Новости за 01.04.2022

Hyper Light Drifter's retro style and relentless action have prompted a spiritual successor and even an animated series, but what about a follow-up? Don't worry, it's coming. Eurogamernotes Heart Machine has unveiledHyper Light Breaker, a game set in the Hyper Light universe but with very different mechanics. Gone is the Zelda-like 2D view and solo-only gameplay — instead, you're slashing through your way through waves of enemies in a full 3D environment with optional co-op play.

Twitch is halting a feature that lets viewers pay to promote their favorite streamers after bad actors used it to push porn and other NSFW content onto its homepage. First spotted by PC Gamer, a number of Twitch users on Twitter this week noticed that streams of porn videos were on the homepage, all featuring the caption “Promoted by the streamer’s community." It appeared that a number of unidentified users were taking advantage of the platform’s “Boost Train” program, which boosts streamers if... Читать дальше...

You don't have to start a Paramount+ trial just to figure out whether or not the Halo TV series is worth your time. The streaming service has made the first episode of the game-inspired show free to watch on YouTube for a week starting March 31st (sorry!). The freebie is only viewable in the US, but it's worth a look if you want to see Hollywood's take on Master Chief and the Covenant.

Soft robots may soon be more flexible than ever... and a tad creepy. As The Guardianreports, researchers have developed a magnetic slime "robot" that can shift into different shapes to grab objects. It can encircle a group of pellets, for instance, and even stretch out in multiple directions to grab items on opposite sides. It's self-healing, too. The result might induce some nightmares for the squeamish and is more than a little reminiscent of Spider-Man's symbiotic Venom, but it's surprisingly effective. Читать дальше...

There should be at least one unionized Amazon warehouse in the US. CNBCreports Workers at the company's JFK8 facility in Staten Island have voted 2,350-1,912 in favor of joining a union in a late March election. While the official count isn't yet available, the remaining uncounted and challenged ballots aren't expected to sway the outcome.

While many of this week's deals only lasted for a limited time, some of them are still available. Apple's new iPad Air is $29 off and down to $570, while the iPad mini is $40 cheaper than usual and down to $459. Amazon's much-improved Echo Buds are 58 percent off and down to only $50, and you can still grab 8BitDo's Pro 2 controller for just over $40. Here are the best tech deals this week that you can still get today.

Amazon's labor practices are facing political scrutiny following a tornado that collapsed a warehouse and killed six people in Edwardsville, Illinois last December. The New York Timesnotes the House Committee on Oversight and Reform has launched an investigation into Amazon's practices in severe weather conditions. Committee chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney as well as member Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush are worried about reports Amazon forced staff to work at and around the Illinois facility despite the tornado threat... Читать дальше...

If there was ever a Star Trek film that needed a do-over, both artistically and reputationally, it was The Motion Picture. Dismissed by critics as boring and sterile when it came out, its nickname inside Trek fandom has long been “The Motionless Picture.” In 1997, director Robert Wise started the process of re-examining the film, with a Director’s Edition being birthed at the dawn of the DVD era in 2001. For a couple of reasons, the altogether better version of that movie fell into obscurity, unavailable for most people to see. Читать дальше...

In a world where most e-bikes are trying to blend in, JackRabbit, well… stands out. In fact, it’s unique enough that you’re either going to love it or at the very least be curious. As a pedal-free e-bike, it’s aimed at those in the market for a scooter rather than an electrified road bike. But, unlike a scooter, the JackRabbit can handle more than just paved sidewalk while remaining about as portable. All this to say, the JackRabbit bike is a curious proposition, but don’t let its quirky looks deceive you. Читать дальше...

Washington State legislation guaranteeing pay and benefits for ride-hail workers has become a practical reality. Reutersreports Governor Jay Inslee has signed into law a measure setting minimum pay guarantees of $1.17 per mile and 34 cents per minute, with trips costing at least $3 each. Drivers at Uber, Lyft and other companies will also have benefits like paid sick leave, access to workers' compensation and family medical leave. They can also appeal if they believe they've been unfairly terminated. Читать дальше...

I loved the Vita. I have vivid memories of playing Persona 4 Golden for hours in the dark on my dad’s couch in Chicago flying around the world of Gravity Rush from an airplane seat and playing Murasaki Baby before bed. The Vita felt good and it made me happy. And then, Sony killed it.

You won't have to camp in front of a screen the next time you want to take advantage of an imminent Amazon sale. The company has updated Alexa with a Prime-only feature that alerts you to the availability of an Amazon deal up to 24 hours in advance as long as the relevant item is in your cart, saved for later or on your wish list. You can also remind Alexa to notify you when the deal is live, or even have the assistant buy the item when the deal takes effect.

