Hades II is now available in Early Access for PC players. After performing a technical test from April 16 to 29, Supergiant Games said Early Access for the bewitching sequel would follow relatively soon after. The developer lived up to its word, as a week after wrapping the preliminary test, PC players can now buy and play the highly anticipated roguelike title for $30.
Hades II builds on the themes and gameplay of the acclaimed 2020 original. This installment introduces a new protagonist, Melinoë, the sister of Zagreus, the original games hero. Creative Director Greg Kasavin and Studio Director Amir Rao clarified that you dont need to have played the first game or be well-versed in Greek mythology to enjoy it. (However, the creative team still sprinkled delightful references for those in the know.)
The sequels plot revolves around a showdown with a time-controlling rapscallion. Chronos, the Titan of Time and the wicked father of Hades and his brothers, has escaped his imprisonment in the depths of the Underworld to wage war on Olympus, Supergiant says. Can Time itself be stopped?
The games creators said last year they want Hades IIs early access period to have at least as much content as the original did when it arrived in beta in 2018. Even though early access inherently means a game is not yet complete, we still want to do everything we can to make sure Hades II is worth your while as soon as you can play it in any capacity, the studio said in 2023.
You can play Hades II on Steam and the Epic Store for $30. The game will eventually launch on consoles, but for now, PlayStation and Xbox gamers will have to hop on a PC or wait it out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/hades-ii-is-now-available-in-early-access-on-pc-170527415.html?src=rss
The latest and greatest 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is on sale right now for $1,150 via Amazon. This includes a sale discount of $100 plus a clipped coupon for $50, bringing the total price drop to $150. Thats not a bad deal for a laptop that just came out a couple of months ago.
We were surprised by just how much we enjoyed this computer, as the larger screen truly makes a significant difference when compared to the standard MacBook Air. We found that the big display allowed for longer periods of use before getting fatigued, which was aided by truly excellent battery life. This thing easily lasts an entire workday, with Apple suggesting 18 hours of battery life before requiring a charge.
One of our only complaints about the M2 MacBook Air was regarding the chip itself, as the computer could struggle with certain intensive tasks. Thats been fixed with the inclusion of the M3 chip. Its not as powerful as the M3 Pro, of course, but it certainly gets the job done, and then some.
This is also a fairly light computer, despite the size increase. It weighs around three pounds and can easily slip into a tote bag. However, the added size does make it a bit more cumbersome to carry than the 13-inch model. But thats the trade off with any 15-inch laptop. Theres really only one serious downside to this model, and thats with regard to port placement. The charging and USB-C ports are only on one side, which can get annoying when you have plenty of accessories to connect on a crowded desk.
This particular deal is for the base model, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage. Every available iteration on Amazon, however, has been discounted. Dont forget to clip that coupon.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-latest-15-inch-m3-macbook-air-is-150-off-right-now-161847204.html?src=rss
Spring is in the air and, believe it or not, so are iPads. Apple is holding a live event tomorrow to unveil new entries in its lineup of tablets at 10AM ET. The keynote, dubbed Let Loose, will be available to watch live in a number of ways. We are popping the YouTube stream below, so you can watch right here, but the event is also available on the companys website and on the Apple TV+ app.
So what is the company likely to announce? Tablets, as far as the eye can see. Apples been coy as to which iPads are getting a refresh, but rumors and reports indicate a new OLED iPad Pro and an updated iPad Air.
The rumored iPad Pro may even skip the M3 chipset, as Bloombergs Mark Gurman suggested there is a strong possibility that the tablet could feature the next-gen M4. He also indicated that Apple is going to lean heavy on some new AI branding when it comes to the iPad Pro, referring to it as the companys first truly AI-powered device.
Beyond potentially having an AI onboard to confidently, yet mistakenly, answer questions, this will likely be an OLED tablet. That means a glorious display that should bring richer colors and deeper blacks to the line. OLED panels are also thinner than LCD panels, so this could be one slender gadget. There are also rumors that the iPad Pro will feature a glass back to enable MagSafe charging.
