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News: UK takes on Elon Musk in the broadband space race

October 10, 2021
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Image credit: The ObserverThey are invisible to the naked eye, but can leave a streak of light across an astronomer’s telescope. Above our heads, the constellation of small satellites orbiting the Earth is expanding every month. Often no bigger than a fridge, they are part of a new space race as rivals compete to beam broadband internet to the hardest-to-reach places on Earth.The frontrunners are Starlink, backed by US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, and OneWeb, which is part- owned by the British taxpayer. The latter’s plan to build a network of 650 satellites is a centrepiece of the UK’s space strategy, unveiled in September.In 2020, OneWeb was facing insolvency and the government was persuaded to rescue it. To Boris Johnson it was a gift from the heavens. The UK had been bounced by Brexit from the European Union’s Galileo satellite project, and there was Dominic Cummings, technology wonk and chief adviser, touting the network as a pathway back into space.OneWeb at the time was focused on using satellites to provide accurate positioning information for anything from smartphone maps to emergency services tracking.Johnson’s splurging of £400m of taxpayer money on a 20% stake was seen by Cummings as a perfect example of the high-risk, high-reward investment the government needed to avoid being left in the technological slow lane. Others called it a nonsensical gamble of public money and “nationalism trumping solid industrial policy”. Some experts suggested Britain had “bought the wrong satellites”. OneWeb’s lower Earth orbit internet satellites were, they said, inferior to higher-orbiting positioning systems such as Galileo, America’s GPS and Russia’s Glonass.But now, with demand for satellite broadband exploding, Britain may – perhaps inadvertently – have bought itself a prime seat in another innovative yet fledgling space industry.Rejuvenated OneWeb has attracted investment from Japan’s Softbank, the US’s Hughes Network Systems and India’s Bharti Enterprises. Bharti is the largest shareholder, with 38.6%, while the UK has sold down from 45% to 19.3%, on a par with Softbank and France’s Eutelsat, which is planning a further £120m injection this month.OneWeb and Starlink are the only broadband operators to have actually placed satellites into space, and OneWeb is poised to provide a blanket of fast internet access, particularly to remote areas. The problem, analysts say, is that Johnson, who just weeks ago unveiled the UK’s ambitious new space strategy – promptly dubbed Galactic Britain – has yet to see its potential.“When the UK withdrew from Galileo, we lost access to certain types of service that were essential for our national infrastructure,” said Marek Ziebart, professor of space geodesy at University College London. “The government tried to spin OneWeb as a cheap and quick way of delivering PNT [positioning, navigation and timing] services, and that was just a very bad idea. They haven’t let go of this idea yet.”The flipside, he says, is that with 322 OneWeb satellites already in orbit and its constellation almost half complete, the UK is well positioned to cash in on a lucrative and geopolitically advantageous broadband market.“Once you’ve started to occupy a part of space by launching satellites, it’s rather like the wild west land grab: other people are going to find it much harder to operate there as well,” Ziebart said. “You can see lots of people lining up to try to launch that kind of technology [and] it would put the UK in a technologically leading position if it all works. It’s in the UK government’s interest to have access to that kind of communications infrastructure. From a space policy perspective, getting a slice of the low Earth orbit communications satellite paradigm is really sensible, because that is the new paradigm.”Washington State-based Starlink, with the resources of Musk and the entire SpaceX fleet at its disposal, has stolen a march on rivals, including Amazon’s Kuiper project. It has launched almost 1,800 satellites, has approval for another 10,000, and has submitted an application for a constellation of 42,000 – all while everyone but OneWeb is still on the ground.Possible clients for satellite broadband could be those dodging censorship in regimes such as North Korea and AfghanistanStarlink is also the only operator to have developed a functional ground terminal to process signals from space into an internet service of up to 300Mbps, which Musk says is on schedule to finish its year-long beta testing stage this month. It expects to offer a mobile version of its fixed-location receiver, nicknamed Dishy McFlatface, by the end of the year.The Kuiper project, meanwhile, with a $10bn investment from Jeff Bezos, has federal approval for 3,236 satellites, and in April signed a contract with United Launch Alliance for its first nine deployment flights, on dates yet to be determined. Other projects include a 13,000-strong constellation from China; a micro-satellite venture from the private company Astranis that is targeting Alaska; and Telesat, a Canadian company that won a CA$1.44bn (£841m) government grant for its planned 298-satellite network.The EU is investigating launching a constellation to provide satellite broadband by 2024. “We cannot have the first service in 2040. If we do that, we are dead,” Jean-Marc Nasr, head of Airbus Space Systems, who is leading a feasibility study, told the European Space Conference in January. Last month, however, the Sunday Telegraph reported that Brussels was mulling its own investment in OneWeb, raising the prospect of the EU joining the existing UK-Indian consortium to take on Starlink.Yet even OneWeb, with secured investment already close to $5bn, is unlikely to be able to match Starlink, and eventually Kuiper, for scope, wealth or size of client base.Nor is it trying to. OneWeb chief executive Neil Masterson told CNBC he believed the demand for satellite broadband could support several vendors. “There are some areas where we will compete, but governments will always buy more than one service,” he said. “Multiple players will be able to be successful in addressing their market.”Satellite broadband has also attracted criticism. Astronomers and environmentalists are angry at light pollution from satellites in low orbit, and trackers of space debris point to vastly increased collision risks. Ziebart’s students modelled a 10-year scenario showing an alarming spike in the numbers of orbiting satellites.Professor John Crassidis of the University at Buffalo, who advises Nasa on space junk, said: “We already monitor some 23,000 objects of softball size and bigger. To add to that many more satellites is going to be an issue in terms of collision avoidance.”But the market appears limitless. One possible client group, highlighted by business website Quartz, could be those wishing to circumvent censorship in regimes such as North Korea and Afghanistan. More traditional customers would include emergency services, the military, agriculture and the cruise industry – anyone seeking fast internet access where wired connections are unavailable.Cummings, architect of the government’s investment in OneWeb, is long gone from government, but with Britain’s space industry worth £16bn a year and 45,000 jobs, Johnson has no reason to pull back from OneWeb.

