Tag Archives: author_name|Danny Gallagher

Blumhouse Games’ Fear The Spotlight set for release on October 22

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Blumhouse, the horror production company behind such big cinematic hits as Get Out, M3GAN and the Insidious films, has extended its creepy tentacles to scary shows and movies to scary video games.

Fear the Spotlight is Blumhouse Games’ first entry into gaming with the help of the indie developer Cozy Game Pals. The horror game will get a full release on October 22 and there’s a demo currently available for PCs on Steam.

Fear the Spotlight is a third-person horror adventure game that takes place in a high school after hours. Two curious teens Vivian and Amy sneak into Sunnyside High, a school with a dark, mysterious history, in the dead of night to perform a séance. A deadly creature with a bright, glowing gaze rises and starts roaming the halls of the school. The spotlight monster separates the girls and it’s up to Vivian to unravel the school’s mystery, find Amy and make it through the darkness alive.

The game uses PS1 style, polygonal graphics, which just adds to the game’s creepy aesthetic like some of those early horror classics including Nightmare Creatures and the first Silent Hill game. There’s just something about a square-ish head that sends a shiver down my spine. It’s one of many reasons I’m not looking forward to the new Minecraft movie.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/blumhouse-games-fear-the-spotlight-set-for-release-on-october-22-194907647.html?src=rss

Apple TV will make three classic Peanuts specials free to stream

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No Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas is complete without viewing one of the holiday adjacent Peanuts specials. These days, Apple TV owns the television rights to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas but it appears that Apple TV wants everyone to have a chance to enjoy these Peanuts specials this year.

Apple announced that it’s making all three Peanuts specials available to everyone regardless of whether or not they have an Apple TV subscription. Apple TV will make each of the Peanuts holiday specials available on two days each month before Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be free to stream on October 19 and 20. The Peanuts Halloween special features Linus waiting up for the return of the Great Pumpkin while Charlie Brown only gets rocks while trick or treating.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be available to stream on November 23 and 24. This Thanksgiving special features Peppermint Patty inviting the whole gang to a Thanksgiving feast while Snoopy puts together his own Thanksgiving meal.

A Charlie Brown Christmas will stream for free on December 14 and 15. It’s perhaps the most famous Peanuts special with too many iconic moments to count from Snoopy’s prize winning holiday display to that sad little tree that the gang turn into a mighty Christmas tree just by waving their arms around it. It also features one of the greatest musical scores ever written for television by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-will-make-three-classic-peanuts-specials-free-to-stream-190041263.html?src=rss

Apple TV will make three classic Peanuts specials free to stream

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No Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas is complete without viewing one of the holiday adjacent Peanuts specials. These days, Apple TV owns the television rights to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas but it appears that Apple TV wants everyone to have a chance to enjoy these Peanuts specials this year.

Apple announced that it’s making all three Peanuts specials available to everyone regardless of whether or not they have an Apple TV subscription. Apple TV will make each of the Peanuts holiday specials available on two days each month before Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be free to stream on October 19 and 20. The Peanuts Halloween special features Linus waiting up for the return of the Great Pumpkin while Charlie Brown only gets rocks while trick or treating.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be available to stream on November 23 and 24. This Thanksgiving special features Peppermint Patty inviting the whole gang to a Thanksgiving feast while Snoopy puts together his own Thanksgiving meal.

A Charlie Brown Christmas will stream for free on December 14 and 15. It’s perhaps the most famous Peanuts special with too many iconic moments to count from Snoopy’s prize winning holiday display to that sad little tree that the gang turn into a mighty Christmas tree just by waving their arms around it. It also features one of the greatest musical scores ever written for television by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-will-make-three-classic-peanuts-specials-free-to-stream-190041263.html?src=rss

FTX advisor and Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison gets two years in prison

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A US district court judge sentenced Caroline Ellison, the former advisor and ex-girlfriend to the convicted crypto fraudster and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, to two years in prison.

The New York Times reported Ellison’s sentence for her role in the $8 billion in fraud committed by the FTX crypto exchange that sent Bankman-Fried to federal prison for 25 years back in March. Ellison will also have to serve three years of supervised release once she’s finished her prison sentence.

Ellison pled guilty at the end of 2022 to seven counts of fraud just as Bankman-Fried was being extradited to the US from the Bahamas. US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director of Enforcement Sanjay Wadhwa said following Ellison’s plea that she and Wang “were active participants in a scheme to conceal material information from FTX investors.”

Ellison was also the former chief executive officer of FTX’s sister company Alameda Research. Prosecutors said she diverted FTX customers’ funds onto Alameda’s books to hide risks from their clients. Ellison testified against Bankman-Fried, making her a key witness in his criminal fraud trial.

Prosecutors also got Bankman-Friend’s house arrest and bail revoked when a judge determined the FTX founder tried to hinder Ellison’s testimony last year. Bankman-Fried tried to message FTX’s general counsel on Signal and email in 2023 to influence Ellison’s testimony who was only identified as “Witness-1.”

