2025-01-29 05:42:15
Old-school Doom fans have something new to chew on until The Dark Ages arrives. Doom + Doom II, the latest in a long line of rereleases of the two id Software classics, was updated on Tuesday with multiplayer mod support. And balance was restored in Hades.
At launch in August, the bundle — available for PC, PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X/S and Switch — supported mods and multiplayer, but not the two together. The game’s second update, which Bethesda pushed on Tuesday, only adds multiplayer mod support if everyone in your match does a little planning.
First, hosts need to activate each mod before entering the multiplayer menu. In addition, all players in the match have to subscribe to the same mod before joining. Only mods authored with Vanilla DOOM, DeHackEd, MBF21 or BOOM are compatible.
Doom: The Dark Ages is set to launch on May 15. It takes place in the medieval wastelands of Hell and adds new goodies like mech battles and a ridable cyber dragon. If that isn’t an elevator pitch for a Doom game, I don’t know what is.
2025-01-29 05:27:06
Jack Dorsey’s Block has created its own open-source AI agent. Called “codename goose,” the tool allows users to complete tasks using popular large language models.
“You can think of Goose as an assistant that is ready to take your instructions, and do the work for you,” Block explains in a blog post. According to the company, the agent can autonomously complete engineering tasks like looking for bugs or making code changes.
Users can configure goose to run on their preferred LLM. Iit supports Anthropic, Gemini, OpenAI and others, though the company says it “works best” with Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet and OpenAI's o1 model. It’s also compatible with extensions, which allows it to plug into popular developer tools, like GitHub and Google Drive,
Block is, of course, known for its financial apps, Square and Cash App, as well as the music streaming service Tidal, which it acquired in 2021. Those may not be industries you immediately associate with AI development, but Block founder Jack Dorsey is a longtime advocate for open-source software. The company also notes that goose could eventually extend to “non-engineering use cases” as well. Block engineer Brad Axen told ZDNET that the company envisions more “creative’ uses for goose, like music generation.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/jack-dorseys-block-has-an-ai-agent-too-212706083.html?src=rss2025-01-29 04:55:05
Here's one for the fashion-conscious retro gamers out there. Atari has teamed up with watchmaker Nubeo to release an Asteroids-themed watch to celebrate the game's 45th anniversary (even though it came out in 1979).
The watch has a multi-layered disc system that's designed to reflect the gameplay of Asteroids. Atari says it's powered by "a Japanese automatic movement." The watch has a stainless steel 50mm case and a sapphire lens. It also has a 20 ATM rating for water resistance at depths of up to 200 meters, so it should be sturdy enough if you want to wear it while scuba diving.
The timepiece even comes in a case that looks like an Atari VCS. Atari and Nubeo created five colorways for it: nebula blue, supernova red, nova nightfall, plasma pumpkin and celestial citrine. Best of all, the watch glows in the dark.
Actually telling what time it is on this thing might take you a moment or two, though. A pair of UFOs indicate the time in hours and minutes. As for the A-shaped spaceship in the center and the shots it fires, that's your second hand. But the display looks quite chaotic, as a number of asteroids spin around on the discs as well.
Look, I really like my Apple Watch for lots of reasons, not least because I can actually play some video games on it, like the absorbing Galaxy Mix (there's an Asteroids clone that's apparently playable on the device too). Maybe I'll just need to become one of those people who wear two watches, since I want the Asteroids timepiece as well.
You'll likely need to act quickly if you want one, though. Nubeo only made 125 of each variant. The colorways are listed for $499 each on the Atari and Nubeo websites. Good luck!
2025-01-29 04:40:35
If you own a Garmin GPS watch, you may want to power it down for a while. Users on Reddit and Garmin’s forums (via The Verge) report that a botched software update is leaving the wearables in a “blue triangle” boot loop, putting them out of commission until further notice.
In a statement to Engadget, Garmin acknowledged the issue. “We are aware of an issue causing some devices to be stuck on the start-up screen or a blue triangle.” The company points readers to its support webpage for updates.
A pinned message from the company on its forums details a possible fix that some users claim is only temporary. “We are aware of an issue causing some devices to be stuck on the start up screen or a blue triangle,” the message reads. “To resolve this, press and hold the power button until the device turns off, then power it back on, and sync with the Garmin Connect app or Garmin Express.”
Some crafty Redditors claim to have traced the issue to a file related to GPS functionality. Although some reported that following Garmin’s reset instructions worked, others said it was only temporary, with the issue returning later. The problem appears to affect various models, including the Forerunner, Venu, Fenix, Vivoactive and Epix lines.
If your Garmin smartwatch has no problems (... so far), you may save yourself a headache by powering it down and waiting for an official solution from Garmin. If you’ve encountered the issue and want to roll the dice, this Reddit thread includes some unofficial — and untested by Engadget — fixes and workarounds.
Update, January 28, 2025, 3:40PM ET: This story has been updated to add a statement from Garmin.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/some-garmin-gps-watches-are-stuck-in-a-blue-triangle-boot-loop-193920555.html?src=rss2025-01-29 04:39:54
CVS is launching a new app today and it could address one of the more obnoxious elements of in-person drugstore shopping: locked cabinets. One way the CVS Health app can expedite the store experience is by letting select users access products behind those clear plastic panels through their phones, without asking for assistance from an employee.
This tool is being tested in just three stores for now and is only available to loyalty program members. And within those limits, shoppers will need to log into the app, join the store's Wi-Fi and enable Bluetooth on their phones to unlock cabinets on their own.
For any irritated customer who has been delayed by the clear plastic cage, or for any busy store employee called away just for their keys, the addition of a mobile tool for accessing locked cabinets sounds like a welcome idea. Tilak Mandadi, executive vice president at CVS Health, told The Wall Street Journal that the pilot program has gone well so far, and the company's next step will be expanding the feature to 10-15 stores.
The app, which is a successor to the company's CVS Pharmacy app, also includes resources for managing prescriptions and immunizations. And because it's a software product in the year 2025, CVS Health uses some artificial intelligence. The app is launching with AI-powered search options and is expected to add an AI chat tool for checking medication refills and order status later in the year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/cvs-tries-to-juice-app-signups-with-cabinet-unlocking-feature-203954391.html?src=rss2025-01-29 03:56:20
Looking to upgrade your gaming rig? Dell is selling one of its most popular Alienware gaming monitors at a deep discount. The 32-inch model is more than $400 off, now costing $765 instead of $1,200. The display is on sale for $900 outright, but enter "MONITORS15" at checkout for an additional 15 percent off. The 34-inch model is $250 off, but there's no available coupon code.
This is one of our favorite gaming monitors and we called it “an incredible ultrawide OLED.” It boasts a curved QD-OLED panel. It also features 4K resolution and a max refresh rate of 240Hz, which is a fantastic metric for gaming. These monitors allow access to Dolby Vision, NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD Free-Sync.
The ports are also on point. These displays include a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports, a single USB-B upstream port, four USB-A downstream ports and a single USB-C port. One of the USB-A ports also supports BC1.2 power-charging.
The 34-inch model is actually cheaper, at $650, but there are some trade offs. This one doesn’t support G-Sync and offers a max refresh rate of 165Hz. The 25-inch and 27-inch variants aren’t on sale, and aren’t even curved, but the coupon code does work. Respectively, this brings the price down to $300 and $510.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-more-than-400-off-one-of-our-favorite-alienware-gaming-monitors-195620194.html?src=rss
