Every week, manga readers crane their necks at anime watchers to live vicariously through their first foray into experiencing Dan Da Dan. Thus far, every episode has done a phenomenal job adapting the sheer scope, scares, and magnetism of Dan Da Dans action and romance. However, the animes latest and most anticipated episode nails one of the core tenets of why the series has such a strong fanbase: its phenomenal backstory writing. Whenever a flashback sequence greets a shonen anime fan, they reflexively roll their eyes in annoyance. This knee-jerk reaction is mainly due to how the expository narrative device can grind a shows action to a halt. While contemporary shonen series like Demon Slayer also utilize flashbacks to endear their villains to audiences, repetitious flashbacks tend to be used solely to draw parallels to their heroes. A stylish action sequence follows where said heroes unalive the bad guy, and then never think about the life they took as they propel toward the next monster of the week. While the above isnt the most charitable read of shonen shows like Demon Slayer, its become the expected norm for anime fans walking into a flashback to expect: itll offer a tragic backstory wherein its hero will shed tears as they tie a villains strife to their own and hopefully carry their life lessons into their next battle. Just as how anime protagonists rarely look back on past villains as something stirring their ethos, flashbacks in shonen anime ring emotionally hollow as the show trucks on. That is, unless youre Dan Da Dan. Dan Da Dans seventh episode, To a Kinder World, saw Okarun, Momo Ayase, and Turbo Granny battle Acrobatic Silky, a yokai stalking their classmate Aira Shiratori. While the gang outmaneuvered and defeated Acrobatic Silky in the first part of the episode, the latter half humanized the gangly, towering yokai.In a primarily voiceless flashback, we learned that Acro Silky was actually Airas deceased mother. As a single mother, Acro Silky had lived a cruel, tragic life, taking on odd jobs as a janitor, store clerk, and sex worker to keep food on the table. While it was miserable, using her hard-earned cash to shower her daughter with gifts made it all worth it. That is, until tragedy struck, setting Acro Silky running through the rainy streets of Japan looking for her kidnapped daughter. When all hope seemed lost, Acro Silky ballet danced on the rooftop of a skyscraper before plummeting to her death. Science Saru / Crunchyroll However, not even death could undo a mothers unconditional love. Now living as a ghost, Airas mother pledges to watch over and protect hereven if that meant twisting her face into a permanent grin and transforming her body into a towering Sadako-looking yokai that not even her daughter would recognize as her mother. This volley of emotional gut punches is further punctuated by Acro Silky sacrificing herself and transferring her spiritual essence to revive her daughter. She does this selfless act knowing that once she does, shell be forgotten forever as she exists in an infinite void. What follows is an emotional hug between Aira and her mother, where Aira promises never to forget her. Reader, as a manga reader, I knew this scene was coming and that didnt stop me from crying.What makes this episode of Dan Da Dan all the more remarkable is Science Saru opted not to regurgitate mangaka Yukinobu Tatus panels to depict Acro Silkys backstory. Instead, the anime presented her tale through an extended sequence mostly told without voice acting in a Studio Ghibli-esque stroke of whimsy before turning to darker imagery akin to a Satoshi Kon film. All of this was accompanied by a dreamy musical score akin to something youd hear out of a music box with a twirling ballerina spinning at its center. Whats more, the anime hammered home Acro Silkys desperation, with a first-person sequence of her doggedly running through the rain searching for her daughter. Science Saru / Crunchyroll Dan Da Dans most substantial quality is consistently providing soul-stirring backstories for heroes and villains alike. While Acro Silky served as its first momentous emotional moment between a villain and the audience, the series has already subtly suggested that it has always been focused on humanizing its antagonists as more than frightening adversaries. This is exemplified by the reveal that Turbo Granny, the shows initial antagonist, has a history of rescuing distressed girls. This is why she emerged from Momos phone (via a possessed Okarun) to protect her from an assault by the Serpo aliens. This event, which unfolded in the shows first episode, initially led fans to question whether this intense scene was perverse fanservice or genuinely compelling storytelling.Thankfully, it was the latter.Whats more, Dan Da Dan has continued to heighten the level of its flashback writing to a level that nearly eclipses that of its page-turning scares, highly detailed action sequences, and adorable romance. Now that Acro Silkys flashback has been expertly adapted, fans can look forward to the real Dan Da Dan beginning as the show adapts even more heart-wrenchingbackstories for its cryptids and aliens. New episodes of Dan Da Dan air every Thursday on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Hulu. 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.

Its tempting to imagine Ryan Reynolds just has an alarmingly robust library of deleted and behind-the-scenes Deadpool & Wolverine clips in his possession; some, he doled out for the Deadpool & Wolverine home release special features, others, he sprinkled into Marvels newly released Assembled documentary about the film on Disney+. But the well isnt dry yet, because he just shared this very fun little moment on social media: An abandoned, half-baked, quasi-edited and never-before-seen-for-good-reason montage (the band: Reynolds fellow Canadians, Nickleback) from Deadpool & Wolverine is not a bad way to spend a minute of your time, as the dynamic duo trudges across the Voids vast, expansive landscapes. Theres an epic quest feel to the sequence or there would be, if Deadpool wasnt nattering on non-stop in his trademark manner.Topics in this mostly one-sided conversation include: Whatever happened between Wolverine and Jean Grey? The trailer for Matthew McConaugheys bizarro 2003 comedy Tiptoesenjoying recently revived viral popularity because McConaughey was just featured on the 2 Bears, 1 Cave comedy podcast and cracked up while watching the trailer (he claimed) for the first time. (This jokes inclusion suggests at least some of Reynolds voice-over riffing was recorded very recently.) Deadpools proud status as an unreliable narrator Thor crying (still no explanation why) The importance of using only high-quality hair extensions Theres also a piggyback ambush and the declaration that certain phrases just sound better in an Australian accent. In other words, Deadpool being Deadpool, while also slyly reminding fans they can now watch the hit comedy on Disney+. 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.

Lately, Lady Gaga has been appearing in a lot of projects that are not directly tied to her already stellar music career. But just when you thought the response to Joker: Folie Deux might signal a slowed momentum in Gagas presence in Hollywood, news broke announcing Mama Monster is joining the cast of Netflixs smash-hit series Wednesday According to a report from Entertainment Weekly, Gaga has joined the season two cast of Wednesday. This news comes following a previous cast announcement that Steve Buscemi would be joining the Netflix series as well. While Gagas presence does a good show of upstaging Buscemi, her seemingly left-field casting announcement actually makes a lot of sense when you consider how her music career became intrinsically linked to the cultural success of the show all thanks to a viral TikTok edit. In 2022, a clip of Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams dancing to Goo Goo Muck by the Cramps became a sensation on TikTok. However, it was not the Cramps track that led to its success on the platform, but rather a fan-made edit with Lady Gagas 2011 song Bloody Mary that escalated the clips popularity. Before long, the Gaga version surpassed the Netflix shows original scene and sparked a dance trend on the platform. The trend grew so rapidly that it caught Lady Gagas attention, prompting her to join in with her rendition of the Wednesday Dance. While no one has outright confirmed this trend and Gagas involvement led to a delayed domino effect of her joining the cast, all signs are pointing to that being the case. @ladygaga BLOODY WEDNESDAY #fyp original sound heyy Gagas Hollywood presence is well-established by now; her most high-profile turns have included starring in 2018s Oscar-winning A Star Is Born and, more recently, DC Comics far less acclaimed Joker: Folie Deux. While Gagas shotgun-spread approach to acting roles has a 50/50 chance of being a cinematic success, every role she lands always neatly fits into her artistic ethos as a provocative performer. All that to say, Gaga joining the cast of Wednesday is a no-brainer.In a previous interview with Vanity Fair, Jenna Ortega revealed Wednesdays upcoming seasonwill showcase new villains, supernatural powers, and a darker tone more akin to Roger Cormans The Masque of the Red Death. Perhaps Gagas involvement in her as-yet unknown role will help fulfill one of, if not all three, of those criteria. Wednesday season two is slated to release on Netflix sometime in 2025. 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.

In between running for president, having an affair with a journalist, and defending himself against a wave of dead animal scandals, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to Make America Healthy Again. One of his chief inspirations for doing that is a wellness influencer who apparently felt called to spread the gospel of health after tripping balls on some psilocybin mushrooms. The Wall Street Journal writes that Calley Means and his sister, Dr. Casey Means, a surgeon, are the wellness gurus from whom Kennedy has sourced much of his New Age-y health philosophy. The newspaper calls the siblings top advisors to Kennedy, and notes that their book, Good Energy, has been circulated among Trumps inner circle. Prior to becoming a health influencer, Means ironically worked as a lobbyist for the food industry. His LinkedIn profile says he also spent brief stints at Booz Allen Hamilton (the shadowy deep state-contractor) and the Heritage Foundation, the right-wing think tank behind Project 2025.Means claims he awoke from his corporate slumber after tripping on shrooms. The paper notes that the former lobbyist had a vision of dedicating his life to reforming healthcare after a high dose of the psychedelic drug psilocybin. Michelle Obama was right, you know, to some degree, Means admitted during a recent interview with the Journal. By that, Means appears to be saying that Obamas program to make school lunches healthier was, in fact, a good idea. This is an agenda, youll recall, that was broadly derided by conservatives.Indeed, during his first term, Trump rolled back guidelines that Michelle Obama had put in place to heighten nutrition standards for national school lunches, because, in Trumps eyes, healthy children are too much of a bureaucratic cross to bear.The Means siblings have cruised the usual circuit of alt-media programming, including the podcasts of Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson. As admitted conservatives pursuing a pro-health, anti-corporatist agenda, they represent an odd ideological juncture that offers a weird hodgepodge of good and maybe not-so-good ideas. Similarly, Kennedy has often brought derision upon himself by being the mouthpiece for numerous health-related conspiracy theories (most notably, his indulgence of the anti-vax crowd), though not all of his ideas are entirely stupid. Americans should eat healthierits trueand another Kennedy ideato create government-funded wellness farmshas been championed by some progressive activists for years.That said, the real problem for Kennedy is that it seems highly unlikely Trump will ever let him do anything that legitimately threatens the interests of pharmaceutical companies or the private healthcare industry. After all, Trumps first administration was in bed with snack and corn syrup lobbyists, and the former President is a well-known fast food fanatic who held an actual McDonalds banquet inside the West Wing. During a recent podcast appearance involving Means, Kennedy even admitted that he found Trumps fat-filled dietary habitswhich he was exposed to during the campaignto be really, like, bad. Time will tell whether Kennedy is given an appointment in Trumps administration at all. So far, Trump has largely betrayed those voters who assumed he would drain the swamp. Instead, hes picked a cabinet full of Washington D.C. insiders, many of whom seem to signal a presidency that will have little to do with Trumps campaign promises. Maybe, if nothing else, Kennedy can be Trumps personal trainer.

