Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you’ve finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I’ve also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

The British electorate has been more volatile than ever in recent years. The elections of 2015 and 2017 saw the highest number of voters switching parties in modern history. And current polling suggests we’re about to see more of the same.

Understanding what’s happening in people’s brains when they are making decisions helps us understand why certain political messages appeal to them and why they might decide to switch parties.

Political scientists talk about Pedersen volatility, named after the distinguished Danish scholar Mogens N. Pedersen. There is a forbidding mathematical equation for this, but it all amounts to the net change within the electoral party system resulting from individual vote transfers.

In plain English, volatility is simply the number of people who change party in an election. In late 1960s Britain, the Pedersen index stood at just over 10%, now it is closer to 40%.

There has been much talk about the increased use of social media and its influence on election outcomes. A recent study by Professor Hanspeter Kreisi, a Swiss election expert, reported that a steady stream of argument and voting cues [are] allowing voters to make enlightened choices that are in line with their preferences.

This might well be true, but a recent study found that while politicians post more on social media during election campaigns, overall the number of posts with policy content is lower not higher.

The voting brain

One of the more interesting developments in electoral studies is that we are now able to use social neuroscience methods to understand voting behaviour.

In the past decade, neuroscience has enabled us to identify the parts of the brain that get activated when you watch political adverts. What these results show is that most people are driven by fear and emotion rather than by rational argument in election campaigns.

In practice, this means that voters are more susceptible to messages that stress the negative rather then the positive. Researchers found that negative images and statements about products led to heightened activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which is also associated with decision making.

For example, negative information about a brand of cola made subjects more likely to buy the competing brand. However, when this experiments was repeated with political parties rather than soft drinks, the negative effect was three times higher. Negative political advertising works, and we now have the fMRI scans to prove it.

Politics is a bare-knuckle fight, and our brains reflect that. Evolution has conditioned us to be driven by fear when we are under threat. We want to survive above all.

By playing on our fear and anger, those who devise election slogans are producing perhaps deliberately messaging that triggers parts of the brain associated with revenge and pent up rage, including the so-called anterior cingulate cortex (or ACC), deep in the front part of the fissure that separates the two brain-hemispheres. So, if I am furious that Rishi Sunak has not brought NHS waiting lists down, it is likely that the ACC has gone into overdrive.

Older people who tend to vote in higher numbers are particularly interesting here. This is because as we age, we become more prone to activating the so-called dorsolateral prefrontal cortex an area of the brain associated with caution.

It is unlikely that Rishi Sunak has delved into the finer points of neuropolitics but his strategy is consistent with what we know from social neuroscience. His emphasis on need to stick to the plan and not gamble on the opposition appeals to those with oversensitive dorsolateral prefrontal cortices namely the older voter cohort he most needs to convince.

But more broadly, people of all ages have a strong tendency to activate the amygdala a part of the brain associated with fear. Only rarely do we activate the parts of the brain associated with ethical evaluation such as the so-called ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

No wonder the two main parties in the British election are focusing on fear and caution. Maybe Machiavelli got it right when he observed that voters are avoiders of danger?

Appealing to this fear, we see Rishi Sunak repeatedly warning in a very unspecified way that the world is more dangerous than ever.

And clearly realising that voters respond to promises of security, the two parties are labelling policies as a triple lock, be it on pensions or the nuclear deterrent.

The age of economic voting

The other rich seam of academic research on why voters change their minds relates to the knowledge that since the 1970s or so, voters have been more prone to base their decisions on macroeconomic performance. Thus, political parties that have presided over significant financial downturns get blamed.

This explains why the Conservatives lost in 1992 and Labour lost in 1979. Voters even change their minds based on recent economic performance even if the economic downturn is beyond the control of the government, as was the case for former Conservative prime minister Edward Heath, who lost power after the 1973 oil crisis (precipitated by a war in the Middle East).

Once a government has been associated with economic ills increases in mortgage rates, cost of living and the like they get blamed even if the economy is in recovery.

The current government’s slogan that the plan is working might be economically correct, but history suggests it will not prevent voters from changing parties. 

(The Conversation: By Matt Qvortrup, Coventry University) 

If you asked me to imagine what a spinoff of The Callisto Protocol would look like, I’d probably have some quick answers. Maybe it could be more of a horror narrative adventure akin to games like Until Dawn. Maybe there’s some sort of PVE shooter like Back 4 Blood in the franchise’s DNA. What I wouldn’t have pitched, though, is an isometric roguelike modeled after Hades that’s full of sardonic quips and punk rock music.

