The Morning After: Apple’s rumored smart display may arrive next year

Remember those rumors of an Apple smart display suspended on a robot arm? According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to debut the first device as soon as 2025, alongside a new operating system called homeOS.

It could be a device with a robotic arm or a simpler HomePod-with-screen affair. Gurman elaborated on this, claiming two versions are in the works: a low-end display for the basics, like FaceTime and smart home controls, and a high-end robotic variant that’ll cost upwards of $1,000. According to the report, Apple Intelligence will be a key part of the experience for both devices. I’m intrigued to see how Apple’s flavor of AI can help me run my home. I literally have no idea how it would.

— Mat Smith

The biggest tech stories you might have missed

• How to mirror your iPhone on macOS Sequoia

• Engadget review recap: iPhones, AirPods, Pixel Buds and an early look at the PS5 Pro

• YouTube blocks songs from Adele and Green Day amid licensing negotiations

The 6 best cordless vacuums for 2024

Ditch the heavy machines and get a cordless stick vacuum.

Engadget

Old-school upright vacuums left a lot to be desired, and cordless models right many of those wrongs. They’re thinner, lighter and easier to maneuver, and you don’t really have to sacrifice suction power anymore. Dyson isn’t your only option these days either — there are dozens of cordless vacuums. After testing a bunch of the best cordless stick vacuums, we’ve come up with our top picks, including our best budget pick at $300.

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Fujifilm GFX100S II review

Outstanding performance at a reduced price.

Fujifilm’s original GFX100S was a popular alternative to the GFX100, offering the same picture quality in a slimmer body at a much lower price. It did have some flaws, though. Now, the company has released the $5,000 GFX100S II as a smaller, cheaper alternative to the $7,500 flagship GFX100 II. It’s a big improvement on the original and offers the same picture quality as the GFX100 II for $2,500 less. It lacks all the video talents of the pricier camera, though. 

Check out our full review.

A peek at how A Minecraft Movie will handle crafting

A new clip of the film was teased during Minecraft Live 2024.

Engadget

A Minecraft Movie is slated for release in April 2025 and will star Jack Black as Steve, alongside Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks and Emma Myers. The team behind it shared a new clip during Minecraft Live, which expands on the brief crafting moment seen in the first trailer. The segment also gives us our first look at the movie’s interpretation of a Minecraft bee. I’ll let you form your own opinions — the teaser starts at 4:51.

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YouTube blocks songs from artists including Adele and Green Day amid licensing negotiations

Songs from popular artists have begun to disappear from YouTube as the platform’s deal with the performing rights organization SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers) approaches its expiration date. As reported by Variety, certain songs by Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, R.E.M., Burna Boy and other artists have been blocked in the US, though their entire catalogs aren’t necessarily affected. Videos that have been pulled, like Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” now just show a black screen with the message: “This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.”

In a statement to Engadget, a YouTube spokesperson said the platform has been in talks with SESAC to renew the deal, but “despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration. We take copyright very seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.” According to a source that spoke to Variety, however, the deal hasn’t even expired yet — it’ll reportedly terminate sometime next week — and the move on YouTube’s part may be a negotiation tactic. SESAC has not yet released a statement.

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PS5 Pro Pre-Orders, Dragon Age: Veilguard Advice, And More Hot Tips Of The Week

It was quite the week in gaming, from impossible-to-secure pre-orders of the newly announced PS5 Pro, to huge sales on major Capcom and Xbox games, to confirmation about which of your Dragon Age choices will carry over to Veilguard. As always, we covered them all, and now they’re in one spot here for you perusal.…

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Sony's Big State Of Play, An Assassin's Creed Shadows Delay, And More Of The Week's Top Stories

Sony held a State of Play showcase this week that showed off a few new games alongside updates for Astro Bot, Alan Wake 2, and others, with the biggest reveal being our first look at the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima. Meanwhile, Xbox held an event of its own at Tokyo Game Show, images of some of the amazing merch…

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X can be 'immediately' unblocked in Brazil after it pays a $1.9 million fine

X only has to pay one last fine in Brazil to get its services reinstated, according to Bloomberg and CNBC. Supreme Court R has ordered the company to pay 10 million Reais, or around $1.9 million, for its non-compliance with Brazil's court order for two days. Moraes added that the company's return "depends solely on the full compliance with Brazilian legislation and the absolute observance of the court orders in respect of national sovereignty." Specifically, Moraes fined X on September 19 for restoring its services in the country for some people despite a ban on the website. The judge also fined the company after X disregarded the ban for a second time on September 23 through Starlink. 

X's owner, Elon Musk, previously resisted Moraes' order to take down and freeze several accounts that were allegedly spreading disinformation on the platform. Musk saw it as censorship and opted to close its operations in the country instead of complying. In response, Moraes ordered the nation's internet providers to block the social media platform and to issue a new rule that anybody found to be accessing X through a VPN could face a daily fine of 50,000 Reais ($8,900). The court froze the Brazilian bank account of SpaceX’s Starlink internet service provider, as well. It ultimately withdrew 18.35 million Reais ($3.4 million) from Starlink's and X's account to settle previous penalties the Supreme Court had imposed on the social network.

