New Game of Thrones MMORPG video game may be in development

A new Game of Thrones video game may be in development as Nexon is reportedly developing a new MMORPG set in the world of the popular franchise.
The developer is behind the successful FPS shooter The Finals as well as Warhaven, Kartrider, and others. According to Redanian Intelligence, a news source for all things related to The Witcher, House of the Dragon, Lord of the Rings, and others, the game is set in the North, as it is believed that the locations of Winterfell and The Wall will be featured. As a result, the game is expected to be set between Seasons 4 and 5 of the show.
Players will not control any characters from the show, instead, they will create an original male or female character. Iconic figures from the series, such as Jon Snow and Sam Tarly, will also appear.
However, it is unclear whether the original cast will return to voice their parts, “at least in the current iteration of the game,” as Redanian Intelligence suggests. The game, which is still untitled, will be an online story campaign. Players can select either a male or female protagonist, and the character not chosen will still play a role in the game, similar to the approach in “Mass Effect: Andromeda.”
Currently, there is no known release window for the game, nor is there information on how far along its development has progressed. There are also no details regarding the main character, but it’s likely that they’ll be running around solving problems.
Does Game of Thrones have any video games?
Game of Thrones has inspired several video game adaptations, though they have generally received mixed reviews from both fans and critics.
“Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series” was initially promising but was discontinued after one season due to the closure (and subsequent reopening) of Telltale Games in 2018. Among the more successful adaptations is “Reigns: Game of Thrones,” a strategy game that uses a swiping mechanic similar to that of a dating app, which boasts an impressive 84% score on Metacritic.
Featured image: HBO / Game of Thrones / Ideogram
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Rumors swirl that Apple plan to use ChatGPT to power AI features in iOS 18

With Apple just a couple of months away from revealing all at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, there’s a rumor that the ChatGPT developer OpenAI will play a part in a major artificial intelligence (AI) upgrade for the iPhone.
The next generation of iOS is expected to be heavily focused on the use of AI, with rumors about what this could be having been circulating for the last few months.
Bloomberg reported Apple has intensified talks with OpenAI for iPhone generative AI features.
He cites ‘people familiar with the matter’ as he says the next iPhone company has been “seeking partners to power a chatbot-like feature akin to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.”
This comes just a month after other conversations were said to be taking place, such as the likes of Alphabet Inc’s Google being potentially involved in discussing the use of Gemini AI. Apple, OpenAI, and Google have all declined to comment on the matter.
Apple was first said to have spoken to OpenAI a couple of months back, but no details about a collaboration have yet emerged. The tight-lipped Cupertino-based company will likely share all at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference.
Worldwide Developers Conference could reveal all about iOS 18
This event is hosted annually at Apple Park and will run through June 10 to June 14. They usually use this as a platform to showcase new software, technologies, and hardware products.
At the 2023 event, Apple unveiled the AR/VR headset named Apple Vision Pro, as well as macOS 14 Sonoma and other hardware and updates.
When announcing the 2024 conference on the Apple Newsroom, the iPhone maker stated the event would bring “insight into new tools, frameworks, and features.”

Mark your calendars for #WWDC24, June 10-14. It’s going to be Absolutely Incredible! pic.twitter.com/YIln5972ZD
— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) March 26, 2024

The SVP of marketing at Apple, Greg Joswiak, teased the event further on X and urged people to “mark your calendars.” When describing the event, he capitalized the A and I for “Absolutely Incredible,” which could further push the idea of this being heavily focused on artificial intelligence.
Featured Image: Photo by Laurenz Heymann on Unsplash
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Minecraft player has X-Files moment as they report an in-game UFO sighting

Governments love denying the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects, but they may have a hard time explaining away this UFO video taken in Minecraft which seems to show conclusive proof of strange goings on, albeit in the blocky world millions call home.
While most UFO sightings consist of smears of light or blocky shapes you can never make out, the UFO cube in Minecraft is a sight to behold and the only question now is, what is it?
The authorities are explaining it away as a Wither skull projectile, fired by a wither boss that is carrying on into the atmosphere but that’s as plausible an explanation as a balloon lantern, or weather phenomenon to us.
The UFO was spotted by AnxiousShinobi who asked on Reddit, “What’s that thing? In a post that was quickly debunked as ‘nothing to see here’ – despite nobody having ever seen it before.
What’s that thing? byu/AnxiousShinobi inMinecraft

