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Preview: With ‘Path of Exile 2,’ Grinding Gear Games rebuilt combat to make it more satisfying

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

Grinding Gear Games thinks in the long term, and that’s reflected in its success. “Path of Exile” has been around since 2013, and a decade later, it’s still going strong. “We’d rather have players come back again and again rather than burn them out,” said Chris Wilson, managing director.” That same philosophy is at work in the sequel “Path of Exiles 2.” It’s a project that came out of the work they were doing with an expansion for the original game. As the developer built out ideas, game director Jonathan Rogers realized the scope of what they were doing.“To change POE1 substantially, we wouldn’t feel comfortable,” he said. The original “was made a long time ago. The melee combat was quicker. The attacks had to be really fast.”He said the two games don’t play the same though the free-to-play action role-playing game has grown from its original vision. It now include master NPCs, as...

Apple is officially switching to the USB-C charger with the new iPhone 15 lineup

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

(CNN) — Apple unveiled its iPhone 15 lineup along with other, major updates during its September keynote event Tuesday. The company confirmed rumors that it will switch to USB-C from its proprietary lightening charging cable with the iPhone 15. That means users will now be able to use the same charging cord to power their iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. Apple also announced its updated Apple Watch Series 9, with new colors and features.The press event, which Apple teased with a “wonderlust” tagline, took place at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Although the annual iPhone event has become formulaic over the years, announcing incremental changes to battery life, camera system and displays, this year’s USB-C announcement marks the biggest change to the iPhone’s design in 11 years. The change could ultimately streamline the charging process across various devices and brands.The change comes as Apple looks to give consumers more ...

Condominium in Palo Alto sells for $2.2 million

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

532 Channing Avenue – Google Street ViewA 1,994-square-foot condominium built in 1981 has changed hands. The property located in the 500 block of Channing Avenue in Palo Alto was sold on Aug. 18, 2023. The $2,225,000 purchase price works out to $1,116 per square foot. This condominium has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. On the exterior, the home features composition shingles on the roof. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. Additionally, the home is equipped with a three-car garage, accommodating vehicles and storage needs efficiently.Additional units that have recently changed hands close by include:On Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, in December 2022, a 2,238-square-foot unit was sold for $3,500,000, a price per square foot of $1,564. The unit has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 1,580-square-foot unit on the 400 block of Homer Avenue in Palo Alto sold in March 2023, for $1,920,000, a price per square foot of $1,215. The unit has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In Apri...

Diablo Valley College track coach charged with human trafficking, other sex crimes

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

MARTINEZ — Prosecutors in Contra Costa County have charged a Diablo Valley College faculty member and athletics coach with nine felonies in relation to human trafficking and other sex-related crimes, authorities said.Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 39-year-old Kyle Whitmore, of Crockett, on Sept. 7, according to a statement from Contra Costa District Attorney spokesperson Ted Asregadoo. He was being held without bail Tuesday morning at the Martinez Detention Facility, according to jail records.According to court documents, prosecutors have charged Whitmore with two counts of human trafficking, two counts of pandering, one count of pimping and four counts of forcible sexual penetration with a foreign object.A profile no longer posted on the DVC web site once listed Whitmore as the school’s head track and field coach. He still was listed on the school’s site Tuesday morning as a faculty member in the communication studies department.DVC official...

Marin author Nina Schuyler plugs into AI for her latest novel

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

Nina Schuyler never intended to become a prognosticator.But the Fairfax author somewhat assumes that role with her riveting “Afterword,” a prescient yet eloquent third novel that’s as topical as tomorrow’s headlines. The literary page-turner prophetically taps into ethical and moral quandaries surging to the fore over the deployment and potential abuse of artificial intelligence.“It wasn’t planned in any way,” Schuyler said of the timeliness of her novel. “It was passion and curiosity that got me interested in this area … I didn’t set out to write science fiction.”But it didn’t hurt that the Bay Area is whirlwind of activity in that area.“This is the heart of technology in AI,” she said. “It’s happening right here with Google A.I. (Mountain View), OpenAI (San Francisco) and Microsoft investing in it.”The idea gestated while Schuyler, who teaches creative writing for the University of San Francisco, Stanford Continuing Studies and the bookseller Book Passage, ...

