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Scientists Identify First New Wild Cat Species in a Century
Tiny spotted feline lives in Bolivia's rapidly vanishing cloud forests
LOOK: Bears CB Kyler Gordon spotted training amid calf injury
Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon is training with a rehab specialist as he deals with a lingering calf injury.
Tiger cat named 1st new feline species in century
The small spotted tiger cat lives in Bolivia’s cloud forests
Scene
This week’s scene is this assortment of ghouls that were recently spotted on the lawn of a home in Winchester.
Chinese scientists say they spotted possible Israeli electronic warfare units
PLA scientists publish algorithm used to estimate sources of GPS spoofing around Israel using flight data.
Taylor Swift's Ex Joe Alwyn Sparks Romance Rumors With 2 Famous Women in the Span of Days
Who Joe Alwyn has been spotted with lately has people talking.
This Is The New BMW 3 Series Before You’re Supposed To See It
Weeks before its world premiere, the M350 xDrive has been spotted without camouflage.
How the Zelda Ocarina of Time remake changes the classic game’s script
At the start of the iconic 1998 Nintendo 64 game The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, our playable hero Link wakes up in his tree cabin, heads outside and is greeted by his friend Saria. “Yahoo! Hi, Stotil!" she says. In other people’s copies of the games, she might say “Hi, Link!” or “Hi, Brick!” or use whatever other name the player was allowed to input when first launching the game. The more important point is that she starts with a “Yahoo!” In Nintendo’s 2011 remake of Ocarina of Time for the 3DS handheld, Saria greets Link with that same word. But for the 2026 Switch 2 re-remake of Ocarina of Time, out November 5, Saria’s salutation has changed: “Hello, Link!” she exclaims. There’s no “Yahoo” to be heard. Last month, in an official Nintendo video preview, Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma described the remake as a “faithful interpretation using modern technologies.” Faithful means the gameplay hasn’t changed much. Dungeons, quests, and just generally what you do in the game doesn’t seem to have changed, not based on what Nintendo has shown nor the hour of the game I played in New York City a couple of weeks ago. The graphics have been overhauled. The controls have been tweaked. Players can now manually control the camera and make Link jump with the press of a button, both notable differences from the original 1998 design. But Link’s journey appears to take the same path, with the same obstacles in its way. The remake’s biggest alteration to Ocarina of Time that I’ve spotted so far just might be the script. About the game’s story, Aonuma said in September, “We’ve added quite a lot of new dialogue for the characters, so that their personalities shine even more.” Earlier this month, I played a chunk of the Ocarina of Time remake at a Nintendo showcase. In the game’s earliest moments, I made a point of talking to characters and recording what they said. I found the script to be more colorful, more natural in its phrasing, more careful to establish its characters, and certainly more wordy even with the removal of that one “Yahoo!”. I’ve got some very early-game examples, so you can judge the new writing for yourself.
Google details Gems to skills migration, including free access
As we spotted over the weekend, Gemini is replacing Gems with skills, and Google today fully detailed the migration.
Astronomers say they’ve spotted the first miniature quasar pointed at Earth
Microblazars — a miniature version of blazars — may be responsible for mysterious ultra-high-energy particles.
'Uncharted territory': Physicists find hints of mysterious dark matter
A single flash of energy spotted by the world's most sensitive dark matter detector has scientists excited they may have found hints of the elusive substance that permeates the universe.
Meet Earth’s newest wild cat species, living in Bolivia and the first named in over a century
A previously unknown cat species has been identified in plain sight: at a wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia, where the small, spotted feline had been living for years after being taken in by a local family.
New wild cat species is identified for first time in 100 years, researchers say
A type of tiger cat, the animal is smaller than a house cat, slender and spotted. It lives in the Bolivian cloud forest.
Prince William joins cricket match outside Buckingham Palace
LONDON – Prince William is having a ball. The future king was spotted playing cricket outside Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, Oct. 13, much to the delight of tourists and members
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
As spotted by Hidde Collee, the Apple Music page on Apple's website now has the updated branding that Apple officially introduced earlier today. Apple Music has a new black-and-white logo and app icon, with Apple doing away with the red color scheme that it previously used for the streaming music service. In a YouTube video released earlier today, Apple showed how the new Apple Music visuals were "made by sound".