Image credit: The Observer

They are invisible to the naked eye, but can leave a streak of light across an astronomer’s telescope. Above our heads, the constellation of small satellites orbiting the Earth is expanding every month. Often no bigger than a fridge, they are part of a new space race as rivals compete to beam broadband internet to the hardest-to-reach places on Earth.

The frontrunners are Starlink, backed by US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, and OneWeb, which is part- owned by the British taxpayer. The latter’s plan to build a network of 650 satellites is a centrepiece of the UK’s space strategy, unveiled in September.

In 2020, OneWeb was facing insolvency and the government was persuaded to rescue it. To Boris Johnson it was a gift from the heavens. The UK had been bounced by Brexit from the European Union’s Galileo satellite project, and there was Dominic Cummings, technology wonk and chief adviser, touting the network as a pathway back into space.

OneWeb at the time was focused on using satellites to provide accurate positioning information for anything from smartphone maps to emergency services tracking.

Johnson’s splurging of £400m of taxpayer money on a 20% stake was seen by Cummings as a perfect example of the high-risk, high-reward investment the government needed to avoid being left in the technological slow lane. Others called it a nonsensical gamble of public money and “nationalism trumping solid industrial policy”. Some experts suggested Britain had “bought the wrong satellites”. OneWeb’s lower Earth orbit internet satellites were, they said, inferior to higher-orbiting positioning systems such as Galileo, America’s GPS and Russia’s Glonass.

But now, with demand for satellite broadband exploding, Britain may – perhaps inadvertently – have bought itself a prime seat in another innovative yet fledgling space industry.

Rejuvenated OneWeb has attracted investment from Japan’s Softbank, the US’s Hughes Network Systems and India’s Bharti Enterprises. Bharti is the largest shareholder, with 38.6%, while the UK has sold down from 45% to 19.3%, on a par with Softbank and France’s Eutelsat, which is planning a further £120m injection this month.

OneWeb and Starlink are the only broadband operators to have actually placed satellites into space, and OneWeb is poised to provide a blanket of fast internet access, particularly to remote areas. The problem, analysts say, is that Johnson, who just weeks ago unveiled the UK’s ambitious new space strategy – promptly dubbed Galactic Britain – has yet to see its potential.

“When the UK withdrew from Galileo, we lost access to certain types of service that were essential for our national infrastructure,” said Marek Ziebart, professor of space geodesy at University College London. “The government tried to spin OneWeb as a cheap and quick way of delivering PNT [positioning, navigation and timing] services, and that was just a very bad idea. They haven’t let go of this idea yet.”

