Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

Netflix is removing much of its interactive content

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Here’s some bad news for those who thought the future would include streaming versions of Choose Your Own Adventure books. Netflix is deleting much of its interactive content, according to reporting by The Verge.

The platform currently lists 24 “Interactive Specials”, and only four of them will remain after December 1. Luckily, it’s the only four most people have heard about. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls and You vs. Wild will all continue to be available for streaming.

The same cannot be said for specials based on Carmen Sandiego, Boss Baby and Puss in Boots. Incidentally, Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale was the very first Netflix special to feature this interactive technology, which was a couple of years before Black Mirror: Bandersnatch wowed the world.

This is a fairly disappointing end for a technology that Netflix once promised it would be “doubling down” on. Company spokesperson Chrissy Kelleher told The Verge that the feature “served its purpose, but is now limiting as we focus on technological efforts in other areas.” Former Netflix gaming honcho Mike Verdu also told Game File’s Stephen Totilo that it wasn’t making any more of these interactive titles.

Despite putting the kibosh on streaming content with gamified elements, the platform’s still dipping its toes into gaming itself. Netflix has a diverse array of mobile titles available for subscribers, and even some legit bangers. However, the company did just shut down its AAA game studio before it even released a single game.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-is-removing-much-of-its-interactive-content-185557989.html?src=rss

Meta details ‘adult classifier’ tool for catching teens who lie about their age on Instagram

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Meta has shared more information about how it plans to use AI to catch teens who lie about their age on Instagram. As first reported by Bloomberg, early next year, the company will deploy “adult classifier,” a tool it says will identify users who are younger than 18 and automatically apply Instagram’s more restrictive privacy settings to them. 

According to Allison Hartnett, Meta’s director of product management for youth and social impact, the software will look at indicators like the accounts a user follows and the content they interact with regularly. If the tool suspects someone is under 18, it will move them to a teen account, regardless of what age they claim to be on their profile.

Meta did not immediately respond to Engadget's request for comment. 

Meta first said it would use AI to identify young users who had lied about their age when it began rolling out teen accounts in September. With those accounts, the company automatically applies Instagram’s most stringent privacy settings to kids younger than 16. For instance, the accounts are automatically set to private, and they can’t message strangers. Facing pressure from lawmakers and parents, Meta had already been applying many of those restrictions to underage users before the rollout of teen accounts, but with the official launch of the feature, the company made it so that teens cannot change those settings without approval from a parent.

On Monday, the company didn’t disclose how accurate the adult classifier tool is at determining a person’s age. Meta told Bloomberg it would eventually give people who are wrongly identified by the software the ability to appeal, though the social media giant is still working out what that process will look like.

The company will prompt teens who attempt to manually change the age listed on their account to prove their identity. Users will have the option of either uploading an official government-issued ID or sharing a video selfie to Yoti. Meta previously partnered with Yoti to bring age verification to Facebook dating. The company’s machine learning algorithm estimates a person’s age based on their facial features. Once Yoti shares its estimate with Meta, they both delete the video.

The adult classifier software is part of broader effort by Meta to make it more difficult for people to lie about their age on Instagram. Separately, the company plans to flag teens who attempt to create a new account using an email address that’s already associated with an existing account and a different birthday. It also plans to use device IDs to get a better picture of who is creating a new profile.

Meta, alongside Google and TikTok owner ByteDance, recently failed to convince a US federal judge to dismiss a series of lawsuits alleging the companies failed to adequately protect their young users from the harmful and addictive effects of social media use.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-details-adult-classifier-tool-for-catching-teens-who-lie-about-their-age-on-instagram-164439051.html?src=rss

Celeste’s iconic score gets an acoustic tribute album

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There's something so nice about listening to the score of your favorite games or movies. Composer ROZEN has attempted to add to this experience, releasing Celeste's Secret Hideaway, an acoustic album inspired by the game Celeste. He previously created Ghibli Secret Hideaway, another acoustic collection of arrangements, in honor of Studio Ghibli's music. 