New ASUS Googlebook leak shows more configurations and pricing details
The ASUS Googlebook CX9406 has been spotted on a retailer's website with 16GB of RAM, an Intel Core Ultra 5 chip, and a 14-inch touchscreen.
Justin Baldoni makes rare appearance in ‘DWTS’ audience after Blake Lively drama
Eagle-eyed fans spotted Justin Baldoni in the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ audience during ‘Super Bowl Night’ on Tuesday after his ‘It Ends With Us’ legal battle.
Scene
This week’s Scene is this amusing Autumn-themed sign spotted recently at the Saratoga Church of God.
Apple Seemingly Made a Mistake When Announcing the New Mac Studio
Apple's press release for the new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips last week initially stated that the computer had "next-generation SSD architecture built on PCIe Gen 6". However, as spotted by the French blog MacGeneration, Apple removed the PCIe 6.0 mention from the announcement shortly after it was published.
‘One of the ocean’s best-kept secrets’ spotted near Massachusetts
Hint: They have a 12-foot-wide wingspan and can weigh up to 1,100 pounds.
Spotted: New Shimano Dura-Ace R9300 groupset breaks cover at La Vuelta a España
It's 13-speed, and it has a new shifter button, but it hasn't switched to fully wireless
‘You are not a bad mother’: transforming women’s mental health care during pregnancy and after childbirth in Armenia
The arrival of a baby is often seen as one of life’s most joyful moments. Yet behind the expectation of happy motherhood, some women experience anxiety, depression, fear or emotional distress – feelings that can remain hidden behind the pressure to be “a good mother”. In Armenia, a woman’s mental health during the perinatal period is still too often overshadowed by the focus on physical health. This gap was spotted by the Kanani Social-Prsychological Centre NGO, which used EU support to make mental wellbeing part of maternity care across Armenia. During the final months of her second pregnancy Lilit (28) was full of fears. Her
New Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini to Ship on October 30
The new upcoming Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini models will launch on Friday, October 30, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his Power On newsletter, Gurman said the devices will ship to customers and arrive in stores on that day. Apple is expected to announce the new devices at its October 13 "Welcome home" event, which will also debut "Homeview" – the company's new smart home hub, whose name was first spotted by MacRumors in a trademark filing.
Liverpool spotted scouting their next Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak finally seems to be coming into his own at Liverpool after a year of being at the club.The Sweden international was expected to completely transform the way that the Reds played with th...
Exclusive: First Look at HomePod Mini 2 in Three New Colors
Apple's new HomePod mini will share the same design as the original model and come in five colors, MacRumors has found. The information originates from Apple's own code (spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris) and shows clear product images of the new models in all of their colors. The above image contains Apple's own icons, which specifically refer to a "HomePod mini 2". The new HomePod mini will come in green, pink, blue, white, and black.
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
To celebrate the launch of the iPhone Duo this Friday, Apple has set up oversized iPhone Duo promotional displays at Apple Fifth Avenue in New York City, Apple Covent Garden in London, Apple BKC in India, and Apple Jing'an in Shanghai. The installations were already spotted under wraps, and Apple CEO John Ternus has since revealed what they look like in a photo of Apple Jing'an shared on his Weibo account today.
Bears running back not spotted at Wednesday's practice
The Bears run game might've taken a hit after Sunday's loss to the Vikings as a key contributor missed Wednesday's practice.
Scientists Found Dozens of Hammerhead Sharks Hanging Out Near Swimmers. Here’s Why.
Drone surveys spotted groups of up to 100 young hammerheads near Australian swimming beaches, where shark control measures pose a threat.
Scene
This week’s scene is this amusing sign recently spotted at the Wesleyan Church on Union St. in Winchester.
Detroit Lions Get Brutal Tom Kennedy Injury Update
Detroit Lions WR Tom Kennedy was spotted on crutches with a long leg brace after suffering a knee injury against the Arizona Cardinals.
NOAA scientists spot ‘outrageously tiny' fish
The unknown fish species was spotted in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle condemn 'extraordinarily reckless' photographers spotted at children's school
The incident comes weeks after the family’s return to the U.K. and amid a review of their security arrangements
CS2 Chicken Egg Drops Spotted by Players on Reddit
CS2 players report receiving a mysterious Chicken Egg item in weekly drops, sparking speculation about upcoming in-game pets.
HP's Googlebook leak highlights support for 'Continue On,' Google's version of Handoff
HP's leaked Googlebook is the first laptop spotted with Continue On, Google's feature inspired by Apple's Handoff.
