Popular YouTube channel Lofi Girl has been teasing something for a few days, and in the last few hours, the channel has stepped into some mysterious storytelling.
Starting on April 4th, Lofi Girl tweeted, “I still haven’t figured out what my cat has been staring at this whole time…” and followed it up the next day with a tweet mentioning the random blue window in the backdrop of the channel’s main video.
A few days later, on April 7th, the blue window started flashing. It didn’t take fans long to crack the Morse code of the flashes and discover a URL to lofiworld.com.
This website only has one button that takes you to a new video on the Lofi Girl YouTube channel bathed in soft blue light. There’s also a calendar with April 11th circled and a large countdown timer.
Rumours are swirling about what might happen on the 11th at noon (12 pm ET/9 am PT), but the ‘Lofi World’ moniker has me thinking that a few new live streams will launch on the channel with new characters/rooms. Others predict a single new channel in the blue room with a gaming focus, likely due to the Nintendo GameCube in the bottom right of the illustration.
Other ideas are being tossed around on Twitter, with popular theories being a Lofi Girl app that will help make the music portable, or a game created in line with the channel’s lofi/study/chill vibes.
On the Discord server, eager fans are rampant with new ideas and discussions ranging from a new merch line to a place online where people can chat and study together.
You can visit the original live stream if you want to watch the iconic moment when Lofi Girl (and her cat) disappear. However, it’s unclear if it will go down when the timer ends. We can’t give a direct timestamp since it depends on when you enter the stream.
This isn’t the first time Lofi Girl has had channels change, at least on purpose. In 2017 the channel was taken down for using an animation from the film Whisper of the Heart. It came back online with the custom animation that we know today months later. In 2020 YouTube took down the channel over mistaken copyright issues but reinstated it a day later.
This time there’s more purpose to the disappearance, and until it’s solved, you can find me listening to lofi Animal Crossing sounds instead.
The full lists of nominees for this year’s Canadian Game Awards and Canadian Indie Game Awards have been revealed.
As in previous years, organizer Northern Arena has opted for two shows to spotlight both bigger AAA games and smaller indie games. Both AAA and indie titles are eligible for the Canadian Game Awards, while only the latter has been nominated for the Indie Game Awards.
The nominees
To start, here’s what’s up for the coveted Game of the Year at the Canadian Game Awards:
Drinkbox Studios (Nobody Saves the World) [Toronto]
Silverstring Media (Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between) [Vancouver]
Tunic Team (Tunic) [Halifax]
Altogether, there are 17 Canadian Game Award categories and 13 Canadian Indie Game Award categories. The full list of Canadian Game Awards nominees can be found here. The full list of Canadian Indie Game Award nominees is available here.
How to watch
The Canadian Indie Game Awards will be held on Thursday, April 20th at 7pm ET, while the Canadian Game Awards will air on Friday, April 21st at 8pm ET. Both events are taking place in Toronto, and you can register to attend the Indie Awards here and purchase tickets (starting at $27.96) for the Canadian Game Awards here.
The Duffer Brothers have announced a new, untitled animated series tied to Stranger Things that’s set to premiere on Netflix sometime in the future.
“We’ve always dreamed of an animated Stranger Things in the vein of the Saturday morning cartoons that we grew up loving, and to see this dream realized has been absolutely thrilling,” said The Duffer Brothers in a statement.
A ‘STRANGER THINGS’ animated series is officially in the works.
Stranger Things was first released in July of 2016 and has since spawned a cult-like following, making it one of the most popular shows in Netflix history. The fourth season of the show is still the most-watched Netflix English-based language series in its first 28 days on the platform, with 1.35 billion hours viewed.
The Duffer Brothers will be executive producers on the new project with their Upside Down Pictures production banner. They will be working alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen via 21 Laps and Eric Robles via Flying Bark Productions, a collaboration that brings some exciting prospects to the upcoming animated series.
“We couldn’t be more blown away by what Eric Robles and his team have come up with,” The Duffer Brothers said. “The scripts and artwork are incredible, and we can’t wait to share more with you!”
With filming for Stranger Things Season 5 set to take play in the summer of 2023, it’s unclear when the animated series will release. Until then, fans of the series have more than enough to look forward to.
Google has stopped pushing out updates for some of its third-party smart displays. Spotted by 9to5Google, the company’s support article now says that Google does not provide software updates on the Lenovo Smart Display, JBL Link View and LG’s Xboom AI ThinQ WK9.
