ArduinoMania

The 2024 US Presidential race is heating up, and the candidates along with their supporters have a new weapon at their disposal: Artificial intelligence tools, which can easily generate realistic images and voices. As Semafor reports, the DeSantis War Room has shared images showing Donald Trump embracing Dr. Anthony Fauci, who became a controversial figure to conservatives following the COVID-19 pandemic. The short clip compares Trump as a reality TV star firing people in The Apprentice with the "real life Trump" who apparently refused to fire the doctor. 

While the video was marked on Twitter with a warning that says three of the still shots showing Trump embracing Fauci are "AI generated images," some people could believe they were real. DeSantis' camp didn't deny that they weren't real photos, but it didn't explicitly say that either. Someone familiar with DeSantis' political campaign told Semafor that the video was a "social media post" and not an ad, though it's unclear if that's the reason why the images were not clearly marked as computer-generated. 

The DeSantis camp isn't the only group using AI-generated images this election, though. When President Joe Biden officially announced his re-election bid, the Republican National Committee (RNC) released video ads created entirely using artificial intelligence. The video shows Biden and Kamala Harris at a victory party followed by several domestic and international incidents the RNC says might happen if they win. Donald Trump, Jr. also reportedly shared a video swapping DeSantis' face and voice over a scene from The Office in the past. Meanwhile, former President Trump shared a video mocking DeSantis' Twitter Spaces launch with AI voices that featured figures, such as Adolf Hitler. Clearly, Americans will be bombarded with AI-generated images and voices this election, and it's up to them to figure out what's real and what's not. 

The “save” icon for plenty of modern computer programs, including Microsoft Office, still looks like a floppy disk, despite the fact that these have been effectively obsolete for well over a decade. As fewer and fewer people recognize what this icon represents, a challenge is growing for retrocomputing enthusiasts that rely on floppy disk technology to load any programs into their machines. For some older computers that often didn’t have hard disk drives at all, like the Commodore 64, it’s one of the few ways to load programs into computer memory. And, rather than maintaining an enormous collection of floppy discs, [RaspberryPioneer] built a way to load programs on a Commodore using Microsoft Excel instead.

The Excel sheet that manages this task uses Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), an event-driven programming language built into Office, to handle the library of applications for the Commodore (or Commodore-compatible clone) including D64, PRG, and T64 files. This also includes details about the software including original cover art and any notes the user needs to make about them. Using VBA, it also communicates to an attached Arduino, which is itself programmed to act as a disk drive for the Commodore. The neceessary configuration needed to interface with the Arduino is handled within the spreadsheet as well. Some additional hardware is needed to interface the Arduino to the Commodore’s communications port but as long as the Arduino is a 5V version and not a 3.3V one, this is fairly straightforward and the code for it can be found on its GitHub project page.

With all of that built right into Excel, and with an Arduino acting as the hard drive, this is one of the easiest ways we’ve seen to manage a large software library for a retrocomputer like the Commodore 64. Of course, emulating disk drives for older machines is not uncommon, but we like that this one can be much more dynamic and simplifies the transfer of files from a modern computer to a functionally obsolete one. One of the things we like about builds like this, or this custom Game Boy cartridge, is how easy it can be to get huge amounts of storage that the original users of these machines could have only dreamed of in their time.

Ford isn't the only electric automaker switching to Tesla's North American Charging Standard — General Motors says it's making the change, too. CEO Mary Barra announced the move during a Twitter Spaces chat with Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday, stating that its electric vehicles will make the NACS open-source connector standard in all GM EVs in 2025.

As part of the collaboration, all GM EVs will gain access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in 2024. Drivers of existing GM EVs won't have to upgrade their vehicles to use Tesla's chargers, but will need to use an adapter to make their vehicle compatible. Likewise, GM says it will be developing an adapter that will allow future NACS-enabled EVs to charge its existing network of CSS-capable fast charging stations.

That backwards compatible charger could prove important. Tesla's willingness to open up its charging system to non-Tesla vehicles was originally announced alongside a $7.5 billion Biden administration initiative to expand EV charger availability in the US — but that plan heavily indexes on building out CCS chargers.

