Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Netflix grabbed the most Oscar nominations, with stiff competition from Disney and Apple

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It’s that time of year again. Oscar nominations are in, setting off a firestorm of debate and speculation until the awards ceremony in March. This year, the streamers absolutely ruled the roost. Netflix snagged 18 nominations, including best picture, which technically puts it in first place, according to a breakdown from Variety.

I say Netflix “technically” received the most nominations because it depends on your point of view. Disney actually scored 20 nominations across various categories, but only when you don’t split up its various sub-brands. Remember, Disney owns just about everything, including 20th Century Studios, Hulu, Lucasfilm Ltd., Marvel Studios, National Geographic Documentary Films, Pixar Animation Studios and Searchlight, among others. All of them together came to 20 nominations, including a best picture nomination for Poor Things.

Apple came away with 13 nominations, including best picture nods for Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon, which isn’t bad for a company that just started creating original content around four years ago. Universal, an actual old-school production company, also nabbed 13 noms, including best picture for one half of the summer’s hottest cinema event, Oppenheimer.

The other half of the equation, Barbie, was also nominated for best picture. However, Greta Gerwig got snubbed for best director, which is not sitting right with denizens of the internet. Also, Margot Robbie didn’t get a best actress nomination, while Ryan Gosling got one for best supporting actor. To be fair, that best actress category is crowded with stellar performances from relative newcomers like Lily Gladstone to long-time veterans like Annette Bening.

The films with the most nominations include Oppenheimer and Poor Things, both with 13. Production company A24, however, was the only studio with multiple nominations in the best picture category, thanks to Past Lives and The Zone of Interest. A24 was also behind the Netflix limited series Beef, which took home a slew of Emmy awards last week. Inexplicably, A24 also produces the hilarious, yet decidedly low-brow, sitcom Tacoma FD. That's your useless fact for the day. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-grabbed-the-most-oscar-nominations-with-stiff-competition-from-disney-and-apple-171221880.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Alphabet cuts jobs at its moonshot labs

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Mere days after Alphabet and Google CEO Sudar Pichai warned of more job attrition this year, the company is shedding more staff, at its moonshot lab. Alphabet is also restructuring X (not to be confused with what used to be called Twitter) to make it easier to spin out projects with backing (read: money) from outside investors.

X division head Astro Teller told staff in a memo that the company was “expanding our approach to focus on spinning out more projects as independent companies funded through market-based capital.”

X has attempted to tackle bigger-picture challenges and problems worldwide, like climate change, the future of the internet and cybersecurity, but it hasn’t found consistent success through its spinoff businesses. The company hopes this could refocus heady ideas into those with a future.

— Mat Smith

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Apple launches iOS 17.3, including the new Stolen Device Protection feature

An iPadOS update has the same.

iOS 17.3 is available to install now, and while it’s not shaking things up too much, it does have Stolen Device Protection. The feature first popped up in the developer beta of iOS 17.3, and it’s actually pretty handy. If someone steals your iPhone or iPad, and you’re updated to OS 17.3, you can lock them out of the system by forcing Face ID or Touch ID access. This works even if they have your passcode. The update also has AirPlay hotel support, optimized crash detection and collaborative playlists on Apple Music — something I’ve been waiting for since my iOS 17 preview.

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NVIDIA’s RTX Remix tool launches in open beta

It can add ray tracing and AI-upscaled textures to older games.

NVIDIA has finally leased a beta version of its RTX Remix tool. This software is for modders and can add ray tracing and AI-upscaled textures to older games. For those who know what they’re doing, it’s capable of end-to-end remastering of just about any DirectX 8 or 9 game from the past. NVIDIA has released a list of compatible games — classics like Call of Duty 2, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Garry’s Mod, Freedom Fighters and Need for Speed Underground 2.

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Watch the trailer for Apple’s latest sci-fi series, Constellation

It stars Noomi Rapace and premieres on February 21.

TMA
Apple

Apple's newest TV series follows an astronaut, played by Noomi Rapace, after an emergency return to Earth. According to the trailer, it will be filled with unreliable narrator twists and turns — and it’s in HDR, so it should really pop on that new Vision Pro headset.

Watch here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-alphabet-cuts-jobs-at-its-moonshot-labs-121537179.html?src=rss

NVIDIA’s RTX Remix tool is finally available as a free open beta

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If you love old PC games, but wish they had access to modern graphical flourishes, NVIDIA has you covered. The company just released a beta version of its long-awaited RTX Remix tool. This software is designed especially for modders and can be used to add ray-tracing and AI-upscaled textures to older games.

