![]() ![]() But if we were trying to make the majority of TV drama shows from the 1990s to the advent of The Sopranos, AI could hardly do worse." Nelson says the scripts are usually "a little cliche," but Clancy and Ross see more potential depending on the quality we're looking for.Ĭlancy: “It depends on the genre. However, the experts vary on how useful they think those scripts are. THE DETAILS: AI is great at understanding structure and patterns and can quickly whip up what looks and sounds like a script. She now focuses on educational programming (particularly about AI), and also has a background in training the brain to overcome fears and trauma - a task AI has never had to take on.Ĭhad Nelson: Writer and director of " Critterz," the first animated short film using OpenAI’s DALL-E, and the face behind the Instagram account Robert Ross: Computer science professor at Technological University Dublin and an investigator at the ADAPT Centre (a world-leading AI-Driven Digital Content Technology research center) who has been working with conversational AI systems for the last 25 years, including completing a Ph.D. Olympia LePoint: Rocket scientist and the author of STEM education book series Answers Unleashed, with a master's degree in applied mathematics who formerly worked at NASA, helping to develop rockets for 28 space shuttle missions. Clancy “got into'' AI when he noticed that his students weren’t approaching AI as a tool, with the understanding that they needed to evaluate the inputs and outputs of the technology critically. Martin Clancy: AI researcher at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and chair of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Global AI Ethics Arts Committee. First, we're exploring AI's impact on screenwriting, for good and bad.ĭr. So what are we close to, and what should the concerns be when it comes to AI? The Messenger talked to several experts and did some AI generating of our own to get a better idea of what's happening, what's not happening, and what the future may hold for the most impacted parts of the entertainment industry. Luckily, we are nowhere close to a world where AI is our sole entertainer. It can do a lot, but it can't do everything - or rather, it can't do everything believably. It can even turn a casual photo into a professional headshot or create a new video from old footage of a deceased person. Generative AI can create a cover letter for a job, write an email for a friend, or suggest headlines for an article (like this one). They generate text, images, audio, and other media from prompts, based on existing media. ![]() You've probably heard of the programs that use it, like ChatGPT, Dall-E, Lensa and Replika. While AI isn't a new concept, generative AI is relatively new. And just in time, too - The Terminator's bleak future in which a hostile AI overtakes the world was set in 2029. As a result, the emerging tech has become one of the top concerns as contract negotiations continue. ![]() ![]() So far, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios at the bargaining table, has only agreed to regular discussions about AI and has not yet committed to regulating its use. Members of multiple entertainment guilds are worried that studios might consider using AI instead of paying writers, actors and other creatives. In case you haven't heard, the robots are taking over. As the writers' strike barrels toward its third month and the actors' guild prepares to possibly join them on the picket lines, the hot topic of the moment - beyond paying people fairly for their work - is the looming potential of AI in Hollywood. ![]()
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![]() ![]() ![]() Every once in a while, the country would discover something so quirky it became bigger than its intended function. Different national regions had different interpretations of what we should look like or how music should sound or what technologies we should adapt to, but there were some trends that transcended geography with a different kind of ubiquity than what exists now in the Internet era. The movies and television and music of the era give us a snapshot of how things looked and felt and moved for 10 weird years. The decade is what nostalgia is supposed to be, and its influence is found oozing out of contemporary hip-hop and hoops culture. The ’90s feel like they happened forever ago. We were ostensibly Tulare’s tear away pants, and every once in awhile our coaches and teachers and parents wanted to tear us out of their lives, but as frustrating as it is, they kept buttoning us back up. We weren’t necessarily outcasts, but there were elements to the way we approached high school that were outcast-y. Ripping those pants off fit the general tone of our group - it was fun and whimsical and almost cool, but close enough to fit into the sub-culture it represented. “The captain of the chess team - Phillip Barnett.”