Tag Archives: region|US

Cinemark’s Gladiator II AR-enabled popcorn bucket claims ‘you can eat war’

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The popcorn bucket wars just became literal with Cinemark's latest entry for Gladiator II. The theater chain's new entry is not only shaped like the Roman colosseum, it plays a cutesy augmented reality gladiator battle when you point your smartphone at QR code on the bottom (AR-ENA, get it?). The butter on the popcorn is Cinemark's tagline, claiming "you can eat war." 

In fact, all of the ad copy is brilliantly cheesy: "Every kernel of strength, every ounce of honor, is for the glory of Rome. As you preside over this gladiator arena, you can... eat war. Finish the popcorn and unleash the battle within. You will be entertained." Being intoned in the Honest Trailer style takes it up an extra notch.

It's the latest popcorn bucket movie merch, following high-profile entries from Dune and Deadpool. We've also seen entries for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and others that didn't quite capture the same zeitgeist.

Sure, you might need to wipe off some popcorn grease to read the Cinemark bucket's QR code, and the AR animation of two fighting gladiators is reminiscent of a PlayStation 2 render. Still, neither the Dune nor Wolverine buckets boast any interactive features, so the Gladiator II bucket has them beat there — and it's a smart way to rope in the tech press. 

Cinemark's vessel is also plausibly shaped like a popcorn bucket with its colosseum form. The same can't be said for Dune's sandworm-shaped bucket or Deadpool's Wolverine head bucket (Dune director Denis Villeneuve called the latter "horrific" and he's right). If you're looking to expand your collection, the Gladiator II popcorn bucket will arrive "soon" and the movie itself hits theaters on November 22.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/cinemarks-gladiator-ii-ar-enabled-popcorn-bucket-claims-you-can-eat-war-093045963.html?src=rss

Roblox to launch new child safety protocols next month

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Roblox has adopted several new policies designed to give parents control over how their children use the sprawling online game platform. Bloomberg reported that the company has created a new type of parental account so that a guardian can oversee their kids' online activities and friends. Roblox is also now requiring parent permission for users under age 13 to access certain features. Users age 9 and younger will also need permission in order to access game modes with moderate violence or crude humor. The publication said these changes are slated to go into effect next month.

Concerns about safety for young players have been a recurring issue for Roblox. The platform faced a lawsuit claiming exploitation of a minor in 2022. Sony was reluctant to host the game on its hardware over questions of whether Roblox exposed children to inappropriate sexual content, and the same justification led to a ban in Turkey earlier this year. Hindenburg Research recently released an exposé about predatory behavior as well as misleading financial activity at Roblox (although that source has a shaky reputation of its own). An investigation by Bloomberg Businessweek found that at least two dozen people have been arrested by US law enforcement since 2018 for abusing or abducting child victims they met on Roblox.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/roblox-to-launch-new-child-safety-protocols-next-month-225552516.html?src=rss

Tesla says it will ‘begin launching’ new and more affordable EVs next year

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One of Tesla’s biggest downsides has always been the upfront cost of its electric vehicles versus gas models. The cheapest car it currently sells is $42,490 before subsidies, and the average Kelley Blue Book starting price of its 2024 models is just over $63,000.

Tesla wrote in its third-quarter disclosure report that it’s making “preparations” to offer new vehicles with “more affordable models.” The EV maker’s cost of goods sold per vehicle also came down to “its lowest level ever” at $35,1000.

“Plans for new vehicles, including more affordable models, remain on track for start of production in the first half of 2025,” the report reads. “These vehicles will utilize aspects of the next generation platform as well as aspects of our current platforms and will be able to be produced on the same manufacturing lines as our current vehicle line-up.”

Tesla also says it plans to “begin launching” its cheaper EV models “in the first half of 2025.” That wording is still fairly loose, so there’s no guarantee that a new model will ship the same year.

