Gizmodo
Gizmodo
We come from the future.
0 Bikers vinden dit leuk
1589 Berichten
2 foto's
0 Video’s
0 voorbeeld
Actueel
  • Tales of Merlin and King Arthur Resurface After 750 Years, Hidden in a Bookbinding
    gizmodo.com
    By Margherita Bassi Published March 30, 2025 | Comments (0) | The inside of the front cover of the property record, a repurposed fragment of a 13th- or 14th-century text on Arthurian legends. University of Cambridge In 2019, scholars at Cambridge University Library discovered an extremely rare 750-year-old text on the legends of King Arthur hiding in plain sight. A fragment of the fragile manuscript had been repurposed in the binding of a 16th-century property record, making it almost impossible to study the medieval text without dismantling and certainly damaging the records cover. Almost impossiblebut not completely. An interdisciplinary team of scholars from the University of Cambridge used various advanced imaging techniques to create a virtual copy of the binding, allowing them to digitally unfold the rare text without having to damage it or the property record. This ground-breaking approach also preserves the artifact as an example of 16th-century archival binding practice, which is a piece of history in its own right, Irne Fabry-Tehranchi, a French Specialist in Collections and Academic Liaison at Cambridge University Library who was involved in the project, explained in a university statement. In addition to common tools such as mirrors, magnets, and prisms, Fabry-Tehranchi and her colleagues used cutting-edge imaging techniques to photograph every facet of the folded fragment, make the text more readable, and create a highly detailed 3D model of the artifact to understand the structure of the binding without having to take it apart. Hundreds of images were then pieced together like a puzzle to create a digital version of the cover, which researchers can now unfold and study as if they were holding the real thing. If this had been done 30 years ago, the fragment might have been cut, unfolded, and flattened. But today, preserving it in situ gives us a crucial insight into 16th-century archival practices, as well as access to the medieval story itself, said Fabry-Tehranchi. It was first thought to be a 14th century story about Sir Gawain but further examination revealed it to be part of the Old French Vulgate Merlin sequel, a different and extremely significant Arthurian text. The medieval legends of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, the knight Sir Lancelot, the magician Merlin, and the quest for the Holy Grail have been written, copied, readapted, performed, studied, and produced in countless versions for centuriesperhaps over a thousand years. The Vulgate Cycle, also known as the Lancelot-Grail Cycle, is one such version in Old French.Scholars photograph the insides of the cover. University of Cambridge Written in the first half of the 13th century, it recounts the Arthurian legends in a monumental five-part epic prose. The fragment found at Cambridge University Library is from the Suite Vulgate du Merlin, a part of the Vulgate Cycle that recounts events that take place after King Arthurs coronation. One passage from the fragment tells of the Christian victory over the Saxons at the Battle of Cambnic involving the knight Gauvin (also Gawain) with his Excalibur sword. Another recounts when a disguised Merlin appears at King Arthurs court during the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Heres the English translation: While they were rejoicing in the feast, and Kay the seneschal brought the first dish to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, there arrived the most handsome man ever seen in Christian lands. He was wearing a silk tunic girded by a silk harness woven with gold and precious stones which glittered with such brightness that it illuminated the whole room. There are less than 40 surviving copies of the Suite Vulgate du Merlin text known to scholars, and since medieval scribes copied them by hand, each is a unique version. The one found at Cambridge University Library, for example, has decorative red and blue initials. Based on this as well as other features, the researchers suggest the text was written between 1275 and 1315. However, this project was not just about unlocking one textit was about developing a methodology that can be used for other manuscripts, Fabry-Tehranchi concluded. Libraries and archives around the world face similar challenges with fragile fragments embedded in bindings, and our approach provides a model for non-invasive access and study. One persons trash (or book binding) really might be another persons treasureeven 750 years later.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Adam Kovac Published February 23, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published February 20, 2025 By Cheryl Eddy Published April 5, 2024 By Germain Lussier Published December 21, 2023 By Isaac Schultz Published September 3, 2021 By Germain Lussier Published July 28, 2021
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·11 Views
  • Crowds Turn Out Across the U.S. for Tesla Takedown Protests
    gizmodo.com
    Hundreds of Tesla dealerships across the United States, Canada, and Europe saw protesters descend upon their lots on Saturday as part of a global day of action organized by the Tesla Takedown protest movement. Demonstrators turned out in significant numbers in large cities, including New York City and Chicago, with many holding signs featuring anti-Elon Musk and anti-Trump administration messaging.Accounts from across the country continue to pour in, but despite the presence of counter-protesters in some locations, the demonstrations seem to have largely gone without incidents of violence or arrests.An account from the Boston Herald says that two people were injured at a Tesla Takedown demonstration in the Boston suburb of Watertown when a black pickup truck allegedly clipped the protesters with the vehicles side mirror. More than 100 protesters were reportedly on the scene during the incident, and both people hit by the vehicle refused medical treatment and did not suffer serious injuries. Police in Columbus, Ohio were also seen escorting two anti-Tesla demonstrators in dinosaur costumes from a Tesla dealership during a Tesla Takedown event.In Florida, Attorney General James Uthmeier ordered law enforcement to monitor the events and respond with a zero-tolerance policy for crimes against property, but local reporting indicated that dozens of protests occurred across the state without incident.Local reports suggest that at least 150 people turned out to a Tesla Takedown event in the outskirts of Chicago, more than 300 people showed up to a protest outside of Syracuse, New York, more than 600 in a suburb of Baltimore. Similar numbers were reported in St. Louis, Missouri, Buffalo, New York, Salt Lake City, Utah, and other cities. Social media posts show large demonstrations in Seattle and Ann Arbor, Michigan, while some counter-protesters were documented in Meridian, Idaho and Paramus, New Jerseythough the pro-Musk demonstrations appear to have been significantly smaller than the Tesla Takedown events.While most of the protests took place in the United States, there were international demonstrations as part of the day of action. NBC News reported protesters turned out at Tesla dealerships in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Berlin, Germany. London also saw a large turnout of Tesla Takedown demonstrators.The organizers of the Tesla Takedown protests have chosen Tesla as their target as a means to inflict damage onto CEO Elon Musks bottom line, a response to his involvement in the Trump administration, including his leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency, which has led to dramatic reductions in the federal workforce. A common theme among the signage was kicking Musk out of the government (or the country) and demanding an end to the slashing of government services and social safety nets. Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/GizmodoAbout 300 protesters showed up to a protest in San Diego, where theres a retail storefront at the mall near the University of California, San Diego. Despite being so close to a college campus, the protest crowd skewed older, a common theme at demonstrations over the past two months.An 83-year-old retired geologist named Dorrie told Gizmodo she had two sisters protesting as well, one in Boston and one in Orange County, California, both concerned about what Elon Musk was doing to the country. Hes putting seniors on the street. Turning senior citizens into homeless people, she told Gizmodo.I dont know how were gonna get out of it, either, Dorrie continued. Have you heard any creative ways of how, you know, you screw up the system for four years and then you change it? Everybody gets their jobs back, you know? Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo Matt Novak/Gizmodo
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·27 Views
  • Stay Invisible Online: The Must-Have VPN for Ultimate Privacy
    gizmodo.com
    NordVPN has always been the master of selling a phenomenal product at a feasible price. March is a great month, as the VPN is yet again on a flashy sale that drops the price of the VPN by up to 77%.Youll be able to spend as little as $3.09 a month, yet enjoy the internet in total privacy, by your rules. Well see how NordVPN helps you achieve that and explore its four amazing biennial plans stay tuned.See Offers At NordVPNGo Private With NordVPNNordVPN simplifies online privacy with one-click connections. Once you get it, all you have to do is choose the VPN server, and boom your activities are safe and sound.The VPN endorses this with 256-bit AES encryption, mighty RAM-only servers, and a no-log policy, which guarantees total privacy. The VPN lets you enjoy blocked content thanks to 7,400+ servers in 118 countries.Thus, apart from security and privacy, its great for streaming and accessing blocked online bookies. NordVPN pairs this with reliable P2P servers, which many use for torrenting. Lest we forget its Double VPN feature.It encrypts your traffic twice, rendering you a ghost online!NordVPN spans all devices, allowing for end-to-end privacy protection on Windows, macOS, Android, Linux, and iOS. With 10 simultaneous connections, you can connect on every device you own at no added cost.As a premium VPN, it comes with essentials like unlimited bandwidth, 10 Gbps server ports, 24/7 customer support, and much more. All of this at three monthly quids must be a joke, right?Flash Sale: Get Your Discount NowNo were dead serious and NordVPN is as well.The flashiest sale so far allows you to jump on the hype train and save up to 77% on NordVPNs 24-month plans, all of which are now enriched by 3 free months. NordVPNThe Basic plan at $3.09/mo comes with the VPN only, which is still fantastic and very affordable. Instead of hundreds of dollars, youll spend less than $84 for 27 months.Try NordVPN Risk-FreeBy far, the best savings are made on the Prime plan at $6.99/mo, which includes NordLocker, NordPass, and NordProtect all three amazing privacy tools! NordVPNs self-proclaimed best value is the Plus plan.At $3.99/mo or $107 for 27 months, its an ideal plan to cover all your needs. Besides, it can block ads with Threat Protection Pro and includes NordPass, a popular password manager to make each login simpler.Last but not least, NordVPN advertises its 30-day money-back guarantee as a risk-free means of testing it. If youre dissatisfied or dont want to pay anymore, get a full refund in 30 days, no questions asked.Youre not late to the party explore NordVPN and choose a plan.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·27 Views
  • Scott Derrickson Adapting Horror Novel Road of Bones for Film
    gizmodo.com
    Derrickson and his recurring creative partner C. Robert Cargill are tackling Christopher Golden's 2022 horror novel for the big screen.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·28 Views
  • Lanterns Director Teases the HBO Shows Tone and Sci-Fi Magic
    gizmodo.com
    The upcomingLanternsseries centers on John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) using their Green Lantern rings to investigate a mystery on Earth. Given theGreen Lanternmovie was mostly set on Earth, there was some concern among fans that the show was going to repeat that films mistakes. But according to director James Hawes, the show will do right by the heroes cosmic scope. In an interview with Collider, Hawes assured there wouldnt be any shortage of sci-fi magic amid its Nebraska setting. Its done in a world where you accept that these things just are, he said of Lanterns fantastical elements. As someone without much superhero experience before this project, he said he was bewitched by his foray into the genre. You always find a scene or two that you think, I cant wait to be beside the camera and the cast, directing this scene. You know this is something you have to take seriously, and that absolutely happened with Lanterns. Hawes continued with mentions of the shows humorits very particular and his episodes will hopefully be similar to his work onSlow HorsesandBlack Mirrorand its electric cast. Of Pierre and Chandler, he felt they brought charm and authenticity to their roles. These are two people you just want to hang out with. [.] You want to go on that journey. You get people who are just so classy and so busy inhabiting their roles, so you never doubt it. Theyre not on the outsidetheyre deep in those skins. Lanterns is scheduled to release on Max and HBO sometime in 2026. 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·19 Views
  • How to Watch MotoGP Americas MotoGP on a Free Channel
    gizmodo.com
