Tag Archives: author_name|Mat Smith

The Morning After: US Surgeon General says social media needs warning labels like cigarettes

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The US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, says social media should come with warning labels, writing in The New York Times that social media is an “important contributor” to the teen mental health crisis. Last year, he issued an advisory making similar arguments, saying social media posed a “profound risk” to teen mental health. In his latest op-ed, Murthy cited a study showing higher social media use was associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depression, as well as a survey where almost half of teens reported “social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.”

He also noted warning labels alone wouldn’t make social media safer — I mean, people still smoke — but would help better inform everyone. “There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place… there are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world.”

He’ll need support from Congress to make this happen, however. Cooperation in US politics has not been common this decade. However, there has been recent bipartisan support to curtail tech companies' powers — look at the TikTok saga.

— Mat Smith

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The next Nintendo Direct takes place later today

McDonald’s pauses AI-powered drive-thru voice orders

Neopets is back

The US has sued Adobe over its awful subscription rules

TMA
TikTok

Oh, speak of the devil. TikTok has announced its new AI-created digital avatars for both creators and brands on the app.

According to TikTok, the AI personas should make it easier for creators and businesses to create branded content with a “human feel” — even if that human feel is an uncomfortable stranger staring at you from a bus stop across the road. There are two kinds of avatars: stock avatars based on paid actors and custom avatars based on existing creators and brand spokespeople. As Karissa Bell puts it, they give M3GAN vibes. At least, the company’s own rules require this kind of content to have prominent disclosures.

Continue reading.

Logitech has unveiled a mixed reality stylus for Meta Quest headsets — but not the Quest Pro. The MX Ink helps users craft more precise designs and illustrations — although I’m not sure how many pro-level artists are using consumer-grade VR headsets… But hey, maybe it will give Sony some competition.

Continue reading.

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Nikon

Nikon’s $2,500 Z6 III has the world’s first “partially stacked” 24.5-megapixel (MP) sensor. That allows for high-speed shooting in features like RAW video and faster autofocus and both photo and video modes. In short, better than the several-years-old Z6 II. So, er, what is a partially stacked sensor? They’re rare (and expensive), having so far only appeared on Sony’s A1 and Nikon’s own Z8 and Z9. Circuits cover the entire sensor, so it can read pixel data far more quickly than regular CMOS sensors. On the Z6 II, circuits cover only the top and bottom parts of the sensor. So it’s faster than normal CMOS sensors, but cheaper than stacked ones.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-us-surgeon-general-says-social-media-needs-warning-labels-like-cigarettes-111538368.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple may be planning thinner iPhones, MacBooks and Watches

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s mission to make its thinnest product ever won’t stop at the iPad Pro — the company also has plans for a skinnier Macbook Pro, Apple Watch and iPhone. Gurman says the slimmed-down iPhone — also rumored by The Information — could come as early as 2025, with the introduction of the iPhone 17 line.

A thinner iPhone is likely to be more expensive than current generation devices, however. Remember 2017’s iPhone X, which ditched the home button but cost more? That, again.

Meanwhile, on Engadget, we’ve got even more Summer Game Fest news. Did the show end last week? Yes. Are there still embargoed games we’re itching to talk about? Definitely, yes!

— Mat Smith

Microsoft’s Xbox refresh can’t compete with its leaked roadmap

Doctor Who: The Legend of Ruby Sunday review: What legend?

Cybertruck buyers say they’ve been told deliveries are paused due windshield wiper problems

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According to a Reuters report, the US military used fake social media accounts to discredit China’s COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines during the height of the pandemic. In one example of the US’s anti-vax messaging cited by Reuters, an account in 2020 tweeted, “COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, don’t trust China!” The campaign also pushed the narrative that China’s vaccines were “haram” — forbidden under Islamic law. In a statement to the publication, a Pentagon spokesperson brought up China’s own disinformation campaign, and said the military “uses a variety of platforms, including social media, to counter those malign influence attacks.”

Continue reading.