Nine months later, Bankman-Fried showed a New York Times reporter personal writings from Ellison that prosecutors said were an attempt to damage her reputation especially amongst prospective jurors. The judge agreed both instances merited Bankman-Fried’s arrest and jailing while he awaited trial. Bankman-Fried is currently serving his 25-year sentence in a federal prison in Brooklyn awaiting appeal for his conviction.

Ellison issued a statement before her sentence apologizing for her crimes to the people she and her former firm defrauded. Prosecutors did not issue a recommended sentence and characterized her cooperation with investigators as “exemplary” in a memo to the judge.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of the people I hurt,” Ellison said in court. “I am deeply ashamed of what I have done.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftx-advisor-and-alameda-ceo-caroline-ellison-gets-two-years-in-prison-214828333.html?src=rss

FTX advisor and Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison gets two years in prison

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A US district court judge sentenced Caroline Ellison, the former advisor and ex-girlfriend to the convicted crypto fraudster and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, to two years in prison.

The New York Times reported Ellison’s sentence for her role in the $8 billion in fraud committed by the FTX crypto exchange that sent Bankman-Fried to federal prison for 25 years back in March. Ellison will also have to serve three years of supervised release once she’s finished her prison sentence.

Ellison pled guilty at the end of 2022 to seven counts of fraud just as Bankman-Fried was being extradited to the US from the Bahamas. US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director of Enforcement Sanjay Wadhwa said following Ellison’s plea that she and Wang “were active participants in a scheme to conceal material information from FTX investors.”

Ellison was also the former chief executive officer of FTX’s sister company Alameda Research. Prosecutors said she diverted FTX customers’ funds onto Alameda’s books to hide risks from their clients. Ellison testified against Bankman-Fried, making her a key witness in his criminal fraud trial.

Prosecutors also got Bankman-Friend’s house arrest and bail revoked when a judge determined the FTX founder tried to hinder Ellison’s testimony last year. Bankman-Fried tried to message FTX’s general counsel on Signal and email in 2023 to influence Ellison’s testimony who was only identified as “Witness-1.”

Nine months later, Bankman-Fried showed a New York Times reporter personal writings from Ellison that prosecutors said were an attempt to damage her reputation especially amongst prospective jurors. The judge agreed both instances merited Bankman-Fried’s arrest and jailing while he awaited trial. Bankman-Fried is currently serving his 25-year sentence in a federal prison in Brooklyn awaiting appeal for his conviction.

Ellison issued a statement before her sentence apologizing for her crimes to the people she and her former firm defrauded. Prosecutors did not issue a recommended sentence and characterized her cooperation with investigators as “exemplary” in a memo to the judge.

“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of the people I hurt,” Ellison said in court. “I am deeply ashamed of what I have done.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftx-advisor-and-alameda-ceo-caroline-ellison-gets-two-years-in-prison-214828333.html?src=rss

Visa slapped with a DOJ antitrust lawsuit

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an antitrust lawsuit against Visa. The lawsuit alleges that the financial firm holds a monopoly over debit network markets allowing it to charge banks and markets with exorbitant fees that get passed onto consumers and keep rival companies like PayPal and Square from competing on their level.

Bloomberg first reported on Monday that the DOJ planned to file an antitrust suit against Visa following a multiyear investigation into Visa’s business practices starting in 2020. Visa attempted to acquire the fintech startup Plaid with a $5.3 billion bid but the DOJ filed a lawsuit blocking the deal claiming the acquisition would eliminate a competitive threat that challenged Visa’s powerful control of debit markets.

Visa dropped the bid a year later to avoid any further legal entanglements but the DOJ continued investigating Visa’s business practices.

The DOJ alleges in its latest lawsuit that Visa’s “web of exclusionary agreements” with banks and businesses helped strengthen its market dominance and “smother” any potential competitors. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that Visa “unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market.

“Merchants and banks pass along those costs to customers, either by raising prices or reducing quality or service,” the statement reads. “As a result, Visa’s unlawful conduct affects not just the price of one thing — but the price of nearly everything.”

Visa's General Counsel Julie Rottenberg told Engadget in an emailed statement that the DOJ's lawsuit is "meritless" and that they plan to vigorously defend themselves in court. 

"Today's lawsuit ignores the reality that Visa is just one of many competitors in a debit space that is growing, with entrants who are thriving," Rottenberg said by email. "When businesses and consumers choose Visa, it is because of our secure and reliable network, world-class fraud protection, and the value we provide. We are proud of the payments network we have built, the innovation we advance, and the economic opportunity we enable."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/visa-slapped-with-a-doj-antitrust-lawsuit-204710873.html?src=rss

Visa slapped with a DOJ antitrust lawsuit

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an antitrust lawsuit against Visa. The lawsuit alleges that the financial firm holds a monopoly over debit network markets allowing it to charge banks and markets with exorbitant fees that get passed onto consumers and keep rival companies like PayPal and Square from competing on their level.