Xbox bug adds phantom achievements that spoil 100% completions
Xbox users have spotted a bug that adds unobtainable phantom achievements worth zero Gamerscore to certain games, spoiling their 100% completion rate.
Yankees’ Gerrit Cole Sets All-Time MLB Record
For a little while, it looked like it might be yet another rough outing for Gerrit Cole as the New York Yankees get closer to the playoffs. Cole allowed a two-run home run to Arizona Diamondbacks superstar Corbin Carroll in the bottom of the second inning. The Yankees had spotted Cole a five-run lead, but […] The post Yankees’ Gerrit Cole Sets All-Time MLB Record appeared first on HEAVY.
Ilhan Omar's daughters show up at scene of DC raid as rumors swirl about embattled rep's whereabouts
Isra Hirsi was spotted entering Ilhan Omar's D.C. home under cover of darkness as Capitol Police were called to the residence later that evening.
Why politicians should pay more attention to the polls (reprise)
Welcome to the 231st edition of The Week in Polls (TWIP), a polling newsletter that always welcomes new readers. So please don’t keep TWIP a secret; share it with your friends and colleagues: Share The Week in Polls With all the stories swirling around Reform, JL Partners and political polling, I am finally tearing myself away from talking about the regulation of polling this week - and instead re-running a previous piece reminding us why the solution to problems with polls isn’t simply to ban or ignore them. Rather, we need them to play a vital role in making our politics - and politicians - better. This is followed by summaries of the latest national voting intention polls, seat projections from MRPs and the most recent party leader ratings. Subscribers who pay for the full edition can also read ten insights from the latest polls and analyses, including: A trio of organisations and a pair of professors have been casting their eyes over the Liberal Democrats ahead of the party’s autumn conference; What impact did the summer heatwave have on views on climate change? and Which wins out between chocolate and cheese? If you are not yet a paid subscriber, you can read all ten by starting a free trial now: Get FREE 7-day trial For more polling news as it comes in ahead of next week’s edition, you can also follow The Week in Polls on Bluesky. Picking up on my doubt last week about whether or not 35% of British train travellers have tried to order a takeaway for delivery to a railway station or carriage, thank you to reader Iain, who has been in touch to say he has done just that… in India. Another quick pair of updates, this time on the controversies around Reform and polling. Politico has a further scoop - “Farage aide caught in donor sting attended Egypt retreat with JL Partners” - and Ian Dunt has written about the problems with polling too: “Seeing the response of many polling experts in the last few weeks suggests that they are nervous about what is happening and keen to mitigate against it. Seeing the response of journalists, which has been basically non-existent, suggests the precise opposite.” My usual reminder as well: please do hit reply if you’ve spotted a poll, focus group or new piece of poll-based research that you think should be in contention for coverage in a future edition. Thank you! And with that, on with the show. How politicians get public opinion wrong I have written before about the benefits that come from widespread availability of high-quality political polling. We need more polls and more good coverage of polls. However, what I’ve not dug into before is the research into how accurately politicians estimate public opinion on issues. Thankfully we have academic research to tell us. First, the bad news: We present results from a study of 866 politicians in four countries.1 Politicians were asked to estimate the percentage of public support for various policy proposals. Comparing more than 10,000 estimations with actual levels of public support, we conclude that politicians are quite inaccurate estimators of people’s preferences. They make large errors and even regularly misperceive what a majority of the voters wants. Politicians are hardly better at estimating public preferences than ordinary citizens. Walgrave, S., Jansen, A., Sevenans, J., Soontjens, K., Pilet, J.B., Brack, N., Varone, F., Helfer, L., Vliegenthart, R., van der Meer, T., Breunig, C., Bailer, S., Sheffer, L. & Loewen, P.J. (2023a), “Inaccurate Politicians: Elected Representatives’ Estimations of Public Opinion in Four Countries”, The Journal of Politics, 85(1): 209-222. The bad news is not quite as bad as that makes it sound because, when asked whether the majority of public opinion was for or against various policies, politicians picked the wrong option ‘only’ 29% of the time. However, this included getting it wrong even when public opinion is far from evenly split on an issue: They do not only get it wrong when the public is divided and hard to read (e.g., when there is a 51%:49% distribution). Seventy percent of the misplacements occur for policies with a relatively clear distribution of at least 60% (dis)agreeing citizens. Moreover, the public scored only slightly worse than politicians, picking the wrong option 2.7 out of 8 times on average, compared with 2.3 times for politicians. Turning to the other measure of accuracy (not which side is in the lead but what the percentage support is for each side), politicians on average were 18 percentage points out in their guesses. Again, this was only slightly better than the public, whose error came in at 21 percentage points.2 Further research, using the same mix of countries, gives a little more comfort about how (in)accurate perceptions