Tag Archives: language|en-US

Max will start cracking down on password sharing this year

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Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) plans to join Netflix and Disney in preventing Max users from sharing their passwords with friends and family who don't live in the primary household. According to The Wrap, the company's CEO and president of global streaming and games JB Perrette said at a conference that the account sharing crackdown will start later this year ahead of a more widespread effort in 2025.

The aim, of course, is to improve Max's bottom line. WBD doesn't make any money when a user lets someone else use their Max account. As of the end of 2023, WBD had 97.7 million subscribers across Max, Discovery+ and HBO on cable. That was an increase of 1.8 million from the previous quarter.

It's unclear how WBD plans to implement the password sharing crackdown. Last year, Netflix started making users who shared their account with people outside of the main household pay extra to do so. The initiative had a positive impact on Netflix's financial results. Disney+ then followed suit with its own password restrictions, which it first introduced in Canada. Disney says users in the US will have to stop sharing passwords by March 14.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/max-will-start-cracking-down-on-password-sharing-this-year-172920909.html?src=rss

One of our favorite Marshall Bluetooth speakers has dropped to a record-low price

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The Marshall Middleton Bluetooth speaker has a list price of $300, but right now Amazon is selling it for $236. That's a 21 percent discount and the lowest price we've tracked since it's launch last March, beating the former low of $260 it hit last December. It's also on sale for $250 at B&H Photo. We named the Middleton one of the best mid-range ($200 to $400) Bluetooth speakers you can buy in our guide. It combines good sound quality with a IP67 rating, meaning it's dust-tight and can survive a dip in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Plus there's a handy carry strap to drag it around.   

Marshall markets the Middleton as their flagship Bluetooth speaker — and the company's largest portable with a waterproof rating. At four pounds, it's still small enough to toss in a backpack, but large enough to house three battery cells adding up to 9,600mAh of charge to enable a 20-hour run time. You can even siphon off some of that juice to charge a phone thorough the USB-C port. 

It puts out 360-degree sound from two 15-watt woofers, two 10-watt tweeters and a pair of passive radiators. We found the output to be respectable, handling low frequencies well. Marshall's sound tends to have a good dynamic range combined with significant depth, and that's what you get here. 

The Middleton is also the biggest model to support Stack Mode which lets you pair up with another Middleton or the smaller Emberton II or Willen. Pairing happens using the app and double pressing the speakers' Bluetooth buttons.  

Speaking of other music boxes, the Emberton II speaker, which we named one of the best picks under $200 in that same speaker guide, is also on sale. It's 21 percent off and down to $134, which isn't an all-time low — it went for $14 less last Black Friday. It's not the loudest speaker in it's size range, but the sound is pleasantly balanced and a good accompaniment to small gatherings. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-marshall-bluetooth-speakers-has-dropped-to-a-record-low-price-171504625.html?src=rss

One of our favorite Marshall Bluetooth speakers has dropped to a record-low price

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The Marshall Middleton Bluetooth speaker has a list price of $300, but right now Amazon is selling it for $236. That's a 21 percent discount and the lowest price we've tracked since it's launch last March, beating the former low of $260 it hit last December. It's also on sale for $250 at B&H Photo. We named the Middleton one of the best mid-range ($200 to $400) Bluetooth speakers you can buy in our guide. It combines good sound quality with a IP67 rating, meaning it's dust-tight and can survive a dip in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Plus there's a handy carry strap to drag it around.   

Marshall markets the Middleton as their flagship Bluetooth speaker — and the company's largest portable with a waterproof rating. At four pounds, it's still small enough to toss in a backpack, but large enough to house three battery cells adding up to 9,600mAh of charge to enable a 20-hour run time. You can even siphon off some of that juice to charge a phone thorough the USB-C port. 

It puts out 360-degree sound from two 15-watt woofers, two 10-watt tweeters and a pair of passive radiators. We found the output to be respectable, handling low frequencies well. Marshall's sound tends to have a good dynamic range combined with significant depth, and that's what you get here. 

The Middleton is also the biggest model to support Stack Mode which lets you pair up with another Middleton or the smaller Emberton II or Willen. Pairing happens using the app and double pressing the speakers' Bluetooth buttons.  

