The full trailer dropped today for Apple’s F1 movie. The film is getting an international theatrical release starting June 25, and will be in theaters and IMAX domestically beginning June 27. F1 has received extensive involvement from the Formula 1 world, so it’ll be fascinating to see how well it walks the line between being a good movie and feeling like a dramatic promo for the organization.
The movie is a star-studded affair, with Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and Kim Bodnia in the cast. Joseph Kosinski, who helmed Top Gun: Maverick, is the director, Ehren Kruger wrote the screenplay and the legendary Hans Zimmer did the score. Every shot in the trailer promises that this is a luxe production, fitting for the huge piles of money that go into developing F1 cars and teams.
F1 has the glossy sheen of a Hollywood sports drama to it. Even though it’s a work of fiction, several personalities and teams from the actual Formula 1 teams will appear in the final cut. There’s been a surge in filmmaking about this type of car racing, with Netflix also hosting its own documentary series about Formula 1.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/see-brad-pitt-behind-the-wheel-in-the-trailer-for-f1-224420723.html?src=rss
The full trailer dropped today for Apple’s F1 movie. The film is getting an international theatrical release starting June 25, and will be in theaters and IMAX domestically beginning June 27. F1 has received extensive involvement from the Formula 1 world, so it’ll be fascinating to see how well it walks the line between being a good movie and feeling like a dramatic promo for the organization.
The movie is a star-studded affair, with Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and Kim Bodnia in the cast. Joseph Kosinski, who helmed Top Gun: Maverick, is the director, Ehren Kruger wrote the screenplay and the legendary Hans Zimmer did the score. Every shot in the trailer promises that this is a luxe production, fitting for the huge piles of money that go into developing F1 cars and teams.
F1 has the glossy sheen of a Hollywood sports drama to it. Even though it’s a work of fiction, several personalities and teams from the actual Formula 1 teams will appear in the final cut. There’s been a surge in filmmaking about this type of car racing, with Netflix also hosting its own documentary series about Formula 1.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/see-brad-pitt-behind-the-wheel-in-the-trailer-for-f1-224420723.html?src=rss
Nintendo has set the date for its second US store to set up shop. Following the announcement last year, Nintendo’s brick and mortar location in San Francisco will open its doors on May 15. The opening is happening almost exactly two decades after Nintendo launched its first US store, which is in New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza.
The San Francisco business “will offer a unique shopping experience filled with Nintendo’s characters, worlds and exclusive products including accessories, apparel, home goods and souvenirs available only at this location,” according to the press release. The jury’s still out on whether the Switch 2 will be on the store’s shelves when it opens.
In true Nintendo fashion, the company is hosting a sweepstakes for fans who want to attend the store’s grand opening in grand style. One lucky person will win a four-day trip to San Francisco with up to two guests, including a tour of the store during the launch event.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-san-francisco-store-will-open-on-may-15-213532685.html?src=rss
Jeff and Annie Strain, the owners of publisher Prytania Media, are suing NetEase over claims of “defamation, unfair trade practices and interference with business relations,” Polygon reports. The new lawsuit runs counter to the couple’s previous claim that leaks shared with Kotaku led to them shutting down their studios Crop Circle Games and Possibility Space, before Prytania Media itself closed.
Per Polygon’s reporting, the Strains claim that NetEase “spread false and defamatory statements that caused the demise of Prytania Media,” and specifically, that the Chinese company suggested Prytania Media was engaged in financial fraud, scaring away other investors.
Prytania Media shutdown Crop Circle Games without warning in March 2024, before closing Possibility Space a month later. Possibility Space was notable for the variety of talent it had working on its first AAA title, including former Waypoint editor-in-chief Austin Walker, Watch Dogs: Legiondesigner Liz England and Jane Ng, the lead environment artist on Firewatch. At the time, the Strains suggested that information shared with Kotaku about an in-development title called “Project Vonnegut” led to an unnamed investor backing away from offering further funding. If the new lawsuit is to be believed, that was not the case.
The lawsuit is headed to federal court. For more color on what the Strains claim NetEase did, read Polygon’s report. However things play out, it doesn’t change the fact that a lot of people were laid off and Prytania Media did little to make things right. “Severance never materialized btw,” Walker shared in a Bluesky thread going over the details of the lawsuit.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/jeff-strain-is-suing-investor-netease-claiming-internal-gossip-caused-his-game-company-to-shut-down-202342126.html?src=rss
The seventh season of Black Mirror is headed to Netflix on April 10, and based on its first trailer, happily returning to concepts and episodes that have come to define the series.
