Sinners is a masterpiece. Ryan Coogler makes a movie that features vampires, but it is not just a horror movie. It is more.
a slightly numerous article which describes the trajectory that led me to adopting a Linux-based OS, the pitfalls along the way, and the welcome freedom that Linux offers
The post A personal journey: From Windows to Linux to Windows to Linux to… appeared first on Linux Today.
Nintendo has officially announced the date for U.S. pre-orders of the Switch 2, after a last-minute delay following the tariff turmoil of the last few weeks. While most of the rest of the world has been adding the console to their shopping baskets, North America has been unable to do so after Nintendo hit pause in the…
Everspace 2’s upcoming paid expansion is set to launch in May. But it will cost a bit less than originally announced, and the devs cite the ongoing economic crisis in the world as the reason for the discount.
Mario Kart World was the very first game we ever saw running on a Switch 2. And from that moment, we here at Kotaku have been impressed by the open-world kart racer’s visuals.
Resident Evil 4 Remake has nearly reached 200K VR players on PlayStation VR2.
Nearly a year and a half since it first appeared on PlayStation VR2, Capcom’s latest global stats update for Resident Evil 4 Remake has revealed some interesting insights. According to the Japanese publisher, as of midnight Pacific Time today, 199,515 players have now experienced the 2023 hit in VR Mode, which makes up 2.18% of the player base.
However, it’s a long way off from Resident Evil 7, which only officially supports the original PlayStation VR headset on PS4, despite the flatscreen game later being ported to PS5. While it surpassed 1 million users back in January 2021, the official statistics as of today show that the older game currently sits at 1,240,932 VR players, which accounts for 7.88% of total players.
It’s worth noting that Capcom does not provide equivalent statistics for its other PlayStation VR2 title, Resident Evil Village. You can view how many hours have been collectively spent by those playing in VR mode – which currently sits at 164 years, 42 days, 18 hours and 17 seconds – alongside how many people cleared the game on specific difficulties. But an exact player count is not provided.
While Resident Evil 4 Remake arrived back in March 2023, the VR Mode didn’t follow until over eight months later. Awarding it 5/5-stars in our 2023 review, we considered it the “definitive VR version” over the original Resident Evil 4 on Quest and “a must for any PSVR 2 owner.”
“By virtue of being Resident Evil 4, this is also arguably one of the best-paced action-packed campaigns available across all VR platforms. Capcom continues to build on each iteration of Resident Evil in VR, making this release confidently its best VR experience to date. This latest PSVR 2 version of a classic features smart refinements that surpass even Armature’s existing VR release of the original on Quest.”
Resident Evil 4 Remake – VR Mode is available now exclusively on PlayStation VR2, and you can still download the free VR Mode demo.
UploadVRAlan Wen
schwit1 shares a report from Interesting Engineering: Australia’s Q-CTRL developed a new system called “Ironstone Opal,” which uses quantum sensors to navigate without GPS. It’s passive (meaning it doesn’t emit signals that could be detected or jammed) and highly accurate. Instead of relying on satellites, Q-CTRL’s system can read the Earth’s magnetic field, which varies slightly depending on location (like a magnetic fingerprint or map). The system can determine where you are by measuring these variations using magnetometers. This is made possible using the company’s proprietary quantum sensors, which are incredibly sensitive and stable. The system also comes with special AI-based software, which filters out interference like vibrations or electromagnetic noise (what they call “software ruggedization”). The system is small and compact and could, in theory, be installed in drones or cars and, of course, aircraft.
Q-CTRL ran some live tests on the ground and in the air to validate the technology. As anticipated, they found that it could operate completely independently of GPS. Moreover, the company reports that its quantum GPS was 50 times more accurate than traditional GPS backup systems (like Inertial Navigation Systems or INS). The systems also delivered navigation precision on par with hitting a bullseye from 1,000 yards. Even when the equipment was mounted inside a plane, where interference is much worse, it outperformed existing systems by at least 11x. This is the first time quantum technology has been shown to outperform existing tech in a real-world commercial or military application, a milestone referred to as achieving “quantum advantage.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Following the GCC 15 code branching after working its way down to zero “P1” regressions of the highest priority, GCC 15.1 Release Candidate 1 is out today for testing…
What is the HTTP 407 Error “Proxy Authentication Required” and how can you fix it? Find out in our latest easy-to-follow guide.
