• BLOG.PLAYSTATION.COM
    Big Games, Big Deals promotion comes to PlayStation Store April 23
    Big games deserve big deals, and that’s exactly the focus of PlayStation Store’s new promotion, which launches tomorrow, April 23! For a limited time*, you can enjoy price reductions across a selection of titles, including Dynasty Warriors: Origins (20% off), Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (30% off) and many more. Browse a selection of games on offer below, then when the promotion goes live, head to PlayStation Store to discover your regional discount.  Browse a selection of games on offer below, then when the promotion goes live, head to PlayStation Store to discover your regional discount.  13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim 8-Bit Adventures 2 Full Game Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Actraiser Renaissance AEW: Fight Forever AFL 23 Age of Mythology: Retold AK-xolotl Alan Wake 2 Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX Aliens: Dark Descent Amnesia: Collection Amnesia: Rebirth Among Us Animal Shelter Anomaly Agent AO Tennis 2 Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Arcade Game Series: Ms. Pac-Man Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man Arcade Paradise Arcade Paradise VR Assassin’s Creed III Remastered Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Assassin’s Creed Rogue Remastered Assassin’s Creed Unity Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection Asterix & Obelix XXL 3: The Crystal Menhir Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout Batman: Arkham VR Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Bear and Breakfast Bee Simulator Beneath Oresa Besiege Beyond Good and Evil Remaster Beyond the Ice Palace 2 Biomutant Blair Witch BlazBlue: Central Fiction Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Bloons TD 6 Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus Boti: Byteland Overclocked Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia Bus Simulator Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered Car Mechanic Simulator Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 Car Mechanic Simulator VR Card-en-Ciel Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunt Castle Crashers Remastered Chernobyl Again Circuit Superstars Cloudpunk Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising Code Vein Commandos 3 – HD Remaster Construction Simulator Construction Simulator 2: Console Edition Construction Simulator 3: Console Edition Contra: Operation Galuga Control: Ultimate Edition Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Cry Babies Magic Tears: The Big Game Crysis 2 Remastered Crysis 3 Remastered Crysis Remastered cyubeVR Darkest Dungeon II Darksiders Genesis Darksiders II – Deathinitive Edition Darksiders III Darksiders Warmastered Edition Daymare: 1994 Sandcastle PS5 Daymare: 1998 Dead Island 2 Main Game Dead Rising 2 Dead Rising 2: Off the Record Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Death’s Gambit: Afterlife Deliver Us Mars DEMON SLAYER : KIMETSU NO YAIBA THE HINOKAMI CHRONICLES Destroy All Humans! Destroy All Humans! 2 Destroy All Humans! 2 – Single Player Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Digging A Hole 2025 Disciples: Liberation PS5 Disco Elysium – The Final Cut Disgaea 1 Complete Dishonored® Definitive Edition Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! DOOM 3 DOOM 3: VR Edition Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle Dragon Quest Builders Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Dragon’s Lair Trilogy Dreams Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition Dynasty Warriors 9 DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 Empires DYNASTY WARRIORS: ORIGINS ELEX 2 Elite Dangerous ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights ENDER MAGNOLIA EXOcars main game Exoprimal_PS5 Fallout 4 Family Feud® Far Cry 4 Far Cry 5 Farming Simulator 25 Fate/Samurai Remnant FIA European Truck Racing Championship FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Remastered Edition Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Final Fantasy VII Remake Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster Final Vendetta Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise Five Nights at Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 Food Truck Simulator G.I. JOE: WRATH OF COBRA Gal Guardians: Demon Purge Galaxy Kart Gang Beasts Garden Life: A Cozy Simulator Gear.Club Unlimited 2 Ultimate Edition Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered Ghostrunner PS5 Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection GigaBash God Eater 3 Gone Home Gori: Cuddly Carnage Greedfall Green Hell GRID Legends GrimGrimoire OnceMore Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 Hajwala HAJWALA 2 Handball 17 Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos Heavy Rain High On Life Home Safety Hotline Horizon Forbidden