Amazon is reshuffling the deck with its God of War series. After the success of Fallout, it wants its next Prime Video gaming adaptation to live up to those lofty expectations — and it’s apparently willing to start fresh to do so. Deadline first reported on Thursday that the series showrunner and two executive producers have left the project as the streamer recalibrates “to move in a different creative direction.”
Showrunner and executive producer Rafe Judkins (Wheel of Time) and executive producers Mark Fergus and Hawk Otsby (Children of Men and Iron Man) are no longer involved with the project. Amazon and Sony reportedly praised their screenplays, which suggests the shakeup is more about wanting a fresh take than quality concerns. According to Variety, Amazon plans to hire a new showrunner and put together a new writers’ room to take another stab at a live-action Kratos.
Sony / Santa Monica Studio
The series is an adaptation of the 2018 franchise reboot that shifted the action from Greek to Norse mythology. Amazon’s description should sound familiar to anyone who played the game:
“When his beloved wife dies, Kratos sets off on a dangerous journey with his estranged son to spread her ashes from the highest peak — his wife’s final wish.[The quest] will test the bonds between father and son, and force Kratos to battle new gods and monsters for the fate of the world.”
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Amazon Studios is co-producing the series alongside Sony Pictures Television. According to Deadline, Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog is staying on as an executive producer. Also reportedly remaining are PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan, as well as Santa Monica Studio’s Yumi Yang and Vertigo’s Roy Lee.
The challenge of powering energy-intensive AI data centers is a growing concern for companies like Microsoft and Oracle who are exploring options like nuclear power, but now, researchers from the Distance University of Madrid (UDIMA) in Spain and Mision Critica-Data Center in Bogotá, Colombia have approached the energy issue differently.
Rather than focusing on powering a data center, they are exploring how these facilities can generate their own electricity by harnessing the airflow produced by cooling fans, effectively turning the waste wind into a source of renewable energy.
HVAC systems common in data centers expel warm air outdoors, creating a consistent, untapped wind resource that can be converted into electricity. In a case study of a Colombian data center, the researchers used vertical axis Tesup V7 wind turbines to capture this man-made waste wind. The turbines, installed atop chillers, were chosen because they minimized size and weight while maximizing electricity generation.
Applying the method to other industries
The amount of gross electricity produced annually by six wind turbines was 513.82MWh from artificial airflow, exceeding the energy consumption of the facility’s fans, and providing a surplus of 131.2MWh. The authors suggest this recycled energy can be used for other electrical needs within the data center or be injected into the electrical grid.
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The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, also highlighted the economic and environmental benefits. A positive cash flow is achieved by the third year, with an impressive internal rate of return of 50.69%. Environmentally, the system reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 300 metric tons annually.
The authors say this approach not only offers a sustainable energy solution but also aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, promoting clean energy and climate action. The potential for applying this method to other industries with similar airflows could significantly impact global energy consumption, they say.
“By adopting proactive policies and encouraging innovation, we can significantly reduce our environmental impact, save energy, and move towards a more sustainable world for future generations,” the report concludes.
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If you’re looking for a new robot vacuum, then you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll be listing the best deals that you can find on robot vacuums. Whether you’re looking for something cheap like the eufy RoboVac 15C, or something expensive like the iRobot Roomba S9, everything that iRobot has is available on this list.
Robot vacuums do get discounted pretty regularly, though some brands do discount their models more than other brands. So it’s important to keep that in mind. You’ll likely see more discounts from Roborock and iRobot than from Neato.
The Best Robot Vacuum Deals
Robot vacuums aren’t really anything new. They’ve actually been around for almost 30 years now. But they are really starting to catch on, and become mainstream. Just about everyone has a robot vacuum or is looking to get one. And that’s because they are coming dangerously close to replacing your upright vacuum, which is very impressive.
While most people know about iRobot, when it comes to robot vacuums. They aren’t the only name in town, and likely not the best either. So in this post of the best Robot vacuum deals, you’ll find deals from iRobot, Roborock, Neato, Shark, Eufy, Ecovacs and more. There’s definitely something for everyone here.
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Many think that the best time to get a robot vacuum is going to be during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, that is not necessarily true. As you can get great discounts all year round, you just need to know where to look. And that’s where this post comes in. We’ll be listing the best robot vacuum deals that are available, and will continue to update this post as well. So you can rest assured that you are saving money and not paying top dollar for a new robot vacuum. Which is always nice.
The sequel to the hugely successful is creeping ever closer into the light, and we got our first proper look at it during on Thursday. The Subnautica 2 reveal trailer opens by cutting between a zonked-out diver in the depths with a low-oxygen warning flashing on their helmet and a colorful Finding Nemo-esque coral biome. In the latter space, the diver tries to swim away from a large crab-like creature that emerges, but is sucked into the inky blackness. A fellow human in a submersible shows up and greets them, only for a monstrously huge being to appear.
