Technology

Microsoft’s Top Gun expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator is being delayed to match the movie’s shifted release date. Paramount announced earlier this month that it’s delaying the rest of its 2021 films, pushing Top Gun: Maverick from its Thanksgiving weekend release date to May 27th, 2022. The Top Gun expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator had been planned for later this year, and will now be “released alongside the movie,” according to Microsoft and Asobo Studio. We still don’t have a whole lot of information on what Asobo Studio is planning to add with the Top Gun expansion, apart from some jets and locations from Top Gun: Maverick. “We look forward to sharing more information in the future,” says a blog post from Microsoft’s Flight Simulator team. [embedded content] Microsoft orig...

Five years after Volkswagen first unveiled its concept for an electric version of its iconic microbus, we’re finally getting our first glimpse of the vehicle on the road. But rather than some throwback to an era of hippies and flower power, the ID Buzz is outfitted with a high-tech suite of sensors and computing smarts for its new role as an autonomous test vehicle. VW says the autonomous ID Buzz will serve as a platform for the automaker’s full-scale commercial ride-hailing and delivery operation that it plans on launching in Germany in 2025. For now, VW plans to deploy the ID Buzz on public roads for testing in Munich, as well as at a private track near the city’s airport. The van made its public debut at the 2021 IAA Mobility Event in Munich, which also saw new concepts from Mercedes-Be...

The Sims 4’s Spa Day Game Pack, which was first released over six years ago in 2015, is receiving a free update this week that adds nail designs created by modder Ebonix. The update, which will be available on September 7th, adds a host of other features including a new “High Maintenance” trait and the ability for child Sims to do yoga and meditation. There are also new options to get manicures, pedicures, and facial masks, and Sims can earn money by teaching mindfulness, developer Maxis says. Sims can now aspire to be a “Zen Guru,” “Self-Care Specialist,” or simply seek out “Inner Peace.” Danielle “EbonixSims” Udo is a veteran modder of The Sims who has made significant contributions to the game’s ability to create diverse Sims. Ebonix, as well as other modders like Amira “Xmiramira” Virg...

Automated resume-scanning software is contributing to a “broken” hiring system in the US, says a new report from Harvard Business School. Such software is used by employers to filter job applicants, but is mistakenly rejecting millions of viable candidates, say the study’s authors. It’s contributing to the problem of “hidden workers” — individuals who are able and willing to work, but remain locked out of jobs by structural problems in the labor market. The study’s authors identify a number of factors blocking people from employment, but say automated hiring software is one of the biggest. These programs are used by 75 percent of US employers (rising to 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies), and were adopted in response to a rise in digital job applications from the ‘90s onwards. Technology...

Apple has now registered a patent at the United States Patents and Trademark Office for a flexible, rolling display. As the filing shows, the tech giant is now looking at developing a device featuring two separate housings which roll out to reveal a flat display in the center. Part of the patent also indicates that the devices could possibly feature both a rigid display and a rollable screen, both working together when expanded to offer a better user experience. While no specific device has been mentioned in the filing, Apple may very well utilize these rollable displays in a future generation of iPhones or iPads, the company’s two products most relevant to technology like this. Of course, large tech companies like Apple which have massive research and development departments will often pa...

RED has just announced its newest flagship cinema camera – the V-RAPTOR ST 8K VV. Not only is it the company’s most powerful and advanced camera, but it is also its first entrant into the DSMC3 generation of cameras. The V-RAPTOR ST features RED’s highest recorded dynamic range, large 8K format or 6K S35 shooting, twice as fast sensor scan times compared to previous RED cameras (600fps at 2K), 16-bit RAW, 1080p livestream, and two 4K 12G-SDI outputs. Weighing a tad over four pounds, the camera itself launched in a limited-edition white color with the option for a started pack. The body itself retails for $24,000 USD while the kit is priced at $29,579.99 USD. Below are the items included in the kit: 1x V-RAPTOR ST 8K VV Camera System1x DSMC3 RED Touch 7” LCD1x RED PRO CFexpress 660GB1x RED ...

