Op-ed Cheap TVs incessant advertising reaches troubling new lows Op-ed: TV screensavers shouldn't show immigration ads from the Trump administration. Scharon Harding Apr 1, 2025 2:19 pm | 23 Credit: Getty Credit: Getty Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreTVs offer us an escape from the real world. After a long day, sometimes theres nothing more relaxing than turning on your TV, tuning into your favorite program, and unplugging from the realities around you.But what happens when divisive, potentially offensive messaging infiltrates that escape? Even with streaming services making it easy to watch TV commercial-free, it can still be difficult for TV viewers to avoid ads with these sorts of messages.Thats especially the case with budget brands, which may even force controversial ads onto TVs when theyre idle, making users pay for low-priced TVs in unexpected, and sometimes troubling, ways.Vizio TVs reportedly show Trump immigration messaging when in standbyAn experience recently shared by an apparent Vizio TV owner illustrates how ads delivered via TV operating systems (OSes) can take ads from annoying to intrusive and offensive.Reddit user DoubleJumps claimed last week that when their Vizio TV is idle, it plays calming nature video, calming music, and then loops a message from the [T]rump admin[istration] telling illegal immigrants to gtfo over and over and over again. They explained:I left the [TV] idle while I went to the other room to play with my dog. After about a half an hour, I started hearing [US Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi Noem praising Trump and telling immigrants to get out of America, over and over. I went in to check, and caught this video looping 3 more times before it went back to the nature clips.The user added that when trying to replicate this, the TV played the video again after about 20 minutes, but only once.As Distractify detailed, the video in question includes Noem telling people who live outside of the US that the US government will hunt you down if they enter the country illegally. Noem also claims in the video that weak leadership has left our borders wide open, flooding our communities with drugs, human trafficking, and violent criminals.This TV will be out of my house by the end of the week. Fucking dystopian bullshit company," DoubleJumps said.Ars Technica hasnt been able to replicate this internally. We also havent seen other reports of Vizio TV owners seeing this ad. Vizio and parent company Walmart didnt respond to requests for comment.However, what DoubleJumps detailed is completely within the scope of Vizios advertising efforts. Vizio TVs have something called Scenic Mode, which has the sets show, per Vizio, relaxing, ambient content when your TV is idle for a period of time," along with ads. Scenic Mode can be disabled, but if it's enabled, the ads cannot be turned off. Vizio says the ads help it pay for things like the TVs free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels and help keep Vizio TV prices low.Vizio also has ties to political ads. It has previously boasted about its work with "a political candidate on an ad campaign that combined CTV ads with our Household Connect omnichannel feature to reach potential voters both on their TV sets and on other opted in devices." The company says it can play a "powerful role... in helping political campaigns reach their intended audiences."The possibility that the ad placement was a mistake doesn't bring that much comfort either. If TV OS operators want to be so dependent on the advertising business, they owe it to customers to at least make sure errors like this (assuming this was an error) don't happen.Idle TVs are advertisers playthingsEven though Vizio TV owners can turn off Scenic Mode, a company marketing screensaver ads as an experience that adds to the environment of your home or office shows how far some TV brands are willing to go to make advertising dollars. Selling screensaver ad space to politicians delivering threats and associating immigration with drugs, human trafficking, and violence suggests a lack of discernment over what sort of ads are shown where. A political ad shown during a TV commercial break is reasonable. However, seeing one when using a TV functionality that's supposed to offer relaxing, ambient content seems wholly misguided.But TV brands, especially more budget ones like Vizio, are increasingly looking for new places to show ads. And one of the biggest opportunities for more ad space is idle TVs.TV OS operators besides Vizio are trying to seize that opportunity. For example, in 2022, Roku launched Roku City, a screensaver for devices using Roku OS that shows an animated city with advertisements in the form of logos splattered across the city. Roku claims that Roku City reaches 38.5 million streaming households a week on average. A shot of a Roku City screensaver. Credit: Roku A shot of a Roku City screensaver. Credit: Roku Smart TVs and streaming devices running Amazons Fire OS have screensaver ads, too. Even LG, which is considered a more premium brand, launched screensaver ads in