PS2 Game Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Being Remastered for PS5, PS4

Square Enix is remastering PS2 game Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song for the PS5 and PS4. Released in 2005, Minstrel Song is itself a remake of the 1992 role-playing game Romancing SaGa, which was released for the Super Famicom.

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered will come with new features

Minstrel Song Remastered will come with improvements and new additions including remastered graphics, quality-of-life features to improve gameplay, and new gameplay features that Square Enix has yet to detail. “Players will follow the exploits of one of eight protagonists, each with their own storyline and goal, and create their own unique adventure where their actions will affect the world around them courtesy of the ‘Free-form Scenario’ system,” reads a press release. “Fans of the SaGa series can also expect the ‘Glimmer’ and ‘Combo’ systems from previous games, iconic beautifully illustrated designs, and a whimsical soundtrack by Composer Kenji Ito which can be heard in today’s teaser trailer with the charming theme song ‘Menuett’ from the game’s soundtrack.

Although it received mixed critical reviews, the PS2 version of Minstrel Song sold enough units to earn Sony’s Ultimate Hits label at the time. This is Square Enix’s latest announcement from its ongoing SaGa project.

Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered’s launch is yet to be dated but Square Enix plans to release it worldwide this winter. This will be the game’s first European release as the 2005 game only released in North America and Japan. Other than the PS5 and PS4, Minstrel Song Remastered will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. An Xbox release seems to have been skipped.

In other news, Gotham Knights developers have explained why the game’s PS4 and Xbox One versions were cancelled, and Life Is Strange developer Dontnod Entertainment is set to reveal what it’s working on sometime later today so stay tuned.

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Gotham Knights PS4, Xbox One Versions Were Cancelled Due to the Game’s Scale and Scope

Gotham Knights PS4 and Xbox One versions’ cancellation was rumored well before the official announcement, but it didn’t stop fans from expressing disappointment over the development especially since the PS5 and Xbox Series X are still hard to come by. Developer WB Games Montreal acknowledges that the decision has disappointed fans but said that it was necessary in light of the game’s size and scope.

Why Gotham Knights PS4 and Xbox One versions were sacrificed

In a Q&A session on Discord (via MP1st), executive producer Fleur “Flaoua” Marty explained:

When considering the scale and scope of Gotham Knights we had to prioritize and focus our efforts to deliver the game at a satisfying level of quality for current gen. We totally understand that this is upsetting to players who don’t own a current-gen console yet, and believe me we really didn’t make this decision lightly, but, in the end, we wanted to focus on delivering a game we are truly proud of.

Separately, game director Patrick Redding said that each district in Gotham Knights will be incredibly detailed in its own unique way – from civilian nightlife to various types of vehicle traffic and varying weather. Players will even see busy rail stations at night in districts where people work night shifts. “Players will be able to enter a variety of buildings, usually because there’s some illicit after-hours activity underway,” Redding revealed. “And there is crime everywhere, both petty and major.”

Gotham Knights will release on October 25th for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. WB Games has promised that it won’t feature microtransactions.

In other news, a known PUBG dataminer has accused publisher Krafton of sending a private investigator to their house, and we have a handy guide for PS Plus users who want to upgrade to Extra or Premium.

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Known PUBG Dataminer Says Publisher Krafton Sent a Private Investigator to Their House

Twitter user PlayerIGN, a known PUBG: Battlegrounds dataminer and a respected member of the community, has accused publisher Krafton of sending a private investigator to their house in an attempt to intimidate them and plug PUBG leaks. In a TwitLonger post, PlayerIGN claimed that the investigator made a number of unreasonable demands and they’re now considering their options.

PlayerIGN’s PUBG leaks are often datamined information

PUBG showed up at my front door…

Read: https://t.co/XrjEz7M2ec

— PlayerIGN (@PlayerIGN) May 25, 2022

If true, Krafton’s move is particularly bizarre and downright creepy because it’s not like PlayerIGN is breaking into the developers’ computer systems or hacking them for information. Most of the times, they’re simply datamining information. Other times, they have people reaching out to them, which isn’t unheard of in the games industry.

“A private investigator was just outside my house just now handing me a letter re: Krafton having me take down all my social media posts of leaks, provide a full accounting of how much revenue I made, and provide all DMs of how I got said info,” PlayerIGN wrote (via TheGamer). “I don’t really know what to do right now. I just want to get some help before I make moves.”

PlayerIGN hasn’t been active on Twitter since this post, which is dated May 25th. It’s also unclear how Krafton got a hold of their address. PlayerIGN hasn’t responded to numerous websites’ requests for comments and Krafton has chosen not to address the accusation thus far.

“The datamines I get of their skins are from a website that gets updated early right before Test Server goes up,” PlayerIGN added. “It’s html. I [right-click > save] the images.” The user appears to be understandably spooked by the situation. Their followers have since expressed concerns about their well-being and have suggested contacting a lawyer immediately.

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Panasonic and Leica unveil 'L squared' project to jointly develop cameras and lenses

Panasonic and Leica have formed a new collaboration called L² (L squared) that will see them jointly develop cameras, lenses and imaging technology, they announced. Both companies are already part of the L-Mount mirrorless alliance (along with Sigma and Leitz) and Panasonic has loaned its camera tech to Leica. However, the new partnership goes deeper, as they'll use "jointly developed technologies" in their respective lens and camera products, while the L² branding will feature in future marketing activities. 

"Through this collaboration, the two companies will jointly invest in new technologies that can be incorporated into camera and lens products, and will incorporate jointly developed technologies into each other's Leica and Lumix products to further enhance their product capabilities," the press release states. "Going forward, Leica and Lumix will utilize L² Technology, which will open up new possibilities for creative camera users, in their marketing activities in order to develop a collaborative system over the long term."

There's no word on when we'll see the fruit of this collaboration. It does make some sense, though, as Panasonic tends to get overshadowed by Canon, Sony and Nikon, despite producing good cameras — especially for video. Meanwhile, Leica has a sterling reputation for lens quality, but gets far less respect for its mirrorless cameras because they're mostly rebadged, overpriced Panasonic models. By collaborating, Panasonic could gain some prestige off Leica's iconic reputation and lens quality, while Leica will get access to Panasonic's technological chops. 

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How To Upgrade PS Plus to Extra or Premium

PS Plus is expanding in a big way, introducing two new tiers, “Extra” and “Premium,” while renaming the basic subscription to “Essential.” There are a number of bonuses available to those choosing to upgrade to Extra or Premium. These include access to a big library of PS5 and PS4 games, Classics, and Game Trials. However, to take advantage of the two new tiers, users have to manually upgrade. Thankfully, we’re here with the perfect guide on how to upgrade PS Plus to Extra or Premium.