"This collaboration is a key part of our strategy and an important next step in quickly expanding access to fast chargers for our customers," Barra said in GM's statement on the partnership. "Our vision of the all-electric future means producing millions of world-class EVs across categories and price points, while creating an ecosystem that will accelerate mass EV adoption."

After Elon Musk finalized his purchase of Twitter last October, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta reportedly began working on a social media platform of its own, codenamed Project 92. During a company-wide meeting on Thursday, Meta chief product officer Chris Cox showed off a set UI mock-ups to the assembled employees, which were promptly leaked online.

The project's existence was first officially confirmed in March when the company told reporters, "We're exploring a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates. We believe there's an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests." A set of design images shared internally in May were leaked online as well.

The new platform, which Cox referred to as “our response to Twitter,” will be a standalone program, based on Instagram and integrating ActivityPub, the same networking protocol that powers Mastodon. The leaked images include a shot of the secure sign in screen; the main feed, which looks suspiciously like Twitter's existing mobile app; and the reply screen. There's no word yet on when the app will be available for public release.

“We’ve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution,” Cox said, per a Verge report. Celebrities including Oprah and the Dalai Lama have both reportedly been attached to the project.

Between the likes of Skate, Skate Story and OlliOlli World, we're in the midst of a renaissance of skateboarding games. Helskate looks like it's going in a different direction from many of them. It uses skateboarding as a foundation for monster slaying.

In this project from Phantom Coast, you'll make your way through the hellscape of Vertheim with arcade-style skating. You'll power up attacks by pulling off combos, and unlock abilities and buffs as you progress. Ultimately, you'll need to battle the Gods of Skating. You'll need to conquer a score challenge to defeat one and grind up another to target its weak points.

Since this is a roguelite, some progress will carry over when you die, but otherwise you'll be starting again. You'll be able to put together a unique build for each run by combining weapons, gear and tapes. Permanent ability upgrades come in the form of tattoos, which is a neat touch.

In case you're concerned that the skateboarding aspect might not live up to other titles in the genre, the fact that veteran designer Steve Swink is leading the team may sate your concerns. Swink has some previous experience in that domain, having designed one of the levels in Tony Hawk's Underground.

In any case, Helskate made a solid first impression. The action looks fast paced and it has some slick visuals. It brings to mind Hades as well as the fantastic Rollerdrome, which requires players to pull off rollerblading tricks to refill their ammo.

We'll need to wait a while longer to see if Helskate can meet the heady heights of those other games. It's slated to hit Steam early access in early 2024.

Summer Games Fest's final reveal was the sequel...est of all sequels: Final Fantasy VII Remake's second chapter, Rebirth. It will take Cloud, Aerith and the rest of the team beyond Midgar, and we got a glimpse and expanded areas for exploration, tapping into the power of the PS5. 

The start of the trailer, however, teases alternate timelines and events yet again, with the collapse of the expressway (the end of FF7: Remake) showing injured party members being stretchered onto helicopters, before returning to more familiar story beats for anyone who's played the original. 

We'll get flashbacks to Tifa and Cloud's reunion in the town of Kalm, where they both grew up, and more Sephiroth chewing up scenes with vague dialogue and gorgeous hair. We also see secondary antagonists, the Turks, with a full roster, ready to go three-on-three against your party. 

The most intriguing snippets were battles showing Cloud et al. able to collaborate with each other on their moves, upping the damage. It's something we saw in FF7R's DLC with Yuffie and her ally Sonan. The trailer also gave us the first glimpse of both Yuffie and Red XIII (the talking dog) duking it out alongside the rest of the party. The game has been delayed, to early 2024 now, but we now know it'll land on two discs — if that's any consolation.

Epic Games is about to decimate the Fortnite island once again. The battle royale's latest season, dubbed Fortnite Wilds, commences on June 9th, and a cinematic trailer debuted for it during Summer Game Fest Live.

This time around, Epic is revamping the island by collapsing the center of it to reveal a jungle. You'll be able to ride colorful velociraptors and explore ancient ruins. Mud and vines will play roles in the season as well. Somehow, all of that ties into a Transformers collaboration as Optimus Prime make an appearance. As it happens, a new Transformers movie is in theaters this week.