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Atlus

Metaphor: ReFantazio has been a long time in the making. It was announced in 2017, but we finally got to play through a three-part demo last week at Summer Game Fest. Atlus and the game’s director, Katsura Hashino, are both known more for (semi-) grounded urban fantasy/school life simulations of Persona than wizards and elves, and ReFantazio, in that sense, represents a big departure. As do all the British accents. Expect cockneys, Liverpudlians, and more, all represented in fantasy equivalents. The gameplay of battles, however, is turn-based, strategic and tied to the strength of the bonds with your allies. And yep, that sounds very Persona.

Continue reading.

In this week’s Engadget podcast, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss their final thoughts on Apple Intelligence and the company’s upcoming software teased at WWDC, and they chat about some of our coverage highlights from the pseudo-E3 Game Fest.

Listen here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-may-be-planning-thinner-iphones-macbooks-and-watches-111531784.html?src=rss

The biggest threat to Marvel Rivals is all the other rival team shooters

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Marvel Rivals pits its greatest heroes against each other and it’s a lot of fun. It’s also a familiar kind of fun if you’ve ever played Overwatch. As Overwatch 2 fights to hold onto players (and attract new ones), there’s no shortage of new games with similar team PvP dynamics, modes and characters. Like Valve’s leaked Deadlock title, or PlayStation’s Concord, or Star Wars: Hunters. Add the now console-bound (and more strategy-heavy) Valorant, and yep, there are a lot of team shooters on the horizon. Oh and I forgot Foamstars, like most of us. 

Rivals, made by Netease, has a headstart, however, with a roster of characters that most of us have heard of. These are also heroes whose powers and abilities we already know. And it’s certainly a roster: 19 characters, expanding now to 21 for the next wave of tests.

I was going to complain that this is a heady number of characters and combinations to learn, or at least get used to. But, well, Overwatch launched with 21. One leak, data-mined from the closed alpha, suggest there are plans for up to 39 characters. Oh my.

Briefly playing this alpha-build demo at Summer Game Fest offers a glimpse at the game, and nascent metas (combinations of characters and team builds), but it takes time to evolve and coalesce. It also takes time for me to get good at a new team shooter.

Like the original Overwatch, Rivals pits six heroes/villains against six other Marvel characters, with familiar team goals of escoring a slow-moving object, or protecting zones from the opposing team. It’s not all Marvel Presents… Overwatch, though.

I liked the destructable environments, with some walls taking only so much damage before crumbling and exposing your hero. It kept me on my toes. Other unique gameplay features include "Dynamic Hero Synergy," a sort of baked-in meta where two (sometimes three) characters can augment each other in battle.

One example of this happened as I found early success with Groot. Groot is a tank-type player, with the ability to make Mei-styled walls, just made of plants, not ice. However, if Rocket, his Guardians of the Galaxy team-mate, is on the same team, it increases the duo’s damage output. And Rocket can ride around on Groot’s shoulder, too. Cute.

I mentioned the Groot-Mei connection, but other skill overlaps with Overwatch characters are obvious, but with a twist. Hela, queen of Hel, has a few similarities with Overwatch 2’ s Kiriko, with the ability to escape tight spots, but swapping healing for a focus on damage dealing.

Meanwhile, Black Panther’s lunge attack gets an instant cooldown if you hit an enemy, mimicking Genji’s dash attack that recharges if you get a kill.

The third-person perspective, which a few early testers found divisive, takes some getting used to. Look, I get it: when the core USP of a game is the global juggernaut that is Marvel's intellectual property, you want to see what you paid for. You want to see Iron Man blasting Magik from the skies, Loki faking his death as he circles back around to attack Namor’s weak spot. In first person, a lot of that character design is lost, and your team mates and enemies rarely stand still in order for you to appreciate their character designs and lore.

I’m not sure why, but playing this kind of game from a third-person perspective made movement feel, somehow, sluggish. Unless you’re Spider-Man, who has an uniquely high level of mobility and speed compared to the rest of the current roster.