West Hubris Human: Fall Flat Hunt: Showdown 1896 Hypermarket Simulator In Stars and Time Infernax Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition Inside Jagged Alliance 3 Jeopardy! Journey Jumanji: The Video Game Jurassic World Evolution Kill la Kill – IF Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory Kingdoms and Castles Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning KONOSUBA -God’s blessing on this wonderful world! Labyrinth of Galleria Langrisser I & II Layers of Fear LEGO DC Super-Villains LEGO Marvel Super Heroes LEGO The Incredibles Life is Strange: Double Exposure Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth LIMBO Little Nightmares Madden NFL 25 Martha Is Dead Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition Medieval Dynasty Mega Man 11 Mega Man Legacy Collection Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 Mega Man X Legacy Collection Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection METAL SLUG ATTACK RELOADED Main Game Metal Slug Tactics Metal Slug XX Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Game of the Year Edition Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes Mika and the Witch’s Mountain MLB® The Show™ 25 Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Video Game Monster Hunter Stories Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Monster Hunter: World Monster Jam Steel Titans 2 Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp XXL Monster Prom 3: Monster Roadtrip XXL Monster Train Moorhuhn Kart 2 Morbid: The Lords of Ire Mortal Kombat 11 Mortal Shell Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021 PS5 Mousetrap – Full Game Mutant Football League MX vs ATV All Out MXGP 24: The Official Game MXGP Pro My Hero One’s Justice Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Need for Speed™ Hot Pursuit Remastered Neighbours back From Hell Nexomon: Extinction NHL 25 NHRA Championship Drag Racing: Speed For All Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2: Grand Prix Nickelodeon: All-Star Brawl NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… Night of the Dead Simulator Nikoderiko Nioh Remastered – The Complete Edition Nobody Saves the World MDID Okami HD One Lonely Outpost One Piece: World Seeker Onimusha: Warlords Operation: Tango Outcast – A New Beginning Outlast 2 OUTRIDERS Overcooked! 2 Overpass 2 Palworld PAW Patrol World Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Persona 5 Tactica Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight Pets & Stuff PGA Tour 23 (PS5) Phasmophobia Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition Planet Coaster 2 Planet Coaster: Console Edition Planet Zoo Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 Police Shootout Port Royale 4 Potion Permit Powerwash Simulator Predator: Hunting Grounds Pumpkin Jack Quake – PS5 Rabbids Party of Legends Railway Empire Rain World Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Ravenswatch Red Matter 2 Resident Evil Resident Evil 0 Resident Evil 2 Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 5 Resident Evil 6 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Resident Evil Code: Veronica X Resident Evil Village RetroMania Wrestling Rewind or Die RiMS Racing Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Risen Risk: Urban Assault RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS 8 REMAKE Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven ROUNDS R-Type Final 3 Evolved Rugby 22 SaGa Emerald Beyond Saints Row Salt and Sacrifice Standard Salt and Sanctuary Samurai Shodown Samurai Warriors 4 Samurai Warriors 4 Empires Samurai Warriors 4-II SCHiM Scorn Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew – Base Game Shadow Man Remastered Shave & Stuff Sherlock Holmes Chapter One PS5 Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster Ship Graveyard Simulator 2 Ship of Fools Skater XL Skull & Bones Sky Oceans: Wings For Hire Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut Slay the Spire Smalland: Survive the Wilds Smurfs Kart Sniper Elite 4 Sniper Elite 5 Sniper Elite V2 Remastered Sniper Elite VR Snooker 19 Soma SONG OF HORROR SOUTH PARK: SNOW DAY! Space Engineers Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake Sprawl STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R Star Ocean: First Departure R Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Stardew Valley Stay Out of the House Stilt Streets of Rage 4 Sudden Strike 4 Sugardew Island SunnySide Super Mega Baseball 4 Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD Super Woden GP II SUPERHOT SUPERHOT VR SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE Surviving Mars Sword and Fairy 7 SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment Syberia – The World Before Tactics Ogre: Reborn Tales of Symphonia Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition Taxi Chaos That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime ISEKAI Chronicles The