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4 Dec 2024

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Solar storms: Plans for extreme storm hitting NZ revealed
There's not a high chance of a space weather event hitting, but it could be catastrophic if it does.

Search under way for three climbers missing on Aoraki Mt Cook
A specialist search team, and a helicopter, have been scouring the mountain on Monday afternoon - but have had to stop due to weather conditions.

Week's weather forecast: Heavy rain warnings as heat rises
Heavy rain watches and warnings have been issued for parts of the country from Tuesday.

World wine production set for new 60-year low on weather woes
In the US, the world's fourth-largest producer, 2024 output was forecast to be down 3 percent from last year.

Met Office 'threat to life' hot weather alerts accidentally sent to phones
The Met Office says the test messages have now been removed from devices.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 review: Magic, with turbulent clouds
At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Breathtakingly detailed cities that feel photorealistic Wonderful day-night changes including gorgeous sunsets 45 new airplanes and helicopters including 1:1 cockpits The MSF2024 simulates real shipping traffic around the world Cons The cloud architecture causes a lot of frustration and poor performance AI voices in the career are embarrassing for a triple-A game from Microsoft We get aircraft carriers, but combat missions are missing for the full top gun experience Our Verdict At its best moments, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is pure magic. There’s a lot of love in this game, but there’s also a few problems. These problems (trouble rendering textures and the like) tarnish an otherwise good overall impression. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today First things first: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is real magic in game form. Hovering over Paris in our Airbus H125 helicopter, with the ray-traced sun in the cockpit reflected on the curved windows to the right and left, the Eiffel Tower in front of us and all the iconic streets of arguably Europe’s most beautiful city below us, is a dream come true. We’re talking about a flight simulator in which we can fly for two kilometers from the Place de la Concorde over the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe and see tourist buses and taxis below us. We can even activate the live traffic of all the world’s metropolises in the menu. Pure magic in the air: flying over Paris at sunrise, from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre and Versailles, is like a short holiday in front of the PC. IDG Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Cloud problems at launch spoil the fun However, Microsoft still has launch problems. They are now relying much more on cloud architecture, meaning that we only load 50 gigabytes onto the hard drive and the entire 4K world is buffered, just like Netflix buffers a 4K film. This caused a number of errors on launch day because Microsoft’s Azure servers could not cope with two million Flight Simulator fans at the same time. This outsourcing of rendering to servers is a problematic decision, as there are still a number of bugs today, such as rivers suddenly stopping, building textures not loading, or entire airports looking like shoeboxes. Flight Simulator is the Forza of the skies: Look at the hundreds of tiny details on this Airbus H225, which is available as a rescue helicopter, VIP and cargo helicopter.IDG When everything is running smoothly, however, it becomes clear every time just how much love has gone into this game. Basically, it’s the ultimate holiday simulator. We didn’t expect to find statues in parks exactly where they are in the real world. It’s even more impressive at night when every row of houses are illuminated. Every street lamp is animated and every car casts its own light. Flight Simulator 2024 loads 50-80 times more data in 4K and you can feel it everywhere. Not just in metropolises, but also in the savannah of Kenya, where we land and take photos of giraffes and elephants in special modes. Cloud as atmosphere killer: The textures for the Manhattan skyscrapers do not load into the game and everything looks kind of muddy. Reloading 4K textures sometimes takes quite a long time. IDG Microsoft Flight Simulator has been the king of simulators for decades, and 2024 really does simulate everything, even data that almost nobody will notice. The fact that they have gone to the trouble of incorporating the real routes of real shipping traffic into this game is wonderfully absurd. After all, who monitors shipping traffic just outside Rio de Janeiro via an app? We are actually here to marvel at the statue of Christ, the super-detailed forests and dreamlike wave animations. The degree of realism is demonstrated here by a real pilot of an Airbus A330, who spends 30 minutes setting up his instruments before take-off: If we fly in close, we see that tankers displace more water than smaller ships, and this is all simulated. Asobo also simulates over 90 percent of real air traffic for those hardcore fans who want exactly that. In addition, the atmospheric lighting has been reworked. The cloud layers are now illuminated more accurately by the sun, especially when it is low, so the sky takes on a more yellowish hue at lower altitudes. All these ray tracing reflections are calculated for the cockpits of 45 new airplanes, helicopters, microlights, etc. Tankers, container ships, cruise ships, the entire global air traffic: all of this will be loaded live into Flight Simulator 2024 if we so wish. It’s simply impressive. IDG Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is certainly the most elaborate game of all time in terms of graphics. Not only do we experience the sunset in the long, sloping cockpit of an Airbus A380 in a completely different way to a Boeing 727, but when landing in the sands of Africa with a Beechcraft GTX King Air, fine grain settles on the windows, which changes the refraction of the light. Asobo built a glass render engine especially for this purpose and had the manufacturers send them the exact thickness and coating of each cockpit glass. This also shows an attention to detail that can be felt in every hour of flight. Microsoft and Asobo have recreated all the real oil rigs so that rescue missions also feel authentic. Stormy weather prevails here, waves crash against the outer walls. IDG Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: 45 detailed new aircraft The games industry has its share of lazy developers. They sit at EA Sports, unlocking slightly better AI and physics every year because the cash cow wants to put them out to pasture. And then there are the hard-working ones. When we talk about 45 new models in Flight Simulator 2024, we’re talking about an effort comparable to Forza Motorsport adding 45 new cars. A 76-tonne Airbus A400M, which the US Marine Corps and the German Armed Forces use for transport, is completely different in the air than a small, maneuverable Boeing 747 Global Supertanker for firefighting. A luxurious Cessna Citation Longitude, which is mainly used by millionaires on long-haul flights, flies very differently to a super-fast Draco X. Every single helicopter and aircraft has been scanned in 3D and provided with the original manufacturer’s data, and you can feel it. Every screw, the entire on-board system – everything is original and authentic. IDG Here we also feel the ravages of time. A historic Douglas DC-3 is a dream to fly, but in a completely different league to modern passenger aircraft. The Douglas makes it difficult to keep the aircraft in the air when it gets a bit windier. With a modern Boeing or an Airbus, we can fly