When Sonic 3 hits the theaters later this year, you may be able to watch a franchise fan favorite be voiced by one of Hollywood's all-time fan favorite actors. Keanu Reeves will play the broody, tortured Shadow the Hedgehog, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The antihero, who's both an arch-rival and an ally to Sonic, will be created by Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik after the events of Sonic 2, based on the movie's first footage presented at CinemaCon last week.
Shadow has a long history in the Sonic universe and first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2, which came out back in 2001. The black-furred anthropomorphic hedgehog was created in the games to help find a cure for Dr. Robotnik's granddaughter Maria, who had a terminal disease. It's unclear if the movie will follow a similar storyline though we can again expect Sonic and his gang to stop Dr. Robotnik's plans to take over the world but we'll likely get more details about the film before it comes out on December 20. Jeff Fowler will still lead the production as its director, while Ben Schwartz and James Marsden are reprising their roles as Sonic and his adoptive father-of-sorts Sheriff Tom Wachowski, respectively.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/keanu-reeves-is-reportedly-playing-shadow-the-hedgehog-in-sonic-3-072847772.html?src=rss
Metas Threads app is often described as the companys competitor to X. But Threads users, especially those once active on Twitter, are often quick to point out that Metas app is not yet a great source for real-time information. The apps for you algorithm often surfaces days-old posts alongside fresh ones, and its recently introduced trending topics feature only shows five topics at a time. But for those holding out hope that the app may eventually become more useful for real-time information, Metas latest test may be good news.
The app is testing a new search feature that will allow users to filter results by recency, according to a screenshot shared by Threads user Daniel Rodriguez. Threads top exec, Adam Mosseri, confirmed the change. Were starting to test this with a small number of people so its easier to find relevant search results in real time, Mosseri wrote.
That may sound like a relatively minor tweak but the lack of a chronological search has long been frustrating for Threads users looking to find news or commentary about current events. And while sorting by recent posts isnt the same as chronological search, it should help surface posts about breaking news or other timely topics.
Just how useful the feature is, though, will depend on if Meta makes the filter available to all topics on the platform. The screenshot showed a recency option for NBA Threads, a community Mosseri has gone out of his way to encourage in the app. But Mosseri has been considerably less enthusiastic about other timely topics, saying last year he didnt want to encourage hard news. Elsewhere, Threads has angered some users by removing political content from recommendations and blocking search results for topics it deems potentially sensitive, like vaccines and COVID-19, even if the posts dont violate its rules.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-is-testing-real-time-search-results-234857960.html?src=rss
Modern iPhone cameras are extremely capable video recorders, but typically require accessories like lights and microphones to ensure professional results. Audio gear manufacturer Rode just announced a pair of gadgets intended to simplify this process, so streamers wont have to build a cumbersome rig in the computer room or haul one to an outdoor space.
The Rode Magnetic Mount is exactly what it sounds like. Its a MagSafe mount with a pair of connection points for accessories like the aforementioned lights and microphones. There are two adjustable cold shoe arms that allow people to use the phone in portrait or landscape mode. For the uninitiated, cold shoe refers to metal connection brackets that lack power, whereas hot shoe would refer to metal connection brackets that feature electronic contacts.
Its not just for iPhones, as any smartphone snuggled into a MagSafe-compatible case should work. The Rode Magnetic Mount is made from high-grade aluminum, so its on the pricier side when compared to the endless barrage of similar products on Amazon. It costs $90 and begins shipping on April 24.
Rode
Rode also announced the Phone Cage, which promises to turn your smartphone into a professional filmmaking rig. This is basically a beefier version of the aforementioned accessory, with five cold shoe mounts for attaching anything a budding filmmaker could possibly need, all while keeping the phone safe and snug inside its cage.
To that end, the mounts integrate with an array of thread sizes for attaching accessories like tripods and handles. There are also cable management slots, as five accessories could mean five cables snaking about and threatening to ruin that perfect shot. Again, this is for MagSafe models, which start with the iPhone 12. Itll also work with another brand of smartphone inside of a MagSafe-compatible case. The Phone Cage starts shipping on April 24 and costs $120.
Rode recently purchased rival audio gear company Mackie and announced a renewed effort to design and release products for content creators. It looks like these mounts are part of that push. The company also just launched a new dual-receiver wireless lapel microphone for multi-mic setups.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rodes-90-magsafe-mount-lets-you-attach-pro-lights-and-mics-to-your-iphone-184033154.html?src=rss
Disney is reportedly planning to add linear cable-style streaming channels to Disney+. According to The Information, the company wants subscribers to spend more time in the app and, by offering more viewing options, it may entice users to stick around. In addition, by running ads on these channels, Disney could boost its bottom line.
There are already a bunch of free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) services such as Roku, Pluto TV and Tubi. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery brought FAST channels featuring its shows and movies to Roku and Tubi. Disney itself has some FAST channels inside the ABC.com app, including ones dedicated to General Hospital and 20/20. But none of those are inside a subscription service.