Most of these devices launched in 2018 after Google announced its Smart Display platform and around when the company also unveiled its Home Hub (now called Nest Hub).
However, there have been signs of this lack of support. In 2022, Google disabled the ability to use web browsers on non-Nest Hub Smart displays. And features like Look and Talk and Quick Phrases started showing up on Nest Hub devices, but not the other smart displays.
This update doesn’t include the Lenovo Smart Clock, but it’s possible it might be affected in the future.
With the upcoming launch of the Pixel Tablet, it’s possible that Google will pull back from smart displays and push its focus on the tablet. The Pixel Tablet will sport a dock that will turn the device into a smart display, so it makes sense that Google will focus on this upcoming device.
Chris Pratt has revealed that his first attempt at voicing Mario for The Super Mario Bros. Movie was rejected by the film’s directors, and for a pretty comical reason.
Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic both believed that Pratt’s first rendition of the iconic Nintendo character sounded too close to that of Tony Soprano, the mob boss played by the late great James Gandolfini in HBO’s The Sopranos.
“For a minute, I walked in and they were like, ‘That’s a little New Jersey. You’re doing a Tony Soprano thing,’” Pratt said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. The actor went on to say that he was so eager to star in the film that he didn’t even have a chance to work out what the character should sound like.
“I think both [Charlie Day and I] said yes. Didn’t even ask, ‘What’s the deal? What’s the story?’ ‘Yes, I’m in.’ And then we had to really dig in and figure out…are they Italian? Are they American?”
According to the two leads, both Pratt and Day worked with a variety of different voice iterations for the film, including taking inspiration from the original Mario voice actor, Charles Martinet.
“I tried out a few things and landed on something that I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear,” Pratt added.
Thankfully, despite the change, directors Jelenic and Horvath have gone on record defending Pratt, saying that he is perfect for the role.
It appears the decision to cast Pratt paid off, with The Super Mario Bros. Movie scoring the top opening of all time for an animated film earning $375.6 million in worldwide ticket sales during the long Easter weekend, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
I’ve been experimenting with Microsoft’s Xbox Series X for the past few months because I wanted to see if it could replace Sony’s PlayStation 5 console in my heart. I’ve been using the PlayStation 5 since its launch, and before that, the PlayStation 4. That said, I was an Xbox 360 player, so getting back to the world of Microsoft has been an interesting experience after all this time.
When I picked up the Xbox Series X, I was skeptical that it would offer real value over PlayStation’s premiere console, and while I don’t outright state which one is better in this story, Microsoft’s console offers several advantages.
How it went
I’ve used the Xbox Series X for about three months, and during that time, I didn’t play it every day, and it also wasn’t a half-and-half situation. For the most part, I still spent a lot of time on the PlayStation 5 — not because I outright preferred it, but because I play a lot of Overwatch 2 and my friends and I talk over the console’s voice chat. I also played Hogwarts Legacy on the PlayStation 5 because it offered exclusive content on Sony’s console. That’s not to say I haven’t spent dozens of hours using the Xbox Series X over the last few months, however.
In fact, there have been weeks where I’ve spent a considerable amount of time only using Microsoft’s flagship system. What attracts me to the console is its Game Pass Ultimate membership, which is still unrivalled across the video game industry. Of course, PlayStation has PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium, but in its current state, it pales compared to Game Pass.
Game Pass Ultimate immediately gave me a library of dozens of great games on the Series X, allowing me to try out several titles I otherwise wouldn’t have. With all that said, there are a few reasons why I think Game Pass’s offering is better than PlayStation’s and what keeps me returning to the console.
“…Playing most titles on Xbox Series X didn’t feel notably different than on the PS5.”
I love that Game Pass Ultimate gets new triple-A titles as soon as they come out. PlayStation’s subscription service, on the other hand, doesn’t release new games right when they launch. In fact, only a few indies have been released at launch, including Stray and Tchia.
With Game Pass, I was impressed with titles like Atomic Heart and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and I was ecstatic that I could play them on their release date. With Game Pass Ultimate, you can preload these titles in advance, another useful feature. For example, one of the games you can download ahead of time is Redfall, an upcoming co-op first-person shooter I’m excited about.
Speaking of games, playing most titles on Xbox Series X didn’t feel notably different than on the PS5. That said, I found the Series X’s controller awkward and thick, and I’m still more of a fan of the PS5’s DualSense because it’s thinner and aesthetically more pleasing.