Remix was built on NVIDIA’s Omniverse 3D graphics collaboration platform and allows for end-to-end remastering of just about any DirectX 8 or 9 game. It consists of two basic components. There’s an application for creating new lighting scenarios and one for remastering and adding assets into a scene. The company says that the tool can already be used to fully remaster a game from start to finish, despite it being “just” a beta.

To that end, the software is available for download right now and NVIDIA hopes modders will experiment with the tool and leave feedback, which will be incorporated into future updates. It’s also free, which is always nice.

NVIDIA has released a non-comprehensive list of compatible games, which includes classics like Call of Duty 2, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Garry's Mod, Freedom Fighters, Need for Speed Underground 2, and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, among others. For more information on compatibility, check out this FAQ.

The software suite has already been used by NVIDIA to create the Portal with RTX remaster, which is a free DLC, and the modder-made Portal: Prelude RTX. Orbifold Studios is also using RTX Remix to develop Half-Life 2 RTX: An RTX Remix Project, which is a community-driven remaster of the iconic title.

Again, this is a free tool, so it’ll be really fun to see what the modding community cooks up with it. I’m personally looking forward to more Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind ray-tracing goodness.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-rtx-remix-tool-is-finally-available-as-a-free-open-beta-180244440.html?src=rss

Apple just dropped a mysterious trailer for its latest sci-fi series Constellation

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Apple just dropped a trailer for its forthcoming sci-fi mystery series Constellation. The series follows an astronaut, played by Noomi Rapace, after an emergency return to Earth. However, the homecoming is fraught with mysterious occurrences and plain-old sci-fi weirdness, leaving audiences wondering what happened to her up there.

We don’t exactly know what type of sci-fi this is. There are hints that it could be a multiversal story, something that draws from false memory theories like the Mandela Effect. There are also hints that Rapace is being toyed with by an alien intelligence. There are clues that point to Rapace herself being an alien intelligence. Whichever way it goes, the show premieres with three episodes on February 21, followed by new entries each Wednesday.

In addition to Rapace, Constellation stars Jonathan Banks from the Breaking Bad television universe, James D’Arcy, Julian Looman, William Catlett and Barbara Sukowa. The show was created by Peter Harness, who wrote a bunch of Doctor Who episodes, and directed by Michelle MacLaren, who has a fantastic track record in genre TV, having helmed episodes of Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Westworld and, going way back, The X-Files.

This is going to be a trippy show, according to the above footage. It’s also cool that Apple releases trailers in HDR, so they’ll really pop on that Vision Pro headset, if you have more disposable income than Scrooge McDuck on tax return day.

Apple TV+ and sci-fi go together like peanut butter and space jelly. The streamer has quietly become the de facto source for science fiction TV. There’s For All Mankind, which just ended a stellar fourth season, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which just completed its first season. The streamer also recently put out the first season of Silo, based on the Hugh Howey books, and the second season of Invasion.

But wait, there’s more. Apple TV+ is home to the blockbuster hit Severance and a loose adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s seminal Foundation book series. Both shows have been renewed. Additionally, there’s Hello Tomorrow, Extrapolations, Dr. Brain and See. Even shows that don’t seem to be steeped in sci-fi, like Schmigadoon and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, have otherworldly elements. Apple loves itself some sci-fi. I’m down with this. The real world is boring and dumb.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-just-dropped-a-mysterious-trailer-for-its-latest-sci-fi-series-constellation-164245481.html?src=rss

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II finally arrives on May 21

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We finally have a release date for Ninja Theory's Hellblade sequel: May 21, 2024. It's been over four years since Senua's Saga was announced at the 2019 Game Awards alongside Microsoft's (then next-gen) Xbox Series X console. 

The first game in the series, Senua's Sacrifice, focused on the main character's journey to the realm of the dead, and her battle with mental health issues. Saga will focus on Senua traveling through Iceland to track down the Vikings who have been raiding her home town. According to Ninja Theory you should expect "perception puzzles led by her experiences of psychosis," which were a high point of the first game. There'll also be some pretty standard video game combat, but this time, in Iceland!

As you'd expect for a first-party title, Senua's Saga will arrive on Microsoft's Game Pass service for Xbox consoles and PC on day one. For those without Game Pass, it'll be a digital-only release priced at $50. PC users will be able to buy it on either the Xbox store or Steam.