How do I upgrade my PS Plus to Extra?

To upgrade your PS Plus Essential subscription to Extra, users should:

1. Head to the PlayStation Store on PS5 or PS4.
2. Move over to the three-dotted “More” option in the top right corner and select it.
3. Choose “Subscriptions.”
4. Select “PlayStation Plus.”
5. Click “Change Plan.”
6. Choose “PlayStation Plus Extra.”
7. Hit “Continue” and the plans will be compared.
8. Select “Continue” if you agree with the payment terms.
9. Choose “Accept.”
10. You have now successfully upgraded to PS Plus Extra.

How do I upgrade my PS Plus to Premium?

To upgrade your PS Plus Essential or Extra subscription to Premium, you must:

1. Head to the PlayStation Store on PS5 or PS4.
2. Move over to the three-dotted “More” option in the top right and choose it.
3. Select “Subscriptions.”
4. Click “PlayStation Plus.”
5. Choose “Change Plan.”
6. Select “PlayStation Plus Premium.”
7. Click “Continue” and the plans will be compared.
8. Choose “Continue” if you agree with the payment terms.
9. Select “Accept.”
10. You have now successfully upgraded to PS Plus Premium.

For those that change their mind and want to downgrade, the process is the same. Simply select a downgrade option at Step 6 and continue to confirm.

Note: The PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers are slowly rolling out across all supported regions. If the “Change Plan” option isn’t appearing, then you will need to wait a little longer.

Looking for more PlayStation tips? Here’s how to fix PS5 DualSense controller input lag, how to make the PS5 fan quieter, and how to disable the PS5’s pesky automatic Rest Mode.

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The Morning After: A first look at the DeLorean EV

Good morning and welcome back! If you had time off yesterday, I hope you enjoyed it. And if you didn’t, I hope you survived your Monday.

DeLorean

Due to Memorial Day, it was a relatively quiet tech news day, but we did get a glimpse at a new DeLorean. Yes, DeLorean Motor Company is making an EV. The four-seater Alpha5 should arrive with a 100kWh battery pack, capable of 0 to 60MPH in 2.99 seconds, and a heady $175,000 price.

It won't be built by the original DeLorean people but by a Texas company that purchased the rights to the DeLorean name and spare parts. Expect gullwing doors, a futuristic profile and an overall design from the same studio that sketched the original DeLorean. Expect more details later today.

— Mat Smith

 

The biggest stories you might have missed

• 'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II' heads to Nintendo Switch on June 8th

• Valve's latest Steam Deck update promises less fan noise

• Recommended Reading: How 'Top Gun: Maverick' puts you inside an F-18

• Hitting the Books: What the Work from Home revolution means for those who can't

Apple trademarks 'realityOS'

Are we getting closer to an AR/VR headset announcement?

At the start of the year, developers spotted some references to “realityOS,” the operating system for Apple’s long-rumored virtual and augmented reality headset. Now, just before the start of WWDC 2022 on June 6th, the name has resurfaced in trademark filings seemingly linked to the company.

Continue reading.

Acer Predator Triton 500 SE review

A laptop powerhouse for work and play.

Engadget

The Triton 500 SE proves Acer can make a truly refined gaming laptop without gimmicks. No extra screens, no hybrid nonsense, no crazy design choices. It has a gorgeous 16-inch screen, and you can add to it the latest and greatest Intel and NVIDIA hardware. Prices, however, start at $2,300 but be prepared to shell out $3,000 if you want all the hardware from our review unit. Devindra Hardawar put the Triton 500 SE through its paces.

Continue reading.

Google Pixel 7 prototype reputedly shows up on eBay

Another major Google device leak.

meetveeru/eBay

Weeks after a Pixel Watch prototype was left at a restaurant, it appears someone tried to sell a Pixel 7 on eBay. The eBay listing for what looked like a prototype Pixel 7 popped up on the Pixel subreddit, but now it’s gone.

The images don’t reveal much more than we didn’t already know — or suspect. The front looks similar to the Pixel 6, hole-punch camera and all. The camera bar on the rear has two lenses as well. Although Google already announced the Pixel 7 and its Pro sibling at I/O, it'll be a while before the phones go on sale.

Continue reading.

iOS 16 will reportedly include always-on display features

But only for future iPhones.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests the company will have a fair amount to share about iOS 16 at the forthcoming WWDC, including enhancements to the lock screen. Gurman says the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system will include support for an always-on display initially exclusive to the company’s next iPhone Pro models. Devices could show notifications and other glanceable information without you needing to fully wake the iPhone’s display.

Continue reading.

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France officially bans English gaming terms like 'eSports' and 'streaming'

English jargon has invaded every corner of France, causing consternation among language purists — a trade fair popular with politicians during election season is called "Made in France," for example. Despite widespread usage in business and elsewhere, the government has decided to pick on gaming, officially banning terms like "streamer" and "cloud gaming," according to AFP. Going forward, the far more convoluted terms joueur-animateur en direct and jeu video en nuage must be used for any government communications.

The changes were made in consultation with France's Ministry of Culture, which has in the past touted the gaming industry as a French economic success story. However, it told the AFP it's concerned that English terms could become a "barrier to understanding" for non-gamers. (That's a solid point, as I can attest that many French non-gamers wouldn't have a clue what a term like "streaming" means.) France's language keepers, l'Académie française, has also expressed concern about English jargon in gaming, having published a lexicon of alternate French terms back in 2017. 

The changes were issued in the government's official journal, meaning they're binding on all government workers. However, it's hard to see them catching on in daily use or even on French websites or newspapers. Previous efforts by l'Académie française to replace anglicisms have not gone well — its attempt to get people to use l’access sans fil à internet instead of le wifi failed completely, as The Local France points out. 

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Researchers sequenced the genome of one of Pompeii’s ancient inhabitants

In 1933, archaeologists excavating the remains of Pompeii found the bodies of two individuals, their skeletons almost perfectly preserved by the volcanic ash that buried their home in the aftermath of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24th, 79CE. While many of Pompeii’s residents fled the natural disaster, these two did not.

Notizie degli Scavi di Antichità

In a photo from the early ‘30s (pictured above), you can see the residents of the “House of the Craftsmen” slumped over in the corner of their home’s dining room, almost as if they were eating lunch just as their lives were about to end. It’s a poignant scene archeologists have long sought to unpack, and now we have a better understanding of what may have happened to those two Romans, thanks to the latest advances in DNA sequencing technology.

In a paper published this week in the journal Scientific Reports, a joint team of researchers from Italy, Denmark and the US shared that they recently sequenced the genome of one of the House of Craftmen’s inhabitants – marking the first time archaeologists have decoded the mitochondrial DNA of a resident of Pompeii, according to The New York Times.

