CES is raging right now, and though the event is virtual this year, it’s bringing a wide variety of new product announcements from big tech companies. Now, Western Digital has revealed a fresh line of portable solid-state drives, and they’re bigger than ever before, though they’ve got a price tag to match.
WD’s new portable SSDs will now max out at 4 TB, which is double the size of the previous max for flash-memory based SSDs. If you aren’t familiar, solid-state drives are smaller and faster than traditional hard drives, though they typically cost more for the same amount of space. The 4 TB portable SSD will start at $700 for the 1050 megabyte per second read speed, while the faster 2000 megabyte per second model will cost $900. No word yet on international pricing.
If you’re planning on using these drives on your Xbox Series X / Series S or PS5, they should work, though they don’t match the Xbox’s dedicated Velocity Architecture expansion port. WD has yet to make a drive that uses that architecture, and only the Seagate Expansion Card uses it, and it’s around $220 for 1 TB.
Microsoft’s Xbox cloud gaming service (Project xCloud) officially launched last September, allowing you to play Xbox games on the go using an Android phone or tablet. Now, Otterbox has unveiled a new line of mobile gaming accessories aimed at keeping your phone and controller damage-free. Announced during CES 2021, the new Otterbox mobile gaming line features an Xbox controller shell, a carrying case, a mobile gaming clip, and more. As you’ll see, the new products aren’t exactly cheap, but their prices are in line with what Otterbox usually sells its cases, screen protectors, and other accessories for–you’re paying for top-notch durability here.
The following mobile accessories release in mid-February, and preorders will open on January 25.
Easy Grip Controller Shell | $40
Otterbox Easy Grip Controller Shell
While there are many controllers that work well for Xbox cloud gaming, the best mobile controller to use is the official Xbox wireless controller, which xCloud’s games are designed for. The new Otterbox Easy Grip Controller Shell offers durable protection for the Xbox wireless controller, protecting it against any drops or scrapes. The most appealing feature is the grip pads on the side of the shell, which help you maintain a comfortable grip while gaming.
Of course, any Xbox gamer could use this shell, even if you’re sitting at home playing on Xbox Series X|S. The shell would also make the new Xbox wireless controller, which is a tad smaller than the old model, a little bigger, a nice perk for those with large hands. The Easy Grip Controller Shell will be available in three different colors: black, black/gray, and purple.
Easy Grip Gaming Case | $55
Otterbox Easy Grip Gaming Case
Otterbox is known primarily for its sturdy phone cases, so it makes sense that the new mobile gaming line includes a phone case designed for gamers. The Easy Grip Gaming Case is notable for its anti-slip design that expels heat, keeping your hands cool and comfortable. As of right now, it’s compatible with iPhone 12/12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 12 Mini, 11, 11 Pro Max, and SE (2nd gen)/7/8, with Android compatibility coming soon. Note that xCloud is currently only available on Android phones, with iOS functionality coming sometime this spring.
Mobile Gaming Clip | $30
Otterbox Mobile Gaming Clip
If you play games with xCloud, you’re most likely going to want a mobile gaming clip, which attaches to your controller and holds your phone in place. The Otterbox mobile gaming clip is designed for the Xbox wireless controller and grips it securely for hours of gaming. The angle can easily be adjusted with one hand while you play, and when you need to store your setup, the clip collapses flat to your controller for easy transport.
Gaming Carry Case | $45
Otterbox Gaming Carry Case
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Probably the niftiest new product in the line, the Otterbox Gaming Carry Case isn’t your average travel case–it’s designed with xCloud users in mind. Not only does it offer durable protection and room to fit both your controller and mobile clip; it also has a screen stand for your phone with several different angles available. There’s also a slot for a charging cable to pass through and connect to a portable power bank while you game.
Gaming Glass Privacy Guard | $50
Otterbox Gaming Glass Privacy Guard
If you’ve ever been on a plane or train and felt that uncomfortable feeling of someone looking over your shoulder at your phone, you’ll get why Otterbox is offering the Gaming Glass Privacy Guard as part of its mobile gaming line. The privacy guard is a screen protector that blocks the view of anyone looking at your screen from the side without obstructing any clarity on your end. Of course, you’ll still get the perk of it protecting your screen from any scratches and resisting shatter as well.
Identical twins don’t always have identical DNA, according to a new study.
