Tag Archives: region|US

The Simpsons will join Monday Night Football on ESPN+ and Disney+

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The town of Springfield will host a National Football League game in December at Atoms Stadium, but neither the Springfield Atoms nor the Shelbyville Sharks will take the field.

Instead, the Bengals-Cowboys game on December 9 will be transformed into the world of TV’s longest running sitcom The Simpsons for a special Funday Football edition of Monday Night Football. The special Simpsons-ized broadcast will air on the ESPN+ and Disney+ streaming services and the NFL+ mobile app. The game will broadcast in its regular form on ESPN, ESPN+, ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

The game will implement tracking technology to turn the players on the field and ESPN commentators Mina Kimes, Dan Orlovsky and Drew Carter into Simpsons characters. Kimes, Orlovsky and Carter will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to see their virtual environments. The quarterbacks will be transformed into Bart for the Cincinnati Bengals and Homer for the Dallas Cowboys using Sony’s Beyond Sports AI data analyzer and Hawk-Eye Innovations sports tracking and broadcast technology, according to a Disney press release.

The game will also feature more characters and pre-animated scenes from the show’s original cast including Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and Yeardley Smith along with some surprise sports cameos. Characters like Lisa, Krusty the Clown, Carl, Lenny, Moe and Milhouse will be on the sidelines rooting for their respective teams. The announcement doesn’t mention Harry Shearer, so don’t expect Mr. Burns or Smithers to be at the game.

This isn’t the first time that ESPN has turned a regular season NFL game into an animated spectacle. Last year, Disney, ESPN and the NFL teamed up to turn an October game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Jacksonville Jaguars into a Toy Story themed game that transformed London’s Wembley Stadium into Andy’s room. The kids’ cable network Nickelodeon has also aired a few NFL games for its NFL Slimetime broadcasts featuring live commentary from animated characters like SpongeBob voiced by Tom Kenny and Patrick Star voiced by Bill Fagerbakke and computerized slime spewing in the end zones after touchdowns.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/the-simpsons-will-join-monday-night-football-on-espn-and-disney-202238589.html?src=rss

X is trying to make Community Notes faster with ‘lightning notes’

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X is trying to speed up its crowdsourced fact-checking system, Community Notes. In an update, the company says it has “re-architected” the scoring system that powers the feature so that the user-generated notes can now appear less than 20 minutes after a post is published on its platform.

Community Notes, introduced in 2022, relies on other X users to fact-check or add missing context to posts on the platform. Contributors are required to cite their sources, and other users then rate the “helpfulness” of the note. Creators are also penalized for posts that get “community noted” in an effort to discourage them from trying to monetize misinformation. Now, that whole process should be able to move a lot quicker.

According to X, these new “lightning notes” can “go live in as little as 14m33s after being written, and 18m20s after the post itself was written.” The change could help address a long running criticism of the crowdsourced fact checking system: that it moves far too slowly compared with the speed of viral misinformation on the platform. For example, an analysis last year by Bloomberg found that it could take several hours for a Community Note to appear on a viral tweet and that, often, only a fraction of users see the fact check compared with the original post.

The new speedier system could change that, though it’s unclear how often the faster “lightning” version of the process will actually play out. Not all posts with incorrect information, misstated facts or AI-generated imagery are immediately flagged for review, if they are at all. X says it has more than 800,000 contributors to the program globally, but some posts will likely still take much longer to wind their way through the Community Notes process.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-is-trying-to-make-community-notes-faster-with-lightning-notes-202227151.html?src=rss

Enhance unveils two collectors’ box sets in honor of its tenth anniversary

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Game studio Enhance is celebrating its tenth anniversary and marking the occasion with two limited run box sets that showcase the art and audio of its creative titles. Founded by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Enhance has released some stellar video games over the past decade, including Tetris Effect: Connected, Rez Infinite, Lumines Remastered and Humanity.

