The video currently sports 104K dislikes to just 17K likes.
Nintendo's Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack overview trailer is now the most disliked video on Nintendo's YouTube channel ever.
As spotted by our pals at VGC, with 104K downvotes (it was 103K when I started writing this) to just 17K likes, the Expansion Pack trailer took just a fortnight to eclipse that Metroid Prime: Federation Force trailer from E3 2015, which sports just 11K likes to an eyewatering 96K dislikes.
That's double the amount of the current price, and it looks like unhappy Nintendo fans are making their views known via the YouTube channel.
This premium tier version of Nintendo's current online service will provide access to all features included in the basic tier (multiplayer, NES and SNES games, plus cloud saves), alongside exclusive access to a slowly expanding collection of Mega Drive and N64 games - which will support suspend points and, for certain titles, online multiplayer. It'll also include Animal Crossing: New Horizon's freshly announced Happy Home Paradise expansion at no extra cost.
"Nintendo of America headquarters are in Redmond, WA, and Vancouver, BC," Nintendo said in a statement to press. "We are moving more of our employees and operations into those headquarters and will be closing small satellite offices in Toronto, ON, and Redwood City, CA, over time."
Apple's rumored mixed reality headset may be a boon for VR gaming. In his most recent newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed Apple is aiming for a headset that can handle "high-quality" VR games with both fast chips and high-res displays. While it's not certain just what chips would be involved, a previous leak mentioned a possible 8K resolution per eye — Apple might not expect games to run at that resolution, but it would hint at serious processing power.
The headset is still poised to arrive "as early as" 2022, Gurman said. He also suggested Apple would eventually follow up the mixed headset with an augmented-reality-only model, but that was "years down the road."
However accurate the claim might be, it's doubtful the mixed reality headset would be meant primarily for gaming The price (rumored to be as high as $3,000) might relegate it to developers and other pros. It wouldn't be a rival to the $299 Quest 2, then. Instead, the report suggests Apple might use this initial headset to pave the way for more affordable wearables where gaming is more realistic.
It's safe to presume Apple is committed to a headset, no matter the end result. Apple has acquired companies and reportedly shuffled executives with mixed reality in mind. This wouldn't just be a side project for the company, even if the mixed reality tech could take years to reach the mainstream. Gaming might play a pivotal role if Apple intends to reach a wider audience.
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Microsoft noted that printers that are shared via Windows print servers may receive numerous errors that prevent them from utilizing network printing. Some of the errors include:
Microsoft iterated that both client and server Window platforms are experience these errors, and it is specifically targeting print servers found in enterprises and organizations. In particular, these updates seem to impact the installation of printers using Internet Printing Protocol (IPP).
A temporary workaround is being provided by Microsoft, although it applies only to print clients that had installed a Windows update that released on or after January 2021 prior to the print server installing the October 2021 updates. If these prerequisites are met, Microsoft details the temporary measures customers can take to remedy the issue.
Although Microsoft current says a fix is on the way, users have been experiencing printing related issues for the past 2 weeks.
Earlier this month, we reported on how Nintendo's Switch Online overview trailer for the new 'Expansion Pack' add-on (see above) was struggling to win over the masses.
Well, an update on that - as highlighted by our friends over at VGC, it's now become the most disliked trailer ever on Nintendo's main YouTube channel. How bad is it? Well, the number of dislikes have now surpassed 100,000, with only 17,000 likes. Yikes!
As noted by the source, the previous record-holder was the E3 2015 3DS trailer for Metroid Prime: Federation Force - with 11,000 likes and 96,000 dislikes. Notably, the view count on both are quite different, which is worth taking into consideration. Federation Force has over 1.5 million views and the NSO trailer has over one million views.
"It’s worth noting that the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack – Overview Trailer has around 500,000 fewer views, and also managed to achieve this in just 16 days."
It's not exactly been a welcoming launch for the Switch Online 'Expansion Pack' containing Nintendo 64 and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis games. This premium paid service has been criticised for not even matching the standards set by community emulation efforts. Many other players also claim to have encountered all sorts of technical issues with the Nintendo 64 library.
What are your own thoughts about the 'Expansion Pack' tier so far? Would you give it the thumbs up? Leave a comment below.
WhatsApp will stop working for millions of smartphone users at the beginning of September.
The platform, which is owned by Facebook, is removing support for a number of old iPhone and Android models.
This means that from November 1 many will be left without the popular app which offers free picture sharing across the world.
Go here for the latest breaking news from across Teesside
On Monday, 43 smartphone models - both on Android and iOS - will stop working and users will no longer be able to access messages, photos, and videos, the Mirror reports.
The ability to send messages and snaps, or make video calls to family and friends, using the encrypted messaging service will also be lost.
Smartphones with operating system Android 4.0.4 or earlier installed will become incompatible with WhatsApp, as well as iPhones with iOS 9 or earlier installed.