By Matt Novak Published November 13, 2024 | Comments (5) | Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Facebook co-founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a song with T-Pain on Wednesdaya cover of Lil Jons Get Low. And if youre thinking hey, that sounds terrible, you really dont know the half of it. Because listening to this song may make you question some very fundamental things about the world. Like whether the invention of music itself was a bad idea. Zuck and T-Pain have dubbed their collaboration Z-Pain, and it appears the song was an anniversary gift to the Meta CEOs wife Priscilla Chan. Or, to put it more specifically, a date-aversary gift. Get Low was playing when I first met Priscilla at a college party, so every year we listen to it on our dating anniversary, Zuckerberg wrote Wednesday on Instagram. This year I worked with @tpain on our own version of this lyrical masterpiece. Sound on for the track and also available on Spotify. Love you P. The Instagram post includes photos of Zuck and T-Pain in the studio recording the song. And an Instagram Reels video shows Chans reaction to the video, with captions like surprising my wife and she likes it, maybe?Oh my God, it says Z-Pain, Chan says in the video, responding with so romantic after hearing the line sweat drop down my balls. Is that the most romantic thing Ive ever done? Zuck asks.Its so romantic. Twenty-one years later I cant get quite as low, but it brings back a lot of fond memories, Chan says. Zuck has been trying to reinvent himself through aesthetic changes in his hair and clothes recently, but this song does seem like a new adventure into trying to remain culturally relevant. Or it could just be a silly thing that one really rich guy wanted to do.And Zuck is absolutely correct that you can hear it for yourself on Spotify. If youre so inclined. The song is conspicuously absent from YouTube and Apple Music. How did you fare after hearing that? Would you like to stick foreign objects into your ear canal to make the sounds stop? Are you questioning the existence of God? It may not be that God himself is dead. Maybe this song proves something else. Maybe God is real and he wants us to suffer. Theres plenty of other evidence for that today. Did you see Donald Trump is going to nominate Matt Gaetz for Attorney General? Because thats real too. God indeed wants us to suffer.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matthew Gault Published November 4, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published November 4, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published November 1, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published October 22, 2024 Colin Lecher and Tomas Apodaca Published October 14, 2024 By Todd Feathers Published September 25, 2024

Pairing security, speed, and affordability is a daunting task for many cloud storage providers. Not for pCloud. This great cloud storage service massively cut down its prices, offering its Lifetime plans for as low as $199.pClouds flexible plans offer ample to be excited about; weve reviewed them in our pCloud analysis. This time, well report on its brand-new Black Friday offers that encourage massive savings who doesnt love them?!pCloud Black Friday Discounts RevealedWhy pay each month or year when you can pay once and call it a day or life? Either way, pClouds massive Lifetime deals are an eye-feast amongst Black Fridays discount frenzy.The entire range starts at $199 where you can get the Premium 1 TB plan.Check pClouds Lifetime & Annual DiscountsThis one is enough to store volumes of files and important data.However, paying $279 grants you access to Premium Plus 2 TB. With storage this large, you can store anything you like. Maybe your brains memory can fit in. pCloud.comThe best, and most impressive is the Ultra 10 TB plan.If you often store videos on the cloud or work with other large files, consider this Holy Grail. The plan has dropped to only $799 (-58%), making it one of the best-value lifetime online storage offers.Users who want to pay for pCloud + Encryption + Pass Premium can get an insanely valuable proposition. Its a 3-in-1 bundle that now costs only $599.This is a Lifetime bundle, so its a one-time payment that includes 5 TB of fast and secure cloud storage, a client-side encryption tool, and a password manager. pCloud.comWhy Should You Choose This Cloud Storage Service?This cloud storage combines security and speed to give you an award-winning experience. Our tests have shown its the fastest provider too, so expect blazing-quick transfers. pClouds security has several pillars, such as file redundancy, encryption, and secure data centers.As a result, it keeps your files intact and ready for access at any moment. pClouds massive storage extends to 10 TB, ensuring you never run out of space. Moreover, theres file history and secure file sharing, making collaboration easier than saying cheese.pCloud includes file syncing, with file versioning that goes up to 365 days. Other functions like account rewinds, file requests, media player, and unlimited transfer size make pCloud worth experiencing for users with sky-high demands.This Black Friday pCloud offer should motivate you to give it a shot or two.See at pCloud

Fans were shocked in the run up to this yearsDoctor Who revival that former showrunner Steven Moffat would return to the TARDIS and write his first episode for the series since he departed in 2017, only to be shockedagain when it was quickly confirmed that he would also write the 2024 Christmas special for the series. But it turns out that at least part of the reason why we got that double-barreled release of news is for a simple reason: Russell T Davies is really,really busy. Davies had planned to pen the second Christmas special of his sophomore tenureand had previously teased progress on it while discussing Whos return to the traditional festive TV slotbut, according to Moffat, constraints on the showrunners time as Doctor Who ahead of Ncuti Gatwas second season as the Doctor necessitated a change in holiday plans. The email [from Davies] came through and said Steven, Ineed to get on series 2, Im never gonna this Christmas script could you come in and write one?' Moffat recalled in a new interview with BBC News. Not complete his script, but do another one from scratch. Production on the second season of Davies new era began very quickly after conclusion on the first. Fans saw set pictures of the incoming companion played by Andors Varada Sethu well before she was formally introducedand even before Gatwas first season began airing. Its no surprise then, that Davieswho already, for better and worse, scripted the majority of Gatwas first season himselffound himself in need of another writer when turnaround was so demanding.As for why Moffat returned, the writer added both a professed love for writingDoctor Whos seasonal episodes, but also teased the central hook to the upcoming episode, titled Joy to the World. Imagine in the far far future a hotel chain got hold of the idea of time travel, Moffat teased. Whats the first thing a hotel chain would do if they had time travel? Theyd realize they had an opportunity to sell all the unsold nights in their hotels in history.Its presumable one of those unsold nights, then, that brings Gatwas 15th Doctor crashing into the life of Nicola Coughlans new character, Joy, as well as the return ofDoctor Whos ancient amphibian foes, the Silurians. A Time Lord is a bit more than any hotel could bargain for if it came to time-travel reservations, it seems. Joy to the World is currently expected to broadcast on the BBC in the UK, and Disney+ internationally, on Christmas Day. 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.

Agatha All Alongs last witches standing headed off on a new journey when the series ended just before Halloween, but before we see whats next for them (still no season two announcement, for what its worth), its time to look back down the Witches Road. Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Agatha All Along is the latest behind-the-scenes doc for a Marvel Disney+ series, with an accessible twist: itll hit YouTube, so even folks without a Disney+ subscription can check it out. The Assembled hits YouTube at 6 p.m. PT tonight: Marvel Entertainments YouTube page has a playlist going of Assembled specials past, but most dont make their debut there; the studio also does them for Marvel movies, and the newly released Deadpool & Wolverine Assembled is currently only viewable on Disney+. Premiering the Agatha All Along special on YouTube is a little bit confusingyou have to think most fans have Disney+ already (where the special will presumably also live after it hits YouTube). And fans who havent watched the show yet wont want to view the Assembled first, because itll no doubt contain spoilers. However, any time you can get some free Disney+ content without signing on a dotted line is something to be celebrated, and hope that it signals Marvels continuing excitement about promoting the show.Heres the Disney+ description for the WandaVision spinoff: The infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what theyre missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road The coven, er, cast includes Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza. Will you be assembling in front of YouTube to learn more about Agatha All Along? 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.

Star Wars has had a lot of moments where it has been changed forever. The debut of a new major movie addition to the Skywalker Saga always did that. The rebooting of continuity at large ahead of those movies did that, too. AsStar Wars has grown and expanded across books, comics, films, TV shows, and games over those years, each new addition has a chance to fundamentally impact everything we know about what Star Wars is at that point. But there is perhaps no momentStar Wars changed forever more potent in the modern history that on this day five years ago, November 12, 2019: the day the first live-action Star Wars TV show,The Mandalorian, began. The Mandalorian didnt just changeStar Wars for a lot of the reasons we might recognize it for these five years later. At the time, everyone knew the debut of that diminutive, big-eared green creature at the end of the episode was going to be huge, but no one could predict the thrall the Child, aka Baby Yoda, also aka Grogu, eventually, would come to have on mainstream pop cultureas a fully armed and operational merchandising behemoth. It didnt just prove that Star Wars live-action material could work on the small screen, kickstarting a whole streaming age for the galaxy far, far away. Revisiting the very first episode of the series these five, wild years later, one thing thats abundantly clear thatThe Mandalorian thrived on when it debuted is perhaps now the very thing it struggles with most: the sheer potential of the newness it was putting on screen. Lucasfilm Star Wars is about the wanderlust of discovery as much as it is the Empire vs. the Rebellion, or Jedi, Sith, and the Forceit has endured and been iterated upon for generations now because part of the creative strength of the world George Lucas built was that people saw the potential for so many different ideas and kinds of stories that could exist in its sandbox. And that first episode, simply titled The Mandalorian, and much of season one itself, keenly speaks to the inherent excitement of that potential.As subdued as a story as it is for the most part, The Mandalorians debut episode is an almost-ceaseless mystery. Even before we reach the reveal of Mandos bounty target in the Child, it allows the audience the chance to constantly be asking questions of it. Who is this masked bounty hunter that were following? What became of the Mandalorian people, that they now resort to hiding in coverts away from the prying eyes of the galaxy? What are these remnant Imperials we encounter through our heros dealingsand are we really meant to trust a hero willing to work with the Empire in the first place? Is Star Wars even allowed to have this kind of flawed, human perspective in a protagonist anymore? The Mandalorian didnt just ask these questions, it downright luxuriated in them. Its slow establishment of a world that brushed on the familiar of whatStar Wars was and looked likethe imagery of Mandalorian helmets and Stormtrooper armor, the familiar rugged frontier worlds of dive bar cantinas and run-down technologywhile still affording the space to genuinely feel like nothing wed really gotten out of the series on-screen up to that point. The Mandalorian wasnt just new, it wasinterested in that newness, in presenting something that was not just additive toStar Wars grand tapestry, but also asking questions of that wider world that opened it up to even further potentiality.As we sat on the precipice of the sequel trilogys conclusion in The Rise of Skywalker a month afterThe Mandalorians debut, culminating a new saga that had precariously balancedand bitterly consumed in a now-forever culture war overthe push and pull of newness and stoking the flames of nostalgia, The Mandalorian felt like a big-swinging glimpse into the future of whatStar Wars could be after the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, where the familiar gave way to asking big, fresh questions about this well-trod world, from the lens of a character completely disconnected from the movers and shakers of the galaxy. Lucasfilm It took a while for that to no longer to be the case, butThe Mandalorian eventually got there. Arguably the signs were there the instance Moff Gideon ignited the Darksaber at the very climax of season one, signs that only got bigger and louder as season two came along and trickled in familiar faces like Bo-Katan Kryze and Ahsoka Tano before rolling out the dangerously big guns in its Luke Skywalker-starring finale. By the time we reached season three, and the show was already bearing the weight of supporting a spinoff in The Book of Boba Fett (which itself briefly just became a string ofMandalorian episodes),The Mandalorian had changed just as much in itself as it had changedStar Wars. No longer was this a story of asking many questions, of the potential additive allure oftheStar Wars world, but a story of asking one: what action figure can we pull out of the toybox next?So many of its reveals were less about adding newness to that world, and more about drawing lines and connecting dots, as it elevated its central pairing in Din Djarin and Grogu to the same circles of Star Wars stardom as figures like Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker, from a lone bounty hunter wandering the fringes of the galaxy to a key figure of Mandalorian society in its resurgence, from a morally dubious lurker in the shadows to an unabashed and unequivocal hero figure, an official ally of the New Republic with all the edges smoothed off and trapped in amber. Even Mandos shipa new design, clunky and bulky and reflective of a man making his way across the universe in the only home he had, got blown up and replaced with a starfighter that put a pin in his past life as a lone mercenary and presented us a shiny new hero ship. And of course, it was a design we already knew from somewhere else. Lucasfilm The Mandalorians double-edged success as it has continued this transformation over the past five years reflectsStar Wars own uncertain stagnancy in the here and now, as Lucasfilm still struggles to chart what exactly it wants this saga to be, and where itll go next, after the tepid reaction toThe Rise of Skywalker. The familiar has been mined, over and over again, and while there are still sparks of potential in the TV empire thatThe Mandalorian laid the ground for, were five years into a period of soul searching defined by the nostalgia the show and the franchise at large continues to put on a pillar and a litany of announced and rumored projects that have yet to materialize in any tangible way. One of the few that has? More Mandalorian in the form ofThe Mandalorian & Grogunow a major motion picture designed to usher in Star Wars return to the silver screen, no longer something new and fresh and exciting, but wrapped in the familiar and reliable blanket of its major connections to Star Wars nostalgia.Five years on, its safe to say thatThe Mandalorian really did changeStar Wars forever. Whether it was for better or worse remains a question worth asking. 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.

Squid Game season oneabout a desperate man who risks everything by joining a mysterious competition where your two options are win (big) or die (horribly)was certainly not too interested in themes of harmony. But according toEmmy-winning director, writer, and producer Hwang Dong-hyuk, season two will lean even harder into the idea of people taking sides. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Hwang explained hes well aware that Squid Game season two will be arriving not long after an election sowed even more division among some of the shows biggest fans (Americans, obviously), though he thinks its message is truly a global one. In Korea these days, were seeing much worse conflict between the elderly and the younger generation. And you see demarcation everywhere. Theres no room for debate, only hostility. So I was inspired by the direction the entire world is taking, he told the trade. He continued. I was inspired by the sheer fact that everywhere you turn, people are drawing lines, whether its by generation, class, religion, ethnicity or race. I wanted to tell a story about how the different choices we make create conflicts among us and to open up a conversation about whether there is a way to move toward a direction where we can overcome these divisions.The interview also digs into what inspired the thrust of season two: the idea that Player 456 (Lee Jung-Jaes Gi-hun) would return for another round after emerging victorious against all odds in season one. (Heres the official synopsis: Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 456 billion won.) Hwang explained he took a cue from another dystopian tale: I was thinking about Gi-huns unfinished quest, and about the Matrix where Neo is given the option of the blue or red pill. He could have just lived happily on, but he chooses to take the pill where he becomes aware of the Matrix and struggles to get away from it.The THR profile is definitely worth a full read to learn more about Hwang, his background, and what he thought about the big-ticket reality shows that spawned from Squid Game, a series that explicitly cautions against greed. The piece also offers a reminder that theres a lot more going on in Squid Game than satire and slaughter. I would love for it to give you food for thought, to help you ask questions, Hwang said of his creation. This series holds in it every emotion I think Ive ever felt in terms of the way I view human beings and the world, all the elements of tragedy and comedy throughout life. Its all in there.Along with Lee Jung-jae, the cast includes Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo, all back from season oneas well as new faces Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an. Squid Game season two premieres December 26 on Netflix. 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.

