Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Google’s Vids AI video maker is rolling out to most Workspace tiers

Posted on by

We’re in a new age of AI now. Google has an AI video maker available on select Workspace editions.

Google Vids runs on Google’s AI model Gemini to create workplace and marketing videos from Google Drive files and descriptions. You can either start a video from scratch or use a pre-made template to get a first draft going. There’s even a “Help me create” option in which Gemini can suggest scripts to get you started on your video.

You aren’t just limited to what’s in the templates. Google Vids allows you to use your own photos and videos. It also has a virtual recording studio so you can add your own photos and videos, record videos of yourself or just make audio tracks of your voice to accompany your video.

Google announced its new AI video making feature in April using the Gemini AI model. Google Vids doesn’t make videos from the ground up like Runway’s Gen-2 or OpenAI’s Sora that created one hell of a creepy Toys ‘R Us origin story movie. Google Vids creates a slideshow of sorts using different types of media and compiles them based on the content of the source documents or the suggestion you type into it. As Google Vids is part of Google Workspace, you can collaborate on a video project in real time with other team members.

Google Vids is coming to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Essentials, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus members. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-vids-ai-video-maker-is-rolling-out-to-most-workspace-tiers-223647949.html?src=rss

Google’s Vids AI video maker is rolling out to most Workspace tiers

Posted on by

We’re in a new age of AI now. Google has an AI video maker available on select Workspace editions.

Google Vids runs on Google’s AI model Gemini to create workplace and marketing videos from Google Drive files and descriptions. You can either start a video from scratch or use a pre-made template to get a first draft going. There’s even a “Help me create” option in which Gemini can suggest scripts to get you started on your video.

You aren’t just limited to what’s in the templates. Google Vids allows you to use your own photos and videos. It also has a virtual recording studio so you can add your own photos and videos, record videos of yourself or just make audio tracks of your voice to accompany your video.

Google announced its new AI video making feature in April using the Gemini AI model. Google Vids doesn’t make videos from the ground up like Runway’s Gen-2 or OpenAI’s Sora that created one hell of a creepy Toys ‘R Us origin story movie. Google Vids creates a slideshow of sorts using different types of media and compiles them based on the content of the source documents or the suggestion you type into it. As Google Vids is part of Google Workspace, you can collaborate on a video project in real time with other team members.

Google Vids is coming to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Essentials, Enterprise Essentials and Enterprise Essentials Plus members. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-vids-ai-video-maker-is-rolling-out-to-most-workspace-tiers-223647949.html?src=rss

You can now post tracks to TikTok from Spotify and Apple Music

Posted on by

TikTok is all about the tunes, and the social network has added integrations to directly post audio from streaming services. Share to TikTok is a new feature that will let listeners in Apple Music and Spotify share music to the video platform. The tool can post a track, album, playlist or other content to the TikTok Feed, either in FYP or Stories. Streaming audio material can also be shared via a TikTok DM.

Even though TikTok has become a popular place to discover and share audio, the company recently announced that its TikTok Music platform would be shutting down later this month; the service never launched in the US. The business has also faced scrutiny for encouraging addictive behavior in its users, as well as posing a possible security threat. The US has considered banning the app, and Canada recently ordered TikTok to shut down its domestic operations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/you-can-now-post-tracks-to-tiktok-from-spotify-and-apple-music-195521948.html?src=rss

You can now post tracks to TikTok from Spotify and Apple Music

Posted on by

TikTok is all about the tunes, and the social network has added integrations to directly post audio from streaming services. Share to TikTok is a new feature that will let listeners in Apple Music and Spotify share music to the video platform. The tool can post a track, album, playlist or other content to the TikTok Feed, either in FYP or Stories. Streaming audio material can also be shared via a TikTok DM.

Even though TikTok has become a popular place to discover and share audio, the company recently announced that its TikTok Music platform would be shutting down later this month; the service never launched in the US. The business has also faced scrutiny for encouraging addictive behavior in its users, as well as posing a possible security threat. The US has considered banning the app, and Canada recently ordered TikTok to shut down its domestic operations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/you-can-now-post-tracks-to-tiktok-from-spotify-and-apple-music-195521948.html?src=rss

Amazon is making a Mass Effect television show

Posted on by

BioWare had told Mass Effect fans to expect a quiet N7 day without any updates on the new game in the works, but there is still some exciting news for the franchise today. Variety reports that Amazon MGM Studios is developing a TV series based on the sci-fi universe. Rumors first emerged about the tech company's interest in a Mass Effect show back in 2021, but now it's official.

