investment in the programwhich should help you meet the deadline for starting activities.

The project involves not only the company, but also the Moore Foundation, the Environmental Defense Fund and satellite manufacturer Muon Space. The idea is that the first of them will be launched into space and will start operating in 2025.

How Satellites Search for Fires

Just as Starlink provides internet signal to any corner of the Earth, the idea of ​​the Earth Fire Alliance satellites is to be always vigilant and have global coverage.

The constellation of 52 satellites promises to have images updated every 20 minutes or even lessdepending on the resolution. Thanks to the monitoring and artificial intelligence (AI) tools provided by Google and improved by partners, they are able to find fires in areas of at least 5 m².

One of the satellites planned to monitor fires from space.One of the satellites planned to monitor fires from space.Source: Earth Fire Alliance

After identifying the fire, the alliance will provide the images free of charge for the responsible agencies in each country, along with alerts with the precise location of the phenomenon. Other agencies will also be able to use the data, such as land management and agriculture. Governments will only have access to the data if the use involves combating climate change.

The first launch will likely be made by a SpaceX rocket, with three other launches scheduled for 2026. For now, there is no forecast for all satellites to be in space.

Intel receives $3 billion from the US to manufacture chips in the country

Intel receives $3 billion from the US to manufacture chips in the country

Intel announced on Monday (16) a US$3 billion (approximately R$16.5 billion) in funding from the United States government. The good news caused the company's shares to rise 6.4% in the final moments of market trading.

The money comes from CHIPS and Science Acta program to strengthen national companies in the science and technology sectors, especially semiconductors. Intel is one of the few brands on the market with the capacity to work in both the design and manufacturing of processors, which increases its importance in the industry.

Read more…

WhatsApp is testing the feature of tagging contacts in statuses; check it out

WhatsApp is testing the feature of tagging contacts in statuses; check it out

In its latest update through the Google Play Beta program (2.24.20.3), WhatsApp will allow users to tag their contacts in status posts. The feature, already well known to those who use Instagram, is available to the app's beta testers.

Mentioning contacts is a seemingly simple function, which consists of simply selecting a user in the status and tagging them. To do this, simply access the status publishing area and look for an at icon (@) in the bottom right corner, next to the send button. There, simply select the desired contact and publish the material.

When notified, the tagged contact will receive a notification and a message in the chat with the person who tagged them, very similar to Instagram. However, only the person tagged in the status will know that they have been selected, since their name or number will not appear to other viewers of the content.

Tagged users are not exposed in posts.Tagged users are not exposed in posts.Source: WABetaInfo/Reproduction

Contacts will always be notified

Another interesting detail is that all tagged contacts will receive the notification regardless of whether they have been excluded from the viewing options of the person who posted the status. This also applies to those users who use a higher privacy setting, ensuring that regardless of the context, they will always be notified.

If the tagged person finds the content important or relevant, they can still share the content quickly with the help of a specific button. However, the identity of the creator of the original post will be hidden.

Already available to some users of the WhatsApp and Google Play test programs, status tagging should be rolled out to everyone soon.

Cryptocurrency scam had actor as fake CEO and gamer among victims

Cryptocurrency scam had actor as fake CEO and gamer among victims

The cryptocurrency scam involving the Bitcoin Sheik had new information revealed by Globo Network on Sunday (15), pointing out the use of an actor acting as a fake CEO of the company that promised considerable profits and the name of yet another famous victim released. This is the former Corinthians and Sao Paulo player, Jucilei.

According to the FantasticUruguayan actor Nestor Nuñez was hired to act as the CEO of Forcount, one of the companies set up by Francisley Valdevino da Silva, who would be the head of the scheme. He pretended to be the fake CEO Salvador Molina and appeared on social media inviting potential clients to invest in the business.

Read more…

Who is Gary Johnson? Discover the true story of the Accidental Killer

Who is Gary Johnson? Discover the true story of the Accidental Killer

Image from: Who is Gary Johnson? Discover the true story of the Accidental Killer

Image: Disclosure/Netflix

Released in theaters in June this year, Hit Man has finally arrived on Brazilian streaming, bringing with it a surprise. While in the United States it was an exclusive Netflix premiere, here it was Amazon Prime Video's privilege to bring the story starring Glenn Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) to the public.

