Latest News - Page 1240

Adidas' first-ever NFT drop makes tens of millions of dollars--how soon until other brands jump in?

Adidas recently held its Into the Metaverse NFT drop in conjunction with other popular digital players like NFT art mogul group Bored Ape Yacht Club, crypto pioneer gmoney, and PunksComic. The collection featured NFTs based on each; Indigo Herz from Bored Ape Yacht Club, a gmoney NFT, and Punk 2146 "Courtney" from Punks Comic.

Adidas sold all of its NFTs nearly immediately across its early access and full access periods. The NFTs sold for 0.2 ETH apiece (roughly $787), and in total Adidas made 5,924 ETH from the sales, or $23,252,647.84 in converted currency.

Xbox consoles are so rare right now that even Microsoft is having a hard time getting a hold of them.

Microsoft's first-party 343 Industries team couldn't secure Xbox Series X consoles for the first Halo Championship event. Instead, the studio is using Xbox Series X devkits, which apparently are more plentiful than the retail units. 343i's Halo esports lead Tashi confirmed that pro Halo players are competing on Series X devkits instead of the retail models, however the devkits are identical to the real consumer-facing product; same specs, performance, etc.

New pictures from Halo pro UberNick confirm the devkits are being used in the Halo Championship Series in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Diablo 2 Resurrected is getting new runewords with the Patch 2.4 update, including the unreleased Plague and Pattern.

The unreleased runewords Plague and Pattern are coming to Diablo 2 Resurrected in the new v2.4 patch. These runewords were actually introduced in v1.10 way back in 2005 but were locked away in the source files, and Blizzard never actually released them in the final game.

As per the in-game files, the Plague and Pattern runewords aren't particularly impressive; Pattern is a lower-tier 3os claw RW with a cheap cost of Tal+Ort+Tir, but Plague is much more expensive and requires a high rune and one of the most versatile mid-runes in the game with a Cham+Fal+Um order. Both of the weapons don't seem very useful but Blizzard's D2R team says they will be "tweaked" for ladder play.

Eurocom has just announced its monster new laptop -- which is pretty much a huge desktop PC replacement -- with the launch of the new Nightsky ARX315 laptop.

The new Eurocom Nightsky ARX315 laptop can be configured with AMD's latest Zen 3-powered Ryzen 9 5950X processor (offering a huge 16 cores and 32 threads of CPU power). You can configure the laptop with the Ryzen 7 5600X (6C/12T), Ryzen 7 5800X (8C/16T), Ryzen 9 5900X (12C/24T) or the Ryzen 9 5950X (16C/32T).

Eurocom is using the AMD B550 chipset which has support for the fastest DDR4 memory and PCIe 4.0 -- important for super-fast NVMe SSDs and the very latest graphics cards. But the biggest thing that the AMD B550 chipset enables Eurocom to do, is that it is make it the world's first 15.6-inch "superlaptop" with support for desktop-ready AMD Ryzen 5000 series CPUs.

SAPPHIRE has just introduced its new NITRO+ S360-A and S240-A AIO CPU coolers, which will work with the latest AMD AM4 and Intel LGA1700 socket processors.

The new SAPPHIRE NITRO+ AIO CPU coolers use the company's in-house NITRO+ Hybrid Fan Blade, which uses a combination of a traditional axial fan (which lacks the pressure to push air down onto the components) and a blower fan (which is strong, but is noisy when the fan speed is cranked) and then improved the downward air pressure of the axial fan design... while keeping the noise low.

This should result in fantastic thermal performance for cooling the very best AMD Ryzen 5000 series or Intel's new Alder Lake CPUs, all while keeping things quiet -- and man, do they look good. There's some great design work here by SAPPHIRE, as well as some gorgeous RGB lighting that will look sweet in the right system -- especially if you mixed it with SAPPHIRE's own TOXIC Radeon RX 6900 XT Limited Edition graphics card. Oh man, would that look good.

BLUETTI has just unveiled its next-gen Power Na+ battery packs that make truly amazing use of sodium-ion batteries, marking a big shift away from the LiFePO4 battery cells used in BLUETTI batteries.

The new BLUETTI Power Na+ see the company being the first in the world to debut sodium-ion batteries in a new product, after chemical lithium-ion batteries have been used across the planet since 1991. There's 1000x more sodium in the crust of the Earth than there is lithium, so BLUETTI is capitalizing on that fact.

BLUETTI already has its AC200P, EP500, and AC300 systems with batteries and solar for some truly off-grid living, but then the company announced the world's first sodium-ion solar generator -- the new NA300, with its new B480 battery pack -- which will look and feel like the previous EP500 Pro, but it's very different.

