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Tag Archives: revamped
2024 Golden Globes Live Updates: Jo Koy Opens Revamped Awards Show – The New York Times
- 2024 Golden Globes Live Updates: Jo Koy Opens Revamped Awards Show The New York Times
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph Talks Red Carpet Dressing, Style Mantras (Exclusive) PEOPLE
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph Was ‘Overjoyed’ About ‘Holdovers’ Role After a Career of Having to ‘Fight for Fully Realized Characters’ Variety
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph Calls The Holdovers an ‘Absolute Dream’ as She Wins Supporting Actress at Golden Globes PEOPLE
- The Holdovers’ Da’Vine Joy Randolph Explains Why Working With Paul Giamatti Is Like Boxing Just Jared
From revamped defenses to (of course) Aaron Rodgers: 10 offseason moves that will impact fantasy football – The Athletic
- From revamped defenses to (of course) Aaron Rodgers: 10 offseason moves that will impact fantasy football The Athletic
- Which NFL team is most likely to end long playoff drought in 2023 season? Jets, Lions top my rankings NFL.com
- NFL: 5 players who could bounce back big from rough seasons in 2023 Yahoo Sports
- 2023 NFL Offseason Rankings, Part I: Breaking down which teams thrived, stumbled with their roster building CBS Sports
- Quarterbacks who got the most help during the 2023 NFL offseason: Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields and more | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics Pro Football Focus
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Google’s revamped Android Auto experience is rolling out now
It took several months, but the Android Auto overhaul is here. Google is now rolling out its redesigned in-car experience for Android users. As mentioned at I/O, the redesigned interface streamlines navigation, communication and media playback. Maps is in a more driver-friendly position, while the split-screen view offers quick access to music and texts regardless of your car’s screen orientation. There’s finally a media progress bar, and conversation shortcuts (shown below) help you make calls and reply to messages.
Google is expanding Android Auto’s functionality at the same time. Newer Pixel and Samsung phones will “soon” let you place WhatsApp calls, the company says. Assistant now offers smart suggestions for missed calls, arrival time sharing, music and podcasts.
There are a few vehicular upgrades coming beyond Android Auto. Digital car key sharing is coming to Samsung phones in the near future, while Xiaomi phone owners will have the option later in 2023. The keys themselves will be available for makes other than BMW, although Google didn’t say when that might happen. HD maps are coming to the Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 to boost their autonomous and assistance features. YouTube is also coming to cars with Google built-in, so you’ll have more to watch while you’re charging or parked.
To some extent, the Android Auto upgrade was necessary. Apple has previewed a next-gen CarPlay interface that’s not only more useful, but can take over more of a car’s infotainment system. Google’s revamp isn’t directly equivalent, but might give automakers a stronger incentive to support Android Auto in an increasingly competitive market.
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Xbox has revamped the Games & Apps library with a new interface
What you need to know
- The Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles share an interface, with a large button on the dashboard dedicated to pooling your digital games.
- The Xbox Insider Program lets Xbox users test upcoming versions of the dashboard and other apps.
- The latest build on the Xbox Insider Program has some refinements to the Games & Apps library, adding a tabbed interface that separates content by source.
The Xbox dashboard has seen a few interesting updates in recent times, most notably perhaps the inclusion of Discord as part of the Xbox Insider Program. This latest Xbox Insider Alpha Ring build has issued some notable changes to the Games & Apps section, which is typically where you go to browse all of your installed content and available games for download.
The new interface revamps the “Full Library” section of the dashboard, which was admittedly a little cluttered in the previous incarnation. Now, it sports a speedy tabbed interface with horizontal labels for different pools of content, separating “Owned games” that you’ve purchased outright from libraries like Xbox Game Pass or EA Play.
Each tab section has a design with specific features for that pool of content in mind. For example, the full “owned games” list doesn’t exactly need to show you “recent additions” or “leaving soon” filters, which is exactly what the Xbox Game Pass tab has instead. You still get the regular filters as previous, with the ability to change the sizes of the tiles to fit more content on a single screen.
Right now, the tabs are as follows:
- “All games,” which pools every content source into a single library.
- “Owned games,” which refers to all content you’ve purchased.
