Новости за 21.04.2022

Microsoft might not be the only console maker hoping to place more ads in games. Insidersources (sub. required) say Sony is testing an initiative that would sell and place ads in free-to-play PlayStation games through a private marketplace. This would include billboards and other environmental ads, but also character skins and similar collectible items.

Pixar has shared a second trailer for Lightyear, and the new clip sheds considerably more light on Buzz's origin story. As it turns out, the explorer turned action figure is the victim of Einstein's theory of relativity. When Lightyear conducts a "hyperspeed" test, he comes back 62 years later — many of the people and places he knows have changed. Naturally, it's up to him to set things right.

Crossovers between gaming and other areas of entertainment are becoming more and more common. On the same day it emerged Wu-Tang Clan is coming to Fortnite(?), Activision Blizzard confirmed a long-rumored crossover for Call of Duty: Warzone. Godzilla and King Kong will arrive in the battle royale on May 11th.

Big box electronics retailer Best Buy announced the launch of a new appliance recycling program Thursday that will allow customers to have up to two large pieces (and an unlimited amount of small items) of unwanted tech hauled away for a $200 fee.

Astrobotic has finally offered a good look at the vehicle that will carry scientific payloads to the lunar surface. The company has revealed the finished version of the Peregrine Moon lander ahead of its launch in the fourth quarter of the year. It's an externally simple design that resembles an upside-down pot, but that will be enough to carry 24 missions that include 11 NASA items, a Carnegie Mellon rover, private cargo and even "cultural messages" from Earth.

Although Amazon's main European business saw an increase in sales to around $55 billion last year, the company avoided paying income tax. It posted a loss of €1.16 billion euros ($1.26 billion) and it even received €1 billion in tax credits. According to filings obtained by Bloomberg, the credit was “mainly due to the use of net losses carried forward in accordance with the tax consolidation system.”

Sonos isn't exactly known for affordability, but the company has released a few more inexpensive products in recent years like the portable Roam speaker. Now, according to The Verge, Sonos is going to release its first budget soundbar in the first week of June. Apparently codenamed "Fury," this product is expected to cost around $250, which makes it significantly cheaper than the $449 second-generation Beam (pictured above) and the $899 Arc.

The Syntakt has been one of the worst kept secrets in the music world. But it wasn't until today that the world finally got to see what Elektron's latest groovebox is capable of. It combines the company's legendary sequencer with four analog four analog synth tracks and 10 digital tracks. While the Syntakt is focused primarily on percussion, it's capable of handling bass and melody as well. And, if you're not happy with the internal synth sounds, you can control external gear by switching any of the 12 tracks to be MIDI. Читать дальше...

Meta is reportedly investigating whether Sheryl Sandberg broke company rules in her dealings with a publication that was reporting on Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who she was dating at the time. According to a new report in The Wall Street Journal, the Meta COO used company resources to help kill negative reporting about Kotick. Meta is now reportedly conducting a "review" of her actions and “whether she violated the company’s rules.”

On November 21st, Trevor Jacob's single-engine airplane fell out of the sky — a harrowing experience that the YouTuber just so happened to catch on film and upload to social media. In January, aviation experts began investigating the incident (as they are wont to do in the event of most every aviation crash) and, on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration formally accused Jacob of staging the entire incident and intentionally crashing his 1940 Taylorcraft for online clout.

If you thought it was just a matter of time before Psyonix synced up with its parent company Epic Games by adding battle royale to Rocket League... your beliefs were well-founded. Psyonix is introducing a limited-time Knockout Bash mode that drops the usual vehicular soccer in favor of battle royale's familiar last-one-standing mechanic. Eight players try to survive by attacking each other and staying inside an ever-shrinking "Safezone." That will sound more than a little familiar to Fortnite fans... Читать дальше...

Sennheiser has revealed a set of true wireless earbuds geared toward fitness enthusiasts. It says the Sport True Wireless buds include an Aware EQ passthrough setting that can reduce distracting noises from your own body, such as your heartbeat or footsteps, while helping you stay aware of your surroundings. That could be a handy option for runners.

Just three weeks after the streaming service launched, Warner Bros. Discovery announced it is shutting down CNN+. Variety broke the news. The service will cease operations on April 30th, according to multiple reports, meaning it will close after just 32 days. 

