Month: September 2023
US agency sues Tesla as Black workers report “swastikas, threats, and nooses”
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October’s video game release calendar is a little too stacked
Image: Nintendo / Insomniac Games / Sega
October is a lousy month for games. It’s just stuffed full of some of the biggest releases of the year. Remember back in the summer when Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, and Final Fantasy XVI all released in the span of five weeks? October is that on steroids — a greater number of high-profile games concentrated in a much shorter stretch of time. Here’s what we’re looking at.
Wargroove 2 – October 5th
Assassin’s Creed Mirage – October 5th
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is billed as a return to the series’ action-adventure roots. The game returns to the Middle East having you play as Basim, a character AC fans might recognize from Valhalla as he comes into his own as a Hidden One, the precursors to the Assassins. Ubisoft is all in on Assassin’s Creed. There’s a live-action Netflix series in the works, a mobile game, Assassin’s Creed Jade, and three more Assassin’s Creed projects — Hexe, Red, and Infinity — for which we’re still waiting on details.
Detective Pikachu – October 6th
NHL 24 – October 6th
Forza Motorsport – October 10th
Roblox on PlayStation – October 10th
Honkai: Star Rail on PS5 – October 11th
Lords of the Fallen – October 13th
Hellboy Web of Wyrd – October 18th
This part of October gets absolutely unmanageable with hit after hit after hit launching in the same week.
Sonic Superstars – October 17th
Sonic Superstars is no Sonic Mania 2, but judging from all the trailers I’ve seen, it might as well be. Like Mania, Superstars combines classic 2D side-scrolling with modern Sonic remixes like new power-ups and four-player co-op.
Gargoyles Remastered – October 19th
The 7th Guest VR – October 19th
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – October 20th
Everyone’s gonna have their eyes on Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Not only is it a Mario game launching in time for the holiday Switch-buying season but it’ll also be the first time longtime Mario voice performer Charles Martinet will not be playing the role of the titular plumber. Nintendo’s been secretive about who it got to step into the overalls, saying that we’ll know when we roll credits in Wonder. So expect folks to speedrun the game so we can finally find out.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – October 20th
Miles Morales and Peter Parker are two great Spiders-Men that work great together. In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (get it, because there are two of them in this one), we’ll get to web-sling through New York, playing as either Miles or Peter to take down a host of threats including Venom and Kraven the Hunter.
Metal Gear Solid Collection – October 24th
Cities: Skylines II – October 24th
Dave the Diver on Switch – October 26th
Ghostrunner 2 – October 26th
Alan Wake 2 – October 27th
Thirteen years after the first game’s launch, Alan Wake is back to solve murders most foul. Alan Wake 2, launching in October, is a gift for the people who love spooky season. It’s not my kinda game, but a lot of people whose opinions I trust and value are geeked as hell about this, and I’m happy for them.
Honorable mentions
These games don’t launch strictly in October, but they’re close enough to count.
El Paso, Elsewhere – September 26th
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – September 26th
I don’t know why the entire collective of video game developers decided to choose October to get crazy, and while the slate of releases is honestly amazing, I hope something like this never happens again. This is just too many games.
Image: Nintendo / Insomniac Games / Sega
October is a lousy month for games. It’s just stuffed full of some of the biggest releases of the year. Remember back in the summer when Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, and Final Fantasy XVI all released in the span of five weeks? October is that on steroids — a greater number of high-profile games concentrated in a much shorter stretch of time. Here’s what we’re looking at.
Wargroove 2 – October 5th
Assassin’s Creed Mirage – October 5th
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is billed as a return to the series’ action-adventure roots. The game returns to the Middle East having you play as Basim, a character AC fans might recognize from Valhalla as he comes into his own as a Hidden One, the precursors to the Assassins. Ubisoft is all in on Assassin’s Creed. There’s a live-action Netflix series in the works, a mobile game, Assassin’s Creed Jade, and three more Assassin’s Creed projects — Hexe, Red, and Infinity — for which we’re still waiting on details.
Detective Pikachu – October 6th
NHL 24 – October 6th
Forza Motorsport – October 10th
Roblox on PlayStation – October 10th
Honkai: Star Rail on PS5 – October 11th
Lords of the Fallen – October 13th
Hellboy Web of Wyrd – October 18th
This part of October gets absolutely unmanageable with hit after hit after hit launching in the same week.