- “Xbox Game Pass,” which is licenses that you have access to as a result of that subscription. This section also has lists for “Play Later,” “Recently added,” and “Leaving soon” at the top of its library.
- “EA Play,” which can be purchased separately or as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This includes games from Electronic Arts including Battlefield, FIFA, and Mass Effect. Similarly, this has a “Recently added” list, but also includes a “Game Trials” list for new titles that come with a 10-hour limited access feature as part of that subscription.
- “Games with Gold” includes all the titles that you can grab as part of Xbox Live Gold’s free monthly games offering.
- Finally, there’s a section specifically for apps like Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, and so on.
To speculate, Microsoft may have built this streamlined section to incorporate other future gaming subscription pools into the library. Recently, Ubisoft+ assets were discovered by Aggiornamenti Lumia on Twitter in Xbox’s back-end. It lends further fuel to earlier rumors that Microsoft may be exploring a partnership with the Assassin’s Creed publisher, in a collaboration that could be similar to what Xbox Game Pass has with EA Play. Ubisoft+ is already available as a separate service on PC, but can also be purchased as part of PlayStation Plus and even Amazon’s nascent streaming service Luna.
Increasingly, it seems like subscription services are going to be an important part of AAA publisher revenue streams, and the change to the Xbox Games & Apps library is most likely designed to accommodate that. Xbox has been hard at work adding features and content to its own Xbox Game Pass service, with a Friends & Family plan just over the horizon.
The new Xbox Games & Apps library is available now as part of the Xbox Insider Program, and will likely roll out to the general public in the coming weeks.
Apple WWDC 2022: Revamped lock screen and big changes to iMessage
At its Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicked off on Monday, Apple said it will be adding more features to iMessage, including the ability to edit or unsend messages. The company said these two options are among the most requested features from users.
Apple also teased several new options to better customize the lock screen and improve the notifications experience. Apple’s iPhone users will be able to add widgets on the lock screen to get information at a glance, such as upcoming calendar events and the weather. iOS users will be able to track “live” activities, such as an Uber ride’s progress or updates on a sports game. And the software will offer more personalized wallpapers for the lock screen and the ability to shuffle options throughout the day.
Apple’s updates, which will likely roll out later this year, extended to its broader ecosystem of products and services, from payments to cars.
The newest version of CarPlay will be packed with customized widgets controlled by the iPhone and capable of running across all of a car’s screens. Meanwhile, iOS users in the US will be able to spread payments over 8 weeks on Apple Pay, similar to a “buy now, pay later” service.
Apple also continues to bet on health features. The Apple Watch will soon support new custom workouts features, including heart rate zones and data on a runner’s stride. In addition, enhanced sleep tracking will monitor when a user goes in and out of light and deep sleep. A new medications app will let users track, manage and understand the medications people take and notifies users when to take them.
While the event focused on software, Apple did make some hardware announcements.
Apple introduced a thinner, lighter and faster MacBook Air designed around its new M2 in-house processor. The 13.6-inch MacBook Air is 25% brighter than before, supports MagSafe charging and features an enhanced front-facing camera with twice the resolution of the previous model. With an 8-core CPU, Apple said the M2 chip promises 18% greater performance than its M1 chip. The processor also comes with a 10-core GPU — double that of the M1 — along with 25% better graphics performance.
The MacBook Air starts at $1,099 and the MacBook Pro starts at $1,299.
Some industry watchers have also been holding out hope that Apple (AAPL) could offer an early look at a platform thought to be called RealityOS. The system could power the mixed reality headset — a wearable device that’s said to be capable of both VR and AR — which Apple has been rumored to be working on for years.
Apple’s event is livestreaming on its website and the company’s YouTube channel.
Google Phone prepares revamped Material You dialer
Material You elements quickly took over various Google apps in the lead-up and following the rollout of Android 12, but it seems Google isn’t done. Hidden in the latest Google Phone update is a new dialer design that has some familiar Material You elements.
Google first added Material You’s signature color accents to its dialer app for Pixel phones last year, with the colors appearing on buttons and the background of the app. But that’s really as far as things went, with the overall visual design mostly looking the same.
That’s something Google is apparently ready to fix as the latest Google Phone update delivers a revamped dialer. We were able to enable the feature ahead of its formal debut, and it’s a great design on the whole. Google Phone is essentially adopting the same Material You style as Android 12’s lockscreen on the Pixel.