are: We show that politicians have a better understanding of public opinion when they think the issue matters to voters. Further, when an issue is personally important to politicians they more accurately estimate their party supporters’ opinions. The results confirm that politicians hold more accurate perceptions of voters’ preferences when they think it is important to do so but not necessarily when the issues actually are important to voters. Butler, C., Walgrave, S., Soontjens, K. & Loewen, P.J. (2024), “Politicians are better at estimating public opinion when they think it is more salient”, Party Politics: 1–13. Even so, it’s not a good picture. The remedy for this? Politicians should spend more time reading the polls. So forward this newsletter to someone you know… Share For a more general argument against banning polls, see my 2024 piece. Is “Let Bartlet Be Bartlet” good advice or not? The latest episode of my Political Fictions podcast heads across the Atlantic for a dip into one of the political TV classics: Mark and Cory talk about a giant of American political drama for the first time this week, as they tackle The West Wing. They talk about Let Bartlet Be Bartlet, the nineteenth episode of series one. In it, Mark wonders if The West Wing is actually the epitome of the “Boris Johnson school of politics”, Cory outmanoeuvres Mark into confirming we will record a Christmas Special about Love, Actually and they debate whether the central message of this episode has been misunderstood. Cory’s email newsletter is Paperback Rioter and Mark has a family of email newsletters. Subscribe to our newsletter for some additional bonus content and to get alerted whenever a new episode comes out. Our theme tune is “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” by Kevin MacLeod/incompetech.com and licensed under the Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License. You can also listen to our episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the web or YouTube. Elsewhere from me… [ A Lord's Eye View How to fix the problem of money in our politics Welcome to my latest update on work in the House of Lords. This time I am taking a look at how our political system is regulated, and the protections we need to keep democracy safe from becoming simply a contest to see who has the biggest bank account… Read more 5 days ago · 3 likes · 2 comments · Mark Pack ](https://lordseyeview.substack.com/p/how-to-fix-the-problem-of-money-in?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web&embedding_publication_id=1269283) If you spot a factual error… Borrowing an idea from Stuart Ritchie and others, if you spot a factual error in an edition of this newsletter, I will give you a free 12-month subscription to the paid-for version (or an extra 12 months on your existing one). Factual errors qualify, but grammatical errors or disagreements over interpretation do not, and my decision is final. Messages about both of those are always welcome, though. Voting intention and leadership ratings Here are the latest voting intention polls from different pollsters. It is all pretty static at the moment, with a small and consistent Labour lead in nearly all the polls. The table is also online here, along with explanations about what is included. It is updated regularly throughout the week as new polls are released. Next are the seat projections from MRPs, also sorted by fieldwork dates, listing those which are based on dedicated fieldwork (rather than models based on averages of other polls). Because such MRPs are published infrequently, some of the entries below are quite old. Finally, here is a summary of leadership ratings, with a graph from PollCheck: Detailed numbers from the latest polls are online here, and both that and the graph are updated regularly throughout the week as new data comes out. For historical figures on both voting intention and leader approval stretching back to the 1930s, including Parliamentary by-election polls, see PollBase. Catch up on the previous two editions [ ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ A crisis point for political polling Sep 13 ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ Read full story ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-crisis-point-for-political-polling) [ ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) [ Extra questions about the polls in Reform’s funding scandal Sep 6 ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) [ Read full story ](https://theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/extra-questions-about-the-polls-in) My privacy policy and other legal information are available here. Links to purchase books or other items are usually affiliate links which pay a commission for each sale. Quotes from social media messages are occasionally lightly edited for punctuation and clarity. If you are subscribed to other email lists of mine, please note that unsubscribing from this one will not automatically remove you from the others. If you wish to be removed from all my lists, simply reply to this email to let me know. A quintet of Lib Dem polling analyses, and 9 other polling insights you shouldn’t miss The following ten findings from the most recent polls and analyses are only for subscribers who pay for the full edition, but you can sign up for a free trial to read them straight away. Ahead of the start of Liberal Democrat conference, we have a trio of organisations and a pair of professors with pieces out about Ed Davey’s party:
This is Apple Music’s new logo, probably
Apple Music seems to be rolling out a new logo, as spotted in several places including iOS 27 beta 3, Apple Music Hall branding, and more.