through even the most violent turbulence. This is practically living history, as the Douglas DC-3 was originally developed as a troop carrier for the US Army and was then the world’s first passenger aircraft. According to Lufthansa pilot friends, the cockpits are completely authentic and the take-off sequence also corresponds to their own protocols. Even the input into the on-board computer and how quickly it calculates a new route are correct. IDG We get the ultimate nostalgia factor above all in the cockpit, as the instruments are all analogue. Back then, pilots still had to control their aircraft with minimal technology. But if you want to fly modern aircraft, you have to memorize and master an enormous number of instruments. There are dozens of switches that we all have to check and keep an eye on. The flight check of an A330 can easily take 30 minutes to check all the instruments and enter weather data into the on-board computer. Playable history: It is absolutely fascinating to experience how difficult it was to fly the first Boeing. The pilots had to keep an eye on all these analogue instruments and navigate themselves.IDG Asobo has invested a lot of work in authentically simulating the melting of glaciers. Ray tracing also comes into its own here, as the ice is reflected in our cockpit. IDG If you want to, you can now run anywhere and climb Mount Everest. Because we can get out of our aircraft at any time and explore the world with our character. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Career mode Only real pilots can judge how authentically each model flies. In principle, however, Microsoft and Asobo have realized all cockpits 1:1. For example, when landing in a Boeing 737, we initially reduce the autopilot to 250 knots and from 20,000 to 8,000 feet. We program turns at this altitude using the on-board computer just like real pilots. We only take over via the flight stick relatively late in the landing approach. It’s a real simulation in which we communicate with the tower and enter the runway on instruction. The career offers an enormous amount of depth, as we first have to learn how to use winches and complete the rescue helicopter pilot license.IDG We also have to initially extend the landing flaps to 25 degrees and then fully extend them and activate the brakes shortly before landing. This is shown in the instruments as “Speed Brakes Armed.” The career plays very differently to the free mode, as we fly passengers and cannot land manually at will. Scenarios in which instruments, the on-board computer, or an engine fail are particularly exciting. Loading into an Airbus Beluga when we open the huge nose is also impressive. The cloud is problematic because in the evening – when everyone is playing – there are significantly more reloading errors. Here, for example, the second part of a river is not loaded, but the first part is. IDG Reloading errors in the cockpit are annoying. The system sometimes only loads 720p textures before displaying the 4K details with all the switches and levers, which spoils the atmosphere. It would be better to load all cockpit data directly onto the hard disc. The world around us is changing, so Cloud makes sense, but cockpits hardly do. The career also requires us to pass a license test for each aircraft type and pay for it. We earn money for this with missions and challenges. The challenges are often tricky – for example, when small helicopters are thrown off balance by gusts of wind. Landing on a tiny platform is tricky. IDG As in real life, the dream of becoming a Lufthansa captain is paved with many hours of flying in smaller models. Daredevil maneuvers such as tight turns around the Eiffel Tower cost you your license and altitude discipline is mandatory. In addition, we only fly on airways that are specified by the control center and tower. The holiday experience, which takes us through the urban canyons of Las Vegas, is only available in free flight and World Photographer mode. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Realism in the career, top gun feeling in the challenges Highway to the Danger Zone: There are fighter jets and aircraft carriers, but no active combat missions or weapons on board. IDG As far as we’re concerned, Asobo could use content updates to add a little more atmosphere for military fans. We would love to fly the US President as captain in Air Force One to a G20 meeting, escorted by F18 Super Hornets. And then fly in The Beast, the President’s heavily armored limousine, with the A400M. Although we are flying from military airports, this is only evident in the uniforms and vehicle liveries. We could certainly do more here. We control the loading of equipment and refueling via displays and decide on the quantity and distribution. Flight Simulator 2024 is much more staged than the 2020 version, but Asobo should urgently improve the poor AI voices – it’s embarrassing. IDG The most action for helicopter pilots, for example, is when we have to rescue a crew in distress from a sinking ship or burning oil platform. This is really challenging, as helicopters are generally not as smooth in the air as a giant airliner and have far fewer redundancy systems. Microsoft has made the flight physics of helicopters more demanding, especially the precise landing on a small helipad in strong winds is really crisp. The cockpit of the Super Hornet is detailed and authentic, but there are no combat missions – only partially suitable for military sim fans. IDG Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Photo Mode Those who want to live out their fantasy of flying will have a lot of fun in the World Photographer mode. Here we do everything that is forbidden in the real world. For example, circling around Neuschwanstein Castle at an altitude of 500 meters for the perfect photo at sunset. In the real world, you’d quickly have a couple of Eurofighters from the Bundeswehr on your tail and you’d also lose your flying license. And if you want to chase your F18 Super Hornet through a course at 1,900 km/h in Danger Zone top-gun style, the challenges are the perfect way to do it. The sonic boom coming out of the speakers and flying very close to the ground at extreme speeds is reminiscent of Top Gun: Maverick. IDG The way the G-forces are simulated here, with the sound bangs out of the speakers at supersonic speed, it’s really great fun. It’s fun to be Tom Cruise for once. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is definitely a fascinating overall package for experienced pilots. However, it has a very steep learning curve for beginners and technical bugs in the cloud architecture, which will hopefully soon be a thing of the past. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024: Conclusion Technical issues aside, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is pure magic. It really makes you feel like a Lufthansa captain of an Airbus A330. There’s so much love that has gone into this game.But despite a 300 Mbit line and a GeForce RTX 4080 in combination with an Intel Core i9 9900K and 32 GB of RAM, my experience was a little soured because of the blurred textures. Microsoft itself specifies 100 Mbit as the optimum, but despite measuring 291 MBit/s, we keep encountering reloading problems. Was Cloud really the right decision? When everything is running smoothly, it’s fantastic. It feels super authentic, from the flight checks to all the protocols that need to be observed. At the moment, however, we only play stable when not too many people want to access the servers but not in the evening when everyone wants to fly.The four star rating should definitely be seen as advance praise. The moment Microsoft gets its server problems permanently under control, this game will be worth a clear five star rating and will likely land in our top five best games of the year.

