A long-time indie horror director discusses his love for genre films and his newest work “Blackout”. Fessenden started his production company in the 80s and has since been a pioneer of indie filmmaking, surfing the wave of digital revolution. However, he notes that financing and distribution have become increasingly difficult due to the lack of respect for small films and the changing industry landscape. He describes his approach to genre films as bringing naturalism and immediacy into the horror space, and how his latest film “Blackout” frames a classic creature-feature story in an indie drama way. The film focuses on a werewolf tale with a protagonist already struggling with addiction and personal issues, highlighting the intersection between horror and self-betrayal. Fessenden expresses his desire to make one more monster movie and hopefully pull it off, but also mentions a possible future project, a musical or Christmas movie.

The world of technology is constantly evolving, and one area that has seen significant growth in recent years is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in various industries. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and work, and it’s already being used in a variety of applications, from virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, to self-driving cars, to personalized product recommendations on e-commerce websites.

One industry that is particularly well-suited for AI adoption is healthcare. With the vast amounts of data available in electronic health records (EHRs), medical imaging, and other sources, AI can help healthcare providers analyze this information to improve patient outcomes, streamline clinical workflows, and reduce costs.

For example, AI-powered algorithms can be used to identify high-risk patients and provide personalized treatment plans. This can lead to better health outcomes and reduced hospital readmissions. Additionally, AI can help doctors and other healthcare providers analyze medical images more quickly and accurately, leading to earlier detection of diseases and improved diagnosis.

Another area where AI is being applied in healthcare is in the development of personalized medicine. By analyzing genetic data and other factors, AI algorithms can help identify the most effective treatments for individual patients based on their unique characteristics. This can lead to more effective treatments and fewer side effects.

However, despite these potential benefits, there are also concerns about the use of AI in healthcare. One concern is that AI may replace human clinicians, leading to job losses and a dehumanization of the healthcare industry. Additionally, there are worries about bias in AI algorithms, which could lead to inequitable treatment of certain patient populations.

To address these concerns, it’s important for healthcare providers to carefully consider the ethical implications of using AI in their practice. This includes ensuring that AI systems are transparent and explainable, so that clinicians can understand how they arrive at their recommendations. Additionally, healthcare providers must be mindful of bias in AI algorithms and take steps to mitigate it.

Another important consideration is the need for high-quality data to train AI models. As with any machine learning algorithm, the quality of the training data has a direct impact on the accuracy and effectiveness of the AI model. Healthcare providers must ensure that they are using accurate and comprehensive data to train their AI systems.

Finally, healthcare providers must be prepared to address the potential risks associated with AI adoption. For example, there is a risk of cyber attacks on EHRs and other systems that store and process large amounts of patient data. Additionally, there is a risk of unintended consequences from AI algorithms, such as incorrect diagnoses or treatments. Healthcare providers must be prepared to address these risks and develop strategies for mitigating them.

In conclusion, the use of AI in healthcare has the potential to revolutionize the way we deliver care to patients. However, it’s important for healthcare providers to carefully consider the ethical implications of using AI in their practice, ensure that they are using high-quality data to train AI models, and be prepared to address the potential risks associated with AI adoption. By doing so, we can unlock the full potential of AI in healthcare and improve patient outcomes.

Disney Parks Turbo-Charge Progress with New Attractions and Transformations

Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro, the heads of Disney Parks, have promised a “turbo-charged” approach to progress, and they are delivering on that promise. Disneyland Paris is set to reinvent its second park into Disney’s Adventure World, featuring a new World of Frozen and more experiences from Disney’s legacy. This comes as Pixar Fest teases its foodie menu at California Adventure, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure releases more details, and Test Track at Epcot gets a needed re-theme.

Meanwhile, Universal Studios has officially revealed its own immersive hotels: the Stella Nova and Terra Luna Resorts, which will nestle guests among the stars. These hotels were designed with a modern sci-fi aesthetic in mind, and the idea that the spaceship-styled windows will immerse guests looking to relax and sleep among stars and planets.

In international news, WB World Abu Dhabi will be premiering a brand new Looney Tunes show as the iconic characters delve into sports just in time for the Olympics. The show features Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck both vying to become coach of Team Looney Tunes. With the help from their team captains and their friend Lola Bunny, they will go head-to-head in a sports competition to see who the ultimate coach will be.

