'We're suffocating in the streets': Europe battles through ANOTHER day of unprecedented near-40C temperatures as deadly heatwave makes it 'difficult to live'
France recorded its hottest-ever day for the second day running, with temperatures topping 40C in more than 50 departments since the latest heatwave began on June 17.
GTA VI Is a Worrying Sign For the Future of Physical Games
Rockstar Games has revealed the price of Grand Theft Auto VI to be $79.99, and confirmed that the physical versions of the game won't include a disc. Instead, they'll contain a one-time download code when it launches November 19. "Not only is that a disappointing decision for people who like to own physical games, but given the scale of the next GTA, it also sets a bad precedent for the rest of the industry," reports The Verge. From the report: There are a lot of advantages to buying digital. You can start a download from your couch. You can store multiple games on one hard drive so you don't have to get up to play something else. Storefronts like Steam or the PlayStation Store don't run out of inventory of the newest game you're interested in, and you can often get games at a cheaper price thanks to frequent sales.
But it's becoming increasingly clear that digital ownership has significant disadvantages, too. If a game you don't own digitally is removed from a storefront, whether that's for things like licensing, artificially limited availability, or even the store eventually closing down, your only option is to hope you can find a physical version. If your account on a platform is banned, even if that ban isn't warranted, you might be locked out of your digital library with no way to play those games unless you buy them again or hope your account gets restored. You can't sell or trade digital games you've purchased, and while there are ways to share digital games, they require some work and are usually intended just for families.
It's also much harder to preserve digital games because they only "exist" on the hard drive of a console, PC, or device they were downloaded to. This is an issue across many industries, not just console games; there are multiple examples of things like mobile games and streaming shows becoming lost for good when they don't have a physical version. Without physical versions, you also can't find a used version of a game at a garage sale or a local game shop. It's unclear whether Rockstar will ever release a physical version of the game. As for why, The Verge suspects the decision was made in part to prevent leaks; "by only being available digitally, Rockstar can ensure that GTA VI unlocks at the same exact time for everyone."
"The digital-only choice might also indicate that the game has a massive file size that's too big for PlayStation and Xbox game discs."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Met Office: Essex to stay over 30C this weekend as rest of England cools
Low pressure from the Atlantic will bring an end to the heatwave across much of England - but Essex looks set to miss out
Labour under fresh fire for ditching Rwanda scheme as European Union nations line up to deport migrants to the African nation as early as next year, with deportations to Uzbekistan and Uganda also on the cards
European Union diplomats said several countries were hoping to start expelling failed asylum seekers to the African nation, with deportations to Uzbekistan and Uganda also on the cards.
Nicola Sturgeon told: It's time to make public the written statement you gave to the police
Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to release her written statement to police following revelations that detectives were frustrated by some of her answers.
Keir-miserations: Ousted Starmer gets consolation hugs from European leaders at Berlin summit as departing PM makes one of his final foreign trips
Two days after he tearfully announced his resignation as Labour premier, Sir Keir travelled to Berlin for a meeting of 'E5' group of countries.
OpenAI Unveils First Chip As Part of Broadcom Deal
OpenAI and Broadcom have unveiled Jalapeno, OpenAI's first custom AI chip, designed primarily to handle inference for ChatGPT and other services. It's a major step in OpenAI's plan to "build the full stack behind its models and products," says OpenAI. "By designing more of the stack ourselves, we can serve more intelligence with greater efficiency and keep pushing advanced AI toward broader access." CNBC reports: The chip with Broadcom is an ASIC, which industry experts say is less flexible than Nvidia's GPU, but is also less expensive and can be designed for specific AI tasks. OpenAI said that it designed the chip in nine months, and that it also crafted large parts of the computer system where it will be used.
