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Halo’s Black History Month armor shaders are unintentionally hilarious

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Halo’s Black History Month armor shaders are unintentionally hilarious

Black History Month is that special time when video game companies try to show consumers how inclusive they are with special Black / African themed in-game cosmetics and messages of appreciation for the three or four Black employees they keep on staff at any one time.

In Halo’s case, it’s offering players a special set of armor shaders in colors and patterns typically associated with African art and culture. As a concept, these shaders are totally fine. Individual cosmetics players can use to zhuzh up their armor; cool, I dig it. But the way 343 slapped all these individual pieces together, like a ridiculous Voltron of Blackness, is darkly hilarious in a way I don’t think the company intended.

Most of the time, video game companies’ attempts to appeal to their Black consumers range from useless to benign. Other times, like what 343 has done here, I’m left… let’s say bewildered.

Graph: Game Developer’s Conference

Even worse, of the majority of those surveyed with 20 or more years of experience in the industry — the kind of people with the seniority to approve marketing materials like this — only 6 percent were Black men and none were Black women.

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But looking at this pains me. It reminds me of that episode in The Boys season 3 when A-Train, the only Black member of The Seven — the show’s take on The Avengers — got a new African-themed super suit in order to court the approval of Black people thereby increasing his own popularity and his handlers’ bottom line.

Corporate needs you to find the difference between these two pictures.
Image: Amazon and Image: 343 Industries

Unlike in The Boys, there’s no malice in what 343 has done here. I wonder if, taken separately, the shaders were deemed appropriate, and someone in the art department slapped them all together to show them all off at once, resulting in what we see here. Or maybe the Black people who possibly did approve of this look all thought it was fine. That happens occasionally: Black people will make art for other Black people that misses the mark — just look at the reviews for The American Society of Magical Negroes. Hell, this could all be an elaborate joke — a Halo-ified version of a popular meme format on Black Twitter where we put a kufi on everyone from The Vision to Ed from Ed, Edd, and Eddy. Regardless of the hows or the whys, I certainly laughed.

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Bill Gates says accusations contained in Epstein files are ‘absolutely absurd’

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Bill Gates says accusations contained in Epstein files are ‘absolutely absurd’

Reports of Bill Gates’ connections with Jeffrey Epstein grow more lurid with each dump of documents from the Department of Justice. The latest includes somewhat confusing emails that Epstein may have been drafting on behalf of someone named Boris, who worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The messages claim that Bill contracted an STD and wanted to “surreptitiously” give Melinda antibiotics. It also claims that Bill had “trysts” with married women and “Russian girls.”

“These claims are absolutely absurd and completely false. The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame.”

It’s unclear who the Boris referenced in the emails is, or if the messages were ever sent to anyone. Only Epstein is listed in the to and from fields.

Gates’ relationship with Epstein has become a major issue for the billionaire philanthropist. He initially downplayed his connections, but documents have suggested the two were closer than Gates admitted. He has repeatedly denied associating with Epstein outside of fundraising and philanthropic efforts and said their meetings were a “huge mistake.” However, Melinda Gates has stated that Bill’s association with Epstein played a role in her decision to file for divorce.

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AI wearable helps stroke survivors speak again

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AI wearable helps stroke survivors speak again

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Losing the ability to speak clearly after a stroke can feel devastating. For many survivors, the words are still there in their minds, but their bodies will not cooperate. Speech becomes slow, unclear or fragmented. This condition, known as dysarthria, affects nearly half of all stroke survivors and can make everyday communication exhausting. Now, researchers believe they may have found a better way forward. Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a wearable device called Revoice. It is designed to help people with post-stroke speech impairment communicate naturally again without surgery or brain implants.

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FULLY IMPLANTABLE BRAIN CHIP AIMS TO RESTORE REAL SPEECH

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A soft, flexible choker like this houses Revoice’s sensors, which read subtle throat vibrations to help reconstruct speech in real time. (University of Cambridge)

Why dysarthria makes recovery so hard

Dysarthria is a physical speech disorder. A stroke can weaken the muscles in the face, mouth and vocal cords. As a result, speech may sound slurred, slow or incomplete. Many people can only say a few words at a time, even though they know exactly what they want to say. According to professor Luigi Occhipinti, that disconnect creates deep frustration. Stroke survivors often work with speech therapists using repetitive drills. These exercises help over time, but open-ended conversation remains difficult. Recovery can take months or even longer, which leaves patients struggling during daily interactions with family, caregivers and doctors.