You’ll see plenty of the stars that were already announced to be in the new episodes in the trailer, like Paul Giamatti, Issa Rae and Peter Capaldi, along with clear evidence that Season 7 continues storylines showrunner Charlie Brooker has already promised to revisit — namely the episode “USS Callister,” about a group of startup employees trapped in a Star Trek-inspired simulation by their boss.
There’s some surprises too — one of the six new episodes appears to return to the world of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, the interactive Black Mirror episode Netflix released in 2018, before abandoning interactive movies in 2024. If that doesn’t pique your interest, rest assured, load-bearing Black Mirror concepts like “thinking of the human brain as a computer” definitely seem to be present, too.
Brooker describes this season as “a little bit OG Black Mirror” and “back to basics in many ways,” which could be reassuring, depending on your belief that he can recapture the novelty and meanness of the show’s UK run. The series last aired on Netflix in 2023, with a set of episodes that were all over the place in terms of quality. Season 7 could be different, but we’ll have to wait until Black Mirror returns on April 10 to find out for sure.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/black-mirror-is-playing-the-hits-in-its-season-7-trailer-193015633.html?src=rss
Snapchat’s future includes generative AI video Lenses, wherein users can watch themselves cuddling with virtual animals on screen. The first three Lenses the app has launched include the Racoon and Fox, which animate the animals into a Snap. Meanwhile, the third one called Spring Flowers will generate a bouquet of flowers and use a zoom-out effect to reveal who’s holding it. All three Lenses, as well as future ones Snapchat releases, are powered by a generative video model the company built in-house. Snap says it will be adding more every week to expand users’ options.
“We have a long history of being first movers to bring advanced AR, ML and AI tools directly to our community, and we’re excited to see what Snapchatters create,” Snap said in its announcement. The company added an OpenAI-powered chatbot to its app back in 2023, and it has released more AI features since then. Last year, Snap introduced an AI video-generation tool for creators that allow users to create videos from text prompts. The tool was released to a small subset of users, but it showed that the company was working on AI video for the app.
For now, only users paying for the $16-per-month Snapchat Platinum subscription tier will have access to the app’s new AI video Lenses. The new Lenses will show up first in the carousel for subscribers and will work with both front and rear cameras. Any AI video a user creates will be automatically saved to Memories, and they can then share them directly with friends, to their Stories and with the public through Spotlight.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/snapchat-launches-generative-ai-video-lenses-130056731.html?src=rss
Toyota has unveiled its smallest car yet, the FT-Me Concept, a fully electric microcar designed for urban mobility. With a futuristic aesthetic, the two-seater features angular lines, a wide bumper, and rounded headlights connected by a darkened strip. The vehicle is made using recycled materials to enhance sustainability and reduce emissions.
Measuring approximately 2.5 meters in length, the FT-Me is slightly larger than its main competitor, the Citroën Ami, which is 2.4 meters long. Its compact size makes it ideal for city driving and easy parking. Inside, the car continues its futuristic theme with a minimalist digital instrument panel. The passenger seat is removable, allowing for extra cargo space. Additionally, the rectangular steering wheel is designed for enhanced accessibility, and the car can be controlled using manual hand commands instead of foot pedals.
One of its standout features is the solar panel integrated into the roof, which can provide up to 30 km of additional range, depending on weather conditions. While Toyota has not disclosed the battery capacity, the estimated total range of the vehicle is around 100 km.
According to Stijn Peeters, head of Toyota’s New Mobility division, the company is studying large-scale production for the FT-Me Concept. He emphasized that there is a market for such vehicles and that Toyota can manufacture them at a lower cost. However, the brand has not yet confirmed a production timeline or the specific markets where the vehicle will be available.
The Mac Studio is Apple’s ultimate performance computer, but this year’s model came with a twist: It’s equipped with either an M4 Max or an M3 Ultra processor. The latter might seem like a step backward, since nearly all Macs (except the Mac Pro) are now equipped with M4 chips. However, the M3 Ultra is indeed Apple’s best-performing processor, which makes the new Mac Studio its fastest computer ever.