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Its been two whole years since an iPad Air refresh, which is a lifetime in tech years. The updated iPad Air will likely not have a fancy next-gen chipset or an OLED display. It could, however, boast an upgrade to the M2 chip. The current models still sport the antiquated M1. Reports also suggest that the iPad Air's front-facing camera is moving to the landscape edge.
Its also possible that the tablet has been bulking up on creatine, as rumors suggest that Apple is prepping the first 12.9-inch iPad Air. This would make it the most budget-friendly option for a large-screen iPad tablet.
The event wont just be for iPads. Itll also be for iPad accessories. To that end, expect Apple to reveal a revamped Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro line, which could be made from aluminum. In addition, Apple is expected to unveil a new Apple Pencil to replace the second-gen model. Some reports have even indicated the next Apple Pencil could work with Vision Pro drawing apps, in addition to tablet apps.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-watch-apples-ipad-launch-event-on-tuesday-152650009.html?src=rss
Samsung is expanding its OLED TV range with a new entry-level lineup. It's introducing the S85 series alongside several additional sizes of the S90D.
The S85D includes many of the same features as more premium models, such as the NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor, 4K AI Upscaling capabilities and Pantone Validated Colors. Dolby Atmos, the Samsung TV Plus ad-supported streaming service and Samsung Gaming Hub are also included.
Samsung says the S85D also has Motion Xcelerator technology, as well as a "bold look and feel" thanks to its contour design (though as you can see above, it just looks like a modern TV). Having four HDMI 2.1 ports with support for 4K, 120Hz inputs on each is a welcome touch. One key tradeoff is that the display has a maximum 120Hz refresh rate, compared with the 144Hz of the S90 line.
The S85D models start at $1,700 for a 55-inch TV. A 65-inch model will set you back $2,100, while the 77-inch variant will run you $3,400.
The S90D (which initially had the same three sizes as the S85 lineup) will soon have a less-expensive entry point, with a 42-inch model that costs $1,400. A new 48-inch unit costs $1,600, while Samsung has added a 83-inch S90D that'll run you $5,400.
Samsung is positioning the S90D line as one that's ideal for gamers as the TVs use Motion Xcelerator Turbo+ to help minimize lag. The displays also offer OLED HDR+ for extra brightness and contrast.
These two lineups nestle alongside the higher-end S95D series, which offer OLED Glare-Free and HDR Pro tech. That line starts at $2,600 for a 55-inch model, running up to $4,600 for a 77-inch TV.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-adds-an-entry-level-series-to-its-oled-tv-range-150041922.html?src=rss
Update 10:54am ET: This deal has expired.
If you're looking for a great pair of earbuds without breaking the bank for yourself (or as a gift), now's a good time to shop. Apple's third-generation AirPods are currently down to $140 from $169 a 17 percent discount. This deal brings the AirPods back down to their record-low price.
Apple launched its third-generation AirPods in 2021, and they were a big improvement on their predecessor. We gave the model an 88 in our review thanks to features like a more comfortable design and much better audio quality. The new look is more contoured and a third of the second-generation model's length. The new shape also helps improve audio quality as they're better at directing sound into your ear.
The third-gen AirPods and their charging case also offer IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Speaking of charging, this model has a longer battery life, lasting for six hours at a time and 30 hours in total with the case. Plus, they have always on-Siri and more accurately determine when they're in your ears.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-third-gen-airpods-are-back-on-sale-for-140-132303235.html?src=rss
Watch along today as NASA's Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test finally most likely blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA should start streaming its coverage at 6:30PM ET on its YouTube channel, with the official launch set for 10:34PM ET. The spacecraft will carry two astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
We say "most likely" because the road to this day has not been a smooth one. It was a decade ago that NASA first chose Boeing and Space X to construct spacecraft that would fly from the United States to the ISS. Boeing received a $4.2 billion contract, while NASA gave SpaceX $2.6 billion. Yet, the latter had its first successful crewed flight in 2020 and has replicated it about a dozen times since.