Is your phone on the list?
iPhone
iPhone SE
iPhone 6S
iPhone 6S Plus
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite
Galaxy Trend II
Galaxy SII
Galaxy S3 mini
Galaxy Xcover 2
Galaxy Core
Galaxy Ace 2
LG
Lucid 2
LG Optimus F7
LG Optimus F5
Optimus L3 II Dual
Optimus F5
Optimus L5
Optimus L5 II
Optimus L5 Dual
Optimus L3 II
Optimus L7
Optimus L7 II Dual
Optimus L7 II
Optimus F6, Enact
Optimus L4 II Dual
Optimus F3
Optimus L4 II
Optimus L2 II
Optimus Nitro HD and 4X HD
Optimus F3Q
Huawei
Ascend G740
Ascend Mate
Ascend D Quad XL
Ascend D1 Quad XL
Ascend P1 S
Ascend D2
Sony
Xperia Miro
Sony Xperia Neo L
Xperia Arc S
ZTE
ZTE Grand S Flex
ZTE V956
Grand X Quad V987
ZTE Grand Memo
Others
The Alcatel One Touch Evo 7
Archos 53 Platinum
HTC Desire 500
Caterpillar Cat B15
Wiko Cink Five
Wiko Darknight
Lenovo A820
UMi X2
Faea F1
THL W8
What should you do if you have one of these phones?
Sadly if you want to continue using WhatsApp, you may need to consider upgrading your phone.
However, if you're holding off buying a new phone and want to save your chat history there is a way of doing it.
You can back up your message history to Google Drive or iCloud depending on which platform you use (iOS or Android).
Alternatively, you can export your chat history as an email attachment.
If you have a younger phone but are running it on outdated software, now is probably a good time to update your phone.
To do so, you need to look in the general settings to download and install the upgrade.
It is ideal to have WiFi enabled when doing so unless you are ok with using your phone data, but if it is a large download then it could be costly.
If your phone is too old to update the software then you may want to think about upgrading to a newer model in order to continue to use the app.
WhatsApp has lost a lot of users over the last year due to ongoing privacy concerns around its new terms of service.
WhatsApp has traditionally marketed itself on offering secure, encrypted messaging, but announced wildly unpopular changes to the way it handles user data.
These changes would have seen user data handed to private companies to aid in marketing.
WhatsApp U-turned drastically on the plans following a major backlash which has seen competitors Telegram surpass one billion downloads.
These changes would have seen user data handed to private companies to aid in marketing. WhatsApp U-turned drastically on the plans following a major backlash which has seen competitors Telegram surpass one billion downloads.
It seems big tech companies are closing in on anyone who doesn't want to buy the latest kit every year.
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This week, we tested out new flagship smartphones, high-powered laptops and much-improved earbuds. Devindra Hardawar reviewed the latest 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros and reports back that they provide almost everything one could want out of a powerful laptop. Billy Steele spent time listening to the third-generation AirPods and concluded they sound much better than the previous version. And Cherlynn Low used Google’s Pixel 6 and 6 Pro and found that the camera-heavy handsets have a lot more to offer, including a great starting price.
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
Devindra Hardawar says the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros are precisely what media professionals have been waiting for: speedy M1 Pro and Max processors, a comfortable keyboard, serious battery life and great speakers. They also feature most of the crucial ports MacBooks have been missing for years, including (finally!) an SD card reader, though the laptops are thicker and heavier as a result. And of course, all that comes with a high starting price of $1,999.
Devindra was particularly impressed by the Liquid Retina XDR displays, which come close to 4K resolutions, and have mini-LED backlighting to produce up to 1,600 nits of brightness. He was also pleased to find support for 120Hz refresh rates, and by the benchmark testing in which both MacBook Pros blew away competing Windows PCs. However, while the laptops were able to speedily convert a 4K video clip to 1080p, Devindra doesn't think they'd make the best gaming machines — trying to load Borderlands 3 produced an unplayable mess. Overall though, he says these computers have practically everything one, especially a creative professional, would want in a powerful notebook — as long as you can stomach the price tag.
Billy Steele/Engadget
Apple’s latest AirPods have been almost completely redesigned from the previous version; the buds themselves have a new look, courtesy of the contoured shape which reduces weight and features a tapered silhouette and an angle to increase comfort. Billy Steele says the company’s efforts to build better AirPods have paid off: the new buds are more comfortable and and have much better audio quality, with bigger and more immersive sound that remained open and airy. That’s thanks to a custom driver paired with a high-dynamic-range amplifier, as well as the new H1 chip and the inward facing mic. Billy says these changes made the AirPods something he actively wanted to listen to music with.
The new AirPods also have an IPX4 rating so they’ll survive sweaty workouts or small splashes. They can also detect skin which, combined with the built-in accelerometer, makes for more accurate pausing and extends battery life. The new chip means you can listen to tracks in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, and the spatial audio is available with dynamic head tracking to change the position of the audio when you turn your head. However, the latest AirPods still lack active noise cancellation and Transparency mode as these features are still reserved for the pricier AirPods Pro. While Billy acknowledges that these earbuds aren’t for everyone, he says they continue to offer Apple users features that are well integrated with iPhone, iPad and Mac.
David Imel for Engadget
Cherlynn Low says the newest Google phones — the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro — are the most intriguing phones that the company has made in years. Featuring the first Google mobile processor, Tensor, the two handsets also have improved camera hardware, lovely OLED screens, speedy refresh rates (120Hz for the 6 Pro, 90Hz for the 6), and decent speakers. Cherlynn says the best feature is the surprisingly low starting price — only $599 — which makes some of the drawbacks more forgivable.