A few days ago, however, X's lawyers reportedly filed a document in court naming the company's legal representative in Brazil, as Moraes had demanded. The website also removed the accounts the judge named in its initial directives and which he had identified as a threat to democracy, showing that it's now willing to comply with the court's orders. The New York Times reported back then that X had failed to submit all the necessary paperwork to get Brazil to lift its ban. Moraes' statement that the company can "immediately return to its activities" after it pays this fine suggests that X got that squared away, and Brazilian users may be able to access the website soon. 

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Meta fined $102 million for storing passwords in plain text

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has slapped Meta with a $101.5 million (€91 million) fine after wrapping up an investigation into a security breach in 2019, wherein the company mistakenly stored users' passwords in plain text. Meta's original announcement only talked about how it found some user passwords stored in plain text on its servers in January that year. But a month later, it updated its announcement to reveal that millions of Instagram passwords were also stored in easily readable format. 

While Meta didn't say how many accounts were affected, a senior employee told Krebs on Security back then that the incident involved up to 600 million passwords. Some of the passwords had been stored in easily readable format in the company's servers since 2012. They were also reportedly searchable by over 20,000 Facebook employees, though the DPC has clarified in its decision that they were at least not made available to external parties. 

The DPC found that Meta violated several GDPR rules related to the breach. It determined that the company failed to "notify the DPC of a personal data breach concerning storage of user passwords in plaintext" without undue delay and failed to "document personal data breaches concerning the storage of user passwords in plaintext." It also said that Meta violated the GDPR by not using appropriate technical measures to ensure the security of users' passwords against unauthorized processing. 

"It is widely accepted that user passwords should not be stored in plaintext, considering the risks of abuse that arise from persons accessing such data. It must be borne in mind, that the passwords the subject of consideration in this case, are particularly sensitive, as they would enable access to users’ social media accounts," DPC's Deputy Commissioner, Graham Doyle, said in a statement. 

The DPC has also given the company a reprimand in addition to the penalty. We may know more about what that means for Meta exactly when the commission publishes its full final decision and other related information in the future.

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PS5/PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Collection Sold Out Instantly, Players Upset

Players are expressing their frustration as PS5/PS5 Pro 30th anniversary collection sold out within minutes of pre-orders going live in some regions including the U.K. Pre-orders have yet to appear in North America, but there are reports of some Canadian retailers, like Costco, offering the PS5 Pro bundle to their members right now.

PS5 Pro 30th anniversary bundle cost a pretty penny, but that didn’t stop pre-orders from selling out

In the U.K., the highly limited PS5 Pro 30th anniversary bundle cost an eye-popping £959.99, but that didn’t stop them from selling out instantly. Earlier in the morning, players lined up on PS Direct, with queues lasting as long as an hour, ensuring that many customers didn’t even get close to getting pre-orders in.

“So much for ‘No one is going to buy that thing’ huh,” one player complained. “Waited an hour and a half and didn’t get one,” wrote another.

Listings have already starting appearing on eBay, with scalpers demanding up to £5,000 for the PS5 Pro bundle. This is sure to further aggravate players who were genuinely looking to purchase one.

Folks in North America will need to line up bright and early if they want a remote chance at purchasing any of the 30th anniversary items, especially the DualSense.

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Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 (PS5) Review: Polished EDF

(Photo Credit: D3Publisher)

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 is a surprisingly polished EDF spin-off that is fun for newcomers and veterans of D3’s beloved alien invasion series. Now, depending on why you like the EDF series, this polish is potentially a disappointment, as the jank of past games was a large part of the charm. However, there’s enough reverence for past games, deep-cut references, and general weirdness for even the most ironic or diehard fan to get a real kick out of this voxel-styled shooter.

Despite the Minecraft-style makeover, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 still plays faithfully like EDF games of yesteryear. Yep, you’ll be taking down hundreds of giant ants, hopping alien frogs, and other goofy enemies with a variety of weaponry. There’s a lot of content with over 100 missions and five difficulty levels to try them on, so while missions are typically short and bite-sized, there are a ton of things to do.

The other unique aspect of the World Builders games is that you get to collect a four-member team — you swap between members using the directional pad. This adds a nice variety to the gameplay, as you can use a ranger to shoot down ants from a distance and then switch to a flying character to quickly make up ground and deliver melee attacks. You’ll rescue a variety of characters in the missions, ranging from new nationality-based characters to ones based on past EDF games.

The gameplay is often where EDF games can sort of fall apart despite their inherent charm. However, World Brothers 2 is by far the most polished Earth Defense Force game I’ve ever played. Sure, the action can get repetitive sometimes, as there are only so many ways to throw a ton of ants at a player, but it generally runs well, and gameplay is chaotic yet responsive. Despite being a celebration of past entries, this winds up being a great entry point thanks to its overall level of polish and solid online co-op play that makes it easy to play with a buddy.

There are also a ton of different weapons (over 600 of them) to try out, and variety really is the spice of life in Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. Weapons and character-specific skills (which typically clear out a bunch of enemies at once) are leveled up through use, so it pays to stick with a squad you like (although you can easily make several presets and switch between them if your current loadout struggles with a mission).

Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 Review: Final Verdict

Whether you’re a series veteran or just interested in why gamers love to shout “EDF!” repeatedly, Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 winds up being a lot of fun. It’s the most polished version of shooting giant ants that you’ll find. So, what are you waiting for, soldier? Enlist in the Earth Defense Force today.

• A ton of content
• Much less jank than most EDF
• Fun online co-op
• Can get repetitive after a while
• Less jank charm

8

---

Disclaimer: This Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Played on version 1.005.000.

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The Morning After: Get ready for Meta Connect

Meta’s annual VR / AR shindig kicks off a few hours after this newsletter hits your inboxes. As usual, it’ll lay down the direction of travel for the next year of strapping stuff to your face. So, before the awkward stage banter begins, it’s worth reading up on what’s to come. We’ve prepared our usual roundup of all the rumors, scuttlebutt and leaks about what we’ll see.

That includes Orion, a pair of Buddy Holly glasses offering augmented reality in a more user friendly package. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already hinted about its potential, but he added we’ll only see the prototype today. We can also expect a cheaper version of the Quest 3 and some more AI doodads to come to the Ray-Ban smart glasses.

Once you’ve studied up, you can point your browser at our liveblog to get a blow-by-blow of the show the minute it happens. Everything kicks off at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, but the color commentary will start long before then.

— Dan Cooper

All the (mostly games) news you might have missed

• Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered arrives October 31 on PS5 and PC

• Ghost of Yōtei is a Tsushima sequel coming to PS5 in 2025

• Astro Bot is getting a free update that adds speedrunning levels

• Lego Horizon Adventures hits PS5, PC and Switch on November 14

• SAG-AFTRA strikes against League of Legends over voiceover company actions

• Visa slapped with a DOJ antitrust lawsuit

FTX advisor and Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison gets two years in prison

She was a key witness in Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial.

Caroline Ellison, CEO of Alameda Research and advisor to FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, has been sentenced to two years in prison. Ellison pled guilty at the end of 2022 for her role in the FTX fraud and was a key witness in Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial. Ellison will spend a further three years on supervised release once she has left prison. In a statement, the disgraced crypto executive expressed remorse for her conduct.

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Palworld suddenly arrives on PS5

Except in Japan, for obvious reasons.

Pocketpair

Depending on your loyalties, Palworld is either an exciting spin on the adventure genre or a shameless rip-off of Pokémon, but with guns. Developer Pocketpair is being sued in Japan by Nintendo, who is firmly in the latter camp, but that isn’t yet slowing Palworld’s progress. The title was just surprise-launched for the PS5 in 68 countries, with Japan an obvious exception.

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Duolingo, best known as a language learning app, now makes a piano

I want this thing so darn much.

Duolingo

I’ve been a fan of cute pianos that teach you how to play for a long while and have reviewed a few for Engadget. Now, Duolingo is getting in on the action, teaming up with baby digital piano makers Loog to produce its own learning piano. It’ll integrate with Duolingo’s app, which has music courses to teach folks how to grasp the basics of playing. And, did I mention that I really want to play with one of these?

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TikTok Music is on its way out

Raise your hand if you didn’t know this was a thing.

TikTok Music

TikTok has announced TikTok Music, the company’s streaming service to rival Spotify and Apple Music, is closing down. The platform announced it’ll cease operations on November 28 and delete all user data and login information soon after. It has advised subscribers to reach out to their payment platforms of choice to get refunds before that date. Don’t worry though, I’m a technology journalist and even I didn’t know TikTok had its own standalone streaming service.

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X just released its first full transparency report since Elon Musk took over

X has published its most detailed accounting of its content moderation practices since Elon Musk’s takeover of the company. The report, X’s first in more than a year, provides new insight into how X is enforcing its rules as it struggles to hang on to advertisers who have raised concerns about toxicity on the platform.

The report, which details content takedowns and account suspensions from the first half of 2024, shows that suspensions have more than tripled since the last time the company shared data. X suspended just under 5.3 million accounts during the period, compared with 1.6 million suspensions during the first six months of 2022.

In addition to the suspensions, X says it “removed or labeled” more than 10.6 million posts for violating its rules. Violations of the company’s hateful conduct policy accounted for nearly half of that number, with X taking action on 4.9 million such posts. Posts containing abuse and harassment (2.6 million) and violent content (2.2 million) also accounted for a significant percentage of the takedowns and labels.

While these numbers don’t tell a complete story about the state of content on X — the company doesn’t distinguish between posts it removes and those that it labels, for example — it shows that hateful, abusive and violent content are among the biggest issues facing the platform. Those are also the same issues numerous advertisers and civil rights groups have raised concerns about since Musk’s takeover of the company. In the report, X claims that rule-breaking content accounted for less than 1 percent of all posts shared on the platform.

X

The numbers also suggest there have been significant increases in this type of content since Twitter last shared numbers prior to Musk’s takeover. For example, in the last half of 2021, the last time Twitter shared such data, the company reported it suspended about 1.3 million accounts for terms of service violations and “actioned” about 4.3 million.

