Ubisoft kicked off its weird and wild all-remote E3 on Saturday afternoon with a stage-free version of its annual parade of reveals.
The French publisher laid out a tantalizing lineup that includes a bevy of new games as well as an assortment of additions to older ones. The presentation covered an awful lot of ground, so let’s get right into it.
Rainbow Six: Extraction debuts
The next iteration of Ubi’s esports favorite, Rainbow Six: Siege, is taking things in a decidedly different direction. First announced in 2019 (and now sporting a new title, since the original Rainbow Six Quarantine hits differently in 2021), Extraction skips competitive players-versus-player action in favor of a cooperative experience. Read more…
It’s OK if you forgot there was already an Avatar game released in 2009. James Cameron and Ubisoft would probably prefer it that way, honestly. But it did happen, and it wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms. The filmmaker and French publisher are teamed up again for another crack at the idea, in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
Ubisoft delivered a first look at the 2022 game to cap off its E3 2021 press conference. The purely cinematic look doesn’t offer a sense of the gameplay, but Cameron’s alien landscape along with the wide-open trailer at least suggests that Frontiers will offer some kind of riff on the publisher’s more recent takes on vast and lengthy “open world” games (think Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla). Read more…
In May 2021, the internet exploded when the Daily Mail published a photo of actors Tessa Thompson and Rita Ora in an alleged three-way kiss with filmmaker Taika Waititi.
Rumors flew that Ora and Waititi, who were already going out, were actually in an open relationship. Twitter was abuzz, even going so far as to assume the three of them were in a polyamorous situation. Others just wanted to get in on the threesome.
We don’t know the true story behind the photos, but one thing is for certain: Threesomes are hot this summer.
As more Americans get vaccinated, the dating pool is opening up and what singles are looking for is coming into focus. In a lot of cases, they’re looking for more than one person. Read more…
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It’s been a long month of bidding, but Jeff Bezos is officially going to have more company than just his brother during the Amazon founder’s upcoming inaugural trip into outer space.
Blue Origin’s extended auction for an open seat aboard the July 20 launch of New Shepard closed on Saturday. The winning bidder isn’t yet known — their identity will be revealed in the coming weeks — but the final price for that ticket landed at $28 million.
All proceeds collected from the auction will go to Club for the Future, a Blue Origin-owned and operated nonprofit “whose mission is to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM and to help invent the future of life in space.” Read more…
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The self-help author and Christian influencer is creeping back onto social media after her latest controversy in April. Hollis compared herself to Harriet Tubman and other world-changing women of color by saying they’re “unrelatable” like her — when: 1. She is certainly not like any of those women and 2. Her entire Brand™ was built on being relatable.
In addition to returning to Instagram with photos of dandelions and sidewalk chalk, Hollis also quietly dropped a YouTube video this week that raised alarm bells to those familiar with her work. The video contains a seemingly innocuous story about Hollis’s first kiss since her divorce: Read more…
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Hubble’s latest look into deep space is a real dazzler.
Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Riess et
Say hello to NGC 4680. This distant galaxy — it’s more than 350 light-years away from Earth — is captured in beautiful detail and color by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3. NASA shared the freshly created image on Friday, highlighting the “neighboring” galaxies visible in the image (one on the right side of the frame and one at the bottom).
Let’s not let those other galaxies steal the show, though. NGC 4680 is an interesting one because of how difficult it is to classify. It looks a bit like a spiral galaxy, and it may have more confidently been one long ago, but as the description points out, it’s often referred to as a lenticular galaxy. Read more…
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Not all speakers are made the same, just like all listeners aren’t the same. Some people are content with something cheap for their audio — as long as they can hear it, it’s a success. And that’s completely fine! You’re not like that though, you’re what they call an “audiophile.” In other words, what comes out of your speakers needs to sound amazing, and if it’s not, the whole thing is a bust. While that is also completely fine, shopping for a new speaker is going to be significantly more work for someone like yourself; there’s going to be a lot more research and paying attention to the nitty-gritty details involved. Read more…
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IMAGE: Amazon
BEST FOR 360 AUDIO
Sony SRS-RA5000
The Sony SRS-RA5000, with its room-filling 360 Reality Audio and balanced set of drivers, is one of the best ambient experiences you can have with a Bluetooth speaker right now.