Daniel Casey will be the series' writer and executive producer. He has action credits on the screenplay for F9: The Fast Saga and made contributions to sci-fi films Kin and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Variety noted some of the other executive producers, but there have been no details shared yet about the cast or plot of the project. Since a large part of the original Mass Effect games' appeal was players making their own choices about Commander Shepard's moral compass and love life, it seems likely that a show would want to tell an original story within that universe rather than retreading the same path as the trilogy.

Amazon had a huge win with its TV adaptation of Fallout earlier this year, and it seems the company is going to continue mining video games for source material. After some stumbles, Amazon is also reviving its plans for a live-action God of War show. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/amazon-is-making-a-mass-effect-television-show-185111285.html?src=rss

Amazon is making a Mass Effect television show

Posted on by

BioWare had told Mass Effect fans to expect a quiet N7 day without any updates on the new game in the works, but there is still some exciting news for the franchise today. Variety reports that Amazon MGM Studios is developing a TV series based on the sci-fi universe. Rumors first emerged about the tech company's interest in a Mass Effect show back in 2021, but now it's official.

Daniel Casey will be the series' writer and executive producer. He has action credits on the screenplay for F9: The Fast Saga and made contributions to sci-fi films Kin and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Variety noted some of the other executive producers, but there have been no details shared yet about the cast or plot of the project. Since a large part of the original Mass Effect games' appeal was players making their own choices about Commander Shepard's moral compass and love life, it seems likely that a show would want to tell an original story within that universe rather than retreading the same path as the trilogy.

Amazon had a huge win with its TV adaptation of Fallout earlier this year, and it seems the company is going to continue mining video games for source material. After some stumbles, Amazon is also reviving its plans for a live-action God of War show. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/amazon-is-making-a-mass-effect-television-show-185111285.html?src=rss

Death Stranding unexpectedly hits Xbox Series X/S

Posted on by

Xbox Series X/S owners (and Amazon Luna+ subscribers) can now spend dozens of hours scratching their head while playing Death Stranding. Hideo Kojima’s baffling walking sim has just hit those platforms without prior notice on its fifth anniversary.

To mark the occasion, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is 50 percent off on Xbox, PC, iPhone, iPad and Mac. The discount isn’t available on PlayStation, where the game debuted all the way back in 2019 (Sony is the publisher on PlayStation, while 505 Games handled duties on other platforms). The base game is on the PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers.

Amazon Prime members will also be able to stream the Director’s Cut edition on Luna at no extra cost throughout December. You can keep going on Luna+ in the new year.

In Death Stranding, you play as Sam Porter Bridges, a courier of sorts who aims to reconnect America’s remaining survivors after a cataclysmic event that blurs the plane of existence between the living and the dead. Oh, and Bridges carries around an unborn fetus in a bottle that can detect creatures from the land of the dead. It’s all very strange and still one of the most memorable gaming experiences of the last decade.

Alongside the surprise Xbox (and Luna+ release) and anniversary discount, developer Kojima Productions had some other news about the franchise. It now fully owns the Death Stranding intellectual property. Sony, which financed the original game, previously held a stake and owned the trademark.

A sequel to Death Stranding is in the works. It’ll be a Sony-published PS5 exclusive at the outset and it’s slated to arrive next year (it’s a fairly safe bet that we may see more at The Game Awards next month). A Death Stranding movie is also on the way, while Kojima Productions is working on other games, including Xbox horror title OD and an action-espionage game for PlayStation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/death-stranding-unexpectedly-hits-xbox-series-xs-153652927.html?src=rss

Death Stranding unexpectedly hits Xbox Series X/S

Posted on by

Xbox Series X/S owners (and Amazon Luna+ subscribers) can now spend dozens of hours scratching their head while playing Death Stranding. Hideo Kojima’s baffling walking sim has just hit those platforms without prior notice on its fifth anniversary.

To mark the occasion, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is 50 percent off on Xbox, PC, iPhone, iPad and Mac. The discount isn’t available on PlayStation, where the game debuted all the way back in 2019 (Sony is the publisher on PlayStation, while 505 Games handled duties on other platforms). The base game is on the PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers.

Amazon Prime members will also be able to stream the Director’s Cut edition on Luna at no extra cost throughout December. You can keep going on Luna+ in the new year.

In Death Stranding, you play as Sam Porter Bridges, a courier of sorts who aims to reconnect America’s remaining survivors after a cataclysmic event that blurs the plane of existence between the living and the dead. Oh, and Bridges carries around an unborn fetus in a bottle that can detect creatures from the land of the dead. It’s all very strange and still one of the most memorable gaming experiences of the last decade.

