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A development team took to Kickstarter on Tuesday (April 16) with the aim of fundraising €45,000 (the equivalent of just under $48,000 in USD) and smashed that goal in just 18 hours. A total of just over $52,000 has now been donated.
The funding is for Runa, described as a ‘turn-based fantasy game inspired by JRPG [Japanese role-playing game] classics’ that will feature a ‘story-driven sci-fantasy world.’
While the campaign had until Thursday, May 16 to reach the goal, this was hit in under a day, with 1,074 backers supporting the project from the Madrid-based team.
The team behind Runa includes three people; Felix, Kuki, and Draphier who form Fennec Studio. On the Kickstarter, Felix says: “We started working on Runa as a project to create a game reminiscent of the classics we hold dear.
“Currently, despite being only three people, we have a versatile team, and with the support from this campaign, we aim to strengthen the aspects in which we are more limited.”
They also sum up their aims by saying “We are a tiny game development team, with the common dream of making games we always wanted to play.”
The game is currently in the development phase, with much of this being shared on social media platforms. The goal is to release Runa on PC and consoles like the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.
What we know about Runa; the JRPG-inspired game
Runa is an adventure game that has been inspired by modern and classic JRPG and includes elemental puzzles, base building, and minigames.
It’s set in Akasha which is a world that symbolizes the “technological advancements of an ancient civilization.
“Whether for domestic use or combat, the use of runas is key. Only some people, known as adepts, are able to fully control them and unleash their true powers.”
In true Japanese style, the world will be a colorful and vibrant fantasy where people can follow the journey of a group of adventurers who find themselves traveling and finding the hidden secrets in Akasha.
Featured Image: Via Runa Kickstarter
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Logitech mouse and keyboard users are reportedly receiving a free AI upgrade that will incorporate ChatGPT.
The Logi AI Prompt Builder will launch a software window that helps users access the chatbot’s assistance without interrupting their workflow. At the press of a button, users can rephrase or summarize blocks of text and receive suggested queries based on the text they have selected, according to predefined recipes of common queries.

If a user’s current Logitech mouse is not recognized by the system, at least one new model will soon feature an AI button that is expected to become universal. The AI edition of the M750 mouse, which has a teal-colored key, will provide instant access to the new feature.
This edition will be exclusively available in the US and UK, retailing for $49.99 and £54.99 respectively. Although the special edition AI mouse is not mandatory, a Logitech device is essential, as the prompt builder is included in the company’s Logi Options+ software bundle.
Currently, the Logi AI Prompt Builder is compatible only with ChatGPT and supports only English at its launch. However, Logitech has announced plans to integrate it with other chatbots in the future.
Essentially, it offers a streamlined interface for using ChatGPT-3.5, and for those with a Pro account from OpenAI, it supports ChatGPT-4. This is similar to the many other AI systems that are becoming integrated into every aspect of modern PCs, but it is notably unobtrusive.
“New Logi AI Prompt Builder is a shortcut to AI fluency for anyone with a Logitech mouse or keyboard compatible with Logi Options+ software who wants easily to access AI’s limitless potential,” said Delphine Donné, general manager of the Personal Workspace business at Logitech.
How to access Logi AI Prompt Builder
According to the press statement, users can access the Logi AI Prompt Builder for free starting today (April 17), provided they are using a Logitech keyboard or mouse that is supported by the English version of the Logi + Options app. This compatibility includes some of the company’s most popular lines, such as the Logitech MX, Ergo, Signature, and Studio Series.
The new Logitech Signature AI Edition Mouse is said to have a dedicated AI prompt button that serves as a shortcut to Logi AI Prompt Builder. The Logi AI Prompt Builder software window can be accessed for free by Windows and Mac users via the Logi Options+ app.
Featured image: Canva / Logitech
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Fans of the original Hades video game can now explore its sequel counterpart as its publisher launches a technical test and invites users to give it a try.
In a blog post published on the Supergiant Games website on Tuesday (April 16), the team behind the game says the test will “help us find and solve any technical issues we might have missed thus far, to ensure anyone who tries Hade II in Early Access can have a smooth play experience from the start.”
A subset of players who request to access the test could be invited to participate, with the process boiling down to inviting some players, fixing any issues, and then inviting more players, and so on.
While the technical test will contain much less content than what’s in store for the Early Access launch, it will still give players a chance to see more.
People are being asked to sign up by heading to the Hades II Steam page and clicking the button marked ‘request access.’ As it’s a first run to iron out any incidents, it’s not known how long the process will go on for.
“The nature of the test is such that we don’t know exactly how long it will last, though our estimate is longer than a week, shorter than a month.
“We likewise don’t know exactly when we will launch Hades II in Early Access, since that will depend on how long we end up having to run the technical test for.”
Everything we know about upcoming Hades 2
While the early access is said to be ‘close’, the actual release date hasn’t yet been confirmed by Supergiant.
We do know that this is the sequel to the dungeon crawler game which was first released in December of 2018 which marks a first for the developer as they don’t usually do a second variant of a game.
The official Supergiant Games website doesn’t give much away, but describes Hades 2 as having built on “the best aspects of the award-winning original in an all-new, action-packed, endlessly replayable experience rooted in the Underworld of Greek myth and its deep connections to the dawn of witchcraft.”
The sequel will be available on PC, Mac, and console platforms. The publisher is expected to announce which platforms the game will be playable on closer to the unknown release date.
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Telegram messaging app is set to cross one billion active monthly users within a year, its founder Pavel Durov has said.
“We’ll probably cross one billion monthly active users within a year now,” Telegram’s CEO told U.S. journalist Tucker Carlson in a video interview posted on Carlson’s account on the X social media platform.
The well-known social media platform, based in Dubai, was established by the Russian-born billionaire. He left Russia in 2014 after declining to close opposition groups on his VK social media platform, which he subsequently sold.