With genetic material pulled from his petrous, a dense, pyramid-shaped segment of bone that protects the inner ears, the team found that the male inhabitant of the house suffered from spinal tuberculosis, or what’s better known today as Pott diesase. Associated symptoms include back pain and lower body paralysis. “The condition would have forced him to have little mobility,” Dr. Pier Francesco Fabbri, one of the anthropologists who contributed to the paper, told The Times. It’s very possible the man, who was about 35 years old when he died, would have had difficulty fleeing Pompeii even if he wanted to escape the burning city.

We now also have a better idea of the man’s origins. Comparing his DNA against 1,030 ancient and 471 present-day West Eurasian individuals, the research team concluded that some of his ancestors came from Anatolia, which is now mostly part of modern Turkey. He also had links to the island of Sardinia. However, he had the most genetic similarities with people who lived in and around Rome during Pompeii’s destruction. That lends evidence to the suggestion that the Italian peninsula was a melting pot of racially diverse people at the height of the Roman Empire.

With so little left from that time, our understanding of the ancient world will always be imperfect, but thanks to advances in technology, we’re constantly learning more about what life was like thousands of years ago. It was only at the end of last year that researchers “unwrapped” one of the most pristine mummies ever found with the help of a CT scan. Professor Gabriele Scorrano, the lead researcher on the Pompeii study, told the BBC that future genetic studies could reveal more about the city, including information about the biodiversity of the surrounding area. "Pompeii is like a Roman island,” he said. "We have a picture of one day in 79CE."

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Recent 'realityOS' trademarks hint at Apple moving closer to AR/VR headset announcement

At the start of the year, a handful of developers, including Steve Troughton-Smith, found references to “realityOS,” the operating system for Apple’s long-rumored virtual and augmented reality headset. Now, a little more than a week before the start of WWDC 2022, the name has resurfaced in trademark filings seemingly linked to the company.

It cannot be a coincidence that the “realityOS” trademark owned by a company that seemingly doesn’t exist and is specifically for “wearable computer hardware” is being filed around the world on June 8, 2022 https://t.co/myoRbOvgJa + https://t.co/AH97r95EMnpic.twitter.com/uvsiZCj2rR

— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) May 29, 2022

On Friday, Vox Media product manager Parker Ortolani took to Twitter to share two United States Patent and Trademark Office filings he found registered by a company called Realityo Systems LLC. As Parker and others have pointed out, there’s evidence to suggest Realityo Systems is a shell company created by Apple to obscure its tracks.

First, there’s the June 8th foreign filing deadline for both trademarks, which falls just two days after the start of WWDC 2022. Additionally, as noted by 9to5Mac, Realityo Systems LLC shares the same address as Yosemite Research LLC, the shell company Apple used to secure trademarks for past versions of its macOS operating system, including macOS Monterey. One more interesting tidbit of evidence is that in some countries Realityo Systems submitted trademark filings that include a realityOS logo written in Apple’s signature San Francisco typeface.

The timing of the filings suggests Apple is getting closer to the day it will feel comfortable sharing details about its augmented and virtual reality ambitions. However, we would caution against expecting an announcement as early as next week. In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman predicts the company won’t hold “a full-blown presentation” on its mixed-reality headset at WWDC. In fact, he says he would be “wary of expecting” such an announcement from the company. Gurman previously reported that Apple was considering pushing the device's debut back to 2023 due to ongoing development problems. Still, the company is clearly moving forward with the project.

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Snapchat's Shared Stories will let you collaborate with friends of friends

Snapchat has updated its Custom Stories feature to allow more people to participate. While the original version of the feature only gives you a way to add friends to view and contribute to your Stories, the new version called Shared Stories allows the friends you add to add their own contacts. Say you're cooking and want your friends to add their cooking Stories, too — just add them to the group, so they can add more people, as well. Snap says that makes it easier "for the whole soccer team, camp squad, or group of new coworkers to get in on the fun."

Like regular Stories, shared ones will only be visible for 24 hours before disappearing, but it doesn't have a chat component, probably because it's assumed that not all participants would know each other. The app will also use automatic language detection and other review tools to monitor additions and make sure they're all safe. Finally, you will get a notification if you've joined a Shared Story with someone you've blocked. That gives you the chance to leave the Story if you're not comfortable sharing a part of your life with those users. 

Snapchat has released and promised a number of other new features over the past couple of months, likely in an effort to get people to use the app more in face of slowing revenue growth. In April, it introduced a new suite of creator-friendly editing tools called "director mode" that will help you produce more polished content. It also introduced an ASL alphabet lens that you can use to learn the ASL alphabet and released the capability to share YouTube videos directly on the platform. 

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iOS 16 will reportedly include an always-on display feature for future iPhones

With WWDC 2022 little more than a week away, more details about what Apple could announce at its annual developer conference are emerging. In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests the company will have a fair amount to share about iOS 16, including enhancements to the lock screen. Gruman says the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system will include wallpapers with widget-like capabilities.

Additionally, iOS 16 will reportedly include support for an always-on display feature that will be initially exclusive to the company’s next iPhone Pro models. The functionality would allow those devices to show you notifications and other glanceable information without the need to fully wake their displays. That’s a feature that’s long been available on many Android phones, and Apple had reportedly planned to add it to the iPhone 13 last year but later changed its plans.

Reiterating his previous predictions, Gurman says iOS 16 will also include enhancements to how the operating system handles multitasking and windowing. Gurman cites a recent tweet from developer Steve Troughton-Smith that shows Apple is likely working on a way to let iOS users resize app windows. That’s a feature that would be particularly useful on iPad. Gurman says he also expects the company to add new social network-like features within Messages. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long to see what Apple has planned for iOS 16. WWDC 2022 kicks off on June 6th.

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Hitting the Books: What the 'Work from Home' revolution means for those who can't

The COVID-19 pandemic changed how we live, how we work, how we get from where we live to where we work or even if we have to leave where we live to get to where we work. But the number of workers that have had their commutes shortened from 45 minutes to 45 feet constitute only a fraction of the American workforce — the remainder are still making the twice daily trek. In his new book, Going Remote: How the Flexible Work Economy Can Improve Our Lives and Our Cities, urban economist Matthew E. Kahn examines how this tectonic shift in work-life balance might eventually play out, as well as the increased economic and social stratification it could bring about.

UC Press

Excerpted from Going Remote: How the Flexible Work Economy Can Improve Our Lives and Our Cities by Matthew E Kahn, published by the University of California Press. © 2022 by Matthew E Kahn.