Beast Inside The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication The Bridge Curse: Road to Salvation The Callisto Protocol The Case of the Golden Idol The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes The Devil Within: Satgat The DioField Chronicle The Disney Afternoon Collection The Escapists The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles The Jackbox Naughty Pack The Jackbox Party Pack The Jackbox Party Pack 3 The Jackbox Party Pack 6 The Jackbox Party Pack 7 The Jackbox Party Pack 8 The Jackbox Party Pack 9 The Karate Kid: Street Rumble THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2002 UNLIMITED MATCH THE KING OF FIGHTERS ’98 ULTIMATE MATCH FINAL EDITION The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV The Last Faith The Last Stand: Aftermath The LEGO Movie Videogame The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game The Medium The Settlers : New Allies The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia The Survivalists The Wolf Among Us – The Complete First Season THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE They Are Billions Thief Simulator Thief Simulator 2 Thief Simulator VR Thunder Ray Thymesia Ticket to Ride® TimeSplitters TimeSplitters 2 TimeSplitters: Future Perfect Titan Quest To the Moon Tom Clancy’s The Division Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™ 1 + 2 Tormented Souls Tour De France 2023 TrackMania Turbo Trials of Mana Tribe: Primitive Builder Tricky Towers Trine 5 Trivial Pursuit Live! 2 Truck Driver Truck Driver: The American Dream TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge UFC® 5 Ultimate General: Gettysburg Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 UNCHARTED: Legacy of Thieves Collection UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes Until Dawn Untitled Goose Game Unturned Valkyria Chronicles 4 VALKYRIE PROFILE: LENNETH Vengeance Hunters VISAGE Visions of Mana Waltz of the Wizard Wanted: Dead Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition Warriors All-Stars Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate WARRIORS: Abyss Watch Dogs We Were Here Forever Weedcraft Inc Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood White Day 2: The Flower That Tells Lies – Complete Edition White Day: A Labyrinth Named School Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing 24 WRC 2023 WRC 7 FIA World Rally Championship WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship WRC Generations – The FIA WRC Official Game Wreckfest PlayStation®5 Version WW2 Rebuilder Yakuza: Like a Dragon Ys IX: Monstrom Nox Ys Origin Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA Zombie Army 4: Dead War Zombie Army Trilogy Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded *Big Games, Big Deals promotion is live on PlayStation Store from April 23 at 00:00 AM PDT/BST/JST and finishes May 7 at 11:59 PM PDT/BST/JST. 
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  • WWW.POLYGON.COM
    Andor’s squabbling, stranded rebel group is a small Easter egg — and part of a big picture
    By halfway through the first episode of Andor’s second season, fledgling rebel Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) has run across a complication on his latest mission: a band of rebel soldiers who see him as a threat rather than an ally. In fact, they seem to see just about everything as a threat: the critters in the extensive jungle around them, any outsiders they run across, even the other members of their own group. From the first moment Cassian meets them — at gunpoint, in a mass confrontation — they’re already loudly arguing with each other about the right way to capture him. We’ve never seen this fractious, incompetent group before — but thanks to a few small references in Andor season 1, we know a few things about who they are, and possibly how they wound up stranded at Cassian’s drop point. Here’s how these loud, flailing goobers fit into Andor’s continuity — and how they fit into what seems to be this season’s overarching theme. [Ed. note: Minor spoilers ahead for episodes 1 and 2 of Andor season 2, and for a small subplot in season 1.] After capturing Cassian, the rebel group argue among themselves about where they could possibly go next, assuming they can either learn to use Cassian’s stolen experimental TIE Avenger or talk him into transporting them. It’s clear that in addition to not having any agreed-upon leader in the group, they don’t have any sort of headquarters or clear goal. From the arguments, we also know they’ve been stuck on the planet for two days, with minimal food and supplies. From one member, Cassian learns they’re members of the Maya Pei Brigade, one of the rebel groups his sponsor/handler Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) has been backing. Who is Maya Pei, the rebel leader? We’ve also never seen Maya Pei in Andor, but she’s been mentioned a few times by Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), who