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Gran Turismo Sophy AI was initially a skunkworks project

Gran Turismo Sophy AI project was initially a skunkworks project

Gran Turismo Sophy AI project was initially a skunkworks project

You can now learn more about the people behind the GT Sophy AI that isn’t a person. Turns out, the Gran Turismo artificial intelligence was initially an under-the-desk side project.

A new video has highlighted the team behind the Gran Turismo Sophy artificial intelligence project, and with it how the project initially came to light.

The Sony AI company has two physical offices, one in Tokyo, Japan and one in Zurich, Switzerland, but then relies on a remote network to form a global team.

That helped Senior AI Engineer, Kenta Kawamoto, to form a special, small, project on the side.

“So, Kenta Kawamoto-san started this as an under-the-desk kind of project,” said Sony AI’s Chief Operating Officer Michael Spranger.

“Essentially, by himself with a few interns, building racing agents for Gran Turismo. I was always wondering whether we could scale that project.”

“Could we build an AI that is able to beat the best Gran Turismo drivers in the world?”

At the start of 2020, Florian Fuchs moved to Tokyo to start an internship with Kawamoto-san, but then COVID-19 hit. So, he took his PlayStation 4s and his research from him to his apartment from him.

There, he ran GT Sport on nine PS4s, 24/7, checking them at least once every hour to see if they were still running.

GT Sophy overtakes

“HR sends me an email,” says Kawamoto-san

“The electricity bill goes up six-fold.”

After Fuchs’s initial experiments, these were used as a basis to then kick off the project in a ‘serious’ way in the Autumn of that same year.

The team was then split into four main tasks for the AI ​​to improve on:

  • Speed ​​– Single car time trial pace
  • Skills – Racecraft against other rivals
  • Architecture – Working out what it takes to race against opponents
  • Sportsmanship – Racing fairly
Gran Turismo Sophy beats the best GT players in the world… then loses

As it stands, GT Sophy is still in development. At the recent Gran Turismo 7 World Series Nations Cup event, it was used to race against the best Gran Turismo drivers in the world, winning one race but losing a second.

“We want to deliver Gran Turismo Sophy to all players through a future Gran Turismo 7,” stated the game’s producer Kazunori Yamauchi back in February, but if that is possible and what form it would take remains to be seen.





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Cult of the Lamb – all weapons and curses

Cult of the Lamb – all weapons and curses

Roguelikes tend to have a few things in common — a key one being access to a wide weapon and ability selection. Cult of the Lamb is no different, and with over 35 weapons and 25 spells, called Curses, you’re not hard up for choices. You don’t typically get a say in what appears, but you can increase your chances of getting the good stuff by sacrificing followers and completing the upgrade tree.

in this Cult of the Lamb guidandwe’ll show you all the weapons and Curses you’ll come across on your journey to godhood. If you’re looking for Cult of the Lamb Rituals and Cult of the Lamb Doctrines, we’ve got pages on those too.

Cult of the Lamb – all weapons

There is a solid range of weapons you’ll find as you battle your way through Cult of the Lamb, from lightning-fast daggers to bulky hammers. Here’s what they all do, alongside a little bit of lore to help you choose:

Bet’s Cleaver: Swing with intent. A mighty tool of unstoppable brutality.

Merciless Axe: Once borne by the executioners of old. Chance to deal a Critical Hit when attacking enemies.

Zealous Axe: Collected Fervor will also increase your Divine Inspiration bar. Used by the great Fanatic to execute heretics.

Godly Axe: Deals significantly more damage than mortal weapons. The blade that severed the Lands of the Old Faith from the world.

Vampiric Axe: Chance to heal the wielder using the life force of a slain foe. Consumer of the blood it spills.

Necromantic Axe: When slaying a foe, summon a ghost that will attack nearby enemies. Severed heads still may talk.

Bane Axe: Chance of poisoning enemies when attacking. Once struck by the toxins, one begs for the blade.

Traitor’s Razor: A fast blade designed for many cuts. Low damage but lightning quick. Never given, only taken.

