The superhero genre has become one of the most successful in modern entertainment, thanks in no small part to gigantic franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and AAA games like Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel Rivals. But while Marvel is still sitting on top of the world (despite some recent MCU missteps), DC is still trying to get its act together.

In One Piece, when it comes to the islands of the series, most fans view only a few as being supremely important to the story. Mainly, fans tend to focus on Laugh Tale as the most important island in One Piece, often ignoring most others. Being the final island of the Grand Line and the home of the series' final treasure, this is most likely a fairly accurate assessment, with Laugh Tale most likely being the final stop for the story of One Piece in general.

Creators always feel extra pressure when adapting work by their favorite authors. That pressure only multiplies when that authors other work led to one of the most celebrated and popular television series ever.That was the test Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich faced with In the Lost Lands, their new dark fantasy Western movie, based on the George R.R. Martin short story of the same name. The film the first movie adaptation of Martins work since 1987 is a largely faithful adaptation, albeit with some radically new elements. In particular, theres a new central antagonist: a religious cult the protagonists (Jovovich and Dave Bautista) have to contend with.Anderson and Jovovich started dating after working together on 2002s Resident Evil, and In the Lost Lands is the seventh time theyve collaborated as director and star. But its the first time the married couple have partnered as producers on a project, adding a new element to their long-standing collaboration.Polygon spoke with Anderson and Jovovich on a video call about In the Lost Lands eerie Western fantasy setting, the importance of Martins work to them, using Unreal Engine to world-build before shooting, and how their partnership has changed over their years of working together. And yes, the Hollywood power couple did hold hands during nearly the entire interview.Polygon: What did you like most about the world Martin creates in his version of In the Lost Lands?Paul W.S. Anderson: I liked two things. One, that it was a dark adult fairy tale. Its got a very clear message: Be careful what you wish for. Ive always been fascinated with the original fairy tales, the dark ones the version of The Little Mermaid where the mermaid dies at the end, the original Brothers Grimm. So this was an opportunity to tell an adult fairy tale, which suggested it should have a unique visual look as well.And then the other thing that appealed to me is clearly, Georges story was partly patterned on a Western. It reminded me of spaghetti Westerns that I loved when I was a kid: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, For a Few Dollars More. Movies where two characters went off on an adventure in a hostile land, and they kind of betrayed one another, but then kind of came to love one another. And I thought those two things, the dark fairy tale and the Western combined, could lead to a fairly unique visual look.One of my favorite shots in the movie is when Daves character is knowingly walking into an ambush and you see under the brim of his hat, and theres a tiny beam of light just shining on his eyes.Anderson: Its very Charles Bronson.Milla Jovovich: George is one of my favorite writers. And this was a short story, so we had to really build out the world a lot. And it was important for me to keep the basis of the heart of the story, but at the same time, to allow Paul and I to bring our sensibilities and our world and our fan base to meet George in the middle, in a way that no ones seen before. Because hes had such great success on television with Game of Thrones, et cetera, but this was the first time one of his books was going to be on the big screen. [Ed. note: Martins previous movie adaptation, Nightflyers, went straight to home video.]So it was really about creating a world that was unique and wasnt going to remind people of Westeros. It had to be expanding the George Universe into something completely different and very special. Paul did that extremely well, working with [visual effects supervisor] Dennis Berardi, and using the Unreal Engine as a tool to world-build, which took a year in advance.Anderson: Yeah, we started building the world a year before we started shooting, which meant that when we were shooting, we could actually give live playback to the actors, so Milla and Dave could see the environments they were in. We would build the foreground and the mid-ground, but sometimes the deep background only existed in the computer. I think for a lot of actors, just having a blue screen there is very disorienting. It doesnt really give you the environment, but the advantage of this was, we could actually show the environment to Milla and Dave on the day.What was important to you about the new elements you added to this story, especially the church and the revolution arc?Jovovich: The original story is a short, and we definitely needed to add a common enemy that people could stand behind and dislike.Anderson: We needed an antagonist for the movie, and it features in a lot of Georges work, the split between church and state. And we felt that was an interesting element to introduce that didnt feel too alien to Georges world. Obviously he responded very well to it.Whats the biggest thing thats changed in the way you two have worked together since you started collaborating?Anderson: For this movie, Milla has taken a producing credit for the very first time, which is a reflection of what shes done on all of the movies, really. I mean, she probably should have taken a producing credit a long time ago. Shes always had a hand in putting the projects together, and a really good say in the scripts especially. So this is the first time shes coming front and center in that regard. So, very nice to work with my producing partner.Jovovich: It was exciting to be a real part of the process. The script took many years and many different iterations to complete, and the world took a long time to create, and it was all a real passion project for us. It wasnt something that we were going to just, Oh, hey, heres a studio, heres a script, whatever, lets do it. This was important.This was an incredible property, and we have so much respect for George we really wanted to deliver something that people had never seen before, something mythological, something bigger than ourselves, something that really belongs in the land of dark fantasy, that could potentially be in the Brothers Grimm.In the Lost Lands is now in theaters.

