theverge--2020-12-25--Tesla’s new Boombox feature will let car owners fart at unsuspecting neighbors

Tesla ’ s new holiday update will finally give people the ability to use a new Boombox mode , which can broadcast custom audio on the outside of the car ( hence the name ) .
As is common with new Tesla features , Boombox combines real utility with lowbrow humor : owners can use fart and goat sounds in lieu of normal , boring honking sounds car horns usually make .
The mode rolled out with a number of other updates as part of Tesla ’ s firmware 2020.48.26 update , and is something Tesla fans have eagerly anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be seen at the timestamped section in the video below , several sounds are available for Tesla owners through the Toybox section they can use in place of a regular horn : goat baaing , applause , a little “ tada ” clip , someone speaking posh and , of course , the fart .
While Tesla owners have been able to create fart sounds inside the car for some time , the Boombox mode effectively allows people with more recent models to use the built-in speaker that blasts audio to poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tesla cars manufactured after September 1st , 2019 have the speaker built-in .
The speakers were added because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , “ required electric cars that were silent to omit some noise to alert pedestrians , ” according to Teslarati .
Here ’ s a description of what Boombox mode does , thanks to Teslarati : Turn your car into a boombox and entertain a crowd with your media player when parked .
You can also customize the sound your car makes when you press the horn , drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moving with Summon .
Select an option from the dropdown menu or insert your own USB device and save up to five custom sounds .
Farting isn ’ t just reserved for honking .
An update to Tesla ’ s “ Emissions Testing Mode , ” which is code for fart sequencing , means cars can now fart whenever , and people outside won ’ t be able to escape the sounds .
Teslarati adds : Alongside being able to fart , people can also use Tesla ’ s Boombox feature to harass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now a Tesla can emit the same sound as an ice cream truck , based on the video above .
So if someone really wants to play a cruel prank on kids this summer , just drive around the neighborhood playing a jovial song that makes children think of ice cream cones and popsicles .
Being able to upload five tracks also means people can drive their Tesla vehicles around town with whatever audio they want , apparently .
When one person asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk if they could drive their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit , “ Move Bitch , ” Musk pointed to the custom upload option .
There are plenty of other additions that came with this year ’ s holiday update .
Car owners have access to three new games — The Battle of Polytopia , Cat Quest , and Solitaire — they can play while parked .
Supercharge display improvements and scheduled departure improvements are also included in the firmware update .
A full list of updates can be read on Reddit .
Maybe it ’ s the holiday spirit in me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is quite beautiful .
It ’ s like something ripped right out of Shrek — better out than in !

Tesla’s new holiday update will finally give people the ability to use a new Boombox mode, which can broadcast custom audio on the outside of the car (hence the name). As is common with new Tesla features, Boombox combines real utility with lowbrow humor: owners can use fart and goat sounds in lieu of normal, boring honking sounds car horns usually make.
The mode rolled out with a number of other updates as part of Tesla’s firmware 2020.48.26 update, and is something Tesla fans have eagerly anticipated. In the new mode, which can be seen at the timestamped section in the video below, several sounds are available for Tesla owners through the Toybox section, which they can use in place of a regular horn: goat baaing, applause, a little “tada” clip, someone speaking posh and, of course, the fart.
While Tesla owners have been able to create fart sounds inside the car for some time, the Boombox mode effectively allows people with more recent models to use the built-in speaker that blasts audio to poor unsuspecting people outside of the car. Tesla cars manufactured after September 1st, 2019, have the speaker built in. The speakers were added because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration required electric cars that were silent to emit some noise to alert pedestrians, according to Teslarati. Here’s a description of what Boombox mode does, thanks to Teslarati:
Turn your car into a boombox and entertain a crowd with your media player when parked. You can also customize the sound your car makes when you press the horn, drive the car or when your car is moving with Summon. Select an option from the dropdown menu or insert your own USB device and save up to five custom sounds.
Farting isn’t just reserved for honking. An update to Tesla’s “Emissions Testing Mode,” which is code for fart sequencing, means cars can now fart whenever, and people outside won’t be able to escape the sounds. Teslarati adds:
Emissions Testing Mode can be used outside the car. To setup, select your desired sound and place the cushion on the external speaker. When ready, play selected sound by pressing the left scroll wheel button or using the turn signal. To access, tap the Application Launcher > Toybox > Emissions Testing Mode.
Alongside being able to fart, people can also use Tesla’s Boombox feature to harass neighbors in other ways. For example, now a Tesla can emit the same sound as an ice cream truck, based on the video above. So if someone really wants to play a cruel prank on kids this summer, just drive around the neighborhood playing a jovial song that makes children think of ice cream cones and popsicles.
Being able to upload five tracks also means people can drive their Tesla vehicles around town with whatever audio they want, apparently. When one person asked Tesla CEO Elon Musk if they could drive their car to Ludacris’ classic ’00s hit, “Move Bitch,” Musk pointed to the custom upload option.
There are plenty of other additions that came with this year’s holiday update. Car owners have access to three new games — The Battle of Polytopia, Cat Quest, and Solitaire — they can play while parked. Supercharge display improvements and scheduled departure improvements are also included in the firmware update. A full list of updates can be read on Reddit.


theverge--2020-12-25--So you got a 5G phone, but is your plan ready?

You ’ re the proud owner of a new 5G phone — congratulations !
We ’ ve got some bad news , though : if you live in the US , 5G probably isn ’ t going to be the mind-bogglingly fast experience that you ’ ve been promised .
For most regions , it ’ s just a little faster than the 4G speeds we ’ re used to using .
But here ’ s the good news : 5G is going to get better , so if you have a 5G phone you may want to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got a phone recently , there ’ s a good chance it supports 5G .
Pretty much every new phone in 2021 — with the exception of some budget models — will offer some form of 5G support .
Whatever your preferred brand or operating system , 5G is coming your way soon if you don ’ t have it already .
Your phone is ready for the next big thing , but what about your data plan ?
Across the board , the major US carriers ’ unlimited plans already include access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mix of 5G bands that vary in speed and coverage .
It ’ s complicated , as all things 5G have been since it first appeared in the US .
It ’ s complicated , as all things 5G have been since it first appeared in the US Consider this your guide to the current state of 5G and data plans in the US — which ones include 5G , which don ’ t , what variety of 5G they include , and whether you should consider upgrading depending on your carrier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important note for those with a 5G phone : even if you discover that your current plan does include 5G and it ’ s available in your area , you may still need to upgrade to a new SIM card if you moved it over from an older device .
A SIM card that was activated in a 4G device will still work with a 5G device , but you may have trouble connecting to the 5G network .
Check with your carrier if you ’ re not seeing the little 5G logo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think you should be .
For comparison purposes , the prices listed in this article are for one line of service per month before taxes and fees .
Additional lines bring down the monthly cost per line , but your total bill increases , of course .
TL ; DR : Unless you live in one of the few areas with Verizon ’ s truly fast UW 5G , we don ’ t think there ’ s a reason to change your plan just yet .
Verizon offers two varieties of 5G , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ultra Wideband ” ( also referred to as millimeter wave or mmWave ) and is available only in certain parts of certain cities .
It ’ s scarce , but it is mind-bogglingly fast , and you ’ ll see a 5G UW logo on your phone screen if your phone is using that network .
Oh , and 5G UW signals don ’ t reach indoors for the most part , so if you ’ re spending most of your time inside your house or apartment right now , you probably wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you live in a place where it ’ s available .
“ Nationwide ” is the company ’ s other 5G , a low-band variety that ’ s slower than mmWave but offers much broader coverage .
In fact , it ’ s sometimes a bit slower than 4G , so if you ’ re not happy with the 5G speeds you ’ re getting , you may want to try limiting your phone to LTE and see if things improve .
Check Verizon ’ s coverage map to see what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do live in a city with UW 5G , be sure to zoom all the way in to see the exact areas and streets with coverage — they ’ re marked in a darker shade of red that will appear once you zoom in close enough .
Verizon ’ s Shared Data ( data capped ) plans and its $ 80-per-month basic unlimited plan include the lower-tier Nationwide 5G only .
For access to UW in addition to Nationwide 5G , you ’ ll need at least the $ 90 “ Play More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 off those monthly prices if you enroll in auto pay .
Verizon also includes 5G on its prepaid data plans , which start at $ 65 per month for unlimited data or $ 40 per month for a 5GB data-capped plan .
There ’ s a $ 5 monthly discount for auto pay as well .
For now , UW 5G isn ’ t available for prepaid customers , but Verizon says that ’ s changing in 2021 .
TL ; DR : Don ’ t worry about switching up your AT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & T ’ s history with 5G is… fraught .
Early on , the company marketed what was essentially LTE technology as “ 5G E ” and ( rightfully ) caught a lot of flak for it .
You won ’ t see that term in any of the company ’ s marketing these days , but AT & T customers still might see a 5G E logo on their phone screen when connected to this service .
If you do see it , know that what you ’ re getting is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , AT & T has invested in its true 5G offerings , which are structured similarly to Verizon ’ s : a fast mmWave version called 5G Plus in limited places and slower but more widespread standard 5G coverage .
However , 5G Plus may be even more scarce than Verizon ’ s UW 5G .
The company doesn ’ t provide any coverage maps for it , and it says only that it is deployed in “ select innovation zones ” in parts of certain cities .
Testers for PCMag ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encounter 5G Plus in cities where AT & T offers it .
The carrier ’ s standard 5G is of the low-band variety similar to Verizon ’ s Nationwide , and PCMag testers also found that it sometimes lagged behind 4G .
All of this is to say that AT & T ’ s 5G really isn ’ t worth upgrading your plan for yet , but if you ’ re on any of the company ’ s unlimited plans , you wouldn ’ t need to anyway .
Both 5G and 5G @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans , which start at $ 75 per month ( $ 65 with auto pay ) .
The Unlimited Plus prepaid plan also includes it at $ 75 per month ( $ 60 with auto pay ) .
AT & T ’ s only postpaid 4GB data-capped plan doesn ’ t include 5G and neither do its other prepaid plans .
AT & T may have had a somewhat rocky start with 5G , but the technology will improve .
And for now at least , the company isn ’ t charging a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TL ; DR : All of T-Mobile ’ s postpaid plans include 5G .
If you ’ re on the base unlimited plan and live in a congested area you might find you have more reliable access to 5G by upgrading .
But no need if you don ’ t notice slowdowns .
Of the three big carriers , T-Mobile might be in the best position to bring truly faster-than-LTE 5G to the most people — but it doesn ’ t seem to be there quite yet .
Verizon and AT & T @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high and low-band offerings .
T-Mobile offers both , too , but it ’ s also working on converting Sprint ’ s former midband frequencies to 5G .
This might be a sweet spot : not as fast as the mmWave stuff , but genuinely faster than 4G .
Recent analysis from PCMag shows the network isn ’ t delivering on that promise just yet , but T-Mobile promised to extend midband 5G to 100 million people by the end of this year and doesn ’ t look to be slowing down any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s postpaid plans include 5G , starting with the $ 65 per month ( $ 60 with autopay ) Essentials plan .
One caveat : customers on that base-level plan are the first ones subject to slowdowns when the network is congested .
T-Mobile does not offer 5G on its prepaid plans .
For now , we think T-Mobile customers can stay put on their current plan .
Essentials plan customers who are happy with their network speeds and don ’ t notice slowdowns probably wouldn ’ t gain much from upgrading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interesting to see if T-Mobile can make good on its ambitious promises to bring meaningfully fast 5G to more of its customers in 2021 .
TL ; DR : All plans ( pre- and postpaid ) include access to 5G .
US Cellular 5G is of the low-band variety , so it ’ s still only a little faster than 4G .
But the good news is if you ’ re on US Cellular , you have access to the company ’ s 5G : all plans ( pre- and postpaid ) include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a rural area , US Cellular is more likely to offer 5G to you now , while major carriers ’ coverage is still mostly concentrated around bigger cities .
So there ’ s not much to deliberate here , if you have a 5G phone and your area is covered , you should be able to connect .
We just wouldn ’ t advise anyone to switch to US Cellular only because it offers 5G where they live .
TL ; DR : If you ’ re happy with your MVNO plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just for 5G .
Most mobile virtual network operators , or MVNOs , do include 5G on their plans .
Cricket ’ s unlimited plan offers 5G access using AT & T ’ s 5G network ( $ 60 per month for one line ) .
All Mint Mobile plans include access to 5G on T-Mobile ’ s network , and Metro by T-Mobile prepaid plans come with 5G access , starting with a 10GB plan for $ 40 / month .
A significant caveat though : since MVNOs don ’ t own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are likely to get preferential treatment when there ’ s congestion .
If you ’ re looking for the best of the best speeds , one of the big three might be the way to go .
But again , that reality is still a ways off .
Chances are , you wouldn ’ t be upgrading to a night-and-day experience if you did switch .

