New Firefly Image 3 Model Adds AI Tools to Photoshop

Adobe has added several new AI-powered tools to Photoshop powered by its Firefly Image 3 model. Available now in beta, Reference Image allows uploading an image to guide AI generations rather than adjusting text prompts. Users must have rights to referenced images, and they won't be used for training. Additional tools include Generate Background for replacing backgrounds, Enhance Detail to increase clarity, and Generate Similar to create variations.

Firefly Image 3 can also now directly generate full images from text prompts within Photoshop itself rather than via an external app. This solves the "empty page" problem for new users.

Generate Image further builds on the success of last year's Generative Fill tool, which highlighted portions of images for AI replacement or modification. Referenced images can now similarly guide Generative Fill outputs. Generate Background simplifies making seamless backgrounds for product photos by matching AI creations to text descriptions. This allows rapid marketing asset creation through editing a single product image against different generated backgrounds depicting varying seasons or environments.

Nvidia Acquires Run:ai for $700M

Nvidia has acquired the Israeli AI workload management startup Run:ai for $700 million, according to sources. While initial reports suggested negotiations could value Run:ai up to $1 billion, the final terms were at a lower figure. Run:ai's platform enables breaking up AI models to run in parallel across on-premises, cloud, and edge hardware. Nvidia plans to continue offering Run:ai's products under the same business model while investing in its roadmap.

Run:ai customers, including many Fortune 500 companies, will gain access to Run:ai capabilities for AI workloads through Nvidia's DGX server, workstation, and DGX Cloud platform. This will benefit customers running generative AI across multiple data centers. Run:ai had raised $118 million from investors prior to the acquisition after establishing a strong customer base early in its existence.

Perplexity Raises $63M in Funding, Valued at Over $1B

Perplexity, an AI search startup, has raised $63 million in fresh funding led by Daniel Gross to reach a unicorn valuation of over $1 billion. This comes just over a year after its founding and in a space dominated by Google. Perplexity plans to use the funding to expand its AI-powered knowledge discovery platform globally through new partnerships.

The platform combines web indexes and AI models to directly answer user questions with relevant citations, providing an entirely conversational experience without clicking links. It has grown to serve over 169 million queries monthly. Perplexity has also launched an Enterprise Pro plan with features like single sign-on, user management, and query deletion to address security and data concerns prohibiting enterprise use previously. Early access customers like Stripe and Zoom report saving thousands of working hours monthly.

Perplexity's partnerships with SoftBank and Deutsche Telekom will significantly extend its reach through those companies' consumer and business users in Japan and Germany totaling over 335 million. Meanwhile, the success of the enterprise tier marks a dedicated effort to bring more organizations onto the platform.

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Fallout 4 Gets Next-Gen Update

Fallout 4 has received a major next-gen update across platforms. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, the game now has native versions rather than being backward compatible. These new versions include a Performance Mode targeting 60fps at 4k resolution with standard graphics, as well as a Quality Mode at 30fps and 4k with ultra graphics. Quality Mode will target 40fps when connected to a 120Hz display. When connected to a 1440p display, the game will run at 60fps and 1440p regardless of mode.

The PC version has also been updated, including support for widescreen and ultra-widescreen displays for those with compatible monitors. The game is now officially verified for the Steam Deck as well, allowing for portable play. While the update is not yet available on GOG, the patch notes say it will be released there soon.

In addition to various bug fixes, the update provides all players with nine free Creation Club items to download. The patch notes provide full details on the technical upgrades and fixes across platforms. For more on Fallout, you can check out the trailer for the delayed Fallout 4 London mod, prepare for the second season of the Amazon TV show, or read our review that called the game one of the most rewarding experiences in gaming. The well-timed update has helped boost Fallout 4 to the top of sales charts years after its initial release.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Update Addresses ‘Irritating’ Mechanics such as ‘Dragonsplague’ and Annoying Pawns

Capcom has released another update for Dragon's Dogma 2 since its launch over a month ago, which has sold over 2.5 million copies so far. While many players have complained about the lack of a performance mode, this update does not address that. However, it does aim to clean up irritating errors with the behavior of pawns, the player's AI companions.

The update makes the disease dragonsplague, which can seriously harm pawns and the world if left untreated, easier to detect. Previously, afflicted pawn's eyes would glow red but not very noticeably; now the glowing is more visible. Pawns will also be less frequently infected after this update.

Pawns should be significantly less annoying thanks to refinements in their behavior. They will less often jump off cliffs, which is funny but inconvenient. Pawns will say some lines less frequently and say others more appropriately. They will also be less likely to constantly offer their services for hire on the street. Pawns are a highlight of the game, so improvements to make their persistent presence more consistent are welcomed.

