ACT

Creating WandaVision’s visual effects, from old-school sitcom gags to Vision’s CG face

WandaVision was an important moment for Disney. It was the company’s first attempt to expand its Marvel Cinematic Universe to its streaming service, Disney Plus, after over a decade focused on theatrical releases. And a big part of keeping that continuity was the visuals. WandaVision was a relatively strange show, with a storyline that spanned… Read more

Angry MacBook owners get class action status for butterfly keyboard suit

A judge has certified a class action suit against Apple for its fragile butterfly keyboard design. The suit covers anyone who purchased an Apple MacBook with a butterfly keyboard in seven states: California, New York, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington, and Michigan. That includes people who bought a MacBook model dating between 2015 and 2017,… Read more

DoorDash will let you order at-home COVID-19 testing kits delivered to your door

DoorDash has partnered with two US-based digital health companies, Vault Health and Everlywell, to help distribute at-home COVID-19 test kits across the country, the company announced on Monday. The partnerships will allow DoorDash customers to order the testing kits directly from the company’s app in 12 markets or, conversely, to order the kits from Vault… Read more

Facebook is working on a version of Instagram for kids under 13

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri confirms that a version of the popular photo sharing app for children under 13 is in the works, BuzzFeed News reports. The Facebook-owned company knows a lot of kids want to use Instagram, Mosseri said, but there isn’t a “detailed plan yet,” according to BuzzFeed News. “But part of the… Read more

Congress tries to get the FTC in fighting shape

On Thursday, House Judiciary Committee lawmakers held a hearing with some of the most prominent players in antitrust enforcement today. Two Federal Trade Commission leaders and two state attorneys general currently suing Facebook for violating antitrust law testified before the committee. But while lawmakers have spoken extensively about breaking up companies like Facebook and Google,… Read more

How to find out if you’re getting the third stimulus payment

It’s always nice to anticipate an influx of cash, especially if things have been a bit tight lately. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was signed into law on March 11th, 2021, includes Economic Impact Payments in the amount of $1,400 or less, depending on your reported income. In fact, as of Wednesday,… Read more

Fortnite’s experimental story is an attempt to create ‘the entertainment experience of the future’

Epic’s chief creative officer, Donald Mustard, explains the game’s bold narrative ambitions Why does Fortnite have a narrative? It’s a game where 100 players drop onto a cartoonish island, dress up as bananas or Star Wars heroes, gather up guns and other gear, and attempt to eliminate each other until only one remains. When that’s… Read more

Facebook shows off how you’ll use its neural wristbands with AR glasses

Facebook has offered a glimpse inside its plans for a new augmented reality interface, based on technology from CTRL-Labs, the startup it acquired in 2019. In a video, it shows off wristbands that use electromyography (EMG) to translate subtle neural signals into actions — like typing, swiping, or playing games like an archery simulator. The… Read more

Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera review: Illuminating home security

(Pocket-lint) – Arlo has been refining and expanding its offering over the past few years, with the Arlo Pro cameras moving to their third version and evolving into the Pro 3 Floodlight Camera, a hybrid of two areas that Arlo operates in – cameras and lighting. While most Arlo cameras now offer some sort of… Read more

Disco Elysium is coming to the PS5, along with a bunch of other indie games

Sony has been announcing new games coming to PlayStation 5 all day as part of a spotlight on indie titles. Included in that list is Disco Elysium – The Final Cut, a “definitive edition” of the game, launching on March 30th. The Final Cut includes new quests, quality of life improvements, and voice work from… Read more

Twitch makes it easier for streamers to wipe out their old videos to avoid copyright strikes

Twitch announced in an email to streamers that the site has added new tools today to help creators see where they stand with takedown requests and copyright strikes. Twitch also added tools to let streamers mass delete their recorded streams. It’s a smart move because it gives streamers better tools to play on the right… Read more

My favorite artist of 2020 was Animal Crossing’s singing dog

I never play Animal Crossing: New Horizons on mute. I love hearing the grass crunching under my character’s shoes, the cutesy language that all of the villagers speak, and, of course, the sound effects tied to all of the emotes, like the signature piano noise that plays right before you’re about to get messed up… Read more

Uber’s new minimum wage policy in the UK doesn’t meet the law, say case claimants

Yaseen Aslam and James Farrar, the two lead claimants in the successful tribunal that fought Uber for employee rights in the UK, say the company is continuing to flout the law. After it lost a final appeal with the UK’s Supreme Court in February, Uber announced yesterday it would give its 70,000 drivers minimum wage,… Read more

California bans ‘dark patterns’ that trick users into giving away their personal data

If you’ve ever struggled through a maze of online customer service to cancel a subscription or delete an account, you’ve likely encountered “dark patterns” — user interfaces that are designed to trick and frustrate users. The concept was coined in 2010 but is slowly being addressed in US legislation, with California this week announcing that… Read more

Why game developers can’t get a handle on doors

Sometimes the simplest objects are the most difficult to design The best kind of door in a video game is the one no one remembers. Sure, everyone can appreciate a big, beautiful door with great animations, says Owlchemy Labs developer Pete Galbraith. But in a video game, doors are often synonymous with a massive design… Read more