September, but users can disable them.Startup Telly is a standout example of a company trying to monetize idle TV time. Announced in 2023, Telly TVs have a secondary screen that can show ads when the TV is not in use. Telly TVs are free to purchase in exchange for providing the company with user data, including disclosing your favorite news outlets, film and TV genres, foods, and services, your gender and race, and other information before youre able to order the TV. The free Telly 4K TV has a second screen for showing ads. Credit: Telly The free Telly 4K TV has a second screen for showing ads. Credit: Telly After theyre set up, Telly TVs track user behavior, including what they watch and for how long, what they search for, and where they put their Telly. If users opt out of tracking, Telly charges them for the TV.Glance is another company demonstrating the strong interest advertisers have in TV screensavers. Glance is known for custom lock screens for phones that show things like news and weather. In December, it announced Glance TV, which essentially brings the same capability to TVs with Glance TV embedded into their OS. In addition to offering a different idle screen, Glance TV delivers targeted advertising and shoppable content to TVs when they go idle. Glance TV only delivers content from Glance's partners and doesnt gather information from the web, Digital Trends previously reported.Currently, Airtel Xstream streaming boxes and sticks, which use Android TV OS and are available in India, are the only devices supporting Glance TV.Bad ad choices make cheap TVs a harder sellBuying a budget TV means accepting some tradeoffs. Those tradeoffs have historically been around things like image quality and feature sets. But companies like Vizio are also asking customers to accept questionable advertising decisions as they look to create new paths to ad revenue.Numerous factors are pushing TV OS operators deeper into advertising. Brands are struggling to grow profits as people buy new TVs less frequently. As the TV market gets more competitive, hardware is also selling for cheaper, with some companies selling TVs at a loss with hopes of making up for it with ad sales. Theres concern that these market realities could detract from real TV innovation. And as the Secretary Noem ad reportedly shown to Vizio TV owners has highlighted, another concern is the lack of care around which ads are being shown to TV ownersespecially when all they want is simple ambient background noise.Today, people can disable ambient mode settings that show ads. But with some TV brands showing poor judgement around where they sell and place ads, we wouldnt bank on companies maintaining these boundaries forever. If the industry cant find a way to balance corporate needs with appropriate advertising, people might turn off not only their TVs more often, but also unplug from those brands completely.Scharon HardingSenior Technology ReporterScharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Toms Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK. 23 Comments

Genetic privacy FTC: 23andMe buyer must honor firms privacy promises for genetic data Agency issues warning about privacy of genetic information and DNA samples. Jon Brodkin Apr 1, 2025 1:40 pm | 23 23andMe headquarters in Sunnyvale, California on March 25, 2025. Credit: Getty Images | Anadolu 23andMe headquarters in Sunnyvale, California on March 25, 2025. Credit: Getty Images | Anadolu Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreFederal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said he's keeping an eye on 23andMe's bankruptcy proceeding and the company's planned sale because of privacy concerns related to genetic testing data. 23andMe and its future owner must uphold the company's privacy promises, Ferguson said in a letter sent yesterday to representatives of the US Trustee Program, a Justice Department division that oversees administration of bankruptcy proceedings."As Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, I write to express the FTC's interests and concerns relating to the potential sale or transfer of millions of American consumers' sensitive personal information," Ferguson wrote. He continued:As you may know, 23andMe collects and holds sensitive, immutable, identifiable personal information about millions of American consumers who have used the Company's genetic testing and telehealth services. This includes genetic information, biological DNA samples, health information, ancestry and genealogy information, personal contact information, payment and billing information, and other information, such as messages that genetic relatives can send each other through the platform.23andMe's recent bankruptcy announcement set off a wave of concern about the fate of genetic data for its 15 million customers. The company said that "any buyer of 23andMe will be required to comply with our privacy policy and with all applicable law with respect to the treatment of customer data." Many users reacted to the news by deleting their data, though tech problems apparently related to increased website traffic made