If you haven't played it before, Celeste is a single-player adventure game in which you help Madeline cope with her mental health and inner demons to reach the top of Celeste mountain. Developer Maddy Makes Games released Celeste in 2018. ROZEN's Celeste's Secret Hideaway pays tribute to the game's original score by Lena Raine. 

"The goal with Celeste Secret Hideaway is to transform the game’s iconic melodies into warm, intimate folk and acoustic arrangements, enveloping listeners in a rich soundscape that echoes the serenity of snow-covered mountains and quiet, fire-lit cabins," ROZEN said in a statement. "Every track is designed to evoke the spirit of exploration and introspection, pairing soothing guitar work and delicate string instruments with an emotional journey. It’s a perfect soundtrack for cozy moments, drawing you into its quiet, reflective world, and making it an ideal companion for chilly fall evenings and wintry nights." The album has 12 tracks and is now available digitally and to stream, with CD, cassette and vinyl versions coming soon.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/celestes-iconic-score-gets-an-acoustic-tribute-album-133048481.html?src=rss

Greg Hildebrandt, iconic Star Wars and Lord of the Rings artist, has died at 85

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One of fantasy and sci-fi’s all-time greats has passed away. Artist Greg Hildebrandt, known for his iconic work on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel and Magic: The Gathering, died on Thursday at 85. He and his twin brother Tim, who died in 2006, were a powerhouse duo — the Brothers Hildebrandt — until they decided to pursue solo careers in 1981.

The duo was perhaps best known for their “Style B” poster (above) for the original Star Wars in 1977. Released in the UK (Tom Jung’s “Style A” was the original US poster), the art shows Luke Skywalker heroically hoisting his lightsaber high above his head like King Arthur wielded Excalibur. He’s flanked by a blaster-toting Princess Leia, with C-3PO and R2-D2 looking on from behind. Darth Vader’s imposing mask peers down on them in the background among a sea of stars, the Death Star and starfighters.

As for Luke and Leia’s noteworthy lack of resemblance to Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, neither the Brothers Hildebrandt nor Jung had access to the actors’ photos. So, they made do with generic hero images that could have been ripped from 1970s fantasy book covers. (Still rad, if not screen-accurate.) The Hildebrandt poster was used in the UK until January 1978, when it was replaced by Tom Chantrell’s “Style C” poster, which depicted the actual cast.

Greg Hildebrandt in a snazzy black hat, which he’s pulling on while looking into the camera with his best sexy face.
Greg Hildebrandt / X

The brothers were also strongly associated with a series of The Lord of the Rings calendars. Decades before Peter Jackson brought the films to live action (and even before the 1978 animated version), their art — which drew on their influence from classic Disney films — was the most prominent visualization of Tolkien’s epic for many a 1970s fantasy reader.

Among Hildebrandt’s many other projects were comics for Marvel and DC, illustrations for Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter), magazines Omni, Heavy Metal and Amazing Stories, album art for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Black Sabbath and a long list of book covers.

Hildebrandt also fought for freedom with his artistic gifts. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he contributed illustrations for Operation USA’s benefit anthology comic book series. Profits were donated to Ukrainian refugee relief efforts. Explaining his decision, he wrote, “Any project that I can lend my art to that will thwart Putin is a project I will join with all my heart, soul and mind.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/greg-hildebrandt-iconic-star-wars-and-lord-of-the-rings-artist-has-died-at-85-193026772.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include three months of Audible for only $3

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If you're keen on giving Audible a try, this Amazon Black Friday sale will be right up your alley. New subscribers can get three months of Audible Premium Plus for only $3, which comes out to just $1 per month for the first three months. The only catch is that the deals is only available to new users, so anyone who has previously dipped their toes in the Audible waters are out of luck.

