Technology

Investors are betting on user-generated content in video games. Gamebeast’s founder explains why

Published

3 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Investors are betting on user-generated content in video games. Gamebeast's founder explains why

Today on Equity, Rebecca Bellan sat down with Zander Brumbaugh, the 22-year-old founder of Gamebeast, a startup that offers Roblox developers tools like A/B testing and LiveOps to modify games without needing to release a new version or interrupt a user’s ongoing game.

Gamebeast recently raised a $3.7 million pre-seed round, led by J2 Ventures with participation from a16z’s Speedrun accelerator, which Brumbaugh graduated from in March. Brumbaugh said everything from his experience consulting for entertainment studios like Netflix, and writing a best-selling book on Roblox development, to chats with investors tell him that the future of video gaming is in user-generated content, or UGC.

The two discussed the rise in popularity of UGC games, a sector that investors are increasingly looking towards as drivers of growth in the video game industry. Brumbaugh noted that a large majority of kids under 16-years-old asked their parents for virtual currency, like Roblox’s Robux or Fortnite’s V-Bucks, during the last holiday season.

Most of the games, experiences, and virtual worlds on Roblox are user-generated, and that’s by design. Fortnite, which is well known for its Battle Royale player-vs-player game, also has a sandbox mode that allows players to build and create their own worlds and experiences. Creative mode is fast gaining popularity.

“These platforms make it extremely easy to make content from a young age,” Brumbaugh said. “I started when I was 12, and taught myself how to program in Lua and kind of learn my way around the Roblox engine. I think people being able to creatively express themselves and make games that they themselves enjoy, and then also turn that into a profitable hobby, or in many cases, a career, that’s a really exciting thing.”

On the show, Brumbaugh also shared his thoughts on how generative AI is changing the gaming landscape.

“You can’t really discuss AI, especially in creative spaces, without there being an immediate knee-jerk negative reaction from a lot of people in the community,” Brumbaugh said. “But ultimately, I think as models get better, the best thing is always going to be integrating these types of models into a workflow, making something easier for developers.”

Brumbaugh didn’t only get investment for his startup because investors see the value in enabling UGC game development. J2 Ventures’ thesis focuses on dual-use technology, and Gamebeast was able to demonstrate how its tech has applications both in commercial and defense. And indeed, we’re seeing a trend of companies going for that sweet military money to stay afloat.

There are more insights about the future of the video game market and investor insights aplenty, so have a listen, and enjoy!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast.

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Technology

The best Prime Day smart home deals we found

Published

14 mins ago

October 10, 2024

NewsAdmin

The best Prime Day smart home deals we found

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days is well into its second day, and as was the case yesterday, it remains an excellent time to pick up good deals on great smart home gear. We scoured through deals on video doorbells, robot vacuums, smart lights, smart speakers, and more to gather up some of the best bargains that caught our eye. Check out a full list of all the deals in our main post, and read on for smart home deals. Just know the sale runs through the end of today, October 9th.

Update, October 9th: Adjusted pricing and added several new deals, including those for the Ring Stick Up Cam Battery and Eero Max 7 router.

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Servers computers

INDORACK WALLMOUNTED INSTALLATION

Published

28 mins ago

October 10, 2024

NewsAdmin

#indorack
#rackserver

Wallmount Rack Single Door
Product Category : 19 inch Cabinet Rack
Product Series : Wallmount Rack Single Door
Product Name : WIR4506S
Dimension (DxWxH) : 450 x 600 x 340 mm
Weight : ± 27kg
Singel Door Complete Set with
1. Spot Angle
2. Dynabolt
3. Single Fan
4. Brush Panel
5. PDU 6G(Power Distribution Unit)
6. Screw and Cage Nuts

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Technology

Quordle today – hints and answers for Thursday, October 10 (game #990)

Published

36 mins ago

October 10, 2024

NewsAdmin

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

Your Quordle expert

Marc McLaren

Quordle today (game #990) – hint #1 – Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #990) – hint #2 – repeated letters

Do any of today’s Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #990) – hint #3 – uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today’s Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #990) – hint #4 – starting letters (1)

Do any of today’s Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today’s Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you’re not ready yet then here’s one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #990) – hint #5 – starting letters (2)

What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with?