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Not everyone can engage in remote work. If 35 percent of the workforce is engaged in remote work at least a few days a week, this will have at least three effects on other workers. First, service jobs demand will rise in the residential areas where remote workers move to. As remote workers move farther from city centers, this will create exurban demand for service workers at the Starbucks and other stores where they shop. Land prices are cheap at the suburban fringe and the purchasing power of such local service providers will be higher than if they sought jobs in the center city. While service workers cannot work remotely, they can move to remote locations where rents are cheaper if more people work from home. If 35 percent of the workforce begins to work from home three days a week and thus are home five days a week, there is a demand for a service sector in areas where they live. This creates new jobs for less educated workers in such areas. In these areas, housing is cheap. This increases the quality of life for such service providers. There will also be new construction jobs as new homes are built farther from the employment centers. Families who spend more time at home will invest money to upgrade the home. This creates new opportunities for those who supply home improvement services. Some people may add a new office to their home or other features to customize it to their needs.

While there are significant opportunities for less skilled workers to live and work far from the cities in the cheaper parts of metropolitan areas, one countervailing force is the rising minimum wage. In cities, the minimum wage is usually not binding as workers must be paid higher nominal wages to attract them. In contrast, in more suburban and exurban areas, being required to pay service workers $15 or more per hour may reduce demand for workers. If workers can find very cheap housing far from the cities, then many would be willing to work for less than $15 an hour. While most people think that a high minimum wage is “good” for low-skill workers, economists emphasize the likely unintended consequence. When employers are required by law to pay a higher than competitive market wage to people, they create fewer jobs. For example, such firms can substitute and rely on robots or other pieces of capital. Economists argue that a higher minimum wage increases unemployment for less skilled workers. In places where housing is cheaper, the minimum wage will more likely be a binding constraint on employers. The net result here is perhaps counterintuitive. Less skilled workers will gain more from the rise of WFH when they live and work in states with less generous minimum wages.

Throughout this chapter, I have focused on how the WFH eligible reconfigure their lives to make the most of this new opportunity. Here it is important to note that those who are currently not WFH eligible are not locked into this category. Younger workers can retrain in fields to open up this possibility for themselves. Parents of younger children can make investments in their children to raise their probability of being WFH eligible in the future.

Those who work in the service industry and thus earn a living from face-to-face interaction still gain from the rise of WFH because they gain from a larger menu of options of where to live their lives. If a wealthy environmentalist community forms in Bozeman, Montana, then this creates new opportunities for those in the service sector to live and work there. While this option may not be attractive to everyone, the key is to increase the menu of possibilities. Non-WFH-eligible workers know themselves and their life goals, and they will make the right choices for themselves and gain from having a larger menu of alternatives.

As more people have the opportunity to live and work where they want to be, this increases not only their physical and mental health but also the accountability of our institutions. If there are places whose governments are failing to meet the desires of local residents, then people will be more likely to move away. In this setting, real estate prices will more quickly reflect changes in local quality of life. If an area features a rising crime rate, in the new WFH economy people will “vote with their feet” and real estate prices will decline in that area. This demands that local officials be more responsive in addressing emerging quality-of-life challenges because if they fail to do so, the tax base will shrink.

While this has been an optimistic chapter, I must add a few cautionary notes about concentrated urban poverty. WFH creates an incentive for the American people to spread out. This chapter has sketched out the benefits from this emerging trend. At the same time, such suburbanization may contribute to the further isolation of the urban poor. Poor people live in center cities in areas such as Baltimore and Detroit because there is old, cheap housing and there is good public transit. If the poor remain in these center city areas and richer people are suburbanizing, then there is greater geographic isolation of the poor and this may reduce political support for programs that redistribute to them because there is an “out of sight, out of mind” effect and the physical distance between the groups acts as a type of moat. Past research in urban economics has documented that college graduates are more likely to suburbanize when violent crime increases in the center city. This propensity to engage in “flight from blight” is likely to increase in a WFH economy because educated people no longer commute to center city jobs five times a week.

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Hangar 13 Reportedly Has Plans for Two New Mafia Games and Top Spin Revival

Hangar 13 seems to be going through some tough and strange times simultaneously. Amid a number of departures and another round of layoffs, the studio is reportedly planning two Mafia games and a Top Spin revival. We heard about a Mafia prequel in development recently, but a new report by Bloomberg (partially corroborated by Kotaku) claims that a new Top Spin game is in the works as well, and studio president Nick Baynes is attempting to have a sequel to the Mafia prequel (we’re not kidding) greenlit by 2K.

Why Hangar 13 is eyeing two Mafia games

Baynes, who replaced Hangar 13’s founder Hayden Blackman, recently held a meeting with staff to inform them of the layoffs. According to Bloomberg, he revealed during the meeting that he’s trying to get a sequel to Nero (code name for the new Mafia game) greenlit while Nero is still in development in order to avoid a scenario where workers are displaced after a project is finished or dropped. Bloomberg’s report said that a tennis game code named “Hammer” is also in development at Hangar 13, but Kotaku and insider Nick “Nick_Shpeshal” Baker name dropped Top Spin. In fact, Baker was the first one to reveal that a new Top Spin game is in development in one of his videos earlier this month, but his claim was overshadowed by the Mafia leak.

2K released the following statement to Kotaku and Bloomberg:

2K is fully committed to the future of Hangar 13 as the studio navigates a challenging but ultimately promising transition period. As part of our ongoing evaluations to ensure our resources are aligned with our goals, we have made some changes that have resulted in a reduction of positions and parting ways with some colleagues. These decisions are always difficult. We are doing all we can to work with the impacted employees to find them new roles on other projects and teams at 2K, and are providing full support to those who cannot be redeployed, connecting them with industry networks and resources to find new opportunities outside of 2K.

In other news, rumor has it that a Killzone VR game was once in development at Supermassive Games, and a State of Play is coming June 2nd.

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Rumor: Supermassive Was Once Working on Killzone VR That Might Now Be a PSVR 2 Game

Here’s a new one. A Killzone VR game was reportedly once in development at Until Dawn studio, Supermassive Games. That’s according to Bryan Paul of YouTube channel PSVR Without Parole, which has been behind a number of accurate PSVR reports in the past so this is one we didn’t want to dismiss outright. Paul claims that Sony pulled the game from Supermassive around 2019 because it wasn’t happy with its progress.

Could Killzone VR now be a PSVR 2 game?

Paul claims that Supermassive was working on Killzone VR for a number of years before Sony expressed its dissatisfaction with the progress and decided to bring development in house. He has no idea what’s happened since then but recons that the game could now be a PSVR 2 launch title. While the latter part of his statement in the video above (via Reddit) is purely speculation, that Supermassive was reportedly working on Killzone VR does seem to fall in line with what we’ve heard previously.

