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The new Mercedes EQS SUV is an extraordinary luxury car. It’s imposing, quiet, refined, full of clever tech and premium features. It’s a great cruiser and offers a truly cavernous interior. But at this price you want a car that can do it all, and at times the EQS off-roader feels like it lacks the talent in some areas that a car like this needs to be impenetrable. We’d wait for the forthcoming all-electric Range Rover. The Mercedes EQS SUV is arguably one of the most exorbitant and ostentatious new cars of 2022. Not without merit – and we’ll come to that in a moment – it launches just as the country prepares for what looks to be the most significant cost of living crisis in a generation. But to dismiss it as a fancy, frivolous and irrelevant stagecoach for the world’s super-rich would be unfair. Mercedes’ very own S-Class has always been seen as a springboard for new technology, and the EQS is no different. Kit trialled here will filter down to more affordable models in time. Take it at face value and the numbers – price aside – are compelling. A huge 120kWh (108.4kWh usable) battery that is good for, Mercedes says, 379 miles of range. Speaking of charging, the EQS can replenish its cells at speeds of up to 200kW – all without the even more expensive 800-volt electrics that underpin cars like the Porsche Taycan and Kia EV6. Or looking at it another way, at this level of the market, maybe that should be standard? Either way, it means a 10-80 per cent charge takes just 31 minutes. There’s a caveat, of course; tipping the scales at more than 2.7 tonnes, the EQS SUV isn’t particularly efficient. Mercedes claims between 2.5 and 3.0miles per kWh, though in reality we saw figures at the lower end of that range. Still, that should be enough for 250-270 miles without too much cause for concern. Then there’s the cabin – even without the circa-£8,000 Hyperscreen (exact specifications have yet to be confirmed) – the EQS represents the very best of Mercedes craftsmanship. It feels genuinely luxurious, from the woods, leathers and metals used to trim the centre console, to the armchair-like seats and pillow-soft headrests. No corners have been cut when it comes to fitting out the brand’s flagship SUV. It’s the set-up you see in these pictures that we’d actually recommend. Sure, the three-screen layout is the EQS’s party piece, but few will ever truly utilise the myriad functions – and the passenger display feels like little more than a gimmick. The standard two-screen set-up will save you thousands, and it’s still full of trick features, while also being responsive and relatively intuitive to use. But luxury can’t simply be defined by the materials used or the number of screens offered. A car’s high-end feel runs deeper than that, and the thing that makes the EQS appear more premium than any of its rivals is refinement. The EQS SUV, despite its size, bulk, and bluff front end, is unquestionably one of the quietest cars we’ve ever driven. At 70mph, the cabin is all but completely silent. Even on 22-inch wheels, there is very little road noise. Wind noise isn’t noticeable until you approach three-figure speeds, and the ride – save for the odd sharp jolt or pothole – is sublime. Comfort is what the EQS SUV does best. That’s true in both the front and middle rows of seats. You get a commanding driving position, and where the EQS saloon loses out on headroom in the rear, the SUV’s taller roofline offers rear-seat occupants all the space they could ever wish for. Sitting three abreast should be no trouble at all. The EQS will be sold exclusively with seven seats here in the UK, though the 450-badged test model we tried was fitted with the five-seat configuration offered in other markets. We did manage to take a seat in the third-row of another car, however, and while space is more generous than in, say, a Tesla Model X, it’s still best reserved for children or smaller adults. Fit and finish, even in the rearmost row, remains immaculate. Boot space is generous too – as it should be for something measuring 5,125mm nose to tail. There’s 565 litres with the very back seats folded flat, expanding to 2,020 litres all told. That’s significantly more than you’ll get in an Audi e-tron. Given the EQS SUV’s strong refinement and supple ride, it’ll come as no surprise that this is a fantastic long-distance cruiser. The quiet cabin, teamed with all the standard-fit safety and driver assistance tech, gives the EQS perfect motorway manners. Those who want to experience the any-speed instant torque often associated with high-power EVs might want to take a look at the top-spec EQS 580. The 355bhp 450 4MATIC is brisk from a standstill, but performance tails off at higher speeds. It’s still capable of quick overtakes, but it won’t pin you to your seat like the range-topper will. Yet whereas it’s easy enough to disguise the car’s weight while going in a straight line, it’s not so simple through the corners. And actually, the way this car handles is all the more impressive because of that. Indeed, the EQS SUV trims a neat line – without too much in the way of pitch or body roll. It’s just never that exciting. At upwards of £100k, you almost want a car that can do it all. Luxury, practicality – even fun, should the mood dictate. But the EQS SUV feels numb for the most part, in a way a BMW iX does not. In fact it’s that car that really shows the EQS’s failings. Even fully-loaded, BMW’s iX xDrive50 undercuts the Merc by almost £20,000 – and it’ll match it for luxury, range and charging tech. Yes, the iX only has five seats, but if this isn’t an issue for you, then it’s a far superior car to drive. What’s more, Mercedes still hasn’t mastered the art of regenerative braking. The EQS gets an adjustable set-up, and while the most aggressive mode isn’t quite strong enough for one-pedal driving – unlike in the smaller EQA and EQC, oddly enough – it’s the brake feel in conjunction with the regen system that sets the most significant alarm bells ringing. At times, the left pedal gives the sensation it’s being pulled away from your right foot, as the car struggles to juggle the two systems seamlessly. One area where the brakes did impress though, was on a short but challenging off-road route. The EQS’s dedicated Off-Road mode and clever Downhill Speed Regulation (DRS) system manages to control descents in complete silence. Few owners will ever use it, but it bodes well for the forthcoming EQG electric G-Class. We’ll have to wait a little longer for full transparency on EQS SUV prices and specs, but taking the EQS saloon as a benchmark, it’s likely UK buyers will get a choice of Luxury and AMG Line trims, plus the usual Premium and Premium Plus packs – with the more expensive models adding items such as bigger wheels, a 360-degree camera, a Burmester sound system and a head-up display. One option box worth ticking will be the 10-degree (4.5 degrees as standard) rear-wheel steering system, which reduces the SUV’s turning circle to that of a Volkswagen Golf. The ability to turn so tightly is a little disconcerting at first, but when a car is this big and near-impossible to park, every little helps. Source.