This includes a prominent border for each button on the dialer, in stark contrast to the current design, which has no border around each button at all. These buttons each have a small animation that’s basically identical to what’s seen on Android 12’s lockscreen, with a touch on the button radiating out towards the edges, also showing a slightly different shape on each touch.
Below, you can see the new design in a few colors, as well as in both light and dark mode. Further, we were able to capture a video showing the new design in action.
Dylan Roussel contributed to this article
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Cade Cunningham named MVP in revamped Rising Stars Challenge
CLEVELAND — The Rising Stars Challenge became the latest part of All-Star Weekend to undergo a format change, and it was a success.
The event, which features the top first- and second-year NBA players, employed an entirely new format this season. Rather than just being one game involving those players, like in years past, there were four seven-man rosters coached by Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas, Rick Barry, James Worthy and Gary Payton.
Three games were played — two semifinal matchups to 50, and a championship game to 25, in a nod to the league celebrating its 75th anniversary this season.
And after Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, led Team Barry to a 25-20 win over Team Isiah to win the event, he said he was pleased with the format change.
“It was a lot of fun,” Cunningham said after claiming the event’s MVP award. “Great teammates, great coaches, great atmosphere … I had a good time, for sure.”
All three games employed the “Elam Ending,” which first came to All-Star Weekend two years ago in Chicago when it debuted in the All-Star Game.
“It felt good,” Rockets guard Jalen Green said, after his team lost in the first semifinal when Desmond Bane hit a couple of free throws to seal it. “It was fun. It was exciting out there. We were just hooping, playing free.”
While the opening moments of the games were reminiscent of past Rising Stars games, which are typically full of dunks, 3s and hardly any intensity, the new format did lead to some added spice in the final moments.
When Bane was fouled by Jalen Suggs — who had missed a potential game-winning free throw moments earlier — at the end of the first semifinal, he was given a talking to by both Cole Anthony and Tyrese Maxey before calmly sinking the second to give his team the win.
In fact, all three games ultimately ended on free throws — a sign of the kind of uncharacteristic defense that was being played, at least when the games were on the line, throughout the night.
“I like this,” Hornets guard LaMelo Ball said. “I feel like this was dope. Having something new, with the 75 and the 50 and the 25, I feel like it was creative.”
The night also featured G League Ignite players taking part in the festivities for the first time — an additional way for the NBA to highlight its new initiative to get top prospects to skip college and instead spend time in the G League before being eligible for the draft.
Kia unveils new Niro revamped from the ground up with sustainability in mind
As anticipated, Kia Corporation has debuted its redesigned Niro, complete with new features focused around efficiency and sustainability. As either a hybrid, PHEV, or fully-electric model, the new Kia Niro represents the Korean automaker’s growing focus on lowering emissions.
The Niro debuted as a new hybrid vehicle in the 2017 model year. It has since been joined by a PHEV version, as well as a fully-electric model that debuted in 2018, sharing a powertrain configuration with its Hyundai Motor Group cousin, the Kona EV.
This past June, we covered the news that Kia was announcing its 2021 Niro EV, albeit with minimal changes compared to its 2020 predecessor. Kia is now advertising the 2022 Niro EV on its US website.
Despite that fact, Kia Corporation began teasing images of a completely new Niro earlier this week, set to debut at the 2021 Seoul Mobility Show. Well, thanks to a 17+ hour time difference, we now have the first images of a completely new Niro designed from the ground up.
New Kia Niro debuts with new face and sustainable materials
In a press release out of Seoul, Kia officially unveiled an overhauled Niro, designed from ground up with its 2019 HabaNiro concept in mind. This is apparent in the Niro’s redesigned front end that embodies Kia’s signature “tiger face” that now extends from the hood through the lower fender, accented by “heartbeat” LED daytime running lights (DRL).
A major focus relayed by the Kia team at the debut was sustainability and a cleaner future for transportation. The automaker presented this commitment via the interior of the new Niro, which features headlining made from recycled wallpaper, seats made from bio-based polyurethane, and Tencel (textile) made from eucalyptus leaves.
