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After programmers and artists, QA testers are next: Google’s new AI can play and test in-development games, and some publishers are all over it
Square Enix is working with Google to use Gemini for automated quality assurance in game development, including playing in-development games and testing them through on-screen analysis, audio cues and in-game controls. The move matters because it could accelerate repetitive testing work and lower costs, while raising concerns about the effect on QA jobs and the…
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The 1982 song that captured Eddie Van Halen breaking a guitar: “Just froze, just stopped”
The article revisits Van Halen’s 1982 instrumental ‘Cathedral’, arguing that it captures Eddie Van Halen’s experimental approach to guitar playing. Its significance lies in how he used his instrument and effects to imitate a church organ, extending his reputation beyond conventional rock guitar solos. Recorded for the album *Diver Down*, ‘Cathedral’ was created by tapping…
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Born 105 Years Ago Today in Louisiana, the Honky-Tonk Icon Who Scored More No. 1 Hits in the 50s Than Any Other Country Artist
Webb Pierce, born in Louisiana on 8 August 1921, became one of country music’s defining honky-tonk singers, dominating the charts throughout the 1950s. The article highlights both his commercial success and his influence on the genre, including his role in helping launch the careers of Faron Young and pianist Floyd Cramer, while noting that he…
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The joke Neil Young ripped off for a classic 1989 song: “If you don’t mind”
Neil Young is widely regarded as a foundational influence on grunge, with artists such as Kurt Cobain and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder crediting him for shaping the genre’s sound and ethos, even though he rose to prominence as a folk singer decades earlier. One of the clearest links between his work and grunge is his…
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The Guest List tear apart “the monotony of the every day” on anthemic new single ‘Mundane’
Manchester indie band The Guest List have released ‘Mundane’, an anthemic new single about the frustrations of repetitive daily life. The song previews their debut album, ‘Something Real’, and reflects the band’s aim of finding meaning amid uncertainty and overwhelm. Frontman Cai Alty said the track’s lyrics draw on ordinary chores such as fitting curtains…
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The classic 1969 Led Zeppelin song that took three decades to chart
This article looks at Led Zeppelin’s unusual relationship with the singles charts, focusing on how “Whole Lotta Love” only became a UK hit in 1997, nearly three decades after its 1969 release. The band, formed by Jimmy Page with Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham, deliberately prioritised albums over singles, treating songs as…
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Every Baby Boomer Alive Remembers These 4 Classic Pop Jams From 1971
The article highlights four pop and soul songs released in 1971 that it argues remain especially familiar to Baby Boomers. It presents the tracks as examples of a particularly strong year for mainstream pop radio, noting their chart success and lasting appeal. The selections are The Temptations’ “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)”, which…
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ROSE TATTOO Has ‘So Many New Songs’ To Choose From For Upcoming Studio Album
Rose Tattoo frontman Gary “Angry” Anderson has confirmed plans for a new studio album, potentially due in late 2026 or early 2027, despite the Australian rock band beginning its farewell touring period. The record would give the band a final new release alongside its last concerts, and Anderson described the end of regular European touring…
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U2’s attempt to rival The Beatles and Elvis Presley to “capture the imagination of the whole world”
In 1988, U2 sought to extend its success beyond conventional rock touring by releasing the film and album project Rattle and Hum. Manager Paul McGuinness said the ambition was to make music that could “capture the imagination of the whole world”, echoing the global reach associated with Elvis Presley’s manager Colonel Parker and the Beatles’…
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“Maybe I Shouldn’t Have Come Back”: Bluegrass Star Reacts After Fan Throws Object at Him Onstage in Indiana
Bluegrass musician Billy Strings was struck in the head by an object thrown from the crowd during a concert in Fishers, Indiana. He stopped to confront the person responsible, expressing anger after having just told the audience he was pleased to be back following a previously postponed show; the incident highlights continuing concerns about unsafe…