X previously published an abbreviated report in a 383-word blog post last April, which shared some stats on content takedowns, but offered almost no details on government requests for information or post removals. The new report is a significant improvement on that front. It says that X received 18,737 government requests for information, with the majority of the requests coming from within the EU and a reported disclosure rate of 53 percent. X also received 72,703 requests from governments to remove content from its platform. The company says it took action in just over 70 percent of cases. Japan accounted for the vast majority of those requests (46,648), followed by Turkey (9,364).

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Remasters of Beloved PS1/PS2 Classics Leaked by Sony, Out Soon

Sony has leaked PS5 remasters of beloved PS1 and PS2 classics ahead of tonight’s PlayStation State of Play. The PS Store page has since been removed, but not before it confirmed the existence of the long-rumored Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered, developed by Aspyr Media.

Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 PS5 remasters release date also leaked

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered originally leaked in July at the San Diego Comic-Con. References to the unannounced remaster bundle were spotted next to Legacy of Kain merchandise.

As spotted by X user Wario64, a PS Store blooper not only confirmed the game’s existence, but it also leaked its release date of December 10, 2024. We’re not going to embed the trailer or screenshots here ahead of an official announcement to avoid a potential copyright strike, but you can check them out in the tweet below:

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered trailer via PSN, releasing December 10th (Aspyr)

Celebrate Soul Reaver's 25th Anniversary.

Experience the epic conflict of Kain and Raziel in original form or with remastered graphics.

Included Game Titles
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver… pic.twitter.com/jQVsWbYWJq

— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 24, 2024

Wario64 didn’t say which platforms were listed on the PS Store page, but it’s safe to assume that Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered will be available on the PS5. We’ll find out tonight whether the games will be available on the PS4 or not. They’re unlikely to be graphically intensive, so we don’t see why they won’t be cross-gen, but don’t take our word for it yet.

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PS5 Pro Might Get Enhanced Version of Major New Game

The PS5 Pro “might” get an enhanced version of a critically-acclaimed new game whose developer has revealed that it’s in talks with Sony regarding its next steps. We say “might” because the studio — Saber Interactive — is making no promises, but its engineers are mulling over a potential PS5 Pro patch for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.

When to expect Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 PS5 Pro enhanced patch, if it happens

Speaking to IGN, Saber Interactive’s chief creative officer Tim Willits expressed hope that Space Marine 2 will benefit from PS5 Pro’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which offers automatic improvements without the need for a patch.

At the moment, Space Marine 2 suffers from more performance issues on the PS5 compared to Xbox Series X and PC, and Willits admits as much. “What I hope is with the PS5 Pro, with the AI upsampling, that players will be able to play Space Marine 2 in Performance [Speed] Mode, and it’ll look better, hopefully… hopefully, I don’t know — it’ll look better than it does in Quality Mode now,” he said.

Willits added that although Sony is happy with Space Marine 2, Saber’s engineers are in discussion with the PlayStation maker to figure things out. However, he said that the PS5 Pro is still new and so is Space Marine 2, so if an enhanced version happens, it’ll be a while before it’s out.

“We’re just trying to catch up, so we just have to be patient with our official plans,” Willits concluded.

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The Morning After: Elon blocks blocking

At some point, we’ve all encountered someone who just doesn’t get boundaries. They get too deep into our personal space, oblivious — or all too aware — of our discomfort. This problem is magnified online where there’s instant access to someone’s broader digital footprint, which can be a vector for abuse. It’s why most platforms have some sort of block feature, enabling people to limit some user’s access to their lives.

Now guess which platform is ending the ability to block people. Yup, that one.

Elon Musk announced a change to X’s policies to enable users you’ve blocked to see your posts. They won’t be able to interact with you, but they will see what you’re posting to the platform. Musk has railed against the block feature before, saying users could already get around this by switching to a non-blocked account. Which is true, in the sort of tell-on-yourself way that suggests he’s got form not respecting someone’s boundaries.

Obviously, the reasons this is a terrible, dreadful, no-good and generally bad idea are so long we’d be here forever trying to list them. But it’s a good reminder that X is a place that thinks trust and safety are four-letter words.

— Dan Cooper

All the news you might have missed

Logitech MX Creative Console review: An affordable entry point into edit panels

How to watch Meta Connect 2024

macOS Sequoia review: iPhone mirroring is more useful than you think

Reduce the number of screens you need to stare at each day.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

There’s a new macOS out, and this one is actually rather nifty, according to Devindra Hardawar. The new operating system’s killer feature is the ability to mirror your iPhone on your Mac, which helps you keep your eyes on one screen instead of two. Now, Dev uses it to play mobile games during meetings, but we don’t recommend you do the same.

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Telegram will now provide IP addresses and phone numbers in response to legal requests

Company CEO Pavel Durov has seen the light.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced the messaging app will now hand over the IP addresses and phone numbers of users when law enforcement requests it. It’s amazing what a short stay in a French prison can do to change someone’s long-held beliefs about privacy.

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Biden administration seeks ban on auto software from China

Officials say it’s about security, not protecting Detroit.

BYD

The White House has a plan to ban Chinese (and Russian) hardware and software from any internet-connected car in the US. Given the integrations necessary to make most EVs run, it’s likely the move would act as a de-facto ban on Chinese EV imports.

