The producers of Until Dawn are returning to their roots after years of Dark Pictures Anthology games. Supermassive Games and 2K have unveiledThe Quarry, a teen horror title that has you once again deciding the fates of frightened youth. You control nine camp counselors as a night of celebrating the end of summer camp quickly goes sideways — the trailer below hints at a Most Dangerous Game tale where someone appears to be hunting the counselors for sport.
Supermassive is leaning on star power as much as it is familiar narrative-driven game mechanics. The Quarry stars David Arquette (appropriately from Scream), Ariel Winter (Modern Family) and Lance Henriksen (Aliens), not to mention actors from productions like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Dollface and Jurassic World. And yes, any character can die. As with Until Dawn and similar games, you’ll have to work hard if you want as many people as possible to survive.
Multiplayer is important, as well. You can have “couch co-op” where people control individual counselors, but you can also have as many as seven people voting on your decisions. While it won’t be quite as pressure-filled as having a Twitch audience decide, it will help you share the thrill ride with friends. And don’t worry if it’s too nerve-wracking. On top of adjustable difficulty levels, there’s a “Movie Mode” that removes the gameplay entirely and even lets you choose how the story plays out.
The Quarry arrives June 10th for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Windows PCs. The gameplay and premise will be more than a little familiar (how many horror movies have summer camps?), but that may be part of the appeal. It’s giving you a chance to “fix” well-worn genre tropes, if just by keeping everyone alive.
Samsung has opened up pre-orders for many of its 2022 TVs and revealed when you’ll be able to lock in an order for some of its other upcoming displays. The company is refreshing its Neo QLED sets this year with features such as refresh rates of up to 144Hz, 14-bit processing for enhanced brightness accuracy and AI-driven upscaling via the Neural Quantum Processor 8K.
Neo QLED QN800B 8K TVs are available to pre-order now at $3,500 for the 65-inch model, $4,700 for the 75-inch TV and $6,500 for the 85-inch version. Pre-orders for the QN900B-series TVs (which have thinner bezels and 144Hz output) will open on March 21st. Pricing hasn’t been announced.
Like the 8K models, the Neo QLED 4K QN95B uses Mini-LEDs. It has a Neural Quantum Processor 4K and 144Hz refresh rate. Top-channel speakers are integrated with Object Tracking Sound with the aim of making whatever you’re watching feel more immersive. Pre-orders will open on May 23rd.
Samsung
Depending on your preferred screen size, you won’t have to wait quite as long as that to get your hands on a 2022 version of The Frame. It also has new top speakers and comes with Samsung’s solar-powered remote. There’s also a matte finish that’s said to give the appearance of texture to art that you display on the Frame while minimizing glare.
The 43”, 50”, 65” and 75” models are available to pre-order now, starting at $1,000. Samsung will open pre-orders for the 32-inch, 55-inch and 85-inch sizes soon.
Samsung
In addition, Samsung announced the S95B OLED TV. Features include the Tizen platform, Neural Quantum Processor 4K, Object Tracking Sound and QSymphony- with Dolby Atmos. Samsung says it includes an OLED brightness booster and perceptional color mapping as well. It’s available to pre-order now in 55-inch and 65″ formats, starting at $2,200.
Access to cloud gaming services such as Google Stadia and NVIDIA GeForce Now will be available on some of Samsung’s 2022 TVs. You’ll just need a compatible controller to play games on supported TVs.
Update 3/18 10:26AM ET: Samsung provided updated pricing for the S95B. It’s $200 less than previously announced.
Almost a year after Samsung revealed the Galaxy A52 (and the rest of the 2021 Galaxy A family), the company is back with even more phones. While the foldables and the Galaxy S22 line might grab the headlines and raise the bar for specs, the Galaxy A ph…
The James Bond, Rocky and RoboCop movies are now owned or co-owned by Amazon. The company has closed its $8.45 billion takeover of storied movie and TV studio MGM.
European Union antitrust regulators unconditionally approved the deal this week. They determined there wasn’t a great deal of overlap between the two companies, and that “MGM’s content cannot be considered as must-have” compared with other studios.
