Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

December Game Pass additions include Mortal Kombat 1 and Dome Keeper

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It's that time of the month again. Xbox just announced some new games that are heading to Game Pass in December. Let's take a look.

The most renowned of the bunch is absolutely Mortal Kombat 1, which drops on December 10 for Ultimate and Premium subscribers. This is the latest game in the long-running fighting franchise that cut its teeth in darkened arcades throughout the 1990s.

Mortal Kombat 1 boasts an updated fighting system and plenty of new game modes. However, it's still basically the same gorefest we grew up with. Players can still access bloodsoaked fatalities and turn their opponents into cute little babies.

The long-gestating sci-fi horror game Routine is finally coming out on December 4, and it's a Game Pass day one release for Ultimate subscribers. This was first announced all the way back in 2012. It looks pretty fun, with a distinctly retro vibe.

Dome Keeper drops on December 9 for Premium and Ultimate Subscribers. This is a fun little roguelike that I've spent an unhealthy amount of time on. It's a fast-paced mining simulator with some light tower defense mechanics. You'll be saying "just one more run" long into the night with this one.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is available right now for Premium and Ultimate subscribers. This is the latest narrative adventure from the folks behind Life is Strange. It's set in the 1990s, so throw on some plaid or whatever.

A bunch of cool games are also spreading their wings and becoming available for Premium subscribers after being Ultimate exclusives. There are some real blockbusters here, like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Monster Train 2, 33 Immortals and Spray Paint Simulator.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/december-game-pass-additions-include-mortal-kombat-1-and-dome-keeper-161232292.html?src=rss

Apple Music Replay 2025 is here to highlight your unimpeachable music taste

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Music streaming services are starting to unleash their year-in-review features for 2025, and Apple Music’s version is out now. Apple Music Replay is here to lay bare your listening stats for the year — at least so far, because these tools go live with a whole month of the year left to go. You can check out the 2025 edition from the Home tab in the app.

As ever, Replay shows your total listening time, the number of artists you checked out, your most-listened-to song and album and more. New this year is a discovery stat, which highlights new artists you started listening to in 2025. The loyalty factor will tell you which artists you listen to year after year, and “comebacks” shows which artists have slotted back into your rotation.

The most popular song on Apple Music overall this year was the ultra-catchy “Apt.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars. “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA; “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Mars; “Not Like Us” by Lamar; and “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish rounded out the top five. “Apt.” is also the most Shazamed song of the year.

I really didn’t need Replay to tell me that party metal vanguards Electric Callboy and kawaii metal pioneers Babymetal were my top artists for 2025, since I’ve had both on extremely heavy rotation since the spring — their stupendously fun collab, “Ratatata,” was my top song this year. I was a little surprised that the wonderful Japanese math rock band Toe were in third place and that post-punk revival crew Editors made the top five, though I did listen to the latter’s The Back Room a bunch at the start of the year.

Early last year, Apple Music rolled out a monthly version of Replay, which shows the top songs, albums and artists and personal listening milestones for each month. You can also go back and listen to previous versions of your personalized Replay playlists, and check out a Replay All Time one, which highlights the songs you’ve listened to most on Apple Music overall.

Update, December 2, 4PM ET: This story was update after publish to clarify that the comebacks information is folded into your recap, rather than available as a separate tab.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/apple-music-replay-2025-is-here-to-highlight-your-unimpeachable-music-taste-151224318.html?src=rss

Amazon’s ‘God of War’ adaptation gets a two-season order

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After a few years — and a few shakeups — it looks like Amazon's God of War series is finally full speed ahead. The video game adaptation is now in pre-production in Vancouver and has been bumped up to a two-season order, Deadline reports. 

The latest update includes news that Frederick E.O. Toye will direct the first two episodes of God of War. Toye has led episodes of shows such as Fallout, The Boys and Westworld. In 2024, his work on Shogun won him the Emmy for outstanding directing for a drama series. 

