Monthly Archives: October 2024

Sony’s Until Dawn movie gets April 25 release date

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Sony announced in January that it planned to create a movie adaptation of its 2015 PlayStation game Until Dawn and the project is moving quickly through production. Earlier this month, director David F. Sandberg posted on Instagram that the film had wrapped shooting, and today Sony production house Screen Gems announced that the movie's release date will be April 25, 2025.

Until Dawn became a cult favorite among the horror game fans, with a branching narrative that offers dozens of different endings based on a player's choices. If you haven't had a chance to experience the original Supermassive Games title yet, the game recently received a timely spooky season remake from Ballistic Moon. One of the big questions around creating a film from the game source is which of the many possible outcomes will the team choose for the plot? And the other big question is whether Until Dawn will follow in the footsteps of successful game adaptations like The Super Mario Bros. Movie or be an absolute trainwreck like Borderlands? 

So far, the signs seem promising. Director Sandberg has a solid track record in horror with Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. The final script was written by Gary Dauberman, who worked with Sandberg on Annabelle: Creation as well as penning words for other Annabelle movies, It (2017), It Chapter Two and The Nun.

The game had some notable actors involved, including Hayden Panetierre and Rami Malek. For the movie, Screen Gems tapped a cast including Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, Belmont Cameli, Odessa A’zion and Maia Mitchell. Peter Stormare will also reprise his role of Dr. Hill in the film version.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/sonys-until-dawn-movie-gets-april-25-release-date-223735333.html?src=rss

Get Next-Level 9.1.4 spatial audio with the Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar

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Experience movie nights like never before with the Sonos Arc Ultra, the latest flagship soundbar that merges cinema-quality audio with a design that’s as sophisticated as it is sleek. Built with breakthrough Sound Motion technology, Arc Ultra brings your entertainment to life with deep bass, immersive spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, and a refined look that complements large TVs without overpowering your space. It is the sleekest and most powerful soundbar Sonos has ever created. Available for $999.

Designer: Sonos

Sonos Arc Ultra brings sound and crafts an expansive sound stage that fills every inch of the room. Featuring an all-new architecture powered by 14 Sonos-engineered drivers, including the Sound Motion woofer and advanced tweeters, it delivers a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience that feels out of this world. Trueplay, now available for iOS and Android, allows you to fine-tune the sound for your specific space, transforming any room into a personal movie theater.

Sound Motion technology enhances the immersive experience by packing impressive performance into a compact design. This innovation provides greater clarity, depth, and balance, allowing you to hear every frequency with accuracy. It also delivers double the bass output compared to the previous Arc model.

With Dolby Atmos, Arc Ultra brings sound to life with sensational definition, enveloping you in a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience that places you right in the middle of the action. To elevate the experience further, pair Arc Ultra with Sonos Sub 4 and Era 300 rear speakers for a fully immersive Dolby Atmos setup that delivers incredible detail from every direction. For personal listening, you can even integrate Sonos Ace headphones for private surround sound and sensational spatial audio.

Never strain to hear dialogue again. The new center channel architecture in the Sonos Arc Ultra ensures every word, whisper, and subtle vocal cue is crystal clear. The advanced Speech Enhancement feature, adjustable via the Sonos app, allows you to customize dialogue clarity further to suit your preference, ensuring that conversations and vocals are always easy to follow.

Sonos partnered with industry veterans like Chris Jenkins and Onnalee Blank to fine-tune Arc Ultra for Dolby Atmos content, achieving a sound profile that rivals professional studio systems. This collaboration ensures you get an audio experience as rich and immersive as the creators intended, giving you a true theater-like atmosphere at home.

Arc Ultra is thoughtfully crafted with a distinctive curved shape, low-profile design, and matte finish, making it a stylish addition to your home while keeping the focus on your entertainment. The wrap-around grille extends sound in every direction, ensuring you’re completely surrounded, while the slimmer design prevents obstructing the TV screen whether it’s mounted or placed on a credenza.