The flipside, he says, is that with 322 OneWeb satellites already in orbit and its constellation almost half complete, the UK is well positioned to cash in on a lucrative and geopolitically advantageous broadband market.

“Once you’ve started to occupy a part of space by launching satellites, it’s rather like the wild west land grab: other people are going to find it much harder to operate there as well,” Ziebart said. “You can see lots of people lining up to try to launch that kind of technology [and] it would put the UK in a technologically leading position if it all works. It’s in the UK government’s interest to have access to that kind of communications infrastructure. From a space policy perspective, getting a slice of the low Earth orbit communications satellite paradigm is really sensible, because that is the new paradigm.”

Washington State-based Starlink, with the resources of Musk and the entire SpaceX fleet at its disposal, has stolen a march on rivals, including Amazon’s Kuiper project. It has launched almost 1,800 satellites, has approval for another 10,000, and has submitted an application for a constellation of 42,000 – all while everyone but OneWeb is still on the ground.

Possible clients for satellite broadband could be those dodging censorship in regimes such as North Korea and Afghanistan

Starlink is also the only operator to have developed a functional ground terminal to process signals from space into an internet service of up to 300Mbps, which Musk says is on schedule to finish its year-long beta testing stage this month. It expects to offer a mobile version of its fixed-location receiver, nicknamed Dishy McFlatface, by the end of the year.

The Kuiper project, meanwhile, with a $10bn investment from Jeff Bezos, has federal approval for 3,236 satellites, and in April signed a contract with United Launch Alliance for its first nine deployment flights, on dates yet to be determined. Other projects include a 13,000-strong constellation from China; a micro-satellite venture from the private company Astranis that is targeting Alaska; and Telesat, a Canadian company that won a CA$1.44bn (£841m) government grant for its planned 298-satellite network.

The EU is investigating launching a constellation to provide satellite broadband by 2024. “We cannot have the first service in 2040. If we do that, we are dead,” Jean-Marc Nasr, head of Airbus Space Systems, who is leading a feasibility study, told the European Space Conference in January. Last month, however, the Sunday Telegraph reported that Brussels was mulling its own investment in OneWeb, raising the prospect of the EU joining the existing UK-Indian consortium to take on Starlink.

Yet even OneWeb, with secured investment already close to $5bn, is unlikely to be able to match Starlink, and eventually Kuiper, for scope, wealth or size of client base.

Nor is it trying to. OneWeb chief executive Neil Masterson told CNBC he believed the demand for satellite broadband could support several vendors. “There are some areas where we will compete, but governments will always buy more than one service,” he said. “Multiple players will be able to be successful in addressing their market.”

Satellite broadband has also attracted criticism. Astronomers and environmentalists are angry at light pollution from satellites in low orbit, and trackers of space debris point to vastly increased collision risks. Ziebart’s students modelled a 10-year scenario showing an alarming spike in the numbers of orbiting satellites.

Professor John Crassidis of the University at Buffalo, who advises Nasa on space junk, said: “We already monitor some 23,000 objects of softball size and bigger. To add to that many more satellites is going to be an issue in terms of collision avoidance.”

But the market appears limitless. One possible client group, highlighted by business website Quartz, could be those wishing to circumvent censorship in regimes such as North Korea and Afghanistan. More traditional customers would include emergency services, the military, agriculture and the cruise industry – anyone seeking fast internet access where wired connections are unavailable.

Cummings, architect of the government’s investment in OneWeb, is long gone from government, but with Britain’s space industry worth £16bn a year and 45,000 jobs, Johnson has no reason to pull back from OneWeb.