For those looking for a more digital experience, there is now a new digital race virtual challenge hosted by Conqueror, where you can join from anywhere and unlock awesome rewards like postcards and collectible cards of favorite Looney Tunes characters while getting your fitness on. This family-friendly, 180-mile challenge led by Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, and Wile E. Coyote offers three stunning medals, each with a special removable pin.

Finally, for those looking for a respite from the sun in Las Vegas, AREA15’s interactive zones are now offering an AR and VR game area to test out the latest in virtual gaming. With all these new attractions and transformations, it’s clear that Disney Parks and Universal Studios are committed to providing guests with unforgettable experiences that will leave them wanting more.

Alien: Romulus promises to be a brutal and intense addition to the Alien franchise, as evidenced by two extended scenes shown at CinemaCon 2024. The first scene takes place within a Weyland-Yutani ship, where a team of characters attempt to open a locked room containing a mysterious creature. As they wait for the creature to integrate a new piece of technology, several pods begin to move and grow, eventually hatching into Facehuggers. The team fights off the Facehuggers as they continue to hatch, but one manages to implant itself on an unconscious human. Just as it’s about to jump onto the face of another human, the synthetic wakes up and stops it, allowing the team to escape.

However, their escape is short-lived, as they soon find themselves pursued by a dozen or so Facehuggers. One woman is attacked and infected with a Xenomorph, which bursts out of her chest in a gruesome and intense scene. The creature then starts screaming its “little squeaky head off” as the cabin explodes, leading into a montage of shots from later in the movie featuring the full-on Xenomorph.

The footage shown at CinemaCon 2024 highlights the intense and brutal nature of Alien: Romulus, which promises to be a thrilling addition to the Alien franchise. Director Fede Alvarez seems to have taken inspiration from the previous Alien movies, but also added his own unique twist to the classic formula. The use of the X-ray torch and the intense chestburster scene are just a few examples of how Alien: Romulus is pushing the boundaries of what audiences expect from an Alien movie.

Overall, the footage shown at CinemaCon 2024 has set high hopes for Alien: Romulus, which promises to be a thrilling and intense addition to the Alien franchise. With its brutal and impactful scenes, it’s clear that director Fede Alvarez is aiming to create a movie that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats. The film is set to release on August 16, so mark your calendars and get ready for another terrifying adventure in the world of Alien.

Google Threatens to Block News Access in California Over Proposed “Link Tax” Legislation

The tech giant announced on Friday that it would begin testing a small percentage of California users by removing links to California news websites in response to proposed legislation that would force the company to pay some publishers for their content. Known as the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), the bill has passed California’s lower house but still needs to be taken up by the state Senate and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom to become law. Google argues that CJPA may result in significant changes to the services it can offer Californians and the traffic it can provide to California publishers. However, critics argue that the bill is necessary to remedy the fact that much of the advertising money has gone to Big Tech platforms like Google and Facebook rather than the publishers who create the news content. Google has made similar threats after identical proposals were made in countries like Australia, India, and Canada in recent years but ultimately followed the law without too much disruption. Meta’s Facebook has also faced similar hurdles in other countries, but while Google has acquiesced, Facebook has opted to pivot in an entirely new direction by dropping news services altogether and insisting that users do not actually care about news.

The uncapped financial exposure created by CJPA would be unworkable, according to Google. If enacted, the legislation would create a level of business uncertainty that no company could accept. As a result, Google is pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem, including new partnerships through Google News Showcase and planned expansions of the Google News Initiative. It is also unclear how many users in California are currently involved in this testing process to remove links to California news sites or what may qualify as a California news site given the borderless nature of the internet. Some people argue that the CJPA would primarily benefit large media outlets, but others counter that it is not necessarily a bad thing as they employ thousands of people, create jobs, conduct expensive investigations, and lobby on behalf of journalism. They also generate and receive the most traffic from tech platforms. The role the government should play in keeping journalistic business models sustainable is a matter of debate, but it is clear that companies like Google hold monopolistic power over what news people can see around the world.