Sonic Superstars – October 17th
Sonic Superstars is no Sonic Mania 2, but judging from all the trailers I’ve seen, it might as well be. Like Mania, Superstars combines classic 2D side-scrolling with modern Sonic remixes like new power-ups and four-player co-op.
Gargoyles Remastered – October 19th
The 7th Guest VR – October 19th
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – October 20th
Everyone’s gonna have their eyes on Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Not only is it a Mario game launching in time for the holiday Switch-buying season but it’ll also be the first time longtime Mario voice performer Charles Martinet will not be playing the role of the titular plumber. Nintendo’s been secretive about who it got to step into the overalls, saying that we’ll know when we roll credits in Wonder. So expect folks to speedrun the game so we can finally find out.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – October 20th
Miles Morales and Peter Parker are two great Spiders-Men that work great together. In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (get it, because there are two of them in this one), we’ll get to web-sling through New York, playing as either Miles or Peter to take down a host of threats including Venom and Kraven the Hunter.
Metal Gear Solid Collection – October 24th
Cities: Skylines II – October 24th
Dave the Diver on Switch – October 26th
Ghostrunner 2 – October 26th
Alan Wake 2 – October 27th
Thirteen years after the first game’s launch, Alan Wake is back to solve murders most foul. Alan Wake 2, launching in October, is a gift for the people who love spooky season. It’s not my kinda game, but a lot of people whose opinions I trust and value are geeked as hell about this, and I’m happy for them.
Honorable mentions
These games don’t launch strictly in October, but they’re close enough to count.
El Paso, Elsewhere – September 26th
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – September 26th
I don’t know why the entire collective of video game developers decided to choose October to get crazy, and while the slate of releases is honestly amazing, I hope something like this never happens again. This is just too many games.
Pixel Watch 2 could get some Fitbit-style features to measure your stress levels
Recent leaks claim the Pixel Watch 2 will adopt some tech from the Fitbit Sense 2 and may have a new EDA sensor to power it.
Google’s next Pixel event is less than a week away, and yet new details about the device keep leaking. This time, we’ve learned that the wearable will be gaining the Body Responses feature seen previously on the Fitbit Sense 2.
This batch of information comes from industry insider Evan Blass on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter). The watch face will display how your body reacts to stress at certain times of the day, according to the images he posted. Each time period will be accentuated with an emoji making a face befitting the mood. For example, a user might feel particularly stressed out at 11 am, feel fine at noon, then feel a little off at 1 pm. 9To5Google points out this is better than what the Fitbit Sense 2 has because the user interface is cleaner than before and a lot “easier to understand at a glance.”
What’s particularly interesting is this indicates the Pixel Watch 2 may have an “electrodermal activity sensor”, EDA for short, which is something the original model doesn’t have. This technology works by measuring certain factors like the amount of sweat produced when stressed and the temperature of your skin.
pic.twitter.com/SvxmBjtkIvSeptember 29, 2023
And as you can see in the post above, you can replace the plastic band with a fancy-looking metallic one for that extra pizazz.
The last picture Blass posted is of the “new interface for Fitbit workouts”. The UI has a heart rate meter on the side made up of segmented pieces. A “target zone” indicating where your heart rate should be at will be highlighted. Next to the meter is a more detailed read out displaying the BPM (beats per minute) plus how long you’ve spent in the target zone.
There is seemingly more to the interface because there are pagination dots at the bottom, but this single screen is all we see. Fortunately, there are clues. Another 9to5Google report claims the UI will have “Pace Training” on the screen as well as “automatic start and stop reminders for workouts”.
Colorful array
In addition to the feature leak, German tech news site WinFuture had its own showcasing four colors the Pixel Watch 2 may come in. Official names for these shades aren’t given, but just by looking at them, we can see the wearable will be available in black, white, gray, and a baby blue. It’s unknown if the metallic band mentioned earlier will have its own set of colors.
Of course, take these leaks with a grain of salt. Things can always change at the last minute. Either way, we won’t have to wait long as the Pixel event will be held on October 4.
Until then, check out TechRadar’s list of the best Android smartwatch for 2023.
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iPhone 16 and 16 Pro: Preliminary Weights and Dimensions
MacRumors has obtained preliminary information on the weights and dimensions planned for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The information corroborates previous reports suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will feature larger displays.
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
Current information suggests that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will maintain the same dimensions as the current iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, with the only difference being an increase in weight of around 2 grams for both models – 173g for the iPhone 16, and 203g for iPhone 16 Plus. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes as their predecessors.