Teenage Engineering has a reputation for surprising and whimsical devices, and that apparently extends to music creation on the go. The company has introduced a TX-6 mixer that's not only tiny enough to fit in your hand, but includes more than you might expect from some decidedly larger counterparts. It includes an instrument tuner, for a start, along with built-in synth, digital effect, drum machine and sequencer functions. It's billed as the portable 32-bit, 48kHz pro mixer with this level of capability ... Читать дальше...

Uber has announced some Earth Week initiatives and while some of the measures won't be around for the long haul, it's making a permanent change to Uber Green rides. Those will now cost the same as UberX rides, no matter the level of demand.

Razer has increasingly gone from a specialized gaming accessory maker to more of a lifestyle brand. In addition to keyboards, mice, headsets and controllers, you can buy chairs, backpacks and even a wearable air purifier. But with this recent expansion into various aspects of the “gamer lifestyle,” there’s always been one obvious omission: home theater. Namely, speakers — an absence that’s especially annoying given that Razer released a soundbar way back in 2014. Now, the company’s back in that space with its new souped-up $250 Leviathan V2.

Get ready for a Dynamite workout. Apple has a few updates for Fitness+ timed with International Dance Day, which is coming up on April 29th, and arguably the most interesting are the new Dance workouts set to Korean pop sensation BTS' music. Through its existing relationship with BTS, Apple will be teaching users the actual choreography from videos for songs like "Dynamite," "Mic Drop" and, very aptly, "Permission to Dance." 

Elon Musk now has access to the funds he'd need to buy Twitter. According to an SEC filing, Musk has received "commitment letters" that would supply about $46.5 billion to buy all of Twitter's outstanding common stock and take control. The Tesla CEO is "exploring" this tender offer following a lack of response from Twitter, the filing reads.

Apple's AirPods Max over-ear headphones are once again on sale. The price has dropped by $99 at Amazon, where they're currently $450. One important thing to note is that you'll only get the full discount with two of the color options. The silver and space gray versions have a $29 voucher that's applied at checkout. The other colorways are $479 for the time being.

Spotify is ready to let anyone offer video podcasts — and this time, you won't need to apply. As of today, all creators in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can publish video podcasts through Anchor. You can charge for access using Spotify's podcast subscription system, too. There are also some meaningful upgrades that should help you both produce and watch these podcasts.

If you're looking for new devices to add to your smart home setup, you can get a few Nest gadgets for less right now. Both Adorama and B&H Photo have discounted a handful of Google smart home gadgets, including the Nest Cam Indoor, which is $20 off and down to $80. The Nest Cam Outdoor and the Video Doorbell Battery are both $30 off and down to $150, too.

Lego’s Ultimate Collector Series of Star Wars sets has grown again today with the launch of a new ultimate version of Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder. The new set offers an extremely-detailed version of the Tatooine hot-rod, with the set clocking in at a staggering 1,890 pieces. Measuring 49cm (19.2in) long, the set boasts an exposed turbine engine on the left-hand side, a curved cockpit windshield and Luke and C-3PO minifigs.

The plans for an It Takes Two movie appear to be solidifying. Deadline and Variety sources claim Amazon Studios and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions have taken up the game-to-movie adaptation alongside Sonic the Hedgehog production company dj2 Entertainment. There's even a chance Johnson could star in the movie, the insiders said.

For humans, identifying items in a scene — whether that’s an avocado or an Aventador, a pile of mashed potatoes or an alien mothership — is as simple as looking at them. But for artificial intelligence and computer vision systems, developing a high-fidelity understanding of their surroundings takes a bit more effort. Well, a lot more effort. Around 800 hours of hand-labeling training images effort, if we’re being specific. To help machines better see the way people do, a team of researchers at... Читать дальше...

Motorola has launched two new 5G phones as part of its Moto G line in North America, and one of them comes with a built-in stylus. The Moto G Stylus 5G has a 6.8-inch Max Vision FHD+ display that stretches edge to edge, as well as a 120Hz refresh rate that's a first for the line. It also comes with a 50-megapixel camera system that's comprised of a Macro Vision lens and a 118-degree ultra-wide angle lens. For selfies, the device has a 16-megapixel front camera that has improved light sensitivity over its predecessors. Читать дальше...