Īs everyone laughed, I’d rip off my sweats and wave to the crowd that only existed in our minds. “Standing at 5-foot-9 and 27 pounds,” Davion would begin as I started to get off the bench. There were always intros before the games started, and no matter how hot it was, the intros included us in warm-ups so that we could rip off our adidas tear-away pants as someone from the other team made a terrible joke as he introduced you. ![]() If you happen to find yourself opening a dusty box in some dusty storage space in the dusty city of Tulare, pop in that VHS-C tape and rewind it all the way to the beginning. We’d go home, dirty as hell, and watch those tapes. We shot a lot of threes and tried to dunk on each other whenever possible. We all lived within three blocks of each other, and when the summer days didn’t peak over 110 degrees, we’d make the trek to Kahn, set up our Sony camcorder on a turned-over trash can and play the kind of basketball we learned from NBA Jam. Suffice to say there’s not much to do in Tulare, which is why, on that VHS-C tape, sitting in a box in a storage unit in Tulare, there is a grainy recording of Davion Bruce, Dhevin Williams, Fernando Gonzales and myself playing basketball on eight-foot rims at Frank Kahn Elementary school. The city’s claim to fame is that it hosts the world’s agricultural show every year and once landed on Forbes’ list of worst cities to raise a family. a city that sits right in-between Bakersfield and Fresno. There’s an old VHS-C tape sitting in an old box in an old storage unit somewhere in Tulare, Cali. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() “All the extensions I’ve highlighted are simple rip-offs with a few lines of code and some analytics code added by the ‘authors,’” Meshkov wrote. Posing as ad blockers, the malicious extensions simply copied code from real ad blockers and then added to them. Unfortunately, AdGuard’s Andrey Meshkov reports that the extensions he discovered had more than 20 million users. Here you’ll find first looks to complete hands-on experiences with the latest tech on the market. View All Reviews Expert opinions and reviews on the latest gadgets, phones, laptops and more.Smartwatch and Fitness Tracker See how Apple Watch, Fitbit, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Garmin and many more stack up with our reviews.Smartphone Read trusted reviews on the latest smart phones from Apple, Samsung, Google and many more.PC & Peripheral All you need to know on the latest PC releases and whether they’re worth their dime.From consoles to RPGS and shooters, we’ve got it all here just waiting for you to read. Gaming Let expert reviewers guide you on which games to play.Gadgets & Smart Home Whether it’s a drone, a smart vacuum or noise cancelling headphones you are looking to buy, our reviewers have tried and tested it before you have to.Entertainment We spend hours watching and reviewing the latest movies, shows and music releases so you don’t have to. ![]() Car Our revheads bring you all you need to know on the coolest electric vehicles and sports cars available on the market.Camera Here you’ll find expert opinions on the latest cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony and plenty more. ![]() ![]() ![]() What’s more, DHA-containing products might increase LDL cholesterol, which is not an issue with some pure-EPA prescription omega-3s. These amounts are hard to obtain from most commercially available supplements. The American Heart Association recommends taking 4g/daily of prescription omega-3s for optimal effects on blood triglycerides. Unlike nutritional supplements, they go through rigorous quality controls by the FDA. It is important to note that the above formulations have a much higher EPA/DHA content than fish oil supplements, and they contain specific forms (esters) of these fatty acids. Many of these studies also showed their ability to increase HDL cholesterol, but the results were less consistent.īased on these results, the FDA has approved omega-3-based prescription drugs for high triglycerides (hypertrigliceridemia): Lovaza (formerly Omacor), Omtryg, Vascepa, and Epanova. Health Benefits Effective: 1) High Triglyceridesīoth EPA and DHA have the ability to reduce triglyceride levels, most effectively after several weeks of supplementation.Reduction levels range from 15% up to 50%, and their effect is backed up by plenty of well- designed clinical trials. Studies show that dietary supplementation with fish oil lowers the activity of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and more. DHA also produces NPD1 molecules, which have anti-inflammatory properties in the brain. ĮPA and DHA produce molecules known as “resolvins”, which are named for their ability to “resolve” inflammation. In a study of 174 Alzheimer’s disease patients, fish oil higher in EPA than DHA lowered inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-1β, associated with neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. In one study, men who took DHA supplements for 6-12 weeks decreased the concentrations of several inflammatory markers in their blood by approximately 20%. Supports pregnancy and fetal developmentĭietary omega-3 fatty acids have potent anti-inflammatory effects, and they may be beneficial for a range of inflammatory conditions. ![]() ĭHA is highly concentrated in the brain, retina, testicles, and semen. The ideal omega-3/omega-6 ratio in the body is 1:1 – 1:3, which is associated with a lower lipid count, healthier blood vessels, and reduced risk of chronic conditions. Our bodies can produce them from an essential fatty acid, ALA, but the efficacy of this conversion is questionable. It contains two omega-3 fatty acids known as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Read on to learn the benefits, dosage, and safety of fish oil supplementation.