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Volkswagen’s 2021 GTI adds a hybrid powertrain and tech-filled interior

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The bad news, as Autoblog notes, is that a plug-in hybrid GTE version (and diesel-powered GTD edition) will only be available in Europe. Specs reveal the GTE pairs a 150hp 1.4-liter turbocharged engine with an 85Kw electric motor and lithium-ion battery. Operating together, they’re rated for the same 245HP as the gas GTI and can manage up to 37 miles of range in all-electric mode.

Naturally, the styling and suspension are updated for these hot hatch models, and now the active damping setting allows drivers to set and store their personal preferences via a digital slider. There’s no word yet on pricing, but we expect to see these on sale later this year.

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Google Earth finally works on Firefox, Edge and Opera browsers

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Earth was originally built using the Chrome-only Native Client solution, so to get the product to other browsers, Google had to switch gears. The search giant decided to rebuild Earth by compiling the C++ code using WebAssembly, a new binary, Java-like language that works across all web browsers. WebAssembly was only recently recommended (on December 5th, 2020) by the World Wide Web consortium as the fourth native browser language after HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

While Google Earth does run on those other browsers, Google said that it still needs “polishing,” so you will probably still get the best experience on Chrome. It also plans to bring Google Earth to Apple’s Safari browser in the future.

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Classic ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’ episodes return in podcast form

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Oprah Winfrey Network president Tina Perry said in a statement:

“As we head into a new decade, it’s a great time for fans of The Oprah Winfrey Show to revisit the joy, laughter and inspiration that kept us all tuning in daily for 25 years. The Oprah Winfrey Show The Podcast is the perfect opportunity to look back and reflect, take stock of how we’ve grown and to be reminded that we’re all in this together.”

OWN will begin by releasing 10 of the show’s most-watched episodes on March 3rd. People didn’t delve into specifics other than saying that those first episodes tackle race relations, drug addiction, divorce and weight loss. They also feature Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil and Suze Orman as guests. After that initial rollout, one new episode will be released per week, so it’ll take a while before you can binge on non-stop Oprah for days on end.

You can listen to the show on Apple Podcast on March 3rd, but it will apparently be available on other platforms, as well.

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‘Predator: Hunting Grounds’ multiplayer trial kicks off March 27th

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The basic premise will be familiar if you’ve played other asymmetric titles. You can either join a human fireteam and work together to survive while accomplishing objectives, or play by yourself as a Predator hunting the group with an incredible arsenal at your disposal. The allure is that movie connection — you can feel all-powerful wielding the Predator’s cloaking device, or take delight in catching the alien hunter off-guard.

Whether or not it succeeds at this isn’t certain. There are hits in the genre like Dead by Daylight, but there are also high-profile failures like Evolve. Hunting Grounds has an advantage through its name, but history suggests it’ll ultimately have to rely on strong gameplay if it’s going to thrive.

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New ‘Shovel Knight’ spinoff is a Tetris-like puzzle game

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Yacht Club says Pocket Dungeon will have a dungeon-crawling twist, allowing you to control a hero within the puzzle and featuring monsters from the Shovel Knight universe. In addition to grouping identical foes together for chain attacks, your hero can also bump into enemies to trade damage and grab keys, power-ups and potions that fall from the top of the screen.

The game has several modes to choose from, including a story mode and a versus mode, so you can play against friends if you want. Unfortunately, the developers didn’t say when the game will be available and what platform it’s for. The word “pocket” (as VentureBeat notes) implies it’s for mobile devices, though — and besides, its gameplay is perfect for smaller screens.

You can watch a preview of Pocket Dungeon below:

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Clarence Thomas laments ruling that let FCC kill net neutrality

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Of course, stating a change of opinion doesn’t negate the ruling by itself. There would need to be another case that reversed Brand X, and the chances of that happening aren’t terribly high. Mozilla still has the option of appealing to the Supreme Court after it lost its bid to overturn Pai’s net neutrality repeal, but that doesn’t mean other justices will see things his way. Thomas might face an uphill battle rallying support in a court that’s primarily aligned with the current White House. That’s also assuming he would be consistent when called to act — another case could produce different results.

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Google Translate adds languages for the first time in four years

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Translate also supports virtual keyboard input for Kinyarwanda, Tatar and Uyghur.

This brings Google’s language count to 108. That’s still a fraction of the languages on the planet (Ethnologue says there’s about 7,117 spoken languages), but the additions cover some of the top 100 languages. There’s a real chance these translation features will find use, whether it’s for travel or research.

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The creator of the Konami Code has died

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Konami confirmed the death on Wednesday, saying on Twitter, “We are saddened to hear about the passing of Kazuhisa Hashimoto, a deeply talented producer who first introduced the world to the ‘Konami Code.'”

While it’s most closely associated with Contra and the NES, the first game in which the Konami Code appeared in was 1985’s Gradius. The story goes that Hashimoto, who had to port the arcade title to the NES, added it so that he could properly playtest the notoriously difficult game. However, he forgot to remove the code, and it made its way into the final game that shipped to consumers. But it’s thanks to Contra so many people in North America have fond memories of the cheat. By entering the Konami Code, you got 30 lives, which made the tough-as-nails title manageable. Since then, it’s made its way into countless other games and, more broadly, into popular culture.

If you want to pay respects to Hashimoto by entering the Konami code into a game, Wikipedia has a list of all the places where it’s made an appearance.



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Pope Francis wants you to give up being a jerk online for Lent

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Back in the day when Pope Francis himself was a child, his family didn’t have a television, but they would make it a point not to listen to the radio. Keeping the chatter to a minimum can better help the faithful connect with and hear the word of God, he said. The internet makes this difficult, he added, as it amplifies the “offensive and harmful words” people throw around, creating an environment that is “polluted by too much verbal violence.”

If you find yourself furiously typing angry comments into YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit or whatever your preferred platform to spew is, consider taking a moment to pause. For those practicing the Catholic faith, Lent is a period of abstinence, fasting, repentance and reflection, and it is common to give up something for the 40-day season. Typical sacrifices include excessive spending, unhealthy foods or bad habits, but holding your tongue, or in this case, fingers, could be a good option.

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Apple will open its first India retail store in 2021

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Apple has been manufacturing iPhones in India for a while, but sales have had to go through third-party stores. The country paved the way for Apple’s arrival with a 2018 decision that let foreign single-brand retailers like Apple operate stores without getting special permission.

The company hasn’t been a strong seller in India, in part due to high prices that are frequently out of reach. The market is dominated by phone makers with lower-cost hardware like Xiaomi and Samsung. However, it’s too big a target to ignore. India is now the second-largest smartphone market, eclipsing the US, and scoring even a small fraction of that audience could do a lot for Apple’s bottom line. Official stores might help to that end by both making it easier to buy Apple gear and giving the company a higher profile.

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