Overwatch 2 struggled with a lack of PvE features as well as the major change to 5v5 team battles. For a lot of Overwatch players, the game has fallen out of favor. However, for a lot of people it’s still the team shooter to beat. Will the draw of Marvel’s greatest heroes (and villains) be enough of a draw, and can NetEase sustain Rivals appeal when it launches? A closed beta test, which will include PS5 gamers this time, is scheduled for July.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-biggest-threat-to-marvel-rivals-is-all-the-other-rival-team-shooters-182005638.html?src=rss

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a fantasy epic filled with big decisions

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard was given a proper unveiling at Summer Game Fest, with an Ocean’s 11-style intro to the gang of heroes and fantasy character tropes that will make up your cadre. Bioware also invited me to a hands-off demo of Veilguard, where I got to briefly see the character creation setup and the opening chapter of the game, as you join the likes of Varric and other characters from Dragon Ages past.

It does look different, though. I’ve only dipped into the Dragon Age series in the past, but the character style of Dragon Age: The Veilguard (especially in the trailer) looked, initially, like some kind of League Of Legends-style spin-off or even a, gasp, mobile game. There’s undoubtedly a cartoonish spin on characters, although Solas, the primary antagonist (and sadsack elf), seems to be his miserable, mournful self.

The environments we saw during the demo are suitably fantastical. During parts of the game, several vantage points appear to show off all the mystical landmarks. Oh, and a large chunk of the opening chapter is a town under siege by dimensional beasts.

Other significant changes appear in combat. While you’ll still be able to pause to consider tactics and enemy targets in a controller-friendly move, unique attacks for your character can be launched from a quick launch menu while the battle continues around you. It appears that The Veilguard could be more fast-paced than its predecessors.

I watched several battles between Rook, your custom-made character, and allies, including crossbow-wielding Varrik, fan-favorite Harding the scout, and the frostmage (and detective?!) Neve. We weren’t able to issue commands to our allies, but you will be able to in the final game. We watched a rogue build in action, which combined bow attacks with close-quarters dagger moves. If you choose a warrior, expect to focus on defense and heavy strikes, while a mage seems to lean on ranged combat.

It’s an action RPG, though, and you’ll have to work with your party members to strip away armor and protection before doing damage. Parries seem to form the core defense mechanic for rogues, but Veilguard Game Director Corinne Busche noted that, alongside difficultly modes, there are custom difficulty settings you can make fast-twitch battle mechanics more forgiving.

While we only got a brief look at the character creation process, you’ll be able to choose from different voices, fantasy races, and even a cool triangular ‘build’ generator for the body of your character. The dadbod dwarf mage of your dreams is, finally, here.

For fans of the series, though, the latest installment is aimed at expanding the world you probably already love. Areas and spots mentioned in passing in previous games will open up for exploration later in the game, we’re promised. When crafting a character, you’ll be able to flesh them out with one of several back-stories, which will often tap into groups and organizations from the series’ past. They’ll also get referenced by both your companions and other characters in-game when relevant. Neve and our build of Rook had a connection through a group in Rook’s past.

The decision wheel is here, too. While the battles and the monsters and the dragons are a core part of Dragon Age, the series is best known for letting players take the story into their own hands, making decisions, forgiving enemies (or not) and more. That looks like it’ll be a core part again of Veilguard. As Rook reacts to Varrik’s approach to Solas, as he wields dimensional forces, you can say it’s a bad idea, and your companions will act accordingly. Was it a bad idea? You’ll have to wait for the release, which is sometime in fall 2024.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dragon-age-the-veilguard-is-a-fantasy-epic-filled-with-big-decisions-150030570.html?src=rss

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a tale of two very different assassins

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The long-running Assassin’s Creed video game industrial complex has finally reached Japan – and I’ve been waiting. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set in feudal Japan, in the late 16th century, to be precise, at a time of political upheaval that birthed the ninja. While I didn’t get to play Shadows, at Summer Game Fest 2024, Ubisoft offered a hands-off gameplay demo, revealing how the game will play with two different but equal protagonists.

