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Nintendo ‘gigaleak’ reveals the classic games that never were

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If you’ve ever wondered how Nintendo’s classic games evolved before they reached store shelves, you might have a good chance to find out. According to VGC, (via Eurogamer) a “gigaleak” of Nintendo art assets and source code from the mid-1990s has surfaced online, revealing prototypes of games that looked and behaved quite differently than the final products. Yoshi’s Island (above) had a different interface, music and mini games, while Super Mario Kart had no drifting. Even the once-abandoned Star Fox 2 (eventually released with the SNES Classic Edition) was going to have a human pilot at one stage.

Other tidbits include alternate artwork from Super Mario World (Bowser might have had visible legs) and “Zelda 3,” a very early engine test for what would become Mario Kart 64 and source code for Star Fox 2.

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‘For All Mankind’ season 2 teaser introduces the Space Shuttle

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Apple committed to a second season of For All Mankind before the first even premiered, and it’s finally clear how the tech giant will follow up its alternative history of spaceflight. The company has premiered a teaser trailer (via Space.com) that has Ron Moore’s Apple TV+ series leaping into the 1980s, when the Space Shuttle was NASA’s shining star. Tensions with the Soviet Union haven’t improved, though — the clip suggest that militarization of space could prove a central problem.

There’s still no debut date for the new run, although a teaser suggests you won’t be waiting too long to hear more.

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Report finds many US election officials vulnerable to phishing attacks

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This wouldn’t necessarily let intruders compromise the voting process. The Cyber Threat Alliance’s J. Michael Daniel told the WSJ that it would be “really hard to do” digital vote manipulation at a meaningful level. However, ransomware and other phishing-based campaigns could make it difficult for election administrators to do their job, and might cast doubt on the results even if the voting infrastructure is safe.

This could still be an improvement over security levels in past years. However, this still leaves many officials susceptible. Russia and other countries were reportedly trying to phish high-profile targets in 2018 — it’s difficult to rule out similar campaigns in 2020, particularly against election staff who don’t have the same resources to protect themselves. It may be a long while before email security is consistently strong.

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Major Galaxy Tab S7 leak hints at a smaller model without AMOLED

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Performance, at least, would be similar. Both Tab S7 models reportedly boast Snapdragon 865 Plus processors, optional 5G models, a minimum 6GB of RAM and 128GB or more of expandable storage. You could also expect 13MP main and 5MP ultra-wide rear cameras and very low latency S-Pens much like those rumored for the Galaxy Note 20.

Samsung may also be closer to fulfilling its dreams of turning the Galaxy Tab into a PC replacement. Both tablets might support a Wireless DeX feature that saves you from having to plug in for desktop use. If you don’t need external peripherals, the keyboard cover will supposedly have a larger trackpad and full-size keys.

Images of the tablet suggest the design won’t change. Both slates would have flat metal edges and screens that hug the bezels.

It’s not certain how much the new tablets would cost or how soon they might be available after Unpacked. The Tab S6 started at $649, but it also came with a 10.5-inch AMOLED screen. The switch to LCD could affect the pricing, although we wouldn’t count on a price drop.

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Dish subscribers lose access to local Scripps stations in channel dispute

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Two TV giants are once more at loggerheads over channel rates, and this time it might significantly hurt your access to local news. Local Scripps-owned stations in 42 markets (including New York City and San Diego) have gone dark on Dish Network after the companies failed to reach a deal on carriage rates. Scripps had been asking for higher rates, although it won’t surprise you to hear that each company is spinning the issue to portray the other side as the villain.

Scripps accused Dish of refusing to strike a “fair agreement” after five months of talks, and noting that it had “never gone dark” with a pay TV distributor until now. Dish, however, claimed that Scripps had ignored offers to extend channel access during the dispute to get “negotiation leverage,” and had turned down an offer to match the rates offered to other TV providers.