In November 2018, Supermassive revealed that it was working on “several” unannounced PlayStation exclusives. Looking at its timeline of releases, the last Supermassive PlayStation exclusives were 2018’s Bravo Team and The Inpatient, which implies that there was something else in development for PlayStation that we haven’t seen thus far. Could that be Killzone VR? Possibly.

Unfortunately, no word on whether Sony canned the project or decided to transform it into a PSVR 2 game. If it is still alive, Killzone VR’s been kept tightly under wraps unlike Horizon: Call of the Mountain, which leaked well before the PSVR 2 was even announced. As far as a new mainline Killzone game is concerned, we wouldn’t advise holding your breath for that one.

In other news, rumor has it that Bethesda’s Indiana Jones game isn’t an Xbox exclusive, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will take full advantage of the PS5.

The post Rumor: Supermassive Was Once Working on Killzone VR That Might Now Be a PSVR 2 Game appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Will Reportedly Have PSVR 2-Exclusive Content

According to a new report, Infinity Ward is developing a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 VR mode exclusively for PSVR 2. It’s unclear if the content will be timed-exclusive but the rumor seems to fall in line with Modern Warfare 2’s PS Store listing, which carries “VR Headset Safety” and “PlayStation Move Safety” notices, as spotted by internet sleuths.

Modern Warfare 2 VR might be featured in June’s State of Play

Just yesterday, Sony confirmed rumors of a new PlayStation State of Play event set for next month. On June 2nd, the company will broadcast a 30-minute showcase focusing specifically on third-party partners and PSVR 2 games. WhatIfGaming’s Ralph Valve, who reported on the PSVR 2 exclusive content, claims to have heard from his sources that Modern Warfare 2’s PSVR 2 experience will be a standalone mode that puts players in the shoes of a tier 1 operator. No further details are available.

Modern Warfare 2 to incorporate VR – Exclusive to PlayStation’s ‘VR2’

Exclusive: https://t.co/1lfomnGbjt

— Ralph (@RalphsValve) May 28, 2022

If true, this will be Infinity Ward’s second attempt at making a Call of Duty VR experience. The developer previously worked on The Jackal Assault VR Experience in collaboration with Paper Crane Games. The free PSVR-exclusive mission was released in 2016 as part of Infinite Warfare.

Yesterday, we reported that known insider Tom Henderson claims to have heard that Sony’s Call of Duty deal with Activision will cover the next three games. This means that the agreement, which Microsoft is legally obligated to honor, covers Modern Warfare 2, Warzone 2, and Treyarch’s next game. The aforementioned PSVR 2 content and PlayStation-first Modern Warfare 2 beta are part of the deal.

In other news, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has officially been announced after months of rumors, and former Dead Space dev’s horror game The Callisto Protocol is no longer set in the PUBG universe.

The post Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Will Reportedly Have PSVR 2-Exclusive Content appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Recommended Reading: How 'Top Gun: Maverick' puts you inside an F-18

Welcome to Tom Cruise’s flight school for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Jake Kring-Schreifels, The Ringer

One of the biggest challenges in filming the original Top Gun was keeping all of the actors playing pilots from constantly vomiting in the cockpit. Any sequel to that '80s classic would have to be even more realistic, since production eventually moved to a soundstage. The Ringer explains how GoPro footage from real Navy pilots was the initial inspiration for the new movie, how custom-built IMAX gear helped capture the angles from real F-18s and how Tom Cruise put the cast through intense training to prepare.

The era of borderless data Is ending

David McCabe and Adam Satariano, The New York Times

Over 50 countries are trying to make sure data created by their citizens, governments and industries stays within their borders — or at least stored in accordance with their laws. The quest for so-called "digital sovereignty" could impact services we use daily or some of the features they currently offer. 

Will AI lead to new creative frontiers, or take the pleasure out of music?

Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork

Artificial intelligence can now learn, perform and create music with skills that are more than just copying a human's actions. Pitchfork explores some of the more notable projects in search of an answer to the question: Just because we can, does that mean we should?

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iRobot's Roomba j7+ and s9+ robot vacuums are $200 off for Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend has brought back some of the best prices we've seen on Roomba robot vacuums. You can pick up the Roomba j7+ and the Roomba s9+ for $599 and $799, respectively, when using the code ENDGT200 at Wellbots. Both of those models come with clean bases, but if you think you can safely skip that extra piece of hardware, you can pick up the Roomba j7 for $399 instead using the same code.

Buy Roomba j7+ at Wellbots - $599Buy Roomba s9+ at Wellbots - $799Buy Roomba j7 at Wellbots - $399

The Roomba j7 series has some of iRobot's newest machines in it. The line debuted at the end of 2021 and the robot vacuums come with new AI-driven computer vision technology that helps them better detect objects and clean around them. The company has focused on this in the context of pet poop, claiming the j7 machines are its first "pet-poop detecting" robots. Ultimately, that means that your fancy new robot vacuum should be able to avoid any accidents your pets have on the living room floor while cleaning your home.

Along with those smarts, the Roomba j7 has 10x the suction power of a standard Roomba, plus dual multi-surface brushes, smart home mapping and more. If you spring for the j7+, you'll also get a clean base into which the robot automatically empties its dustbin after every job. That means you'll only have to empty the clean base once every month or so, depending on how often your robot cleans.

Similarly to the Roomba j7 series, the Roomba s9+ made it into our best robot vacuums guide as a splurge pick. Normally costing $1,000, the s9+ is a premium dirt sucker that does more than most people need. But it's an excellent vacuum with 40x the suction power of a regular Roomba, plus a 3D sensor for object detection and a corner-friendly design. If vacuuming is one of our least favorite chores and you want a robot that will almost ensure you'll never have to do it manually again, the s9+ could be a good investment.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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Respawn's 'Star Wars Jedi: Survivor' arrives in 2023

Respawn Entertainment has confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order that it first announced earlier this year, is happening. At the Star Wars Celebration event in Anaheim, the studio has revealed that Jedi: Survivor is a direct sequel to Star Wars: Fallen Order, which is an action-adventure game released back in 2019. Survivor is set five years after the events of its predecessor and will still feature the protagonist Cal Kestis (and his droid companion BD-1) as one of the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy that's ruled by the Empire.

The studio said Jedi: Survivor will expand on the first game's combat system — and perhaps improve on it, too. Some players weren't quite fond of Jedi: Fallen Order's combat and considered it a weak aspect of the game. Jedi: Survivor is scheduled to come out in 2023, with Electronic Arts aiming to get it out by the end of its fiscal year in March. Respawn is currently developing it for the latest generation of consoles, particularly the Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation 5, though it will also be released for PCs. The studio doesn't seem to have plans to release it for older consoles like the Xbox One and the PS4.

