 |
|
|
|||||
Microsoft is making its Copilot AI assistant available as a Mac app. The native macOS app will offer access to the web-based version of the Microsoft tool. It's rolling out today in the US, the UK and Canada. In practice, the apps functionalities sound pretty much identical to the experience of going to the web version of Copilot. The real distinction is that the Mac app includes a keyboard shortcut for activating the AI assistant with Command + Space and it can be viewed in dark mode. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would make the Copilot features Voice and Think Deeper, which taps into OpenAI's o1 model, available to any users for free. Both moves seems aimed at broadening the company's audience for Copilot. Big tech companies have a rocky history of trying to make their software available on rival hardware. Sometimes, it can take years for a service to be optimized for a different brand's exact specs. The arrival of a dedicated macOS app for Copilot, which is already out as an iPhone and iPad app, might be about as quick as Microsoft has ever brought a service to the Apple ecosystem.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-launches-native-mac-app-for-copilot-235945829.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Gaming accessory maker CRKD and Gibson have teamed up to revive the guitar controller in the form of two Gibson Les Paul-shaped controllers that will let you play your way through Fortnite Festival, Clone Hero, and even Rock Band 4. The Gibson Les Paul Black Tribal Encore Edition Guitar Controller and Gibson Les Paul Blueberry Burst Pro Edition Guitar Controller featured the whammy bar and colored frets from older gaming guitars, updated to work with modern platforms. CRKD is making both multi-platform and Xbox specific versions of the guitars, and depending on whether you pick the Encore or Pro Edition model, you'll get a slightly different set of features. CRKD The Pro Edition includes frets that have been "engineered for unmatched precision and responsiveness," along with a Hall-Effect whammy bar and a Hall-Effect Strum Bar with haptic feedback. The Encore Edition only has traditional mechanical frets and a normal strum bar, but CRKD says both guitars are designed to be modular, so you can purchase and swap in new components down the road if you want. Both guitars have built-in analog sticks and a d-pad for navigating in-game menus, and offer three different methods of connecting the controller to your console, mobile device or PC: wired via a USB cable, wirelessly via a 2.4GHz wireless dongle or Bluetooth. The Xbox versions of the guitar controllers work across Xbox, PC and Android, while the multi-platform version works on PC, Switch, Android and PS3. Notably, if you're looking to play Guitar Hero instead of Rock Band, you'll want the multi-platform guitar controller, because it offers greater compatibility with Guitar Hero games. CRKD Guitar controllers fell to the wayside as the companies largely responsibly for making Guitar Hero and Rock Band games either moved on or where shutdown. The bright spots in the slow decline of the music rhythm game genre has been third-party PC games like Clone Hero and YARG, and Harmonix's Fortnite Festival, which brought Rock Band-style gameplay to Epic's battle royale game in 2023. The Gibson Les Paul Black Tribal Encore Edition Guitar Controller is available to pre-order now for $109.99 for the multi-platform version, or $119.99 for the Xbox version. The Gibson Les Paul Blueberry Burst Pro Edition Guitar Controller can be pre-ordered for $119.99 for the multi-platform version, or $129.99 for the Xbox version. Both guitar controllers will start shipping in June 2025.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/crkd-teamed-up-with-gibson-to-make-new-guitar-controllers-230204820.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Video game preservation scored a win today with EA's decision to make four Command & Conquer games open source. The company has released the source code for Command & Conquer, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Command & Conquer: Renegade and Command & Conquer: Generals through a GPL license. All four projects are available to the public on Github. In addition, EA is adding Steam Workshop support to more contemporary entries in the real-time strategy franchise, including a modding support pack with assets from the series titles on the SAGE engine, such as Command & Conquer Red Alert 3. This game genre has fallen out of vogue in recent years. But the C&C series still has a lot of fans, so a fresh boost of modder interest could bring new players to the franchise. (Plus, never forget that Red Alert 3 also contains the single best line delivery in all of video game history.) EA released meticulous remasters of the first two installments of Command & Conquer in 2020, which included the release of those games' source code. In December, the company made several of its patents for accessibility open source as well. It's also encouraging to see EA taking a positive action around a beloved franchise, especially when its recent efforts to remaster The Sims and The Sims 2 was riddled with technical issues at launch that required heavy-duty patches to fix.