Merciless Dagger: Chance to deal a Critical Hit when attacking enemies. Piercer of hearts.

Zealous Dagger: Collected Fervor will also increase your Divine Inspiration bar. Used by the Fanatic to give offerings of blood.

Godly Dagger: Deals significantly more damage than mortal weapons. Stolen from the tomb of one of the Old Gods.

Vampiric Dagger: Chance to heal the wielder using the life force of a slain foe. Eerily similar to the canine of some fierce beast…

Necromantic Dagger: When slaying a foe, summon a ghost that will attack nearby enemies. Only the God of Death may cut souls free.

BaneDagger: Chance of poisoning enemies when attacking. The signature weapon of the jealous lover.

Tempest’s Gauntlets: A set of deadly spiked gloves. Weak at first, but devastating on a complete combo. An iron fist from which none can escape.

Merciless Gauntlet: Chance to deal a Critical Hit when attacking enemies. Imbued with the restless spirit of a fallen crusader.

Zealous Gauntlet: Collected Fervor will also increase your Divine Inspiration bar. Protects against doubt.

Godly Gauntlet: Deals significantly more damage than mortal weapons. The last remnant of divine armor, long lost.

Vampiric Gauntlet: Chance to heal the wielder using the life force of a slain foe. Made for drawing out the fire of life.

Necromantic Gauntlet: When slaying a foe, summon a ghost that will attack nearby enemies. Once worn to gather the souls of the departed.

Bane Gauntlet: Chance of poisoning enemies when attacking. A venomous touch, however gentle.

Warmaker’s Hammer: Slow to fall, yet calamitous upon landing. Splinter of skulls.

Merciless Hammer: Chance to deal a Critical Hit when attacking enemies. What remains once the hammer has struck?

Zealous Hammer: Collected Fervor will also increase your Divine Inspiration bar. Gavel of judgment, strike true.

Godly Hammer: Deals significantly more damage than mortal weapons. Shaped these lands to the desires of their Gods.

Vampiric Hammer: Chance to heal the wielder using the life force of a slain foe. Driver of stakes.

Necromantic Hammer: When slaying a foe, summon a ghost that will attack nearby enemies. Used in ancient rituals to grind bones to dust.

Ban Hammer: Chance of poisoning enemies when attacking. Forged with ill-intent and evil spirits.

Crusader’s Blade: A well-balanced blade dealing moderate damage. Stalwart companion to the wandering warrior.

Merciless Sword: Chance to deal a Critical Hit when attacking enemies. Grant no mercy, take no chances.

Zealous Sword: Collected Fervor will also increase your Divine Inspiration bar. The blade of the great Fanatic.

Godly Sword: Deal significantly more damage than mortal weapons. Once used to draw Godly blood…

Vampiric Sword: Chance to heal the wielder using the life force of a slain foe. Vitality to those bold enough to take it.

Necromantic Sword: When slaying a foe, summon a ghost that will attack nearby enemies. Death’s own blade.

Banesword: Chance of poisoning enemies when attacking. Coated in the bile of a beast, long forgotten.

Cult of the Lamb – all Curses

If you lean more towards the magical side of things, Curses have got you covered. Here’s a list of all the Curses you can acquire:

Divine Guardian: Two seconds of invincibility. Deflects projectiles, causing damage. Under the shadow of wings, thou lie protected.

Divine Blizzard: Knocks back and freezes enemies. The breath of a forgotten God… once stronger than all.

Divine Blight: Knocks back and poisons enemies. Omen of great ill-fortune.

DivineForce: Locks enemies into position for a short time. For who is worthy to look upon a God?

Divine Blast: Knocks back enemies within your range while also damaging them. A curse against those unworthy of your presence.

Trail Blazed: Shoots projectiles both forward and back. Light the path trod, and the way to come.

Strike of the Crown: Shoots a fierce projectile that has a chance to possess enemies on hit. Embrace the crown and your sins shall be forgiven.

Hounds of Fate: Shoots multiple projectiles that seek out enemies. Seek and strike those who dare doubt.

