An AI-generated recreation of the classic computer game Doom can be played normally despite having no computer code or graphics. Researchers behind the project say similar AI models could be used to create games from scratch in the future, just as they create text and images today.

The model, called GameNGen, was made by Dani Valevski at Google Research and his colleagues, who declined to speak to New Scientist. According to their paper on the research, the AI can be played for up to 20 seconds while retaining all the features of the original, such as scores, ammunition levels and map layouts. Players can attack enemies, open doors and interact with the environment as usual.

After this period, the model begins to run out of memory and the illusion falls apart.

The original Doom was released in 1993 and has become a popular subject for computer science projects in the years since, including attempts to get it running on unusual and limited hardware such as toasters, treadmills and espresso machines.

But in all those cases, the hardware is simply running the original game’s code. What GameNGen does is fundamentally different: a type of AI called a neural network has learned by observation how to recreate the game without seeing any of its code.

The researchers first created an AI model that learned to interact with Doom as a human would. That model was then tasked with playing the game over and over again while a second AI model, based on the Stable Diffusion image generator, learned how hundreds of millions of inputs resulted in changes in the game state.

That second model essentially then became a copy of the game, with all of the knowledge, rules and instructions from the original code encoded in the mysterious network of artificial neurons in its own architecture. In tests, human players were only slightly better than random chance at distinguishing short clips of the game from clips of the AI simulation.

GameNGen’s creators claim in their paper that it is a proof-of-concept for games being created by a neural network rather than lines of code. They suggest that games could be generated from text descriptions or concept art, which would make production less costly than using human programmers.

Andrew Rogoyski at the University of Surrey, UK, says the idea of getting a neural network to hallucinate a game environment, and the interactions a human has with it, is an interesting step forward, but not one that will replace human game designers.

“I don’t think it’s the end of those game studios. I think what the game studios have is the imagination, the skills, to actually create these worlds, to understand gameplay, to understand engagement, understand how to draw us into a story. It’s not just the nuts and bolts, the bits and bytes,” he says. “There’s something very human about creating engaging experiences that we as human beings enjoy that, at the moment, and for the foreseeable future, will largely come from other human beings.”

With so many streaming services available these days, keeping which shows and movies are on which streaming platforms can be a true hassle. Options like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video deliver top tier programming, but it comes at a cost, one that has continued to rise as major streamers keep raising prices. If you’re looking for a different option, then checking out advertising video on demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services may be just the ticket.

Pluto TV, is one of those AVOD/FAST(we’ll refer to it as free streaming going forward) services that comes at the low, low price of free. 

Pluto TV combines live TV with on-demand programming. With more than 250 live channels, and thousands of shows and movies to pick from, there is plenty here to veg out with. It’s also the source of content for Vizio’s WatchFree Plus.

So let’s dive into everything Pluto TV has to offer.

What is Pluto TV?

TV is a live-TV streaming service, not entirely unlike Sling TV and competitors such as DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV. Unlike those services, which offer streaming access to channels you’d find on cable TV, Pluto TV offers free content mainly curated from what’s already available online. Pluto TV launched in 2013 and picked up steam fairly quickly. The service has more than 80 million active users as of April 2023, making it one of the largest free TV streaming service in the U.S. While not available worldwide, it is available in Latin America, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Canada.

With Pluto TV, you’ll find content from channels you recognize, as well as some you’ve likely never heard of. Even those who already subscribe to a live TV streaming service may find it useful thanks to its curated layout, though this will depend on your personal preferences.

What is Pluto TV’s navigation like?

Pluto TV has a user interface that streamlines the entire process of content discovery and playback. The chief theme in navigation is linearity. The service makes it possible to jump into any of its main live TV categories — sports, movies, news, entertainment, kids, local news etc. — with just one or two clicks. This philosophy extends to the On Demand tab, which offers genre-based categories like while retaining the traditional TV guide’s spirit. Pluto TV is constantly adding new channels, and it also frequently adds new categories. At current count there are 22 to choose from including Classic TV, The Black Collective, History + Science, and Kids, among others.

You’ll now be able to specify your favorite channels, saving you from having to weed through its 1,000-plus channel list. You can also save individual shows, clips, and movies from more than 150,000 hours of unique programming to a watch list. Once you finally decide what you’re watching, you can also access a preview panel that shows more information, such as the cast list, directors, and trailers.

