Cities: Skylines II dev parts ways with publisher Paradox

Game publisher Paradox Interactive has split with Colossal Order, the studio behind Cities: Skylines II. Colossal Order, which also made the original Cities: Skylines back in 2015, will move on to something new after completing a few last updates. The intellectual property will remain with Paradox, which said today that work on Cities: Skylines II will be moved to Iceflake Studios. The Finland-based internal team will be responsible for all development, including future content updates and the long-awaited console version, starting in 2026.

The move comes after about two years of trying to salvage the citybuilding sequel and the reputations of all parties. While the game was initially expected to debut in October 2023 on PC and consoles, the launch was limited to PC, with higher minimum specs than previously announced and with a lot of bugs. The ongoing issues caused tension and toxicity between Colossal Order and the Cities: Skylines audience. Although the game has reached a more stable state, new content has been slow to arrive and there is still no sign of a console launch as the studio exits their project.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/cities-skylines-ii-dev-parts-ways-with-publisher-paradox-210229692.html?src=rss 

Facebook rolls out new tools for creators to track accounts stealing their content

Creators on Facebook and Instagram have long griped about accounts that lift their videos without permission. Now, Meta is rolling out a new tool that allows creators to more easily track when their videos have been reposted by others.

The company introduced a new tool for creators called “content protection,” which can automatically detect when a creator’s original reel is reposted, either fully or partially, on Facebook or Instagram. Creators who are enrolled will be able to see which accounts have shared their work and will be able to take a range of actions on the clip. 

Available actions include “track,” which allows the creator to add a label indicating the clip originally came from their account. In addition to the link back, creators will also be able to keep tabs on the number of views it’s getting. Creators can also opt to block a clip entirely, which will prevent anyone else from being able to view the reel. (Meta notes choosing this option won’t impose additional penalties on the account that lifted the original content.) Finally, creators can choose to “release” the video, which removes it from their dashboard so they will no longer have any visibility into how it’s performing.

The dashboard tracks instances of reused content,

Meta

The dashboard also provides some other details that could help creators decide how to respond. For example, they can see whether the video using their content is being monetized, which may influence their decision to track with attribution or block entirely. On the other hand, if a reel was lifted from an account with few followers, they may opt to simply keep an eye on it. 

Meta has already offered Facebook creators some of these abilities in the past through its rights manager platform, but the company says making the features available directly in the Facebook app will make it accessible to more people. Notably, the company is only offering content protection to creators who share reels on Facebook. So even though the feature will detect copycats on Instagram, it will only do so if the original video has been posted to Facebook. 

Meta says content protection is rolling out now to creators in its monetization program “who meet enhanced integrity and originality standards” as well as those already using rights manager. Creators can also apply for access directly.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-rolls-out-new-tools-for-creators-to-track-accounts-stealing-their-content-201020255.html?src=rss 

Tesla wins bid to decertify class action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination

Tesla has secured a ruling to strip a 2017 lawsuit claiming a racist work environment of its class-action status, as reported by Reuters. California Superior Court Judge Peter Borkon, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, ruled that the lawsuit could not proceed with class-action status because the plaintiffs’ attorneys had failed to find 200 class members willing to testify. The judge said he could not assume that the experiences of a select group of workers could be applied to the entire class of would-be plaintiffs.

The 2017 lawsuit began with a single employee who filed suit alleging Tesla’s Fremont production floor was a “hotbed for racist behavior,” and that over 100 employees had experienced racial harassment.

In 2024, a lower court judge ruled the case could move forward as a class action, a decision that Tesla had been appealing since. A trial in the case was scheduled to begin in April, though now that the case has lost its class-action status, each plaintiff would have to bring their case against Tesla separately.

This is not the first time that Tesla has found itself in court over alleged racial misconduct. In 2023, the automaker was sued by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over allegations that Black employees were subjected to racial slurs and retaliation.

Last year, Tesla reached a confidential settlement with a single employee who said he faced discrimination at the same California plant, reporting that his coworkers left drawings of swastikas and racist figures on his workspace.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-wins-bid-to-decertify-class-action-lawsuit-alleging-racial-discrimination-191256294.html?src=rss 

Xbox is hosting a partner showcase on November 20 at 1PM ET

Xbox is hosting a partner showcase event on November 20 at 1PM ET. It’ll be available for streaming on the platform’s official YouTube page and Twitch page.

