Author: azeeadmin

Sony’s latest line of Bravia XR TVs are due to get a couple of new features soon which the company argues makes them perfect for the PlayStation 5. With Sony the maker of both the TVs and game consoles in question, it stands to reason that the two product lines might play nicer with each other than when paired with products from different brands. However, the new features being touted are somewhat similar to existing technologies that can be found elsewhere.

Released in late 2020, Sony’s PlayStation 5 has proven difficult to get hold of so far. Earlier this year, the company unveiled its latest 4K and 8K Bravia XR TV lineup, including the Z9J, A90J, A80J, X95J and X90J models. As to be expected with new Sony TVs, these models do come packed with a variety of next-generation improvements, upgrades and features, some of which make them perfect for gaming.

Related: HDMI 2.1 Vs. 2.0: Upgrade Your TV Now Or Wait?

The company’s latest Bravia XR TVs are set to gain two new features in the opening months of 2022. The first is ‘Auto HDR Tone Mapping’ which Sony describes as the ability for the PS5 to automatically recognize the TV and set the optimal HDR setting. The second is ‘Auto Genre Picture Mode’ which is designed to ensure the TV detects when a game is being played and automatically switches the settings to Game Mode for a more optimal gaming experience. The opposite is also true as well, with the TV automatically switching to Standard Mode when watching a movie. Sony says the new Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode features will arrive via software updates before the end of January 2022, and will need to be applied on both the TV and the PS5.

Sony is positioning these features as ‘perfect for PlayStation 5’ and they will no doubt help to make sure the experience is optimized for the content being displayed on the screen. However, that’s not necessarily to say that owners of other TVs won’t be able to benefit in a similar way. For example, the description of Auto Genre Picture Mode sounds a lot like the more general Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Similar to Auto Genre Picture Mode, ALLM uses a signal sent over HDMI to tell a connected device that a game is being played. In other words, it too will help to make an automatic switch to Game Mode and help to reduce latency and so on. Likewise, HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGiG) is also a form of dynamic tone mapping which looks to adjust the HDR settings to better suit the content and devices involved, making it very similar to Auto HDR Tone Mapping.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Sony’s new TVs are not perfect for PS5 owners, as these technologies are perfect for gaming in general. Not to mention, HGiG and ALLM are only alternate solutions if the TV connected to the game console also supports them. What Sony is essentially saying here, is that its new Bravia XR TVs do support versions of ALLM and HGiG and that, in itself, makes them perfect for PlayStation 5.

Next: Sony WF-C500 Vs. Pixel Buds A-Series: Which $100 Earbuds Should You Buy?

Source: Sony

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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, has demanded the removal of a cockfighting mini-game included in Far Cry 6. Ubisoft's newly-released first-person shooter brings players to the fictional Caribbean island of Yara, which is ruled by dictator Antón Castillo. Far Cry 6 features several animal companions which serve to add variety to gameplay, but PETA is quite critical of the title's treatment of animals.

There are multiple animal Amigos for players to choose from in Far Cry 6, with each of them bringing their own strengths and weaknesses into battle. The adorable dachshund Chorizo is an amputee, but he possesses a wheelchair to help him maneuver the battlefield. Though the pup is quite small and unthreatening, his wheelchair includes a wagon which can carry additional supplies for the player. Chorizo is also breathtakingly adorable, which can distract enemies before the player takes them out. Guapo, meanwhile, is a trained crocodile who can butcher enemies just as efficiently as the player. A chicken Amigo named Chicharrón is also present in Far Cry 6, and possesses the ability to attack foes with large talons.

Related: Why Far Cry 6's Amigos Can't Compare To Guns For Hire

Despite the host of animal allies in Far Cry 6, a statement from PETA Latino has publicly decried a cockfighting mini-game that is present in the open-world first-person shooter title. The admittedly bizarre game mode turns the controversial act of cockfighting into a fighting game, with players choosing between a number of different chicken varieties. The cockfighting mode includes a life bar, announcer, and special moves to perform, translating the brutal pastime into something akin to Mortal Kombat or Tekken. PETA's Latino branch is asking Ubisoft to replace the cockfighting mini-game with something that doesn't rely on violent conflict between animals.