Dont worrytheres no world in which lo-fi horror classic The Blair Witch Project gets one of those overly smooth 4K upgrades. The 1999 film became a sensation because it looks like it really was filmed by a trio of young documentary makers who get lost in a haunted forest: shaky, grainy, weird lighting, not always in focus. Though by now we know the true story part of Blair Witch was a gimmick, the found-footage film is still finding new ways to surprise us. According to one of the films producers, Michael Monello, the film is finally25 years after it hit theatersgetting a home video release that reflects the version its creators (the film was written and directed by Eduardo Snchez and Daniel Myrick) always intended. The new version comes into being due to a technical snafu that was mistakenly not corrected decades agoand apparently makes a notable difference in the viewing experience. Heres Monellos social media post that breaks it down:The Blair Witch Project was filmed on Hi8 video and 16mm b&w film and edited on a Media 100XR, a non-linear editing system in wide use then, he wrote. Since theaters then did not have video projectors, we had to transfer our DigiBeta master to 35mm via a process called telecine, basically filming the video on a special screen in a controlled environment with a 35mm film camera.They had no choice at the time, he explained. But when The Blair Witch Project was shifting from theaters to home video, [distributors] Artisan made a huge mistake and instead worked not from the DigiBeta master, but the 35mm telecine transfer. This introduced serious motion errors, Monello explained. It gave the Hi8 footage film grain and muddied all the colors with a brown overcast, killing detail. The edits of that transfer became 3-frame dissolves, rather than hard cuts!The new version, he said, is the film the way it was intended to be seen, and its scarier to boot; the new transfers look, motion, and hard cuts create a far scarier psychological effect than all previous versions. The release comes with 90 minutes of deleted footage as well as a new documentary, he added. But theres a catch: this will be a Region B release onlythats Europe, not the United States. (Monello suggested fans contact Lionsgate on their social channels to request a U.S. release; American fans with the ability to play Region B discs can pick it up from Second Sites website, for what its worth. You can also go to that link to see the full list of special features.)And speaking of Lionsgate, the studio recently announced its working on a new version of Blair Witch. To that end,a fan on Bluesky asked Monello if the Blair Witch Project castHeather Donohue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williamsparticipated in this new release. Recently, the actors spoke out to say they werent included in the indie films massive profits, despite their integral part in its success. Monello replied: They were made offers to participate, but due to their ongoing issues with Lions Gate they chose not to be involved. Note that none of us earn any money from Blair Witch anything. Our work on this was unpaid, and we only did it to finally get it out into the world the way it was meant to be.The Blair Witch Project is already scary as hell. Its hard to imagine a version thats even scarierbut were certainly intrigued to get a look at it and see if thats the case. Will you be checking it out? 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.

WhileThe Penguins finale was filled with twists and turns as the series cemented its place in comic book TV royalty, perhaps its unsurprising to learn that star Colin Farrell had a terrible time making it. No prosthetic wang needed this time to make things miserable, but instead the sheer horror of having to work through one of the series darkest moments. That is, of course, when Oz makes the cold calculation that in order to stop his rivals from using anyone close to him to get to him, he must brutally throttle poor young Vic to death with his bare hands. Its a moment among many across the show that has transformed The Batmans take on Oz from the almost charmingly affable, but sleazy mobster he was in the film to an absolute terrora transformation that Farrell apparently wanted to resist to his very core up until the last moment.Every fiber of me, of Colin, resisted it because theres a part of you that, no matter how dark a character youre playing and no matter how you accept swimming in those waters of the impossibility of any comeback into the affections of the audience, theres a part of you that always wants the audience to be open to the idea that you can redeem yourself, Farrell recently told Collider of the shock he felt reacting to Vics death in the finale. No matter how dark your character is, you always want them to feel that maybe there is some sliver of humanity left, that if the right thing was done in a well written scene in the right moment, you could redeem yourself. Im not sure thats possible anymore by the end of episode eight. So, knowing that I was going into that kind of degree of psychological finality and embodying the character with a kind of a depth of cruelty that is articulated in that scene, it was tough, man. Farrell knew from the get-go that part of whatThe Penguin was going to do was completely kill off any idea that Oz would remain the man he was inThe Batman, ahead of his return in the long-in-the making The Batman Part II. But after working with Rhenzy Feliz for the best part of a year and coming to the final days of production, the actor wasnot having a pleasant time separating fiction from reality.There was very little conversation on the set that night. We knew where we were. There was a slab that we were sitting on by the water, Farrell continued. We knew our lines as actors are supposed to, and we just went, and we did the takes, and we did as many angles as we had to do, and I fucking hated it. I hated that scene. I really did. I was fucking so pissed off. It felt in performing it asguess what?you would like it to feel in viewing it. It felt gross, it felt cruel, it felt absolutely insane, and it felt like Oz was reaching a point of no return. You bring it home at night, and that was a sticky scene. I had to have a shower with a wire brush at the end of that night, he concluded.As horrified as Farrell is, hopefully the overwhelmingly positive response to the finale will make him feel like he needs to scrub a little less deeply when he hits the showers this week. The Penguin is now streaming in its entirety on Max. 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.

As Black Friday is getting closer, Amazon has kicked off its early deals with a bang and offers huge discounts on EcoFlow portable power stations. This Monday morning, the e-commerce giant unveiled two great deals on the popular EcoFlow Delta 2 models which is a terrific opportunity for consumers to snag these high-performance power stations at record-low prices.The standard EcoFlow Delta 2 portable power station is known for its impressive 1024Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity and 1800W AC output and its now available at a great 54% discount: this brings the price down to just $459 which is a significant reduction from its original list price of $999. This portable powerhouse is perfect for home backup power, camping trips, and RV adventures.See Delta 2 at AmazonFor those looking to harness solar energy, the EcoFlow Solar Generator Delta 2 bundle which includes a 220W solar panel is on offer at an even more impressive 55% discount. Priced at $749 down from $1,649, this package deal is an extraordinary value for eco-conscious consumers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. The addition of the solar panel transforms the Delta 2 into a true off-grid power solution and its ideal for extended outdoor stays or as a reliable backup during power outages.See Delta 2 + Solar Panels at AmazonThese deals are particularly noteworthy as they match or even surpass the discounts seen during Amazons Prime Day events. However, unlike those exclusive offers, these Black Friday deals are available to all Amazon customers not just Prime members. This broader accessibility makes the current promotion even more appealing to a wider range of consumers. But make sure you get yours before it runs out of stock.Most Popular Power StationThe EcoFlow Delta 2s popularity is evident with over 1,000 units of the standard model sold in the past month alone (and its also our favorite portable power station out there): its 4.5-star rating from over 1,600 customer reviews on Amazon underscores its reliability and performance. The power station boasts fast charging capabilities, reaching 80% capacity in just 50 minutes and full charge in 80 minutes when using AC input. Its expandable capacity and allows users to increase from 1kWh to 3kWh with additional batteries, adds to its versatility.One of the standout features of the Delta 2 is its ability to power almost anything: with 1800W output and 15 outlets, it can handle 90% of household appliances, rivaling traditional generators without the noise or emissions. This is it an excellent choice for those seeking a clean and quiet alternative to gas-powered generators.The inclusion of the 220W solar panel in the bundle deal enhances the Delta 2s appeal for outdoor and off-grid use: with up to 500W of solar input capacity, users can keep their power station charged even in remote locations, ensuring a constant power supply for all their devices and appliances.As part of Amazons early Black Friday deals, these promotions on EcoFlow Delta 2 power stations represent some of the best values available in the portable power market. The combination of significant discounts, high-quality products and the reputation of the EcoFlow brand makes these offers particularly attractive for anyone in the market for a reliable and versatile power solution.See Delta 2 at AmazonSee Delta 2 + Solar Panels at Amazon

EA Sports FC 25 which is the highly anticipated successor to the FIFA series is currently available at an incredible 50% discount on both Xbox and PlayStation platforms via Amazon. This early Black Friday deal has slashed the price to just $34 down from its original $69.99 which marks a record low for the game since its release.See at AmazonThis substantial price drop comes as a pleasant surprise for football fans and gamers alike especially considering that EA Sports FC 25 hit the shelves only a few months ago, in September. The game represents EAs first foray into football simulation without the FIFA branding and it has been met with positive reviews for its enhanced gameplay mechanics and improved graphics.The discount applies to both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions as well as the Xbox Series X|S edition (not available on PCs) and makes it an excellent opportunity for players across multiple console generations to experience the latest installment in this beloved franchise. This deal is attractive for those who may have been hesitant to purchase the game at full price or were waiting for a significant discount before making their move.PlayStation and Xbox SeriesEA Sports FC 25 brings several new features to the table including enhanced HyperMotion V technology for more realistic player movements, an improved Ultimate Team mode and updated player rosters reflecting the latest transfers in the football world. The game also introduces the new Evolutions feature in Ultimate Team that allows players to upgrade their favorite footballers over time.The timing of this deal, coming well ahead of the traditional Black Friday sales period, suggests that retailers and publishers are eager to capture the holiday shopping market early. Its unclear how long this offer will last, so you should act quickly to secure your copy at this discounted rate. At $34 instead of $69, it represents exceptional value for a game that typically provides hundreds of hours of entertainment through its various game modes, including Career Mode, Pro Clubs, and the ever-popular Ultimate Team.See at Amazon

After a few days of stock shortage, the popular Blink Outdoor 4 cameras are back on Amazon with a huge 60% discount. This early Black Friday deal is turning heads as savvy shoppers rush to secure these great security devices at a fraction of their usual cost.The Blink Outdoor camera is known for its reliability and ease of use and has been a go-to choice for those looking to enhance their home security at a reasonable price. Now, with this substantial price cut, its become an even more attractive option: the single camera kit which typically retails for $99 is available for just $39.99. For those looking to secure multiple entry points or cover a larger area, the five-camera pack is an absolute steal at $159, down from its original price of $399.See Blink Outdoor 4 at AmazonSee 5-pack at AmazonThis wireless camera system offers a plethora of features that make it a standout in the crowded smart home security market. With its weather-resistant design, the Blink Outdoor can withstand the elements, making it perfect for monitoring your propertys exterior. The camera boasts HD video quality, ensuring clear footage day or night, thanks to its infrared night vision capabilities. Two-way audio allows you to communicate with visitors or deter potential intruders, while the motion detection feature sends alerts directly to your smartphone.Great Security, Great BatteryOne of the most appealing aspects of the Blink Outdoor is its impressive battery life: it can last up to two years of power from two AA lithium batteries so you wont find yourself constantly climbing ladders to change batteries. This longevity is a game-changer for those who want a set-it-and-forget-it security solution.Installation is a so easy and requires no wiring or professional help: simply mount the camera where you need it, sync it with the included module and youre ready to go. The user-friendly Blink app allows you to view live streams, receive notifications, and customize settings from anywhere in the world. This is also what makes it so popular.While this early Black Friday deal is exceptionally tempting, potential buyers should act fast. Given the high demand for these cameras and the depth of the discount, theres a strong possibility that stock will run out quickly (as it was the case earlier in November). Waiting until the end of November for traditional Black Friday sales might mean missing out on this opportunity entirely.At this price point (60% off on all kits; theres also one with three cameras), securing your home with an efficient camera system has never been more affordable. Whether youre looking to monitor your front porch for package deliveries, keep an eye on your backyard or simply want peace of mind when youre away from home, the Blink Outdoor camera system offers a cost-effective solution.See Blink Outdoor 4 at AmazonSee 5-pack at Amazon