One of the issues she had with the phones was the laggy under-screen fingerprint sensor, which requires the display to be on before it unlocked — a process that she says doesn’t need to have two steps. She was more impressed by the new voice keyboard, which did an excellent job of transcribing speech, and the additional camera features. The sensors are sharper and bigger with larger pixels, producing bright, clean photos — and special camera features, like Magic Eraser and Face Unblur, give users a lot of control over their photos. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro excelled in our battery tests, too, lasting 20.5 hours and 17 hours, respectively. Overall, Cherlynn calls the handsets a superb return to form, showing off Google’s strengths in the software and photography departments.
Millions of devices are set to lose access to WhatsApp in just a matter of days.
The popular messaging platform is removing support for many older smartphone models from Monday (November 1), meaning millions will either have to upgrade or do without the widely-used messaging platform.
The devices on the list include 43 smartphone models, reports Mirror.co.uk, with both Android and iOS affected (full list below).
Users will lose the ability to send messages and photos, or make video calls to family and friends, using the encrypted messaging service.
Smartphone models with Android 4.0.4 or earlier installed will become incompatible with WhatsApp, as well as iPhones with iOS 9 or earlier installed.
The change will affect both iPhones and Android devices (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)
The full list of phones that will lose access to WhatsApp
iPhone
iPhone SE
iPhone 6S
iPhone 6S Plus
Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite
Galaxy Trend II
Galaxy SII
Galaxy S3 mini
Galaxy Xcover 2
Galaxy Core
Galaxy Ace 2
LG
Lucid 2
LG Optimus F7
LG Optimus F5
Optimus L3 II Dual
Optimus F5
Optimus L5
Optimus L5 II
Optimus L5 Dual
Optimus L3 II
Optimus L7
Optimus L7 II Dual
Optimus L7 II
Optimus F6, Enact
Optimus L4 II Dual
Optimus F3
Optimus L4 II
Optimus L2 II
Optimus Nitro HD and 4X HD
Optimus F3Q
Huawei
Ascend G740
Ascend Mate
Ascend D Quad XL
Ascend D1 Quad XL
Ascend P1 S
Ascend D2
Sony
Xperia Miro
Sony Xperia Neo L
Xperia Arc S
ZTE
ZTE Grand S Flex
ZTE V956
Grand X Quad V987
ZTE Grand Memo
Others
The Alcatel One Touch Evo 7
Archos 53 Platinum
HTC Desire 500
Caterpillar Cat B15
Wiko Cink Five
Wiko Darknight
Lenovo A820
UMi X2
Faea F1
THL W8
What should I do if I have one of these devices?
Unfortunately, there is no way to get around the change, meaning that the only real option to keep access to WhatsApp would be to upgrade your device.
However, there is a way of storing your chat history if you do decide to upgrade.
Via the WhatsApp app, you can back up your message history to either iCloud or Google Drive, depending whether you are on iPhone or Android.
You can also export your chat history and transcripts that you can email to yourself.
If your phone is not on the list, but your device is not on the latest iOS or Android software version, you should consider upgrading to avoid issues with WhatsApp.
For any backups and updates, it is recommended to be connected to wifi as the data charges could be costly.
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WhatsApp has lost a lot of users over the last year due to ongoing privacy concerns around its new terms of service.
WhatsApp has traditionally marketed itself on offering secure, encrypted messaging, but announced wildly unpopular changes to the way it handles user data.
These changes would have seen user data handed to private companies to aid in marketing.
WhatsApp U-turned drastically on the plans following a major backlash which has seen competitors Telegram surpass one billion downloads.
These changes would have seen user data handed to private companies to aid in marketing. WhatsApp U-turned drastically on the plans following a major backlash which has seen competitors Telegram surpass one billion downloads.
What do you think? Is your device about to lose access to WhatsApp? Sign in and join the conversations in the comments below
Microsoft says Windows customers are experiencing issues with network printing after installing the Windows 11 KB5006674 and Windows 10 KB5006670 updates issued with this month's Patch Tuesday, on October 12.
Users attempting to connect to printers shared on Windows print servers might encounter multiple errors preventing them from printing over the network.
The errors Windows print clients will encounter after deploying KB5006674 include:
0x000006e4 (RPC_S_CANNOT_SUPPORT)
0x0000007c (ERROR_INVALID_LEVEL)
0x00000709 (ERROR_INVALID_PRINTER_NAME)
The complete list of Windows platforms impacted by this issue includes:
Client: Windows 11, version 21H2; Windows 10, version 21H1; Windows 10, version 20H2; Windows 10, version 2004; Windows 10, version 1909; Windows 10, version 1809; Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019; Windows 10, version 1607; Windows 8.1; Windows 7 SP1
Server: Windows Server 2022; Windows Server, version 20H2; Windows Server, version 2004; Windows Server, version 1909; Windows Server, version 1809; Windows Server 2008 SP2
As Redmond explains, this known issue affecting printing on both client and server Windows platforms is specific to printer servers which are more commonly found in enterprise environments.
Microsoft said it's working on finding a solution to allow print clients to establish RPC packet privacy connections to Windows print servers using RPC over SMB.
Users plagued by printing problems the last two weeks
Windows 10 admins and users have been reporting widescale network printing issues in a 14-page forum topic at BleepingComputerfor for the last two weeks since the October Patch Tuesday updates have been released.
While recounting their frustration and attempts to deal with the printing bugs, they came to the same conclusion: uninstalling the October cumulative updates resolves the printing problem.
Since then, the issues have gotten so bad that Windows admins have resorted to replacing Windows DLLs with older versions to re-enable printing.