Cleaning Fire: Shoots three projectiles at once. Flames of cleansing burn thrice as bright.

Flaming Shot: Shoot a piercing bolt of fire. Hold and release at the mark to make it explosive. Send forth the flames of the Underworld.

Oath of the Crown: A devastating melee attack that also has a chance to possess impacted enemies. The curse with which the Great Ones severed our world from theirs.

Death’s Disregard: A devastating melee attack that also deflects projectiles. And with a sweep of his hand he did his enemies fall.

Death’s Squall: A devastating melee attack that will also freeze hit enemies. A kiss from death, so cold and inviting.

Death’s Attendant: A devastating melee attack that will also summon ghosts to attack enemies. Retainer of Death, attend your master.

Death’s Sweep: A devastating melee attack that can be charged for increased power. Raze miscreants to the ground.

Ichor Consuming: Black Ichor will spread further. From the blood of the Old Gods did all life rise.

Call of the Crown: A sacred projectile that will directly hit enemies. You need only issue your word, and they will obey.

Point of Corruption: An explosive projectile. For none are undeserving of punishment.

Path of the Righteous: A projectile that creates a trail of black Ichor. Walk, and be guided by faith.

Ichor Thrown: A projectile that spreads black Ichor on landing. Part the oceans of blood.

Maelstrom: Tentacles will strike out in four directions. An Old God may still reside in the depths.

Touch of Ithaqua: An eruption of ice pillars that freezes enemies on hit. A call from below that began the Winter Year.

Passage of the Mariner: An eruption of far-reaching tentacles. A course chartered, a voyage made.

Touch of the Revenant: Tears open the earth to release a horde of ghosts that target nearby enemies. Release those trapped souls that clamor for freedom.

Touch of Turua: Summon a violent eruption of powerful tentacles. Sinker of ships, rise from the deep.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.

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SpaceX Avoids Explosion in Test of Starship Booster

SpaceX Avoids Explosion in Test of Starship Booster

The static fire test of Booster 7, in which one of the rocket's 33 Raptor engines was ignited.

The static fire test of Booster 7, in which one of the rocket’s 33 Raptor engines was ignited.
photo: SpaceX

Engineers at SpaceX have performed the first static fire test of Booster 7, a prototype of the Super Heavy first stage. The test, in which just one of the booster’s 33 Raptor engines was ignited, moves the company closer to its first orbital test of the revolutionary Starship system.

The test happened on August 8 at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, according to a company tweet. Ground teams completed a single Raptor engine static fire test as the 227-foot-tall (69 meters) booster stood vertically at the “Mechazilla” launch tower. Booster 7 is equipped with 33 Raptor engines, but SpaceX, in a rare moment of caution, chose to ignite just one.

Encouragingly, a pair of spin-prime tests conducted earlier in the day did not result in an burst. SpaceX avoided a repeat of the July 11 incident in which a gaseous mixture of methane and oxygen was accidentally ignited, causing a significant explosion directly beneath the booster.

Spin-prime tests, in which propellants are pumped through the engines without igniting them, are typically done in preparation of static fire tests (static fire tests involve engine burns without an actual launch of the rocket). They’re done to test the plumbing, but the gasses produced during the July 11 spin-prime test got ignited by an unknown source. The resulting explosion damaged the prototype booster, sending it back to the Starbase factory for repairs.

Booster 7 returned to the launch pad on August 6 following the re-installation of 20 of the rocket’s 33 Raptor engines, accordingly to Teslarati. On August 8, “clearly indicative of a much more cautious second attempt at engine testing, SpaceX ‘primed’ just one of those 20 Raptors by flowing high-pressure gas through the engine to spin up its turbopumps without igniting its preburners (used to generate the gas that powers the turbopumps) or main combustion chamber,” as Teslarati reports.

Later that day, SpaceX ignited the lone Raptor engine. The company have you performed a static fire test of a Starship booster prototype before, but this marks the first static fire test of Booster 7, even if limited in scale. The test appeared to go smoothly, with the engine firing and shutting down following a four-second burn. Not content to stop there, SpaceX also performed static fire tests of two Raptors on an upper stage, namely the prototype Starship 24.

