Nov 29

Netflix is adding the GTA Trilogy to its games library on December 14

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Netflix continues to bet big on gaming. The streamer just announced that Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will hit its platform on December 14. The game will be free to play for Netflix subscribers, like the rest of its library. Each of the three titles included in the collection have been updated for mobile. These games include the iconic Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. They’ll be playable via the Netflix app, but also available as standalone apps on Android and iOS.

The gameplay’s a bit dated by modern standards but Grand Theft Auto III basically invented the open-world genre, and the sequels further refined the model. Many players actually point to San Andreas as being a high watermark for the series, even outpacing more recent titles. In any event, this trilogy can hold you over until the eventual release of Grand Theft Auto VI. To that end, the forthcoming Rockstar sequel should be getting a trailer any day now.

Netflix has been snagging all kinds of games for its ever-growing library, from the massively popular roguelike Hades to the equally popular, uh, roguelike Dead Cells. The platform’s library also includes Braid, Death’s Door, Katana Zero and other hit indies.

The company’s also developing its own games, thanks to snatching up developer Night School, the team behind Oxenfree and Afterparty. This acquisition has already borne fruit, as Oxenfree II: Lost Signals released earlier this year to wide acclaim. Incidentally, the sequel isn’t stuck on Netflix, as it’s also available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5 and PC via Steam. So the streamer might not be using games as just a way to lure in new subscribers. Netflix could be in it for the long haul.

Beyond Oxenfree II, other original games to hit the platform include Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix & Kill and a whole lot of titles based on pre-existing TV shows. There’s a game based on the recently-canceled fantasy epic Shadow and Bone and forthcoming titles inspired by Money Heist and The Dragon Prince, among others.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-is-adding-the-gta-trilogy-to-its-games-library-on-december-14-190357966.html?src=rss

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Nov 29

Watch Bradley Cooper Transform His Voice In 2 Seconds Flat

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It didn’t take Bradley Cooper long at all to prove his voice acting skills are the real deal.

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Nov 29

Pokémon Horizons hits Netflix in February

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After the Pokémon anime universe said goodbye to its long-time protagonist Ash Ketchum, stateside fans have been anticipating the arrival of the new faces to helm the series. Now, the wait is almost over. Pokémon Horizons: The Series, the latest installment in the franchise, is set to make its English debut on Netflix in 2024.

Pokémon Horizons has been available in Japan since April of this year, but it was previously unclear when the show’s English dub would debut. According to a new tweet from the official Pokémon account, Pokémon Horizons will be available for streaming on February 23 in the US. This comes a just few days before the annual Pokémon Day celebration on February 27.

Viewers in the UK won’t have to wait until February to catch the Pokémon Horizons fever. The English dub is set to premiere in early December and will be available for streaming on BBC iPlayer. Meanwhile, Canadian viewers will have to wait until March 2 to catch the series on either Cartoon Network or Télétoon.

The dubbed version of Pokémon Horizons will introduce English-speaking audiences to a fresh cast of characters, including Liko (Alejandra Reynoso), Sprigatito (Kira Buckland), Roy (Anjali Kunapaneni) and Fuecoco (Zeno Robinson). Together, they’ll embark on an adventure spanning multiple regions within the expansive Pokémon world.

Additionally, Pokémon fans can also look forward to an adorable stop-motion series, Pokémon Concierge, on Netflix this December.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pokemon-horizons-hits-netflix-in-february-182019171.html?src=rss

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Nov 29

This Under-$25 Tool Could Get You Out Of Serious Jam On The Highway

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This shoebox-sized air pump has gotten many reviewers out of a roadside bind — and it’s on sale right now for just $22.38.