News: Neuroscientists Claim to Have Pinpointed The Brain States Unique to ‘Team Flow’

October 10, 2021
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At some point in life, you have probably enjoyed a ‘flow’ state – when you’re so intensely focused on a task or activity, you experience a strong sense of control, a reduced awareness of your environment and yourself, and a minimized sense of the passing of time.It’s also possible to experience ‘team flow’, such as when playing music together, competing in a sports team, or perhaps gaming. In such a state, we seem to have an intuitive understanding with others as we jointly complete the task at hand.An international team of neuroscientists now thinks they have uncovered the neural states unique to team flow, and it appears that these differ both from the flow states we experience as individuals, and from the neural states typically associated with social interaction.”In individual flow, the brain shuts down external stimuli that are unrelated to the task. In team flow, the brain still shuts down external stimuli except for the information about the flow state of the teammate. Hence, the team brains start to synchronize more,” neuroscientist Mohammad Shehata, who co-authored the study, told ScienceAlert.Our brains are made up of billions of neurons that give off electrical output when they fire, and these collective electrical signals can be aligned to certain frequencies.Some examples of the frequencies are alpha, beta, and gamma, which are measured in hertz (Hz) or cycles per second. Typically, these different frequency bands are present when we perform certain cognitive tasks, and this is the type of neural activity the researchers were investigating.Participants’ neural activity was measured using an electroencephalography (EEG) machine, where electrodes are placed on the cranium, detecting activity happening within the brain.In the main phase of the experiment, 38 participants were asked to play a game similar to Guitar Hero on an iPad, where you tap on the screen in sync with the rhythm-based cues of a song; they worked in pairs, and the researchers prioritized pairing up two friends wherever possible.The research team devised three conditions for the trial; in one, participants played the game while separated from their partner by a black foam-board partition, giving the researchers data on the brain when in an ‘individual’ flow state. In the second condition, people played the game with a partner, but every now and again the researchers would play discordant music to disrupt the flow.In the third condition, labeled as ‘team flow’, the participants played the game together with their partner. The music sequence they had to play on their iPads was identical in all tasks, to minimize any cognitive load.To ensure participants actually entered a state of flow in the desired conditions, researchers employed two techniques. On a subjective level, after completing the task in one condition, participants would then have to rate certain statements like ‘I felt in control while playing this trial’, and ‘How time flies during this trial’.Going further, the research team also wanted to gain an objective measure of the participants’ flow state, something that’s notoriously difficult in flow studies.”We utilized the intense task-related attention and the reduced sense of external awareness dimensions of flow, and the well-known effect of selective attention on the auditory evoked potential (AEP),” they write in the study.”During each trial, we presented task-irrelevant beeps to the participants. The more the participants were immersed in the game, the weaker the strength of the AEP in response to the task-irrelevant beeps.”So what characterized the brains of participants when they were in a state of team flow?Researchers found increased beta and gamma brain wave activity in the left middle temporal cortex. This region of the brain is typically associated with information integration and key functions like attention, memory, and awareness, which are “consistent with higher team interactions and enhancing many flow dimensions”, the team writes.However, what was unique about team flow, was that participants’ neural activity appeared to synchronize. When participants were performing the task as a unit, their brains would mutually align in their neural oscillations (beta and gamma activity), creating a “hyper-cognitive state between the team members”.If brains can be functionally connected through inter-brain synchrony, does this mean it is not only our brain that contributes to our consciousness? It’s a curious question, but the authors warn it is much too soon to tell.”Based on our findings, we cannot conclude that the high value of integrated information correlates with a modified form of consciousness, for instance, ‘team consciousness’,” they write.”Its consistency with neural synchrony raises intriguing and empirical questions related to inter-brain synchrony and information integration and altered state of consciousness.”Source: Science Alert

It’s also possible to experience ‘team flow’, such as when playing music together, competing in a sports team, or perhaps gaming. In such a state, we seem to have an intuitive understanding with others as we jointly complete the task at hand.

An international team of neuroscientists now thinks they have uncovered the neural states unique to team flow, and it appears that these differ both from the flow states we experience as individuals, and from the neural states typically associated with social interaction.

“In individual flow, the brain shuts down external stimuli that are unrelated to the task. In team flow, the brain still shuts down external stimuli except for the information about the flow state of the teammate. Hence, the team brains start to synchronize more,” neuroscientist Mohammad Shehata, who co-authored the study, told ScienceAlert.

Our brains are made up of billions of neurons that give off electrical output when they fire, and these collective electrical signals can be aligned to certain frequencies.

Some examples of the frequencies are alpha, beta, and gamma, which are measured in hertz (Hz) or cycles per second. Typically, these different frequency bands are present when we perform certain cognitive tasks, and this is the type of neural activity the researchers were investigating.

Participants’ neural activity was measured using an electroencephalography (EEG) machine, where electrodes are placed on the cranium, detecting activity happening within the brain.