Which channels are available?

You’d expect to chew through the content library of a free service quickly. Still, there’s a lot to explore on Pluto TV, especially with more than 400 global content partners on board providing entertainment across 1,000-plus channels. Looking through the Pluto TV guide, channels are separated into groups by similarity. You’ll find some relatively standard categories like news, sports, movies, entertainment, and comedy.

News

For the most part, you’re not going to find standard TV channels, though some are represented via their web counterparts, especially news outlets. Those include familiar names like Bloomberg, Cheddar, CNBC, MSNBC, CBSN, and many others. As of 2019, this also includes CNN, though not the full, live CNN you get on cable. Instead, the CNN channel features a curated playlist of short-form digital content from CNN’s anchors and reporters. Featured clips are oriented toward lifestyle and culture, climate change, the environment, and original CNN investigations and interviews. A similar channel for NBC called NBC News Now is also available. Other additions to Pluto TV include CMT, Kevin Hart’s Laugh out Loud, and Red Bull TV, plus a handful of new themed channels in Celebrity, Reality, and Lives, the perfect cocktail for pop culture and reality TV enthusiasts.

Sports

Sports coverage is less conventional — you’re not going to find the likes of ESPN here. Instead, you’ll find choices like Fight, World Poker Tour, Impact Wrestling, a dedicated Sports News Network, Glory Kickboxing, and the Big Sky Network. DAZN recently signed a deal to provide an original weekly series for Pluto TV, and there’s potential for that partnership to expand down the line. Pluto has recently added an official PGA Tour channel with 24/7 coverage of one of golf’s biggest tournaments.

Entertainment

There are reruns of reality and documentary shows alongside episodes of Thunderbirds, Criminal Minds and other older TV shows available in the Entertainment section. Among those various channels, you’ll also find Wipeout, a network that only shows reruns of popular game show and various iterations from different countries, as well as Nosey, which shows reruns of The Jerry Springer Show and The Maury Show, among others. Meanwhile, the Curiosity section features Science TV, Docu TV, Xive TV, and even a NASA livestream. Pluto TV also has a Sitcoms channel, which offers a selection of older comedies like 3rd Rock from the Sun and The Lucy Show, and a Spanish-language channel called Pluto TV Cine.

Comedy, travel, and more

That type of hyper-focused network is par for the course with Pluto TV, which also features Anime All Day and Stand Up, a channel dedicated to stand-up comedy. Similar channels include Slow TV, which shows relaxing imagery, Pluto TV Travel, and Cats 24/7, which is pretty self-explanatory. Check back during notable seasons like Christmas, and you’re likely to see new temporary channels or a festive explosion of holiday-themed content to enjoy, which is all the more reason to keep checking back for what’s new.

Internet radio

Several internet radio stations are also available via Dash Radio, which is available as a standalone service. Modern genres like hip-hop, electronic music, and pop are the most prevalent, though stations are also available that offer classic rock, soul, and jazz.

International flavor

In the last several years, Pluto TV has been ramping up its international presence. It’s now available in more than 30 countries and territories including the U.S., U.K., Latin America, and Canada, amongst others.

They’ve ensured that each time they move into a new region, they have the programming to back it up too. In the first year of its U.K. operations, the service added two British-specific channels to its lineup, including a permanent 24/7 Made in Britain lineup that airs British-centric films and shows. The other is Brit-pocalypse, a temporary themed channel that highlights apocalypse and destruction films in British settings. In the Nordics, they partnered with local broadcaster Nordic Entertainment Group. This allowed for 70 unique, locally-focused channels in these locations.

What about on-demand content?

What devices can I use to watch?

Chances are that you own at least one streaming device capable of streaming Pluto TV. The service can be streamed via a web browser and offers desktop apps for both Windows and MacOS. However, they can only be used in the U.S. Mobile apps are also available for iOS and Android devices, with separate U.S. and international versions, which offer different channels due to streaming rights issues.

If you’d rather watch on your TV, several devices including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Android TV devices, and the PlayStation 5 offer Pluto TV apps. Smart TVs from Samsung, Hisense, Roku, and Vizio are also supported, with the company’s website saying that more are on the way. Not all Pluto TV channels are available on all platforms, however.