The film tells the story of Gary Johnson, a divorced college professor who is called to the police force for a difficult mission: to pose as a hitman. Over time, he discovers that he has a taste for the role and seems to have been born to play it. However, some events may make him decide to turn fiction into reality.

In addition to Powell's performance, The Accidental Killer drew attention for being inspired by a story that really happened. While not everything in the film is realistic, Gary Johnson made his mark as a convincing hitman who helped put many people in prison.

Who is Gary Johnson, inspiration for The Accidental Killer?

While the protagonist of The Accidental Killer is a master of disguise, the real-life version of the detective was quite different. He wasn't known for changing his appearance, voice or mannerisms, but rather for being quite charming and having a convincing way of making others believe he was a professional killer.

The real-life Gary Johnson wasn't exactly a master of disguiseThe real-life Gary Johnson wasn't exactly a master of disguiseSource: Disclosure/Netflix

Gary Johnson, who passed away in 2022, was born in rural Louisiana in 1947 and first saw combat during the Vietnam War. Despite his desire to teach psychology at the university level, he struggled to pursue his dream and ended up opting for a career in law enforcement.

Working as an investigator for the Houston, Texas, district attorney's office, Johnson was faced with a case in 1989 that would change his life forever. He was forced to play a hitman in an investigation involving 37-year-old Kathy Scott, who had ordered the murder of her husband of only four months.

Using a biker disguise, the investigator met Kathy at a bowling alley, where she ordered the crime and paid $100 for it to be carried out. The request ended up being used against the woman in court, resulting in her being sentenced to 80 years in prison..

The man who inspired The Accidental Killer explained to Texas Monthly that he never killed anyone and that he generally dealt with people who were not violent or had criminal histories. To him, most of his “clients” were just frustrated with life and wanted a quick solution to their problems, “which has become the American way.”

Fake killer led a discreet life

Contrary to what the film might suggest, Johnson did not lead a wild life or engage in forbidden affairs. When he was not undercover, he was often in the DA's office working on recording equipment and making copies of tapes.

The protagonist of The Accidental Killer bears few similarities to his real-life inspiration.The protagonist of The Accidental Killer bears few similarities to his real-life inspiration.Source: Disclosure/Netflix

In his spare time, he lived a quiet life devoted to meditation, gardening, and tending to goldfish. He also taught classes on human sexuality and psychology at the local university two nights a week. According to his second wife, Sunny, the police officer actually transformed when he assumed the persona of a fake killer.

While this helped his career, Johnson admitted that his ability to act cold was a result of his trouble maintaining relationships. As a result, he ended up getting married and divorced three times and was known for acting distant around others.

According to director Richard Linklater, The Accidental Killer uses some characteristics of the real man, but many of the adventures in the film are completely fictional. He states that, although he listened to the recordings made by the police officer, Johnson had no direct involvement in the production of the feature film.

Netflix confirms season 5 of Emily in Paris and where the series will be set

Netflix confirms season 5 of Emily in Paris and where the series will be set

Image from: Netflix confirms season 5 of Emily in Paris and where the series will be set

Image: Disclosure/Netflix

Emily in Paris, one of the most popular series on Netflix at the moment, received the news that fans were most waiting for: the production has been renewed for its fifth season. The news was confirmed by Lily Collins herself on Good Morning America this Tuesday (17).

The actress said she is looking forward to seeing what happens between Emily and new boyfriend Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini). “I feel like they have a real romantic connection. A lot of that will continue to play out in the next season.”

Will Emily in Paris be set in Rome?

The second part of the fourth season was released on September 12 and has been in the Netflix top 10 ever since. Getting slightly into the spoiler realm, the most recent episodes have shown that the protagonist's visit to Italy quickly went from something done for pleasure to something professional.

At the end of the season, we discovered that the character may end up extending her stay in the country, where she is expected to head the new Agence Grateau office. This left doubts about the fate of the character who, despite finding success in her career, may be forced to leave behind her adopted city and several of her closest friends.

Well, apparently, the protagonist must divide her time between Rome and Paris. Creator Darren Star told Tudum: “Emily will be present in Rome, but that doesn’t mean she won’t be in Paris too.”