Setting up the Arc Ultra is straightforward—connect it via HDMI eARC for a seamless experience. Once connected, it can be effortlessly controlled using your TV remote, the Sonos app, Sonos Voice Control, or Amazon Alexa. Touch controls are cleverly positioned on a hidden ledge to minimize visual distractions, and Bluetooth line-in adds even more streaming flexibility. Additionally, with Apple AirPlay 2 compatibility, the Arc Ultra integrates smoothly into your home ecosystem.

Sonos has also prioritized sustainability with Arc Ultra. Improved serviceability, reduced adhesive usage, lower idle power consumption, and smaller packaging volume all contribute to an environmentally friendly product without compromising on performance. The packaging is fully recyclable, and the product is designed to ship more efficiently with a lighter weight and reduced materials.

Pair the Arc Ultra with Sonos’ new Sub 4 for an extraordinary home theater experience. Sub 4 features dual custom woofers that generate deep, dynamic low frequencies, enhancing your entertainment without distortion. Its sculptural design allows it to fit seamlessly into your home—whether standing upright, lying on its side, or tucked under furniture. The next-generation Sub 4 includes increased processing power, memory, and new WiFi radios for better connectivity.

Alongside Arc Ultra and Sub 4, Sonos is rolling out an improved version of its app. This new software enhances the user experience by improving system identification, simplifying device setup, and offering better grouping capabilities. It also includes new features like improved queue management, music library indexing, and enhanced accessibility options, such as TalkBack improvements on Android.

With Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4, I’m excited to bring the next-level sound system into the comfort of my own home—experiencing exceptional sound quality, advanced features, and a sophisticated design that transforms my living room into a true cinematic space.

The post Get Next-Level 9.1.4 spatial audio with the Sonos Arc Ultra Soundbar first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Nuio Flow is a customizable split ergonomic keyboard with magnetic peripherals

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The Nuio Flow is a new ergonomic keyboard and accessory system for those who don’t mind trading serious cash for a sleek and thoughtful design. Co-founded by two brothers, one of whom is a former Apple designer, Nuio has an Apple-like value proposition: a split keyboard and an optional trackpad, desk pad, magnetic stands and wristpads for $400 for the keyboard alone to over $1,000 for all of components.

At the center of Nuio’s product lineup is the Flow split ergonomic keyboard, which (here’s the Apple influence again) “puts the human form at the center of every design.” Nuio CEO Tom Wilson says the product’s purpose is to reject legacy decisions that often dictate keyboard design. “There are literally no right angles in the human body,” Wilson wrote in a press release shared with Engadget. “Yet we spend most of our lives hunched over rigid, rectangular keyboards and peripherals — often enduring hours of wrist pain, tech fatigue and poor posture.”

Angle view of the Nuio split keyboard with trackpad, wristpads and deskpad.
Nuio

The company describes the keyboard’s split, radial design as optimal for hand positioning. (Of course, there are plenty of ergonomic and split keyboards you can already buy for much less.) It has curved keys with a scissor-switch mechanism (like many laptops, including Apple’s current models), so this model isn’t for those who like mechanical keyboards.

The keys and their symbols are backlit but without color customization. Each charge of the Flow keyboard is estimated at up to 28 days, but that drops to around 15 days with “some backlight use.” The keyboard includes a split USB-C cable that charges both halves simultaneously.

The company estimates that the non-user-replaceable internal battery will last about two years, but it says you can send it to the company for a battery replacement after that. When we reached out to the company to clarify the service’s cost, a Nuio spokesperson said the battery replacement is free for the first two-year window. After that, “there will be a nominal replacement charge.”

Unlike many top-of-the-line keyboards, you can’t swap out the Flow keyboard’s physical keys. Nuio also doesn’t appear to offer key-changing on a software level; its FAQ says it offers “a limited amount of key customization” through your device’s operating system.

While most ergonomic keyboards have built-in stands, Nuio sells a $99 pair of magnetic ones separately. They let you “tent and tilt” the keyboard along multiple axes. The company says the stands hold their position firmly after each adjustment.

