Month: April 2024

Scientists design a cheap super battery

Professor Kang claims that this new battery could be used in various sectors, such as electric vehicles. The best part is that it operates with salt.

Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a high-performance hybrid sodium-ion battery that charges quickly and offers impressive energy density.

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This revolutionary prototype uses sodium (Na), a chemical element that is more than 1,000 times more abundant and cheaper than lithium (Li), the main component of conventional batteries.

Generally, sodium-ion batteries face limitations such as lower power, limited storage properties, and prolonged charging times. Here is the study.

The innovative battery design, led by Professor Jeung Ku Kang from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST, tackles the current limitations of sodium-ion batteries by integrating the anode materials used in traditional batteries with the cathodes used in supercapacitors. The result offers high storage capacity and fast charging and discharging speed.

A battery that could be the solution to our problems

The development of the hybrid battery relied on improving the energy storage speed of the battery anodes and increasing the relatively low capacity of the supercapacitor cathode materials.

The research team at KAIST used two different metal-organic frameworks to create an optimized synthesis of hybrid batteries, resulting in an anodic material with improved kinetics and a high-capacity cathodic material.

The fully assembled sodium-ion energy storage hybrid device surpasses the energy density of commercial lithium-ion batteries and matches the power density characteristics of supercapacitors.

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Professor Kang claims that this new battery, with an energy density of 247 Wh/kg and a power density of 34,748 W/kg, could be used in various sectors, such as electric vehicles, smart electronics, and aerospace technologies.

Remedy confirms the status of all their games after Alan Wake 2.

Remedy continues to work hard following the success of Alan Wake 2, confirming the status of its next four projects to its shareholders.

Alan Wake 2 is one of the great games of 2023. That kind of games that cause waves and have an influence beyond their release. That’s why it’s not surprising that at Remedy, its development studio, they are happy and have decided to continue with several of their projects. They now have the money to take things calmly and with the interest they need. Something they have confirmed in an investor presentation, where they have detailed the status of all their projects.

Before going into details, it is important to remember that all these games have already been announced. There are no big surprises here, but there are interesting updates about their status. Because some of these games are closer than we imagine.

The next game has the codename Condor and is a multiplayer PvE game set in the Control universe. It has already entered full production, this is the final stage of development before its release. According to Remedy, internal gameplay tests indicate that the core gameplay is appealing and the game adds a unique touch typical of the studio to its genre. Therefore, it would not be surprising if we see the first images of the game before the end of the year.

Another game that is coming soon is Max Payne 1&2 Remake. Although it is in a pre-production state, Remedy expects it to move into full production during the second quarter of 2024. This confirms what they already said last February, that they wanted to accelerate the development of this game.

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In 2010, a video game broke all the schemes and offered a unique experience like we had never experienced before in the survival horror genre.

The other two games they are developing, unfortunately, will take even more time. Control 2 is in the concept testing phase, defining the mechanics, graphic quality, and game world, although they expect it to move to the production preparation phase during the second quarter of 2024. Therefore, we would not see the game, at least, until 2026. The case of the game with the codename Kestrel is even more tragic, a game with a strong multiplayer cooperative component, which was restarted at the end of 2023. Kestrel is still in the conceptual phase, the first of the production phases, with no date to move to the next one.

It is worth remembering that the production phases of Remedy are the conceptual phase, the proof of concept, the production preparation, and the production. Each of these phases can last between three months and a year and a half.

Although we don’t know if they are working on the inevitable Alan Wake 3, we do know that Tencent, the Chinese multinational, has increased its stake in the company. Going from 5.01% to 14.8% of the shares, it now has a greater presence within the Finnish studio. Something that, we hope, will help Remedy to continue working with the transparency and good work they have been demonstrating for decades.

The most underrated film by Ridley Scott triumphs on Disney Plus: why you should watch it.

Ridley Scott is one of the most prolific directors in the history of cinema. Although he has never won an award for best director – the theft of Gladiator still hurts – he has become the filmmaker of epic blockbusters par excellence, and franchises as important to cinema as Alien or Blade Runner have been born from his mind.

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In recent years, Scott is fitter than ever. This year he is releasing Gladiator 2 and in the last 10 years he has released Exodus, The Martian, Alien: Covenant, All the Money in the World, House of Gucci, and Napoleon. In addition, there is a movie that went unnoticed at the time but is nevertheless one of the best of his career: The Last Duel.