You can watch an official teaser for the upcoming game in the video below:

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Anker charging accessories are up to 37 percent off in a one-day Amazon sale

It's a good time to stock up if you've been waiting for a sale on wireless, solar or high-speed chargers. An assortment of Anker products are on sale at Amazon with discounts up to 37 percent, including its magnetic 623 MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Station bundle, a pair of 20W PIQ fast chargers and the 20W Nano Pro with a 3-foot USB-C to Lightning cable. 

Buy Anker charging products at Amazon

The best deal is on Anker's 632 MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Station that delivers 20 watts of charging power for iPhone 13/13 Pro and iPhone 12/12 Pro models, while also letting you charge up your AirPods Pro wireless earbuds. Your phone attaches to the charging base magnetically, and it can even flip up 60 degrees so you can easily see the screen. Included is a 20-watt USB-C charger and USB-C to USB-C charging cable, all for $50 or 37 percent off, in black only.

If you're tired of losing iPhone charging cables and just want to get a bunch of them, Anker's USB-C to Lightning cable is available in a three-pack for $29, or 31 percent off the regular $42 price. For that, you get a 3-foot, 6-foot and 10-foot cable, each compatible with USB-C chargers up to 87 watts. They also allow you to connect your iPhone to a Mac for seamless sync and charging.

For a small yet powerful charger, check out Anker's original 20-watt Nano charger for iPhone and Android devices, available at $21.70 or $9.30 off the $31 list price. Finally, the Nano Pro USB-C with a 3-foot USB-C to Lightning cable is selling for $28, or 30 percent off the list price. There are a number of other items too, including Anker's 18-watt dual-port PowerCore solar charger priced at $49 (30 percent off), but you'll need to act fast as the sale ends in less than a day. 

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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The Morning After: Sony reveals plans for 'Horizon' and 'God of War' TV shows

Yes, Sony’s boosting PS5 production. It needs to. But during its investor briefing yesterday, the company also revealed it’s expanding its efforts to bring major PlayStation IPs to TVs in a non-interactive form. While a The Last of Us series is already on its way to HBO, Sony revealed planning is underway for a show based on the Horizon games, coming to Netflix.

Spreading the goodness around, Sony’s planning a God of War series for Amazon Prime Video, too. Less interesting, at least as a concept, there will also be a Gran Turismo show in the works.

— Mat Smith

 

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Apple is raising the pay of its corporate and retail staff

• Launchkey 88 brings a luxurious keybed to a budget MIDI controller

• NVIDIA reportedly slows down hiring as it braces for a drop in gaming sales

• Maryland residents can now add driver's licenses to Apple Wallet

• Ooni pizza ovens are 20 percent off for Memorial Day

• Twitter investors sue Elon Musk over stock manipulation claims

Broadcom is buying VMware in a $61 billion mega-deal

It would be one of the largest tech acquisitions to date.

Broadcom isn't done attempting major acquisitions. The chip giant is buying cloud- and virtualization-focused software developer VMware for the equivalent of $61 billion in cash and stock. The move would fold Broadcom's software division into VMware and could create a cloud service powerhouse that helps companies run apps in all sorts of environments. It’s a lot of money, but Microsoft’s still-pending buyout of Activision Blizzard rings in at more: $68.7 billion.

Continue reading.

Oura made an 18-carat gold smart ring with Gucci

It comes with a lifetime subscription to its services.

Oura

Oura teamed up with fashion house Gucci to launch the limited-edition Gucci x Oura Ring. It’s made of black synthetic corundum and is adorned with the famous interlocking "G" and a braided torchon pattern, both in 18-carat yellow gold. You'll obviously pay a premium for this thing, now available at select stores around the world for $950. The good news is Oura's Lifetime Membership subscription is included in the price. This offers useful recovery insights and other metrics based on your activity, sleep and everything else.

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The best smart lights you can buy

Ditch the “dumb” bulbs.

Westend61 via Getty Images

Start with smart lights. Not only are they relatively affordable compared to other smart home gadgets, often as cheap as $10 a bulb, but they can also completely change the feel of your home. There are now more players in smart lighting than ever before, so we’ve tested out some of the best options.

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Sony says PSVR 2 will have at least 20 games at launch

Fingers crossed 'Half-Life: Alyx' is one of them.

PlayStation VR2 (PSVR 2) may not have a release date yet, but Sony clearly has big plans for it. At an investor briefing, the company revealed there’ll be at least 20 "major" PSVR 2 games available at the start. Crucially, these will include both first- and third-party titles.

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Microsoft's free ‘Top Gun Flight Simulator' expansion is finally here

Eagle one, fox three.

With Top Gun: Maverick finally in theaters, the matching Microsoft Flight Simulator expansion is launching as well. The free add-on offers a taste of the US Navy's real-world flight training. You'll get a Maverick Edition livery for the F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet, learn to land on an aircraft carrier and perform combat maneuvers.

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What we bought: A $200 pepper mill

His new favorite kitchen gadget.

If you’re going to upgrade your kitchen tools, go hard. That’s what Sam Rutherford did with his pepper mill, upgrading from pre-filled disposable mills to the $200 Pepper Cannon. What. A. Name.

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Google Nest Audio bundle offers two smart speakers for just $120

If you're looking to get a few smart speakers for your connected home, this may be your chance to grab a handful at a discount. You can get a pair of Google Nest Audio smart speakers right now from Adorama for $120. The Google Nest Audio has always offered a robust music experience without a hefty price tag to go with it, but now it's even more affordable at $80 or 40 percent off the bundle's regular price. While we didn't find the Nest Audio to be quite on par with bigger music-focused speakers when it comes to audio quality when we tested it out, it still sounds a lot better than the Nest Mini.

Buy Google Nest Audio Smart Speaker 2-Pack at Adorama - $120

It's loud enough for small- and medium-sized rooms, and pairing two of them can deliver stereo sound. Since it's a Google smart speaker, it supports Assistant voice commands, and you can tell it to play what you want after linking it to your account and your music streaming services. Like other Nest speakers, it's covered in cloth for a clean, minimalist aesthetic that will complement most home decor. And at 7 inches tall and only 3 inches thick, it will fit in most places you decide to put it. 

If you'd rather get a smart display, the Google Nest Hub Max is also on sale at Adorama for $179, or $50 off its retail price. With its 10-inch touchscreen, the Nest Hub Max is the biggest Google smart display available and also has the best sound quality. We gave it a score of 86 in our review, praising it not just for having a great display and sound quality, but also for its ability to double as a Nest Cam and to play and pause media with gestures.

