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The hit cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been renewed for an eighth season. Having been extremely close to never getting past Season 5, following Fox's cancellation in May 2018, the show has found a new lease on life at NBC. The Season 8 renewal comes before ahead of the Season 7 premiere next February.
The early renewal was revealed in a video tweeted by the official Brooklyn Nine-Nine account. In the video, an NBC exec tells the cast and crew of the show that she wants to dispel "crazy rumors about the next season," and that NBC "wants you to come back." The room then erupts with cheers--check it out below.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 7 premieres on February 6, 2020, so don't expect to see Season 8 until the following year. But this is great news for fans, as it was only 18 months ago that the show was cancelled by Fox after failing to find a substantial audience. Shortly after, it was picked up by NBC, which made sense given the show is produced by Universal Television, a branch of NBC itself. As The Hollywood Reporter states, the show has proved popular for NBC, especially on digital platforms, where it is network's most-watched series.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine stars Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, Terry Crews, Melissa Fumero, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Lo Truglio, Dirk Blocker, and Joel McKinnon Miller. It was created by Michael Schur and Dan Goor and first premiered in September 2013.
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Hopefully, by now, you've finally gotten to watch the first episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+, which has a mindblowing ending. But how does this ending fit into the grand scheme of things when it comes to the Star Wars universe? We have an idea, and it's all connected to Yoda.
Warning: Spoilers for the first episode of The Mandalorian ahead.
As a whole, Star Wars is all about lineage. The people who birthed you and those who raised you shaped who you are now, and that can be said about real life as well. So the revelation that the Mando (whose name is Din Jarron) finds a 50-year-old alien baby--which is the same species as Yoda--raises a lot of questions. We all assumed Yoda was the last of his species, so where did this baby come from and who are its parents?
The most well-known of this alien species is Yoda, who passed on in Return of the Jedi at the ripe young age of 900. However, another one of this unnamed species was introduced in the Star Wars universe years ago, in Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
Back in 1999, Star Wars fans were introduced to the Jedi High Council, and one of its members was Yaddle, a female of Yoda's alien species. The two served on the council together during this time. Yaddle only appeared in Phantom Menace, but her story didn't end there.
After the Battle of Naboo, Yaddle left the Jedi High Council, where she was replaced by Shaak Ti. This was revealed in the book Ultimate Star Wars. Years later, approximately a decade before the Battle of Yavin, Yaddle was killed at The Battle of Fortress Vader by Lord Vader himself, in a comic book series from Marvel Comics.
So The Mandalorian takes place 10 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin), and 20 years after the death of Yaddle. Considering she's the only female of this species we've seen in current canon, and she worked with Yoda on the Jedi High Council, it's not too out-there to speculate that Yoda and Yaddle are the parents of the baby in The Mandalorian.
Since this infant is actually 50 years old, that puts its birth around 40 BBY, eight years prior to the events of The Phantom Menace. Yoda and Yaddle were presumably on the Jedi High Council together during this time. So maybe part of Yaddle's decision to leave it was so she could raise their eight-year-old child. And after Anakin killed all the younglings, she could have gone into hiding, before joining other Jedi to try and take down Darth Vader at his battle on Mustafar.
Where the baby went after that is a mystery. Maybe Yoda took it to Degobah with him and had it hidden away while he was training Luke Skywalker. However, this is all conjecture. We don't know the lineage of the Yoda-like baby at this time. All we know is its age and that there were two others of this species in current Star Wars canon, but considering how many of the characters in the Star Wars movies and TV series are connected, this is a good bet. Yoda and Yaddle could very well be the parents to this child.
In his review of The Mandalorian, GameSpot's Chris E. Hayner said, "The Mandalorian has made a statement about what a live-action Star Wars TV show looks like. Now, with the remaining seven episodes in Season 1, it needs to make a statement about how a Star Wars plot should unfold over a longer form of storytelling."
We'll more than likely learn more about the Yoda baby in upcoming episodes of The Mandalorian. New episodes air every Friday, with Episode 2 landing on November 15.
Nowhere in the first episode of The Mandalorian does the main character eat or drink anything. We get to see where he goes to the bathroom, but the Disney+ series doesn't let us know what his favorite foods are. Well, there's a new cookbook, based on the theme park Galaxy's Edge, that gives us deeper insight into the world of Mandalore and it's food.
You've probably watched the first episode of The Mandalorian already, but have you done so while eating food? If you really want to roleplay while enjoying the Disney+ series, why not cook yourself something inspired by the fine warrior people of Mandalore? Insight Editions newest cookbook--available now--has plenty of meals and drinks you can make for yourself at home, all inspired by the stories and cuisine from Galaxy's Edge. Insight Editions gave us a look at Spicy Mandalorian Stew if you want to cook it up for yourself.
The cookbook features the contributions of best-selling author Chelsea Monroe Cassel and Eisner and Harvey award nominiee Marc Sumerak. The Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Cookbook is now available in stores and online for $35, and you can check it out here. If you're interested in more pieces about cookbooks with licenses attached, you should really watch me cook some recipes from the Overwatch and WWE cookbooks.
John Carmack, the video game legend known for his work on id Software games like Quake, Doom, and Wolfenstein, is leaving his job at Oculus. He announced on Facebook that, as of this week, he will transition to become a "consulting CTO" with Oculus instead of working at the company full time.
