Новости за 22.07.2022

Amazon is determined to generate buzz for its blockbuster series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and that includes a large new trailer to kick off San Diego Comic-Con. The three-minute clip sheds considerably more light on the story and, to no one's surprise, sets the stage for Sauron's appearance. While the show will start by highlighting the relative peace of Middle-earth's Second Age, it will quickly become clear that Sauron is coming back — and that factions will have to unite if they hope to stop the Dark Lord. Читать дальше...

Warner Bros. Games' MultiVersus is a fun take on platform fighters like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Brawlhalla. It's soon going into open beta with a roster packed with characters from across a wide range of WB franchises. Developer Player First Games is about to add one more to the mix: Space Jam: A New Legacy star LeBron James.

Volkswagen is shaking up its leadership. The automaker has announced that group chairman Herbert Diess will leave at the end of August. Porsche chairman Oliver Blume will take over the role (while preserving his existing position) as of September 1st. The company didn't explain Diess' exit, but said the move was the result of a "mutual agreement."

If you have a spare $300,000 burning a hole in your pocket but don't mind waiting a couple of years for a luxury electric vehicle, Cadillac's Celestiq might be of interest. The automaker pulled back the curtain to properly reveal the EV for the first time.

The Secret Service may face serious legal repercussions over deleted text messages relating to the January 6th, 2021 Capitol attack. NBC Newssources said the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General has opened a criminal investigation into the deletion of texts from the days surrounding the riot. The Secret Service has been ordered to stop its own internal probes, according to a copy of a letter DHS Deputy Inspector General Gladys Ayala sent to the agency.

Meta has committed to keeping its Oversight Board running by providing ongoing financial support. The company has pledged to fund the board's operations with a contribution of an additional $150 million. Meta previously earmarked $130 million for the board's trust when it was set up in 2019.

As Dusk Falls is an ambitious narrative adventure game that fails to execute its grandest ideas, hemorrhaging tension along the way. It attempts to tell a mature, action-packed tale about family and loss, but repeated missteps in logic and emotion strip the story of its power. From the mechanics to the branching narrative itself, As Dusk Falls sets clear goals and then fails to meet them, resulting in a choppy southwestern soap opera peppered with sluggish quick-time events.

This week brought back some of our favorite tech deals we've seen all year. A four pack of Apple's AirTags is back on sale for $89, while the Apple TV 4K has dropped to $130. While neither of those are all-time lows, they're very close and great deals on a couple of the most popular Apple gadgets right now. Amazon also just discounted its Echo smart speaker to $60, which its a record low and a return to its Prime Day price, plus you can still pick up the Chromecast with Google TV for only $40. Читать дальше...

When you think of study aids, TikTok is likely not what comes to mind. And, there’s probably a good reason for that. Scrolling your For You page may be entertaining, but it’s rarely productive.

Automakers are frequently keen to show off self-driving concept cars without steering wheels, but Baidu is close to putting a vehicle like this on real-world roads. The tech giant has unveiled a new robotaxi, the Apollo RT6, with a removable steering wheel. The option lets ride hailing services offer more space for passengers — this can include extra seats, work desks or even game consoles.

Shredder's Revenge is great if you want a modern take on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat-'em-ups, but what if you'd rather stick with the classics? You won't have to wait long to revisit those, either. Digital Eclipse, Konami and Nickelodeon have announced that TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection debuts August 30th on PCs (via Steam), PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The bundle includes all 13 home and arcade games from the golden era of the half-shell heroes, including the Japanese versions. Читать дальше...

Lenovo was one of the first companies to really nail 2-in-1 design, and ever since it’s been refining the formula for its top-notch convertibles. And while there are a couple small variables I'm not fully on board with for this year's edition, there's no doubt the new 14-inch Yoga 9i is continuing Lenovo's excellent track record. You get superb battery life, clever (and surprisingly) powerful speakers, good performance, plenty of ports and even an optional OLED display. In short, if you're looking for a light... Читать дальше...