You’re the proud owner of a new 5G phone — congratulations! We’ve got some bad news, though: if you live in the US, 5G probably isn’t going to be the mind-bogglingly fast experience that you’ve been promised. For most regions, it’s just a little faster than the 4G speeds we’re used to using. But here’s the good news: 5G is going to get better, so if you have a 5G phone you may want to make sure your plan delivers it.
If you got a phone recently, there’s a good chance it supports 5G. Pretty much every new phone in 2021 — with the exception of some budget models — will offer some form of 5G support. Whatever your preferred brand or operating system, 5G is coming your way soon if you don’t have it already.
Your phone is ready for the next big thing, but what about your data plan? Across the board, the major US carriers’ unlimited plans already include access to 5G. However, carriers offer a mix of 5G bands that vary in speed and coverage. It’s complicated, as all things 5G have been since it first appeared in the US.
It’s complicated, as all things 5G have been since it first appeared in the US
Consider this your guide to the current state of 5G and data plans in the US — which ones include 5G, which don’t, what variety of 5G they include, and whether you should consider upgrading depending on your carrier’s implementation of 5G.
One important note for those with a 5G phone: even if you discover that your current plan does include 5G and it’s available in your area, you may still need to upgrade to a new SIM card if you moved it over from an older device. A SIM card that was activated in a 4G device will still work with a 5G device, but you may have trouble connecting to the 5G network. Check with your carrier if you’re not seeing the little 5G logo pop up on your screen and you think you should be.
For comparison purposes, the prices listed in this article are for one line of service per month before taxes and fees. Additional lines bring down the monthly cost per line, but your total bill increases, of course.
Verizon
TL;DR: Unless you live in one of the few areas with Verizon’s truly fast UW 5G, we don’t think there’s a reason to change your plan just yet.
Verizon offers two varieties of 5G, the faster of which it calls “Ultra Wideband” (also referred to as millimeter wave or mmWave) and is available only in certain parts of certain cities. It’s scarce, but it is mind-bogglingly fast, and you’ll see a 5G UW logo on your phone screen if your phone is using that network. Oh, and 5G UW signals don’t reach indoors for the most part, so if you’re spending most of your time inside your house or apartment right now, you probably wouldn’t pick it up even if you live in a place where it’s available.
Ultra Wideband is scarce but mind-bogglingly fast
Verizon data plans with 5G Plan 5G access Unlimited (postpaid) Start Unlimited: Nationwide 5G only. All others: UW and Nationwide Data-capped (postpaid) Nationwide only Unlimited (prepaid) UW and Nationwide for $75/mo, Nationwide only for $65 Data-capped (prepaid) Nationwide only All but one of Verizon’s postpaid unlimited plans includes UW 5G access. It’s also included for prepaid customers on the most expensive unlimited plan.
“Nationwide” is the company’s other 5G, a low-band variety that’s slower than mmWave but offers much broader coverage. In fact, it’s sometimes a bit slower than 4G, so if you’re not happy with the 5G speeds you’re getting, you may want to try limiting your phone to LTE and see if things improve.
Check Verizon’s coverage map to see what’s available in your area. If you do live in a city with UW 5G, be sure to zoom all the way in to see the exact areas and streets with coverage — they’re marked in a darker shade of red that will appear once you zoom in close enough.
Verizon’s Shared Data (data capped) plans and its $80-per-month basic unlimited plan include the lower-tier Nationwide 5G only. For access to UW in addition to Nationwide 5G, you’ll need at least the $90 “Play More” unlimited plan. Verizon offers $10 off those monthly prices if you enroll in auto pay.
Verizon also includes Nationwide 5G on its prepaid data plans, which start at $75 per month for unlimited data or $40 per month for a 5GB data-capped plan. The most expensive unlimited plan also includes UW 5G as of early 2021. There’s a $5 monthly discount for auto pay as well.
AT&T
TL;DR: Don’t worry about switching up your AT&T plan for 5G.
AT&T’s history with 5G is… fraught. Early on, the company marketed what was essentially LTE technology as “5G E” and (rightfully) caught a lot of flak for it. You won’t see that term in any of the company’s marketing these days, but AT&T customers still might see a 5G E logo on their phone screen when connected to this service. If you do see it, know that what you’re getting is not really 5G.
AT&T’s 5G really isn’t worth upgrading for yet, but if you’re on any of the company’s unlimited plans, you wouldn’t need to anyway
AT&T data plans with 5G Plan 5G access Unlimited (postpaid) 5G and 5G Plus Data-capped (postpaid) None Unlimited (prepaid) 5G and 5G Plus (Unlimited Plus plan only) Data-capped (prepaid) None Most unlimited customers, prepaid or postpaid, have access to both flavors of AT&T 5G.
Outside of that debacle, AT&T has invested in its true 5G offerings, which are structured similarly to Verizon’s: a fast mmWave version called 5G Plus in limited places and slower but more widespread standard 5G coverage. However, 5G Plus may be even more scarce than Verizon’s UW 5G. The company doesn’t provide any coverage maps for it, and it says only that it is deployed in “select innovation zones” in parts of certain cities. Testers for PCMag’s annual mobile network test didn’t encounter 5G Plus in cities where AT&T offers it. The carrier’s standard 5G is of the low-band variety similar to Verizon’s Nationwide, and PCMag testers also found that it sometimes lagged behind 4G.
All of this is to say that AT&T’s 5G really isn’t worth upgrading your plan for yet, but if you’re on any of the company’s unlimited plans, you wouldn’t need to anyway. Both 5G and 5G Plus are included in all postpaid unlimited plans, which start at $75 per month ($65 with auto pay). The Unlimited Plus prepaid plan also includes it at $75 per month ($60 with auto pay). AT&T’s only postpaid 4GB data-capped plan doesn’t include 5G and neither do its other prepaid plans.
AT&T may have had a somewhat rocky start with 5G, but the technology will improve. And for now at least, the company isn’t charging a premium for its fastest 5G variant.
T-Mobile
TL;DR: All of T-Mobile’s postpaid and prepaid plans include 5G. If you’re on the base postpaid unlimited plan and live in a congested area you might find you have more reliable access to 5G by upgrading. But no need if you don’t notice slowdowns.
Of the three big carriers, T-Mobile might be in the best position to bring truly faster-than-LTE 5G to the most people — but it doesn’t seem to be there quite yet. Verizon and AT&T’s efforts have been concentrated around high and low-band offerings. T-Mobile offers both, too, but it’s also working on converting Sprint’s former midband frequencies to 5G. This might be a sweet spot: not as fast as the mmWave stuff, but genuinely faster than 4G. Recent analysis from PCMag shows the network isn’t delivering on that promise just yet, but T-Mobile promised to extend midband 5G to 100 million people by the end of this year and doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.
All of the company’s postpaid plans include 5G, starting with the $65 per month ($60 with autopay) Essentials plan. One caveat: customers on that base-level plan are the first ones subject to slowdowns when the network is congested. T-Mobile also offers 5G on its prepaid plans for both unlimited and data-capped options.
T-Mobile data plans with 5G Plan 5G access Unlimited (postpaid) Yes Data-capped (postpaid) n/a Unlimited (prepaid) Yes Data-capped (prepaid) Yes All of T-Mobile’s plans include 5G.
For now, we think T-Mobile customers can stay put on their current plan. Essentials plan customers who are happy with their network speeds and don’t notice slowdowns probably wouldn’t gain much from upgrading just yet. But it will be interesting to see if T-Mobile can make good on its ambitious promises to bring meaningfully fast 5G to more of its customers in 2021.
US Cellular
TL;DR: All plans (pre- and postpaid) include access to 5G.
US Cellular 5G is of the low-band variety, so it’s still only a little faster than 4G. But the good news is if you’re on US Cellular, you have access to the company’s 5G: all plans (pre- and postpaid) include it. And if you’re in a rural area, US Cellular is more likely to offer 5G to you now, while major carriers’ coverage is still mostly concentrated around bigger cities. So there’s not much to deliberate here, if you have a 5G phone and your area is covered, you should be able to connect. We just wouldn’t advise anyone to switch to US Cellular only because it offers 5G where they live.
MVNOs: Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, etc.
TL;DR: If you’re happy with your MVNO plan, don’t switch things up just for 5G.
Most mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, do include 5G on their plans. Cricket’s unlimited plan offers 5G access using AT&T’s 5G network ($60 per month for one line). All Mint Mobile plans include access to 5G on T-Mobile’s network, and Metro by T-Mobile prepaid plans come with 5G access, starting with a 10GB plan for $40 / month.
A significant caveat though: since MVNOs don’t own the networks they use, carrier subscribers are likely to get preferential treatment when there’s congestion. If you’re looking for the best of the best speeds, one of the big three might be the way to go. But again, that reality is still a ways off. Chances are, you wouldn’t be upgrading to a night-and-day experience if you did switch.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that only T-Mobile’s postpaid plans offer 5G. T-Mobile in fact offers 5G on all of its prepaid and postpaid plans. We regret the error.