We don’t know how long this stream will run for, but previous Partner Preview events have lasted around 25 to 30 minutes. As indicated by the name, this stream will highlight third-party publishers. Xbox called out companies like THQ Nordic, Tencent and IO Interactive in the press release that announced the event.

We do know some games that’ll be getting the spotlight this week. Xbox has stated that we’ll be seeing “an exciting first look” at content coming to the James Bond game, 007 First Light. IO Interactive is behind that one and it comes out on March 27. 

We got to watch this title in action at Gamescom and called it “Hitman meets action blockbuster.” This is appropriate given that developer IO Interactive was behind many of the Hitman games.

We’ll also be getting an “electrifying extended gameplay trailer” for Tides of Annihilation. This is an upcoming fantasy adventure game made by the Chinese studio Eclipse Glow Games. The platform also promises a “fresh look” at Reanimal, which is a horror adventure from the folks behind Little Nightmares.

Xbox has also promised some “brand-new reveals and Game Pass announcements.” Those Game Pass announcements had better be beefy, considering that recent price hike. We’ll find out on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-is-hosting-a-partner-showcase-on-november-20-at-1pm-et-191537266.html?src=rss 

Who Is Catherine Laga‘aia? 5 Things About the ‘Moana’ Live-Action Actress

Catherine is playing the live-action version of Moana in the upcoming Disney film! Learn all about the Australia-based actress here.

Catherine is playing the live-action version of Moana in the upcoming Disney film! Learn all about the Australia-based actress here. 

DeepMind releases a new weather forecasting model for more accurate predictions

Google’s DeepMind just released WeatherNext 2, a new version of its AI weather prediction model. The company promises that it “delivers more efficient, more accurate and higher-resolution global weather predictions.” To that end, it should be able to provide accurate forecasts up to two weeks out, including information on temperature, pressure and wind.

It should also be able to better predict tropical storm tracks, according to researchers. This means that predictions of a hurricane’s path should be accurate up to three days out. The previous model only predicted things up to two days ahead of the storm.

The model also brings hourly forecasts into the mix. All told, Google says this new model is eight times faster than the previous iteration. This should help businesses like energy traders make more precise decisions, according to a report by Bloomberg.

“It gives you a more granular forecast,” DeepMind AI researcher Akib Uddin said. “Many other industries are quite interested in these one-hour steps. It helps them make more precise decisions. Their goal is, how can they make their business more resilient to weather?”

Google

The improvements here stem from a new approach to weather models, as explained in this recently-published research paper. Older methods demanded the use of machine learning models that were built for image and video generation. This required repeated processing to ensure an accurate result. The new model only requires a single processing step, which also reduces reliance on costly AI computing systems.

AI may not be great at everything, despite what proponents want you to believe, but it is great at predicting the weather. Newer models typically outperform traditional prediction methods, even those that rely on supercomputers.

These models aren’t perfect, however, as even Google has acknowledged that WeatherNext 2 will likely struggle to predict outlier rain and snow events. This is due to gaps in the training data. “It’s one limitation of our forecast, but one that we are working on improving,” DeepMind research scientist Ferran Alet told Bloomberg.

AI weather prediction is becoming a crowded field. Companies like NVIDIA, Microsoft, AccuWeather and Huawei are all throwing their hats in the ring in one way or another.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/deepmind-releases-a-new-weather-forecasting-model-for-more-accurate-predictions-175451228.html?src=rss 

The best Black Friday TV deals we can find so far: Samsung, LG, TCL and more

Generally speaking, there are two ideal periods to buy a TV: the late spring stretch when new models are announced and last year’s sets are heavily discounted to clear out inventory, and the holiday shopping season, right around Black Friday. We’re firmly in the latter now, so if you’ve been thinking about making that big living room upgrade, it’s OK to take the plunge.

To help you out, we’ve sorted through the many sales already floating around the web and picked out the best Black Friday TV deals we could find below. The current selection includes several well-reviewed sets from Samsung, LG, TCL and Hisense, but we’ll update this post through Black Friday itself as more deals pop up.