"I will still have a voice in the development work, but it will only be consuming a modest slice of my time," Carmack said.
Going forward, Carmack will spend more of his time working on "artificial general intelligence." He said it's something he's wanted to pursue for some time already, and he wants to go after it known "before I get too old."
"I think it is possible, enormously valuable, and that I have a non-negligible chance of making a difference there, so by a Pascal's Mugging sort of logic, I should be working on it," Carmack said. "For the time being at least, I am going to be going about it Victorian Gentleman Scientist style, pursuing my inquiries from home, and drafting my son into the work."
Carmack had served as full-time CTO at Oculus since 2013. Prior to that, he worked at the Texas-based game developer id Software, which is owned by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax.
Carmack's time at Oculus wasn't always smooth. ZeniMax sued Carmack (and others), claiming that Oculus stole virtual reality technology from ZeniMax. Oculus was ordered to pay ZeniMax $500 million in the case, though it was later knocked down to $250 million. Carmack sued ZeniMax on claims that the company did not pay him what he was due for its purchase of id. This matter has also since been resolved.
It is not clear at this stage if Oculus, which is owned by Facebook, will look for a permanent replacement for Carmack in the CTO role. Oculus is a very different company these days, as all six of the company's founders have now left.
The latest Oculus product is Oculus Quest, a standalone virtual reality headset that doesn't require a computer. In addition to working on the hardware itself, Oculus funds the development of VR games through its Oculus Studios division. Oculus also operated a studio that made animated VR movies, but Facebook closed the company in May 2017.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Hawkeye are on their way.
Disney+ surprised fans last night by arriving several hours early--great news for anyone who happened to be up late on a Monday night ready to peruse the service's hundreds upon hundreds of offerings from the first episode of the new Star Wars show, The Mandalorian, to full seasons of classic Marvel cartoons. But among the expected releases was a strange new MCU documentary that had been kept strangely quiet until release: Marvel Studios Expanding The Universe is a 12-minute look at the future of the upcoming Marvel shows on Disney+, teasing what they will mean for Phase 4.
For the most part, the documentary includes footage gathered up from this year's San Diego Comic-Con panel and the Disney+ presentation at Disney's D23 Expo, but there are some extra interviews sprinkled into the mix as well as some first look shots of brand-new, never-before-seen concept art, including 16 new shots from the upcoming animated show What If…? And new concept art for new and familiar MCU characters for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Hawkeye.
A new Bucky Barnes.
This look was originally teased on a poster released at D23 Expo, but here we see a much clearer and straightforward shot of Bucky's new costume, complete with his classic short hair making a long-awaited return.
Sam's still the Falcon?
Interestingly, the art shared for Sam Wilson did not include a new Captain America costume, but instead a brand new Falcon uniform that skews slightly closer to his comic book counterpart.
Sharon Carter is back.
Announced at D23 earlier this year, Emily Van Camp will be returning to the MCU to play Sharon Carter AKA Agent 13. This is our first look at her new uniform--and, really, the first time she's worn a proper tactical uniform in the MCU. Notably, the SHIELD logo is nowhere to be seen.
Meet John Walker.
Also announced at D23 was the addition of a brand new character for the MCU: John Walker AKA USAgent, who will be played by Wyatt Russel. Here we finally get a look at his very clearly Captain America-inspired costume.
Zemo's big debut.
Daniel Bruhl made a surprise "appearance" during the MCU panel at San Diego Comic-Con via a prerecorded video to announce that Baron Zemo would be returning for The Falcon & The Winter Soldier. There was a brief shot of him putting on his iconic purple ski-mask. Here, we finally get a clearer look at the entire costume.
Meet Kate Bishop.
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier wasn't the only Disney+ show to get the first-look treatment. We were given concept art of Kate Bishop who will be joining the MCU in the upcoming show Hawkeye. Here she is training with Clint and Lucky the Pizza Dog.
Hawkeyes.
The final piece of art shared was a look at Kate and Clint in costume, with Kate looking like she stepped directly out of a comic book.
With the long-awaited launch of Disney+, the even-longer-awaited The Mandalorian--the first ever live-action Star Wars TV show--is here. And it's more than just space poops and twist endings--there are about a bajillion references and Easter eggs for Star Wars fans to obsess over in the Mandalorian. And this is just the first episode.
How much you enjoy the Mandalorian's premiere may depend on how much time you spend reading Star Wars wikis as a hobby--or how closely you pore over the gallery below. We've broken down everything you need to know to get the most out of this episode, from Mandalorian customs to the names of obscure alien races glimpsed in the background.
One of the thugs in the opening scene is a Quarren, an alien race native to the planet Mon Cala, from whence Admiral Ackbar's race (the Mon Calamari) also hail. They first appeared in Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Whatever you do, don't call a Quarren a Squid Head, as it's a derogatory nickname.
2. Huttese
The thugs in the opening bar scene are speaking Huttese, the language of the Hutts, i.e. Jabba the Hutt. The language pops up again in this episode during the scene with Greef Carga (Carl Weathers).
3. Crying Over Spilled Space Milk
The lead thug insists that the Mando spilled his drink, but you can actually see it spill earlier in the scene, when they're roughing up the Mythrol.