Fujifilm has now expanded on its GFX mirrorless camera series with the GFX50S II model. Carrying a large format sensor, the new gadget offers 51.4 megapixels coupled with a wide dynamic range, a shallower depth of field, and greater image sharpness. A five-axis IBIS system provides superior image stabilization with up to 6.5 stops, while 19 different film simulation modes provide plenty of variety to play with. The magnesium body itself weighs roughly 990g. featuring a 3.2” tilting LCD monitor on the rear, a 3.69 million-dot OLED electric viewfinder up top, and full weather sealing to protect the camera from the elements. Now offered as the most accessible model in the GFX range, the new Fujifilm GFX50S II large format camera will retail for $4,000 USD. Elsewhere in tech, people are spendi...

Mercedes-Benz said recently that it was going all-electric by 2030, which naturally got race fans excited about the possibilities of an electric high-performance car from the automaker’s AMG sub-brand. Today, we’re getting our first look at the upcoming AMG EQS, a wickedly fast sport sedan with a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. It made its public debut at the 2021 IAA Mobility show in Germany. The AMG EQS is the first battery-electric production car from the automaker’s in-house performance subsidiary. As such, there’s a lot riding on Mercedes getting everything exactly right if it wants to satisfy its loyal customers while also luring new ones away from Tesla. first battery-electric production car from the automaker’s in-house performance subsidiary This is a driv...

Firefly’s Alpha rocket exploded mid-flight on Thursday, but the company posted a new video on Sunday and provided more detail on what happened. “Although the vehicle didn’t make orbit, the day marked a major advancement for our team,” the company tweeted. “We demonstrated we ‘arrived’ as a company capable of building and launching rockets.” Alpha, a two-stage rocket, lifted off from the Vandenberg Space Force base in California at 9:59PM ET on Thursday, carrying a payload of private satellites. It was the company’s first-ever mission, and two minutes after liftoff the rocket began tipping horizontally, falling short of reaching its maximum aerodynamic pressure. According to Firefly, the rocket cleared the launch pad successfully, but about 15 seconds into flight, engine 2 shut down. The ve...

I have to say I’m really appreciating what Ted Lasso is doing in season 2, and this week’s episode had some really great work from Jason Sudeikis and Sarah Niles. I won’t spoil it, but it was remarkable how the couch scene, which would have been just another “Ted being loopy” scene played for comic effect in season one hit completely different now that Ted’s realized he needs help with his mental health. Also, I recommend this New York Times profile of Niles — it’s a few weeks old but nicely captures how she sees Dr. Sharon fitting in with the rest of the Lasso team. Now on to this week’s teasers and trailers: [embedded content] Moonfall “What if the moon fell to earth” is the premise of this Roland Emmerich flick, which looks like about what you’d expect from the director of Independence ...

Just months after Mercedes-Benz launched its first true compact electric SUV, the EQA, the German automaker now has a slightly larger and more capable companion: the EQB. Revealed in full today at the 2021 IAA Mobility show in Germany, the company will start building the EQA in Hungary and China this month, and it will start selling the SUV in the US in 2022. Mercedes-Benz trotted out the EQB alongside a few other new electric vehicles that it’s adding to its stable. There’s the EQE sedan, which is a more attainable version of its flagship executive electric, the EQS. Mercedes-Benz also rolled out AMG and Maybach versions of the EQS. There’s even now going to be an electric version of the G-Wagen — though that’s not coming for a while, as Mercedes-Benz only debuted a concept version of the...

Mercedes-Benz has revealed an electric concept version of its boxy luxury off-roader, the G-Wagen, dotted with glowing accents and wearing some seriously moon rover-style wheels. Officially known as the Concept EQG, Mercedes-Benz was really light on details about the electric SUV while showing it off at the 2021 IAA Mobility show in Munich. It didn’t cite estimates for range, or mention battery size, or the power output of the electric motors. It will be all-wheel drive, though, and it will have a low and high gear. Also, those wheels are 22 inches. Instead, the Concept EQG is right now closer to a design exercise — a first attempt at how Mercedes-Benz may modify the new generation of the G-Class that it first revealed at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, and something to gawk at until a product...