Resolution Games has presented a promising multiplayer game idea using Meta’s latest mixed reality API.
The post This new mixed reality game concept is incredibly cool appeared first on MIXED Reality News.
After announcing it last month, ILM has revealed more details of its mixed reality “playset” called Star Wars: Beyond Victory for Meta Quest headsets. At its Star Wars Celebration 2025 in San Francisco, ILM released a new video that shows some gameplay and gives a taste of the other mixed reality experiences.
The experience revolves around podracing. It includes three distinct modes, according to ILM’s press release: Adventure, Arcade and Playset. The first uses virtual and mixed to reality to follow Volo, “an aspiring podracer whose life gets flipped upside down under the mentorship of the infamous Sebulba [from Star Wars Episode I].” Arcade offers podracing in mixed reality on a virtual holotable, and Playset lets players create “Star Wars moments in mixed reality with a collection of unlockable virtual action figures and vehicles.”
We’re calling this a Playset because it isn’t just a game; it’s an entirely new way to experience the Star Wars galaxy and the worlds we create at ILM. This new mixed reality experience blends the physical and digital worlds in a way that’s unlike anything we’ve done before and we’re so excited to share a special first look with our incredible Star Wars community.
I was a bit underwhelmed by what I saw, though perhaps the video doesn’t do it justice. That said, there is a dearth of decent mixed reality content and any Star Wars IP will likely be welcome. ILM has let to announce a release date and price for Star Wars: Beyond Victory — A Mixed Reality Playset but you can at least add it to your wishlist on the Meta Horizon store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/ilm-has-made-a-star-wars-mixed-reality-experience-for-meta-quest-120033010.html?src=rss
A nice mix of featured events this weekend, including two group rides on new France routes, some short races, and a popular ride with a cause. See our picks below!
Sir Chris Hoy’s | Tour de 4
Good Cause Popular Special Guests Kit Unlock
Once again, the most popular ride this weekend (in terms of early signups) is an open-paced Tour de 4 ride with Sir Chris Hoy (11x world champion and 6x Olympic champion). Tour de 4 is an initiative to change the perception of people living with stage 4 cancer and to raise vital funds for cancer charities across the UK.
Read all about Tour de 4 series >
Rides are 45 minutes long and held weekly on Saturdays. This week’s ride is on the Island Hopper route.
Saturday, April 19 @ 9am UTC/4am ET/1am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4818028
The Ultimate Women’s Mini Races – Tron Tastic
Punchy Race Unique Event
Women’s Mini Races (3 races in an hour) happen each Sunday, but the ULTIMATE Mini Races are a bigger monthly event organized by Vinnette Powell of Team eSRT. If you’re looking for some punchy women-only racing, check out these events.
This Sunday’s races are crit-themed and held on custom-length versions of the Seaside Sprint, Innsbruckring, and The Classic routes. Two time zones are available.
Sunday, April 20 @ 2pm UTC/9am ET/6am PT and @ 5pm UTC/12pm ET/9am PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/esrt
JETT Endurance Ride 100km 2.5~3.3w/kg
Endurance Challenge Pace Options
Here’s a popular long ride with two pace options: B group at 3-3.3 W/kg, or C at 2.5-2.9 W/kg. Both groups will be riding 105.6km (2 laps) on France’s new Knights of the Roundabout route, with optional efforts on some of the intermediate segments if you’d like.
Choose your desired pace, listen to the ride leader, and get that endurance work done! Both categories have a leader (yellow beacon) and sweepers.
Saturday, Apri 19 at 8:05pm UTC/3:05pm ET/12:05pm PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4950219
Tiny Races – “Getting Longer”
V02 Workout Popular Race
Our popular Tiny Races happen each Saturday: 4 back-to-back races within an hour that will push your fitness to the max!