One collection — The Enhance Soundworks Collection Boxed Set — centers on the music and soundtracks from the studio's history. It includes nine LPs with the soundtracks to each of the four games above, all on custom-printed vinyl. The box set also includes a liner booklet with insights on the music from game composers and creators, a turntable slipmat, a poster and a set of pin badges. Only 505 collections will be sold and are scheduled to ship in spring 2025.

The other collection is called The Sounds & Visions: Enhance at 10 Boxed Set. This contains a 300-page oral history of the studio's founding and its game projects, a laser-etched glass sculpture inspired by Rez Infinite, prints of concept art for Tetris Effect: Connected and Rez Infinite, and a CD of audio tracks by Hydelic from the same pair of games. This set will begin shipments in summer 2025 and is limited to 1,010 copies.

Each of these box sets is available to pre-order now and will retail for $259. Even the packaging on these collectors' items align with the blend of art, audio and design that has become a hallmark of Enhance's creations. Both Rez Infinite and Tetris Effect: Connect impressed Engadget's team for their mindful, meditative approach to immersive, flow-state gaming.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/enhance-unveils-two-collectors-box-sets-in-honor-of-its-tenth-anniversary-194435400.html?src=rss

Black Friday Proton VPN deals include up to 70 percent off plans

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Now isn’t a bad time to try our pick for the best VPN service for 2024. ProtonVPN is on sale for 70 percent off 12-month subscriptions, bringing the one-year cost down to just under $36. You can also save on Proton Unlimited, which includes VPN access along with access to all of Proton's other services like Mail and Calendar.

ProtonVPN is Engadget’s favorite VPN service of 2024. Although most services passed our tests with high marks, Proton’s service stood out for its independently audited no-logs policy, a proven record of refusing law enforcement requests, open-source code and a peer-review program that discloses potential vulnerabilities. We also liked its user-friendly interface.

The company offers a limited free plan, but ProtonVPN Plus gives you access to 6,500 servers in more than 110 countries. It also includes the company’s high-speed (10Gbps) servers, BitTorrent support, a built-in ad blocker and the option to route your connection through multiple servers.

Other Proton services are also on sale. That includes Proton Mail, the company’s fully encrypted email service that put it on the map. You can get 12 months for 60 percent off ($23.88) or 24 months for 30 percent off ($83.76). ProtonMail recently added an AI-powered writing feature to its mail service. Even if you aren’t a fan of robots putting words into your mouth, the service still gives you up to 10 email addresses (including custom domain support), smart filters and labels, one-click unsubscribe and dedicated mobile and desktop apps.

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/black-friday-proton-vpn-deals-include-up-to-70-percent-off-plans-192530055.html?src=rss

Amazon’s AI-powered shopping assistant Rufus launches in Europe today

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Amazon’s shopping-focused chatbot Rufus is launching throughout Europe, after coming to the US back in February. It starts rolling out today as a beta in Germany, France, Italy and Spain, after coming to the UK in September. This is a gradual rollout and the company says it could be a few weeks before every single user in the aforementioned countries receives a software update.

To get started with Rufus, look for the icon on the bottom right-hand corner of the mobile app. This will open up the chat box. Customers can tap on this chat box to ask follow up questions or receive more information on a pre-existing query. This is a beta release, so Amazon encourages customers to leave feedback by “rating their answers with a thumbs up or thumbs down.” There’s also an option for more directed freeform feedback.

For the uninitiated, Rufus is a generative AI shopping assistant that was trained on Amazon’s entire product catalog, along with customer reviews, community Q&As and “information from across the web.” It’s a chatbot, so customers can ask Rufus questions about products and the like.

For instance, users can ask Rufus if a particular pair of running shoes are durable or if a jacket is machine-washable. This is AI, though, so even Amazon admits that the information may not always be correct. “It’s still early days for generative AI, and the technology won’t always get it exactly right,” the company writes.