Amazon had reportedly given the Federal Trade Commission, which was said to have been reviewing the buyout, a deadline of mid-March to challenge or approve the acquisition. If the agency didn’t file a legal challenge by then, Amazon would have been free to move forward with the purchase.
MGM “will complement Prime Video and Amazon Studios’ work in delivering a diverse offering of entertainment choices to customers,” Amazon said in a press release. The studio has more than 4,000 films and 17,000 episodes of TV to its name, along with 180 Oscars and 100 Emmy Awards. MGM movies include classics such as Thelma & Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, The Magnificent Seven and Raging Bull.
Amazon will still release James Bond movies in theaters instead of hanging onto them as Prime Video exclusives. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bond reading by the pool with a Kindle in his next outing, as long as franchise co-owner Eon Productions gives the OK for that product placement.
It’s likely that the vast majority of MGM movies and TV shows will wind up on Prime Video following theatrical runs and after agreements with other streaming platforms expire.
Update 3/17 12:03PM ET: Noting that Amazon co-owns the James Bond franchise rather than owning it outright.
A healthy work from home environment is more than just setting up a laptop on a desk. If you want a more functional space, you should try to keep it neat and clutter-free as well. Here are a few recommendations from our staff that will help you organize your desk and hopefully be more productive as a result.
Monitor risers
Amazon
We suggested getting an external monitor in a previous WFH guide, too, and for good reason. It seriously increases your screen real estate and is oftentimes easier on the eyes. However, not all monitors are height adjustable and they do take up quite a bit of desk space. A monitor stand or riser is a way to resolve that. A simple yet effective one is the Amazon Basics model, which has stackable legs for your desired height (up to 4-⅞ inches) plus an 11-inch wide storage space underneath to store your laptop or other knick knacks.
If, on the other hand, you want something a little more stylish, this bamboo monitor stand from SONGMICS is a particularly attractive one. It comes with compartments designed to fit your phone, coffee mug, stationary, notepads and more. There are also well-placed cut-outs to help manage your cords and cables. We should note that the height isn’t adjustable, but in my experience its 3.35-inch range was enough to raise our monitor to eye level. This particular model also works well as a laptop stand thanks to three holes designed for optimal heat ventilation.
If you really don’t want a monitor on your desk at all, consider a monitor arm. This is an especially good choice if you’re restless and need to change your monitor position frequently. One of our favorites is the Jarvis monitor arm by Fully, which features a 360-degree swivel. It has a removable VESA plate and a clamp mount, plus the option of mounting the arm to grommet holes if your desk has them. It accommodates 13- to 32-inch monitors and can support a max weight of 19.8 pounds.
If you’re using your laptop as-is on your desk or on your lap, you’re doing it wrong. Hunching your shoulders to look at your screen is harmful for your posture, which can lead to back, neck and arm pain if you’re not careful. Instead, you’ll want your screen to be at eye level, and if you don’t have an external monitor, that means elevating your laptop with a stand. This has the added benefit of giving you more desk space as well.
We particularly recommend the Rain Design iLevel2. The height is easily adjustable thanks to a front slider, and its tilted design is also great for keeping your laptop cool. Alternatively, a slightly more affordable option is Rain Design’s own mStand, which has a fixed height and a cable organizer in the back that helps keep wires tucked away. Plus, it’s available in four different colors: black, gold, silver and space gray.
A slightly more affordable option is the Amazon Basics Laptop Stand, and though it has a fixed height, there’s a cable organizer in the back that helps keep wires tucked away.
If you do own an external monitor but don’t have a lot of extra space, we recommend a vertical stand. This one from Omoton can hold your closed laptop upright, which goes a long way in keeping your desk organized. It has an adjustable width varying from 0.55 to 2.71 inches, which should fit most laptops. The stand itself is made from scratch-resistant anodized aluminum alloy and has a wide, heavy base that will prevent your laptop from tipping over.