This weekend’s routes feature progressively steeper finishing climbs.
Saturday in three different timeslots
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/tinyraces
Bikealicious Weekend Social Mixer
Banded Ride Beginner-Friendly Route Badge Endurance Challenge
The friendly Bikealicious crew is leading a 100km banded group ride on the brand-new Sacre Bleu route. Grab this route badge if you haven’t done so yet, which comes with extra XP.
Saturday, April 19 @ 7am UTC/2am ET/11pm PT
Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4949996
We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:
In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!
Underworld Overseer, the Dungeon Keeper-inspired VR strategy game, launched a free content update with five new levels.
Initially launched last October, Underworld Overseer is a strategic dungeon management simulator with tower-defense elements. Following a smaller update back in December, developer Myron Games has now released the ‘New World‘ update with five extra levels on a brand-new island and its own hardcore variants.
The final level is described as a “special survival mode” which challenges you to last for a full hour against every type of enemy in the game. This update also introduces five new enemy types with unique abilities and defenses, like Treasure Hunters, Demolitionists, Shield Bearers, Carpenters, and the Priestess.
This isn’t the end for Underworld Overseer, either. Myron Games states more updates and “exciting content” are promised following this, though details on what exactly this involves are currently unknown. We also know that it’s heading to PlayStation VR2 alongside the studio’s older title, Deisim, but a release date is currently unknown.
We enjoyed Underworld Overseer in our review last year, awarding 4/5-stars while calling it a “compelling” VR experience worth looking into.
If you enjoyed the Dungeon Keeper series back in the day, you will absolutely get a kick out of this VR homage. Though it has its faults in the lack of story and could use more varied objectives, Underworld Overseer is a solid and highly polished game with a great amount of content to keep players engaged. Excellent audio and visual design makes this pleasant on the eyes and ears.
Underworld Overseer is out now on the Meta Quest platform, Steam and Pico.
UploadVRRebecca Hills-Duty
Location-based VR destination Sandbox VR announced it has surpassed $200 million in lifetime revenue as it continues its rapid global expansion, with 29 new locations planned for this year.
Founded in 2016, Sandbox VR is one of the few out-of-home VR attractions to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, having reemerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2020 after being forced to lay off a majority of staff and effectively close doors for much of that year.
Now, Sandbox VR says it’s reached the $200 million revenue milestone, bringing in $75 million in sales in 2024 alone from over 1.4 million players across its growing slate of global locations.
A good slice of overall revenue is thanks to the company’s in-house-developed marquee content, such as its recent Squid Game VR attraction, which has generated $30 million in revenue since launch in 2023, contributing significantly to recent growth. Its fully-immersive multiplayer VR experiences typically cost between $50-$60 per-person, hosting up to six players at a time.
This recent success has prompted the company to open 29 new locations this year, representing around a 50% increase in total footprint, with its 60th location opening this month in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
According to the franchise’s prospectus, target markets in 2025 include the USA, multiple European countries, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Canada, Malaysia, India, The Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Africa, South Korea, Mexico, Chile, and Turkey.
Since the beginning of 2024, Sandbox VR has sold 83 franchise units, bringing a total of nearly 150 total units in development with 34 operators today. The company says this represents a sixfold increase in deal signings over the past 12 months.
“Reaching $200 million in lifetime sales represents a significant achievement for Sandbox VR and validates our mission to deliver immersive, social VR experiences that bring people together,” said Steve Zhao, CEO and founder of Sandbox VR. “As we continue to expand globally through our franchise model, we’re seeing unprecedented demand from both operators and consumers who recognize the unique value of our offering.”
Notably, the company says an average of 117,000 total players visited Sandbox VR each month in 2024, with the company projecting that average to increase to 150,000 in 2025 as it rolls out new global locations.
The post VR Attraction Chain Sandbox VR Passes $200M in Lifetime Revenue with 29 New Locations Expected in 2025 appeared first on Road to VR.
