Discover Castlevania: Nocturne, Netflix’s new animated series about Castlevania.
One of the early animated hits on Netflix was Castlevania, a series that adapts the legendary Konami video games and retells the tale of Dracula and the Belmonts. The series spanned four seasons and was a huge success from 2017 to 2021… but its story doesn’t end there.
Netflix has just unveiled Castlevania: Nocturne, a sequel to the original series set many years after the events, taking us to France in 1792. The story revolves around Richter Belmont, a direct descendant of Trevor and one of the most beloved Belmonts in the video games. Here’s the trailer for your viewing pleasure.
Ritcher Belmont stars in new Castlevania series
Richter Belmont won’t be alone on his adventure. We’ll also see Maria Renard by his side, whom we know well from the 1993 video game Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. Actor Edward Bluemel will portray Richter, while Pixie Davies will play Maria Renard. Another main character will be Annette, voiced by Exampleso Mbedu.
Castlevania: Nocturne is set to premiere on September 28, 2023. The first season will consist of eight episodes released together, and although nothing is confirmed, it is expected to follow the pattern of the original series with potential for further seasons if it performs well.
Netflix has certainly been doing a great job with Castlevania, a franchise that offers room for exploration through various series and additions, unlike the challenges faced with other IPs like The Witcher. This coming September, we will see if this second series lives up to expectations.
A recent study in which Meta has collaborated wanted to see if chronological feeds help curb polarization on social networks.
When it comes to viewing social media posts, practically all apps have an algorithmic feed that recommends content based on the accounts you follow, the likes you give, the comments you make, and other (many) data.
However, depending on the social media platform, there may also be a chronological feed, where you only see content from the accounts you follow.
While the popular belief is that algorithmic feeds favor user polarization by continuously recommending similar content, and that chronological feeds may avoid this situation by showing only the content of people you follow, a new study in which Meta has participated demonstrates that this is not the case.
A group of academics has published the results of a research conducted in collaboration with Meta in the scientific journals Science and Nature, analyzing the impact of Facebook and Instagram on the 2020 US elections.
The study used data from 208 million active American Facebook users who consented to the research, provided by Meta themselves.
The research was conducted before, during, and after the US elections that resulted in Joe Biden’s victory, spanning from September to December 2020, to determine whether algorithmic feeds were indeed the main culprits behind the spread of misinformation, as many US lawmakers claimed.
Participants were divided into two groups: one group used chronological feeds implemented by Meta on Facebook and Instagram, while the other group used the default algorithmic feeds of both social media platforms.
Despite users with chronological feeds seeing more “moderate” content compared to those with algorithmic feeds, they were found to view a higher number of political contents (15.2% more) as well as “unreliable” contents (68.8% more). After surveying the study participants, the researchers did not observe any “statistically significant difference” in political engagement between the two groups.
In addition to proving that chronological feeds do not affect political polarization, the researchers also found that 97% of the misinformation shared on Facebook and Instagram is consumed by conservative (right-wing) users, and that the ability to share news from other accounts/pages encourages the spread of false information.
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Bluesky launches a new algorithmic feed that could do a lot of damage to the social network formerly known as Twitter.
The landscape of social media has undergone a complete transformation in recent months, and the main force behind it is Elon Musk. After acquiring Twitter at the end of October last year, the social media platform has seen significant changes, including its logo and name, which now simply become “X.”
In response to this situation, Bluesky, the social network created by Twitter’s co-founder Jack Dorsey, has launched a new algorithmic feed that will delight its users (mostly individuals who have left Twitter due to the wave of changes implemented by Musk).
Until now, Bluesky’s main feed was called “What’s hot,” a feed that displayed the most popular posts. However, Bluesky is now planning to make the content seen by users much more personalized.
In a recent blog post, Bluesky announced the new feed called “Discover,” which will combine the most popular content from the federated network of Bluesky with posts from accounts that users follow and posts from accounts “close to their social graph.”
This new feed would be practically a copy of other feeds with algorithmic recommendations based on user interactions, similar to TikTok’s “For You,” Instagram’s Explore, or Facebook‘s News Feed. Not to be forgotten is the “For You” feed of the social network formerly known as Twitter, which operates in the same way.
Focusing on Bluesky’s other rivals, Mastodon also recently introduced a new feed with algorithmic recommendations, as part of a clear strategy to attract disenchanted Twitter users. Additionally, Threads, Meta‘s response to X, launched with an algorithmic feed from day one and recently added a new chronological feed.
Indeed, this change could be of vital importance for the rivals of the former Twitter, as it has been recently demonstrated that algorithmic recommendation feeds are much more popular than chronological ones.
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Discover Venom: There Will Be Carnage, the sequel to Venom, now available on Netflix.
Netflix’s superhero catalog may be smaller compared to Disney Plus and HBO Max, as the former has all the films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the latter covers everything from DC Comics. However, from time to time, Netflix surprises its viewers with intriguing superhero additions.