Far Cry 6's lush open world of Yara features numerous animals, not just the player's Amigo companions or cockfighting contenders, and most of them can be treated with dignity. The fictional Caribbean country boasts horses, pelicans, roosters, oxen and rodents, and Far Cry 6 players can pet or feed most of these creatures. Large predators like crocodiles should be navigated with care, as they will attack the player if provoked, but they too can be fed by a friendly player. On the other hand, though, most of these animals can also be killed, either deliberately or if caught in the crossfire during an intense battle.

Far Cry 6 has seemingly made an effort to fill Yara with exotic animals, and players can have peaceful encounters with these digital creatures. This makes the title's cockfighting mini-game a bit of a tonal shift from the presentation of wildlife in the rest of the game. However, as a first-person shooter, Far Cry 6 also pushes players to gun down hordes of human beings as well. A degree of suspension of disbelief is required when players experience all of the title's violent content.

Next: Far Cry 6 Review: A Great Open World In Need Of Revolution

Far Cry 6 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Google Stadia and Amazon Luna.

Source: PETA Latino

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Warning: Contains spoilers for What If...? episode 9.

Marvel’s What If…? introduced a version of Peggy Carter who became a Super-Soldier instead of Steve Rogers, and as Captain Carter, she might be the strongest Super-Soldier yet. Captain Carter might not have had as much to do as either the original Captain America or Sam Wilson, but what little she has done gives credence to the idea that she stands at the top.

The season one finale of What If…? opens with Captain Carter going through the beginning of her version of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Just like in that movie, Captain Carter and Black Widow are tasked with rescuing S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel being held hostage by a group of pirates led by one Georges Batroc, who's better known as Batroc the Leaper. Just like Captain America before her, Captain Carter ends up in a one-on-one fight with Batroc where she willingly takes his bait to forego fighting with her shield and settle things with pure fisticuffs, the personal specialty of Batroc the Leaper. This is when the difference in the strength levels of the different Captains becomes readily apparent.

Related: Captain Carter Should Lead An MCU A-Force Movie

Both Captain Carter and Captain America are able to defeat Batroc with relative ease despite not using their signature shields, but there are slight differences in their respective fights that might say a lot about their skill levels. Both before and after discarding his shield, Steve's martial arts couldn't prevent him from taking several hits from Batroc throughout the fight, but throughout the entirety of her fight with Batroc, Peggy rarely ever took a hit as she dodged nearly every attack he threw out and was pretty much the only one landing hits between the two of them.

While there isn’t an explicit comparison being made between the two Captains, based on their performances, it’s easy to conclude that Peggy, at least at that point in time, was stronger than Steve was at the same point in time. Similarly, the same can also be said when comparing the fight to Sam’s fight with Batroc in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where Sam had a far more even match with Batroc and takes more hits than Steve and Peggy, even with the shield and accessories of his suit aiding him.

It makes sense that Sam would have the most difficulty dealing with Batroc since he’s the only Captain who isn’t a Super-Soldier, but as for Steve falling short of Peggy, it could be a combination of Peggy possibly being stronger due to being more physically fit than Steve was then serum was used and Batroc simply being a powerful opponent, in general. Whatever the case, What If…? gives us possibly the strongest Super-Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain Carter, and if she shows up in season two, her appearances would probably further exemplify that with ease.

More: Captain Carter Vs Captain Britain: What The MCU Changed

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Google will no longer allow advertisers, publishers, and YouTube creators to monetize content that denies the existence of climate change. The company detailed the changes in a support document on Thursday.