Bay Area college coach charged with pimping women into prostitution

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KRON) -- A faculty member and former track coach at Diablo Valley College is accused of human trafficking, pandering, pimping, and other charges related to the use of force while engaging in sexual acts, prosecutors said Tuesday. Kyle Lee Whitmore, 39, of Crockett, is being held without bail at Martinez Detention Facility.Whitmore is accused of trafficking two women, Jane Doe #1 and Jane Doe #2, for prostitution. He is also being charged with one count of pimping and four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object.At least one of the alleged victims is a student, said Tim Leong, a public information officer for Contra Costa Community College District. "The district is not naming the student involved to protect her privacy," Leong told KRON4. "On Monday, September 11, 2023, the District Attorney’s Office filed a felony complaint outlining nine charges against Mr. Whitmore in connection with several offenses, some involving a student," Leong wrote. Pr...

Work continues on SF sinkhole after water main break Monday

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

(BCN) -- Public work crews continue to work to repair a giant sinkhole that opened in San Francisco on Monday. The sinkhole at Green and Fillmore streets came after a 16-inch water main break was reported nearby late Sunday night. On Tuesday, two smaller holes appeared one block down the street, at Fillmore and Union streets, according to Michelle Ung of Union Street Coffee Roastery. One is on the sidewalk next to her shop, and one is in the middle of the street. Anchor Brewing group provides update on future of brewery after raising $90K Ung said the coffee shop's water was never cut off, but some nearby residents still have no water. Traffic is blocked on Fillmore Street from Union to Vallejo streets, so business is slow, and their only customers are walk-ins. Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who represents the neighborhood, posted Tuesday morning on social media that crews are still on the scene and residents should contact her office if they have been impacted and nee...

Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes bill headed for Newsom's desk

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

(KRON) -- A bill that would allow local California governments to license Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes has made its way out of the state legislature and is now heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk. The bill, which was spearheaded by Bay Area Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) passed in the California State Senate by a vote of 33 to 3.Assembly Bill 374 also passed the state assembly with a 66 to 9 vote. "The bill has enjoyed broad bi-partisan support throughout the legislative process," according to a press release from Haney's office. "While cannabis cafes in the Netherlands offer a social experience where coffee, food, and live music are enjoyed together with cannabis, these businesses are currently illegal under California law." Bay Area college coach charged with pimping women into prostitution AB 374 would enable existing cannabis businesses to move away from the dispensary model and move toward a cafe business model that would "bring much-needed tourist dollars into...

Tech Companies and Governments Are Censoring the Journalist Collective DDoSecrets

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

Distributed Denial of Secrets — the nonprofit transparency collective that hosts an ever-growing public library of leaked and hacked datasets for journalists and researchers to investigate — has been a major source of news for organizations like the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, BBC News, Al Jazeera, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Fox News, among others.It has published datasets that shed light on law enforcement fusion centers spying on Black Lives Matter activists, revealed Oath Keepers supporters among law enforcement and elected officials, and exposed thousands of videos from January 6 rioters, including many that were used as evidence in Donald Trump’s second impeachment inquiry. (Disclosure: I’m an adviser to DDoSecrets.)But not everyone is a fan. DDoSecrets has powerful enemies and has found itself censored by some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit. The governments of Russia and I...

Pentagon-Funded Study Warns Dementia Among U.S. Officials Poses National Security Threat

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:53:20 GMT

As the national security workforce ages, dementia impacting U.S. officials poses a threat to national security, according to a first-of-its-kind study by a Pentagon-funded think tank. The report, released this spring, came as several prominent U.S. officials trusted with some of the nation’s most highly classified intelligence experienced public lapses, stoking calls for resignations and debate about Washington’s aging leadership.Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who had a second freezing episode last month, enjoys the most privileged access to classified information of anyone in Congress as a member of the so-called Gang of Eight congressional leadership. Ninety-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., whose decline has seen her confused about how to vote and experiencing memory lapses — forgetting conversations and not recalling a monthslong absence — was for years a member of the Gang of Eight and remains a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on which she has served since 20...