Product shot (angle) of the Nuio Flow Trackpad.
Nuio

Nuio also sells a $249 wireless multitouch Flow trackpad to complement the keyboard. The company says its edge-to-edge glass surface offers precision tracking and pressure-sensing. Unlike Apple’s current Magic Trackpad, it clicks mechanically, not with haptics and pressure-sensing. Nuio says its trackpad offers full gesture support but doesn’t support deep-presses like Apple’s. You can also buy a $59 magnetic stand for the trackpad with multi-axis tilt support.

The rest of the Nuio system includes a $99 pair of “supremely comfortable” wristpads. They can attach to a deskpad, available first in a travel-friendly small size for $129. The price of a large one, initially listed on the website at $179, is “still in the works,” according to a company spokesperson. The deskpads include magnets, too, allowing “precise and flexible positioning of all NUIO components.” The company says it strikes a balance between firmly holding all the system’s components in place while still being easy to adjust.

Array of different colors of the split Nuio Flow Keyboard
Nuio

If you order the keyboard, trackpad, stands for each and large desk pad, you’re forking over $1,084. (Cue spit take.) Like a luxury watch or car, the Nuio Flow system asks you to care enough about an elegant, modern design while typing (and perhaps have an Apple designer’s salary yourself) to invest in the elegant-looking accessory ecosystem.

The Nuio Flow Keyboard and its peripherals are now available to pre-order from the company’s website. The keyboard in space gray with a macOS legend, small deskpad keyboard stands, trackpad stand and wristpads are expected to ship in early December. Meanwhile, if you want the keyboard with Windows / dual OS legends or in other colors (silver, gold, rose gold, blue, green and brown), you’ll have to wait for early January. The large deskpad is “coming soon.”

Update, October 15, 2024, 5:50PM ET: We updated the story to reflect more current details about the keyboard’s estimated battery life and the large deskpad’s pricing, according to a company spokesperson.

Update, October 15, 2024, 5:00PM ET: This story has been updated to add a Nuio spokesperson’s info about the battery replacement service’s cost.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/the-nuio-flow-is-a-customizable-split-ergonomic-keyboard-with-magnetic-peripherals-192259319.html?src=rss

This underwater dog robot comes with its own horror soundtrack

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The dog-esque robots created by the likes of Boston Dynamics and MAB Robotics are already horrifying thanks to a mix of the “Metalhead” episode of Black Mirror and humanity’s natural apprehension for an uncertain future. This one highlighted by TechCrunch really got under my skin in an unnatural way.

MAB’s Honey Badger Legged Robot can walk underwater and they took it on a test run for its YouTube channel. The steps it takes on the bottom of the pool create this weird ringing noise that’s just alarming as all hell. It’s like the engineering team hired John Carpenter to write a score for its robot.

It’s even scarier when the robot walks towards the camera like it’s hunting me down just before asphyxiation sets in and I drown. It sounds like they took a cue from the Skinamarink soundtrack. Someone make the horror in my head stop.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/this-underwater-dog-robot-comes-with-its-own-horror-soundtrack-215325892.html?src=rss

The Apple Pencil Pro is 30 percent off, taking it down to an all-time low price

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Update 10/16/24 2:55pm ET: Amazon has raised the price by $5, so while the Pencil Pro isn't at a record-low anymore, it's still available at a good sale price. Also discounted now is the USB-C Apple Pencil, which has dropped to a new low of $65.

Apple doesn't offer many discounts for its product lineup, so seeing one of its tablet accessories on sale for a third off the usual cost is exciting. The Apple Pencil Pro is available on Amazon for just $90, the lowest price we've seen for it. This is the most recent stylus model from Apple, with a design overhaul that was just announced in May, and it quickly rose to prominence as one of our favorite accessories for an iPad.

The Pencil Pro has some useful features for optimal control and navigation, such as squeeze and roll gestures. The stylus boasts pressure sensitivity; in other words, it will make darker marks if you press harder and lighter marks if you use a light touch. It delivers haptic feedback to your fingers and if you have a habit of misplacing accessories, the Pencil Pro also can be tracked down with Find My. And as with other Apple Pencils, the Pro will attach magnetically to your iPad's chassis for charging when it's not in use.