While the M3 Ultra model appears highly capable for creative pros and engineers, it starts at $4,000 and goes way up from there. I’m intrigued by that model based on benchmarks I saw elsewhere, of course. However, the M4 Max model I received for this review is the one that most people will want, as the base configuration is half the price. For power users doing tasks like video editing or designing games, it’s the Mac of choice, and it’s even a decent deal by Apple’s standards.
Hardware
The Mac Studio’s design hasn’t changed since the original M1 Ultra version from 2022. That isn’t a bad thing since the aesthetic has aged well and it takes up very little desk space. It’s about the size of two Mac Minis stacked together and has the same polished aluminum case. Everything has a premium feel, even the environmentally friendly packaging and flexible power cable.
Up front, there’s an SDXC card slot that supports UHS-II speeds (300 MB/s), along with a pair of 10Gbps USB-C ports (they’re Thunderbolt 5 on the M3 Ultra version). Around back, you’ll find four Thunderbolt 5 ports that now offer up to 15 GB/s throughput (capital B), triple the speeds of the 2023 Mac Studio with Thunderbolt 4. You also get a 10Gbps ethernet port and two USB 3.1 (Type A) slots, along with an HDMI port and 3.5mm headphone jack. All of that is enough to connect plenty of disk drives, monitors and peripherals.
Inside, the M3 Ultra version is arguably overkill with up to a 32-core CPU, eight more than the Mac Studio M2 Ultra. The GPU comes with 80 cores, another record for Apple Silicon, along with a 32-core Neural Engine for on-device AI and machine learning. Unified memory starts at 96GB and goes up to a massive 512GB (with up to 819 GB/s of bandwidth) and 16TB of SSD storage. With all those items maxed out, the Mac Studio costs a hair-raising $14,099.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The M4 Max model is more modest but still impressive. The top-end configuration comes with a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, over 546 GB/s of unified memory bandwidth and up to 8TB of storage. These specs align pretty closely with the MacBook Pro M4 Max but at a lower price, by the way. At the $1,999 base price, you get a 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU and 16-core neural engine. All M4 Max models start with a decent 36GB of unified memory, though my test unit came with the maximum 128GB in a $3,699 configuration.
The processor, memory and storage aren’t upgradeable after purchase, so you’ll want to choose wisely when ordering. That’s a challenge in itself, as Apple isn’t very flexible with the system configurations. For example, the base $1,999 14-core M4 Max Mac Studio can only be configured with 36GB of RAM. If you want more, you need the 16-core version which automatically bumps memory up to 48GB and adds $500 to the price.
I’d say the latter option is the sweet spot at $2,499, netting you the faster processor and enough unified memory for most content creation. Engineers and others looking for even more performance may want the M3 Ultra version, as it allows for up to 512GB of RAM and puts two additional Thunderbolt 5 slots up front.
In-use: A rocketship for content creators
Mignon Alphonso for Engadget
The Mac Studio with M4 Max destroyed most synthetic benchmarks, showing the highest single-core Geekbench 6 CPU score for any PC we’ve tested. It falls just below the Mac Studio with M2 Ultra on the multicore Geekbench 6 test. It even beats the latest Mac Studio M3 Ultra in single-core performance, though it’s topped by that model in multicore tests. GPU scores are similarly impressive and the ATTO disk peak throughput is the best we’ve seen to date with write speeds up to 8 GB/s.
However, the best way to evaluate a machine like this is to feed it some content creation jobs and see how quickly it chews through them. Video editing is the sternest test for most machines, so I tried Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve with a mix of 4K, 6K and 8K video (RAW and MP4) to challenge it.
All of those files easily played through in their native formats with no hiccups on a 4K timeline, thanks to the M4 Max’s ability to decode RAW and 10-bit H.264 or H.265 files on the fly. It was still able to handle real-time playback of a single layer of 8K video with color correction added and only struggled when I tried to play two or more 8K video tracks at the same time. Overall, it provides a smooth and glitch-free editing experience that enables power users to get work done quickly.