Identical twins differ by 5.2 genetic changes on average, according to a new January 7 report in Nature Genetics, as reported by Science News. This study goes contrary to the belief that identical twins are identical in genetics, which was often the basis for the idea that differences in health between twins is a result of their environment. This new study shows that genetics might have more to do with that than previously believed.
“Imagine you have identical twins who are reared apart,” DeCode Genetics CEO and founder, and study co-author, Kari Stefansson, told CNN. “If one of them developed autism, the classic interpretation is that it is down to environmental factors. But our work shows that before you conclude that it’s caused by the environment, you have to sequence the genome of the twins to know what could account for the autism.”
Stefansson said this “mutation divergence” could be the cause of “devastating childhood illnesses” such as epilepsy and metabolic disorders. She also said a large percentage of “such horrific syndromes of very early childhood are down to genome mutations.”
Identical twins, which are also known as monozygotic twins because they come from a single fertilized egg as noted by Science News, are often studied to determine the origin of specific traits, diseases, or conditions, be it the result of genetics or the result of their environment. This study in particular looked at 381 pairs of identical twins and determined that 38 of the pairs had identical genetics, but that most pairs had some differences in DNA that arose very early in their development.
Thirty nine of the pairs had over 100 changes between the twins and the study suggests that these DNA differences occur when the embryo splits to form two in early development or shortly after the embryo splits. It suggests that this embryo split isn’t as clean or neat as previously thought, which results in the DNA changes seen.
Some twins arise when a single cell or small group of cells split off of the embryo, Science News notes, and it’s the number of cells that a twin originates from that can determine the genetic differences between it and its other twin. The more uneven splits of the embryo that occur, the larger the number of genetic differences between twins.
“This is an extraordinary, exciting, and insightful effort to pinpoint early cellular mechanisms that explain genetic differences between MZ (monozygotic) twins,” California State University, Fullerton, psychology professor, Nancy Segal, told CNN. “It is well known that MZ co-twins do not show perfect resemblance and that some dissimilarities may reflect genetic differences. The present study offers new information as to the source of the MZ co-twin differences.”
Although a team-up Avengers film isn’t in the cards for Marvel’s Phase 4, Marvel Studios President says that there will eventually be another Avengers film that will bring the MCU’s heroes together on another mission.
IGN spoke with Feige during the WandaVision press junket and asked the MCU boss if we’ll ever see another Avengers film following the events of Avengers: Endgame which shook up the status of the MCU considerably.
“I would have to think so. I would have to say yes, at some point,” Feige answered. He also jokes, “It’s a good title. Could use that.”
Marvel’s Phase 4 is looking incredibly stacked. Starting with Black Widow, there are 11 films slated to be a part of Phase 4, not to mention several TV series premiering on Disney+ that will intersect with the MCU.
“We had a movie this year called Avengers: Endgame, and it is very much an ending, as you saw, to so many of those characters,” he said. “So Phase 4 is about beginnings, and Phase 4 is about learning new things about characters you already think you know, like Black Widow; meeting incredible new characters like The Eternals and Shang-Chi[.]”
This makes sense given that in Phase 4 alone, the MCU will introduce new heroes like Shang-Chi, the Eternals, Fantastic Four; and from the TV side Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and Ironheart.
The crop of young heroes suggests that Marvel has the pieces to put together a Young Avengers, or an obviously new version of the Avengers with different heroes.
For more from IGN’s interview with Feige, check out details about the upcoming She-Hulk series on Disney+. Feige also revealed separately that Deadpool 3 will be in the MCU with an R-rating. Marvel’s WandaVision premieres on January 15 on Disney+ with two episodes to start.
Cyberpunk 2077‘s launch has been anything but smooth, and now Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has begun investigating its developer, CD Projekt Red. As reported by Polish business newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, the consumer protection office will monitor the company’s progress on upcoming patches that are meant to improve Cyberpunk 2077 on console after its rocky start.
“We are asking the company for explanation regarding problems with the game and actions taken by them,” the office said, as translated by IGN. “We will check how the developer is working on patches or solving issues preventing playing on various consoles, but also what steps [the company] is planning to take regarding people [who requested refunds] and are not happy with their purchase because they can’t play the game on owned hardware, despite assurances by the producer.”
According to the report, the investigating office will give CDPR time to offer an explanation. After that, it’s reported that CDPR could be fined up to 10% of income for the latest financial year. The report also said, via IGN, that the office could request CDPR to offer “digital bonuses” to those who bought Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4/Xbox One as a means of recompense.