Ravens' Lamar Jackson Unlikely to Play Amid Third Missed Practice
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was not spotted at practice again, all but guaranteeing that he will not play in Week 6.
Scene
In this week’s scene, we find this skeletal fellow who has found a garbage can of toxic waste recently spotted in front of a Winchester home.
The Top Tech Trends at IFA Berlin 2026
Here are 6 of the top trends I spotted while roaming the IFA floor.
Samsung One UI 9.5 leak hints at new premium UI design changes
Samsung is continuing to work on its upcoming One UI 9.5 update. A new testing build with the CZHD firmware has reportedly been spotted for the Galaxy S26 series. The new build gives us an early look at some of the design changes Samsung may bring with the next version of One UI. According to […]
Ancient hydrogen spotted in the early universe could open a new way to study space's baffling expansion
After seven years of work, Canada's CHIME telescope has a measurement of dark energy from 2019. More detailed studies are planned to expand the research.
Telescope spies the fastest star in the Milky Way zipping around a black hole
A telescope has spotted the fastest known star in the Milky Way.
Bears QB Tyson Bagent suffered hamstring injury vs. Browns
Bears backup QB Tyson Bagent wasn't spotted at Tuesday's practice after he suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason opener.
iPhone 18 Pro Max Test Shows Much Faster Charging From 0% to 100%
Apple said the new iPhone 18 Pro models are capable of faster USB-C charging compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, and a new video shared by the YouTube channel Xiaobai's Tech Reviews offers a closer look at the year-over-year improvement. As spotted by the account Ice Universe, the video reveals that the iPhone 18 Pro Max can go from 0% to 100% battery life in as little as 55 minutes with a capable charger, compared to 81 minutes for the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
A teacher spotted two unusually large footprints. They turned out to be a first for science - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
(CNN) — Kent Hups set out one morning on a research expedition in the famed Hell Creek Formation, a series of fossil-rich sedimentary rock layersRead More
Newlyweds Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Spotted at Patrick Mahomes B-Day Party
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made a low-key appearance in honor of their friend Patrick Mahomes' 31st birthday.
Level-5 Boss Addresses AI Backlash After Fans Hit Out at Game Reveal Showcase
Developer Level-5 has apologized for and explained its use of generative AI after fans spotted 'AI slop' in footage of games like Professor Layton and the Curious Village, DecaPolice, and more.
Newlyweds Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Spotted at Patrick Mahomes B-Day Party
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made a low-key appearance in honor of their friend Patrick Mahomes' 31st birthday.
Fire breaks out at Des Moines business; no injuries reported
Firefighters knocked down a large blaze at Bituminous Materials in Des Moines after drivers spotted heavy smoke and flames.
The Science Behind a Simple Headache Trick People Swear By
A viral trend promoting the placement of hair claw clips on eyebrows has captivated millions seeking fast headache relief without prescription drugs. If you have spent any time scrolling social media lately, you have probably spotted people clamping plastic claw clips directly onto their faces. It looks like an eccentric comedy sketch, but videos demonstrating this unusual trick have racked up more than 9 million views. Desperate headache sufferers are flooding comment sections, calling the clip
Jim Carrey marries girlfriend Min Ah in private ceremony
The two have been spotted together as far back as 2022, but Carrey kept details of their relationship under wraps.
Have scientists glimpsed the first dark matter particle?
Shadowy dark matter has eluded scientists for decades. The LZ experiment may have spotted one particle, called a WIMP, but more data is needed to check.
Landspout or Dust Devil in Georgetown? Breaking Down the Science
If you were driving around Round Rock and Georgetown Wednesday, you may have had some crazy sights to see. A large swirling vortex was spotted picking up dust a
Scene
This week’s scene is this group of ghosts made from gallon milk jugs recently spotted haunting the window of the Randolph County Recycling District office in downtown Winchester.
