‘It Takes Two’ will reportedly become an Amazon movie (updated)

The plans for an It Takes Two movie appear to be solidifying. Deadline and Variety sources claim Amazon Studios and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions have taken up the game-to-movie adaptation alongside Sonic the Hedgehog production company dj2 Entertainment. There’s even a chance Johnson could star in the movie, the insiders said.

We’ve asked Amazon for comment. The Prime Video operator’s involvement would make sense when dj2 has a “first look” deal with Amazon, as do the movie’s executive producers (and writers) Pat Casey and Josh Miller. It Takes Two developer Hazelight Studios’ Josef Fares and Oskar Wolontis will also executive produce.

It’s still not certain when a movie might launch. The project might stand a better chance of succeeding than some big-screen game adaptations, though. Casey and Miller are widely credited with the success of the two Sonic the Hedgehog movies. Moreover, It Takes Two‘s plot could be well-suited to a movie format — it sees a couple on the brink of divorce embark on a fantastical journey that helps them rediscover each other. It’s just a question of whether or not Amazon, dj2 and Seven Bucks can translate the co-op game’s concept to a passive entertainment format.

Update 4/21 12:25PM ET: Amazon has confirmed the production details, although it’s still not clear if Johnson will act in the movie.

Lincoln’s first electric vehicle concept is the Star SUV

Lincoln has finally unveiled its first electric vehicle concept, and it’s now a little clearer as to where the company is headed. The upscale Ford badge has unveiled the Star, a luxury SUV that hints at the design direction for production EVs. There are some of the usual concept car excesses, but also some technological developments that might reach something you can drive.

The Star is sleeker than Lincoln’s existing lineup, and includes light-up exterior features and doors. The front trunk is covered with electrochromatic glass that turns transparent while in motion. The A-pillars (at the front) and D-pillars (the back) even use 3D-printed metal to allow more natural light. The interior includes lounge-like wraparound rear seating focused on relaxation. Accordingly, the brand is touting “rejuvenation moods” that sync displays, sounds and even scents to calm or reinvigorate you, such as Coastal Morning (complete with sea mist scent) and Evening Chill (evergreen).

In-cabin tech plays an important role, of course. A giant, panoramic front display provides both the essentials as well as a canvas for those moods, with a much smaller control screen sitting underneath. Rear passengers have their own displays, and an “Attaché” briefcase concept hiding in the rear coach door can wirelessly charge and store devices. The Star connects to other vehicles and city grids, and promises driving assistants that help with parking, vision and other common problems.

Lincoln is shy on specs, although that’s not surprising when the company doesn’t intend to sell the Star. We’d also expect any shipping vehicles to scale back the displays, seating and other flashier elements. This is more about advertising Lincoln’s EV ambitions and design language than previewing a real product.

The automaker won’t take long to electrify, at least. Lincoln now plans to launch four EVs by 2026, and expects more than half of its sales to come from electric-only models by the middle of the 2020s. It previously echoed Ford with plans to exclusively sell EVs by 2030. These aren’t the most difficult feats given Lincoln’s smaller range and a wealthier clientele that can more readily afford EVs. Even so, they suggest you might not recognize Lincoln’s selection within a few years.

‘Sonic Origins’ brings four remastered games to console and PC on June 23rd

Never mind the movies and endless spinoffs — Sega knows you want to replay the classic 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games, and it’s ready to deliver. The company has announced that its Sonic Origins collection will debut June 23rd on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch. The $40 (£33) standard version will include remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD, while a $45 (£37) Digital Deluxe edition adds difficult missions, exclusive music and cosmetics.

Every game has remastered graphics and other “enhancements” for modern hardware. You can play all of them as they were originally intended (including the old aspect ratio), but you can also experiment with features and modes that were never available on your Genesis or Mega Drive. You can play as Sonic, Tails or Knuckles in any of the games, and an “Anniversary Mode” brings in a widescreen ratio with infinite lives. You can earn medallions to unlock content by completing missions.

This won’t satisfy completists. Where’s the remaster of the classic 32X title Knuckles Chaotix, Sega? If you can forgive that oversight, though, this may be the easiest way to either indulge your nostalgia or introduce kids to the other iconic platformer of the 16-bit generation.