Boeing's Starliner failed to reach orbit during its first uncrewed orbital test flight in 2019 due to too much fuel burning. A follow-up flight was scheduled for August 2021 but was scrapped due to a valve issue, with Boeing finally reaching the ISS in spring 2022 with an uncrewed vessel. Two plans for crewed flights came and went, amongst faults in aspects such as the parachute system. Last August, Boeing announced it should have these issues straightened out by March 2024.
It's now two months later than that initial goal and Boeing, Williams and Wilmore seem prepared for take off. "We are ready, the spacecraft's ready and the teams are ready," Wilmore told the press. NASA associate administrator Jim Free added: "The first crewed flight of a new spacecraft is an absolutely critical milestone. The lives of our crewmembers Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are at stake we don't take that lightly at all."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-watch-nasas-first-boeing-starliner-crewed-flight-launch-today-130046785.html?src=rss
Doctor Who is famous for constantly reinventing itself while remaining more or less exactly the same. The show has had a rough few years, which has led to some dramatic changes behind the scenes. Russell T. Davies, who was behind Doctor Whos 2005 revival, has stepped in to rescue the show. What was historically an in-house BBC production is now being handled by a Sony-owned production company. And Disney has bankrolled it, with this new revival billed outside the UK as a Disney+ Original.
The dramatic behind-the-scenes changes prompted some fundamental questions about how Doctor Who would thrive in this new world. Would Davies be able to bring the show back from the brink a second time? And would the show appeal to Zoomers in the same way it found a devoted audience of Millennials? And would Doctor Who survive intact under Disney, which is used to obsessive levels of control?
Its that last question I can already answer, having watched the first two episodes of this new eight-episode season: Doctor Who hasnt been watered down to suit its new paymasters or the broad international audience who will see this show pop up every Friday. In fact, Who 24 has doubled down on being weird, avant-garde, difficult to handle and harder to pigeonhole. Its a little punk and a little rough around the edges which makes it all the more interesting compared to, say, some other Disney+ series I could choose to mention.
Im not allowed to share much of what I saw, but episode one, Space Babies, features the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby (Millie Gibson) visiting a space station crewed by babies. As you can see in the trailer, theres liberal use of unconvincing and creepy CGI mouths for said rugrats. The Devils Chord, meanwhile, sees the TARDIS head to Abbey Road to meet the Beatles at the dawn of their careers.
If this is your first experience of Doctor Who, please start with the Christmas Day special The Church on Ruby Road. These first three episodes are the jumping-on point, and form Davies standard Present, Future and Past trilogy he uses to open his runs. All three are sold as fun romps, but there's a spikiness that stems from Davies underlying cynicism. As much as he may paint in primary colors, his worldview is a lot darker than some of his colleagues.
Davies is a strong advocate for better queer representation in film and TV and is arguably one of the most powerful gay men in media. Many of his shows, including Queer as Folk, Cucumber, A Very English Scandal and Its a Sin center on queer narratives. Davies has made it clear he wants to foreground queer experiences in this season of Doctor Who and does so, proudly. He told Variety that the Doctor chimes with queer energy and that hes not a neutered Doctor.
Some context: In 2021, Davies called out Disney+ for its lack of real representation in some of its other shows. During a virtual panel as reported by Pink News, he pointed at Lokis single reference to the lead characters fluid sexuality as a warning sign. Loki makes one reference to being bisexual once and everyones like oh my god, its like a pansexual show, he said. Adding the single spoken reference was a a ridiculous, craven, feeble gesture towards the vital politics and the stories that should be told.
Davies returned to the job after the failure of his immediate predecessor, Chris Chibnall, who will likely go down in infamy. Chibnall inherited a successful show and opted to broaden its horizons by hiring a far more diverse crew both in front of and behind the camera. That included writers like Malorie Blackman and Vinay Patel and casting two women, Jodie Whittaker and Jo Martin, to play the Doctor. Chibnall also refused to bow down to culture war pressure when tedious people started screaming that the show had gone woke.
