The start of the 2021 MLB season is coming up quickly, and ahead of that, the developers of RBI Baseball 2021 have announced the cover star for this year’s game.
Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox will grace the cover of this year’s game. Anderson is the first White Sox player to appear on the cover of the RBI Baseball franchise.
Anderson was the 2019 AL batting champion with a .322 batting average and other standout statistics like 45 runs scored and 67 hits.
RBI Baseball is an arcade-style, budget-priced baseball series developed internally by Major League Baseball. New for 2021’s game is play-by-play commentary from Fran Charles of the MLB Network, a create-a-player mode, and new environmental effects that showcase the changing light during the day.
“Like a lot of kids, I grew up playing video games,” Anderson said in a release. “When I couldn’t get outside to play ball or we had bad weather, that was a time to have fun with my friends and live out some fantasies. And it was always cool to see who was on the cover every year – those were guys I aspired to be. So now to see myself on the cover of R.B.I. 21 is really part of a dream come true. And I hope that kids will see my picture on the cover and realize they can do this, too. They just have to believe in themselves, follow their dreams and work at it.”
The soundtrack for RBI Baseball 21 has also been announced, and it includes title songs from a variety of famous bands and artists, including All Time Low, American Authors, and Justin Bieber.
RBI Baseball 21 releases in March for PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch; a mobile edition of the game is also in the works.
Nvidia has release a new hotfix for its GeForce desktop graphics cards, addressing several long-standing issues with SteamVR, game crashes, and more.
The hotfix is available to download now, with Nvidia headlining the update with a fix for SteamVR that has been anticipated for some time. Some users have reported stuttering and lag when trying to play VR titles, which Nvidia hopes has been resolved with this latest patch.
Other issues addressed include consistent crashes with games like Detroit: Become Human and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, as well as some optimizations for Adobe Premiere Pro. The full patch notes for the hotfix can be found below.
Nvidia usually reserves GPU updates for big PC releases, such as the last Game Ready Driver that launched with Cyberpunk 2077, but has since been releasing smaller hotfixes. The company does note that the fixes included don’t undergo as rigorous testing as those included in Game Ready Drivers, so keep that in mind before updating.
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Having already worked with Disney on the Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian and HBO’s Westworld, Fortnite studio Epic Games is investing in movies now.
Deadline reports that Epic’s MegaGrants fund is contributing money to the animated movie Gilgamesh from Argentinian director Tomas Lipgot. The movie is being produced by the animation studio Hook Up, along with DuermeVela and FilmSharks.
The companies will use Epic’s Unreal Engine, among other tools, to produce the film about the Mesopotamian mythological hero. The movie will have English and Spanish versions.
FilmSharks CEO Guido Rud told Deadline: “It’s an honour to see Epic Games supporting Gilgamesh through the Epic MegaGrants program. Although animation has done an excellent job of entertaining through comedy and colorful creatures, there is also a huge appetite and opportunity to share cultural stories and tell larger-than-life mythical tales.”
The MegaGrants program is a $100 million fund that people and companies across the games, enterprise, technology, education, and other fields can apply for. It’s not immediately clear how much money the producers of Gilgamesh received from their grant.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the new behemoth on the block. It’s Samsung’s most expensive and feature-rich “basic” smartphone now that foldables like the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold series are around. At $1,199 for a base model with 128GB, it’s actually kind of a steal compared to 2020’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, which retailed for $1,399 for the 128GB model. It’s still expensive for a phone though, so let’s see what all it does to justify the expense.
In design, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is more of a proper successor to the Galaxy S20 family than the S21 and S21+ are. It continues the curvier front glass (albeit more subtly) that has been abandoned by the other S21 phones. The glass is the new Gorilla Glass Victus flavor, and in the case of the Ultra, it’s on both the front and back, which surely adds to the cost compared to the plastic back on the S21 and S21+. Naturally, the S21 Ultra continues to offer a metal frame to further its durability as well as an IP68 rating.
Aesthetically, the only things that give the Galaxy S21 a new look are the remodeled camera bump and the color scheme. In the corner where the cameras are situated, the metal frame stretches up to blend with the metal housing around all the cameras. Unfortunately, there is a seam between the frame and the housing that sort of ruins the effect (but likely improves repairability). The camera housing is also massive, as it accommodates four cameras, a flash, and a laser auto-focus system. It’s just over two inches tall and 1-1/4 inches wide – in other words, about a third the height and half the width of the entire width of the phone. It makes me think it’ll be a bit difficult to keep centered on charging pads for those who love wireless charging.