Ghostbusters star Ernie Hudson confirms a new game is in development: "It's definitely happening," Hudson says.

A new Ghostbusters video game is happening, and at least some of the cast will reprise their roles in the game including Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz) and Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore). The news was announced prematurely by Ernie Hudson at a Ghostbusters Afterlife press event, as recorded by YouTuber Countdown City Geeks.

"We're doing another video game. We're scheduling it now to do recording. I'm not sure [who's in it]...I know me and Danny [Aykroyd] but I'm not sure if Billy [Murray] will do anything on it," Hudson said.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot tells game developers that blockchain and NFTs are here to stay, reports from Kotaku indicate.

New reports suggest Ubisoft is going all-in on blockchain, NFTs, and new breakthrough technologies that gamers are adamantly against. The billion-dollar publisher has high ambitions of becoming a "key player" in the blockchain gaming space, potentially innovating (and monetizing) the play-to-earn market.

Ubisoft leadership recently held a meeting with employees to discuss its blockchain plans, sources tell Kotaku's Ethan Gach. Company CEO Yves Guillemot delivered vague and hazy explanations on how exactly the technology will work. The company is clearly experimenting, having toe-dipped into the NFT market with the massively controversial Ubisoft Quartz NFTs--a set of limited-edition digital cosmetics that gamers are attempting to resell at astronomical prices.

Epic Games is losing money by setting minimum guarantees on smaller-scale indie games, new information suggests.

New data from the Epic vs Apple trial seems to indicate Epic Games is losing money betting on smaller indie games. While the Epic Games Store has yet to turn a profit--and isn't expected to until 2023--the company typically recoups most of the cash it spends on exclusivity deals for big games like Borderlands 3.

Smaller-scale games are a different story. New data gleaned from the case suggests Epic is losing money on what it refers to as Tier 3 games (example: free-to-play RPG Dauntless). The company is spending more on its minimum guarantees--what it will pay out to developers regardless of how well a game sales--than it is earning on actual game revenues. Minimum guarantee losses made up 80% of tier 3 revenues for the quarter.

Turtle Rock Studios, the developer behind some of the most well-known FPS games ever made, are now 100% owned by Tencent.

Tencent has purchased yet another game studio. This time it's Turtle Rock, the team behind legendary games like Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead, Half-Life 2, and the more recent Back 4 Blood. Like most of the studios in Tencent's decentralized business approach, Turtle Rock will retain its autonomy and existing developers and leaders will remain in place.

Turtle Rock's president Steve Goldstein says Tencent's coffers and massive global reach will help supercharge its ambitious new game ideas. "Tencent's outstanding partners, global reach, deep knowledge of gaming and unprecedented support will help us create the kinds of ambitious games we dream of, while allowing us to retain our autonomy and independent spirit."

Sony may utilize blockchain ledgers to keep track of digital rights management for games on the PlayStation Network.

Sony Corp. is experimenting with new technologies like blockchain, AI, and machine learning to use across its segments. The company has already implemented AI and machine learning into its games division--Sony AI is helping with next-gen PS5 games--and use of blockchain could also be used to keep track of DRM, ownership/access rights, and to streamline and simplify royalty payments for creatives and game developers.

"Sony has gathered large amounts of data through our business in electronics as well as movies, music, video games, and finance. Using blockchain technology to circulate data in these fields, and skillfully combining data from various fields should create new value the likes of which we have never seen before. Such challenge is well within reach for the Sony Group," reads a post on the Sony Technology page.

The Embracer Group wants to buy card and board game giant Asmodee Digital for $3 billion.

Embracer has broken into the board game market with the proposed purchase of Asmodee, the company behind popular board games like Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, and Pandemic, as well as card games like Exploding Kittens, for $3 billion. The entertainment titan is offering 2.75 billion Euros total ($3 billion) for Asmodee, with 350 million Euros paid to principal shareholder PAI alongside 2.4 billion Euros in cash and debt refinancing. The buyout would be accreditive and boost operational EBITD by 30%.

This is nearly 3x what Embracer offered for Borderlands developer Gearbox Software, but to be fair, Asmodee has an impressive track record with over 1.1 billion Euros earned in FY21, 22 wholly-owned studios, over 300+ owned IPs, 970+ games, and sold 45 million board games in 2020. Asmodee has made games for leading labels like Pokemon, Harry Potter, Disney, Marvel, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars.

A new study has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal, exploring how black holes born during the Big Bang could make for an alternative model of the universe's growth.

A team of researchers proposes that "primordial black holes" could be the answer to the origin of both supermassive black holes and dark matter. Black holes that formed immediately following the Big Bang could have begun merging in the early universe, forming progressively more massive black holes from its inception.