Amazon first announced God of War's TV adaptation in 2022. Last year, the show lost its original showrunner, with Ronald D. Moore coming aboard soon after. 

The show is based on 2018's God of War video game, which finds inspiration in Norse mythology. As Amazon puts it, the show "follows father and son Kratos and Atreus as they embark on a journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye. Through their adventures, Kratos tries to teach his son to be a better god, while Atreus tries to teach his father how to be a better human."

Casting is currently underway for the roles of Kratos and Atreus. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/amazons-god-of-war-adaptation-gets-a-two-season-order-133059803.html?src=rss

Amazon Music’s year-end recap arrives today

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One of the newer traditions of the holiday season is reading itemized lists of what we watched, played and listened to on our favorite streaming platforms throughout the year. Spotify Wrapped is perhaps the most famous of the bunch, but Amazon Music has its own year-end recap called Delivered and this year's edition is available right now.

Favorite songs from the year.
Amazon

Amazon Music Delivered started last year and provides subscribers with a list of their favorite songs, artists and podcasts. It also shows off "the top request you've made with Alexa." I use Alexa primarily as an alarm, so that particular statistic won't be setting my world on fire.

This year, there's a "Best of 2025" section that highlights the biggest songs, albums and podcasts from every user across the app. This list includes songs by Taylor Swift, Geese, Bad Bunny and others. Finally, the app will generate a fake music fest based on a particular user's favorite artists.

A poster for a fest.
Amazon

Amazon Music Unlimited costs $11 per month for Prime members and $12 per month for everyone else. As previously mentioned, Prime members do get a streamlined version of the service as a perk.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/amazon-musics-year-end-recap-arrives-today-130029446.html?src=rss

AI chatbots can be tricked with poetry to ignore their safety guardrails

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It turns out that all you need to get past an AI chatbot's guardrails is a little bit of creativity. In a study published by Icaro Lab called "Adversarial Poetry as a Universal Single-Turn Jailbreak Mechanism in Large Language Models," researchers were able to bypass various LLMs' safety mechanisms by phrasing their prompt with poetry.

According to the study, the "poetic form operates as a general-purpose jailbreak operator," with results showing an overall 62 percent success rate in producing prohibited material, including anything related to making nuclear weapons, child sexual abuse materials and suicide or self-harm. The study tested popular LLMs, including OpenAI's GPT models, Google Gemini, Anthropic's Claude and many more. The researchers broke down the success rates with each LLM, with Google Gemini, DeepSeek and MistralAI consistently providing answers, while OpenAI's GPT-5 models and Anthropic's Claude Haiku 4.5 were the least likely to venture beyond their restrictions.

The study didn't include the exact jailbreaking poems that the researchers used, but the team told Wired that the verse is "too dangerous to share with the public." However, the study did include a watered-down version to give a sense of how easy it is to circumvent an AI chatbot's guardrails, with the researchers telling Wired that it's "probably easier than one might think, which is precisely why we're being cautious."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/ai-chatbots-can-be-tricked-with-poetry-to-ignore-their-safety-guardrails-192925244.html?src=rss

This Paramount+ Cyber Monday streaming deal is still live: Get either the Essential or Premium plan for only $3 per month for two months before the sale ends

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Cyber Monday has ended, but some streaming discounts are still live, including a solid offer from Paramount+. New subscribers can get two months of service for $6 total, and the price applies to either the Essential or Premium plan. At $3 per month, the Premium tier gives you a larger discount, and the promotion is available through December 2.

Paramount+ continues to expand its catalog with a mix of current CBS shows, exclusive originals, classic TV and live sports. The service is available in two main tiers: Essential, which includes ads, and Premium, which removes most of them and adds a few key extras like 4K streaming, offline downloads and live CBS access. Both tiers include select Showtime programming, giving subscribers a taste of the premium network’s lineup.