This Black Friday offer is available now, and it runs all the way until midnight on New Year’s Eve. It’s only for US customers and, as usual, the subscription will automatically renew after the three months, so be vigilant about smashing that cancel button if it’s not working out. The regular price for Audible Premium Plus is $15 per month plus tax.

Audible Premium Plus is the top-tier offering for listening to audiobooks. A membership provides access to the entire catalog plus a monthly credit to purchase nearly any title outright. Subscriptions also offer discounts on other newly-released titles. All told, there are thousands of books to choose from, along with podcasts and Audible Originals.

To that end, there’s a whole lot of original content here for fans of different literary genres. James Patterson has an Audible Original that features a stacked voice cast, with Cobie Smulders and Reid Scott headlining. There’s also unique fare like sleep meditations and the like.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-three-months-of-audible-for-only-3-183640165.html?src=rss

The new Star Wars: Skeleton Crew trailer is heavy on Spielberg vibes

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There’s a new Star Wars show coming out in just over a month. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew premieres on December 3 with two episodes on Disney+. The streamer just released a brand-new trailer to prove it.

For the uninitiated, this is a live action show set during the same time period as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, or around ten years after the events of Return of the Jedi. We don’t know too much about the plot, other than it involves some suburban kids finding a spaceship and going on an adventure.

If that reminds you of some classic flicks from the 1980s, you aren’t alone. The whole thing seems to be an homage to Steven Spielberg, Amblin and the vast array of kid-friendly adventures from that decade. People have been calling it “Goonies in space,” but a more modern reference would be “Stranger Things in space.”

The trailer also showcases one of the things I’m personally most interested in with this show. Some of it is set in settled planets, likely core worlds such as Coruscant. There are suburban neighborhoods and schools. There are people going to work. We haven’t gotten many looks as to how regular people live in a galaxy far, far away. That’s my jam, right there.

The showrunners here are Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, who made the recent Spider-Man movies for the MCU. The cast is primarily composed of unknown kids, including an elephant alien who may or may not be related to Mos Espa band leader Max Rebo. However, Jude Law is in it. He’s likely playing a Jedi, though there could be a twist there.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-new-star-wars-skeleton-crew-trailer-is-heavy-on-spielberg-vibes-151150849.html?src=rss

The new Star Wars: Skeleton Crew trailer is heavy on Spielberg vibes

Posted on by

There’s a new Star Wars show coming out in just over a month. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew premieres on December 3 with two episodes on Disney+. The streamer just released a brand-new trailer to prove it.

For the uninitiated, this is a live action show set during the same time period as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, or around ten years after the events of Return of the Jedi. We don’t know too much about the plot, other than it involves some suburban kids finding a spaceship and going on an adventure.

If that reminds you of some classic flicks from the 1980s, you aren’t alone. The whole thing seems to be an homage to Steven Spielberg, Amblin and the vast array of kid-friendly adventures from that decade. People have been calling it “Goonies in space,” but a more modern reference would be “Stranger Things in space.”

The trailer also showcases one of the things I’m personally most interested in with this show. Some of it is set in settled planets, likely core worlds such as Coruscant. There are suburban neighborhoods and schools. There are people going to work. We haven’t gotten many looks as to how regular people live in a galaxy far, far away. That’s my jam, right there.

The showrunners here are Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, who made the recent Spider-Man movies for the MCU. The cast is primarily composed of unknown kids, including an elephant alien who may or may not be related to Mos Espa band leader Max Rebo. However, Jude Law is in it. He’s likely playing a Jedi, though there could be a twist there.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-new-star-wars-skeleton-crew-trailer-is-heavy-on-spielberg-vibes-151150849.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Nintendo made its own music streaming service

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Addressing the needs of… someone, Nintendo has announced its own music streaming service on a mobile app for both Android and iPhone. Encompassing the music of Nintendo’s own gaming properties, from Mario to Metroid, Nintendo Music has a user interface that pretty much looks like Spotify. It’s a new addition to Switch Online subscribers, so it’s not free, but it’s a convenient extra if you’re already paying. Nintendo Music will even suggest and curate music based on your Switch activity.