Now, the platform has just added a must-watch feature for all genre fans. It’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the sequel to the movie starring Tom Hardy, featuring Carnage, one of Marvel’s most popular symbiotes. Clearly, even from the title, it’s evident that this is one of the bloodiest and most sadistic films in the Marvel universe.
Woody Harrelson vs. Tom Hardy
In the movie, we continue to follow the amusing Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy, as he tries to get along with his symbiote, Venom. While in the previous film, both were quite reluctant to cooperate, in this one, we see their relationship gradually improve until they become inseparable.
However, the situation takes a turn when a new symbiote comes into play. This is Carnage, and it possesses none other than Cletus Kasady, portrayed by Woody Harrelson, a prisoner on death row for numerous crimes. To stay true to the sense of justice he adopted in the first film, Eddie will have no choice but to face Cletus head-on before he can carry out his malevolent criminal plans.
Directed by Andy Serkis, the movie boasts stunning special effects that are undoubtedly among the film’s highlights. Moreover, the charismatic and entertaining performances by Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson make it a movie that is unafraid to laugh at itself and be audience-friendly. Undoubtedly, it’s a delightful surprise that can now be enjoyed on Netflix
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However, iPhone models that still display the old Twitter logo with the blue bird are becoming collector’s items, as some of these devices are being sold for thousands of dollars on online stores.
One particular version was sold for $25,000, and if you thought that was an exorbitant price, there have been occasions in the past where even higher amounts have been paid.
Pay an annual salary just for not seeing the Twitter X
The new changes in Twitter that rebrand it as X are starting to roll out to iPhone owners through an update provided by Apple’s App Store.
While it would be prudent to experience these new changes and access the latest and greatest features (whether they are truly “better” remains to be seen), some people are refusing to move forward with the update.
Instead, they are taking advantage of this opportunity to list their iPhones on eBay, and with the old Twitter logo still intact, they are charging hefty sums of money.
As of writing, the mentioned listing for the iPhone 11 Pro Max has been removed from eBay “by the seller because there was an error in the listing. We are not sure if the same iPhone will be relisted, but we will keep our readers updated.
Other listings with the old Twitter logo are being sold for around $800 to $1,000, which seems like a much more reasonable price for a collector’s item rather than a necessity.
It’s likely that the owners of these iPhones manually chose to avoid app updates on their devices, which is why the old Twitter logo is still present; otherwise, the new logo would display a large X on a black background.
This August 3, Super Mario Bros.: The Movie comes out on Peacock, Universal’s streaming platform. Will it also come out in Spain?
Super Mario Bros.: The Movie has undoubtedly been one of the blockbusters of the year and one of the most successful video game adaptations in history. With a budget of 100 million dollars, Illumination’s film has raked in a whopping 1,355 million dollars worldwide (quite an achievement).
Now, almost 4 months after its release, Super Mario Bros.: The Movie is arriving on streaming this week, allowing those who missed the production starring Mario, Nintendo’s most famous character, to watch it from the comfort of their homes or even on their mobile devices. However, not everything is as rosy as it seems.
Will the Super Mario movie be released in Spain?
Super Mario Bros.: The Movie will be released on August 3rd on Peacock, the streaming platform owned by Universal Studios. While it could be inferred that the Super Mario movie would arrive on this platform, given it’s a production of Illumination and Universal, it was only at the beginning of this month when its streaming release was officially confirmed.
However, there is a problem: Peacock is not available in Spain. Up until now, Universal’s streaming platform has not expanded to Spain, and nearly all of its catalog is accessible in Spain through SkyShowtime, the streaming platform of Sky.
Indeed, despite the assumption that Super Mario Bros.: The Movie might be available on SkyShowtime, there is no guarantee of its release in Spain. Universal has not confirmed whether the Super Mario movie will be released in our country, if it will launch on the same date as the rest of the world, or even if it will be available on another platform like Netflix.
Furthermore, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan‘s new film, faces a similar problem since it is also a Universal production, and it remains uncertain whether it will be released in Spain if it becomes available on Peacock, as expected.
Indeed, the licensing and distribution of series and movies can vary depending on the country, so there is a possibility that Super Mario Bros.: The Movie might not be available in Spain until later. Will we be fortunate enough to watch Super Mario Bros.: The Movie on August 3rd in Spain? Honestly, let’s hope that’s the case. It would be great to have the opportunity to enjoy the film on that date.
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Luffy’s big reveal is finally coming to the anime. When can One Piece 1071 be seen?
“One Piece has been airing since 1999, and since then, it has continuously given us epic, exciting, and entertaining moments across its more than 1000 episodes. However, recently, the manga reached a climactic point in its publication, with Luffy’s transformation into Gear 5, unveiling that his hidden power was not only the ability to stretch like rubber but also to become the Sun God Nika.”
This manga moment was thrilling and rekindled the passion of many One Piece fans. Luffy’s new form and his battle against Kaido propelled the manga to new heights. Now, at long last, that moment is about to arrive in the anime. In episode 1070, we witnessed a battered Luffy beginning to transform into Nika after awakening the true power of his Devil Fruit. However, the complete transformation will occur in episode 1071.