    After the race in Argentina, MotoGP is back. Will Marc Marquez keep up his momentum? To find out, many of you are looking for a free live stream to watch the Americas GP. Fortunately, you wont have to look far.In this guide, well explain how to watch the Americas Grand Prix on a free channel from anywhere. This is a risk-free solution that most people online use for this and more MotoGP race live streams.Date and scheduleSprint race at 3:00 PM PST / 6:00 PM EST | Sundays race at 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM ESTFree channelServusTV (Austria), RTS/SRF (Switzerland)Where Can You Watch the Race at COTA Online for Free?Expensive sports-streaming platforms are out of reach for most people. Their high monthly fees usually arent justified when all you can do is watch sports.We found that ServusTV, an Austrian TV channel, lets you broadcast the race for free. Moreover, the live stream is in Full HD, albeit with German commentary.The good news is that ServusTV doesnt require an account, which means you can visit the website on the given day and immediately watch the Americas Grand Prix for free anywhere.However, ServusTVs content is exclusive to Austria, spawning this notorious error message to people abroad (which means This video is not available): ServusTVHow to Watch Americas Grand Prix on a Free ChannelPeople online have detected that ServusTV works exclusively with an Austrian IP address. The website works by detecting the users IP address. If its outside Austria, the user is blocked.On the flip side, altering an IP address with a VPN, such as NordVPN, produces immediate effects. Once the user connects to an Austrian VPN server, theyre assigned an Austrian IP.Watch the race online with NordVPNThis effectively fools ServusTV into thinking the user is in Austria, which allows access to all of the content, including the free live stream of MotoGP Americas Grand Prix. ServusTVNordVPN is often used because of its worldwide popularity.Its fast, reliable, and equipped with Austrian VPN servers. However, its also free for 30 days thanks to a money-back guarantee, which allows people to enjoy multiple Grand Prix races without spending a dime.Simply put, they watch the race no matter where they are, get a refund from NordVPN in the given period (30 days), and end up not losing a cent.Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas ScheduleThe official Americas GP free live stream schedule tells us that the event starts on the 27th of March and ends on the 30th of March.While most racing fans are excited for the main race, which is on the 30th of March at 14:00 PST, its handy to have a full schedule ready, just in case you want to chime in beforehand.For your reference, all times are in PST.27th March: 11:30 GearUp, 12:00 Pre-Event Press Conference28th March: 10:45 Free Practice 1, 15:00 Practice29th March: 10:10 Free Practice 2, 10:50, Qualifying 1, 11:15 Qualifying 2, 15:00 Sprint (10 laps)30th of March: 9:40 Warm Up, 14:00 Grand Prix (20 laps)Can I Watch the Americas Grand Prix on VideoPass?VideoPass is a great option for avid MotoGP fans. However, it doesnt offer a free live stream of the Americas Grand Prix because its a paid service.The official website allows you to subscribe to it monthly or annually, but the best-value option is the latter. In that case, youll have to spend around $139.99 yearly. The monthly version is $29.99/mo.Theres a four-day trial at $0.00, but without access to live and on-demand races. No matter how you look at it, VideoPass is costlier than a VPN, which offers the option to get a refund.Even if you dont get a refund, NordVPN costs roughly $80 for the first 2 years, and you can do a lot more with it.The race is approaching fast, so its time to act. Who will stand in the middle of the podium? Will Morbidelli catch up with fierce Marquez brothers? The Americas Grand Prix hopefully holds some answers!Try NordVPN Risk-Free
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·21 Views
  • Ryan Coogler Wants Denzel for Black Panther 3 As Much as You Do
    gizmodo.com
    Whenever Marvel gets around to the next solo Black Panther movie, Coogler wants the acting legend in its esteemed cast.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·21 Views
  • The New Apple Watch Series 10 Has Never Been So Cheap, Amazon Shows No Mercy
    gizmodo.com
    The Apple Watch Series 10 is the 15th iteration of the paradigm-changing smartwatch, and according to reviewers and users alike, it may well be the best one of all. One thing is for certain right now at Amazon its at its best price ever, with a 23% off sale creating a $329 deal (down from $429) thats way too good to pass up.See at AmazonWith an always-on display thats up to 30% larger than previous models of the Apple Watch, a revamped design emphasizing comfort and a light feel on your wrist, faster charging, and even more health and fitness features than before, the Apple Watch Series 10 has been selling like crazy over 10,000 in the past month on Amazon alone. This 23% off deal is just going to drive those numbers higher still, and its the best time for you to jump on the bandwagon.Your Workout PartnerThe Apple Watch has leaned heavily into its fitness and health tracking abilities since debuting 10 years ago, and the Series 10 is no exception. It has all of the trackers of the previous Apple Watches, and adds tracking modes for kayakers, canoers, and rowers, and the new Tides app which monitors coastal conditions. If youre ready to give the Apple Watch Series 10s aquatic features a try, youll be covered by the improved 50-meter water resistance and water temperature sensors.See at AmazonThe rest of Apples superior health tracking is present and accounted for in the Series 10, including on-demand ECG readings, heart and respiration measurements while you sleep, and also detection for signs of sleep apnea. If youre looking to check your heart rate while running or working out, you no longer have to fumble to touch the screen the display of the Series 10 is always on, and its up to 30% larger and 40% brighter than previous models.Slim PickingsWhen you first feel the Apple Watch Series 10 on your wrist, youll wonder if the smartwatch has been the one hitting the gym. The Series 10 is 10% thinner than the Series 9, which is hardly a bulky watch. Other upgrades include IP6X dust resistance, vastly improved sound for when youre taking a call, and the best charging time of any Apple Watch yet only 30 minutes to get up to 80%.There will, of course, be more Apple Watches to come. The Series 10 debuted only a year after the Series 9, and invariably a Series 11 will come along. But the Series 10 isso good that grabbing one now while its at its lowest-ever price at Amazon, just $329, will likely meet your smartwatch needs for years to come.See at Amazon
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·28 Views
  • Mission: Impossible Is Accepting a Museum Spotlight
    gizmodo.com
    Before Final Reckoning, go to the Museum of Moving Image to look back on the past and biggest stunts in Mission: Impossible history.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·25 Views
  • Spring Cleaning Has Never Been Easier Now That the Dyson V8 Is Discounted on Amazon
    gizmodo.com
    Weve finally made it through the long Winter. The weather has warmed up and now its finally time for that long-awaited Spring cleaning. Cleaning doesnt have to feel like a chore. It can be easy with the right tool? The Dyson V8 cordless vacuum is that tool. And right now this stick vacuum cleaner is part of the Big Spring Sale over at Amazon. At the moment, this model is available for $399, down from $469.See at AmazonWhen it comes to the Dyson V8 cordless vacuum, convenience is the name of the game: This vac is easy to move around though out your home. Its lightweight and ergonomic cleaning places high up and hard to reach couldnt be easier. The vacuum can transform into a handheld, making it maneuverable while remaining powerful, perfect for taking out to the car for a little interior cleanup before your next night out.Pet Hair, BewareOur furry friends are wonderful and we wouldnt change them for the world. Though, the shedding can be a real drag. Having the right tool on hand can keep your couches and carpets fur free. The Dyson V8 cordless vacuum is all to suck up pet hair from pet beds, couches, and even tough corners like those along stairs. The Dyson vac comes with a hair screw tool. Its conical in shape and helps detangle hair while you vacuum your home. And the polycarbonate hair removal vanes on the Motorbar cleaner help to automatically clear hair thats been wrapped around the brush bar.Hows the battery life you ask? Exceptional. Youll get a full 40 minutes of of vacuuming done before the Dyson V8 vac needs a recharge. Itll reach back to 100% in just five hours. You can neatly store the stick vacuum against the wall dock so it will recharge on its own just by being put away.Clean up afterwards is easy. Thats a word were using a lot here, isnt it? Easy. The hygienic ejection mechanism drives out all the dust and dirt inside with just one action , and you dont need to touch it at all to get it in the trash. Youll be left with fresh clean home as the whole-machine filtration system will clear pet dander and dust, capturing and sealing in 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.See at Amazon
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·24 Views
  • This Great Waterproof Anker Speaker is Nearly 40% Off, Just Like During Black Friday
    gizmodo.com
    After a long, cold Winter, we have finally made it past the final stretch: The weather is warming up, the sun is staying out longer and the seasonal depression is fading to make way for the regular depression. We can finally hang out outside again! And no outside hang out is complete without good musicand a good sound system. Were not all getting together to listen to Dua Lipa on a phone stuck inside a red Solo cup. We want rich booming sound thats still only the size of a phone in a red Solo cup.The Anker Soundcore 2 portable speaker is here to save the day and great news: During Amazons Big Spring Sale, you can grab one for up to 38% off. Normally priced at about $45, the black model has dropped down to just $27. Additionally, the more fun color options including blue, red, and teal are also on sale.See at AmazonThis is a portable speaker at its finest. Measuring in at only 6.5 long, the Anker Soundcore 2 can easily fit into your bag for easy travel. The Bluetooth 5.0 ensures youll maintain a stable connection to your phone or other audio source even as youre wandering throughout your yard at the next barbecue.The Bluetooth Anker Soundcore 2 is IPX7 waterproof so you can take it poolside or to the beach without worrying about it getting splashed onor heck, even fully submerged in the water. That also makes it ideal for listening to music in the shower.All-Day ListeningThis speaker is designed by Anker, so you know its battery is gonna be absolutely top tier. Packing 5,200mAh, youll be able to listen to your favorite music, podcasts, or audiobooks for a solid 24 hours on a full charge. Quite literally you can jam out all day long.This 38% discount makes buying a second speaker a pretty attractive prospect. Why? Because you can use wireless stereo pairing to connect two Soundcore 2 speakers together. Once paired, you can set the two speakers to listen into a single sound source to play bold stereo soundor simply to have double the volume. Its also great to set up in multiple rooms during a house party so every space is synced to the same music.See at Amazon
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·24 Views
  • Elon Musk Declares Intention to Bribe Voters (Again) to Attack U.S. Judicial System
    gizmodo.com
    By Matt Novak Published March 28, 2025 | Comments (10) | Elon Musk jumps awkwardly at an event before the 2024 election to promote Donald Trump at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 2024. Ryan Collerd / AFP via Getty Images Wisconsin voters will go to the polls next week to choose between candidates for the states Supreme Court. Elon Musk has spent $17 million so far to support the Republican-aligned candidate, according to the Associated Press. And the billionaire oligarch is really spreading the money around this weekend before Tuesdays vote, offering up $1 million each to two people who attend his rally in Wisconsin on Sunday. Musk tweeted Friday morning about his planned visit to the state, though an exact location for his appearance hasnt been announced yet. On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin, Musk tweeted. Entrance is limited to those who have voted in the Supreme Court election. I will also personally hand over two checks for a million dollars each in appreciation for you taking the time to vote. This is super important. That offer seems to run afoul of Wisconsin state bribery laws, as countless people pointed out on social media Friday. And it looks like the billionaire oligarch saw the outcry. Or at least his lawyers did. Musk deleted the tweet to clarify what he meant, which presumably means one of his attorneys provided him with wording that might get him into less legal trouble. On Sunday night, I will give a talk in Wisconsin, Musk wrote in the new tweet on Friday afternoon. To clarify a previous post, entrance is limited to those who have signed the petition in opposition to activist judges. I will also hand over checks for a million dollars to 2 people to be spokesmen for the petition. One of Musks political action committees already gave out $1 million to a Green Bay man on Wednesday. Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford is Democratically-aligned, and her spokesperson told the AP that Musks payments are corrupt and extreme, calling them disgraceful to our state and judiciary. Crawfords challenger, Brad Schimel, has closely aligned himself with Trump and Republicans.This isnt the first time Musk has offered large cash handouts in exchange for votes. The Tesla CEO did the exact same thing during the 2024 presidential election in swing states that he was working to deliver for President Donald Trump. Musk initially said he was offering $1 million prizes in Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan randomly in the lead up to the 2024 election. But his lawyer later clarified there was nothing random about the giveaway. The cash handouts were later branded as salaries for promotional work supporting the First and Second Amendments. Prosecutors in Philadelphia sued over the scheme, but a judge allowed the brazen plan to go forward. Ultimately, the prosecutors dropped the case after the election, which seems to be why we as a society are at this point now. Anyone can do illegal things before elections, as long as they win. At least that seems to be the takeaway.Musk has been running roughshod over democracy ever since Trump tasked him with leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a pseudo-agency thats been systematically destroying the federal government since Trump took power on Jan. 20. That also happens to be the day Musk made two Nazi-style salutes, gestures that he would say much later werent intended to be related to Nazism. Wisconsins Attorney General Josh Kaul released a statement Friday announcing his intention to file an injunction against Musks actions in the state. The Wisconsin Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that elections in Wisconsin are safe, secure, free and fair. We are aware of the offer recently posted by Elon Musk to award a million dollars to two people at an event in Wisconsin this weekend, Kaul said, according to local news outlet WTMJ. Based on our understanding of applicable Wisconsin law, we intend to take legal action today to seek a court order to stop this from happening. Kaul filed an injunction in Dane County Circuit Court, where the case was randomly assigned to the Democratically-aligned Susan Crawford, reports the AP. Crawford is apparently recusing herself, according to a spokesperson who spoke with the news service.Its not clear how quickly the injunction will be ruled on, but whatever happens in Tuesdays election, heres hoping the Wisconsin AGE doesnt drop the case. This stuff is so much bigger than one race in one state. The U.S. has reached a point of existential crisis as international students are getting abducted by secret police and shipped to ICE facilities thousands of miles away, all for writing an op-ed in the student newspaper. And people are already being shipped to a foreign prison without trial. If Musk is allowed to just keep buying votes, and Musks political allies get to just keep destroying the U.S. government, it really is over for this country.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published March 28, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published March 28, 2025 By Matt Novak Published March 28, 2025 By Matt Novak Published March 27, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published March 27, 2025 By Matt Novak Published March 27, 2025