As one commentator at Cal Matters recently wrote in an opinion column, companies like Google and Facebook have threatened to turn off the spigot of news traffic to anyone in countries considering legislation to pay publishers. If just a handful of companies have the power to do that, it’s hard to argue that free market solutions can fix the problem.

The highly anticipated first flight of Ariane 6, Europe’s latest heavy-lift rocket, may finally take place this summer after years of delays. However, before we can get too excited, European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher has already set the rocket up for failure without it even reaching the launchpad yet.

During a panel discussion at the 39th Space Symposium held this week, Aschbacher pointed out that heavy-lift rockets have a 47% chance of experiencing a major anomaly during their inaugural flights, according to European Spaceflight. Although he didn’t refer to Ariane 6 specifically, the statement puts a major damper on the upcoming debut of the long-awaited heavy-lift rocket.

Ariane 6 has been in development for more than a decade, and the 197-foot-tall (60-meter) rocket is capable of lifting 10 metric tons to low Earth orbit, 4.5 metric tons to Sun synchronous orbital (SSO) altitudes reaching 500 miles (800 kilometers), and upwards of 10.5 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbits (GEO). The French company Arianespace is developing the rocket on behalf of ESA, with Ariane 6 serving as a successor to the now-retired Ariane 5.

The legendary rocket performed its final flight in July, ending a 27-year run. During that time, Ariane 5 served as the European market’s main ride to space, and without it, Europe is scrambling for rocket options that can deliver its payloads to orbit. After cutting ties with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, Europe was forced to stop relying on the Soyuz rockets for access to space.

ESA recently turned to U.S. company SpaceX to deliver its Euclid telescope, which launched on July 1, 2023, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The inaugural launch of Ariane 6 was initially slated for 2020 and later rescheduled to late 2022, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and additional technical hurdles encountered in its development.

The maiden voyage of the rocket was consistently delayed after that, with a key test of the rocket’s upper stage in December 2023 aborted after two minutes of engine firing. Arianespace did not publish any details regarding its investigation into the failed test. However, Ariane 6 is now tentatively scheduled for liftoff in June or July of this year.

Even if the rocket does get to take off this summer, Aschbacher’s comments remind us that success is barely a 50-50 shot. The odds are not in favor of Ariane 6 making a successful debut, and it’s important to keep that in mind as we eagerly await the launch.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the first flight of Ariane 6, the European space industry is pushing forward with plans for future missions. The ESA has already announced plans to use the rocket for a variety of missions, including the Hera mission to asteroid Didymos and the JUICE mission to Jupiter’s icy moons.

As we wait for the highly anticipated first flight of Ariane 6, it’s important to remember that space exploration is never without risk. The history of spaceflight is filled with stories of brave pioneers who dared to push the boundaries of what is possible, often at great personal and financial cost.

Whether or not Ariane 6 makes a successful debut, the European space industry will continue to push forward, driven by a desire to explore the unknown and to expand our understanding of the universe. For more spaceflight in your life, follow us on X and bookmark Gizmodo’s dedicated Spaceflight page.

The highly anticipated first flight of Ariane 6, Europe’s latest heavy-lift rocket, may finally take place this summer after years of delays. However, before we can get too excited, European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Josef Aschbacher has already set the rocket up for failure without it even reaching the launchpad yet.

During a panel discussion at the 39th Space Symposium held this week, Aschbacher pointed out that heavy-lift rockets have a 47% chance of experiencing a major anomaly during their inaugural flights, according to European Spaceflight. Although he didn’t refer to Ariane 6 specifically, the statement puts a major damper on the upcoming debut of the long-awaited heavy-lift rocket.

Ariane 6 has been in development for more than a decade, and the 197-foot-tall (60-meter) rocket is capable of lifting 10 metric tons to low Earth orbit, 4.5 metric tons to Sun synchronous orbital (SSO) altitudes reaching 500 miles (800 kilometers), and upwards of 10.5 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbits (GEO). The French company Arianespace is developing the rocket on behalf of ESA, with Ariane 6 serving as a successor to the now-retired Ariane 5.

The legendary rocket performed its final flight in July, ending a 27-year run. During that time, Ariane 5 served as the European market’s main ride to space, and without it, Europe is scrambling for rocket options that can deliver its payloads to orbit. After cutting ties with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, Europe was forced to stop relying on the Soyuz rockets for access to space.