The BBC has already started preparing for Facebook's 20th anniversary in 2024: The broadcaster has announced that its factual entertainment team has commissioned a three-part documentary about Mark Zuckerberg and the social network he founded. Facebook's story is pretty well-known at this point, and it's common knowledge that Zuckerberg originally designed it to connect students at Harvard. And that the Winklevoss twins sued the Meta chief, claiming he stole their idea. BBC, however, aims to present... Читать дальше...

The US and UK have signed a Data Access Agreement that will allow law enforcement agencies in each country to request user internet data from the other, the Department of Justice (DoJ) and UK Home Office said in a joint press release. The agreement was created in 2019 as the CLOUD Act to allow the nations to fight serious crimes including terrorism, child abuse and cybercrime. 

If you missed the chance to pick up an Echo smart speaker during Prime Day last week, you have another opportunity to do so today. Amazon's full-sized Echo is back down to a record-low price of $60, which is 40 percent off its normal rate. The Echo Show 5 is also on sale for $40 right now, which is only $5 more than it was on Prime Day. The Echo Dot, on the other hand, is currently 20 percent off and on sale for $40.

Is the Pixel 6a the best Android phone under $500? Tune in for Cherlynn’s review! This week, Devindra and Cherlynn also discuss why losing almost a million subscribers was actually a good thing fo Netflix. And they dive into Qualcomm’s latest hardware for smartwatches, as well as the latest updates from Twitter’s ongoing fight with Elon Musk.

Twitter has today announced its results for the second-quarter of 2022, saying that it has seen a sharp rise in the number of regular users. In the last three months, Monetizable Daily Active Users (mDAU) climbed from 39.6 million to 41.5 million, while global reach leapt from 189.4 million in April to 196.3 million today. Unfortunately, those increasing user figures did not see a boost in the company’s bottom line, and revenue was $1.18 billion, which is slightly down both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter. Читать дальше...

Google’s Pixel 6a is finally here. It’s a sub-$500 phone that, this year, includes Google’s own Tensor chip which should bring even more power to the cheapest Pixel option. It also matches the Pixel 6 family with a two-tone color scheme and camera bar.

With the PS5 remake for The Last of Usset to arrive soon, developer Naughty Dog recently showed the benefits you can expect with the new hardware. Now in a 10-minute video, the company has detailed new features including a speed-run mode and smarter AI, while walking through improved graphics, physics, character models, animations and more. 

A 65-year-old man named Michael Williams spent almost a year in jail over the shooting of a man inside his car before prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss his case due to insufficient evidence. Now, the MacArthur Justice Center has sued the city of Chicago for using ShotSpotter, which it calls an "unreliable" gunshot detection technology, as critical evidence in charging him with first-degree murder. The human rights advocate group out of Northwestern University accuses the city's cops of relying... Читать дальше...

San Diego Comic-Con 2022 kicked off with a trailer for the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and it... actually looks promising? The upcoming film has an all-star cast with Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page and Hugh Grant, and blends action, fantasy, comedy and some of D&D's most iconic monsters. 

Meta has introduced new tools to expand the ways you can collaborate with others using Reels, as part of its strategy to be able to better compete with TikTok. To start with, you can now remix not just videos, but also photos on Instagram, giving you more material to use. The company has added more Remix layouts to include a green screen, a split screen or a picture-in-picture reaction view, as well, to make it easier to add your own spin or take to an existing Reel. Plus, you can choose to attach... Читать дальше...

Zoom is bolstering its privacy and security protections by expanding end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to more of its services. First up is Zoom Phone, its cloud phone system. Users of that service will be able to switch on E2EE during one-on-one calls. When it's on, E2EE will ensure calls are secure with cryptographic keys that only the calling and receiving devices can access. You'll be able to verify the E2EE status by sharing a security code with the other person.

General Motors has been putting its OnStar in-vehicle safety and security suite into its vehicles since 1997 with the system having undergone numerous evolutions, upgrades and expansions in the last quarter century. Soon its roadside assistance and crash monitoring services will be available to two-wheeled motorists and homebodies as well, the company announced on Thursday.