Matthew Mercer does an incredible job voicing SargamisAvowed is simply brimming with lore. A bundle of fantasy nations, a pantheon of gods, crystals of magic soul energy its a lot to learn if you havent already played Obsidians two Pillars of Eternity games and their associated expansions. Luckily, Avowed is designed to make learning that lore as accessible and optional as possible.While there are plenty of books to read, for most players, its the elegant conversation system that will jump-start their lore education. At any time, the player can pause a conversation to click specific, highlighted keywords of lore to learn more. This has the added benefit of keeping most of the dialogue free of clunky info dumps.But all that lore wouldnt matter if it wasnt relevant to your quest, and while the main story is more about the Living Lands, its the side quests that teach you about greater Eora and your place in it. These optional missions range from serious explorations of tangible, real world issues to less serious subjects, but the most illustrative of Obsidians approach was Dawntreader.[Warning: The rest of this article contains full spoilers for the quest Dawntreader and descriptions of some mid-game discoveries from the second chapter of the game. Heres a comprehensive guide to completing this quest.]Dawntreader is centered around an Oracle of the god Eothas named Sargamis. Pillars of Eternity players would immediately be familiar with Eothas, and in Avowed you can read a book or click on the word mid-conversation to learn hes not a very popular god at the moment. But just from your conversation with Sargamis, impeccably voiced by Matthew Mercer, you quickly learn a lot of lore thats directly relevant to your player character.As Godlikes, your character and Sargamis have something in common. You can see for yourself just how different each gods Godlike looks, learn how the Godlikes are dying out, and consider how strange it is that you dont know who your patron god is. All of this primes you to wonder even more about the voice in your head.No matter how familiar you are with the lore of Eothas, this quest eventually flips your expectations. Yes, Sargamis is a religious fanatic whos murdered innocents, but no, hes not doing that to resurrect an evil god its part of his plan to punish Eothas for his sins. You see firsthand how a Godlike wrestles with the crimes of his patron. You think more about that voice in your headWhile later you can eliminate Sargamis for the crimes he readily admits to, offering to assist him leads to some wild choices. The game will let you literally obliterate yourself in order to help Sargamis create a god prison, and your reward is a game over and a hilariously named achievement. Alternatively, you can convince Sargamis to sacrifice himself which also doesnt work.But in a final twist, the voice in your head whom you later learn is the god of the living lands requests the statue for their own devices. If you follow through on this request, this time the machine works! Ironically, Sargamis theory was correct, he just had the wrong god. Even before you know the truth about the voice in your head, this hints at how different the adra is in the Living Lands, and how detached it is from the rest of Eoras pantheon.Whether you go into this quest knowing everything there is to know about Eothas or youve refused to ever read a book in-game, Dawntreader itself will teach you a lot. Depending on your choices, you may even see a callback to this quest at the very end of the game. The best part is that the amount of lore you need to enjoy it is entirely up to you.

It may be a while still before we see the smart home hub Apple is rumored to be working on. According to Bloombergs Mark Gurman, the company has postponed the announcement of the upcoming product due to the issues its run into developing its smarter Siri. Gurman reported last month that the release of Apples upgraded Siri may be delayed, and Apple confirmed as much in a statement to Daring Fireball last week, saying it expects to roll out Siris more personalized features in the coming year. The smart home hub, according to Gurman, to an extent, relies on the delayed Siri capabilities.Gurman previously reported that the first version of the smart home display could be revealed as soon as March. It would be a competitor to Amazons Echo line of devices and Googles Nest Hub. While a March release is looking unlikely, Gurman reports that Apple is now allowing some employees to test it at home.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apples-rumored-smart-home-hub-has-reportedly-been-delayed-151515192.html?src=rss

The Last of Us season 2's official trailer is full of moments from the games, except for the one we're all waiting for.

Chinese researchers want to create revolutionary molecular hard drives, but we have questions.