Data from ESA's Gaia suggests there may also be very small black holes, too small to have formed from dying stars. The team suggests these small primordial black holes could be dark matter itself. This model of the universe suggests black holes permeating its entirety, and the potential for stars and solar systems to form around these clumps of dark matter.

SpaceX aims to break another company record before the year's end, with its fastest ever back-to-back Falcon 9 missions.

On December 18th, SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 shuttling 52 Starlink satellites into orbit with a scheduled liftoff at 4:24 a.m. EST (09:24 UTC). The B1051 booster will be used, marking its eleventh space flight, and is SpaceX's most flown first-stage booster. One other booster has made it to ten flights, and two more have made it to nine flights.

Approximately 18 and a half hours after the Starlink mission, another Falcon 9 mission carrying a Turkish Turksat 5B geostationary communications satellite will fly, with its launch window opening at 10:58 p.m. EST Saturday (03:58 UTC Sunday). The booster for that mission will be the B1067, making its third space flight.

Researchers have shown a new experimental vaccine's success in eliminating aging cells in mice, prolonging their lives and helping reverse age-related disease.

Over the past decade, scientists have developed "senolytic therapies," drugs designed to clear senescent cells from the body. Senescent cells have stopped multiplying but haven't died and instead start accumulating. As we age, the immune system cannot clear these cells as efficiently.

Senescent cells can damage nearby healthy cells by releasing compounds that trigger inflammation. The build-up of senescent cells is associated with many age-related diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer's, and atherosclerosis. Dozens of drugs that have been developed thus far have entered human clinical trials.

After being forced to reschedule, NASA has confirmed the James Webb Space Telescope launch will now take place on December 24th, Christmas Eve.

Previously slated for December 18th, the launch was postponed due to a few issues. Initially, a clamp jolted the telescope during launch preparations, resulting in a four-day setback. A faulty communication link on the European Ariane rocket the telescope is flying aboard followed up this issue, which required another two days to fix.

After completing a final round of tests, officials from NASA and the ESA have officially signed off on Friday, December 24th, as the launch date. Lift-off is scheduled for 7:20 a.m. EST (12:20 p.m. UTC). If the launch is successful, we will all have to wait another month before the mission can be deemed successful, as the telescope takes on its final form to begin operation.

Following a decline in usage over the previous two years, a new report shows coal consumption is set to bounce back big time.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports an expected jump in coal-derived electricity generation by nine percent compared to last year. The IEA stresses the threat posed to a 2050 net-zero global carbon emissions target.

LG has just unveiled its new UltraFine Pro OLED monitors in 27-inch and 32-inch form, both with some beautiful OLED panels and suited for professionals and workstation PCs.

The new LG UltraFine OLED Pro monitors offer 4K 60Hz with a huge 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 99% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. The new displays have independent pixel control for what should be beautiful color fidelity and coverage, where we should also lose the halo effects -- aka blooming -- that other premium LCD monitors have.

Because this is a professional monitor, LG includes a detachable self-calibration sensors and hoods of the monitor. LG includes a free-to-download Calibration Studio software, something that will calibrate sensors and calculate light emitted from the monitor at specific moments that you schedule, and then it'll immediately adjust to stay perfectly accurate -- providing you with the very best color possible. LG includes a hood that can be used to limit reflections and glare.

MSI has just revealed its new Optix MAG281URF gaming monitor, which rocks a 28-inch panel with a native 4K 144Hz resolution and refresh rate that's driven by its HDMI 2.1 connectivity.

The new 28-inch 4K 144Hz gaming monitor with HDMI 2.1 connectivity also has built-in KVM functionality, which lets you control up to 2 devices at once -- 2 keyboards, 2 mice -- all from your new MSI Optix MAG281URF gaming monitor. There's 95% of the DCI-P3 coverage, and 124% sRGB coverage, making it better than over 90% of other gaming monitors.

We have VESA DisplayHDR 400 support on top of that, as well as the HDMI 2.1 connectivity which enables the MSI Optix MAG281URF gaming monitor to work with next-gen Sony PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Xbox Series X/S consoles.

We've been walking into the world of 5G for a few years now, but it's only just now -- days before 2022 begins -- that major US air carriers begin freaking out that 5G wireless services are going to wreck havoc on the travel industry.

United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby said during a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee said that US telco giants AT&T and Verizon need to delay their plans to use C-Band spectrum for 5G wireless services. Kirby said during the hearing that 5G wireless services would delay, divert, or cancel around 4% of daily flights in the US -- impacting hundreds of thousands of passengers per year, every year.

Kirby said: "It would be a catastrophic failure of government. Coming Jan. 5 -- unless something changes -- we will not be able to use radio altimeters at 40-something of the largest airports in the country. It is a certainty. This is not a debate".