At first glance, Crow Country is a nostalgia piece. It pulls on the horrific sprawl of Resident Evil, populating its theme-park setting with brain twisters and monsters contorting into human shapes. It borrows from the toy aesthetic of Final Fantasy VII, its characters rendered in blocky, plastic proportions like Playmobil. Yet, it's more than just a throwback, it lays bear the haunted roots of nostalgia culture.Protagonist Mara Forest visited the titular theme park as a child, but it was not a happy experience. There, a strange man bit her and she gained some terminal illness, which is slowly killing her. She has returned to make things right, find out what happened, and stop it from happening again. She returns to what was, only fleetingly, a site of childhood joy. She finds death, its shadows, its echoes, its remnants.Crow Country's entire setting is a place of childhood play. The park is clearly designed for small children. It lacks thrilling high-rise roller coasters and is instead populated by graveyard ghoulies, thicket mazes, and fairy-tale stage shows. It's all playful and encouraging. Even the "Haunted Hilltop" section of the park is more trick-or-treat than Horror Nights. But without the bustle of life--the parents and children to animate it--the park gains an eerie quality. This is not an original observation, of course. Theme parks are a common setting throughout horror, but Crow Country begins at the park's gates and ends when Mara leaves them once again. The whole game is enveloped by this childhood environment. It is in the contrast between the toy aesthetic and its eeriness--between theme park and haunted house--that Crow Country builds its horror.Continue Reading at GameSpot

The Fallout 76 ghoul update is now available on the Public Test Server build of the game, having rolled out in late December 2024. Apart from the ability to play as a ghoul, this release brings a new Fallout 76 event, some combat balancing tweaks, and changes to the way Perks are managed, among other novelties.

Out of all the first-party developers at PlayStation, Bend Studio is arguably the one company that doesn't get as much recognition as it deserves. The Oregon-based firm has been around for 32 years, even longer than the PlayStation brand itself, and yet its portfolio of games isn't really regarded that highly compared to studios like Sucker Punch, Naughty Dog, and Insomniac. Bend Studio originally got its start making puzzle video games for the Apple Newton, but during the PS1 generation, it branched out and worked on other projects, such as the Syphon Filter series. Nowadays, the company is better known for developing the 2019 zombie-slaying game Days Gone, which was divisive among critics but received positively by fans.

Presently, One Piece is the biggest anime series in the world. Its popularity stretches beyond the medium, which is why even the non-anime-watching audience is aware of its existence. In the last few years, One Piece has had many ambitious collaborations with big companies, including Puma, UNIQLO, Seiko, etc.