The report suggests that Disney may offer channels based on tentpole franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel, along with others showing animated movies from Pixar. Many folks have FAST channels on as background noise while cleaning and so on, and given the high brand affinity for Disney, this makes sense for the company to explore.
Beyond Marvel and Star Wars, Disney has a deep well of shows and movies to pull from for its linear streaming channels. There's absolutely a market for a channel that shows The Simpsons 24/7. There's probably an audience out there that would love to have Boy Meets World or Scrubs on in the background as they go about their day, and of course Disney has a large library of animated kids shows in its locker. A DuckTales channel seems like a no-brainer.
Disney is trying to make Disney+ a one-stop shop for consumers. It recently folded in Hulu and it reportedly plans to do something similar with ESPN when the sports network's standalone streaming service arrives next year. Adding linear streaming channels to the mix could help Disney pull eyeballs away from the likes of Roku and Pluto TV as well.
Another major streaming platform has explored different strategies too, according to the report. At one point Netflix is said to have considered offering the option to subscribe to and watch other streaming services from within its app, much like Amazon does with Prime Video Channels. The Information notes that while Netflix hasn't moved forward with that plan, the company hasn't ruled it out as it too tries to get users to spend more time in its appThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/disney-may-add-cable-style-streaming-channels-focused-on-marvel-and-star-wars-180035875.html?src=rss
The Biden administration just announced a preliminary agreement to award Samsung up to $6.4 billion in grants as part of CHIPS Act funding. This money will complement the $44 billion in private investment that the company has promised to spend in the state to build a semiconductor ecosystem.
This money will be spent to finish a leading-edge campus in Taylor, Texas that will focus on research and development of advanced logic technologies, manufacturing and, perhaps most importantly, packaging. When it comes to chips, packaging refers to providing power, inputs and outputs. Its a highly specialized process thats typically done overseas, which means that even chips built on US soil have to get shipped to another country and then mailed back. Samsungs dedicated packaging facility should eliminate some of these headaches and strengthen the overall supply chain.
The money will also go toward an expansion of Samsungs pre-existing facility in Austin. Taylor and Austin are only 40 minutes away from one another, leading the Biden administration to suggest that the combination of both facilities will turn Samsungs existing presence in Texas into a comprehensive ecosystem for the development and production of leading-edge chips in the United States. The president also says itll lead to 21,500 jobs for Texans, with $40 million set aside for training.
The CHIPS and Science Act has given the federal government authority to award funding and offer loans to tech companies to encourage domestic spending. GlobalFoundries received a grant of $1.5 billion back in February to help with a major expansion, in addition to snapping up a $1.6 billion loan. The company plans on spending this money in Malta, New York to build a new fabrication facility that manufactures chips for the automotive, aerospace, defense and AI industries.
Intel recently received the largest CHIPS grant to date, grabbing up to $8.5 billion to continue various US-based ventures. Intel plans on using that money to build some new plants that manufacture semiconductor chips for the AI industry. Its building two new fabrication facilities in Arizona and two more in Ohio. Intel will also use the financial windfall to modernize a pair of pre-existing plants in New Mexico and one in Oregon. The company says itll be investing $100 billion in US-based chip manufacturing, leading to an influx of around 30,000 jobs.
President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law back in 2022 to encourage domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing in order to lessen America's reliance on Chinese suppliers. All told, it sets aside $52 billion in tax credits and funding for companies to expand stateside production.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-awarded-64-billion-chips-act-grant-to-build-semiconductor-ecosystem-in-texas-165414946.html?src=rss
Traditional hard drives typically contain useful components. But dismantling them manually would be too labor-intensive. As things stand, old hard drives tend to go through a shredder and it's often down to luck whether there's anything usable left after that process. A company called Garner Products claims to have a better solution with its DiskMantler.
This machine (spotted by Ars Technica) uses a mix of shock, harmonics and vibration to shake apart a hard drive. The process loosens screws and other fasteners no matter what kind of oddly shaped screw heads are used to free up parts like circuit boards, drive assemblies, actuators and rare-earth magnets. The process reportedly takes between eight and 90 seconds for most hard drives, and around two minutes for welded helium drives.
The DiskManter can seemingly disassemble as many as 500 hard drives a day and only a fifth or so of the planet's e-waste is recycled. So at least for now, Garner's recycling efforts may seem a bit like a drop in the ocean. However, if the company can help to retrieve valuable components such as rare-earth magnets without having to break them down into elements and starting the production process over, that surely has to be a net positive.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-a-recycling-machine-shake-apart-old-hard-drives-to-recover-components-163442500.html?src=rss
Meta is shutting down Threads in Turkey on April 29 after an interim injunction from the Turkish Competition Authority (TCA) against automatic data-sharing with Instagram. The TCA ruled that linking Threads and Instagram without user opt-in will lead to irreparable harms and that Meta abused its dominant position in the industry with the practice. The TCA also suggested that the linking exists primarily to increase the companys market power.