The DLLs that admins are replacing to fix printing are localspl.dll, win32spl.dll, and spoolsv.exe.
While this approach removes fixes for Print Spooler vulnerabilities, it does avoid uninstalling the cumulative updates, which would get rid of all October security updates in the process.
Microsoft provides a workaround
Customers impacted by these printing problems can now use an official workaround provided by Microsoft to fix the issue.
The steps should ONLY be taken on affected print servers that meet the following prerequisite: "print clients must have installed a Windows update released on or after January 2021 before the print server has installed" the October 2021 updates.
If the workaround requirements are met, Microsoft asks customers to "ensure that network security and VPN solutions allow print clients to establish RPC over TCP connections to print server over the following port range:"
Default start port: 49152
Default end port: 65535
Port Range: 16384 ports
Redmond also provides the following articles for additional guidance:
The Californian tech giant has updated its support pages and revealed that the 2021 MacBook Pro has technology in place which means it will have no issues working with "high impedance" headphones via its 3.5mm jack.
Apple says the new 14-inch and 16-inch models feature "DC load detection and adaptive voltage output", meaning the high-end laptops should automatically adapt their output for your headphones which should also ensure that their internal amp isn't overdriven.
The newly-launched MacBook Pro's built-in DAC (digital-to-analog convertor) "supports sample rates of up to 96 kHz", which means it will play nicely with Apple Music's CD-quality (16-bit/44.1kHz) and Apple Lossless (24-bit/48kHz) tiers. It will even handle Hi-Res Lossless tracks but only up to 24-bit/96kHz. Any songs with a higher sample rate of 24-bit/192kHz will require an external DAC to hear them at their very best.
The 2021 MacBook Pros are on sale now. Prices start at £2399 / $2499 / AU$3749 for the 16-inch, and £1899 / $1999 / AU$2999 for the smaller screen size. Both models support Apple spatial audio too, so you should get a more immersive effect when listening to Apple Music tracks encoded in Dolby Atmos.
iFixit earlier this week posted a teaser of its MacBook Pro teardown, and now, the site is back with a full video that gives us a clear look at the components inside the new MacBook Pro models.
As iFixit mentioned in its first article, it's easier to get into a MacBook Pro than it was before because Apple is no longer gluing the batteries in place. Instead, there are adhesive pull tabs that make battery replacement more streamlined. Repairs aren't simple, though, because there's the speaker system to deal with near the battery, and the adhesive tabs for the two main battery cells can only be accessed by removing the trackpad.
The fans are bigger than the fans that were in the prior-generation machine, and there's more space for the speaker system due to the thicker chassis. There's a 99.6Wh battery in the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is a bit smaller than the battery in the prior-generation model. With efficiency improvements introduced with the M1 Pro and Max chips, battery life is much improved.
There's an updated display cable design that gives them more slack when the display is opened and closed, which should prevent the "Flexgate" issues that have plagued older MacBook Pro models.
The three USB-C ports, the MagSafe port, and the headphone jack are modular for simple repairs, but the HDMI port and the SD card slot are soldered in place on the logic board. Memory and storage are integrated and not user replaceable.
All in all, iFixit gave the MacBook Pro a repair score of 4/10 because of the use of pentalobe screws, the difficulty removing the top cover, and issues with repairing features like the fingerprint sensor and the display, which lose functionality with component swaps.
iFixit also plans to do a full written teardown of the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which it says is very similar to the 16-inch machine. That teardown will be updated later.
Sony is back with yet another set of PlayStation Store Weekend Offers, which this time around are all about MLB The Show 21 and two Ubisoft games: Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Immortals Fenyx Rising. These discounts are available until midnight on 1st November 2021, so don't let any trick or treating get in the way of purchasing anything you fancy. There's not much time to take advantage of the deals!
The price of MLB The Show 21 will depend on what system you're buying it for. The PS4 version drops to £24.99/$29.99 while the PS5 version is £34.99/$39.99. Then there's the Jackie Robinson Edition, which contains both versions for £44.99/$54.99. If you've already got the game, you can instead pick up some cheap Stubs. The premium currency has been cut in price, with the discount getting bigger the more you buy.
We then have Assassin's Creed Valhalla for £33.59/$29.99 and Immortals Fenyx Rising coming in at £23.99/$23.99. If you want to pick up some extra content alongside either one of them, the Ultimate Edition for the former and Gold Edition for the latter are both included in the Weekend Offers sale too.
So, it's not a huge selection this time around, but maybe you've been thinking about picking up one of these titles anyway. To get a complete look at the new PS Store Weekend Offers, head on through this link.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern, a pair of Apple executives have addressed what is probably the most contentious and talked about features missing on the Mac - Face ID and touchscreen input.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Mac is the lack of Face ID. Since Face ID's launch on the iPhone X, some have wondered if Apple will ever bring it to the Mac. A report earlier in the year suggested it will happen in the future, but the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with the notch, and the lack of Face ID, have brought the debate back to the mainstream.
Addressing why the Mac lacks Face ID, Tom Boger, Apple's vice president of iPad and Mac product marketing, told Stern that Touch ID is more convenient on the Mac since users' hands are already on the keyboard.
Touch ID on the upper-right hand corner of the keyboard lets users easily authenticate by just placing their finger on the sensor. Still, Face ID on the Mac would presumably be even easier, as the Mac would unlock once a user looks at the display, similar to Face ID's behavior on the iPhone and iPad.