It’s a small step for Starship, but a potentially big leap for SpaceX, as it works to develop its revolutionary heavy launch system. The booster is the first stage of the fully reusable two-stage rocket, with the Starship spacecraft serving as the upper stage. SpaceX envisions Starship as a platform for delivering passengers and cargo to deep space, including future missions to Mars. It’s also NASA’s current first choice to serve as the human landing system for Artemis 3, scheduled for no earlier than 2025.

Both Starship stages are powered by Raptor engines, which are more powerful than the Merlin engines used on the company’s Falcon 9 rockets. The Starship upper stage has already completed a series of suborbital tests, including a successful vertical landing on May 5, 2021. A launch of the fully stacked system has yet to take place, but SpaceX expects to perform an orbital test at some point this year. CEO Elon Musk expects this test will fail, saying a successful orbital test could happen at some point within the next 12 months.

The sight of a single Raptor engine burn is impressive, making it hard to imagine what it’ll look like when all 33 Raptor engines are set to go-mode. The successful test on August 8 suggests a full-fledged static fire test of Booster 7 is closely approaching.

More: Gigantic Crowds Expected for Inaugural Launch of NASA’s Mega Rocket.

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Cult of the Lamb Rituals list – all Rituals and what they do

Cult of the Lamb Rituals list – all Rituals and what they do

In Cult of the Lamb, you have access to a wide range of rituals to help you progress through the game. Some are unlocked by simply playing through the game and completing quests, while others are obtained depending on your Doctrine choices.

It’s impossible to see them all in one playthrough, but if you’re curious about what your options are, we have a list of them right here for you. here are all the rituals in Cult of the Lamb. And if you’re looking for all the weapons and curses in the game, we have a list of those, too.

Glory Through Toil: Followers will work tirelessly for 3 days and nights.

Wedding: Marry one of your Followers and gain +30 faith.

Sacrifice of the Flesh: Sacrifice a Follower to power up, unlocking new abilities and weapons in the process. Higher-level Followers are more valuable when sacrificed over lower-level ones.

Ritual of Resurrection: Bring a dead Follower back to life.

Re-indoctrinate Follower: Have a Follower recommit themselves so they may be customized again.

Holy Day Ritual: Your Followers will take the day off and gain +80 faith.

Ritual of the Harvest: All planted Farm Plots will immediately be ready for harvest.

Funeral: Conduct a funeral for a recently passed Follower and gain +20 faith.

Ritual of the Ocean’s Bounty: Catch double fish for two days, and special fish will be more common.

Fight Pit Ritual: Command two Followers to fight to the death – unless, of course, you decide to show mercy…

The Glory of Construction: Instantly build all structures currently under construction.

Ritual Fast: Followers will not need to eat for three days.

Ritual of Enlightenment: Temporarily increase devotion generation speed at your shrine by 20% for three days.

Ritual of Enrichment: All Followers donate gold to you.

Brainwashing Ritual: Followers will become brainwashed. Faith will be locked at full for two days.

Tax Enforcer: A Ritual to appoint a Follower as your Tax Enforcer. They will gather gold from other Cult members.

Loyalty Enforcer: A Ritual to appoint a Follower as your Loyalty Enforcer, tasked with patrolling the Cult and raising the Loyalty of Followers.

Ascend Follower Ritual: Perform a Ritual at your temple in which you can ascend a Followers spirit to a higher plane of existence. All Followers gain Loyalty.

Alms for the Poor: Distribute gold to all Followers to increase their Loyalty. You will also gain +10 faith.

Written by Junior Miyai on behalf of GLHF.

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Elden Ring Patch 1.06 Comparison Videos Highlight Small Performance Improvements on PC and More

Elden Ring Patch 1.06 Comparison Videos Highlight Small Performance Improvements on PC and More

New Elden Ring comparison videos that have been shared online confirm that patch 1.06 brought some changes outside of those listed in the official patch notes.