• U

• M

• W

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #990) – the answers

Quordle answers for game 990 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today’s Quordle, game #990, are…

With four common words and plenty of common letters, today’s Quordle holds no real dangers for experienced players. The biggest challenge will likely have been in avoiding the wrong answers for the MARSH. This could also have been HARSH if you had the four final letters in place, or the likes of CRASH or EARTH if you had only a few. But that was about it, so I imagine most people will have solved today’s Quordle without major problems.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #990) – the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game 990 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today’s Quordle Daily Sequence, game #990, are…

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #989, Wednesday 9 October: TRIAL, HUSKY, DOWNY, TRADE
Quordle #988, Tuesday 8 October: TROUT, HATER, BARGE, DOZEN
Quordle #987, Monday 7 October: CAULK, HALVE, APING, HEATH
Quordle #986, Sunday 6 October: FUDGE, TENOR, BEGAT, ROUSE
Quordle #985, Saturday 5 October: ELECT, CROAK, FRISK, JAUNT
Quordle #984, Friday 4 October: ELFIN, GRAIL, PATIO, RECAP
Quordle #983, Thursday 3 October: TENTH, REMIT, CURVE, TOAST
Quordle #982, Wednesday 2 October: ARGUE, CRANE, TOKEN, PRINT
Quordle #981, Tuesday 1 October: FRILL, MADLY, GRANT, NYLON
Quordle #980, Monday 30 September: CRUSH, TARDY, TEACH, STUMP
Quordle #979, Sunday 29 September: SERIF, BORNE, WRITE, SLEEK
Quordle #978, Saturday 28 September: BUSHY, CIVIC, SNOUT, EQUIP
Quordle #977, Friday 27 September: GUEST, CHASM, ROOST, BASAL
Quordle #976, Thursday 26 September: STAGE, VOGUE, CLUMP, HEATH
Quordle #975, Wednesday 25 September: UMBRA, DADDY, GLAZE, PRANK
Quordle #974, Tuesday 24 September: SPACE, INNER, SPAWN, BEGAT
Quordle #973, Monday 23 September: GUILT, STERN, ANNEX, FIELD
Quordle #972, Sunday 22 September: ZESTY, MEATY, ALIVE, DRAWN
Quordle #971, Saturday 21 September: VITAL, FRAIL, SPEAR, EERIE
Quordle #970, Friday 20 September: ELIDE, DITTO, SHAWL, BONUS

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Technology

Tesla to unveil Cybercab, its big bet on self driving cars

Published

57 mins ago

October 10, 2024

NewsAdmin

Tesla to unveil Cybercab, its big bet on self driving cars

Tesla boss Elon Musk is to unveil the firm’s long-awaited robotaxi prototype, the Cybercab, at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California on Thursday.

Self-driving cars have long fascinated Mr Musk and he has made a series of bold predictions about them – including that they will save lives or earn their owners money, through being rented out for rides or even overnight stays.

But when he takes to the stage for the event – which the company has billed We, Robot – he will be under pressure to quell persistent doubts about the electric vehicle maker’s ability to execute on his ambitions.

The project has undergone delays, having been originally slated for release in August before being moved to October.

Mr Musk explained away the latest delay by saying it was down to some last minute changes from him.

“Requested what I think is an important design change to the front, and extra time allows us to show off a few other things,” Musk wrote in a July post on his social media platform X.

But analysts say it is now time for the company to show real progress with the project.

‘There is certainly heavy build-up after discussing the Robotaxi concept without concrete details for so long,” said Jessica Caldwell of edmunds.com.

“The expectation is that this event should clear the air on the concept,” Caldwell added, saying it would be a “letdown” if Tesla fails to reveal a developed concept and operational details on Thursday.