4. Beskar Steel
Mando's armor is made of Beskar Steel, also just called Beskar, or Mandalorian Ore. It's a super-tough metal used by Mandalorian blacksmiths, as we see later in the episode.
5. An Empty Cup
If you watch carefully during the opening fight scene, it's clear that the cup the bartender slides down toward the Mando is 100% bereft of liquid (there's no splash--no splash at all!). Maybe the barkeep knew that the Mando was going to use it to smash someone's head in, and he wanted to avoid the mess.
6. The Fledgling Mythrol
The first time we see the Mandalorian, he's picking up a bounty on a blue-skinned alien played by Saturday Night Live alum Horatio Sanz. It's later revealed that his species is the Mythrol, a new addition to Star Wars canon.
7. Bounty Pucks
The "bounty pucks" that the Mando's bounty hunters guild uses to track commissions are an invention for the show--they've never been referenced in Star Wars before.
8. A Kubaz Ferryman
The ferryman who Mando asks for passage to the yards is of the Kubaz species (as first seen in A New Hope). He speaks Kubazian, which sounds like whirring sounds.
9. A Familiar Ride
The first ferry that appears is a familiar Landspeeder with an R2 droid, which most Star Wars protagonists wouldn't turn down. Why the Mando insists on a ride with "no droids" will hopefully be explained at some point in the series. Of course, he ends up working with IG-11 at the episode's climax, which probably isn't easy for him--though he also winds up destroying that droid.
10. Brian Posehn
You might recognize the ice ferry driver who warns the Mando and the Mythrol not to dally on the ice and then is immediately eaten by a giant ice monster as comedian Brian Posehn.
11. The Ravinak
Speaking of which, that ice monster--the Ravinak--is a brand new addition to the Star Wars universe, invented for this scene.
12. Dank Farrik
The Fledgling Mythrol exclaims "Dank Farrik" (trust us, we checked the subtitles) when they escape the Ravinak, much like one would say "thank god." Since we know nothing about him or his race at this point, we can assume that's pretty much what he's saying.
13. The Razor Crest
The Mandalorian's ship is called the Razor Crest. It's a converted pre-Empire gunship.
14. Space Toilet
Where do the creatures of the Star Wars universe go to pee and poo? Well, on the Razor Crest, we get to see where The Mandalorian does his "duties." It's called a Vacc Tube, and that's where they do their business. But where does it all go from there? Well, it all goes into the Gray Hold, and for some reason, pilots sometimes dump them on planets--according to the landspeeder driver that escorts The Mandalorian to his ship. Why wouldn't you dump them in space? Guess there are gross ***holes even in a galaxy far, far away.
15. Happy Life Day
Early on in the episode, The Mandalorian's bounty mention he was hoping to be free to celebrate Life Day, possibly with his family. That particular holiday was first introduced in the Star Wars Holiday Special, otherwise known as the best thing that's ever happened to the franchise. Want to know more? We've got you covered.
16. Carbonite Capers
The Mandalorian has several marks frozen in carbonite on his ship. When Darth Vader had Han Solo frozen at the end of Empire Strikes Back, he was testing it out to make sure the process wouldn't kill Luke. Since this show is set after the original trilogy, it makes sense that the carbonite technology would be in wider use by now.
17. Nice Dissolves
There are multiple cheesy wipe transitions between scenes in this episode--a tradition that's been upheld since the original films.
18. Name That Droid
In the marketplace the Mando walks through, you can spot a familiar droid off to the left. It appears to be an R5 droid, similar to the R5-D4 in A New Hope (the droid with the "bad motivator").
19. Trandoshans
You can spot some Trandoshans here. These aliens, from the planet Trandosha, were introduced in Empire Strikes Back with the bounty hunter Bossk.
20. A Friendly Game
You can glimpse some aliens playing the card game Sabacc in the cantina here--possibly the variant Corellian Spike, as seen in the movie Solo, though it's difficult to tell.
21. Imperial credits are no good here
When turning in his bounties, the Mandalorian is annoyed to learn Greef Carga wants to pay him in Imperial credits. Post-Return of the Jedi, he's simply not interested in accepting this outdated form of payment. Instead, he accepts half payment in the form of Calamari Flan, which we can only assume is a type of money from the planet Mon Cala.
22. Jawas
Even casual Star Wars fans should recognize these Jawas, diminutive aliens that have been around since A New Hope.
23. Don't Be a Gatekeeper
The cute little bugger that guards the entrance to the Client's hideout is a TT-8L/Y7 gatekeeper droid, a type of security droid that was first seen in Return of the Jedi.
24. GNK droid
The iconic GNK droid--also known as the trash can droid, for obvious reasons--guides the Mando into the Client's lair. These first appeared in A New Hope.
25. Imperial Loyalists and dirty Stormtroopers
The events in The Mandalorian take place after the fall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi. While the Galactic Empire is no more, there are still pockets holding onto the past, like Werner Herzog's character, who is surrounded by Stormtroopers. Because credits aren't rolling into this former ruling class like it used to, these Stormtroopers probably don't have the cash to fix or even clean up their armor, so it appears dirty, worn, and broken.
26. The Best in the Parsec
According to the Client, Greef Carga claims Mando is "the best in the parsec," when it comes to bounty hunting. As previously established in the franchise, a parsec is a unit of distance equal to about 3.26 light years. Han Solo proclaimed that with the Millennium Falcon, he made the Kessel Run--an 18-parsec course--in a mere 12 parsecs. There would be a lot of math to figure out exactly what that means, but it's safe to say a parsec is a very large distance to cover.