Regardless of the dimensions, however, the base model iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are expected to feature a redesigned camera bump, with a vertical camera arrangement similar to the iPhone 12. They are also likely to include a capacitive Action button and potentially even an all-new capacitive “Capture Button.”
In terms of materials, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus should use the same type of aluminum found on the iPhone 15 chassis, and will also feature matte back glass. The choice of materials is unlikely to have any significant impact on the weight of the devices, with the increase being a consequence of minor design changes.
iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature an increase in display size compared to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, measuring roughly 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively. To be more precise, the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.27-inch display (159.31 mm), while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature a 6.85-inch (174.06 mm) panel.
This represents a noticeable increase of 0.2 inches for both models. As a result, the dimensions of the device as a whole will increase. The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be slightly taller than their predecessors, while also being somewhat wider. Interestingly, the width of both devices appears to align with their respective iPhone 14-series counterparts, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro
Thickness
8.25 mm
8.25 mm
Height
149.6 mm
146.6 mm
Width
71.45 mm
70.60 mm
Display
6.3″ (159.31 mm)
6.1″ (155.38 mm)
Weight
194 grams
187 grams
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Thickness
8.25 mm
8.25 mm
Height
163.0 mm
159.9 mm
Width
77.58 mm
76.70 mm
Display
6.9″ (174.06 mm)
6.7″ (169.98 mm)
Weight
225 grams
221 grams
As far as materials are concerned, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to maintain the same Grade 5 Titanium used on the iPhone 15 Pro, with the same brushed finish and curved design. Similar to the base model iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Pro is also expected to feature a slightly larger Action Button, and an entirely new capacitive “Capture Button.”
It’s worth emphasizing that the information presented here is remarkably early. The iPhone 16 lineup is almost a whole year away, and the design is far from being finalized. While changes throughout development are always possible, significant deviations from the dimensions and weights we’ve listed are unlikely, and the information we’ve provided represents our best insight into the overall size of the iPhone 16 lineup.
For additional details on what to expect, check out our dedicated rumor roundup page for the iPhone 16.
Related Roundup: iPhone 16This article, “iPhone 16 and 16 Pro: Preliminary Weights and Dimensions” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
MacRumors has obtained preliminary information on the weights and dimensions planned for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The information corroborates previous reports suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will feature larger displays.
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus
Current information suggests that the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will maintain the same dimensions as the current iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, with the only difference being an increase in weight of around 2 grams for both models – 173g for the iPhone 16, and 203g for iPhone 16 Plus. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes as their predecessors.
Regardless of the dimensions, however, the base model iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are expected to feature a redesigned camera bump, with a vertical camera arrangement similar to the iPhone 12. They are also likely to include a capacitive Action button and potentially even an all-new capacitive “Capture Button.”
In terms of materials, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus should use the same type of aluminum found on the iPhone 15 chassis, and will also feature matte back glass. The choice of materials is unlikely to have any significant impact on the weight of the devices, with the increase being a consequence of minor design changes.
iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature an increase in display size compared to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, measuring roughly 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively. To be more precise, the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 6.27-inch display (159.31 mm), while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature a 6.85-inch (174.06 mm) panel.
This represents a noticeable increase of 0.2 inches for both models. As a result, the dimensions of the device as a whole will increase. The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be slightly taller than their predecessors, while also being somewhat wider. Interestingly, the width of both devices appears to align with their respective iPhone 14-series counterparts, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro
Thickness
8.25 mm
8.25 mm
Height
149.6 mm
146.6 mm
Width
71.45 mm
70.60 mm
Display
6.3″ (159.31 mm)
6.1″ (155.38 mm)
Weight
194 grams
187 grams
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Thickness
8.25 mm
8.25 mm
Height
163.0 mm
159.9 mm
Width
77.58 mm
76.70 mm
Display
6.9″ (174.06 mm)
6.7″ (169.98 mm)
Weight
225 grams
221 grams
As far as materials are concerned, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to maintain the same Grade 5 Titanium used on the iPhone 15 Pro, with the same brushed finish and curved design. Similar to the base model iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Pro is also expected to feature a slightly larger Action Button, and an entirely new capacitive “Capture Button.”
It’s worth emphasizing that the information presented here is remarkably early. The iPhone 16 lineup is almost a whole year away, and the design is far from being finalized. While changes throughout development are always possible, significant deviations from the dimensions and weights we’ve listed are unlikely, and the information we’ve provided represents our best insight into the overall size of the iPhone 16 lineup.