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·27 Views
  • The Team Behind Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Looks Back on Karas Legacy, and Her Future
    gizmodo.com
    Kara Zor-El has lived many lives across her long, occasionally strange comic book history, but arguably no book has been more important to her modern imagining thanWoman of Tomorrow. When the smash-hit miniseries released in 2021 to critical acclaim, it quickly became the jumping-on-point recommendation for people who wanted to get the Supergirl experience, even with its uniquely sci-fi bent. And then everything changed again a few years later, when James Gunn nonchalantly dropped the book as one of the comics his new era of the DC movie universe was going to draw inspiration from. Now,Woman of Tomorrow is consistently one of DCs premiere tradesspurred in part by the anticipation for next years Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie, directed by Craig Gillespie and starringHouse of the Dragon breakout Milly Alcock as Kara. Its an anticipation that has only grown further when it became clearer that the film isnt just taking the books catchy title, but specifically drawing on its world and characters. Our first look at the film came ripped right out of one of its most famous panels, and key characters from the bookeven characters that didnt make the final cutjoined the cast. Woman of Tomorrow will be just the second movie in DCs attempted re-do at this whole thing, and its vision is one explicitly guided by roots in the comics unlike anything weve seen announced so far. Which is why when io9 visited the team behind the bookwriter Tom King, penciller Bilquis Evely, and colorist Matheus Lopesin London, England recently, fresh off a visit to the set of the now-filming adaptation, it was important to recognize not just the moment of Woman of Tomorrows impending shoot even further into the stars, but just how far the dreams of its creative team have come in the last few years. A dream realized in one way: this transatlantic visit marked the first time the trio had actually met in person. For me it was nerve-wracking. Because weve been working together for five, almost six yearssince 2020 I think, King told io9 in a small corner of a quiet London restaurant. If Mat and Bil, they met me and theyre like oh my god that guys horrible in person Im just so desperate to keep seeing them in my inbox, and seeing just the transcendent heights they reach and how I can somehow contribute to that. It was mostly just nervousness at that. So thats why I completely disguised my personality! A little joke but its based on truth, King continued. I just admire what they do so much, and being in person with them was an absolute joy just to see this one. It was a feeling, like one of the many about this book and this character, shared by Evely and Lopes.I was very nervous to meet [Tom], Evely added. But at the same time we worked for so long and I read your writing for so long and I feel like I met you. I feel like Im your friend. To finally see you here, in this moment, to visit to the set. Its a special moment. Lopes, meanwhile, came somewhat prepared. I wasnt as nervous because Id watched a lot of podcasts to see what Tom was like, the colorist said. I felt like I knew him, besides from the scripts it felt good. Bilquis Evely and Matheus Lopes/DC Comics Woman of Tomorrow was an unlikely creative process for the trio. Work on the book began during the heights of the covid-19 pandemic, and not only were King, Evely, and Lopes separated by oceans and continents, not even communicating over video, but King had already mostly written what would become the scripts for the final series by the time Evely and Lopes were submitting pages for the first. I feel this is so beautiful and distinctive, and I have one superpower. I do so many things poorly, but I can do one thing well, King jokingly reflected. Which is I can I can picture in my head what a comic book is going to look like. It comes from wasting your youth reading too many comic books, and I definitely wasted my youth away. I could see in my head what [Bilquis] would do with it, so I just wrote the comic that I thought shed create. And I was right. I mean it went above and beyond what I thought. That was the creative process: it was just writing the best story I could, and watching her draw it in my head, and watching her draw it in real life. And thats why we are so good together, Evely added. Were together because he wrote what needs to be wrote, and I do my part. Its a good match. A match that has already proven to bear fruit beyond DC in their swords-and-sorcery seriesHelen of Wyndhorn at Dark Horseand may yet bear further fruit, with King already working on ideas for his potential next collaboration with the artist.Its the energy of that collaborative potential that drew King, Evely, and Lopes to Supergirl in the first place. Ive always said from the beginning of my career that Im not so interested in the characters I work on, more than the team I work with, and the collaborators, King said of the early stages of what would become Woman of Tomorrow. So it began with an editor I had worked on Mr. Miracle and Strange Adventures with, and Im saying, Is there something there that we can do another Mr. Miracle for, basically. I would start trying to do another Mr. Miracle. And they said Supergirl was available, so I said yeah, obviously incredible potential with her. And I think the next thing they said is the artists available to draw it. They had a list and the first one was Bilquis. I didnt read another name after her. I thought they were joking. Shes willing to do Supergirl? And so I think it started with the artist, before the idea. I talked to Steve Orlando, who was writing Supergirl, and I was said Shes kind of generic. I dont really know. She has the same values as Superman,' King continued. And hes like No no, she doesnt have the same values as Superman because shes been through something Superman hasnt. She was alive on Krypton, she was 14. She saw her planet destroyed. She lived through a horrible event. She lived through three other horrible events, to watch her asteroid destroyed, and her parents die. And Superman was just a baby. He arrived into optimism and she arrived she had been through something. She arrived having seen something destroyed. And its a completely different perspective on how to be up, up in the sky, with that burden on your back.But Kara wasnt the only star of Woman of Tomorrow. Arguably, in some ways, she isnt even the star. That comes in the form of Ruthye Marye Knoll, a young woman from an alien world Supergirl comes across while celebrating her 21st birthday (away from a yellow sun, so she can get appropriately soused, of course). Seeking the death of a mercenary who killed her father in cold blood, Ruthye becomes the heart of Karas journey in the book, and the core of its themes. I wanted to sort of [do] an Odyssey-like plot. Id written a book called Up in the Sky which is a very Odyssey plotjust going from planet to planet looking for a kidnapped girl. I wanted this to complement that book, King added. I was looking for an Odyssey plot and I sort of came with this idea of two people, one giving each other one giving the other the chance for revenge. In the beginning I thought Supergirl would be the younger of the two and I was actually going to put Lobo [ed. note: who will now appear in the cinematic version in some capacity, played by former Aquaman star Jason Momoa]. But it was my editor who switched it out, my editor Brittany [Holzherr], was like Make Supergirl the veteran. So then I invented Ruthye, and we were off to the races. When I first saw this pitch for the mini series, I somehow knew what to do, Evely said of developing Ruthyes design, and the world she came from. Its like I imagine my head, and I show you some image boards with some ideas with pretty much cosmic images, with a little piece of vibe. I try to create lines that evoke some good sensibility for the comics. So every detail in the panels, is like telling some how I see the history behind [Ruthye] as well. Pretty much my passion is the backgrounds, and her eyes, and the way she feels all in all these scenes. Its an interesting contrast to Evelys approach to designing Kara for the series. Unlike the new, fantastical sci-fi aesthetic of the rest ofWoman of Tomorrow, Kara cuts a distinctly classical figure. The way I draw her, its because she passed through a lot of things like in her life like Tom said, Evely continued. She is young, but at the same time I feel like she was very mature. I try to show it in the way she looks, in the way she stands, or even move in her handsits very subtle but its making all the difference, because its very human. You can identify yourself in her. Bilquis Evely/DC Comics Bilquis Evely/DC Comics That passion Evely and Lopes alike felt in pushing something new in the DC cosmoswhich has spent generations going under re-interpretation after re-interpretationto give Woman of Tomorrow an aesthetic unlike anything DC was releasing at the time. I was just finishing The Dreaming which was a very cosmic book, and I kind of brought with me the same kind of the same aesthetic for Supergirl, Evely added. Dreaming was a book where we could explore everything. I feel like in Supergirl we could do it even more, because we went through a lot of planets, and in every single case, you could create another world. It was kind of a fun way to explore the creativity and the imagination of what we could create. The universe is a big place, and like Earth, I imagine theres a lot of diversityI wanted to every place in the book to feel especially different, Lopes said of the psychedelic yet warm colorscape he envisioned for Woman of Tomorrow. I made sure that little things would always stand out from what we have here in Earth. For a small example there are no blue skies until the last issue. I made sure of that. Theres always some shade of green, or something like that, or a yellow. I dont know if people noticed that very intentionally, but somehow I think that they get thisthere are no blue skies, so when theres aliens that are more humanlike, like Ruthye and Krem [the man who killed her father], I always tried to leave a little something different, like the color of the eyes. Its pink eyes for Ruthye, purple eyes for Krem. I was looking for a diversity beyond Earth as welldifferent lighting, lights, different lights, different hues for nature. Evely and Lopes being on the same page, literally and aesthetically, forWoman of Tomorrow, was born out of their prior collaboration onThe Dreaming. Whatever project Bilquis was choosing [after Dreaming], I would go with her. It was just really exciting, when she picked Supergirl, Lopes continued. ForWoman of Tomorrow, I did something that I dont usually do and I would say its kind of breaking the world of comics: I chose the feel of the style for the comic before I read a lot of it, and saw a lot of it, because it was the pandemic. It was a rough time, for me and for the whole world. I was trying to do some more colorful work. I dont know why, but it was me trying to bring some color into a dark time. So even before Supergirl, I was like No, Im gonna make this a very bright vibrant world and universe. And it fits perfectly. I think thats a little of the magic of the art. Tom was in a headspace. Bilquis and I were in a headspace. And that combined, in that moment of time, was what created Supergirl. Lopes continued. It was really something out of chance. I just wanted to compliment the page.But that headspace also informedWoman of Tomorrows darker bent, too. The undercurrent of the book, driven through Ruthyes desire to seek vengeance for her fathers murder, is a reckoning with the act of violence itself, as Krem cuts a bloody path across the stars to avoid Supergirl and Ruthye alike. The balance between the cosmic awe of the series aesthetic, and that dark heart, was something Evely reflected through her own feelings while she was working on the series. Something I always try to add in my work is that a sense of comfort, somehow, even when its a darker place or a sad environmentyou can see still beauty in that, and for me, its a kind of comfort while I was working on this book, Evely said. I was like everyone at the time, very stressed. I had come from another project, had worked a lot, and through three years straight I was very tired and stressed, almost burnout. With Supergirl I was in the middle of understanding what it is I wanted to do. I always loved to work on comics. I always liked to draw, but at some point, in this case when I was starting Supergirl I was like, Do I even like drawing? Because I was so stressed. But the book, and the image we were creating, was so special. I saw the first pages colored by [Matheus], and through that whole process, I got to enjoy my own work and discover my own style again, somehow. I think it shows on the page, and it shows a kind of discomfort through the story we were telling. Bilquis Evely and Matheus Lopes/DC Comics That was something that reflected in what had drawn King to Supergirl in the first place: the tragedies that she had worked through and overcome, to become the person Kara is as we know her today. One of the interesting things about Kara was that one of her original creators, Otto Binder, created her as a dedication to his daughter. He created two characters as a dedication to herKara and Ms. Marvel from the Captain Marvel family. But soon