Buy Google Nest Hub Max at Adorama - $179

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Microsoft confirms it's taking a 'new approach' with its game streaming device

Earlier this month, a rumor suggested that Microsoft might be nearly ready to launch a Chromecast-like game streaming stick for its Xbox Cloud Gaming service. The company has now confirmed that such a device (codenamed Keystone) does exist, but it may not be coming any time soon after all, according to a report from Windows Central. 

"As announced last year, we’ve been working on a game-streaming device, codename Keystone, that could be connected to any TV or monitor without the need for a console," a Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Central. "We have made the decision to pivot away from the current iteration of the Keystone device. We will take our learnings and refocus our efforts on a new approach that will allow us to deliver Xbox Cloud Gaming to more players around the world in the future."

Last year, Microsoft confirmed that it was making Xbox video game streaming sticks and baking the technology into Smart TVs. "We're... developing standalone streaming devices that you can plug into a TV or monitor, so if you have a strong internet connection, you can stream your Xbox experience," the company said at the time. 

Since Stadia didn't light up the market as much as Google likely hoped, Microsoft may be taking stock of its own project. "As part of any technical journey, we are constantly evaluating our efforts, reviewing our learnings, and ensuring we are bringing value to our customers," the spokesperson said. 

Xbox Cloud Gaming (née xCloud) has rolled out to PCs, mobile devices and Xbox consoles as part of the $15/month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription — though it's still technically in beta almost a year after launching widely. However, Stadia can run on Google's relatively inexpensive Chromecast devices, plus NVIDIA Shield TV and numerous Smart TVs. Microsoft is obviously being careful about its own streaming device, so it doesn't look like a launch is in the near future after all. 

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Official Kirby Café Invites You To Eat ‘Waddle Dee’s Fried Balls’

Among the various treats offered at Kirby Café locations in Japan, one that really stands out is a side known as “Waddle Dee’s fried balls.” Instead of making a joke, I’m just going to let that one sit with you for a while.

Read more...

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Twitch Pledges To Make Ban Notifications More Transparent, Streamers Are Skeptical

In a recent Washington Post article, Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch said it is working on making ban notification emails, an ongoing issue for content creators, more transparent and concise. One option under consideration is the inclusion of clips in enforcement emails, though the concept is still a work in…

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God of War Ragnarok Has Been Rated, Leading to Hopes for a Release Date Announcement

Fans are hoping for a God of War Ragnarok release date announcement soon as the game has received its first age rating by the Korean rating board, GRAC. Unsurprisingly, Kratos’ latest outing has received a mature classification due to its content, which includes profanity and alcohol, according to a translation of the entry.

When to expect God of War Ragnarok release date announcement

Amid skepticism, Sony has reiterated on multiple occasions that God of War Ragnarok will release this year. Fans have expressed concerns that Santa Monica Studio has barely showcased anything and we had no updates until this month when the developer finally broke its silence and detailed the game’s accessibility settings. Although a rating board listing doesn’t guarantee anything, it does seem to suggest that we’ll get some much-awaited news soon.

According to a recent rumor, Sony has an event planned for early June, around the same time E3 would have been. Speculation suggests that we’ll see more of God of War Ragnarok at the event. However, journalist and insider Jeff Grubb quashed some of those hopes by suggesting that the upcoming event might be focused on PSVR 2, and reliable insider AccountNgt later added that Sony is unlikely to hold any “major” events until September, at least. Prior to this, a different insider claimed that there won’t be a God of War Ragnarok State of Play anytime soon.

All of this sounds negative but rumors are rumors, and it’s possible that we’ll finally hear or see something next month. We just wouldn’t advise holding your breath because we aren’t privy to Sony’s plans. That said, we’ll keep our readers posted if there are any developments.

In other news, Sony has confirmed that PSVR 2 will launch with over 20 games, and there are plans for 12 PlayStation live service games by 2025.

[Source: GRAC via ResetEra]

The post God of War Ragnarok Has Been Rated, Leading to Hopes for a Release Date Announcement appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Sony vows to ramp up PS5 production to levels 'never achieved before'

One of Sony's top priorities going forward is to ramp up production for the PlayStation 5 to meet unprecedented demand for the console. In a briefing with investors (PDF), the company said that it expects to close the gap in PS4 and PS5 sales this year after the newer console lagged behind its older sibling in 2021. Sony blamed the lack of PS5 sales on its inability to build enough units due to ongoing supply chain shortages in its quarterly earnings report. There's no lack of demand: Based on the data Sony presented, it takes only 82 minutes to to sell 80,000 PS5 units, whereas it takes nine days to sell the same number of PS4s. 

The company now expects to be able to produce more units as supply chain shortages have eased up a bit, but the pandemic's impact on parts availability still remains a concern. In addition, Sony is worried that the Russian invasion of Ukraine might also affect its logistics and potential parts inventory. To mitigate the impact of those issues, Sony plans to source from multiple suppliers "for greater agility in unstable market conditions." It also has ongoing negotiations to maintain optimal delivery routes for the console. 

With those solutions in place, the company believes PS5 sales can overtake the PS4's again starting next year. Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said during the briefing that after the initial ramp up, the company is "planning for heavy further increases in console production, taking [it] to production levels that [it has] never achieved before."

Aside from discussing its PS5 production goals, Sony has also revealed that it's expanding PlayStation Studios by acquiring more game studios, as well as increasing its investments in live services, PC and mobile offerings. It's committing to launch 12 live services in the coming years that don't include Destiny, which will be the company's as part of its Bungie acquisition. And it intends to have half of its annual first party releases on PC and on mobile by 2025. "By expanding to PC and mobile, and it must be said… also to live services, we have the opportunity to move from a situation of being present in a very narrow segment of the overall gaming software market, to being present pretty much everywhere," Ryan explained.

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The Morning After: Dyson’s secret robot projects

The NFL's rumored streaming service could debut in JulyDyson, the company that’s recently branched out into hair curlers, air-purifying headphones and not cars, has revealed it has an entire division secretly developing robot prototypes for household chores.

The company didn't detail any of the models specifically, but many look like robot arms adapted to do specialized home chores, like cleaning and tidying. Dyson also showed off its Perception Lab dedicated to robotic vision systems, environment detection and even mapping humans with sensors, cameras and thermal imaging systems.

So why reveal its secret lab now? Well, Dyson’s on a recruiting drive, looking for around 700 engineers to help finally make at least some of these ideas a reality in our homes.

— Mat Smith

 

The biggest stories you might have missed

• How to shop for a smart grill

• Insta360's Sphere lets DJI's latest Mavic Air drones capture 360-degree video

• CVS won't fill prescriptions for controlled substances from two telehealth companies

• PlayStation DualSense controllers are up to 21 percent off in Days of Play sale

ProtonMail is rebranding and adding more storage to all its plans

The company now goes by Proton and is unifying its products under some new plans.