The iRobot Roomba Combo i5+ is a self-emptying robot vacuum and mop, and its currently available at an impressive discount of 46%, bringing the price down to $299 from its original list price of $549.99. This deal is part of Amazons early Black Friday sales which have begun ahead of the official shopping holiday. The Roomba Combo i5+ is not just a vacuum: it also functions as a mop and makes it a great addition to any home cleaning arsenal.See at AmazonThis robot vacuum features a powerful 4-Stage Cleaning System that effectively pulls in everyday dirt and debris. Its unique dual multi surface rubber brushes are designed to adapt to various floor types for a thorough clean without the hassle of tangling with pet hair. One of the very much appreciated features of the Roomba Combo i5+ is its self-emptying capability: it can automatically empty its bin for up to 60 days.Empty Bin For Up to 60 DaysThe Roomba Combo i5+ is equipped with smart mapping technology which allows it to learn the layout of your home. This feature enables you to direct the robot to clean specific rooms at your convenience, whether on a set schedule or in real-time. Additionally, its patented dirt detect technology identifies dirtier areas in your home and cleans them more thoroughly when the vacuum bin is installed. This ensures that high-traffic areas receive the attention they need for a cleaner living space.Moreover, this model doubles as both a vacuum and a mop: with a simple switch of the bin, you can convert it from an all-floor vacuum into a wet mopping robot. The microfiber mop pad is designed for effective cleaning of footprints, dirt and dust on hard floors. Users can fill the Roomba bins tank with their choice of compatible cleaning solution or just water for customizable cleaning options that leave your home fresh and spotless.The integration with smart home devices enhances its usability: you can pair the Roomba Combo i5+ with Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant-enabled devices. You can use voice commands to instruct the robot to clean specific rooms or areas in your home for a seamless cleaning experience without manual intervention.As part of Amazons early Black Friday deals, this offer not only provides significant savings but also comes with an extended return policy: items purchased between November 1 and December 25, 2024, can be returned until January 31, 2025, or within 30 days from receiptwhichever is later. This ensures that customers can shop with confidence during the holiday season.See at Amazon

By Thomas Maxwell Published November 10, 2024 | Comments (2) | Ticketmaster users keep finding tickets have been swiped from their accounts by strangers. Drew Angerer / Getty If you havent changed the password on your Ticketmaster account recently, you probably want to. The online ticket sales company is continuing to deal with the fallout from a data breach earlier this year affecting over 500 million customers, and customers are taking the brunt of impact. Business Insider reported yesterday about a string customers checking their emails only to discover that someone had broken into their Ticketmaster accounts and transferred their tickets away: In September, Vashti-Jasmine McKenzie noticed an event had mysteriously vanished from her Google Calendar. It was a reminder for an Usher concert in Dallas on October 5, synced with her Ticketmaster account. McKenzie opened her email to a shock: The night before, a stranger had broken into her account, accessed McKenzies two tickets, which she had paid $550 for, and transferred them out of her account. McKenzie was eventually able to get her tickets returned to her by Ticketmasters customer support. Others havent been so lucky: Business Insider identified another individual who had their tickets stolen, returned to them by Ticketmaster, only to visit their concert and encounter two individuals who discovered their tickets had been swiped only once they got to the gate. Reddit, similarly, is home to many complaints from users saying similar things had happened to them.Ticket scalping is big business these days, and so its no surprise that Ticketmaster accounts are of high value. Its unclear how exactly customer accounts are being accessedfollowing Ticketmasters breach, security experts said that it didnt appear passwords had been compromised. And you would think any tech company today uses hashing rather than storing passwords in plaintext. Either way, hackers seemingly have been able to run wild through Ticketmaster accounts, adding even more headache to a rough few years for the company.Live Nation, Ticketmasters parent company, was sued in May by the Department of Justice for antitrust, with the agency alleging the ticketing giant is behaving anti-competitively by requiring performers use Ticketmaster at venues it operates. Besides handling ticketing through Ticketmaster, Live Nation handles promotions for most major concert venues in the U.S., and also operates hundreds of venues on its own. Basically it offers the whole soup to nuts package. Its not just the Justice Department mad at Live Nation and Ticketmaster. Concertgoers have been frustrated with the companies for years over the poor handling of ticket sales, including using frustration virtual lines and dynamic pricing to jack up the prices of in-demand tickets. Its gotten to the point that some have been put off from even going to concerts at all if they have to deal with Ticketmasterwhich is most of the time.The argument against these companies is that, because they control ticketing for nearly 70% of major concert venues in the U.S., they do not have incentive to improve, and have used their control to gouge venues and artists. In 2023, a Senate Judiciary Committee investigation concluded that Ticketmasters exclusive contracts create significant barriers to entry for competitors. Licensing, permits, and other regulatory barriers favor players like Live Nation and Ticketmaster that can handle the costs. From an NPR article written at the time: Klobuchar sees three main issues with Ticketmaster, as she explained in both the interview and her opening statement at the hearing: It controls more than 70% of the market for ticketing and live events, it controls much of the promotion of those events, and it either owns or has yearslong exclusive contracts with many large venues. Live Nation was permitted to acquire Ticketmaster back in 2010 after signing a consent decree saying, among other things, it would not retaliate against venues that chose other ticketing providers, meaning they can still promote through Live Nation. But again, Live Nation controls a vast swath of major venues, where it requires the use of Ticketmaster. Live Nation for its part, has argued that its operating in a free market, pointing to competitors like AXS and SeatGeek, and says that its scale has allowed it to offer better technology and lower prices to consumers. Its market share has declined somewhat since 2010 and its prices are comparable to to other ticket marketplaces, it has said.However things play out going forward, especially under another Trump administration, today the reality is that Ticketmaster is still dominant, so if you have to use it, we recommend changing your password, enabling two-factor authentication, and turning on account alerts for any attempted ticket transfers.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published October 22, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published September 5, 2024 By Matt Novak Published September 5, 2024 By Maxwell Zeff Published June 17, 2024 Laura Bratton, Quartz Published May 30, 2024 William Gavin, Quartz Published May 23, 2024

As Disney puts more maybe-real Star Wars movies on its to-do list, we wanna know what you're hoping from a new potential trilogy.

The originalMoanawas considered a pretty good movie back in 2016, and Disney being Disney, you can get why it decided to expand it into a franchise with a sequel and live-action remake. But if you thought it was just a standard good Disney movie with a lot of merch and cameos in other movies, youd be a little bit wrong. Turns out, its actually been doing amazingly well on streaming for a long time, and its got the metrics to prove it. A recent Bloomberg report reveals that since it launched alongside Disney+ in November 2019, and with an extra boost thanks to the early days of the pandemic, Moanasended up as Disneys most-streamed movie of all time. Numbers-wise, audiences have watched 80 billion minutes worth of it, which equates to watching it 748 million times. Further Nielsen data shows its also been one of the four most-watched films on any streaming service on a yearly basis for the past half-decade, and for 2024 specifically, its been somewhere in the streaming Top 10 every month thus far. Add on the $687.2 million box office during its theatrical run, and its safe to say a lot of people looooooove this movie. What this means forMoana 2is that its likely going to have amassivetheatrical run in a few weeks. Box office analysts believe itll open to $135 million in North America during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, further spurred by Fandango reporting it has the biggest first-day ticket presales of any animated film in 2024, the $1.697 billion-hit Inside Out 2included. AMC CEO Adam Aron further stoked those flames during a recent investor call when he mentioned hearing scuttlebutt that itll eclipse and outshine even the success ofInside Out 2.Some of Disneys biggest animated movies hit during Thanksgiving weekend,Moanaincluded. Even with other big movies hitting this season likeWickedandGladiator II,its likelyMoana 2sgoing to make waves when hits theaters on November 27. 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.

Are you sitting there thinking that life could be much better? Today, it is! NordVPN has dropped its prices massively, thanks to a 74% discount with 3 extra months for ALL of its 2-year plans. Were looking at the starting price of a meager $2.99/mo.NordVPNs plans are flexible, affordable, and best of all feature-rich. Its 2-year plans arent the only ones yielding money-saving characteristics. You can save on a total of SIX plans from this renowned VPN. This guide will explain all the nooks and crannies.NordVPN Is 74% Off: Get It HereNordVPN Discount Frenzy: Get It At 74% OffLets start with the 2-year plans. The Basic one has dropped to only $2.99/mo, making the price $80.73 for the first 27 months. This is your best bet if you need a safe and secure VPN.Are you looking for more?Then you should consider the Plus plan at only $3.89 monthly or $105.03 upfront.The plan comes with NordVPN but also Threat Protection Pro for blocking malware, ads, trackers, and phishing attempts. Moreover, NordVPN includes its NordPass software, which lets you store passwords safely and with encryption. Are you even more demanding?The Complete plan is discounted by a whopping 73% now, costing only $4.89 monthly. Youll pay $132.03 for the first 27 months and even get 1 TB of NordLocker, an encrypted cloud storage provider. This is your gateway to the world of proper online security.More Deals on the HorizonAs part of its time-limited discounts, NordVPN has slashed its annual plans prices by at least 60%. The icing on the cake is 3 extra months, ensuring you get 15 months of VPN protection for as low as $4.59 for the Basic plan. This is just $68.85 for the first 15 months.The best-value proposition is the Plus plan which now costs $5.49 or $82.35 for 15 months. Finally, the most discounted Complete plan is 64% off and costs $6.49 or $97.35 upfront. NordVPNs plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee as well!You can get it, see if you like it, and be refunded the same day if youre unimpressed. Though let us remind you of some of its most notable features youll get even in the Basic, most affordable plan:Over 6,500 servers in 111+ countriesA secure NordLynx protocol based on WireGuardDouble VPN serversObfuscation (NordVPN works in China and other censored countries)P2P servers for torrentingStreaming support for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Unlimited bandwidthApps for all devices10 simultaneous connections, and much more.$2.99 a month now doesnt sound that much. Oops. It never did. Consider yourself lucky. NordVPNs generosity wont last a lifetime. React quickly, grab the bull by its horns, and go home with your pockets bereft of $2.99/mo instead of 74% more.Note that theres no need to enter a NordVPN promo code to take advantage of the deal. Simply click the button below, and youre all set.See NordVPNs Prices

By Thomas Maxwell Published November 10, 2024 | Comments (0) | Apple has begun selling replacement camera modules, screens, and other parts for iPhone 16 models. evrim ertik / Getty If you have an iPhone 16 and smash the thing on the ground, youre in luck: Apple has begun selling replacement parts including cameras, displays, and batteries for its latest iPhone. The company, long resistant to customers repairing their own devices, has been making it easier following years of pressure from repairability advocates like iFixit. A replacement camera assembly will cost $169 for the standard iPhone 16 or $249 for the larger 16 Pro and Pro Max. Displays range from $279 to $379 depending on the model and size. Batteries are $99, or $119 for the 16 Pro, though theyll be more like $60 for the Pro if you ship Apple your old battery back. A camera will run you closer to $189 if you return the defective part. Youll want to check Apples official replacement site for full pricing factoring in return credits. If you dont have specialized tools to conduct the repair, Apple will rent you the battery repair device that its own technicians use. Apple first launched its self-service repair program in 2022, which provides customers access to parts, tools, and manuals to repair select iPhones and Macs. The company for years restricted repairs to authorized technicians for years, saying that unauthorized technicians could make mistakes that would damage devices and harm the pristine Apple brand. And iOS still rejects components that are not authorized by Apple. But these decisions contradicted Apples own commitment to sustainability, because the companys restrictions made repairs more costly and could result in more people just throwing away devices for a new one. An open market ultimately drives costs down and makes it easier for people to hold on to a device for longer.Fortunately, pressure has pushed Apple to open up repair manuals and parts to anyone, and the company will soon offer better support for more affordable third-party components, extending the lifespan of devices that consumers feel would continue to operate perfectly fine so long as they could replace a certain part, like a cracked camera or display. Recent data suggests consumers are upgrading their devices less frequently. Its great that Apple has been able to make its devices so durable, just increasing their value. But as customers replace their devices less often, the company has been making up the lost revenue by pushing harder into services, where it charges recurring subscriptions for products like Apple One. It recently began rolling out Apple Intelligence, a suite of artificial intelligence tools baked into iOS that require recent hardware the company hopes will convince customers to upgrade to an iPhone 15 or newer.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Thomas Maxwell Published November 9, 2024 By Kyle Barr Published November 9, 2024 By Dua Rashid Published November 9, 2024 By Kyle Barr Published November 8, 2024 By Kyle Barr Published November 8, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published November 8, 2024

