Technology

I’m not an artist. My brain just does not work that way. I tried to learn Photoshop but gave up. Now, I create fun images using AI.You need a vacation. We’re giving away a $1,000 getaway gift card for your favorite airline. Enter to win now!Some AI tech is kind of freaky (like this brain-powered robot), but many of the new AI tools out there are just plain fun. Let’s jump into the wide world of freebies that will help you make something cool.20 TECH TRICKS TO MAKE LIFE BETTER, SAFER OR EASIERCreate custom music tracksNot everyone is musically inclined, but AI makes it pretty easy to pretend you are. At the very least, you can make a funny tune for a loved one who needs some cheering up.AI to try: UdioPerfect for: Experimenting with song stylesStarter prompt: "Heartbreak at the movie th...

Amazon says that the show “showcases modern Japan and the dramatic stories of these intense characters, such as the legendary Kazuma Kiryu, that games in the past have not been able to explore.” Kiryu will be played by Ryoma Takeuchi, while Kento Kaku also starts as Akira Nishikiyama. The series is directed by Masaharu Take.Like a Dragon: Yakuza starts streaming on Prime Video on October 24th with its first three episodes.

This Ninja Luxe Café claims to be the only “no guesswork” semiautomatic espresso machine that also comes with the ability to make drip coffee and cold brew. Using “Barista Assist Technology,” it can suggest what grind size to use based on the drink you’re trying to make, ideally saving you a few minutes and some stress in getting your fresh-roasted beans dialed in right for an espresso.It will also weigh the ground coffee coming out of the machine so you don’t have to rely on inconsistent timed grinds. Afterward, you’ll press the grounds with an assisted tamper, then, like most other espresso machines, manually install the portafilter in the group head.But at $499, its step-by-step guidance might be worth considering for espresso, coffee, and milk-based drinks during your morning rush t...

The Doctor Who franchise is about to get even bigger with a new spinoff series that, interestingly, doesn’t seem like it’s going to focus on everyone’s favorite Time Lord.During the Doctor Who panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Disney and the BBC announced that The War Between The Land And The Sea — a new series written by Russell T. Davies and Pete McTighe — is on the way. Rather than the Doctor, the new show will revolve around a group of humans as they work together to face the Sea Devils, a race of ancient, ocean-dwelling creatures who first appeared in Doctor Who back in 1972.Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient are set to reprise their roles as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Colonel Ibrahim, respectively, but they will also be joined by Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as ch...

Image: Adult Swim Adult Swim’s long-awaited adaptation of Uzumaki finally has a premiere date — and an appropriately creepy trailer. The series, based on the classic horror manga from Junji Ito, will start airing on September 28th. Episodes will hit Adult Swim first, and then stream on Max the following day. Uzumaki follows a cursed town that is — and I promise it’s scarier than it sounds — plagued by spirals. Here’s the full synopsis: “Let’s leave this town together,” asks Shuichi Saito, a former classmate of Kirie Goshima, a high school girl who was born and grew up in Kurouzu-cho. Everything from a strange whirlwind, billowing smoke from the crematorium, and the residents is turning into spirals. People’s eyes spin in whirls, a tongue spirals, and the... ...

The Boys’ fourth season ended on a nightmarish note that made the show’s upcoming final chapter seem like it’s going to its most deranged. But during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Amazon revealed that while The Boys may be coming to an end, the larger franchise is about to get even bigger with a prequel series set in the distant past.Though The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke was tightlipped about the show’s series finale, he was all too excited to bring actor Jensen Ackles on stage during a panel to announce the forthcoming arrival of Vought Rising, a new prequel series. Set in the ‘50s, Vought Rising will chronicle the lives of Soldier Boy (Ackles) and Stormfront (Aya Cash) — two of Vought’s earliest and most powerful superhumans.In a press release about the new show, Kripke described ...

The first season of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power took its sweet time revealing the true identities of its two most mysterious characters. But when the show returns next month, it seems like it’s going to hit the ground running with big reveals about how Sauron and the Stranger will change Middle-earth. A new, lengthy trailer revealed at Comic-Con gives a good sense at what fans can expect in season 2.According to Amazon, the new season will be focused on Sauron’s return. “Cast out by Galadriel, without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will,” the streamer explains. It looks like thi...

SpaceX has completed its investigation into what caused an engine failure during a Falcon 9 launch on July 11th. The company has submitted a “mishap report” to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is ready to return the Falcon 9 rocket to flight as soon as tomorrow.The company’s investigation team, working with the FAA, was able to determine the July 11th failure was caused by a liquid oxygen leak that developed during the initial burn of the Falcon 9’s second stage engine. It says the leak originated from a crack in a pressure sensor sense line that’s part of the rocket’s oxygen system. A clamp that normally constrains the sense line had come loose, subjecting it to excessive engine vibrations that eventually caused it to fatigue and crack.The leaking liquid oxygen on the Falc...

Conservationists will be able to release more California condors into the wild thanks to a record number of chicks hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo this breeding season. It’s the latest success in an incredible conservation story for North America’s biggest flying bird. A total of 17 chicks hatched at the zoo this season, which came to a close with the last little one arriving in June and “thriving.” That beats a 1997 record of 15 chicks in one season. The zoo credits the accomplishment to a new strategy it developed for minimizing the birds’ contact with humans. “The result is more condor chicks in the program and ultimately more condors in the wild,” Rose Legato, curator of birds at the Los Angeles Zoo, said in a press release on Wednesday. Condor moms still make much better parents tha...

I first encountered Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure at the Netflix booth during Summer Game Fest. Within moments of settling in with the demo, I was struck by the game’s clarity of conceit and purpose. You’re a little girl named Jemma, who, as she moves across a tiled world of columns and rows, moves objects with her. Puzzle shenanigans involving — if you’ll pardon the pun — arranging objects will undoubtedly ensue.Arranger is an “Oh... oh!” kind of puzzle game. It is deceptively simple, with clear objectives no more complicated than “use the pressure switch to unlock the door.” But the game’s simplicity of presentation obscures cleverly designed puzzles that tested my spatial awareness to its absolute limit, and I loved every second of it. That spark of recognition, that eureka mom...