FeaturingPaul Feig,Founder, FeigCo; and Director and Producer,Another Simple Favor. Moderated byKc Ifeanyi,Executive Director of Editorial Programming,Fast Company. Producer and director Paul Feig is looking to strike gold twice with the follow-up to his 2018 hit filmA Simple Favorstarring Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, and Henry Golding. Beyond the plot twists and intrigue, Feigs sequel further exemplifies his commitment to telling women-led stories includingJackpot!,Ghostbusters,Spy,TheHeat,andBridesmaids.

Featuring Tom Basden, Executive Producer, Writer, and Actor; James Griffiths, Director, Executive Producer, Tim Key, Writer, Executive Producer, Actor and Carey Mulligan, Executive Producer, Actress. Moderated by Brendan Vaughan, Editor-in-Chief, Fast Company

The automotive world just got its most fascinating paradox a 2.7-ton pickup truck that out-accelerates sports cars while sipping fuel at 2L/100km. Meet the BYD Shark 6 DMO, a plug-in hybrid beast crashing the diesel-dominated pickup party with 435 PS (429 hp) and 650 Nm torque numbers that make Ford Ranger Raptors look like hatchbacks.What makes the Shark 6 DMO particularly fascinating is how it blends seemingly contradictory elements into a cohesive package. It combines the rugged utility of a pickup truck with the sophisticated electrification of a modern hybrid, wrapped in dimensions that push the boundaries of the midsize segment.Designer: BYD PhilippinesLets talk dimensions first, because this thing is massive. At 5,457mm long, 1,971mm wide, and 1,925mm tall, the Shark 6 DMO makes an immediate impression with its sheer size. Ive spent time with Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger models, and the Shark 6 dwarfs them both. With a generous 3,260mm wheelbase and substantial 230mm ground clearance, its positioned closer to full-size American pickups than traditional midsize offerings in the Philippine market. This size advantage translates to both interior space and genuine off-road capability.Now for the really interesting part the powertrain. The DMO designation stands for BYDs Super Hybrid Off-road Platform, combining a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with electric motors to deliver a combined output of 435 horsepower. Thats not a typo 435 horses in a pickup truck! To put that in perspective, conventional diesel-powered competitors like the Mitsubishi Triton or Isuzu D-Max typically offer around 180-200 horsepower. Even the Ford Ranger Raptor doesnt touch these numbers.The integration of BYDs Blade battery technology is a game-changer here. Despite weighing in at a hefty 2,710kg (over 2.7 tons), the electrified powertrain delivers acceleration and responsiveness that defies physics. The instant torque from those electric motors gives it a completely different character from diesel trucks that need to build boost before delivering power.Inside, BYD has gone all-in on tech. The cabin features a large central touchscreen that controls most vehicle functions, digital instrumentation, and materials that honestly feel more premium than they have any right to in a pickup truck. Its a far cry from the utilitarian interiors weve come to expect in this segment.The drivetrain tech is equally impressive, with an advanced all-wheel-drive system featuring electronic torque vectoring. This allows for precise power distribution across all four wheels, which makes a massive difference both on-road and off. Traditional 44 systems can feel clunky by comparison. For the off-road crowd, there are multiple terrain modes, hill descent control, and electronic differential locks. The instant torque delivery of the electric motors gives it a unique advantage in challenging conditions no waiting for turbos to spool up when youre halfway up a muddy incline.At 2.1-2.3 million in the Philippines ($36,500-$40,000 USD), the Shark 6 DMO isnt cheap. But when you compare it to high-end variants of established players, the value proposition becomes clearer. Youre getting supercar-level horsepower in a pickup truck with genuine off-road capability and tech features that wouldnt look out of place in a luxury SUV.I know theres still skepticism about Chinese-built vehicles, especially in a segment where Toyota and Ford have dominated for decades. But the automotive landscape is changing rapidly. Ten years ago, would anyone have predicted that a Chinese manufacturer would be producing a 435hp hybrid pickup truck? The Shark 6 DMO represents a fundamental shift in what we should expect from pickup trucks.The real question is whether traditional pickup buyers will embrace this new approach. Truck enthusiasts tend to be conservative, valuing reliability and simplicity over cutting-edge technology. But after spending time with specs and features of the Shark 6 DMO, Im convinced that it deserves serious consideration. The combination of raw power, advanced tech, and genuine capability makes for a compelling package.Whats particularly fascinating is how BYD is disrupting the market through technological differentiation rather than competing on price alone. The Shark 6 DMO isnt trying to be a budget alternative to established players its offering something fundamentally different. In a segment that has seen incremental evolution for decades, this approach feels refreshing.The post BYD Just Built a 435HP Pickup That Can Outrun Sports Cars first appeared on Yanko Design.