If you live in the US, you already have access to the chatbot. Just look for the tell-tale icon that looks like two chat bubbles, along with the name Rufus.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazons-ai-powered-shopping-assistant-rufus-launches-in-europe-today-184255137.html?src=rss

Sony pulls the plug on Concord and shuts down Firewalk Studios

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Sony has officially killed off Concord and is shuttering the studio behind the game. Concord's servers were taken down just two weeks after the launch of the competitive team shooter from Firewalk Studios after poor sales. Firewalk's game director Ryan Ellis chose to move himself into a more supportive role following Concord's struggles, and Sony had said it would consider its options for the project. The decision is in.

"After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio," Hermen Hulst of Sony Interactive Entertainment's Studio Business Group said in a statement today. "I want to thank all of Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit and dedication." A representative told Bloomberg News that Firewalk Studios had 172 employees who will lose their jobs.

The online game business is brutal, and Concord may have suffered for its long development time, which meant other team shooters had already risen to prominence and defined players' expectations. Many similar games are free to play and support themselves financially with a battle pass or seasonal model. Gamers may have balked at the $40 price tag for a new property, or maybe the genre was simply too crowded for Concord to muscle in.

Whatever the reasons, today's news marks another difficult chapter for the game development world. Firewalk Studios is an outlier for having this level of commercial failure, but it's still yet another closure in the industry that has seen a lot of turbulence in recent years. Layoffs and shutdowns have been a top story in gaming, but several of the recent cases have been like Firewalk, which was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment just last spring. Netflix abruptly shut down its AAA studio last week before the team had even announced a project. Microsoft closed three studios from the Zenimax family earlier this year. As fewer parties control a growing share of the games industry, the tolerance for experimentation and slim profit margins will likely shrink too. And this type of sudden upheaval could become all the more common.

Update, October 29, 2024, 2:52PM ET: Story updated with additional context about Concord, Firewalk Studios' staff numbers and broader studio closure trends.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-pulls-the-plug-on-concord-and-shuts-down-firewalk-studios-180321212.html?src=rss

Netflix’s Senna showcases the rise and untimely death of the Brazilian F1 legend

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After introducing many Americans to Formula One racing with the docuseries Drive to Survive, Netflix is spotlighting one of the motorsport’s greats. Senna will show the roots, drive and tragic passing of Ayrton Senna (Gabriel Leone) as he goes from racing go-karts in São Paulo, Brazil, to international superstardom and 41-time Grands Prix winner. You can watch the trailer below a month before the limited series’ debut.

“Fascinated by cars since childhood, Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna became a sports legend — until tragedy struck, changing Formula 1 forever,” Netflix’s description reads. Showrunner Vicente Amorim (Yakuza Princess) helms the six-part series. In addition to Leone (Ferrari) in the starring role, its cast includes Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) and Matt Mella (The Bureau).

Actor Gabriel Leone as Ayrton Senna in the Netflix series Senna. Closeup of him as he sits in an F1 car.
Netflix

The trailer below showcases Senna’s determination in the face of adversity, his uncanny ability to drive in the rain and his love of his home country. The LA Times reports that the series was produced in Brazil, filmed mainly in Portuguese and is supported by F1’s governing body.

You can stream Senna exclusively on Netflix after you wrap up your Black Friday shopping on November 29.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflixs-senna-showcases-the-rise-and-untimely-death-of-the-brazilian-f1-legend-175721183.html?src=rss

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition heads to the Switch on March 20

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The Wii U was an unsuccessful console with some fantastic and overlooked games. Many of these titles have already been ported to the Nintendo Switch and, well, here’s another one. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition heads to the Switch on March 20. Preorders are open right now. 

This refresh of the 2015 action RPG will feature “enhanced visuals, added story elements and more.” As the name suggests, this is being advertised as the definitive edition of the game. There’s a trailer, embedded below, and the graphics look quite fetching. The trailer also includes a mysterious hooded figure. Nintendo says we should “stay tuned to learn more” about this new character.

