Новости за 09.03.2022

Today is a good day for sci-fi and space fantasy lovers. Paramount+ has shared a teaser trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, its offshoot of Discovery. The video provides a brief but telling glimpse of Captain Christopher Pike's tenure aboard the USS Enterprise, including his return to service and (what else?) the worlds his crew will see. There's a clear attempt to recreate the wonder you might have felt watching early Star Trek as you encountered new aliens and planets for the first time. Читать дальше...

Twitter has begun testing two new features the company promises will improve the alt text experience on its platform. The company said it would spend about a month trialing the features, which add easy-to-access descriptions to images, before rolling them out globally at the start of April. As Twitter notes, adding a description or “alt text” to an image allows people with low vision or a cognitive disability to “fully contribute” to the platform. They’re also useful if you don’t have the fastest internet connection. Читать дальше...

Did you wonder why Apple's Mac Studio weighs a full two pounds more (7.9lbs versus 5.9lbs) when you choose the M1 Ultra model instead of the baseline M1 Max version? There's a simple explanation for it — and no, it's not that the extra silicon weighs more. Apple explained to The Verge that the M1 Ultra variant uses a larger and heavier copper cooling system where the M1 Max can make do with an aluminum heatsink. The 370W power supply and other components weigh virtually the same.

Amazon is taking an even stronger stance against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The company announced today that it will suspend shipments of products in Russia and Belarus, as well as halt access to Prime Video in Russia. Additionally (though perhaps less impactful), Amazon also won't be taking more orders for its MMO New World in Russia. 

The March Xbox update is rolling out, and it brings a few useful features to Microsoft's consoles. Xbox Series X/S players can now pin two games to the Quick Resume group.

Disney+ has finally offered a good peek at its Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The streaming service has released a teaser trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi that documents the Jedi's life on Tatooine as he avoids the Empire and protects a young Luke Skywalker. As the clip makes clear, it won't be easy — Imperial forces are turning to Sith who'll look for "weaknesses" like compassion to track down the remnants of the Jedi order.

David Bennett, the first human to successfully undergo a heart transplant involving a genetically modified pig heart, has died, according to The New York Times. He was 57. It’s unclear if his body rejected the organ doctors implanted in January. “There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death,” a spokesperson for the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the hospital that performed the procedure, told the outlet. Physicians plan to carry out a full evaluation before publishing their findings in a peer-reviewed journal. Читать дальше...

The Microbus is back, baby! Nearly 75 years since the first Volkswagen Type 2 rolled off its assembly line and into the annals of Americana as an icon of 1960s counterculture, VW is re-releasing the emblematic vehicle — this time as a full EV.

Gotham Knights at last has a firm release date. The open-world co-op RPG will hit PC, PlayStation and Xbox on October 25th. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment initially planned to release Gotham Knights in 2021, but announced last March it would be delayed until this year.

You no longer have to read Substack articles on the web. As 9to5Macnotes, Substack has released its first mobile reading app for iPhone and iPad. The software will help you follow your subscriptions, with notifications when a favorite writer publishes a new story. You'll find all media formats in a single place, too. The app will also help you discover new writers if you're eager for more.

Bumble has joined a growing list of American companies pulling out of Russia amid the country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, the company announced it was discontinuing operations in Russia and removing its family of dating apps from the Apple and Google app stores in Russia and Belarus.

Facebook is once again trying to stem the flow of misinformation within Groups. The social network is giving group admins new tools to help prevent misleading information from spreading.

Twitter is launching another experimental shopping feature, with in-app storefronts for brands and businesses.

Tinder is giving users in the US a way to conduct a background check on a potential match. Through the safety center (you can tap the blue shield icon anywhere in the app to get there), you can visit the website of Garbo, a non-profit background check platform.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is now affecting game launches. Nintendo has delayed the debut of Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp beyond its original April 8th target in light of "recent world events" — that is, the war. The company didn't yet have a new release date and asked would-be players to "stay tuned."

Elon Musk isn't backing down in his rejuvenated campaign against the SEC. Ars Technicareports the Tesla chief has asked a federal court to terminate his $20 million settlement with the SEC in 2018 over claims the regulator both pressured him into an agreement and overstepped its limits. Musk felt "forced" to sign the consent decree at a time when Tesla's financial health was at risk, according to the memorandum of law sent to the court. The EV executive also insisted in a declaration that he told... Читать дальше...

The House Judiciary Committee has asked the Department of Justice to investigate Amazon and some of the company's leaders over a possible criminal obstruction of Congress. In their letter, which was seen by The Wall Street Journal, committee members from both sides of the aisle say Amazon declined to provide information related to an antitrust investigation. 

Samsung's newest tablets have only been available for a few weeks, but they're already receiving discounts on Amazon. You can snag both the Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+ for less right now thanks to clippable coupons that knock $50 and $75 off the tablets, respectively. Just make sure to clip the coupon on the product page before checking out and you'll receive the discount. Amazon has credit codes for each as well that will give you up to $75 to use in the future. Use the code ZXDDSPWVWFRB if you're... Читать дальше...

The US government has addressed cryptocurrency in the past, but now it's taking a more comprehensive look. President Biden has signed an executive order detailing the country's first "whole-of-government" strategy for exploring cryptocurrency and other digital assets. Officials at multiple bureaus will explore the risks and potential advantages of crypto, both for individuals and the nation at large.

If you're on the market for a new pair of true wireless earbuds, Woot's latest electronics garage sale has a couple of compelling offers right now. The site knocked Apple's AirPods Pro with the MagSafe charging case down to $180 — not a record low, but a decent sale for this time of year — and discounted Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro to their record low of $105. As usual, be sure to check out Woot's return policy before making a purchase. Woot may be owned by Amazon, but it has a much different return policy than the online retail giant. Читать дальше...

Now that people are socializing again as the pandemic (hopefully) winds down, Uber is tackling one of the most common problems of restaurant delivery apps: how to split the bill between friends. Uber Eats is relaunching group ordering with a new bill splitting feature — the first in a US delivery app, Uber claims. Once you create a group order, you just have to choose between paying for everything or asking guests to cover their share. This won't help in situations where only some people are paying... Читать дальше...

Mario has a lot of days worth celebrating — he made his first appearance in Donkey Kong way back in July 1981, while the first Mario Bros. title came out in July 1983 and Super Mario Bros. hit the scene in September 1985. So to make things easier Nintendo settled on March 10th as a day to celebrate all things Mario — written as “Mar10” for this now-yearly occasion. This year’s celebration is a bit of a subdued affair, but if you’re looking to save on some popular games, head on over to Amazon to order some normally $60 titles for only $40... Читать дальше...

Nothing, the brand started by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, will announce its 2022 roadmap in an event on March 23rd. While the company didn't reveal specifics other than a new community investment round that's coming this year, previous reports claimed that the company is developing its own smartphone that will be launched in April. 

Apple events can sometimes fizzle out. Besides the ceremony of a new iPhone series each year, it’s a little harder to get excited for Macs and iPads with slightly better chips and minor design tweaks. We saw a splash of color and some redesigns in the last year, but this March event was packed with devices for elements of the Apple audience that aren’t always catered for. For them, this might be an important Apple reveal.

You can get a Google Nest WiFi with one or two access points at a discount right now on Best Buy, Adorama and B&H. A two-pack bundle with the Nest router itself and a single access point will set you back $189 across all those websites. That's only $10 more than its price during Google's pre-Black Friday sale last year and $80 less than its retail price of $269.