And Face ID? When I stare at the laptop's giant notch, I wonder why I can't unlock the machine with my face. Mr. Boger said Touch ID is more convenient on a laptop since your hands are already on the keyboard.
Another hot topic of debate surrounding the Mac has been touchscreen capabilities. The notion has been that if Macs were to gain touch input, it would cannibalize iPad sales. John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, seemingly agrees and said that it's not something Apple has felt the need to do.
"We make the world's best touch computer on an iPad. It's totally optimized for that. And the Mac is totally optimized for indirect input. We haven't really felt a reason to change that," John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, told me.
Ternus and Boger also addressed more specific questions about the newly launched 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and Apple silicon in general. Recent MacBooks feature non-user upgradeable RAM, so the amount of RAM can't be upgraded down the line if a user finds they need extra memory than what shipped with the computer.
Both executives say that Apple silicon's "unified memory architecture" enables higher performance on Macs with Apple silicon, suggesting that similar performance levels would not be achievable without UMA.
The new MacBook Pros brought back many features enjoyed by Mac users that were taken away during the laptop's redesign in 2016. Most notably, Apple has brought back additional ports such as HDMI and MagSafe, removed the Touch Bar, improved the displays, and more.
Speaking generally to the reversal of changes this year, Boger told Stern that Apple is always "listening to its customers," which meant it ultimately needed to undo some of its previous Mac design decisions.
“We’re constantly listening to our customers and with this new lineup of MacBook Pros we decided to make some changes as we do a lot on the Mac,” Tom Boger, Apple’s Vice President of Mac and iPad Product Marketing, told me.
Run that through the executive-to-English translator and it comes out pretty clear: We were wrong.
In the full article, Stern also reviews the new MacBook Pros, applauding the return of more ports, full-size function keys, and more.
Following last week’s initial tweet parade during the Pixel 6 launch event, Google today gave another look at new Material You widgets for Android 12.
This blog post starts by re-highlighting widgets that have already rolled out: Maps (more recent), Keep, and Clock. The “Google Photos Memories widget will be the first to use the new freeform widget frames in Material You,” while there’s another look at Drive’s upcoming search field with suggested document list and “Now Playing & Recently played” in YouTube Music.
Google says these Material You widgets are “officially live” on Android 12, but that is not the case for Photos, Drive, or YT Music. They must still be in the process of rolling out. In terms of what’s new and available today, the Fi “Data Usage Widget” for MVNO subscribers gets Material You tweaks like Dynamic Color and a thicker progress indicator.
While unmentioned in the blog, we see a new “Calendar schedule” widget. The app’s Material You redesign brought a refreshed widget that only saw light revisions from the previous M2 design. The new one is more modern with a large round square FAB in the top-right, while opposite that is the day and date. It can be scaled to be quite large.
The company looks to also be redesigning the “Google News’ widget so it’s no longer a card. Rather, the new design puts images in a large pill up top, while the publication and headline appears below.
We have more glimpses of the Gmail widget, while Chrome’s homescreen item lets you start a new search, open an Incognito tab, and perform a voice search. It’s straight from the iOS version of the browser. The below renders look to be from a tablet running Android 12L.
LG’s 2020 and 2021 4K and 8K TVs can now turn on Filmmaker Mode automatically when you’re watching content from Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service, LG has announced. Filmmaker mode was launched in 2019 as a convenient way to turn off picture processing features like motion smoothing and image sharpening, which can create a horrid unnatural look often referred to as the “soap opera effect.”
LG calls Prime Video’s ability to automatically trigger Filmmaker Mode an “industry first.” It delivers on a promise the company made when it first introduced the setting to its TVs back at CES 2020, when it said it would be offering an API to streaming apps to enable the mode automatically. Although it’s previously been possible to manually turn on the mode via a TV’s settings menu, automatic switching is convenient if you often switch between content where some image processing can be helpful (like live sports) and more traditional film or TV shows.
Although the switching process is largely automatic, LG’s press release says a pop-up will give viewers the option of confirming or declining Filmmaker Mode when compatible content is detected.
Of course, a lot of this hassle could be avoided if TV manufacturers didn’t insist on having features like motion smoothing turned on by default in the first place. But LG’s press release insists that these post processing features are “ideal for most forms of content” like sports and TV shows. If you don’t agree, then check out our guide on how to disable motion smoothing on your TV, so you never have to worry about it again.
LG says the software update that’ll enable Prime Video’s automatic Filmmaker mode switching is rolling out to compatible webOS 5 and webOS 6 TVs “starting this week.”
Electronic Arts has dropped a new trailer showcasing three of the new maps coming to Battlefield 2042, each of them "specifically designed to provide a unique experience that directly impacts strategy for you and your squad."
The video isn't exactly an in-depth tactical analysis: Instead, it's more of a fast-paced overview of three distinct environments, all of them littered with various bits and pieces of architecture for players to climb on. What they have in common is size, with "multiple distinct combat areas" in each, enabling close-quarters, long-range, and vehicular combat simultaneously.
Here's the quick breakdown of each new map seen in the trailer:
Renewal: An eclectic landscape set in an Egyptian desert with a solar array Power Station on one side and a lush Research Facility on the other. It features a wall between both regions with various entry points, including a choke point through the often contested Entry Checkpoint in Conquest in the middle of the map. Players should also come prepared for close quarters battles in these areas as well as both of the buildings located within Renewal.