27. A Camtono of Pure Beskar
The Client offers to pay Mando in pure Beskar, should he retrieve his bounty alive. More specifically, he promised a camtono of the substance. What is that, you ask? A camtono is a fancy Star Wars way of saying lock box. As noted by io9, a camtono was briefly seen in The Empire Strikes Back.
28. New Technology
The episode features several pieces of new Star Wars technology, mostly related to the Bounty Hunters Guild to which the Mandalorian belongs. In addition to the bounty pucks, the Mando mentions uses "chain codes" and "tracking fobs" to hunt down commissions.
29. A Period of Disarray
The Client refers to things returning to their "natural order" after this "period of disarray." Being an apparent Imperial loyalist, the brief "period" to which he refers is clearly the fall of the Empire as portrayed in the original Star Wars trilogy. Little does he know how right he is though, since it will be just a small handful of years until the First Order rises from the Empire's ashes.
30. Cruel BBQ
The creature roasting on the spit here--and the one watching forlornly from a cage nearby--is a Kowakian monkey-lizard. The first Kowakian glimpsed in the series, named Salacious Crumb, appeared in Return of the Jedi.
31. Is That Boba Fett?
Maybe, maybe not. Before The Mandalorian meets the Mandore Blacksmith, he passes by a guard that sure does look a whole lot like Boba Fett. The infamous bounty hunter supposedly died in the Sarlacc Pit in Return of the Jedi. There's no way of truly knowing at this point in time whether or not that Mandalorian is in fact one of Star Wars' most popular characters--even though Boba isn't truly a Mandalorian. However, we do know his job, and that's guarding the entrance. And aside from the fact, it appears he's doing that, his helmet is green, and in Mandalorian warrior culture, the color of your helmet means a lot. Green is the symbol of duty. He has a duty to guard that door and everyone inside.
32. The Mythosaur Skull
The Mandalorian insignia visible above the metalsmith's door is the skull of the Mythosaur, giant creatures that used to live on the planet Mandalore until the Mandalorians battled them to extinction. They're referenced again later in this episode, when Nick Nolte's character, the Ugnaught Kuiil, encourages the Mando by reminding him that his ancestors once rode the mighty Mythosaur.
33. Mandalorian Lore
There are several obscure references to Mandalorian history and customs in this scene, from mention of the "great purge" to the metalsmith asking the Mando whether his "signet" has been revealed yet. To be honest, we have little idea what any of this means.
34. A Significant Pauldron
The metalsmith makes the Mando a silver pauldron from the Beskar ore he gives her. There's significance to Mandalorian armor colors--and the silver pauldron, if we read it as more of a shiny grey, relates to mourning. No doubt we'll find out why as we learn more about the character's backstory. Fun fact: The green of Boba Fett's iconic armor represents duty.
35. The Mandalorian's Painful Past
Speaking of colors, the titular character of the show sure does have a lot going on with his costume, and that's because pieces of his armor represent different moments in his life. His helmet is silver or gray, which means mourning the loss of a loved one, and his chestplate looks like it was once red, honoring his parents. If in fact it was orange, that means he's just like Iggy Pop and has a lust for life.
36. What the Blurrg?
After landing on a planet to track a bounty, Mando is almost immediately attacked by a pair of Blurggs, which are giant warthog-looking creatures with scarily sharp teeth. While this is the first time they've appeared in live-action, fans have seen them before. They were originally introduced in The Clone Wars, before also popping up in Star Wars Rebels.
37. The Ugnaughts
Nick Nolte's character, Kuiil, is of an alien race called an Ugnaught. Natives of the planet Gentes, they're considered the working class of the galaxy. They first appeared in Empire Strikes Back.
38. IG-11, A Bounty Droid
The IG-11 bounty hunter droid, voiced by the fantastic Taika Waititi, is not the first IG-class droid we've met in Star Wars history. The most notable previously was IG-88, who appeared in Empire Strikes Back.
39. Niktos
The aliens that the Mando and IG-11 fight in the climactic battle scene are Niktos, from the planet Kintan. They first appeared in Return of the Jedi.
40. Rodians
While Mando and Greef Carga discuss further bounties, it's revealed that among the species inhabiting that bar is a Rodian. These green-skilled creatures first appeared in A New Hope and have since popped up throughout the franchise.
41. That looks a lot like Yoda
What a twist ending that was. After blasting his way through an army of mercenaries, Mando comes across a pod housing a tiny alien that looks like it's from whatever species Yoda--or Yaddle for you prequels fans--hails from. Not much is known about this species, but given this is just the first episode of The Mandalorian, it looks like that's about to change. We have a lot more to say about this particular twist, which you should check out.
After launching manufacturing facilities in the US and China, Tesla's next location is apparently in Europe. Reuters and CNBC report that while speaking at an awards ceremony in Germany, Elon Musk announced the company's 'Gigafactory 4' will be locat...
Halloween—that most wonderful time of the year when gearheads, preppers, and EDCers alike congregate to discuss, plan, and actually purchase their ultimate zombie apocalypse loadout. But while it’s fun to talk about, an element of practicality and utility is always a good idea for all your gear, no matter which apocalypse you’re trying to survive. We’ve put together some of our favorite doomsday gear below to help give you ideas and prepare for the inevitable zombie outbreak.