“It’s a blue wither shot. You must have fought the wither and the shot missed, and it is now traveling out to the edge of your world. It’ll load in whenever you’re in render distance.”
“It was shot out horizontally and hasn’t hit anything yet. It’ll fly until out of simulation distance, then it will stop and just hang there. Once the player is within range again, it’ll continue on its way.”
“A reminder that you should never fire a firearm directly into the sky. It has to come down somewhere.”
Okay, sheeple. Believe what you want.
In all seriousness though it is super cool that even nearly 15 years after its launch we are still discovering new stuff in Minecraft as we play. It’s further proof that Minecraft is (and I will fight you all to the death over this) arguably the most important videogame of all time allowing amazing creativity still while keeping its players captivated..
The truth is out there.
Featured Image: AI-generated in MidJourney
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The Latest Online Culture War Is Humans vs. Algorithms

Ever feel like Instagram or TikTok algorithms know you a bit too well? The backlash against automated curation is building, and new algorithm-free platforms are springing up.

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Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free system under investigation after fatal crashes

Federal safety regulators have opened an investigation into Ford’s hands-free driver assistance system, BlueCruise, after it was active during two recent crashes into stationary vehicles that killed multiple people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said Monday that it has confirmed BlueCruise was active in both crashes. One took place […]
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Apple’s iPadOS will have to comply with EU’s Digital Markets Act too

The European Union will apply its flagship market fairness and contestability rules to Apple’s iPadOS, the Commission announced today — expanding the number of Apple-owned platforms regulated under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to four and amping up regulatory risk for the tech giant by bringing its tablet ecosystem in scope. Apple has six months […]
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What is Lemon8, who owns it and is it safe?

Lemon8 shares some of the safety concerns as TikTok, but what is the app and are the concerns justified?
It often feels like there are new social media apps every other day, with more and more companies wanting to become the next Meta. One of the more recent entries to the market, launched in 2020, is Lemon8.
The app is focused on sharing media and content but boasts its own USP compared to long-term dominators in the social media space like Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). Here’s a closer look at what Lemon8 is, who owns it, and what some of the concerns are around it that have seen it making headlines around the world.
What is Lemon8?
Lemon8 is a social media app, designed to share photos and videos. It is driven by user-generated content (UGC), with the ability to share media tagged under specific categories and products, much like Pinterest or Instagram, TikTok, and X’s long-term use of hashtags. Popular topics on Lemon8 include food, wellness, travel, beauty, and so on.

Can you make money on Lemon8?
In short, yes. In fact, with a heavy focus on products and categorization, the Lemon8 app includes messaging around empowering its audience to become creators, as opposed to maintaining privacy (as touted by BeReal) or connecting with friends and family (a la Facebook).
There’s easy access within the app to add product information, such as prices, links, and other affiliate or content creator tools. These options are open to creators of any size, encouraging those even with small followings to act and post on the platform as if it’s a monetized channel.
Looking at the user experience of Lemon8, there is less of a push to scroll forever, with one post taking up the entire screen. Instead, you can more easily browse individual topics or products, with multiple posts appearing on your screen at once. This once again reflects the behind-the-scenes push to become a creator, rather than simply a passive user.
Who owns Lemon8?
Lemon8 is owned by ByteDance, the Chinese company that also owns TikTok. It was first released in 2020 but didn’t take off in the dominant western social media markets of the UK and the USA until 2023, when it was launched outside of Asia. It’s available on both iOS and Android.
ByteDance originally launched the app seemingly as a competitor to Xiaohongshu, a similarly product-driven app popular in China. Lemon8 quickly managed to drum up a strong competitive following in other markets in Asia, before its expansion to the West.
Is Lemon8 safe?
With Lemon8 being owned by ByteDance, the same company behind TikTok, some have raised concerns about the safety of the app. This comes after the US House of Representatives voted in favor of an updated bill that would effectively ban TikTok if ByteDance doesn’t sell the app. If and when the proposed bill makes its way to President Joe Biden’s desk, the president has implied that he would sign it into law. The support for the effective ban of TikTok in the US is based on apparent safety concerns, with the app being accused of harvesting huge amounts of data.
While app safety testing platform Qustodio reports that Lemon8 works as advertised and doesn’t have any major safety concerns, it is believed that it operates using the same algorithms as TikTok, meaning the same data safety harvesting concerns could be warranted.
Another safety-focused third party, Protect Young Eyes, also offers a warning that there is a lot of content with few content controls, meaning that young people could access age-inappropriate content if not properly supervised. Arguably, however, the same could be said for the majority of apps that young people can make accounts for.
Featured image: Lemon8 via ByteDance
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Elon Musk’s Tesla nears self-driving launch in China