There are a few downsides to the Pro model, most notably that it's still not universally supported across all iPads. We've got a rundown of all the different Apple Pencils' features and compatibilities, but the tl;dr is that this high-end version works with the M4 iPad Pro, the M2 iPad Airs and the latest model of the iPad Mini. So this may not be the right buy for every iPad owner, but it's a great tool for taking full advantage of everything those tablets can do.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-pencil-pro-is-30-percent-off-taking-it-down-to-an-all-time-low-price-210311608.html?src=rss

Intel and AMD team up to stem the x86 bleeding

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Like Professor X and Magneto, Intel and AMD know when to team up and take on a shared adversary. The two companies have formed a new x86 advisory group to stem the platform’s bleeding from Arm’s rapidly growing adoption. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whose company is also part of the initiative, said the board will “help drive software consistency and standard interfaces.”

Intel and AMD aim to find new ways to expand the x86 ecosystem with greater cross-platform compatibility. Arm, licensed for Apple silicon, Qualcomm chips and some Big Tech data centers, currently has a simpler and more flexible design. Compared to x86, Arm makes it easier for licensing companies to adapt the architecture to their needs.

The new x86 group wants a more unified set of instructions and architectural interfaces. Intel and AMD believe greater predictability and consistency across their products will foster developer innovation and help the platform survive and thrive. 

In addition to the pair of chipmaking rivals, the group’s founding members include Microsoft, Google, Meta, HP Inc, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lenovo, Broadcom, Dell, Oracle and Red Hat. Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney and Linux creator Linus Torvalds are also members.

“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades — with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger wrote in a press release. “We proudly stand together with AMD and the founding members of this advisory group, as we ignite the future of compute, and we deeply appreciate the support of so many industry leaders.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/intel-and-amd-team-up-to-stem-the-x86-bleeding-205731857.html?src=rss

Absolutely exclusive SpaceOne x Perpétuel Edition Green Titanium Jumping Hour Watch is now extremely rare

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Some watches are designed for simplicity, others for complexity, then there is this third breed – a prerogative largely of the likes of MB&F and Urwerk – which is designed for those, ready for lift-off to live amid the extraterrestrial. As the headline reads, it’s not the obvious creators, rather a collaboration between SpaceOne and Perpétuel Gallery which reimagines this jumping hour watch in an exemplary blend of futurism and contemporary horology.

The resulting SpaceOne x Perpetuel Edition in special green color is an enduring haute horology piece resembling a space-ready watch even the aliens would envy. Under the shadow of this overstatement is a watch that’s anything but traditional. What’s in it, let’s check out in detail below.

Designer: SpaceOne x Perpétuel

Ready for lift-off!

The SpaceOne x Perpetuel Gallery Jump Hour is provided in a robust grade-5 titanium casing featuring the striking Perpétuel Green color. It comes paired with a matching DELUGS rubber strap and features orange Eastern Arabic digits printed on pair of plain black discs that allow minutes and hours to leap into the sapphire cockpit on the dial.

With a distinct, UFO-like shape and crown resembling a rocket nozzle, the watch is befitting a wrist ready to take off on a shuttle flight. Recently in haute horology, there has been a persistent rise in watches with unorthodox layouts: space-inspired complications have become really common and this one is another entrant.

The design in beyond

Despite the form factor, the SpaceOne x Perpetuel Edition is pretty sleek yet formidable. It is a limited edition release, which has gone out faster than candies on the shelf. In its construction and functionality, ‘the watch is as tough as a spaceship.’ It measures 42 mm x 51.67 mm and is only 12 mm thick.

The SpaceOne x Perpetuel Edition is powered by Soprod P024 automatic movement which one can gawk at through the visible caseback. The movement provides 38 hours of power reserve and beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour.

A lost race

This watch that wins over with its unique shape has received an overwhelming response. It was Limited to only 25 examples at launch and thanks to the Perpetuel makeover of this SpaceOne watch, it is already sold out in under five days from its release on October 10.

If you’re reading this and thought you were in the race, you probably have lost your chance to get hands on a SpaceOne x Perpetuel Edition until maybe some collector, who has recently purchased the AED 13,000 (approximately $3,500) watch, is willing to part with it-of course at a premium!