Showcasing that nothing is impossible for the visually-impaired, Guinness World Records has recognised blind skateboarder Daniel Mancina for the longest 50-50 grind on a skateboard (IS2), sliding a remarkable 6.85 m (22 ft 5 in). Mancina, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a rare, genetic eye disease since the age of 13, is now completely blind. He started snowboarding as a young boy during the winter seasons, according to Guinness World Records. Never having tried his hand at the sport before and not knowing what it truly meant to be a skater, he would simply roll the skateboard around, the site noted. It wasn’t until he moved to a different neighbourhood during his middle school years and met with a group of skaters that Mancina began to truly appreciate skating. “I met a group or friends who skated and who are all still my friends to this day,” said the 35-year-old. After taking time to deal with his deteriorating eyesight, Mancina decided to again try out skateboarding with a small bench in an attempt to film himself performing a front board. Interestingly, he started creating a new skateboarding process, which involved walking through the areas he would be skating and using his cane to feel everything. “I rely on my white cane the most, using it to scan my environment and to find obstacles while skating,” said Mancina. “I’m also working towards having skateboarding in the Paralympics. The goal is 2028,” he added. Source.

Russian troops have detained the director of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine's state nuclear regulator Enerhoatom says. It says Ihor Murashov was held as his car was on its way from the facility to the nearby town of Enerhodar at about 16:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Friday. He was then blindfolded and is believed to have been taken to a prison facility in Enerhodar, Enerhoatom's president told the BBC. Russia has not commented. Moscow seized Europe's biggest nuclear plant in March, and kept on its Ukrainian staff. Both Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of repeatedly shelling the plant, amid global concerns that this could lead to a major radiation incident in Europe. In a statement published on Saturday, Enerhoatom president Petro Kotin said that Mr Murashov "bears main and exclusive responsibility for the nuclear and radiation safety" of the nuclear plant. He said Friday's detention "jeopardises the safety of operation of Ukraine and Europe's largest nuclear power plant". In addition, he told the BBC the detention happened as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of four regions of Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhia. Mr Kontin said representatives of Russia's nuclear state company Rosatom had visited the plant "just two days ago". They said the power plant would be transferred from Ukrainian control to Rosatom's control in line with the annexation of the region. Mr Kontin said he believed the move to kidnap Mr Musharov was an attempt to try and get him to accept the transfer of the power plant from Ukraine to Russia. "They are trying to make him accept the move of [the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant] from Ukraine to Rosatom. But I am sure he is against it. Many times before he refused to accept the Russian world and so on," Mr Kontin said. The plant's president appealed to the International Atomic Energy Agency to demand the immediate release of the plant's chief, accusing Russia of "nuclear terrorism". The six-reactor Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is located near Enerhodar, in the occupied part of Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region. Ukraine says Russian troops are using the station as a military base and that employees are in effect held at gunpoint. Moscow denies the claim. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the annexation of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions - a move widely condemned by Ukraine and the West. Moscow does not fully control any of the four regions in Ukraine's east and south. Source.

In a recent teardown, it was found that Apple’s latest iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 5G modem. This baseband chip and other components are the reason why basic satellite features exist for the newest models. Apple Also Has Some Its Own RF Designs Used in the Latest iPhone 14 Range That Enable These Satellite Features As most of our readers know, all iPhone 14 models will get Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite in November, and that is made possible thanks to Qualcomm’s 5G modem. Reuters reports that custom Apple-designed radio frequency components coupled with software also allow these iPhones to have access to nearby satellites in case users are stuck in an unforgiving predicament. Unfortunately, this Emergency SOS feature is currently limited to U.S. and Canada when it officially launches later this year, but it is possible that it rolls out in other regions too. The Snapdragon X65 enables 5G cellular connectivity, but on top of making phone calls and allowing data service, the ‘band n53’ allows iPhone 14 models to communicate with satellites. As for how Apple got its latest iPhones to play with these orbital machines, it is not thanks to the technology giant’s own satellites, though the company has been rumored to launch them in the distant future. This feature is made possible thanks to Globalstar’s involvement, which will allocate 85 percent of its current and future network capacity to support iPhone 14 models and likely future iPhones that support satellite connectivity. However, keeping Globalstar’s satellites above the ground and in orbit requires resources, so Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite is free for two years, after which customers will be charged an undisclosed amount, which could be annual or monthly fees. Maybe when Apple finally launches its own 5G modem, it may bring additional satellite features to the table. Unfortunately, developing an in-house baseband silicon is easier said than done, with the Cupertino tech behemoth reportedly facing a multitude of problems that have forced it to make Qualcomm its exclusive 5G modem supplier for the iPhone 15 lineup. We should see Apple expanding on emergency features next year, so let us stay tuned and see what they are. You might like to check out another teardown. Source.

The rise of low-code could soon see it topple more "traditional" forms of operations, new research has claimed. Mendix's 2022 State of Low-Code found a rise in low-code adoption from 77% in 2021 to 94% this year, with four in 10 businesses now using low-code for mission-critical solutions in their business operations. The report cites a Gartner projection which places low-code or no-code applications at 70% by 2025, up from 25% in 2020. Should I use low-code? When business ground to a halt and economies froze, many businesses were faced with incredibly tough decisions. One in nine businesses surveyed said that they would have had to face reputational damage or look at cost-cutting measures like rising prices or losing staff had they not adopted low-code. As such, 69% saw no-code evolving from a crisis technology to a core technology that they intend to integrate into their businesses in order to obtain greater control over things like cost. Key areas for low-code include IT, production engineering, product design, and quality control. Mendix outlined several benefits of low-code, many of which were most notable at the height of the pandemic. Beyond the fintech and insurtech adoption of low-code, public sector entities have been seen to embrace the technology, too. The Mendix research indicates that “improved, centralized, and standarized citizen ID authentication; improved access to services; and improved planning and management of budget and physical resources” have all played out as part of low-code, the effects of which can ripple onto other businesses that have dealings with the public sector. Traditionally an in-person experience, retail has been digitized, largely due to the pandemic. Developing the right software can be timely and costly, however some retailers have used low-code to develop things like digital shopping pickup which has allowed them to adapt more quickly and remain competitive. “The way we run our businesses has fundamentally changed in the last two years," noted Mendix CEO Tim Srock. "It is now absolutely critical to digitalize operations and engage with customers and employees through different modalities and touchpoints”. In summary, low- and no-code solutions have enabled established companies to evolve, and for younger companies to step up to the table, which are all crucial steps in a time of economic pressure. Source.

