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Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly urged his government to develop video game consoles that can compete with the likes of PlayStation and Xbox.
According to the state media agency Kommersant, the Kremlin has ordered the development of new console hardware, including portable devices, with a deadline of June 15. Putin has also directed the exploration and development of “an operating system and a cloud system” for delivering games and programs to users.
This is not the first time that the issue of creating and producing game consoles and set-top boxes in the Russian Federation has been raised. In 2022, the government discussed measures to support the video game industry through 2030, calling for the establishment of a state-controlled developer and publisher, which would require an investment of up to $50 billion.
In 2023, he also ordered the creation of an esports tournament featuring various games from Russia and its allied nations, such as World of Tanks and League of Legends.
Russian gaming industry
Russia is no stranger to the gaming world, as the bestselling video game Tetris was created in 1985 by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov. The Game Boy version ranks among the best-selling games of all time, with more than 35 million copies sold. Available on over 65 platforms, Tetris has set a Guinness World Record for the most ported video game.
Although the Russian video gaming industry isn’t a major force internationally, it boasts the largest player base in Europe, with an estimated 65.2 million players nationwide as of 2018. In 2001, Russia became the first country in the world to officially recognize competitive video gaming as a sport. Russia’s largest publisher, 1C, is the developer behind the IL-2 Sturmovik series and Theatre of War series.
Vladimir Goryachev, a journalist at the Russian gaming forum Riot Pixels, has stated that he finds it “strange” that the government had to issue an order despite the presence of “many wealthy companies.” However, he added that while there is a large market and appetite for gaming, the technical skills required were lacking.
The plan comes after every major video game company in the world stopped selling its games and hardware in the country, in protest at their invasion of Ukraine.
Featured image: Canva/ Presidential Executive Office of Russia
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Helldivers 2 continues to take the multi-player gaming arena by storm and the devs at Arrowehead aren’t sitting back on their laurels. We now have three Warbonds (Battle Passes) to play through and you may have noticed that while going through those, your level had been getting perilously close to the game’s previous max level of 50.
Thankfully we have just got a new patch that has upped that big time, so let’s have a look at what we are dealing with now when it comes to the new max levels, and also how we can climb those rankings a little quicker
What is the Max Level in Helldivers?
At launch we had been dealing with a Max Level of 50, which, while okay, if you were a hardcore player, you could quickly burn up towards that if you were prepared to put the hours in. The new patch we got at the start of April has trebled that though and we now have an astonished max Level cap of 150, which should be enough to keep even the most ardent players busy for a while.
It is likely that many of Hellfivers 2 players may never get anywhere close to that but if you are playing constantly and trying to get through all the Warbonds at the same time, you now have a decent ceiling to aim for.
How to level quickly in Helldivers 2
If you aren’t playing with friends it is key to get into groups that have a good spread of talent in them – a couple of high-level players really help because you need to be completing as many missions as possible. Make sure you join in and don’t just hide as all your kills add extra XP, but climbing the ranks in Helldivers 2 is a grind. Occasionally you may find a spot where you can farm the bots if you are lucky, so head for high ground and see what you can pick off.
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Yahoo has officially acquired the AI news app Artifact, originally built by Instagram co-founders, and will be using its technology across the company.
In this move, Artifact will no longer be a standalone app but the technology will be integrated across the site and the Yahoo News app in the months to come.
Created in January 2023, the AI app never really picked up or gained any traction. The co-founder’s mission was to push the most relevant stories to users through artificial intelligence, utilizing proprietary technology to provide a curated news experience.
In a press release published on Tuesday (April 2) it’s said that what the app founders have created ‘will be even more impactful with the scale of the Yahoo News network.’
The acquisition was officially completed on March 29 2024 and Artifact’s co-founders, CEO Kevin Systrom and CTO, Mike Krieger, will work with the web services provider in an advisory capacity during the transition.
The CEO and co-founder of Artifact Kevin Systrom explains more: “We built an intuitive product experience that users love and has the opportunity to benefit millions of people.
“Yahoo brings the scale to help the product achieve what we envisioned while upholding the belief that connecting people to the trusted sources of news and information is as critical as ever.
“AI has allowed us to give users a better experience discovering great content they care about. Yahoo recognizes that opportunity, and we could not be more excited to see what we’ve built live on through Yahoo News.”
What is Artifact?
Artifact is a personalized social news aggregator app that used machine learning technology to suggest articles, topics and authors to its users.
It was founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and launched by their company Nokto, Inc. While the focus was on written news, they did include audio versions of the articles which were read out loud by AI-generated voices, including a simulation of the voices of Snoop Dog and Gwyneth Paltrow.
A year after launch, in January 2024, the team published a blog post titled ‘Shutting down Artifact.’ The CEO said they’ve ‘built something that a core group of users love, but we have concluded that the market opportunity isn’t big enough to warrant continued investment in this way.’
Featured Image: Image by Simon from Pixabay
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Everything in your home could soon heavily feature artificial intelligence if you want it to, as Samsung has today (April 3) announced the global launch of its new AI home appliances.
With built-in Wi-Fi, internal cameras, AI chips, and compatibility with the SmartThings application, these latest products are said to be able to ‘do more than previously imagined with AI applied.’
After first unveiling the project at the technology event CES in January, the idea has now become a reality with a range of 14 items.
Vice Chairman, CEO, and Head of Device eXperience Division at Samsung Electronics, Jong-Hee, shared more at a Seoul event this morning: “Since the first introduction of Bespoke in 2019, Samsung Electronics has presented to the market on how appliances can be customized to best fit each user’s home and lifestyle.
“Five years later, we now share our vision for AI in appliances with the products that expand the Bespoke legacy through enhanced connectivity and AI capabilities that will take the consumer experience to the next level.”
What are Samsung’s new AI products?

The first is the ‘4-Door French Door Refrigerator with AI Family Hub’ which acts as the primary control center for all things food and can connect to other appliances dotted around the house.
The AI Family Hub is a large LCD screen on the front right panel where people can view recommended recipes and play videos and music. There’s also an internal camera and AI Vision Inside so 33 fresh food items can be identified and shared on the display. It can even send those recipe instructions to Samsung’s new induction range or microwave oven.
The Infinite Induction Line features a 7-inch touchscreen that can display recipes, notifications from your home, and videos. The Slide-in Range comes with a built-in microwave with an internal camera that shows your cooking progress. You can check up on the progress through your Samsung TV.
There’s also the AI Laundry Combo which includes a dryer and washer in the same device. This has a touchscreen too, complete with instructions that can be sent to your phone or TV when the washing is done.
The vacuum cleaner, called the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo, uses AI to recognize nearby objects and can map the whole area in 3D. The built-in mop then sprays high-temperature steam to clean harmful bacteria.
Other products include the Bespoke Cube Air Infinite line, French Door Refrigerator, Jet AI, and more.
Featured Image: Via Samsung Newsroom
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