Sony is buying Bungie, makers of the Destiny video game and pioneers of the early Xbox years as developers of the original Halo game series for Microsoft.

The move comes just weeks after Microsoft continued a recent trend of concentrating ownership of famous video game studios by announcing an agreement to buy Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion.

In contrast, Sony is paying $3.6 billion to acquire Bungie.

In a blog post on Monday, Bungie announced it is joining forces with Sony Interactive Entertainment, which describes it as “a partner that gives us unconditional support in everything we are” and allows the developer to maintain “creative independence.”

The blog post reads, “Together we share the dream of creating and nurturing iconic franchises that unite friends around the world, families across generations, and fans across multiple platforms and entertainment media.”

Significantly, Bungie’s continued independence will ensure its games are available across a variety of platforms, which is unlikely long-term when it comes to Activision Blizzard and Bethesda products on Xbox and Windows.

“We keep our destiny in our hands,” the post continues. “We will continue to publish and creatively develop our games independently. We will continue to drive a unified Bungie community. Our games will continue to be where our community is, wherever they choose to play.”

Sony’s acquisition of Bungie is a telling move given Microsoft’s long history with the developer. It created the Halo game series and developed the entire original trilogy that was largely responsible for putting the original Xbox console and its successors on the map.

Microsoft even owned Bungie as a first-party studio between 2000 and 2007 before returning to an independent entity. It stopped development of the Halo franchise and Microsoft retained the rights. The iconic series has been acquired by 343 Industries, the first-party Microsoft studio that just released Halo Infinite.

PlayStation boss Jim Ryan added in a blog post: “I want to be absolutely clear to the community that Bungie will remain an independent and cross-platform studio and publisher. As such, we think it makes sense to sit alongside the PlayStation Studios organization and we’re incredibly excited about the opportunities for synergy and collaboration between these two world-class groups.”

Sony will soon be releasing a new flagship smartphone which is expected to be named Xperia 1 IV. Here’s everything we know about it so far, from camera hardware to performance specs and more.

We dubbed the Sony Xperia 1 III “one of the most interesting phones” we’ve reviewed in 2021, and it was named one of the best Android phones of the year. No wonder, then, that there is so much interest in the launch of its successor, known for the time being as the Sony Xperia 1 IV.

In the article below we’ve gathered all the available information about the device ahead of its launch, so read on to find out what Sony could be coming up with as a fourth – including the latest rumors on camera tech, internal specs and more.

release date

So far, the only rumor we have regarding the launch date suggests that May 2022. Sourced from a reliable leaker on Chinese social media site Weibo (via Notebook Check), it appears to be at least a reasonable guess based on previous entries in the series. Here’s where the previous three handsets were announced:

Note that you may not be able to buy the devices for a few months after they are released. The Xperia 1 III wasn’t available until August, four months after it was announced.

design

One thing that sets Sony’s latest smartphone collection apart from the competition more than anything else is its distinctive design. With a 21:9 aspect ratio that’s said to be ideal for widescreen content, and retaining a 3.5mm headphone jack and SD card slot, it’s clear why it won over some fans.

However, according to Twitter tipster The Galox, something about this design could change in the next iteration of the series. With no further details other than “improved design,” we’ll just have to be on the lookout for more rumors ahead of launch, but this points to an unexpected shock.

camera

The aforementioned Weibo source gave us some information about the camera system of Sony’s next smartphone: the ultrawide sensor appears to be completely unchanged, but the telephoto and main wide-angle snappers are said to both receive upgrades.

Sony Xperia 1 III camera module

In our review, we described the Sony Xperia 1 III’s ultrawide sensor as “good, if not quite as sharp as some of the competition,” so we were hoping it would be picked up again. Our most urgent request, however, would be for the Xperia 1 IV to improve its low-light shooting, so there’s still hope for significant improvement in that department.

performance

Sony’s previous flagships have all come with Qualcomm’s latest top-of-the-line Snapdragon chipset, so it’s hardly surprising that the same is being rumored for the Xperia 1 IV.

Apparently it will arrive with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 on board, so it should be able to deliver strong performance; In addition, it should have at least 12 GB of RAM and a maximum of 16 GB.

battery

The other spec we got an early hint about is the battery, and this is where big improvements could be made. According to reports, not only will the capacity be increased (by 500 mAh for a total of 5,000 mAh), but it seems that the charging system will also be revised. This time we can expect 45W fast charging (instead of 30W) and the device is also said to support Qi wireless charging.

All fans of The Witcher 3’s Gwent will be thrilled to know that a new single-player card game is coming this year.

According to IGN, a brand new standalone single player game codenamed Project Golden Nekker will be released within the year.

Developed by CD Projekt Red, the same studio that bought us The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077, the game aims to offer an entirely new standalone experience that would stand out from the previous variants of the digital card game.

Speaking of which, Gwent saw massive growth in popularity in the last Witcher game, but it fully evolved into a standalone single-player game back in 2016.