If you missed the initial reveal, Shadows' protagonists are Yasuke, a powerful outsider samurai who can strike the armor off enemies, and Naoe, an assassin/ninja with a killer “sickle on-chain” kusarigama and those traditional AC killing methods — she has a wrist blade.

Instead of choosing a single character to play the entire game, you can switch between the characters for assassination runs and exploration segments. I prefer my assassinations stealthy, so I was surprised by how intrigued I was with the beastly Yasuke.

Yasuke is based on a historical figure: An African man who served as a retainer to the Japanese lord Oda Nobunaga for roughly a year. Naturally, this is Assasin’s Creed, so the team has taken some liberties with historical fact. Here, he plays the part of an outsider, a foreign-born samurai walking a path of honor. He’s also a powerhouse. What he lacks in parkour elegance and dive drops, he makes up in having the power to cut down powerful enemies, charge through doors and enemies and scare the crap out of locals. As Yasuke walked through a village in the demo, villagers rushed to get out of the towering samurai’s way, bowing respectfully at the side, while children just gawped, frozen still.

As the duo fight to end the corruption rife in Japan, they’ll learn hints and tips on where to find their next assassination target. These will narrow down where you need to search. Once you’ve identified where they are, the characters can then task NPC recruits to hoedown exactly where, although this mechanic wasn’t explained in any detail.

Later in the demo, Yasuke cuts down some abusive guards and goes head-to-head with another samurai, and I got a deeper look into how Yasuke fights. He’ll have a range of weapons, and this time, he was swinging a hulking club, cracking skulls and armor alike.

After Yasuke wins his duel with the samurai opponent – with swords – he’s joined by the other main character, Naoe, the assassin. She moves like an assassin, vaulting up walls and kicking off surfaces before launching her grappling hook into roof awnings directly above her. Like the most recent AC entries, she can utilize Eagle vision for a better view of enemies and obstacles. A new addition in Shadows is the ability to kill light sources like lanterns and fires, so Naoe can easily get up close and assassinate. She’s not the only one with upgrades – I also saw Yasuke wielding a musket-style single-use gun during the demo too.

The game is very pretty, too. I say this as a huge fan of the style of Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima. Ubisoft’s take is a more detailed one: there are more people simply living in this feudal Japan. The shifting seasons and weather make for even richer environments, too. In a later assassination attempt during the demo, Naoe had her infiltration interrupted by a torrential downpour. I’m not sure yet whether this will affect visibility dynamics, but hopefully, it will have some effect on how you play Shadows.

I’m intrigued. I’ve long carried a torch for the cult ninja series Tenchu. It offered its own takedown animations (in PS1 graphical glory), grapple hooks and stealth gameplay. It also offered two different characters: a speedy kunoichi assassin and a powerhouse ninja with samurai moves. Doesn't that sound a little familiar?

Assassin's Creed Shadows will land on November 15, coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac and iPad.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/assassins-creed-shadows-gameplay-demo-sgf-2024-200016644.html?src=rss

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake is still happening and it’s coming out 2026

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After all the delays, studio switches and confusion, and following plenty of updates on those spinoff Prince of Persia games, Ubisoft's SGF 2024 presentation included a release... year for its troubled Sands of Time remake. We're not really getting any more details yet, but it's confirmation that the project is still underway. It's just years away, still. 

Ubisoft Montreal, which worked on the initial Sands of Time. took over the project from Ubisoft Pune and Mumbai, scrubbing the launch date of January 2021 in the process. Back then, Ubisoft Montreal was apparently "building upon the work achieved" by its studios in India. Last year however, producer Jean-Francois Naud revealed that the project was still "in conception" — so what exactly did those Ubisoft studios make? It sounds like a mess. And this is about a game that's a reboot of a reboot. 

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-remake-is-still-happening-and-its-coming-out-2026-195002200.html?src=rss

Canon is making a new lens to capture spatial video for Apple’s Vision Pro

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Alongside announcing its next-generation OS for Vision Pro, Apple wants to improve the content you can capture and share on the headset. It's getting help with that from camera mainstay Canon, which is working on a new dedicated spatial lens for its R7 camera.