That’s exactly what Striking Distance Studios has cooked up with Redacted, stylized as [external-link href=”https://store.steampowered.com/app/2229940/REDACTED/” newtab=”true” nofollow=”false” noopener=”true” noreferrer=”false” norewrite=”false”]REDACTED[/external-link], an unlikely spinoff on par with Bayonetta Origins. In this total reimagining, players fight their way out of the alien-infested Black Iron Prison in style. Gone is the gritty realism and serious tone of The Callisto Protocol; in its place is bright pop art and hammy comedy. Yes, it comes off as a desperate left turn that’s way too derivative of its inspiration. Set aside the context as best you can, though, and you’ll find some reliable fun and surprising ideas in one of 2024’s oddest projects.

Race to the pod

While it’s all fun, Redacted is another roguelike that doesn’t fully nail what makes Hades so special. In that game, and its excellent sequel, the Boons I receive can radically change how I use a weapon. There are tons of synergies to find that can create powerful builds. Both this and other copycats like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate tend to nail the systems around combat, but struggle to find the depth beyond simply spamming attack buttons. Redacted feels a bit limited in scope as a result – its four- biome run especially gets repetitive after a bit. Its immediate thrills are still enjoyable; just don’t expect to spend dozens of hours sinking into its evolving lore.

This isn’t to say that Redacted doesn’t bring some genuinely great ideas to the table that help differentiate it from other games like it. In fact, it’s a bit ingenious at times. The big twist is that I’m not the only one trying to escape Black Iron Prison. As I try more runs, I meet computer-controlled characters who are also racing to the escape bay. It turns out that simply clearing a run isn’t enough; I need to do it faster than my rivals, because there’s only one escape pod. That creates a more urgent, speed-focused action game that incentivizes me to get risky instead of dodging from danger.

That core idea branches off into a pair of unique systems. One of those is a disruption menu that lets me slow down my rivals during a run. When my hacking power is charged, I can call up a menu and select one of my three active competitors. Once I choose one, I dial up an interference with a specific button command – think Helldivers 2’s stratagems. I have to hit the button sequence fast or else it’ll fail. What’s more interesting is that my foes can hit me with their own disruptions. Sometimes I’ll enter a room to find that the lights have been shut off or that there’s a gas leak. That idea adds some needed variance to the otherwise stagnant run.

The other twist is that I can occasionally find computers that contain files on my foes. When I discover them, I’m able to uncover one piece of blacked-out information. This doesn’t just tell me what they were in space jail for, but permanently debuffs them. That’s important, because they double as powerful sub bosses that can ruin a run when I catch up to them. All of these ideas make Redacted feel distinct, with an emphasis on slowly stripping rivals of power in tandem with my own power rise.

An uneven tone

What’s less successful is its tone, which is where it’s most unrecognizable as a Callisto Protocol spinoff. It looks like a comic book and sounds like Hi-Fi Rush with its wailing guitar riffs. That part is fine, as it gives the roguelike a stylish punk rock sheen, but it falters when it goes for comedy. Redacted is full of faux-edgy writing that had me cringing anytime a character spoke. Dialogue snippets are childishly irreverent, peppered with dull dirty jokes and left-field pop culture references. They also pop up constantly, as all three of my rivals fire off bad one-liners during my runs. It feels more like Dead Rising than anything.

None of this is to say that Striking Distance can’t have fun with its IP. This is meant to be a playful side-game that goofs around with its existing lore in ways that a true sequel couldn’t. I’m just left feeling like it’s so far removed from The Callisto Protocol’s dark world that I’m not even sure why it was envisioned as a spinoff as opposed to a new game. I don’t feel like I’ve gotten a deeper understanding of that world here so much as a Scary Movie-style parody of it. Maybe that’s the point, but I’m not sure that the series has enough die-hards fans yet to earn that kind of treatment.