Lastly, the door panels were painted with water-based, BTX free paint to minimize environmental impact and waste. Kia president and CEO Sung Song spoke at the event in Seoul:
Kia continues to take steps towards a more sustainable future, inviting everyone to join the movement into the new mobility era. The all-new Kia Niro makes it simple to practice a sustainable lifestyle with its eco-friendly materials, advanced technology, and electric powertrains while it also fulfills the practical needs of customers.
The PHEV version of the Niro will come with a new feature called “Greenzone Drive Mode,” which automatically switches to electric power during opportunities for more efficient mobility based on navigational cues and driving habits.
For example, green zones can be residential areas, nearby schools, or even hospitals. The vehicle can also recognize a driver’s most visited places and register them as green zones.
No further specs are available at this time, but it’s not unreasonable to believe that Kia America will make its own debut announcement for the US version of the Niro, and will hopefully provide more details of battery capacity, range, and price… you know, the stuff you readers always ask about.
For now, all we know is the 2nd-generation Niro will be available sometime next year. There will be certainly more to come.
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CCL revamped again; MLS, Liga MX expand Leagues Cup to all teams
Concacaf, MLS and Liga MX on Tuesday afternoon unveiled a new club competition structure that will reshape men’s professional soccer across the region and especially in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The revised Concacaf Champions League format and enlarged, inclusive Leagues Cup tournament, which will feature every MLS and Liga MX team, supplant the previous overhaul unveiled in early February. The modified competitions will kick off in 2023-24.
The current CCL is a 16-team, bracketed competition. It was supposed to make way for a massive 50-team event in the fall of 2023 that would begin with 10 regionalized groups, including four covering the three North American nations. But that plan has now been scrapped in favor of a more streamlined 27-club, bracketed tournament featuring 18 North American entrants to be played for the first time in the spring of 2024.
“Fans want to see knockout situations,” Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said Tuesday.
MLS will furnish five U.S.-based teams based on league results, and a sixth American side will qualify via the U.S. Open Cup. Liga MX will send six clubs, and there will now be three bids awarded to Canadian teams—one through the Canadian Championship and two via the Canadian Premier League. Three additional spots then will be granted to the top three finishers in the expanded Leagues Cup, the MLS-Liga MX tournament that, from 2023, will involve all 47 members of the region’s top two domestic circuits.
Launched in 2019 as part of the competitive partnership between MLS and Liga MX, the Leagues Cup has been an underwhelming, eight-team knockout event with inconsistent qualifying criteria and minimal stakes. The 2021 edition, its second following last year’s cancellation, will conclude with Wednesday night’s final between the Seattle Sounders and Club León.
In 2023, however, it will grow exponentially and become a tentpole fixture on the North American calendar. MLS and Liga MX will pause their campaigns starting in late July/early August so all 47 members (48 once MLS reaches 30 clubs) can focus on the Leagues Cup.
There are still several unknown details, but it’s understood that the new Leagues Cup format will comprise a group stage followed by knockout rounds (eventually 16 groups of three feeding a single-elimination round of 32), with prize money increasing as the competition progresses. It will continue to be staged in the U.S. and Canada, at least in the near term, and will qualify three clubs to the new CCL. Among the unannounced or unresolved issues: It’s unclear how the cup will be seeded/bracketed, whether there will be a third-place game or how eliminated teams will spend the remainder of the Leagues Cup break.
“It’s a much more authentic and official format,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said.
The reigning MLS Cup winner will continue to play its Liga MX counterpart in the one-off Campeones Cup (this year’s features the Columbus Crew and Cruz Azul on Sept. 29), and MLS teams also will continue to participate in the U.S. Open Cup, which will resume in 2022 following a two-year hiatus.
The remainder of the 27-team CCL field will be filled out by clubs from Central America and the Caribbean. A new Central American tournament will furnish six clubs and an additional three will book passage from the Caribbean. Five teams—the champions of MLS, Liga MX (one of the two crowned each year), Leagues Cup, Central America and the Caribbean—will earn byes to the CCL’s round of 16. The other 22 will contest a home-and-home opening round.
The 2022 and 2023 CCLs will be played as traditional 16-team events featuring four U.S.-based MLS teams yet to be determined plus the Canadian Championship winner. The 2021 edition will be decided by Club América and host Monterrey on Oct. 28.
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