A new video shared by MxBenchmarkPC reveals that the latest patch for From Software’s latest game brings small performance improvements, at least at 1080p resolution.

The Elden Ring patch 1.06 brought some important balance changes, such as tweaks to the Great Ax attack speed and changes to the Bloodhound Step and Quickstep Ashes of War and the Rivers of Blood katana. Videos shared by WaZeus, Gamers Cathedral, and Prizaa Gaming Channel highlight these changes by comparing the weapons and Ashes of War between different game versions.

Elden Ring is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One worldwide. Learn more about the latest game by From Software by checking out my review.

I tried hard to find any faults in Elden Ring, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t find any outside of some technical issues that the developers could fix via patches. I firmly believe that perfection doesn’t exist and that it is always possible to improve, but I really couldn’t think of anything that Elden Ring could have done better. As such, the game wholly deserves a perfect score, an honor I would have given only to a couple of other modern games, not only for its extremely high quality but also for what it accomplished with its open world and for how it will surely influence video games as a whole in the future.

Products mentioned in this post

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‘Tower of Fantasy’ release time and how to pre-load on PC and mobile

'Tower of Fantasy' release time and how to pre-load on PC and mobile

Ready for your next anime-inspired sci-fi fantasy MMO? Tower of Fantasythe so-called Genshin Impact clone, impressed audiences with its lush landscapes, precise customization, and multiplayer potential. Oh, and it’s free to play! Understandably, those looking for another live service experience to complement their Genshin adventures might be interested in the familiar aesthetic and gameplay.

Will it live up to expectations? Players can find out for themselves when Tower of Fantasy launches on August 10. Pre-load the game and you can enter as soon as the server goes live. Here’s how to do exactly that for PC and mobile.

What is Tower of Fantasy?

Tower of Fantasy is an anime-inspired MMORPG set in a sci-fi fantasy setting. while it resembles Genshin Impact based on its aesthetics, it’s actually much different in terms of the progression systems and the features it prioritizes. You can expect real-time combat, upgradeable weapons, crafting, and exploration like you would in Genshin Impact. However, it offers in-depth customization for your characters and emphasizes the game as a “shared world” experience.

Tower of Fantasy takes place in a future where humanity has started colonizing other planets. This one runs on Omnium — but at a price. The tutorial will quickly introduce you to the advanced technology and bugged-out monsters you might experience in this world.

when is the Tower of Fantasy release time?

Log in later tonight at 8 pm Eastern.Hotta Studio

Tower of Fantasy launch on August 10 at 8 pm Eastern. That’s the global launch time, so all you need to do is convert the time for your specific region. If you’re not sure, the website also has a countdown timer that should let you know when it’s available to download.

How to pre-load Tower of Fantasy on mobile

pre-loading Tower of Fantasy for mobile works similarly on both iOS and Android devices. Just go to either the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and click the “Get” or “Install” button to get started. Once the initial download ends, launch the app to log in and start the pre-installation.

The pre-installation screen looks like a lab with a download progress bar at the bottom. It should let you select your region and server after it finishes. You can even start customizing your character before launch, even if you won’t be able to equip the skin until you get to the customization part of the tutorial.

How to pre-load Tower of Fantasy on PC

What it should look like as you’re pre-installing on PC.Hotta Studio

For PC, download straight from the Tower of Fantasy website. Underneath the countdown timer, there should be an option to download for Windows, iOS, or Android. Click the Windows icon to download the execution file and open it to start downloading the launcher.

Click the “Launch” button when the launcher download completes. It’ll prompt you to create an account if you haven’t already. If you do have one, log in using your credentials. Logging in opens another window (seen above) where you have to initiate the pre-installation download.

Tower of Fantasy will launch for PC, iOS, and Android on August 10.

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Splatoon 3 getting a World Premiere Splatfest later this month

Splatoon 3 getting a World Premiere Splatfest later this month

Splatoon 3’s big Nintendo Direct just aired, and it showed off a tonne of neat stuff. But perhaps the most exciting part is that you’ll be able to try out that cool stuff very soon — just a few weeks from now.