brings her up in a rant about various anti-Empire rebel factions he disdains as “lost” because they lack his “clarity of purpose.” In a scene in season 1’s “Narkina 5,” he sneers at Luthen that he wouldn’t work with Maya Pei because she’s a “neo-Republican.” (Luthen for his part describes Saw as an anarchist, though seemingly one he’s still willing to work with.) She gets another quick mention from Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) in an ISB meeting in season 1 — Luthen’s attempt to buy an Imperial Starpath Unit from Cassian in season 1 apparently happened “in a safehouse run by a rebel cell associated with Maya Pei.” While the ISB is aware of her existence, though, she never becomes a significant part of Andor’s story; she’s just a background detail, the head of one of many independently operating rebel groups Luthen is helping supply and sometimes coordinate. Curiously enough, the collapse of the Maya Pei Brigade seems to mirror what happens to another of Luthen’s splinter rebellion projects in season 1: the one run by Anto Kreegyr, who Luthen cold-bloodedly sells out in season 1 in order to keep one of his Empire informants protected. A particularly complicated bit of spycraft-versus-spycraft feinting and counterfeiting leads Luthen to sacrifice Kreegyr and his group, allowing them to carry out a guerilla attack on an Imperial power station without warning them that one of their pilots has been caught and interrogated, and the Empire has laid a trap for them. Maya Pei’s group says something similar happened to them — “We got ambushed! We lost six ships, 40 fighters!” one of them tells Cassian. Maya herself was apparently caught in the crossfire, though the group is divided on whether she’s dead, and on what exactly happened in the thick of battle.  How does the Maya Pei Brigade fit into Andor’s story? What’s more significant about the disintegrating remnants of the Maya Pei Brigade is how this squabbling group of survivors helps carry forward some of the biggest ideas at play throughout the show — the many, many fracture points in a factionalized rebellion, and how difficult it is to bring one to bear against unified totalitarian rule. That theme plays out in a wide variety of ways across Andor’s two seasons, from Mon Mothma’s genteel political rebellion in the Senate and secretive funding efforts outside of it to Luthen’s schemes, Cassian’s adventures, and the major ISB project in season 2. Here, though, the theme operates on a particularly small scale, and a particularly impassioned one. Maya’s surviving forces don’t agree about their goals or how to pursue them, about who should lead the group or what their organizer would have wanted. They don’t even agree about what just happened to them, or their leader. Their suspicions against each other and against everyone else make them a danger to themselves and to any other part of the rebellion that touches them. And as long as they maintain that suspicious, chaotic response to the collapse of their own faction, they’re incapable of seeing an ally when he appears. (It doesn’t help that Cassian is trying to maintain basic operational security by not explaining his mission to them, or admitting who he reports to.)  Their internal group squabbling mirrors the larger conflict we saw in season 1, as represented by Saw Gerrera’s contemptuous take on other rebel groups: In theory, all the organizations he mentions in his rant are on the same side, along with Luthen. They all want an end to the Empire, with its oppression and overreach. But they don’t agree philosophically about how to pursue their goals, or what might replace the Empire in their ideal galaxy. Saw dismisses them all as “separatists,” not acknowledging that he, too, is part of the problem — judging other factions of rebels as unworthy, and refusing to cooperate with them.  All of this points to a tension between different crucial aspects of the rebellion. It’s necessary for all these little splinter groups to operate independently of each other as much as possible, for information segregation and deniability. But there’s a limit to how much any of them can accomplish with a small band of people dedicated more to a specific leader and a narrow philosophy than to the cause that unites them. And all of this is building up to the rest of the action in season 2, as the scattered, splintered rebellion seen in patchy glimpses throughout season 1 becomes the more functional, dedicated organization seen in Rogue One and the original George Lucas Star Wars trilogy. Where the biggest-picture story in Andor season 1 was about Cassian’s transformation from head-in-the-sand cynic to dedicated freedom fighter, season 2 takes on some bigger ideas about how individual members of an insurrection having clarity of purpose isn’t enough to make a rebellion successful — not when it’s divided up among factions who have different clarities of purpose, like Saw, or no clarity at all.
