Throughout your journey in Baldur's Gate 3, you'll get to know lots of different characters, and even make some of them part of your squad. In total, there are 10 companions that you can add to your party throughout the game, though getting to know them all will take repeated playthroughs, so if time is tight, you'll want to know which are the best. So, here we have every Baldur's Gate Companion, Ranked.

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Dozens of X posts containing images of Mario — including an AI-generated picture of the plumber holding a beer and a cigarette, created by The Verge using xAI’s Grok — were removed after a company called Tracer apparently used AI to identify the images and serve takedown notices on behalf of Nintendo. According to an email received by The Verge’s Tom Warren, a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice was issued to X by “customer success manager” Ben Arzen of Tracer, which offers AI-powered services to companies purported to identify trademark and copyright violations online. Here’s the image that got Tom’s post removed. Image: X Potential copyright issues aside, why is there cigarette smoke coming out of... Continue reading…

Image: The Verge Google is getting ready to show off updated Street View imagery in nearly 80 countries. In a now-removed blog post seen by The Verge, Google announced that the new images are coming to countries like Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Japan, the Philippines, Rwanda, Serbia, South Africa, and more. Google is also bringing Street View to a handful of countries where it’s never been available, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Namibia, Liechtenstein, and Paraguay. The company said its more portable Street View camera, which launched in 2022, will help offer images of “even more places in the future.” Google Maps and Google Earth are getting sharper satellite imagery as well thanks to the company’s cloud-removal AI tool that takes out clouds,... Continue reading…

Image: Insta360 Insta360 has announced two new versions of its Link webcam with smaller designs and new automated tracking capabilities optimized for presentations or livestreaming. The $199 Link 2 carries forward the innovative two-axis gimbal of the original while introducing improvements to its noise reduction capabilities, while the $149 Link 2C doesn’t move itself at all. Both webcams also come with a new magnetic mount making them easier to attach to some surfaces and are much cheaper than the original Insta360 Link, which debuted at $299.99 in 2022. Image: Insta360 The Link 2 has a much smaller base than the original Link webcam. Both the Link 2 and new Link 2C use the same half-inch sensor of the original Link paired... Continue reading…

Like most EV models in North America, Kia’s EV6 is still shipping with the CCS Combo connector. | Image: Tim Stevens for The Verge Kia is setting January 15th as the date its electric vehicles will get access to “more than 16,500” Tesla Superchargers. Kia will provide free NACS adapters to people who got their EV9 or EV6 after September 4th, 2024, but all existing owners will have to pay an as-yet-unspecified amount. The free adapters will start shipping to customers in early 2025, while current owners can purchase the adapter at an authorized Kia dealer “at a later date.” GM similarly announced last week that its EV customers would have to pay $225 for the NACS adapter to add Tesla Supercharger access. In anticipation of future Kia EV models with native Tesla connectors, the automaker will also soon sell adapters to go the opposite direction so vehicles can still... Continue reading…

In a move that shouldn't come as much of a surprise, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov recently announced that his company will now hand over user IP address and phone number information to governments who make appropriate legal requests. The announcement comes just a few weeks after Durov was arrested in France. His arrest stems from allegations that he refused to adequately take measures to curb violent hate speech, money laundering, drug trafficking, firearm sales, terrorist activity, and the exchange of illicit sexual materials on the app. Following his arrest, Durov scoffed at the charges and argued it would have a detrimental impact on innovation. “Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach," Durov said in a Telegram post back on September 5. "Building technology is hard enough as it is," Durov continued. "No innovator will ever build new tools if they know they can be personally held responsible for potential abuse of those tools." Incidentally, Telegram currently boasts more than 950 million users across the globe. Durov changed his tune following his arrest Since his arrest last month, Durov -- who is currently out on bail -- has changed his tune ever so slightly. Durov now notes that he "won't let bad actors jeopardize the integrity of our platform for almost a billion users." Recently, Durov announced that engineers at Telegram embarked on a broad search to remove problematic content from its search results. What's more, Durov implored users who find problematic or illegal content in Telegram Search to report it immediately. Durov's recent Telegram post reads in part: To further deter criminals from abusing Telegram Search, we have updated our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, ensuring they are consistent across the world. We've made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests. These measures should discourage criminals. Telegram Search is meant for finding friends and discovering news, not for promoting illegal goods. It stands to reason that Durov was feeling sufficient pressure from French authorities given the change in his stance. Previously, Telegram said it would only provide user data upon proof that a certain user was a terrorist. It's worth noting that Telegram's new policies will not have any impact on end-to-end encrypted private chats as the company naturally has no way to decipher what is being communicated. Group chats and channel discussions on the app are also not encrypted. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how Telegram's new moderation framework will impact the ongoing French investigation. Durov is currently charged with "complicity in managing an online platform to allow illicit transactions by an organized group." The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 Euros. Don't Miss: Today’s deals: First AirPods 4 discount, $6 smart bulbs, $110 off Dyson V8, $6 MagSafe chargers, more The post Telegram agrees to share user IP addresses and phone numbers with authorities appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2024: Get $410+ free Today’s deals: $20 Amazon credit, 23% off Galaxy Z Flip 6, $50 Ninja blender, $48 Anker ANC earbuds, more Today’s deals: $689 Apple Watch Ultra 2, $40 cordless Waterpik, $305 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 laptop, more