ESEE Junglas
The ESEE Junglas is an agile multi-use chopper, great for both bushcraft and busting through a horde of undead. Made of coated high carbon 1095 steel, its sizable 10.38" full tang blade and hammer pommel in the back make it an excellent survival knife. Removable Micarta handles make it easy to clean or replace with cordage, and a Kydex sheath lets you strap it in to keep it close at hand.
Throwing out 1,000 lumens on Turbo, the Fenix PD35 offers a ton of output in a compact package. On its lowest Eco mode you have 8 lumens to keep the light going for 140 hours (enough time to find your way to the next safe zone), and the durable aero-grade aluminum body can take a beating. This version also comes in an all-new Zed Splatter Cerakote finish for an extra festive zombie-killing flair.
Fiskar’s rugged and powerful storm-breaking maul has an axe face for splitting logs and a flat driving face for pounding wedges into the ground at camp (among other things...). Its patented IsoCore shock system reduces vibration on hands, so you can keep hacking away at firewood or zombie faces, your choice.
Water everywhere, and not a drop to drink? Lifestraw’s Go Water Bottle puts an end to your thirst and keeps you alive with its built-in hollow fiber membrane filter that removes bacteria, odor, and aftertaste without the use of chemicals. The 23-ounce bottle is leak-proof and made of BPA-free Tritan for the safest hydration.
Named for the ferocious bullet ant, the ESEE Izula packs a mean punch in a pocketable package. Skeletonized 1095 carbon steel construction and a flat ground blade make it a valuable lightweight addition to any survival kit. The Venom Green powder coat finish also makes it easy to find if dropped among foliage.
Few items have more uses than high-quality paracord, so having it in a zombie apocalypse loadout is a no-brainer. Titan's hi-vis SurivorCord can be used to make tourniquets, tripwires, stone throwing slings, fishing lines, and snare traps, just to name a few. This cord made of waxed jute tinder is also designed to quickly start fires in a pinch.
No survivalist would dream of striking out into the wild without a first aid kit. Having one at the ready lets you patch small injuries and stem bleeding for more serious wounds. Make sure to check out a med kit for your canine companion as well!
Crafted with the right balance of multipurpose tools for emergency response, the Leatherman Raptor is a robust pair of shears that can be used in many situations. And with an oxygen tank wrench and a carbide glass breaker, having the Raptor within reach can likely mean the difference between life or death.
That old proverb about how duct tape fixes everything is not an exaggeration; Gorilla Duct Tape is thick and tough, sticks even on rough surfaces, and can withstand the harsh elements. This reflective version is especially great for repairing gear and keeping them visible in low light conditions, or even marking trails through the woods when you need to play a hasty retreat.
The MS18 is a portable floodlight that's the brightest flashlight money can currently buy. 18 (count ‘em) Cree XHP70.2 LEDs pump out an eyeball-searing max of 100,000 lumens over a distance of 1,350 meters, with a strobe mode that you can quickly access at a moment’s notice in case danger gets too close. If you need one flashlight to cover your camp with the brightest output possible, this is the portable sun to have in your kit.
When it comes to gear few companies get it like Leatherman. The Skeletool is one of their more popular multi-tools and it’s not hard to see why. This plier-based multi-tool packs a punch with a partially serrated blade, wire cutter, and bit driver in a body that weighs only 5 ounces. Throw in a combo carabiner/bottle opener and this is one tool that you’ll be glad to carry through any outbreak and beyond.
Sharp and NHK have co-developed a new rollable 30-inch OLED display, with a design emphasis on keeping the screen thin and light. The prototype monitor will be showcased at a trade show in mid-November, but the company isn't yet talking about mass production.
The experimental 30-inch OLED display offers a 3840×2160 resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate, all in a package that is just 0.5 mm thick and weighs 100 grams. The developers say that the screen can be rolled up into a 4 cm diameter cylinder, with the idea of being able to integrate the display into various appliances like furniture. Meanwhile, the technology itself could simplify production of foldable electronics, such as smartphones and tablets.
The flexible 30-inch OLED display is produced by Sharp at one of its factories in Japan using vapor deposition method. The screen uses a film substrate and IGZO thin film transistors to drive OLED elements that use separate RGB subpixels. Meanwhile, NHK’s image processing technologies were used to improve brightness uniformity as well as sharpness of moving objects.
Sharp and NHK will demonstrate their prototype rollable 30-inch OLED display at Intel's BEE 2019 trade show, which will take place in Chiba, Japan, from November 13 to November 15.
Sharp and NHK are not the only companies to develop a rollable OLED screen. Earlier this year LG demonstrated such a TV at CES 2019 and even started to sell its rollable Signature TVs in South Korea.
The Good Place will say good-bye for eternity on Jan. 30.
And that farewell will be considerable. NBC announced on Friday that it will send off the Mike Schur-created afterlife comedy with an extended series finale as well as a Seth Meyers-hosted post-show with the cast, which includes Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, Jameela Jamil, William Jackson Harper, D’Arcy Carden, and Manny Jacinto. The festivities start at 8:30 p.m. and will last for 90 minutes.