But for all of the goodwill the show had and which Chibnalls early decisions helped accrue the showrunner quickly started to burn his own legacy as he built it. The quality of his episodes were never great and he wrote episodes that were incoherent, or said some pretty awful things by implication. He then started using the show as a vehicle for his own fan theories, re-litigating niche matters of continuity so nit-picky even I rolled my eyes so hard my skull caved in.
And then he created a secret origin story for the Doctor that essentially overwrote much of the previous 60 years worth of character development. He turned the Doctor into some sort of Space Jesus and then set about destroying a significant amount of the series fictional universe. Audiences were not thrilled: 8.2 million people watched Chibnalls first regular-season episode but, by the end of his tenure, the figure had tumbled to 3.47 million.
It would have been smart to ditch all of this and declare a fresh start but Davies took a different approach. He has opted to Yes-And Chibnalls hamfistedness, incorporating the catastrophic events of the last season as a new backdrop for the series. The universe is now "knackered," which has led to the shows fictional reality warping in new, weirder and more whimsical directions. Whereas before Doctor Who sat at the crossroads of science and fantasy, it has now become a soft fantasy show. Villains like the Toymaker and the Goblin King push the Doctor into a more mythic register than ever before.
BBC / Disney+
CGI baby mouths aside, Doctor Whos slick production values dont work unless they're tied to great writing and great acting. Ncuti Gatwa had already become a superstar thanks to his work on Sex Education and Barbie and is a magnetic presence on screen. I struggle to take your eyes off him, but hes clearly willing to cede space and time to his co-stars. Millie Gibson has the harder role as Ruby Sunday, having to keep her character grounded and believable in this fantastic world. The role of the Doctors traveling companion has minted many British A-listers since the shows return and Gibson is clearly destined for big things.
If theres one thing that comes across too much in these opening episodes, its that Doctor Who isnt the same show from one week to the next. It revls in being chaotic, freewheeling through genres and styles with the freedom its lead character so relishes. So, if this is your first time on board the TARDIS, welcome, and strap yourselves in for some silly and serious fun.
Oh, and they fixed the title sequence.
The first two episodes of Doctor Who arrive globally on Disney+ on Friday, May 10 at 7:00pm ET and in the UK on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Saturday, May 11. One episode will arrive at the same time for the following six weeks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/doctor-who-is-back-louder-and-more-chaotic-than-before-130041838.html?src=rss
After creating a massive kerfuffle by forcing Helldivers 2 PC players to link their Steam accounts to the PlayStation Network, Sony is backing down. The May 6 update will no longer be released and, presumably, the game won't be removed from sale on Steam in 177 countries and territories as reported yesterday.
"Helldivers fans weve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update," the company said on X. "The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward."
In a separate post, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt said, "firstly, I am impressed by the willpower of the @helldivers2 community and your ability to collaborate. Secondly I want to thank our partners and friends at @PlayStation for quickly and effectively making the decision to leave PSN linking optional. We together want to set a new standard for what a live game is, and how developers and community can support each other to create the best game experiences."
Ouch, right in the review score Well, I guess it's warranted. Sorry everyone for how this all transpired. I hope we will make it up and regain the trust by providing a continued great game experience.I just want to make great games! pic.twitter.com/EPO7apDUlc Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) May 3, 2024
After Sony's announcement that it would require players to link their Steam and PSN accounts, users pushed back en masse. Thety complained not just about privacy issues, but the fact that the game was removed from all countries without PSN access some 177 in total, according to @SteamDB. That resulted in over 200,000 negative reviews on the game, which led to an apology from Pilestedt. "Ouch, right in the review score," he wrote.
Earlier this year, Sony President Hiroki Totoki promised to shrink the gap between PlayStation 5 and PC releases in an effort to grow profit margins. Helldivers 2 followed that dictum, releasing to PSN and PC on the same day, February 8.