“Today, we’re announcing a new monetization policy for Google advertisers, publishers and YouTube creators that will prohibit ads for, and monetization of, content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change,” the Google Ads team said in the document. “This includes content referring to climate change as a hoax or a scam, claims denying that long-term trends show the global climate is warming, and claims denying that greenhouse gas emissions or human activity contribute to...

long-term trends show the global climate is warming, and claims denying that greenhouse gas emissions or human activity contribute to climate change.”

Google says it will use a mix of automated tools and human reviews to enforce the policy. “When evaluating content against this new policy, we’ll look carefully at the context in which claims are made, differentiating between content that states a false claim as fact, versus content that reports on or discusses that claim,” Google said. Ads will still be allowed on climate topics like public debates on climate policy, research, and more, according to Google

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose high-profile antitrust lawsuit against Apple is now under appeal, is today calling out the iPhone maker for giving itself access to an advertising slot its competitors don’t have: the iPhone’s Settings screen. Some iOS 15 users noticed Apple is now advertising its own services at the top of their Settings, just below their Apple ID. The services being suggested are personalized to the device owner, based on which ones they already subscribe to, it appears.

For example, those without an Apple Music subscription may see an ad offering a free six-month trial. However, current Apple Music subscribers may instead see a prompt to add on a service they don’t yet have, like AppleCare coverage for their devices.

Sweeney suggests this sort of first-party advertising is an anticompetitive risk for Apple, as some of the services it’s pushing here are those that directly compete with third-party apps published on its App Store. But those third-party apps can’t gain access to the iPhone’s Settings screen, of course — they can only bid for ad slots within the App Store itself.

Writes Sweeney: “New from the guys who banned Fortnite: settings-screen ads for their own music service, which come before the actual settings, and which aren’t available to other advertisers like Spotify or Sound Cloud.”

Sweeney had been retweeting another post by Mobile Dev Memo analyst Eric Seufert, who himself was sharing an image credited to Glassfy co-founder Francesco Zucchetta.

Zucchetta tells TechCrunch he spotted the ad on an iPhone 8 he owned which was running iOS 15. But others have seen the ads on newer devices, as well. And some respondents noted they were receiving Apple’s promotions as push notifications, too.

The issue here is tricky because the promotion isn’t always a situation where Apple is disadvantaging a rival to its own benefit.

For example, on an iPhone 13 Pro Max we have which is running iOS 15.1, the prompt was used to inform us we still had a certain number of days left to add AppleCare+ coverage. (We already have most of Apple’s other subscriptions.). But in this case, there aren’t third-party apps offering a direct competitor to AppleCare, in the same way that Spotify directly competes with Apple Music. Instead, warranty companies like Asurion partner with mobile carriers like AT&T and Verizon to sell their iPhone insurance plans, instead of selling direct to consumers through the App Store.

Some might even argue that a reminder to add warranty coverage is a useful feature, not an unwanted intrusion.

While Sweeney’s tweet has raised awareness of the first-party promotions in Settings, they are not new.

Apple has often used the iPhone’s Settings screen to market its services to its customers in much of the same way as it’s doing now.

Last year, for example, it was spotted running promotions for Apple Arcade,

Epic Games didn’t have any further comments on Sweeney’s tweet, including whether or not the company would be using this latest bit of information in its upcoming appeal. Apple has been asked for comment but has not responded.

 

There is a small and easily missed detail included in Atreus’ God of War Ragnarök character design that hearkens back to 2018's God of War game. God of War Ragnarok has been one of the most anticipated titles for the new generation of gaming ever since it was first announced. After over a year of waiting, fans finally got treated to a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming sequel at Sony’s PlayStation Showcase in September, where the game’s official name of Ragnarok was confirmed.

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This latest trailer for God of War Ragnarok certainly did not disappoint. Fans were presented with an impressive amount of gameplay footage as the trailer followed Kratos and his son Atreus traversing the snowy and enemy riddled vistas in search of Tyr, the Norse god of War. Along with the series’ heroes, other notable characters are also making a return in Ragnarok, such as Freya and Mimir. But, along with these God of War characters, there are other, more subtle details from the 2018 game that also appeared in the Ragnarok trailer.

