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June 8, 2024
Issue No. 107
CURATOR:
Welcome to this week's AtherXplorer, covering the latest in gaming, blockchain, and everything in between.
This week’s top picks include:
Artificial Intelligence
Stability AI Expands to AI Sound Design with with ‘Stable Audio Open’
Stability AI is expanding its efforts in generative AI beyond text and images with the release of Stable Audio Open 1.0. While Stability AI's commercial Stable Audio tool generates longer tracks, Stable Audio Open is focused on shorter audio samples and effects.
Stable Audio Open is not open source but available under a non-commercial research license. It is optimized to create elements like drum beats, instrument parts, and ambiance using text prompts. Generation is limited to 47 seconds compared to 3 minutes for the commercial product.
The model was trained on freely licensed audio datasets to avoid copyright issues. A key advantage is users can fine-tune the model on their own data through the open source Stable Audio Tools library. For example, a drummer could customize it for unique drum patterns.
The Stable Audio Open model weights are now available on Hugging Face. Stability AI aims to accelerate audio research and expand access to generative audio tools while continuing to improve quality and control through further model releases. The release expands their work beyond text and images.
Asana Introduces New ‘AI Teammate’ Feature
Asana has introduced a new "AI teammate" feature that aims to do more than just display assigned tasks - it can now take on the task of assigning work itself using information about teams' skills and past projects.
The AI model looks to proactively reach out and gather missing information before responding. It uses Asana's "Work Graph" mapping of project data, work information, and team members to better match people to work.
Asana cited one marketing organization already testing the tool where it creates tailored content, translates assets, and standardizes workflows. A chat interface was also announced so users can directly question the AI about projects.
The AI teammate expands Asana's capabilities beyond task management by automating certain work assignment and coordination tasks. It joins similar offerings from competitors like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft that use AI assistants to automate workflows and answer job-related questions.
Meta Adds AI-Powered Features to WhatsApp Business App
Meta announced new AI-powered features for WhatsApp Business apps to help companies better engage customers. The tools include generating click-to-WhatsApp ads and automated responses to common support queries.
Mark Zuckerberg said the goal is to enable various AI assistants, not just a single bot, to facilitate commerce and support on the platform. Businesses will be able to leverage AI to start chats from Facebook/Instagram ads.
Selected merchants in India and Singapore are testing an AI customer support tool to answer catalog and FAQ inquiries, with expansion to Brazil planned. Meta will clearly label AI-generated messages so customers know they're not talking to a human representative.
The ads manager will also suggest tailored audiences for messages beyond order updates. While partners already offer some tools, Meta aims to provide its features freely to target more merchants.
A joint Meta-Bain report found conversational commerce through AI assistants presents large opportunities, especially for more intuitive, multilingual experiences in markets like India. Meta ultimately aims to increase business conversations and conversations through the new tools.
In Other AI News…
Gaming
Angry Birds Movie 3 Is Now in Production
The Angry Birds Movie 3 has officially entered production. Jason Sudeikis and Josh Gad will return to voice Red and Chuck, respectively, with John Rice returning as director. The screenplay was written by Thurop Van Orman.
DNEG Animation will handle animation rather than Rovio and Sony as with the previous films. It is being produced by Rovio Entertainment, Sega, and Prime Focus Studios. Sega acquired Rovio last year.
Few plot or release window details were provided. The first two films found box office success, grossing $500 million combined worldwide. Given that success, a third installment has been surprisingly delayed.
Fans can read reviews of the earlier films and get updates on other video game movie adaptations in development, such as Sonic the Hedgehog 3, a Legend of Zelda film, Mortal Kombat 2, Minecraft, and Borderlands.
‘Like A Dragon: Yakuza’ Live-Action Series Coming to Amazon Prime Video in October
Sega's popular Like A Dragon video game series is receiving a live-action adaptation in the form of a six-part series on Amazon Prime Video. The series is titled Like A Dragon: Yakuza and is being produced by The Fool production company.
Actor Takeuchi Ryoma will star as the main character Kiryu Kazuma. The series will depict the stories of childhood friends embroiled in the Yakuza across 1995 and 2005, exploring themes not possible in the games.
