US

AppWizard
May 11, 2025
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the White House are facing scrutiny over security vulnerabilities in their messaging application. Hacktivists breached GlobalX, the airline handling U.S. deportation flights, exposing sensitive flight manifests. The FBI warned about threats exploiting outdated routers. Pearson confirmed a cyberattack compromising customer data. Research shows cybercriminals are using Windows Remote Management (WinRM) for lateral movements in Active Directory environments. A new email attack campaign is delivering a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) via malicious PDF invoices. A zero-day vulnerability in SAP NetWeaver allows remote code execution, affecting multiple sectors. An Indiana health system reported a data breach affecting nearly 263,000 individuals.
AppWizard
May 10, 2025
Director Jared Hess' "A Minecraft Movie" is being produced with significant contributions from Wētā FX, which is responsible for creating the film's vibrant world and characters. The movie has a global box office nearing [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Last weekend, I provided an exclusive glimpse into the creative process behind director Jared Hess’ A Minecraft Movie, featuring insights from VFX Supervisor Sheldon Stopsack and Animation Supervisor Kevin Estey. This weekend, we delve even deeper into the collaboration with Wētā FX, the studio responsible for bringing the vibrant world and characters of Minecraft to life on the big screen. Minecraft By The Numbers In my previous article, I explored Wētā FX’s pivotal role in crafting the unique universe of Minecraft, where the game’s iconic blocky aesthetics seamlessly merged with live-action elements. With a staggering global box office nearing 0 million, A Minecraft Movie is poised to become one of the year’s most significant blockbusters, potentially surpassing summer heavyweights like Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman as it approaches the 0 million mark. VFX character designs for "A Minecraft Movie."Source: Wētā FX Minecraft And Making Monsters The intricate world-building by Wētā FX was essential to the film's success. Stopsack elaborated, “People often ask how our environments influenced the characters. Interestingly, it was the characters that shaped the environments. For instance, Malgosha and Dennis needed to forge emotional connections with the audience, which dictated how realistic or abstract we could render their appearances and performances. This understanding guided our environmental design, ensuring that the digital characters felt integrated into the world.” The result was the creation of the expansive Overworld, which seamlessly combines 64 diverse terrains into a cohesive environment for both day and night scenes. This vast digital landscape was shared with Digital Domain for the film’s climactic battle. Stopsack noted the scale of their work, stating, “To illustrate the enormity of our task, we placed over 2 billion clumps of grass patches in the Overworld, each made up of individual grass blades.” VFX character designs for "A Minecraft Movie."Source: Wētā FX When discussing the challenges and joys of animating the film's diverse characters, Estey shared, “Every character and creature we designed has its own story and challenges, as no two are alike. We ended up with 26 unique characters, each requiring distinct personalities, behaviors, and motion styles.” VFX work for Malgosha in "A Minecraft Movie."Source: Wētā FX Focusing on Malgosha, Estey remarked on the unique challenge of introducing a character not found in the game but crucial to the film's narrative. “We had to strike a balance between creating a new character that would resonate with the gaming community while ensuring she fit seamlessly into the Minecraft universe. Jared wanted all characters in The Nether to appear realistic yet retain the iconic blocky aesthetic.” To achieve this, Malgosha was designed with a fleshy, detailed look, complete with jiggly jowls and a flowing cloak, while still embracing the distinctive Minecraft style. Estey also highlighted the comedic elements that made the animation process enjoyable. “One of the standout scenes for us was the showdown between Steve and Malgosha, particularly the triple-knife gag. The absurdity of Malgosha repeatedly attempting to stab Steve with knives she claims she doesn’t possess was both hilarious and engaging.” VFX character designs for "A Minecraft Movie."Source: Wētā FX The creation of Malgosha involved significant collaboration, with motion-capture performer Allan Henry lending his physicality and vocal inspiration to the character. His comedic chemistry with Jack Black, who voiced Steve, greatly influenced Malgosha's animation. “I’ve known Allan for almost 15 years,” Estey shared. “He’s an incredible stunt performer and actor, and his humor is unmatched. Working with him and Jack Black, both of whom I admire greatly, was an unforgettable experience.” Estey continued, “Their improvisation during the triple-knife scene added layers of humor that we had to translate into Malgosha’s digital performance. When Rachel House provided her vocal performance, we integrated it with Allan’s physicality and Jack’s comedic timing, ensuring that the humor resonated through Malgosha’s animation.” “Seeing the final scene come together and hearing audiences laugh during screenings was immensely rewarding,” Estey concluded. “That kind of connection with the audience is what makes this work so gratifying.” A Minecraft Movie is filled with a plethora of characters and creatures, from Dennis to the Piglins and Bee. I look forward to continuing my discussions with Wētā FX as I prepare to review the home entertainment release of A Minecraft Movie. Stay tuned for more insights soon!" max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"] million and is expected to be a major blockbuster, potentially surpassing other films like "Fantastic Four: First Steps" and "Superman." Wētā FX's character designs and environmental work are crucial to the film's success, with over 2 billion clumps of grass patches created in the expansive Overworld. The film features 26 unique characters, including a new character named Malgosha, designed to resonate with the gaming community while fitting into the Minecraft universe. Malgosha's design incorporates a fleshy look while maintaining the game's blocky aesthetic, and her animation was influenced by motion-capture performer Allan Henry and voice actor Jack Black. The film includes comedic elements, particularly in a scene featuring a gag between Steve and Malgosha.