after he created Supergirl, his daughter tragically died, King said. He spent the rest of his life haunted, it ruined him, destroyed him as a man and a creator, and I always felt I dont know, some transference, like that character has a little bit of that ghost in it. That little bit of haunting, a little bit of her thats not like Superman. Theres something there because shes been through tragedy. Shes been through Krypton, her actual origins come from tragedy and how that changes a person. How it makes them a little tougher, a little more more cynical, a little more open-eyed towards the world, King continued. But also a little stronger. A little more powerful and compassionate, because theyve actually seen the other side of it. Theyve seen the pain that theyre saving people from. That was the idea that I wanted to push. That sounds like a very complicated way of what Im trying to say, which is to make her a badass and put a little bit of Wolverine in her. That cool, rebel character that I always loved growing up.Its clear that the teams vision for Supergirl resonated beyond just comic critics. In January 2023, James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed that one of the first films in their ambitious slate for a revived DC movie universe would beSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, specifically drawing on the books interpretation of Karas struggles. For the team behind the bookespecially as trade collections began selling out just from Gunns mentionthe news came out of nowhere. When the news about the film came out, it was so great, because I knew people would turn to the comic, Evely said. That the announcement happened was very shocking. We were in Brazil, figuring out the next steps, Lopes added. After a while, it becomes so distant. Now its finally becoming real to us, visiting the set. Things are as real as they can get. It was something so far away, and now its really close, I love it. Its real but its still surreal. Because its so crazy, Evely continued. I felt a great sense of comfort [visiting the set], because we saw how hard such talented people were working on this movie. We gave all of our hearts to it in the book, so its really nice to see that they are giving their hearts to the movie. King already had some experience working in the realm of DC filmhe had previously worked with Ava DuVernay on the since-cancelled New Gods film, and in the new era of DC beyond Supergirl, he had worked in early phases of the Lanterns TV show. But that didnt change how seeing Woman of Tomorrow be part of that vision felt. I mean, I try to be as cynical as I can about everythingmostly to keep up with my children so we can be on the same vibe, King joked. When they first showed us the scope of it, I literally tears in my eyes. I was trying to play cool, because there are a lot of producers and people I wanted to look tough with. Bilquis and Matheus are there. So Id subtly wipe away my tears. If anyone asks: I was cool and chill.Not to name drop, but to defer to someone who understands this better than I do. I was hanging out with Brian Michael Bendis at a coneverywhere Bendis goes, people come up to him because of Miles Morales, the impact that he had on culture on the world. They get pictures with him, and after were walking the hall, he gets stopped like seven times, King continued. And I felt like every time he turned to me he was just like Miles is just a gift. Its just agift. Its like walking around with a gift all day. Thats how Supergirl feels. Its just like a gift, its wonderful. Warner Bros. And with that gift, theres a peculiar sense of ownershipWoman of Tomorrows team can have over this specific vision of the character. They dont own Supergirl, of course, butWoman of Tomorrow istheir Supergirl. I feel like the way she presents herself is something we created, Evely reflected. The way she conducts, and, speaks, and looks, I feel this is from us. I like to think that maybe the other people remember her like that. Putting aside the ownership and property, and all these bureaucratic things about it, yeah, I do feel like shes partly ours, Lopes added. We created that comic book and that is ours. I gave Kara a lighter tone of blue [in Woman of Tomorrow]. In my variant cover for the new Supergirl series, I made sure I drew her in a darker shade of bluebecause Woman of Tomorrow has that lighter blue [on her suit]. Theres a lot of light in that book, and it shines more. Kara has a ton of meaning to me. Its a story I always tell: I always loved to draw since I was very young, I always liked to create characters and stories. But I didnt know doing comics was [a viable career], because there just wasnt a thing in Brazil like that. We didnt have access to a lot of comics, Evely concluded. When I was a teenager, I was in a paper store, and I saw a thumbs up from Supergirl on a coverI recognized her from cartoons, from television. But there was a little bit of text on the cover that said Oh, drawn by a Brazilian artist. It was a real job, and done by a Brazilian? I can do that too?'So when I started working onWoman of Tomorrow, I had already worked for 10 years with comics at that point. I had never tried pitching for her, but then I saw the pitch from Tom, it just felt perfect. I could draw more fantasy, and starscapes that I love. Like I said, I was in a very stressful moment working on it at first. In the process of creating the pages, I felt like I was starting to fall in love with comics again, Evely continued. Supergirl I discovered my future job through her. And then she saved me again, and brought me back to what I really love.Woman of Tomorrow is the book that is represents all that to me now. I didnt start reading comics until I was a little older, Lopes added. I hadnt ready any Supergirl comics before working with Tom and Bilquis. My story begins with her there, but I fell in love with the characters Tom and Bilquis created for that bookand now shes changed my life! Thats my favorite DC character ever. For King, too, there was a special resonance that he had not first felt when exploring who was on offer for his next DC venture. Again, this book was written during the pandemic. My children were home with me 24 hours while it was being written. My daughter was 10, 11 at the time, and every pageevery story, every ending, beginning, we would talk about it just so we had something to talk about, King reflected. And in making the book, I didnt intend to do this, but I ended up wanting I tried to make someone as complicated and as cool and as strong and as beautiful and as tough as my daughter. The book will always be the moment between the two of us as the world is sort of catching up. As she grows older, Ill still have this book. Its beautiful. Bilquis Evely and Matheus Lopes/DC Comics Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is available in multiple complete formats, wherever good comics are sold.Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the film, is currently slated for a June 2026 release. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·21 Views
  • A New Star Wars Chapter Begins at Disneylands Galaxys Edge
    gizmodo.com
    Starting today at Galaxys Edge in Disneyland, Star Wars fans will be able to meet Master Luke Skywalker in Batuu. His arrival is the latest evolution in the theme parks canon, which had once limited itself to the time period between Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The change to that original timeline came gradually these past couple of years as figures from Disney+ Lucasfilm shows have popped up in Batuu, incuding Ahsoka, Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, Sabine Wren, and Hera. And of course the Mandalorian and Grogu have had a huge presence at the parks because of fan demand for characters outside of the sequel trilogy. io9 attended todays opening of Season of the Force 2025Disneylands annual Star Wars celebration, running now through May 11and talked to Matt Martin from Lucasfilm and Michael Serna of Disney Live Entertainment to discuss how the story of the Black Spire Outpost will evolve from here. We look at all of our lands and experience as an evolution, Serna shared. Some things come and go, shows open, attractions come and go. So of course Galaxys Edge is going through the same journey; [it] evolves, and when we built Galaxys Edge, we didnt even know that some of these stories would be told. So as time has grown on, we realized, who doesnt love the Mandalorian story, who doesnt love various different stories? So this is an opportunity for us to sort of lean into those stories we know our fans love and admire, while not pulling away from anything weve done before. Sometimes youll see something you love and sometimes you wont. Our goal is to reach as many of our fans as possible and deliver all those amazing characters and experiences that people expect from our parks. That shift will become more defined this year, and it all begins with the lore weaver Tohan Legea character created for the Galaxys Edge fireworks show last year. Originally a disembodied voice narrating tales of the heroes and villains that are real within the land, this year he joins his trusty R1-series astromech droid Bard in illuminating the spires with projections of their history in Shadows of Memory: A Skywalker Saga, a show exploring the tragedy and triumphs of the family that connects them all.Lucasfilm created him in collaboration with the parks to appear as a telling-stories-around-the-fire sort of figure. Now weve got him as the centerpiece of Shadows of Memory. And so its so perfect to have somebody to tell the mythical saga of the Skywalker story, because Star Wars is itself kind of a modern myth, Martin said. Having an in-universe character to do that storytelling is just kind of a perfect bridge for both of those shows that we have here. And hopefully we get to continue using that character as a storyteller for years to come both in the park and in other Star Wars stories. This is key in opening up the stories told within the land and the characters who may pop up in the future from across the Star Wars canon, Serna confirmed. Star Wars has so many stories to tell. Matt and I had a lot of discussions about how do we sort of introduce things, like Fire of Memory [in] the fireworks show. We had this idea that a storyteller is the universal thing thats happened at the beginning of [humankind]. Its our lifestyle. We gather around a fire and tell a story. Thats how weve passed on histories and mythologies. So why would the galaxy of Star Wars be any different? There would be people that would want to collect these stories and tell them to future generations.We cant wait to see what other stories make their way to the parksin addition to Master Luke Skywalker, who we got to witness making his first grand entrance this afternoon. As for any changes coming to the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride to coincide with next years big-screen release of The Mandalorian and Groguwell, Disney is still very much keeping that under wraps. I mean, we cant talk too much about that, Serna teased. We dont have much to tell yet. Because other than what you learned at South by Southwest, we cant really talk about it. Martin added, What I will say is that it will be another authentic Mandalorian story, and obviously we will be in the Millennium Falcon. So were going to get to learn how we end up in the Millennium Falcon in a time where Han Solo owns that ship. So that should be pretty fun. But otherwise, I think youll have to wait and see.We also asked if any of the standout draws from Floridas now-shuttered Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser might be coming to Batuu, such as the lightsaber experiences or our beloved Gayas dinner show. Serna said, I would say were always continuing to grow and do new things. You never know. We asked if we should be optimistic, and Martin added, We learned a lot from that, you know, from a storytelling point of view. So I think the lessons that weve learned will always inform the future. Season of the Force is now underway at Disneyland. Learn more here. 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·19 Views
  • Star Wars Celebrations Visions Figure Looks Even Cooler Than We Expected
    gizmodo.com
    I cant think of another time weve covered a collectible twice. Here on io9, we cover all manner of merchtoys, art, clothing, etc.but once we cover it, its done. However, when it comes to the exclusive figure Hasbro is bringing to Star Wars Celebration Japan in April, our initial coverage wasnt enough to showcase just how awesome this figure is, and so here we are. To recap, Hasbro will have an exclusive Black Series set of the Ronin and R5-D56 from Star Wars: Visions on sale at the convention. Theyre super cool figures, all black and white just like the short film they originated from. But, what makes this release even more special is that the figures are going to come in premium Japanese-only single-language packaging. And wow, does that really take things up a notch. Here are some images. Hasbro/Lucasfilm Hasbro/Lucasfilm Hasbro/Lucasfilm Hasbro/Lucasfilm Hasbro/Lucasfilm Hasbro/Lucasfilm So, as you can see, the figures come packed with some really beautiful art held closed with some type of string. And then, the package opens up to reveal the characters are in a giant, widescreen movie. And thats without all the accessories, of which there are 11: including a lightsaber, staff, two rocket thrusters, and six droid tools. The issue were having is, clearly, you have to buy two of these things, one to open and one to display. However, the implication here is that just the packaging is exclusive. That means the figures themselves may be made available at another date. So, potentially, you can buy these and display those. This particular version of the figure will exclusively be available at the Hasbro booth at Star Wars Celebration Japan, starting April 18. Youll find us there in line. 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·23 Views
  • Elon Musks AI Company xAI Buys Elon Musks Social Media Platform X
    gizmodo.com