For additional details on what to expect, check out our dedicated rumor roundup page for the iPhone 16.
This article, “iPhone 16 and 16 Pro: Preliminary Weights and Dimensions” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Linda Yaccarino’s Excruciatingly Uncomfortable Interview With Julia Boorstin at the Code Conference
To the best of my recollection, I’ve never before seen an on-stage interview where the subject spent the final half of the interview pointing to her watch and repeatedly declaring that she was busy and had somewhere to go. Oof. I had to watch at 1.5× speed to get through it.
The whole interview was contentious, but Boorstin did as good a job as possible keeping it going, and asking good questions. One core tension: Musk’s week-ago declaration that he wants to make all of Twitter/X paid-subscription-only, vs. the obviousness of that being a terrible idea. Yaccarino has accepted an impossible position: pretending to run a company that she not only doesn’t actually run, but which is doing things she obviously disagrees with.
★
To the best of my recollection, I’ve never before seen an on-stage interview where the subject spent the final half of the interview pointing to her watch and repeatedly declaring that she was busy and had somewhere to go. Oof. I had to watch at 1.5× speed to get through it.
The whole interview was contentious, but Boorstin did as good a job as possible keeping it going, and asking good questions. One core tension: Musk’s week-ago declaration that he wants to make all of Twitter/X paid-subscription-only, vs. the obviousness of that being a terrible idea. Yaccarino has accepted an impossible position: pretending to run a company that she not only doesn’t actually run, but which is doing things she obviously disagrees with.
Letterboxd, Online Haven for Film Nerds, Gets a New Owner
Two designers from New Zealand built a wildly popular social network for movie buffs. Now, they’re cashing in (and sticking around for the sequel). The New York Times: The “Barbie” star Margot Robbie created an account. Ditto Rian Johnson, the “Knives Out” auteur. Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise’s directing partner, has used his to heap praise on another action star (Sylvester Stallone). Letterboxd, the social network for recommending and reviewing movies, has become a kind of shibboleth for film nerds over the past decade. Roughly 10 million people now use the service to share their favorites: You like Studio Ghibli, too? What’s your favorite Spike Lee joint?
The service has not undergone any revolutionary changes since it was founded in 2011. But Letterboxd is undergoing two big changes: a new owner and, eventually, user recommendations and review of TV shows. Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow, Letterboxd’s founders, announced on Friday that they were selling a majority stake in the service to Tiny, a public company in Victoria, British Columbia. The deal values Letterboxd at more than $50 million, said a person familiar with the sale, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential financial information.
Mr. Buchanan and Mr. von Randow, two entrepreneurs based in New Zealand, have reassurances for their users who may be afraid of what a sale could mean for their corner of the internet. First, neither co-founder is planning to leave any time soon, and both will remain shareholders. And the service itself isn’t changing immediately. The proposal to incorporate TV is still in its infancy, and the founders said they did not expect that the addition would disrupt their existing products.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Two designers from New Zealand built a wildly popular social network for movie buffs. Now, they’re cashing in (and sticking around for the sequel). The New York Times: The “Barbie” star Margot Robbie created an account. Ditto Rian Johnson, the “Knives Out” auteur. Christopher McQuarrie, Tom Cruise’s directing partner, has used his to heap praise on another action star (Sylvester Stallone). Letterboxd, the social network for recommending and reviewing movies, has become a kind of shibboleth for film nerds over the past decade. Roughly 10 million people now use the service to share their favorites: You like Studio Ghibli, too? What’s your favorite Spike Lee joint?
The service has not undergone any revolutionary changes since it was founded in 2011. But Letterboxd is undergoing two big changes: a new owner and, eventually, user recommendations and review of TV shows. Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow, Letterboxd’s founders, announced on Friday that they were selling a majority stake in the service to Tiny, a public company in Victoria, British Columbia. The deal values Letterboxd at more than $50 million, said a person familiar with the sale, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential financial information.
Mr. Buchanan and Mr. von Randow, two entrepreneurs based in New Zealand, have reassurances for their users who may be afraid of what a sale could mean for their corner of the internet. First, neither co-founder is planning to leave any time soon, and both will remain shareholders. And the service itself isn’t changing immediately. The proposal to incorporate TV is still in its infancy, and the founders said they did not expect that the addition would disrupt their existing products.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
‘There’s no tracing Xbox 360 chat,’ claimed guy now charged with insider trading
An Xbox 360 wireless headset. | Photo by Alphathon (Wikimedia Commons)
If you’re going to do financial crimes, maybe an Xbox isn’t your best bet? That is one but hopefully not the only lesson learned by 26-year-old Anthony Viggiano, a former Goldman Sachs investment analyst who’s been indicted for insider trading, along with two of his friends.