The first three episodes will premiere on October 25, 2024 with the remaining three episodes released on November 1. Episodes will feature subtitles and dubs in 30 languages.
Sega first released a game in the series in 2005 under the name Yakuza in the West and Like A Dragon in Japan. In 2022, Like A Dragon became the global name for the franchise. The most recent entry was the fastest-selling game in the series.
The live-action adaptation represents another popular video game property coming to television following the success of adaptations for games like The Witcher and Resident Evil.
Dead By Daylight Developer Laying Off Up To 95 Employees
Dead by Daylight developer Behaviour Interactive is laying off approximately 95 employees, with 70 positions being cut from their Montreal, Canada office. The company cited strategic changes and a clarified vision going forward as the reasons for the layoffs.
Their service operations and development of Dead by Daylight will not be impacted. Outside of Dead by Daylight, Behaviour is helping develop The Casting of Frank Stone for Supermassive Games.
These layoffs join widespread job cuts across the industry in 2024. Studios like Phoenix Labs, Take-Two subsidiaries, and Keoken Interactive laid off large portions of staff and canceled games. EA, PlayStation, Supermassive Games and others cut hundreds of positions each.
In Other Gaming News…
Web3, Metaverse, and NFTs
Coinbase Launches Smart Wallets
Coinbase is launching a new smart wallet that aims to make onboarding to crypto simpler and cheaper. The wallet eliminates gas fees and recovery phrases through an integration approach. Users can sign in with existing credentials like social logins or biometrics rather than a new recovery phrase.
Transactions can be paid from a Coinbase account or wallet. Developers can opt to sponsor transactions and waive fees. A companion web app will provide a unified experience for asset management, purchases, trades and more across supported blockchains.
The smart wallet builds on technology pioneered by projects like Loopring and Argent in recent years. Vitalik Buterin has also advocated for the security and convenience benefits of smart wallets. Coinbase beganbeta testing the functionality with developers earlier this year.
Current Coinbase wallet users will be migrated to the new solution in coming months. The smart wallet approach is growing in popularity as it simplifies complex aspects of traditional crypto wallet management. This could help further mainstream adoption through Coinbase.
The Sandbox Raises $20M at $1B Valuation
The Sandbox, a user-generated content metaverse platform, has raised $20 million in convertible debt financing led by Animoca Brands and Kingsway Capital. This values the company at $1 billion. The funding will advance The Sandbox's vision of a decentralized virtual world for culture, gaming, and community.
With over 300 employees worldwide, The Sandbox has seen growth in monthly users to over 50,000. More than 5 million player accounts have been registered. The company aims to empower creators through tools like Game Maker and enable players to earn through developing their virtual lands.
Partnerships with hundreds of brands like Gucci, Snoop Dogg, and Warner Music are producing experienes for The Sandbox. Over 60,000 player avatars have been sold. The open metaverse allows anyone to engage with culture and discover others.
Accessibility and inclusion are priorities as new markets in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa are explored. Recent milestones include over 1,000 UGC experiences live and 11,000 digital assets created. The funding will support further platform and content growth through 2025 and beyond.
LG Technology Ventures' investment recognizes The Sandbox's potential to advance the creator economy. As the virtual world expands, more partnerships will help brands connect with fans through co-created experiences.
Hulk Hogan’s Dumpy Memecoin Launch
Hulk Hogan's Twitter account was used to promote the launch of a new Solana-based meme coin called HULK, which quickly gained a $19 million market cap. However, Hogan later claimed on Instagram that the tweets were not from him and would be deleted.
It's unclear if Hogan's account was hacked or used maliciously by someone connected to it. The apparent promotion included tweets at other celebrities and a video, though the video's content did not actually mention cryptocurrency.
After launching, the HULK coin price plunged around 85% as large amounts were sold, in what's known as a "rug pull." This left many traders feeling scammed by the wrestling legend. The coin now has a $3 million market cap after huge trading volume in just hours.
While some traders like Wizard of SoHo still fondly remember Hogan, they also found humor in the idea that he would unwittingly scam them years later. The incident highlights the risks of celebrity endorsements in the volatile crypto space.
In Other Web3 & Metaverse News…
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