Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
Nintendo Reveals New Switch 2 Console In Video Trailer
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
The Japanese giant Nintendo has revealed its long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 console in a video trailer this Thursday. The video game company announced that it will be available later in 2025.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Nintendo revealed a video trailer featuring the long-awaited Switch 2 console, which will be released later this year.
- The new device will have a larger screen and controller, color variations, enhanced performance, and design.
- Social media users shared mixed feelings about the new device.
In the animated video, Nintendo shows the new device’s main features and characteristics and its differences from the previous model. The upcoming console has a wider screen and controllers, new blue and red variations, enhanced performance, an additional USB-C port, and a redesigned kickstand.
Introducing #NintendoSwitch2 , the successor to Nintendo Switch, releasing in 2025. Learn more: https://t.co/m8FoQWfYcv pic.twitter.com/pDs2T1xIhv — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 16, 2025
“Plays Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games, as well as Nintendo Switch Games,” states the video at the end, confirming that players will be able to continue playing their favorite video games on the new console. Nintendo also suggested a new location or an update for the popular game Mario Kart, or an upcoming Mario Kart 9 in the trailer.
The video game company also shared a date, April 2nd, for an upcoming live event on Nintendo Direct.
Players had been expecting a new device for a long time—the Nintendo Switch was first launched in 2017 —and have expressed a range of reactions to the new Switch device, with opinions spanning from excitement to disappointment.
“A more powerful version of the Switch that is also backward compatible is pretty much all I wanted from the Switch 2. This will be a day one purchase for me,” wrote one user on the social media platform X. Others were expecting more innovation. “I blame Apple, and their lackluster approach at innovation, for Nintendo thinking a reskin is somehow an acceptable method to succeed in a competitive market,” wrote another.
Nintendo said in November that a new console was on its way and that games would be compatible with Nintendo Switch Online games, but the name of the new device—or its appearance—wasn’t confirmed until now.
Other video game companies have made recent announcements as well. This week, Maxis announced it will be hosting a 25-hour event to celebrate The Sims’s franchise 25th anniversary and will be launching kits and updates in the following days.
Image by memyselfaneye, from Pixabay
99% Accurate Fake News Detector Announced By Keele University Researchers
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
Researchers at Keele University have developed a tool designed to detect fake news with 99% accuracy, offering a potential resource to address the growing issue of online misinformation. The development was announced yesterday by the university.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Keele University researchers developed a tool detecting fake news with 99% accuracy.
- The tool uses an “ensemble voting” system combining multiple machine learning models.
- The tool assesses news content to determine source reliability.
The team, comprising Dr. Uchenna Ani, Dr. Sangeeta Sangeeta, and Dr. Patricia Asowo-Ayobode from the School of Computer Science and Mathematics, employed various machine learning techniques to create a model capable of analyzing news content to assess its reliability.
The tool uses an “ensemble voting” approach, which combines predictions from multiple machine learning models to produce an overall judgment on whether a news source is trustworthy. Initial testing showed the method exceeded expectations, identifying fake news in 99% of cases.
Dr. Ani, a Lecturer in Cyber Security at Keele, highlighted the challenges posed by misinformation. He noted that the widespread dissemination of false information undermines public discourse and can influence attitudes and behaviors, posing risks to both local and national security.
The researchers hope to refine the model further as AI and machine learning technologies advance, aiming for even greater precision in identifying unreliable content. Dr. Ani emphasized the urgency of developing solutions to safeguard the credibility of online platforms, particularly social media, where misinformation is most prevalent.
Early research by Democracy Reporting International (DRI), a Berlin-based organization promoting democracy, warned that AI systems, particularly open-source Large Language Models (LLMs), pose significant risks for spreading misinformation.
DRI says that these risks arise because these models, such as Dolly, Zephyr, and Falcon, are often released without robust safeguards, leaving them vulnerable to misuse.
Their accessibility requires minimal technical skills, enabling malicious actors to manipulate them for creating false narratives or hate speech. This low barrier to entry exacerbates the risk of disinformation proliferation.
Additionally, DRI says that open-source LLMs like Zephyr demonstrate alarming capabilities, such as generating structured, persuasive malicious content in response to direct or suggestive prompts.
Such outputs are often coherent and contextually appropriate, making them particularly dangerous in shaping false narratives. Moreover, biases embedded in these models, often reflecting societal prejudices, further compound the risk of spreading harmful stereotypes.
While still in development, the tool developed at Keele University represents a step toward addressing the broader challenge of misinformation in digital communication.