Black Friday is traditionally associated with the day after Thanksgiving in the United States and has evolved into a global shopping phenomenon with Amazon leading the charge in the e-commerce space. This year, Amazon is set to redefine the Black Friday experience by extending its deals well beyond the traditional single day of discounts.See all deals at AmazonWhile the official start date for Amazons Black Friday event is November 22, 2024, it appears that the company has already begun rolling out its deals as early as this Sunday, November 10. Major brands such as Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft are already offering significant discounts and give consumers a taste of whats to come.Here are our Top picks for Black Friday on Amazon:iPad 9 64GB Wifi at $199 instead of $329AirPods Pro 2 at $189 instead of $249Samsung T9 SSD 4TB at $294 instead of $549EcoFlow portable power station River 2 + Solar Panels at $189 instead of $299Pixel Buds Pro 2 at $179 instead of $229Mac Mini M4 at $549 instead of $599Blink Outdoor 4 at $39 instead of $99AirTag 4 pack at $79 instead of $99Bose TV Speaker at $199 instead of $279Anker portable speaker at $29 instead of $39See all deals at AmazonHoliday Shopping Season Has StartedThe history of Black Friday dates back to the 1960s in Philadelphia where it originally referred to the chaos caused by the influx of shoppers coming to kick off their Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Over the decades, this day has become synonymous with huge sales and the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Since its arrival on the e-commerce scene, Amazon has played a crucial role in transforming Black Friday into a global phenomenon.In 2015, Amazon took a decisive step by introducing the concept of Black Friday in July with its Prime Day and promising even more enticing deals than those offered on Black Friday itself. This initiative not only revolutionized consumer shopping habits but also encouraged other retailers to follow suit, thus extending the sale period well beyond its original window. This year, Amazon is pushing the boundaries even further by offering early Black Friday deals that surpass even those seen during Prime Day. This strategic decision allows shoppers to take advantage of exceptional discounts without waiting for the usual end-of-November rush.See all deals at AmazonAmazons approach to Black Friday demonstrates its commitment to customer convenience and satisfaction: the company has expanded its return policy for the season. Items purchased between November 1 and December 25, 2024, can be returned until January 31, 2025or within 30 days from receipt, whichever is later. This extended return window provides customers with added flexibility and peace of mind during their holiday shopping.Available To All CustomersWhile Black Friday deals are available to all Amazon customers, Amazon Prime members often enjoy additional benefits during this shopping event. Prime members typically get early access to certain deals, sometimes up to 30 minutes before theyre available to the general public. This early access can be crucial for securing limited-stock items or flash deals that sell out quickly.Moreover, Prime members benefit from fast and free shipping on eligible items which can be particularly advantageous during the busy Black Friday and holiday shopping season. The free two-day shippingand in some areas even same-day or one-day deliveryallows Prime members to receive their purchases quickly without incurring additional costs.Amazons Black Friday event isnt limited to a single day or even a week. The company often extends its deals through Cyber Monday which falls on December 2 this year and creates a continuous period of savings that spans more than a week. This extended timeframe allows shoppers to make considered purchases rather than feeling pressured to buy immediately.Amazon is aggressively pushing for early sales this Black Friday season with deals starting as early as this Sunday. The e-commerce giant is adopting a sell fast strategy which means popular items may quickly run out of stock throughout the extended sale period. Shoppers should be aware that waiting until the official Black Friday may result in disappointment, as many products could be sold out by then. This was the case last year with numerous items becoming unavailable well before the actual Black Friday.Given this trend, consumers are strongly advised to take advantage of the deals as soon as they appear, starting from this Sunday. Delaying purchases could mean missing out on the best offers and desired products, as Amazons inventory is likely to deplete rapidly during this early sale period.Be sure to bookmark this page as we will be updating our list with new offers based on whats available from Amazon, Samsung, Best Buy, and other retailers throughout the Black Friday season. With the competition heating up and deals appearing earlier than ever, its essential to stay informed about the latest discounts. By keeping this page in your favorites, youll have quick access to the most current deals and promotions as they roll out so you wont miss out on any great savings during this exciting shopping event.See all deals at Amazon

Samsung has launched its early Black Friday sale this Sunday and it is offering huge discounts on its flagship Galaxy S24 Ultra (but also on foldable phones like Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6). This premium smartphone is known for its cutting-edge features and impressive performance is now available at prices that are hard to resist.The standout deal focuses on the Galaxy S24 Ultra 512GB model which typically retails for $1,419. Thanks to Samsungs instant savings deal, this high-capacity version is now priced at just $999which is a substantial $420 discount on selected colors. What makes this offer particularly appealing is Samsungs double storage on us initiative, which essentially means youre getting the 512GB model for the same price as the 256GB version.See at Samsung.comFor those considering the base 256GB model, originally priced at $1,299, its now available for $999 as well. However, given that the 512GB variant is offered at the same price point, opting for the higher storage capacity is clearly the smarter choice. This strategy by Samsung effectively renders the 256GB model obsolete in this sale as it provides customers with twice the storage at no extra cost.The deals get even more enticing for those willing to trade in their old devices: with Samsungs trade-in program, customers can save up to an additional $800 which brings the price of the 512GB Galaxy S24 Ultra down to an astonishing $499 instead of $1,419. This trade-in value varies depending on the model and condition of the device being exchanged but it presents an excellent opportunity for users looking to upgrade from older smartphones.To sweeten the deal further, Samsung is offering 1.5% back in Samsung Rewards Points on these purchases. This adds extra value for customers who frequently shop with Samsung, as these points can be used for future purchases.Apples Best RivalThe Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra itself is a technological marvel and boasts features that justify its flagship status. It comes equipped with a powerful processor for smooth performance for even the most demanding applications. The devices camera system is one of its standout features and offers professional-grade photography capabilities in a pocket-sized form.The 512GB storage capacity is particularly beneficial for users who capture a lot of high-resolution photos and videos or those who like to keep a large library of apps and media on their devices. With this amount of storage, concerns about running out of space become a thing of the past for most users. Samsungs S Pen is included with the Ultra model is perfect for note-taking, drawing and precise navigation. We also love the vibrant display of the S24 Ultra which makes it ideal for both productivity and entertainment purposes.This early Black Friday deal from Samsung represents a significant opportunity for those in the market for a top-tier smartphone. The combination of instant savings, doubled storage, and potential trade-in values makes this one of the most attractive offers on the Galaxy S24 Ultra to date. If youre interested, you should act quickly, as these Black Friday deals are typically time-sensitive and stock may be limited, especially for the most popular color options.See at Samsung.com

Astronomers have spotted pure chaos lurking in the cosmos. Thousands of light years away from Earth, a small yet intensely heavy star is releasing bursts of material as powerful as repeating atomic bombs while spinning wildly on its own axis. Using NASAs NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition ExploreR) telescope, a team of astronomers discovered the strange object, and its now one of the fastest spinning objects ever observed. This neutron star, the collapsed core of a massive star, completes 716 rotations per second while pulling material from its companion star and releasing it in the form of thermonuclear bursts. The discovery is detailed in a paper recently published inThe Astrophysical Journal. Located 26,000 light-years away from Earth, the neutron star is part of an x-ray binary star system called 4U 1820-30.X-ray binaries consist of a normal star and a collapsed stareither a white dwarf, neutron star, or black holeorbiting each other in a gravitational dance.In this case, however, the fast-spinning neutron star is accompanied by a white dwarf star about the same size as Earth. The white dwarf orbits the neutron star every 11 minutes, the shortest known orbital period of a binary system.Things only get weirder from here. Due to the intense gravitational pull between the two stars, the neutron star pulls material from its white dwarf companion. Once its accumulated enough material on its surface, a powerful burst of material erupts from the neutron star thats similar to an atomic bomb, according to the researchers. During these bursts, the neutron star becomes up to 100,000 times brighter than the Sun, releasing an immense amount of energy, Jerome Chenevez, associate professor at Technical University of Denmark, and co-author of the new paper, said in a statement.So we are dealing with very extreme events, and by studying them, we get new insights into the exiting life cycles of binary star systems and the formation of elements in the universe.The star system, located in the Sagittarius constellation near the center of our galaxy, was discovered using NICER, an instrument aboard the International Space Station that studies black holes, neutron stars, and other extreme gravitational events. Between 2017 and 2021, the researchers observed 15 thermonuclear X-ray bursts from the binary star system. We were studying thermonuclear explosions from this system and then found remarkable oscillations, suggesting a neutron star spinning around its centre axis at an astounding 716 times per second, Gaurava Jaisawal, a scientist at the Technical University of Denmark, and lead author of the paper, said in a statement. If future observations confirm this, the 4U 1820-30 neutron star would be one of the fastest-spinning objects ever observed in the universe, matched only by another neutron star called PSR J17482446.Looking ahead, the team is hoping to conduct follow-up observations of the neutron star, which could shed more light on how these unusual pairings of dead stars create cosmic chaos.

It wasnt that long ago that theBorderlandsmovie came out in theaters and did uh, Not Great in theaters before coming to VOD three weeks later. Critics and audiences more than tore into it, and Lionsgate wanted to pretend it basically didnt happen. But it apparently wasnt that much of a bust, because the games publisher Take-Two got to laugh all the way to the bank. This week, studios in both the games and film industries have been posting their financials for the second quarter of the fiscal year, and both Lionsgate and Take-Twowhich acquiredBorderlandsdeveloper Gearbox in Marchdiscussed the poorly received movie, which made $33 million worldwide and cost $120 million to make over about five years, a director change, and alleged rewrites. Lionsgate was pretty direct in calling the whole thing a complete mess: Everything that can go wrong did go wrong, said CEO Jon Feltheimer. It sat on the shelf for too long during the pandemic, and reshoots and rising interest rates took it outside the safety zone of our usual strict financial models. The success of our financial models doesnt take the place of also getting the creative right. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick also dunked on it during his companys earnings call, politely referring to it as disappointing. But while it wasnt material to Take-Twos results, he said the movie got people to buy more Borderlandsgames, all of which are on current-gen hardware. Game adaptations often lead to renewed interestin the source material and more sales, so Zelnick considers this a sign that making a movie or a television show based on our very high quality IP can drive catalogue sales, and that can be a good thing. If it helps put eyes on the series ahead ofBorderlands 4next year, he cant be too mad about it.Or maybe he can. The experience of making the Borderlandsmovie burned Take-Two enough to reaffirm that it should be selective in what it lets get adapted. Its BioShockfranchise is theoretically getting a movie in a few years, and Zelnick said the company has licensed other titles, and we will continue selectively to do so. But [note the] ever so subtle word, selectively.' [via Deadline and VGC] 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.

It wasnt that long ago that we got our first look at MarvelsThunderboltsmovie, and here we are with another! This one comes courtesy of D23 Brazil, and functions as a colorful showcase for our cast of MCU antiheroesand also some guy. Directed by Jake Schreier, the film sees Yelena Belova still working as a government assassin while struggling with civilian life after the events of Hawkeye.Her next assignment puts her in the surprising path of some familiar faces: Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) from Ant-Man & the Wasp,Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), ex-Captain America John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and the still mysterious Bob (Lewis Pullman). Suddenly, things get weird, and the group finds themselves forced to work together as someone tries to wipe them out. This eventually pulls Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Yelenas adoptive dad Red Guardian (David Harbour) into the fray, and more chaos will surely unfold. Unlike the first trailer, this one highlights the four assassins and shows what makes them such effective killers. It also ends up answering two big questions: why are they called the Thunderbolts, and who the hell bought Avengers Tower? The first is admittedly funny; Guardian declares them that because he thinks its a cool name (and it is), which the others arent having. As for the second, its none other than Yelenas boss Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and shes more than happy in her new digs. Sure would be a shame if it got all shot up at some point. Marvels Thunderboltshits theaters on May 2, 2025. 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.