In the main phase of the experiment, 38 participants were asked to play a game similar to Guitar Hero on an iPad, where you tap on the screen in sync with the rhythm-based cues of a song; they worked in pairs, and the researchers prioritized pairing up two friends wherever possible.

The research team devised three conditions for the trial; in one, participants played the game while separated from their partner by a black foam-board partition, giving the researchers data on the brain when in an ‘individual’ flow state. In the second condition, people played the game with a partner, but every now and again the researchers would play discordant music to disrupt the flow.

In the third condition, labeled as ‘team flow’, the participants played the game together with their partner. The music sequence they had to play on their iPads was identical in all tasks, to minimize any cognitive load.

To ensure participants actually entered a state of flow in the desired conditions, researchers employed two techniques. On a subjective level, after completing the task in one condition, participants would then have to rate certain statements like ‘I felt in control while playing this trial’, and ‘How time flies during this trial’.

Going further, the research team also wanted to gain an objective measure of the participants’ flow state, something that’s notoriously difficult in flow studies.

“We utilized the intense task-related attention and the reduced sense of external awareness dimensions of flow, and the well-known effect of selective attention on the auditory evoked potential (AEP),” they write in the study.

“During each trial, we presented task-irrelevant beeps to the participants. The more the participants were immersed in the game, the weaker the strength of the AEP in response to the task-irrelevant beeps.”

So what characterized the brains of participants when they were in a state of team flow?

Researchers found increased beta and gamma brain wave activity in the left middle temporal cortex. This region of the brain is typically associated with information integration and key functions like attention, memory, and awareness, which are “consistent with higher team interactions and enhancing many flow dimensions”, the team writes.

However, what was unique about team flow, was that participants’ neural activity appeared to synchronize. When participants were performing the task as a unit, their brains would mutually align in their neural oscillations (beta and gamma activity), creating a “hyper-cognitive state between the team members”.

If brains can be functionally connected through inter-brain synchrony, does this mean it is not only our brain that contributes to our consciousness? It’s a curious question, but the authors warn it is much too soon to tell.

“Based on our findings, we cannot conclude that the high value of integrated information correlates with a modified form of consciousness, for instance, ‘team consciousness’,” they write.

“Its consistency with neural synchrony raises intriguing and empirical questions related to inter-brain synchrony and information integration and altered state of consciousness.”

Source: Science Alert

News: GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas fans are using Steam reviews to encourage people to buy the originals before Rockstar delists them next week

October 10, 2021
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Rockstar this week revealed the game’s worst secret: remakes of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas.In addition, Rockstar has confirmed its plan to remove the original version from all digital retailers on PCs and consoles starting next week and to replace it in several storefronts with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.The decision to remove these classics is a blow to video game preservation and obviously bad for player selection, but Rockstar is unlikely to be giving up – at least not anytime soon.And so fans flocked to Steam to show people buying the original before they lost their chance – probably forever.”Before you leave Steam, make sure your ass has a triple,” wrote Pink Diamond in a GTA 3 Steam review. “Buy this to be removed next week,” GrunkleBran said in a review on Vice City Steam.”Buy it before you remove it,” User Park said in a review on San Andreas Steam.Game owner fans use Steam rating to say goodbye. One of them was particularly interesting to me, from a Steam user with an incredible 2780 hours recorded with San Andreas:”I have to say all the time I’ve been playing this game in terms of speed and mode etc it’s the best game I’ve ever played in a GTA game. Great, good world and a lot of work too.” do and find. “Steam Dime user wrote in the GTA 3 review: “Hello old friend.” Rockstar is removing you from Steam so the Definitive Edition can make money for you. Thanks for your memories … “GTA 3 is 20 years old, Vice City is 19, and San Andreas is 17 years old. The games currently available for download on Steam, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Marketplace are not the original versions. For example, the San Andreas version for sale in the Xbox Download Store is the Xbox 360 version, which is backwards compatible with the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and S. The Vice City version that can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store is the PlayStation 2 version that has been converted for the PlayStation 4. You need a PS2 and a physical version of each game to get the real core experience, and Rockstar won’t do anything next week. Avoid getting people on eBay. In the Rockstars announcement, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will be available for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox X and S series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Rockstar Games Launcher. Steam has not specifically mentioned it and is proposing to remove the original version from the Valves platform and not replace it with anything else.Rockstar warns that earlier versions and packages of these games will be removed from digital retailers starting October 11th. We don’t know the exact date it was created, but if you’re interested, today is your last day to shop digitally.Anyone who has bought one of the previous versions can of course download them after deleting them and run them on their shopping platform.