The series' end point is not planned

In an interview with Deadline, Emily in Paris creator Darren Star said that, depending on him, the series won't end any time soon. “I definitely think the show has a future beyond next season. There's no end in sight until everyone feels like it's time to wrap it up,” he explained ahead of the premiere of the fourth batch of episodes.

For the creator of Emily in Paris, the series is far from over

For the creator of Emily in Paris, the series is far from overSource: Disclosure/Netflix

“I think the show is about the characters’ journeys, and characters develop and mature and change,” he explained to Harper’s Bazaar. “They don’t stay static. It’s really about how the relationship develops. So the show, the universe of the show, grows and the potential for storytelling expands. To me, that’s what keeps it going.”

OpenAI to shift model to for-profit company by 2025

OpenAI to shift model to for-profit company by 2025

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, is set to significantly change the way it operates. Starting in 2025, it is expected to officially become a a for-profit company.

The information is from Fortune and, according to the report, a statement has already been passed on to employees by OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman. If the change does indeed happen, it will become a more traditional corporation, which could increase the brand's revenue generation possibilities.

OpenAI is currently responsible for both ChatGPT, one of the industry's most popular chatbots with a subscription version, and GPTs, which are large language models (LLMs) both on the platforms themselves and licensed to partners.

The OpenAI Structure

Founded in 2015 by several entrepreneurs and investors, including Sam Altman and Elon Musk, OpenAI began as a non-profit technology development laboratory.

With the arrival of the first services and the possibility of receiving large investments, OpenAI changed its operation for the first time in 2019. At that moment, she became a non-profit limited companyin a hybrid model that resulted in its separation to gain an arm that could show profits.

Under current rules, OpenAI Global’s surplus revenues can be a maximum of 100 times any investment. Currently, its largest investor is Microsoft, which has a billion-dollar stake in the brand.

What OpenAI says

The company has yet to make the transition official. In a statement sent to Fortune, a spokesperson said that OpenAI “remains focused on building AI that benefits everyone” and is working with the council to “ensure that she is best positioned to be successful in this mission“.

Furthermore, she reinforced that “the non-profit will be the core” brand mission and “will continue to exist“, without detailing exactly what this means.

How much does it cost to build a PC equivalent to the PS5 Pro?

How much does it cost to build a PC equivalent to the PS5 Pro?

After a series of rumors and leaks from different sources, Sony has announced the PlayStation 5 Proa console that will be released on November 7th of this year. Although the existence of the console was not a big revelation, its price of US$ 700 exceeded many expectations.

With a $200 difference between the official price of the PS5 and the PS5 Pro, many found the price charged for the new hardware to be too steep.

But what if you don't want to play on a Pro console of this generation, but are looking for a similar experience on PChow much will you pay and which parts should you buy? Let's explore these options throughout this article!

How does a PS5 Pro compare to a PC?

Any direct comparison between a console, of any brand, and a computer should be made with caution. The systems have similarities, but they function and are assembled in different ways.

This means that no comparison is perfectbut it's still possible to get pretty close, especially since we're already familiar with the performance of the base PS5. Hardware comparisons here will be more based on the practical performance the PS5 Pro should deliver against different PC specs.

What is a PC equivalent to the P5 Pro?

Processor

Starting with the CPU, according to the leaks that are now practically confirmed, The PS5 Pro's processor should be basically the same as the base PS5'sonly with a larger margin for frequency operation.

Comparative tests carried out on several games show that the PS5 is very well matched with the Ryzen 5 3600. This specific model is already difficult to find on the market, but we can use one here that is equivalent, but slightly superior, the Ryzen 5 5500.

Ryzen 5 5500 processor
Ryzen 5 5500 processor

Video card

The improvement in graphics performance, which is the big highlight of the PS5 Pro, is what deserves the most attention.

The base PS5 bears strong similarities to the 10GB AMD Radeon RX 6700. Given the leaked documentation, as well as the announcement that the PS5 Pro will have a 45% increase in graphics performance, your GPU must be equivalent to RX 6800.

The comparison to AMD cards is generally the most appropriate, as both the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are platforms with AMD hardware. However, for the PS5 Pro specifically, this may not be the most appropriate.

