Before you start adventuring around Night City, you should get up to speed with these Cyberpunk 2077 tips. There are plenty of things to do in V’s Cyberpunk 2077 world, but with so much thrown at you at once, it can become a bit daunting. Do you start completing story missions, explore the world, focus on the clustered icons and side objectives, or something else? No matter what your plan is when you step into Night City, our Cyberpunk 2077 tips are a must-read before you start playing.
1. Your lifepath choice makes no difference so don’t fret about picking the wrong one
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
Whether you want to start the game as a wandering Nomad, rebellious Street Kid, or law-abiding Corpo, you can be safe in the knowledge that it doesn’t actually affect much at all. Throughout the game you’ll have different dialogue options related to the option you went for, and the short intro to the game will be different, but aside from that, it doesn’t really affect anything. Missions and storylines can still have the same outcome no matter which lifepath you go for, so don’t ponder over it for too long, because there’s no wrong choice.
2. Loot everything because you can sell it or disassemble it for parts
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
Tapping your scanner will reveal there are boat loads of things to pick up, no matter where you are in Night City. A lot of it – like the seemingly endless studded dildos and anal beads – will be classed as junk, but you’ll also find some decent weapons, gear, health items, and more. You want to pick up everything you can because you can either sell it all at the vendor machines throughout the map, or disassemble it for parts if you fancy doing some crafting. Everything is worth something, even if it’s just a few eddies.
3. Food and drink items are identical, so don’t stress about picking up specific ones
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
There are a staggering amount of different food and drink items in the game, from tacos and chocolate bars to coffee and energy drinks, but most of them have the same effect. All food items will give you the following:
Applies the Nourishment status, which increases max health by 5%, and regen by 0.5% per second outside of combat.
While drinks provide a slight alternative:
Applies the Hydration status, which increases max stamina by 10% and regen by 50% per second.
The only divergence from this rule of thumb is with alcoholic drinks. Those will have the following negative effect:
Reduces movement speed by 10%
Reduces weapon accuracy by 50%
Anyone for a perma-drunk Cyberpunk 2077 run?
4. Don’t rush the story because it’s short and optional side missions change the ending
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
No spoilers, obviously, but I’d strongly recommend taking your time with the main story. There’s one storyline that is considered the “main” one, relating to V and Johnny Silverhand, but it’d be smart to complete plenty of side missions and exploration first. For one, just doing main missions won’t level you up enough to get some of the super cool perks and weapons, so your main playthrough will be a bit boring as you only have access to limited tools. Exploring the other avenues available to you first will also open up some alternate endings to the game, so give that a go first too. It’s pretty much worth considering most side missions as main quests instead. You’ll know you’re at the final mission because the game will tell you you’ve hit the point of no return.
5. You can walk away from anything and come back later
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
You may find yourself starting a mission you’ve realised you don’t want to do yet or you’ve reached a point where you’d rather come back later. Maybe your inventory is full and you want to sell some weapons to free up space, or there’s an NCPD icon nearby on the map you’d rather complete first. You’re completely free to do that, because whoever you leave hanging or whatever objective you have up next will wait for you to return. Although chances are, they’ll have a snarky comment to make about it.
6. If you’re waiting for someone to call you, skip time
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
A lot of missions involve waiting for someone to give you a bell, for them to update you with what comes next. If you’ve got nothing else you’d rather be doing to kill time, you can skip time to receive the call quicker. If you fast forward 24 hours, whoever you’re waiting on will likely ring straight away, so you can crack on with that mission next.
7. Complete gigs and NCPD missions for extra cash
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
You might find yourself running low on the ol’ eddies in Cyberpunk 2077, because buying the best weapons and upgrades isn’t cheap. You’ll receive eddies as you go along for completing various missions, but if you find yourself in desperate need, focus on some of the gigs and NCPD icons around the map. There are plenty to be found and they pay handsomely if you need some money.
8. You can use some owned vehicles to store weapons and gear
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
The game does a good job of teaching you about the stash in V’s apartment by making it an optional objective near the start of the game. This is where you can store weapons and gear that you don’t want to lug around with you everywhere, but still want to keep rather than selling or disassembling it into components. Did you know you can also do that with some of your vehicles? Yup, if your car or motorbike of choice has trunk space at the rear, you can store equipment in there. It has to be one you own though, not some random car you’ve nicked off the street, and it isn’t a shared storage; each vehicle stash is individual, so don’t forget about some top quality weapons you’ve left in one of your fleet of vehicles by accident.
9. Skills are levelled up by doing things, while attributes and perks are bought with the points you earn
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
There are three categories when it comes to your abilities in-game. Attributes are the five sections – Body, Reflexes, etc. – seen when you initially click on the character menu. You can increase these by spending attribute points whenever you get them. Hover over attributes and it’ll bring up your skills. For example, Street Brawling, Stealth, and Athletics. You level these up by doing that specific thing; sneak up behind enemies and dump their bodies in dumpsters to level up Stealth, sprint and jump around for Athletics, you get the gist. Finally, perks are similar to attributes in that they can only be levelled up with points, but you’ll receive more of them throughout your time with the game than you will attribute points. A lot of perks also require you to get a specific skill to a high enough level before you can get it. It sounds confusing, but makes more sense when you look at it.
10. Levelling up Body and Technical Ability will get you through most locked doors
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
Every now and then, you’ll stumble upon a door or gate that can’t be opened easily. If you want to have free roam everywhere possible in Night City, then you’ll want to level up both the Body and Technical Ability attributes, because these are the two methods of getting through these doors. The former allows you to tear gates literally off their hinges and throw them to one side (which somehow doesn’t alert nearby enemies if you’re sneaking, despite the loud crash), while the latter means you can get through more standard locked doors. Of course, this is only relevant to doors with skill checks; doors that appear red and locked when you try to interact with them are just inaccessible.
11. Visit Ripperdocs frequently to get new upgrades
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
You meet Viktor during the Cyberpunk 2077 prologue, but there are plenty of Ripperdocs to be found throughout Night City. These are the people you need to visit if you want to upgrade your cyberware. During the early game, a lot of these upgrades will be out of reach thanks to an insufficient level or lack of cash or street cred, but pay them frequent visits to see what useful additions you can buy.
12. You can equip mods on clothing, weapons, and cyberware to buff their power
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
Pretty much anything you can wear or use comes with mod slots, especially if it’s a higher quality. These come with all sorts of buffs; things like extra carry capacity on armour and increased damage two guns are just two examples. Make sure you put your best mods on your favourite equipment though, because if you want to replace a mod later down the line, the original one will be destroyed. You can get crafting specs for mods as well so if you have a favorite you make as many as you want.
13. Get robo legs to access new areas and jump over your problems
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
The ability to jump to extreme heights doesn’t come cheap, but when you’ve got 45k eddies in the bank, make your way over to a Ripperdoc. Not every Ripperdoc has the same upgrades available, but have a shop around and you’ll eventually find either Reinforced Tendons for double jump, or Fortified Ankles for a boost jump. Using these means you can explore Night City with ease, forgetting the limitations of stairs, bounding from one place to another. Plus, if you need to make a quick getaway in combat, these are extra useful.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