The companies are calling the chip an "Intelligence Processor" and describe it as the first "AI accelerator" in a platform they're building "to make advanced AI faster, more reliable, and more accessible to more people." [...] A physical sample of the new chip will be delivered to OpenAI on Wednesday. The companies said they're aiming for initial deployment of the Jalapeno chips by the end of 2026, "expanding in the years ahead."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Miami TV reporter learns the hard way after trying to interview drunk Scottish World Cup fans live on air
There were chaotic scenes in Miami on Wednesday afternoon after Scottish football fans interrupted a live broadcast ahead of the nation's World Cup clash with Brazil.
King Charles is fanned by top aide as monarch feels the heat during royal visit on hottest June day ever
Charles joined delegates from politics, science, business and international climate diplomacy for an environmental reception at St James's Palace, where temperatures were stifling.
Loop engineering, latest AI buzzword, still needs humans in the loop
Prompting less and automating more comes with a price
Join CRAIG HOPE and IAN LADYMAN's special England event in New York City ahead of the Three Lions' clash with Panama
Daily Mail Sport's chief football writer Craig Hope and football editor Ian Ladyman will host an event in New York City, where they will share all the latest from England's World Cup camp.
Temperatures rising at Wimbledon! Heat stops play at sweltering SW19 qualifying as electronic line calling system fails - and top stars announce a prize money protest despite record increase
Play has been suspended at Wimbledon's qualifying after the tournament's electronic line calling system failed amid extreme temperatures in Roehampton.
Kim Kardashian's hairstylist Chris Appleton shows off his six-pack in skimpy swimwear as he kicks back on a luxury yacht in Positano with his kids ahead of Strictly Come Dancing
The celebrity hairstylist, 43, stripped down to skimpy red Speedos and flaunted his six-pack on the boat before cooling off in the sea.
Pictured: Maths teacher, 59, who tried to access porn more than 100 times using girls' school WiFi
These are the first pictures of a maths teacher who has been struck off after he was caught trying to access pornography over 100 times while on duty.
British Airways pilot who drove 200 miles in his Mercedes to rape 12-year-old girl after grooming her on social media is jailed for eight years
Kwame Yeboah, a former England youth basketballer from Reading, Berkshire, met his victim on a video chatroom before exchanging explicit messages and calls with her via social media.
The Traitors winner Harry Clark backs controversial calls for the return of national service for youngsters
The Traitors star Harry Clark has backed calls for bringing back National Service for young people in the UK.
Love Island is slapped with 186 Ofcom complaints in a week over boys' behaviour
Love Island was slapped with 186 Ofcom complaints in a week after fans fumed over the boys' behaviour in the villa.
Walmart's First Nuclear Deal Shows Demand Beyond AI Data Centers
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Barron's: Walmart is signing a long-term contract to buy nuclear power for the first time ever, a promising sign that the industry's future is supported by more than just the AI data center boom. The retail giant agreed on Tuesday to buy power from a nuclear plant in Illinois owned by Constellation Energy for its operations in the area, including its stores and a high-tech warehouse in Illinois that stores and sorts perishable food.
Walmart will buy 176 megawatts of power from the plant over a 15-year period, or enough power to serve around 150,000 homes. The Walmart deal will allow Constellation to expand the capacity of the Illinois plant by 30 megawatts, a process known as an uprate, which can involve replacing older equipment and improving efficiency. Walmart, which has pledged to eliminate net carbon emissions from its U.S. operations by 2040, will also receive the environmental attributes associated with the nuclear energy, which generates electricity without carbon emissions. Further reading: Trump Admin Announces $17.5 Billion In Loans For 10 New Large Nuclear Reactors
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Little girl, 3, killed by LICE after parents let infestation get so bad that it left her anemic
Joycelynn Dylewski was found struggling to breathe inside an apartment in Corinth, about an hour outside of Albany, on February 19, 2025 after suffering from a severe lice infestation.
Manchester snatches TV Festival away from expensive Edinburgh as organisers say it will allow them to 'radically reduce costs'
For five decades it has attracted famous faces including actress Whoopi Goldberg, presenter Sir David Attenborough and journalist Emily Maitlis.