theverge--2020-12-25--Investor sues CD Projekt over bungled CyberPunk 2077 launch

The anticipated CyberPunk 2077 launch wasn ’ t just a disaster for gamers , but for the game ’ s investors , too .
A lawsuit filed yesterday against CD Projekt , the company behind Cyberpunk , claims investors were misled about the game ’ s performance ahead of its release , causing a significant stock price drop and losses .
CD Projekt allegedly failed to convey that the game was “ virtually unplayable , ” the lawsuit states , and instead marketed it as a success with a few issues that would go unnoticed by players .
The plaintiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include other investors in the suit to turn it into a class action .
Since the game ’ s launch earlier this month , it ’ s been plagued with bugs , prompting retailers and console makers to offer full refunds .
GameStop is accepting returns , even if people opened the game , which goes against its typical policy , and Sony pulled the game last week and began processing digital refunds for unsatisfied buyers .
Still , the game sold more than 13 million copies in the two weeks since its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best selling games of the year .
Many of those sales came from preorders after a much hyped marketing campaign , which helped CD Projekt recoup the nearly decade-long costs of making the game .

The anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 launch wasn’t just a disaster for gamers, but for the game’s investors, too. A lawsuit filed yesterday against CD Projekt, the company behind Cyberpunk, claims investors were misled about the game’s performance ahead of its release, causing a significant stock price drop and losses. CD Projekt allegedly failed to convey that the game was “virtually unplayable,” the lawsuit states, and instead marketed it as a success with a few issues that would go unnoticed by players. The plaintiff, Andrew Trampe, is looking to include other investors in the suit to turn it into a class action.
CD Projekt said in a court filing it would “vigorously” defend itself against the investor’s claims, Bloomberg reported.
Since the game’s launch earlier this month, it’s been plagued with bugs, prompting retailers and console makers to offer full refunds. GameStop is accepting returns, even if people opened the game, which goes against its typical policy, and Sony pulled the game last week and began processing digital refunds for unsatisfied buyers.
Still, the game sold more than 13 million copies in the two weeks since its launch, making it one of the best-selling games of the year. Many of those sales came from preorders after a much hyped marketing campaign, which helped CD Projekt recoup costs from the nearly decade-long process of making the game.


theverge--2020-12-25--10 great games from 2020 for your new Xbox

Whether you recently bought or soon plan to buy an Xbox Series X or an Xbox Series S , or are sticking with your Xbox One console , it ’ s sure nice to have a stack of good games to play .
And what better way to do that than to barely spend any money at all ?
Individual games , while sometimes worth the cost , can be pricey .
Instead , you can get a ton of value out of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription .
For $ 14.99 per month ( $ 1 for each of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re a new subscriber ) , the all-in-one Game Pass Ultimate subscription gets you access to a growing number of games to download and exclusive discounts on popular games .
You also get the ability to download games on consoles and Android devices .
If you only want to run games on a PC , you can subscribe to the base Game Pass for $ 9.99 a month ( $ 1 for the first month if you ’ re a new subscriber ) .
With that , you also get to download a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subscription , you can access games from EA that were previously only available with a separate subscription .
They also grant you the ability to play multiplayer games online with friends ( where supported ) .
Signing up will get you instant access to six of the 10 games below ( and we ’ ve included the individual prices , just in case ) .
The others listed here that are not included in a Game Pass are , however , worth purchasing by themselves .
We ’ ve rounded up our favorite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entertainment .
Check out our app picks for iPhones , Android phones , Windows PCs , and M1-equipped Macs ; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass ; and our top choices for gaming PCs , the PS5 , Xbox One and Series X / S , Nintendo Switch , and VR .
We ’ ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus , Hulu , ESPN Plus , and Netflix ; some great sci-fi books ; and exciting new podcasts .
( Note : pricing was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may change . )
The seventh Yakuza game in the series is a big departure from the rest .
It ’ s a turn-based roleplaying game ( RPG ) instead of being a straight beat-em-up that ’ s laced with some RPG elements , like the rest of the games in the franchise have been .
But Like a Dragon is definitely not your average RPG .
You can freely roam around a fictionalized version of Japan ’ s Yokohama district , meeting quirky people along the way and going on memorable quests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Game Pass , the game does support Smart Delivery , so you ’ ll get improved performance by using the Xbox One version of the game on one of the newer Xbox consoles .
The long-awaited open-world RPG from CD Projekt Red was worth the wait , according to Adi Robertson ’ s review .
If you want to dip into the world of Night City for an RPG that ’ s vaster and deeper than most other games out there , check this one out .
This game is compatible with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Xbox Series X / S consoles , though a proper next-gen version of the game is still in the works and will come as a free update for people who bought the game .
My colleague Andrew Webster calls the remake of THPS 1 & 2 the “ perfect remaster.
” If you have any affinity for these classic skateboarding titles from the heyday of the original PlayStation , you owe it to yourself to pick this up .
It features most of the same music , and the skate parks and player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s graphical standards .
It ’ s not available on Game Pass , but the Xbox One version of the game is compatible on the new Xbox consoles .
Ori and the Will of the Wisps The latest adventure featuring Ori is even better than the original .
It offers similarly excellent platforming , but new to the series is some surprisingly good melee combat .
The team responsible for the game crafted amazing vistas that will look especially good on a 4K television , and it all looks fantastic in motion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisps is available for Xbox One via Game Pass , and there ’ s now a version that ’ s optimized to run on the Xbox Series X / S consoles that unlocks the frame rate for smoother gameplay .
There ’ s nothing wrong with the traditional Gears games that have a third-person perspective , like the excellent Gears 5 .
But if you want to try something new , Gears Tactics takes the combat and turns it into a turn-based game where each move is a roll of the dice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ little smarter , making sure to support each of your characters so they don ’ t get overwhelmed on the battlefield .
Like the title implies , you need to be tactical .
This game is available on Game Pass , and owners of the Xbox Series X / S consoles can enjoy an updated version with enhanced performance .
This list obviously wouldn ’ t be complete without an appearance from Halo : The Master Chief Collection .
In an alternate universe , Halo Infinite would probably be on this list , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed until later in 2021 .
With or without it , the Master Chief Collection is essential for any first-person shooter fan .
It contains the original Halo through the fourth iteration , along with Halo : ODST to complete the package .
It ’ s available on Game Pass , and like Gears Tactics and Ori , it ’ s been updated to look even better on the latest Xbox consoles .
Destiny 2 is another semipermanent fixture on our “ best of ” lists because Bungie keeps updating it .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” was recently released , adding to an already bustling list of things to do in the game .
If you enjoy first-person shooters and want to dip a toe into what it feels like to play an MMO game without the monthly cost , check out Destiny 2 .
The base game and the new Beyond Light expansion are available via Game Pass .
Bungie recently patched Destiny 2 to look and perform better on the Xbox Series X / S consoles .
This game isn ’ t particularly new , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this list .
Forza Horizon 4 is a racing sim that lets you go off-road in the UK , without the overly serious tone of games like Gran Turismo or even Forza Motorsport games .
Whether or not you ’ ve had a history of enjoying racing games in the past , Horizon 4 is a well-designed game that ’ s fun to jump into for a race or two , or just some mindless driving .
Forza Horizon 4 is available on Game Pass for all modern Xbox consoles , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Series X / S consoles to boost the performance .
Tetris Effect is a zen-like experience , marrying the stacking of Tetris with a rhythm-based game .
Having the two together might not sound like much , but it ’ s something you should try .
The new , Xbox-exclusive ( until summer 2021 ) Connected version of the game allows for local and online multiplayer that wasn ’ t available in the original Tetris Effect .
Tetris Effect : Connected is available on Game Pass , so your subscription will let you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compatible with all modern Xbox consoles , including the One and the Series X / S. Respawn Entertainment is most famous for Titanfall and Star Wars Jedi : Fallen Order , but its free-to-play FPS Apex Legends is a must-have for your new Xbox .
Similar in design to other battle royale games , like Fortnite and PUBG , this game is a competitive shooter where you only get one chance to climb to the top .
But what sets Apex Legends apart is its fluid gameplay , satisfying gun play , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have fun experimenting with .
This game recently received a next-gen patch that makes it perform better on the Series X / S consoles .