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the studio ever since Cyberpunk 2077 launched to mixed reviews and reception. The game is all but unplayable on last-gen consoles, it was taken off the PlayStation Store as irate consumers demanded refunds, and talk of a court case from disgruntled investors is also looming over the studio as investors feel that they’ve been misled about the state of Cyberpunk 2077 before it launched.
In spite of all the negativity for the current state of Cyberpunk 2077, it has proven to be profitable for CD Projekt Red and an announcement for free DLC may be revealed soon.
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LG took to the virtual stage during CES 2021 to unveil a swath of new products, including gaming monitors and OLED TVs. Tucked into the end of the company’s approximately 30-minute livestream was an official albeit brief look at the LG Rollable phone.
“Brief” is an understatement. LG wrapped up its CES 2021 presentation with someone holding a phone with a screen that slowly collapses on itself. Once the movement is done, the device’s display cuts to black and the text “More to Explore” pops up above the phone’s name–LG Rollable–in white. This all occurs in a 10-second sequence before the broadcast ends.
According to GameSpot sister site CNET, the LG Rollable is slated to launch this year. However, LG hasn’t outlined a price point or announced a release date for the phone yet.
The LG Rollable looks like every other smartphone: rectangular and flat. However, there’s one key difference that sets the LG Rollable apart: Like the company’s LG Rollable TVs, the phone has a screen that expands and collapses, extending the display area by elongating the screen.
While this is the first official look at the device, it isn’t the first tease of it. The company had shared a short clip of the phone from a side view expanding out and sliding back into itself in September 2020. Very little information about the device was known then, and the same is true now. However, it seems LG plans to reveal more about the Rollable phone later this year.
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez delivered a blood soaked film with a horrifying twist.
In 1997, filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez collaborated on From Dusk Til Dawn, a horror action movie giddy on its own excess. Tarantino wrote the screenplay and co-starred; Rodriguez directed it. Both men were at their creative peaks–Tarantino coming off the success of Pulp Fiction (1994), Rodriguez coming off the success of Desperado (1995).
In the years since, Tarantino and Rodriguez have collaborated several times: Kill Bill Vol. 2, Four Rooms, Sin City, and the 2007 double feature Grindhouse. From Dusk Til Dawn remains the best output of that partnership. It combines both of their strengths: Tarantino’s trademark dialogue, and Rodriguez’s action-oriented camera work, which emphasizes every gunshot and vampire bite to perfection.
Here are 31 Easter eggs and details you may have missed in From Dusk Til Dawn. Several of these entries were from the DVD commentary track, featuring both Rodriguez and Tarantino. And if you liked this gallery, you might also like our Easter Egg Roundups for Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, Kill Bill Vol. 1, and Kill Bill Vol. 2.
LG has announced the next series of Gram laptops at CES. There will be five new models that feature a new design and some internal upgrades. The Gram 14, 16, and 17 are clamshell models, while the Gram 2-in-1 14 and 16 are convertibles.
“Synonymous with unprecedented portability and first-class performance, the LG Gram brand continues to raise the bar for the ultra-lightweight and slim laptop market,” LG senior vice president Jang Ik-hwan said in a statement. “With sleeker, more refined designs and 16:10 aspect ratio displays while maintaining their light weight, our latest LG Gram lineup gives consumers the ability to enjoy better productivity and more immersive viewing experiences wherever they go.”
While changes are coming, the features Gram laptops are known for are sticking around. They’re called Grams because they’re notoriously lightweight, and the new models follow suit; the Gram 14 is 2.2 pounds, the 16 is 2.62 pounds, and the 17 is 2.98 pounds (the same weight as its predecessor).
Gram laptops are 17 inches, and the new ones will be moving forward with the 17’s 16:10 display, which offers more vertical space on the laptop than a 16:9 display. Additionally, LG has said that the new clamshell Grams have a “four-sided slim bezel design” which achieves a screen-to-body ratio of 90%. The keyboards and touchpads on these laptops have also been enlarged to help with comfort and efficiency.