The phone, given it bears the Ultra moniker, features a 6.8 inch screen – the largest of the S21 family. Having recently used the iPhone 12 Pro and the LG Wing, I was ready for this thing to be another unwieldy monster. To my surprise, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is fairly easy to hold. It’s not as tall as the LG Wing (and doesn’t have a flip-up screen to shift all of its weight to the top), and it’s a few millimeters narrower than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which is just enough difference for me to use it in one hand. And, even though it’s 1 gram heavier than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the extra grip I get around the sides makes it less straining on my pinky.
The 6.8-inch screen continues to offer tiny bezels, which only further put the iPhone 12’s dated design to shame. The screen brings with it some new features, too. It’s still a bright AMOLED display with HDR10+ support. There’s still a fingerprint scanner under the glass, though it’s now noticeably faster than the scanner on my Galaxy S20. And, this year, Samsung doesn’t lock the display’s refresh rate to certain resolutions. The display can run its full 3,200 x 1440 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate at the same time. This model also has a wide adaptive refresh rate range, letting it hit up to 120Hz for smooth visuals and drop down as low as just 10Hz to save battery while displaying static or slower-moving content. This model also borrows a feature of the Note line with support for the S Pen through a Wacom digitizing layer, though I wasn’t able to get my hands on an S Pen for this review, and the random Bamboo Ink stylus I had lying around didn’t register.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra is ready for the latest in wireless connectivity. It features the necessary antennae to connect to the big three flavors of 5G: low-band, mid-band, and mmWave. It also offers support for Wi-Fi 6E. Samsung’s Dex desktop experience is still on board here as well, including Wireless Dex. Reverse wireless charging is also still around. Unfortunately, one more feature is going the way of the headphone jack on this latest model: There’s no more microSD card slot for easy, affordable, post-purchase storage upgrade. Samsung also didn’t decide to go bold and throw a 3.5mm headphone jack back onto the phone even though the top edge is largely barren save for two microphones holes and a single antenna line.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – Software
The Galaxy S21 Ultra comes running Android 11 with the One UI 3.1 interface. I find the experience continues to offer plenty of customization to get it running just how I like (yeah, I still prefer the old-school Android navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen). The system settings are also easy to navigate. A few things are still a little irksome, like the power button defaulting to serve as a Bixby button instead. Samsung’s rebranding of display mirroring/casting as Smart View also continues to puzzle me.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – Gaming and Performance
The Galaxy S21 Ultra, like the rest of its family, runs on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. Unlike the Snapdragon 865 chipset, the 5G modem is integrated into the chipset which in theory lends the whole system more efficiency.
Predictably, the Snapdragon 888 is a fast performer. Loading games, launching apps, and switching between them all happens in a flash. The navigation is only made to feel that much smoother thanks to the ability of the display to speed up to 120Hz when needed. The system is helped along by 12GB of LPDDR5 memory, though the 512GB model packs 16GB of memory instead.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra runs games smoothly. Playing the Hitman Sniper game, the graphics were perfectly clear and the game never stuttered as I scoped in, shot targets over ledges, and quickly shifted over to my next target. Asphalt 9 showed one shortcoming of the phone, as the large screen let small details show up that much more clearly: namely, aliasing. The game is perfectly fluid at max quality even in the thick of a race, but the highest graphics quality may not be taking full advantage of the power available to smooth out the picture. Thatgamecompany’s Sky had a similar issue, though some of the graphics options were unavailable, perhaps a result of the app not yet recognizing the phone and Snapdragon 888 chipset.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra packs a 5,000mAh battery which is on the big side for any smartphone, but it’s tasked with running a fast, 5G-capable chipset and a massive display. With light use, I’m able to make it just through two full days on a charge, but I’d expect that to shrink to a single day if I was out and about all day relying on my phone for photos, chat, navigation, and entertainment. Streaming a 42-minute episode of the new Netflix show Lupin at medium brightness saw the phone lose just 6% of its battery, so it’s still on the efficient side. And, the video looked stunning, with capable stereo audio to match.
I don’t have much to report about 5G performance. I tossed my T-Mobile SIM card into the review unit and was largely running on the 5G network. But, data speeds will come down based upon the network you’re on and the 5G band used. I seem to have only ever connected to low-band towers during my testing, as I never came close to breaking 100Mbps in my speed tests.