LSU’s Ed Orgeron ‘doing better’ after battling health issue, Lane Kiffin says
‘Coach O’ was not spotted in Tiger Stadium for either of LSU’s first two games of the 2026 season.
iPad Mini 8 Leaked: A20 Pro Chip, Landscape Camera, and More
Apple's next-generation iPad mini will feature the A20 Pro chip, a rearranged front-facing camera, and a new speaker system, leaked code reveals. The information originates from Apple's own code (spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris) and also shows clear product images of the new iPad mini. Although images of the device only show the front, leaving any design changes of the rear or side profile unknown, there are still visible changes.
A black hole shredded a “super sun” — but something strange may have survived
Astronomers have witnessed a black hole violently shredding a massive star, creating one of the most energetic stellar explosions ever observed. The event, nicknamed “the Whippet,” briefly released about 400 billion times the Sun’s energy and sent a shock wave racing outward at one-fifth the speed of light. Months later, scientists spotted unexpectedly fast-moving helium, suggesting that some structure may have survived the destruction.
Scientists Spotted an ‘Alien’ Object on the Ocean Floor. The Reality Is Even Weirder.
The deepest, most remote parts of the ocean still remain alien to our eyes.
Meghan Markle enjoys London lunch date close to her and Prince Harry's former royal home
Meghan Markle was spotted out in London on a lunch date the day before her and Prince Harry's joint visit to Nottingham, a place that holds special significance for the couple.
NTE Artwork Features Watermark For Free Trial Of AI Software
NTE players in China spotted the watermark for a free version of the Doubao AI software on the artwork for a seahorse in the game's new update
Birdbrained Science: With spotted lanternflies, squash away!
Frogs, locusts, gnats… and lanternflies? Though far removed from the Bible, spotted lanternflies are the latest plague (disregarding frat flu) to cross the University of Connecticut.
Over 2,000 animals spotted off the coast of Cape Cod
Whale sharks and blue whales and rays, oh my.
Google quietly resurrects a Pixel gesture we first spotted over a year ago
Google appears to be expanding its long-awaited Pixel double-tap-to-lock feature to work on both the home and lock screens.
In 1990, the northern spotted owl became a symbol of America’s logging wars; 36 years later, scientists say it is already functionally extinct across large swaths of its range
In 1990, a small bird became an unlikely symbol of one of America’s fiercest environmental battles. The northern spotted owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, putting the future of vast stretches of old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest at the centre of a bitter fight between environmentalists and the logging industry.
Prince Harry, Meghan slam 'reckless' press intrusion at kids' school
LONDON – Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have condemned the behavior of photographers spotted lurking outside their children's school as "extraordinarily reckless."
Rare ‘pumpkin spice’ baby sea turtle spotted in Florida
‘This little one, surprisingly, had an earthy tone of autumn.’
Rams WR Puka Nacua spotted dancing at a Jewish Bat Mitzvah eight months after offensive gesture backlash
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was seen enjoying himself and dancing at a Jewish Bat Mitzvah in LA on Sunday
The Best Early Prime Day Deals Ahead of Amazon’s Second Sale (2026)
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days officially begin on October 6 and 7, but I’ve already spotted early discounts on gear our team recommends.
Wolverine developer Insomniac denies using generative AI after fans spot strange restroom sign
Insomniac denies using generative AI on Marvel's Wolverine after fans spotted a strange bathroom sign, blaming a "UV map bug" instead.
Justin Baldoni makes rare public appearance in “DWTS ”audience after “It Ends With Us” legal battle
Eagle-eyed fans spotted the actor-director in the crowd during “Super Bowl Night” on Tuesday.
Taylor Swift's Ex Joe Alwyn Sparks Romance Rumors With 2 Famous Women in the Span of Days
Who Joe Alwyn has been spotted with lately has people talking.
Report: Injustice 3 Leak Reveals New and Returning Characters for Roster
It’s an open secret by now that a new entry in the DC fighting series Injustice is in the works at NetherRealm Studios. A few months ago, we spotted the…
Pixel 11 Pro's telephoto camera has an upgrade Google forgot to mention
As spotted by a Reddit user who already has their Pixel 11 Pro, the phone's telephoto camera can focus on closer subjects than the 10 Pro's.
Iconic ’80s star looks nearly unrecognizable in rare sighting
The actor, 66, rarely steps out, and was last spotted on his motorcycle in April.