įish oil is a great source of anti-inflammatory, omega-3 healthy fats. Fish oil is an excellent source of omega-3s that can reduce inflammation and protect the heart, brain, bones, and more. Modern Western diets are dramatically low in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, which contributes to heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. A plus sign next to the number “” means that the information is found within the full scientific study rather than the abstract. ![]() Note that each number in parentheses is a clickable link to peer-reviewed scientific studies. If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please leave a comment or contact us at Our goal is to not have a single piece of inaccurate information on this website. They are continually monitored by our internal peer-review process and if we see anyone making material science errors, we don't let them write for us again. Our science team must pass long technical science tests, difficult logical reasoning and reading comprehension tests. Our science team is put through the strictest vetting process in the health industry and we often reject applicants who have written articles for many of the largest health websites that are deemed trustworthy. Our team comprises of trained MDs, PhDs, pharmacists, qualified scientists, and certified health and wellness specialists.Īll of our content is written by scientists and people with a strong science background. We are dedicated to providing the most scientifically valid, unbiased, and comprehensive information on any given topic. We believe that the most accurate information is found directly in the scientific source. SelfHacked has the strictest sourcing guidelines in the health industry and we almost exclusively link to medically peer-reviewed studies, usually on PubMed. ![]() ![]() ![]() Here, we report for the first time the use of a DBS sample in combination with a fully automated and closed system for TCRβ chain NGS library preparation. The desire for TCR repertoire profiling in a variety of diseases and the advantages of a DBS-based method prompted us to establish a DBS-based TCR repertoire profiling method. Second, it is low cost and convenient to handle in that the filter cards can be stored and shipped at room temperature without refrigeration for at least 1 month. First, it is minimally invasive (requiring only 0.3 mL of capillary blood obtained by finger- or ear-prick) and a field-friendly alternative to venipuncture by professional medical staff. There are two major advantages of this method. However, the costs, participant burden, regulatory constraints, and logistics associated with venipuncture and RNA handling are major barriers to clinical application or community-based research on various diseases.ĭry blood spots (DBS) have been used broadly in disease screening, drug level monitoring, and infectious microorganism detection, such as the detection of HIV and plasmodium. For TCR repertoire assessment, the current standard sample type is total RNA extracted from whole blood by venipuncture. There are different TCR library preparation for NGS, including: multiplex PCR, targeted enrichment methods, 5′Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5′RACE) cDNA synthesis, template-switch, and nested PCR. Rapid progress has been made in the deep profiling of TCR repertoires by using NGS to discover millions of sequences from the TCR repertoires. Analyzing the TCR repertoire may help to gain a better understanding of the immune system features and of the etiology and progression of diseases, in particular those with unknown antigenic triggers. TCR repertoires of patients were explored in a variety of disorders-patients under cancer immunotherapy, autoimmune disease, or subject to virus infection (hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)). However, the complexity of the immune system in combination with the limitation of detection methods makes this subject difficult to research.Ĭurrently, TCR repertoire sequencing is widely used to evaluate the immune system. The advantage of immunotherapy in cancers has led to increasing numbers of studies dedicated to exploring the impact and interaction between immunity and cancer cells. Immunology research, particularly next generation sequencing (NGS) of the immune T-cell receptor β (TCRβ) repertoire, has advanced progression in several fields including treatment of various cancers and autoimmune diseases. The system is sensitive to low RNA input, and the results are highly correlated with whole blood uCDR3 discovery allowing study scale-up to better understand the relationship and mutual influences between the immune and diseases. The DBS-based TCR repertoire profiling method is minimally invasive, provides convenient sampling, and incorporates fully automated library preparation. A low rate of