AppWizard
May 10, 2025
Among Us 3D was launched this week on PC by Schell Games, offering a new perspective on the classic game, available at a discounted price for the weekend. Blizzard is providing various deals, while Epic Games Store features exclusive titles and offers. Fanatical allows users to build their own Bethesda Bundle with select titles for specific prices. Gamebillet, Gamersgate, GamesPlanet, GOG.com, and Green Man Gaming are all offering competitive deals and discounts. Humble Bundle has a subscription option for .99 per month with various game offerings and tiered bundles. Ubisoft is running a promotion with a coupon code for discounts. Steam continues to offer a vast library and frequent sales.
AppWizard
May 10, 2025
Conor MacNeill, a game development professor at Niagara College, highlights the excitement of students presenting their capstone projects at the Welland campus library. The game development program has grown from about a dozen graduates to a large community, now including collaborations with Brock University. Students are now creating VR games, a significant development compared to the program's early years. First-year student Mark Lampman and fourth-year student Dante Bell showcase their projects, with Bell's team, Slugworks, presenting a game called "Green Thing from the Planet Jupiter." This game features a competitive chase between a green alien and a cat, requiring significant time commitment from the team. The GDLaunch event has evolved, with students actively promoting their games through various marketing strategies. Approximately 25 alumni attended, many looking to hire graduates. The gaming industry is expected to grow through 2027, providing promising opportunities for students. After GDLaunch, 64 graduates attended the Level Up Showcase in Toronto, where their game won second place for Achievement in Audio. The event attracted around 5,000 attendees, showcasing the innovation and dedication of the students.
BetaBeacon
May 9, 2025
A new Switch emulator called Eden is set to launch in pre-alpha tomorrow. It promises a fresh take on playing Switch games on Android, with a revamped user interface and improved performance. The developers have a strong pedigree and are eager to share their work with the community. Lead developer Camille LaVey has been transparent about the challenges faced during development. The official pre-alpha launch of Eden is scheduled for May 10th at midday.
AppWizard
May 9, 2025
The Ninth Circuit US Court of Appeals ruled that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) did not sufficiently prove that Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard would restrict the availability of the Call of Duty franchise on competing platforms. The court upheld a previous ruling that blocked the FTC's attempt to halt the merger, stating that the FTC's case lacked adequate evidentiary support and did not raise substantial questions about reduced competition. The merger, initially announced in 2022, received approval in 2023, allowing Microsoft to integrate Activision Blizzard into its portfolio.
AppWizard
May 8, 2025
Mojang has announced the discontinuation of VR support for Minecraft, with plans to cease support by March 2025 and a suspension of VR functionality that occurred in May. The transition away from VR has received mixed reactions, as the experience was often described as temperamental and underwhelming. Alternatives like Vivecraft, a fan-supported mod, allow players to enjoy Minecraft in VR on PCs, but come with challenges such as requiring additional setup and coordination among friends. The decision to discontinue support likely stems from Minecraft's evolving nature, which complicates development and leads to the obsolescence of older versions.
AppWizard
May 8, 2025
Zugalu Entertainment has acquired Edmonton-based studio Crimson Herring, with the financial details undisclosed. The acquisition is described as a strategic move to enhance Zugalu's narrative-driven game development. Isaac Otway, CEO of Crimson Herring, will become Chief Operating Officer at Zugalu. Branden Sloane, founder and CEO of Zugalu, expressed excitement about the merger, highlighting the alignment of expertise in crafting narrative-driven games. Crimson Herring recently launched its first title, Sovereign Syndicate.
Winsage
May 8, 2025
Upon initiating a fresh installation of Windows 11, essential adjustments can enhance the user experience and productivity. Winhance is a utility that helps implement these changes. Key modifications include: - Notifications: Users can reduce the number of notifications by navigating to Settings -> System -> Notifications and toggling off notifications from specific apps. Scheduling notifications and using the Focus feature can also help minimize distractions. - Disable Microsoft ads: To eliminate subtle promotional content, users should uncheck options in Notifications settings and disable recommendations in Settings -> Personalization -> Start. - Move the Start button: Users can reposition the Start menu to the left corner by adjusting the “Taskbar alignment” in Settings -> Personalization -> Taskbar -> Taskbar behaviors. - Adjust visual effects: To improve system responsiveness, users can disable animations and transparency effects by accessing sysdm.cpl and Settings -> Accessibility -> Visual effects. - Change the default browser: After installing a preferred browser, users can set it as the default in Settings -> Apps -> Default app, ensuring it is set for various file types. - Disable News widget: Users can turn off the news widget by going to Settings -> Personalization -> Taskbar and toggling off the Widgets option. These adjustments can be completed in about 20 minutes and help create a more productive environment in Windows 11.
Search