    By Matt Novak Published March 28, 2025 | Comments (0) | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/Bloomberg via Getty Images Elon Musk announced Friday that his company xAI is buying X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, in an all-stock deal. The transaction values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion, according to CNBC. xAI has acquired X in an all-stock transaction. The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt), Musk tweeted Friday evening. Musk purchased Twitter in October 2022 for about $44 billion, changing the name of the company to X, and founded xAI just five months later as an artificial intelligence company. Musks tweet announcing the sale called X the real-time source of ground truth for 600 million active users globally.In reality, Musks changes to Twitter have transformed it into a hotbed of far-right extremism, where neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists who were once bannedfrom Nick Fuentes to Alex Joneshave been welcomed back with open arms. Musk had previously said he wouldnt reinstate Jones, who had been banned in 2018, but apparently changed his mind about a year after buying the site. Musk clearly sees an opportunity for his social media company and AI companies to grow better together, perhaps because the X brand has become so toxic to normal people. Traffic at X reportedly plummeted after the 2024 presidential election.xAI and Xs futures are intertwined. Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent. This combination will unlock immense potential by blending xAIs advanced AI capability and expertise with Xs massive reach, Musks tweet reads. Musks tweet really tried to stress that his companies are all about truth, something contradicted by his frequent lies and obfuscations about his activities with DOGE. Just yesterday, Musk said that he was going to give people on Social Security more money, something he has absolutely no authority to do.The combined company will deliver smarter, more meaningful experiences to billions of people while staying true to our core mission of seeking truth and advancing knowledge, Musks tweet reads. This will allow us to build a platform that doesnt just reflect the world but actively accelerates human progress. Musk closed his tweet by using one of his favorite words, hardcore, to thank the staff at both companies. I would like to recognize the hardcore dedication of everyone at xAI and X that has brought us to this point. This is just the beginning. Thank you for your continued partnership and support, Musk wrote.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published March 28, 2025 By Kyle Barr Published March 28, 2025 By Matt Novak Published March 28, 2025 By Matt Novak Published March 27, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published March 27, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 26, 2025
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·21 Views
  • Tim Pool Podcast Reportedly Joins the White House Press Pool
    gizmodo.com
    The Trump administration has bucked decades of precedent by denying some legacy media outlets access to the White House. In place of real journalists, the government increasingly seems to prefer the presence of partisan hacks and infotainment-style influencers. The newest addition to the White House press pool would appear to be a man who was once described by Splinter as a beanie-headed dipshit, and who, among other things, was recently accused of receiving millions of dollars from the Russian government. Right-wing YouTuber Tim Pool has made it to the White House pool someone from his Timcast channel will be part of todays pool duty covering the president, Will Sommer, senior reporter for The Bulwark, wrote on X on Friday. If youre concerned about Tim Pool revealed last year to be taking millions of dollars from the Russian govt, he says unwittingly being part of the pool today, dont worry. Todays White House pool also includes the Falun Gong-owned Epoch Times, Sommer added. On his own X profile, Pool reposted Sommers tweet, writing merely: Epic. Gizmodo reached out to the White House and Timcast for more information. The Trump administration has sought to transform and take control of the White House press pool in ways that defy any modern precedent. Most recently, the administration barred outlets like the Associated Press and Reuters from traditional kinds of access and coverage (like events on Air Force One or in the Oval Office) because they refused to update their style guide to conform with a recent executive order that renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. Meanwhile, the government has set up what it calls Podcast Row, a new forum that lets creators ask questions of government officials, while also streaming their shows live from the White House. Welcome to The White House Podcast Rowwhere the viewership crushes CNN and the legacy media, the White House posted on Instagram Thursday.The personalities included in the first event, which is set to be a regular occurrence, reportedly included Natalie Winters from Steve Bannons War Room podcast and Breanna Morello, an independent journalist who previously worked for Newsmax. Now, it seems possible Pool may have joined the groups ranks. Bringing in new media outlets has obviously been a priority of this administration and we will explore all options that allow us to reach as many Americans as possible, Kaelan Dorr, White House Deputy Communications Director, told The Verge.The Trump administration has been savvy about tapping into new medias ranks as a way to reach young, typically male, voters. The so-called manospherea circuit of male-oriented podcastshas also been credited with helping deliver the young male vote to Trump during the 2024 presidential election. Joe Rogan, a key part of that media ecosystem, notably brought Trump on for a friendly conversation during the elections final months. Last year, an indictment from the U.S. Justice Department alleged that Pool and others had been paid by a Russian influence operation that sought to capitalize on anti-Ukrainian sentiment and seed it into the U.S. population through rightwing media. After the indictment dropped, Pool tweeted that hed had no idea about the Russian affiliation. That being said, we still do not know what is true as these are only allegations, Pool said in a post on X. Putin is a scumbag, Russia sucks donkey balls. He later deleted the tweet.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·31 Views
  • People Making AI Studio Ghibli Images Are Now Producing Fake Legal Letters to Go With Their Fake Art
    gizmodo.com
    The trend of using Open AIs ChatGPT to create AI images in the distinctive style of Studio Ghibli probably should have ceased the moment the official White House X account hopped aboard. But theres a new wrinkle in the story today, as one of the trends proponents posted a cease and desist notice they claimed to have received from Studio Ghibli representativeswhich fellow social media users immediately called out as being as fake as the art that inspired it. Along with the (fake) letter, X user teej used the platform to defend what theyd done, writing in part: AI creators deserve protection, not punishment. Expression is sacred. Imagination is not illegal. If I have to be a martyr to prove that, so be it. Its hard not to chuckle at this response to, lets see, typing a prompt into a program so that it can create an AI image blatantly ripping off hours of hard work and creativity from actual human artists, including the great Hayao Miyazaki and his Ghibli team. At this point, we can go ahead and add another fake to the growing pile: the persecution complex being felt by AI creators who realize now they did something that made a lot of people justifiably annoyed. Take responsibility for ones own actions? This is 2025! We dont do that anymore! Better point the finger at someone else, even if that other person is crafted from thin air! While Studio Ghibli has yet to make a public statement about OpenAI cannibalizing its works, its hard not to read into remarks from a Gkids representative regarding the box-office success currently being enjoyed by Princess Mononoke, which hit IMAX theaters in a 4K restoration this week in honor of its 40th anniversary.In a time when technology tries to replicate humanity, we are thrilled that audiences value a theatrical experience that respects and celebrates Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghiblis masterpiece in all its cinematic hand-drawn glory, Chance Huskey, VP of distribution for Gkids, said in a statement quoted in Variety. Screenings are still ongoing and you can find out details here. 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·25 Views
  • The Woman in the Yard Is Terrifying, in a Very Uneven, Upsetting Way
    gizmodo.com
    By Germain Lussier Published March 28, 2025 | Comments (0) | The Woman in the Yard is now in theaters. Image: Universal As terrifying as the idea behind The Woman in the Yard is, when you realize what its actually about, its even scarier. That should be a positive thingscary is good, right? But in this case, it shifts the films expectations and aims in such a radical way thatas bold as the choice is, it doesnt quite work. That first ideathe one shown in the trailersis this. A mom named Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler) has recently been widowed when her husband, David (Russell Hornsby), died in a car accident. Shes struggling to keep it together with two rambunctious kids (Peyton Jackson and Estella Kahiha) when a mysterious woman appears in their yard. Dressed all in black, her face covered in a veil, the woman tells Ramona Todays the day as she calmly sits outside, gazing back at the house. The reason we can endure most of the classic horror scenariosunstoppable slashers, killer ghosts, murder traps, etc.is that none of them feel possible. We deal with them because in reality, most of us would never actually deal with them. The Woman in the Yard hits in the opposite way. Any of us can imagine the guttural terror wed feel if someone so devilishly challenged our safest space. Its beyond unsettling. And so, director Jaume Collet-Serra (Black Adam, Jungle Cruise, Carry On) uses that to his advantage. Tension builds slowly as we explore the familys fear through charged parental interactions, canted camera angles, and long shots highlighting the expansive nature of the home. Within that set-up, like the family were left wondering a few things: who is this woman and why is she there? The answers come slowly, as the film instead focuses on what the woman can do as opposed to why shes doing it, leading to a few fun sequences. Eventually, though answers do come. And thats when the movie takes its turn. Danielle Deadwyler, Peyton Jackson, and Estella Kahiha in The Woman in the Yard. Universal Clearly, whatever the answers are in The Woman in the Yard, we want them to be surprising, interesting, and scary. Solving these mysteries is why were there. And, fortunately, the answers check all of those boxes.Unfortunately, to achieve that, the script by Sam Stefanak has to pivot away from the typical horror tropes, which causes some issues. Now, to explain that in enough detail to make my point, I have to talk about some spoilers. I wont ruin the ending or spell out every single reveal, but to fully dissect why the films traditional horror elements dont fit cleanly with its ultimate intentions, I have to reveal those intentions. If you plan to see the movie, skip past the next photo to avoid the spoilers. At a certain point, we learn the titular character is there not to haunt Ramona, its there to help her. Since the accident, shes been wracked with guilt and grief and has been praying for the strength to kill herself, even knowing itll leave her kids orphaned. Todays the day refers to the day Ramona will finally muster to courage to do that, and the woman is there to facilitate. Yeah. We know. Kind of messed up. Those revelations come in a few of the best scenes in the movie, but they also seemingly mark the end of one story and the beginning of another. The first is the supernatural horror movie we thought we were watching. The second is about what a person hoping to end their own life must go through. And both of those stories have different expectations. Once we know there are real-life stakes at play, all the supernatural things like shadow monsters or creepy hauntings feel out of place and insignificant. Did they happen? Did they not? Why would they happen at all? The idea of a mother of two killing herself simply is too serious for any of that. So were left with these diametric and opposing forces, both in the film and outside it. Plus, the idea of Ramona taking her own life is so much scarier than anything else, but not in a silly, horror movie way. The implications are disturbing and staggering, so as the film dives into it, things rightfully get uncomfortable and challenging. Again, this should be a good thing, but its a betrayal to the movie itself. You feel gaslit about why you sat down to watch the movie at all, and guilty that you didnt take it as seriously as it deserved to be. As shocking and brash as the reveal is, it doesnt quite work.Peyton Jackson is the breakout of The Woman in the Yard. Universal What does work, besides Collet-Serras direction, are the performances of the family. Deadwyler gives an intense, captivating portrayal of a woman on the edge that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Kahiha and Hornsby have less to do, but each fills a warm, loving void much needed in Ramonas life and the movie. Ultimately, though, the breakout is Jackson: hes a commanding, charismatic presence and probably the person the audience most relates to. Well be seeing much more of him. In the end, were glad Universal and Blumhouse had the guts to make and release The Woman in the Yard. Using the horror genre to tackle important issues is becoming increasingly rare, especially in a wide release, so kudos to that. You just wish those issues felt more cohesive within the horror narrative, and not like a big red mark on an otherwise clean surface. If the film had more fully embraced one side or the other, it wouldve worked better. The Woman in the Yard is now in theaters. 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.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Germain Lussier Published January 14, 2025
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·31 Views
  • DOGE Plans to Rewrite Entire Social Security Codebase in Just a Few Months: Report
    gizmodo.com