Having understood the importance of the local semiconductor supply chain for long-term homegrown microelectronics industry development, the Japanese government kicked off a program to subsidize local chipmakers. On the heels of its $680 million subsidy for Kioxia and Western Digital in July, the Japanese govt announced plans to support Micron's Hiroshima operations with ¥46.5 billion ($320 million). This cash infusion might help Micron bring extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography to Japan. Micron will receive the funding from Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, reports Bloomberg. However, the conditions that Micron must meet to get the subsidy were unavailable via the ministry's website at the time of writing. The grant will help Micron 'mass produce cutting-edge memory chips' at its fabs near Hiroshima, Japan, which the company obtained when it acquired Elpida in 2013. Micron produces a significant portion of its DRAM products at its site near Hiroshima, Japan, and runs important R&D operations in the country. To keep DRAM fabs up-to-date, Micron and other memory makers must constantly install new equipment to adopt new manufacturing technologies and increase capacity, which requires hefty investments. Since capital expenditures (CapEx) are getting extremely high in the semiconductor industry these days, chipmakers like Micron are seeking support and incentives from governments. They plan their own spending based on what they might receive in grants and various enticements. $320 million is a lot of money, though it remains to be seen how much money Micron will be willing to spend on Hiroshima site expansion. Just yesterday, the company said that it cut down its fiscal year 2023 CapEx budget by 30% year-over-year to around $8 billion. To reduce its capital expenditures, the company trimmed its wafer fab equipment (WFE) CapEx by nearly 50% YoY, which will result in a much slower ramp of its 1ß DRAM and 232-layer 3D NAND versus prior expectations as the ramp requires more new tools at the fabs. Meanwhile, the company "more than doubled" its construction CapEx (i.e., building new fab shells) year-over-year to meet demand for the second half of this decade and retained plans to procure EUV lithography systems to support its 1γ (1-gamma) node development. The $320 million subsidy from the Japanese government could be used to bolster the Hiroshima site's WFE CapEx budget to ramp up 1ß DRAM node in Japan next year or procure new EUV tools and ramp up EUV-enabled 1γ DRAM fabrication technology in Japan sometime in 2024. Keeping in mind that many things for 1ß DRAM manufacturing process should be arranged by now (i.e., which tools go where), the grant might indeed be used for the next round of Micron's Hiroshima site expansion, the one that involves ASML's EUV scanners and the company's 1γ DRAM. For now, we have more questions than answers, but it looks like the subsidy from the Japanese government comes at a time when Micron is slowing down upgrades of its current fabs by cutting down its WFE CapEx. Source.

Tencent, one of the biggest tech companies in the world and the largest by gaming revenue, has long invested in companies based outside of China. However, it often did so in a limited fashion, only grabbing a minority stake and letting existing owners stay on to lead their companies. Examples include Playtonic Games, Frontier Developments, Bohemia Interactive, Payload Studios, Offworld Industries, Triternion, Paradox Interactive, Remedy Entertainment, Krafton, Kakao, FromSoftware, Marvelous, Bloober Team, and Don't Nod. Today, a new Reuters report suggests there is going to be a shift in Tencent's merger and acquisition strategy to focus on majority deals instead. The reason for the policy change is well-known: the Chinese government's increasingly harsh restrictions on gaming (especially for minors) have forced Chinese companies, including the likes of NetEase, to look outward for growth. In August 2022, Tencent had to report its first-ever decrease revenue drop measured at -3% on a year-over-year basis when compared to the second quarter of 2021. The drop for the whole first half of 2022 was -1%. The Chinese giant recently completed a sizable ($300 million) investment in Guillemot Bros., the family-owned company with the largest stake in Ubisoft. Tencent also received authorization from Ubisoft's Board of Directors to increase its existing direct stake in the company from 4.5% to 9.99% of capital or voting rights. As part of the deal, Tencent won't be able to sell its Ubisoft shares for five years and won't be able to increase its stake in the company for eight years. Truth be told, it's not like Tencent didn't do any full-fledged acquisitions or majority stake deals before. It already happened with 1C Entertainment (now Fulqrum Games), Inflexion Games, Wake Up Interactive, Turtle Rock Studios, Sharkmob, Grinding Gear Games, Supercell, Leyou, 10 Chambers Collective, Klei Entertainment, and Tequila Works. In all these cases, Tencent acquired the majority or the entirety of the shares outright. In other cases, such as with Yager Development, Fatshark, Sumo Group, Riot Games, and Funcom, an initial minority investment was followed by a more substantial operation to secure the control of these companies. As such, the only thing that sounds like it will change is Tencent just not bothering with the middle step any longer and going directly for majority deals. Either way, the gaming industry's wave of consolidation seems to be far from over. Source.

Name of the game: Muse Dash Price: $2.99 - $0.53 Link Store: Here. Offer ends up after X hours: DAILY DEAL! Offer ends 10 October. Requirements:

V2 colors text

DH1 isn't bad, i like the beat, i understand arabic ofc but i didn't fully understand what he said... in general it's good DH2 i hate it cuz of tiktok and instagram stories and stuff like that... DH3 is just a legend, legendary lyrics, legendary flow, legendary beat... everything is just well set... I vote for DH3

Valve’s Steam Deck is still collecting pre-orders; some people already have the console at their disposal. Put simply, it’s a handheld console for Steam and its supported games, and players can take it virtually anywhere. Though at Mobile World Congress earlier this morning, a new partnership between Verizon, Qualcomm, and Razer. What exactly will come of that partnership? A brand-new handheld console specializing in streaming and cloud gaming is what. Powered by 5G mobile technology, the trio of companies is set to release the Razer Edge 5G. Twitter user GLKCreative tweeted about the announcement, which you can see below. The Razer Edge 5G enables you to use mobile data to access the network for your cloud games, giving it a bit more network access and reach than the Steam Deck, among other devices of this caliber. You can also stream and access your games over a conventional wi-fi connection if you prefer doing that. The storefronts that the Razer Edge 5G supports were not disclosed other than Android, so it’s rather unclear whether this will include native support for spaces like NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Xbox Game Pass, Steam Remote Play, or other game streaming services. It’s already a pretty significant contender for what it has to offer. Of course, the obvious competition would be the Logitech G Cloud handheld. This portable device offers a Steam-Deck-like form factor but focuses entirely on streaming rather than running games natively. As such, the device is fully compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW. Verizon and Razer also noted that you can see more information on the Razer Edge 5G in about two weeks at RazerCon on October 15th. We’ll continue to update as more information on the Razer Edge 5G is released, including features and technical specifications. The Razer Edge 5G is currently in development. Source.