A great thriller lives and dies by its complexity. Movies like All the Presidents Men or Blow Out create intricate, detailed worlds of mystery that pull you in before leaving you at the center of the labyrinth to unwind yourself in the days that follow. A solid B-tier thriller, however, is all about simplicity. These are movies like Taken and Phone Booth that you might not necessarily choose to put on, but never say no to if you find them on cable. What makes these movies so fun, and so endlessly rewatchable, is how effectively they wring every last drop of mystery and tension out of a deceptively simple premise. And Carry-On, the new holiday airport thriller from Netflix, is about as solid a B-tier thriller as youre ever going to find.The movie follows Ethan (Taron Egerton), a bored TSA agent with dreams of being a police officer. But as long as hes stuck working at LAX, hes determined to put as little thought into his work as possible, much to the dismay of his newly pregnant girlfriend (Sofia Carson), who would love to see him get a promotion or finally join the LAPD. Unfortunately for Ethans minimal effort streak, during a Christmas Eve shift on the X-ray machine, he receives an earpiece with which a terrorist (Jason Bateman) tells him his girlfriends going to die unless he lets a certain bag through the machine.All this setup takes less than 10 minutes to communicate, and now were off on a duel of wits between Ethan and a terrorist with a massive head start and an eye on every security camera in LAX. Director Jaume Collet-Serra is a master of these cable thrillers with his Blake Lively shark survival movie The Shallows being a particular standout but its these earliest moments where hes at his very best.While the plots of some movies unfold, revealing themselves gradually to the audience, Collet-Serras thrillers feel like watching someone make origami, where every fold of the plot is crucial, precise, and surprisingly intricate. His protagonists start with the easy, obvious moves: Ethan tries calling the cops on his cellphone under the table, and sending a text with his Apple Watch, but each gets stopped instantly; now the folds have to get more delicate and complicated. Suddenly, were knee-deep in secret messages, nerve agents, airport codes, and TSA tricks, and Collet-Serra strings us along beautifully for each new reveal or twist in the story.But for all the talents of Collet-Serra in this particular subgenre, Carry-Ons real strength lies in the performances of its two leads. Egerton and Bateman are either on screen or talking for nearly every moment of the movies two-hour run time, and still each delivery and airport-based chess move crackles with energy until their inevitable, climactic showdown.Egerton has proven himself as a leading man a few times before, between being a spy in Matthew Vaughns Kingsman movies and rocking the piano as Elton John in Rocketman, but Carry-On is the first time the 35-year-old actor has really shown his age and proven he can play an older character doing a slower, less suave kind of action. He gives a quietly determined performance here that cant help but to make you hope hell return for similar roles in all fields of seemingly boring service maybe he and Collet-Serra can team up for a Notary Public thriller next, since Ben Affleck has the Accountant lane covered already?The real treat here, though, is Jason Bateman, who gets to play sinister in a way hes never really been allowed though Ozark lets him dip his toe in the villain pond every now and again. Its a straightforward, uncomplicatedly evil kind of character that weve rarely seen in thrillers over the last decade or so: Hes just a guy whos here to get paid and kills lots of people. But Bateman plays the character with a panache that cleverly hides just how much this guy relishes in his evil work, and being good at it. His terrorist is always a step ahead and more than content to watch people like Ethan play games that Batemans character is already positive hes won.Given how great both leads are, it shouldnt be a surprise that the only real turbulent interruption to Carry-Ons otherwise excellent tension comes when the movie breaks from its central duel to introduce a police detective (Danielle Deadwyler) who finds herself accidentally thrust into the middle of the action. As with so many of these thrillers, the cop character both feels like an unwelcome distraction from the movies main event, and is completely integral to tying together a plot that was more interested in creating a fun premise than a mystery that makes sense. But its hard to blame the movie for a so-so conclusion when the journey to get there was as fun as Carry-Ons.In another era, this is the kind of movie that when you come home for the holidays, youd find out your parents have watched six or seven times, simply because its playing on TNT and they stop channel surfing every time they see it. And who could blame them? Carry-On is tremendous fun. It wont blow you away, it wont replace Die Hard as your dads favorite winking answer to whats your favorite Christmas movie, but it will entertain you and whoever else is watching every single time you turn it on. Its just a shame youll never be able to catch it on cable halfway through.Carry-On is now streaming on Netflix.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Christmas is a week away, and that present-ordering deadline is nearly upon us. If you're looking for a last-minute gift idea for something that will arrive in time to be wrapped, consider the new Beats Pill speaker. It is down to $99.99 (originally $149.95), the lowest price it has been since its recent release, according to price-tracking tools. For less than a hundred dollars, this speaker is a steal. Beats Pill Bluetooth Speaker Bluetooth Speaker and Portable Wireless Charger via USB-C - Up to 24 Hours Battery Life, IP67 Water $99.95 at Amazon $149.95 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $99.95 at Amazon $149.95 Save $50.00 I've been trying out the Beats Pill speaker since it came out in June, and it has everything I would want in a portable speaker: a stereo sound when connected to another compatible speaker, multi-room mode to play the same music on multiple speakers, the Find My Device feature in case you misplace it, and a speakerphone to use it as an extension of your phone. This Beats speaker is not just for Apple users, since Android users can also connect to the Bluetooth 5.3, but it only supports AAC and SBC codecs, so there is no Android-friendly codec options that will make the audio pop out. Apple users will get the most out of the Pill, with seamless iOS compatibility for a much smoother experience. In other words, the speaker will automatically show up as a pair option on iPhones while Androids will have to search for it. You can read about it in more detail on PCMag's "excellent" review.When it comes to battery life, you can expect around 24 hours per charge depending on your use, which is up there with other speakers of its size. The sound is the classic bright Beats sound signature, offering a balanced yet bass-heavy sound. It is rated IP67 for being dust-proof and waterproof, so it can be submerged for up to 30 minutes. The main con on this speaker is that there is no adjustable EQ on the app, but it already comes with a great sound signature.