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/ea-releases-source-code-for-four-command--conquer-games-223425774.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Forza Horizon 5 is officially coming to the PS5 on April 29. We knew the racing sim was going multiplatform, and now we have a legit date when players will be able to race around a digital replica of Mexico. This version does have cross-play support, which has already been a boon for Xbox and PC players. Additionally, the PS5 build allows gamers to purchase all of the same car packs, including the Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure expansions. Theres a new and free content update for PS5, Xbox and PC players called Horizon Realms that features a set of in-game achievements based on the games dynamic and evolving world, which arrives on April 25. Horizon 5 comes to PS5 in three flavors. The base game costs $60; the Deluxe Edition, which comes with the game's car pass, costs $80; and the Premium Edition, which comes with all of the game's DLC, costs $100. If you pre-order the Premium Edition you also get early access to the game on April 25, though does it count as early access when the game's been out for over four years on Xbox and PC? That's for you and your wallet to decide. All editions are digital only the Forza Horizon X account confirmed there are currently no plans for a physical release. Developer Playground Games has also run down the various graphics modes available on PlayStation 5. Regular PS5 consoles will have access to a 60 fps performance mode and a 30 fps quality mode. PS5 Pro owners will have the same options, but with "increased fidelity" in the performance mode and ray-traced car reflections in races and free roam. There is no word currently on resolution targets for either console, or how they shape up versus Xbox Series X/S. For the uninitiated, Forza Horizon 5 is a fantastic open-world racing game that we absolutely loved upon its initial release in 2021. The graphics are top notch, with a gorgeous design aesthetic, and the open world is fun to just race around in. The game is so approachable that we said you don't need to be into cars to love it. This is just the latest former Xbox exclusive to bridge the console divide. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle debuted as an Xbox exclusive in December, but is also coming to the PS5 soon. Other former exclusives that have been allowed to roam free include Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment and Grounded.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/forza-horizon-5-careens-onto-ps5-on-april-29-222606043.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
In a fitting crossover, Roblox is getting a big speed boost on Chromebooks. Google said on Thursday that a new x86 version of the online game platform and creation system is twice as fast as the Android version, which was previously the only way to play Roblox on ChromeOS. Given the overlap between Chromebooks (popular in education) and Roblox (popular with kids, for better or worse), a better-performing version on ChromeOS seems like a good match. Although there are more ARM-based Chromebooks than before, most still use x86 architecture. Google says the new Roblox build provides smoother gameplay, quicker load times and "an overall better Roblox experience." More specifically, you should see a 99 percent framerate increase in the virtual pet game Adopt Me! and a 67 percent boost in the role-playing sim Brookhaven RP. Load times are up to 29 percent faster when going from a fresh start to the login page. Alongside the x86 launch, Google and Roblox have some speed-themed in-game swag for Chromebook users. You can redeem a jetpack with a Chrome logo (of course!) for your avatar to fly around like a Google-sponsored Buzz Lightyear. You can also redeem a "hoverboard" (which looks suspiciously like a OneWheel) for faster ground travel. You'll find both on Google's perks page. This isn't the first mashup between the two companies. Last year, they teamed up on a weird game that teaches kids about online safety, the, uh, "interestingly" named Be Internet Awesome World. Google told Engadget that you can install the x86 version of Roblox directly through the Play Store. Although that's typically where you find the Android version, the storefront should automatically deliver the right build for your laptop.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/roblox-is-now-much-faster-on-chromebooks-210030799.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Sites : [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] next »