Whether you recently bought or soon plan to buy an Xbox Series X or an Xbox Series S, or are sticking with your Xbox One console, it’s sure nice to have a stack of good games to play. And what better way to do that than to barely spend any money at all? Individual games, while sometimes worth the cost, can be pricey. Instead, you can get a ton of value out of a Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
For $14.99 per month ($1 for each of your first three months if you’re a new subscriber), the all-in-one Game Pass Ultimate subscription gets you access to a growing number of games to download and exclusive discounts on popular games. You also get the ability to download games on consoles and Android devices.
If you only want to run games on a PC, you can subscribe to the base Game Pass for $9.99 a month ($1 for the first month if you’re a new subscriber). With that, you also get to download a growing number of games.
With either subscription, you can access games from EA that were previously only available with a separate subscription. They also grant you the ability to play multiplayer games online with friends (where supported). Signing up will get you instant access to six of the 10 games below (and we’ve included the individual prices, just in case). The others listed here that are not included in a Game Pass are, however, worth purchasing by themselves.
Xbox Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate / $9.99 / month for Game Pass, $14.99 / month for Game Pass Ultimate Subscribe
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon Image: Sega
The seventh Yakuza game in the series is a big departure from the rest. It’s a turn-based roleplaying game (RPG) instead of being a straight beat-em-up that’s laced with some RPG elements, like the rest of the games in the franchise have been. But Like a Dragon is definitely not your average RPG. You can freely roam around a fictionalized version of Japan’s Yokohama district, meeting quirky people along the way and going on memorable quests.
While it’s not on Game Pass, the game does support Smart Delivery, so you’ll get improved performance by using the Xbox One version of the game on one of the newer Xbox consoles.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon / Seventh Yakuza game in the series $60 at Best Buy
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 Image: CD Projekt Red
The long-awaited open-world RPG from CD Projekt Red was worth the wait, according to Adi Robertson’s review. If you want to dip into the world of Night City for an RPG that’s vaster and deeper than most other games out there, check this one out.
This game is compatible with the Xbox One, as well as the Xbox Series X / S consoles, though a proper next-gen version of the game is still in the works and will come as a free update for people who bought the game.
Cyberpunk 2077 / Open-world RPG $60 at Best Buy
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 Remaster
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 Remaster Image: Activision
My colleague Andrew Webster calls the remake of THPS 1 & 2 the “perfect remaster.” If you have any affinity for these classic skateboarding titles from the heyday of the original PlayStation, you owe it to yourself to pick this up. It features most of the same music, and the skate parks and player models have all been remastered to today’s graphical standards.
It’s not available on Game Pass, but the Xbox One version of the game is compatible on the new Xbox consoles.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 / Classic skateboarding titles $40 at Best Buy
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Image: Moon Studios
The latest adventure featuring Ori is even better than the original. It offers similarly excellent platforming, but new to the series is some surprisingly good melee combat. The team responsible for the game crafted amazing vistas that will look especially good on a 4K television, and it all looks fantastic in motion.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is available for Xbox One via Game Pass, and there’s now a version that’s optimized to run on the Xbox Series X / S consoles that unlocks the frame rate for smoother gameplay.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps / Available with Game Pass $30 at Xbox
Gears Tactics
Gear Tactics Image: Splash Damage \ Xbox Game Studios
There’s nothing wrong with the traditional Gears games that have a third-person perspective, like the excellent Gears 5. But if you want to try something new, Gears Tactics takes the combat and turns it into a turn-based game where each move is a roll of the dice. You’ll have to play a little smarter, making sure to support each of your characters so they don’t get overwhelmed on the battlefield. Like the title implies, you need to be tactical.
This game is available on Game Pass, and owners of the Xbox Series X / S consoles can enjoy an updated version with enhanced performance.
Gears Tactics / Available with Game Pass $60 at Xbox
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Halo: The Master Chief Collection Image: Xbox Game Studios
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
This list obviously wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from Halo: The Master Chief Collection. In an alternate universe, Halo Infinite would probably be on this list, but alas, that game has been delayed until later in 2021. With or without it, the Master Chief Collection is essential for any first-person shooter fan. It contains the original Halo through the fourth iteration, along with Halo: ODST to complete the package.
It’s available on Game Pass, and like Gears Tactics and Ori, it’s been updated to look even better on the latest Xbox consoles.
Halo: Master Chief Collection / Available with Game Pass $40 at Xbox
Destiny 2
Destiny 2 Image: Bungie
Destiny 2 is another semipermanent fixture on our “best of” lists because Bungie keeps updating it. The latest downloadable expansion, “Beyond Light,” was recently released, adding to an already bustling list of things to do in the game. If you enjoy first-person shooters and want to dip a toe into what it feels like to play an MMO game without the monthly cost, check out Destiny 2.
The base game and the new Beyond Light expansion are available via Game Pass. Bungie recently patched Destiny 2 to look and perform better on the Xbox Series X / S consoles.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light / Available with Game Pass $40 from Xbox
Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 Image: Xbox Game Studios / Turn 10
This game isn’t particularly new, but it’s a unique one for this list. Forza Horizon 4 is a racing sim that lets you go off-road in the UK, without the overly serious tone of games like Gran Turismo or even Forza Motorsport games. Whether or not you’ve had a history of enjoying racing games in the past, Horizon 4 is a well-designed game that’s fun to jump into for a race or two, or just some mindless driving.
Forza Horizon 4 is available on Game Pass for all modern Xbox consoles, and it has received a patch for the Series X / S consoles to boost the performance.
Forza Horizon 4 / Available with Game Pass $60 at Xbox
Tetris Effect: Connected
Tetris Effect: Connected Image: Enhance Games
Tetris Effect is a zen-like experience, marrying the stacking of Tetris with a rhythm-based game. Having the two together might not sound like much, but it’s something you should try. The new, Xbox-exclusive (until summer 2021) Connected version of the game allows for local and online multiplayer that wasn’t available in the original Tetris Effect.
Tetris Effect: Connected is available on Game Pass, so your subscription will let you jump right in. It’s compatible with all modern Xbox consoles, including the One and the Series X / S.
Tetris Effect: Connected / Available with Game Pass $40 at Xbox
Apex Legends
Apex Legends Image: EA / Respawn Entertainment
Respawn Entertainment is most famous for Titanfall and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, but its free-to-play FPS Apex Legends is a must-have for your new Xbox. Similar in design to other battle royale games, like Fortnite and PUBG, this game is a competitive shooter where you only get one chance to climb to the top. But what sets Apex Legends apart is its fluid gameplay, satisfying gun play, and character classes that you’re guaranteed to have fun experimenting with.
This game recently received a next-gen patch that makes it perform better on the Series X / S consoles.


theverge--2020-12-26--Apple iCloud sign-in and activation aren’t working for some users

To all of you who got a new Apple device for Christmas , congrats !
But you might have some difficulty setting up and signing in to iCloud along with other Apple users .
First reported by Apple Insider , as of Saturday morning , Apple ’ s system status page was showing “ some users affected ” by an issue that began at around 4:45AM ET on December 25th .
“ Users may be experiencing a problem with this service , ” the status update reads .
The issue appears to be affecting multiple devices .
The system status @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other parts of iCloud or other Apple services .
Apple Support tweeted Friday afternoon that it was aware of the issue , and said it was “ experiencing a high capacity at this time , which is impacting your ability to set up iCloud , please try back in a couple of hours.
” The message was directed to a user trying to set up their mother ’ s new iPad and HomePod mini .
It ’ s still not clear how widespread the problem is , but there ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours .
Apple didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge on Saturday morning .
We ’ ll update this article with any new information if we hear back from them .

To all of you who got a new Apple device for Christmas, congrats! But you might have had some difficulty setting up and signing in to iCloud along with other Apple users. First reported by Apple Insider, as of Saturday morning, Apple’s system status page was showing “some users affected” by an issue that began at around 4:45AM ET on December 25th.
Nearly 36 hours later, the issue appears to be over. A status update at 4:35PM ET Saturday shows the issue as “resolved.”
The issue appeared to be affecting multiple devices. The system status page didn’t show issues with any other parts of iCloud or other Apple services.
Apple Support tweeted Friday afternoon that it was aware of the issue, and said it was “experiencing a high capacity at this time, which is impacting your ability to set up iCloud, please try back in a couple of hours.” The message was directed to a user trying to set up their mother’s new iPad and HomePod mini.
It’s still not clear how widespread the problem was, and Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge on Saturday.