The Essential plan provides access to more than 40,000 episodes and movies, along with live coverage of the NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League matches. It supports up to three simultaneous streams, making it a practical choice for households that share accounts. The Premium plan builds on that by offering ad-free on-demand viewing (with exceptions for live broadcasts), higher-quality playback and the option to watch CBS live in participating regions.

Paramount+’s growing library combines new releases with well-known favorites, offering titles from across CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. Sports fans get live coverage of key events, while movie watchers can find recent cinema releases from Paramount Pictures joining the lineup throughout the year. The inclusion of Showtime series in both plans adds another layer of variety, with dramas and documentaries available alongside the core Paramount+ content.

If you’re keeping an eye on subscription costs, an offer like this is a practical way to test the service without paying full price. It also gives you time to see whether the Essential plan’s ad-supported setup or the Premium tier’s extras are worth the difference.

If you’ve been watching your streaming spend as prices go up elsewhere, this deal from Paramount+ offers a well-balanced opportunity to experience both plan levels at a lower cost. Paramount+ is one of the best streaming services thanks to its vast selection of original shows like Star Trek: Discovery, Ink Master and Frasier. If you’re ready to stream big shows and live events without a heavy commitment this Cyber Monday offer is one to keep in mind.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-paramount-cyber-monday-streaming-deal-is-still-live-get-either-the-essential-or-premium-plan-for-only-3-per-month-for-two-months-before-the-sale-ends-192516088.html?src=rss

HBO Max Cyber Monday deal: Get one year of access for only $3 per month

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HBO Max has a limited-time, one-year subscription deal, offering a chance to stream HBO originals and Warner Bros. blockbusters at a lower cost. The platform has reduced pricing to $3 per month for one year, bringing the final cost down to $36 for the year. With many streaming services increasing their rates, this short-term offer lets you catch up on hit shows and new releases without committing to a full year. You can sign up via HBO Max's website or, if you're a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on. The deal runs through the end of the day December 1.

HBO Max has one of the best libraries of content in the streaming market, combining HBO’s acclaimed originals with Warner Bros. theatrical releases, Discovery content and live sports. The service now runs across three main plans. The Basic With Ads plan, the one included in this deal, allows streaming on two devices in full HD and costs $11 a month at full price. The Standard plan adds offline downloads, more live sports coverage and better device flexibility for $18.49 per month. The Premium plan increases quality to 4K with Dolby Atmos sound (where available), four simultaneous streams and up to 100 downloadable titles for $23 monthly.

While the feature differences matter, the real appeal of HBO Max is its library. Subscribers get access to the full catalog of HBO originals, including House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, The Last of Us and Euphoria, alongside recent Warner Bros. theatrical hits like Dune: Part Two and Barbie. The addition of Discovery content brings in reality favorites such as Fixer Upper: The Hotel and 90 Day Fiancé, while sports coverage through TNT and TBS channels includes NHL, NASCAR, college football and more.

It’s worth noting that live sports are still limited to certain tiers and regions and 4K availability varies by title. But compared with other premium services that have recently raised prices or limited simultaneous streams, HBO Max’s current setup offers strong flexibility across its plans.

If you’re considering which streaming platform gives the best range of new shows, live events and cinema releases, our guide to the best streaming services compares HBO Max with other major options. For now, this one-year subscription offer provides a straightforward way to explore HBO’s latest hits and a wide catalog of content at a lower upfront cost.

There are plenty of other Cyber Monday streaming deals to consider as well. Here are some of the best ones:

  • Disney+ Hulu bundle — $60 for one year: The Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle is on sale for $5 per month for one year (for a total of $60) through December 1. New and eligible returning subscribers can take advantage of this deal, and considering the bundle typically costs $13 per month, this deal represents more than a 50 percent discount on the standard monthly price.

  • Apple TV+ — 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for cyber Monday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

  • Paramount+ — two months of Essential or Premium for $6: This Cyber Monday deal brings the monthly price of either Paramount+ tier down to just $6 for two months, or $3 per month. The obvious better deal is on the Premium plan, which typically costs $13 per month.