The World Premiere Splatfest will be similar to Testfires held for Splatoon 1 and 2 in the past, in which players will get to participate in a Splatfest. Splatfests work a little differently in Splatoon 3, with two distinct phases — the first is the usual 4v4 turf war matches, but due to there now being three teams instead of two, there’ll be a second phase where two players from each of the two losing teams will gang up in a tricolor turf war to take down the winning team of four. Obviously quite new and interesting! So it’ll be good to get a chance to try these out before the game launches in September.

The times and dates for the Splatfest World Premiere have been confirmed for Australia, and are as follows:

Perth (AWST) August 28, 8:00 a.m. – August 28, 8:00 p.m.
Adelaide/Darwin (ACST) August 28, 9:30am – August 28, 9:30pm
Melbourne/Sydney/Canberra
/Brisbane/Hobart (AEST)		 August 28, 10:00 a.m. – August 28, 10:00 p.m.
New Zealand (NZST) August 28, 12:00pm – August 29, 12:00am

You’ll also be able to download and play some sections of the World Premiere app from the 25th of August.

Click here to check out the rest of the news from the night’s Direct.

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The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Promise Hi-Fi Audio For Samsung Phones Only

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro Promise Hi-Fi Audio For Samsung Phones Only

New buds alert! Samsung has announced the second-generation Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in tandem with its latest batch of foldables. These new buds are the successors to 2021’s Buds Pro. They promise 24-bit audio capabilities for Samsung phones and also boast a smaller form factor, so they’re comfortable inside more ear types. Though they’re a little pricier than the original Buds Pro were out of the gate, Samsung swears its top-of-the-line buds can deliver the “ultimate wireless listening experience.”

Our review will have to see about that, especially considering the spectrum of buds available on the market — not to mention the newly released Android-friendly Google Pixel Buds Pro, which impressed us with their battery life and noise cancellation. Until then, here’s a glimpse at what’s to come.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro come in a matte finish this time around. (Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo)The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro come in a matte finish this time around. Image: Florence Ion/Gizmodo

The Buds 2 Pro feature a similar look to last year’s Galaxy Buds reprise, though they’re matte instead of shiny. Samsung says it made them more ergonomic and 15 per cent smaller than the previous Buds Pro. They feel nice in hand, and I imagine the texture of the bud is more tuned to stay in the ear than that of the Buds 2 I’m using now. But they seem like they attract dust more than their smooth counterparts. We’ll have to test the new matte finish against body oils and stuffy rooms.

Samsung’s long attempted to be the Android accessory maker equivalent to Apple. In particular, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are Samsung’s answer to the AirPods Pro, which is why they feature some Samsung-only abilities. Samsung smartphones running One UI 4.0 or higher will have access to the Buds 2 Pro’s proprietary 24-bit Hi-Fi and direct-multi channel sound tech, which Samsung says helps music and audio come out “just the way it was intended.” Each bud’s new coaxial two-way speaker should also help the audio sound fuller.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is smaller than the last Buds Pro. (Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo)The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is smaller than the last Buds Pro. Image: Florence Ion/Gizmodo

Samsung improved the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro’s ambient noise cancellation (ANC) by adding three extra levels of decibel protection. When it’s on, there’s a voice detection feature that can distinguish between actual noise and a human talking. Like other headphones and earbuds with similar abilities, the Buds 2 Pro will reduce the playback volume when folks are chatting so you can keep up in the conversation. This should be particularly helpful for commuters or those who work in an open office.