You can watch an eight-minute rundown of the game from Microsoft's Xbox Developer Direct on Ninja Theory's YouTube channel.

Update, January 18, 3:50PM ET: This story was updated after publish to include more details on the game and a link to the release date announcement video on YouTube.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senuas-saga-hellblade-ii-finally-arrives-on-may-21-203751802.html?src=rss

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II finally arrives on May 21

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We finally have a release date for Ninja Theory's Hellblade sequel: May 21, 2024. It's been over four years since Senua's Saga was announced at the 2019 Game Awards alongside Microsoft's (then next-gen) Xbox Series X console. 

The first game in the series, Senua's Sacrifice, focused on the main character's journey to the realm of the dead, and her battle with mental health issues. Saga will focus on Senua traveling through Iceland to track down the Vikings who have been raiding her home town. According to Ninja Theory you should expect "perception puzzles led by her experiences of psychosis," which were a high point of the first game. There'll also be some pretty standard video game combat, but this time, in Iceland!

As you'd expect for a first-party title, Senua's Saga will arrive on Microsoft's Game Pass service for Xbox consoles and PC on day one. For those without Game Pass, it'll be a digital-only release priced at $50. PC users will be able to buy it on either the Xbox store or Steam.

You can watch an eight-minute rundown of the game from Microsoft's Xbox Developer Direct on Ninja Theory's YouTube channel.

Update, January 18, 3:50PM ET: This story was updated after publish to include more details on the game and a link to the release date announcement video on YouTube.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/senuas-saga-hellblade-ii-finally-arrives-on-may-21-203751802.html?src=rss

Rock Band 4’s next weekly DLC drop will be its last

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Rock Band 4’s weekly DLC drops are coming to an end. Harmonix said Wednesday the upcoming batch of new songs on January 25 will be the game’s last. Although all other live services will remain active, the developer plans to give full attention to the Rock Band-like Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game inside Epic’s digital world.

Product manager Daniel Sussman waxed nostalgic about Rock Band 4’s impressive eight-year run of new song drops each week. “Taking a longer look back, I see the Rock Band DLC catalog as a huge achievement in persistence and commitment — over the years we’ve cleared, authored and released nearly 3,000 songs as DLC and well over 3,000 if you include all the game soundtracks,” he wrote in an announcement blog post. “That’s wild.”

Sussman says Harmonix is committed to protecting its licensing, promising that purchased content will remain available. He adds that all the game’s other live services, including Rivals and online play, will continue as usual. There just won’t be any more new music for the rhythm game, which arrived in 2015 with 65 tracks.

Marketing screenshot for Fortnite Festival, a music game within Fortnite. A virtual avatar of The Weeknd sings on stage as a rhythm timer sits prominently down and center.
The Rock Band-like Fortnite Festival
Epic Games

Fortnite Festival, launched in December, is a rock god stage in the popular battle royale title. It has the advantage of being free: You don’t have to pay a couple of bucks to fulfill your dreams of jamming out to “Seven Nation Army,” The Cranberries’ “Zombie” or Bel Biv Devoe’s “Poison.”

Rock Band 4 instrument support is on its way to Epic’s virtual stage. “If you are a fan of the rhythm game category, Fortnite Festival is the place to be; and with support for RB4 instruments coming, this is not the time to hang up your guitars just yet…”

Harmonix is tight-lipped about its final tracks, but it promises thematic relevance. “We deliberated long and hard about how to frame the last blast of RB DLC of this era,” Sussman explained. “The last two weeks will feature some tear jerkers that sum up our feelings about this moment. We thank you for your commitment to and passion for this wonderful game.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rock-band-4s-next-weekly-dlc-drop-will-be-its-last-175227879.html?src=rss

Rock Band 4’s next weekly DLC drop will be its last

Posted on by

Rock Band 4’s weekly DLC drops are coming to an end. Harmonix said Wednesday the upcoming batch of new songs on January 25 will be the game’s last. Although all other live services will remain active, the developer plans to give full attention to the Rock Band-like Fortnite Festival, a rhythm game inside Epic’s digital world.

Product manager Daniel Sussman waxed nostalgic about Rock Band 4’s impressive eight-year run of new song drops each week. “Taking a longer look back, I see the Rock Band DLC catalog as a huge achievement in persistence and commitment — over the years we’ve cleared, authored and released nearly 3,000 songs as DLC and well over 3,000 if you include all the game soundtracks,” he wrote in an announcement blog post. “That’s wild.”