The other surprise in Tesla’s report came from the numbers. It turns out that despite setbacks like the Cybertruck’s fifth recall and a federal investigation into its EVs’ Full Self-Driving feature, Tesla had a fairly robust third quarter. The carmaker’s net income rose by 8 percent to $2.51 billion and sales rose by 2 percent year-over-year. The news also ends its four-quarter streak of missed earnings targets.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-says-it-will-begin-launching-new-and-more-affordable-evs-next-year-215038050.html?src=rss

Minecraft is ending all virtual reality support next spring

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For Minecraft players, virtual and mixed reality will soon go the way of a hissing creeper. Developer Mojang announced last month that March 2025 would be the last update for the game on PlayStation VR. Yesterday's patch notes for the Bedrock edition of the game use similar language, stating that "Our ability to support VR/MR devices has come to an end, and will no longer be supported in updates after March of 2025."

All is not lost for the block builders who have been enjoying Minecraft in virtual reality. After the final March 2025 update, the patch notes clarify that "you can keep building in your worlds, and your Marketplace purchases (including Minecoins) will continue to be available on a non-VR/MR graphics device such as a computer monitor." It's a sad development for a game that was such a good match for the VR experience. And with the huge sales figures Minecraft continues to put up year after year, it's also a bit discouraging for the broader virtual reality and mixed reality ecosystem to lose such an iconic title.

There is a silver lining for the Minecraft community, however. After a very long wait, the game finally has a native edition available for the PlayStation 5. Sony's latest console generation has been relegated to using the PS4 version until now, but going forward the game will have 4K resolution and 60 fps even at a longer draw distance. If you're a PS5 owner who already has the PS4 version of Minecraft, you can claim the new update for free in the PlayStation Store. And with the Bundles of Bravery update rolling out yesterday, it's a promising time to start a new blocky adventure.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/minecraft-is-ending-all-virtual-reality-support-next-spring-212953347.html?src=rss

Blizzard announces Warcraft 30th anniversary stream next month

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This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft gaming universe but there’s not going to be a BlizzCon gathering to celebrate it. So Blizzard is doing the next-best thing by holding a live streaming event.

Blizzard announced that its special Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct stream will start at 1PM ET on Wednesday, November 13. The broadcast will run on Blizzard’s official streaming channels for Twitch, YouTube and TikTok.

There aren’t many details available about what Warcraft fans can expect to see during the livestream except for a special concert celebrating World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary. Following the stream, Blizzard will broadcast a live concert called World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music from Switzerland. The 21st Century Orchestra and the choirs Tales of Fantasy, Ardito and the Madrijazz Gospel will perform selected songs from the MMORPG’s iconic soundtrack.

Activision Blizzard announced back in April that it wouldn’t be holding a BlizzCon gathering this year despite WoW’s momentous milestone. Maybe that’s because things have been a little rocky for the game company in the past few years. Microsoft included Activision Blizzard in its round of 1,900 layoffs alongside ZeniMax at the beginning of the year, and in the months after the studio formed the largest wall-to-wall union in the industry.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/blizzard-announces-warcraft-30th-anniversary-stream-next-month-210021972.html?src=rss

The FCC will review the broadband industry’s lousy customer support

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The FCC has fixed its watchful eye on the often lousy customer service we get from telecom providers. The agency said on Wednesday it’s opening a formal proceeding to review the customer support from cable, broadband, satellite TV and home voice service providers.

The review will cover customers' friction points when contacting telecom industry providers. These include hard-to-cancel subscriptions, getting stuck in “doom loops” when trying to reach a human, sneaky automatic renewals and shoddy accessibility options for folks with disabilities.

“We can and should expect consistent, transparent, and helpful customer service from the communications companies that provide so many services that are so vital in our day-to-day lives,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote in a press release announcing the inquiry. “No one should get stuck in a doom loop trying to cancel a subscription or just get a human being to help resolve their service problems.”

The FCC wants to simplify customer cancelation options, requiring providers to offer more choices and transparent disclosures at the point of sale and on bills. In addition, it hopes to mandate explicit customer consent before automatically renewing services and helping customers get easier access to live reps without bouncing through endless phone trees. It also aims to improve the accessibility of customer service resources for people with disabilities.

Other finer points on the agenda include extending current regulations for cable operator installation, outage and service call rules to include satellite TV, voice and broadband services. Finally, it wants “current cable operator customer service requirements to reflect marketplace and technology changes.”