Breakaway: Set in Antarctica, this map includes an Offshore Platform off the Frozen Coast and an Outlook Station perched high above the battlefield, making it a focal point for air battles. In the fractured paths of the Glacier, players fight in and above the ice cliffs that are connected with zip lines and rope bridges, and where the quick use of a parachute could be the difference between life or death.
Discarded: Features a flooded village along India’s west coast, disassembled hull and a Colossus Ship to explore. This map offers lots of cover and close quarters combat; the Colossus Ship let’s players fight inside its craft while airships attack from above and tanks pummel its hull. With unpredictable weather, players will have to stay on their toes as the threat of a tornado could strike the map at any moment.
Including these three, that makes seven total maps coming at Battlefield 2042's launch. More maps are planned to come in seasonal updates, as well as new specialists. Electronic Arts also recently revealed the second half of Battlefield 2042's cast of specialists (including the first non-binary character in the series), and confirmed that despite some concerns about how they played in the recent beta test, the controversial characters are here to stay.
Battlefield 2042 comes out on November 19. Here's the first half of its specialist lineup, making 10 in all, and we've also got a helpful guide to all the guns we know about so far.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is getting the VR treatment and will be making its way to Oculus Quest 2 at a currently unannounced future point.
San Andreas, which debuted on PlayStation 2 back in 2004, is the fifth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series and follows the adventures of street gang member Carl "CJ" Johnson as he returns to the titular location following his mother's death.
As usual, it offers up a hefty chunk of narrative-heavy open-world sandbox action - a heady mix of driving, combat, and mini-games - albeit on a larger, more ambitious scale than the series had ever seen before at the time (Eurogamer called it a "incredible achievement"). Quest 2 owners will be able to experience life on the streets of Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas from a whole new perspective courtesy of VR.
Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition Trailer.
Unfortunately, specifics are pretty much non-existent at present. All we know is that the project has been "many years in the making", with Facebook saying it "can't wait to show you more".
This freshly announced Oculus Quest 2 edition of San Andreas isn't the only new version of the game on the horizon, of course. A remaster of the original, with various visual and gameplay enhancements, will arrive alongside similar upgrades for Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City in a three-game Definitive Edition bundle for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC on 11th November.
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus games for November.
Much of what's on the list won't come as a surprise, considering the content was paritally leaked on Tuesday.
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The games which leaked, and are now confirmed are The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners (VR), Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning,
First Class Trouble, and Knockout City.
Two other games made the list, and both are PlayStation VR titles.
One title is Until You Fall, where fantasy and synthwave collide in a rather physically active sword fighting game. As you play, your character will grow stronger while battling magic-infused enemies through a neon environment with rogue-lite elements.
Equipped with an array of gameplay-altering weapons, you will move your arms and body to the music as you attack, block, cast spells, and dodge enemies.
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The other VR title is rogue-lite The Persistence which tasks you with surviving aboard a deep space colony starship in the year 2521. Here, you are stranded on the malfunctioning starship which is being pulled into a black hole.
And as if that weren't bad enough, the ship has been overrun with a crew mutated into terrible and murderous abnormalities. As the clone of security officer Zimri Eder, you must make your way deep into the heart of The Persistence to repair the systems and prevent the ship from being destroyed. You will need to gather resources, upgrade your abilities, and concoct an arsenal of weapons in order to survive your ordeal.
Knockout City, First Class Trouble, and Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning will be available to add to your game library until Monday, December 6.
The Persistence, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Standard Edition, and Until You Fall are available until Monday, January 3.
In the meantime, you have until November 1 to add October PlayStation Plus games Hell Let Loose, PGA Tour 2K21, and Mortal Kombat X to your game library.
Apex Legends Season 11 is set to be one of the biggest ever for the FPS, introducing loads of new content. Here are the patch notes for the upcoming season, including Storm Point, Ash, and the Legend changes.
Although we have had a lot of information on the new Legend, Ash, as well as the Storm Point map, the developers have officially released the Season 11 patch notes, so let’s take a look at all the changes coming.
Apex Legends Season 11 patch notes
New map – Storm Point
This beautiful oasis was once an energy colony for the IMC, and the ruins remain. Many have tried to make a home here: all have failed. A survey of the area revealed the remains of three unique settlements built across the centuries, but no survivors. The colony lay abandoned, only visited by the occasional pirate or castaway. Now the Mercenary Syndicate has plans of their own for Storm Point.
It looks so enticing, but the pristine beaches and crystal waters are just the eyes of the hurricane. All around, dangers swirl: wild prowlers, venomous spiders, and the gathering storms only add to the tension in the air. Now the Legends are here to make this place their own.
Here are all the details you need to know about Storm Point:
Largest map in Apex Legends, 15% bigger than World’s Edge. There are 17 POIs, with lots of smaller ‘camps’ as well
It took 2 years to make this map, and they have designed it to minimize third parties. Made by Rodney Reece, the same designer as World’s Edge.
There is lots of water, but no swimming (water is only hip-high)
Only one redeploy balloon on the map at a POI called “Highpoint” – instead there are Gravity Cannons, which fires player from one end to the other. You can use weapons, gear and abilities while using cannon.