Zoom’s desktop apps now respond to raised hands and thumbs-up gestures

You no longer need to bring out an iPad or iPhone just to use Zoom’s gesture recognition. Zoom has updated its Mac and Windows apps with visual gesture support. Raise your hand or give a thumbs-up and you’ll send the appropriate reaction. As you might imagine, this promises more natural interaction in virtual classrooms and meetings than you’d get from clicking buttons.

The feature requires the latest version of Zoom as of this writing (5.10.3). It’s disabled at the individual level by default, but you can enable it per user, per account or entire groups.

Gesture recognition comes alongside multiple updates that include a revamped Zoom Whiteboard collaboration tool that now exists as a full-fledged feature, not just a meeting extension. A chat etiquette tool helps administrators block or warn about rude behavior, and events now have a “Backstage” that lets organizers and panelists talk without facing the audience. Simply speaking, Zoom is adapting to reflect a world where remote and hybrid workplaces are likely here to stay. 

Apple Music now offers DJ mixes in spatial audio

Apple Music’s spatial audio is now available for those who’d rather spend their nights at the club than the concert hall. The service is now offering DJ mixes in Dolby Atmos that promise a more immersive dance music experience — not quite like sweating through an all-night rave, but considerably closer. The initiative kicks off today with an enhanced One Mix set from Detroit techno legend Jeff Mills (above) as well as 15 Boiler Room sets from stars like Boys Noize and The Blessed Madonna.

You can expect more spatial audio mixes throughout the year, including monthly One Mix episodes and Boiler Room albums. Apple hasn’t teased future artists, although it is promising the “finest DJs” from the dance and electronic music realms.

Spatial audio is only automatically enabled for AirPods and some Beats headphones. You can use capable third-party gear, but you’ll need to manually enable support and forego head tracking.

It’s not surprising to see Apple expand Atmos support to the mix-and-scratch crowd. Spatial audio is a selling point for Apple Music and AirPods, of course, but electronic artists were also some of the first to embrace surround sound — just ask anyone familiar with Amon Tobin’s gigs. In theory, you’re more likely to keep your Apple Music membership knowing that a favorite DJ might produce an Atmos mix you won’t get at rival services.

You can update your DualSense controller through Windows

You’ve long been able to use a DualSense controller with your PC, but it wasn’t quite so appealing when you couldn’t update the firmware without access to a PlayStation 5. Thankfully, that’s no longer necessary. Sony has released a firmware update tool for Windows that lets you upgrade the DualSense through a USB connection on your PC — no console required. You won’t miss out on bug fixes or refinements just because you prefer computer gaming.

The software requires Windows 10 or 11. You’ll need to update multiple controllers one at a time.

The tool will be helpful for PC-only gamers who want the same controller functionality as their PS5 counterparts, of course. At the same time, it might also useful for Remote Play. You can keep a DualSense by your computer knowing that you won’t have to visit the living room (and partly defeat the purpose of Remote Play) just to bring the gamepad up to date.

BMW’s first all-electric 7 series starts at $120,295

BMW isn’t letting Mercedes’ EQS go unanswered. The German marque has introduced its first completely electric 7 series, the i7 xDrive60. The long-wheelbase luxury sedan offers solid performance, with a dual-motor setup providing 536HP, a 0-60MPH sprint in 4.5 seconds and a preliminary EPA range of 300 miles. As with the conventional 7 series, though, the focus is on creature comforts — this is designed as much for chauffeured executives as it is for drivers.

That driver will see a curved dual-display interface that includes a 12.3-inch instrument panel and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen. BMW is touting a smartphone-like interface, but you’ll also find a new “Interaction Bar” that provides touch-sensitive controls for common features like climate settings and hazard lights. You can even customize the bar’s lighting to react to certain events, such as incoming calls or invoking BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant (including from the rear seats, for the first time).

As we mentioned, though, the best experience is likely in the back. Spring for the optional Theater Screen and you’ll get a 31-inch, 32:9 ratio 8K rear display with a Fire TV interface. Rear window shades will even close when you switch the system on. Each rear door has its own 5.5-inch touchscreen for climate, media and seating controls, while a standard panoramic LED roof can produce a light show in addition to showing the sky above. You’ll have access to 5G, including a “Personal eSIM” that can migrate between cars. 