theverge--2020-12-26--10 great games from 2020 for your new gaming PC

Whether you ’ ve just gotten a new Windows-based gaming laptop or desktop , or you just want some new game ideas , we have ten suggestions to make your gaming experience fun .
Not all of them are new or the most graphically demanding , but they should provide you with hours of enjoyment .
Unlike gaming on a console , there are several ways for PC gamers to get their fix , from Steam and the Epic Game Store to GOG and Xbox Game Pass .
It ’ s important to know that not all platforms offer the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in most cases , you can ( and should ) shop around — you might find a better price at one storefront versus the other .
We ’ ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games , apps , and entertainment .
Check out our app picks for iPhones , Android phones , Windows PCs , and M1-equipped Macs ; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass ; and our top choices for gaming PCs , the PS5 , Xbox One and Series X / S , Nintendo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus , Hulu , ESPN Plus , and Netflix ; some great sci-fi books ; and exciting new podcasts .
( Note : pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change . )
Hades is the latest game from Supergiant , the developer of Bastion , Transistor , and Pyre .
Fresh out of early access this summer , Hades offers tons of depth , the writing is excellent ( and often funny ) , and the controls are responsive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like there ’ s much depth , but I ’ ve had 60 runs and counting with no end in sight .
If you want an idea of just how deep Hades ’ rabbit hole goes , check out my colleague Nick Statt ’ s piece on how the game continues to unravel its secrets even after you ’ ve “ beaten ” it .
Cyberpunk 2077 , the latest open-world RPG from CD Projekt Red , was released just a few weeks ago .
While buggy in its early days , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you ’ re into the idea of strolling through a neon-lit cyberpunk universe filled with unusual quests and upgrades .
It ’ s a stunning game , too , built to take advantage of the latest Nvidia graphics cards with ray-tracing effects .
EA built the definitive Star Wars-themed dogfighting simulator in Star Wars : Squadrons .
Whether you ’ re playing on a traditional monitor or through an Oculus or SteamVR virtual reality headset , you ’ ll likely get plenty of excitement both from the single-player campaign and the multiplayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not a simple game to play .
The latest game in the Amnesia series is the direct successor to Dark Descent , the first-person horror game that put the series on the map .
While the stories are somewhat linked , Verge reviewer Adi Robertson says that Rebirth “ tweaks the original game ’ s design and themes in compelling ways.
” Its setting is more awe-inspiring , taking place in a variety of locales that Dark Descent doesn ’ t .
Though it still retains its ability of making you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Among Us is perhaps the most popular game of 2020 , judged on buzz alone .
It ’ s so popular that even politicians like AOC stream it on Twitch , and the premise of the game makes it easy to see why .
You join a group of other workers tasked to maintain a spaceship — except one of you is an imposter .
Your role as the imposter is to blend in and not let anyone find out who you are .
The fun lies in making everyone else betray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out who is playing the imposter .
It ’ s a simple , yet nuanced Clue-like game that costs only $ 5 .
Get some friends , buy the game , and have fun .
Why is a game from 2012 on this list ?
Well , it ’ s because Persona 4 : Golden , a JRPG masterpiece from Atlus , only made its way to the PC in 2020 .
It ’ s nothing new content-wise for folks who have already played the game on the PlayStation Vita , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And really , it ’ s special to see some memorable characters on the big screen looking sharper than ever , with the earworm beats backing the experience .
Fortnite is Epic ’ s ever-evolving battle royale game that deserves a spot on most gamers ’ hard drives .
It ’ s free to play , so there ’ s your main reason to at least give it a shot .
Epic Games brings new content and cosmetic updates ( including God of War ’ s Kratos , along with many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a frequent basis , so if you have friends who play , there will likely be something new to enjoy together each time you play .
In a year when traveling was something most of us couldn ’ t do , Microsoft ’ s new Flight Simulator felt especially timely .
It ’ s a super-detailed flight sim where you simply pilot airplanes .
There are challenges to complete , but really , it ’ s about relaxing , enjoying the view , and appreciating the globe from a birds-eye view .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ game , so you can really stress test your new components ( or consider upgrading if you really want to max out the graphical settings ) .
This game is available for purchase through Microsoft or Steam , and it ’ s playable with a subscription from Game Pass for PC ( which costs $ 1 for the first three months for new subscribers , $ 14.99 per month otherwise ) .
If you ’ re a PC gamer who ’ s been wanting to play the PS4-exclusive Horizon : Zero Dawn open-world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The game has come to digital storefronts with all of the graphical options you might dream of .
While it had stability issues at launch , most of the kinks seem to have been ironed out , so now is a good time to enjoy Alloy ’ s debut adventure before Horizon : Forbidden West hits the PS5 ( and hopefully the PC ) in 2021 .
League of Legends developer Riot Games launched competitive first-person shooter Valorant this year , and it quickly took hold as an esports staple .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with each character having their own unique abilities , it ’ s more reliant on twitch-based skills and tactical gameplay a la Counter Strike .
It ’ s a free-to-play game , downloadable only through Riot ’ s own launcher , and you can pay cash for costumes and weapon skins if you want to customize the look of your characters .

Whether you’ve just gotten a new Windows-based gaming laptop or desktop, or you just want some new game ideas, we have 10 suggestions to make your gaming experience fun. Not all of them are new or the most graphically demanding, but they should provide you with hours of enjoyment.
Unlike gaming on a console, there are several ways for PC gamers to get their fix, from Steam and the Epic Game Store to GOG and Xbox Game Pass. It’s important to know that not all platforms offer the same games due to exclusivity rights. But in most cases, you can (and should) shop around — you might find a better price at one storefront versus the other.
Hades
Hades Image: Supergiant
Hades is the latest game from Supergiant, the developer of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre. Fresh out of early access this summer, Hades offers tons of depth, the writing is excellent (and often funny), and the controls are responsive. It doesn’t seem at first like there’s much depth, but I’ve had 60 runs and counting with no end in sight. If you want an idea of just how deep Hades’ rabbit hole goes, check out my colleague Nick Statt’s piece on how the game continues to unravel its secrets even after you’ve “beaten” it.
Hades / Adventure game $25 at Steam
Hades / Adventure game $25 at Epic
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 Image: CD Projekt Red
Cyberpunk 2077, the latest open-world RPG from CD Projekt Red, was released just a few weeks ago. While buggy in its early days, it seems like a worthwhile adventure to take if you’re into the idea of strolling through a neon-lit cyberpunk universe filled with unusual quests and upgrades. It’s a stunning game, too, built to take advantage of the latest Nvidia graphics cards with ray-tracing effects.
Cyberpunk 2077 / Open-world RPG $60 at GOG
Star Wars: Squadrons
Star Wars: Squadrons Image: EA
EA built the definitive Star Wars-themed dogfighting simulator in Star Wars: Squadrons. Whether you’re playing on a traditional monitor or through an Oculus or SteamVR virtual reality headset, you’ll likely get plenty of excitement both from the single-player campaign and the multiplayer. One thing, though: it’s not a simple game to play.
Star Wars: Squadrons / Dogfighting simulator $40 at Steam
Star Wars: Squadrons / Dogfighting simulator $40 at Epic Games Store
Amnesia: Rebirth
The latest game in the Amnesia series is the direct successor to Dark Descent, the first-person horror game that put the series on the map. While the stories are somewhat linked, Verge reviewer Adi Robertson says that Rebirth “tweaks the original game’s design and themes in compelling ways.” Its setting is more awe-inspiring, taking place in a variety of locales that Dark Descent doesn’t. Though it still retains its ability of making you question what awaits you in the darkness.
Amnesia: Rebirth / First-person horror game $24 at GOG
Amnesia: Rebirth / First-person horror game $30 at Epic Games Store
Among Us
Among Us Image: InnerSloth
Among Us is perhaps the most popular game of 2020, judged on buzz alone. It’s so popular that even politicians like AOC stream it on Twitch, and the premise of the game makes it easy to see why. You join a group of other workers tasked to maintain a spaceship — except one of you is an imposter. Your role as the imposter is to blend in and not let anyone find out who you are. The fun lies in making everyone else betray each other in their efforts to figure out who is playing the imposter. It’s a simple, yet nuanced Clue-like game that costs only $5. Get some friends, buy the game, and have fun.
Among Us / A fun, social game that will make you suspicious of everyone. $5 at Steam
Persona 4: Golden
Persona 4: Golden Image: Atlus
Why is a game from 2012 on this list? Well, it’s because Persona 4: Golden, a JRPG masterpiece from Atlus, only made its way to the PC in 2020. It’s nothing new content-wise for folks who have already played the game on the PlayStation Vita, but it has enhanced graphical options for the PC. And really, it’s special to see some memorable characters on the big screen looking sharper than ever, with the earworm beats backing the experience.
Persona 4: Golden / Great Japanese RPG $20 at Steam
Fortnite
Fortnite Image: Epic
Fortnite is Epic’s ever-evolving battle royale game that deserves a spot on most gamers’ hard drives. It’s free to play, so there’s your main reason to at least give it a shot. Epic Games brings new content and cosmetic updates (including God of War’s Kratos, along with many other branded character skins) to the game on a frequent basis, so if you have friends who play, there will likely be something new to enjoy together each time you play.
Fortnite / Battle royale game Free at Epic Games Store
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator Image: Microsoft
In a year when traveling was something most of us couldn’t do, Microsoft’s new Flight Simulator felt especially timely. It’s a super-detailed flight sim where you simply pilot airplanes. There are challenges to complete, but really, it’s about relaxing, enjoying the view, and appreciating the globe from a birds-eye view. It’s also a very intensive game, so you can really stress test your new components (or consider upgrading if you really want to max out the graphical settings).
This game is available for purchase through Microsoft or Steam, and it’s playable with a subscription from Game Pass for PC (which costs $1 for the first three months for new subscribers, $14.99 per month otherwise).
Microsoft Flight Simulator / Flight sim $60 at Microsoft
Microsoft Flight Simulator / Flight sim $60 at Steam
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawn Image: Sony Interactive
If you’re a PC gamer who’s been wanting to play the PS4-exclusive Horizon: Zero Dawn open-world game, you got lucky this year. The game has come to digital storefronts with all of the graphical options you might dream of. While it had stability issues at launch, most of the kinks seem to have been ironed out, so now is a good time to enjoy Aloy’s debut adventure before Horizon: Forbidden West hits the PS5 (and hopefully the PC) in 2021.
Horizon: Zero Dawn / Open-world game $50 at GOG
Horizon: Zero Dawn / Open-world game $50 at Epic Games Store
Valorant
Valorant Image: Riot Games
League of Legends developer Riot Games launched competitive first-person shooter Valorant this year, and it quickly took hold as an esports staple. While it’s class-based like Overwatch, with each character having their own unique abilities, it’s more reliant on twitch-based skills and tactical gameplay a la Counter Strike. It’s a free-to-play game, downloadable only through Riot’s own launcher, and you can pay cash for costumes and weapon skins if you want to customize the look of your characters.


theverge--2020-12-26--Apple iCloud sign-in and activation issue appears resolved after nearly 36 hours

