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William Shatner, who once sparred with Engadget over Twitter’s verification policy, has finally reprised his most famous role. Captain Kirk is back in the short film 765874 – Unification. This eight-minute story is live now on YouTube and follows the events of Star Trek: Generations, which was the last time Shatner donned his Starfleet uniform.
The short was made by a graphics company called OTOY, along with Paramount and Shatner himself. It technically exists to honor the 30th anniversary of Generations, but it also acts as a proper send-off to the first Star Trek captain.

Now it’s time to get into spoiler territory, for those who haven’t seen a 30-year-old movie. Captain Kirk is dead. He died on an uninhabited planet after trying to stop Malcolm McDowell from unleashing an extra-dimensional time ribbon called the Nexus on an unwitting solar system of innocent folks. You know the drill. It’s Star Trek!
Anyways, the short follows Kirk after dying on that planet. Is it the after-life or maybe the residual effects of the Nexus? We don’t know. There’s no dialogue to help us along. Instead, a de-aged Kirk, sometimes played by Sam Witwer, wanders an otherworldly realm until he eventually finds an old friend. It’s surprisingly touching, particularly for die-hard Trek fans.
My eternal gratitude to @WilliamShatner for, well, giving us the word.The word is given.Warp Speed.#LLAPhttps://t.co/BSsKZmMQFI— Sam Witwer (@SamWitwer) November 18, 2024

The emotional depth is enhanced by the soundtrack, which is helmed by veteran Star Trek composer and MCU director Michael Giacchino. I knew it was him in like five seconds. The music reminded me of Lost, which was another show scored by Giacchino.
Barring some new life extension technology, this is likely the last time we’ll see Shatner’s Kirk. The man is 93 years old. Paul Wesley has stepped into Shatner’s space boots to portray a younger version of the captain on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Despite his advanced age, Shatner did manage to go to space a few years back.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/william-shatners-captain-kirk-returns-one-last-time-in-an-eight-minute-short-film-180607202.html?src=rss

William Shatner, who once sparred with Engadget over Twitter’s verification policy, has finally reprised his most famous role. Captain Kirk is back in the short film 765874 – Unification. This eight-minute story is live now on YouTube and follows the events of Star Trek: Generations, which was the last time Shatner donned his Starfleet uniform.

The short was made by a graphics company called OTOY, along with Paramount and Shatner himself. It technically exists to honor the 30th anniversary of Generations, but it also acts as a proper send-off to the first Star Trek captain.

Now it’s time to get into spoiler territory, for those who haven’t seen a 30-year-old movie. Captain Kirk is dead. He died on an uninhabited planet after trying to stop Malcolm McDowell from unleashing an extra-dimensional time ribbon called the Nexus on an unwitting solar system of innocent folks. You know the drill. It’s Star Trek!

Anyways, the short follows Kirk after dying on that planet. Is it the after-life or maybe the residual effects of the Nexus? We don’t know. There’s no dialogue to help us along. Instead, a de-aged Kirk, sometimes played by Sam Witwer, wanders an otherworldly realm until he eventually finds an old friend. It’s surprisingly touching, particularly for die-hard Trek fans.

The emotional depth is enhanced by the soundtrack, which is helmed by veteran Star Trek composer and MCU director Michael Giacchino. I knew it was him in like five seconds. The music reminded me of Lost, which was another show scored by Giacchino.

Barring some new life extension technology, this is likely the last time we’ll see Shatner’s Kirk. The man is 93 years old. Paul Wesley has stepped into Shatner’s space boots to portray a younger version of the captain on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Despite his advanced age, Shatner did manage to go to space a few years back.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/william-shatners-captain-kirk-returns-one-last-time-in-an-eight-minute-short-film-180607202.html?src=rss

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Amazon just surprise-dropped the Echo Show 21, a massive smart display with all kinds of bells and whistles. As the name suggests, this device boasts a 21-inch screen. It’s also wall-mountable, just like the pre-existing Echo Show 15.
The display boasts a 1080p resolution, which won’t be winning any awards, but the audio quality looks to be much-improved from previous models. The Echo Show 21 should be capable of “delivering immersive sound, double the bass and room adaption technology.”
The camera has been refreshed, with “more than double the field of view and 65% more zoom than the first-generation Echo Show 15.” It also looks like the auto-framing algorithm has been improved. This thing could be a beast for video calls, as the unit now offers improved methods for the reduction of unwanted ambient noise.

There’s a built-in smart home hub, with Wi-Fi 6E, Thread, Zigbee and Matter control capabilities. The company says the device should be able to adjust some stuff locally, like lights, switches and plugs. This function first popped up in the Echo Hub, which was first revealed last year.
The panel can double as a Fire TV, which is nothing new, and works with Amazon’s Fire TV remote. However, the Echo Show 21 ships with the Alexa Voice Remote, along with wall-mounting equipment. A countertop stand is sold separately. The smart display costs $400 and is available now.
The Echo Show 15 has also gotten a refresh, for those with limited wall or countertop space. The new model boasts all of the features outlined above, just in a smaller form factor. This one costs $300 and is available now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/amazon-just-launched-the-massive-echo-show-21-smart-display-174115181.html?src=rss

Amazon just surprise-dropped the Echo Show 21, a massive smart display with all kinds of bells and whistles. As the name suggests, this device boasts a 21-inch screen. It’s also wall-mountable, just like the pre-existing Echo Show 15.

The display boasts a 1080p resolution, which won’t be winning any awards, but the audio quality looks to be much-improved from previous models. The Echo Show 21 should be capable of “delivering immersive sound, double the bass and room adaption technology.”

The camera has been refreshed, with “more than double the field of view and 65% more zoom than the first-generation Echo Show 15.” It also looks like the auto-framing algorithm has been improved. This thing could be a beast for video calls, as the unit now offers improved methods for the reduction of unwanted ambient noise.

There’s a built-in smart home hub, with Wi-Fi 6E, Thread, Zigbee and Matter control capabilities. The company says the device should be able to adjust some stuff locally, like lights, switches and plugs. This function first popped up in the Echo Hub, which was first revealed last year.

The panel can double as a Fire TV, which is nothing new, and works with Amazon’s Fire TV remote. However, the Echo Show 21 ships with the Alexa Voice Remote, along with wall-mounting equipment. A countertop stand is sold separately. The smart display costs $400 and is available now.