While details are light for now, the new lens, shown briefly during WWDC’s big presentation, is a lot more subtle than previous stereo lenses. It’s a 7.8mm f/4 lens with STM (stepping motor technology) that keeps focus quiet and smooth.

In the past, Canon has dabbled with lenses aimed at VR and spatial content. Its last spatial lens was $2,000, so this probably is outside the remit of most of us. (That said, if you bought the Vision Pro, you might have that in change.) 

Intriguingly, Canon previously said that none of its current cameras are fast enough to offer video that matches the Vision Pro. We’re waiting to hear exactly what kind of video (and at what refresh rates and resolution) this lens-and-camera combo can capture. 

Apple also followed up with updates to its 180-degree 3D 8K video format, partnering with Blackmagic to create a new workflow to make Immersive Videos easier to capture and work with.

Catch up here for all the news out of Apple's WWDC 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/canon-is-making-a-new-lens-to-capture-spatial-video-for-apples-vision-pro-173600145.html?src=rss

Gears of War: E-Day is the origin story of the Gears franchise

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As the grand finale of Xbox’s Summer Game Fest showcase, after the new consoles, we were treated to the exclusive premiere of the latest addition to the Gears series, Gears of War: E-Day.

The trailer kicks off with a one-on-one brawl between the Gears guy and a grunt, ending in a headshot. Immediately after, however, the floor collapses between them. Fortunately, Gears’ Guy #2 is there to grab your hand. And the sad Mad World melody plays in the background. Because Gears. Called E-Day, and ending on an apocalyptic view of a city, it looks like this game will center on an invasion. Apparently, this is the origin story centered on the Locust invasion on Emergence Day, through the eyes of Marcus Fenix — AKA Gears guy. Get the big guns. There’s no release window just yet, but it will, of course, be landing on Game Pass when it does arrive.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gears-of-war-e-day-is-the-origin-story-of-the-gears-franchise-183755128.html?src=rss

Alan Wake 2’s first expansion brings Remedy’s other heroes to Night Springs

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Alan Wake 2 is getting its first DLC package, which will consist of three separate chapters letting players explore the weird world of Alan Wake 2 with three new, if familiar, characters. The DLC itself is called Night Springs, and it’ll be available to download and play tomorrow.

Night Springs is a TV show that appears in the Alan Wake universe and if we followed that show’s Twilight Zone theme, these spin-off chapters could be ‘episodes’ of this series, existing in “parallel realities”. 

Think of it as Remedy’s take on Marvel’s What If…, because you’ll get to play as Alan Wake’s biggest fan, Rose Marigold, Quantum Break’s Jack Joyce and Control’s Jesse Faden, in each chapter, respectively. 

It's a fun idea for DLC and it seems like Remedy is looking to get silly. Sinister voices tell Jesse to “try the coffee.” We get a jump cut to Shawn Ashmore's ‘acting’ as Quantum Break’s Jack Joyce and a talking Billy Bass for fair measure. As mentioned alongside the full reveal, the DLC will be downloadable starting June 8.

Catch up on all of the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/alan-wake-2s-first-expansion-brings-remedys-other-heroes-to-night-springs-225204575.html?src=rss

Civilization 7 is coming in 2025

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The historical turn-based strategy series Civilization is getting another mainline sequel—and it's been a long time coming. Civilization VI came out back in 2016, and while we've seen a lot of DLC in the interim, there's been no word on sequels until now. 

Civilization VII was officially revealed (well, teased) at the Summer Game Fest live showcase, although we didn't learn much more about what direction the series is going. The legend that is Sid Meier briefly appeared at the end of the trailer, adding that he was "incredibly excited for Civ fans to see Civilization VII, a game that represents the culmination of three decades of strategy innovation and refinement." he added that a full reveal, gameplay and all, will happen sometime in August. It's coming to Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and, apparently, the Switch. 

Catch up on all the news from Summer Game Fest 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/civilization-7-is-coming-in-2025-213656473.html?src=rss