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  • WWW.POLYGON.COM
    Ghorman suddenly feels like the most important Star Wars planet
    Tatooine might be the inescapable center of the Skywalker Saga, but when it comes to the most influential planets in the Star Wars galaxy, Ghorman just hyperspace jumped to the top of the list.  In the season premiere of Andor season 2, the Earth-like planet lands in the crosshairs of Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), the cape-wearing Imperial crony last seen in Rogue One. In a secret meeting on the Maltheen Divide, Krennic and various representatives from across the Empire watch a 1950s-style PSA about the prosperous business of harvesting silk produced by Ghorman spiders, or ghorlectipods.  But Krennic’s interest in Ghorman goes beyond — or rather, deeper — than textiles: Underneath the planet is an ore, kalkite, that could completely reshape and empower the Empire. He intends to mine it at all costs. Ghorman has been on the periphery of Star Wars lore while never in complete focus. In the first season of Andor, Ghorman pushback against Imperial rule led to sanctions from their overlords and cries in the planet’s defense in the Galactic Senate, spearheaded by Mon Mothma. Mentions of the planet’s silk production pop up in other parts of Star Wars — mainly in the High Republic book Convergence, set nearly 380 years before the events of the show — but Ghorman’s real claim to fame in Star Wars history is a violent turn.  Ported from “Legends” EU material like Dark Apprentice into canon auxiliary material like 2023’s Star Wars Timelines, the “Ghorman Massacre” saw the Empire “slaughter peaceful protestors” (per Timelines) who stood against trade blockades. Compilations of the bits and pieces of lore about the attack suggest thousands were killed. The Andor season 2 premiere sets up the pieces to depict this horrific event, which, if things follow current canon, should be an inciting moment for Mon Mothma to go full rebel. Star Wars’ screen stories have their fair share of devastating Imperial action, but the way Krennic lights the fuse for the Ghorman Massacre is particularly ugly and despicable. If the established timeline holds, the Empire’s attack on Ghorman protestors will go down in BBY 2. We see Krennic’s meeting at the Maltheen Divide in BBY 4. What may have sounded like a moment of bubbled-over rage on the part of the Empire now looks like a diabolical plot. “Ghorman is of great interest to the Empire,” Krennic says to his goons. The reason is kalkite energy; instead of manufacturing synthetic alternatives, the Empire could mine the real thing from the planet and truly fulfill the “Emperor’s dream of energy independence,” which sounds like the most cheery presidential executive order hogwash imaginable. The Empire surely does seek “stable, unlimited power,” as Krennic puts it, but I have feeling that coating “reactor lenses” has less to do with sustainability than powering, I don’t know, a Death Star? We know where Krennic winds up in Rogue One. Krennic knows his pitch to frack Ghorman won’t even fly with all of his Imperial collaborators. So he brings in Dee Shambo and Nisus Osar from the absolutely evil-sounding Ministry of Enlightenment to lecture the group on the need to “weaponize the galactic opinion” over the Ghorman’s “arrogant” business affairs and the government’s general “secrecy.” Tony Gilroy’s metaphor for modern political chicanery feels so thinly veiled (in a forceful, satisfying way) that you almost expect someone to claim George Soros is fueling the Ghorman resistance effort. Only a few minutes later, one of Krennic’s goons wonders aloud if they should just unleash a plague on Ghorman to wipe out the population so they can swoop in with drills. It gets uglier. Krennic has the majority on his side, but doesn’t trust his own propaganda plan. He turns to Security Bureau lieutenant Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) for better ideas. “You need a radical insurgency you can count on,” she tells him. “You need Ghorman rebels to do the wrong thing.” Woof. The days of blowing up Alderaan in a single shot almost seem quaint. The stage is set for the Empire to get the best of the Ghorman people through their own slippery resistance. If the Empire can fuel enough rage, the protest movement will go over the line and give permission for them to enter, like militarized vampires. Like life, but unlike most Star Wars, it seems no one will show up at the perfect time to scream “It’s a trap!” The silk, the spiders, and the Ricola commercial of a planet will all be wiped out over something that has nothing to do with any of it. Most prequels tend to go back and shade in the familiar. Andor, on the other hand, plucks from Wookieepedia obscurity — then decimates accordingly. Good luck, Ghorman; we hardly knew you.
