Aug 08
Jacob Elordi Says He Went ‘To War’ With Netflix Over ‘Kissing Booth’ Smoking
Posted in: Today's ChiliActors Colin Farrell and Emma Stone also have spoken up about smoking bans at major studios.
Aug 08
Google’s cheapest new smartphone may make some sacrifices to hit its $449 price, but everyday Android fans will find it hard to argue with the Pixel 6a
Aug 08
Apple's AR/VR Headset Might Cost $2000, Only Have 1.5 Million Units at Launch
Posted in: Today's Chili
Apple is avoiding any deep stake in the consumer VR pricing rat race, reportedly, with a very expensive and very low-key first release. As first noted by MacRumors, consistent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote Sunday that the tech giant will only be releasing less than 1.5 million units of its first gen AR/VR headset …
Aug 08
As the legal drama between Elon Musk and Twitter continues to unfold, the Tesla CEO has issued a challenge for a public debate with Twitter’s CEO.
Aug 08
Netflix’s entry into the gaming market is off to a slow start. According to an analysis performed by Apptopia on behalf of CNBC, the streaming giant’s games have been downloaded a total of 23.3 million times and average about 1.7 million daily users. Put another way, less than one percent of Netflix’s 221 million customers are taking advantage of the games included in their subscriptions.
Netflix did not immediately respond to Engadget’s request for comment. In the past, the company indicated it did not expect its gaming division to be profitable immediately. “We’re going to be experimental and try a bunch of things,” Netflix COO Greg Peters told investors during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings calls last year.
Still, the question that’s probably on everyone’s mind is how long Netflix is willing to wait to see if it made the right bet, especially after it lost nearly one million subscribers during its most recent quarter. Other lofty bets — like the company’s in-house fan blog, Tudum — were the subject of cutbacks after only a few months of spending.
The company has shared precious few details on how much it has spent expanding its portfolio beyond TV shows and movies, but most signs point to a significant investment. Earlier this year, the company paid $72 million to acquire Next Games, the studio behind Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales. More recently, it secured exclusive mobile rights to beloved indie titles like Spiritfarer and Into The Breach. The company is unlikely to make similar investments in the future if its current ones don’t pan out.
Aug 08
Gizmodo is 20 years old! To celebrate the anniversary, we’re looking back at some of the most significant ways our lives have been thrown for a loop by our digital tools.
Aug 08
Locke & Key season three arrives on Netflix this week—and we’re excited to see how this well-crafted, highly entertaining series wraps up the supernatural drama surrounding the Locke family, their friends, and their demonic enemies. But if you binged season two back when it dropped last October, you might be in need…
Aug 08
The exact species of turtle won’t be known until the eggs hatch in 50 to 60 days, but only about 1 in 10,000 sea turtle eggs reach adulthood.
Aug 08
Eisner Winner Rachel Smythe on What the Lore Olympus Season 2 Finale Means for Hades and Persephone
Posted in: Today's Chili
Season two of webcomic Lore Olympus just concluded, with season three coming very soon, and io9 got a chance to speak with Eisner-winning creator Rachel Smythe all about it. Since its 2018 launch, Lore Olympus—a retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth—has gained a dedicated fandom (it’s the number one most-read…
Aug 08
US imposes sanctions on cryptocurrency mixer that allegedly laundered over $7 billion
Posted in: Today's ChiliThe US is ramping up its efforts to crack down on shady cryptocurrency mixers. The Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Tornado Cash, a mixer that allegedly helped launder more than $7 billion in stolen crypto funds since its inception in 2019. Like a previous sanctions target, Blender, Tornado Cash is accused of “indiscriminately” helping thieves by hiding transaction details while failing to institute meaningful anti-laundering safeguards. North Korea’s state-sponsored Lazarus Group hackers are believed to have funneled $455 million through the mixer.
The sanctions block transactions with or for the benefit of Tornado Cash-related individuals and entities, whether they’re located in the US or controlled by Americans. Anyone who detects banned activity is required to inform the Treasury’s Offices of Foreign Assets Control.
Tornado Cash runs on the Ethereum blockchain. Officials said the mixer played a role in other large-scale thefts, including the Harmony Bridge heist (where it laundered $96 million) from June and this month’s Nomad attack (involving “at least” $7.8 million).
The government has taken legal action against crypto mixers for years. Federal law enforcement charged an Ohio man in 2020 for running a darknet mixer that helped criminals launder $300 million. The Treasury only started sanctioning mixers when it blocked Blender this May, however. The US now believes criminal-friendly mixers are a national security threat, and hopes efforts like these will curb both terrorism as well as attempts to dodge conventional sanctions.
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