ESA recently turned to U.S. company SpaceX to deliver its Euclid telescope, which launched on July 1, 2023, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The inaugural launch of Ariane 6 was initially slated for 2020 and later rescheduled to late 2022, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and additional technical hurdles encountered in its development.

The maiden voyage of the rocket was consistently delayed after that, with a key test of the rocket’s upper stage in December 2023 aborted after two minutes of engine firing. Arianespace did not publish any details regarding its investigation into the failed test. However, Ariane 6 is now tentatively scheduled for liftoff in June or July of this year.

Even if the rocket does get to take off this summer, Aschbacher’s comments remind us that success is barely a 50-50 shot. The odds are not in favor of Ariane 6 making a successful debut, and it’s important to keep that in mind as we eagerly await the launch.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the first flight of Ariane 6, the European space industry is pushing forward with plans for future missions. The ESA has already announced plans to use the rocket for a variety of missions, including the Hera mission to asteroid Didymos and the JUICE mission to Jupiter’s icy moons.

As we wait for the highly anticipated first flight of Ariane 6, it’s important to remember that space exploration is never without risk. The history of spaceflight is filled with stories of brave pioneers who dared to push the boundaries of what is possible, often at great personal and financial cost.

Whether or not Ariane 6 makes a successful debut, the European space industry will continue to push forward, driven by a desire to explore the unknown and to expand our understanding of the universe. For more spaceflight in your life, follow us on X and bookmark Gizmodo’s dedicated Spaceflight page.

The world of technology is constantly evolving, and one area that has seen significant growth in recent years is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in various industries. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and work, and it’s already being used in a variety of applications, from virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, to self-driving cars, to personalized product recommendations on e-commerce websites.

One industry that is particularly well-suited for AI adoption is healthcare. With the vast amounts of data available in electronic health records (EHRs), medical imaging, and other sources, AI can help healthcare providers analyze this information to improve patient outcomes, streamline clinical workflows, and reduce costs.

For example, AI-powered algorithms can be used to identify high-risk patients and provide personalized treatment plans. This can lead to better health outcomes and reduced hospital readmissions. Additionally, AI can help doctors and other healthcare providers analyze medical images more quickly and accurately, leading to earlier detection of diseases and improved diagnosis.

Another area where AI is being applied in healthcare is in the development of personalized medicine. By analyzing genetic data and other factors, AI algorithms can help identify the most effective treatments for individual patients based on their unique characteristics. This can lead to more effective treatments and fewer side effects.

However, despite these potential benefits, there are also concerns about the use of AI in healthcare. One concern is that AI may replace human clinicians, leading to job losses and a dehumanization of the healthcare industry. Additionally, there are worries about bias in AI algorithms, which could lead to inequitable treatment of certain patient populations.

To address these concerns, it’s important for healthcare providers to carefully consider the ethical implications of using AI in their practice. This includes ensuring that AI systems are transparent and explainable, so that clinicians can understand how they arrive at their recommendations. Additionally, healthcare providers must be mindful of bias in AI algorithms and take steps to mitigate it.

Another important consideration is the need for high-quality data to train AI models. As with any machine learning algorithm, the quality of the training data has a direct impact on the accuracy and effectiveness of the AI model. Healthcare providers must ensure that they are using accurate and comprehensive data to train their AI systems.

Finally, healthcare providers must be prepared to address the potential risks associated with AI adoption. For example, there is a risk of cyber attacks on EHRs and other systems that store and process large amounts of patient data. Additionally, there is a risk of unintended consequences from AI algorithms, such as incorrect diagnoses or treatments. Healthcare providers must be prepared to address these risks and develop strategies for mitigating them.

In conclusion, the use of AI in healthcare has the potential to revolutionize the way we deliver care to patients. However, it’s important for healthcare providers to carefully consider the ethical implications of using AI in their practice, ensure that they are using high-quality data to train AI models, and be prepared to address the potential risks associated with AI adoption. By doing so, we can unlock the full potential of AI in healthcare and improve patient outcomes.