In addition to the overall higher graphics performance, the two other marketing pillars surrounding the new console are better Ray Tracing performance and usage and a enhanced upscaling technology, PSSRbased on Artificial intelligence and which probably has AI accelerators in the hardware.

On these two points, at least in today's market, NVIDIA RTX cards are the best fit for these technologies — with DLSS upscaling and Ray Tracing performance superior to AMD cards, in general.

Comparison shows similar performance between the RX 6800, RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 4060 Ti cards in Black Myth Wukong
Comparison shows similar performance between the RX 6800, RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 4060 Ti cards in Black Myth Wukong

The ideal comparison would then be with the RTX 3070 Ti, however, as this model is increasingly scarce on the market, for this article the equivalent considered is the RTX 4060 Ti. All of these cards deliver very similar performance in games.

Having an RTX 40, it is also possible to have access to the DLSS frame generation technology, while PlayStation, so far, only has FSR 3 at its disposal as a frame generator for some titles.

RTX 4060 Ti Video Card
RTX 4060 Ti Video Card

Memories

The equivalence between the memory of a desktop PC and a console is perhaps the point at which the two systems differ the most. While a PS5 Pro has a unified memory which is divided between the use of the CPU and GPU, PCs have dedicated memories for each of them. The RTX 4060 Ti, for example, has 8 GB dedicated to video memory. While the processor will use the RAM.

To maintain the standard of a mid-range PC, 16 GB RAM It's enough to deliver well in any current game, so let's continue with this configuration, in this case with two 8 GB DDR4 modules to operate in Dual Channel.

8GB DDR4 3200 MT/s memory stick
8GB DDR4 3200 MT/s memory stick

Storage

Storage has always been one of the important points for the PlayStation 5 due to the speed of its SSD and continues in the PS5 Pro also with a greater capacity of 2 GB.

The PS5's internal SSD read speed is 5,500 MB/s while its write speed is 4,400 MB/s. We can find equivalent, and even superior, specifications on the market today for desktops at less prohibitive prices than at the original launch of the PlayStation 5.

SSD WD Black 2TB
SSD WD Black 2TB

Motherboard

The choice of motherboard here is not as relevant when compared to the PS5 Pro, since we only need a model that is compatible with the chosen parts. Therefore, we will opt for a simple AM4 motherboard that is compatible with the processor, the memories and with an NVME PCIe 4.0 slot for the SSD.

ASUS TUF B550M Motherboard
ASUS TUF B550M Motherboard

Power supply

When choosing a power supply for any system, you need to check the manufacturer's recommendation for your specific video card model, which is the component that consumes the most power on your computer.

You can get this very popular 650W model from MSI for a good cost-benefit. This also gives you some 'leeway' for any future upgrades to your machine, such as for the arrival of the next generation of NVIDIA cards, since the RTX 4060 Ti requires a 550W power supply.

650W MSI power supply
650W MSI power supply

Total value of a PC equivalent to the PlayStation 5 Pro

With all the parts chosen, we can use the MeuPC.net website to list the parts and prices of each component. In addition to what was listed above, we also added the value of a simple and popular case to the system.

Adding up all the values, we have a computer that costs a total of around R$ 6.454,75 with current market values.

Price of a PC equivalent to the PS5 Pro
Price of a PC equivalent to the PS5 Pro

It is worth noting that it is possible to reduce this price and still have an experience quite equivalent to a PlayStation 5 Pro, choosing a more basic motherboard and even a simpler NVMe SSD, such as the Kingston NV2.

What is more expensive?

We still don't have the official launch price of the PlayStation 5 Pro in Brazil, however, following a very recurring pattern in several technology products launched in recent years, with the price of US$ 699 abroad, it is plausible to assume a price of R$ 7,000 of the console at launch, or something close to it.

Taking this into account, the PC can be cheaper than the new video game, and should deliver a very similar graphical and performance experience, also with enough performance to use Ray Tracing effects, the high-quality DLSS upscaling to play in high definition and even NVIDIA's frame generation technology.

And for you, what makes more sense? Building a PC for over R$6,000, or buying a PlayStation 5 Pro at launch? Comment on Voxel's social media!