The Echo Show 15 has also gotten a refresh, for those with limited wall or countertop space. The new model boasts all of the features outlined above, just in a smaller form factor. This one costs $300 and is available now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/amazon-just-launched-the-massive-echo-show-21-smart-display-174115181.html?src=rss

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We’ve tested scores of speakers over the years, and the best ones have made their way into three of our buying guides: soundbars, portable speakers and smart speakers. Right now Black Friday sales are already underway, bringing notable discounts to a few of our top picks. 
Amazon’s says its Black Friday deals will start in earnest November 21, and we expect other retailers to follow suit. That means there will be far more Bluetooth speakers, smart speakers, and soundbars on sale at that point — and we’ll update this post as soon as those new discounts go live. In the meantime, brands like JBL and Bose are already on sale. As of this writing, these are the best Black Friday deals on speakers we could find.
The best Bluetooth speaker Black Friday deals
JBL
Portable Bluetooth speakers make it easy for you to bring the music where plugs don’t reach — a picnic, the front stoop, an aimless wander along the North Country Trail. And right now for Black Friday, we’re seeing plenty of Bluetooth speaker black Friday deals. Below is the best of what’s on sale, all pulled from our Bluetooth speaker guide as well as our reviews and news coverage.
The best JBL speaker Black Friday deals
JBL Clip 5 for $50 ($30 off): It’s tiny, portable and brings its own clip along with it. You’ll get 12 hours of listening from its waterproof body and the whole thing weighs just over half a pound.
JBL Flip 6 for $80 ($50 off): This is the one I bought after reading our guide and I love it. The crowler-sized speaker has great sound quality, is durable as heck and can either sit on its end or on its side. Plus it’s waterproof, dustproof and packs 12 hours of playtime. Also at Amazon and Walmart.
JBL Xtreme 3 for $250 ($80 off): We compare the size of the Xtreme 3 to a football, but since it weighs over four pounds JBL includes a strap for easier carrying. Like most portable speakers it’s waterproof and dust-proof. The lively highs and hefty lows sound great outside, but really the speaker really shines when it can resonate indoors. Also at JBL.
JBL Xtreme 4 for $300 ($80 off): The latest generation of our recommended JBL Xtreme adds around nine hours of battery life and a replaceable battery. It’s also made from more recycled content and throws in some AI-powered tuning. Also at Target.
JBL Go 4 for $40 ($10 off): JBL’s smallest portable speaker has up to seven hours of battery life on a charge, has an IP67 waterproof rating and has a tiny built-in carry strap so you can bring it wherever you go. Also at JBL and Best Buy.
The best Bose speaker Black Friday deals
Bose
Bose SoundLink Home for $199 ($20 off): It’s a smaller speaker at just two pounds but Bose promises premium sound from the SoundLink Home. We haven’t had the chance to test it ourselves just yet, but if the sleek good looks are calling to you, this discount might be a good time to invest. Just note that it’s not waterproof as the “Home” moniker suggests.
Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd gen) for $119 ($30 off): When Bose announced the release of the SoundLink Home, the company also introduced this revamped Flex. The first generation is one of the picks from our Bluetooth speaker guide. This newer generation works with the Bose app and has a new programmable button. Also at Bose and Best Buy. The first generation model is on sale for the same price.
Bose SoundLink Max for $299 ($100 off): The largest portable speaker Bose makes is part of the new SoundLink lineup which Bose announced in May. Also at Amazon and Target.
Bose Smart Soundbar for $399 ($100 off): The latest Bose soundbar came out just a couple months ago and is already on sale. It’s a smaller model that supports Dolby Atmos and has an AI Dialogue Mode as well as a Personal Surround feature if you happen to own a pair of the Ultra Open Earbuds. Bose says the AI smarts make voices easier to hear while retaining the audio’s immersive qualities. Also at Amazon.
Other Black Friday Bluetooth speaker deals
Marshall Willen for $70 ($50 or 42 percent off): This is close to an all-time low price on a tiny music box that we named one of our favorite gadgets from last year. Engadget’s Sara Fielding thinks it’s perfect, saying, “The sound quality is great and it stays connected to my phone regardless of where I go in my little house (the range is 30 feet). Plus, the battery is great, with a playtime of over 15 hours.”
Sony ULT Field 1 for $98 ($32 off): Earlier this year, Sony waved goodbye to the Extra Bass and XE-Series products, folding them into the new ULT Power Series branding. This 1.4-pound unit has a 12-hour battery life and IP67 rating. This matches the all-time low. It’s two dollars more at Best Buy and direct from Sony.
Anker Soundcore Motion 300 for $60 ($20 off with coupon): Weighing in at less than two pounds, Anker’s speaker has a bright, punchy output with a crisp high end and thumpy bass. Plus it’s waterproof and goes for 13 hours on a charge. No wonder it made our list of the best speakers. Also direct from Soundcore.
Black Friday smart speaker deals from Samsung
Samsung Music Frame for $248 ($150 off): Samsung first announced its Music Frame back in January at CES 2024. It takes its cue from the Frame TV that disguises itself as art. This wireless speaker has room for your own (physical) photo within its frame, along with two woofers, two tweeters and two mid-range drivers to spit out sound from your favorite streaming services. Also at Best Buy and directly from Samsung.
Black Friday soundbar deals

For our guide to the best soundbars, our audio expert Billy Steele picked six winners out of the dozens of home theater speakers he and other Engadget staffers have tested over the years — and one of them is on sale for Black Friday (we expect more sales to pop up closer to Black Friday so check this post again). This is a great chance to improve greatly upon the audio from your (probably thin) TV.
Samsung HW-Q990C for $1,100 ($898 off): The top spot in our soundbar guide isn’t cheap, but this Black Friday deal helps. And, for the price, you get a complete home theater audio setup complete with soundbar, subwoofer and two rear surround speakers. Samsung’s HW-Q990C may not have the prettiest name, but the sound quality is a thing of beauty, earning it an 89 in our review. 
Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-speaker-deals-for-2024-include-up-to-42-percent-off-jbl-bose-marshall-sony-and-more-172645887.html?src=rss

We’ve tested scores of speakers over the years, and the best ones have made their way into three of our buying guides: soundbars, portable speakers and smart speakers. Right now Black Friday sales are already underway, bringing notable discounts to a few of our top picks. 

Amazon’s says its Black Friday deals will start in earnest November 21, and we expect other retailers to follow suit. That means there will be far more Bluetooth speakers, smart speakers, and soundbars on sale at that point — and we’ll update this post as soon as those new discounts go live. In the meantime, brands like JBL and Bose are already on sale. As of this writing, these are the best Black Friday deals on speakers we could find.

The best Bluetooth speaker Black Friday deals

Portable Bluetooth speakers make it easy for you to bring the music where plugs don’t reach — a picnic, the front stoop, an aimless wander along the North Country Trail. And right now for Black Friday, we’re seeing plenty of Bluetooth speaker black Friday deals. Below is the best of what’s on sale, all pulled from our Bluetooth speaker guide as well as our reviews and news coverage.

The best JBL speaker Black Friday deals

JBL Clip 5 for $50 ($30 off): It’s tiny, portable and brings its own clip along with it. You’ll get 12 hours of listening from its waterproof body and the whole thing weighs just over half a pound.

JBL Flip 6 for $80 ($50 off): This is the one I bought after reading our guide and I love it. The crowler-sized speaker has great sound quality, is durable as heck and can either sit on its end or on its side. Plus it’s waterproof, dustproof and packs 12 hours of playtime. Also at Amazon and Walmart.