Other tech upgrades include an optional Highway Assistant (part of a Driving Assistance Professional Package) that provides hands-free driving up to 80MPH, a smarter Parking Assistant Professional with remote control and a Maneuver Assistant that can replicate tricky driving scenarios (such as a tight parking garage). An augmented reality view on the instrument screen merges video with directions and similar info, while the doors will both detect potential hazards and (with another option) automatically open by touching the handles or Interaction Bar. Owners of recent, UWB-equipped iPhones can also use Digital Key Plus to automatically lock and unlock the doors, and eventually open the doors or activate the alarm system.

Unsurprisingly, this excess will cost you. The i7 xDrive60 will start at $120,295 ($119,300 plus a destination fee) when it reaches the US in the fourth quarter of the year, and that’s before you add extras like the 36-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System. That’s not an outlandish price for BMW’s target audience, though, and it undercuts the $125,900 of the EQS 580.

Netflix isn’t blaming the pandemic recovery for its lost subscribers

Netflix may have benefitted from the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s not blaming its latest troubles on people leaving their homes. The company has revealed that it lost about 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022, a sharp contrast from the millions of additions per quarter over the past year. However, the streaming giant said that the pandemic only “obscured the picture” — there were multiple problems hiding under the surface.

The company pointed to stiffer competition from online services like Disney+ and Prime Video. While Netflix has still been gaining share at a modest rate, it wants to grow “faster.” The firm also blamed limited room to expand in many countries due to both technology factors outside of its control (such as smart TV adoption and data prices) and the abundance of account sharing. There are more than 222 million paying households, Netflix said, but another 100 million-plus sharing those accounts.

The decision to halt service in Russia also helped swing Netflix from growth to a loss. It would have added 500,000 customers, but ultimately lost 700,000 after dropping its Russian base in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Growth was still “soft” across all regions, however.

Netflix outlined multiple efforts to turn things around. It hoped to improve the quality of its shows, profit from sharing (such as an option for paid sharing in Latin America) and produce more content to suit audiences outside the US, where growth was stronger.

These results might not pay off in the short term. Netflix still expects either mild growth (no more than 1.5 million new members) or a loss (up to 2 million) in the ongoing second quarter. With that said, Netflix is clearly under no illusion that mobile games and minor feature additions will be enough to spark renewed interest by themselves — its fundamentals need to improve if it’s going to fend off rivals.

Quest headset apps now support hand clapping and high-fives

Meta’s VR hand tracking has come a long way in two years. The company has upgraded its Presence Platform hand tracking support for Quest headset apps to allow considerably more natural gestures, particularly those involving hand-over-hand interactions. You can now clap your hands, provide a truer-to-life thumbs-up and deliver high-fives — you can show your appreciation without reaching for your controllers.

The update also provides more consistent tracking, including for fast movements like waving. Meta chalked up the improvements to new AI-based approaches, including deep learning that’s better at understanding your hand poses when the cameras have only a limited view.

It will take a while before Quest apps can take full advantage of the improved hand tracking, although Meta is promising relatively little work. However, it’s easy to see the practical improvements. Many VR apps ask you to avoid certain gestures. After this upgrade, though, you can use your hands more like you would in real life. Don’t be surprised if you see more apps and games that let you go controller-free.

Europa’s resemblance to Greenland bodes well for possible life on Jupiter’s moon

Europa’s potential to support life may have increased thanks to geographic observations. Reutersnotes researchers have discovered similarities between double ridges on the Jovian moon’s surface and smaller-scale equivalents in Greenland. As the Greenland ridges were formed by subsurface water that refroze, this suggests Europa’s counterparts formed the same way. That, in turn, would indicate large volumes of the liquid water necessary to support life similar to that on Earth.

The geographic features are not only common on Europa, but are large enough that the water pockets for these ridges would each be comparable in size to North America’s Lake Erie. They’d also be relatively shallow (about 0.6 miles below the surface), putting them near other chemicals that could help form life.

There are still no direct signs of life on Europa, and there might not be for a long time. NASA is launching its Europa Clipper spacecraft in 2024, but it won’t reach orbit until 2030. Even so, the Greenland comparison bolsters the case for investigating Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon. It suggests that at least some conditions are well-suited to life, even if factors like the extreme cold (a maximum -260F at the equator) limit what’s possible.