When you look in the mirror and wish you were a decade younger, what youre really asking for is reverse development, or reverse aging. Though most animals, including humans, are born, age, and eventually die, some species can break away from this traditional lifecycle: they seemingly defy age and revert to younger versions of themselves. Turritopsis dohrnii, dubbed the immortal jellyfish, is the best-known of such species. A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, however, has revealed a new member of this exclusive club with extraordinary abilities: the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, also called the comb jelly. Now, scientists are wondering how many more time-traveler species there might really be. The work challenges our understanding of early animal development and body plans, opening new avenues for the study of life cycle plasticity and rejuvenation. The fact that we have found a new species that uses this peculiar time-travel machine raises fascinating questions about how spread this capacity is across the animal tree of life, Joan J. Soto-Angel, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bergen who co-wrote the study, said in a statement. An unintentional discovery is at the origin of this study. Soto-Angel began investigating the topic after a larval ctenophore suddenly appeared in the place of an adult ctenophore in a tank in his lab. As it turned out, however, it was the same individual. Soto-Angel and his colleagues consequently began trying to reproduce the scenario that might trigger reverse development and discovered that an adult ctenophore can, in fact, revert to a larval stage when experiencing extreme stress.Witnessing how they slowly transition to a typical cydippid larva as if they were going back in time, was simply fascinating, Soto-Angel explained. Over several weeks, they not only reshaped their morphological features, but also had a completely different feeding behavior, typical of a cydippid larva. Comb jellies are ancient animalsin fact, some research suggests that they might be the first animal to have ever existed, emerging roughly 700 million years agoleading the researchers to suggest that reverse development might be a primordial ability.This is a very exciting time for us, Paul Burkhardt, a researcher at the University of Bergen who also co-wrote the study, said in the statement. This fascinating finding will open the door for many important discoveries. It will be interesting to reveal the molecular mechanism driving reverse development, and what happens to the animals nerve net during this process. The two researchers suggest that life cycle plasticityan organisms ability to change aspects of its biology when it experiences specific environmental stimulimight be more present among animals than scientists realized, according to the statement. As for humans, unfortunately, all the creams and products in the world have yet to achieve such enviable anti-aging results. However, future research in developmental biology and aging now has a new example in the animal kingdom to draw inspiration from.

Marvel just released a brand new trailer for Captain America: Brave New World and it makes one thing very clear. Captain America and the President have some issues and theyre about to see red. Opening February 14, Anthony Mackie finally steps into the mantle of Captain America in the film, which sees Harrison Ford take over the role Thaddeus Ross, the former military man now turned U.S. President. This new trailer focuses more on their conflicts with some nice 1970s espionage flair. And, yes, theres new Red Hulk footage. So what, exactly is going on here? We know Tim Blake Nelson is making his return as the Leader and this trailer in particular makes it seem as if hes behind this plan. That feels a little too easy though, doesnt it? All we know is someone is trying to manipulate, and probably kill, the President, and Captain America is in their way. Marvels official description doesnt help either. Marvel Studios Captain America: Brave New World follows Sam Wilson, who after meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.Red, get it? Also, there is lots of footage, but still no full explanation about Tiamut, the giant being from Eternals. Clearly this new land mass plays a huge role too. Let us know what you think of the new trailer below.Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford. Its directed by Julius Onah. 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.

If thinking about Chegg gives you PTSD to the days when you were in school, I might have some good news for you: The company known for textbook rentals and homework help is running on fumes. Cheggs stock is down a whopping 99% since its highs in 2021, erasing $14.5 billion in value, and the company has lost half a million paid subscribers. After revenue keeps dropping quarter after quarter, there are doubts it will be able to continue paying its debts. Chegg should be familiar to most people who have been to college in recent years. It started out in the 2000s renting out textbooks and later expanded into online study guides, and eventually into a platform with pre-written answers to common homework questions. Unfortunately, the launch of ChatGPT all but annihilated Cheggs entire business model. The company for years paid thousands of contractors to write answers to questions across every major subject, which is quite a labor intensive processand theres no guarantee they will even have the answer to your question. As we know, ChatGPT on the other hand has ingested pretty much the entire internet, and has likely seen any history question you might throw at it.As the Wall Street Journal reports, the launch of ChatGPT saw students drop their $20 a month Chegg subscriptions in favor of the chatbot: Though Chegg has built its own AI products, the company is struggling to convince customers and investors it still has value in a market upended by ChatGPT. Its free, its instant, and you dont really have to worry if the problem is there or not, Jonah Tang, an M.B.A. candidate at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, said of the advantages of using ChatGPT for homework help over Chegg. A survey of college students by investment bank Needham found 30% intended to use Chegg this semester, down from 38% in the spring, and 62% planned to use ChatGPT, up from 43%. Its unclear what Chegg can really do to stem the bleeding at this point. The company laid off 441 employees over the summer, a quarter of its workforce. Its trying to target what the new CEO describes as curious learners by offering more comprehensive AI-assisted answers as well as live counseling.Whats perhaps most sad is that, according to the Journal, employees actually asked for resources in 2022 to develop AI tools for automating answers. The company saw a huge boost in demand during the pandemic when learning when virtual and the company needed to produce answers for questions fast. Cheggs leaders denied the request to start building AI tools until ChatGPTs release, but even then some internally werent worried because of the chatbots propensity to make up incorrect answers.But as with a tool like Wikipedia, its clear that students are willing to accept some risk because of the convenience. Students are told not to trust Wikipedia, but most use it anyway and head to the references section to grab citations. Of course, chatbots like ChatGPT have no concept of a subject like math, theyre just guessing the words necessary to make a sentence that sounds right. They will return answers that look deceptively correct but arent. Its like having a calculator thats right 50% of the time. For other subjects like history, chatbots are somewhat better, but answers should be double-checked. Maybe Chegg could work harder to help people understand this? It seems like most students dont care though, and the clock is running out for Chegg.

By Isaiah Colbert Published November 8, 2024 | Comments (14) | Denis Villeneuve with Dune series stars Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin. Warner Bros. Its safe to say that director Denis Villeneuves Dune films are spectacular, both as works of cinema and in how they adapt author Frank Herberts best-selling sci-fi novels in a way that anyone can enjoy watching, whether they are longtime or newfound fans. However, fellow director Quentin Tarantino expressed a lack of interest in the films, to which Villeneuve coolly replied, I dont care. Before we dive into this story, it should be stated that neither partys comments mean they harbor hard feelings for the other, regardless of how badly film Twitter wants them to throw disses at each other like Kendrick Lamar and Drake. The discourse started last week after Tarantinos appearance on episode of The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. In the interview, Tarantino revealed hed watched David Lynchs 1984 Dune film, starring Kyle MacLachlan, a handful of timesand doesnt see the point in revisiting its story through Villeneuves lens. I dont need to see that story again, Tarantino said. I dont need to see spice worms. I dont need to see a movie that says the word spice so dramatically.While theres some sense of irony in Tarantinos adoration for Lynchs film, considering Lynch wants nothing to do with it, Tarantino further elaborated his point by contextualizing it as part of his general fatigue with remakes in Hollywood, using FXs Shgunas another example. I saw Shogun in the 80s. I watched all 13 hours. Im good. I dont need to see that story again, I dont care how they do it, Tarantino continued. I dont care if they take me and put me in ancient Japan in a time machine. I dont care, Ive seen the story. But of course, headlines tend to be where the majority of readers stop paying attention and sensationalize what is a pretty tame take into a damning statement. Thankfully, a curious reader crossed beyond the grabby headline and asked Villeneuve for his take on Tarantinos comments during a recent Q&A with film students at Montreals Concordia University.According to the Gazette, Villeneuves humorous I dont care led to a lot of laughter in the room. Villeneuve then dove into how he agrees and disagrees with Tarantinos take. Its true, I agree with him that I dont like this idea of recycling and bringing back old ideas, Villeneuve said. But where I disagree is that what I did was not a remake. Its an adaptation of the book. I see this as an original. But we are very different human beings.With Villeneuves third Dune film, Dune Messiah, on the horizon, theres a glimmer of hope that Tarantino will venture into theaters (or wherever he prefers to watch cinema) to check it out and see how it will adapt storylines beyond the scope of Lynchs cult-classic film. Dune Messiah does not yet have a release date, but early signs point to December 2026. In the meantime, prequel series Dune: Prophecy premieres November 17 on HBO and Max. 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 October 18, 2024 By Isaiah Colbert Published October 17, 2024 By Cheryl Eddy Published September 10, 2024 By Gordon Jackson Published August 26, 2024 By Gordon Jackson Published July 18, 2024 By Ed Cara Published July 12, 2024

Terrifier 3 was an instant hit at the box officejust the latest success for the low-budget, gleefully gory horror franchise, which has (presumably) at least one more film on the way. But Terrifier series distributor Cineverse is also looking for the next gruesome breakout, and its turning to a 1980s franchise thats ripe for a revival, particularly since like Terrifier 3, it revolves around a psychotic Santa Claus: Silent Night, Deadly Night. Deadline had the scoop on the Silent Night, Deadly Night reboot, reporting that it will be written and directed by Mike P. Nelson. Nelson is no stranger to franchise revivals; he directed the 2021 Wrong Turn reboot, an entertaining entry in a franchise that had otherwise run out of steam. He also wrote and directed the intersecting No Wake and Ambrosia segments of V/H/S/85, which means hes responsible for one of the V/H/S series most startling twistsno small feat. The new Silent Night, Deadly Night will have the executive producers of the 1984 original aboard for added authenticity; Terrifier 3s Brad Miska, who had a big role in bringing Damien Leones creation to wide audiences, is also among the executive producers.According to the trade, Silent Night, Deadly Night is aiming for a 2025 theatrical release. A November-December run would make seasonal sensethough Halloween timing would also work: Terrifier 3, featuring Art the Clowns own holly jolly misadventures, hit screens in mid-October. The original Silent Night, Deadly Night is about a kid named Billy who witnesses his parents murder at the hands of a Santa suit-clad killer, then grows up to become a Santa suit-clad killer. It spawned several sequels (part two is to blame for the infamous Garbage day! meme), though later series entries are more of the in name only variety. In the 80s, a slasher film featuring Santa Claus as a murderous maniac was seen as outrageously shocking, and the film was quite controversial. Thats not likely to happen this time around, especially in a post-Terrifier 3 world.Theres no word on shape Nelsons version might takehopefully he keeps the nightmare-inducing grandfather character in the storybut Deadlines quote from him more than conveys his excitement. The opportunity to work with producers involved with the original Silent Night, Deadly Nightand to partner with theTerrifier 3 team is an honor, he told the trade. Ill never forget walking into the video store at the mini mall when I was five and seeing that poster for the original film. I was in awe and started imagining what horrifying things would happen. To be a part of the films legacy many years later is insane! Im looking forward to getting production underway, and unleashing my new take on this compelling story. Billy is 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.