Prowlers live on the map, and will defend their nests if attacked. Attacking them will earn a small amount of damage towards your evo shield, and killing them will reward loot,
Spiders live in nests and will ignore you unless you shoot their nest. Attacking them will earn a small amount of damage towards your evo shield. Will also drop loot when killed (we got a gold attachment 3/3 times when killing spiders in playtest, and ammo for the weapon you are using)
Season 11 Map rotation
Battle Royale
For the Escape update, the map rotation will be back down to 2 maps; Storm Point and World’s Edge. With Storm Point being a whole new map, we want to make sure players have plenty of time to master the new arena.
Arenas
With the introduction of Encore, the Arenas map rotation will now include only the custom-made Arenas maps. We will not be using BR locations for Arenas in the Escape update.
C.A.R SMG
When you’re in a precarious place, you need a dangerous, flexible weapon: meet the C.A.R. SMG. The Combat Advanced Round submachine gun is a fully automatic weapon that takes adaptability to the next level by accepting either Light or Heavy mags.
The C.A.R. hits hard but handles light, this hybrid weapon’s the best of both words for when you’re ready to take a stand and become the most dangerous thing on the island.
Here are the damage numbers for the C.A.R:
Head: 20
Body: 13
Legs: 10
The C.A.R has a faster fire rate than the Volt and great hipfire, but, it has more recoil than the energy SMG.
New Legend – Ash
Abilities
Passive: Marked for Death – Ash’s map shows the location of recent deathboxes. Press H on a deathbox to mark surviving attackers (once per box)
Tactical: Arc Snare – Throw a spinning snare that damages and tethers the first enemy that gets too close.
Ultimate: Phase Breach – Tear open a one-way portal to a targeted location
Further details about Ash’s abilities:
Tactical has one charge, cooldown is 24 seconds
Ultimate cooldown is 120 seconds. Portal disappears after 15 seconds. Portal is one way, can be used by friendlies and enemies too
Can use the data knife on a deathbox to find the remaining members of the squad
In Arenas, Ash’s passive is modified
If you try to leave tether of tactical you will be slowed
Ult: Ash uses a sword to tear a one-way portal, allies and enemies can follow, not sneaky – the audio is pretty loud
Legend changes
Wattson is the only Legend getting significant changes in S11 – more changes are coming for other legends in the future.
Wattson
General:
Improved the reliability and responsiveness of placing Wattson’s Tactical and Ultimate in-world objects.
Wattson can place her Tactical and Ultimate objects on valid surfaces above Wattson’s eye level (to a reasonable extent).
General hitbox size increase, to compensate for the removal of low profile in the Legacy update.
Tactical – Perimeter Defense
Increased damage on crossing a Fence by 33%. (15 to 20)
Increased debuff duration on crossing a Fence by 100%. (1.5 to 3 seconds)
Increased the time allowance to be hit again by a subsequent Fence effect by 100%. (0.5 to 1 second).
Decreased recharge time by 50% (30 to 15 seconds).
Increased placement range by 50%.
Decreased the delay between Fences shutting off and reactivating after an ally passes through them by 60%. (1.0 -> 0.4 seconds)
Wattson now moves at Unarmed-speed while readying/placing Fence nodes.
Fence nodes can now be placed as soon as the weapon is readied, instead of waiting for the animation to finish.
Ultimate – Interception Pylon
The Pylon output has been significantly reworked.
Reduced the number of active Pylons Wattson can place from 3 to 1.
The Pylon now lasts forever (instead of timing out after 90 seconds).
The Pylon now has a pool of 250 Shields that can be distributed to nearby players, instead of effectively infinite Shields.
Increased the Pylon shield recharge rate by 150%, and smoothed regen rate. (2/second -> 5/second, or more accurately: 1/0.5 seconds -> 1/0.2 seconds)
When a Pylon is out of Shields, it no longer recharges players’ Shields, but can still zap incoming ordnance.
Taking damage while regenerating Shields via the Pylon delays continued regeneration by 1 second.
The UI on the ground and HUD elements now displays the amount of Shields that remain in the Pylon.
Pinging a friendly Pylon will now display the percentage of Shields remaining in the Pylon.
Pylon ordnance-zapping has been moderately reworked.
Ordnance is now zapped when the Pylon detects that it would hit any surface within range and line of sight of the Pylon, instead of being zapped as soon as it comes within range.
As a part of the changes, current issues where the Pylon doesn’t reliably zap ordnance (particularly concerning airstrike abilities, and ordnance that bounced off surfaces near the Pylon) should now be addressed.
Removed: Peacekeeper, Rampage, RE-45, Flatline, and Charge Rifle
EVA-8
Fire rate reduced from 2.1 to 2.0
PEACEKEEPER
Slightly increased pellet size
Choke up time reduced from 1.5s to 1.25s
Choked up shots remain tight for slightly longer when exiting ADS
LONGBOW
Damage reduced from 60 to 55
L-STAR
Reduced barrel effectiveness at all rarity tiers
Significantly reduced projectile collision size
Damage reduced from 18 to 17
G7 SCOUT
Damage increased from 34 to 36
Double Tap added to Supply Drop G7 Scout
Supply Drop weapon rates
Early game crate weapon rate increased from 25% to 50%
Mid game crate weapon rate increased from 50% to 75%
Late game crate weapon rate increased from 75% to 100%
Hot Zone Gold loot rates
Increased amount of gold loot that spawns in hot zones
Crafting
Increased ammo from crafting
Light Ammo 20 → 60
Heavy Ammo 20 → 60
Energy Ammo 20 → 60
Shotgun Ammo 8 → 24
Arrows 16 → 48
Sniper 12 → 36
Crafting Ammo price increased from 5 to 10 per weapon
Evo Armor Points from crafting increased from 100 to 150
Evo Armor Points cost increased from 45 to 50
Replaced a sniper bundle with a shotgun bundle featuring the Dual Shell
Enemy NPC updates
Prowler health across the game has gone up from 90 to 114 (Storm Point and World’s Edge)
Prowlers on World’s Edge and Flyers on Kings Canyon now reward EVO points (25%) … all damage done to AI now rewards progress to your EVO armor
Arenas
Supply Drop
Supply drop will now land outside the first ring, if possible, and land 10 seconds earlier.