One unique feature here is spoiler prevention. If you add a game, the app hides tracks and details that could give away a surprise twist, unexpected final boss or other potential spoilers, like that nihilistic ending of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.

— Mat Smith

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OpenAI’s latest feature searches the web in response to your natural language queries, delivering “fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources.” OpenAI says the feature looks for “original, high-quality content from the web,” integrating it into conversational answers. This includes trusted news media sources and data providers, like AccuWeather.

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Now iOS 18.1 is available to the masses, Apple’s new hearing aid feature is ready for use. With an up-to-date iPhone and those earbuds, you can employ hearing assistance tools without visiting a doctor or buying pricey dedicated hearing aids. After making sure your iPhone and AirPods Pro 2 are updated, the test itself is a little hidden away inside the Health app. Here’s how to find it.

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After a delay in June and a second in August, Recall now won’t be available to test until December. Microsoft is once more pushing back testing of the feature intended for its Copilot+ PCs, according to The Verge. Pitched as a sort of photographic memory for Windows, it’s meant to improve the search process on PCs. But since that demands a high degree of access to your data, it has been the target of privacy and security concerns.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-nintendo-made-its-own-music-streaming-service-111636065.html?src=rss

Nintendo Music is a streaming service for Switch Online subscribers

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Nintendo has launched its own music streaming service that caters to fans of its games, including Mario and Animal Crossing. Fans will be able to listen to their favorite game tracks on their phones through the new Nintendo Music app, which has a user interface that pretty much looks like Spotify. The tracks are organized by game, so people can play the whole OST for specific titles if they want, but they can also listen to character playlists like a selection of songs performed by Animal Crossing's K.K. Slider. 

If they're in the mood for certain songs, they can hit up one of the pre-made themed playlists, which put together tracks for themes like "boss battle" and "victory." The app offers mood playlists, as well, that groups tracks with similar vibes, such as soft, relaxing songs for bedtime listening. One feature that's probably unique to the service is spoiler prevention. If the listener adds a certain game to the setting, the app will hide the soundtracks that could give away a surprise ending or an unexpected final boss, among other potential spoilers. They can also extend a single track and keep it playing on repeat for up to an hour if that's all they want to listen to. 

Fans can access the new Nintendo Music service with a Switch Online membership, though they can start listening to game tracks even if they're still on free trial. Every member on a Switch Online Family membership can also access it, so they don't need to pay for an individual subscription. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/nintendo-music-is-a-streaming-service-for-switch-online-subscribers-130035796.html?src=rss

Meta AI has more than 500 million users

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Last month at Meta Connect, Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta AI was “on track” to become the most-used generative AI assistant in the world. The company has now passed a significant milestone toward that goal, with Meta AI passing the 500 million user mark, Zuckerberg revealed during the company’s latest earnings call.

The half billion user mark comes just barely a year after the social network first launched its AI assistant last fall. Zuckerberg said the company still expects to become the “most-used” assistant by the end of 2024, though he's never specified how the company is measuring that metric. 

Meta’s assistant isn’t the only AI tool that’s boosting the company’s business. Zuckerberg said that AI improvements in its feed and video recommendations have led to an 8 percent increase in time spent on Facebook and a 5 percent increase for Instagram this year. Advertisers are also taking advantage of the company’s AI tools, he said, with more than 15 million ads created with generative AI in the last month alone. “We believe that there's a lot more upside here,” Zuckerberg said.

Outside of AI, Meta’s Threads app also continues to surge. The service now has “almost 275 million” monthly users, according to Zuckerberg. “It's been growing more than a million sign ups per day,” Zuckerberg said, adding that “engagement is growing too.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-ai-has-more-than-500-million-users-220353427.html?src=rss