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – Camera
To put it briefly, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra camera system is excellent, but it suffers from one little foible that crops up from time to time. I’ll get to that in a moment.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra features the following cameras:
12MP Ultrawide at f/2.4
108MP Wide at f/1.8 with Nona-binning and OIS
10MP 3x Telephoto at f/2.4 with OIS
10MP 10x Telephoto at f/4.9 with OIS
40MP Front-facing at f/2.2
Those four rear sensors are capable of some really impressive shooting, especially at the longer focal lengths. The ultra-wide sensor is the first to show off its weakness, as it can get pretty noisy in the dark and often just takes decent photos (which is still commendable, since many ultra-wide sensors are pretty ho-hum).
The primary sensor shoots some great photos, and it handles low-light scenarios quite well thanks to its wide aperture. It fares quite favorably next to the fantastic main sensor on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. In fact, in most comparisons, the camera systems between the two phones are very closely matched. That holds true of the selfie cameras as well. The iPhone does a better job at shooting low-light photos fast, which helps avoid the blur risk of a long shutter. But, outside of the darkest scenes, I found the Ultra taking sharper shots. I also noticed the Ultra’s noise in darker photos was less distracting than the iPhone’s, as the iPhone’s noise appears to have a pattern to it that draws the eye, almost like the texture on the skin of an orange.
When it comes to zoom capability, there’s no competition. The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 10x zoom sees to that plainly. It can produce a useful image with a high level of detail at 10x and even some distance beyond where the iPhone 12 Pro Max offers up a hazy photo.
It actually manages to see details further out than I can with my own eyes – something I don’t think I’ve experienced on a phone in the past. At 16.4x, it can make the fine print on the back of a book across the room easily readable.
That same book cover would have been easy to read at 10x as well, but I did mention a problem though. After way too much troubleshooting, I discovered the laser AF system on the back of the phone was playing a large role in determining which camera was used to shoot. Often, I’d try to shoot at 3x or 10x and find that the phone was digitally zooming from a different sensor rather than using the sensor corresponding to the zoom level, and the result was an unusable image.
Samsung explained that the phone should use the 3x telephoto camera for all zoom levels from 3x up to 10x and use the 10x telephoto from 10x and beyond (using multi-frame processing from multiple sensors when shooting at zoom levels between sensors). But, when something comes near the laser AF, the phone seems to prioritize focus and force the phone to use a sensor with a shorter focal length. It’s not a problem if you know to avoid it, but it’s easy to run into if you hold your phone like a game controller when shooting photos. I had a similar issue with getting my finger in frame on the iPhone 12 Pro Max’s ultra-wide sensor.
Beyond photos, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is also a capable video shooter. This go-around, the phone can shoot 4K60 on every sensor. 8K video at 24fps is also an option, but only on the wide-angle camera. There are some trade-offs while shooting. Jump up to 4K60 or 8K and you lose the option to record in HDR10+. Samsung Super Steady mode is also only available at Full HD. These are trade-offs that are a tad disappointing given the iPhone 12 Pro Max is putting its muscle right into shooting 4K60 with Dolby Vision.
Samsung has also introduced a mode called Director’s View. In effect, it shows you the view of three of the rear sensors (the 10x is excluded) and the front-facing camera all at the same time. It could be helpful if you’re trying to record a video and plan to do lots of punching in and out. But, the video previews are actually all coming from the ultra-wide sensor with a crop to approximate what the other sensors are seeing. That doesn’t mean it’s not useful, but it’s another situation where you’ll want to be careful about how you’re holding the phone.
Capcom announced last week a Resident Evil Village showcase will be happening, which will reveal a new trailer, a first-look at gameplay, and more. The news was announced through the official Resident Evil Twitter account.
The tweet reads, “Don’t miss the #REShowcase on January 21st at 2:00 PM Pacific! Join Resident Evil producers and our host Brittney Brombacher (@blondenerd), on a guided tour of Resident Evil Village, including a new trailer, first-ever gameplay, and more Resident Evil news!”
Find out below everything you need to know to watch the showcase.
Resident Evil Village Showcase Start Time
The Resident Evil Showcase will take place on Thursday, January 21. It will start at 2:00 pm PT, 5:00 pm ET, and 10:00 pm GMT. If you’re watching from Australia, you can tune in on Friday morning, January 22 at 9:00 am AEDT. The length of the showcase has not been revealed.