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  • LIFEHACKER.COM
    Instagram Just Launched Its Version of CapCut
    Instagram is officially launching Edits, the company's take on mobile video editors. The launch comes three months after Instagram announced the app, and two months after Edits' original launch date in February. Instagram is coming for TikTokIt makes sense for Instagram to have a video editor of its own for many reasons. The company is no longer just the app you open to check out the photos and videos people and companies post on their page: Instagram reels are a huge part of the experience now. Short-form videos have taken off everywhere (even LinkedIn has them), and Instagram is no exception. There's a good chance it's your platform of choice for these bite-size clips, especially if you live in the United States—even if TikTok users scoff at the idea of using Reels at all.But it's not just the friendly competition that is fueling this push for Edits to take off. You might recall that back in January, TikTok and its associated apps went dark. Not only did Americans lose access to the most popular short form video app in the world, but also other popular apps like CapCut. While TikTok and many of its apps returned, the situation is ongoing, and these apps' future in the U.S. is anything but guaranteed. There's a real opportunity for Meta to solidify Instagram as the one-stop shop for both consumers and creators of short form videos, both to compete with TikTok and to take its crown should the apps be banned again.What can you do with Edits? Instagram itself has an editing tool you can use when creating a reel, but the Edits app appears to be a more complete experience. I haven't had a chance to try out Edits yet, but from Meta's promotional materials, the app seems like a standard mobile video editor. You can import video files, or shoot directly within the app (up to 10 minutes), and edit on a non-linear timeline. Like other apps, you can access various editing tools, like a chrome key tool for green screening, a caption editor, and a cutout feature to isolate subjects and objects. You can check out reels with trending audio, and use a track if you find one you like, or access a greater audio library to add music and sounds to your video. While there's a general project manager, there's also an "Ideas" section. Here, you can write down concepts for future videos; it looks to be more than a glorified notes app, as it seems you can create vision board-like stickers for these ideas. You can also keep tabs on how any video performs from an "Insights" tab. Credit: Images courtesy of Meta Of course, it's 2025, so Instagram is incorporating AI into Edits. That manifests as the Animate feature, which lets you animate static images with generative AI. It sounds similar to features offered by other companies, like Google's Veo 2 video model, but we'll have to see how it performs before passing judgment. Meta says there's also a "Modify" feature that changes the "look and feel" of your videos using AI, but hasn't specified much about how that really works. Again, we'll need to test out the app to see what that's all about. You can download Edits starting today from the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. You'll need to log in with your Instagram account to use it, which makes sense: Meta wants you to use this for Instagram reels. However, as long as you have an Instagram account, you can use Edits to make videos for any platform. The company says all exports come without watermarks, so you can, in theory, use Edits to post videos on platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts, not just Instagram. Again, the big question is how the app performs when compared to established mobile video editor apps. If you use Instagram already, it might makes sense to use Edits, too. But if you're used to another mobile video editor, especially one that isn't at risk of being banned, will Edits be enticing enough to make the switch? Only time (and edits) will tell.
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  • LIFEHACKER.COM
    The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Is at Its Lowest Price Ever Right Now
    We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If you’ve been thinking about adding a security camera to your setup but want something a little more refined than the entry-level options, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro might hit that middle ground. Normally priced at $229.99, it’s now down to $159.99 on Amazon, which price trackers confirm is its lowest ever. Ring Spotlight Cam Pro, Battery $159.99 at Amazon $229.99 Save $70.00 Get Deal Get Deal $159.99 at Amazon $229.99 Save $70.00 That’s a rare drop for a Ring Pro series camera, which typically stays at the premium end of Amazon's home security lineup. This model came out in 2022, and while the 1080p resolution doesn’t exactly feel cutting-edge anymore, the overall package still holds up well.This camera is battery-powered, meaning wireless setup and easy installation. Plus, it offers a wide 140-degree field of view, quick notifications when motion is detected, and two-way audio that’s unusually clear. According to this ZDNet review, you can carry on a full conversation with someone 40 feet from the camera without any lag or distortion. That said, the spotlight feature isn’t quite as strong—it maxes out at 375 lumens, which is enough for basic visibility in a small yard or porch, but not something you'd want for full floodlight coverage. Still, it’s equipped with color night vision and an adjustable alarm, which adds another layer of deterrence.You’ll need a Ring Home subscription to actually record and store your videos, which starts at $4.99/month for a single camera—but live view and alerts work without one. And while it plays well with Alexa and IFTTT, it skips out on Google Assistant and HomeKit support. As for battery life, depending on your activity zones and lighting preferences, it can last anywhere from six months to a year, notes this PCMag review.