He allegedly tipped off those friends to big financial deals using both encrypted messaging and — incredibly — a game console’s audio chat.
According to the indictment (via Kotaku), the FBI secretly recorded Viggiano admitting that he passed on illegal info, possibly via an Xbox 360, of all things:
Salamone: You have shit where you’re giving fucking information to fucking Steve [Forlano Jr.]?
VIGGIANO: Nah. Nah. Because similar to you . .. signal, or like XBOX 360 chat, there’s no tracing that. Good luck ever finding that.
Together, Viggiano, his childhood friend Christopher Salamone, and his college buddy Stephen Forlano made at least $400,000 from the insider trading scheme before they were caught, the government alleges.
It’s not clear whether the friends used an Xbox 360 specifically. For one thing, the FBI alleges that Forlano and Viggiano communicated by email and disappearing messages on Instagram, not necessarily Signal. But the government says Viggiano did use “a video game console’s audio chat” and apparently even managed to confirm the contents of that audio somehow:
Using this video game counsel audio chat, FORLANO told CC-1, in substance and in part, that ChannelAdvisor was going to be acquired and the price at which the acquisition was likely to occur.
It might have been an Xbox 360, though! The “no tracing Xbox 360 chat!” conversation allegedly occurred in June 2023, and the Xbox 360 is still hanging in there today. Microsoft has stated it will let friends connect and play multiplayer games indefinitely on the Xbox 360, “as long as the publisher still supports the online servers.”
Microsoft is shutting down the Xbox 360 online game store in July 2024, though.
The whole indictment’s a fun read — these guys seem pretty brazen. You can find it below.
An Xbox 360 wireless headset. | Photo by Alphathon (Wikimedia Commons)
If you’re going to do financial crimes, maybe an Xbox isn’t your best bet? That is one but hopefully not the only lesson learned by 26-year-old Anthony Viggiano, a former Goldman Sachs investment analyst who’s been indicted for insider trading, along with two of his friends.
He allegedly tipped off those friends to big financial deals using both encrypted messaging and — incredibly — a game console’s audio chat.
According to the indictment (via Kotaku), the FBI secretly recorded Viggiano admitting that he passed on illegal info, possibly via an Xbox 360, of all things:
Salamone: You have shit where you’re giving fucking information to fucking Steve [Forlano Jr.]?
VIGGIANO: Nah. Nah. Because similar to you . .. signal, or like XBOX 360 chat, there’s no tracing that. Good luck ever finding that.
Together, Viggiano, his childhood friend Christopher Salamone, and his college buddy Stephen Forlano made at least $400,000 from the insider trading scheme before they were caught, the government alleges.
It’s not clear whether the friends used an Xbox 360 specifically. For one thing, the FBI alleges that Forlano and Viggiano communicated by email and disappearing messages on Instagram, not necessarily Signal. But the government says Viggiano did use “a video game console’s audio chat” and apparently even managed to confirm the contents of that audio somehow:
Using this video game counsel audio chat, FORLANO told CC-1, in substance and in part, that ChannelAdvisor was going to be acquired and the price at which the acquisition was likely to occur.
It might have been an Xbox 360, though! The “no tracing Xbox 360 chat!” conversation allegedly occurred in June 2023, and the Xbox 360 is still hanging in there today. Microsoft has stated it will let friends connect and play multiplayer games indefinitely on the Xbox 360, “as long as the publisher still supports the online servers.”
Microsoft is shutting down the Xbox 360 online game store in July 2024, though.
The whole indictment’s a fun read — these guys seem pretty brazen. You can find it below.
When predatory investors damage your chances of success
Welcome to Startups Weekly. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. You know what isn’t a great idea for my energy levels? Enjoying a week of TechCrunch Disrupt and then getting straight on a plane to attend a startup event in Oslo, Norway. I’ve only just gotten over my jet lag,
Welcome to Startups Weekly. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. You know what isn’t a great idea for my energy levels? Enjoying a week of TechCrunch Disrupt and then getting straight on a plane to attend a startup event in Oslo, Norway. I’ve only just gotten over my jet lag, […]