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God of War Ragnarok Isn’t Doing Well on PC

God of War Ragnarok‘s PC launch hasn’t been well-received, if player response on Steam is anything to go by. Not only is the game being review-bombed, thanks in no small part to its PSN integration requirement, it debuted to a significantly lower concurrent player count than its predecessor did.

Why God of War Ragnarok’s PC launch is a mess on Steam

According to data tracker SteamDB, God of War Ragnarok peaked at 35,615 concurrent players on Steam, which is a far cry from the 2018 game’s 70,000+ concurrents. One of the main differences between the two titles is that the original didn’t force players to link PSN to Steam, and it doesn’t help that PSN isn’t available in a number of countries.

We’ve also seen widespread reports of Sony’s games installing PSN-related software on PC that’s tanking systems.

That said, Ghost of Tsushima launched with the PSN requirement and that didn’t stop the game from topping charts, so it’s confusing to see Ragnarok being review bombed over it. Bear in mind that games with poor reviews on Steam have lower visibility, so unlike Metacritic, the review bombing in this case may actually have an impact.

It’s unclear how/if Sony will respond, but players have already taken matters into their own hands. As reported on ResetEra, modders have found a way to bypass Sony’s PSN requirement.

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The Morning After: SpaceX gets a surprising new enemy

If events in the last few years have felt like a higher power playing Mad Libs with our lives, then it looks as if it’s running out of options. “SpaceX,” you imagine it pulling out “gets sued by…” and then the sounds of paper rustling until it says, “Cards Against Humanity.” Turns out the silly game jokesters own an acre of land near to SpaceX’s facility in Texas, which the latter has been using for its own purposes.

Cards Against Humanity has filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, alleging the rocket company has been trespassing on land it bought back in 2017. The lawsuit says the previously pristine land has been turned into an ersatz staging ground and parking lot for nearby construction work. It asks for $15 million compensation for the trespass and damage. If successful, it says it’ll share the win with the crowdfunding backers who coughed up to buy the land.

If the higher power in question wants some help with some suggestions, it could do worse than suggesting Engadget’s humble newsletter writers win a billion pounds each on the same day in completely different competitions.

— Dan Cooper

The biggest tech stories you missed

• See the iPhone 16’s game-changing battery removal process in new iFixit teardown

• The Arc browser that lets you customize websites had a serious vulnerability

• Qualcomm is reportedly eyeing a takeover of Intel

Microsoft plans to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant that narrowly avoided disaster

Don’t worry, it’s not using that power for anything good!

Microsoft is bankrolling the partial reactivation of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Those with short memories may not know it was the site of a 1979 meltdown that helped halt the development of nuclear energy in the US.

Now, I’m not mad the plant is being reactivated, since nuclear offers safe, clean and abundant energy. TMI reactor one remained in operation from 1985 until 2019, so it’s got a healthy track record too. But I am mad at the reason Microsoft’s cutting the check: to power its AI data centers!

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Theater chains will spend $2.2 billion to lure you back to the movies

Anyone for pickleball?

B&B Theatres

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of reasons I rarely visit movie theaters:

1. The cost

2. Not being able to pause the movie to visit the restroom

3. People talking during the movie

4. People checking Facebook on their phone during the movie

5. People making phone calls during the movie

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of things movie chains will do to lure me back:

1. Spend $2.2 billion to install zip wires, pickleball courts and bowling alleys

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OpenAI staffers reportedly ‘taken aback’ by ‘ominous’ logo rebranding

And Sir Jonathan Ive is working with CEO Sam Altman on a secret project.

OpenAI

OpenAI is reportedly ditching its increasingly recognizable hexagonal flower logo in favor of something a bit more sinister. Staff members were apparently shown a stark black O icon that lacks the warmth of the existing identity. At the same time, a new profile of Sir Jonathan Ive reveals the long-rumored partnership between him and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is real. The iPhone designer’s firm, LoveFrom, is working on some sort of AI hardware tool, but that’s all we know right now. Let’s hope it does better than the Humane Pin, the last AI hardware tool cooked up by a storied designer with Apple on their resume.

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Prices of PlayStation 30th Anniversary PS5 and DualSense Aren’t Too Bad

The prices of PlayStation 30th anniversary themed PS5 Slim bundle and DualSense have leaked, and they aren’t too bad considering the recent price hikes. The PS5 Slim bundle and standalone DualSense will reportedly cost players an extra $50 and $5, respectively.

PlayStation 30th anniversary PS5 and DualSense prices aren’t an issue, availability is

According to Dealabs user billbil-kun, who has a pretty stellar track record of leaks, the PS5 Slim 30th anniversary bundle will cost $499.99 and the standalone DualSense will cost $79.99. The price of the DualSense is in line with other limited edition controllers, like Astro Bot. Billbil-kun currently doesn’t have prices of the PS5 Pro bundle and DualSense Edge, but we expect those to be quite pricey.