The Commission adopted the Notice of Inquiry with a 3-2 vote “with the majority highlighting the importance of customer support.” For starters, the FCC will build a public record of where these customer service points stand today and what specific regulations it could adopt to make things smoother for families and businesses.

The inquiry is part of a larger effort to crack down on everyday headaches that waste time and money. Earlier this month, the FCC launched an inquiry into the broadband industry’s nonsensical, profit-grabbing data caps. This summer, Verizon paid a $1 million fine to settle an investigation into a 2022 outage that prevented hundreds of emergency calls from going through. Meanwhile, the FTC recently ratified its “click-to-cancel” rule, making ending subscriptions easier.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-fcc-will-review-the-broadband-industrys-lousy-customer-support-204329886.html?src=rss

Apple’s M2 MacBook Air drops to a new low of $700

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Amazon has a great deal running now on the M2 MacBook Air, where you can get the slimline laptop for just $700. The main deal price is $849, which is nice at 15 percent off the regular cost. But you can also apply a coupon to the space gray model for an additional discount, bringing the price down even further. For now, you can also nab the silver and starlight colors for $700 without adding in a coupon.  

This is the 2022 model of the MacBook Air, and it's some of the best we've seen out of Apple laptops. The M2 chip is a big factor in what takes this laptop from a lightweight to a powerhouse. By using Apple's own silicon, the computer reaches pretty high standards in performance, with 10 GPU cores and a 35 percent boost to the speeds of the previous M1 chip. It's also got a gorgeous Liquid Retina display. The model currently on sale has 8GB RAM and 256GB of solid state drive storage. And once Apple Intelligence starts rolling out next week, the M2 Air is prepared to handle the extra workload of those AI-driven tasks.

The Air is also Engadget's pick for your best budget Apple laptop. In other words, this is a good deal on the model that's already a good deal. It's very possible that Amazon's supply will be snapped up quickly, so if this catches your eye, we suggest you act fast. 

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/apples-m2-macbook-air-drops-to-a-new-low-of-700-195147706.html?src=rss

Apple, Goldman Sachs fined $89 million for misleading Apple Card customers

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The Apple Card has landed Apple and Goldman Sachs in hot water. In a press release spotted by The Verge, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said it was fining the two companies a combined $89 million over practices involving the Apple Card.

The CFPB says Apple failed to send “tens of thousands” of disputed card transactions to Goldman Sachs. When it finally sent the transactions to the investment bank, Goldman Sachs failed to follow “numerous federal requirements for investigating the disputes,” according to the CFPB’s announcement.

Apple and Goldman are also accused of misleading customers about the Apple Card. Some consumers believed they could make interest-free payments to purchase an Apple device with the credit card but interest charges still showed up on their bill “because they were not automatically enrolled as expected.”

Apple is also accused of keeping its interest-free payment option off of its website if the customer wasn’t using a Safari browser. The CFPB also says Goldman Sachs misled customers about the application of some refunds that racked up additional interest charges.

The CFPB has ordered Goldman Sachs to pay at least $19.8 million in redress funds and a $45 million civil money penalty. The company is also required to present a “credible plan” to comply with laws before launching any new credit card product. Apple also received a $25 million civil money penalty that will go to the CFPB’s victims relief fund.

Apple and Goldman Sachs introduced the Apple Card in 2019, advertising it as a product that could “help customers lead a healthier financial life.”. Four years later, a report from the Wall Street Journal said that Goldman Sachs was starting to have doubts about the consumer lending industry and thought the venture may have been a mistake.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-goldman-sachs-fined-89-million-for-misleading-apple-card-customers-192538650.html?src=rss

Ubisoft has disbanded the team behind Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

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Ubisoft has disbanded the team behind the recently-released platformer Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, according to a reputable French journalist. The alleged reason for disbanding the team is a simple one. The game didn’t meet sales expectations and Ubisoft “needed more hands to help on other projects that had a better sales potential.” This is according to a translation published on Reset Era. 