While File Explorer will finally be gaining tabs in the next update to Windows 11, now that the first major 2022 update for it is available, PowerToys is also bringing in a useful update to see what's using your files as it's slowing down your PC. PowerToys(opens in new tab) is an app that has a collection of tools to help improve your PC or laptop, from putting a spotlight on your mouse to easily find it, or adding some additional tools to File Explorer, which is where this latest update comes in. According to Windows Latest(opens in new tab), this upcoming update to PowerToys enables you to right-click, and in the context menu, select an option to find out exactly which processes are using the file in question. Called 'File Locksmith', this could be very useful if you've been coming across moments where some files have been selected, and they've slowed down your PC for a long period of time. A Locksmith at the ready In an update on GitHub, developer ivanstosic-janea(opens in new tab) explains the feature in more detail, where a window will pop up, showing which processes are using the file, and you can 'kill' these to stop the file using these. This can be useful in a bunch of ways, as you can more quickly find out why your PC is slowing down, and stop the file in question instead of restarting your PC completely. The feature is still in testing and not available to users as yet, but in the meantime, we do recommend installing PowerToys regardless, as it can easily cut down some steps in renaming a bunch of files at once for example. Source.

Just like their U.S. colleagues across the pond, European retailers are preparing for Nvidia's flagship GeForce RTX 4090 launch on October 12. In fact, it looks like some European stores will carry more custom GeForce RTX 4090 variants than some of their American counterparts as boards from companies like Asus, Gigabyte, Inno3D, , MSI, Palit, PNY, and Zotac are already listed by retailers in Finland, Germany, and the U.K. Custom top-of-the-range Ada Lovelace architecture-based graphics boards are not cheap in Europe, to put it mildly. While Nvidia's own GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card carries an MSRP of €1949 in most European countries, boards from partners start at €1999 ($1575) in Finland(opens in new tab) and €2029 ($1953) in Germany(opens in new tab), at least in respective Proshop stores (thanks to VideoCardz for the tip). When comparing European prices to U.S. prices, one should note that prices in Europe generally include a sale tax / VAT of respective countries (19% in Germany, 24% in Finland), whereas U.S. retailers list prices without taxes. As a result, while at first glance European prices look substantially higher than U.S. prices, they are not that higher. For convenience of our U.S. readers, we subtract the sales tax / VAT and then convert European prices to USD. The cheapest GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards in Finland are Gigabyte's Windforce GeForce RTX 4090 and Asustek's TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 — they cost €1999 ($1575). Meanwhile, the lowest-priced G102-based boards in Germany are MSI's Gaming Trio GeForce RTX 4090 (€2029, $1665) and MSI's factory-overclocked Gaming X Trio GeForce RTX 4090 (€2169, $1779). The most expensive one is the Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC — it costs €2479 ($2034) in Germany and €2549 ($2007) in Finland. Among the most interesting custom GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards listed in Europe, but not in the U.S. are certainly Inno3D's GeForce RTX 4090 iChill X3 with a GPU boost clock of 2580 MHz and a massive triple-fan cooling system that is priced at €2199 ($1732) in Finland. Inno3D also has its GeForce RTX 4090 iChill Frostbite/GeForce RTX 4090 iChill Black with pre-installed waterblock for custom-built liquid cooling systems €2249/€2299 ($1845/$1887) in Germany and €2299/€2399 ($1810/$1890) in Finland. Meanwhile, Caseking.de(opens in new tab) also lists Zotac's factory-overclocked Gaming GeForce RTX 4090 AMP! Extreme Airo with a 2580 MHz GPU boost clock and a huge triple-fan cooler. This board will be available for €2279 ($1870), but the retailer does not say when it is set to ship. Speaking of Caseking Group, we should note that its U.K. subsidiary Overclockers.co.uk(opens in new tab) already lists 22 GeForce RTX 4090 models from different vendors and even has two GeForce RTX 4080 cards from KFA2 as well as PNY incoming. Unfortunately, the company does not reveal prices of the upcoming boards. In general, looks like big European retailers are more or less ready for Nvidia's new product launch on October 12 and those who want to have the best graphics card will be able to get one in less than two weeks. Source.

Name of the game: Townscaper Price: $5.99 - $3.59 Link Store: Here. Offer ends up after X hours: DAILY DEAL! Offer ends 10 October. Requirements:

Cologne welcomed back countless gaming fans for this year's Gamescom after two years of hiatus forced by the COVID pandemic. That said, while gamers once again attended in droves (over 250K, according to official figures shared by the organizers), several of the biggest game companies decided to skip the German convention. On the upside, this choice allowed other games to shine, with the Wuxia-themed open world sandbox RPG Where Winds Meet easily gathering some of the most excited reactions on social media and forums. Developed by Everstone Studio and published by NetEase Games for the PC platform, Where Winds Meet is set in China during the twilight period of the Ten Kingdoms. It features highly ambitious gameplay mechanics that go beyond the traditional combat-focused action/adventure genre, supporting many different playstyles. Where Winds Meet also includes both single player and multiplayer modes. Following the strong excitement generated by the debut trailer showcased at Gamescom 2022 Opening Night Live, we reached out to the development team of Where Winds Meet with a plethora of questions. Today, we are happy to publish the comprehensive responses we got from the developers, which should fill in many gaps in areas like combat and non-combat activities, world size, story, building system, multiplayer, and more. Enjoy! First of all, what was your reaction to all the positive buzz that followed the reveal of Where Winds Meet? Did it surpass your expectations, and if so, how are you handling the newfound pressure from gamers worldwide? This trailer seems to have gained the attention and love of players from all around the world. We were really delighted and pleasantly surprised by this, but we are also experiencing greater pressure as a consequence! We constantly need to keep reminding ourselves to be more down-to-earth in making games after gaining so much unexpected attention. Rationally speaking, our game is still not where we want it to be ideally. We will continue to work hard and keep polishing the game more earnestly in the future and do our best to create something that truly gives our players a better experience of the world of martial arts. This sounds like a really ambitious project. When did you begin work on Where Winds Meet, and how many developers do you have on it? We have been preparing since 2019. We had a relatively small team of about ten or more people at that time, but everyone was filled with yearning and passion for the spirit of martial arts, and we all enjoyed open-world gameplay, so everyone hit it off from the start and we began developing the game together. Later, with the project's advancement, the team continued to grow. We currently have just under a hundred people. Which engine are you using for this title? Will you take advantage of ray tracing? We are using a proprietary solution, but we will release more information about our engine later. Will you support controllers/gamepads for Where Winds Meet? Yes, we plan for our game to offer support for game controllers. Are you planning to conduct beta tests outside of China? All we can say is that we hope to launch a test version of the game this year. Please keep an eye out for further information about the specific region. The announcement press release described Where Winds Meet as an open world sandbox game. Usually, games in this genre do not focus on the story. However, can players still expect a detailed storyline in Where Winds Meet? In the game, we use the main story to push players to explore the world, but the main story won't account for too much of the whole game. We will try to supplement the story with more narratives about the environment and events. How big is the playable world in the game? How long does it take to get from one end to another of the map? We expect the first version to have more than 20 square kilometers (5K * 5K), but we are constantly adjusting this according to the content. As the world of this game has a 3D structure, there is an underground space and altitude. The game will continue to be updated and expanded in the future. The first version will feature a large city, Bianjing City, a large wild area, and small towns. From what we've been able to understand, there will be a single player mode and multiplayer mode, and players can switch between them at all times. Can you explain the differences between the two? Simply put, single-player and multiplayer modes will be mutually exclusive modes, and players can freely choose whichever mode they want to play. In multiplayer mode, players will be in environments that are interactive or collaborative in nature. For example, players can fight together. As shown in the live demonstration, when a player suffers from qigong deviation or a debuff, other players can take on the role of a physician to heal their injuries. In addition, the scene of the meteorite falling in the trailer is actually a random event unique to multiplayer mode. Our philosophy is that a large area will be changed when any event occurs. A house could collapse, a fire could break out, or it could be something more serious, and players would be required to work together to accomplish a certain goal. How many players will be able to participate on the same server in the multiplayer mode of Where Winds Meet? Will there be clan/guild struggles for conquering territories? The Multiplayer mode is still being designed, and many contents have yet to be determined. We are hoping to do something novel and unique with multiplayer mode to give players new experiences, so we are still in the process of trial and error for details. Stay tuned, though. You've confirmed that player characters can get sick in a variety of ways. How important are the survival elements going to be in Where Winds Meet? We have added some realistic content to the game, but our original intention was to recreate classic content of martial arts (Wuxia) and not to make a survival game. We brainstormed about interesting and unique experiences of martial arts and thought of how those who practice martial arts can suffer from Qigong Deviation and enter a state similar to illness if something goes wrong. Building on this through association and extension, we have incorporated many states of disease into the game, including fractures and other traumas. These contents are triggered and resolved through the game's unique martial arts characteristics, such as Qinggong and combat, instead of simply introducing survival elements into the game. Beyond fighting as a swordsman, the game will allow other professions such as doctors, merchants, etc. Will there be any specific mini-games to go with these alternative jobs? Also, can you take multiple jobs at once? We hope to provide a diversified value system in this martial arts society so that players can play the game as any occupation. Even if they don't pursue powerful combat abilities, they can still experience the unique fun of the rich social occupation gameplay. We will still provide sufficient content for each profession. Players who choose to become a doctor will have different abilities and honor evaluation criteria from heroes. For example, they may be evaluated based on the amount of praise received from patients or the number of intractable diseases treated. At the same time, because this game will have rich social elements, there will be extensive interactions between various occupations and identities, allowing players to experience fun social interactions and a sense of personal achievement. Regarding combat, we understand that player characters can join a martial art school or multiple schools or even just steal the moves. Can you expand on how this system works? Where Winds Meet has a martial arts (Wuxia) theme. We attach great importance to the presentation of martial arts (Wuxia) elements in the game, and the fighting abilities in the martial arts (Wuxia) theme are both an inheritance and an extension of the traditional martial arts, kung fu. It includes real fighting moves and content that defies the laws of physics, making it romantic and innovative. We hope this will show everyone the unique charm of martial arts combat. Many martial arts movements seen in the trailer are inspired by kung fu concepts. For example, the pressure point attacks mentioned by many players are traditional martial arts technique that uses a special way of force generation to hit specific parts of enemies' bodies to immobilize them. It is a type of 'Qigong'. This type of attack is featured in many martial arts films, television works (such as Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon), and martial arts literature. This will be the first time this attack has been recreated in a game, so we hope it lives up to everyone’s expectations. The fire-breathing and acrobatics that appear in the trailer are derived from kung fu performances of traditional Chinese street performers. The scene of the leaves being rolled up is a representation of Tai Chi, a martial art that originates from the ancient philosophical work, the i-ching, the Book of Changes. It is a martial art that advocates using softness to overcome strength, borrowing the force of others, and channeling the power of enemies' attacks to counter them. The trailer also showed many interesting martial arts, such as Form-Intention Fist (e.g., Toad Arts, Lion Roar, etc.), which is derived from simulating animals' hunting behavior. Martial arts skills can even be used to skim over rooftops and walls, etc. can be used to climb over various terrain obstacles such as rocks and walls, step on animals or utilize enemies' force to leap, etc. The introduction of these elements adds interesting changes and experiences to battles. Other than fighting skills, we also designed abilities called 'Jianghu Arts', which play an important role in the exploration of the world and interactions with NPCs. Taking Tai Chi, for example, the core mechanic of leveraging force allows players to change the flow of water, gather the power of falling leaves, or burst with power in an instant to control and change the environment. The collision and fusion of martial arts abilities and an open world are exactly what we want to create a unique and exclusive experience. In Where Winds Meet, martial arts skills can be acquired in various ways that are quite exciting. For example, some taboo martial arts can only be learned through Shadow, and the process of Shadow is risky as you will pay the price if you are discovered. Some other martial arts can only be discovered by chance while exploring the world. For example, players can only comprehend Drunken Fist if they fight when they are drunk. Moreover, players can freely join major Jianghu factions and have their own Jianghu experiences. We want to provide such a degree of freedom. At the same time, players who have joined a sect can still secretly learn the martial arts of other sects. Players are able to use any weapons and learn martial arts from all schools according to their preferences. Will there be fights between schools/sects that you can take part in? In the process of practicing martial arts and exploring the world of Where Winds Meet, players will encounter characters and sects that think differently and have different values. Players will also encounter various opponents and be able to participate in brutal sect battles. Construction is also said to be a big feature of Where Winds Meet. What kind of perks and benefits can players get by building a house? Can it be attacked by other players in multiplayer mode? Players can build things in the world as construction masters. We want our players to enjoy the fun of creation and want to deeply combine construction with exploration and martial art themes to offer players some unique fun. More details will be shared at a later date. Will players be able to make friends, get married, and/or have children in this game? There is no marriage system yet, but we may consider this in the future if there is strong demand from players. However, we recommend players try the parts we have completed first. Is there a chance fans can expect Where Winds Meet to be released in 2023 or is 2024 a safer bet? The release date has not been decided yet. We hope you'll continue to follow us for the latest updates. Is there anything else you would like to add about Where Winds Meet? We’d like to share some background information of why the title is Where Winds Meet. First of all, the game's name originated from our thoughts about 'wind'. To us, 'wind' is a symbol of freedom. It is difficult to describe and has infinite possibilities. This temperament is especially in line with what we have visualized for our free and open world. When multiple winds gather, it is akin to a gathering of people with different ideas, organizations with different ideas, and players who are all different in this grand era and world. We want these harmonious yet different things to meet, collide, and fuse together in the game. That's why this game is called Where Winds Meet. It is in such a place that the collision and intersection of ideas drive mankind to keep moving forward, influencing each other, and creating countless miracles and civilizations, just as the brilliant Song dynasty was born from the chaos of the Five Dynasties period and rebuilt prosperity from the ruins. Exploration and freedom, civilization and harmony–this is the meaning of Where Winds Meet and is the theme of the game that we want to present to everyone. Source.