Launched in 2021, when COVID-20 was still attacking and theaters were not taking off as they should, the movie had a quite failed release. Initially, it was going to be released on December 25, 2020. Then, it was postponed to January 8, 2021. And it ended up being delayed until October 15, 2021, which resulted in only raising 30 million out of the 100 it cost.

However, its poor box office performance has nothing to do with the quality of the film. The Last Duel is one of Ridley Scott’s best movies, with all the epicness that made Gladiator an unparalleled film and with a brilliant script that keeps the viewer breathless at all times. Now, thanks to Disney Plus, it is experiencing a new life, and it definitely deserves a look if you enjoy this director’s cinema.

The most unfair box office for a Scott movie

The Last Duel is a historical drama that transports the viewer to 14th century France, a period that, as the film makes clear, was marked by violence, superstition, and the struggle for power. The plot focuses on the enmity between two nobles, Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver), whose lives become intertwined in a conflict that goes beyond the personal.

When Carrouges’ wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), accuses Le Gris of rape, a complex legal duel is unleashed that will test justice and honor in a society dominated by corruption and inequality. The accusation unleashes an intense legal and moral battle, where the truth becomes a powerful weapon in the hands of those seeking justice, revenge or redemption.

The duel not only pits the protagonists on the battlefield, but also in the courts and in the dark corners of feudal society. Amid political intrigues, religious manipulations, and power struggles, Carrouges and Le Gris face off not only for Marguerite’s fate, but for the future of their own lives and legacies.

With The Last Duel, Ridley Scott immerses us in a medieval world as creative as it is realistic, creating a plot full of passion, betrayal, and heroism. But it is much more than a story about honor, justice, and revenge; the film serves as a deep portrait of a tumultuous era where loyalties are tested and truth is a dangerous weapon in the hands of those seeking to change the course of history.

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With spectacular performances, a unique cinematography and great moments for the script to shine, the film manages to be a milestone in Ridley Scott’s career. It’s a shame that it didn’t succeed at the box office, but we have the opportunity to give it a new life on Disney Plus.

One of the hidden gems of 2023 will receive a film adaptation

El Paso, Elsewhere, one of the great hidden video games of 2023, will receive a film adaptation, with some big names involved among its ranks.

There is increasing interest in making video game adaptations. Whether it’s for the big screen or television, they are performing so well that it’s normal to see them gaining more legitimacy. That’s why, while we wait for the Death Stranding movie and the new season of Fallout, new announcements keep coming. This time, it’s the film adaptation of one of last year’s hidden gems.

According to Deadline and later confirmed by the game director, Xalavier Nelson Jr., El Paso, Elsewhere will receive a film adaptation. LaKeith Stanfield, known for Sorry to Bother You and Atlanta, will be a producer and is in negotiations to star in the movie. The other two announced parties involved are Di Bonaventura Pictures and Colin Stark, who would act as producers of the film.

El Paso, Elsewhere is a shooter where we enter a motel in El Paso, Texas, that is connected to hell. Embodied as James Savage, a vampire hunter, we will have to prevent Draculae, the queen of vampires, from completing a ritual to end the world. The peculiarity is that this confrontation hits too close to home, personally: Draculae is also James’ ex-partner.

Emotionally devastating, aesthetically incredible, exceptional music, and brilliant action inspired by Max Payne, El Paso, Elsewhere is one of those games you should play if you haven’t already. Even more so when, at some point in the future, it will have a film adaptation.

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Made with stunning 3D visuals that slow down cinematically at times, El Paso, Elsewhere offers an action-packed adventure in the neo-noir subgenre.

5 details of the preview of Mufasa: The Lion King that you can’t overlook

The teaser trailer for Mufasa has just been released, a prequel to The Lion King that tells the story of Simba’s father before becoming king. Directed by Barry Jenkins, who reached the top in 2016 with the film Moonlight, Mufasa aims to be Disney’s box office hit this year and repeat the success of the previous film.

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In the teaser trailer we have already been able to see some details of the movie that we have to take into account, both what we see in front of the screen and what is behind. Undoubtedly, it looks like it will be a new big hit from Disney, although it is not clear if it will match the previous one. The details are as follows:

1. The movie will be told through flashbacks

Instead of just telling the story of Mufasa, the film will advance into the future of The Lion King, and explain how Rafiki, accompanied by Timon and Pumbaa, tell the story of her grandfather to Kiara, Simba and Nala’s daughter.