We’re hoping the larger 500 mAh battery on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro will fare better than the Buds Pro’s 472 mAh pack. Samsung advertises up to 5 hours of playback for the buds with ANC on and 8 hours with it off. The Buds 2 Pro charging case can bump that up to 18 hours of full playback with ANC on and 29 hours with it off.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro comes in several colors, including graphite (seen here), white, and bora purple. (Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo)The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro comes in several colors, including graphite (seen here), white, and bora purple. Image: Florence Ion/Gizmodo

If you lose an earbud or the entire case, the Buds 2 Pro can be located using the SmartThings Find network. They also have an IPX7 water resistance rating, so they can withstand up to a meter of water for up to half an hour for those accidental dunks.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro work with Android 8 devices or higher. They’re also compatible with Windows devices, and select Samsung TVs released after July 2022. They even work with iOS devices, though only as regular Bluetooth earbuds. If you are switching between devices, the Buds 2 Pro can use Auto Switch to swap between paired active devices.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro come in three colors: graphite, white and bora purple.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: Australian pricing and release date

Preorder for the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro will begin Thursday, August 11, with general availability starting September 2 in Australia.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro will set you back $349.

Samsung also used Galaxy Unpacked to unleash its new Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro.

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‘Elden Ring’ Player One-Shots Final Bosses, Radagon And Elden Beast At Highest Difficulty Possible

'Elden Ring' Player One-Shots Final Bosses, Radagon And Elden Beast At Highest Difficulty Possible

Elden Ring remains my favorite game of 2022, and one of the best of FromSoftware’s SoulsBorne games. But as much as I adore the open-world RPG, I’m nothing like a top-tier player. I haven’t gone on to beat the game on NG+ or spent hours in PvP (which, as a PvE player primarily, has never been what I enjoy about these games).

Still, I can admire other players’ skills. And I can marvel at how players are able to put together such crazy builds in the game, combining consumables with spells or incantations and various bits of gear to create powerful, unstoppable builds.

Take, for instance, player ‘Your Average Gamer’ who managed to somehow craft a build that’s able to one-shot kill both Radagon and the Elden Beast in NG+7—the highest difficulty run you can make. Radagon and Elden Beast are the game’s final bosses, an infuriating pair that I find enormously challenging (not so much Radagon, but you’re always left weakened by the time you reach the Elden Beast and the arena is so huge I wish you could use yourhorse, Torrent).

This is, apparently, a world record or at least a world record as far as anyone knows. Other players have one-shot these bosses before, but as far as I can tell nobody has in NG+7 until now (it’s always possible someone has but hasn’t posted about it, of course).

Your Average Gamer, aka Matthew Farnkopf, told me it took 20 hours to hours to actually get both bosses in one shot in one attempt, and 50 hours of tinkering with the buff system to narrow down the build.

Here’s the video:

And here’s Farnkopf’s video explaining the build he put together for this fight:

This, Farnkopf claims, is the best PvE build you can put together and the recent 1.06 patch—which overhauled numerous items and other aspects of Elden Ring—should have no impact on it, so you’re still free to give it a go without penalty. This is what you’ll need to recreate this crazy one-shot build:

  • Gravel Stone Seal or Golden Order Seal
  • Jellyfish Shield
  • mushroom crown
  • Fetid Pots
  • Boluses
  • Blood sword for health damage
  • Godfrey Icon
  • Lightning Charm
  • Kindred of Roy’s Exultation
  • Red Branch Feather Talisman
  • Ancient Prayer book (for the incant)

This is fascinating to me. This build is filled with items that offer buffs and penalties, a tangled combination of effects that must be difficult to nail down. But when used properly, enormous damage is the result. It’s a risk/reward payoff that requires attention to detail and well-executed timing.

I’m the type of Elden Ring player that doesn’t pay much attention to the “meta” since I play very little PvP. But I also don’t work that hard at constructing the “best” builds either. I find weapons I like and use them. I find armor that looks cool and use it. I’m a pretty good player, but I don’t have the time or attention span to really dig that deep into all the game’s nuances.

That’s why my Elden Ring character rolls around in a slip of a dress, a circlet and bare feet:

In any case, it’s an impressive pwning of Elden Ring’s powerful final boss duo and something that I will have to enjoy as a spectator. For his part, Farnkopf says that Elden Ring has been more than just a video game to ‘git gud’ at, but also a bastion in tough times.

“I’m physically disabled and have had day to day stomach struggles for years,” Farnkopf tells me. “This game brought me a lot of help in the down times.” He’s not alone. I’ve heard many players of Elden Ring and all of From Software’s games, back to Demon’s and Dark Souls talk about how it helped with their depression or life struggles.