We’ll be hosting the Resident Evil Village livestream on our channels across a variety of platforms including YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and Twitter. Here’s the full list of places you can watch the Resident Evil Showcase:
As we shared above, you can expect a new trailer, a first-look at gameplay, a guided tour of the village, along with other news and announcements about Resident Evil Village.
Yes, yes, Wednesday saw the end of the Trump-Pence administration and the beginning of the Biden-Harris one–but the moment and arguably the day belonged to Bernie Sanders. Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re already well aware that a photo of the United States senator from Vermont attending the inauguration while masked up, socially distanced, and arms folded with fluffy finger mittens became a meme. But what you might not be aware of is how widespread the meme has become.
It’s such a simple formula–take a picture of the 79-year-old senator and Photoshop him into a new context and, bam, it is instantly surreal and hilarious. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Check out just some of our favorites below so far, after the original for comparison sake.
Bernie, bro. (Thank you to whoever thought of including me and @JayMewes, as this is the closest we’ve ever gotten to being at an Inauguration. And thank you to all the people who texted and Tweeted the pic to me.) pic.twitter.com/RXCwlX2OFA
Meanwhile, Instagram accounttheberniealbumshas sprung up and has already as of this writing inserted this photo of Sanders into 54 album covers. The account is likely up to the task, but it’s pretty hard to topthis Fleetwood Mac Rumours one.
For those who were wondering, the meme grew to such popularity that there was even reportage on where Sanders got those cozy mittens. According to The Washington Post, they were a gift from one of the senator’s constituents, a second-grade teacher in Essex Junction, Vermont named Jen Ellis. They are wool-sweater scraps lined with recycled plastic. In other words, they’re DIY AF.
Apex Legends Season 8: Mayhem is nearly upon us, and Respawn Entertainment has shared the launch trailer to drum up excitement. The new season feature a brand-new character who has an affinity for explosives, and there are a number of other changes expected, as well.
The new trailer shows the lead character, Walter “Fuze” Fitzroy with a notably heroic streak, interceding to save a crowd using his signature bombs. But the threat is far from over, so he gears up for more.
Walter “Fuze” Fitzroy’s bombs look to make him a very dangerous character when he is introduced on February 2. He seems to have plenty of enemies, as well, with several voicing their objectives to his inclusion in the Apex Games.
Apex Legends Season 8 features several changes to the game’s battle royale map, as well as a new weapon. For more information, check out the trailer above. The game is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and PC.
Netflix’s hit TV show Bridgerton from Shonda Rhimes is returning for a second season, Netflix has confirmed just a day after teasing it and had some big news to share about the show.
The focus of the sophomore season will be on the character Anthony Bridgerton, who is played by Jonathan Bailey. Netflix said Anthony will “dominate” the season, but no further specifics were divulged.
Netflix released a letter from Lady Whistledown to hype the news. Her letter confirms the renewal and tells fans to make sure they have a bottle of ratafia to uncork for the occasion.
Production on the season will begin in spring 2021, but that’s all Whistledown would confirm. “However, gentle reader, before you set the comments section alight with requests for more sordid details, know that I am disinclined to report on the particulars at this time. Patience, after all, is a virtue,” she said.
Bridgerton Season 1 debuted on Christmas Day, and it is projected to have been seen by 63 million member households over its first four weeks. The show helped Netflix have its biggest-ever viewing week between Christmas and New Year’s.
These are giant numbers and new records at Netlix, but bear in mind that a “view” for Netflix counts when someone watches at least two minutes of a movie or TV show.
With 63 million projected households over its first four weeks, Bridgerton becomes the fourth biggest Netflix original TV show over that period of time. It’s only surpassed by Tiger King (64 million), La Casa de Papel S4 (65 million), and The Witcher S1 (76 million).
Bridgerton, which is a period piece based on the Julia Quinn Bridgerton novel series, is the first project from Grey’s Anatomy veteran Shonda Rhimes after she signed a nine-figure deal ($100M-plus) with Netlix.
Fortnite has a new set of challenges to complete for Week 8 of Season 5. All three will send you to unnamed locations on the map, including Sunflower’s Farm, Steel Farm, and The Orchard Farmers Market. Luckily, we’ve located them and can help make your life easier. If you’re having trouble finding any of the locations or completing the tasks involved in the challenges, consult our guides below.