How the Revoice device works

Revoice takes a very different approach. Instead of asking users to type, track their eyes or rely on implants, the device reads subtle physical signals from the throat and neck. It looks like a soft, flexible choker made from breathable, washable fabric. Inside are ultra-sensitive textile strain sensors and a small wireless circuit board. When a user silently mouths words, the sensors detect tiny vibrations in the throat muscles. At the same time, the device measures pulse signals in the neck to estimate emotional state.

Those signals are processed by two artificial intelligence (AI) agents:

  • One reconstructs words from mouthed speech
  • The other interprets emotion and context to build complete sentences

Together, they allow Revoice to turn a few mouthed words into fluent speech in real time.

ELON MUSK SHARES PLAN TO MASS-PRODUCE BRAIN IMPLANTS FOR PARALYSIS, NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE

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This diagram shows how Revoice combines throat muscle signals and pulse data with AI to turn silently mouthed words into full, expressive sentences in real time. (University of Cambridge)

Why this AI approach is different

Earlier silent speech systems had serious limits. Many were tested only on healthy volunteers. Others forced users to pause for several seconds between words, which made the conversation feel unnatural. Revoice avoids those delays. It uses an AI-driven throat sensor system paired with a lightweight language model. Because the model runs efficiently, it uses very little power and delivers near-instant responses. The device is powered by a 1,800 mWh battery, which researchers expect will last a full day on a single charge.

What early trials revealed

After refining the system with healthy participants, researchers tested Revoice with five stroke patients who had dysarthria.

The results were striking:

  • Word error rate: 4.2%
  • Sentence error rate: 2.9%

In one example, a patient mouthed the phrase “We go hospital.” Revoice expanded it into a complete sentence that reflected urgency and frustration, based on emotional signals and context. Participants reported a 55% increase in satisfaction and said the device helped them communicate as fluently as they did before their stroke.

PARALYZED MAN WALKS AGAIN AFTER EXPERIMENTAL DRUG TRIAL TRIGGERS REMARKABLE RECOVERY

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This figure breaks down the Revoice hardware and AI pipeline, showing how strain sensors, wireless electronics, and emotion decoding work together to reconstruct natural speech. (University of Cambridge)

Beyond stroke recovery

Researchers believe Revoice could also help people with Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease. Because the device is comfortable, washable, and designed for daily wear, it could fit into real-world routines rather than being confined to clinics. Before that can happen, larger clinical trials are required. The research team plans to begin broader studies with native English-speaking patients and hopes to expand the system to support multiple languages and a wider range of emotional expressions. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

What this means for you

If you or someone you care for has experienced a stroke, this research points to a major shift in recovery tools. Revoice suggests that speech assistance does not need to be invasive to be effective. A wearable solution could support communication during the most difficult months of rehabilitation, when confidence and independence often suffer the most. It may also reduce stress for caregivers who struggle to understand incomplete or unclear speech. Clear communication can improve medical care, emotional well-being and daily decision-making.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Communication is tied closely to dignity and independence. For stroke survivors, losing that ability can be one of the hardest parts of recovery. Revoice shows how artificial intelligence and wearable tech can work together to restore something deeply human. While it is still early, this device represents a meaningful step toward making recovery feel less isolating and more hopeful.

If a simple wearable could help restore natural speech, should it become a standard part of stroke rehabilitation? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Nvidia CEO denies he’s ‘unhappy’ with OpenAI

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Nvidia CEO denies he’s ‘unhappy’ with OpenAI

“We are going to make a huge investment in OpenAI. I believe in OpenAI, the work that they do is incredible, they are one of the most consequential companies of our time and I really love working with Sam,” he said, referring to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

“Sam is closing the round (of investment) and we will absolutely be involved,” Huang added. “We will invest a great deal of money, probably the largest investment we’ve ever made.”

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