X.com is kinda like LinkedIn, but far worse
Have you ever looked at LinkedIn and thought “Wow! Wouldn’t this be great if it were on Elon Musk’s $44 billion platform, X.com?” We didn’t think so. The eccentric billionaire is doing it anyway, with the job search feature going live for all users on the web version of the site, following the feature’s beta back in August.
Android and iOS users aren’t being left out, either. The company said that the feature would get mobile functionally “soon” but didn’t delve deeper into what the feature might look like there.
The web version is up and running, however. Like every awkward high school dance, someone has to get the ball rolling before everyone else will follow. Unsurprisingly, it was Elon Musk and his mass of companies that got that honour, with job listings currently listed for SpaceX, Tesla, and Neuralink, as we’ll as Grok’s parent x.ai.
Despite Musk’s promises that “we will make sure that the X competitor to LinkedIn is cool,” the feature appears to be barebones out the gate. Users can browse through the jobs listed, but you won’t be sending in applications through the app directly – even for job offerings at X.com. Instead, they’ll be redirected to third-party sites to fill in and send out their applications.
In the year or so since Musk bought Twitter (for more than double what it’s currently worth), the platform’s become known for its ‘act now, think later’ strategy, with the only ideas seemingly coming from Musk’s stream of consciousness. We’re doubtful X.com’s LinkedIn competitor will remain barebones, but it’s not a good impression for the very people the company is trying to steal away from the gold standard.
Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 promises mid-range greatness
It might feel like Qualcomm’s bread and butter is its high-end products – like the recently announced Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – that’ll only ever see the inside of Samsung’s flagships and the likes. In truth, it’s that middle-ground that actually affects the masses, and the company’s latest Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 is looking to be a king amongst paupers.
Qualcomm hasn’t given up on plastering AI on just about every inch of the SD 7 Gen 3’s announcement, either. The SoC will provide “exhilarating on-device AI,” alongside all the usual upgrades like boosts to its gaming prowess, “a creativity-charged camera,” and of course, 5G.
In this post-AI world, it makes sense that Qualcomm is cashing in on the hype before it goes stale. The company is promising that the SoC’s components “deliver across-the-board advancements to ignite on-device AI,” significantly speeding up generative AI applications in the process. So much so that it’ll be able to create Stable Diffusion images in a second from a text prompt.
It’s not just all about the AI, though. It’s touting a Kyro CPU that’s 15% faster than the last generation, with a 2.6GHz peak speed, a 50% bump in GPU performance and “incredible power efficiency,” that’ll at least save your battery from all that AI strain. If all the nitty-gritty details interest you, check out the SD 7 Gen 3’s spec sheet right here.
Qualcomm’s already announced a couple of early adopters, including Honor and Vivo, though which phones they’ll be populating will only be announced later this month.
Baldur’s Gate 3 goes physical
After sweeping eight nominations at this year’s Game Awards – tied with Alan Wake 2 – Larian Studios has announced that its genre-defining RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, is finally getting a physical release. Unfortunately, it won’t be seeing the light of day inside those plain-old PS5 and Xbox cases, but instead will be sold as a Deluxe Edition.
That announcement appeared next to the studio’s other big news that the game would be getting a release on Xbox at all, though neither the Deluxe Edition nor Xbox release dates have been unveiled just yet. We know it’ll land sometime in early 2024 – probably alongside each other – but beyond that…
The Deluxe Edition appearing on the PlayStation 5 will contain two discs like it’s a pre-2000 Metal Gear Solid game. Xbox players are getting the brunt of the “f***-ton” of discs being released, needing three discs to make the game playable. The two (or three) discs stand next to another three discs that’ll hold the soundtrack, a cloth world map, a Mind Flayer poster, and a whole load of stickers.
Larian Studios has also avoided any buyer’s remorse by offering the game’s Digital Deluxe Edition content as part of the physical release. All that for only $80 (R1,470)? Sign us up. If you’re looking to join the list, you’ll need to go through the studio’s dedicated online store for the time being, with no official word on when retailers can get their hands on the Deluxe Edition.
Annapurna Interactive is dipping into South Africa
You’ve probably heard of Annapurna Interactive before. 24 Bit Games on the other hand? Probably not. That’s because it’s a) a South African game company and b) focuses its efforts on co-developing titles such as the superb Broforce or one of Annapurna’s many titles such as Cocoon. In a bid to hoard all of 24 Bit’s talent, Annapurna has completed an acquisition of the company – its first time doing so.
“Annapurna has been working with 24 Bit for many years, and we value not only the caliber (sic) of their work but their team as well,” said Deborah Mars, Co-Head of Annapurna Interactive. “They’ve always shared our commitment to quality, and by taking our partnership to the next level we feel like anything is possible,” noting how the acquisition would help expand the studio’s development team.
If it means we’ll be getting more games like the aforementioned Cocoon or Outer Wilds, Journey, and Stray, you won’t hear us complaining.