The first official spin-off, The Witcher Tales: Thronebreaker, was released back in 2018, but reports suggest the upcoming version will be something completely different.

CD Projekt Red has been sparse with details, but has apparently given hints about the new project over the past few months, with live streams and community projects alluding to the card game.

If these clues have gotten to much for you, don’t worry, the official Project Golden Nekker reveal is coming soon, although no dates have been announced yet.

Concept art for the game was also revealed, with the titular Golden Nekker taking center stage alongside Living Fire and Fire Elemental.

Since they’re all Gwent card-themed, perhaps let’s take a look at some of the playable units from the new game. You can check out the images just below.

Credit: CD Projekt Red/IGN

The roadmap for Gwent in 2022 shows new maps coming in April, July, October and December. It’s also worth noting that every Witcher game has historically released in either May or October, so Witcher fans might want to keep an eye out during those months.

We’ll be keeping you posted on all things Project Golden Nekker, so keep checking back with for more Witcher updates.

Longstanding rumors that Samsung is shelving its iconic line of phablets were confirmed this week when the company announced it has no plans to launch a Note family phone this year.

The news made waves in the phone world, and with good reason. Samsung’s unveiling of the Galaxy Note has been a fixture on most tech fanatics’ calendars for years, and offers a mid-year treat ahead of the launch of Google’s and Apple’s respective flagships. Which are expected to be the iPhone 13 and Pixel 6 this year.

The Note line is also undoubtedly the most well-known phablet family in the world, with only Apple’s Max and Plus lines offering equivalent brand awareness. For that reason, many of you might be wondering why Samsung decided to scrap it in favor of the much more niche and younger Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldables.

I was initially in this camp as well, my disdain for foldable devices being well documented on the site. But after considering the move, I think it makes perfect sense for one key reason: Samsung never got big enough with the Galaxy Note.

To be clear, I’m speaking literally here. Samsung has always done a great job with the Galaxy Note at the hardware level. For example, last year’s flagship Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was the first mainstream phone to include a truly variable refresh rate screen.

Before that, the original Galaxy Note was a pioneer, offering a then-huge screen and a never-before-seen dockable S Pen stylus. When I unboxed the handset back then, I was genuinely shocked that a company thought a 5.3-inch screen was something consumers actually wanted.

Hands in the air, I got that particular move wrong. Check out the entries in our guide to the best phones and you’ll see that people definitely like big screen phones.

publisher’s Note

But for me, Samsung failed to replicate that initial “wow” factor because year after year it didn’t go far enough with the size of the phone. Last year’s Ultra sure had a whopping 6.9-inch screen, but even that didn’t feel big enough to really take advantage of the Note’s biggest selling point: the S Pen.

As an aspiring amateur digital artist and person who often needs to edit photos on the fly, the S Pen has always had appeal. But to date, every Note phone I’ve tested has proven a bit disappointing due to the device’s pronounced “phone” form factor.

Editing photos in Android’s Photoshop Express app, even with an S Pen, is still a frustrating experience, especially when coming from the larger desktop or iPad versions. The less said about trying to draw something the better, because 6.9 inches isn’t big enough for anything other than light doodling, no matter how responsive and good quality a screen is.

For that reason, it makes sense to me that Samsung is trying to recapture the Note’s potential with a foldable device like the Fold S3, which is intentionally designed to offer a larger and sculpted tablet-sized screen specifically for things how creative work was developed.

The only downsides are that it still has to bypass Android’s woefully populated digital artist app library – which, outside of a nice port of Krita, isn’t nearly as good as Apple’s iPad OS – and my lingering concerns about build quality regarding it folding screens .

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How to watch Disney’s Jungle Cruise on Disney Plus: Stream the new film from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt with Premier Access today.

Disney is continuing its strategy of launching blockbuster films simultaneously in theaters and on its Disney Plus streaming service. Currently, the standalone MCU film Black Widow is available to watch alongside theaters at home.

Now Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Emily Blunt, is following the same strategy following its theatrical release today, Friday 30th July. Disney Plus subscribers can watch the film in the comfort of their own home via Premier Access.

Unfortunately, it’s not part of a Disney Plus subscription, instead costing an additional £19.99/$29.99 to unlock. From there, you can ride The Rock as many times as you like.

While that sounds like a pretty hefty expense to watch a new movie at home, the multi-viewing requirement eases the pain, as does the savings of taking the whole family to the movies and buying snacks and drinks.

How to watch Jungle Cruise on Disney Plus Premiere Access

First, you must be a Disney Plus subscriber. If you haven’t already joined, it costs £7.99 a month or £79.99 a year and you get all the Marvel, Disney, Pixar and Star Wars content you could ever dream of.

Once you’re signed in, you’ll need to open the Disney Plus app on your chosen platform, find Jungle Cruise and click Unlock Now. Your payment method will then be authenticated and you’re good to go.

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When is Jungle Cruise coming to Disney Plus?