As a reminder, here’s what the PS5 Slim bundle contains:

• Limited edition PS5 Digital Edition console with 1TD SSD and matching limited edition accessories – DualSense wireless controller and a Console Cover for a Disc Drive (Disc Drive sold separately).
• Vertical Stand and special collector’s items as follows:
• Original PlayStation controller-style cable connector housing
• Four PlayStation Shapes cable ties
• PlayStation sticker
• Limited Edition PlayStation Poster (1 of 30 possible designs)
• PlayStation Paperclip

While the aforementioned prices won’t break banks, players will still have a hard time purchasing the items because they’ll come in very limited quantities, and companies have been unable to combat scalpers.

Good luck to all those hoping to purchase the consoles and/or accessories!

The post Prices of PlayStation 30th Anniversary PS5 and DualSense Aren’t Too Bad appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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There's Lots To Be Said About Dragon Age: The Veilguard, But Did We Enjoy It?

Among our coverage of Dragon Age: The Veilguard this week was our official preview of the game, a deep dive into how BioWare has avoided conforming to a single canon, a look at how factions affect relationships throughout your protagonist’s journey, and, of course, our reactions after having full freedom with the…

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You'll Either Be Impressed Or Infuriated Once You Figure Out Where "Pool" Goes In Today's NYT Connections Groups

Hey,Connections fans—it’s that time again. The Sunday puzzle today is not quite as challenging as the notoriously difficult Sunday Times crossword, but it’s no walk in the park either. It’s a great way to close the weekend—that, and of course, fantasizing about what the Nintendo Switch 2 will be like. (OK, maybe…

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The Arc browser that lets you customize websites had a serious vulnerability

One of the feature that separates the Arc browser from its competitors is the ability to customize websites. The feature called "Boosts" allows users to change a website's background color, switch to a font they like or one that makes it easier for them to read and even remove an unwanted elements from the page completely. Their alterations aren't supposed to be be visible to anyone else, but they can share them across devices. Now, Arc's creator, the Browser Company, has admitted that a security researcher found a serious flaw that would've allowed attackers to use Boosts to compromise their targets' systems. 

The company used Firebase, which the security researcher known as "xyzeva" described as a "database-as-a-backend service" in their post about the vulnerability, to support several Arc features. For Boosts, in particular, it's used to share and sync customizations across devices. In xyzeva's post, they showed how the browser relies on a creator's identification (creatorID) to load Boosts on a device. They also shared how someone could change that element to their target's identification tag and assign that target Boosts that they had created. 

If a bad actor makes a Boost with a malicious payload, for instance, they can just change their creatorID to the creatorID of their intended target. When the intended victim then visits the website on Arc, they could unknowingly download the hacker's malware. And as the researcher explained, it's pretty easy to get user IDs for the browser. A user who refer someone to Arc will share their ID to the recipient, and if they also created an account from a referral, the person who sent it will also get their ID. Users can also share their Boosts with others, and Arc has a page with public Boosts that contain the creatorIDs of the people who made them. 

In its post, the Browser Company said xyzeva notified it about the security issue on August 25 and that it issued a fix a day later with the researcher's help. It also assured users that nobody got to exploit the vulnerability, no user was affected. The company has also implemented several security measures to prevent a similar situation, including moving off Firebase, disabling Javascript on synced Boosts by default, establishing a bug bounty program and hiring a new senior security engineer.

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Scream Like A Bear With Shadow Of The Erdtree's Roar Of Rugalea Incantation

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree added a splendid Incantation called Roar of Rugalea. If you enjoy roaring at your foes to deal the hurt and dish out heavy poise damage, whether in the streets or in the game, this powerful spell could be just what you’re looking for. And all you’ll need to do is take down the big bad…

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The Morning After: I really want this 30th anniversary PS5 Pro

To commemorate PlayStation’s 30 years in the game, Sony revealed some nostalgia-tinged redesigns of both the PS5 and the forthcoming PS5 Pro. With that classic gray colorway and the old-school logo, there’s a similarly styled DualSense controller and even a chunky retro-designed cable wrapped around the typical USB-C connector.

Sony

The PS5 Pro bundle even includes a standard controller, a DualSense Edge and a retro cover for the optional disc drive and the charging stand. Even the PlayStation Portal is getting a 1994 colorway.

Pre-orders start on September 26 through the company and at participating retailers, launching on November 21. Sony has me trapped: Design it in the colors of my childhood gaming memories, and I will probably buy it — especially when early impressions of the PS5 Pro show it could be capable of some leaps in game engine performance.

— Mat Smith

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Netflix teases the next seasons of Avatar, Squid Game and Arcane

Geeked Week also teased the spinoffs for Splinter Cell and Tomb Raider.

At its in-person fan event for Geeked Week this year, Netflix showed teasers and sneak peeks for the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender as well as Squid Game season two, with last season’s protagonist, Lee Jung-jae, wearing his player 456 uniform again. There were also new clips for One Piece, Wednesday, Splinter Cell, Devil May Cry and more.

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YouTube is cramming ads in when you pause videos

The video website now joins DirecTV, Sling TV and Hulu.

YouTube is turning paused videos into its newest ad space. The company first started looking at using ads on pause screens in 2023 with select advertisers. YouTube’s viewers are less enthusiastic. The new ads also pop up when you pause videos on the YouTube mobile app.

A YouTube rep told The Verge they’ve seen “strong advertiser and strong reviewer responses” since they “rolled out Pause ads to all advertisers.” Great.