To all of you who got a new Apple device for Christmas , congrats !
But you might have had some difficulty setting up and signing in to iCloud along with other Apple users .
First reported by Apple Insider , as of Saturday morning , Apple ’ s system status page was showing “ some users affected ” by an issue that began at around 4:45AM ET on December 25th .
Nearly 36 hours later , the issue appears to be over .
A status update at 4:35PM ET Saturday shows the issue as “ resolved.
” The issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The system status page didn ’ t show issues with any other parts of iCloud or other Apple services .
Apple Support tweeted Friday afternoon that it was aware of the issue , and said it was “ experiencing a high capacity at this time , which is impacting your ability to set up iCloud , please try back in a couple of hours.
” The message was directed to a user trying to set up their mother ’ s new iPad and HomePod mini .
It ’ s still not clear how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge on Saturday .
Update December 26th 5:15PM ET : Adds that Apple ’ s system status page shows the issue as resolved .


theverge--2020-12-26--Xiaomi’s Mi 11 won’t come with charger after it mocked Apple for not including a charger

Lei Jun , the CEO of Chinese phone maker Xiaomi , has confirmed that its upcoming Mi 11 phone will not come with a charger , citing environmental concerns .
While that ’ s a legitimate argument against providing yet another hunk of plastic that resembles all the other chargers people already have , Xiaomi joined other phone makers who poked fun at Apple a few short months ago for not including chargers with the iPhone 12 .
Jun made the remarks on Chinese social media site Weibo , saying people have many chargers which creates an environmental burden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charger for the Mi 11 .
Apple ’ s decision not to include chargers with the iPhone 12 was met with some derision , and competitors like Samsung reminded customers in an ad that charging bricks were “ included with your Galaxy.
” That Galaxy ad has apparently been deleted , however , as rumors continue to build that Samsung won ’ t include a charger with its upcoming Galaxy S21 phones .
Shortly after the iPhone 12 launch , Xiaomi tweeted that it “ didn ’ t leave anything out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding a short video clip that shows a Mi 10T box with a charger inside .
Perhaps the takeaway here is that companies should keep the marketing team in the loop about future product decisions ?
There is , in fact , a strong environmental case for not including superfluous chargers with new phones , especially if the chargers are identical to the dozens of others most people already have .
But it seems like as phone makers continue raising the price tags on their new devices , they ’ re somehow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no headphone jacks , no charging bricks— than they did in the past .
Is the next step to just do away with the box and hand over new phones to customers in bubble wrap , or maybe in paper bags ?
I guess we ’ ll find out .

Lei Jun, the CEO of Chinese phone maker Xiaomi, has confirmed that its upcoming Mi 11 phone will not come with a charger, citing environmental concerns. While that’s a legitimate argument against providing yet another hunk of plastic that resembles all the other chargers people already have, Xiaomi joined other phone makers who poked fun at Apple a few short months ago for not including chargers with the iPhone 12.
Jun made the remarks on Chinese social media site Weibo, saying people have many chargers which creates an environmental burden, and therefore the company was canceling the charger for the Mi 11.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said on Weibo the Mi 11 would come without a charger.
Apple’s decision not to include chargers with the iPhone 12 was met with some derision, and competitors like Samsung reminded customers in an ad that charging bricks were “included with your Galaxy.” That Galaxy ad has apparently been deleted, however, as rumors continue to build that Samsung won’t include a charger with its upcoming Galaxy S21 phones.
Shortly after the iPhone 12 launch, Xiaomi tweeted that it “didn’t leave anything out of the box” for its Mi 10T Pro, adding a short video clip that shows a Mi 10T box with a charger inside. Perhaps the takeaway here is that companies should keep the marketing team in the loop about future product decisions?
There is, in fact, a strong environmental case for not including superfluous chargers with new phones, especially if the chargers are identical to the dozens of others most people already have. But it seems like as phone makers continue raising the price tags on their new devices, they’re somehow finding ways to give customers less — no headphone jacks, no charging bricks — than they did in the past.


theverge--2020-12-26--Investor sues CD Projekt over bungled CyberPunk 2077 launch

The anticipated CyberPunk 2077 launch wasn ’ t just a disaster for gamers , but for the game ’ s investors , too .
A lawsuit filed yesterday against CD Projekt , the company behind Cyberpunk , claims investors were misled about the game ’ s performance ahead of its release , causing a significant stock price drop and losses .
CD Projekt allegedly failed to convey that the game was “ virtually unplayable , ” the lawsuit states , and instead marketed it as a success with a few issues that would go unnoticed by players .
The plaintiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include other investors in the suit to turn it into a class action .
CD Projekt said in a court filing it would “ vigorously ” defend itself against the investor ’ s claims , Bloomberg reported .
Since the game ’ s launch earlier this month , it ’ s been plagued with bugs , prompting retailers and console makers to offer full refunds .
GameStop is accepting returns , even if people opened the game , which goes against its typical policy , and Sony pulled the game last week and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , the game sold more than 13 million copies in the two weeks since its launch , making it one of the best selling games of the year .
Many of those sales came from preorders after a much hyped marketing campaign , which helped CD Projekt recoup the nearly decade-long costs of making the game .


theverge--2020-12-26--10 great games from 2020 for your new Nintendo Switch

We ’ re now at a point where you can comfortably describe the Nintendo Switch as “ mature.
” It ’ s no longer a new device , but one several years into its life , with a robust and varied line-up of games available .
There ’ s a good chance you picked up a Switch to play one of Nintendo ’ s tentpole franchises — whether that ’ s Super Mario , Animal Crossing , or Pokémon — but there are a lot of different kinds of experiences available on the tablet .
That includes big social titles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ releases .
Heck , one of my favorite experiences this year has been relearning chess on the Switch .
If you ’ re new to the Switch ecosystem , here are 10 great games to get you started .
We ’ ve rounded up our favorite and most-used games , apps , and entertainment .
Check out our app picks for iPhones , Android phones , Windows PCs , and M1-equipped Macs ; our favorite mobile games from Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass ; and our top choices for gaming PCs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ X / S , Nintendo Switch , and VR .
We ’ ve also listed our favorite streaming shows on Disney Plus , Hulu , ESPN Plus , and Netflix ; some great sci-fi books ; and exciting new podcasts .
( Note : pricing was accurate at the time of publishing but may change . )
With New Horizons , Animal Crossing went from a quaint and charming life sim to one of Nintendo ’ s most important franchises , up there with Mario and Zelda .
It ’ s still a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cozy life on an island full of animals , but the addition of online play , more robust customization tools , and the fact that virtually everyone in the world was stuck at home this year , turned it into an important cultural touchstone .
New Horizons brought people together , caused family drama , and touched on communities ranging from Twitch streamers to streetwear enthusiasts .
And it ’ s still going strong , with ( free ! )
seasonal updates that add more depth and texture to its pleasant world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Clubhouse Games fills that niche perfectly .
It ’ s an incredibly simple concept : a collection of more than 50 physical games , from chess to darts to bowling , that you can play on your Switch .
The package was clearly put together with lots of love and a level of care and attention to detail that makes this more than just a simple collection .
Each game has a pleasantly tactile feel , despite being a digital recreation .
Clubhouse Games is full of familiar favorites but will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over the world .
It ’ s the perfect thing to pick up and play in between other , more complex experiences .
The name Coffee Talk couldn ’ t be more apt : this is a game about both talking and coffee .
You take the role of a barista at a late-night cafe in an alternate version of Seattle , one full of magical creatures , all of whom bring their own personal problems with them when they enter the shop .
From behind the counter you ’ ll hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in with some advice , all while making sure to serve the perfect latte or hot chocolate .
It ’ s warm and comforting , and it ’ s a great way to spend a cozy evening .
Ever since its debut with Bastion , developer Supergiant Games has released a steady stream of hits , from the cyberpunk Transistor to the magical Pyre .
All of the studio ’ s work features incredible 2D visuals , deep and engaging worlds , and a gameplay hook that makes it hard to step away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the team ’ s past efforts .
In your efforts to escape the underworld you ’ ll die a lot , but each failure is a chance to explore new techniques and learn more about the incredible cast of characters .
Get ready to lose some sleep .
The Legend of Zelda : Breath of the Wild No Switch collection is complete without The Legend of Zelda : Breath of the Wild .
Nintendo ’ s first true open-world game upended the genre , with an experience that feels vast and deep , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovery up to players .
In a world full of games with copious signposts and mini-maps packed with points of interest , Breath of the Wild lets you move and learn at your own pace .
It could be both thrilling and quiet , overwhelming and subtle , all at the same time .
I ’ m still learning new things about the game more than three years after launch .
Even better : now you can dig further into the story with the spinoff Hyrule Warriors : Age of Calamity .
Sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to wonder why no one tried it before .
Such is the case with Murder By Numbers .
It ’ s a silly-yet-touching crime drama that plays out like a visual novel , one that ’ s packed with lovable characters and surprising plot twists .
But it ’ s also a puzzle game , one where you complete sudoku-like challenges in order to find clues and solve crimes .
It may not make a lot of sense on the surface , but in practice these two halves fit together just about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ match better than Pokémon games and Nintendo handhelds , but Sword and Shield go an extra step by also being great console experiences thanks to the Switch ’ s hybrid nature .
The base game that launched last year remains one of the best roleplaying games available on the Switch , and it ’ s since been made even bigger thanks to two significant expansions that add new storylines to dissect , locations to explore , and — most importantly — pocket monsters to collect .
Ring Fit Adventure isn ’ t just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also one of a few ways to get a decent workout , thanks to COVID-related restrictions .
It also does something very rare : makes the tedium of a workout fun .
Ring Fit is structured like a fantasy roleplaying game , one where you travel to distant worlds fighting all kinds of magical creatures .
But in order to attack , you ’ ll need to do yoga poses , squats , and a whole lot of planks .
It ’ s exhausting in the best possible way , and Nintendo has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fit into a rhythm game complete with classic Super Mario tunes .
Sometimes you just want to hit things .
Streets of Rage 4 is here to oblige .
The newest entry in the classic beat ‘ em up series doesn ’ t change the formula : you still play as one of a handful of heroes , exploring side-scrolling levels while pummeling every street punk in sight .
This time , though , the 2D visuals look incredible , and the gameplay has been streamlined so that it feels a bit more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might just be the music , with an incredible soundtrack that includes new tunes from famed composer Yuzo Koshiro .
This collection brings together three of Mario ’ s most influential 3D adventures : Super Mario 64 , Super Mario Sunshine , and Super Mario Galaxy .
Not every element stands up in 2020 , so you might find yourself frustrated with 64 ’ s relic of a camera , or the awkward controls of Sunshine ’ s water pack .
But for the most part , each game in Super Mario 3D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them today is a great way to see how Nintendo ’ s design philosophy has changed over the years .
You ’ ll never look at Super Mario Odyssey the same way again .