2. Is a third part confirmed?

Kiara is the protagonist of The Lion King 2, the original sequel that adapted Romeo and Juliet in the savannah. With the appearance of this character, does it confirm that we will see a third live-action film adapting that movie? The truth is that, despite not being as good as the original film, it had a lot of potential, so it wouldn’t be bad at all.

3. Lin-Manuel Miranda puts the music to this movie

Although in the teaser trailer we can’t hear much music, it has been revealed that Lin-Manuel Miranda has composed the songs for this film. He has worked closely with Barry Jenkins to make them the best possible.

4. We will see the jungle like never before (cold)

Beyond bringing a new story, Mufasa will bring us a perspective on what it’s like to live in the savannah. It’s no longer all sunny and peaceful, as the weather’s whims will play a part in this adventure of an orphan who becomes king.

5. A villain beyond Scar

Although, when telling Mufasa’s story, it is expected that we will encounter Scar sooner or later, the antagonist of the story will be another: Kiros. Played by the always villainous Mads Mikkelsen, he will have different plans for his herd than Mufasa.

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The first expansion of Starfield could be just around the corner

Todd Howard, head of Bethesda, has confirmed when the first expansion for Starfield will arrive, along with the next update for the game.

Starfield was supposed to be one of the biggest releases of 2023, if not of the decade. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. Even though the game is interesting, it’s not the masterpiece that everyone was expecting, with rather limited content, many design issues, and a style that is too iterative of its other franchises, like Fallout. Something that they may fix in the near future.

Todd Howard has spoken with the people at Kinda Funny Games, confirming that the first expansion for Starfield will arrive this fall. Named Shattered Space, its existence was leaked last June after a bundle with copies of the special edition of Starfield revealed it. This not only confirms the existence of this expansion, but also an approximate date and part of the content. Howard has confirmed that it will have a new story, new locations, and new equipment, among other surprises.

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But that’s not all he has commented. He has also confirmed that a new update will be announced this same week, in a few days. Thus confirming that they will keep the promise of significantly updating Starfield with patches every six weeks. But what will this patch bring to be considered significant?

Confirming that “it will add a lot of things”, the only thing that has been confirmed is that they have redone the maps, which includes the maps of the cities. This is one of the most common criticisms that have been made to the game, stating that the city map was essentially useless. Presented in topographic terms, which can be useful in nature, in cities it did not accurately represent streets or buildings, making it an interesting geographical curiosity, but useless as a map.

He has also confirmed that “cool things are coming for spaceship construction,” but he hasn’t specified what. Nor has Bethesda said what they meant when they promised new ways of traveling. Therefore, while this patch is certainly promising, we still have to be patient to understand its full extent.

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China is about to uncover the great secrets of the dark side of the Moon.

The Chinese space program will launch a mission next week aiming to land on the Moon, collect samples, and bring them back to Earth.

The Chang’e-6 probe and the Long March-5 Yao-8 rocket that will transport it into space were moved on Saturday to a launch platform at the Wenchang Space Launch Center.

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The National Space Agency of China indicated early May as the probable launch date, while other reports point to May 3rd as the ideal date.

At any time, Chang’e-6 will head to a region on the far side of the Moon near the south pole, a zone believed to provide clues about the satellite’s evolution.

A complex, but very important mission for China

The mission is complex, as it includes an orbiter, a lander, an ascent module, and a reentry module. But China has already done this before: Chang’e-6 was built as a backup for Chang’e-5, and the latter mission ended successfully.

The landing module is equipped with a drill and a scoop. According to the mission plans, these tools will collect about two kilograms of lunar material, which will be loaded into the elevator. That spacecraft will connect with the reentry model to bring pieces of the Moon back to Earth.

The mission is expected to last 53 days, 30 more than the Chang’e-5 mission, and will require retrograde orbits around the Moon. The battle between the US and China to colonize the Moon is one of the great battles of our century.

Steps to follow in the mission on the dark side of the Moon

According to the South China Morning Post, China is also considering a Mars sample return mission. The newspaper reported last week that Wu Weiren, chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, said at a conference that they plan to launch a spacecraft called Tianwen-3 in 2030.

The mission plan includes two launches: one to carry a landing module and an ascent vehicle, and another to transport an orbiter and a return vehicle to Mars.