    By Matt Novak Published March 28, 2025 | Comments (0) | Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2025. Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is planning to migrate the Social Security Administrations computer systems from the COBOL programming language to something more modern, according to a new report from Wired. And while its not yet clear what Musks band of dipshits plans to do exactly, Wired reports they aim to do it within a few months, a laughably audacious timeline for such a task. Everything from the code that issues Social Security numbers to the payment schedules are written in COBOL, which was created in the 1950s, but the DOGE team seems to believe it can make a snap transition with the help of artificial intelligence, according to Wired. The DOGE team has already been reportedly running highly sensitive government data through AI, as the Washington Post reported last month, so why not use it to cheat-code your way to a more modern programming language? The reason, of course is the risk of cascading failures during any rush-job that might mean missed payments or beneficiary information getting wiped from the system entirely. As Wired notes, the Social Security Administration had actually planned on migrating away from COBOL under a more realistic five-year timespan in the late 2010s, but that effort was derailed by the covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted countless plans in 2020. More than 65 million Americans receive Social Security benefits, and any hiccups would be devastating for people who rely on the program to stay alive. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently told the All-In podcast that if Social Security checks didnt go out one month, his mother-in-law wouldnt call and complain. Lutnick claimed, a fraudster makes the loudest noise, suggesting that only people who are fraudulently receiving Social Security would be concerned about payments stopping. BREAKING: Trumps billionaire Commerce Secretary says that seniors wont care if they dont get their Social Security checks and that anyone who does complain is a fraudster. [image or embed] Social Security Works (@socialsecurityworks.org) March 21, 2025 at 11:19 AM Lutnicks logic doesnt hold water, obviously. Millions of people whove paid into Social Security their entire lives have a perfectly reasonable expectation that theyll receive the money they were promised. And Lutnicks mother-in-law hypothetically would get help from her billionaire son-in-law if she didnt get her check any given month. Most Americans who rely on Social Security dont have a hyper-rich relative to bail them out.The Social Security overhaul by DOGE is being led by Steve Davis, according to Wired, who is often described in news reports as the real day-to-day leader of the pseudo-agency. Davis joined SpaceX in 2003 and went on to become the head of Musks Boring Company in 2018 before being brought to Twitter in 2022 and then running Musks political action committee America PAC during the 2024 presidential election. Davis is seen as extremely loyal to Musk, with another top lieutenant of the Musk empire, Jared Birchall, quoted as saying If Elon asked Steve to jump out of a window, he would do it, according to the 2024 book Character Limit. Wireds report doesnt name any of its sources within the Social Security Administration, but the news outlet has been reliably reporting on some of the DOGE teams most galling cuts since Musk started taking a chainsaw to the federal government. Musk, whos previously called Social Security a ponzi scheme, was given enormous power by President Donald Trump to unilaterally cut anything he wants, a nakedly illegal powergrab that continues to this day, despite several court challenges. Congress has yet to properly challenge Musks meddling with their power of the purse, but there are rumblings that some Republicans may finally be growing a spine. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, for example, signed on to a letter Thursday objecting to the Trump regime withholding $2.9 billion of funding allocated by Congress.Musk and several people from DOGE were interviewed on Fox News by Bret Baier on Thursday night in a rather transparent attempt to calm fears over their ongoing destruction of the government. One of the DOGE staff, Joe Gebbia, talked about digitizing the records for retirement in the government, something that makes sense if done responsibly. But the DOGE team seems to think the reason government systems are so antiquated are that nobody ever thought of updating them before. The real reasons are two-fold. First, it takes large sums of money to migrate systems properly without disruption, which brings us to the second reason: Any disruption means millions of people could see critical services upended. The Fox News interview was at times incoherent, as Musk promised that people getting Social Security would get more money after he was done rooting around in the systems. In fact, what were doing will help their benefits, Musk said. Legitimate people, as a result of the work of DOGE, will receive more Social Security, not less. I want to emphasize that. As a result of the work of DOGE, legitimate recipients of Social Security will receive more money, not less money.Musk even said he wanted people to check back on his claim in the future. The claim that people would be getting more money from Social Security in the future simply makes no sense, and its hard to figure out why hed bother saying such a thing. Only Congress can tinker with how much money would be paid out to beneficiaries. But Musks many lies have rarely had any real consequences.IT expert Waldo Jaquith, who used to work for the U.S. governments 18F department (which was recently abolished), wrote on Bluesky that Musks plans for Social Security computer systems were a really bad idea. This is profoundly stupid and will definitely fail, and its just a question of whether our social security system fails along with it, Jaquith wrote. Jaquith went on to explain that there didnt appear to be any real reason for this rushed push away from COBOL, especially if people are getting their Social Security payments reliably and on-time right now, as they have for decades. I cannot think of a single legitimate reason for DOGE to perform such a modernization, especially on such a time scale. A lot of my work is around helping agencies triage how to deal with old systems. If the old system works, *leave it alone*! Start with stuff thats broken! Jaquith continued.Jaquith speculated that the real goal in migrating to a new system was to create a technical chokepoint for the flow of money to allow individuals or groups to be punished extralegally, saying that its all likely just a fig leaf covering the real goal of fascism. Protesters are expected at more than 200 Tesla locations around the world on Saturday as a peaceful show of force against Musks illegal power grab. But not all of the protests against Musk have been peaceful. Federal authorities charged a 36-year-old man in Nevada just yesterday for allegedly setting fire to multiple Tesla vehicles at a Collision Center in Las Vegas. That man has been charged with both state and federal crimes, with no less than Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel weighing in to say that Tesla dealerships will be defended against terrorism by the federal government. As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson, Patel said in a statement Thursday. Under Attorney General Bondis leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks. Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published March 27, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published March 27, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published March 26, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published March 26, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published March 26, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published March 25, 2025
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·33 Views
  • Scientists Agree That Everyone Hates Your Terrible Zoom Mic
    gizmodo.com
    By Matthew Gault Published March 28, 2025 | Comments (0) | Using microphone and earphones with video conference on laptop for work from home. mhong84 via Shutterstock If your mic sucks on a conference call then everyone judges you. In our deepest hearts we all know this is true but now its confirmed by science. A new study from Yale looked at peoples perception of a speaker based on how their mic makes them sound. The results wont shock you. People with bad audio setups are less likely to get a job, land a date, or be seen as credible. According to a blogpost about the study, lead author Brian Scholl got the idea for the study during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Scholl is a professor of psychology in Yales Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Wu Tsai Institute and was on a lot of conference calls while everyone was still figuring out their setups and learning how to use Zoom. During one meeting, Scholl was on a call with a colleague who had an excellent sound setup and another who was talking through a tinny laptop mic. Scholl realized he thought his colleague on the better mic was making better points and that he didnt like what his colleague on the awful laptop mic had to say. So he decided to study the bias. The study, titled Superficial auditory (dis)fluency biases higher-level social judgment, was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers ran six different experiments. Participants would listen to a short speech and make judgments about the speaker based on what theyd heard. In each experiment, people would hear the same speech through two different styles of mics: one was resonant and clear and the other was tinny and awful. Scientists were careful to make sure the distortion didnt cover up the message and each listener would have to transcribe the message after to make sure they understood.The scientists varied the gender and accent (it was either British or American) across the experiments. In one experiment, listeners had to make a hiring decision after hearing the voices pitch themselves for the job. In another, people listened to a dating profile. In one focused on credibility, participants listened to a computerized female voice with a British accent deny culpability for a traffic accident, the blogpost explained. The results were clear: the voices that sounded like they came through a bad mic got hired less, dated less, and believed less. Those perceptions cut across gender and accent. As judgments from text are influenced by factors such as font fluency, judgments from speech are not only based on its content but also biased by the superficial vehicle through which it is delivered, the paper said. Such effects may become more relevant as daily communication via videoconferencing becomes increasingly widespread.Every experiment we conducted showed that a familiar tinny or hollow sound associated with a poor-quality microphone negatively affects peoples impressions of a speaker independent of the message conveyed, Scholl said in the Yale blogpost. This is both fascinating and concerning, especially when the sound of your voice is determined not just by your vocal anatomy, but also by the technology youre using. Scholl also noted how hard a problem this was to catch and correct. Its easy to see what you look like in a Zoom call, but most people arent listening to how they sound when they talk on a mic. On a call with dozens of people, you may be the only one who doesnt know how you sound to everyone else: you may hear yourself as rich and resonant, while everyone else hears a tinny voice, he said.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Thomas Maxwell Published March 12, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published March 10, 2025 By Todd Feathers Published December 15, 2024 By Daniel Kolitz Published August 31, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published August 23, 2024 By Dua Rashid Published August 22, 2024
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·12 Views
  • Expanse Fans Helped Keep Shohreh Aghdashloo Booked and Busy With Wheel of Time
    gizmodo.com
    Shohreh Aghdashloos career goes back decades, with her big breakout coming in 2003s House of Sand and Fog, and roles since in X-Men: The Last Stand, 24, The Punisher, The Penguin, and more. But most genre fans look at Aghdashloo and think of one character in particular: The Expanses Chrisjen Avasarala, the fierce, fabulous defender of Earth throughout the much-loved sci-fi series. And as it turns out, her popularity on that show helped bring her to her latest role, Wheel of Times similarly fierce and fabulous Elaida aRoihan. Speaking to Collider, Aghdashloo credits Expanse fans with sparking her interest in joining Wheel of Time, now in its third season on Prime Video. As soon as I was done withThe Expanse, the fans ofThe Expanseand those who liked my work onThe Expanse, they started saying,We need to find her another TV series because we want to see her at work,' she recalled with delight. One of them came up with the idea of The Wheel of Time. I had seenThe Wheel of Time, and I was thinking, Would there be a place for me inThe Wheel of Time? Obviously, I didnt say anything. It wasnt for me to initiate. Then [fans] started saying, Yes, she should come to The Wheel of Time, and she can do a good job with the series.' Aghdashloos social media person took note and encouraged the actor to follow up, especially since her fans remained so enthusiastically persistent about the idea. Again, I said, Well, its not for me to initiate. Lets go find a showrunner! One of them came up with his name: the amazing Rafe Judkins, [Wheel of Times] showrunnerone of the best showrunners Ive ever worked with. He started DMing, saying, Yes, shes been on our radar since 2018, but we knew she was busy with The Expanse. Shes not busy anymore? Bring her over. Two weeks after, I received an offer from Rafe. I was so happy. I could not believe it. And indeed, it all worked out: you can catch Aghdashloowhose jewel-bedecked wardrobe as Elaida is nearly as stunning as her Avasarala outfits were on The Expansestealing every one of her scenes on Wheel of Time season three, now on Prime Video. 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·12 Views
  • Youll Need to Translate R2-D2s Bleep Bloops to Comprehend These Audio-Technica Buds
    gizmodo.com