JBL Xtreme 3 for $250 ($80 off): We compare the size of the Xtreme 3 to a football, but since it weighs over four pounds JBL includes a strap for easier carrying. Like most portable speakers it’s waterproof and dust-proof. The lively highs and hefty lows sound great outside, but really the speaker really shines when it can resonate indoors. Also at JBL.

JBL Xtreme 4 for $300 ($80 off): The latest generation of our recommended JBL Xtreme adds around nine hours of battery life and a replaceable battery. It’s also made from more recycled content and throws in some AI-powered tuning. Also at Target.

JBL Go 4 for $40 ($10 off): JBL’s smallest portable speaker has up to seven hours of battery life on a charge, has an IP67 waterproof rating and has a tiny built-in carry strap so you can bring it wherever you go. Also at JBL and Best Buy.

The best Bose speaker Black Friday deals

Bose SoundLink Home for $199 ($20 off): It’s a smaller speaker at just two pounds but Bose promises premium sound from the SoundLink Home. We haven’t had the chance to test it ourselves just yet, but if the sleek good looks are calling to you, this discount might be a good time to invest. Just note that it’s not waterproof as the “Home” moniker suggests.

Bose SoundLink Flex (2nd gen) for $119 ($30 off): When Bose announced the release of the SoundLink Home, the company also introduced this revamped Flex. The first generation is one of the picks from our Bluetooth speaker guide. This newer generation works with the Bose app and has a new programmable button. Also at Bose and Best Buy. The first generation model is on sale for the same price.

Bose SoundLink Max for $299 ($100 off): The largest portable speaker Bose makes is part of the new SoundLink lineup which Bose announced in May. Also at Amazon and Target.

Bose Smart Soundbar for $399 ($100 off): The latest Bose soundbar came out just a couple months ago and is already on sale. It’s a smaller model that supports Dolby Atmos and has an AI Dialogue Mode as well as a Personal Surround feature if you happen to own a pair of the Ultra Open Earbuds. Bose says the AI smarts make voices easier to hear while retaining the audio’s immersive qualities. Also at Amazon.

Other Black Friday Bluetooth speaker deals

Marshall Willen for $70 ($50 or 42 percent off): This is close to an all-time low price on a tiny music box that we named one of our favorite gadgets from last year. Engadget’s Sara Fielding thinks it’s perfect, saying, “The sound quality is great and it stays connected to my phone regardless of where I go in my little house (the range is 30 feet). Plus, the battery is great, with a playtime of over 15 hours.”

Sony ULT Field 1 for $98 ($32 off): Earlier this year, Sony waved goodbye to the Extra Bass and XE-Series products, folding them into the new ULT Power Series branding. This 1.4-pound unit has a 12-hour battery life and IP67 rating. This matches the all-time low. It’s two dollars more at Best Buy and direct from Sony.

Anker Soundcore Motion 300 for $60 ($20 off with coupon): Weighing in at less than two pounds, Anker’s speaker has a bright, punchy output with a crisp high end and thumpy bass. Plus it’s waterproof and goes for 13 hours on a charge. No wonder it made our list of the best speakers. Also direct from Soundcore.

Black Friday smart speaker deals from Samsung

Samsung Music Frame for $248 ($150 off): Samsung first announced its Music Frame back in January at CES 2024. It takes its cue from the Frame TV that disguises itself as art. This wireless speaker has room for your own (physical) photo within its frame, along with two woofers, two tweeters and two mid-range drivers to spit out sound from your favorite streaming services. Also at Best Buy and directly from Samsung.

Black Friday soundbar deals

For our guide to the best soundbars, our audio expert Billy Steele picked six winners out of the dozens of home theater speakers he and other Engadget staffers have tested over the years — and one of them is on sale for Black Friday (we expect more sales to pop up closer to Black Friday so check this post again). This is a great chance to improve greatly upon the audio from your (probably thin) TV.

Samsung HW-Q990C for $1,100 ($898 off): The top spot in our soundbar guide isn’t cheap, but this Black Friday deal helps. And, for the price, you get a complete home theater audio setup complete with soundbar, subwoofer and two rear surround speakers. Samsung’s HW-Q990C may not have the prettiest name, but the sound quality is a thing of beauty, earning it an 89 in our review. 

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-speaker-deals-for-2024-include-up-to-42-percent-off-jbl-bose-marshall-sony-and-more-172645887.html?src=rss

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Square Enix is plunging deeper into the Final Fantasy 14 goldmine with a mobile spin-off. There’s no release window for Final Fantasy 14 Mobile as yet, but playtests will “soon” get underway in China, “followed by a global launch soon after.”
Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida said in a video that developer Lightspeed Studios is working to “faithfully recreate the story, duties, battle content and other aspects of the original game.” It seems that “duties” is a reference to the jobs system. A teaser trailer shows off the scope, grandeur and lived-in atmosphere of the mobile version of Eorzea, all set to typically absorbing music from FF14 sound director Masayoshi Soken.

It’s not yet clear if there will be cross-progression with the PC and console version of Final Fantasy 14. While the mobile game is said to provide players with a “new adventure,” the story bears at least some similarities to the original.
“You are beckoned by the Mothercrystal, carrying the light of hope to the world of Hydaelyn,” according to the FF14 Mobile website. “Heed the Mothercrystal’s call, embrace your destiny as an adventurer, and confront the primals to deliver Eorzea from certain destruction.” For what it’s worth, a Mothercrystal trial was added to Final Fantasy 14 as part of the 2021 expansion, Endwalker, so the plot of the mobile game may not exactly follow the one from the original title.
Square Enix says you’ll have a number of playable races to choose from. At the outset, there will be nine jobs, which you can switch between on the fly. You’ll initially have access to 11 crafting and gathering classes, so you can be a miner, alchemist or, of course, a fisher.
Combat controls are being tuned for mobile devices. Outside of battles, you can customize your home and character, race chocobos, play the Triple Triad card game and enjoy seasonal events. You’ll be able to play alongside friends and strangers, while there are more than 600 different weather patterns in the game.
Tencent’s Lightspeed Studios is behind mobile hits like PUBG Mobile. Dragon’s Dogma creator Hideaki Itsuno recently joined Lightspeed to head up a new studio.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/final-fantasy-14-mobile-is-on-the-way-171455003.html?src=rss

Square Enix is plunging deeper into the Final Fantasy 14 goldmine with a mobile spin-off. There’s no release window for Final Fantasy 14 Mobile as yet, but playtests will “soon” get underway in China, “followed by a global launch soon after.”

Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida said in a video that developer Lightspeed Studios is working to “faithfully recreate the story, duties, battle content and other aspects of the original game.” It seems that “duties” is a reference to the jobs system. A teaser trailer shows off the scope, grandeur and lived-in atmosphere of the mobile version of Eorzea, all set to typically absorbing music from FF14 sound director Masayoshi Soken.

It’s not yet clear if there will be cross-progression with the PC and console version of Final Fantasy 14. While the mobile game is said to provide players with a “new adventure,” the story bears at least some similarities to the original.