I can relate, at least a little. Elden Ring was a place of solace for me as well at the start of this year during a tough breakup with my long-time girlfriend. The Lands Between, like Lordran and Boletaria before, is a place of escape—into danger, true, but also into a world where struggle is surmountable and where overcoming that struggle brings real satisfaction to a sense of accomplishment and joy.

You can find Your Average Gamer on YouTube here if you’d like to subscribe to his videos.

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The 7 ‘Destiny 2’ Arc Exotic Armor Pieces That Needs Buffs For 3.0’s Arrival

The 7 'Destiny 2' Arc Exotic Armor Pieces That Needs Buffs For 3.0's Arrival

Destiny 2 is about to debut Arc 3.0, and with it, we will try to find new use out of old exotics, including a slate of arc-based armor and arc weapons already in the game.

I would say at baseline, the arc exotic weapons we have are already some of the strongest in the game, even without any existing synergy with the arc subclass, namely Riskrunner and Trinity Ghoul, two of the best mob-clearers in all of Destiny 2. Hell, even Coldheart got some Ionic Trace-based buffs recently. But as for exotic armor? As I’ve gone through looking at possible Arc 3.0 builds, I keep finding things that are some of the worst exotics in the game, ones that I hope are buffed to be meaningful for the revamp of Arc coming next season.

Here are the exotics I would love to see upgraded to do something of significance with Arc 3.0. I think we can agree here that everything listed here is painfully underpowered, in its current form:

Vesper of Radius (Warlock Chest) – Rift releases an arc shockwave when cast. Rift energy recharges faster when you are surrounded by enemies – A really bizarre Curse of Osiris-era exotic that is about aggressive rift use, not really a thing, but if that arc damage could generate some Arc 3.0 keywords, that could be a different story.

Geomag Stabilizers (Warlock Boots) – Damaging targets with Chaos Reach extends its duration – This is one that I’m not saying is necessarily underpowered, but the fact that it lost the “super top-up” functionality because of PvP remains crappy to this day, and I really want to see that aspect reverted.

Eternal Warrior (Titan Helm) – Casting Fist of Havoc grants an overshield – This may be in the running for the worst exotic in the entire game. Not kidding. This needs a top to bottom rework to be even a little bit useful, but that energy may end up getting spent on something entirely new. Not sure how you save this.

ACD/O Feedback Fence (Titan Arms) – Melee hits build energy. Being struck by an incoming melee attack reduces damage and unleashes the energy in a devastating explosion – One thing you’ll notice is that Titans really don’t have all that many arc exotics in the first place. There is nothing listing arc specific damage in here, but I would love to see this buffed and slightly reworked to be an option for Arc 3.0. You could say the same for Dunemarchers, but I’d be concerned about those getting too nutty in PvP with further buffs.

Blight Ranger (Hunter Helm) – Attacks you redirect with your arc staff deal massively increased damage and generate orbs of power for you and your allies – I get some of the older exotics being bad or underpowered but this one was brand new, was bugged to high heaven at release, but when it’s working, is one of the most situational, useless exotics in the game that absolutely needs an overhaul, even if Arc 3.0 will probably let you use Whirlwind Guard with a merged form of Arc Staff.

Raiden Flux (Hunter Chest) – Quick successive attacks with Arc Staff increase its damage and duration – There was a moment, for maybe five minutes in the Red War era, where Raiden Flux was actually pretty useful for boss damage and staggering, but that time has passed and we need to see some further buffs/abilities for this for it to be useful.

Raiju’s Harness (Hunter Chest) – Deactivate Whirlwind Guard early, guarding does not consume extra Super Energy – Okay somehow this is even worse than Blight Ranger. They really seem to want to make strategic Whirlwind Guard play a thing, but it just isn’t happening. If anything, Raiju’s and Blight Ranger should be combined into one thing, and even then I’m not convinced it would be good. Another total overhaul is needed here, I think.

Those are my picks. If I didn’t mention it, I think it may have some potential already.

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