Rather than make any changes to how Instagram and Threads integrate in the region, Metas pulling the nascent social media app. The company says this is merely a temporary measure as it works to appeal the injunction, but theres no timetable for that. In the meantime, Meta suggests that users in Turkey either deactivate their accounts or delete them entirely. Those who deactivate will have their posts and interactions restored if Threads returns to the country.
Turkish regulators arent the only people who think the automatic linking between Threads and Instagram is, at best, a bit creepy. Its been a point of contention since the platform launched last year. The apps were so tied together that users couldnt even delete a Threads account without nuking their Instagram account, though Meta patched this several months back.
Meta also began promoting Threads posts on Facebook and Instagram without user consent, eventually allowing people to opt out of the, uh, feature. This is the type of automatic data-sharing that bristled the TCA, leading to the recent injunction.
Also, this isnt the first regulatory battle between Meta and Turkey. The country fined Meta $18.6 million back in 2022 for data-sharing across its apps, according to a report by TechCrunch. This is an alleged violation of the countrys competition laws. The country asked Meta to submit documents detailing its efforts to stop violation of these laws, but Turkish regulators said the explanations were lacking. As such, the country slapped Meta with additional fines, to the tune of $160,000 each day.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-is-shutting-down-threads-in-turkey-following-injunction-against-data-sharing-with-instagram-154725011.html?src=rss
Google is expected to launch a new Pixel 8a phone at its I/O conference next month, but if you're willing to buy last year's model, a new sale has dropped the Pixel 7a down to the lowest price we've tracked. The handset is now available for $349, which is $150 less than Google's list price and $25 below the prior low we've seen in recent months. The only better deals we've found for an unlocked model have required you to trade in another device. This discount applies to the black, light blue and white colorways and is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Google's online store. Google says the offer will run through May 4.
The Pixel 7a is the top budget pick in our guide to the best Android phones, and Engadget's Sam Rutherford gave it a score of 90 in our review last May. When it's discounted to this extent, it remains a good value. Its cameras still outshine just about everything else in this price range, and it still provides a largely bloat-free version of Android. Its Tensor G2 can sometimes run hot but is still plenty quick for everyday tasks. Though it won't be kept up to date for as long as the flagship Pixel 8, it'll still receive OS updates through May 2026 and security updates through May 2028.
The mostly plastic design and 6.1-inch OLED display are both a step down from more expensive devices, but they should be more than acceptable at this price. The latter can run at a 90Hz refresh rate, which again isn't on the level of top-tier models but makes scrolling feel smoother than it'd be on many cheap Android phones. Along those lines, while the Pixel 7a's wireless charging tops out at a relatively slow 7.5W, the fact that it supports wireless charging at all is welcome. Battery life is solid but not class-leading in general, though wired charging also isn't the fastest at 18W.
If you don't need a new phone right this second, it still makes sense to see if Google follows tradition and releases a new A-series phone in a few weeks. There's been a spate of Pixel 8a leaks over the past several months, all of which suggest a device that'll fall more closely in line with the current Pixel 8. Exactly how much the new phone will cost is unclear, however. If you want upgrade today and must stay on a tighter budget, we'd expect this deal to stay worthwhile after I/O has passed. It's also worth noting that the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are on sale for $549 and $799, respectively, though neither of those are all-time lows.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-google-pixel-7a-is-on-sale-for-a-new-low-of-349-153517154.html?src=rss
It's been a few months since we've heard any details about Samsung's latest 98-inch TV, which we learned about back at CES in January. Now, the company has offered up more information about the 98" Class Crystal UHD (DU9000), which is available starting today for $4,000 from its own webstore and select retailers.
Samsung previously revealed that this model uses an AI-powered feature to optimize picture quality for the larger screen. Typically, as screens get bigger so do their pixels. However, with Supersize Picture Enhancer (which the company's other current 98-inch models boast), Samsung says it can increase sharpness and reduce visible noise to ensure there's no pixel distortion.
Other features of the DU9000 include 4K upscaling, PurColor (which adds another layer of image processing to improve the picture quality) and HDR. The Motion Xcelerator function and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz should help ensure smooth gameplay you'll be able to stream games from the likes of Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon Luna through the Gaming Hub. Other gaming features include AI Auto Game Mode, Mini Map Auto Detection and Virtual Aim Point.
If you're wary that a 98-inch TV might be too much screen for your small living room, Samsung doesn't want you to worry about that. The company claims that the recommended viewing distance for a 98-inch TV is between six and 12 feet. The DU9000 joins other 98-inch TVs in Samsung's portfolio, including ones with Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K and QLED 4K panels.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-new-98-inch-crystal-uhd-tv-is-now-available-141044674.html?src=rss
