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The battle over who will get all of Xs users now that its an utter cesspool continues. Threads just began rolling out its own custom feeds feature to compete with rival Bluesky. Custom feeds have long been a hallmark of Bluesky and now Threads users can get in on the action. Meta announced it was testing custom feeds just last week, so those tests must have been successful. Its either that or they want to stall Blueskys continuing momentum. Simply put, the feature allows users to pin topic-based feeds to the home screen of the app. This gives people the option to scroll through additional feeds beyond the algorithmic for you feed. This is a very good thing, as Threads current for you algorithm can be easily manipulated by just posting stuff like who likes cats? I have seen quite literally 400 posts like that in my feed, all looking for engagement. I like cats but, come on. In any event, users can create a custom feed by searching for keywords and taping the ... menu to get started. A feed will be created based on the keyword, though the toolset allows for more granular adjustments. For instance, users can add specific profiles to customize each feed. Threads aficionados can create up to 128 custom feeds. Threads has one significant advantage over Bluesky when it comes to custom feeds. Making one on Bluesky is something of a process. It took me around two seconds to make a Star Trek feed on Threads. Lawrence Bonk / Threads Despite Blueskys continued growth, its still a minor player when compared to Threads. Bluesky just announced 20 million users, which is great, but Threads has more than 275 million users. Threads has also been growing by around a million users a day, according to a recent post from Instagram chief Adam Mosseri.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-rolls-out-its-custom-feeds-tool-after-a-quick-testing-phase-195012720.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Sony offered a sneak peek at its PlayStation Black Friday deals, which start on Friday. In addition to some (currently nebulous) deals on hardware and games, the sale will include up to 30 percent off PlayStation Plus memberships. The deals will run from November 22 through December 2. PlayStation Plus subscriptions will be up to 30 percent off for a 12-month membership. If youre already a PS Plus Essential Member, you can save 25 percent on the remainder of your plan when upgrading to PlayStation Plus Extra. Or, you can shave off 30 percent if youre upping your membership from PS Plus Extra to PS Plus Premium / Deluxe. Sony Less specific (as of now) are the PlayStation Black Friday deals on hardware and games. Direct from PlayStation and through Sonys retail partners, there will be sales on PS5 gear, including the Fortnite Cobalt Star Bundle. PS VR2 headsets, DualSense wireless controllers, Pulse headphones or earbuds and PS5 console covers will also be discounted. What we dont know yet is how much savings Sony will offer on any of it. Sony didnt mention the PlayStation Portal, which is about to get a lot more interesting. This week, the company said the handheld will soon run a beta test for cloud streaming. The portable devices inability to do anything but stream your local PS5 games at launch was a bit baffling, to say the least. Select games for PS5, PS4 and PC will also see price cuts. Sony mentions digital titles like Star Wars Outlaws, Madden 25 and Hogwarts Legacy, so we at least know a few on-sale games to look out for. But similar to the hardware deals, we dont know how juicy the deals will be (or which other titles will be available). You can check back on Friday morning to learn more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-playstation-black-friday-deals-will-cut-25-to-30-percent-off-ps-plus-subscriptions-193815734.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Microsoft has announced a long-anticipated feature for Xbox Cloud Gaming. Starting today, you'll be able to stream select games that you own on TVs and Meta Quest VR headsets, as well as supported browsers on phones, tablets and PCs in every country where Xbox Cloud Gaming is available. Microsoft plans to expand the feature to Xbox consoles and the Windows Xbox app next year. You'll still need to be an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate member to use this feature, but it means that you're no longer limited to streaming only the games that are on that service. The "stream your own game" option includes support for 50 titles at the outset, with more to be added later. You can stream the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, Stray, The Witcher 3, Balatro, Animal Well, NBA 2K25, Baldurs Gate 3 and several Final Fantasy games. Just look for the "stream your own game" section on Cloud Gaming. An Xbox spokesperson confirmed to Engadget that "streaming the games you own requires a digitally purchased game." So, you won't be able to stream a physical copy of, say, Farming Simulator 25 via this feature, but if you have the disc in your Xbox Series X, remote play is still an option. Although it's broadly good that people have more ways to play their games, this move lines up with Xbox inching toward an all-digital future one in which gamers without access to fast, reliable Internet connections may be left behind. This also lets Xbox expand its cloud gaming offerings without having to necessarily pay third-party developers and publishers big bucks to get their projects on Game Pass proper. The stream your own game initiative also ties into Microsoft's new ad campaign about all kinds of devices being an Xbox when they are, in fact, not. The rollout comes a day after Sony started publicly testing a cloud gaming option on PlayStation Portal, a feature that the device should have had from the beginning. Update November 20, 1:41PM ET: Added clarification from Xbox that only digitally purchased games, and not physical copies, are eligible to stream. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/you-can-now-stream-some-xbox-games-you-own-but-you-still-need-game-pass-ultimate-181047095.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
William Shatner, who once sparred with Engadget over Twitters 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 its time to get into spoiler territory, for those who havent 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. Its 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 dont know. Theres 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. Its 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 well see Shatners Kirk. The man is 93 years old. Paul Wesley has stepped into Shatners 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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Marketing and Advertising
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. Its also wall-mountable, just like the pre-existing Echo Show 15. The display boasts a 1080p resolution, which wont 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. Theres 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 Amazons 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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Marketing and Advertising
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