There are also smaller fixes, like the ability to zoom in on faces in shops. Monster attacks in towns will no longer lead to the player's arrest. Various other bugs have been addressed. Players can read the full patch notes to see all updates and past changes. While performance issues remain, the update helps refine the pawn companion experience.

Embracer Group Splits into Three Standalone Companies

Swedish conglomerate Embracer Group is splitting into three standalone publicly listed companies. One company will be called "Coffee Stain & Friends," focused on indie and mid-budget console and PC games. It will include studios like Coffee Stain, Ghost Ship, and Tuxedo Labs as well as franchises such as Deep Rock Galactic, Goat Simulator, Satisfactory, and Valheim. The free-to-play division will include publishers like Easybrain and games like Sudoku.com and Star Trek Online.

Another company is "Middle-earth Enterprises & Friends," focused on triple-A development leveraging major IPs like Lord of the Rings. It will feature studios including Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montréal, and Warhorse along with franchises such as Tomb Raider, Metro, and Kingdom Come Deliverance. Embracer will also list Asmodee as its own entity, with the tabletop company securing funding to pay debt.

Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors expects the split to unleash each team's full potential by providing autonomous leadership. Over 50% of Embracer shareholders support the plan. Each new entity will have its own financial targets and strategies. Coffee Stain is anticipated to have over 10 billion SEK in sales while Middle-earth Enterprises is expected to generate over 14 billion SEK. Transition leadership is already in place, with Coffee Stain CEO Anton Westbergh and interim CSO Phil Rogers overseeing the first two splits.

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Stripe Announces USDC Payments for Merchants

Payments company Stripe is reentering the cryptocurrency industry after announcing it will allow merchants to accept the stablecoin USD Coin starting this summer. USD Coin is the second largest stablecoin and sixth largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Stripe says this will help merchants expand globally and give customers easy access to transactions even without traditional banking. Stripe originally supported Bitcoin payments in 2014 but stopped in 2018 due to rising costs on that network.

Stripe will initially support USDC transactions on the Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon blockchains. The full list of supported chains will be announced closer to launch. Despite dropping Bitcoin support previously, Stripe remained optimistic about cryptocurrencies. In 2022 it enabled payments for NFTs and other web3 companies with features like know-your-customer verification. Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency with value pegged to assets like dollars or gold, designed to be less volatile than coins like Bitcoin.

These stablecoins are commonly used by traders to quickly enter and exit cryptocurrency positions without directly converting to fiat currency, especially where access is restricted. With Stripe now accepting USDC, merchants will be able to accept stablecoin payments that are automatically converted to fiat deposited in their Stripe accounts. This allows seamless cryptocurrency transactions while avoiding volatility for merchants.

‘Notcoin’ Game Token Launching Soon

After gaining over 35 million players in its first three months, the popular game Notcoin is set to launch its NOT token within days on The Open Network. There will be three options for players regarding their tokens. While coin mining ended in April, the coin-tapping game will resume after the token generation event. Players can continue earning tokens by engaging with partner content.

There will also be incentives for players to hold tokens within the game rather than withdrawing. Tokens can be spent to unlock additional opportunities and access superior tiers. The creator expects many players will stick around using tokens in-game. For those withdrawing tokens, there will be two main ways. Tokens can be withdrawn to an account on a centralized exchange, though specific exchanges were not named. Alternatively, tokens can be withdrawn to a supported self-custody wallet.

The Notcoin team aims to make the withdrawal process smooth, which was cited as a key reason for delaying the token launch. While mining ended and some aspects will change, Notcoin players can continue participating in the viral game's economy by earning, holding and spending tokens both in and outside the app. Specific listing exchanges were not disclosed but withdrawal options ensure a seamless transition to the new token.

Meta Opens up Quest’s OS for Third-party Hardware, But Showed Continued Losses of $3.8B During Q1 Earnings

Meta announced steps to open up its virtual reality ecosystem. It will make the OS behind Quest headsets, Horizon OS, available for other companies to develop third-party hardware. Partners include ASUS building a performance gaming headset and Lenovo designing one optimized for productivity. Meta is also partnering with Xbox to create a limited edition Quest bundled with an Xbox controller to play Game Pass games virtually. The changes aim to establish open platforms as the next generation of computing with VR headsets and glasses.

Meta is recombining the Quest Store, which it is renaming Horizon Store, with the separate App Lab storefront. Both will feature in the main storefront, with App Lab titles highlighted in their own section. Meta also plans to allow Quest headsets to access software from other stores like Steam, Xbox and potentially Google Play.

A few days after the announcement, Meta reported ongoing losses of $3.8 billion from VR/AR during its Q1 earnings call. However, its worth noting that Meta remains committed to its Reality Labs division.

Meanwhile, overall revenues grew 27% to $36.5 billion while profits more than doubled year-over-year. However, stock dipped after hours due to plans to significantly increase annual AI spending to a range of $35-40 billion, signaling an even larger investment in 2025.

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