Tooting out a tune in Trombone Champ: Unflattened just got a lot wackier thanks to the Get A Grip update.
Just rolled out yesterday for Quest, PC VR and PS VR2, Get A Grip naturally includes new trombones to unlock, as well as two welcome new features. The first is the ability to record a toot, even after you have completed your legendary performance. Handy for those unexpectedly hilarious moments you’d wish you hit the button on.
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Second is a new group of cosmetic items, Gloves, which can be equipped for no other reason than to distract yourself from your own musical genius. Among the first nine pairs are the baboon-like Primate Paws, chicken-inspired Cluck Covers, and hot dog-flavored ‘Glizzy Grabbers.’ There is a new stand for displaying your pairs of comedy finger-warmers, and we expect more gloves will likely be included in future updates.
Those looking to expand their arsenal of instruments can unlock an array of seasonal horns, with the animal-themed Moo-sic Maker and Oink Ensemble, a floral arrangement called Sounds O’ Spring and the Tootcan. Which, yes, is a trombone adorned with a toucan. Last but certainly not least is the DO_NOT_SHIP, which you’ll have to work out for yourself.
Trombone Champ: Unflattened is available now on the Meta Quest platform, Steam, and PlayStation VR2.
UploadVRHenry Stockdale
Welcome to your Friday edition of TMA. It’s a public holiday where I’m from, so it’s a shorter briefing than usual. Barring a barrage of new cars (tariffs? shh!) revealed at the New York International Auto Show, it’s been a relatively quiet week, but not without a bit of drama.
“You know, they say money can’t buy happiness. And… yeah, OK… I guess that’s true. God knows I’ve tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck, and that’s pretty sick, right? …Right?? Fuck, I’m so alone.” That’s what a pretty realistic AI voice clone of Elon Musk was saying to pedestrians at crosswalks in Palo Alto. An AI Mark Zuckerberg joined him, with both billionaires’ voices mimicked to say, well, the things a lot of us are thinking, whether it’s the invasive AI push, billionaires wielding power over government or other bleak, beige real-world versions of Black Mirror premises.
They were in operation at downtown intersections in Redwood City, Menlo Park and Palo Alto but were gone, sadly, by Saturday.
No one’s staked a claim to the prank — but there are probably many people in Silicon Valley capable of pulling it off. More recently, an AI clone of Jeff Bezos was talking on Seattle crosswalks.
— Mat Smith
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Music streaming service Deezer said 20,000 completely AI-generated tracks are added to its music service daily, making up “over 18% of all uploaded content” the platform receives every day. At the start of the year, Deezer introduced a tool for detecting and tagging AI-generated content, which at the time accounted for only 10 percent of uploads.
The S1R II is Panasonic’s first camera that can both shoot up to 8K video and capture 44-megapixel (MP) photos in rapid bursts. And unlike its rivals, the new model is available at a more reasonable $3,300 — half the price of Sony’s A1 II. At the same time, it’s a massive upgrade over the original S1R. We have some issues with the rolling shutter, but it’s a minor problem on an otherwise excellent hybrid camera.
Physical editions of the iconic shooters Doom and Doom II are on their way, and the highlight is something called the Will It Run Edition. This comes with a game box that actually runs the original Doom itself. All you have to do is connect a controller as the box also has a port. It’s an expensive gimmick: The copies cost $666 and are being kept to a limited run of 666. Because hell. There’s also the usual special edition content inside, including a soundtrack (on cassette), trading cards and a handheld cacodemon handheld console that also plays Doom.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111621557.html?src=rss
Q: I’m traveling soon and plan to bring all the devices I usually use, including my smartphone, tablet and laptop. What should I buy to keep everything charged?
A: If you’re traveling domestically, one large and one small power bank plus a foldable charging station (in addition to your usual cables and wall adapters) should keep your devices reliably powered. If you’re heading to another country, you should also include an outlet adapter. And if you’re flying, there are a few TSA rules you should know about that apply to electronics and external batteries.