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With all of Heretics promotional material referencing blueberry pie and Hugh Grant being creepy, we bet you didnt think about Jodie Foster. But for Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the co-writers and directors of the film, thats exactly who they were thinking about. Scott and I have talked a lot about [Robert] Zemeckis Contact and Stanley Kramers Inherit the Wind as templates for a conversation about religion, Woods told io9. Theres a lot of religious horror. I put it in quotes because theres a lot of Catholic horror that uses Catholicism as justification for some kind of supernatural threat in a movie. Theres a lot of those movies, but very rare is the movie like Contact or Inherit the Wind that are adult conversations about religion in a kind of popcorn movie context. That was the inspiration behind Heretic, which features Grant as a creepy man who traps two Mormon missionaries (played by Yellowjackets Sophie Thatcherand Fabelmans Chloe East} in his house and asks them to play a game. He wants to use the two woman who have chosen religion for their lifes work to explore what that means, and, well, things get super sinister.Heretic is out this week and in the lead-up to release, io9 spoke with Beck and Woods about those Contact (a Zemeckis film based on a Carl Sagan book) inspirations, what it takes to make a movie about religion, and how they feel about the future of A Quiet Place, which they helped create. Then, after release, check back where well reveal the second half of our interview discussing the films ending, spoilery revelations, and specific pop culture references. Beck and Woods with co-star Chloe East. Image: A24 This interview was edited for length and clarity.Germain Lussier, io9: When I saw your movie at Fantastic Fest, I was so excited afterwards when you guys mentioned Contact as an inspiration. The idea of religion vs. science in that movie really blew me away as a kid and it crossed my mind watching this so Id love to hear more about what that movie meant to you guys and its inspiration on Heretic. Scott Beck: Yeah, well, first and foremost, Zemeckis is the master of making movies that bring you to the movie theater, but theyre also rich in terms of what their characters are. And I think that back and forth between Jodie Fosters character and Matthew McConaugheys character was really thought-provoking at the time. Not to go too deep into it. But at that point, yeah, I was a teenager, I was going to church every single Sunday. And I feel like that movie was one of the few movies that opened me up in certain ways of stepping outside of what I had been raised to know and thinking of relationships with faith or with atheism in a three-dimensional way.And then seeing the other side of the spectrum in that movie of Jake Buseys character, kind of this fundamentalist point of view. Then all of a sudden, like discovering Oh, I have a friend who has a family member that was in the Jonestown Massacre. And how insane is it that somebody who can seem at first so balanced, following the belief system of this charismatic leader, and all of a sudden theyre committing suicide? Theres a degree at which religion intersected into Contact in such a bombastic way, personally. io9: What about it directly related to this movie? Did you specifically think Oh lets make our own Contact? or were you writing and it became Oh, this reminds us of Contact?Bryan Woods: It was a conscious decision. Over the years, Scott and I have talked a lot about Zemeckis Contact and Stanley Kramers Inherit the Wind as templates for a conversation about religion. Theres a lot of religious horror. I put it in quotes because theres a lot of Catholic horror that uses Catholicism as justification for some kind of supernatural threat in a movie. There are a lot of those movies, but very rare is the movie like Contact or Inherit the Wind that are adult conversations about religion in a kind of popcorn movie context. And so for years, since Scott and I first saw those films, weve been asking ourselves, Can we? Wow, one day it would be a dream come true if we could make a movie that is a conversation about religion, all of our feelings, all of our fears, all the things we think are beautiful and terrifying about religion all in one movie. Can we do that? And, to be honest, it seemed like an impossible thing. It seemed like well never [do it for a number of reasons.] What is our stance on religion? Well never know enough about the history of religion. It was just this dream bucket list thing that seemed impossible to do. Then, over the years, you get to a place in life.I recently lost my father unexpectedly to esophageal cancer, which is [also] like Scott losing a father because were basically all family at this point. We were just at a low point in our personal lives, feeling very vulnerable and dark. And we were just like, Now is the fucking time to write this exploration of religion. Now is the time to talk about the terror of not knowing what happens when you die, and exploring that in the context of a scary movie. io9: Im really sorry about your dad, Bryan. I lost my dad a few months ago too, so I get it.Both: Oh no, Im sorry. Im so sorry. io9: Thank you. Thank you. But to that point, its one thing to say that, right? Were gonna write this movie about religion. Actually doing it seems like a whole other thing. Just a massive, overwhelming, and impossible amount of research. So how did you approach gathering information and different points of view for the film? Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East in Heretic. Image: A24 Beck: Yeah, I mean, the interest of all things: religious or cult or otherwise, that feeds into it. Lawrence Wright writing this incredible piece about Scientology, Going Clear. Reading Christopher Hitchens or Richard Dawkinss work from an atheist perspective. Looking back at the holy books and diving into The Book of Mormon. Trying to understand everything from, truly, an empathetic perspective to make sure that a complex conversation about religion can be seen from many different sides.Our whole fear with the movieand it skirts this but, I think, subtly addresses itis this fear of people with certainty. Where they are firmly rooted in what they think and believe and theyre unwavering. To us, thats not really the way that we personally live our lives. We are constantly evolving, reacting to new experiences or relationships and whatnot. And I think a lot of the movie injects those personal journeys that weve had, and the spectrum of friendships that weve made that represent so many different belief systems. The movie situates itself on these three characters with Hugh Grants character, Mr. Reed, and Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes. These are all characters that are representing this triangle of different points of their relationship with the great unknown. And I think firmly in the middle is where we come down in the discourse of the film. io9: I agree with that. But Im curious how that impacts the process. Do you guys have debates amongst yourselves when youre writing something like this as you conjure up each side? Because, yes, you are in the middle but you still have to write both sides. Beck: Yeah, thats something I cant say weve quite reflected on because I feel like Bryan and I have known each other since we were 11 years old. And so, by virtue of that, so much of our outlook on life is in step with each other. So the debates we have are not necessarily debates because were of differing opinions. I think were sponges. I think we try to look at the outside world and try to understand why people come to conclusion. Which sometimes can mean like Donald Trump. How does Donald Trump become Donald Trump? Because youre not born into spewing absurdities on television. Theres something that makes you that. So we just love to investigate the world at large, I think, together. The debates we have are more creative debates. I feel like if Bryan comes in swinging about a film that he absolutely adores and I dont, were happy to get into it.Woods: Thats whats nice about having a partner, right? Were open-minded. So we do spar about certain things. And its like, I feel this way. Scott feels that way. We talk it out. Or maybe he changes my mind, maybe I changed his mind. Maybe now were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. And that ability to listen is the most important thing you can have as a writer. You have to listen to the world. You have to hear how people talk. You have to have empathy for everybody and put yourself in everybodys shoes. These are just the kind of the toolkits in our art form. So it felt natural for a piece like this. Let the games begin in Heretic. Image: A24. io9: Switching topics slightly, you guys wrote A Quiet Place. How does it feel to see it still going strong, and how involved, if at all, are you guys with where it goes in the future? Beck: First and foremost, we never in a million years thought it would have the longevity that it did and thats simply because we designed and created A Quiet Place from very humble means. We thought, Nobodys gonna want to make this weird silent horror movie. Were just gonna shoot it ourselves in our home state of Iowa. But last week, we went to the Universal Studios maze that they had of A Quiet Place and were walking through seeing these Universal actors portraying the characters straight from the page, and its unexpected and were still living in that surreal reality that its had a life. But in terms of where it goes from here, I mean, its kind of like sending your kid off to college. Our focus is not in the Quiet Place universe right now. For us. Its movies like Heretic where we just love the original idea and when we approach a script page not knowing what this is were gonna create. Thats the exciting lifeblood of filmmaking that we go after: the unknown. And whether the movie we create fails or succeeds, its the pursuit of doing something unique thats exciting to us. But we loved what Michael Sarnoski did with Day One. We thought that was a really exciting entry into it. So if they keep churning them out, our hope is that it just continues to innovate what the idea of A Quiet Place movie is.Woods: We would really love to see an international movie in A Quiet Place universe. One thats not necessarily English language-based. That would be really cool. Heretic opens on Friday. Check back next week for more from Beck and Woods. 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.

Warner Bros. is slowly but surely beginning its return to Middle-earth, after the studio and Peter Jacksons primary adaptations ofLord of the Rings came to an end with the conclusion of theHobbit trilogy in 2014. But before we begin in earnest to see the studio return to one of its enduring cinematic successes with a bevy of spinoffs, were kicking off with perhaps one its most experimental and fascinating gestures: an anime adaptation of a tiny piece of Tolkiens vast chronology. That movie is, of course,War of the Rohirrim, set to hit theaters next month on December 13. Following the legacy of the famous king of Rohan Helm Hammerhand, the films overall narrative gives us an interesting bit of insight into how Warner will plan its futureLord of the Rings franchising in films likeHunt for Gollum and beyonda kernel taken from Tolkiens many, many writings, embellished and expanded upon to fill a full-length feature. If you dont know your Hmas from your Haleths, or your Dunlands from your Westfolds, heres what you need to know about War of the Rohirrim, and its connections to both Jacksons beloved movies as well as Tolkiens original works. When IsWar of the RohirrimSet? Warner Bros. The events ofWar of the Rohirrim take place around 183 years before the events ofThe Two Towers, setting it firmly within the events of the Third Age of Arda. We dont know an exact year as far as the chronology of the Jackson films is concerned, becauseFellowship of the Ring condenses an extended period of time from the novel, but in Tolkiens writing, the events laid out in the broad narrative are established as taking place around the years 2758 and 59, roughly 265 years before Two Towers.We dont know much about that period of time in either the cinematic continuity or in Tolkiens appendices, but from what wedo know in the latter, its a particularly dark time in Middle-earth. The rebellion of the Dunlendings against Helm Hammerhands rule comes during a devastating season known as the Long Winter, a five-month period of extreme cold and snow that not only caused mass death and famine across Eriador (including in the Shire, where Gandalf made himself known to the Hobbits in order to aid them through the crisis), but compounded struggles across two of its most important kingdoms in Rohan and Gondor. While the Rohirrim were besieged by Dunland, Gondor faced its own war with the Corsair pirates of Umbar and the Haradrim, with the dual conflicts and bitter blizzards isolating each kingdom from aid. Who IsWar of the Rohirrim About? Warner Bros. The films central conflict is built around two primary families. First, the House of Eorl, lead by Helm Hammerhand, the then-king of Rohan. Second, the family of Freca, a prominent Rohirrim lord who was descended from the blood of both the Dunlendings, the human neighbors of the Riddermark, and the House of Eorl itself, claiming an ancestral link to King Frawine, who ruled Rohan around a century prior. On Helms side, we know his three children will appear in the filmhis two sons, Haleth and Hma, and his daughter, who goes unnamed in Tolkiens writings around the event but is named Hra inWar of the Rohirrim. On Frecas, we have his son Wulf, who becomes a the leader of the Dunlending rebellion after his fathers death.Given that it is several hundred years before the events ofLord of the Rings, not many familiar faces play a prominent part inWar of the Rohirrim, but we know of at least two figures from the films who will return. Miranda Otto will reprise her role as owyn, serving as a narrator and framing device for the primary story of the film, and Sarumanwho, in Tolkiens writing, is just getting set up in Isengard around the time of these eventswith recordings of the late Christopher Lee used to provide his dialogue. How Much ofWar of the Rohirrim Comes From Tolkien? Warner Bros. Everything we do know about the loose events of the film is taken in part from a fraction of Tolkiens appendices forLord of the Rings. The bulk of the details of the life and (spoilers for events first told in nearly 70-year-old novel) death of Helm Hammerhand are covered in the appendices included in the back of The Return of the King, specifically Appendix A, Annals of the Kings and Rulers coverage of the House of Eorl and the lines of Rohans kings, and several small details from Appendix B, The Tales of Years as well asThe Two Towers itself. The story of the Dunlending rebellionspurred by Helms rejection of a marriage proposal by Freca to unite Helms daughter and Frecas sonis covered in just a handful of pages of material.While the appendices gives us the broad narrative structurethe reason behind the rebellion, Rohans invasion by Dunland, Helms retreat to the fortress that he would lend his name to, and the eventual rallying of the Rohirrim by Helms nephew and successor to the throne, Fralfits clear War of the Rohirrim is going to add much of its own material beyond simply adapting the tale as-is, especially in terms of offering more of the perspective of Hra, who is only briefly involved in the details covered in the appendices, compared to her driving role in the film. Although its the first time the character has been explicitly named, its not the first time shes appeared in an adaptation: Helms daughter briefly appears during the events of the 2017 gameMiddle-earth: Shadow of War, which, in a wild turn, sees Helm Hammerhand eventually transform into one of the nine Ringwraiths, killing his daughter in a fit of rage after liberating her from a rival warlord. Suffice to say weprobably wont see that happen 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.

Apple recently realized it could make its watch even smarter by adding sensors to the band and the dial. A recent report reveals that the Cupertino company was granted 38 patents on November 5, 2024, by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a smart health and communications band for Apple Watch and a future headset. The patent looks at a stretchable fabric item with an opening to fit around a certain body part. The band could include sensor circuitry for measuring various health data, such as electrocardiogram measurements, blood pressure measurements, or respiration rate measurements. The more interesting thing here is that the band doesnt necessarily point toward being a wristband. It could be any wearable that sports elastic fabric, such as a head band, a hat, an undergarment, a shirt, pants, shorts, yoga clothing or other athletic attire, an arm band, an elastic belt, a sock, a glove, and so on. However, the patent is more focused on specifically the wristband and the headband. So, while its possible that we might see Apple releasing entirely new wearables embedding health sensors, the greater probability is that either the Apple Watch will get smarter or the Apple Vision Pro will receive additional health-tracking capabilities.The patent also includes additional uses for the smart band (via TechRadar). It claims that the circuitry along the fabric could be given the ability to recharge wirelessly and to communicate wirelessly with external electronic equipment. The latter points towards its ability to connect to other Apple devices (MacBook, iPhone, AirPods). We have seen how big Apple is regarding ecosystem integration, and it only makes sense that external electronic equipment would be its own offerings. This isnt Apples first time filing patents for smart fabric. Around a month ago, it put in a request for a touch-sensitive smart textile, and before that, once in 2022 and 2019.If Apples plans come to fruition, time will tell how successful they are. Looking at how massively the Apple Vision Pro failed, its apparent why Apple is trying to revive it. I wonder how the new health features will affect its price, considering its already exorbitantly priced.As for the Apple Watch, considering that its already one of the companys successful offerings, I wonder if stuffing additional sensors would come off as an overkill. The recent stuffing of AI in every other product released this year has shown us that too much of something isnt always appreciated.