Purple weapons now spawn more in earlier rounds
Round 1 – 3x blue -> 1x purple + 2x blue
Round 2 – 1x purple + 2x blue -> 2x purple 1x blue
Round 3 – 2x purple 1x blue -> 3x purple
Supply drop no longer spawns blue Havoc or Devotion or gold RE-45
Weapon Price Updates
Moz
Blue 125 → 150
Purple 200 → 250
P2020
Blue 75 → 50
Purple 150 → 25
RE45
Base 200 → 150
White 150 → 100
Blue 250 → 200
Prowler
Base 500 → 400
Blue 300 → 350
Purple 400 → 350
R99
Base 500 → 450
Blue 250 → 300
Purple 300 → 350
Hemlok
Base 500 → 450
New Hop-Up – Dual Shell
This new Hop-Up “Dual Shell” allows players to load two rounds at a time for both the Mastiff shotgun and the 30-30 Repeater.
This will increase the efficiency at which players can reload these weapons, allowing them to get back into the fight quickly.
Season 11 Ranked updates
Hello, Legends! Let’s take a quick look at how Ranked in Emergence shaped up and review the changes coming in Escape. Ranked continues to attract a large portion of players (around 40% of all playtime!), but this doesn’t mean we can’t look to make improvements.
Note: We fixed an issue where expired skydrive trails remained accessible for longer than they should have.
Ranked Battle Royale
Kill RP values now take differences between killer/victim Ranked tiers into account.
The kill RP cap (as we have traditionally thought about it up to this point) is effectively being raised from six to seven. However, this kill-related RP cap can be reached in different ways, depending on tier differences and placement. Placement is still paramount, and you still must place first to have a chance at max total RP.
To expand on the first point, tier differences between the killer and victim will be taken into account when calculating baseline kill point value. For example, if a Plat player kills a Diamond player, that kill counts as 12 instead of 10 RP.
Tier Difference
Kill Points
-3
3
-2
5
-1
8
0
10
1
12
2
15
3
20
Some points of clarification;
Victims do not lose more or less points when killed (in terms of entry cost). Only the killer receives the modifier.
Apex Predator and Master are treated as the same tier.
An encounter rate with someone of a 3+ tier difference is ultra-rare (less than 0.1%). Ranked matchmaking is staying the same, so in general, you’ll come across identical tiers. In cases where you squad up with a different rank friend or merge into a different tier lobby, your KP will be adjusted appropriately.
After tier differences are taken into account for kill points, a flat per kill bonus is added based on placement.
Final Placement
Per Kill Bonus
1
15
2
10
3
4
5
5
6
2
7
8
9
10
11
0
12
13
14+
The maximum kill point RP is 175. Any kill-related RP that exceeds that after placement and tier modifiers are added doesn’t affect total RP. The final step is to add a flat placement bonus. Enough with the math, let’s explain these changes with an example:
As a Platinum player, you party up with your Diamond friend and matchmake into a lobby with similarly skilled players. You snag second place, with 6 kills (and/or assists) against Diamond players, and 3 on Plat players.
Each kill on those Diamond players is worth 12 points instead of the typical 10, because they are one rank tier higher than you. That leaves us with (12 × 6) + (10 × 3) = 102 RP.
Now let’s take placement into account. In second, the per kill bonus is 10, so our 9 kills (including assists) × 10 = 90 RP.
We’re curious to see how these changes affect the ranked grind. Jump into Storm Point this first split and let us know how they feel. Stay tuned; this is only the start of what we have in store for Ranked improvements.
Season 11 Ranked Arenas changes
We learned a lot from the first season of Ranked arenas and are eager to bring you some improvements:
Arenas Ranked now has 2 splits, similar to Ranked Battle Royale
Along with each new season and split, there is a soft MMR reset and new placement matches. New seasons require the usual 10 placement matches while a new split only requires 5 placement matches.
Improvements have been made to matchmaking for finding similarly skilled teammates.
Reduced the AP amount gained or lost from MMR differences between teams.
Apex Legends Season 11 Battle Pass changes
Here’s what the official FAQ regarding Battle Passes and Special Events says:
“Battle Pass – Can be obtained during the specific event period by Battle Pass owners who reach the required level. These items may return in a future event or promotion (This applies starting with Season 11 and onwards).
Event Limited – May return in a future event or promotion. (i.e. Collection Events, Themed Events).”
Battle Passes, in general, are transforming into something slightly more consumer-friendly to reward players who shell out the cash on them.
There you have it, that’s all of the Apex Legends Season 11 patch notes, which is definitely bringing some exciting updates to the game. If you’re still interested in Season 11, we’ve compiled every buff and nerf in Season 11, check it out!
Image Credits & Source: Respawn Entertainment / EA