This definitive edition will feature some multiplayer components. Players can join online squads to take on missions and fight baddies. You can even recruit the avatars of other players to your team in the main story. There’s a swap feature that lets you fill the party up with the avatars of friends and family.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is generally considered one of the stronger entries in the franchise, with a huge open world map and equally mammoth beasts to slay. There are five continents to explore across the hostile planet of Mira. You can also roam the world while riding a giant mech. The story is a standalone affair, so you don’t have to be well-versed in any lore.

This isn’t the first Xenoblade game to get the refresh treatment. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is a remake of the very first title in the franchise and was released for the Switch back in 2020. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/xenoblade-chronicles-x-definitive-edition-heads-to-the-switch-on-march-20-171622499.html?src=rss

North American Polestar owners can now use the Tesla Supercharger network

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Polestar EV owners will soon have a lot more charging options. The company said on Tuesday its lineup now has access to the Tesla Supercharger network in the US and Canada. Future Polestar vehicles will adopt the NACS inlet as standard, and current owners can buy an adapter beginning today at their local Polestar Service Point.

A Polestar spokesperson told Engadget that the adapter has an MSRP of $230, so this isn’t a free upgrade. However, that accessory will add 17,800 charging stations across North America, so owners may find that’s a relatively small price to pay for extra peace of mind on their next road trip.

Tesla’s charger has quickly become the standard in the US. Since the company opened its charging tech to rival automakers, all major EV manufacturers have adopted it. This includes Ford (apart from some glitches), Honda, Volkswagen, GM, Volvo, Mercedes, BMW and Lucid. Polestar announced its plans to support the Tesla Supercharger network over a year ago, but the backend tech and adapter orders are now ready.

The Polestar 3 sitting in front of a lake surrounded by trees and hills.
Tim Stevens for Engadget

Speaking of the adapters, the $230 accessories are slated for mid-November deliveries. So, if you order now, you should have more charging options on your holiday road trip to see Grandma. Polestar says its in-car Google Maps app will be updated to show all available NACS stations.

Anders Gustafsson, Head of Polestar North America, emphasized in a press release the volume of charging options this move will add. “With the adoption of this standard, in combination with approximately 10,000 CCS DC fast chargers, current and prospective Polestar customers now have access to nearly 27,800 DC fast chargers and can feel more confident in their ability to charge on the go.”

The Polestar 3 is delivering now. Engadget’s Tim Stevens took it for a spin and was left impressed with the $73,400 (and up) electric SUV. Emphasizing how badly Polestar needed the long-delayed vehicle to dazzle as a mass-market follow-up to its more niche predecessors, he said that minus a few early software glitches, it’s “great.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/north-american-polestar-owners-can-now-use-the-tesla-supercharger-network-164046134.html?src=rss

Xbox Insiders can now test the Windows Xbox App’s redesigned home screen

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If you’re an Xbox Insider, you can now test a new home screen when using the Windows Xbox app. In a blog post published yesterday, Microsoft showcased the redesigned interface, which unites the Game Pass and Microsoft Store experiences. Users can now find their games in one place and avoid tab-hopping. This new home tab will appear for anyone with either a Game Pass subscription or a game purchased from the Microsoft Store.

Becoming an Xbox Insider is easy, as you only have to download and install the Xbox Insider Hub and test features in development. After you become a beta tester, enroll in the “PC Gaming Preview” to gain access to the new home screen.

The new menu now shows featured content and discounted games, all in a single tab. It can even curate titles based on your preferences.

The “jump back in” feature tested in May is part of the new home screen experience as of yesterday. This feature allows Compact Mode users to jump back into gameplay when not currently playing any game. It shows the nine most recent titles you’ve played, and jumping back in takes very little time at all. You can see it as a shortcut feature.

Compact Mode, as the name suggests, shrinks the interface down by replacing tabs with icons. If you own a Windows handheld console, it already has Compact Mode enabled when you launch the Xbox app.

Since becoming an Xbox Insider takes no time at all, you can easily see if you’re eligible for the preview. Microsoft is encouraging testers to provide feedback and report problems.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/xbox-insiders-can-now-test-the-windows-xbox-apps-redesigned-home-screen-163021760.html?src=rss