that process difficult.23andMe's ability to secure user data is also a reason for concern. Hackers stole ancestry data for 6.9 million 23andMe users, the company confirmed in December 2023.The bankruptcy is being overseen in US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.FTC: Bankruptcy law protects customersFerguson's letter points to several promises made by 23andMe and says these pledges must be upheld. "The FTC believes that, consistent with Section 363(b)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code, these types of promises to consumers must be kept. This means that any bankruptcy-related sale or transfer involving 23andMe users' personal information and biological samples will be subject to the representations the Company has made to users about both privacy and data security, and which users relied upon in providing their sensitive data to the Company," he wrote. "Moreover, as promised by 23andMe, any purchaser should expressly agree to be bound by and adhere to the terms of 23andMe's privacy policies and applicable law, including as to any changes it subsequently makes to those policies."23andMe has "commit[ed] to its users that they are in control of their data, and that users can decide how their information is used and for what purposesincluding honoring the right of users to delete their personal information at any time," Ferguson wrote. The firm says that explicit authorization from users is needed to disclose genetic information to third parties.Ferguson's letter said that 23andMe tells customers "that it restricts the use and sharing of personal information to what is necessary to provide its services," and that it shares the personal data "with a limited number of service providers who are contractually bound to protect the confidentiality and security of user personal information." The company says in its privacy statement "that it does not share personal information with insurance companies, employers, public databases, or law enforcement, absent a valid court order, subpoena, or search warrant," Ferguson wrote."Importantly, 23andMe promises users that these protections (and its entire Privacy Statement) shall apply continuously to their personal information, even if the data is sold or transferred in a bankruptcy proceeding," the FTC chair wrote.Ferguson said he is "pleased to see" that 23andMe has indicated since its bankruptcy filing that it will continue to honor its privacy promises. But the letter serves as a reminder that the FTC can take action when companies fail to live up to their promises.Just how active Ferguson will be in the 23andMe bankruptcy process isn't clear. President Trump has attempted to limit FTC authority by issuing an executive order declaring that it and similar agencies are no longer independent and must be supervised by the president.Trump also fired both Democratic FTC commissioners despite a US law and a 1935 Supreme Court ruling stating that the president cannot do so without good cause. The Democrats are challenging the firings in court, but for now the FTC has only Republican commissioners. Ferguson backed Trump in the firings, and his FTC reportedly instructed staff to stop describing the agency as "independent" in official filings.Jon BrodkinSenior IT ReporterJon BrodkinSenior IT Reporter Jon is a Senior IT Reporter for Ars Technica. He covers the telecom industry, Federal Communications Commission rulemakings, broadband consumer affairs, court cases, and government regulation of the tech industry. 23 Comments

Scott WilsonWe all know the story: give every chimpanzee on the planet a typewriter and wait until something monumental occurs, either the recreation of the complete works of William Shakespeare or the heat death of the universe. Last year, mathematicians concluded the chimps would never achieve the former the likelihood of one typing even the more modest bananas in its lifetime is a meagre 5 per cent. That some of our closest relatives fail this test speaks to how human culture is like nothing else in nature. Ask biologists to explain why this is, however, and things get complicated.The problem became clear this century as studies revealed that culture, far from being uniquely human, is present across the animal kingdom, from whales to ants. This has encouraged researchers to search for the key ingredient that explains why our culture and ours alone flourished.It hasnt been easy, and for a surprising reason: animal cultures are far more sophisticated than we assumed. We once thought they couldnt become more technologically advanced, yet research published a few months ago suggests they can. We also suspected that animals lacked the smarts to learn complicated behaviours from one another but last year, we discovered that even bees may be sufficiently brainy to do so. Views have changed, says Edwin van Leeuwen, an animal cognition researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. We now know much more about animals than we did before.In updating our expectations of animal cultural behaviour, though, we seem to have made explaining the culture gap much harder.