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Nov 29

Be Careful What You Tell OpenAI’s GPTs

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OpenAI’s GPT Store, a marketplace of customizable chatbots, is slated to roll out any day now, but users should be careful about uploading sensitive information when building GPTs. Research from cybersecurity and safety firm Adversa AI indicates GPTs will leak data about how they were built, including the source…

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Nov 29

GM to cut spending on Cruise driverless vehicles by ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’

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GM is massively slashing spending on its self-driving vehicle subsidiary Cruise after a string of debilitating setbacks, according to a conference call by company executives transcribed by TechCrunch. GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said that operations would resume in some capacity, but that any plans for Cruise moving forward would be more “deliberate.”

To that end, the cuts will amount to hundreds of millions of dollars in the next year. This is expected to result in widespread layoffs at the San Francisco-based company that currently employees nearly 4,000 people. Earlier this month, Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt told staffers at an all-hands meeting that he’d have information regarding layoffs in the coming weeks, but he resigned shortly thereafter along with co-founder Dan Kan.

It looks like the entire company may get an overhaul, with CFO Paul Jacobson saying in today’s conference call that there would be specific restructuring information in the coming weeks after two independent safety and incident review boards finish their work. These boards were instituted after a collision between a Cruise robotaxi and a pedestrian. It was also found that the company’s driverless algorithm had trouble recognizing children, which is never good.

GM has invested billions of dollars in Cruise since acquiring the company in 2016. This spending has increased in recent years as the company had planned an aggressive launch in more than a dozen cities throughout the US before everything fell apart. To that end, GM’s latest earnings report indicates that Cruise spent $732 million in the first three quarters of 2023.

The point of today’s call wasn’t just to offer ill tidings for Cruise. Barra and Jacobson also noted that the recently-penned labor deal with United Autoworkers would cost GM $9.3 billion in the long-term, but the company remains optimistic about future growth, noting an adjusted earnings of $12.7 billion in 2023 and an accelerated $10 billion share buyback program.

GM has also named new executives to run Cruise. Mo Elshenawy was promoted from VP of engineering to co-president, with GM’s previous EVP of legal and policy taking up the other co-president role. GM’s CEO said that the company has “a lot of confidence with what the two co-presidents will do,” but notes that “GM will be leaning in to make sure that it meets our strict requirements from a safety perspective.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gm-to-cut-spending-on-cruise-driverless-vehicles-by-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-170857644.html?src=rss

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Nov 29

Taika Waititi Says He Directed ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Because He ‘Was Poor’

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“I had no interest in doing one of those films,” Waititi said this week, admitting he was always “baffled” by the title character.

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Nov 29

NASA’s Dragonfly Mission to Titan Faces Further Delays Amid Budget Uncertainties

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NASA has announced a delay in its ambitious Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan, moving the launch date to July 2028. This decision, driven by budget uncertainties, comes despite the mission successfully passing key design reviews. Worryingly, the space agency is delaying formal confirmation of the mission until…

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Nov 29

‘Students For Trump’ Co-Founder Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Woman With A Gun

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Ryan Fournier was released after posting a $2,500 bond.

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Nov 29

Microsoft Released a Windows XP Bliss Wallpaper Christmas Sweater

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Inspired by Bliss (originally titled Bucolic Green Hills), the default wallpaper for Windows XP operating systems, Microsoft is selling this Windows Ugly Sweater: Bliss Edition for just $70. The knit soft-wear is constructed of 55% cotton, 45% acrylic, and is 100% eye candy. I can’t believe they’re even calling it ugly; it’s absolutely beautiful.

Am I going to show up for an ugly Christmas sweater party in one? Unfortunately not, because they’ve already sold out of most sizes. They say the early bird gets the worm, and I am by no means an early bird. I am an owl. Just without the wisdom. I do bite Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops though.

‘Bliss’, captured by photographer Charles O’Rear in the wine country of California in 1996 and purchased by Microsoft in 2000, is thought to be the most viewed photograph in the world, being viewed by billions of people. And now you can own it on a sweater a lot of young people won’t even recognize! They’re missing out though, XP was probably my favorite operating system of all time.

[via TechEBlog]

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