One such detail was spotted by God of War fan BT_BlackThunder on Twitter. Using a cropped screenshot from the recent God of War Ragnarok trailer, BT_BlackThunder pointed out the small etchings that are marked into Atreus’ quiver. They appear to show two stick figures, equating to Kratos and Atreus, making their way to the mountain top from the first game. These etchings are an embellishment on the markings that were originally found on Atreus’ quiver in 2018's God of War.

This attention to detail within the character designs for God of War Ragnarok shows just how much work has been going into the game’s development. Little touches such as these quiver markings add an extra level of immersion for players; As Atreus has grown up between the games, so too have his possessions.

Along with his enhanced quiver etchings, Atreus is additionally sporting a new outfit in God of War Ragnarok, and a much broader frame. He is also shown to be keen to partake in battle – something that Kratos is eager to discourage. However, the revelation in God of War that Atreus is indeed Loki, the Norse god of mischief, has fueled Atreus’ thirst for answers. And it is more than likely that this newfound desire within Atreus will play a key part in Ragnarok’s narrative when the game releases next year.

God of War Ragnarök will be coming to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 in 2022.

Source: BT_BlackThunder/Twitter (1 & 2)

There is a small and easily missed detail included in Atreus’ God of War Ragnarök character design that hearkens back to 2018's God of War game. God of War Ragnarok has been one of the most anticipated titles for the new generation of gaming ever since it was first announced. After over a year of waiting, fans finally got treated to a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming sequel at Sony’s PlayStation Showcase in September, where the game’s official name of Ragnarok was confirmed.

Ads by Eonads

This latest trailer for God of War Ragnarok certainly did not disappoint. Fans were presented with an impressive amount of gameplay footage as the trailer followed Kratos and his son Atreus traversing the snowy and enemy riddled vistas in search of Tyr, the Norse god of War. Along with the series’ heroes, other notable characters are also making a return in Ragnarok, such as Freya and Mimir. But, along with these God of War characters, there are other, more subtle details from the 2018 game that also appeared in the Ragnarok trailer.

One such detail was spotted by God of War fan BT_BlackThunder on Twitter. Using a cropped screenshot from the recent God of War Ragnarok trailer, BT_BlackThunder pointed out the small etchings that are marked into Atreus’ quiver. They appear to show two stick figures, equating to Kratos and Atreus, making their way to the mountain top from the first game. These etchings are an embellishment on the markings that were originally found on Atreus’ quiver in 2018's God of War.

This attention to detail within the character designs for God of War Ragnarok shows just how much work has been going into the game’s development. Little touches such as these quiver markings add an extra level of immersion for players; As Atreus has grown up between the games, so too have his possessions.

Along with his enhanced quiver etchings, Atreus is additionally sporting a new outfit in God of War Ragnarok, and a much broader frame. He is also shown to be keen to partake in battle – something that Kratos is eager to discourage. However, the revelation in God of War that Atreus is indeed Loki, the Norse god of mischief, has fueled Atreus’ thirst for answers. And it is more than likely that this newfound desire within Atreus will play a key part in Ragnarok’s narrative when the game releases next year.

God of War Ragnarök will be coming to PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 in 2022.

Source: BT_BlackThunder/Twitter (1 & 2)

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Marvel's What If...? season 1 finale.

The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) explicitly turned down Iron Man (Mike Wingert) as a potential member of the Guardians of the Multiverse in Marvel's What If...? finale, why? Marvel Studios' first animated series wrapped up with a culmination of everything that transpired in its first season. Forced to intervene after Ultron (Ross Marquand) with all six Infinity Stones threatened the multiverse, the Watcher forged a partnership with Doctor Strange Supreme (Benedict Cumberbatch), and together, they hatched a plan on how to neutralize the unhinged villain.