Relatively little is known so far about the Cybercab.

According to reports, it will have two seats and butterfly wings. It is thought it will use a combination of cameras and computing power to navigate the roads, as opposed to laser-based sensors, known as Lidar, favoured by rivals

Musk has hinted that when complete, some of the robotaxis in Tesla’s network would be owned and operated by the company, but that Tesla owners would have the option to rent their vehicles out on Tesla’s network when they are not driving them.

In a note on Wednesday morning, analysts Wedbush said they expected on-site demos in the prototype, which they said they will attend.

But industry-watchers will also be looking for projections “on Cybercab scaling, overall cost per mile,” and a Tesla ride-share app, Wedbush said.

“With very few industry events as widely anticipated as this, we believe Musk will address the near-term pain points,” Wedbush analysts wrote.

The “We, Robot” event comes as some top executives, including the head of Tesla’s new vehicles program, have recently left the company.

Some have also said the company would be better off focussing on a low cost electric vehicle (EV), to shore up its position against increasing competition from other EV car makers.

However, Tesla has long sought to launch a full self-driving competitor to Google-parent Alphabet’s Waymo, whose driverless vehicles are now a frequent and much-discussed sight on the streets of San Francisco.

The company also offers rides in Phoenix and Los Angeles, and just expanded limited service in Austin, Texas.

Last week, Waymo announced it would add the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to its robotaxi fleet after the vehicles undergo on-road testing with the company’s technology.

Despite Mr Musk’s evident excitement around the technology – and the high stakes for Tesla – it seems he is going for a more low profile approach to media coverage than some of his previous showy product rollouts

Despite multiple inquiries, the BBC did not secure an invitation to the unveiling.

We weren’t alone. An anchor at Bloomberg TV has posted publicly on X about wanting to cover the event in person – even tagging Musk directly – also without success.

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Servers computers

Cách lắp tủ Rack Kungfu 20U

Published

59 mins ago

October 10, 2024

NewsAdmin

Cách lắp tủ Rack Kungfu 20U

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Technology

This HOTO electric screwdriver is only $40 — great for DIY

Published

1 hour ago

October 10, 2024

NewsAdmin

This HOTO electric screwdriver is only $40 -- great for DIY

I have an electric screwdriver. I didn’t take advantage of any Prime Big Deal Days discounts to get it, but I did get a great price. Why am I sharing this? Because I’ve come across an incredible deal on a HOTO electric screwdriver, and I know how much mine has changed the game for me. Normally $60, the HOTO is only $40 and it comes with 12 different drill bits for a variety of tasks. Most importantly, you can save your hand from cramping and make short work of anything that requires screwing. That makes this a great choice for DIY projects, home repairs, and anything else where you’d need a traditional screwdriver.

Why shop this HOTO electric screwdriver deal for Prime Big Deal Days?

Let’s start with a quick explanation about electric screwdrivers. If you’re not familiar, they’re just like traditional screwdrivers with one major difference — they use electric to spin the attachment or bit. Think of them as a smaller, lightweight drill. They don’t have as much power in most cases, but they can still certainly save you the trouble of manually spinning a screw. They can both tighten and loosen screws.

Now, on to the HOTO electric screwdriver, specifically. It comes with twelve steel bits, all of varying sizes and types. So, your standard Philips variant, hex, and beyond. Inside the screwdriver is a 1,500mAh rechargeable battery which can be charged via the USB Type-C port. That makes things super easy when you need to charge because most of what you own these days can be charged via USB-C. Even if not, it comes with a charger.

An aluminum storage box gives you a place to stow the driver and all the bits. Plus, it makes it super easy to carry with you on jobs or when you have to go somewhere but still might need a screwdriver. Van-lifers or those with off-grid lifestyles, pay attention here.

Normally $60, you can grab this HOTO electric screwdriver set for just $40, which saves you $20. That might not seem like a huge discount but it’s a great price for a tool of this caliber. If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend either grabbing this one or another like it during the Prime Big Deal Days event.