Like all medications, GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy have side effectsIuliia Burmistrova/Getty ImagesThe use of weight loss treatments like Ozempic and Wegovy has skyrocketed in the Western world. But as more people turn to these treatments, which mimic the appetite-suppressing hormone GLP-1, more potential side effects are emerging, including hair loss.Evidence of this first appeared during clinical trials of Wegovy. Of the more than 2100 adult participants taking the drug, 3 per cent experienced hair loss, compared with only 1 per cent of the roughly 1200 participants taking a

Jeffrey Phelps/AP 2025-04-01T18:40:37Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Voters will hand Elon Musk and the White House DOGE office their first report cards Tuesday night.Wisconsin decides if the GOP gets a state Supreme Court majority. Florida could be a barometer for midterms.Musk-affiliated groups have donated $12 million in Wisconsin and $87,000 in Florida.Elon Musk and the White House DOGE office will get early reviews from voters in a pair of elections in Wisconsin and Florida on Tuesday night.Wisconsinites will vote for their next state Supreme Court justice, potentially handing conservatives a narrow majority a race where Musk, via PACs, has spent $12 million.In Florida, President Donald Trump's adopted home state, voters in a heavily Republican Daytona Beach-area congressional district will elect a replacement for former Rep. Mike Waltz. (A second special election to replace Rep. Matt Gaetz is not expected to be close.) Musk affiliated-groups spent at least $87,000 in the state.Combined, they are the biggest races since Trump's dominating 2024 performance and since DOGE began its massive federal cost cutting efforts.Musk and GOP leadership fear a liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court will redraw the state's congressional map, making it even harder for Republicans to hold onto the US House next November.A loss in Florida, beyond the immediate embarrassment, would also further narrow Speaker Mike Johnson's thin majority right when Republicans are trying to pass Trump's ambitious tax and immigration plan. Even a narrow win in Florida is mildly embarrassing, given Gov. Ron DeSantis used the district to launch himself to power.Democrats sense an opportunity and have made Musk a major issue in both contests. Musk brought attention to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race by donning a Cheesehead and giving away $1 million checks.Trump has steadfastly defended Musk so far, even hawking Teslas on the White House lawn. But if the GOP falters on Tuesday night, some of the blame, fairly or not, will be placed at the feet of Musk.Problems are beginning to mount for Musk. Vulnerable House Republicans have begun to criticize the DOGE office more frequently. Lawmakers in their home districts are getting an earful from voters at town halls about how grant and program cuts affect their communities. And while he remains the world's richest person, investors are souring on the thought of having a Tesla CEO this close to power.The biggest risk for Musk is he can become the worst thing imaginable to Trump: a loser.Democrats turn focus to MuskIn Wisconsin, the state Democratic party's website portrays Musk as a puppeteer of conservative Judge Brad Schimel, the GOP's preferred choice in the officially non-partisan race. Liberal Judge Susan Crawford has included Musk's images in attack ads.Polling shows Musk is far more unpopular than Trump. With the global backlash against Tesla, Musk has become the exact kind of boogeyman opposing parties crave to juice turnout in off-year elections.Musk has made a splash in Wisconsin and potentially violated state law by offering a pair of $1 million checks to voters. (He did eventually change his description of the giveaway, and a judge ruled the giveaway could proceed.)History shows presidential parties often struggle in midterm elections. Wisconsin and Florida will offer the White House an early indication of where things are headed.And, perhaps, a change in direction at an early fork in the road.Recommended video

Meta's head of AI research, Joelle Pineau, is leaving Meta 2025-04-01T18:33:35Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Meta's AI research head, Joelle Pineau is leaving amid major AI investments.Pineau's exit complicates Meta's competition with OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI.Meta aims to make Llama the industry standard and reach a billion chatbot users.Meta's head of artificial intelligence research, Joelle Pineau, is leaving the company at a time when the tech giant is pouring billions into AI development to keep pace with industry rivals.Pineau, who joined Meta in 2017 and served as Vice President of AI Research and leader of Meta's Fundamental AI Research group (FAIR), announced her departure on Tuesday on LinkedIn. "Today, as the world undergoes significant change, as the race for AI accelerates, and as Meta prepares for its next chapter, it is time to create space for