Google Threatens to Block News Access in California Over Proposed “Link Tax” Legislation

The tech giant announced on Friday that it would begin testing a small percentage of California users by removing links to California news websites in response to proposed legislation that would force the company to pay some publishers for their content. Known as the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), the bill has passed California’s lower house but still needs to be taken up by the state Senate and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom to become law. Google argues that CJPA may result in significant changes to the services it can offer Californians and the traffic it can provide to California publishers. However, critics argue that the bill is necessary to remedy the fact that much of the advertising money has gone to Big Tech platforms like Google and Facebook rather than the publishers who create the news content. Google has made similar threats after identical proposals were made in countries like Australia, India, and Canada in recent years but ultimately followed the law without too much disruption. Meta’s Facebook has also faced similar hurdles in other countries, but while Google has acquiesced, Facebook has opted to pivot in an entirely new direction by dropping news services altogether and insisting that users do not actually care about news.

The uncapped financial exposure created by CJPA would be unworkable, according to Google. If enacted, the legislation would create a level of business uncertainty that no company could accept. As a result, Google is pausing further investments in the California news ecosystem, including new partnerships through Google News Showcase and planned expansions of the Google News Initiative. It is also unclear how many users in California are currently involved in this testing process to remove links to California news sites or what may qualify as a California news site given the borderless nature of the internet. Some people argue that the CJPA would primarily benefit large media outlets, but others counter that it is not necessarily a bad thing as they employ thousands of people, create jobs, conduct expensive investigations, and lobby on behalf of journalism. They also generate and receive the most traffic from tech platforms. The role the government should play in keeping journalistic business models sustainable is a matter of debate, but it is clear that companies like Google hold monopolistic power over what news people can see around the world.

As one commentator at Cal Matters recently wrote in an opinion column, companies like Google and Facebook have threatened to turn off the spigot of news traffic to anyone in countries considering legislation to pay publishers. If just a handful of companies have the power to do that, it’s hard to argue that free market solutions can fix the problem.

40 minutes locked inside of her car with the temperature reaching 115 degrees – this is what happened to Tesla owner Brianna Janel after she initiated a software update on her vehicle. The video that she uploaded on TikTok has gained over 10.7 million plays in just one day, and it’s easy to understand why.

It turns out that Janel was not at fault for being locked inside of her car. According to the Tesla owner’s manual, “vehicle functions, including some safety systems and opening or closing the doors or windows, may be limited or disabled when installation is in progress, and you could damage the vehicle.” Rather than risk damaging her car, Janel decided to follow Tesla’s instructions and remained inside while the update was being installed.

However, this decision ended up putting Janel in a potentially dangerous situation. The door mechanisms on the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are electrically operated, and under normal circumstances, they are opened from the inside using a simple button to unlatch the door. However, if the vehicle has no power, there are auxiliary manual cable release levers also found on the door panel. But Tesla warns against using these levers, citing that it should only be used when the car has no power.

Janel was aware of this option but chose not to use it, fearing that she might damage her car. Instead, she decided to stick it out and wait for the update to finish – a decision that almost proved to be fatal. The interior temperature of her car reached 115 degrees during the 40-minute ordeal, putting Janel at risk of heatstroke or other serious health problems.

The situation raises several concerns about Tesla’s software update process. Firstly, it is strange that Tesla does not require all occupants to exit the vehicle before beginning a software install. Lucid Motors takes a more cautious approach, requiring all occupants to exit the vehicle before starting an update. Additionally, Tesla’s recommendation that owners install software updates as soon as possible could potentially put owners in compromised environments at risk.

Janel has expressed her frustration with the situation and has called on Tesla to make changes to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. She stated that she had owned a Tesla for six years and intended to continue owning it, but she was afraid to mess up her car by getting out during the installation process.

It’s important to note that this incident could have been even more severe if Janel were living in a town like Phoenix or Las Vegas, where the temperatures are much higher. It’s crucial that Tesla takes action to prevent such incidents from occurring, especially as we approach a summer with higher global temperatures than ever before.

In conclusion, while it appears that Janel followed Tesla’s instructions and did not attempt to open her doors or windows during the installation process, this situation highlights the potential dangers of Tesla’s software update process. It is crucial that Tesla takes steps to ensure the safety of its owners, especially in regions with high temperatures.