We’re now at a point where you can comfortably describe the Nintendo Switch as “mature.” It’s no longer a new device, but one several years into its life, with a robust and varied line-up of games available. There’s a good chance you picked up a Switch to play one of Nintendo’s tentpole franchises — whether that’s Super Mario, Animal Crossing, or Pokémon — but there are a lot of different kinds of experiences available on the tablet. That includes big social titles, classic games, and inventive indie releases. Heck, one of my favorite experiences this year has been relearning chess on the Switch.
If you’re new to the Switch ecosystem, here are 10 great games to get you started.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Photo: Nintendo
With New Horizons, Animal Crossing went from a quaint and charming life sim to one of Nintendo’s most important franchises, up there with Mario and Zelda. It’s still a game about carving out a humble, cozy life on an island full of animals, but the addition of online play, more robust customization tools, and the fact that virtually everyone in the world was stuck at home this year, turned it into an important cultural touchstone. New Horizons brought people together, caused family drama, and touched on communities ranging from Twitch streamers to streetwear enthusiasts. And it’s still going strong, with (free!) seasonal updates that add more depth and texture to its pleasant world.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons / Charming life sim $50 at Wal Mart
Clubhouse Games
Clubhouse Games Photo: Nintendo
Sometimes you just need something familiar, and Clubhouse Games fills that niche perfectly. It’s an incredibly simple concept: a collection of more than 50 physical games, from chess to darts to bowling, that you can play on your Switch. The package was clearly put together with lots of love and a level of care and attention to detail that makes this more than just a simple collection. Each game has a pleasantly tactile feel, despite being a digital recreation. Clubhouse Games is full of familiar favorites but will likely also introduce you to new games from all over the world. It’s the perfect thing to pick up and play in between other, more complex experiences.
Clubhouse Games / Collection of traditional games $40 at Nintendo
Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk Photo: Toge Productions
The name Coffee Talk couldn’t be more apt: this is a game about both talking and coffee. You take the role of a barista at a late-night cafe in an alternate version of Seattle, one full of magical creatures, all of whom bring their own personal problems with them when they enter the shop. From behind the counter you’ll hear all of the drama, occasionally chiming in with some advice, all while making sure to serve the perfect latte or hot chocolate. It’s warm and comforting, and it’s a great way to spend a cozy evening.
Coffee Talk / Roleplaying game $13 at Nintendo
Hades
Hades Photo: Supergiant Games
Ever since its debut with Bastion, developer Supergiant Games has released a steady stream of hits, from the cyberpunk Transistor to the magical Pyre. All of the studio’s work features incredible 2D visuals, deep and engaging worlds, and a gameplay hook that makes it hard to step away. Hades feels like a culmination of the team’s past efforts. In your efforts to escape the underworld you’ll die a lot, but each failure is a chance to explore new techniques and learn more about the incredible cast of characters. Get ready to lose some sleep.
Hades / Roleplaying game $25 at GameStop
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Photo: Nintendo
No Switch collection is complete without The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nintendo’s first true open-world game upended the genre, with an experience that feels vast and deep, yet leaves much of the exploration and discovery up to players. In a world full of games with copious signposts and mini-maps packed with points of interest, Breath of the Wild lets you move and learn at your own pace. It could be both thrilling and quiet, overwhelming and subtle, all at the same time. I’m still learning new things about the game more than three years after launch. Even better: now you can dig further into the story with the spinoff Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild / Open-world game $60 at GameStop
Murder By Numbers
Murder By Numbers Photo: Mediatonic
Sometimes two things go together so well you have to wonder why no one tried it before. Such is the case with Murder By Numbers. It’s a silly-yet-touching crime drama that plays out like a visual novel, one that’s packed with lovable characters and surprising plot twists. But it’s also a puzzle game, one where you complete sudoku-like challenges in order to find clues and solve crimes. It may not make a lot of sense on the surface, but in practice these two halves fit together just about perfectly.
Murder By Numbers / Crime drama $15 at Nintendo
Pokémon Sword and Shield
Pokémon Sword and Shield Photo: Pokémon
There are few things that match better than Pokémon games and Nintendo handhelds, but Sword and Shield go an extra step by also being great console experiences thanks to the Switch’s hybrid nature. The base game that launched last year remains one of the best roleplaying games available on the Switch, and it’s since been made even bigger thanks to two significant expansions that add new storylines to dissect, locations to explore, and — most importantly — pocket monsters to collect.
Pokémon Sword / Roleplaying game $60 at GameStop
Pokémon Shield / Roleplaying game $60 at GameStop
Ring Fit Adventure
Ring Fit Adventure Photo: Nintendo
Ring Fit Adventure isn’t just a great game, it’s also one of a few ways to get a decent workout, thanks to COVID-related restrictions. It also does something very rare: makes the tedium of a workout fun. Ring Fit is structured like a fantasy roleplaying game, one where you travel to distant worlds fighting all kinds of magical creatures. But in order to attack, you’ll need to do yoga poses, squats, and a whole lot of planks. It’s exhausting in the best possible way, and Nintendo has also released an update that turns Ring Fit into a rhythm game complete with classic Super Mario tunes.
Ring Fit Adventure / Fitness game $80 at Best Buy
Streets of Rage 4
Streets of Rage 4 Photo: SEGA
Sometimes you just want to hit things. Streets of Rage 4 is here to oblige. The newest entry in the classic beat ‘em up series doesn’t change the formula: you still play as one of a handful of heroes, exploring side-scrolling levels while pummeling every street punk in sight. This time, though, the 2D visuals look incredible, and the gameplay has been streamlined so that it feels a bit more modern. Surprisingly, the best part might just be the music, with an incredible soundtrack that includes new tunes from famed composer Yuzo Koshiro.
Streets of Rage 4 / Classic beat ‘em up game $25 at GameStop
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars Photo: Nintendo
This collection brings together three of Mario’s most influential 3D adventures: Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Not every element stands up in 2020, so you might find yourself frustrated with 64’s relic of a camera, or the awkward controls of Sunshine’s water pack. But for the most part, each game in Super Mario 3D All-Stars remains fun, and playing through them today is a great way to see how Nintendo’s design philosophy has changed over the years. You’ll never look at Super Mario Odyssey the same way again.


theverge--2020-12-27--The ashes of Scotty from Star Trek are aboard the International Space Station

The ashes of the late James Doohan , who played chief engineer Montgomery Scott on the original Star Trek television series , have been aboard the International Space Station for 12 years— and the Times of London has the fascinating backstory of how it happened .
Doohan died in 2005 at the age of 85 , and his family wanted to fulfill his wish of getting on the ISS .
Official requests to bring Doohan ’ s ashes on the ISS were denied , but Richard Garriott— one of the first private citizens to travel on the space station— managed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ashes into the space station ’ s Columbus module .
Garriott says he took a laminated a picture of Doohan and some of his ashes and put it in under the floor of the Columbus .
He didn ’ t tell anyone about the scheme— only he and Doohan ’ s family knew until now .
“ It was completely clandestine , ” Garriott told the Times .
“ His family were very pleased that the ashes made it up there but we were all disappointed we didn ’ t get to talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now enough time has passed that we can , ” It ’ s not the first time Doohan ’ s ashes have made into the heavens .
A portion of his ashes were aboard SpaceX ’ s Falcon 1 rocket in 2008 , but that rocket failed minutes after launch .
And in 2012 , an urn with some of Doohan ’ s ashes flew into space aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 .
According to the Times , Doohan ’ s ashes have traveled some 1.7 billion miles across space , and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Doohan ’ s son Chris thanked Garriott for smuggling his late father ’ s ashes aboard the ISS .
“ What he did was touching—it meant so much to me , so much to my family and it would have meant so much to my dad , ” he said .
Years after his death , Scotty is still boldly going ... well , you know the rest .

The ashes of the late James Doohan, who played chief engineer Montgomery Scott on the original Star Trek television series, have been aboard the International Space Station for 12 years — and the Times of London has the fascinating backstory of how it happened. Doohan died in 2005 at the age of 85, and his family wanted to fulfill his wish of getting on the ISS.
Official requests to bring Doohan’s ashes on the ISS were denied, but Richard Garriott — one of the first private citizens to travel on the space station — managed to smuggle some of Doohan’s ashes into the space station’s Columbus module. Garriott says he took a laminated picture of Doohan and some of his ashes and put it under the floor of the Columbus. He didn’t tell anyone about the scheme — only he and Doohan’s family knew until now.
“It was completely clandestine,” Garriott told the Times. “His family were very pleased that the ashes made it up there but we were all disappointed we didn’t get to talk about it publicly for so long. Now enough time has passed that we can.”
It’s not the first time Doohan’s ashes have made into the heavens. A portion of his ashes were aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 1 rocket in 2008, but that rocket failed minutes after launch. And in 2012, an urn with some of Doohan’s ashes flew into space aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9. According to the Times, Doohan’s ashes have traveled some 1.7 billion miles across space, and have orbited the Earth more than 70,000 times.
Doohan’s son Chris thanked Garriott for smuggling his late father’s ashes aboard the ISS. “What he did was touching — it meant so much to me, so much to my family and it would have meant so much to my dad,” he said.


theverge--2020-12-27--Warner Bros. fast-tracking Wonder Woman 3 with Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot on board

Just two days after Wonder Woman 1984 hit theaters and HBO Max , Warner Bros. says it has put the third installment in the franchise on the fast track .
Gal Gadot will reprise her role as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Patty Jenkins will once again write and direct , Warner Bros. chairman Toby Emmerich said in a statement Sunday .
“ As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince , driving the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984 , we are excited to be able continue her story with our real life Wonder Women – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy , ” Emmerich said .
According to Warner Bros. , Wonder Woman 1984 ’ s opening weekend went better than expected , selling $ 16.7 million in tickets in 2,100 theaters in North America , despite the coronavirus pandemic restrictions still in effect in many cities .
The film was released simultaneously on HBO Max , where it will play for a month before continuing in theaters .
“ Wonder Woman 1984 broke records and exceeded our expectations across all of our key viewing and subscriber metrics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service , and the interest and momentum we ’ re seeing indicates this will likely continue well beyond the weekend , ” said Andy Forssell of WarnerMedia ’ s direct-to-consumer division .
The first Wonder Woman film— part of the DC Extended Universe— was released in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim , grossing more than $ 800 million at the worldwide box office .
The opening date for WW 1984 was pushed back several times due to the coronavirus pandemic before Warner decided to have it drop on HBO Max and theaters at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reviews of WW 1984 , which also stars Kristen Wiig , Pedro Pascal , and Chris Pine , have been somewhat mixed .