Redacted feels a bit like a hail Mary for Striking Distance Studios. The Callisto Protocol was a commercial flop that received a lukewarm reception from fans and critics alike. A high-budget sequel was already feeling like it was out of the cards, but the studio had already poured so much into crafting the universe. This feels like a fast way to salvage what it can from those ashes and reimagine The Callisto Protocol as a smaller-scope title in a popular genre framework. It’s a fair survival instinct that sees the studio dashing for the closest escape pod. I’m not sure it has the fuel to get very far, but there are plenty of intriguing ideas here that are worth saving.

Redacted launches on October 31 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Remember back in the day when the MP3 player was all the rage? Well, that device pretty much died out in the mainstream once smartphones took on the role of music player. However, the MP3 player was reincarnated as a niche hi-fi audio player for audiophiles called a DAP (Digital Audio Player). The latest portable player from audio brand Astell&Kern is the A&Ultima SP3000M, and it’s the device to get.

Astell&Kern has a lineage dating back more than a decade, having launched its first audio player back in 2013. Founded as a high-end audio device company, Astell&Kern is one of the top brands when it comes to portable players. Since then, it has developed some amazing tech like several DAPs, headphones, speakers, amplifiers, and network players.

Why should the A&Ultima SP3000M be your next device?

This isn’t your typical store-shelf MP3 player, so it has a price to reflect that. It comes in at a toasty $2,300 (£2,299/€2,599), which isn’t chump change. However, this is lower compared to the more expensive A&Ultima SP3000, which is the more premium version of this portable player. That one comes in at $3,699 (£3799). Be that as it may, the SP3000M brings some serious audio chops that make it an extraordinary device.

A treat for the eyes as well as the ears

Astell&Kern has established a unique design aesthetic for its devices, and the A&Ultima SP3000M continues that legacy. It has a design that would remind people of a high-quality amp. It’s a rather blocky device that extends a bit at the top.

What’s most notable about the device is the knob at the top of the right of the device. The knob is surrounded by subtle geometric shapes that add distinction to the device. Also, the knob has a unique texture to it. Moving to the other side, we see the three buttons.

On the back of the DAP, there are two textures that look elegant. We see the A&Ultima branding at the top. Moving to the top of the device, we see the two headphone ports along with the power button.

The star of the show is the sizable display on the front. This is what you’ll use to navigate the software and choose the music that you want to listen to.

This is a beautiful-looking device. It definitely has an eye-catching design.

Top-of-the-line tech

This might be a less expensive version of the SP3000, but that doesn’t mean that it’s lacking in the hardware department. In fact, it carries over one of the most important innovations found in the SP3000, and this is the separation of the analog and digital processing.

Most other DAPs process both the analog and digital signals on the same chip, which is the DAC. While that’s not the worst thing in the world, Astell&Kern decided to rewrite the book on audio and separate this process.

The A&Ultima SP3000M uses a set of two AK4191EQ chips and a digital delta-sigma modulator to process the digital signal and reduce the noise. After that, the signal is sent to a set of premium AK4499EX DACs to convert the digital signal into an analog signal.

The digital and analog signals are processed in separate parts of the device. This boosts the sound quality, and it’s something that you can only get from an Astell&Kern device. This is called the HEXA structure.

Further improving the audio quality, there’s a silver-plated shield can. It’s designed to eliminate any electromagnetic interference from affecting your music.

Audio quality

This device’s incredible hardware is capable of pushing some high-quality audio. For starters, the A&Ultima SP3000M uses both unbalanced and balanced wired output through the 3.5mm and 4.4mm headphone jacks, respectively. It supports native DSD512 and up to 32-bit/768kHz audio playback.

The device can play your MP3 files, but if you’re an audiophile, you’re not likely to carry around too many of those. Along with those, you’re also able to play WAV, FLAC, MQA, WMA, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, and DSF files. These include popular uncompressed audio formats so, you’ll be able to hear bit-perfect music.

Along with playing music over a wire, you can also use Bluetooth connectivity. Even though Bluetooth technology doesn’t give the best audio quality, the A&Ultima SP3000M is compatible with some of the top audio codecs on the market. These include Sony’s LDAC and Qualcomm’s aptX HD. LDAC allows you to stream audio at up to 24-bit/96kHz and aptX lets you stream at up to 24-bit/48kHz.

Connectivity

You’re able to listen to your favorite music files, but this is an all-around music-listening device, so you know that there is more than one way of playing music. The A&Ultima SP3000M can download apps such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Apple Music, and others. So, you can access your music right from these services.