That's where the idea of the Guardians of the Multiverse came from. Soon after, the Watcher scoured the multiverse to assemble his dream team. Heroes from previous episodes were recruited to the mission including Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), T'Challa's Star-Lord (Chadwick Boseman), King Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), Party Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a variant of Gamora (Cynthia McWilliams), and Doctor Strange Supreme. Meanwhile, Black Widow (Lake Bell) from Ultron's universe eventually joined the group. Each one of them has previously appeared in What If...? except for Gamora, who was with Iron Man in Nidavellir when the Watcher found her.

Not much is known regarding the pair's relationship as their episode has been bumped to What If...? season 2. Aside from their solo story, their brief interaction with the Watcher also posed some questions, particularly about the entity's decision to reject Iron Man as a potential member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. As the creator of Ultron, bringing in Tony could've helped them in finding a way to defeat the villain. But, that's not exactly how it was meant to be. The Watcher said that the mission required "the perfect combination of skills and experience that alone will triumph." This means that he needed a very specific group of people; it wasn't just about individual capabilities. As great as Iron Man is,  he could be a risky team member. Due to his strong personality, he might clash with others which would distract them from their goal and the Watcher couldn't risk that.

In relation to that, Tony joining the Guardians of the Multiverse could also mean that he would want to be involved in coming up with their plan of action. However, it's worth noting that by the time the Watcher recruited his picks, he and Doctor Strange Supreme had already settled on what they wanted to do. They only needed capable people to actually execute it. While some official members of the Guardians of the Multiverse were skeptical of their mission initially, everyone eventually boarded the scheme with very little to no qualms. Of course, there's a possibility that Iron Man could've come up with a more efficient way to defeat Ultron; after all, he created the corrupted robot. But the Watcher was pressed with time; they didn't have the wiggle room to re-assess and change their strategy while the villain move from one reality to another.

Admittedly, many are bummed not to learn more about this latest version of Iron Man, especially since the animated series has made a habit of killing variants of the character — at least in season 1. But there's more to his story than just a brief conversation with the Watcher. As previously mentioned, his and Gamora's episode will be released in What If...? season 2 instead.

Marvel's What If...? returns with season 2 on Disney+.

The upcoming Hellraiser reboot has cast actress Jamie Clayton as lead villain Pinhead. This new film will be the 11th in the long-running Hellraiser film franchise, which began with the original film in 1987. The new film is being directed by The Night House's David Bruckner, and will be released on Hulu in 2022. Producer David S. Goyer promises that this new Hellraiser will be "terrifying and amazing."

The series' central villain is Pinhead, the leader of the Cenobites, which are extradimensional beings of pain and pleasure. Pinhead was originally played by English actor Doug Bradley, who reprised the role in the first seven sequels. He was replaced by Stephan Smith Collins in 2011's Hellraiser: Revelations and Paul T. Taylor in 2018's Hellraiser: Judgment.

Per THR, Hellraiser, which was filming in Serbia, has officially wrapped production and announced its cast. Leading the film as Pinhead is Jamie Clayton, an actress who is best known for starring in the Netflix series Sense8. This will mark the first time that Pinhead has been played by a woman, as well as the first time a trans actress has led a major horror franchise. Also appearing are Odessa A’zion (Grand Army), Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why), Goran Visnjic (The Boys), Drew Starkey (Scream: The TV Series), Adam Faison (Everything’s Gonna Be Okay), Aoife Hinds (Normal People), and Hiam Abbass (Succession) in as-yet-unspecified roles. Check out Jamie Clayton's tweet announcing the casting below:

This will be Jamie Clayton's third film after appearing on TV series for several years (she has previously appeared in The Snowman and Chain of Death). On Sense8, which was co-created by the Wachowski sisters, she made a name for herself as the intrepid hacker and political activist Nomi Marks. After Sense8, Clayton also appeared on Designated Survivor, Roswell, New Mexico, and The L Word: Generation Q.