Google smart speakers are starting to sound like Gemini
Say what? If you’re hearing a new and more natural voice coming from your Google smart speakers, you’re not the only one. A smattering of Google Home users are reporting that their Nest speakers are—when asked the right voice command—chatting with a new voice, a sign that the promised Gemini makeover for Google Assistant is starting to roll out. In a video posted on Reddit, a Google Nest Mini user asked “Hey Google, what’s up,” and got an unusually loquacious reply in a new voice: “What’s happening right now is that we’re on a giant rock moving through space at 1,000 miles an hour and orbiting a giant star made up mostly of hydrogen. Also, we’re chatting, which I enjoy.” When the Nest user asked a more basic follow-up question about the weather, Google Assistant answered in its regular voice with a typical weather report. According to 9to5Google, you can tell if the Gemini-enhanced Assistant has made its way to your Nest speakers by asking, “Hey Google, what’s up?” If the answer is “I’m just putting the finishing touches on my New Year’s plan” (as I got from my Nest Hub Max), your device hasn’t received the new Google Assistant yet. Google announced back in August that Google Assistant on Nest speakers would be getting a Gemini-powered makeover, with a voice that sounds “more natural to talk to” while also being able to “understand you better.” It’s not clear how extensive Google Assistant’s Gemini improvements will be, although we probably shouldn’t expect a full-on “advanced voice mode” à la ChatGPT. Instead, users should simply expect a more natural and less “stilted” back-and-forth with the Assistant, without the need for the “Hey Google” wake words when asking follow-up questions. The old Google Assistant will handle “basic” commands like “what’s the weather,” while the Gemini-infused Google Assistant will tackle “more conversational” questions, 9to5Google notes. What’s most interesting about the new Google Assistant is that it will be coming to all existing Nest speakers and displays, including the diminutive Nest Mini. That’s the same strategy as Amazon, which has also said that it’s “remarkable” (and delayed) new Alexa experience will be coming to all its Echo speakers. Apple Intelligence, on the other hand, will be restricted to Apple devices with the requisite hardware, meaning the existing HomePod and HomePod mini will have to do without. The rumored smart home “command center” that Apple has supposedly teed up for next spring will support Apple Intelligence, according to the latest chatter.