It was revealed earlier this year that the Emmy nominated critical darling would wrap up its loopy, ethics-infused adventure after its fourth season. What to possibly expect in that final chapter of this expectation-defying series? “It’s completion of our journeys in a way that I find satisfying, hopeful, and goes beyond our conventional understanding of storytelling,” Harper told EW this summer, while Bell hinted, “You will finally see what we owe to each other.”
In other news about Schur creations, NBC announced that Brooklyn Nine-Nine would return for its seventh season on Feb. 6 with a one-hour premiere at 8 p.m ET the following week, it will air in its regular 8:30 p.m. time slot.
America’s Got Talent: The Champions and Manifest will return to NBC’s schedule on Jan. 6; Ellen’s Game of Games and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist hit the air on Jan. 7, and Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector premieres on Jan. 10. Indebted debuts Feb. 6, Good Girls returns on Feb. 16, and The Voice is back on Feb. 24.
Today, the European Union granted an Ebola vaccine "conditional marketing authorization." The vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical giant Merck, is known as Ervebo. It's the first human Ebola vaccine to be approved by the EU.
The bank behind Apple Card is facing legal scrutiny over accusations of inequality. New York's Department of Financial Services has launched an investigation into Goldman Sachs' practices after Basecamp founder David Heinemeier Hansson accused Apple...
MIT wants to show that its Mini Cheetah robots aren't just solitary creatures. The school's Biomimetics department has posted a video of nine of the bots frolicking in the fall leaves, showing just what these pet-sized quadrupeds can do. The remote-c...
We're a week away from Disney+ launching, and the streaming service is getting a lot of original content. Star Wars' The Mandalorian launches on day one, and coming in 2020 is the MCU series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and the stars of the series announced it's now in production.
Taking over the Marvel Studios Instagram, stars Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan both made the announcement that the new series has begun production for a new story for IG. Both actors had access to the account so they both posted numerous videos before announcing the show has begun production. You can see a screenshot of this below.
From what we saw from the set, there's a truck with "Party Time Ice" written on it and something blurred-out to the left. We're guessing that's just to block out the phone number for the company that supplies said ice you party with.
The series stars Mackie and Stan in their roles from other MCU movies, and it looks like this show will reintroduce the world to Helmut Zemo--who appeared in Captain America: Civil War. Daniel Brühl will reprise his role, and his character will be getting a new look for the film, which was revealed at 2019's Comic-Con.
This team-up series isn't the only MCU show coming to Disney Plus in the near future. There are plenty of others planned including Hawkeye, She-Hulk, Loki, Moon Knight, and more to add to the already growing list of Disney+ originals already planned for the service.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will arrive on Disney Plus in 2020.
The reveal comes from Vanity Fair, which notes Shand will encounter the titular bounty hunter roughly midway through the first season. Vanity Fair also debuted a brief new trailer for the series, which includes a scene where Shand tells Pedro Pascal's character, "Your name will be legendary."
Laser pointers can apparently trick smart speakers, phones and tablets into following voice commands to open doors or make purchases, even from hundreds of feet away. Researchers from Tokyo and the University of Michigan have revealed that they were...
Terminator: Dark Fate may ignore every movie in the series after the second one, but that still leaves it plenty of material for Easter eggs, references, and callbacks. Terminator and T2: Judgment Day are most fans' favorites anyway.
The new movie brings Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger together again for the first time since the 1991 classic, and watching them side by side again is a thrill. At the same time, Terminator creator James Cameron is back on the franchise as well, and the actors say it was great to have him back.
As a direct sequel to Terminator 2, Dark Fate has plenty of little nuggets for fans. Here are the ones we caught.
1. "Like a strobe light burning through my eyes"
Dark Fate opens with a direct callback to T2. The footage of Sarah Connor in the institution, as well as the voice lines here, are both from Judgment Day.
2. Classic Imagery
The movie's opening is filled with plenty of classic imagery from the Terminator franchise, from the human skulls in the dirt to the machines' flying ships from the future that no longer exists thanks to the events of T2.
3. Hablas Espanol?
During the early scene set on the beach, John Connor can be heard speaking Spanish. It was revealed in T2, during the scene in which they obtain supplies from Enrique, that John understands the language, at the very least.
4. Performance Capture
The beach cabana scene may seem like it's mostly CG, but director Tim Miller recently revealed to GameSpot that all three actors--including Ed Furlong, in addition to Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger--did performance capture.
5. Familiar Arrivals
Even in the new timeline, people who travel back in time arrive naked. Just like the T-800 before her, Grace acquires her clothes and ride from one of the first people she encounters in the past. And the Rev-9 arrives in the classic Terminator pose. Some things never change.
6. Machines Are Coming To Replace Us
In Mexico, machines are replacing workers in the auto factory in which Dani and her brother work. To be honest, this is a much more realistic take on how robots will eventually defeat us than Skynet.
7. Physical Contact
Grace tells Dani that Gabriel Luna's Rev-9 needs "physical contact" with someone to replicate them, which means Dani's father is likely already dead. If this was a requirement for the T-1000 in Terminator 2, it was never stated, so it may be a new limitation in Dark Fate's Legion timeline.
8. "Come With Me"
"Come with me or you're dead in the next 30 seconds" is the new "Come with me if you want to live," a classic and oft-repeated line.
9. "I'll be back."