Speaking of other music boxes, the Emberton II speaker, which we named one of the best picks under $200 in that same speaker guide, is also on sale. It's 21 percent off and down to $134, which isn't an all-time low — it went for $14 less last Black Friday. It's not the loudest speaker in it's size range, but the sound is pleasantly balanced and a good accompaniment to small gatherings. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/one-of-our-favorite-marshall-bluetooth-speakers-has-dropped-to-a-record-low-price-171504625.html?src=rss

Hades hits iOS as a Netflix mobile exclusive on March 19

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Hades is a major get for Netflix as a mobile exclusive. The dungeon crawler is one of the best games in recent memory and it could help bolster the growing audience Netflix has built for its strong library of games. Subscribers will be able to play Hades on their iPhones and iPads at no extra cost on March 19. You can preregister so you're ready to go when the game hits the App Store.

You play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, as you battle through a randomized set of chambers and enemies in an attempt to escape from the Underworld. This is a roguelite game. Every time you die, you'll go back to the start and lose most of the perks you picked up during a run, but you'll gradually unlock permanent upgrades that will help Zagreous make it to Mount Olympus. You may also be equipped with extra knowledge about a certain enemy or trap that caused your demise.

In addition, Zagreus will receive gifts from other Olympians to help him hack and slash through his enemies. It's his interactions with the other characters that form the backbone of the story and help make Hades stand out.

Developer Supergiant Games had long thought of Hades as a good fit for mobile, given its pick-up-and-play nature. Although Netflix's games are typically available on both iOS and Android, that won't be the case for Hades, at least for now. Supergiant has stuck with iOS for the mobile versions of its games (already having a Mac version of Hades helped here since that platform and iOS both use the Metal API). Not only that, the studio is made up of a small team. While Supergiant was preparing the mobile port of Hades, it was also working on the sequel to the 2020 hit.

It took over a year of extra development time to get Hades ready for mobile devices. "The foremost goal was to make this an uncompromising version of Hades," while making sure the game was "as performant and smooth as possible," Supergiant creative director Greg Kasavin recently told reporters.

A major focus of that work was making sure to get the touch controls just right. The buttons have haptic feedback. You can resize and reposition the controls and save your configuration. What's more, the buttons are customized for each action. So, when you go to pet the adorable multi-headed devil dog Cerberus, there'll be a dedicated button just for that. Don't worry if you prefer to use a Bluetooth controller or a plug-in gamepad such as the Backbone One, since Hades will be compatible with those. Other features include 60 fps gameplay, cloud saves, achievements and offline play.

Hades is coming to Netflix Games at an ideal time for Supergiant. It will both bring new eyes to the game and give longtime fans an excuse to revisit the classic ahead of the sequel's arrival. Hades II is set to go into early access on PC this spring.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hades-hits-ios-as-a-netflix-mobile-exclusive-on-march-19-170014127.html?src=rss

Hades hits iOS as a Netflix mobile exclusive on March 19

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Hades is a major get for Netflix as a mobile exclusive. The dungeon crawler is one of the best games in recent memory and it could help bolster the growing audience Netflix has built for its strong library of games. Subscribers will be able to play Hades on their iPhones and iPads at no extra cost on March 19. You can preregister so you're ready to go when the game hits the App Store.

You play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, as you battle through a randomized set of chambers and enemies in an attempt to escape from the Underworld. This is a roguelite game. Every time you die, you'll go back to the start and lose most of the perks you picked up during a run, but you'll gradually unlock permanent upgrades that will help Zagreous make it to Mount Olympus. You may also be equipped with extra knowledge about a certain enemy or trap that caused your demise.

In addition, Zagreus will receive gifts from other Olympians to help him hack and slash through his enemies. It's his interactions with the other characters that form the backbone of the story and help make Hades stand out.

Developer Supergiant Games had long thought of Hades as a good fit for mobile, given its pick-up-and-play nature. Although Netflix's games are typically available on both iOS and Android, that won't be the case for Hades, at least for now. Supergiant has stuck with iOS for the mobile versions of its games (already having a Mac version of Hades helped here since that platform and iOS both use the Metal API). Not only that, the studio is made up of a small team. While Supergiant was preparing the mobile port of Hades, it was also working on the sequel to the 2020 hit.

It took over a year of extra development time to get Hades ready for mobile devices. "The foremost goal was to make this an uncompromising version of Hades," while making sure the game was "as performant and smooth as possible," Supergiant creative director Greg Kasavin recently told reporters.