clonotype sharing, 0.03–1.5%, was found among different individuals. About 74–90% of top 50 uCDR3 clones of whole blood could also be detected from DBS. ![]() uCDR3 discovery was neither affected by storage temperatures (room temperature versus − 20 ☌) nor storage durations (1, 14, and 28 days) when compared to whole blood. According to the statistical analysis and laboratory confirmation, 40 of 2-mm punch disks from the filter cards were enough to detect the shared top clones and have strong correlation in the uCDR3 discovery with whole blood. We demonstrated that the dominant clonotypes from the DBS results recapitulated those found in whole blood. RNA was extracted from DBS of the filter card, and fully automated multiplex PCR was performed to generate a TCRβ chain library for next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of unique CDR3s (uCDR3). Methodsįinger-prick blood was collected onto a Whatman filter card. This study aimed to identify the TCR repertoires from dry blood spots (DBS), a method that will help collecting real-world data for biomarker applications. Immunology research, particularly next generation sequencing (NGS) of the immune T-cell receptor β (TCRβ) repertoire, has advanced progression in several fields, including treatment of various cancers and autoimmune diseases. ![]() ![]() Flux Construct II boss strategyįlux Construct II does all the same stuff that its weaker cousin does, but it will float higher in the air when it turns into a horizontal platform. Notably, the harder iterations of the boss ( Flux Construct II and Flux Construct III) work a bit differently. Repeat until the boss falls apart and explodes into sweet, sweet loot. If the Flux Construct turns into a horizontal platform, just Ascend up and pick one of the above methods to knock it out. Doing so will make the boss crumble into pieces, allowing you to whack the glowing cube for damage freely. Use Ultrahand to grab the glowing cube and yank it off.If you see it starting to get back up, sprint away like your life depends on it. This gives you the chance to run in and whale on it with your strongest weapon. Simply pop that with an arrow and the baddie will take the knee.There are two ways to take down Flux Constructs, targeting their glowing cubes: Which block it is appears to be random, but it’s pretty easy to spot thanks to its glowing spots. Fortunately, if you look closely, you’ll see that one of the blocks is not like the others. Once you engage the enemy, it will transform into a colossus that will try to pancake you with its fists. How to beat the Flux Construct in Tears of the Kingdom You will encounter a ton of them as you look for Sage’s Wills as well. Otherwise, you’ll find tons of Flux Construct bosses on both sky islands and in the Depths. The paraglider really makes a huge difference here, as you can probably imagine. We recommend getting as far as Hyrule Castle, grabbing the paraglider, then teleporting back to Nachoyah Shrine in the south of the Great Sky Island.įrom there, head to the location marked below. Ideally, you should also have your fourth heart container and a fresh set of armor. The first Flux Construct I you will meet is on the first Sky Island you come across, but is much easier when you have a decent weapon (around 10 attack) and a bow. Where to find Flux Constructs in Tears of the Kingdom Also fortunately, we’ve done the dying so you don’t have to. If you think it looks like a miniboss, you’d be entirely correct! It’s called the Flux Construct, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll quickly get absolutely bodied.įortunately, taking this boss down and making use of its dropped items - including the frighteningly powerful Flux Construct core - is actually fairly simple once you figure it out. Early on in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you will likely come across a pyramid of blocks with a red searchlight atop it, scanning the area. ![]() ![]() ![]() You’ll regularly find him commuting on an ebike and he longs for the day when everyone else follows suit. While Warren loves fast road bikes and the latest gravel bikes, he also believes electric bikes are the future of transport. He has covered all the major innovations in cycling this century, and reported from launches, trade shows and industry events in Europe, Asia, Australia, North American and Africa. ![]() Over the years, Warren has written about thousands of bikes and tested more than 2,500 – from budget road bikes to five-figure superbikes. In his time as a cycling journalist, Warren has written for Mountain Biking UK, What Mountain Bike, Urban Cyclist, Procycling, Cyclingnews, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike and T3. He’s also a regular presenter on the BikeRadar Podcast and on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel. Having been testing bikes for more than 20 years, Warren has an encyclopedic knowledge of road cycling and has been the mastermind behind our Road Bike of the Year test for more than a decade. Warren Rossiter is BikeRadar and Cycling Plus magazine’s senior technical editor for road and gravel. On the CLX they’re combined with arched seatstays rather than the straight ones of the