Geekbench 6 CPU
Geekbench 6 GPU
Cinebench 2024
Mac Studio (M4 Max, 2025)
4,090/26,394
116,028
190/2066 | GPU 16,598
Mac Studio (M2 Ultra, 2023)
2,013/28,402
121,938
N/A
iMac (M4, 2024)
3,751/15,093
35,520
171/881 GPU 4,425
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024)
3,925/22,456
70,197
178/1,689 GPU 9,295
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Max, 2024)
4,054/25,913
114,112
181/2,042 GPU 16,490
Surface Laptop 7 (Snapdragon X Elite, 32GB)
2,797/14,400
19,963
123/969
Encoding is equally rapid. It took me one minute and 51 seconds to output a 3.5 minute timeline in 4K with the same mix of 4K, 6K and 8K footage using the GPU. For comparison’s sake, my MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro processor took over twice as long at four minutes and 10 seconds.
The Mac Studio showed the same prowess with Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, providing fast and fluid editing for even RAW photos that were 100MB or larger. Note that when doing GPU- or CPU-intensive tasks like video encoding, the fan will kick in and the chassis can get warm, but that didn’t happen often. In any case, the Mac Studio’s larger size and bigger fan provides better thermal performance than the Mac mini.
To test the machine’s AI capabilities, I ran a 75 minute podcast through Apple’s Whisper transcription tool and it took a minute and 32 seconds to convert it to text. The latest MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro processor took two minutes and 11 seconds for the same task, and my MacBook Pro M3 Pro did it in three minutes and thirty-seven seconds.
On top of content creation, I played Baldur’s Gate III, a game that puts moderate demands on a PC. The Mac Studio was up to the task, delivering smooth gameplay at high settings and 1440p resolution (though it was somewhat limited by the Studio Monitor’s anemic 60Hz refresh rate). I again noticed that the Mac Studio got fairly hot and the fans kicked in during gaming sessions. Still, GPU performance surpassed most PCs except those with high-end GPUs, based on a quick comparison to our recent tests and GeekBench’s database. To that end, the only thing limiting the Mac Studio as a gaming machine is the sparse choice of games for macOS.
Should you buy the Mac Studio?
Steve Dent for Engadget
Content creators may wonder if they need to splurge on the Mac Studio, or if a Mac mini will do the job. After all, you can get the Mac mini M4 Pro with 24GB of RAM for $1,399 instead of the Mac Studio M4 Max and give up just a single Thunderbolt 5 port and 12GB of unified memory, saving $600.
If you regularly edit 4K (or higher) videos or render 3D graphics (or play games), you’d be better off with the Mac Studio. For less demanding jobs, a Mac mini will likely suffice. The Mac Studio M3 Ultra is another animal altogether, with the extra cores and higher memory capacity aimed at engineers or AI developers. At $4,000, it’s mostly overkill for everyone else. The Mac Pro also exists, but it’s so expensive that it’s really only for studios and big companies, meaning the Mac Studio is now the high-end Mac for most professionals.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apple-mac-studio-m4-max-review-a-creative-powerhouse-123000265.html?src=rss
At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona, NTT Corporation (NTT), NTT DOCOMO, and Nokia jointly demonstrated advanced 6G-enabling technologies at the Nokia booth. The focus was on NTT’s Inclusive Core Architecture and the In-network Service Acceleration Platform (ISAP), which aim to enhance data processing efficiency for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and immersive reality.
Enhancing AI with In-Network Computing
A key highlight of the demonstration was the application of ISAP to AI analysis during real-time video data transfer. Under conventional architectures, AI analysis achieved a 57% accuracy rate. However, with ISAP integrated into the Inclusive Core Architecture, this accuracy improved significantly to 90%. This improvement underscores the potential of in-network computing (INC) to optimize AI performance by transferring some application-layer processing to the network layer. By doing so, ISAP minimizes data exchange delays between terminals and servers, enhancing overall efficiency and accuracy.
ISAP is a crucial component of NTT’s Inclusive Core Architecture, designed to fuse computing and networking capabilities required for the 6G and IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) era. By accelerating in-network information processing, ISAP facilitates advanced AI-integrated communication services, even with limited terminal resources.
Addressing the Challenges in Telecommunications
The telecommunications industry is under increasing pressure to upgrade networks to handle the growing demands of AI, IoT, robotics, and automation. Existing network infrastructures risk falling behind due to the rising need for ultra-high capacity, ultra-low latency, and low power consumption capabilities. In response, NTT and Nokia’s collaborative efforts focus on developing next-generation networking solutions to meet these demands.