others to pursue the work," she wrote. "I will be cheering from the sidelines, knowing that you have all the ingredients needed to build the best AI systems in the world." Her last day will be May 30."We thank Joelle for her leadership of FAIR," a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement. "She's been an important voice for Open Source and helped push breakthroughs to advance our products and the science behind them." They did not answer a question about whether Meta had already started looking for a successor.Pineau, will continue teaching computer science at McGill University in Montreal, a role she also held during her time at Meta. She wrote on LinkedIn that she will take time "to observe and reflect" after leaving. She led roughly 1,000 people across 10 locations at the company.Pineau's departure complicates Meta's efforts to compete with rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Elon Musk's xAI. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has prioritized AI at Meta, committing as much as $65 billion to related projects this year.Llama, Meta's open-source large language model that competes with proprietary models from other companies, has been a key initiative for the company. Zuckerberg aims to make Llama the industry standard worldwide and believes Meta's AI chatbot, available across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, could reach a billion users this year. As of December, 600 million users accessed Meta AI each month.Last year, the company reorganized its AI teams to place Pineau and FAIR closer to the product division to accelerate the implementation of research into Meta's various products.Pineau has been interested in AI for over 25 years. As a student at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, she worked on a voice recognition system for helicopter pilots, according to a Financial Times interview. She said she joined Meta because "it was pretty obvious that a lot of the biggest innovation in AI was going to happen in industry" and added that she didn't interview anywhere else because "Meta was the only [company] that had a commitment to open science and open research."Pineau's departure comes amid other leadership changes at Meta. The company recently lost two other senior executives: Dan Neary, vice president for Asia-Pacific Meta's largest market, and Kate Hamill, managing director for retail and e-commerce in North America, who had spent more than a decade at the company.Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at or Signal at . Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; .Recommended video

How to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct and what announcements to expectGameCentralPublished April 1, 2025 6:00pm A major information dump is about to occur (Nintendo)The big day is finally here, when Nintendo will reveal the inner secrets of the Switch 2 and its games, and its very easy to watch the Direct as it happens.At over eight years old, the Nintendo Switch is well past retirement age, but its still selling and we found out last week that there are still new games scheduled for it in 2026.Nevertheless, its successor has been waiting in the wings for a while now, after the Nintendo Switch 2 was officially announced in January. Although it was a very limited reveal, with no voiceover to explain anything, while the only game that was shown was seven seconds of footage for a new Mario Kart.The true reveal, where more games will be shown and the console will be explained in detail, takes place this week, as part of a very special Nintendo Direct.When is the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct?The Switch 2 Nintendo Direct is an online showcase that will be livestreamed on YouTube and Twitch on Wednesday, April 2.It will last approximately 60 minutes and will start at 2pm BST (remember were not on GMT anymore).Thats long for a Direct, so clearly Nintendo feels theyve got a lot to talk about, but you dont necessarily have to tune in when it happens, as you can just watch the whole Direct, or edited highlights, after the livestream is finished.How to watch the Switch 2 Nintendo DirectWatching the Nintendo Direct is very easy and completely free. The default venue is YouTube, with the video already available above, where you can watch the whole thing once it starts.If you prefer, itll also be shown at the same time on Nintendos Twitch channel, but its the same livestream either way. Both channels will offer the full Direct to watch after its finished, along with much shorter videos of individual game trailers and console details.What announcements are expected at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct?That question is much harder to answer, as not only is Nintendo naturally hard to predict but thereve been very few leaks or rumours in the run-up to the Direct (there were more before but thats only because its harder to keep secrets when third party hardware companies are involved).Based on previous console unveils, and given how few concrete details there are, it