Another dialogue reference is Sarah Connor's "I'll be back." The big difference here, of course, is that Grace and Dani use the opportunity of her temporary absence to steal her truck.
10. Tentacle Terminators
The Terminators with tentacles glimpses in the future scenes are new to this movie, a product of the changed timeline in which Legion takes over instead of Skynet.
11. America's Most Wanted
Sarah Connor has been a fugitive for decades, ever since the events of T2. She even has her own episode of American's Most Wanted, a true crime show that aired regularly from 1988 to 2012.
12. A Bag of Chips
Carl may be skeptical, but apparently Sarah Connor's trick to block her phone's GPS signal by enclosing it in a bag of potato chips really works.
13. Wax On, Wax Off
Grace cutting a fly in half calls to mind the iconic scene from Karate Kid in which Mr. Miyagi plucks a fly out of the air with a pair of chopsticks.
14. Border Controversy
The scenes in which Dani, Sarah, and Grace attempt to illegally cross the border between Mexico and the US are charged with political commentary. In particular, the line insisting that the immigrants being held there are "detainees" and not "prisoners" seems like a pointed reference.
15. A Timeless Slogan
Carl's slogan for his drapery business is "We Never Leave You Hanging"--i.e. another way of saying "I'll be back."
16. "I Won't Be Back"
This, of course, is yet another reference to the famous line. They really packed 'em in, huh?
17. The Sunglasses
Before they head off, Carl reaches for the T-800's iconic sunglasses, but opts to leave his eyes exposed to UV light and other harmful forces. This symbolizes him leaving the past behind, or something.
18. "F*** Fate."
This is the newest iteration of the famous Terminator franchise line "There is no fate but what we make for ourselves." Like many things in this movie, it's been updated for 2019, now with 100% more swearing.
19. Ashes to Ashes
When Carl is burning toward the end of the movie, his transformation into ash looks a lot like the effect used in the flash-forward to Judgment Day from T2.
Supergirl may soon be getting a spinoff series on The CW. A new Superman & Lois series focused on Tyler Hoechlin's Superman and Elizabeth Tulloch's Lois Lane is in active development, IGN has confirmed.
The new series will build on recent and upcoming developments in Supergirl and focus on the pressures Lois and Clark face in balancing their professional lives, superhero responsibilities, and the complexities of raising a child. That child will be introduced in the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, a twist that also explains why the couple have been spending so much time off-world in recent seasons of Supergirl.
Update 1: Charlie Cox and Tom Hiddleston may have just won Halloween. The two actors blew minds when they showed up backstage at a Broadway performance of Betrayal dressed as each other's Marvel character.
Which new Shield TV should you buy? Nvidia Shield TV vs Nvidia Shield TV Pro
Nvidia has just revealed the new (2019 edition) Nvidia Shield TV and Nvidia Shield TV Pro and both are extremely interesting propositions in the current TV streaming and gaming landscape. But, which one is best for you?
Both devices flaunt new features such as support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, while also boasting the likes of AI Upscaling to give 1080p content a 4K shine. Nvidia’s cloud-streaming GeForce Now service is also available on both the standard and Pro editions of the Shield TV, so what actually is the difference?
Most noticeable is the exciting redesign for the standard edition, while the Pro model retains that edgy gaming console vibe. Looks aren’t everything and there are far more factors which will determine which one of these new and fresh devices best suit your needs. Let’s take a look…
The Nvidia Shield TV costs £149 and includes the Shield Remote. The Nvidia Shield TV Pro is priced at £199 and also includes the Shield Remote.
The Nvidia Shield TV’s price may already be a tough sell for those looking to get a streaming device with meatier hardware than the likes of a Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV. However, you are getting premium features such as Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support for the price, as well as being able to stream games via the cloud thanks to GeForce Now.
If you’re big into gaming, it may be worth shelling out the extra £50 for the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, which has superior RAM and two USB ports for peripherals.
Nvidia Shield TV vs Nvidia Shield TV Pro – Design
While the Nvidia Shield TV Pro keeps to the traditional design of the streaming device line, the new Nvidia Shield TV looks completely different. Both devices do come with a redesigned Shield Remote which is a lot more stylish than its previous iteration.
The Nvidia Shield TV is more reminiscent of a streaming stick – but not quite. The design is tubular and most closely resembles small battery packs like those made by Anker. It’s definitely a far more space-saving from, designed specifically to hide from view behind the television.
The Pro edition looks more like a mini gaming console, and is expected to be proudly placed in your display cabinet for all to see. It’s definitely got a form that will appeal to gamers, which makes sense since it has the added performance punch to play more intensive video games locally.
Nvidia Shield TV vs Nvidia Shield TV Pro – Specs
Both the Nvidia Shield TV and Nvidia Shield TV Pro features the Tegra X1+ chip along with support for 4K, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and AI Upscaling.
The Nvidia Shield TV Pro is slightly better specs though, with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage to the regular Shield TV’s 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The enhanced specs mean the Pro should run notably smoother when playing games locally, while also dealing with basic tasks better.
The Nvidia Shield TV Pro also comes with two USB 3.0 ports – a must-have for hardcore gamers who don’t want to be limited by Bluetooth for connecting a gaming keyboard and mouse. Speaking of gamers…
Nvidia Shield TV vs Nvidia Shield TV Pro – Games
So what do the specs mean for gamers looking to buy one of these new 2019 devices? The beefier specs of the Nvidia Shield TV Pro mean that it can run – what Nvidia calls – “Advanced Android Games”. These include: the Half Life 2 series, Borderlands 2, Resident Evil 5 and more.