Nvidias GeForce Experience app, the longtime driver downloader, game launcher, and recording tool, is gone, and with its disappearance, some gamers have noticed a sizable hit to their performance. As reported by Toms Hardware, GeForces successor, the much less excitingly named Nvidia App, comes with a few default settings that can drain performance by up to 15%.The news started to spread among gaming circles earlier this week, following a Dec. 5 driver update that skipped GeForce Experience in favor of the Nvidia App (all future updates will follow its lead). The new app is meant to streamline the grab bag of features Nvidia has accumulated over the years, pairing its driver updating utility with a streamlined gaming overlay and improved tools for easily optimizing graphics or enabling G-Sync and other advanced settings. However, upon installing it, some gamers noticed their games running a bit more slowly.Weve confirmed reports around the web that the Nvidia App using the default settings can impact gaming performance, writes Toms Hardwares Jarred Walton, dropping frame rates by up to 15% in some cases.In particular, Walton saw performance drops ranging from 2% to 12% across the games he tested, which included Assassins Creed Mirage, Baldurs Gate 3, Black Myth: Wukong, Flight Simulator 2024, and Stalker 2. While user reports said the issue primarily lies in games developed in Unreal Engine 5, Waltons biggest loser in performance was actually Assassins Creed, which uses a proprietary engine. Meanwhile, his instance of Wukong actually performed the best out of his tests, although still suffered some performance drops.A potential 15% drop in performance is hefty, and can be enough to make upgrading to a new graphics card seem almost imperceptible. So whats happening, and can you fix it?Is the Nvidia app hurting your gaming performance?According to continued reporting, the issue doesnt have anything to do with the engine the game youre playing is developed in or the app itself, but rather in some of its default settings. In other words, you can have the Nvidia App installed without a performance hit, so long as you adjust it a bit.Specifically, both Digital Foundry and Hardware Unboxed found that their performance only dropped when the new apps Nvidia Overlay was toggled on, and in Hardware Unboxeds case, only with the overlays Game Filters and Photo Mode setting enabled. When they turned off the overlay (or that specific setting), their games functioned as well as they did prior to installing the app.Thats both good and bad news. The overlay, summoned by pressing Alt+Z while playing a game, is where youll find the Nvidia Apps most useful features, including game statistics, and the game filter and photo mode option is what allows you to most customize what your graphics card puts out. To clarify, the overlay doesnt need to be summoned to hurt performance, but just turned on in your settings.Still, the app being OK to use otherwise does leave you open to continuing to use it to upgrade your graphics card drivers, without having to install them manually.In a statement to Walton, Nvidia confirmed that the issue is specifically with the Game Filters and Photo Mode setting, and that the company is actively looking into a fix. So while you might not be able to play your games with an RTX HDR filter in the meantime, youll be able to use the rest of the app, even the overlay, as you would have before. Walton confirmed that disabling the setting does indeed work and amended his charts accordingly with new testing.How to fix the Nvidia AppWhile Nvidia works on a more permanent solution, there are a few steps you can take to keep its new app from hurting your gaming performance.The simplest solution, and probably the best one for most people, is to follow Nvidias official advice and turn off the Game Filters and Photo Mode setting. To do this, just navigate to Settings > Features > Overlay > Game Filters and Photo Mode and toggle it off. If youre already running a game, youll need to relaunch it for the change to take effect. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt This will keep you from applying Nvidias post-processing effects to your screen (examples include Letterboxed and Colorblind, in addition to some fancier AI-powered options), as well as from using the Nvidia Photo Mode in supported games. If youre like me, you wont miss it, but its certainly a notable loss, especially given its accessibility features.Alternatively, you could turn off the Nvidia Overlay altogether. While Hardware Unboxed said the overlay itself wasnt contributing to most of his frame drops, he did acknowledge that there could be a small performance impact from running the rest of the overlay. Thats not necessarily a surprise, but its worth looking into if you never find yourself summoning the overlay. Turning it off will keep you from using it to record or see statistics, but you can do so from Settings > Features > Overlay if so inclined. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt Finally, if youd rather avoid this headache for good, you can still install Nvidia graphics card drivers without an app. Simply navigate to Nvidias website, select your graphics card from the dropdown menu, download the appropriate driver, and click on the .exe file you just downloaded. An install wizard will walk you through the rest of the processjust be sure to install Nvidia Graphics Driver rather than Nvidia Graphics Driver and Nvidia App, or else youll end up with the app youre trying to avoid. Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Teens are uniquely terrifying creatures. They are simultaneously confused and cool: As they struggle to figure out who they are as individuals, they have no problem identifying the finer points of popular culture. Simply put, they know whats cool long before we do. If you have to shop for one this holiday season, heres a guide for what is on trend in their world, which takes place, at least partially, on TikTok.Gifts for a teenager's bedroomA teens room is a sanctuary. They dont have their own home, but they do have their own space, and that space is very important to them. Here are the things they want for that sacred spot:Desk vacuums remain very popular this year. This mini vacuum from Odistar ($12.98) will pick up whatever crumbs a teen is producing at the workspace where they spend so much of their time.This year, teens are interested in a specific brand of speaker: Turtlebox. It is $399.99, so quite spendy, but it's also extremely popular and could be a hit if you're willing. If your teen is less interested in brands than quality, here's the Lifehacker roundup of the best bluetooth speakers on the market right now at a variety of price points. Turtlebox Gen 2: Loud! $399.00 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $399.00 at Amazon LED strip lights have been big for a while now, but theyre holding on in terms of trendiness even after a few years. If you get some for a teen, make sure to get ones that sync up to a smartphone for easy color-changing, like this 100-foot set from Ksipze ($11.99).Search TikTok for birthdate candle and try to convince yourself teens dont love these things. You cant convince yourself of that, so it looks like youre about to drop $48.99 on a candle with their birthday written on the side.Watching movies is a well-established teen pastime. Watching them blown up huge on the wall is a newer twist that this generation is especially keen on. This AuKing projector ($67.99) is going to be a hit.New to the list this year is the Jellycat. What is a Jellycat? It's a brand of plushies. To be clear, Squishmallows aren't fully out, but Jellycats are in, so if you're looking to get your teen a stuffed animal (which they genuinely like, I promise) start here. Prices vary.Gifts for a teenager's wellbeingEveryone needs self-care, including teens who are just a few years into the lifelong compulsion to look presentable out in the world. Help them achieve thator just some plain old relaxationwith these gifts.Brazilian Bum Bum Cream from Sol de Janeiro has gotten more and more coveted over the years and now dominates social media. It smells amazing, absorbs fast, is a celeb favorite, and claims to firm up the skin. On TikTok, influencers discuss the benefits of layering it under certain perfumes to achieve out-of-this-world scents. As a Sol de Janeiro fan myself, I recommend the brand's own extremely popular body sprays. Get 2.5 ounces for $24.Any teen who is into makeup wants lip oil, same as last year. Lip oil is having a major moment and one can simply never have enough of it. Not only is it glossy, its hydrating. Trust and believe this is a good gift, whether you go for the well-rated NYX Fat Oil Lip Drip ($9) or the ever-coveted Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil ($40).I own a number of the Dior ones and can vouch that they're glossy, smooth, and long-lasting. If you're not sure which colors your teen has or wants, play it safe and go with clear. Similarly, lip balm is very big right now, but Chapstick isn't going to cut it. If you're shopping for a teen who is into makeup and/or self care, learn two brand names: Summer Fridays and Rhode. The Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm is $24 and often hard to find. You may have to visit multiple Sephora locations or settle for whichever color isn't sold out on the website. Rhode Peptide Lip Tints and Peptide Lip Treatments are $18 each, but the real draw is a special phone case that protects the teen's iPhone and has a molded holder for the lip product on the back. That's $38. (It's very likely the teen already has this, so check first, but if they don't, this one is an easy win. Just make sure to buy a lip treatment or balm with it.) Its hard to explain, but Stanley cupsthe kind of insulated, massive-capacity mug you associate with truckersare still very popular with teens. They come in all kinds of colors. Get a 40-ounce Stanley for $45 (which is a lot less than they were going for last year). Stanley's reign is ongoing, yes, but there are some contenders sneaking up and threatening to usurp the mug giant. Namely, Owala FreeSip tumblers are really popping off lately. Personally, mine is green and pink, but the variety of color combos on the market means you'll be able to get something truly eye-catching for your teen. They're cheaper and more spill-proof than a Stanley, too, making them the better gift, in my opinion. Owala FreeSip Insulated Water Bottle $27.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $27.99 at Amazon Shopping for a fashionable and/or athletic girl? Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag ($48). Done.Be careful with other athleisure. Leggings are out and flared pants are in, for instance, but getting the right ones requires knowing the teen's exact height and preferences. Some, especially athletes, still want leggings. Best to give a Lululemon or Alo gift card if you're not sure. Other random gifts for teensSome gifts fall outside the parameters of home goods and self-care. These are still crucial for teens, who require many trinkets and knickknacks.Still holding strong at the top of teens' wishlists this year is the Fujifilm Instax. The instant camera produces a physical photo they can display, usually in that all-important bedroom. A kit with 40 photo papers and a carrying case, as well as the camera itself, is $139.95. Were getting a little meta here because while all these gifts are popular on social media, this one is for social media: The TikTok remote control ring ($19.99) offers the ability for hands-free scrolling as well as the ability to film from far away. Its a cooler version of the old millennial favorite, the selfie stick.Prices are accurate as of publication, but are always subject to change.

Fake text message alerts claiming to be from legitimate courier services are the fastest-growing scam this holiday season here's how to avoid them.

MobiSystems rebrands OfficeSuite to MobiOffice, unifying productivity tools like MobiDocs and MobiPDF.