In addition to Jamie Clayton's casting making history in and of itself, it also shows that the producers are engaging with the long LGBTQ+ history of Hellraiser. The original film was directed by Clive Barker adapting his own novella "The Hellbound Heart." Barker is a gay man whose work is constantly in conversation with LGBTQ+ themes and the idea of The Other, and Jamie Clayton's casting rings true to the nature of his inimitable universe. Although he was not involved with the film when she was originally cast, Clive Barker has since been brought on as a producer, giving his ultimate seal of approval to the project.

Source: THR

Warning: SPOILER for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2, Episode 9 - "weJ Duj (Three Ships)".

Captain Kirk's infamous opening scene in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is parodied by Star Trek: Lower Decks with Ensign D'Vana Tendi and Dr. T'Ana potentially finishing the one mission Kirk never did. In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 9, "weJ Duj (Three Ships)," the Lower Deckers aboard the USS Cerritos pair up with a "bridge buddy" for some rest and recreation during a long-haul warp flight. Tendi and T'Ana decide to recreate Kirk's Yosemite vacation gone wrong in Star Trek 5.

The William Shatner-directed Star Trek V ranks as least-loved of the movies starring the cast of Star Trek: The Orignal Series and scenes like Kirk at Yosemite National Park are partly why. After a prologue introduces Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), the half-brother of Spock (Leonard Nimoy), the action turns to Kirk climbing El Capitan at Yosemite. The Captain's ascent is interrupted by Spock, who is wearing a pair of hover boots that allow him to fly. Kirk is so distracted by Spock that he loses his footing and ends up plummeting off the mountain. Of course, Spock saves his best friend. Kirk and Spock later join Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) around the campfire later that night to sing "Row Row Row Your Boat" before they are summoned back aboard the Starship Enterprise.

In Star Trek: Lower Decks, Ensign Tendi (Noël Wells) and Dr. T'Ana (Gillian Vigman) climb El Capitan together in a holodeck simulation of Yosemite National Park and they are interrupted by Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), who wears hover boots like Spock and the same "Go climb a rock" sweatshirt that Kirk is wearing aboard the bridge of the Enterprise in Star Trek V. In Lower Decks, Boimler's flying footwear malfunctions and he plummets hundreds of feet, although Bradward's life is saved by tree branches. Meanwhile, it's implied that the Orion Ensign and the Caitian Starfleet doctor finished their climb because they weren't far from El Capitan's summit and they weren't particularly concerned about Boimer since they assumed the holodeck's safety protocols were on. If Tendi and T'Ana did make it to the top of El Capitan, then they finished the climb Kirk never did.

Star Trek V never made it clear whether Kirk ever actually made it to the top of El Capitan. At the end of Star Trek V, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy returned to Yosemite to resume their shore leave, but the film ends with the Enterprise trio once again singing "Row Row Row Your Boat" around the campfire. It's possible that Kirk didn't go back to climb that giant rock, especially since Bones was furious that Kirk nearly died the first time he tried it. Not that Kirk always heeds his doctor's advice, but the captain of the Enterprise could have just settled for enjoying camping on terra firma with his best friends instead of risking his life ascending El Capitan once again.

Despite Star Trek V's less than stellar reputation among Trekkers, William Shatner's The Final Frontier continues to have an indelible influence on Star Trek and there's a reason why Lower Decks loves to reference it. Star Trek V has its flaws but at the core of the film is the reaffirmation of the friendship between Kirk, Spock, and Bones. Sybok tests the bond of the Enterprise trio but they emerged from their encounter with "God" as steadfast as ever.

Similarly, Star Trek: Lower Decks is a testament to the friendship of the Cerritos' junior officers, Ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawney Newsome), Boimler, Tendi, and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero). The weird aspects of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier are natural fodder for Star Trek: Lower Decks' comedy, which celebrates everything strange but wonderful about being in Starfleet. Star Trek: Lower Decks also reveres Kirk and Spock, and the Captain of the Enterprise might be amused that his climbing El Capitan is now mimicked by others in Starfleet, even if they get to finish the ascent Kirk didn't.

Star Trek: Lower Decks streams Thursdays on Paramount+.