    By Kyle Barr Published March 28, 2025 | Comments (1) | From left: Audio-Technica's special edition R2-D2, Darth Vader, Grogu, and The Mandalorian earbuds. Audio-Technica/Lucasfilm Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be C3PO and interpret R2-D2s whines, bleeps, and bloops? Audio-Technica shipped in a range of special-edition ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds ahead of Star Wars Celebration set for April, and they include sound effects for when your buds are low on battery or are disconnected that may make you equal parts whimsical and confused. The special Star Wars editions of the companys premium earbuds include special color schemes reminiscent of baby Yoda Grogu, Din Djarin of The Mandalorian, Darth Vader, and R2-D2. The color schemes are all what you expect for each character, though they include a line of Aurebesh, whichfor those not up on their Star Wars loreis the written alien language you find scrawled on walls in the movies and games. People staring at your ear will wonder what the hell is written on your buds, but if youre curious the writing spells out Audio-Technica. The real benefit of these buds is the special sound effects you get on each one. Theres a particular noise youll hear for when your buds are connected, disconnected, low on battery, or when you turn the power on or off. You can go to each product page to listen to the droid beeps, baby Yoda burbling, and heavy mechanical breathing. Hearing Grogu bubble and squeak with the press of a button certainly wont get old for some of us, but prospective buyers should consider whether theyll get tired of the noises after the 50th time they hear them. You can control the various soundscapes for your buds in the A-T Connect app if you ever want to swap out those sounds. Each special version of the ATH-CKS50TW2 sells for $180 and is up for preorder April 21. The buds have an expected release date of May 4, AKA May the 4th. Otherwise, these are effectively the same ATH-CKS50TW2 wireless buds that normally sell for $150. With noise cancelling disabled, the buds should last for 25-hour out of the case and a total of 40 hours with the case. With ANC on, the buds should have a 15-hour battery life plus the 25 hours of life inside the case. The wireless earbuds also include the companys touted Magnetic Switch Technology. Audio-Technica claims when you magnetically snap the buds together (or Use the Force, as the company calls it) you can preserve the buds battery longer when you stick them in your pocket, and not in the case. Even with the additional $30 charge for the special edition buds, these special edition buds include most of the features you expect at the price. They have hybrid noise cancellinga type of active noise cancelling that tries to cancel out specific types of ambient noise. The case also supports Qi wireless charging and promises 90 minutes of battery off a 5-minute quick charge.The buds are a fun idea, though I feel like Audio-Technica missed the opportunity to make a pun of its own initials with a pair styled after an AT-AT, one of those giant quadrupedal All-terrain walking transports first seen in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.Star Wars Celebration is set to kick off in Japan April 18. Our friends at io9 will have the on-the-ground coverage of even more collectibles and anticipated spectacles, so stay tuned.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By James Whitbrook Published March 25, 2025 By James Whitbrook Published March 24, 2025 By James Whitbrook Published March 24, 2025 By Justin Carter Published March 23, 2025 By James Whitbrook Published March 20, 2025 By Germain Lussier Published March 18, 2025
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·30 Views
  • If You Stop Vaping This Tamagotchi Dies
    gizmodo.com
    By Matthew Gault Published March 28, 2025 | Comments (0) | A mockup of a Tamagotchi that dies if you stop vaping at the NYU Stupid Hackathon in 2025. NYU via YouTube. There is a cursed vape somewhere in NYC that holds the soul of a Tamagotchi. If you stop vaping, the digital pet dies. Only engineers who once worked for Meta and weapons manufacturer Anduril could create a machine so heinous. And thats exactly what they did at the annual NYU Stupid Hackathon last month. Stupid hackathons are a tradition in the software engineer, hacker, and maker space. Every year across the country people come together to use their skills to make very dumb things. Past inventions include a machine that makes you look like you pissed yourself when you wanna get out of small talk, a selfie stick for a beer can, and a head mounted rack that makes it look like youre seeing through a long intestinal tract. The NYU Stupid Hackathon is organized by the Interactive Telecommunications Program at the Tisch School of the Arts. It went on for 12 hours and included creations such as a table that never stops shaking and a printer that drafts legally binding documents to track pink promises. But the vape or die Tamagotchi was the belle of the ball. The machine is the invention of former Meta employee Rebecca Xun and former Anduril employee Lucia Camacho. They had originally conceived the machine as a way to help Xun quit vaping. Originally, the idea was to do this for good, because I would like to quit vaping, Xun told Washington Square Times. But its more fun and more stupid if we use this power and harness it for evil and make myself more addicted.A traditional Tamagotchi needs many different kinds of love. It needs to be watered, fed, played with, and groomed. Users have to clean up its poops and balance its various health meters. Xun and Camachos digital pet only has one desire: that you keep huffing the vape. When you dont, its face fills the screen and huge wet tears shoot out the side of its eyes. You can see an early version of the machine in this video from NYU students of the hackathon. Its very intense, Camacho says in the video as an animation of the Tamagotchi crying plays on screen. For the original version of the project, the duo connected a vape to a computer which ran a digital pet.Theyve iterated since then and now have a version thats self-contained though it looks a bit like a brick of C4 with a crying cartoon on it. They used a pink Elf Bar BC5000 vape and strapped a tiny screen to it. Wires run from the screen to some basic components on the back of the Elf Bar. The Tamaogtchi that dies if you stop puffing was the breakout star of the Stupid Hackathon. Xunn and Camacho got a lot of attention, but Xun told Futurism that the experience hadnt been all positive. Remember, before the Hackathon she wanted to use a digital pet to help her stop vaping. Because we tested it so much, we were both diseased from vaping, she said.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By AJ Dellinger Published March 22, 2025 By James Whitbrook Published January 27, 2025 By Florence Ion Published December 2, 2024 By Florence Ion Published July 8, 2024 By Andrew Liszewski Published May 17, 2023 By Jody Serrano Published May 12, 2023
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·31 Views
  • Forget Apple And Sonos, The Most Premium Bose Headphones Are at a Price You Dont Want to Miss
    gizmodo.com
    Were still pretty far off from the next Prime Day, but Amazons Big Spring Sale is alive and wellwhich is effectively a Prime Day in everything but the name and the fact that you dont need to be a Prime member. That means right now you can find great deals across the site on products of all kinds from laptops to gardening tools, to noise-cancelling headphones.Speaking of which, Amazon has an excellent deal on the latest and most premium pair from Bose. For a limited time, you can get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth headphones for a solid 19% off which brings the price down from $429 to just $349.See at AmazonIf youre someone that finds themselves on public transit a lot, or flying on airplanes, youre likely being bombarded by all sorts of white noise and distracting sounds. With a pair of noise canceling headphones such as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, you can shut off all these background elements so that you hear only the sound you want to hear be that your music, your podcasts, or your audio books.Elevated Immersive SoundThe Bose QuietComfort headphones make use of two different listening modes Quiet and Aware. You can toggle between full noise canceling or full awareness, so you can go back to hearing your surroundings seamlessly. This is great for if someone comes up to strike a conversation with you, or youre a pedestrian walking near a busy street and need to hear the cars and other vehicles coming by for your own safety.The QuietComfort Ultra model which is what this deal is for has a third settingImmersion Mode. This combines full noise cancellation breakthrough spatialized audio to make you feel like your moving throughout the same space as the drums, bass, vocals, and everything else.The Bose QuietComfort Ultra also utilize Bluetooth 5.3 while the standard model is on Bluetooth 5.1. You can stay connected within 30 feet of whatever your listening from. That makes these a great option for listening to you TV without disturbing those you live with or your up or downstairs neighbors.Bose has the over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones in a variety of colors. You can choose between sandstone, white smoke, lunar blue, a special diamond 60th anniversary edition, andof courseblack. Though mind you, the sandstone version for whatever reason is not part of the sale, still listed at full price.So if you have been in the market for a solid pair of noise canceling headphones, look no further than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless headphones. You can get them for as low as $349, an $180 discount from their original pricing.See at Amazon
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·30 Views
  • Launched on Wednesday, The Galaxy A36 Is Nearly 40% Off If You Combine Savings and Trade-Ins
    gizmodo.com
    Samsung just launched a new phone in its lineup thats perfect for folks not looking to drop a thousand or more bucks on a device: The new Galaxy A36 5G is smartphone for folks who dont care for all the bells and whistles. Call, text, browse Instagram, access your bank account, and take some pictures. It does what you expect it to and does it all well enough.For the launch, Samsung has a pretty great offer going on. You can save up to $150 when you trade in your old smartphone. What were you gonna do with that old thing anyway? After ridding yourself of it, youll only have to pay $249, down from $399, for a brand new 2025 model phone. Thats incredible.See at Samsung.comFor an entry-level smartphone, this still has a pretty impressive screen: At 6.7 inches across, this super AMOLED display refreshes at 60 to 120 Hz no problem. Its not as bright as the Galaxy S25, coming in at only 1200-nit peak brightness and it also doesnt have a anti-reflective screen coating. You may find yourself putting your hand around the edges to block the daylight on a sunny day on occasion but thats not really a deal breaker when were talking about savings hundreds of dollars.The camera setup is good: Its got three lens on the back including a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP main camera, and a 5MP macro camera for taking pics of close objects. Additionally, you have the 12MP front camera for selfies and video calls.The casing is an area Samsung has definitely been able to help drive down the cost. While the S25 utilizes a thin armor aluminum design, the A36 5G is made from plastic with a body thickness of 7.4mm. Just put a case on it and youll be more than fine. The screen is durable, made from Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+so no worries there.Long-lasting BatteryOddly enough, the battery on the Galaxy A36 5G is more powerful than that of the Galaxy S25, which starts at double the price. The Galaxy S25 has a 4,000mAh battery while the A36 5G is housing 5,000mAh. It doesnt support wireless charging but a good ol plug is always more reliable and even charges faster at 45W.For a limited time, you can save yourself up to $150 by trading in your old smartphone. On top of that, when you purchase the Galaxy A36 5G, youll be eligible for up to 60% off a new pair of Galaxy Fit3, Galaxy BudsFE or Galaxy Watch FE. That could save you as much as another $98.See at Samsung.com
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·30 Views
  • Screamboat Is a Both a Steamboat Willie Horror Movie and Hardcore Disney Fan Film
    gizmodo.com
    By Germain Lussier Published March 27, 2025 | Comments (9) | In this exclusive photo from Screamboat, you'll see five women who just happen to be bounding as Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Cinderella, Ariel, and Jasmine. Image: Sklae Loran Watching the new movie Screamboat, I expected to see Steamboat Willie kill a bunch of people. I didnt expect those people to be dressed like Disney characters, drop Disney park references, and say movie lines like Be our guest, Let it go, or Dead men tell no tales. But at its heart, the upcoming public domain horror film is both a dumb, funny, gory, horror film as well as a love letter to all things Disney, filled with references big and small, from the first frame to the last. This week, io9 had a video chat with Steven LaMorte, the co-writer and director of Screamboat, and I had to dig into that. Where did the love of Disney come from? Was there a line he wouldnt cross? How did the references come about? And was it always in the cards that Willie would be about three feet tall and have an extended animated origin? Next week, check back to read about the ins and outs of making a big screen public domain horror film. Below, read about how LaMorte turned a lifetime of Disney fandom into a movie about a killer mouse. Screamboat opens in theaters April 2. Screamboat director Steven LaMorte on set with his mouse. Sklae Lorand This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Germain Lussier, io9: I expected this movie to be gory, scary, funny, all these kinds of things. But I didnt expect it to go so hard on the Disney fandom. My question to start is, what is your history with Disney? Because this could have been just a horror movie, but its also such a love letter to Disney as well. Steven LaMorte: When I was born, my mother was gifted a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal that was literally the size of me when I was born. So Ive been living with this mouse since birth. So Im a deep-cuts Disney fanboy. I got into making movies sort of as a backdoor way to be an Imagineer. Ive always loved effects and stagecraft and making sort of a spectacle, right? And Ive sort of felt this kinship, not just with Walt Disney the company or the brand, but with like the guy. Someone who always thought that nothing is impossible. If you have a dream, you should go for it. So being able to do what Im so glad you noticed [was a] love letter to Disney was so much fun. It was great.io9: So how did you decide on the balance? Because you clearly made the decision to dress characters as Disney princesses, include one-liners that are direct quotes from Disney songs. Tell me a little bit about when that kind of became part of the DNA, how much you wanted to push it, and was there a line? LaMorte: Some people have this preconceived notion that we dont like Disney or that we have some sort of negative opinion, or that we dont value the characters and the lore of the IP, but its the opposite. I mean, we love this stuff. This is something Im such a fan of. And its been so cool to make something where I threw a bunch of jokes in that I thought were funny. And my co-writer Matthew Garcia-Dunn, it was his idea to incorporate the princesses, because Id seen this party group on the