EPS. The rear triangle is lugged, with super-deep-profile chainstays as on the EPS. The front end is a monocoque design, with defined ribbed sidewalls on the top tube and down tube that are claimed to give the frame extra rigidity under side loads. The design and testing all originates in Italy, so it will perform just as well as the company’s domestic line-up – just without quite the same price implications. The Taiwanese-made CLX isn’t just another ‘me too’ carbon frame, though. Fans love the Italian heritage of Colnago bikes, marking out the brand from everyone else. It is features sculpted contact points for the 'hoods' and 'drops' riding positions for better ergonomics. Normally it wouldn’t be worth mentioning where a frame is made, since nearly everything carbon originates from the Far East, but with Colnago it’s different. Fact Sheet Availability Ratings (6) FSA K-Wing AGX Compact Carbon Road Handlebar - black The FSA K-Wing AGX Compact road handlebar which is constructed using a full carbon construction. All clamping zones of the bar are textured to ensure a slip-free interface.Super deep chainstays keep the rear end in check: super deep chainstays keep the rear end in check Frame: Made in the Far East, but thoroughly Italian in design Made from a unidirectional carbon fiber and kevlar composite mixture, the K-Wing offers stiffness, durability, and vibration damping. Enlarged internal cable routing slots allow easy routing of both brake and derailleur cables and also work with electronic shift systems. In addition, the compact 125mm drop and 80mm reach allows riders to maintain hand position regardless of which lever or button they need to access, eliminating awkward re-positioning. The compact drops allow easy and fast swapping from the bar tops to the drops. The bar tops also feature slight cut-out like shaping on either end, providing a nice perch for the palms when riding positioned at the widest part of the bar tops. This raised portion offers a more relaxed position and provides ample space to rest your hands. The first and most noticeable is the raised flat top with a slight back sweep, aerodynamic profile, and ergonomic design. This compact bar includes several particular features that set it apart from traditional drop bars. Buy PART NUM 306774 FSA K-Wing AGX Carbon Road Bar 31.8 46cm Full carbon bar designed for adventure, gravel and cyclocross 10 rotation at the hoods from the center clamp and 25mm side flare out at the drops read more Black 31.8 mm Clamp 115 mm Drop 75 mm Reach 46 cm Width Full Speed Ahead 185-0021046030 Ships Free your price 336. ![]() ![]() ![]() The next big update is expected to come at some point in the middle of Season 1, though details as to what it will entail have yet to be announced. Hopefully Treyarch has a fix for these Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War split-screen issues sooner rather than later. Once again, the only way to fix it seems to be completely resetting the game, so anyone hoping to play Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's split-screen for any significant length of time should be prepared to continuously reset their game. For example, if Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players encounter this split-screen glitch while playing in the new Nuketown Holiday 24/7 playlist, they will notice the buses in the middle of the map disappearing or failing to load in all their textures. Not only that, but this also seems to impact some of the objects in the maps themselves. Obviously this puts players at a severe disadvantage, as all they're able to see is their enemies' weapons floating in the air. If players aren't booted out and forced to restart, they will find that their second split-screen match has put them in a lobby where everyone is invisible, enemy and ally alike. The only way to fix the problem seems to be closing out of the game completely and then re-opening it, which isn't necessarily a big deal in and of itself, but having to do so after every match becomes a major inconvenience.Īnother issue Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players will notice when trying to play the game in split-screen is invisible characters in the matches themselves. These errors also make it so the background imagery in the lobbies lose its textures, with Black Ops Cold War Operators becoming completely invisible. ![]() When trying to load from one Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War split-screen match to the next, players will encounter all kinds of lobby errors that kick them out of the game. RELATED: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Removes Weapons Players Unlocked Early And Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players manage to complete a match in split-screen, even more frustrating problems start to rear their head, making the mode virtually unplayable. When attempting to play Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War in split-screen, players will notice severe lag in the matches, with a significantly worse performance when compared to 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's split-screen. Unfortunately, the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War split-screen feature has some major issues that are giving players serious problems. It also made it much easier to access Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's multiplayer split-screen options, and added split-screen to Zombies mode. You should see an indicator showing the number "2" in the top-right corner of the screen.Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's big Season 1 update earlier this month added all kinds of content to the game, including new weapons, a Battle Pass, new multiplayer maps, modes, and more. Once the game is launched, highlight the activity you want to play (in this case Nazi Zombies, although this works with Multiplayer modes too), and then press the X/A button on the second controller to start the activity. Then use the first controller to launch COD WW2. Your friend should then sign into the second account using the second controller. ![]() You should already be signed in with the first controller on your usual account. Now it's time to sign into both the accounts you and your friend will be playing with. (Beware that if you've already done this then you'll be given the option to remove the Xbox as your home Xbox. Here you should choose to make the Xbox your home Xbox. To do this on Xbox One, go to Settings, then to Personalization, then click on "My Home Xbox". This means all subsequent accounts share your PlayStation Plus subscription. To do this on PlayStation 4, go into Settings, Account Management, then select "Activate as Your Primary PS4". How to play split-screen Nazi Zombiesīefore you do anything else, make sure your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One is set as your primary or home console. True to modern form, COD WW2 requires that you take a few slightly confusing steps to access split-screen multiplayer, but the good news is that we've got a step-by-step guide to the process for PS4 and Xbox One. Playing games in split-screen used to be as easy as plugging in a second controller and pressing "Start", but in these days of console-bound accounts, friends lists and other digital whoosafudge, things aren't always that simple. One of the best bits of Call of Duty: WW2 is its take on the classic Zombies mode, Nazi Zombies, but what you might not have realized is that you can happily play it in split-screen mode with a friend on the same machine. ![]() ![]() ![]() Noire, he aimed "to go on a personal journey with characters". McNamara felt that video game characters generally maintain their traits and personalities from the beginning of a game to the end with L.A. One of his primary goals throughout development was to develop the characters in the game's story. McNamara felt that the game's technology allows players to connect with the characters in a way that video games have not achieved before. The actors' facial performances were recorded using MotionScan, while their physical movements were mostly recorded using motion capture technology. This technology is crucial to the game's interrogation mechanic, which requires players to use suspects' facial reactions to questioning to judge whether or not they are lying. MotionScan is a motion capture technology that records the face of an actor at over 1000 frames per second. Noire is notable for being the first game to use the newly developed technology MotionScan, developed by Australian company Depth Analysis. Director Michael Uppendahl said, "I try to monitor the performances to make sure we're getting the human element that's going to make it compelling and interesting." During their performances, the actors attempted to appear as realistic as possible. When casting actors for the game, the team simply sought "quality actors", as opposed to well-known actors. Many actors from the television series Mad Men are featured in the game game writer and director Brendan McNamara explained that this is due to the casting agency, Schiff/Audino, which also casts for Mad Men. To cast the characters, the team held secretive auditions. ![]() Noire has over twenty hours of voice work, and over 400 actors performed for the game. From left to right: Michael McGrady, Aaron Staton, Sean McGowan, Adam J. The actors' physical performances for the game were mostly recorded using motion capture technology in a studio. The acting has also received acclaim, including a nomination at the British Academy Video Games Awards. The characters received praise from several gaming publications. The actors' facial mannerisms were recorded with the newly developed MotionScan, while their physical movements were mostly recorded using motion capture technology. The team wanted players to connect with the game's characters, and the actors tried to make their performances appear as realistic as possible. Despite the similarities of their past, Phelps and Kelso behave in an antagonistic nature toward each other.