Well, election night is over and everything sucks. Not only is Donald Trump going to be President again, but a whole bunch of political candidates funded by the odious crypto industry have been elected to office. The crypto industry spent an insane amount of money on political races this year. They dwarfed the Kochs. They outspent the tobacco industry. In fact, they spent more money on candidates than any other single industry, with the sole exception of fossil fuel companies. Now, it would appear that all that money has bought the crypto community exactly what it wants: a bunch of civil servants who are beholden to their interests. The New York Times reports that crypto-funded political candidates had a swell of victories on Tuesday night. The newspaper cites a pro-crypto site, Stand with Crypto, which found that 253 pro-crypto candidates had been elected to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, compared with 115 anti-crypto candidates. In the Senate, 16 pro-crypto candidates and 12 anti-crypto candidates were elected.One of the most watched political races that broke cryptos way was the U.S. Senate race for Ohios 13th district. There, longtime incumbent progressive Sherrod Brown was defeated by a crypto-funded challenger, Republican candidate Bernie Moreno. Brown, who has long been referred to as one of Americas last progressive populists, threatened the crypto industry with harsh oversight. His position as the chair of the Senate Banking Committee spooked prominent digital asset holders. Crypto bros said he had to go and, now, away he will go. One of the most prominent organizations behind the crypto lobbying push, the super PAC Fairshake, has culled funding from many prominent crypto companies, including Ripple, Coinbase, and the crypto-addled VC, Andreessen Horowitz. In August, the advocacy group Public Citizen wrote, of the group:Fairshakes corporate backing is unprecedented. Though unlimited corporate contributions have been enabled since 2010 by Citizens United, this newcomer is already second only to the super PAC dedicated to electing Republicans to the U.S. Senate in terms of corporate money received. The total amount spent by Fairshake and its affiliated organizations? A whopping $135 million. In August, a prominent billionaire, Ron Conway, is said to have pulled his support from Fairshake over its bid to oust Brown, calling the groups proponents too stupid and selfish to work with. Still, whether its peopled with greedy idiots or not, the organization prevailed in its agenda, unseating Brown and a host of other Democrats that had been critical of its industry. Money can buy pretty much anything, including your favorite Senator.Cryptos biggest stans are now riding high. The pathetic, crypto-loving Winklevoss twinswho run the crypto exchange Geminiare happy as clams. On Wednesday morning, Tyler Winklevoss tweeted: Crypto just became a bipartisan issue overnight. Well done crypto army. Cameron Winklevoss, meanwhile, tweeted: gm @GaryGensler youre fired! He was referencing the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a much-maligned figure in the web3 world, due to his mild proposals of regulatory scrutiny for the industry. For the past few years, the perception has been that the crypto industry was experiencing a make-or-break moment. After a brief period of cultural ascendance, high-profile scandals like the FTX implosion rocked the rising industry and spurred increased regulatory scrutiny (largely brought by Democrats). The existential stakes of this election cycle clearly spurred crypto companies to spend so exorbitantly on political races. Nauseatingly, it has paid off.

By Matt Novak Published November 6, 2024 | Comments (0) | Donald Trump meets with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (right) in the Oval Office of the White House on September 19, 2019. Trump White House / Facebook Donald Trump was re-elected President of the United States on Tuesday, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris not just in the Electoral College tally but also in the popular vote. And Big Tech leaders wasted no time congratulating Trump on Wednesday, tweeting out messages that make it clear theyre ready to serve his needs however they can. It feels like a preview of the next phase, where so many will go meet Trump in person and kiss the ring of the 47th president, a man whos promised to become a dictator on day one and deport millions of people in a scheme thats pretty much guaranteed to devastate the economy. And its already making us nauseous. The biggest beneficiary in the world of tech from Trumps victory will almost certainly be Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO who spent at least $120 million to help Trump get elected and even spent last night at Mar-a-Lago strategizing with the once and future president. But there are plenty of other tech leaders who now must prove their fealty to Trump if they want to maintain or win new contracts with the U.S. government. And the ass-kissing line started with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory, Bezos tweeted Wednesday. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love. Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love. Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) November 6, 2024 Trump has previously called Bezos Jeff Bozo and threatened Amazon repeatedly during his first term. But Bezos did Trump a solid shortly before the election, killing an endorsement of Harris by the newspaper he owns, the Washington Post. When Trump won his first term in 2016, Bezos congratulated the newly elected president by tweeting, I for one give him my most open mind and wish him great success in his service to the country.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also sent his congratulations Wednesday on Threads, the social media platform launched in July 2023 to compete with Twitter, and was reportedly terrible at keeping people updated about the election Tuesday night. Publi par @zuck View on Threads Trump previously threatened to throw Zuckerberg in prison. But even after that unhinged rant, Zuck called Trump badass and was signaling during the entire campaign that he was another billionaire who would help Trump however he could. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also congratulated Trump on Wednesday.Congratulations to President @realDonaldTrump on his decisive victory. We are in a golden age of American innovation and are committed to working with his administration to help bring the benefits to everyone, Pichai tweeted, including a map showing Trumps victory. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple who Trump once called Tim Apple, also tweeted about Trumps victory. Congratulations President Trump on your victory! We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fueled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity. Tim Cook (@tim_cook) November 6, 2024 There were others who sent their congratulations, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who wrote he was looking forward to engaging with Trump, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy who called Trumps win a hard-fought victory, and Sam Altman who wished Trump huge success. Watching a bunch of millionaires and billionaires act so servile might be a bit jarring, when you recall that Trump is the guy who reportedly told his chief of staff that Adolf Hitler did some good things too. But were entering a completely new chapter in this country. The guardrails have completely fallen off and any wealthy folks with power in the world of Big Tech wont have to fear many social consequences as Trump transforms the country in his own image. There is so much more ass-kissing in all of their futures.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like Tik Root, Grist Published November 6, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published November 6, 2024 By Matt Novak Published November 6, 2024 By Isaiah Colbert Published November 5, 2024 By Matt Novak Published November 4, 2024 By Thomas Maxwell Published November 4, 2024

Gaming accessories makes for wonderful gifts during the holidays season for friends, family, and loved ones would play video games on the reg. There will certainly be some big Black Friday deals in a few weeks for peripherals and components such as controllers, headsets, SSDs, you name it. But if you look in the right places, youll find that there are already some great deals to be found and jumped on. If you yourself are an Xbox Series X or Series S player or love someone who is, treat yourself or them to this Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox. You can expand the onboard storage to download and play more games for just $200. Normally this solid state drive goes for $360, but right now its 44% off over at Amazon.See at AmazonThe Xbox Series X and Series S are the current generation of Microsoft gaming consoles. the more robust Series X features an internal SSD with a total storage of 1TB while the Series S supports a storage of just 512GB out of the box. After consider the system software loaded on them that gets consoles to run in the first place, the actually usable storage is considerably less than that. And games these days are ballooning in file size like crazy. Most recently, the latest Call of Duty Black Ops 6 released a few weeks ago and that game alone has a download size of over 300GB. If you want to make the best of your Xbox console, youre going to want some form of additional storage.Why Go Seagate?You can set up your Xbox Series X with a handful of different expansion storage options, but unless they meet the necessary spec, you wont be able to take advantage of many of the promises of this console generation. The Series X compared to its predecessor has significantly faster load times and can also do what Microsoft is calling Quick Resume. With it, you can hop between multiple games without closing what you were just playing, allowing you to quickly resume from where you left off but if you use an older or less equipped external hard drive, these features wont be supported.However, the Seagate Storage Expansion Card designed specifically for the Xbox Series X does support these quality of life enhancements. It just plugs in externally and starts working for you right away. Now you can enjoy 2TB more of games you love downloaded locally and swap between them all at a moments notice. Plus you no longer need to worry about a single AAA game eating up all the space on your internal storage.The Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X and Series S is currently on sale for just $200 a 44% discount.See at Amazon

Last weeks two-part season finale of Agatha All Along answered some of our questions about its surviving charactersbut it also ended with the beginning of a whole new journey for Billy (Joe Locke) and Agatha (Kathryn Hahn). Could there be more tales coming from beyond the Witches Road for Marvels spellbinding frenemies? A clue may lie in the earliest stages of the shows awards-season push. Variety picked up on this idea first: Disney is positioning Agatha All Along as a comedy series in its submissions to the Golden Globes, Emmy Awards, SAG Awards, and more. While the show didnt always fit that category (as hinted above there was a lot of death going down!), its status as a comic book adaptation sort of automatically pushes it in that direction. But its not the humorous classification thats hinting at more Agatha All Along seasons: its the fact that youd expect a single-season showwhich Agatha has long been assumed to bewould submit in the miniseries or limited series category instead. Agathas predecessor, WandaVision, racked up 23 Emmy nominations, mostly under the banner of Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (it ended up winning three, including for the outrageously catchy Agatha All Along song). Comedy implies, well, a second season could well be in the tarot cards.As Variety further points out, putting Agatha All Along in the comedy category means it could go up against some formidable competition, including previous winners The Bear, Hacks, and Abbott Elementary. The trade also offers further insight and context with regards to the Emmys specifically: Although the show was conceived as a miniseries, the announcement regarding its category shifts strongly indicates that Agatha All Along could continue beyond a single season There has been no official word from Disney or Marvel regarding a renewal. Still, the studio would have to prove to the TV Academy that more seasons are planned or make an official announcement, similar to what FX did with Shogunlast year, ultimately setting the all-time winning record for a drama series. The rules for what qualifies as a limited series and what doesnt seem rather complex (Variety digs deeper if youre interested in more details), but the main takeaway in the case of Agatha All Along seems to be that the show could, maybe, perhaps return. There are certainly some loose ends waiting to be pursued if solike, where the hell is Tommy?io9 has reached out to Disney+ and Marvel and will update if and when 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.

After seven test flights, Boeing is finally starting to open up about its elusive military spaceplane. The company released a video detailing the experimental maneuvers currently being carried out by the vehicle in space to alter its orbit. Boeing recently put up a brief, two-minute video on X, featuring an illustration of the X-37B spaceplane in action. The spaceplane is performing a first-of-its-kind demonstration to lower its altitude using atmospheric drag, traveling from a highly elliptical orbit to a new target orbit, the company explained on X. The U.S. Space Forces spaceplane, built by Boeing, began a series of orbital maneuvers known as aerobraking, which uses the drag of Earths atmosphere to change orbit while expending minimal fuel. The X-37B launched on December 29, 2023, riding on board a Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time. According to Boeing, the spaceplane has completed its time in the highly elliptical orbit, which forms an oblong shape with a low altitude perigee (when its nearest to Earth) and a high altitude apogee (the point at which its farthest from Earth). Now, the spaceplane is on its way to a new orbit using aerobraking. Normally, the spaceplane would have had to use its thrusters to carry out multiple burns to change its orbit, using up its propellant. When we aerobrake, we utilize atmospheric drag to effectively step down our apogee one pass at a time until we get to the orbital regime that we want to be in, John Ealy, a Boeing engineer, said in the companys video. When we do this, we save enormous amounts of propellant, and thats really why aerobraking is important.Before Boeing released the video, there was little information shared about the spaceplanes ongoing mission. The Space Force only disclosed that its vehicle would operate in new orbital alignments and carry out experiments with space domain awareness technologies. Its not clear what those technologies are. For its seventh mission, the spaceplane is also carrying a NASA experiment designed to expose plant seeds to the harsh radiation environment of long-duration spaceflight to gather data for future crewed missions. The first X-37B launched in April 2010, and spent 224 days in orbit for its inaugural test flight. Its certainly come a long way since then. The X-37B launched in May 2020 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for its sixth mission, and it stayed in orbit for 908 days before landing at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in November 2022, beating its previous record of 780 consecutive days in orbit.Spaceplanes are hybrid launch vehicles, operating in orbit like a spacecraft with the capability of landing on the ground like a regular airplane. China is in the midst of testing its own spaceplane, Shenlong, which recently completed its third mission after spending 268 days in orbit. Naturally, China is also quite secretive about its reusable vehicle. Space Forces X-37B has now spent a little over 10 months in orbit, with no clear sign yet of when the spaceplane will wrap up its seventh mission. The orbital maneuvers are bringing it closer to home, a possible indication that the current mission might end a little early for the spaceplane compared to its last stint.