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Oprah buys back her Apple TV+ documentary to lock it away

A multi-year deal between Winfrey and the platform ended in 2022.

A documentary on Oprah Winfrey is no longer coming to Apple TV+. Because, well, Winfrey, herself, bought back the rights to it, PageSix reports. Allegedly, Winfrey and filmmaker Kevin Macdonald clashed on the final product, with the latter not making the requested edits. Winfrey was initially very involved in Apple TV+, even speaking at its launch. She signed a multi-year deal with the platform, launching shows such as The Oprah Conversation, but the agreement ended in 2022.

Continue reading.

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Want Your Shadow Of The Erdtree Build To Get Smarter? Try The Spirit Glaive

The Spirit Glaive is a new Halberd added in Elden Ring:Shadow of the Erdtree. This unique weapon has a really cool Ash of War skill attached to it, and can be a fantastic choice for Intelligence builds looking to add some melee flair to their kit.

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Devs Behind PS5 Flop Concord Fear Studio Closure – Report

Firewalk Studios, the dev behind massive PS5 flop Concord, is facing an uncertain future. Kotaku has revealed that game director Ryan Ellis (formerly Destiny 2 creative director at Bungie) has stepped down, and employees are bracing themselves for mass layoffs and even full studio closure.

Concord dev Firewalk is one of the ‘more expensive’ PlayStation Studios

Kotaku‘s sources have said that Firealk employees are in limbo ever since Sony took the unprecedented step of shutting Concord down within two weeks of launch. Like analysts and many in the gaming community, some Firewalk devs are also skeptical about Concord’s return.

The report further claims that some employees have already jumped ship while others are preparing to exit Firewalk. The team is expecting mass layoffs, with some going as far as anticipating potential closure because Firewalk is one of the “more expensive” developers in the PlayStation Studios family on a “per-head” basis.

It looks like Sony has yet to make a decision about both Concord and Firewalk, but Kotaku’s report suggests that employees have positive things to say about Ellis, noting that he genuinely believed in Concord and “poured a great deal of himself into the game.” “Regardless of there being things that could have been done differently throughout development, he’s a good human and full of heart,” they added.

The post Devs Behind PS5 Flop Concord Fear Studio Closure – Report appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Another Pointless PS5 Remaster Rumored and Players Are Unhappy

The list of pointless PS5 remakes and remasters continues to grow, leaving players confused and unhappy. We’re not talking about Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, which is all but confirmed. Rumor has it that Sony has another unwanted remaster in the works, which may be announced very soon.

PS5 remasters and remakes make little sense as PlayStation Studios struggle with profits

Report of the unnamed remaster came from journalist Jeff Grubb, who seems convinced that September 2024’s PlayStation State of Play is happening next week. In an episode of Game Mess Mornings, Grubb added that Sony may announce a remaster other than Horizon Zero Dawn at the event, and it’ll be “less exciting.”

Grubb made the “less exciting” comment in reference to the overwhelmingly negative reactions to yesterday’s Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered ESRB rating. His report was met with even more negative reactions across social media and gaming forums.

“Horizon strikes me as a really pointless and non-exciting remaster in the first place, so I have no idea what that could mean,” wrote one player. “Less exciting than the Horizon remaster? That would be almost impressive,” wrote another.

Players have expressed their dissatisfaction with PlayStation Studios output, and it certainly beggars belief that Sony keeps pumping funds into these projects after CFO Hiroki Totoki admitted that PlayStation is struggling with profits despite hit releases.

PS5 is about to enter its fifth year and PS5 Pro is on the horizon, yet major first-party releases have been few and far between. To be clear, players aren’t opposed to remasters or remakes. Look no further than the Bloodborne fan community. Players are perplexed by what Sony chooses to remaster: Until Dawn, Horizon Zero Dawn, the billionth re-release of The Last of Us, to name a few.

It’s hard to disagree with the community here. PlayStation really needs to give players something to be excited about, and soon. All eyes are now on the next PlayStation event, but something tells me that we should keep our expectations in check.

The post Another Pointless PS5 Remaster Rumored and Players Are Unhappy appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Fight A Golden Hippo, Get A Thorny Incantation, In Shadow Of The Erdtree

Shadow of the Erdtree, the one and only DLC for Elden Ring, adds Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns, a new, powerful Incantation for those looking to damage multiple enemies at once, and looking awesome doing it.

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Intel is separating its ailing foundry business from the main company

Intel is turning its foundry business, which manufactures chips for other companies, into an independent subsidiary. The company has revealed its plan in a note to employees from its CEO Pat Gelsinger, published over a month after Intel disclosed that it's cutting 15 percent of its workforce. Intel is laying off more than 15,000 people as part of its $10 billion cost-reduction plan to regain financial stability following a second-quarter net loss of $1.6 billion. Gelsinger explained in his new memo that turning the foundry into a subsidiary "will unlock important benefits," particularly the ability to evaluate and take external funding directly. 