ProtonMail has been one of the better options for secure email — you can get an (admittedly basic) account for free and enjoy end-to-end encryption for your communications when you're messaging other ProtonMail users. But the company's plans have gotten a little out of date.

Starting today, though, the company is making it easier to go all-in on ProtonMail and the other services it offers, including a VPN, encrypted calendar and cloud storage. It’s also simplifying the company name: just Proton going forward.

Continue reading.

IKEA promises easier device connectivity with its new smart hub

A more user-friendly approach and a new app, too.

IKEA continues its adventures in the smart home with the launch of a Google Matter-ready hub called DIRIGERA. Not a typo. According to the company: "With the new DIRIGERA hub for smart products, users will be able to onboard all IKEA smart products to the system.”

It’s one of the most visible Matter devices revealed so far. Google still plans to launch its new smart home industry standard this fall. Devices will all connect quickly and easily using Fast Pair, and the platform will support a variety of voice assistants and networking protocols, including Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, Thread and Bluetooth LE. IKEA’s hub is set to launch in October 2022.

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Lucid recalls all its 2022 Air EVs due to wiring issues

In some vehicles, unsecured wires can cause the car's main display to turn off.

Despite already struggling to meet production targets, luxury EV maker Lucid has now issued a recall for the Air due to potential issues with the car's wiring harness. Unsecured wires on 2022 Air vehicles could cause the car's displays to turn off, and because the Air's displays contain critical information — speed, range and warning indicators — this would violate Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

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Testing Snap’s Pixy drone

A flying robot photographer for Snapchat users.

Engadget

Snap debuted the $230 Pixy drone for those of us not looking to retrain as drone pilots. It requires very little skill and acts like a personal robot photographer.

The Pixy flies by itself, performing programmed patterns that put the focus on the user. There’s a lot of potential here for parties and tourist activities, grabbing awesome aerial shots with almost no user intervention. According to Engadget’s Steve Dent — our main camera and drone reviewer — Snap may be on to something with the Pixy. It’s not nearly as capable as pricier drones from DJI and others, but that’s not really the point.

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Margaret Atwood protests book bans with 'unburnable' copy of 'The Handmaid's Tale'

Watch the author take a flamethrower to a fireproof edition.

Penguin

To raise awareness of increasing book bans across US libraries — and perhaps protest the threat of literal book burning — Margaret Atwood and Penguin Random House are auctioning a one-off "unburnable" edition of her classic dystopian novel, The Handmaid's Tale.

I also just really wanted to include this image in today’s newsletter.

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The NFL's rumored streaming service could debut in July

Reports suggest NFL+ will include some live games, but pricing hasn't been locked down.

The NFL may launch its own streaming service as soon as July. With the long-rumored NFL+, fans could stream some live games on phones and tablets. It may feature other content, such as podcasts, radio and team-created material. According to Sports Business Journal, NFL+ may cost $5 per month, but pricing isn't set in stone. Several major sports properties are dipping their toes into streaming: Last month, FIFA launched the free, ad-supported FIFA+.

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Twitter is working toward 'closing the transaction process' with Elon Musk

But Twitter executives had little to say about it at the company's shareholder meeting.

Despite numerous questions about the future of Twitter, the company's executives had little to say about Elon Musk, who didn’t attend the meeting. “We’re working through the transaction process,” CEO Parag Agrawal said during the meeting. The status of the deal has been somewhat unclear since Musk announced it was “on hold,” due to his concerns about bots on the platform.

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ProtonMail is rebranding and adding a lot more storage to all its plans

For the privacy-minded, ProtonMail has been one of the better options for secure email — you can get an (admittedly basic) account for free and enjoy end-to-end encryption for your communications when you're messaging other ProtonMail users. But the company's plans have gotten a little out of date. Free accounts only come with 500MB of storage, while the €4 / month plan bumps you to a modest 4GB of storage with some other limitations like a daily 1000-message sent cap.

Starting today, though, the company is making it easier to go all-in on ProtonMail and the other services it offers, including a VPN, cloud storage and an encrypted calendar. Going forward, ProtonMail is rebranding itself simply as Proton, pushing its whole suite of privacy-focused services and updating all of its plans. The company has a new website (proton.me), and both new and existing users can use the @proton.me address rather than the old @protonmail.com option if they're so inclined.

Proton

Going forward, Proton will offer three plans: Free, Mail Plus and Unlimited. The new free tier expands storage to 1GB and remains fairly constrained — you can only send 150 messages per day and have three labels and folders, for example. You can also access the basic Proton VPN tool and user Proton Calendar, though you're limited to only one calendar on this plan. Proton has long said that since it doesn't serve ads, it relies on subscriptions for revenue, so it's not too surprising the free plan is restricted. 

The Mail Plus plan will cost €5 / month, though you can get it for less if you sign up for a year or two years all in one shot. It's a big upgrade over the old plan, though. Users now get 15GB of storage shared between their email and Proton Drive cloud storage account. There's no restrictions on how many messages you can send or how many labels and folders you can create, and it also supports IMAP email clients via the Proton Bridge tool. There are also additional features like a new "short domain" email alias (@pm.me) that you can use to send and receive messages as well as 20 calendars that you can share with other users.

Finally, the Unlimited plan costs €12 / month; the company is positioning it as a way to get the top tier of all its services at once. That means 500GB of total storage, making Proton Drive a lot more viable for people to use as a backup service. You can use Proton Mail with up to three different custom domain addresses (up from one on the Mail Plus Plan) and with a total of 15 different email addresses (up from 10 on Mail Plus). 

Proton

But the big difference is that you get the full-fledged Proton VPN with the Unlimited plan, rather than the more basic option that comes with the other two Proton plans. This includes up to 10 VPN connections rather than one, a total of 1,700+ servers across 63 different countries (rather than 100-ish servers in three countries) and faster speeds. For the time being Proton will continue offering its VPN as a standalone product, too — you can get the details on that as well as the breakdown between the basic free VPN and what you get with the full version here.

If you're new to the Proton world, right now the company has iOS apps for mail and VPN services, and Android apps for mail, VPN and calendar. The Drive cloud storage option is still technically in beta, so there aren't any mobile apps for it just yet — they're slated for later this year.

And while Proton doesn't have any major updates to the mail service or its other apps aside from unifying them with its new design language, the company has made a few updates in recent months. Last month, the iOS Mail app got some design updates and a dark mode, as well as a "conversation" mode to make threads of messages easier to read. Back in February, Proton turned on encrypted search in the Mail web app, and in January it added a tracking pixel blocker.

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