“You are beckoned by the Mothercrystal, carrying the light of hope to the world of Hydaelyn,” according to the FF14 Mobile website. “Heed the Mothercrystal’s call, embrace your destiny as an adventurer, and confront the primals to deliver Eorzea from certain destruction.” For what it’s worth, a Mothercrystal trial was added to Final Fantasy 14 as part of the 2021 expansion, Endwalker, so the plot of the mobile game may not exactly follow the one from the original title.

Square Enix says you’ll have a number of playable races to choose from. At the outset, there will be nine jobs, which you can switch between on the fly. You’ll initially have access to 11 crafting and gathering classes, so you can be a miner, alchemist or, of course, a fisher.

Combat controls are being tuned for mobile devices. Outside of battles, you can customize your home and character, race chocobos, play the Triple Triad card game and enjoy seasonal events. You’ll be able to play alongside friends and strangers, while there are more than 600 different weather patterns in the game.

Tencent’s Lightspeed Studios is behind mobile hits like PUBG Mobile. Dragon’s Dogma creator Hideaki Itsuno recently joined Lightspeed to head up a new studio.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/final-fantasy-14-mobile-is-on-the-way-171455003.html?src=rss

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On December 12, The Game Awards will reveal some of the biggest upcoming games and honor the industry’s achievements yet again. The day before it’s set to take place, however, a Day of the Devs event will put a spotlight on indie developers and titles in a livestream that fans everywhere can watch online. This Game Awards Edition showcase will feature quite a lengthy list of developer partners, including Heart Machine, which is best known for 2D action role-playing game Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, a 3D platformer set against a neon-colored landscape. 
Panic, the developer behind Untitled Goose Game, will also participate in the event, along with Annapurna, a publisher whose games include What Remains of Edith Finch. There’s also Riffraff Games that debuted its first title, Sleight of Hand, a “noir stealth sim” game about a former occult detective who must track down and defeat her former coven earlier this year. The event will showcase 19 indie titles in all and will feature seven world premieres, title reveals and release date announcements throughout. Indie games fans can watch it on the official Game Awards YouTube and Twitch channels on December 11, starting at 9AM PT/12PM ET. 
The Game Awards recently announced this year’s nominees, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Astro Bot leading the pack with seven nominations each. Metaphor: ReFantazio, a fantasy Japanese RPG from the same team behind Persona 5, got six noms. Silent Hill 2 and the poker/roguelike game Balatro aren’t far behind, each with five nominations. All of those games, aside from Silent Hill 2, are shortlisted for Game of the Year, along with Black Myth: Wukong and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/day-of-the-devs-livestream-will-showcase-indie-titles-a-day-before-the-game-awards-170002009.html?src=rss

On December 12, The Game Awards will reveal some of the biggest upcoming games and honor the industry’s achievements yet again. The day before it’s set to take place, however, a Day of the Devs event will put a spotlight on indie developers and titles in a livestream that fans everywhere can watch online. This Game Awards Edition showcase will feature quite a lengthy list of developer partners, including Heart Machine, which is best known for 2D action role-playing game Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, a 3D platformer set against a neon-colored landscape. 

Panic, the developer behind Untitled Goose Game, will also participate in the event, along with Annapurna, a publisher whose games include What Remains of Edith Finch. There’s also Riffraff Games that debuted its first title, Sleight of Hand, a “noir stealth sim” game about a former occult detective who must track down and defeat her former coven earlier this year. The event will showcase 19 indie titles in all and will feature seven world premieres, title reveals and release date announcements throughout. Indie games fans can watch it on the official Game Awards YouTube and Twitch channels on December 11, starting at 9AM PT/12PM ET. 

The Game Awards recently announced this year’s nominees, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Astro Bot leading the pack with seven nominations each. Metaphor: ReFantazio, a fantasy Japanese RPG from the same team behind Persona 5, got six noms. Silent Hill 2 and the poker/roguelike game Balatro aren’t far behind, each with five nominations. All of those games, aside from Silent Hill 2, are shortlisted for Game of the Year, along with Black Myth: Wukong and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/day-of-the-devs-livestream-will-showcase-indie-titles-a-day-before-the-game-awards-170002009.html?src=rss

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Yesterday, at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, the company revealed Volume 3 of Star Wars: Visions. This anthology of nine short animations from nine separate anime studios is set to release next year. In keeping with tradition from prior volumes, each studio is allowed considerable creative freedom and will likely produce shorts with distinctive art styles that fans will recognize instantly.
Based on the Star Wars website’s blog post, we can immediately see four returning studios: Kamikaze Douga, Kinema citrus Co., Production I.G and TRIGGER. These studios are responsible for anime adaptations of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Made in Abyss, Haikyu!! and Kill la Kill, respectively.
To improve the diversity of styles, Disney invited five new studios to create the remaining shorts. They are ANIMA (collaborating with Kamikaze Douga), David Production, Polygon Pictures, Project Studio Q and WIT Studio.
ANIMA is an animation studio specializing in 3D CG movies, and you may know it as the studio behind cutscenes from Xenoblade 3, certain Fire Emblem Heroes movies and Pokemon Unite. David Production animated Fire Force and Undead Unluck, among many other anime. Some Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes and Tron: Uprising were Polygon Pictures’ work.
Project Studio Q is a less-known name, but it’s responsible for some 3D animation in DARLING in the FRANXX episodes. As for WIT Studio, it’s of Spy x Family and Attack on Titan (the first three seasons) fame.
With such a stacked roster of studios, Disney is sparing no expense on this anthology. The wait might be long, but Volumes 1 and 2 are still available on Disney+.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/star-wars-visions-volume-3-is-coming-in-2025-164557738.html?src=rss

Yesterday, at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, the company revealed Volume 3 of Star Wars: Visions. This anthology of nine short animations from nine separate anime studios is set to release next year. In keeping with tradition from prior volumes, each studio is allowed considerable creative freedom and will likely produce shorts with distinctive art styles that fans will recognize instantly.

Based on the Star Wars website’s blog post, we can immediately see four returning studios: Kamikaze Douga, Kinema citrus Co., Production I.G and TRIGGER. These studios are responsible for anime adaptations of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Made in Abyss, Haikyu!! and Kill la Kill, respectively.

To improve the diversity of styles, Disney invited five new studios to create the remaining shorts. They are ANIMA (collaborating with Kamikaze Douga), David Production, Polygon Pictures, Project Studio Q and WIT Studio.

ANIMA is an animation studio specializing in 3D CG movies, and you may know it as the studio behind cutscenes from Xenoblade 3, certain Fire Emblem Heroes movies and Pokemon Unite. David Production animated Fire Force and Undead Unluck, among many other anime. Some Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes and Tron: Uprising were Polygon Pictures’ work.

Project Studio Q is a less-known name, but it’s responsible for some 3D animation in DARLING in the FRANXX episodes. As for WIT Studio, it’s of Spy x Family and Attack on Titan (the first three seasons) fame.