Rockstar this week revealed the game’s worst secret: remakes of Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, and San Andreas.

In addition, Rockstar has confirmed its plan to remove the original version from all digital retailers on PCs and consoles starting next week and to replace it in several storefronts with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.

The decision to remove these classics is a blow to video game preservation and obviously bad for player selection, but Rockstar is unlikely to be giving up – at least not anytime soon.

And so fans flocked to Steam to show people buying the original before they lost their chance – probably forever.

“Before you leave Steam, make sure your ass has a triple,” wrote Pink Diamond in a GTA 3 Steam review. “Buy this to be removed next week,” GrunkleBran said in a review on Vice City Steam.

“Buy it before you remove it,” User Park said in a review on San Andreas Steam.

Game owner fans use Steam rating to say goodbye. One of them was particularly interesting to me, from a Steam user with an incredible 2780 hours recorded with San Andreas:

“I have to say all the time I’ve been playing this game in terms of speed and mode etc it’s the best game I’ve ever played in a GTA game. Great, good world and a lot of work too.” do and find. “

Steam Dime user wrote in the GTA 3 review: “Hello old friend.” Rockstar is removing you from Steam so the Definitive Edition can make money for you. Thanks for your memories … “

GTA 3 is 20 years old, Vice City is 19, and San Andreas is 17 years old. The games currently available for download on Steam, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Marketplace are not the original versions. For example, the San Andreas version for sale in the Xbox Download Store is the Xbox 360 version, which is backwards compatible with the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and S. The Vice City version that can be downloaded from the PlayStation Store is the PlayStation 2 version that has been converted for the PlayStation 4. You need a PS2 and a physical version of each game to get the real core experience, and Rockstar won’t do anything next week. Avoid getting people on eBay. In the Rockstars announcement, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will be available for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox X and S series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Rockstar Games Launcher. Steam has not specifically mentioned it and is proposing to remove the original version from the Valves platform and not replace it with anything else.

Rockstar warns that earlier versions and packages of these games will be removed from digital retailers starting October 11th. We don’t know the exact date it was created, but if you’re interested, today is your last day to shop digitally.

Anyone who has bought one of the previous versions can of course download them after deleting them and run them on their shopping platform.

News: WhatsApp to introduce ‘pause voice recordings’ feature

October 10, 2021
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The popular WhatsApp messaging app is currently developing a new feature of the app that will allow users to “pause” while voice messaging.WhatsApp is working on an update to improve in-app messaging performance, according to WABeta.What is special about this function?The expected update will be very useful for WhatsApp users as they will no longer have to pause, delete and re-record new messages.Instead, the new feature allows users to stop the audio recording by tapping the pause button and resume recording from where they left off. This feature has been observed in the development of WhatsApp updates for iOS. This app is now also available for Android.

The popular WhatsApp messaging app is currently developing a new feature of the app that will allow users to “pause” while voice messaging.

WhatsApp is working on an update to improve in-app messaging performance, according to WABeta.

What is special about this function?

The expected update will be very useful for WhatsApp users as they will no longer have to pause, delete and re-record new messages.

Instead, the new feature allows users to stop the audio recording by tapping the pause button and resume recording from where they left off. This feature has been observed in the development of WhatsApp updates for iOS. This app is now also available for Android.