Gelsinger said that there will be no changes to the foundry's leadership, but the subsidiary will establish its own operating board with independent directors to govern it. According to CNBC, Intel is even considering making the foundry a separate publicly traded company. Intel is in the midst of modernizing its existing fabs and building new ones for its foundry business, which is costing the company billions of dollars, in an effort to catch up to its chipmaking rivals like TSMC and Samsung. The company has reportedly spent around $25 billion a year on its foundry business over the past two years, but that has yet to translate into profit. 

In April, the company revealed in a presentation to investors that the business posted $7 billion in operating losses for 2023, even larger than the $5.2 billion in losses that it incurred the previous year. It had a revenue of $18.9 billion, down 31 percent from its 2022 revenue of $27.49 billion. Gelsinger warned investors at the time that Intel expects its foundry business' operating loss for 2024 to be even bigger and that it doesn't expect to break even until 2027. The foundry's finances aren't the division's only problem: Its next-gen manufacturing process referred to as "18A" reportedly failed crucial tests to prove that it's ready to be used for mass production. 

In addition to announcing that the foundry business will become a subsidiary, Gelsinger also disclosed in the memo that Intel will be selling part of its stake in Altera, another chipmaker that it purchased for $16.7 billion in 2015. 

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Games Leaving PS Plus Extra, Premium in October 2024 Include First-Party Title

Sony has revealed the preliminary batch of games leaving PS Plus Extra and Premium in October 2024. The departures include an older first-party game as well as a title that players had already predicted was going to leave the service. Check out the full list below, but as always, bear in mind that Sony adds games to PS Store‘s ‘Last Chance to Play’ section throughout the month, and sometimes removes games with little or no notice, so check back for updates.

List of games leaving PS Plus Extra, Premium in October 2024 (as of September 17)

The following games have been added to the Japanese PS Store’s ‘Last Chance to Play’ section. Expect U.S. and EU lists to be similar.

• LittleBigPlanet 3
• Gotham Knights
• The Evil Within
• Ultra Street Fighter IV
• Dragon Quest XI S
• Dragon Quest Builders
• Dragon Quest Builders 2
• Dragon Quest Heroes
• Dragon Quest Heroes 2

Square Enix franchises continue to be yanked off the service. Star Ocean series has already been removed, and Dragon Quest games are up next.

What’s perplexing about this list is the removal of The Evil Within just ahead of Halloween. A little over two weeks ago, the game was removed from PS Plus without a warning, and just yesterday we reported that it was stealthily added back in time for the spooky season. Looks like Sony has other plans, though, so you’ll want to finish The Evil Within ASAP.

The post Games Leaving PS Plus Extra, Premium in October 2024 Include First-Party Title appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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PS Plus Brings Back Major Horror Game After Sudden Departure

Sony has quietly re-added a popular horror game to PS Plus Extra/Premium catalog more than two weeks after it was suddenly pulled without notice, leaving members frustrated. The game in question is Bethesda’s The Evil Within, and it remains unclear why it was pulled to begin with.

Horror game returns to PS Plus just in time for Halloween 2024

The Evil Within’s sudden departure particularly irked players who were in the middle of their campaigns. The de-listing/re-listing is sure to frustrate those who ended up making a purchase to finish the game, but The Evil Within is currently 75% off ($4.99) until September 26, so it’s not a major loss.

As for why it was pulled, some players suspected licensing issues while others brought up compatibility issues on the PS5 due to a warning label that appears on The Evil Within’s PS Store page. However, the latter is false because all PS4 games carry the same notice regarding potential backwards compatibility problems on the PS5’s storefront. The Evil Within’s PS Store page also displays that notice despite its return.

Whatever the case, The Evil Within is back just in time for Halloween so those who temporarily suspended their campaigns can wrap things up now.

The post PS Plus Brings Back Major Horror Game After Sudden Departure appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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PS5 Pro Reportedly Shown Running a Game at 864p/60FPS, Dev Responds

Gaming forums were ablaze over the weekend as report emerged that the PS5 Pro was shown running a game at 864p resolution in an official reel last week. According to Digital Foundry, who analyzed the videos, Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2 was running at 864p/60fps and 1260p/30fps in the two modes shown, leaving players confused.

Remedy Entertainment responds to rumor of PS5 Pro running Alan Wake 2 at low resolution

The Digital Foundry analysis that sparked the controversy is paid Patreon content which folks circulated on sites like Reddit and ResetEra. No context was provided beyond a bullet-point summary of the paywalled content and Digital Foundry itself didn’t address the hoopla.

With that out of the way, some tech-minded folks have said that the reactions to Digital Foundry’s claim are premature because: a. The outlet was analyzing a YouTube video rather than actual gameplay, and b. The PS5 Pro’s PSSR will be used to upscale lower resolutions to 4K.

However, some have disputed the latter, arguing that the render resolution should be higher than 864p on the PS5 Pro.

In the midst of the heated debate, Remedy’s head of communications Thomas Puha popped into ResetEra with the following statement:

Remedy’s games and resolution discussion pops up every once in a while. Image quality matters more than resolution, not that I’m confirming anything. We’ll drop some details on the PS5 Pro version of Alan Wake 2 in the coming weeks with some assets too. I think the version will be a pleasant surprise, but hard to tell these days.

In other words, wait for the official information.

The post PS5 Pro Reportedly Shown Running a Game at 864p/60FPS, Dev Responds appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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