With such a stacked roster of studios, Disney is sparing no expense on this anthology. The wait might be long, but Volumes 1 and 2 are still available on Disney+.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/star-wars-visions-volume-3-is-coming-in-2025-164557738.html?src=rss

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Comcast is spinning out Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango and a bunch of NBCUniversal (NBCU) cable networks into a separate company. That means USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel will soon have a new home. Comcast is hanging onto other NBCU operations, namely NBC, Peacock, film and TV studios, Telemundo and theme parks. Bravo is also sticking around to help keep feeding Peacock’s ever-hungry reality TV maw.
Comcast says the new entity will be a “tax-free spin-off” and the step is “expected to be accretive to revenue growth at Comcast and approximately neutral to Comcast’s leverage position.” In other words, it’s to do with money — and perhaps laying the groundwork for further consolidation between major media companies. The spun-out properties pulled in around $7 billion between them over the last year or so, while their future parent will still have a partnership with NBCU. Comcast is aiming to complete the transition within the next year.
In its press release, Comcast calls the spin-off company “SpinCo,” which is a placeholder and surely won’t be the business’ actual name. After all, having “SpinCo” as their parent company’s moniker wouldn’t exactly be great optics for CNBC and MSNBC journalists. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/comcast-is-spinning-out-rotten-tomatoes-and-cable-networks-into-a-separate-company-151153285.html?src=rss

Comcast is spinning out Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango and a bunch of NBCUniversal (NBCU) cable networks into a separate company. That means USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel will soon have a new home. Comcast is hanging onto other NBCU operations, namely NBC, Peacock, film and TV studios, Telemundo and theme parks. Bravo is also sticking around to help keep feeding Peacock’s ever-hungry reality TV maw.

Comcast says the new entity will be a “tax-free spin-off” and the step is “expected to be accretive to revenue growth at Comcast and approximately neutral to Comcast’s leverage position.” In other words, it’s to do with money — and perhaps laying the groundwork for further consolidation between major media companies. The spun-out properties pulled in around $7 billion between them over the last year or so, while their future parent will still have a partnership with NBCU. Comcast is aiming to complete the transition within the next year.

In its press release, Comcast calls the spin-off company “SpinCo,” which is a placeholder and surely won’t be the business’ actual name. After all, having “SpinCo” as their parent company’s moniker wouldn’t exactly be great optics for CNBC and MSNBC journalists. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/comcast-is-spinning-out-rotten-tomatoes-and-cable-networks-into-a-separate-company-151153285.html?src=rss

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Black Friday is usually a good time to restock on video games and gaming gear at a discount, and this year should be no exception. If you’re looking to pad out your backlog, pick up a new console or refresh your desktop with new peripherals, we’re rounding up the Black Friday gaming deals that are most worth your attention below.
To be candid, the selection as of Wednesday morning is fairly light — we expect tons more discounts to pop up Thursday and Friday, after retailers like Amazon and Best Buy start their official Black Friday sales in earnest. That said, a number of noteworthy Switch, PS5 and Xbox games are already down to their lowest prices to date, while the Xbox Series X and a few well-reviewed accessories are cheaper than usual too. We’ve dug through reviews and used price history trackers to ensure each offer below is a genuine deal, and we’ll update this post regularly over the next couple of weeks as additional deals become available.

Xbox Series X (1TB) for $448 at Amazon ($52 off MSRP): This is well off the lowest price we’ve seen for the higher-end Xbox, and there’s a chance we see alternative deals next week. It is Microsoft’s official discount, though, and any chance to save $50 is still worth calling out. Whether any Xbox is a must-have is another question, as Microsoft has put less and less emphasis on exclusives, but the Series X is still a nice piece of kit if you’re sold on Xbox Game Pass or just have friends who use the platform. Also at Xbox, Walmart, Target and others.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for $42 at Woot ($18 off): This is a new low for the recent Switch remake of the beloved GameCube RPG Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Engadget Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar was pretty straightforward in his review: “It’s great, you should play it.”
Super Mario RPG for $32 at Woot ($18 off): The lively and brisk Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars remains one of the Super Nintendo’s essential games. It didn’t necessarily need a Switch remake, but it got one last year anyway; thankfully, the new version keeps the original’s oddball spirit in tact as it spruces up the visuals for true 3D. If you’re in the market for a lighter RPG, this deal at Amazon subsidiary Woot brings the game down to a new all-time low.
Portal: Companion Collection for $5 at Nintendo ($15 off): Portal and Portal 2 are two of the most fully-actualized games ever made, a pair of human-lab-rat simulators overloaded with wit and mind-opening puzzles. The second is also one of our favorite couch co-op games. This discount ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the Companion Collection, which bundles both games for the Switch, and it comes as part of a wider suite of digital game deals at Nintendo’s online store.

The Xbox Series X.Photo by Aaron Souppouris / Engadget

Mass Effect Legendary Edition for $5 at Epic ($55 off): The Mass Effect trilogy doesn’t hold up perfectly — the original is very much a game from 2007, while the overarching “morality” system feels ancient in a post-Baldur’s Gate 3 world — but it remains as accessible and deeply entertaining as any action-RPG series out there. The Legendary Edition remasters all three titles, and this discount brings the compilation down to its lowest price to date. The deal comes as part of the Epic Games Store’s Black Friday sale, which is otherwise light on standout offers.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10 at Xbox ($30 off): This matches the all-time low for The Master Chief Collection, which gathers five of the venerable FPS series’ essential games in one package. It also includes Halo 4 (we kid).
Pentiment for $10 at Xbox ($10 off): Pentiment remains one of the Xbox’s true gems, a gorgeous and unusually soulful 2D adventure/visual novel that examines the nature of truth itself. This deal for the Xbox version represents an all-time low.
Psychonauts 2 for $12 at Xbox ($48 off): Another entry on our list of the best Xbox games, Psychonauts 2 is a distinctly eccentric, wonderfully written 3D platformer that tackles heavy themes with real warmth. This is another all-time low. Several other digital Xbox games are on sale as part of Microsoft’s Black Friday sale.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection.Xbox Game Studios

Madden NFL 25 for $35 at Amazon ($35 off): Madden could pretty badly use a creative reset, but it’s ultimately still Madden, so there’s fun to be had if you’re in the football mood and feel like denying Patrick Mahomes a championship in at least one realm of existence. This is the best price to date for this year’s latest installment. Also at Walmart.
EA Sports FC 25 for $35 at Amazon ($35 off): We’re not going to sit here and tell you the series formerly known as FIFA is good — AI defending is still a mess, while the Ultimate Team mode still blends grinding with gambling to mind-numbing effect — but we realize that many people just want to mess around as their favorite footy team. This is a new low for the PS5, PS4 and Xbox editions. Also at Walmart, PlayStation, Xbox and Steam. The Switch version is at an all-time low of $30, too, though it won’t run as well.
WWE 2K24 for $24 at Amazon ($11 off): We acknowledge that this is a new low for the physical PS5 and Xbox copies of the latest WWE game, which should scratch the itch for most people looking to do some fantasy booking and digital powerbombing. Just don’t be surprised if you run into a few bugs every now and then; this is a 2K game, after all. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy, or for $23 at Xbox. The last-gen versions are on sale for a few bucks less as well.
NBA 2K25 for $30 at Amazon ($40 off): NBA 2K has its own longstanding issues with pay-to-win online modes and occasional glitchiness, but its on-court play is generally rock solid if you’re looking to play through a season or run some offline games with friends. This is a new low for the PS5 and Xbox copies of the game. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Nintendo has the Switch edition for $4 less, though that version is generally slower and more watered-down than the others.