Prime Minister Liz Truss has agreed to meet other European leaders at a new political "club of nations" next week. The inaugural summit of the European Political Community (EPC), proposed by French president Emmanuel Macron, will meet in Prague next Thursday. Although the UK voted in 2016 to leave the EU, it is among more than a dozen non-EU nations invited to join EU members to discuss security and energy. Ms Truss has only just indicated she could attend the first meeting. She is said to want the group to focus on "delivery" rather than becoming a "talking shop". Mr Macron proposed the EPC in May, as a "new space" for co-operation. The broad intention is to establish a forum that goes beyond the immediate EU member states. All 27 members of the EU are invited as well as the UK, Ukraine, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. Western Balkans nations are also invited, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. EU leaders have insisted the community would not "replace" its enlargement policy of bringing new members into the EU fold. Ever since Liz Truss became prime minister, influential figures around her have been careful not to rule out her attendance. But they have been pretty sniffy about the likelihood of it happening. One suggested just a week ago they'd have to be certain it was a good use of a day of her time. They are also very nervous about any suggestions it is a back door way of cosying up to European countries in any kind of institutional arrangement, given the Brexit vote. On the agenda at next week's meeting are energy and migration. Both are issues the prime minister wants to focus on. Another appeal of the gathering is it involves other non EU members such as Ukraine. Officials - including from the UK - attended a preparatory meeting in Brussels on Thursday. One diplomat told the BBC that Britain had suggested a name change - to the European Political Forum. It is thought this change is so the project does not sound too much like the European Community, an earlier name of the EU. UK officials are said to be seeking assurances that the meeting will not be too dominated by EU countries or institutions. Similar ideas have been floated for decades but this is the first big push for such a forum since Brexit. The Czech Republic currently holds the rotating European Council presidency, so offered to host the first meeting of the EPC. It is not certain exactly what format future meetings would take or how often they would be held, or where. However EU officials have suggested there could be around two a year. Ms Truss previously rejected the idea of British participation. As foreign secretary, she said that Nato and the G7 were the UK's "key" military and economic alliances. But EU sources have said the UK has indicated it may be willing to host the next EPC summit. Source.

A cow herd in Germany has gained an unlikely following, after adopting a lone wild boar piglet. Farmer Friedrich Stapel told the dpa news agency that he spotted the piglet among the herd in the central German community of Brevoerde about three weeks ago. It had likely lost its group when they crossed a nearby river. Stapel said while he knows what extensive damage wild boars can cause, he can’t bring himself to chase the animal away, dpa reported Thursday. The local hunter has been told not to shoot the piglet — nicknamed Frieda — and in winter Stapel plans to put it in the shed with the mother cows. “To leave it alone now would be unfair,” he told dpa. Source.