Just two days after Wonder Woman 1984 hit theaters and HBO Max, Warner Bros. says it has put the third installment in the franchise on the fast track. Gal Gadot will reprise her role as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Patty Jenkins will once again write and direct, Warner Bros. chair Toby Emmerich said in a statement Sunday.
“As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of Wonder Woman 1984, we are excited to be able continue her story with our real life Wonder Women — Gal and Patty — who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy,” Emmerich said.
According to Warner Bros., Wonder Woman 1984’s opening weekend went better than expected, selling $16.7 million in tickets in 2,100 theaters in North America, despite the coronavirus pandemic restrictions still in effect in many cities. The film was released simultaneously on HBO Max, where it will play for a month before continuing in theaters.
“Wonder Woman 1984 broke records and exceeded our expectations across all of our key viewing and subscriber metrics in its first 24 hours on the service, and the interest and momentum we’re seeing indicates this will likely continue well beyond the weekend,” said Andy Forssell of WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer division.
The first Wonder Woman film — part of the DC Extended Universe — was released in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim, grossing more than $800 million at the worldwide box office. The opening date for WW 1984 was pushed back several times due to the coronavirus pandemic before Warner decided to have it drop on HBO Max and in theaters at the same time.


theverge--2020-12-27--New trailers:  Tiger, Coming 2 America, The Little Things, and more

So I watched Wonder Woman 1984 and I may need to watch a second time before I decide what I think because right now I think it ’ s sort of a parody of 1980s movies that doesn ’ t quite hit the mark despite a fine performance by Pedro Pascal ( The Mandalorian ! )
as the villain .
Also about to wrap season 7 in my binge-watch of Homeland ...
I ’ ve stuck with it this long so need to find out how it all ends .
Note to self though : need to pick something a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ project .
It ’ s our final trailer wrap up for 2020 and we have a little bit of everything : a drama , a documentary , a “ psychological thriller , ” and a comedy .
A two-part documentary about the life and career of Tiger Woods — yes , it ’ s being called the Tiger version of the Michael Jordan documentary Last Dance— looks at the golfer ’ s rise , fall , and comeback ( although as Deadline notes , while the trailer teases an interview with Rachel Uchitel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his ex-wife Elin Nordegren is conspicuously absent ) .
Tiger is coming to HBO Max January 10th , with part two on January 17th .
The sequel to the 1988 comedy Coming to America sees Eddie Murphy reprise his role as Prince Akeem—or now , King Akeem— of the fictional African country Zamunda , who must return to Queens because something something male heir to the throne something .
Murphy reunites with Arsenio Hall , who plays his loyal sidekick Semmi , and the two reprise their numerous supporting character roles as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Leslie Jones , John Amos , Wesley Snipes , and Shari Headley also star .
Coming 2 America hits Amazon Prime Video on March 5th .
Justin Timberlake takes a dramatic turn former high school football star Eddie Palmer who returns home after spending 12 years in prison .
He forms a bond with neglected neighbor child Sam ( Ryder Allen ) , who gets bullied because of his nonconforming gender identity .
I ’ ll be interested to see Timberlake in such a heavy role , and let ’ s hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a child ’ s gender identity with care .
Palmer debuts on Apple TV Plus on January 29th .
Denzel Washington and Rami Malek star as a pair of sheriffs tracking a serial killer ( Jared Leto ) who preys on women .
Naturally , Washington ’ s character has a secret , troubled past which the new case dredges up .
I feel like maybe perhaps I have seen this plot many times already , but , Denzel Washington is a good reason to watch any movie , so I will reserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theaters and on HBO Max January 29th .
Anthony Mackie plays Leo , a robot military officer who pairs up with a drone pilot named Harp ( Damson Idris ) to track down a doomsday device before the bad guys do .
Get ‘ em , Falcon .
Outside the Wire hits Netflix January 15th

So I watched Wonder Woman 1984, and I may need to watch it a second time before I decide what I think, because right now I think it’s sort of a parody of 1980s movies that doesn’t quite hit the mark despite a fine performance by Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian!) as the villain. Also about to wrap season 7 in my binge-watch of Homeland... I’ve stuck with it this long, so need to find out how it all ends. Note to self though: pick something a little less dystopian for the next binge-watching project.
It’s our final trailer wrap-up for 2020 and we have a little bit of everything: a drama, a documentary, a “psychological thriller,” and a comedy.
Tiger
A two-part documentary about the life and career of Tiger Woods — yes, it’s being called the Tiger version of the Michael Jordan documentary Last Dance — looks at the golfer’s rise, fall, and comeback (although as Deadline notes, while the trailer teases an interview with Rachel Uchitel, who had an affair with Woods, his ex-wife Elin Nordegren is conspicuously absent). Tiger is coming to HBO Max January 10th, with part two on January 17th.
Coming 2 America
The sequel to the 1988 comedy Coming to America sees Eddie Murphy reprise his role as Prince Akeem — or now, King Akeem — of the fictional African country Zamunda, who must return to Queens because something something male heir to the throne something. Murphy reunites with Arsenio Hall, who plays his loyal sidekick Semmi, and the two reprise their numerous supporting character roles as well. James Earl Jones, Tracy Morgan, Leslie Jones, John Amos, Wesley Snipes, and Shari Headley also star. Coming 2 America hits Amazon Prime Video on March 5th.
Palmer
Justin Timberlake takes a dramatic turn as former high school football star Eddie Palmer, who returns home after spending 12 years in prison. He forms a bond with neglected neighbor child Sam (Ryder Allen), who gets bullied because of his nonconforming gender identity. I’ll be interested to see Timberlake in such a heavy role, and let’s hope the film treats the sensitive topic of a child’s gender identity with care. Palmer debuts on Apple TV Plus on January 29th.
The Little Things
Denzel Washington and Rami Malek star as a pair of sheriffs tracking a serial killer (Jared Leto) who preys on women. Naturally, Washington’s character has a secret, troubled past which the new case dredges up. I feel like maybe perhaps I have seen this plot many times already, but, Denzel Washington is a good reason to watch any movie, so I will reserve judgment. The Little Things premieres in theaters and on HBO Max January 29th.
Outside the Wire


theverge--2020-12-28--You can now reserve a preorder for Samsung’s Galaxy S21

Samsung ’ s Galaxy S21 lineup of phones will reportedly debut on January 14th .
If there ’ s even a slight chance you might pick one up , you can now place a reservation to guarantee a preorder slot when those become available , which they usually do right after an Unpacked event ends .
Samsung ’ s page will take down some basic information like your name , email address , and zip code in exchange for dibs on buying one of these new phones .
You won ’ t pay anything to reserve your preorder — Samsung @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phone yourself .
But what you can also do now is get a quote for a phone you might like to trade in .
You can get up to $ 700 of instant trade-in credit toward the purchase of a Galaxy S21 if you trade an iPhone 12 series phone , or one of Samsung ’ s own Note 20 and S20 phones .
It ’ s even offering up to $ 550 of trade-in credit for certain phones with cracked screens .
Samsung just really wants you to preorder one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Samsung ’ s upcoming phones before the preorders begin will net you $ 50 to use on accessories like smartwatches and earbuds , and by using the Shop Samsung app for Android , you ’ ll get an extra $ 10 on top of that .
There ’ s usually another nice preorder perk announced when the phones launch .
For previous launches , Samsung has offered at least $ 100 in gift cards in addition to other goodies , so it should be a great value if you ’ re in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll likely want to catch up on the rumors and leaks if you haven ’ t already , as there are plenty of them .
For starters , Samsung itself confirmed that the Galaxy S21 will support the S Pen stylus .
We ’ ve also seen what appears to be a leak of the official teasers for the S21 series , showing off some phone colors and the revamped rear camera array .

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 lineup of phones will reportedly debut on January 14th. If there’s even a slight chance you might pick one up, you can now place a reservation to guarantee a preorder slot when those become available, which they usually do right after an Unpacked event ends.
Samsung’s page will take down some basic information like your name, email address, and zip code in exchange for dibs on buying one of these new phones. You won’t pay anything to reserve your preorder — Samsung will collect that once you actually order the phone yourself. But what you can also do now is get a quote for a phone you might like to trade in.
You can get up to $700 of instant trade-in credit toward the purchase of a Galaxy S21 if you trade an iPhone 12 series phone, or one of Samsung’s own Note 20 and S20 phones. It’s even offering up to $550 of trade-in credit for certain phones with cracked screens. Samsung just really wants you to preorder one of these new phones.
Samsung isn’t showing off the Galaxy S21 yet, but it will soon. Samsung
Reserving one of Samsung’s upcoming phones before the preorders begin will net you $50 to use on accessories like smartwatches and earbuds, and by using the Shop Samsung app for Android, you’ll get an extra $10 on top of that. There’s usually another nice preorder perk announced when the phones launch. For previous launches, Samsung has offered at least $100 in gift cards in addition to other goodies, so it should be a great value if you’re in the market for a new device.