seems fair to expect a detailed description of what the console can do and definitive answers to questions like what the secret C button is for and whether the Joy-Cons can really be used as mice.We wouldnt expect detailed tech specs though, as thats something Nintendo never does. Although therell probably be something to illustrate the consoles power and the difference between Switch 1 games running on the original console versus the Switch 2. A new Mario Kart is the only game we know about so far (YouTube)In terms of games, the only thing close to certain is the new Mario Kart. But despite assumptions, theres no guarantee it will be a launch title.Considering it was in last weeks Nintendo Direct, theres no certainty that Metroid Prime 4 will be featured heavily. Although given its widely expected to be a launch game it should at least be mentioned.Everything else is pure guesswork at this point, including whether Nintendo will showcase any third party games or leave that for a subsequent Direct.If you had to guess though, youd have to say theres a very good chance that youll get at least a glimpse of a new 3D Mario (with some rumours suggesting itll feature a Donkey Kong crossover), with a good chance of Splatoon 4 and perhaps a tease of a new Animal Crossing.More TrendingIts far too soon after Tears Of The Kingdom to expect a new mainline Zelda but there could be another remaster or spin-off. Or perhaps even a full-blown remake of a classic title.Youd also hope there might be at least one brand new IP and in fact we technically already know about one: the secret online title that Nintendo was playtesting late last year and is believed to be codenamed Rockstock.Will the Switch 2 release date and price be announced at the Direct?This is also very difficult to say but the best answer we can give is probably. The Switch 2 is rumoured to have a launch date in or around June, so if thats true Nintendo is going to have to get specific about the details of when the console will be available and how much it will cost pretty soon.We already know itll be out this year, at some point, so a specific release date is all but certain. Pre-order details are also possible, but they may be left until a few days or weeks afterwards, so dont worry if that isnt announced straight away. Does Metroid Prime 4 come in two flavours: Switch 1 and Switch 2? (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

The Trump administration has, through its attempted deportation of college students vocally critical of Israel, made clear that it does not believe free speech applies to foreign-born residents. Substack, the popular online publishing platform, is aligning itself with free expression. The company announced that it will partner with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) to offer legal support for foreign writers residing lawfully in the United States who are targeted by the government for their writing. Substack already offers legal support to writers on its platform through Defender, a program that connects writers who face legal challenges to media lawyers who provide free advice and direction, as well as subsidizing the cost of mounting a defense. Notably, in the companys announcement with FIRE, it urged writers who are facing government persecution to get in touch whether or not you publish on Substack. In addition to Substacks Defender program, FIRE also has a legal defense program for journalists, as well as one for university faculty and student journalists. Both programs offer guidance and resources for those facing litigation, as well as the potential that FIRE will help pay the legal fees for the legal challenge. The organizations decision to offer support for vulnerable writers comes at a time when things feel particularly tenuous for critics of not just the Trump administration itself, but its allies and interests. Last week, Marco Rubio indicated that at least 300 students have been targeted by immigration officers for deportation and had their visas revoked. Rmeysa ztrk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was arrested last week foras best as anyone can tellco-writing an op-ed in her university newspaper that described Israels military campaign in Gaza as a genocide. ztrk is just the latest instance of students engaged in criticism of Israel and support for Palestine who have been targeted by the Trump administrationthe most noteworthy being Mahmoud Khalil, who was disappeared by ICE agents and had his green card status revoked for his role in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Columbia Universitys campus. There are some who are a bit dubious of Substacks judgement when it comes to the types of speech that it defends, given the companys decision to go to bat for outright Nazis who use its platform. Back in 2023, the company defended its choice not to remove publishers who expressed white nationalist and Nazi ideology, allowing them to continue monetizing their content on the platform. That led to a revolt of some writers who ditched Substack over its decision.