This mission asks you to deliver a truck to Sunflower’s Farm.
Sunflower’s Farm location
Sunflower’s Farm is located right next to The Orchard’s Farmers Market, north of the Colossal Coliseum. You’ll find one NPC, an apple orchard, a few farmhouses, and some cabbage fields there. Here’s a map with the exact location:
Where to find Sunflower’s Farm in Fortnite.
There is usually a truck on the edge of Sunflower’s Farm. You can take that one, one that spawns in front of the Orchard’s Farmers Market, or one from a nearby road and drive it through the farm to complete the challenge. All you need to do is have the truck enter Sunflower’s Farm and you’ll earn experience points.
Sunflower’s Farm in Fortnite.
Challenge rewards
Completing this epic quest will net you 20,000 experience points. It could come in different “stages” like other weekly challenges this season, so it may not be available until you complete other challenges.
Where to destroy apple and tomato produce boxes at The Orchard Farmers Market
This mission asks you to destroy apple and tomato produce boxes at The Orchard Farmers Market.
The Orchard Farmers Market location
The Orchard Farmers Market is located north of the Colossal Coliseum, just outside the desert-covered center of the map. Here’s a map with the exact location marked:
Where to find The Orchard Farmers Market in Fortnite.
The market is right on the edge of the sand, across the way from the pizza restaurant. You’ll see wooden counters and fruit lining the outside of the building there. That’s where you need to go. There are produce boxes full of corn, bananas, apples, and tomatoes both inside and outside the building there. Destroy three boxes of either apples, tomatoes, or a mix of both to complete the challenge.
Destroying produce boxes at The Orchard Farmers Market in Fortnite.
Challenge rewards
You’ll get 20,000 experience points for completing this challenge.
Where to drive a car through the corn field at Steel Farm
This challenge asks you to drive a car through the corn field at Steel Farm. It’s fairly close to the previous location, so it makes sense to head straight there after completing the challenge.
Steel Farm location
Steel Farm is located on a small island near Colossal Colosseum. It’s got a single farm house, two corn fields, and one NPC wandering around. Here’s a map with the specific location marked with a red circle:
Where to find Steel Farm in Fortnite.
You’ll need to find a car in order to drive through a corn field and complete the challenge. There is usually a truck at Steel Farm, but if one didn’t spawn there you should be able to find one across the river at a campsite directly to the east of the farm. There is also a gas station with cars directly to the south. Cars will also spawn on their own on the road.
Challenge rewards
Completing this epic quest will net you 20,000 experience points.
Epic Games added special Predator challenges alongside the weekly quests this time. You’ll need to head to Stealthy Stronghold and kill the Predator in order to unlock a special skin, then find Predator’s apartment while wearing the skin for another reward.
If you recently purchased a Nintendo Switch, you may be looking for a few accessories. There are plenty of accessory bundles out there that feature must-have products such as carrying cases and screen protectors, but no bundle is as jam-packed as the one offered by Orzly. The third-party accessory manufacturer has a bundle dubbed the “Orzly Geek Pack” that comes with 12 different accessories. It’s normally priced at a reasonable $70, but right now you can snag it for only $46.74 at Amazon, which makes it a ridiculously good bargain.
The deal is only available for the jet black color scheme. A red/blue scheme is also offered, but it’s currently priced at $63.74. The bundle is eligible for free Amazon Prime shipping (one- or two-day, depending on your location).
Here’s a full list of the accessories that come in the Orzly Geek Pack:
Carrying case with eight-game card insert and mesh pocket for storing small accessories and extra Joy-Con controllers
Two tempered glass screen protectors
Nintendo Switch grip case, which makes playing the console in handheld mode more comfortable for those with larger hands
Joy-Con and Pro controller charge station
Playstand for using the Switch in tabletop mode
Cartridge case
Two Joy-Con grips, which add comfort for multiplayer titles played with single Joy-Con controller schemes
Two Joy-Con racing wheels
USB-C cable
Earbuds
Thumbstick grips
Stylus
Orzly sells most of these products separately as well, but you’re saving a ton of money by purchasing them as a bundle. For instance, just the carrying case, grip, and screen protectors would cost you roughly $50 if you picked them all up individually.
If the bundle doesn’t interest you, make sure to check out our roundup of the best Nintendo Switch accessories for more ideas. Looking for a new controller to play some multiplayer games with the family? Take a peek at our list of the best Nintendo Switch controllers.