The most efficient round-trip journeys to Mars require more than 500 days of travel, so even if China manages to launch Tianwen-3 in 2030, it would take several years before it returns with any red rock.

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But even a return in 2033 would leave NASA behind – due to technological and funding issues – struggling to design a sample return mission that can return to Earth in 2040.

If China becomes the first to bring a piece of Mars, the nickname “red planet” could acquire a new meaning, literally.

Netflix gives the green light to a live-action Scooby-Doo series

Scooby-Doo is one of the most popular franchises born from Hanna-Barbera. Beyond The Flintstones or Tom and Jerry, it is clear that the adventures of the Great Dane have transcended generations for years. However, since we saw the movies written by James Gunn in the early 2000s, we have not received any new live-action product of Scooby-Doo… until now.

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Netflix has given the green light to a live-action Scooby-Doo series with Greg Berlanti as showrunner. Berlanti is the one who has been behind the Arrowverse, Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and You. In this way, in addition to already having a good relationship with Netflix, it seems that he has the exact tone with which he can conquer the young Scooby fan audience.

The Stranger Things Replacement?

But why isn’t it being aired on HBO Max, if it’s from Warner? Interestingly, Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series, despite being from Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros, was made available for platforms to bid on, and Netflix has ultimately come out on top. It seems, however, like a somewhat clumsy move on the part of HBO Max, which continues to have fewer and fewer of its own productions in favor of Netflix.

The screenwriters hired by Berlanti to carry out the series are Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg, who have already written the live action of Cowboy Bebop for Netflix. Let’s hope that something better comes out than this last one, since the series had to be canceled just one week after its release.

Undoubtedly, a series like Scooby-Doo can fill the future absence of Stranger Things on the streaming platform, as it has a similar tone and similar stories. We’ll see how it all turns out, but the hype is through the roof.

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The line from X-Men 97′ that makes the live action X-Men blush

‘X-Men 97’ is hitting the nail on the head with everything that has been done in Marvel so far. In addition to being a clear example of how to carry out a superhero show at its best —which could be very good for the future of the MCU if they decide to take the series as a reference—, it is making the Fox movies blush, highlighting everything they did wrong at the time.

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In an episode of X-Men 97′, this has become even clearer. Cable asks Cyclops if they are going to war or to the circus, considering their costumes, and Cyclops responds: “What were you expecting? Black leather?”. This is an obvious reference to the black costumes from the first X-Men movies, but it doesn’t stop there. Actually, the line comes from an original line in this movie, where Wolverine asks Cyclops a similar question and he says: “What were you expecting? Yellow spandex?”.

The future of the X-Men is safe

Marvel Studios is already looking for the next writers and directors for the X-Men movies, and they have a clear idea that they will follow what was seen in the series. Although Beau DeMayo, the showrunner of X-Men 97′, was fired from the series for unknown reasons, they will surely decide to continue on their path.

Fallout is about to break the record for viewers on Amazon Prime Video

It’s the second most viewed title in history on the platform and the most viewed since the debut of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in 2022.

Amazon can be happy, very happy. And also Bethesda, for collateral benefits. And it is that the Prime Video series Fallout has gathered 65 million viewers in its first two weeks since its premiere.

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This makes it the second most viewed title in history on the platform and the most viewed since the debut of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in 2022. By the way, the second season of this series is coming soon.

Data and viewers of the Amazon series Fallout

Amazon claims that the series is the most watched in its history among adults aged 18 to 34, and that 60% of its audience comes from outside the United States.

In particular, the United Kingdom, France, and Brazil have proven to be centers of popularity for the series. It should be noted, however, that Amazon has not released any data on how viewers are counted, especially when it comes to the completion of the series.

Therefore, it is unknown if a viewer is counted once they have completed a single episode, multiple episodes, finished the season, etc. This leaves many doubts, but it is true that all streaming services do some cheating in their measurements.

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Among those difficult-to-interpret data, Fallout has 1.2 billion minutes played on Prime Video. How much is this? You just have to look at the comparative table you have below these lines.

The series has also proven to be popular among critics, with a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review for Variety, Aramide Tinubu wrote: “Strange, but intensely fun, Fallout is unlike anything you’ve seen before; just for that, you won’t be able to look away.”

Amazon has already renewed Fallout for the second season. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, the series is set two hundred years after the nuclear apocalypse unleashed by the United States and the Soviet Union.