News: NASA Rover Captures Breathtaking Mars Landscape Photo You Can’t Miss

October 9, 2021
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Mars’ landscape may be barren and dangerous to human life, but thanks to photos like this from NASA’s advanced rovers, that doesn’t stop it from looking any less stunning. Although humans have yet to set foot on Mars, robotics and other technologies have allowed astronomers to closely analyze the mysterious planet. Whether it be bleeding-edge telescopes, rovers, helicopters, orbiters, or something else, humans have found inventive ways to closely study a planet we’ve never actually visited.One such rover contributing to Mars exploration is Perseverance. Perseverance landed on Mars this past February with a simple yet ambitious goal — to traverse the planet searching for ancient life. People have long theorized that Mars was once home to alien lifeforms. If this is true, Perseverance will be the rover to answer that question once and for all. In just a few short months, Perseverance has already collected Martian rock samples, explored new areas on the planet, and more.Related: NASA’s Mars Orbiter Captures Mesmerizing ‘Blue Dunes’Another way Perseverance has kept itself busy is by capturing thousands of photos and sharing them with everyone to see. Wherever Perseverance goes, it takes tons of photos with multiple cameras, shares them with NASA, and NASA then uploads all of those RAW files for the world to browse through. One such photo is the one see above and below, depicting the vast landscape on Mars. This black-and-white image was acquired by Perseverance on September 28 at the local mean solar time of 12:58 using its Left Navigation Camera.Perseverance has shared countless photos of the Martian surface, but this one stands out as one of the most impressive yet. Unlike most pictures which are usually tight squares, this one is a wide panorama shot of Mars. Looking at the photo, there’s a lot on display. It highlights Mars’ rolling sand dunes, the sea of rocks scattered throughout those dunes, and detailed patterns in the sand left by wind and dust storms. All of this is set against the Martian sky, which appears eerie and haunting even without the iconic yellow glow.While this picture doesn’t necessarily reveal anything new about Mars, it’s yet another reminder of how beautiful and mysterious the planet is. It’s devoid of any life, has freezing temperatures, and is nothing but endless dust, rocks, and sand. Even so, it still manages to be extremely alluring. It remains unclear if Perseverance will be successful in its hunt for ancient life, but so long as it keeps taking photos like this, we’ll consider the mission a win.Next: Perseverance Rover Images Confirm Presence of Lake On Ancient MarsSource: NASAfrom ScreenRant – Feed https://ift.tt/3iMiEL1 https://ift.tt/3mwX6mI

Mars‘ landscape may be barren and dangerous to human life, but thanks to photos like this from NASA‘s advanced rovers, that doesn’t stop it from looking any less stunning. Although humans have yet to set foot on Mars, robotics and other technologies have allowed astronomers to closely analyze the mysterious planet. Whether it be bleeding-edge telescopes, rovers, helicopters, orbiters, or something else, humans have found inventive ways to closely study a planet we’ve never actually visited.

One such rover contributing to Mars exploration is Perseverance. Perseverance landed on Mars this past February with a simple yet ambitious goal — to traverse the planet searching for ancient life. People have long theorized that Mars was once home to alien lifeforms. If this is true, Perseverance will be the rover to answer that question once and for all. In just a few short months, Perseverance has already collected Martian rock samples, explored new areas on the planet, and more.

Another way Perseverance has kept itself busy is by capturing thousands of photos and sharing them with everyone to see. Wherever Perseverance goes, it takes tons of photos with multiple cameras, shares them with NASA, and NASA then uploads all of those RAW files for the world to browse through. One such photo is the one see above and below, depicting the vast landscape on Mars. This black-and-white image was acquired by Perseverance on September 28 at the local mean solar time of 12:58 using its Left Navigation Camera.

Perseverance has shared countless photos of the Martian surface, but this one stands out as one of the most impressive yet. Unlike most pictures which are usually tight squares, this one is a wide panorama shot of Mars. Looking at the photo, there’s a lot on display. It highlights Mars’ rolling sand dunes, the sea of rocks scattered throughout those dunes, and detailed patterns in the sand left by wind and dust storms. All of this is set against the Martian sky, which appears eerie and haunting even without the iconic yellow glow.

While this picture doesn’t necessarily reveal anything new about Mars, it’s yet another reminder of how beautiful and mysterious the planet is. It’s devoid of any life, has freezing temperatures, and is nothing but endless dust, rocks, and sand. Even so, it still manages to be extremely alluring. It remains unclear if Perseverance will be successful in its hunt for ancient life, but so long as it keeps taking photos like this, we’ll consider the mission a win.