Each model of the 2021 Grams will have an Intel 11th-Gen processor and can have either Iris Xe graphics or UHD graphics. All models are also certified through Intel’s Evo program, which certifies that the laptop’s battery has at least nine hours of life, can quickly wake from sleep mode, and more. LG claims users could see up to 19.5 hours of battery life from the Gram 16, 16 2-in-1, and 17, so the range of life will presumably be somewhere between nine and 19.5 hours.
Pricing and availability for the 2021 Gram models has yet to be announced.
CES 2021 is officially underway, and while the show might look different this year with its online-only setup, it’s still bringing lots of news. Technology giant Panasonic has announced a new TV set as part of the show, and it’s powered by AI that may make your life easier.
Panasonic’s flagship OLED TV for 2021 is the JZ2000, which will be available in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes. The new model is billed as having low latency and support for HDMI 2.1 variable refresh rate and high frame rate. Inside the TV is a new AI processor that can automatically detect what you’re watching or playing and select settings that is best for it.
“Perfect for audiences and gamers who prefer a frictionless experience, the JZ2000 eliminates the guesswork of finding ideal settings for a variety of content,” Panasonic said in its announcement. “It features a new AI-driven processor that automatically identifies and optimizes the content being played for ideal picture and sound so audiences always enjoy a high-quality experience without having to adjust settings manually.”
As an example, Panasonic said the new JZ2000 TV can detect, say, a football game and adjust the picture accordingly to help accentuate things like the grass on the field or how players look. The AI system will also give you a sound setting that feels like you’re in the stadium, Panasonic said.
The new set also said side- and upward-firing built-in speakers, with Dolby Atmos support, while the OLED panel itself is said to offer “significantly better peak and average brightness levels.”
“The JZ2000 is a symbol of what we at Panasonic want to achieve,” Panasonic boss Yasushi Murayama said in a statement. “Building on the superb accuracy which makes Panasonic’s TVs ideal for watching films, we are further improving the experience in other areas such as gaming too. Through the use of AI, we want our viewers enjoy the best picture and sound settings automatically. Our aim is simply to support our customers to really, truly experience their favorite contents. Whether they are into films, games, sports, or something else, we want them to enjoy heightened visual and aural experiences which leave them feeling happy and satisfied.”
For gaming specifically, the AI processor inside the TV promises to “significantly” reduce latency, which is how long it takes after pressing a button to when you see the action on the screen. The new JZ2000 TV has a “Game Mode Extreme” architecture, which delivers the following:
Low latency
Support for HDMI 2.1 variable refresh rate (VRR) and high frame rate (HFR)
A dedicated picture mode for gaming (“game mode”)
Support for HDMI Signal Power Link, which will improve the experience and ease of using Panasonic TVs with CEC non-supported devices like old Set Top Boxes or PCs
What’s more, the JZ2000 TV comes with Panasonic’s newest TV OS, My Home Screen 6.0. This includes a new “My Scenery” option that gives you a variety of photos to help you calm down after a stressful day or just enjoy a nice image in the background of your room. The OS also lets you connect two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. Panasonic said this might be useful if two people want to watch TV or a movie with Bluetooth headphones late at night and not disturb anyone else in the house. The OS also includes an updated menu and some voice controls.
Panasonic did not announce a price or a release date for the new JZ2000 TV.
Joe Barton will be stepping in as the new showrunner on HBO Max’s upcoming The Batman series, replacing Boardwalk Empire’s Terrence Winter, who quit the show back in November. It was revealed that Winter’s vision for the planned TV spin-off from Matt Reeves’ upcoming movie The Batman “did not match what Reeves and other producers had in mind.” Barton getting the gig was reported by Variety.
Barton is best known for creating the Tokyo and London crime drama Giri/Haji for Netflix. (The show’s name translates to Duty/Shame.) Previously, he has also worked on the AMC sci-fi show Humans, and the BBC drama Troy: Fall of a City. Barton had not yet provided a comment for the media.
HBO Max announced the Gotham City TV show last summer. Adapted from the comics series with the same name, the series will focus on the corrupt police department in Gotham City, which butts heads with Batman.
During DC FanDome in August, Reeves revealed the spin-off will be set a year before the movie, during Batman’s first 12 months in Gotham. “The idea is we go back to year one,” he said. “Year one is the first appearance of this masked vigilante that starts to unsettle the city, and you start to see the story through the point of view of these corrupt cops and one in particular. The story is actually a battle for his soul.”
For more, check out GameSpot’s guides to every upcoming DC movie and TV show we know about to date.
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