The standard Shield TV can still run standard Android games locally, but its library is limited. Some highlight picks include Super Meat Boy and This War of Mine.
Performance may not be a huge deal if you are looking to do plenty of cloud streaming though. You’ll be able to use GeForce Now on whatever model you buy, providing access to hundreds and hundreds of games as long as you have a decent enough internet connection.
The two Shield TV devices cater to different audiences.
If you are in the Shield TV game for a premium streaming device that you want to slide seamlessly into your home setup, stick to the regular model. With less RAM and a more low-profile design, it’s perfect for those who just want a streaming box and anyone who’s happy to rely on cloud streaming for AAA gaming.
The Nvidia Shield TV Pro costs £50 more, but you get a more glamorous design in return. Ports for wired peripherals also comes in handy, whether you’re playing locally or via GeForce Now. Overall, the Pro is very much targeted at serious gamers.
UK bank Nationwide Building Society has disabled the fingerprint login option in its app for owners of Samsung Galaxy S10 phones. Another, NatWest, has completely removed support for S10 phones.
This is in response to a vulnerability in the ultrasonic fingerprint reader used on those phones. Samsung posted an official response, but the issue may be more serious than initially thought.
Good morning Robert, We've removed the app from the Play Store for customers with Samsung S10 devices. This is due to reports that there are security concerns regarding these devices. We hope to have our...
Another Marvel TV series bites the dust, as Freeform has officially canceled Marvel's Cloak and Dagger.
Deadline broke the news, which comes five months after the live-action superhero series wrapped its second season. That lengthy gap already had fans speculating as to the show's future (or lack thereof). But as Deadline reports, the final nail in the coffin came this week as the cast's options ran out and the actors were released to pursue other projects.
“We are so proud of Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger and the trailblazing stories this series told,” Freeform said in a statement to Deadline. “We are also grateful to our incredible talent Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph for bringing these beloved characters to life, and showrunner Joe Pokaski for his vision. We’d like to thank our partners at Marvel Television for a wonderful two seasons and are we are hopeful that we can find another project together.”
The world of esports has exploded in recent times -- there are eye-watering sums of money involved, not to mention no end of gossip and drama -- so it was only a matter of time before it got its own TV show. According to Variety, NBC has picked up a...
Avenue 5, HBO's new sci-fi comedy, debuts in January, and HBO has released the first teaser to get you excited. The show is about the cruise ship Avenue 5, led by the acerbic Captain Ryan Clark, played by Hugh Laurie. All seems to be pleasant and del...
Scientists (and sci-fi fans) have been talking about suspended animation for years. The idea that the functions of the human body can somehow be put on "pause" while life-saving medical procedures are performed (or a person is sent into space, a la A...
The future of cars is connectivity, with vehicles able to communicate with infrastructure like traffic lights and to share information about traffic conditions with other drivers and local authorities. Tire manufacturer Pirelli is bringing its own ap...
Xiaomi smartphone and set-top box owners in China will soon have access to potentially life-saving early earthquake warnings right on their devices. At its annual Mi Developer conference in Bejing, the Chinese electronics company said its MIUI 11-bas...
By this point, most people have used Spotify on almost every platform where it's available and there's not a lot about the experience that's surprising. So it's interesting then to see how, with the help of augmented reality startup Magic Leap, Spoti...
The Witcher hasn't even arrived on Netflix, and it's already being renewed. Netflix shared the news on Twitter today, and Deadline reports that production of the eight-episode second season will begin in early 2020. The second season could debut in 2...
Amazon's push into sci-fi increasingly entails some of the biggest names in the business, both on-screen and off. After months of waiting, Amazon has ordered a Prime Video series adaptation of William Gibson's sci-fi novel The Peripheral that will b...
After launching manufacturing facilities in the US and China, Tesla's next location is apparently in Europe. Reuters and CNBC report that while speaking at an awards ceremony in Germany, Elon Musk announced the company's 'Gigafactory 4' will be locat...
submitted by Mags Tan
Today, the European Union granted an Ebola vaccine "conditional marketing authorization." The vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical giant Merck, is known as Ervebo. It's the first human Ebola vaccine to be approved by the EU.
The bank behind Apple Card is facing legal scrutiny over accusations of inequality. New York's Department of Financial Services has launched an investigation into Goldman Sachs' practices after Basecamp founder David Heinemeier Hansson accused Apple...
MIT wants to show that its Mini Cheetah robots aren't just solitary creatures. The school's Biomimetics department has posted a video of nine of the bots frolicking in the fall leaves, showing just what these pet-sized quadrupeds can do. The remote-c...
Laser pointers can apparently trick smart speakers, phones and tablets into following voice commands to open doors or make purchases, even from hundreds of feet away. Researchers from Tokyo and the University of Michigan have revealed that they were...
Hoechlin as Superman and Tulloch as Lois Lane.
The world of esports has exploded in recent times -- there are eye-watering sums of money involved, not to mention no end of gossip and drama -- so it was only a matter of time before it got its own TV show. According to Variety, NBC has picked up a...