If you’re a person who uses Roon devices, then you’re in luck. The A&Ultima SP3000M is compatible with the Roon standard. When it comes to connecting to other devices, BT Sink allows you to connect the A&Ultima SP3000M to external devices like computers and phones via Bluetooth. You’ll be able to stream your audio via the high-quality audio codecs mentioned above. This ensures hi-fi audio no matter what.

Device specs

The A&Ultima SP3000M uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6125, This is an octa-core processor that should give it some good performance. You’re not exactly going to be running Genshin Impact on it, so you’ll be fine with the hardware.

Along with that, there’s a decent 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB of storage. These are specs that you’d see on a mid-range phone, but they’re more than enough for an audio player.

The A&Ultima SP3000M has a 4.1-inch 720p display. That’s decent enough to see your music apps and interface.

Keeping the lights on, there’s a 4,200mAh battery, and that equates to about 10 hours of continuous playback. Charging it is a pretty slow affair, as it takes about 3.5 hours. So, if you’re planning on using this on a long trip or a day out, you’ll want to plan accordingly.

Audio Specs

• Frequency Response:
  (Unbalanced ) ±0.020dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz)  (Balanced) ±0.025dB (Condition : 20Hz~20kHz)
  (Unbalanced ) ±0.032dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz)
  (Balanced) ±0.025dB (Condition : 20Hz~70kHz)
• S/N:
  (Unbalanced) 126dB @ 1kHz
  (Balanced) 130dB @ 1kHz
• Crosstalk:
  (Unbalanced) -140dB @ 1kHz
  (Balanced) -144dB @ 1kHz
• THD+N:
  (Unbalanced) 0.0005% @ 1kHz
  (Balanced) 0.0003% @ 1kHz
• IMD SMPTE:
  (Unbalanced/Balanced) 0.0004% 800Hz 10kHz (4:1)
• Output Impedance:
  (Unbalanced) 3.5mm (0.6ohm)
  (Balanced)  4.4mm (1.2ohm)
• Decoding:
  Support up to 32bit / 768kHz playback
• Input:
  USB Type-C input (for charging & PC & MAC)
• Outputs:
  Unbalanced Out (3.5mm), Balanced Out 4.4m (only 5-pole supported)
• Wi-Fi:
  802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz)
• Bluetooth:
  V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC, LHDC)
• Dimensions (W x H x D):
  2.72in x 4.7in x .78in (69.1mm x 119.6mm x 18.8mm)
• Weight:
  8.36oz (237g)

If you’re fluent with concepts like release schedules and calendars, you may notice Apple hasn’t updated its computers in a while. It’s nearly a full year since the iMac and MacBook Pro got speed bumps, and just over a year for the Mac Pro and Mac Studio. .

It’s easy to assume we’ll see those models getting pushed from variants of the M3 to the M4. Given the M4’s focus on AI, expect plenty of attention on Apple Intelligence, which comes to users as part of iOS 18.1’s update at the same time. That each model is likely to be announced piecemeal across the week, rather than at one glitzy event, suggests we won’t see too many other big changes.

The rumor suggests only the Mac Mini will get a major hardware revision, shrinking its chassis to a far smaller footprint. If I’m honest, I’m secretly hoping the Mac Mini doesn’t become the same size as an Apple TV model, which has been hinted at. Especially if it means saddling us with a beefy power brick to clutter the floor instead.

— Dan Cooper

Get this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!

News in Brief

The longer you shilly-shally, the harder the pain will be.

The UN has published a new report on the climate crisis. It can be best summed up as “are you even listening?” . If we want to avoid climate events of Biblical proportions, we’re going to need to curb emissions far more aggressively.

Does Samsung know why it bothers making Fan Edition phones?

After each flagship phone launch, Samsung releases a Fan Edition, offering most of the same features in a slightly cheaper package. . After all, you can pick up a no-compromise version of the handset for almost the same price when it goes on sale.

Including a ban on giving AI control over nuclear weapons.

The White House has issued a memorandum outlining where AI should — and shouldn’t — be used in military and intelligence applications. . Now all we need to do is make sure the AI doesn’t get smart enough to trick people into making those decisions on its behalf.

Good.

Bluesky has revealed its plans to make money without simply handing the platform over to advertisers. . Hopefully, the users who flocked to Bluesky from that place will appreciate it enough to pay to keep the lights on.