Speedrunning video games is a time-honored tradition, and this is especially true when it comes to retro titles. Nintendo is getting in on the trend with a fairly bizarre forthcoming Switch game called Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, which drops on July 18. Its all about speedrunning through the classics, like Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Super Mario Bros., among others.
This comes in the form of 150 speedrunning challenges pulled from 13 NES games, which seems mightily familiar to those cool NES Remix releases from the Wii U era. There will be global online leaderboards, to give it a tournament feel, and local 8 player co-op. The game will also include an automatic rewind feature, letting people try and try until they get it right.
If the name Nintendo World Championships sounds familiar, thats because it's taken from the companys semi-regular esports tournament. This has been the companys branding for in-person competitions since 1990, when Nintendo visited 29 cities throughout the country. That first national tournament also spawned an ultra-rare NES cartridge with minigames based on Super Mario Bros., Tetris and Rad Racer. Only a few hundred were made and they currently sell on eBay for, no joke, $175,000. The last time we covered this cartridge, it was selling for $5,000 to $10,000. Retro-flation is real, yall.
Pre-orders for the digital version are available right now on the eShop, but there is a physical edition coming. This version will include 13 art cards, five pins and a physical game cart. Itll also include a gold commemorative NES cartridge, though it's sadly nonfunctional. Come on Nintendo! Make that thing functional so I can sell it for $175,000 in 30 years. The digital version of Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition costs $30 and the deluxe physical pack costs $60.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-just-revealed-a-nes-speedrunning-collection-inspired-by-an-ultra-rare-1990-cartridge-164607841.html?src=rss
Amazon has the Google Pixel Watch 2 on sale for $70 off. The Wear OS 4-powered smartwatch arrived last fall with a new stress-tracking feature, slightly longer battery life and a better heart sensor, as Googles flagship wearable inches closer to rivals Apple and Samsung. Its current $330 sale price is a record low.
The Pixel Watch 2 works with Android phones, so youll want to sit this deal out if you use an iPhone and dont plan on switching. But those with the right setup get a sleek device with a round (1.2-inch) screen. The watchs 41mm case (one size only) is lighter than its predecessor, thanks to its recycled aluminum material. It also has an IP68 water and dust resistance, meaning it has dust protection and can withstand half an hour of submersion in 1.5 meters of water.
This latest model includes a stress-tracking feature that uses the watchs continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor to track changes in your skins electrical activity. This new sensor can point to possible signs of stress using a machine learning algorithm that incorporates heart rate, heart rate variability and skin temperature, Google explains. When the algorithm picks up on physical indicators of positive and negative stress, including excitement, the Body Response feature will send you a notification.
Fitness tracking is likely one of the main reasons to buy a wearable like this, and Engadgets Cherlynn Low found the watchs Fitbit integration performed very well in our full review. Ive been wearing the Pixel Watch 2 alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 to all my workouts this week, and they generally showed similar results, she wrote when the smartwatch arrived last fall. It includes automatic workout start and stop prompts in case you forget to set up or end a session.
The Pixel Watch 2s $330 sale price is for the LTE version of the Pixel Watch 2, so once you set it up with your wireless carrier, it can stay connected without needing you to keep your phone nearby. If you prefer the Wi-Fi-only version, its available for $300, which is $50 off its usual price.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-google-pixel-watch-2-has-never-been-cheaper-162729942.html?src=rss
Heinz, the iconic condiment brand, has launched a new program to assist immigrants in Brazil with the process of becoming naturalized citizens. With Reviews For Naturalization, the brand is inviting customers at burger joints across the country to leave positive reviews about immigrant employees. With a record 710,000 refugees from nations like Venezuela, Afghanistan and Ukraine residing in Brazil as of 2024, many have found work in the restaurant industry. However, obtaining letters of recommendation from employers can be challenging for newcomers who lack established professional networks and may struggle with language barriers. Stating that "All are welcome at this table," Heinz's program seeks to transform customer reviews into letters that can be submitted as part of naturalization applications.The concept emerged from Heinz's existing relationships with burger restaurants, which employ a significant refugee workforce. Patrons are encouraged to leave reviews focusing on individual immigrant staff members' service and work ethic. A glowing review about a "friendly server from Haiti" or a "diligent line cook from Syria" could help that employee demonstrate valuable skills and community integration to immigration authorities, potentially cutting bureaucracy time by half.Reviews For Naturalization developed with creative agency Africa and two years in the making positions Heinz as a brand committed to hospitality for all, regardless of background or circumstance. As displaced people frequently face hostility and barriers, how could your brand aid them with similarly practical tools? Like Heinz, could you involve your customers in reinforcing an ethos of community and support?
Paramount+ with Showtime annual subscriptions are half off right now, bringing the yearly cost down to $60 down from $120. You have to pay for the year up front, which is never fun, but the offer is available to both new and returning subscribers. Thats not a bad deal, considering you get content from two streaming services that have joined in a blessed union to become one.
Paramount+ is home to all things Star Trek, yet that particular bonus seems to be shrinking all of the time. Its also home to the surprisingly funny Sonic-adjacent Knuckles TV show, which has a crazy fight scene featuring the 80-year-old, yet still iconic, Stockard Channing. Other notable releases on the streamer include the dad-approved Tulsa King, Jeremy Renners Mayor of Kingstown and that Halo adaptation that people compare unfavorably to Fallout. It's one of our favorite streaming services, even if Halo isn't quite up to snuff.