The WD Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S.WD

WD Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox (1TB) for $100 at Amazon ($58 off): It’s aggravating, but the only way to fully increase the storage of an Xbox Series X/S is to use a proprietary expansion card. Only two of those currently exist, but the C50 is one, and this discount drops the 1TB model to a new low. It’s normally sold for roughly $40 more in recent months. Is this still expensive compared to a normal SSD with the same capacity? You bet. But any extra savings should be welcome. Also at Best Buy. A 512GB model is a couple bucks above its all-time low at $68 as well.
Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S (2TB) for $200 at Amazon ($160 off): Seagate makes the other official storage expansion card for the Xbox Series X/S. This discount isn’t the best we’ve ever seen, and it’s been live for most of the month, but it’s still about $30 to $50 below the 2TB model’s typical street price. There’s little performance difference between this and the C50, so which is best merely comes down to how much space you need and whatever one costs less.
8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard (N Edition) for $60 at Woot ($40 off): While not a top pick in any of our keyboard guides, the wireless 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is still a nice value for anyone looking to give their desk a more vintage look, as its keycaps and accents are inspired by Nintendo’s old NES console. It’s comfy for typing and hot-swappable, too, though the default switches are pretty noisy. This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen.

The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard.Will Lipman Photography for Engadget

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023) gaming laptop for $700 at Best Buy ($400 off): Although it’s a 2023 model, this configuration of the A16 should do the job for value-minded buyers. It comes with a 16-inch 165Hz 1,920 x 1,200 display, an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an AMD Radeon RX 7700S GPU. You’ll still have to deal with the usual trade-offs of a cheaper gaming laptop — it can get warm under load, it’s bulky, the keyboard isn’t great and the screen is somewhat dim. But it’s powerful enough to run newer games in 1080p, the chassis generally feels sturdy, and the battery can reach double-digit hours when you aren’t gaming. This discount is $20 above than the config’s all-time low but ties the best price we’ve seen otherwise.
LG 32GS95UV-W 32-inch gaming monitor for $1,000 at Amazon ($400 off): This is a variant of the “no-compromise” pick in our guide to the best gaming monitors. It’s a premium OLED panel with a sharp 4K resolution and a fast 240Hz refresh rate, though it can jump to a super-smooth 480Hz if you drop to 1080p (and own a PC that can handle that). That’s great if you spend a decent chunk of time in esports-style games like Counter-Strike 2. Being an OLED monitor gives it excellent contrast with deep black tones, though it’s not quite as vivid as the handful of high-end OLEDs that also use quantum dots to boost colors. Still, it’s well worth a look if you have cash to burn and know you’ll use the dual refresh rate modes. This deal has been live for a month but represents an all-time low. Also at LG and Best Buy. Compared to the recommendation in our guide, the only differences with this model are that it has a white finish and its built-in speakers aren’t as strong.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-black-friday-gaming-deals-on-video-games-consoles-accessories-and-more-144605538.html?src=rss

Black Friday is usually a good time to restock on video games and gaming gear at a discount, and this year should be no exception. If you’re looking to pad out your backlog, pick up a new console or refresh your desktop with new peripherals, we’re rounding up the Black Friday gaming deals that are most worth your attention below.

To be candid, the selection as of Wednesday morning is fairly light — we expect tons more discounts to pop up Thursday and Friday, after retailers like Amazon and Best Buy start their official Black Friday sales in earnest. That said, a number of noteworthy Switch, PS5 and Xbox games are already down to their lowest prices to date, while the Xbox Series X and a few well-reviewed accessories are cheaper than usual too. We’ve dug through reviews and used price history trackers to ensure each offer below is a genuine deal, and we’ll update this post regularly over the next couple of weeks as additional deals become available.

Xbox Series X (1TB) for $448 at Amazon ($52 off MSRP): This is well off the lowest price we’ve seen for the higher-end Xbox, and there’s a chance we see alternative deals next week. It is Microsoft’s official discount, though, and any chance to save $50 is still worth calling out. Whether any Xbox is a must-have is another question, as Microsoft has put less and less emphasis on exclusives, but the Series X is still a nice piece of kit if you’re sold on Xbox Game Pass or just have friends who use the platform. Also at Xbox, Walmart, Target and others.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for $42 at Woot ($18 off): This is a new low for the recent Switch remake of the beloved GameCube RPG Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Engadget Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar was pretty straightforward in his review: “It’s great, you should play it.”

Super Mario RPG for $32 at Woot ($18 off): The lively and brisk Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars remains one of the Super Nintendo’s essential games. It didn’t necessarily need a Switch remake, but it got one last year anyway; thankfully, the new version keeps the original’s oddball spirit in tact as it spruces up the visuals for true 3D. If you’re in the market for a lighter RPG, this deal at Amazon subsidiary Woot brings the game down to a new all-time low.

Portal: Companion Collection for $5 at Nintendo ($15 off): Portal and Portal 2 are two of the most fully-actualized games ever made, a pair of human-lab-rat simulators overloaded with wit and mind-opening puzzles. The second is also one of our favorite couch co-op games. This discount ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the Companion Collection, which bundles both games for the Switch, and it comes as part of a wider suite of digital game deals at Nintendo’s online store.

The Xbox Series X.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition for $5 at Epic ($55 off): The Mass Effect trilogy doesn’t hold up perfectly — the original is very much a game from 2007, while the overarching “morality” system feels ancient in a post-Baldur’s Gate 3 world — but it remains as accessible and deeply entertaining as any action-RPG series out there. The Legendary Edition remasters all three titles, and this discount brings the compilation down to its lowest price to date. The deal comes as part of the Epic Games Store’s Black Friday sale, which is otherwise light on standout offers.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10 at Xbox ($30 off): This matches the all-time low for The Master Chief Collection, which gathers five of the venerable FPS series’ essential games in one package. It also includes Halo 4 (we kid).

Pentiment for $10 at Xbox ($10 off): Pentiment remains one of the Xbox’s true gems, a gorgeous and unusually soulful 2D adventure/visual novel that examines the nature of truth itself. This deal for the Xbox version represents an all-time low.

Psychonauts 2 for $12 at Xbox ($48 off): Another entry on our list of the best Xbox games, Psychonauts 2 is a distinctly eccentric, wonderfully written 3D platformer that tackles heavy themes with real warmth. This is another all-time low. Several other digital Xbox games are on sale as part of Microsoft’s Black Friday sale.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Madden NFL 25 for $35 at Amazon ($35 off): Madden could pretty badly use a creative reset, but it’s ultimately still Madden, so there’s fun to be had if you’re in the football mood and feel like denying Patrick Mahomes a championship in at least one realm of existence. This is the best price to date for this year’s latest installment. Also at Walmart.