Most laptops only have a limited number of ports, which could mean juggling multiple cables and cords. A dedicated docking station can help fix the clutter — we’ve recommended CalDigit’s TS3 Plus in the past, and now the company came out with an updated version of it: the Thunderbolt Station 4. It looks quite similar to the TS3 Plus from a design perspective, but there are a number of differences in its connectors. The TS4 supports up to 98W charging for your host machine and includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, five USB-A ports, a 2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet connector, microSD and regular SD card slots and more. The USB-C port on the front of the device supports 20W power, so you can connect something like an iPhone wireless charger and get the fastest charge possible. Some of its USB ports also support offline charging, which means they can power up phones and tablets even when the TS4 isn’t connected to its host device. It’s steep at $359, but it’s worthwhile if you want a highly capable docking station.
Another solid, and more affordable, option is the Lention 11-in-1 docking station. We like it because you can tuck it away beneath your laptop so it’s out of sight, and it gives a bit of a height boost as well. The Lention has ports for HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort, SD and Micro SD card readers, four USB ports (one USB-C, two USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0), Ethernet and a 3.5mm audio jack.
A dedicated phone stand is a great way to keep your desk clutter-free while charging your handset at the same time. If you have a phone without wireless charging, we recommend the Lamicall stand, as it has a feeder hole for the charger cord on the back. The stand is made from a high-quality aluminum alloy and the cradle can be tilted back and forth for different viewing angles. If you like, you can position your phone horizontally to watch videos.
If you do have a phone with wireless charging, we strongly recommend using a wireless charger so you don’t have to mess around with pesky cords. The Anker PowerWave Stand is a good option as it supports 10W high-speed charging with the latest Samsung Galaxy handsets and 5W charging with the iPhone 12. We especially like how affordable it is ($16 as of this writing), though keep in mind that you need to supply your own power brick.
If you want to charge an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at once, consider a multi-device charger. One of our favorites is the Mophie 3-in-1 wireless charging stand, thanks to its compact form factor. We like that it has a small divot that was designed perfectly to hold an AirPods case so that there’s no risk of misalignment. Another excellent choice is the Logitech Powered 3-in-1 Dock, which could potentially be great for couples or those of you who own two handsets. That’s because the flat surface area for the AirPods case can also be used to charge a second phone.
For those with an iPhone with MagSafe capabilities (the iPhone 12 or higher), we also like Belkin’s 3-in-1 Wireless Charger. The iPhone attaches to it automatically without the need for alignment, and you can swivel it from portrait to landscape. Plus, it offers up to 15 watts of fast wireless charging.
If you want something more affordable, this Anker MagGo charging station is a solid option as well. It only has a single magnetic charging pad on the front for your phone, but it does have a bunch of ports – three AC outlets, two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports – for charging other devices.
One way to really save some space is to get a lamp with a wireless charger built into the base. The IKEA Hektar has a classic look with a 5W induction charger, plus an extra USB port so you can charge two devices at once. Alternatively, this LED desk lamp by AFROG packs in a lot of features in a relatively small footprint. It has a wireless charger, a USB charging port, five lighting modes with seven levels of brightness plus a 30 or 60 minute shutoff timer.
For a more futuristic design, the Taotronics LED desk lamp’s slim style might be more your speed. It supports fast charging up to 7.5 watts (for iPhones) or 10 watts (for Samsung Galaxy phones) an extra USB port on the side; five different color temperatures; and an option for a one-hour dimmable desk lamp timer that’ll turn off when you go to bed.
For those who want to get into standing desks but don’t have the money or space, a standing desk converter is a great alternative. It can convert any table into a work space, plus it provides additional storage underneath. The Cora from Fully is one that we like a lot, thanks to its sturdy aluminum frame. Lifting or lowering it is as easy as pressing the handles on either side, and it’s super lightweight so you can easily move your workspace out of sight at the end of the workday.
A slightly more affordable alternative is the Flexispot 31-inch standing desk converter. It’s not quite as attractive as the Cora, but it’s still pretty sturdy. Plus, it comes with a removable keyboard tray, which not only frees up space on the desktop, but also improves your posture when typing either when standing or sitting.
Like most people, you probably have a mess of cords dangling behind your desk. A simple way to overcome that is with a few simple cable management tools. The easiest would be to use either twist ties or Velcro wrap ties like these, which are strong, reusable and affordable.
Another option is to use a cord management organizer like these cable clips. They let you organize seven cables with a single clip, which you can then attach to your desk or wall with a self-adhesive backing. You’ll never have to worry about the cord falling behind the desk.