It's a crazy car with an even crazier price, but in most respects the M4 CSL justifies its cost by simply being a brilliant driver’s car. One that’s not just faster and more focused than the M4 on which it’s based, but also much more rewarding to drive where it counts. The CSL is an instant legend, if ever there was one, even if its steering remains a touch ordinary. BMW doesn’t apply its CSL (Competition Sport Light) badge too often, with just two other cars being gifted the sacred moniker during the last 50 years. But whenever it does, the results tend to be spectacular, and this new £129k, 190mph M4 CSL appears to be no exception. Not only has it lapped the Nurburgring faster than any other production BMW in history, it’s also the most potent six-cylinder BMW there has ever been. Its 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox are fundamentally the same as those you’ll find in a regular M4 (or M3) Competition, but the engine’s output has risen to 543bhp and 650Nm thanks to a plethora of modifications that help it breathe and rev more sweetly, while the gearbox has been remapped to deliver sharper, faster shifts. Cooling and lubrication have also been significantly improved to make the CSL work better on a track, while the brakes are carbon ceramic as standard, the suspension comprehensively reworked and the tyres are Michelin Pilot Sport 4S – or, if you’re seriously committed to circuit driving, Cup 2s are available at no extra cost. Perhaps most important of all, the CSL also weighs 100kg less than a regular, rear-wheel drive M4 thanks to the complete removal of its rear seats, plus the addition of a new lightweight boot lid and bonnet. Even so, the CSL still tips the scales at 1,700kg, so although it’s lighter, it is not what you’d call a light car. The last BMW that wore the magic badge, the E46 M3 CSL of 2003, weighed just 1,385kg… You’d be hard pressed not to pick a CSL from a regular M4 visually. The test car’s look-at-me black and red stripes and its frozen grey paint are all standard issue, but the CSL also rides 8mm lower while its 19-inch front and 20-inch rear forged cross-spoke alloys are similarly bespoke. As is the pared-back, carbon-festooned cabin design, which features the lightweight bucket seats that cost many thousands if you spec them on your regular M4. The 0-62mph sprint takes just 3.7 seconds, claims BMW, which is a pretty immense time for a car that’s still rear-wheel drive, remember. But then the CSL is one of those cars that somehow manages to over-deliver right the way across its dynamic repertoire, so despite its weight and eye-watering price, you still walk away having driven it muttering to yourself in disbelief – not just at what it can do but at the way it can do it. That means it’s very much a proper CSL. It feels instantly lighter and more incisive than a regular M4. The seat clamps you almost violently in position behind the suede-rimmed steering wheel, and although the cabin is still a complex-looking environment in which to operate, featuring the same big central touchscreen and iDrive controls on the centre console, it definitely feels more focused inside. It sounds it too, thanks to the louder exhaust note and the removal of many sound deadening materials. You can even hear the fuel sloshing around in the tank when you come to a halt, while the level of road noise on the move is also louder, and more intense than in the regular M4. Yet the ride is still surprisingly decent – unless you dial the electronically operated dampers up to 11 and select Sport Plus mode, at which point you need to hold on tight. The point is, in its default mode the CSL is not the hard riding, uncompromising track-day renegade you might expect it to be, judging purely from its looks. In certain respects, and on most surfaces, it’s actually better damped than the regular M4 while its steering doesn’t suffer the same kickback over rough roads, either. Having said that, the steering itself is maybe the most disappointing aspect of the CSL in that, despite this, it feels not a lot unlike that of the regular M4’s. In most other respects – the way it sounds, rides, stops, goes, changes gear, looks etc. – it represents a decent step up over the already fiery M4 Comp, and justifies its exorbitant price accordingly. But in the area that arguably matters most – the way it steers – there isn’t enough to distinguish it, which is a shame. Not least because in the E46 CSL the steering was nothing short of sublime. Not that the M4 CSL is in any way a disappointing car overall. Its extra performance alone (which is truly outrageous) is almost sufficient to justify the nutcase price premium. Then there’s the extra fizz from its chassis and brakes, both of which are way stronger than standard. And that’s before you even mention the fact that it will be limited in numbers to just 1,000 examples worldwide, only 100 of which will come to the UK in right-hand drive form, thereby assuring it of potentially vast long-term appreciation. But in the here and now, that doesn’t matter. What does is that the M4 CSL wears its badge with sincerity. It is the real deal, even if it doesn’t quite hit the spot like its predecessor so obviously did. Source.

Billie Eilish has always been candid about her body image issues and overall health. And now, the singer, who is admittedly been working out regularly, has opened up about her love for fitness in a recent interview with Zane Lowe. “I have been working on my bones and my body for the last … since then really,” the 20-year-old said, referring to the ankle injury that she suffered in 2019. “And more seriously for the last four months, I’ve been completely changing the way that my life is involving fitness.” Calling herself “a gym rat”, Billie added, “When did that happen? I don’t know but it did and it started with ‘I can’t get injured anymore.’ I’m not gonna let myself live like that because I lived like that for years.” Detailing her fitness journey, the singer mentioned how working out has regularly changed her life. “Especially [after] coming back from Europe I started working out at a gym for the first time every day. And I know that’s a pretty — like a lot of people do that.” She continued, “But that was not a thing I did and it’s become such an incredibly huge part of my life.” She concluded by saying that focusing on her fitness makes her “feel so much better as a person” and the way she “can move on stage now”. Earlier this year, in an interview with the Sunday Times, Billie had revealed what she thinks of her body. “I kind of think of my body as my friend. My ugly friend!” She added that her relationship with her body “has been a truly horrible, terrible thing since I was 11.” Source.

About 20 members of a Jewish sect held at a facility in Mexico after a police raid on their jungle base have fled. Footage showed men, women, and children streaming out of the site in Huixtla, in the west, on Wednesday night. They had been there since the raid last Friday when two members were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and serious sexual offences. The sect, Lev Tahor, is known for extremist practices and imposing a strict regime on its followers. It advocates child marriage, inflicts harsh punishments even for minor transgressions and requires women and girls as young as three years old to completely cover up with robes. Local media said members of the group had been protesting against their detention since their arrival, including rioting and assaulting personnel. Video from Reuters news agency shows the detainees, dressed in gold, grey and white robes, forcing their way past two guards at a gate as one of their members holds it open. One of the guards trying to hold them back falls down and the group climb over him as they make their escape. A youth is seen turning and kicking the guard as he lies on the ground. It is unclear where the group has gone. Associated Press said they were collected by a lorry and headed towards the border with Guatemala, while news site El Heraldo de México said they went by foot for several miles before disappearing into the night. Their compound, 11 miles (17.5km) north of Tapachula in Chiapas state, was raided by an elite police unit after a months-long investigation and surveillance operation involving Mexican and Guatemalan authorities and a private four-man team from Israel including former Mossad and domestic intelligence agents. Twenty-six members were found at the site, among them Israelis with dual citizenships including Canada, the US and Guatemala, Israel's foreign ministry said. It said a Canadian and an Israeli citizen were arrested, while two other wanted members reportedly left the compound two days before the raid and are being sought. Five more were detained for allegedly breaking immigration rules. The operation stemmed from an appeal to a former member of Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, by a former member of the sect, Yisrael Amir. Mr Amir fled the group's base in Guatemala in 2020, having to leave his then one-year-old son there. His son was released in the raid last week and flown back to Israel with his father. The group had lived in Guatemala since 2014, but in January members illegally crossed into Mexico, settling in the jungle. The leadership in Guatemala has been at the centre of a kidnapping case since 2018. Nine of the sect's members have been charged, four of whom have so far been convicted. Lev Tahor - Hebrew for Pure of Heart - was formed in Israel in 1988 and is thought to number up to 350 members, according to an ex-members group. It has been forced to move from country to country in recent years after coming under scrutiny from local authorities. It is currently spread between Israel, the US, North Macedonia, Morocco, Mexico and Guatemala. Between 70 and 80 members are still in Guatemala. While the group is often described as ultra-Orthodox, it follows its own sets of rules and has been declared a "dangerous cult" by an Israeli court. Its leaders have denied breaking local laws and say the group is being targeted because of its beliefs. Source.