Heres some exciting news for John Wick fans out of CinemaCon 2025: the long-teased John Wick: Chapter 5 is officially a go. A concept has been locked in and development is underway with series star Keanu Reeves. And heres more exciting news for John Wick fans to go with that: the franchise is also getting an animated prequel that will finally, at long last, showcase the Impossible Task that didnt take, but for a brief moment allowed the title assassin to think hed managed to retire from his crime-laden life. Its something so wild that Lionsgate decided animation was the only way to tell it right. It will, obviously, take place before the first John Wick movie, and is being written by Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones, The Shape of Water) and directed by Shannon Tindle (Ultraman: Rising). A press release from Lionsgate explained that the animated film will go back in time to tell the story of John Wick before the first film, as he completes the Impossible Taskthe killing of all of his rivals in one nightin order to free himself from his obligation to the High Table and earn the right to be with the love of his life, Helen. Ive always been fascinated with anime, John Wick live-action director and animated film co-producer Chad Stahelski said in the release. It has always been a huge influence on me, especially with the John Wick series. To have the opportunity to develop a John Wick anime seems to be the perfect progression for the John Wick world. I feel John Wick is the perfect property for this mediumanime holds the potential to expand our world, our characters, and our action in ways unimaginable before. As we already knew, John Wick spin-off movie Ballerina arrives in Juneand another spin-off has now been confirmed, with Donnie Yen starring (reprising his role of blind assassin Caine) and directing. It begins filming this summer. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Mattson Tomlin (The Batman Part II) will write the script.The John Wick films have set an immensely high standard for action filmmaking and I greatly appreciate Lionsgate giving me the opportunity to further elevate the franchise, Yen said in the release. I am both thrilled and deeply inspired to make this happen. Stahelski added, One of my favorite characters in the John Wick world is Caine. To have the chance to dive into his world and discover all his adventures excites us all. We envision a modern day kung-fu classic that explores the John Wick world, and who better to helm it than Donnie Yen himself. His understanding of the culture, the world, and, of course, the action, make him the perfect director for this project. Additional reporting by Germain Lussier. Original post updated with press release quotes. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

I carry a portable SSD with me everywhere I go. Its a great way to lug around lots of files without cluttering my laptops built-in drive. Right now, Amazon has a variety of Lexar SSDs and memory cards at deep discounts to make room for new models. The 2TB ES3 for $108 is the stand-out deal, but the rugged Armor series drives are also solidly discounted right now. Go grab one and back up your stuff before the computer gremlins take out your laptop and you lose your precious files.Lexar 2TB ES3 Portable SSD, Up to 1050MB/s Read and 1000 MB/s Write $108 (was $179)LexarSee ItThis compact drive weighs less than four ounces and can fit in basically any pocket or bag. Inside, however, it has the capacity for up to 2TB of files. That likely more than doubles your laptops storage for just over $100. It connects via USB-C, so it allows for fast transfers. If youre shooting photos or videos, you can keep them on the drive and edit straight off the SSD rather than cluttering up your computers built-in drive.This isnt a waterproof drive, but it is drop-proof up to two meters. The case also has advanced heat dispersion tech to keep the drive cool, even when performing large file transfers. At this price, this is an incredible little drive to keep as a backup or even to use as a Time Machine drive for your Mac computer.More Lexar portable SSD dealsLexar 2TB Armor 700 Portable SSD, Up to 2000MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 22, Rugged, IP66 Water & Dust Resistance $149 (was $215)Lexar 4TB Armor 700 Portable SSD, Up to 2000MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 22, Rugged, IP66 Water & Dust Resistance $268 (was $365)Lexar 2TB Professional Go Portable SSD w/Hub $224 (was $350)Lexar 1TB Professional Go Portable SSD w/Hub, Supports Apple 4K 60fps ProRes, Up to 1050MB/s $152 (was $239)Lexar portable USB-C hub dealLexar Professional Go Portable Hub, Four Type-C Ports $38 (was $49)Lexar memory card dealsLexar 128GB (2-Pack) Professional Silver Plus microSDXC Memory Card w/SD Adapter $23 (was $45)Lexar 256GB (2-Pack) Professional Silver Plus microSDXC Memory Card w/SD Adapter $37 (was $75)Lexar 1TB Play microSDXC Memory Card $87 (was $125)Lexar 512GB Play microSDXC Memory Card $43 (was $65)Lexar 1TB PLAY microSDXC Memory Card $63 (was $129)Lexar 256GB (2-PK) Professional SILVER PRO SDXC Memory Card $107 (was $140)Lexar 128GB (2-PK) Professional SILVER PRO SDXC Memory Card $56 (was $74)Lexar 128GB Professional SILVER PRO SDXC Memory Card $33 (was $49)Lexar 512GB Professional Silver SDXC Memory Card $51 (was $62)Lexar jump drive dealsLexar 512GB JumpDrive Dual Drive D400 USB 3.2 Type-C & Type-A Flash Drive $45 (was $72)Lexar 256GB JumpDrive Dual Drive D400 USB 3.2 Type-C & Type-A Flash Drive $25 (was $36)Lexar 128GB JumpDrive M400 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive $10 (was $18)The post This $179 2TB Lexar portable SSD is just $108 right now at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.