One common eyesore in most homes are those overflowing power strips with cables strewn all over the place. A cable management box like this one from D-Line can help keep all of it contained in one attractive unit and make areas under your desk easier to clean. The box comes in white or black, has three cord entry and exit points and is large enough to fit most power strips.
Over-the-ear headphones provide superior sound, but can take up a good deal of space on your desk when not in use. Instead, try hanging them on a headphone stand which, aside from keeping your space tidy, can also protect your headphones from getting scratches. This affordable one from Lamicall is made out of aluminum and ABS plastic and has a low center of gravity, which makes for a more stable base. It also has a simple and stylish “bird-shaped” look that will add a nice touch of flair to your desk space.
Alternatively, you can also choose to keep your headphones out of sight entirely with an under-desk hook like the Anchor, which has space for two sets of headphones. It’s made out of premium silicone and secures safely to your desk with 3M adhesive strips. There are optional screw mounts if you want to make the placement a little more permanent.
Immortality, the latest game from Her Story and Telling Lies creator Sam Barlow, is set to hit Xbox Series consoles, Game Pass and PC this summer. Like its predecessors, Immortality is shot in full-motion video and uses interactive cinematic scenes as a main mechanic. However, unlike the previous games, Immortality has a distinct horror vibe, not just psychological thrill.
The game is broken into three parts, each one a mysterious, unreleased movie starring the actress Marissa Marcel. Marcel disappeared after filming wrapped on these movies, and players have to investigate the lost footage to figure out what happened to her. The movies are Ambrosio (1968), Minsky (1970) and Two of Everything (1999).
Barlow revealed the Immortality trilogy back in 2020 and released a teaser in June 2021, though details about the game have remained scarce. Today’s new trailer, which debuted during the ID@Xbox showcase on Twitch, was the first real dive into the game — and it looks delicious.
Barlow brought on three screenwriters to help with the Immortality script, Allan Scott (Queen’s Gambit), Amelia Gray (Mr. Robot) and Barry Gifford (Lost Highway). It looks like the game will come to additional consoles down the line, as Barlow said on Twitter, “Other platforms to be announced.”
Robot vacuums have come a long way over the past few years. They’re smarter, more powerful and (marginally) better at avoiding chair legs than they ever were before, and you don’t have to shell out as much money to get one either. There are also many m…
TV broadcasters are trying all sorts of new tactics to spice up live coverage, including some truly wild things for sports. The NFL made games kid friendly with Nickelodeon-style slime cannons, for example. For tonight’s NBA matchup between the Mavericks and Nets, ESPN is trying something with more universal appeal. The network says that for the first time ever, 3D volumetric video will be used for a live full-game broadcast.
The project is the result of a collaboration between ESPN Edge, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) Technology teams, the NBA and Canon. The experimental setup uses Canon’s Free-Viewpoint Video (FVV) system with over 100 data capture cameras positioned around the basketball court. The result is a live sports broadcast merged with multi-dimensional footage — something that looks very much like you’re watching a real-life video game.
While ESPN says this is the first time the technology has been used for a full live production of a sporting event, it has been used before. With their “Netaverse,” the Brooklyn Nets — in collaboration with the NBA, Canon and the YES Network — have used the dimensional footage for replay clips and other post-production content. The Nets are also the first team from any of the four major US pro leagues to utilize the system, first capturing game action with it in mid-January. The clips you see here are from early use of the system, but ESPN said it worked with DMED Technology to build on top of what Canon, the NBA, the Nets and YES had done, making several enhancements so it worked better for live games. The still image above doesn’t really do this justice, so you really need to see the video clips, even in their early form, to get a real sense of what this looks like.
Six separate feeds are sent to ESPN’s control room in Bristol, CT, essentially offering six virtual cameras that are each able to move in three dimensional space to any spot on or around the court. Each feed has a dedicated “camera” operator who controls the view. The alternate broadcast will also have its own production team, as well has dedicated commentators, piping in the natural arena audio from Barclays Center in Brooklyn. ESPN says the broadcast isn’t totally reliant on volumetric video as it can integrate traditional cameras, replays and other content into the 3D environment via a rendered version of the jumbotron.