Staten Island Ferry every Saturday night when I was in my 20s [Laughs]. So we had sort of these things. And then we started looking for these opportunities. Where do you incorporate these moments? Where do you incorporate these jokes? And some of them are very obvious and on the nose, like an actual line from the movie. And some are really, really subtle where were filming and Im like, Oh, guys, we have to frame this up. Thats the number 33. Theres a thing in Disney, its a club, and dont worry about it. Just make sure you get the 33 in the shot.Allie Seibold, Stephanie Bates, Kailey Hyman, Savannah Whitten, and Poonam Basu in Screamboat. Sklae Lorand Were doing early fan screenings, and it was interesting to talk to different groups and people who are catching all of them. We were up till all hours of the night, Whats going to be floating in the water that someone might get? And Im like, Well, we can do this one, we can do this one, we can do this one, and so the very first time we showed the movie, I had a big guy, hes covered in tattoos, were at a horror convention. He comes up to me and hes like, Dude, I just want you to know, I saw your Mary Poppins reference. And I was like, Mission accomplished! I didnt think anyone was going to get that. So its really just, Im on the inside. I wanted to make something that I loved and that people connected with. And if you dont like Disney, I think youll have fun seeing the movie. But if you do, and you get the references, I think the movie is even more fun. And that was thats sort of what I wanted to do. Are they Easter eggs? Sure. But theyre also vital to the DNA of the flick, because thats what people are really connecting with. And if youre on the inside, if youre in the club, then youre gonna have fun seeing them. io9: On the topic of references, I have one specific thing I have to ask about. The lead actress, Allison Pittel, I couldnt help but notice her character, Selena, looked to me like a super popular Disney YouTuber named Jenny Nicholson. Am I totally off on that?LaMorte: That is not who she is supposed to be. Sorry. io9: Okay, I figured as much but had to ask. That would have been the deepest cut of all time. LaMorte: So theres one in there that we had to change last minute. Theres some that didnt make it into the movie, of course. And there are certain things that either we shot and didnt use, or that we didnt end up shooting because how many jokes can we tell before [its too much]? So theres some stuff that didnt make it in. But theres one where [SPOILER REDACTED] was originally supposed to be, I dont remember her name, but the first Mouseketeer. We had the name of the woman, but legal wouldnt clear it because shes a real person. So we had to change it. But that was one were like, Oh, thats such a missed opportunity to have the original Mouseketeer [in the movie]. Terrifier star David Howard Thornton as Willie in Screamboat. Sklae Lorand io9: But you did manage to get a very cool SteamboatWilly-esque animated sequence in there. I wont spoil any specifics of it, but can you tell me a little bit more about the origin of that, how it developed, and got into the movie?LaMorte Definitely. Well, it was important to me the fact that Steamboat Willie was locked away, that this character has been unable to be used for such a long period of time, [and to] factor [that] into the story. And I knew it was an organic way to explain why our character doesnt look like the cartoon, because hes got some mileage on him. Hes been locked away for a long period of time. And we had some big ideas as far as what we wanted to show and how we wanted to do it. And of course, were at an independent film. And we said, Well, if hes an animated character, the best way to connect these two would be to show him as he once was, the version that we all know as he was created back in the early 1900s. And then use this animated sequence to tell the story, do it in a style that pays homage to the way that he was originally drawn And while I dont know if we would have approval about what were doing with the character. I think we would at least get some brownie points for bringing back the old animation style and honoring the classic character and his creator. io9: Another style question. When I saw the trailers, for some reason, I thought Willie was a full-sized creature. So I was a little confused watching the movie when I realized hes actually Mickey Mouse-sized. I know you used a lot of different techniques to achieve that ,but Im wondering if his size was ever a major consideration? LaMorte: Once we started developing the script, the decision came in pretty early on that he was going to be small. Because once you start looking at character designs, not in terms of how Steamboat Willie exists as a drawing or in a cartoon, but how he exists in the real world, we had to look to that very famous statue, The Partners, where Walt Disney is standing and hes got his arm out and next to him is Mickey Mouse. So that gave us a sense of like, If hes going to be small and hes not going to be a theme park mascot, a human size, then he has to be really small.And weve seen Chucky and weve seen Leprechaun, so there have been small killer creatures in the past, and its been done very effectively many, many times. But I knew if he was going to be a live-action cartoon character, I thought there were just going to be some limits to doing it anyway, other than shrinking a full-size animated human down. Check back next week for more on LaMorte on the challenges of working within the legal guardrails of public domain characters. Screamboat is in theaters April 2. Learn more here. 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.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Germain Lussier Published March 21, 2025 James Whitbrook and Gordon Jackson Published March 20, 2025 By Cheryl Eddy Published January 13, 2025 By Justin Carter Published September 1, 2024
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·37 Views
  • Warner Bros Looney Tunes Loathing Has Leaped From the Digital to the Physical World
    gizmodo.com
    In Warner Bros. Discoverys latest move seemingly targeting the famed studios cinema history, one of the original homes of the Looney Tunes is set to be demolished. This, coming right off the new regimes scrubbing of the cartoons off the platform, is certainly not a good look. Its also bummer news in the aftermath of the studios mishandling of Coyote vs. Acme, which is currently still shelved but may find new life with Ketchup Entertainment, which recently distributed Warner Bros. Animations critically acclaimed and certified fresh on RTThe Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. The majority of the studios classic animated shorts are currently streaming not on Max but on Roku. According to Deadlines report, it sure seems like its the end of the building once lovingly referred to as Termite Terrace; as the trade reports, Building 131 will be torn down to create more base camp space for the myriad HBO shows that are shooting on the lot. Its truly a damn shame and sad day for fans of animation history. The building and its role in Looney Tunes history gets a shout-out on the WB Studio Tour as the tram passes by; visitors are told its the cartoons original home and that it currently houses production offices of TV shows. Make that soon to be past-tense: The nondescript building, which is located in the far corner of the lot off of Forest Lawn Drive, will not be replaced, Deadline writes.Its not entirely surprising that Building 131 is being discarded despite its significance to animation history, much like the Cartoon Network building in Burbank which was sold not long ago. The one-level bungalow buildings nickname, Termite Terrace, came from animators who worked in it; at one time, a termite infestation left many Looney Tunes cartoon short cels smeared with termite outlines. The name stuck because it suited the chaotic energy of creating the antics of the Tunes for its makers. It also served as the the main hub for the Friz Freleng era of the Looney Tunes cartoons, and is the exact location where related productions such as The Bugs Bunny Show (1960) were originally made. It was also the place where Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones made his last short, From Hare to Eternity, according to Looney Tunes history platform Of Course You Realize This Means Podcast (full disclosure: my partner is the producer and host).For the studios mascot figures it appears the brass is only pushing Bugs Bunny, Tweety, and the rest of the Tunes likenesses for merchandising interests only. In an odd twist, the second half of Steven Spielberg and Amblins Tiny Toons: Looniversity season two was added to Max this week after an erratic prior release schedule. Upcoming projects based on the the Looney Tunes universe IP havent been announced. io9 reached out to Warner Bros. for comment about Building 131 being targeted for demolition, and will update this post if we hear back. 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·38 Views
  • Death of a Unicorns Class Commentary Is a Gloriously Gory Release
    gizmodo.com
    These arent the unicorns youre used to in fantasy tales, these are fearsome beastsbecause of course they would be, in a movie from A24. Death of a Unicornbrings the laughs as a darkly hilarious creature feature, but it also sharply eviscerates everyday conflicts stirred up by capitalism. Paul Rudd stars as Elliot, a single father trying to move up the ladder with his terminally sick employer Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), who is on his deathbed trying to stave off death with the best medicines in existence to no avail. The Leopold family invites Elliot and his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) to spend a weekend in their secluded mansion in the woods in order to determine if Elliot has what it takes to be the financial handler for the family estate once Odell kicks the bucket. But in particular, they want to meet his family in order to see if hes fit to take care of the surviving Leopolds. A24 Death of a Unicorn takes a turn when Elliot runs over a baby unicorn on the way to the Leopolds mansion. Its moment that comes amid family drama played fantastically between father and daughter, contrasting Elliots earnest cluelessness with Ridleys deadpan. Rudd and Ortegas characters are perfect foils for each otherthough both are feeling deep inner conflicts over the loss of Ridleys momand it all comes to a head when they hit the unicorn. Director Alex Scharfman really channels both actors strengths in order to anchor such a silly premise to get us on board, and the results are comedy gold. Things escalate once they get to the Leopold estate with the dead unicorn in the trunk of their car. A farce ensues when the duo try to hide it, and its hereDeath of a Unicorn really starts to show its bite,as the Leopolds put on their caring 1% show to try to connect with Ridley and Elliot. Ta Leoni as Belinda Leopold and Will Poulter as Shepard Leopold absolutely nail the elitist left mother and tech-bro son archetypes that are rampant on reality shows and the internet to a tee. Comedic fan faves Anthony Carrigan (Barry), Sunita Mani (Spirited), Steve Park (Mickey 17), and Jessica Hynes (Spaced) round out the ensemble, and they deliver on a level that I dont think any other cast could have really pulled off. A24 Once the Leopolds discover the healing properties of the baby unicorns blood, its masks off for the rich folks who decide to harvest it. Odell wants it replicated, his wife wants the notoriety, and Shepardwell, he wants to fashion it into a designer drug, much to Ridleys horror. As the voice of reason, her attempts to appeal to her father to get the baby unicorn away from them fall on deaf ears; the potentially world-changing properties of one drained baby unicorn dont outweigh her fathers determination to get them out of the rut theyre in. Its a tale as old as time, and Scharfman cleverly reimagines class commentary that could have happened anytime in a sharp satire of todays societal struggles against the tone-deaf rich.The unicorn is overly scrutinized for ways to monetize it to, the point where the powerful creatures existence should have served as a warning. Much like Knives Out, where the interests of those in power stomp all over the sensible thing to do, a looming threat arrives out of the woods, and its one that cannot be defeated by humankind, no matter how much money goes into throwing violence at it. With all the build up of how terrible some of these people are, the moment things take a turn into a gratuitously joyful bloodbath, its so just so fun and cathartic to watch, a genre mashup that feels like a riff on a Christopher Guest-esque ensemble piece, an Amblin fantasy, and a straight-up John Carpenter creature feature. All the films actors work in every genre, and apparently so do unicornswhich, by the way, are both hilarious and viciously scary in a way I truly didnt know I needed. Death of a Unicorn hits theaters March 28. 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·36 Views
  • You Have to See These Toy Story Runway Looks That Take Cosplay to a New Level
    gizmodo.com
    During a special designer showcase at Shanghais Fashion week 2025, Disney put on a celebration of Toy Story designer duds to commemorate the Pixar movie turning 30. Yes, 30 we cant believe it either. Also staggeringly out of this world are the looks that hit the runway inspired by the vintage toys featured in the film. The Disney Style account on Instagram shared the showcase, offering a look at pieces that made us go Whooooaaahhhh many, many times. From elevated cosplay-inspired outfits to minimalist motifs and brazenly bold deconstructions, you have to see how your beloved Pixar pals have been reimagined. Take a look at the gallery here featuring the works of Chinese designers and brands, including Bokh Xuesong, Chin Chin, JE CAI, LELALES, LI-NING, Manufacture, Nan Knits, PONDER.ER, Short Sentence, and ZOON9B00. : Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style Disney Style The Buzz Lightyear looks are definitely a slay in our io9 eyes, while the Western attire gets a little out there. The one with the glass case and Pixar logo beanie is giving Silicon Valley Als Online Toy Barn, if he were a tech bro toy flipper. Its also fun to see the rest of the franchise get some love with pieces featuring Lotso, Forky, and Key and Peeles Ducky and Bunny duo. Out of the outfits shown, I think Id like to rock that Lightyear meets Clueless pleated shirt and jacket. Heres a video with even more ridiculously ambitious looks: Publi par @shletsmeet View on Threads 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.
    0 Reacties ·0 aandelen ·34 Views
Meer blogs