Best Black Friday TV deals: Under $500

Hisense U65QF (55-inch) for $428 at Amazon ($372 off MSRP): The U65QF is another entry-level LED TV with generally positive reviews. Most feedback around the web suggests that it can’t match the QM6K in terms of contrast, gaming features and overall accuracy, so TCL’s model should be a better buy for most. This iteration also uses Amazon’s Fire TV platform instead of the cleaner Google TV. It can achieve a higher peak brightness, however, so it’s worth considering if you get particularly bad glare in your living room. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 55-inch model, but the 65-inch ($548), 75-inch ($748) and 85-inch ($998) models are also at all-time lows. Also at Best Buy.

Best Black Friday TV deals: Between $500 and $1,000

LG B5 (55-inch) for $897 at Amazon ($100 off): The B5 is LG’s entry-level OLED TV for 2025. It gets you the core benefits of any OLED TV — excellent contrast, wide viewing angles, smooth motion and so on — but it can’t get as bright as the higher-end LG C5, so it doesn’t look as colorful. (The C5 isn’t significantly discounted as of this writing.) It’s technically limited to a 120Hz refresh rate instead of 144Hz, too, though that isn’t a big deal unless you plan to play PC games on your TV. While not huge discount, this matches the lowest price we’ve seen for the 55-inch model. Also at Best Buy and LG.

TCL QM7K (65-inch) for $800 at Amazon ($200 off): The TCL QM7K is a fairly sizable step-up over the QM6K, with noticeably improved contrast, brightness and color volume. It has a 144Hz refresh rate with 288Hz@1080p support as well, though like the budget model it’s limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports. And like most LED TVs, it can’t compete with a good OLED set when it comes to colors and viewing angles. This deal matches the all-time low for the 65-inch model. The 55-inch version is $30 above its previous best at $598. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.

Best Black Friday TV deals: $1,000 and up

Samsung S95F (65-inch) for $2,298 at Amazon ($700 off): The S95F is a premium model that has received almost universally stellar reviews for being especially bright among OLED TVs while keeping the bold colors and contrast expected from a QD-OLED panel. That brightness, combined with the display’s matte finish, means it’s especially adept at fending off glare in a bright room. It also has a 165Hz refresh rate for gaming. That said, there’s still no Dolby Vision HDR, and the matte coating means that black tones won’t look as deep in a well-lit room. It’s not cheap, but this is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 65-inch model. Also at Samsung and Best Buy.

TCL QM8K (75-inch) for $1,400 at Amazon ($600 off): If you’re willing to pay an OLED-level price but want the increased brightness of a high-end LED TV, the TCL QM8K is worth a look. It won’t be as good in a dark room as something like the Samsung S90F or LG C5, as its contrast isn’t as deep and black tones aren’t as uniformly dark. Its viewing angles are clearly worse, too. But reviews say it still performs excellently compared to other LED sets, and since it gets way brighter than most OLED alternatives (especially with non-HDR content), it can better withstand glare. It also has a 144Hz refresh rate with support for 288Hz at 1080p, though it only comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports, and it’s not available in a size smaller than 65 inches. This is the best price we’ve seen for the 75-inch variant. Also at Walmart.

Best Black Friday streaming device deals

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus for $25 at Amazon ($25 off): The newly rebranded Fire TV Stick 4K Plus offers the same core experience as the more expensive Fire TV Stick 4K Max, only it has a slightly slower processor, half the storage space (8GB) and Wi-Fi 6 support instead of Wi-Fi 6E. For most people who just want to stream casually, those shouldn’t be huge losses. Just keep in mind that its Fire OS interface is still fairly ad-heavy and prioritizes Amazon’s own apps over everything else. This deal is $3 more than the device’s all-time low but ties the best price we’ve seen in the past year. Also at Best Buy.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $35 at Amazon ($25 off): If you want the best Amazon streaming stick possible, the 4K Max gets you faster hardware than the Plus model and may be worthwhile if you have a Wi-Fi 6E router at home. This deal isn’t an all-time low, but it matches the best price we’ve seen over the past year.

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18 at Amazon ($17 off): The Fire TV Stick HD is the budget pick in our guide to the best streaming devices. It only streams up to 1080p and runs a bit choppier than Amazon’s 4K models since it has a slower chip and a meager 1GB of RAM. The usual complaints with Fire OS still apply, too. But if you just want to add streaming apps to an aging TV for as little as possible, it’ll work well enough. This discount matches the best price we’ve tracked. Also at Best Buy and Target.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-black-friday-tv-deals-we-can-find-so-far-samsung-lg-tcl-and-more-181143919.html?src=rss 

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