  • Starz — one year for $12: Pay upfront for one year and you can get more than $50 off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $3 per month for the first three months if you don't want to commit to the full year. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library with offline viewing and no ads.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/hbo-max-cyber-monday-deal-get-one-year-of-access-for-only-3-per-month-183245673.html?src=rss

Code suggests that OpenAI may be close to introducing ads for ChatGPT

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The truly free ride for ChatGPT might soon come to a close as OpenAI could be nearing the introduction of ads. As first discovered by Tibor Blaho on X, a beta version of ChatGPT's Android app includes lines of code that heavily reference ads. According to the post, the 1.2025.329 beta version includes mentions of "ads feature," "search ad" and "bazaar content." While this isn't a version that's available to the public yet, it could be an indication that OpenAI is ready to open the ad floodgates.

This discovery follows a report from The Information earlier this month that claimed that OpenAI was considering incorporating ads in ChatGPT based on memory or user chats. Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, has previously discussed how ads could get incorporated into ChatGPT, but has never offered a definitive stance. During an event at Harvard Business School last year, Altman said that combining ads and AI is "uniquely unsettling to me" and that it's a "last resort for us as a business model," but that he's "not totally against them."

Months later, Altman reiterated in the first episode of the OpenAI podcast that the company isn't against embedding ads into the platform but hasn't figured out the exact method. While the recently-discovered lines of code don't reveal where ads would be included, OpenAI could be considering ads for the free tier that already offers limits on messages, memory and overall reasoning.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/code-suggests-that-openai-may-be-close-to-introducing-ads-for-chatgpt-172511090.html?src=rss

Cyber Monday streaming deals for 2025: Paramount+, Starz, MasterClass and others to shop while they’re still available

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You’re not alone if you’re consistently aghast at the rising cost of streaming services. This year in particular has been bleak, with Disney+ and HBO Max being just a couple of the services that have increased prices as of late.

If you’re like any of us at Engadget, you probably subscribe to more than a few of these services, and costs quickly add up even without the period price increases. While you can find the occasional streaming deal throughout the year, Cyber Monday is the time when they are most abundant. Although Cyber Monday is over, some of the best Cyber Monday streaming deals are still available today. These are the best you can still get this year; just note that most require you to be either a new subscriber to get the deal, or a returning subscriber who hasn’t been a paid customer in a hot minute.

Paramount+ — two months of Essential or Premium for $6: This Cyber Monday deal brings the monthly price of either Paramount+ tier down to just $6 for two months, or $3 per month. The obvious better deal is on the Premium plan, which typically costs $13 per month. This deal ends December 2.

Starz — one year for $12: Pay upfront for one year and you can get more than $50 off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $3 per month for the first three months if you don't want to commit to the full year. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library with offline viewing and no ads.

MasterClass — up to 50 percent off annual subscriptions: The MasterClass Cyber Monday deal discounts most subscription tiers by 50 percent when you pay for one year upfront. The Premium tier, the most expensive option, usually costs $20 per month but now only sets you back $10 per month for one year. That gives you access to the entire MasterClass content library, offline viewing and up to six simultaneous streams.

Audible — three months for $3: For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible's enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It's only three months, after which you'll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into 90 days.

Fubo TV — up to $30 off your first month: Fubo is arguably the best live TV streaming service for sports, and now new subscribers can save up to $30 on their first month. You'll get that discount if you subscribe to the Elite plan, which normally costs $95 per month and provides access to 325 channels including ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, and it includes ESPN Unlimited as well. If you're looking for a more affordable plan, the News + Sports tier has a $10 discount for new subscribers.