Alongside the surprise Xbox (and Luna+ release) and anniversary discount, developer Kojima Productions had some other news about the franchise. It now fully owns the Death Stranding intellectual property. Sony, which financed the original game, previously held a stake and owned the trademark.

A sequel to Death Stranding is in the works. It’ll be a Sony-published PS5 exclusive at the outset and it’s slated to arrive next year (it’s a fairly safe bet that we may see more at The Game Awards next month). A Death Stranding movie is also on the way, while Kojima Productions is working on other games, including Xbox horror title OD and an action-espionage game for PlayStation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/death-stranding-unexpectedly-hits-xbox-series-xs-153652927.html?src=rss

Here’s a cool trailer for Scavengers Reign season two, which will likely never happen

Posted on by

Looking to watch something really bittersweet? The co-creator of the absolutely incredible sci-fi cartoon Scavengers Reign dropped a trailer for the second season, just after Netflix decided it would not fund a renewal. It’s a full minute of new footage, complete with bloodthirsty plants, bat-monkey hybrid creatures and all kinds of psychedelic sci-fi madness.

The teaser was produced in-house, using the production company’s own money. Co-creator Joe Bennett wrote on Instagram that “this is not the end. There is more story to be told, we are ready to make another season.” However, he also added that “as of right now, Scavengers Reign is not being renewed for a second season.”

The show has had a rocky road, premiering on Max a couple of years back before being canceled. The critically-acclaimed first season eventually ended up on Netflix, where it attracted new viewers. The so-called “Netflix bump” made fans excited for a renewal, but that wasn’t in the cards. There’s still a chance that buzz generated from this trailer could entice another streamer to invest in the show. Apple TV+ sure has a lot of sci-fi shows, so why not add one more? Someone get Tim Cook on the horn.

If you’ve never watched Scavengers Reign, it’s on Netflix right now. This is one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, animated or not. It’s seriously so, so good. If you have any interest in classic sci-fi or gorgeous animation, this’ll be your jam. It’s been called a “Moebius comic brought to life” and a “gorgeous, hypnotic space trip.”

The show follows a group of survivors spread across an alien planet after a wreck. They encounter some of the trippiest things ever conceived as they struggle to stay alive and find rescue. It’s like a 1950s sci-fi novel come to life but, well, mixed with an acid trip.

The voice cast includes Alia Shawkat, from Arrested Development and Search Party, and Wunmi Mosaku from Loki, among others. There are 12 episodes in the first season, which makes for a nice binge or two. Just saying.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/heres-a-cool-trailer-for-scavengers-reign-season-two-which-will-likely-never-happen-171637717.html?src=rss

Here’s a cool trailer for Scavengers Reign season two, which will likely never happen

Posted on by

Looking to watch something really bittersweet? The co-creator of the absolutely incredible sci-fi cartoon Scavengers Reign dropped a trailer for the second season, just after Netflix decided it would not fund a renewal. It’s a full minute of new footage, complete with bloodthirsty plants, bat-monkey hybrid creatures and all kinds of psychedelic sci-fi madness.

The teaser was produced in-house, using the production company’s own money. Co-creator Joe Bennett wrote on Instagram that “this is not the end. There is more story to be told, we are ready to make another season.” However, he also added that “as of right now, Scavengers Reign is not being renewed for a second season.”

The show has had a rocky road, premiering on Max a couple of years back before being canceled. The critically-acclaimed first season eventually ended up on Netflix, where it attracted new viewers. The so-called “Netflix bump” made fans excited for a renewal, but that wasn’t in the cards. There’s still a chance that buzz generated from this trailer could entice another streamer to invest in the show. Apple TV+ sure has a lot of sci-fi shows, so why not add one more? Someone get Tim Cook on the horn.

If you’ve never watched Scavengers Reign, it’s on Netflix right now. This is one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, animated or not. It’s seriously so, so good. If you have any interest in classic sci-fi or gorgeous animation, this’ll be your jam. It’s been called a “Moebius comic brought to life” and a “gorgeous, hypnotic space trip.”

The show follows a group of survivors spread across an alien planet after a wreck. They encounter some of the trippiest things ever conceived as they struggle to stay alive and find rescue. It’s like a 1950s sci-fi novel come to life but, well, mixed with an acid trip.

The voice cast includes Alia Shawkat, from Arrested Development and Search Party, and Wunmi Mosaku from Loki, among others. There are 12 episodes in the first season, which makes for a nice binge or two. Just saying.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/heres-a-cool-trailer-for-scavengers-reign-season-two-which-will-likely-never-happen-171637717.html?src=rss