The post Absolutely exclusive SpaceOne x Perpétuel Edition Green Titanium Jumping Hour Watch is now extremely rare first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nissan Ariya drivers will soon be able to use Tesla Superchargers

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Nissan is the latest carmaker to join Tesla’s network of charging stations. The company announced that Nissan Ariya drivers can use the MyNissan app to find charging stations with plans to make the North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter available to Ariya drivers.

The move to Tesla’s grid of Superchargers will expand Nissan’s charging network to 90,000 stations across the US. Nissan’s energy network also includes the Shell Recharge, ChargePoint and EVgo networks with plans to expand other networks as well. Nissan will begin offering EVs with NACS ports in the US and Canada sometime next year.

Nissan Leaf drivers won’t be able to use the new charging stations. Instead, they can still find NissanConnect EV and Services through the app.

Tesla may not be winning the EV battle when it comes to its embittered Cybertruck that’s now under its fifth recall, but it’s ahead in the charging battle. Stellantis announced that EVs for brands like Dodge, Fiat and Alfa Romeo will use Tesla’s NACS. General Motors started selling Tesla’s NACS adapter last month after a 15-month wait. Hyundai just started adapting its EVs including its Ioniq lineup to Tesla’s NACS system. At this point, nearly every major automaker has pledged to support the system, making Nissan one of the last holdouts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/nissan-ariya-drivers-will-soon-be-able-to-use-tesla-superchargers-195026448.html?src=rss

Threads can now show when people are online and using the app

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Threads is sometimes criticized for not prioritizing real-time content in its recommendations. Now, Meta is adding status indicators that can show when a particular user is online in an apparent effort to address that need.

The optional feature, called “activity status,” will display a green bubble alongside someone’s profile photo when they’re online. The indicator is meant to help users find “others to engage with in real-time,” according to an update from Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. “We hope that knowing when your people are online makes it easier to have conversations.”

It’s an interesting choice for a platform that still doesn’t have direct messaging capabilities. Such indicators are more common in chat apps like Discord (Instagram, which does have robust DM capabilities, also has a similar feature). But Meta has said repeatedly it doesn’t want to bring in-app messaging to Threads, with the app’s head of product recently telling Business Insider there are no plans to add DMs to the app.

The feature also doesn’t exactly address many users’ desire for a feed that’s more oriented to real-time information and conversations. Instead, Meta is offering the status indicators as a way to seek out users who are currently active on the service as a way of encouraging conversations that are more likely to get timely replies. But without a clear way of finding people who have that green bubble alongside their profile photo, it’s unclear how easy this will actually be.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-can-now-show-when-people-are-online-and-using-the-app-194041928.html?src=rss

Riot makes more cuts, this time to crown jewel League of Legends

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Riot Games is cutting jobs from its League of Legends team. Marc Merrill, the studio's co-founder, co-chairman and chief product officer, announced the cuts today on X. "This isn’t about reducing headcount to save money—it’s about making sure we have the right expertise so that League continues to be great for another 15 years and beyond," Merrill said. A rep from Riot Games told Engadget that 32 jobs will be eliminated across the company in this move.

The spin seems to be that the developer is trying to reprioritize behind the scenes, especially with Merrill's insistence that "we’re not slowing down work on the game you love" and that the team "will eventually be even larger than it is today as we develop the next phase of League." He didn't add any more details about what that new focus would be or which departments will bear the brunt of the cuts.

It's a bold move for Riot to make now, especially since League of Legends is right in the middle of its much-viewed World Championships. We received confirmation that the esports team would not be impacted by the cuts. The company also downsized at the start of 2024, eliminating 11 percent of its global workforce. That move mostly impacted employees "outside of core development," so the League of Legends team likely didn't see any changes at that time. The company also separately announced in January that it would shutter the Riot Forge publishing project.

All these changes point toward a bigger picture of changing and narrowing focus for Riot. The company has tried a lot of new ideas since the explosive success of League of Legends; a first person team shooter, a mobile auto chess battler, a fighting game and an animated TV show, to name a few. But it seems like Riot's time for experimentation may be ending.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/riot-makes-more-cuts-this-time-to-crown-jewel-league-of-legends-192548888.html?src=rss