Showtime has been around for decades and has a diverse lineup of shows, like Yellowjackets, Billions, Dexter, House of Lies and the list goes on and on. Its also home to Twin Peaks: The Return, my favorite show of the 2010s. The Chi just returned, which is a big deal to fans, and Ewan McGregors A Gentleman in Moscow looks decent. Its Showtime. You know the deal.
This offer ends on July 14, so you have plenty of time to think about if you want to revisit Shameless or check out that Frasier reboot. Just remember to cancel once the year is up, as the subscription will auto-renew at the full price of the plan.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/paramount-with-showtime-annual-subscriptions-are-half-off-right-now-151032749.html?src=rss
FTX has filed a plan with a bankruptcy court to pay back creditors who held cryptocurrency at the embattled exchange. The vast majority of customers are set to get their money back with interest, though they (and the debtors) missed out on major gains in the crypto market since FTXs dramatic collapse in November 2022 the price of Bitcoin has more than tripled since then.
FTX aims to fully pay back non-governmental creditors based on the value of their claims as determined by the bankruptcy court. That means 98 percent of creditors (those who have up to $50,000 in claims) will get 118 percent of the amount of their allowed claims. Other creditors will get their money back, plus what FTX describes as billions of dollars in compensation for the time value of their investments.
Government creditors are in line for payouts with a nine percent interest rate. The Internal Revenue Service and Department of Justice are among the stakeholders with which FTX has agreed settlements.
The company suggests that, if its plan of reorganization is rubber stamped, it would be able to resolve disputes with private and government stakeholders without costly and protracted litigation. All told, FTX says that it will be able to distribute between $14.5 billion and $16.3 billion in cash.
But, you may be wondering, where exactly is all this money coming from? After all, when FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection 17 months ago, it held just 0.1 percent of the Bitcoin and 1.2 percent of the Ethereum that its customers thought it had.
FTX said it was able to monetize an extraordinarily diverse collection of assets, most of which were proprietary investments held by the Alamedaor FTX Ventures businesses, or litigation claims. As TechCrunch reports, the assets that FTX CEO John J. Ray III and his team tracked down included around $8 billion in real estate, political donations and venture capital investments.
The company filed the updated plan of reorganization just a few weeks after co-founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (aka SBF) was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was found guilty in November of charges including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ftx-plans-to-refund-defrauded-customers-with-interest-143555536.html?src=rss
Apple has lots of new products on the way and is officially discontinuing its ninth-generation iPad. But, before the curtain falls on this reliable device, you can pick it up for a steal. Our favorite budget iPad for comes with two years of AppleCare+ and is down to $298 from $398 a 25 percent discount. This deal is for the 64GB model with Wi-Fi in either Silver or Space Gray.
If you're looking for a more affordable entry point into the world of iPads or want to grab one as a gift then the ninth-gen model gives you a solid balance of quality and cost. We gave it an 86 in our review when it first debuted in 2021 thanks to updates like True Tone technology and color changing based on ambient light. It also has a 12-MP front camera, Apple's A13 Bionic chip and up to 10 hours of battery life while in use.
If you're looking for a more advanced iPad then check out everything we know about the new iPad Pro and iPad Air that Apple just announced. They will be available on May 15, but you can pre-order them now.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pick-up-the-9th-gen-ipad-with-two-years-of-applecare-for-only-298-140951353.html?src=rss
Small business owners say customer acquisition is both the biggest marketing challenge they face and the top area they need to improve to achieve their marketing goals this year, according to recent research from Constant Contact and Ascend2. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Email expert Matt Treacey, known for his unique approach that combines scientific principles with marketing savvy, shares his perspective on crafting winning B2B email strategies. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
Discover how the digital era is reshaping B2B buying behaviors and expectation. See how you can improve marketing and sales by addressing self-service buyers' key pain points. Read more. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
The United States has taken further action to limit China's technological advancement, revoking licenses that allowed Intel and Qualcomm to buy and sell chips to Huawei Technologies, the Financial Times reports. The decision will impact chips Huawei uses for computers and mobile phones and is effective immediately.
Huawei has been on US trade restrictions lists since 2019 but has recently made progress that worries the US government, such as last month's AI-enabled laptop. "We continuously assess how our controls can best protect our national security and foreign policy interests, taking into consideration a constantly changing threat environment and technological landscape. As part of this process, as we have done in the past, we sometimes revoke export licenses," a spokesperson for the Department of Commerce stated. The spokesperson declined to say if companies other than Huawei were impacted. "But we can confirm that we have revoked certain licenses for exports to Huawei."
National security experts have accused Huawei of helping China to conduct cyber espionage. "China resolutely opposes the United States overstretching the concept of national security and abusing export controls to suppress Chinese companies without justification," the Chinese foreign ministry decreed in a statement. Huawei also denies the espionage claims.
"China resolutely opposes the United States overstretching the concept of national security and abusing export controls to suppress Chinese companies without justification," the Chinese foreign ministry decreed in a statement. National security experts have accused Huawei of helping China to conduct cyber espionage, which Huawei has denied. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-revokes-intel-and-qualcomms-licenses-for-chip-sales-to-huawei-125304886.html?src=rss