"Most of the team members who worked on Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown have shifted to other projects that will benefit from their expertise," Abdelhak Elguess, a senior producer on the game, told Eurogamer. The Prince of Persia X account shared a public version of Elguess' statement.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown sold around 300,000 copies during its first few weeks of availability, totaling $15 million in revenue, as indicated by a report by Insider Gaming. These sales figures allegedly “sealed the fate” of the game and its dev team. Ubisoft staffers reportedly pushed higher ups for a sequel, or more DLC, but were allegedly denied.

Oddly, the company’s executives reportedly refused to greenlight a sequel on the grounds that it would cannibalize sales of the original. I’m not sure that’s how sequels work, especially when they come out years after the first game, but whatever.

This is sad for a number of reasons. First of all, the game was great. The Metacritic aggregate review score sits at 86, while user reviews hover at around 8.5 out of ten. I played it and found it to be a fantastic Metroidvania that could easily sit next to some of the classics of the genre, like Hollow Knight and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

It’s also a bummer because gamers constantly complain that Ubisoft doesn’t try anything new, instead relying on iterative improvements of its core franchises or applying tried-and-true gameplay mechanics to pre-existing IPs. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a retro-style throwback, sure, but it’s not another lifeless open world map filled with fetch quests and stealth missions.

By all accounts, it also looks to have been a positive development experience. The French journalist who broke this story, Gautoz, said he heard from multiple employees that it was the best game production experience in their lives. It was seen as a “beacon of hope” for “people that were burnt out by” the endless development cycle of Beyond Good and Evil 2.

Why did it underperform? There’s no hard data, but this was a 2D sidescroller that cost a whopping $60. That could be one reason. Only Nintendo can get away with charging full price for retro-style titles.

It’s also worth noting that this was just one of two sidescrolling Prince of Persia games to release this year, which could have injected some confusion into the market. Evil Empire, the team behind Dead Cells, also soft-launched The Rogue Prince of Persia back in May as an early access title. This is a roguelite spin on the traditional franchise games.

Update, October 10, 11:11AM ET: Added a public version of Elguess' statement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ubisoft-has-disbanded-the-team-behind-prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-185408301.html?src=rss

A Scottish children’s hospital now has a gamer-in-residence to play games with kids

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A children's hospital in Scotland now has a gamer-in-residence in what's said to be a first in the UK and Ireland. Steven Mair, the first person to take on the full-time role, will play games with kids at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

As with other gaming-related charitable efforts at children's hospitals, the aim is to help patients relax and minimize feelings of boredom and isolation, while offering them a sense of escapism. Studies have indicated that playing games can help reduce the procedural pain and anxiety of pediatric patients, as well as their caregivers' anxiety.

Mair is also organizing gaming events at the facility, fundraising for new gaming equipment and managing gaming volunteers for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. The charity established the gamer-in-residence position with the help of partners Devolver Digital and Neonhive after raising over £100,000 ($129,000) last year through efforts such as a Scottish Games Sale on Steam for a campaign called Games for the Weans ("weans" is a Scottish word for "kids"). Meanwhile, a $12,000 donation from Child's Play earlier this year will help fund the replacement of older Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems with hospital-adapted consoles.

“Children in Jace’s ward can have long stays and intense treatment plans. This can include physical pain and a lot of new emotions. Often, parents can feel helpless at times. For my son Jace in particular, he is an experienced gamer. His blood disorder prevented him from going outside or starting school," Catherine Reid, the mother of seven-year-old Jace, said in a statement that I could barely get all the way through without welling up.

​“When the gamer-in-residence came round to play Mario on the Nintendo, he immediately lit up and smiled. It was an instant energy boost for him mentally and physically. In reality, I think often what kids want is some quality time and gaming with new friends.”

This is a fantastic idea. Hospital stays can be tough for anyone, but especially so for kids and their families. You can help support the gamer-in-residence program and other charitable efforts that help young hospital patients through gaming by donating to the likes of the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and Child's Play.

Meanwhile, Extra Life's Game Day, an event during which gamers and communities raise funds for children's hospitals, takes place on November 2. You can sign up to take part or make a donation over at the Extra Life website.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/a-scottish-childrens-hospital-now-has-a-gamer-in-residence-to-play-games-with-kids-182303354.html?src=rss