Ubisoft plans cuts at German studios, adding to wave of workforce reductions
Ubisoft is planning to reduce its workforce in Germany, where it operates a trio of studios, by about 100 workers, Game File has learned. The company wants to offer employees buyouts to, should enough people accept, avoid having to lay anyone off. “In Germany, we initiated discussions with the Works Council last week regarding a proposed voluntary departure plan across Ubisoft Dusseldorf, Ubisoft Berlin & Ubisoft Mainz,” a company rep told Game File. A “works council” is a union-like group representing employees. “The voluntary plan is the primary measure being proposed to support the intended organizational changes,” the Ubisoft rep added. The company declined to confirm the scale of the potential headcount cut. Of the impacted studios, Mainz might be the best known to the public. It leads development of the Anno series and shipped the well-reviewed strategy game Anno 117: Pax Romana in November 2025. Berlin and Dusseldorf operate as support studios within Ubisoft’s creative network. Berlin recently supported the development of Rainbow Six Siege and the Rayman Legends Retold remake. Dusseldorf also contributed to those projects, as well as The Settlers and Ubisoft-branded escape rooms. Dusseldorf is the biggest of the three studios, with some 400+ workers, compared to just over 100 at the other two, a source familiar with the reductions and the teams told Game File. More than half of these new reductions of about 100 people are expected to happen at Dusseldorf. The planned cuts were announced at a town hall for the German studios on Tuesday of last week. In an email follow-up, the studio group’s managing director, Benedikt Grindel, said the cuts were intended to “best position our German studios for the future... with a clearer focus on their role, capabilities and organizational setup needed for the work ahead.” The email was an echo of the past. In January 2025, Grindel had emailed the Ubisoft developers in his region (or studio “zone”) to explain that a round of 185 cuts at the time, including about 65 at Dusseldorf, were “essential to improve our operational efficiency and ensure the long-term sustainability of our studios, the zone and the company.” A half-decade of continued job cuts Ubisoft has been aggressively cutting its headcount for years. At the end of September 2022, it had 20,729 workers. By the end of March 2026, that total was down to 16,590. Studio management is trying to trim costs as it grapples with a changing industry and a drought of releases, let alone hits. The company announced earlier this year that it had reduced its costs since 2022 by “nearly €325 million” ($362m) and planned to lower them through 2028 by another €180 million ($200m). In June the company said it was closing down its Winnipeg and Belgrade studios and cutting roles in its Barcelona team. Even commercial and creative success hasn’t spared studios from this ongoing company-wide contraction. As Game File was nailing down details around the proposed cuts in Germany, Ubisoft management was informing workers of cuts in its Singapore studio, which shipped a hit remake of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag this past July. Some 70 positions in Singapore are being eliminated “to align the studio with upcoming production needs,” per a company rep’s statement to Game File. In early 2024, a large team in the Singapore studio launched the multiplayer pirate game Skull & Bones. It performed poorly but has been supported with regular content updates since. Many of Ubisoft’s studios around the world are heavily subsidized via regional grants and tax breaks. Singapore had been among them for years, but received no such local assistance in the 12 months ending this past March. News of the Singapore cuts broke today alongside word that Ubisoft is also proposing the closure of RedLynx, pending negotiations with officials. The Finnish studio behind the motorbike series Trials was founded in 2000 and sold to Ubisoft in 2011. As reported by VGC (and corroborated by Game File), Ubisoft management told employees it could not come up with a new, sustainable assignment for RedLynx. The 2025 workforce at Ubisoft Dusseldorf were straight-up cuts. This time, Ubisoft is hoping the reductions at its trio of German studios will largely come from workers taking a payout to leave. The company offered such voluntary dismissals at its Massive Entertainment studio (The Division) a year ago. For the German studios’ buyouts this time around, Ubisoft and the Works Council had discussed a formula that’d pay a worker’s monthly salary multiplied by 1.5 and by the number of years they’ve worked at the company, according to Game File sources. The formula is still subject to negotiations with the Works Council and has not yet been part of an official offer to workers. It could be adjusted up or down, and it could be supplemented with additional bonuses. Asked about the floated payout formula, a Ubisoft rep told Game File, “The terms of a potential voluntary departure program remain subject to negotiation with employee representatives. No final agreement has been reached, and we won’t comment on specific proposals while discussions are ongoing.” Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: Epic’s AI adventures Epic Games (Fortnite, the Unreal engine) is all-in on using AI to try to transform the way it makes video games and game-making tools. It’s leaders appear to be undeterred by any resistance among gamers and some game developers around generative AI—and instead emboldened by advances, particularly in AI-assisted programming. A recap of the last three days: On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Epic management told workers last week that development of an upcoming game combining Star Wars and Marvel characters would be “AI first.” Employees would be expected to use AI models such as Claude to code the game. A manager told Epic’s developers there would be “[n]o more hand-written code” and that art for the game would be “generated with full AI workflows,” per the outlet. Just ahead of that story running, Epic founder Tim Sweeney tweeted: “We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration. The aim isn’t to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal.” In a follow-up, Sweeney predicted that most game development processes would be at least three times faster a year from now than they were in January 2026, thanks to AI. To a person on X who told him he was failing to read the room, Sweeney said: “Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it’s not. Our job, as the provider of tools and technology to much of the industry, is to design for the present that is and the future that will soon be.” On Wednesday, Epic announced it was releasing a faster launcher for its Epic Games Store marketplace. It did so by stating in a blog post as clear as could be that the launcher is an AI-enabled, vibe-coded project: Programming is hard. So, instead of doing that, we vibe coded a new Epic Games Launcher that’s way faster and more responsive than the current one, and has a new look. Programming is hard? That was unexpected phrasing from a company founded by a legendarily great programmer. Back in 2011, Sweeney told me that he’d picked up programming quickly as a kid and rejoiced at the power it gave him. “I could look at any program that anybody else had written and, with enough effort, build something cooler.” Item 3: The Xbox Labs experiment (and one of the people behind it) Microsoft’s Xbox division, which is flooding the zone with announcements lately, yesterday revealed a new internal tech-tinkering team called Xbox Labs. In the words of Xbox boss Asha Sharma Labs is “a small group of game makers, engineers and scientists whose job is to turn emerging ideas into things our players and developers can experience.” Conventional wisdom coming out of the announcement is that Labs is a team that’ll focus on ideas driven by generative AI. In her announcement, Sharma cited some of the dizzying achievements in tech and gaming over the past month as AI agents and other AI tools have been deployed to swiftly figure out how popular games work, then rebuild them and mix them up. She mentioned seeing ”games rapidly decompiled and rebuilt to run on hardware they were never originally designed to support” and said “[p]erhaps more surprisingly, we’ve seen many of the biggest games in the world have been remixed into the source code of another.” (Minecraft plus Elden Ring, for example, or Fortnite + Super Monkey Ball + Overwatch + Diablo + others.) Sharma also cited the work of Windows PC games being ported to run in browsers, a seeming reference to a recent AI-assisted fan port of Halo. Or perhaps Call of Duty or GTA. Sharma didn’t use the specific term “AI” in her memo, but she came close, citing AI “agents” and their potential for game-making tools that Labs could help craft: I think XBOX has an important role to play here. Coding became the first major workload for agents because they can write, run, and test software. Games share many of those same properties, and people spend more than 72 billion hours a year playing XBOX games, roughly five times the estimated time spent writing code worldwide. We’ve spent 25 years learning how to make great games, and I want our game makers to help shape what these new technologies make possible. As we learn, we’ll share the tools we build with developers across the industry, just as we always have. When I asked an Xbox rep if Labs was an AI-centric team, they said genAI was not the focus, describing it as having a broader mandate for using new tech in new ways in gaming. As an example, they pointed to Xbox’s recently launched disc-to-digital gaming usage rights program. Microsoft didn’t specifically name anyone involved full-time in Xbox Labs yesterday, but on social media and LinkedIn, I spotted Adrian Mato IDing himself as leading the creatio of tools at Labs and talking up the launch. Mato first caught my attention in late September, when he said on X that he was “starting to build a new team at Xbox focused on products and tools for how games get built and distributed as agentic tools become more capable.” At the time, he framed AI-based tools as a supplement to traditional game dev tools. “I don’t think we need to replace them,” he said. Since then, he’s publicly shown interest in AI and in games. He’s recently spent some of his X feed marveling at the power of AI agents and praising the lighting in the latest Gears of War. Following the Labs announcement yesterday, he enthused about the Xbox Labs’ stylish landing page. He wrote: “We built some fun tools to art-direct shaders in real time, experimented with interactive ASCII art, and sprinkled in lots of tiny details. “Move your mouse to leave a colorful trail that reveals the original footage, or interact with the video to trigger bursts of particles. “A lot of love went into making it all feel just right. “More to come”
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