Ep. 94 The social media app Telegram has over 900 million users around the world. Its founder Pavel Durov sat down with us at his offices in Dubai for his first on-camera interview in almost a decade. pic.twitter.com/NEb3KzWOg8
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) April 16, 2024

Telegram was designed to compete with WhatsApp’s dominance. Unlike WhatsApp, it allows users to access their accounts from multiple devices. It positions itself as the anti-Facebook, focusing on stronger encryption and less restrictive regulations. Its developers assert that its multi-data center infrastructure and robust encryption protocols make it more secure than its rival owned by Meta.
Durov, who is estimated to have a fortune of $15.5 billion, said, “Telegram is spreading like a forest fire.” Telegram, notably popular in the republics of the former Soviet Union, ranks among the top social media platforms, following Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.
The former VK owner stated that Telegram is the opposite of the Russian government and that competitors had made claims to “discredit” the company. He added that two and a half million users have been signing up for the platform daily.
“We’re sort of a threat so I’m not surprised there’s this perception because our competitors spend tens of billions on marketing and they’re known for using PR firms to also engage in campaigns like that,” Durov alleged.
The battle for information
Durov mentioned that he received excessive attention from U.S. security agencies. He noted that one such agency attempted to recruit one of his engineers to create a backdoor into the platform.
Regarding freedom of speech, he stated that the most significant challenges came not from governments, but from major competitors like Apple and Google. “Those two platforms, they could basically censor everything you can read, access on your smartphone,” Durov explained, adding that they had warned Telegram about removal from their stores unless it complied with their guidelines.
He chose the United Arab Emirates as his base because it is a “neutral country” that aims to maintain friendly relations with all and is not aligned with any superpowers, making it an ideal location for a “neutral platform.”
Durov also mentioned that Telegram is used by both opposition campaigners and governments but remains impartial. “The competition of different ideas can result in progress and a better world for everyone,” he said.
Featured image: Canva / TechCrunch
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The online video-sharing platform YouTube is cracking down on ad-blocking apps and suggests people should purchase a premium subscription if they want a truly ad-free experience.
Ad-block extensions have become popular over the last few years as they remove any intrusive advertisements and videos across multiple platforms.
To address this, Rob from Team YouTube posted an update titled ‘Enforcement on Third Party Apps’ on the YouTube Help community page on Monday (April 15).
He says: “We’re strengthening our enforcement on third-party apps that violate YouTube’s Terms of Service, specifically ad-blocking apps.”
The update suggests that ad-blockers could result in a poorer viewing experience.
“Viewers who are using these third-party apps may experience buffering issues or see the error ‘The following content is not available on this app’ when trying to watch a video.
“We want to emphasize that our terms don’t allow third-party apps to turn off ads because that prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership, and Ads on YouTube help support creators and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service.”
Advertising is the most common way for people in the YouTube Partner Programme to earn money as revenue is generated when people watch the advertisement on videos. This earning is then split between the creator and the platform.
YouTube Premium could soon be the only way to prevent ads
“We also understand that some people prefer an entirely ad-free experience, which is why we offer YouTube Premium,” says the team member.
The membership subscription allows people to watch without ads, as well as the ability to download videos and play them in the background while using other apps or with the phone’s home screen locked. There’s a cost of $13.99 a month for the privilege.
The American platform only allows the use of third-party apps to use the API when the API Services Terms of Service. The team takes action when an app is found to violate these terms.
Featured Image: Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash
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