A major focus of that work was making sure to get the touch controls just right. The buttons have haptic feedback. You can resize and reposition the controls and save your configuration. What's more, the buttons are customized for each action. So, when you go to pet the adorable multi-headed devil dog Cerberus, there'll be a dedicated button just for that. Don't worry if you prefer to use a Bluetooth controller or a plug-in gamepad such as the Backbone One, since Hades will be compatible with those. Other features include 60 fps gameplay, cloud saves, achievements and offline play.

Hades is coming to Netflix Games at an ideal time for Supergiant. It will both bring new eyes to the game and give longtime fans an excuse to revisit the classic ahead of the sequel's arrival. Hades II is set to go into early access on PC this spring.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hades-hits-ios-as-a-netflix-mobile-exclusive-on-march-19-170014127.html?src=rss

Samsung’s latest microSD card deals include the 256GB Pro Plus for $20

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Here's a quick PSA for anyone who has been meaning to add more storage to a gaming handheld, GoPro, security camera or cheaper Android device: A handful of Samsung microSD cards we recommend are back on sale. The discounts include the 256GB Samsung Pro Plus and 128GB Samsung Pro Ultimate for $20 and $17, respectively. Neither of those are all-time lows, but they both come within $2 of the best deals we've tracked, and they're both a few bucks cheaper than the cards' usual street prices over the last two months. The Pro Plus is the top overall pick in our microSD card buying guide, while the Pro Ultimate is a faster upgrade pick. These deals are also available at other retailers, including B&H and Samsung.com.

If you're willing to trade some performance for more space, the 512GB Samsung Evo Select, the top value pick in our guide, is also down to $25 at Amazon. We saw this deal last month, but it still matches the card's lowest price to date. Typically, it's retailed around $30 over the last few months.

Which one of these is the "best" deal depends on what you're looking to do. The Pro Ultimate may be worth it if you plan to regularly stress the card in a device that can take advantage of its higher speeds. It was faster than the Pro Plus across the board in our benchmark tests, so it can save you some time if you often have to, say, move files to and from a computer. That said, the Pro Plus' sequential and random speeds weren't too far off, so it'll still be quick for recording 4K video, loading video game levels and the like. If you need a higher-capacity card but still value performance, it'll probably be worth the extra $3. For reference, the 256GB version of the Pro Ultimate is now going for $35, which is a fair bit extra.

If you just want a big chunk of space on the cheap, meanwhile, just go with the Evo Select. It's a clear step down from the other two cards in both read and write speeds, but it's performant enough for more casual tasks, and this deal gets you much more space per dollar. Many devices, such as the Nintendo Switch, can't fully take advantage of the faster transfer speeds of cards like the Pro Plus anyway. Like the higher-end cards, the Evo Select also comes with a 10-year limited warranty. None of the cards on sale here will be as fast as Samsung's upcoming SD Express models, but we'd expect those to be relatively expensive when they arrive later this year.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-latest-microsd-card-deals-include-the-256gb-pro-plus-for-20-161535375.html?src=rss

Samsung’s latest microSD card deals include the 256GB Pro Plus for $20

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Here's a quick PSA for anyone who has been meaning to add more storage to a gaming handheld, GoPro, security camera or cheaper Android device: A handful of Samsung microSD cards we recommend are back on sale. The discounts include the 256GB Samsung Pro Plus and 128GB Samsung Pro Ultimate for $20 and $17, respectively. Neither of those are all-time lows, but they both come within $2 of the best deals we've tracked, and they're both a few bucks cheaper than the cards' usual street prices over the last two months. The Pro Plus is the top overall pick in our microSD card buying guide, while the Pro Ultimate is a faster upgrade pick. These deals are also available at other retailers, including B&H and Samsung.com.

If you're willing to trade some performance for more space, the 512GB Samsung Evo Select, the top value pick in our guide, is also down to $25 at Amazon. We saw this deal last month, but it still matches the card's lowest price to date. Typically, it's retailed around $30 over the last few months.

Which one of these is the "best" deal depends on what you're looking to do. The Pro Ultimate may be worth it if you plan to regularly stress the card in a device that can take advantage of its higher speeds. It was faster than the Pro Plus across the board in our benchmark tests, so it can save you some time if you often have to, say, move files to and from a computer. That said, the Pro Plus' sequential and random speeds weren't too far off, so it'll still be quick for recording 4K video, loading video game levels and the like. If you need a higher-capacity card but still value performance, it'll probably be worth the extra $3. For reference, the 256GB version of the Pro Ultimate is now going for $35, which is a fair bit extra.