Tesla has cleared key regulatory obstacles that had previously hindered the rollout of its self-driving software in China. This progress sets the stage for a favorable outcome following Elon Musk’s unexpected visit to the U.S. automaker’s second-largest market.
The American automaker will reportedly be able to implement its autonomous driving services using lane-level navigation and mapping supplied by Baidu Inc., according to sources cited by Bloomberg. The Beijing-based internet company is among roughly 20 accredited suppliers possessing the essential module for self-driving functionalities.
The move comes as the Tesla CEO landed in the Chinese capital on Sunday (April 28), where discussions were expected regarding the implementation of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and the authorization for transferring driving data overseas, as informed by a source familiar with the situation.
The billionaire’s visit, which included a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, took place just over a week after he canceled a scheduled trip to India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing “very heavy Tesla obligations.”
Reuters reported that Tesla finalized an agreement with Baidu to use the Chinese tech company’s mapping license for data collection on public roads in China. They characterized this as a pivotal step for the introduction of Full Self-Driving (FSD) in the country.
Tesla also satisfied a major data security and privacy prerequisite in China, as reported by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. This achievement is expected to alleviate some of the concerns surrounding Tesla’s data security.
Since 2021, Chinese regulators have required that Tesla store all data gathered by its Chinese fleet in Shanghai, preventing the company from transferring any data back to the United States.
Tesla and the Chinese automaker market
Tesla has been battling with BYD for supremacy in the world’s largest auto market, despite losing its spot as the largest global electronic vehicle provider in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Tesla sold more than 1500 EVs, on average, across all of its Chinese stores up to October 2023 according to data from China Merchants Bank International. This represents an increase for the same period the previous year, up from 1300.
While Baidu unveiled its own totally self-driving car in August 2016. However, it missed several deadlines, and as a result, it has yet to come to fruition.
Featured image: Midjourney
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Online betting firm 888.com to withdraw adverts after row

The casino company 888 has to withdraw adverts after branding the London Underground and taxis with slogans like ‘this carriage is now a casino’ and ‘fancy a spin?’
They’ve received criticism over the tone of the adverts, with people left questioning why the Transport for London (TFL) accepted the campaign.
In previous years, TFL has rejected a poster showing strawberries and cream and another showing a Victoria sponge cake because they promoted unhealthy eating.
The comedian Ed Gamble even had to replace the hotdog in his promotional poster for his tour Hot Diggity Dog, switching it out for a cucumber instead.
The Guardian has confirmed 888.com will be withdrawing some of the adverts, with a spokesperson saying: “We continuously listen to feedback regarding the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and acknowledge that, whilst fully compliant with all advertising regulations and standards, our latest campaign could be interpreted in a different manner to the brand position we aim for.
“As a result, we have decided to change the focus of this campaign and are withdrawing certain adverts that are currently running.”
Gambling advertising on the travel network
Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones, who is a prominent expert on addiction and oversees the National Problem Gambling Clinic in the UK, took to the X social media platform to share her thoughts – asking the government travel network and the Mayor “when is this going to stop?”

No it’s not a casino, it’s a London Underground train carriage. I took this photo. A child in school uniform was sitting below this gambling advert. ⁦@TfL⁩ ⁦⁦@SadiqKhan when is this going to stop? ⁦@GRHAPPG⁩ ⁦@pgreform⁩ ⁦@TheBMA⁩ ⁦@cagauk⁩ pic.twitter.com/J7yRBpgAnR
— Henrietta Bowden-Jones (@HBowdenJonesOBE) April 23, 2024

The backlash has brought attention to the current Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as he included the banning of gambling advertising on the Tube and other Transport for London services in his 2021 manifesto pledge.
Over the last few years, gambling and casino-related adverts have continued to be accepted by the travel network. The BBC has reported that TFL earned £663,640 in revenue from gambling adverts between 2022-23.
On May 2, residents in London will be taking part in the mayoral election. One of Sadiq Khan’s rivals, Susan Hall, has been calling for a more ‘common sense approach’ to the review of adverts as she says there’s an inconsistency at the moment which is ‘baffling for Londoners.’
Featured Image: From X, @HBowdenJonesOBE
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How to Tell If Your VPN Is Working Properly

How can you tell if your VPN is working properly or not? Learn different ways to check if your VPN is working with our guide.

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