Ī team at Team Bondi designed the character appearances, and Brendan McNamara was the main writer of their personalities and mannerisms. For a small part of the game, the player controls Jack Kelso, an investigator who fought alongside Phelps during the war. Throughout the course of the story, Phelps falls in love with German singer Elsa Lichtmann, with whom he has an extramarital affair. He is accompanied by a number of characters, notably his partners: Ralph Dunn, Stefan Bekowsky, Rusty Galloway, Roy Earle, and Herschel Biggs. Marine Lieutenant in the second World War, Phelps's experiences during the war left him scarred, and inspired him to join the Los Angeles Police Department.Ĭole Phelps is the primary playable character of the game. Noire, a neo-noir detective video game developed by Team Bondi, focuses on police detective Cole Phelps and his partners as they investigate and solve various crimes. From left to right: Cole Phelps, Stefan Bekowsky, Rusty Galloway, Roy Earle, Herschel Biggs. Noire, from different pieces of promotional artwork. Keep political discussion to other, more appropriate subreddits.The five main detectives in L.A. Sources are preferred over third-party sites. Low-effort content, unofficial videos, misleading titles and posts, image macros, theories about connections to other games and memes may be removed. RulesĪll content must be directly related to L.A. underworld and even members of his own department to uncover a secret that could shake the city to its rotten core. In his fight to climb the ranks and do what's right, Phelps must unravel the truth behind a string of arson attacks, racketeering conspiracies and brutal murders, battling the L.A. Corruption is rampant, the drug trade is exploding, and murder rates are at an all-time high. A dark and violent crime thriller set against the backdrop of 1940’s Los Angeles.Īmid the post-war boom of Hollywood's Golden Age, Cole Phelps, an LAPD detective is thrown headfirst into a city drowning in its own success. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() They can be a good option for Americans traveling without a card using chip and PIN technology. It also snubs foreign transaction fees, and it charges the same rate as its regular credit card when converting currency.Īnother company offers a prepaid chip and PIN card, which allows travelers to load up on euros or pounds and use it like a debit card. For example, one major card company has started to offer prepaid cards free of the typical recurring fees. Prepaid cards for foreign use are becoming more widespread. Each bank has its own fees for ATM debit card withdrawals. Heads up: Meyers advises to call your bank before you go to ask about fee structures for ATM withdrawals. Stallings says if you take money out of a bank that has a relationship with your bank, you may be able to avoid some fees. "If your bank charges a flat rate for the withdrawal, you should certainly minimize your trips to the ATM by withdrawing larger sums each time you go," Meyers says.Īnd do your homework. To save money, keep ATM trips to a minimum. Some charge a flat rate, others charge a percentage, and still others charge both, Meyers says. "We consider the ATM to be the best choice in terms of convenience, exchange rates and fees," Meyers says.įees vary by institution. Using your debit card at ATMs is one recommended way to get cash when traveling abroad. The "PIN" refers to a personal identification number that the cardholder enters to authorize payment. The "chip" refers to a microchip embedded into the card to secure account information. Maria Brusilovsky, spokeswoman for Travelex Currency Services, says chip and PIN technology is now the preferred way of making credit card and debit card transactions in Europe, and some vendors only accept chip and PIN cards. In addition to cards without fees, think about getting a card with the latest technology. Others are just offering a few cards without foreign fees. Some major card companies have eliminated foreign transaction fees on all of their cards. You can save money on fees by making some calls before you go and knowing which cards to use," says Tom Meyers, editor in chief of, a guide to budget travel in Europe. "Most people have multiple credit cards, and each could have a different fee structure. Foreign transaction fees are a different story. ![]() Card companies base their exchange rates on wholesale prices offered to bigger institutions, so you're bound to get a fair rate. While some desks advertise "no-fee" exchanges, they still build in a hefty profit by offering a high rate.īefore your next trip, take a look at the best and worst methods of currency exchange by following Bankrate's "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down" rating: Currency exchange methodsĬredit cards offer some of the lowest currency exchange rates. In lieu of foreign currency exchange desks at airports and major hotels, there are more convenient and cheaper ways to exchange currency, Stallings says. "Many options carry extraordinary hidden fees, and some places are just more difficult to negotiate since they are more cash-based than the typical American is used to," Stallings says. dollar abroad, update your knowledge of currency exchange.Īccording to Douglas Stallings, senior editor for Fodor's Travel, travelers need to be aware of currency exchange options abroad because of costs. If you're not careful, currency conversion fees can cost more than you expect. ![]() |
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