Helldivers 2 was supposed to require a PSN link from launch day, but Sony delayed the plan due to network limitations. Other multiplayer titles include Ghost of Tsushima (Legends) also supposedly require a PSN account, but it's not clear if Sony will retain that requirement given the recent bad publicity. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-quickly-backs-down-on-helldivers-2-psn-requirement-for-pc-players-120030227.html?src=rss
When I first saw the Rabbit R1, it was more appealing than the Humane AI Pin. The R1 had an actual screen, not a dim projector, and it had a twee scrolling wheel, all wrapped up in a glossy, fiery orange-red shell.
Alas, as our review explains, it doesnt work as well as promised. It doesnt do much and is, at launch, riddled with bugs and issues. Devindra Hardawar, who reviewed it, even took issue with the scrolling wheel. Nooooo.
Engadget
The main takeaway might be: If your phone can do all these tasks just as well (or better, in most cases), whats the point, Rabbit?
The truth might be I just wasnt into the Rabbit R1. Even if I am into pretty much anything Teenage Engineering designs.
Mat Smith
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Carbon dioxide removal plans may not be enough to meet Paris treaty goals
Theres a gap between plans and whats needed.
New research conducted by the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests current carbon removal plans will not be enough to comply with Paris treaty goals to limit global warming to 1.5C. Theres a gap of up to 3.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) between current global plans to remove carbon from the atmosphere and whats needed to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. The study says a rapid reduction in emissions is far more important than where to stuff the CO2 already around.
Continue reading.
Google bans ads for deepfake porn apps and services
Or it will on May 30.
Google has updated its Inappropriate Content Policy to expressly prohibit advertisers from promoting websites and services that generate deepfake pornography. There are already restrictions in place for ads that feature some types of sexual content, but this aims squarely at synthetic content that has been altered or generated to be sexually explicit or contain nudityThe company will start implementing the rule on May 30, giving advertisers the chance to remove any ad in violation of the new policy.
Continue reading.
Nintendo blitzes GitHub with over 8,000 takedown requests
Theyre aimed at emulators.
Engadget
Nintendo sent a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice for over 8,000 GitHub repositories hosting code from the Yuzu Switch emulator. You might recall the games maker said Yuzu was enabling piracy at a colossal scale. Redacted entities representing Nintendo assert the Yuzu source code illegally circumvents Nintendos technological protection measures and runs illegal copies of Switch games. This is all happening as game emulators enjoy a resurgence. Last month, Apple loosened its restrictions on retro game players in the App Store. However, the more earnest reasons for emulation (archiving a history of gaming that could otherwise be lost; playing games no longer in circulation) evaporate when youre doing it for a free copy of Tears of the Kingdom.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-verdict-on-the-rabbit-r1-111538948.html?src=rss
Jack Dorsey has apparently exited the Bluesky board. As spotted by TechCrunch, the former Twitter CEO who was previously Blueskys highest-profile proponent shared the life update this weekend on X, where hes been posting a lot lately. In response to a user who asked are you still on the bsky board, Dorsey said only, no. Thats it, nothing more. Engadget has reached out to the company for comment and will update this story if we hear back.
no jack (@jack) May 4, 2024
The decentralized social network started as a project by a team at then-Twitter back in 2019, but it eventually split off on its own. It only opened to the public this March after being invite-only for almost a year. While Jack Dorsey sat on its board, Bluesky is led by Jay Graber, its CEO since 2021. Dorsey has said mixed things about X since Elon Musks takeover, but it seems hes now swung back around. On Saturday, he posted on X, dont depend on corporations to grant you rights. defend them yourself using freedom technology. (youre on one).
The company has made no mention yet of Dorseys departure, and hes still named as a board member on its website. Dorsey seemingly deleted his own Bluesky account months ago, TechCrunch notes. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jack-dorsey-says-on-x-that-hes-not-on-the-bluesky-board-anymore-183902317.html?src=rss
