Nov 30
The eruption Mauna Loa in Hawaii has temporarily disrupted one of the most important tools we have to keep track of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
Nov 30
Warwick Davis Would Love to Resurrect Star Wars Cult Obsession Return of the Ewok
Posted in: Today's Chili
While promoting his new Disney+ series, Willow, which brings back a beloved character he first played in the 1980s, star Warwick Davis was asked about another beloved character of his from that era, Return of the Jedi’s Wicket the Ewok. Specifically: mockumentary Return of the Ewok, shot behind the scenes of the Star…
Nov 30
Twitch's new 'Shield Mode' is a one-button anti-harassment tool for streamers
Posted in: Today's ChiliTwitch has steadily added to its streamer safety measures, but they can still be a pain to use if a hate raid or dedicated harasser makes life miserable. The service might now have a much simpler solution. It’s introducing “Shield Mode,” a one-button toggle that activates several customizable safety measures at once. You and your moderators can limit chat to followers or subscribers, require verification and implement stricter AutoMod levels, and immediately revert back to looser policies once the crisis is over.
There are even a pair of Shield Mode-only defenses. You can automatically ban everyone who recently used a given phrase in chat, or disallow all first-time chatters. If a raid includes a wave of bigoted slurs from newcomers or bots, you might just silence all of them with a click. You’ll have to file reports for each banned user at launch, but Twitch hopes to streamline the process in the future.
Rolling out today: Shield Mode.
Now you can strengthen your safety on stream with a single click. Shield Mode makes it easy to pre-set safety settings and helps you quickly remove harassing messages and users from chat.
Learn more: https://t.co/G6mSGpS9ODpic.twitter.com/bD6wMvGZOS
— Twitch (@Twitch) November 30, 2022
The feature is mainly meant to help guard against hate raids without forcing targeted channels to keep tight security active at all times. Streamers can mostly stick to relaxed, welcoming policies that help grow their audiences. However, Twitch adds that this could also help any broadcaster who’s featured on the front page or planning a stream on a delicate subject.
This comes over a year after Twitch streamers conducted a virtual walkout to protest Twitch’s allegedly slow responses to hate raids. At the time, creators dealt with racist, sexist and transphobic raiding that frequently abused channel hashtags, with some so bad that streams had to be cut short. Twitch promised changes in response, including better ban evasion detection. Shield Mode is another part of that response, and is clearly meant to supplement or replace community-made “panic button” tools that accomplished similar goals.
Nov 30
Jim Carrey’s Goodbye Tweet Is A Treat If You Like Naked Lighthouse Keepers Who Sing
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe comic actor said he’s leaving Twitter and left fans with a head-scratching cartoon.
Nov 30
Among Twitter’s multiform ongoing disasters, the one that threatens its financial prospects the most is perhaps fleeing advertisers. Elon Musk’s latest complaint on the topic finds him picking a public fight with Apple, suggesting the iPhone maker pulled its Twitter ads because “they hate free speech in America.”…
Nov 30
Yesterday, SpaceX performed a static fire test of a prototype booster in which 11 of its 33 Raptor engines were briefly engaged. The private company could very well be on target to launch the fully stacked Starship system next month.
Nov 30
When the original Uncharted game debuted in 2007, an IGN reviewer called it a “rollercoaster adventure.” Fast forward 16 years and you’ll be able to experience Uncharted as a literal thrill ride at a theme park. Spanish resort PortAventura World has signed a deal with Sony to build a rollercoaster based on the Uncharted movie, which is an adaptation of Naughty Dog’s games. The ride is slated to open at the theme park, which is around an hour and a half away from Barcelona, in mid-2023.
The rollercoaster will take the park’s visitors on “a dangerous search for one of the greatest treasures ever found,” PortAventura said. With a budget of over €25 million ($25.7 million) behind it, the Uncharted ride will have an immersive pre-show that’s said to be full of surprises. The rollercoaster will be almost 700 meters long and reach a height of over 12 meters. At least some parts of the so-called dark ride will be enclosed, and likely feature animations or video projections, special effects and Nathan Drake saying “No, no, no!” way too many times.
Although it had a lukewarm reaction from critics, Uncharted performed fairly well at the box office, pulling in just under $402 million to become the fifth highest-grossing film based on a video game. Sony is turning many of its other PlayStation properties into movies and TV shows, including The Last of Us, Horizon, God of War and Ghost of Tsushima. Perhaps some of those will end up becoming theme park rides too — though a Last of Us rollercoaster might be a little too thrilling for some folks.
Nov 30
Chinese officials will begin cracking down on internet users liking social media posts that are deemed illegal or harmful amidst nationwide protests against China’s zero-Covid policy.
Nov 30
Honda’s big electrification push will include US-oriented hydrogen fuel cell cars. The automaker has revealed that it will begin US production of fuel cell vehicles in 2024. The first model will be a plug-in hybrid based on the current-generation CR-V (pictured here). You’ll theoretically have pure electric driving for your daily commute, but still get zero-emissions driving for longer city-to-city jaunts.
More details of the hydrogen-powered CR-V will be revealed sometime closer to its 2024 launch, Honda says. It’s only willing to offer a peek at the power plant (below). The existing CR-V is available as a conventional hybrid with a gas engine and no plug-in feature.
Honda
The new model is part of a larger Honda strategy to completely drop combustion engine vehicles by 2040 using a mix of pure EVs and fuel cell cars. On top of the hydrogen CR-V, Americans can also expect the fully electric Prologue SUV in 2024. The brand already sells the electric Honda E subcompact, but not in the US. Honda aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Whether or not there’s a market for the fuel cell SUV is uncertain. Hydrogen cars haven’t gained much traction in the US compared to their all-electric counterparts, due partly to high prices and a lack of filling stations. Honda axed the fuel cell-based Clarity sedan in 2021, reportedly in response to weak demand for the $71,200 machine. There’s no guarantee customers will be more welcoming in 2024, particularly as EVs become more affordable and offer improved range.
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