Last April, ESPN offered an alternate Marvel-themed “Arena of Heroes” broadcast during an NBA game. While that bent more towards the cartoony aspect of video games, tonight’s effort is more about showing the action with a immersive dimensional quality. The network says the experiment shows new ways emerging technology can be used to offer something beyond what we’re used to seeing on TV, expanding what’s possible for production in the future.
The alternate broadcast will be available on ESPN+ and ESPNEWS when the Mavericks and Nets tip off at 7:30PM ET tonight.
Just when I thought the NFT chaos had calmed, here comes Instagram. Speaking at SXSW, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed digital collectibles would be arriving on Instagram “in the near term.” Zuckerberg said NFTs could one day play a role in the company’s eventual metaverse. “I would hope that, the clothing that your avatar is wearing in the metaverse… can be basically minted as an NFT, and you can take it between your different places,” he said.
SXSW 2022 is this week, and we’re remotely reporting on all the major panels, announcements and reveals. Just, sadly, without the Austin food scene on hand.
Google mentioned in its Games Developer Summit keynote that a Steam alpha test for Chrome OS will be available for “select” Chromebooks. Details weren’t available as of this writing, but Google pointed would-be players to a (currently unavailable) Chromebook community forum post. What about minimum specs? According to rumors, you might be limited to models with at least an 11th-gen Core i5 and 7GB of RAM. And hey, what about Stadia?
The API is available to game developers right now.
“Windows games can ship with DirectStorage,” starting today, Microsoft has announced. DirectStorage is the tech giant’s fast game-loading technology that was introduced with the Xbox Series X and S consoles. In September 2020, Microsoft revealed it’ll also make the DirectStorage API available on Windows, allowing games for PCs to take advantage of the technology. It may take a while for more titles to come with DirectStorage, especially since not everyone has upgraded to NVMe SSDs yet.
Tesla has raised the prices of its electric vehicles for the second time in a month. After adding $1,000 to some long-range models last week, the automaker has now implemented a much larger price increase across its lineup. Prices now start at $46,990 for the base Model 3, $2,000 higher than before. Although Tesla has quietly raised prices overnight, the move didn’t come out of left field. On Twitter, company chief Elon Musk hinted at the possibility of a price hike. He said both Tesla and SpaceX are seeing “significant recent inflation pressure in raw materials [and] logistics.”
Ms. Marvel, one of several Marvel Cinematic Universe shows coming to Disney+ this year, will premiere on June 8th. It centers around Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), a Pakistani–American whose idol is Captain Marvel. She’ll be the MCU’s first Muslim superhero and will also appear in The Marvels movie, which is scheduled to hit theaters on February 17th, 2023.
The company’s still awaiting the go-ahead from US regulators.
European Union officials have unconditionally OKed Amazon’s $8.45 billion bid to buy famed movie and TV studio MGM. The European Commission’s antitrust regulators determined there was limited overlap between the companies and said the merger wouldn’t severely reduce competition in the movie business.
Amazon still needs the green light from the Federal Trade Commission before it can close the deal, which was announced last May. Recent reports suggested the FTC was planning to challenge the merger with an antitrust lawsuit. However, that requires a majority vote by commissioners.
When Audio-Technica introduced its latest true wireless earbuds last month, the company only shared UK and EU pricing and availability. Starting today though, you can purchase the lost-lasting ATH-CKS50TW model in the US. For $149, you can expect up to 20 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation (ANC) disabled, and up to 15 hours with it on. That’s well beyond what most of the competition offers — with or without noise canceling abilities.
The IPX4-rated ATH-CKS50TW supports multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can be connected to two devices at once and easily switch between the two. On-board controls give you quick access to music, volume, calls and enabling ANC or transparency mode. A handy sidetone feature will allow you to hear yourself during calls so you don’t feel the need to shout.
Inside Audio-Technica’s app, you can turn on a low-latency mode for streaming or games, adjust the EQ, locate lost earbuds and change audio codecs. For that last item, aptX, aptX Adaptive, AAC and Sony 360 Reality Audio are all supported. Google Fast Pair is available for Android devices and a quick-charge feature will give you 90 minutes of use with a 10-minute rest inside the included case.