Bloomberg first reported on Monday that the DOJ planned to file an antitrust suit against Visa following a multiyear investigation into Visa’s business practices starting in 2020. Visa attempted to acquire the fintech startup Plaid with a $5.3 billion bid but the DOJ filed a lawsuit blocking the deal claiming the acquisition would eliminate a competitive threat that challenged Visa’s powerful control of debit markets.

Visa dropped the bid a year later to avoid any further legal entanglements but the DOJ continued investigating Visa’s business practices.

The DOJ alleges in its latest lawsuit that Visa’s “web of exclusionary agreements” with banks and businesses helped strengthen its market dominance and “smother” any potential competitors. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that Visa “unlawfully amassed the power to extract fees that far exceed what it could charge in a competitive market.

“Merchants and banks pass along those costs to customers, either by raising prices or reducing quality or service,” the statement reads. “As a result, Visa’s unlawful conduct affects not just the price of one thing — but the price of nearly everything.”

Visa's General Counsel Julie Rottenberg told Engadget in an emailed statement that the DOJ's lawsuit is "meritless" and that they plan to vigorously defend themselves in court. 

"Today's lawsuit ignores the reality that Visa is just one of many competitors in a debit space that is growing, with entrants who are thriving," Rottenberg said by email. "When businesses and consumers choose Visa, it is because of our secure and reliable network, world-class fraud protection, and the value we provide. We are proud of the payments network we have built, the innovation we advance, and the economic opportunity we enable."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/visa-slapped-with-a-doj-antitrust-lawsuit-204710873.html?src=rss

The Google Photos video editor is getting AI, because of course it is

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Google added some new features and updates to the video editor in Google Photos for Android and iOS users, according to the app's support page.

The biggest update brings new “AI-powered video presets” to both versions of the app. These new presets automatically trim the length of videos, adjust the lighting, change the speed and apply new effects with just a few clicks. Some of the AI-powered effects allow motion tracking, automatic zoom and slow-motion. The new “presets” tab is located underneath the video timeline.

This isn’t the first AI feature added to the Google Photos app. Last May, Google added its “Ask Photos” feature, a Gemini-powered AI chatbot that allowed for more detailed and conversational photo searches for US users.

Google also tweaked and added some Android-specific features. The new trim tool has improved controls for more precise cuts. There’s also a new “auto enhance” feature that can automatically improve the colors and stabilize videos, and a new “speed” tool that can ramp up or slow down the action.

The new features start rolling out today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-google-photos-video-editor-is-getting-ai-because-of-course-it-is-180958935.html?src=rss

X is nerfing the block button: Blocked users will be able to see your posts

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The days of the “@[insert username] blocked you” page appear to be over. X owner Elon Musk announced a new change to the platform’s blocking feature allowing blocked users to see posts of the accounts that blocked them.

Blocked accounts still won’t be able to interact with those accounts but they’ll be able to see their posts. A source from X told The Verge the new blocked access feature is being implemented because users can already see and interact with accounts that have blocked them by switching to a non-blocked account.

Musk has wanted to disable the block feature on X for awhile now. More than a year ago, he first expressed his disdain for blocking on X (or technically, Twitter) except for direct messages. He wrote that blocking would become “deleted as a ‘feature’” as well as saying “It makes no sense.”

Last May, X’s Engineering account announced it would implement the blocked viewer change to the platform without including a solid implementation or rollout date. The post said the change would be implemented to give users with blocked accounts the ability to “identify and report any potential bad content that you previously could not view.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-is-nerfing-the-block-button-blocked-users-will-be-able-to-see-your-posts-214928396.html?src=rss

Concord’s disastrous launch reportedly leads to its director’s self-demotion

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The ripples from Concord’s seismic implosion are still fanning out since Sony decided to take the game offline earlier this month. Now, the game’s director has reportedly decided to bow out gracefully. Kotaku reported that game director Ryan Ellis of Firewalk Studios told staff members that he’s stepping down from his position. Ellis, who cofounded Firewalk after a stint as the creative director of Destiny 2, will remain with the studio but only in a support role.

Meanwhile, the staff at Firewalk are still waiting to hear what Sony plans to do with their underperforming game. Just two weeks after Concord’s release, Sony pulled the team shooter offline on September 6 and issued refunds to everyone who bought the game for the PlayStation 5 or PC from Steam and the Epic Games Store. Sony said in a statement that it pulled the game in order to “explore options, including those that will better reach our players.” Naturally, Kotaku reports that a lot of Firewalk’s staffers are worried about the status of their jobs in the wake of Concord’s disappointing release.

The extremely poor sales of Concord make it one of the biggest bombs in industry history. Analysts estimate that it only sold 25,000 copies on Steam and for PS5 in its first six days.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/concords-disastrous-launch-reportedly-leads-to-its-directors-self-demotion-215515013.html?src=rss