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Doritos may have spoiled the next ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ game

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While nothing has been confirmed at this stage, leaks have suggested it may take Modern Warfare’s grittiness one step further. The title will supposedly explore the Vietnam War from the perspectives of the US, South Vietnam and the Viet Cong, with excursions to other parts of the world. The game might also be the product of corporate drama, with Treyarch apparently taking over after Raven and Sledgehammer fought over the title.

Treyarch co-head Jason Blundell also left the studio after 13 years, although his March departure was late enough into development that it might not have affected the upcoming game in a major way.

Whatever game arrives, the announcement will come relatively late. Activision has historically announced Call of Duty games at or before E3 in June. With E3 cancelled, however, the publisher hasn’t had to stick to that timetable. An announcement might also be affected by the expected fall launches of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, provided the game takes advantage of them. Don’t be surprised if Activision takes its time, then, no matter how accurate this leak may be.



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After Math: Quick, throw some money at it

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Engadget

The NYT taught us all a valuable lesson on opportunity costs this week. Why spend the time and effort to develop a quality podcast in-house when you can sipky spend around $50 million to buy one of the most famous podcast production studios in the business? Let’s see how long the Times can go without gutting Serial Productions like they just did Wirecutter.

gogoel

Engadget

You know your business has Scrooge McDuck money when you can follow up a billion dollar commitment to Bay Area housing with an additional $4 million to help fund local homeless services the very next year. Though if there’s one thing Silicon Valley has proven adept at, it’s the ability to spend massive amounts of money in the pursuit of mediocre results. Looking at you, Galaxy Fold.

fb

Engadget

Folks you are not going to believe how sorry Facebook is for violating your privacy and using your information to illegally set up biometric databases back in 2015. The social media company is so ashamed of its actions so wants this lawsuit to go away that its tossing in an extra $100 million dollars on top of the $550 million settlement its already has to pay. Coincidentally, Mark Zuckerberg has personally made $30 billion since the start of the pandemic thanks to your data.

tiktoctoe

Engadget

Social media content creators are often treated much like NCAA athletes, expected to produce entertainment, not for money (which is how the rest of the economy works) but simply for “the love of the game.” That’s unacceptable so it’s great to see Tik-Tok of all social media sites doing something to fix it. The company announced last week that its forming a $200 Creators Fund to compensate its top talents.



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Amazon won’t stream any Yankees games during the 2020 season

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You’re out of luck if you were hoping to use Amazon to stream Yankees games during the shortened 2020 MLB season. Bloomberg has verified that Amazon won’t be streaming any Yankees games this season through a combination of COVID-19 and broadcast rights. With the number of games down from 162 to just 60 due to the pandemic, the New York-focused YES Network decided to retain TV rights that would have gone to broadcasters Amazon counted on for simulcasts. As the MLB recently barring teams from streaming games on regional sports networks, Amazon was shut out.

Amazon responded by saying it would “evaluate [its] plans” at the end of the season.

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AirPods Pro hit new all-time-low price of $199 at Staples

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Buy AirPods at Staples – $129

AirPods Pro are the best AirPods to get not only because they have better sound quality than Apple’s standard earbuds, but also because they fit better. Their design might be polarizing, but the included ear tips of different sizes ensure they’ll fit in your ears and create a good seal. That also makes them more comfortable and their IPX4 water-resistant design will keep them protected even if they fall out of your ears and into a puddle.

Apple’s premium earbuds also have active noise-cancellation that, thanks to the built-in H1 chip, automatically adjusts to the sounds in your environment. Whenever you need to jump into a conversation while wearing them, you can use touch controls to activate Transparency mode so you can hear what’s going on around you. The H1 chip also helps the AirPods Pro quickly and easily pair with iPhones, and switch between it and other Apple devices depending on which you’re using.

The regular AirPods also use this technology, so you’ll get the same seamless pairing-and-switching experience if you choose those instead. The $129 sale price is only $1 more than the lowest we’ve seen them, so they’re worth grabbing if you are on a budget and have yet to snag a pair of AirPods. They had decent audio quality and fit similarly to the EarPods that came with past iPhone models — if those fit well in your ears, regular AirPods likely will, too.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.



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