The presence of the second person is to highlight that Subnautica 2 will feature four-player co-op, something players of the open-water survival series have long requested. “Introducing the optional co-operative experience alongside a whole new planet felt like the best opportunity to make that switch, and we’re certain that it will test your ingenuity and ability to adapt as you explore the world together,” Donya Abramo, a community manager at developer and publisher Unknown Worlds wrote on the . “But for those who prefer the eerily beautiful solitude of solo play, Subnautica 2 will still provide that familiar experience, and prove equally as challenging.”
Expect a lot more details about the game to be revealed in the coming months, including info on new and improved tools, vehicles and base building. Of course, there are a whole gaggle of creatures — big and small — in store too.
Subnautica 2 will hit early access next year. It’ll initially be available on Steam, the Epic Games Store and, via Game Pass, Xbox game preview on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now exactly 1,000 games later – because yes, today is its 1,000th birthday. Well done, Quordle! It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
What letters do today’s Quordle answers start with?
• C
• W
• H
• S
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Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1000) – the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Quordle, game #1000, are…
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So here we are with Quordle number 1,000 – and who would have guessed that would be the case when it launched in the wake of the Wordle explosion nearly three years ago? No me, anyway – I stupidly thought most of the Wordle clones and alternatives would go the way of the dinosaurs, but this one at least has endured, thanks to the patronage of the dictionary Merriam-Webster, which bought Quordle in January 2023.
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It didn’t exactly celebrate the occasion with a notable game, though. I failed to solve yesterday’s Quordle, so this was my reset – and it was an easy one, thankfully. My three set start words, STARE, DOILY and PUNCH, did almost all of the hard work for me, giving me all five letters for three-quarters of the board. All I needed to do with those was to solve an anagram: CORAL, HEIST, SOAPY, easy. That left one more, where I had four letters. But two were already green, so finding WHOSE was really not difficult.
It might have been nice if the words had been more interesting in some sense, but don’t worry about all that – just be pleased that Quordle is still going strong after all of this time.
It’s been two years since Apple launched the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which ushered in a new era for Apple with the revamped Dynamic Island and the addition of an Always-On display (AOD). In the two years since, Apple has pushed on the Pro Max range to include not only these features, but also a range of new hybrid experiences. These include the Action Button — which replaced the Mute switch — and new for the iPhone 16 series, the Camera Control button, which helps unlock some of the new and upcoming features of the camera.
Then there’s the push for AI. In the two years since Apple launched the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the AI era has descended upon us, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is one of the first iPhones built with Apple Intelligence in mind. If you’ve got an iPhone 14 Pro Max, is now the time to upgrade? Is the iPhone 16 Pro Max worth upgrading to? Let’s dive into the details.
Look at the back of these two phones at a distance and you’ll be hard-pressed to spot the differences. However, get closer and you’ll begin to realize that they’re not the same.
This is most obvious with the titanium build; the iPhone 16 Pro Max retains the titanium build launched last year, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max uses an older stainless steel body As a result, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 13 grams lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. There are also much slimmer bezels, with those around the display measuring just 1.15mm. This has enabled Apple to add a 0.2-inch larger display in a similar-size body.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
There’s a pronounced difference in the thickness as well, and if you upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, you may notice it’s a tiny bit thicker. It doesn’t make a big difference in day-to-day use, but it is noticeable when comparing the two. Alongside the frame on both devices, you’ll notice the lack of a SIM card tray: if you were annoyed by the switch to eSIM exclusively with the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Pro Max won’t fare any better in your estimation.
One of the benefits of the Apple ecosystem has been the wide range of accessories, and their compatibility with future versions of the iPhone. The iPhone 14 Pro Max uses the Lightning connector, and any accessories you have for your phone won’t work with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This is because it uses the USB-C standard, which all iPhones since the iPhone 15 series have used.
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends
On the sides of the phones are where you’ll also notice some big differences. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has the Camera Control button, which was launched this year, and the Action Button that debuted last year with the iPhone 15. The former is hit-and-miss, but the latter transforms a simple mute switch into an easy way to open apps, run shortcuts, or quickly launch the flashlight or camera. Of course, it can also still function as a Mute switch.
These two phones look and feel very similar, and that’s because the iPhone experience is largely the same. However, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has enough changes — the Action Button, Camera Control button, the titanium build, and the USB-C port — to make the upgrade worthwhile.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is powered by the A16 Bionic processor, which is built on TSMC’s 4nm process, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max runs the latest A18 Pro chipset, built on the second-generation 3nm process. These may seem like just numbers, but they make a difference in two key areas: gaming and AI.
Across many benchmarks, the A18 Pro chipset regularly achieves a 20% advantage over the A16 Bionic chipset. If you’re a gamer, you’ll find the upgrade worthwhile as the iPhone 16 Pro Max can run AAA games like Assassin’s Creed and Resident Evil 4. Apple stepped up the gaming performance with last year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max — powered by the first Pro chipset for the iPhone — and the iPhone 16 Pro Max continues this trend.
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Joe Maring / Digital Trends
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a smaller battery than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and you can expect battery life to be improved with the newer phone. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was a step back from the 14 Pro Max, and it remains to be seen how the iPhone 16 Pro Max battery develops over time. Based on limited testing so far, you can expect around two hours of extra battery life.