The IOWN Vision: A Glimpse into the Future
NTT’s IOWN initiative, supported by major industry players like Sony, Intel, Nokia, Google, Nvidia, and Microsoft, envisions a transformative shift to optical-photonic-based network architecture by 2030. IOWN (Innovative Optical and Wireless Network) is an initiative by NTT aiming to revolutionize network infrastructure using optical-photonics technology. Its goals include reducing power consumption by 100x, increasing transmission capacity by 125x, and lowering latency by 200x. Key components are the All-Photonics Network, Digital Twin Computing, and Cognitive Foundation, which together support ultra-high capacity, low-latency, and intelligent resource management for applications like 6G, AI, IoT, and smart cities.
The Inclusive Core Architecture is a vital part of the IOWN vision, integrating three core components: the All-Photonics Network, Digital Twin Computing, and the Cognitive Foundation. This architecture aims to provide end-to-end network services that support a wide range of use cases, from AI-driven applications to Cyber-Physical Systems that seamlessly interact between digital and physical realms.
In-Network Computing: A Foundation for 6G
In-network computing (INC) is central to NTT’s 6G strategy. By shifting application processing functions to the network’s data transfer functions, INC reduces both latency and power consumption. This approach is crucial for supporting the high data rates and low latency required by 6G use cases, including AI, ML, and advanced sensing technologies.
ISAP, as an INC-enabling technology, facilitates seamless information processing between terminals and cloud services. This capability ensures that advanced services can be delivered irrespective of terminal specifications or access environments. By creating a cascading computing environment within the network, ISAP synchronizes data processing to match the service usage environment effectively.
Standardization and Collaboration Efforts
NTT and DOCOMO plan to continue their research on INC to advance computing services linked to mobile networks in the 6G era. In collaboration with Nokia, they aim to expand partnerships with telecommunication carriers, equipment manufacturers, cloud providers, and service providers. The goal is to contribute to the international standardization of 6G architecture under the 3GPP, with discussions set to begin in 2025.
The standardization process is essential for ensuring that INC and ISAP can be integrated into future mobile networks globally. By promoting a unified standard, NTT, DOCOMO, and Nokia seek to accelerate the deployment of 6G technologies and ensure compatibility across various platforms and devices.
The Road Ahead for 6G and IOWN
The successful demonstration at MWC 2025 highlights the feasibility of the Inclusive Core Architecture and ISAP in addressing the challenges posed by next-generation data processing needs. As the telecommunications industry moves closer to the 6G era, the integration of INC and optical-photonic technologies will be crucial.
NTT’s IOWN initiative, with its ambitious goals for power efficiency, transmission capacity, and latency reduction, represents a significant step forward in network evolution. If successful, this approach could redefine how data is processed, transmitted, and consumed, paving the way for new applications in AI, automation, and IoT.
Meta has notched an early victory in its attempt to halt a surprise tell-all memoir from a former policy executive turned whistleblower. An arbitrator has sided with the social media company, saying that the book’s author should stop selling and publicizing the book, which went on sale earlier this week.
The drama stems from Careless People, a new book by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former policy official at Facebook who Meta says was fired in 2017. Described by its publisher as an “explosive insider account,” Wynn-Williams reveals some new details about Mark Zuckerberg’s push to bring Facebook to China a decade ago. She also alleges that Meta’s current policy chief, Joel Kaplan, acted inappropriately, and reveals embarrassing details about Zuckerberg’s awkward encounters with world leaders
The book was only announced last week, and Meta has waged a forceful PR campaign against it, calling it a “new book of old news.” Numerous former employees have publicly disputed Wynn-Williams’ account of events that transpired while she worked at Facebook.
Meta also filed an emergency motion with an arbitrator in an attempt to block the book, arguing that Wynn-Williams had violated a non-disparagement agreement with the company. In a decision, the arbitrator said that she should immediately stop making disparaging comments about Meta and stop “further publishing or distributing” the book. It’s unclear what exactly this means for the book, which is already on sale. The publisher, Flatiron Books, which was also named in Meta’s complaint, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“This ruling affirms that Sarah Wynn Williams’ false and defamatory book should never have been published,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement. “This urgent legal action was made necessary by Williams, who more than eight years after being terminated by the company, deliberately concealed the existence of her book project and avoided the industry’s standard fact-checking process in order to rush it to shelves after waiting for eight years.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-trying-to-stop-a-former-employee-from-promoting-her-book-about-facebook-004938899.html?src=rss
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