Over the past few years, I’ve tested dozens of portable batteries for Engadget’s guide to the best power banks and I’ve brought a bunch with me on planes, trains and interminable automobile rides. My go-to battery right now is Anker’s Laptop Power Bank, which I only rarely use for charging my laptop — it’s far more versatile than the uncreative name may suggest. I also have a couple of smaller banks to grab when I don’t need quite so much charge.
The three important features to look for when picking a portable charger to take on your travels are its capacity, weight and connections.
Most portable chargers list their capacity in milliamp hours (mAh). Anything less than 5,000mAh is pretty useless — it won’t even get a smartphone up to fifty percent. I recommend looking for a power bank with 10,000mAh or higher capacity. One thing to note is that there’s not a one-to-one correlation on capacity: a 10,000mAh power bank will not refill your smartphone’s 5,000mAh battery twice. Voltage conversions, heat loss and the operation of the battery all cut down on the amount of charge delivered.
This is directly related to capacity. Just about every 20,000mAh battery will be heavier than a 10,000mAh battery. If you’re really concerned with keeping down the pounds and ounces in your luggage, you might want to pick the smallest capacity you think you’ll need. That said, the largest TSA-compliant batteries are 27,000mAh models, which weigh between two and 2.5 pounds. That may or may not make a huge difference in your packing scheme.
The last thing to look for is the right connections. Every power bank I’ve tested has at least one USB-C port. Since you can get a USB-C cable with just about any connector at the other end, that should cover what you need. But if, for example, you have an older smartwatch charger with a USB Type-A connector, you’ll want to make sure your power bank has that slot. You’ll also want to remember to pack the right cables for each device. I’m seeing more banks with built-in cables, which is convenient, but you’ll probably still want to bring a couple extra cords just in case.
Current TSA and FAA rules say that all spare batteries, including power banks, can only go in your carry-on luggage, not your checked bags. They must be rated at 100 watt-hours or lower, which in most batteries translates to roughly a 27,000mAh capacity. That capacity range covers most portable power chargers out there, since most manufacturers want their banks to fit within travel recommendations (larger batteries are often marketed as portable power stations). There’s no limit on the number of batteries you can carry, but they should be for your personal use and must be protected from damage.
Items like fast chargers, wall adapters, cables and regular alkaline batteries (ie. AA and AAA cells) can fly in either your checked or carry-on luggage. Of course, as with all TSA regulations, the final determination of what you can and can’t bring with you lies with the agents themselves, but this advice follows the agency’s current guidelines.
If you’re flying internationally, you’ll want to check the baggage policies of the airline and airport you’ll use for your return flight. A quick check of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) policies and the five highest-trafficked non-US airports (Delhi, Haneda, Istanbul, Heathrow and Dubai) shows that similar rules apply: spare batteries must go in carry-on bags and can’t be checked. A few policies put the upper capacity limit for external batteries at 100Wh, but the ICAO actually allows banks up to 160Wh.
As tech reporters, the Engadget staff is always answering questions from friends and family about electronics, software, gaming, big tech policies and more. So we decided to write down our answers. This question is a composite of ones we’ve been asked recently. If you’ve got a tech-related question you’d like us to answer for you, please email ask@engadget.com.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/ask-engadget-how-do-i-keep-my-electronics-from-dying-when-i-travel-110022879.html?src=rss
Welcome to Edition 7.40 of the Rocket Report! One of the biggest spaceflight questions in my mind right now is when Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket will fly again. The company has been saying “late spring.” Today, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel said they were told June. Several officials have suggested to Ars that the next launch will, in reality, occur no earlier than October. So when will we see New Glenn again?
As always, we welcome reader submissions, and if you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.
Phantom Space delays Daytona launch, again. In a story that accepts what Phantom Space Founder Jim Cantrell says at face value, Payload Space reports that the company is “an up-and-coming launch provider and satellite manufacturer” and has “steadily built a three-pronged business model to take on the industry’s powerhouses.” It’s a surprisingly laudatory story for a company that has yet to accomplish much in space yet.