DirecTV — starting at $50/month for one month: All of DirecTV's signature packages are up to $45 off right now for your first month when you sign up. If you opt for the base "Entertainment" package, you'll spend $50 for the first month and get access to over 90 channels, including many local stations as well as ESPN, ESPN 2 and Fox Sports 1. You'll also be able to watch on the go with the DirecTV mobile app.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/cyber-monday-streaming-deals-for-2025-paramount-starz-masterclass-and-others-to-shop-while-theyre-still-available-172013703.html?src=rss

The Disney+ Hulu bundle drops to $5 per month for one year during Cyber Monday

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Update, December 2, 2025: The Disney+ Hulu bundle deal has expired for the year, but there are a number of other Cyber Monday streaming deals still available, including ones from Paramount+, Starz and Audible.

For Cyber Monday, Disney is offering the Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle for just $5 a month for one year. That means you can pay $60, less than the price of taking your family to the movies, and get a year's worth of entertainment. The deal is available to both new and returning subscribers, and include access to all of the biggest hits in Disney's catalog, whether its Star Wars or Only Murders in the Building. But you only have a bit more time to take advantage of this offer — it runs through the end of the day December 1.

Disney+ and Hulu make one of the most balanced streaming pairs available, blending family-friendly favorites with acclaimed originals and network TV staples. Disney+ brings a vast library of animated classics, blockbuster franchises and exclusive content from Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic. It’s the place to stream nearly every Star Wars film and series, plus the full Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup and Disney’s most recent theatrical releases.

For families, it doubles as a reliable destination for animated favorites, from Encanto to Inside Out 2, and its kid-friendly interface makes it simple to hand over the remote without worrying about what’s queued next.

Hulu balances things out with a more adult-oriented lineup of current TV shows, next-day network episodes and a growing roster of award-winning originals. The platform hosts series like The Bear, The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building, alongside comedies, thrillers and documentaries that regularly feature in awards conversations. It’s also the home for next-day streaming of ABC and FX shows, making it especially useful if you’ve already cut the cable cord but still want to keep up with primetime TV.

The Duo Basic bundle ties these two services together under a single subscription, offering a simple way to expand your library without juggling multiple accounts. This tier includes ads on both platforms, but the trade-off is significant savings compared with paying for each service separately. For many households, that’s an acceptable compromise when it means access to such a wide range of content.

Both platforms also integrate smoothly across devices. Disney+ is available on nearly every smart TV and streaming stick and Hulu’s interface is built around customizable profiles, so everyone in the household can keep separate watch lists. The bundle login works seamlessly between the two, and since they’re both owned by Disney, it’s easy to switch from a Marvel marathon to a new episode of The Great or Abbott Elementary without leaving the ecosystem.

If you prefer a more premium experience, you can upgrade to the Duo Premium bundle for ad-free viewing, but the Basic plan remains the best value for most users. It’s an especially practical pick if you’re looking to consolidate your streaming subscriptions without losing access to major franchises or hit series.

If you’re still comparing options or thinking about how to simplify your lineup, our guide to the best streaming services outlines how Disney+, Hulu and others stack up. But for those already invested in Disney’s worlds or Hulu’s critically acclaimed originals, this annual Duo Basic deal offers one of the easiest and most affordable ways to keep it all in one place.

There are plenty of other Cyber Monday streaming deals to consider as well. Here are some of the best ones:

  • Apple TV+ — 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Cyber Monday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

  • HBO Max — one year for $36: HBO Max's Cyber Monday deal gives subscribers one year streaming for $36 through December 1. This Cyber Monday streaming deal is on the ad-supported option, which normally goes for $11 per month. With this discount, you're getting it for $3 per month for one year. You can sign up via HBO Max's website or, if you're a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on.

  • Paramount+ — two months of Essential or Premium for $6: This Cyber Monday deal brings the monthly price of either Paramount+ tier down to just $6 for two months, or $3 per month. The obvious better deal is on the Premium plan, which typically costs $13 per month.

  • Starz — one year for $12: Pay upfront for one year and you can get more than $50 off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $3 per month for the first three months if you don't want to commit to the full year. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library with offline viewing and no ads.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-disney-hulu-bundle-drops-to-5-per-month-for-one-year-during-cyber-monday-170825529.html?src=rss