EA Sports FC 25 for $35 at Amazon ($35 off): We’re not going to sit here and tell you the series formerly known as FIFA is good — AI defending is still a mess, while the Ultimate Team mode still blends grinding with gambling to mind-numbing effect — but we realize that many people just want to mess around as their favorite footy team. This is a new low for the PS5, PS4 and Xbox editions. Also at Walmart, PlayStation, Xbox and Steam. The Switch version is at an all-time low of $30, too, though it won’t run as well.

WWE 2K24 for $24 at Amazon ($11 off): We acknowledge that this is a new low for the physical PS5 and Xbox copies of the latest WWE game, which should scratch the itch for most people looking to do some fantasy booking and digital powerbombing. Just don’t be surprised if you run into a few bugs every now and then; this is a 2K game, after all. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy, or for $23 at Xbox. The last-gen versions are on sale for a few bucks less as well.

NBA 2K25 for $30 at Amazon ($40 off): NBA 2K has its own longstanding issues with pay-to-win online modes and occasional glitchiness, but its on-court play is generally rock solid if you’re looking to play through a season or run some offline games with friends. This is a new low for the PS5 and Xbox copies of the game. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Nintendo has the Switch edition for $4 less, though that version is generally slower and more watered-down than the others.

The WD Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S.

WD Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox (1TB) for $100 at Amazon ($58 off): It’s aggravating, but the only way to fully increase the storage of an Xbox Series X/S is to use a proprietary expansion card. Only two of those currently exist, but the C50 is one, and this discount drops the 1TB model to a new low. It’s normally sold for roughly $40 more in recent months. Is this still expensive compared to a normal SSD with the same capacity? You bet. But any extra savings should be welcome. Also at Best Buy. A 512GB model is a couple bucks above its all-time low at $68 as well.

Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S (2TB) for $200 at Amazon ($160 off): Seagate makes the other official storage expansion card for the Xbox Series X/S. This discount isn’t the best we’ve ever seen, and it’s been live for most of the month, but it’s still about $30 to $50 below the 2TB model’s typical street price. There’s little performance difference between this and the C50, so which is best merely comes down to how much space you need and whatever one costs less.

8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard (N Edition) for $60 at Woot ($40 off): While not a top pick in any of our keyboard guides, the wireless 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is still a nice value for anyone looking to give their desk a more vintage look, as its keycaps and accents are inspired by Nintendo’s old NES console. It’s comfy for typing and hot-swappable, too, though the default switches are pretty noisy. This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen.

The 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard.

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023) gaming laptop for $700 at Best Buy ($400 off): Although it’s a 2023 model, this configuration of the A16 should do the job for value-minded buyers. It comes with a 16-inch 165Hz 1,920 x 1,200 display, an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an AMD Radeon RX 7700S GPU. You’ll still have to deal with the usual trade-offs of a cheaper gaming laptop — it can get warm under load, it’s bulky, the keyboard isn’t great and the screen is somewhat dim. But it’s powerful enough to run newer games in 1080p, the chassis generally feels sturdy, and the battery can reach double-digit hours when you aren’t gaming. This discount is $20 above than the config’s all-time low but ties the best price we’ve seen otherwise.

LG 32GS95UV-W 32-inch gaming monitor for $1,000 at Amazon ($400 off): This is a variant of the “no-compromise” pick in our guide to the best gaming monitors. It’s a premium OLED panel with a sharp 4K resolution and a fast 240Hz refresh rate, though it can jump to a super-smooth 480Hz if you drop to 1080p (and own a PC that can handle that). That’s great if you spend a decent chunk of time in esports-style games like Counter-Strike 2. Being an OLED monitor gives it excellent contrast with deep black tones, though it’s not quite as vivid as the handful of high-end OLEDs that also use quantum dots to boost colors. Still, it’s well worth a look if you have cash to burn and know you’ll use the dual refresh rate modes. This deal has been live for a month but represents an all-time low. Also at LG and Best Buy. Compared to the recommendation in our guide, the only differences with this model are that it has a white finish and its built-in speakers aren’t as strong.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-black-friday-gaming-deals-on-video-games-consoles-accessories-and-more-144605538.html?src=rss

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Ooni is discounting all of its ovens and accessories by 20 percent as part of a Black Friday deal. This sweeping sale means you can snag one of our two top choices for a home pizza oven. If you’re looking to splurge, the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel pizza oven is available for $519, down from its typical price tag of $799. We appreciate that this model can use wood, charcoal or gas to sizzle up your slices, plus it has a built-in digital thermometer and can fit up to a 16-inch pie.

If you’d rather not prep your pizza in the great outdoors, then the Ooni Volt 12 Electric pizza oven might be more your speed. It’s on sale for $719 instead of the usual $899. This is our top choice this year for an indoor pizza oven thanks to its quick heating and flexibility for fitting pans or other baked items into its 13-inch interior. It’s also flexible on location, since the weather-resistant materials mean it can be used outside too.
At the scorching temperatures needed for good pie, you don’t want to mess around with the wrong gear. Since Ooni is also cutting the prices on accessories, this is a good time to stock up on other essential tools, like a baking stone or pizza peel. And if you need the ingredients to kick off your pizza journey, Ooni is also taking 20 percent off orders of its dough and up to 50 percent off other grocery items. The Black Friday offer for Ooni goods will be available from today through 11:59 pm local time on December 2.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-20-percent-off-ooni-pizza-ovens-for-black-friday-150052139.html?src=rss

Ooni is discounting all of its ovens and accessories by 20 percent as part of a Black Friday deal. This sweeping sale means you can snag one of our two top choices for a home pizza oven. If you’re looking to splurge, the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel pizza oven is available for $519, down from its typical price tag of $799. We appreciate that this model can use wood, charcoal or gas to sizzle up your slices, plus it has a built-in digital thermometer and can fit up to a 16-inch pie.

If you’d rather not prep your pizza in the great outdoors, then the Ooni Volt 12 Electric pizza oven might be more your speed. It’s on sale for $719 instead of the usual $899. This is our top choice this year for an indoor pizza oven thanks to its quick heating and flexibility for fitting pans or other baked items into its 13-inch interior. It’s also flexible on location, since the weather-resistant materials mean it can be used outside too.