There's not much cohesion between the jungle theme and the latest crossover, but it doesn't really matter. Millions of people will rush to play the new season anyway. Besides, let's face it: tearing around the island on the back of a raptor while wearing an Optimus Prime skin could be fun.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Indie game developer Land & Sea, the team behind Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey, just announced a new title ahead of this year's Day of the Dev's showcase during Summer Games Fest. Summerhill is described as a “story-driven puzzle adventure game” that casts you as both a sheepherder and their intrepid canine companion.

If you’ve played the adorably zen Alto series you know what to expect on a vibe level. Summerhill leans hard on the pastoral setting, emphasizing chill puzzle solving at your own pace. The graphics recall the Alto series and other indie standouts like Monument Valley. To that end, the composer behind Monument Valley 2, Todd Baker, is here to deliver a “folk-inspired” soundtrack.

On the gameplay front, the dev promises “fluid herding-based gameplay” and “gentle problem-solving," along with a narrative mystery regarding the landscape’s ancient past. You’ll also be herding and corralling your sheep along with your trusty dog, all while honing skills to tackle “increasingly more complex puzzles.” The narrative is wordless but the dev promises it’s rife with "themes of duty, companionship and morality.”

“Summerhill is an entirely new IP that aims to build on the themes that we care about most as a studio,” writes Land & Sea founder Harry Nesbitt. “In many ways, sheep herding is in our DNA and we really wanted to do justice to this timeless tradition and tell a story that could only be told in this way.”

There’s no release date yet, as the title is currently in active development, but it’s far enough along for a trailer. This team has been busy lately. Some members, regrouped as Snowman Games, recently launched an exclusive title for Netflix.

Perhaps you feel that the Summer Game Fest Live and Day of the Devs events didn't include quite enough gaming news for one day. In that case, you're in luck, as Devolver Digital is rounding off the day's festivities with its own showcase.

You'll be able to watch the latest Devolver Direct below at 6PM ET. It's taking place on the same stream as the Summer Game Fest Live and Day of the Devs showcases, so you can scrub through the YouTube video timeline for even more announcements and trailers.

You can expect Devolver to get up to its usual offbeat antics in what's reliably one of the most entertaining events around this time of year. For this edition, Devolver is promising the "return of Volvy." You know, the publisher's long-standing mascot? The mouse-like creature with an oversized arm? The star of games such as Hotline Miami, Enter the Gungeon, Gris and Cult of the Lamb? Anyone? Despite Devolver's assertions that Volvy has been a cultural icon for over 30 years, the critter isn't actually real. Or maybe we've collectively erased him from our memories due to his various misdeeds. You know what you did, Volvy.

Anyway, Devolver has a heap of intriguing games in the pipeline and we should learn more about some of them during the stream. I have my fingers crossed for an update on Skate Story, which has been one of my most anticipated games since Devolver dropped an incredibly stylish announcement trailera year ago. Other upcoming games we may learn more about include Gunbrella (in which you have a firearm that's also an umbrella), Gris follow-up Neva, the striking action adventure title The Plucky Squire and The Talos Principle 2. The publisher is also promising new game announcements, while there should be an update on the Human: Fall Flat front.

We'll be bringing you news, previews and hands-on impressions from all the Summer Game Fest events in Los Angeles over the next several days. There's plenty more to come, including showcases from the likes of Xbox, Ubisoft and Capcom. Stay tuned to Engadget for all the latest.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!

Sega's Japanese gangster series, Yakuza (or Like a Dragon), will continue in Like a Dragon 8, but the company also teased a separate title that would continue the story of the series' protagonist from the first six games. Yes, Kiryu Kazuma is back, but well, without the name. 

The laboriously named Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will focus on Kiryu, who, having faked his death, is back on the mean, incredibly reflective streets of Japan. According to leaks earlier this week, will feature two fighting styles, including 'agent' techniques that appear to be both gadget-heavy and remind me a lot of Link's Ultrahand from what is probably the best game of 2023. Oh, and Spider-Man. In short, it's going to be very silly again.

Gaiden looks to be another traditional brawler, and it launches on November 9th 2023. If you're looking for more RPG-style gangster adventures, you'll have to wait for next year's Like A Dragon 8.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest right here!