One Piece episode 1071 schedule
“One Piece Episode 1071 will be available on Crunchyroll on Sunday, August 6th. The airing times in different countries are as follows:
The Meta offices are going to have to work much harder if they want to become Twitter’s true rival, even if they insist on committing suicide…
“It came to put an end to Twitter, and the truth is that it’s struggling. Despite the backing of the people from Facebook and Elon Musk’s seeming willingness to self-destruct with X, Threads just can’t seem to take off.”
“Obviously, if you have over 100 million people registering, the ideal scenario would be for all of them or at least half of them to stick around,” Zuckerberg said on the call, adding, “We haven’t reached that point yet.”
Beginnings are always hard, Twitter suicide notwithstanding
However, the CEO didn’t seem overly concerned, describing the decline in the number of users as “normal” and stating that he believed Threads’ user base would grow as the application introduced new features, potentially including a desktop version and the ability to search the platform’s content.
Threads had a blazing start for two main reasons. Firstly, there was a lot of anticipation surrounding the application just before its launch.
This created a high level of excitement among Twitter users, who were dissatisfied with the way Elon Musk has been manipulating the platform since he acquired the company for $44 billion in October 2022.
Sharp decline in number of Threads daily active users
7th July: 44 million 8th July: 42 million 9th July: 37 million 10th July: 35 million 11th July: 31 million 12th July: 29 million 13th July: 28 million 14th July: 28 million 15th July: 25 million 16th July: 14 million 17th… pic.twitter.com/kswvn74jhC
— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) July 22, 2023
Indeed, the second reason for Threads’ rapid growth was its close integration with Instagram, making it easier for people to create an account, gain followers, and discover other accounts to follow.
In fact, an attorney representing Musk’s company threatened to sue Meta (formerly known as Facebook) for creating a product that seemed too similar to Twitter. As Threads continues to update and improve, Mark Zuckerberg won’t be nervous about the lack of users.
With this shortcut, without any modification to the app, any trick or anything that could interfere with the operation of both our iPhone and X, we will be able to maintain the icon and appearance of Twitter.
The digital world woke up in a frenzy this week when Elon Musk, spontaneously, announced that Twitter would undergo a complete rebranding: a new name and logo. In a characteristic twist of his style, Musk called on his followers to design a logo for his “X app,” the “all-in-one” app.
It will be in September when all the details will be officially revealed, until then, we can only wait for these and more surprises.
While we are on vacation, the preparation for the launch of the new iPhones is in full swing, and like every year, rumors about Apple’s upcoming release flood the internet. The iPhone 15 is gearing up to be the next star of this media spectacle, promising innovations and changes in several prominent aspects. Among these rumors, a price increase in the Pro models stands out, as well as greater ease of repairability.
Rumors of a possible price increase for the iPhone 15 have been circulating for a few days now. The latest to comment on this matter is Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, who in the latest edition of his newsletter “Power On,” discussed an increase in the prices of the iPhone 15, both internationally and in the United States. Specifically, it is expected that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will experience a price hike, partly due to their new titanium chassis design and improved camera system.
“Another note on the upcoming iPhone: we could see, at least, small price increases on all four models outside of the U.S. I would not rule out a price increase in the U.S. as well, at least for some of the professional models, given the shift to titanium and the more expensive camera system of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. For context: Apple charges $100 more for titanium watches than their stainless steel counterparts.”
Indeed, historically, Apple has justified price increases with improvements in the quality and features of its products. As Gurman reminds us, Apple charges $100 more for titanium watches compared to their stainless steel counterparts, which can serve as a reference, although the amount of material in an iPhone is not the same as what we see in an Apple Watch. In this regard, it is worth noting that a few days ago, an analyst from Barclays suggested that the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max could increase by up to $200.
Repairability: an innovation that can only be seen from within
The external design of Apple devices has always been a source of admiration. This year, it seems that the Cupertino company is also paying great attention to how its devices are designed from the inside. As reported by Mark Gurman in his newsletter, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will have a redesigned chassis that will facilitate their repair.
This change could result in iPhone 15 Pro models with a removable back glass, marking a significant shift in the way certain components are repaired, which, due to their location, previously required dismantling a considerable number of parts before accessing them. It is worth noting that last year, we already saw how the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus could be opened from the back. This had not been possible since the iPhone 4S in 2011. Now, with the launch of the 15th generation of the iPhone, this opening design would also be extended to the Pro range of iPhones.
Such a change should imply that the cost of a repair without AppleCare+ warranty must decrease substantially. To give an idea, it’s important to consider that repairing the back glass of an iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus costs around $169 or $199, while the same repair for the Pro models costs between $499 and $549.
Indeed, the launch of the new iPhone is always an eagerly anticipated event for many of us. While the rumors about price increases remain uncertain, they are one of the most difficult variables to predict. However, the redesign and increased reparability of this year’s iPhones are undoubtedly very welcome news. We’ll have to wait until September when all the details will be officially unveiled. Until then, we can only wait in anticipation for these and more surprises.
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