At the scorching temperatures needed for good pie, you don’t want to mess around with the wrong gear. Since Ooni is also cutting the prices on accessories, this is a good time to stock up on other essential tools, like a baking stone or pizza peel. And if you need the ingredients to kick off your pizza journey, Ooni is also taking 20 percent off orders of its dough and up to 50 percent off other grocery items. The Black Friday offer for Ooni goods will be available from today through 11:59 pm local time on December 2.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-20-percent-off-ooni-pizza-ovens-for-black-friday-150052139.html?src=rss

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Strinova is a third-person hero shooter coming out this week, and its recent closed beta functioned more like an open beta despite the label. Its anime art style caught my eye, so I decided to register and try it out. While this hero shooter had much in common with others in the genre, I thoroughly enjoyed the new mechanics it introduced.
This new third-person shooter from iDreamSky has elements players of Counter-Strike 2, Overwatch and Valorant will find familiar, such as game modes and Agent roles. However, the game sets itself apart by implementing a mechanic called “Stringify,” allowing Agents to turn from 3D into paper-thin 2D models.
Stringify allows Agents to avoid gunfire, climb up walls and even glide through the air, but they can’t shoot or use abilities while Stringified. This mechanic allows for possibilities like chambering sniper rifle rounds while minimizing one’s hitbox and traversing walls mid-gunfight. It was incredibly entertaining to move around like this, but it isn’t so over-the-top like how some Call of Duty games and Titanfall implement movement mechanics. Spamming glides or sprints won’t do much good.
Each Agent has unique abilities and primary weapons, while secondary weapons and grenades can be swapped out. You have many familiar roles like snipers, designated marksmen with semi-automatic rifles, mid-range assault units and close-quarters-focused brawlers armed with shotguns. The abilities range from defensive supports to lone-wolf offensive kits, though Strinova doesn’t encourage engaging groups of enemies alone due to a longer time to kill.
My favorite Agent from the open beta is Meredith (image below), a mid-range assault Agent who can glide in mid-air longer due to a time-slowing mechanic. Her gunplay feels almost inspired by Warframe’s Zephyr, who also has extended airtime. Meredith also has area denial abilities that apply debuffs, most significantly with her Ultimate Skill that drains HP temporarily while limiting vision.
Jeremy Gan for Engadget
Another standout is Audrey, whose ability turns her into a stationary turret and lets her fire her machine gun without recoil or reloading. However, you’ll want to watch out for overheating. She has a limited shield that blocks some incoming fire while aiming down the sights — but there’s a catch. Despite being a bullet hose, she’s vulnerable to a single sniper headshot, and a shotgun user can take her out quickly before she enters turret mode, which has a longer startup animation.
There were four game modes in the open beta: team deathmatch, team arena, escort, and demolition. Escort is similar to what Overwatch offers, which has an attacking team escorting a payload to the goal. Demolition is basically competitive Counter-Strike. Team deathmatch has five teams of three fighting each other, while team arena has a 7v7 format. In the last two game modes, Ultimate Skills are disabled.
Based on my experience, Strinova has a longer time to kill, which forces players to be more tactical, especially when everyone can use Stringify to move around. I was forced to ditch my highly aggressive playstyle and employ proper movement and peeking to ensure I survived gunfights. Since each Agent gets to turn 2D, glide and climb walls, there are plenty of ways to get the drop on opponents.
Jeremy Gan for Engadget
Strinova ran smoothly on my gaming laptop, reaching 120FPS easily and rarely dropping many frames. However, there was a glaring bug in which my A key was perceived as being held down. The only way to “fix” was to pause or unplug my keyboard. I usually had to perform the latter, and it was rather annoying to deal with, though hopefully it’s something that gets worked out by release.
I definitely enjoyed playing the Strinova open beta, and the game is set to come out on November 21. There are plenty of other cool things in the game, but the combat absolutely stands out. I don’t play that many hero shooters, but this one is like a diamond in the rough to me.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/strinovas-2d-stringify-mechanic-breathes-some-new-life-into-hero-shooters-140043155.html?src=rss

Strinova is a third-person hero shooter coming out this week, and its recent closed beta functioned more like an open beta despite the label. Its anime art style caught my eye, so I decided to register and try it out. While this hero shooter had much in common with others in the genre, I thoroughly enjoyed the new mechanics it introduced.

This new third-person shooter from iDreamSky has elements players of Counter-Strike 2, Overwatch and Valorant will find familiar, such as game modes and Agent roles. However, the game sets itself apart by implementing a mechanic called “Stringify,” allowing Agents to turn from 3D into paper-thin 2D models.

Stringify allows Agents to avoid gunfire, climb up walls and even glide through the air, but they can’t shoot or use abilities while Stringified. This mechanic allows for possibilities like chambering sniper rifle rounds while minimizing one’s hitbox and traversing walls mid-gunfight. It was incredibly entertaining to move around like this, but it isn’t so over-the-top like how some Call of Duty games and Titanfall implement movement mechanics. Spamming glides or sprints won’t do much good.

Each Agent has unique abilities and primary weapons, while secondary weapons and grenades can be swapped out. You have many familiar roles like snipers, designated marksmen with semi-automatic rifles, mid-range assault units and close-quarters-focused brawlers armed with shotguns. The abilities range from defensive supports to lone-wolf offensive kits, though Strinova doesn’t encourage engaging groups of enemies alone due to a longer time to kill.

My favorite Agent from the open beta is Meredith (image below), a mid-range assault Agent who can glide in mid-air longer due to a time-slowing mechanic. Her gunplay feels almost inspired by Warframe’s Zephyr, who also has extended airtime. Meredith also has area denial abilities that apply debuffs, most significantly with her Ultimate Skill that drains HP temporarily while limiting vision.

Another standout is Audrey, whose ability turns her into a stationary turret and lets her fire her machine gun without recoil or reloading. However, you’ll want to watch out for overheating. She has a limited shield that blocks some incoming fire while aiming down the sights — but there’s a catch. Despite being a bullet hose, she’s vulnerable to a single sniper headshot, and a shotgun user can take her out quickly before she enters turret mode, which has a longer startup animation.

There were four game modes in the open beta: team deathmatch, team arena, escort, and demolition. Escort is similar to what Overwatch offers, which has an attacking team escorting a payload to the goal. Demolition is basically competitive Counter-Strike. Team deathmatch has five teams of three fighting each other, while team arena has a 7v7 format. In the last two game modes, Ultimate Skills are disabled.

Based on my experience, Strinova has a longer time to kill, which forces players to be more tactical, especially when everyone can use Stringify to move around. I was forced to ditch my highly aggressive playstyle and employ proper movement and peeking to ensure I survived gunfights. Since each Agent gets to turn 2D, glide and climb walls, there are plenty of ways to get the drop on opponents.

Strinova ran smoothly on my gaming laptop, reaching 120FPS easily and rarely dropping many frames. However, there was a glaring bug in which my A key was perceived as being held down. The only way to “fix” was to pause or unplug my keyboard. I usually had to perform the latter, and it was rather annoying to deal with, though hopefully it’s something that gets worked out by release.

I definitely enjoyed playing the Strinova open beta, and the game is set to come out on November 21. There are plenty of other cool things in the game, but the combat absolutely stands out. I don’t play that many hero shooters, but this one is like a diamond in the rough to me.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/strinovas-2d-stringify-mechanic-breathes-some-new-life-into-hero-shooters-140043155.html?src=rss

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