Both Samsung and other retailers have offered a few ways to save when picking up one of the latest Galaxy smartphones, including offering a discount on higher storage models during the pre-order window. But Amazon's back now with a new discount — $100 off the Samsung Galaxy S22, bringing the 128GB model down to $700. The same discount applies to the 256GB versions, which are on sale for $750.

If you've hesitated in getting a PC stylus because it's one more thing to lose, Dell has a possible solution. The company's latest Premiere Rechargeable Active Pen has Tile tracking built in, so you can use the Tile app to make it emit sound and LED light. If it's not close enough to hear or see, the app will show the pen's last known location and track it down via the Tile network.

The original Angry Birds game is back. Sure, there are other, newer entries in the Angry Birds franchise out there — and even a couple of movies — but this one's for those who have a special place in their hearts for the game that started it all. In a letter to fans published last year, Rovio explained that it had to take its older titles out of circulation, because they used outdated game engines and design. "Today’s mobile technology and games landscape has evolved to a place where supporting them was untenable," the company wrote. Читать дальше...

The latest WiFi-only iPad mini in space gray has been on sale for $459 at Amazon since the beginning of March, but if you'd rather get one of the tablet's other color options, here's your chance to grab it at a discount. For the first time ever, the iPad mini in Starlight is now also available for $459, which is an all-time low for the device on the e-commerce website. The purple version is now also back on sale for the same price, or $40 lower than retail. 

After arresting seven alleged members of the hacking group Lapsus$ last week, London police have charged two of them with multiple computer crimes. The teenagers, aged 16 and 17, remain in police custody in connection with the investigation. 

For GoPro cameras, battery life has never been a strong feature — in fact, the Hero 9 outlasted the Hero 10 by almost half an hour when we tested out the newer camera. Now, the company has launched a new battery grip, called Volta. Combined with the GoPro's own battery, the Volta grip can deliver up to four hours of 5.3K recording at 30 fps. It also comes with integrated camera buttons to give you access to one-handed controls while the GoPro is mounted. You can even use it as a remote control up to 98 feet away... Читать дальше...

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has a new playable character, and it’s one that contrasts a bit with the action RPG’s gothic vibe. In the latest free update for the spiritual successor to Castlevania, developer ArtPlay has added Aurora, the fairy princess heroine from Ubisoft’s Child of Light.

The latest Super NES and NES games for Nintendo Switch are now available, and they may bring up nostalgic feels. Players can now access the 1995 SNES run and gun platformer Earthworm Jim 2, along with NES titles Dig-Dug II (an action puzzle arcade game released in 1985) and Mappy-Land (a video console sequel from 1986).

Apple has rolled out updates for its mobile, tablet and desktop operating systems, and they come with a fix for two zero-day vulnerabilities. As Ars Technica notes, the bugs can give bad actors access to the internals of the operating systems if exploited. Apple said in its patch notes that it's aware "of a report that [the issues] may have been actively exploited," but it didn't expound on whether it has detected instances of the bugs being used to gain entry to customers' devices. The tech giant... Читать дальше...

Appropriately enough, the famously fast writer Brandon Sanderson took no time at all to break Pebble's record for the most-funded Kickstarter project ever. The fantasy and sci-fi author's project, which is funding the self-publication of four secret novels, topped the $20.3 million that the Pebble Time smartwatch raised in 2015 within just three days. After 30 days, Sanderson's campaign has now wrapped and, buoyed by his fervent fanbase, he has raised $41,754,153.

Amazon spent around $4.3 on consultants last year in an effort to prevent unionization of its warehouses, according to company filings with the US Department of Labor. Workers were required to attend meetings led by the consultants who discussed anti-union talking points ahead of key union votes in Bessemer, Alabama and Staten Island, New York, HuffPost has reported.

Back in 2021, engineer Ken Pillonel did what Apple refuses to do when he made the world’s first iPhone with a working USB-C port. Now, Pillonel has flipped the script with his latest project: the first Android phone with a Lightning connector.

A team of almost 100 scientists part of the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium has successfully sequenced the most complete human genome yet. If you're thinking "Wait a minute — didn't scientists produce the complete human genome sequence almost two decades ago?" Well, you wouldn't be wrong. The Human Genome Project finished sequencing 92 percent of the human genome back in 2003, but the techniques available at the time left the remaining 8 percent out of reach until recent years. Thus, 200... Читать дальше...