$698 from Amazon
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST FLOORSTANDING SPEAKER
Polk Audio Signature Series S60
If you have a lot of space, fill it with well-rounded sound from Polk Audio’s S60 floorstanding speakers.
$449 from Amazon
IMAGE: Klipsch
BEST BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS
Klipsch Reference R-51M
This set of speakers strikes a great balance between size and sound quality, all for a relatively affordable price.
$289 from Klipsch
IMAGE: Sonos
BEST PORTABLE SPEAKER
Sonos Move
Take your tunes on the go without compromising on how they sound.
$399.99 from Sonos
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BEST POWERED SPEAKERS
Elac Navis ARB-51
These active speakers are easier to set up and use compared to passive ones (although they don’t sound as good as the Klipsch), so if you’re looking for a more convenient option, check out the Elac Navis ARB-51.
$2,300 from Amazon
IMAGE: Sonos
BEST DOLBY ATMOS SPEAKER
Sonos Arc
Fully immersive Dolby Atmos sound in a sleek speaker — it doesn’t get any better for your mini home theater setup.
$799 from Sonos
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BEST COMPUTER SPEAKERS
Logitech Z407
If your built-in computer speakers aren’t cutting it anymore, the Logitech Z407 is a great option (and it won’t break the bank).
Hulu has come a long way since its initial launch in 2007 and is now one of the premier streaming services. Its current lineup of movies is impressive, including the 2020 Academy Award Best Picture winner Parasite, but let’s not forget that the service also has Emmy and Golden Globe–winning original television shows and a massive library of content from networks.
Now that the service’s interface has been updated to make it easier to use, here are some of the best original and non-original shows on Hulu — without needing to buy any of its add-on services like Hulu with Showtime, Hulu with HBO, or Hulu with Starz. Read more…
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There are literally thousands of different headphones, earphones, and earbuds out there to choose from. All have the same idea at heart — to provide you with audio without having to play it out loud for everyone to hear. But some achieve this result so much better than others.
Sure, you could just hit up Amazon and buy the cheapest pair (especially during Prime Day), but that’s not always a great idea. You’re going to want to get the best pair for you, and that means you’ll have to think about how you plan on using them after you buy them. Are you planning on listening at home? Taking them on your commute? Do you want to avoid lousy battery life? Go completely wireless? Read more…
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OUR TOP PICK
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
One of Bose’s best creations yet, the second generation Quiet Comfort 35s offer a classy look and optimal noise cancellation.
Battery life: 20 hours
Colors: Black, silver
Bluetooth range: 30 feet
$349 from Amazon
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST FOR THE TRULY WIRELESS EXPERIENCE
Bose SoundSport Free
These glorious little guys from Bose are basically guaranteed to stay in your ear, but if you lose one, there’s an app for that.
Battery life: 5 hours
Colors: Triple black, midnight blue, orange
Bluetooth range: 30 feet
$299 from Amazon
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BEST FOR SOUND QUALITY
AKG N60NC Headphone
The sound performance on these bad boys gives Bose a run for their money, and they’re significantly cheaper.
Battery life: 15-30 hours
Colors: Black
Bluetooth range: Wired
$175.85 from Amazon
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BEST FOR CUSTOMIZATION
Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Headphones
Picky audiophiles will adore the customizable modes while frequent flyers will love the seamless connection, even in the air.
Battery life: 20-30 hours
Colors: Black
Bluetooth range: 50 feet
$349.95 from Amazon
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BEST LIGHTWEIGHT BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES
Plantronics BackBeat Fit 500
They’re not the slickest choice, but if you’re tired of headphones feeling heavy, these are your guys.
Battery life: 18 hours
Colors: Black, teal
Bluetooth range: 33 feet
$39.99 from Amazon
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BEST FOR WORKING OUT
JLab Epic Air Earbuds
Gym goers and runners know the pain that is earbuds constantly falling out — these puppies will stay in while delivering exceptional volume.
Battery life: 7 hours
Colors: Black
Bluetooth range: 30 feet
$99 from Amazon
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BEST BUDGET HEADPHONES
Skullcandy Jib Wireless Earbuds
They definitely get the job done, but the lack of tweakable features shows that you get what you pay for.
Read more…