If you just want a big chunk of space on the cheap, meanwhile, just go with the Evo Select. It's a clear step down from the other two cards in both read and write speeds, but it's performant enough for more casual tasks, and this deal gets you much more space per dollar. Many devices, such as the Nintendo Switch, can't fully take advantage of the faster transfer speeds of cards like the Pro Plus anyway. Like the higher-end cards, the Evo Select also comes with a 10-year limited warranty. None of the cards on sale here will be as fast as Samsung's upcoming SD Express models, but we'd expect those to be relatively expensive when they arrive later this year.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-latest-microsd-card-deals-include-the-256gb-pro-plus-for-20-161535375.html?src=rss

MLB The Show 24 features women ballplayers for the first time

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This year’s edition of MLB The Show is just a couple of weeks away, and Sony's San Diego Studio has shed more light on what to expect. For the first time in the series, you’ll be able to create and play as women ballplayers in the Road to the Show mode.

In Road to the Show: Women Pave Their Way, there will be a dedicated story in which you can build a career as a pro female baseball player. While it includes all the usual features of Road to the Show, this version of the mode will have a buddy character and depict a “unique-to-women storyline following a lifelong friendship as it develops in professional baseball,” according to a PlayStation Blog post.

Your career path will likely be different on each playthrough. San Diego Studio added fresh commentary, MLB Network segments and other features tied to this new addition to the game.

Other major sports games have added women players over the last several years, including FIFA (now EA Sports FC), the NHL series and NBA 2K. It's good to see MLB The Show joining them.

In addition, MLB The Show 24 will continue to showcase stories from the Negro Leagues under a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The latest edition of the series will feature 10 new Negro League Legends, each of whom has their own storyline. Among those players is Toni Stone, who was the first woman to play full time in the leagues.

Meanwhile, MLB The Show will remain in the odd position of being a Sony-developed and published game that's coming to Game Pass on its release date. Subscribers will be able to play MLB The Show 24 via Xbox consoles and the cloud at no extra cost starting on March 19.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mlb-the-show-24-features-women-ballplayers-for-the-first-time-160007024.html?src=rss

MLB The Show 24 features women ballplayers for the first time

Posted on by

This year’s edition of MLB The Show is just a couple of weeks away, and Sony's San Diego Studio has shed more light on what to expect. For the first time in the series, you’ll be able to create and play as women ballplayers in the Road to the Show mode.

In Road to the Show: Women Pave Their Way, there will be a dedicated story in which you can build a career as a pro female baseball player. While it includes all the usual features of Road to the Show, this version of the mode will have a buddy character and depict a “unique-to-women storyline following a lifelong friendship as it develops in professional baseball,” according to a PlayStation Blog post.

Your career path will likely be different on each playthrough. San Diego Studio added fresh commentary, MLB Network segments and other features tied to this new addition to the game.

Other major sports games have added women players over the last several years, including FIFA (now EA Sports FC), the NHL series and NBA 2K. It's good to see MLB The Show joining them.

In addition, MLB The Show 24 will continue to showcase stories from the Negro Leagues under a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The latest edition of the series will feature 10 new Negro League Legends, each of whom has their own storyline. Among those players is Toni Stone, who was the first woman to play full time in the leagues.

Meanwhile, MLB The Show will remain in the odd position of being a Sony-developed and published game that's coming to Game Pass on its release date. Subscribers will be able to play MLB The Show 24 via Xbox consoles and the cloud at no extra cost starting on March 19.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mlb-the-show-24-features-women-ballplayers-for-the-first-time-160007024.html?src=rss

Facebook, Instagram and Threads are back online after a two-hour outage

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Meta says it has resolved an issue that prevented people from accessing services such as Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The problem appears to have started at around 10AM ET, with outage reports for the services (and WhatsApp) spiking on Down Detector at that time.

Facebook booted several members of the Engadget team back to the site's login screen and left them unable to sign back in for a couple of hours. Feeds on the other services were not loading for many users. However, fellow major Meta service WhatsApp was working for some, including me. 

"Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have difficulty accessing some of our services," Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone wrote on X. "We resolved the issue as quickly as possible for everyone who was impacted, and we apologize for any inconvenience."

Update 3/5 11:32PM ET: Updated to note that the outage has been resolved.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/its-not-just-you-facebook-instagram-and-threads-are-all-down-155024905.html?src=rss