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Google has announced a bunch of changes to its core search functionality, focusing on making searching the web a quicker and more convenient process, and more besides. Announced at its Search On conference(opens in new tab), All of these changes will be rolling out in the US down the line, and the first major introduction is that shortcuts to various tools are going to be brought in, nestling right underneath the search bar. These are things like an icon for translating text with the camera, or identifying a tune by humming it, or indeed to help with a homework problem via the camera – common tasks that you might need, and can now be very swiftly accessed with a tap on the relevant shortcut. In this case, the feature is coming to the Google app for iOS in the US (English language) to begin with, and a wider rollout will doubtless follow. In terms of making core search quicker and more intuitive, Google is ushering in topic options that appear directly below the search box as you type a query. The example Google gives is someone typing a search for ‘best Mexico cities’, and after having entered that text, a bunch of suggestions for finishing the query pop up – such as ‘for families’, ‘for expats’, ‘to retire’, and so forth. These are the most likely options you’ll need, and will hopefully allow you to quickly finish your query with a simple tap. Again, this feature will launch in the US (in English) to begin with, in the “coming months” Google informs us, and the same is true of the remaining capabilities we’re about to explore. Next up are the details surfaced by a search, which again in Google’s example of searching for a city will now prominently include visual stories and the likes of video clips from folks who have visited that particular place. The emphasis is on imparting more practical info such as tips on getting around the city, how to travel there, or what to do during your stay, rather than just, say, historical or geographical facts for example (not that you won’t still receive some of that as results). After a search, suggestion buttons will also pop up below the search box pointing to further topics you might want to explore, such as the beaches of that city you’re going to visit – and you simply tap these, and dive down even deeper into further suggestions if required. Finally, Google tells us it’s revamping the way search results are presented to “better reflect the ways people explore topics”, meaning that as you scroll down, related topics will be highlighted. Sticking with the city example provided, those subjects include the likes of results pertaining to the local cuisine and recipes, musical traditions, art, and so forth. Analysis: Some chunky changes to move with the times The broad thrust here, then, is to make searching easier and quicker as we mentioned at the outset, and to surface more practical content and advice – with the likes of videos from folks who have visited a place – as well as making it as simple as possible to see and explore all manner of related topics. In some corners of the web in more recent times, we’ve noticed complaint threads about how Google isn’t what it used to be when it comes to the quality of search results, and so perhaps the company felt it was time to start changing things up – in a pretty big way. There’s certainly a fresh take on search here with all these different elements, so it’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out when we actually get to use the new search; and of course what the reaction is from those who have become more skeptical about Google. Google is about as old a veteran of the web as you’ll find, and mustn’t fail to move with the times. So when there’s chatter about youngsters hitting up TikTok to discover things rather than Google search, that must be, well, maybe not a threat to Google, but certainly something which is a bit of a worry and should be paid attention to. When other regions outside the US will get these changes, we don’t know, but seeing as they’re down as arriving in the “coming months” in the States, it sounds like it’ll be a slow rollout, particularly in global terms. Source.

While the eyes of industry observers are at Intel's Innovation 2022 in San Jose, the company is also hosting its Open House event in Taipei, Taiwan to demonstrate its upcoming Arc A750 and Arc A770 graphics cards as well as boards built by its partners. Truth to be told, there are not so many partners to demonstrate Intel-based graphics adapters right now, but at least those cards promise to deliver slightly higher performance than Intel's own cards. We already know that Intel is launching its own Arc A770 Limited Edition 16GB graphics board when the cards launch on October 12 at $329. This product will be quickly followed by Intel's own Arc A750 Limited Edition as well as custom cards from the company's partners. ASRock and Gunnir are currently the only companies ready to demonstrate their Intel Arc A750 and Arc A770 graphics adapters. Apparently, these companies prepped three boards: two come from ASRock and one comes from Gunnir, as noticed by @momomo_us. Images have shown up on sites like xfastest, Engadget's Chinese language site and Cool3C. For those looking forward something cheaper, ASRock will offer its Challenger Arc A750 board equipped with 8GB of GDDR6 memory, two eight-pin auxiliary PCIe power connectors as well as a dual-fan cooling system. The company yet has to disclose all specifications of this product, but given higher power limits it will likely offer higher performance than Intel's own board. Gunnir is also prepping an Arc A770 graphics card for gamers that want to have more than Intel's Arc A770 LE can offer, which is why it has two eight-pin power connectors, and a huge triple-fan cooling system. It is noteworthy that for now ASRock and Gunnir do not disclose nominal or turbo frequencies of their custom Arc A770/A750 boards, perhaps because they are not yet finalized. Speaking of Intel's own card, there is one interesting thing to note about Intel's Arc A770 Limited Edition device pictured by Engadget as it carries the 33782 serial number. While the product indeed seems to be a limited edition one with consecutive SNs, it looks like Intel has produced quite a number of these boards already, which may imply that they will be available widely. Will Intel's Arc Alchemist A770 be one of the best graphics cards available at $329 is something that only time will tell though. Intel Arc Alchemist Specifications Source.