Will Pluto TV stick around?

The easiest way to decide whether Pluto TV is right for you is to download one of the apps on your platform of choice or head to the company’s website and watch there. It won’t cost anything but your time, and you’ll most likely find something you enjoy, given the breadth of programming. Just don’t expect to find any of the latest content found on other networks. 

Our list of the best streaming devices is a great starting point if you need something to stream Pluto TV on. If you’re more interested in a traditional TV experience than watching your favorite shows over the internet, check out our comparison of the best live TV services.

A vulnerability discovered inside the MediaTek chipsets can allow attackers to take over a victim’s device. The “zero-click” bug opens the door to Remote Code Execution (RCE) without user interaction.

Vulnerability in MediaTek Wi-Fi chipsets can compromise devices

Some of the most dangerous attacks on electronic devices need no action from the victims. These attacks can compromise the security of a device and take over control without the user needing to click or tap on anything. Such a vulnerability exists in MediaTek chipsets, particularly those that handle wireless communication. Several device makers embed MediaTek chipsets, which makes multiple electronics vulnerable.

SonicWall Capture Labs researchers who discovered the issue have alerted MediaTek. The chipmaker has tagged the vulnerability as CVE-2024-20017. The vulnerability’s severity rating is CVSS 9.8. Simply put, this bug is reportedly a nearly max-critical zero-click vulnerability.

Security researchers have indicated the vulnerability is an out-of-bounds write issue that resides in “wappd”. In simple words, a “network daemon”, which is an always-active service, can be targeted and compromised. Wappd is responsible for configuring and managing wireless interfaces and access points, indicated the researchers.

“The architecture of wappd is complex, comprising the network service itself, a set of local services that interact with the device’s wireless interfaces, and communication channels between components via Unix domain sockets.”

How to stay protected from the latest MediaTek security exploit?

The vulnerability impacts MediaTek SDK versions 7.4.0.1, and earlier. Attackers can also target devices that run older versions of OpenWrt, a custom router firmware, and even couple it with other recently discovered vulnerabilities.

End-users with MediaTek Wi-Fi chipsets can tweak their Wi-Fi settings to mitigate the risks. Smartphone users should avoid public Wi-Fi hotpots as the backend networking hardware could be vulnerable.

Attackers could also target smartphones with the latest MediaTek chipsets as a public proof-of-concept exploit (PoC) recently became available. Hence, it is wise to stay connected to reliable Wi-Fi routers. When outside, switch to “Airplane” mode when in public places or use mobile data. Additionally, users must keep their devices updated.

Apple introduced some major lineup, but nothing stands out as much as the new battery removal process for the base iPhone 16. Doing away with the usual pull tabs, Apple is using an adhesive that debonds in response to a low electrical current. It only takes about a minute and a half for it to come unstuck, per Apple’s . A teardown by shows the process in action, and it sure looks easier than ever. iFixit tech Shahram Mokhtari said, “I’m not sure we’ve ever had a battery removal process go so cleanly and smoothly.”

Only the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have the new adhesive, and they’ve earned a 7/10 on iFixit’s repairability scale. “Apple definitely seems to be leveling up on repairability,” Mokhtari, adding Apple has “landed another repairability win” with this year’s base iPhones thanks to the new battery removal procedure.

This week we saw the arrival of new Snap Spectacles, and based on what’s been announced they sound like beefy AR glasses that inch closer than ever to our expectations based on sci-fi depictions of the tech. But while they might be in the running for the best smart glasses, man, do they look goofy. 

They look like those massive 3D glasses you wear at the cinema, and definitely not something I’d like to be seen wearing in public. That’s a sharp contrast to the Ray-Ban and Meta collaboration smart glasses, which have utterly triumphed in the fashion department. Those ooze cool – right down to their slick charging case – and all summer they were my shades of choice even when powered off, largely because of their aesthetics.

The US military is planning to launch balloons that are capable of providing high-altitude surveillance. It comes after the nation scrambled fighter jets to shoot down a Chinese balloon as it drifted through North American airspace last year.

Modern balloons can use artificial intelligence to predict and ride wind currents while operating at altitudes around 18 kilometres, or even higher, in Earth’s stratosphere for commercial and military purposes. Those heights make them hard to…