Other Game Pass titles I played included Weird West, which I spent a ridiculous amount of time playing, along with Grounded and Minecraft Dungeons.
Game Pass Ultimate offers so many titles, and I love its freedom. It feels like being back in the era when you could rent games, allowing you to try them out before buying them — and if you don’t like the title, it’s not a significant loss. For example, playing Atomic Heart without buying it outright was useful. I learned that I really didn’t like the overt sexual tone of one of the NPCs and decided to stop playing.
Sony and PlayStation could catch up to Game Pass one day, but the company would need to add newly released first-party titles (and I don’t see that ever happening), but until then, Game Pass Ultimate has my heart.
At the moment, Microsoft has no exclusives that attract me to the console on the same level as Sony’s God of War: Ragnarök or Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. While I like Grounded and Halo Infinite, they don’t make me feel that I need to purchase an Xbox. However, with Bethesda’s offerings like Starfield and Redfall on the horizon, I’m glad I have a Series X to play. I’m also intrigued by Hi-Fi Rush. Thankfully, all these exclusives are available on Game Pass.
While Sony has launched a couple of games on PS Plus Extra, I won’t consider purchasing that until all first-party exclusives are released on its game subscription service (which probably will never happen).
Aside from Game Pass, I’m a big fan of the Xbox Series X’s ‘Quick Resume’ feature. It allows players to hop back into a game without menus, even after the console is off. I wish the PS5 offered similar functionality; it’s good at starting games up quickly, but jumping right into the game with Quick Resume is even faster.
I also liked how much smaller and lighter the Series X is compared to the PS5. Typically if I’m staying at my parent’s place for the holidays, I avoid bringing my PS5 because it’s too big to move around easily. On the other hand, the Series X is easy to carry. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it portable, but it’s a lot easier to pack into a bag and take with you than Sony’s console.
PS5 or Series X?
I’m not totally sold on switching to the Series X, but that’s mostly because my friends are still on Sony’s console. Overall, based on my experience, I don’t necessarily find one console better, but Game Pass and Quick Resume are top-of-the-line features that I wish Sony’s PS5 offered.
With this in mind, unless a game or content is exclusive to the PS5, I might buy it on Xbox instead. And with Game Pass, having exclusive titles like Redfall and triple-A content on release day like Lies of P (my most anticipated title of the year) available through the subscription service, Xbox is difficult to beat.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and includes access to EA Play, game streaming and the PC version of Game Pass. The Xbox Series X costs $599.99. Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription service is available in several tiers, including ‘Premium,’ $21.99/month ‘Extra,’ $17.99/month ‘Essential’ $11.99/month. The PlayStation 5 costs $649.
Sony’s God of War Ragnarök PS5 bundle is available for $669.96 at Best Buy and Amazon. The regular disk edition of the PS5 is available for $649.96 at Best Buy and Amazon.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 might feature a worse display than the Pixel Fold.
According to The Elec, it looks like the Z Fold 5 will sport Samsung Display’s M12 material set (the material used to create OLED panels) for OLED displays, similar to what was available on the Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4 and the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Now, Samsung is working on the M13 and M14 material sets, but Google will get the first taste of the new technology.
The Pixel Fold will reportedly use the M13 material sets, compared to the Z Flip 5 and the Z Fold 5, which will use only the M12 material sets, similar to their predecessors. It would be strange for Google to opt for the M13 sets, as the company isn’t usually ahead of the game regarding components. And it’d be odd for Samsung to use the M12 sets if it knows Google’s displays are ahead of its own devices.
The Elec also indicates that Apple’s iPhone 15 models will use M12-based displays. This is an upgrade for base iPhone users as the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus used the M11 sets; however, iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max already use the M12-based displays.
The rumours also suggest Samsung Display is building a custom set dubbed ‘M14’ solely for Apple and its 16th-gen devices. However, in 2023 Samsung will reportedly build four displays for the iPhone 15 models with assistance from LG display for the two Pro models.
The Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 are expected to launch in August, the iPhone 15 models in September, and the Pixel Fold could release sometime this Spring.
Edmonton residents will soon have another rideshare option to choose from.
Lyft said it’s expanding its services to the city “in the coming months.” The service is already available in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver.
While riders will have to wait to use the service, anyone interested in becoming a driver can start the process by downloading the Lyft Driver app on iOS or Android.