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  • WWW.ENGADGET.COM
    Our favorite Google Nest security camera is on sale for 30 percent off
    Engadget's pick for the best security camera for newbies is on sale for 30 percent off. The Google Nest Security Cam has an easy setup, wide-ranging compatibility and 1080p HD video. It also doesn't hurt that it's pretty dang cute. Typically ringing up for $100, you can get the camera today on Amazon for $69.98. We found the wired security camera to have the most true-to-life video of the models we tested. Its colors hit a Goldilocks zone — neither too cold nor too warm — with subtle, accurate hues. It also supports night vision, with smoother and less grainy results than competing cams. The camera covers about a 90-degree vertical range and 360 degrees horizontally. Its recordings' 135-degree diagonal field of view isn't the widest, but it should be plenty for anything you need to see. Part of what makes it accessible to smart home security newcomers is the Google Home app. First, the odds are high that you already have an account with the company, making signing in a breeze. In addition, adding your device to the app is an easy process with clear labels and easy-to-follow instructions. It also offers full functionality for iPhones, not just Android handsets. The Nest Cam has a friendly-looking design composed of two half orbs connected by a little arm. The device has a matte finish and is available in several colors: white, foggy gray and charming "linen." Although the camera's subscription plan is optional, using it without one severely limits your options, with only three hours of recent event history and people, animal and vehicle detection. Otherwise, you'll need to plunk down $8 monthly for a Nest Aware subscription that saves the past 30 days of activity. Or, if you want to go all in, a $15 monthly Plus plan lets you rewind up to 90 days of history and supports up to 10 days of 24/7 recording. Unfortunately, the camera doesn't have a local storage option. So, you'll want to consider the (nearly mandatory) subscription cost before pulling the trigger. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/our-favorite-google-nest-security-camera-is-on-sale-for-30-percent-off-161756687.html?src=rss
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  • WWW.ENGADGET.COM
    Google pays Samsung an 'enormous’ amount of money to pre-install Gemini on phones
    Google has been paying Samsung tons of cash every month to pre-install the AI app Gemini on its smartphones, according to a report by Bloomberg. This information comes to us as part of a pre-existing antitrust case against Google. Peter Fitzgerald, Google’s VP of platforms and device partnerships, testified in federal court that it began paying Samsung for this service back in January. The pair of companies have a contract that’s set to run at least two years. Fitzgerald told Judge Amit Metha, who is overseeing the case, that Google provides Samsung with both fixed monthly payments and a percentage of revenue earned from advertisers within the Gemini app. The monetary figures are unknown, but DOJ lawyer David Dahlquist called it an "enormous sum of money in a fixed monthly payment." This antitrust case started with an accusation that Google had been illegally abusing a monopoly over the search engine industry. Part of the testimony surrounding that case involved Google paying Apple, Samsung and other companies to ensure it was the default search engine on its devices. Judge Mehta agreed and found that this practice constitutes a violation of antitrust law. He’s currently hearing additional testimony to decide what measures Google must take to remedy the illegal behavior, which is where this Gemini reveal comes from. Testimony from another case involving Epic Games indicated that Google handed over $8 billion from 2020 to 2023 to ensure that Google Search, the Play Store and Google Assistant were used by default on Samsung mobile devices. A California federal judge later ruled that the company must lift restrictions that prevent rival marketplaces and billing systems. Google is in the process of appealing that ruling. As an aside, if Google is hellbent on handing out Scrooge McDuck-sized bags of money to increase adoption rates of its generative AI app, why not give the regular people who have to actually use the bloatware some of that cash? Just saying.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-pays-samsung-an-enormous-amount-of-money-to-pre-install-gemini-on-phones-153439068.html?src=rss
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  • WWW.TECHRADAR.COM
    Shopify is hiring ChatGPT as your personal shopper, according to a new report
    OpenAI and Shopify are working to make ChatGPT able to buy things directly when you ask.
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  • WWW.TECHRADAR.COM
    Chinese tech companies want to enter the US market despite trade and tariff war
    These Chinese companies are reportedly considering IPOs in the US despite the ongoing trade war.
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  • WWW.CNBC.COM
    Tesla is ‘carefully’ working on its India entry amid tariff concerns, says CFO
    Tesla is cautiously navigating an entry into India, CFO Vaibhav Taneja said in an earnings call, as the EV maker faces falling sales and tariff threats.
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