Sussman says Harmonix is committed to protecting its licensing, promising that purchased content will remain available. He adds that all the game’s other live services, including Rivals and online play, will continue as usual. There just won’t be any more new music for the rhythm game, which arrived in 2015 with 65 tracks.

Marketing screenshot for Fortnite Festival, a music game within Fortnite. A virtual avatar of The Weeknd sings on stage as a rhythm timer sits prominently down and center.
The Rock Band-like Fortnite Festival
Epic Games

Fortnite Festival, launched in December, is a rock god stage in the popular battle royale title. It has the advantage of being free: You don’t have to pay a couple of bucks to fulfill your dreams of jamming out to “Seven Nation Army,” The Cranberries’ “Zombie” or Bel Biv Devoe’s “Poison.”

Rock Band 4 instrument support is on its way to Epic’s virtual stage. “If you are a fan of the rhythm game category, Fortnite Festival is the place to be; and with support for RB4 instruments coming, this is not the time to hang up your guitars just yet…”

Harmonix is tight-lipped about its final tracks, but it promises thematic relevance. “We deliberated long and hard about how to frame the last blast of RB DLC of this era,” Sussman explained. “The last two weeks will feature some tear jerkers that sum up our feelings about this moment. We thank you for your commitment to and passion for this wonderful game.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rock-band-4s-next-weekly-dlc-drop-will-be-its-last-175227879.html?src=rss

Sony is making an Until Dawn movie

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Sony is continuing to mine its back catalog of games for movie adaptations while persistently forgetting that Bloodborne is right there. Its next game that's bound for the big screen is Until Dawn, a 2015 interactive horror title that Supermassive Games developed and Sony published.

David F. Sandberg (Lights Out and the Shazam! movies) will direct the adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gary Dauberman, who previously worked on Annabelle: Creation with Sandberg, is taking a fresh stab at a script originally written by Blair Butler (The Invitation).

Until Dawn focuses on a group of eight young people who try to survive the night at a perilous mountain retreat. The spooky game has a branching narrative and, depending on the decisions you make (or if you fail at quick-time events), some of the characters may not make it until the group is rescued the following morning.

Given that any or all of the characters may perish during the night, there are hundreds of possible endings to the game, so it'll be interesting to see which direction Sandberg and Dauberman take with the material. Several notable actors appeared in Until Dawn, including Hayden Panettiere, Jordan Fisher and Oscar winner Rami Malek.

Sony has already adapted several of its games into film and TV properties, with live-action versions of Uncharted (another movie pastiche that itself became a film), Gran Turismo, Twisted Metal and The Last of Us popping up over the last couple of years. Sony also has adaptations of Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon: Zero Dawn, God of War and others in the pipeline.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-is-making-an-until-dawn-movie-211729859.html?src=rss

LinkedIn’s new AI feature helps people find jobs by grouping them into tailored categories

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For many, "new year, new me" includes finding a new job. Scouring sites like LinkedIn and Indeed for opportunities can feel like a full-time role in and of itself. This process could potentially improve moving forward, with LinkedIn announcing its latest feature: Job Collections. 

Basically, instead of searching for a specific industry or role, LinkedIn is using generative AI and large language models to analyze each job posting and categorize it into groups such as IT, pro sports, remote and top startups. Along with saving time, LinkedIn indicates that this feature can benefit people who aren't sure what their next step looks like. The company compares it to Airbnb Experiences — you might not know what you're searching for, but you could find something great. Its success relies significantly on how well it understands you versus wasting your time further sorting through jobs that are completely off base. 

According to LinkedIn, applications rose 50 percent in the US and 36 percent globally last January (a month that typically sees a spike), with 85 percent of working people contemplating changing jobs this year. The number of people searching for a job isn't surprising, given the number of recent layoffs. In the tech industry alone, 2024 has already seen layoffs at Twitch, Google, Meta, Discord and more.  

To use LinkedIn's new feature, simply go to the Jobs tab and click on "Explore with Job Collections." You can now also go to Preferences and choose from things like employment and location type. Then LinkedIn will highlight them in green anytime they appear on a job listing. Plus, if a job isn't exactly what you want but the company is, you can now send them an "I'm Interested" notification right from the listing instead of visiting their profile to do so. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/linkedins-new-ai-feature-helps-people-find-jobs-by-grouping-them-into-tailored-categories-104032853.html?src=rss