“Lyft is the best way to earn good money and meet great people,” the company said in a blog post.
“When driving with Lyft, you have the flexibility and choice to earn when you want, plus pay transparency so you have confidence that your work is worth the time and effort.”
The company is offering new Edmonton drivers a $500 bonus if they complete 100 rides in 30 days.
On April 6th, the Twitter headquarters sign was partially covered by a white tarp, courtesy of CEO Elon Musk, who has now confirmed that the move was his responsibility.
Why would the tech billionaire cover up his own company’s branding on purpose, you might ask? Well, let’s just say that there was a reason the sign was only partially covered. That’s right, the Twitter sign in San Francisco now reads “Titter” instead.
Although some Musk fans can still be found chuckling helplessly online over the CEO’s playground humour, Twitter’s landlord did not take kindly to the gag. Musk stated that the company was informed that they are legally required to keep the name “Twitter” on the sign.
Musk’s solution was probably exactly what you would have expected, given his already-established childlike banter.
“Our landlord at SF HQ says we’re legally required to keep sign as Twitter & cannot remove “w”, so we painted it background color. Problem solved!” Musk said in a tweet.
Our landlord at SF HQ says we’re legally required to keep sign as Twitter & cannot remove “w”, so we painted it background color. Problem solved! pic.twitter.com/1iFjccTbUq
Naturally, the CEO followed up with a punchline that would have even the sternest eight-year-old snickering with glee.
“They tried to muffle our titter 🤭” the social media head tweeted.
This move follows other jokes from Musk involving similar subject matter. Back in October 2021, he tweeted that he planned on starting a new university called the “Texas Institute of Technology & Science,” or “TITS” for short.
Very clever, Elon.
Musk also polled his 134 million followers on the platform last year on whether or not to change the company’s name to “Titter.”
Regardless of whether these “changes” are here to stay or just another one of Musk’s temporary wisecracks is yet to be seen. As for now though, don’t be alarmed if images of a massive “Titter” sign begin to circulate on your social media.
If you haven’t heard already, the 2023 Star Wars Celebration is wrapping up and with it comes some major announcements from the franchise.
The four-day event has been a popular attraction among fans of the business since the first Star Wars Celebration in 1999 and is known for its expansive exhibits, panel discussions, exclusive merchandise and, of course, brand-new reveals for upcoming projects.
This year was no different, with the event showcasing some of Star Wars‘ biggest news over the course of the event. With so much information coming out all at once, it can be hard to know what stands out above the rest.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest streaming announcements from this year’s Star Wars Celebration.
Star Wars: Visions season 2
Just released at #StarWarsCelebration: Watch the new trailer for #StarWarsVisions Volume 2, featuring nine new shorts from nine celebrated animation studios from across the globe.
On April 10th, more information was revealed on the highly anticipated season two of Disney+’s anthology series, Star Wars: Visions.
Season 2 of the animated series was given an official trailer, as well as key art and a cast reveal.
Additionally, season two is set to feature nine new animated shorts from nine different studios across the globe.
Ahsoka trailer reveal
Speaking of trailers, the first teaser trailer of the upcoming Disney+ series, Ahsoka, was revealed to the public on April 7th.
Exciting times for fans of Star Wars streaming series. Ahsoka marks a big moment for fans of the character, who will now have her own series. The trailer was revealed alongside an official poster for the show.
By this point, Star Wars fans with access to a Disney+ membership must be on Cloud (City) nine, with news breaking on season 2 of the Andor series during the event last week.
Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy spoke about the filming of season 2, giving many fans something to look forward to. “We’re going as quickly as we can to come back with the second half of this and finish it off proudly and make you proud of us,” Gilroy said.
A short teaser trailer was also shown, but unfortunately, it was exclusive to those present at the time. Despite this, the hype train is real, with Andor season 2 set to release in August 2024.
Rounding out our list of the biggest announcements from this year’s Star Wars Celebration is another season renewal, this time for The Bad Batch, with season 3 looking to close out the fan-favourite animated series.
It was confirmed at the event that season 3 is on the way and will be debuting on (you guessed it) Disney+ in 2024.
The show, which follows a group of elite clones in the aftermath of Order 66, was announced to be running its final season by executive producers at the event. An in-room teaser was also shown, giving fans in attendance a glimpse at what’s to come in the upcoming season.
What tops your list of biggest moments from the event? Let us know in the comments below.