Despite the change from Lightning to USB-C, both batteries charge at similar speeds, requiring around an hour and a half to charge to full when plugged in. However, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is much faster at charging wirelessly and supports the latest MagSafe and Qi2 charging standards.
This is a much closer battle, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max is more future-proofed than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The A18 Pro chipset enables the AI-powered future of the iPhone, and the A16 Bionic can’t keep up. It’s also already missing out on Apple Intelligence.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know Apple has unveiled its take on AI. Dubbed Apple Intelligence — see what they did with the initials? — it’s the future of the Apple ecosystem, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max won’t get it. If you want AI on your iPhone, you’ll need to upgrade.
Do you need Apple Intelligence? While some of the generative features will likely lose their appeal quickly, many of the personal features have practical uses at work or home. In particular, AI-powered summaries of Notes, Emails, webpages, group chats, and notifications from any app will make it easier to read, digest, and react to anything that happens in your daily life.
Then there are Writing Tools to help improve your writing, summarize information, and make you appear more professional or personable in your tone. If you struggle with written communication, Apple Intelligence — and therefore the iPhone 16 Pro Max — could prove a worthwhile upgrade.
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Notification Summaries in Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16 series.Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
The rest of the iOS 18 feature set is available on both devices, so you won’t notice a marked difference with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, except for Apple Intelligence. That means you’ll still get the same home screen customization and theming, reactions and tapbacks in iMessage, a customizable control center, and much more. These are just some of the top reasons to update to iOS 18.
Apple has committed to a minimum of five years of updates for both phones, meaning the iPhone 14 Pro Max will be supported until at least 2027, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max till at least 2029. The latter launches on iOS 18, while you can update the iPhone 14 Pro Max to the newest OS right now.
Newer is usually better, and in this case, the ability to run AI makes the iPhone 16 Pro Max a worthwhile upgrade.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max camera is similar to that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, except for improvements in three areas: the addition of the Camera Control button, a larger 5x zoom, and a better Ultrawide camera. Collectively, these enable a range of improved camera experiences for the iPhone.
Both phones feature a 48MP main camera, although the iPhone 16 Pro Max uses a Fusion camera that uses pixel binning to capture 24MP high-resolution images and a sensor crop to enable a 2x cropped-zoom. The ultrawide camera has also been improved from 12MP on the iPhone 14 Pro Max to 48MP on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The latter has a smaller pixel size at 0.7 micrometers (versus 1.4µm), but the higher resolution and better light capture should mean slightly improved overall ultrawide photos.
The biggest difference in the camera is in the third lens. The iPhone 14 Pro Max features a 12MP telephoto camera that offers 3x optical zoom, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max uses the same periscope camera with 5x optical zoom that launched on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Functionally, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has strong zoom capability throughout the 1x to 5x zoom ranges, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max is more limited above 3x.
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If you switch to the iPhone 16 Pro Max from the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you may find the Camera Control button perplexing. It’s a physical button with a capacitive sensor underneath that allows you to swipe, press, or use gestures to control different aspects of the camera, such as the zoom, camera mode, and pro controls. It’s not the most intuitive, but it’s a unique camera experience considering only Sony also puts a camera shutter button on its phones.
This is another fairly close category. While the improvements in the iPhone 16 Pro Max aren’t extensive, they do improve the overall camera experience. In particular, the periscope lens on the iPhone 16 Pro Max is significantly better as it also uses 3D sensor-shift OIS for improved stabilization when taking photos and videos.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max share one common trait: at launch, they were the most expensive iPhone you could buy. The iPhone 14 Pro Max launched at $1,099 for 128GB of storage — with the 256GB costing $1,199 — while the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts with 256GB of storage at the same $1,199 price tag. One big difference is the maximum storage: the iPhone 14 Pro Max is limited to 512GB, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is available in a 1TB model.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes in four colors: Silver, Space Black, Gold, and Deep Purple, all with a stainless steel frame. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro Max uses a Titanium build and is available in Natural Titanium, Black Titanium, White Titanium, and the new Desert Titanium color.
It’s only been two years since the iPhone 14 Pro Max was released, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max has been upgraded in many ways.
It is bigger and thinner, has smaller bezels, and boasts a newer processor that delivers gains in CPU, GPU, and neural processing unit (NPU) performance for better gaming and AI performance. The camera has been improved throughout, especially in the zoom category, while the battery life should be slightly improved as well.
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The iPhone 14 Pro Max is still a very capable phone, however. Although two years old, it still delivers a flagship experience. The iOS 18 update delivers all of the same benefits, but it won’t run Apple Intelligence, so it is already lacking in terms of future-proofing.
Ultimately, if you’re upgrading from the iPhone 14 Pro Max to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, you’ll get a far more customizable experience that’s also extremely familiar. You’ll also get the latest and greatest that Apple has to offer in the iPhone, but with many Apple Intelligence features not launching until next year, you may also want to wait until the iPhone 17 next year.
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