If you don’t want to pay extra for Jungle Cruise, you’ll have to wait until November 12, when it arrives for all Disney Plus subscribers. That’s about 100 days from now.

Anyway, given that Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney for getting the Black Widow movie straight to Premier Access, we’re not sure how long this will be a thing, so get in while things are going well.

One of the most anticipated PlayStation exclusives Horizon Forbidden West has been pushed back to 2022, according to reports Friday.

This news would come as a huge disappointment to many of the 10 million Sony PS5 owners, as well as many millions of PS4 owners hoping to play the first-party action RPG before the end of the year.

Following comments from Jeff Grub yesterday on the Giant Bomb Show, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier also reports that Sony has decided to delay the game until the first three months of next year.

According to a person familiar with the matter, Sony’s decision was made some time ago but has not been officially confirmed by the company at the time of writing.

The reported delay is just the latest in a series of titles due for release in 2021 that have now been postponed. Other PS5 titles like Returnal and Deathloop also experienced delays this year. Sony’s God of War has also been pushed back to 2022. On the Xbox side, Halo: Infinite is slated for release later this year, a full year after it was originally planned.

Sony has pushed back the PlayStation-exclusive Horizon Forbidden West to the first quarter of 2022, a source told Bloomberg, confirming a rumor shared by @JeffGrubb yesterday. The latest in the video game industry cascade of 2021 delayed https://t.co/8atrR25oxd

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) July 30, 2021

The warning signs were clear back in June, when PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst refused to fully commit to the 2021 release window for Horizon Forbidden West.

In a post on PlayStation Blog, he said: “We believe we’re on track to release Horizon this holiday season. But that’s not entirely certain yet and we’re working as hard as we can to confirm that to you as soon as possible.”

With the myriad of game delays being caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and remote working away from studios, it’s little surprise that one of the most exciting next-gen titles won’t be available for another six months or so. However, we are confident that the wait will be worth it.

Did Elon Musk brazenly tell Tim Cook he wanted his job as Apple CEO? Normally we’d dismiss such a wild rumor immediately, but this is Elon Musk.

A new book about the Tesla founder and CEO alleges a dispute between Musk and Cook that ended with the latter swearing at the former and slamming the phone on the floor.

Both Musk and Apple have disputed the encounter brought to light by Tim Higgins’ new book, Power Play, but it’s quite a yarn.

The story claims Cook tried to buy the then-ailing electric car company in 2016. Here’s how the LA Times (via The Verge) tells the anecdote of Tesla, Elon Musk and the bet of the century:

Musk is interested, but one condition: “I’m CEO.”

Sure, says Cook. When Apple bought Beats in 2014, it retained founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. dr

No, says Musk. Apple. Apple CEO.

“F- you,” says Cook and hangs up.

via LA Times

Ridiculous, right? But not exactly from Musk’s wheelhouse given the man’s boldness and past form. We also can’t imagine Tim Cook dropping the F-bomb for just being so nice.

Anyway, it seems academic, as both Apple and Musk have dismissed the claims, pointing out the trifle that Musk and Cook have never spoken to each other before. According to Musk’s tweet, “Cook and I have never spoken or written to each other.”

Cook and I have never spoken or written to each other.

There was a point where I requested a meeting with Cook to discuss Apple’s purchase of Tesla. No acquisition conditions were proposed.

He refused to meet. Tesla was worth about 6% of today’s value.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 30, 2021

By also denying the report, Apple alerted reporters to comments he made about Musk during a previous interview. “You know, I’ve never spoken to Elon, although I have great admiration and respect for the company he built,” Cook said in April.

It emerged yesterday that the NHS Covid Pass is now compatible with the Apple Wallet app for iPhone, ensuring easy access for users who need to view their Covid-19 status.

With the increasing requirement to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to gain access to venues and sporting events, many will find it more convenient to show their passport in their wallet.

It’s great if you don’t have internet access either, as it doesn’t rely on connectivity once it’s added to the Apple Wallet. It also saves you from searching for the PDF you may have downloaded to your device.

If you have a Covid Passport available on the NHS app (not to be confused with NHS Covid app) you can easily add it to your Apple Wallet. Remember you must be double vaccinated (two weeks after the second vaccination) or have reported a negative Covid test to be eligible.

If you don’t already have the NHS app, you’ll need to download it from the App Store and answer a few identity verification questions.

How to add a Covid Pass to Apple Wallet

• Open the NHS app and sign in with your NHS details
• From the options select Get your NHS Covid Passport
• Close Continue and then Domestic
• Once you see the pass, you can select “Add to Apple Wallet”.

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How to access Covid Pass in Apple Wallet

If you have an iPhone with Face ID, you simply have to press the power button twice to bring up the Apple Pay options (if you entered any). Then you can tap to expand the deck of cards below and reveal your Covid Passport. From here you can show the barcode to the appropriate person.

If your phone has Touch ID like the iPhone SE, it’s the same process, but you double-tap the home button to bring up the cards.