Next: Perseverance Rover Images Confirm Presence of Lake On Ancient Mars

Source: NASA

from ScreenRant – Feed https://ift.tt/3iMiEL1 https://ift.tt/3mwX6mI

News: How Jango Fett Was Responsible For Asajj Ventress’ Lightsabers

October 9, 2021
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Jango Fett was indirectly responsible for arming Asajj Ventress with her signature red-bladed lightsabers in Star Wars: Clone Wars. Fett and Ventress never met, but the latter killed many of Jango’s clones, who, in the Legends continuity, were his pride and joy, representing his Mandalorian legacy. The two legendary warriors were also, ultimately, pawns of Count Dooku and his Sith Master, Darth Sidious. Through the intricate machinations of Dooku, on behalf of Palpatine, Jango provided the Count with a pair of lightsabers which he later gifted to Ventress upon accepting her as his unofficial Sith Apprentice.The two properties that showcase these events are the 2002 video game, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, and the 2003 Clone Wars animated series. Both are part of the Legends universe, which was designated the official Star Wars timeline by Lucasfilm before 2014’s continuity revamp. Like the ongoing mainstream canon universe, Legends told a comprehensive story that connected the original and prequel trilogy films and numerous comics, TV shows, video games, novels, and even spinoff movies. Bounty Hunter tells the story of how Jango Fett became the template for the Republic’s Clone Army, tracking down one of Dooku’s apprentices, Komari Vosa, who fell to the dark side and became the leader of the cult-like crime organization The Bando Gora. Jango defeats Vosa at the end of Bounty Hunter, and the insane dark side user is promptly executed by Count Dooku, aka Darth Tyrannus. Vosa’s now red-bladed lightsabers, whose curved hilts were patterned after Dooku’s weapon, were taken by Dooku following her death. Years later, Dooku would travel to Rattatak in search of a Sith Apprentice, as shown in Clone Wars. A local Rattataki and warlord, Asajj Ventress, proved herself to be more than worthy of Dooku’s teachings, and the Sith Lord gave her Vosa’s lightsabers as a gift to replace her two previous lightsabers, which Dooku destroyed during their brief duel. Thanks to Jango Fett, Vosa’s weapons were passed down to Ventress, becoming weapons of the Sith.It’s unclear when Komari Vosa built her curved-hilted lightsabers, but she fought Jango Fett’s Mandalorians on Galidraan with a single blue-bladed weapon that had a straight hilt. As the Bando Gora leader, the weapons closely resembled Dooku’s lightsaber, with similar hilts and red blades, generated by synthetic lightsaber crystals. The lightsabers could be linked together, forming a double-bladed lightsaber, similar to Darth Maul’s or Exar Kun’s. Asajj Ventress used the late Vosa’s weapons to kill numerous Jedi and clone troopers during the Clone Wars, as shown throughout the Legends-era Clone Wars multimedia project. Unlike his Canon counterpart, the Legends-era Jango Fett cared for his clones, and likely would have felt disgusted for inadvertently arming someone who killed so many of them. The connection between Dooku, Vosa, Jango, and Ventress demonstrates the depth of Palpatine’s schemes for galactic dominance. In one fell swoop, Jango Fett removed a liability to Dooku and Sidious, provided them with the ideal Clone Army, and supplied Dooku with weapons for his eventual Sith Apprentice.Komari Vosa has no counterpart in the canon timeline, so Asajj’s weapons in canon were presumably built by Ventress during her Sith training under Dooku. Ventress, whose background was changed in canon from Rattataki to Dathomiri, must have intentionally built them to reflect Dooku’s curved lightsaber and her fighting style, which blended Makashi and Jar’Kai. In the Legends-era Star Wars: Clone Wars, however, Asajj Ventress got her Sith lightsabers, indirectly, thanks to Jango Fett’s first mission for Count Dooku.

Jango Fett was indirectly responsible for arming Asajj Ventress with her signature red-bladed lightsabers in Star Wars: Clone Wars. Fett and Ventress never met, but the latter killed many of Jango’s clones, who, in the Legends continuity, were his pride and joy, representing his Mandalorian legacy. The two legendary warriors were also, ultimately, pawns of Count Dooku and his Sith Master, Darth Sidious. Through the intricate machinations of Dooku, on behalf of Palpatine, Jango provided the Count with a pair of lightsabers which he later gifted to Ventress upon accepting her as his unofficial Sith Apprentice.

The two properties that showcase these events are the 2002 video game, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, and the 2003 Clone Wars animated series. Both are part of the Legends universe, which was designated the official Star Wars timeline by Lucasfilm before 2014’s continuity revamp. Like the ongoing mainstream canon universe, Legends told a comprehensive story that connected the original and prequel trilogy films and numerous comics, TV shows, video games, novels, and even spinoff movies. Bounty Hunter tells the story of how Jango Fett became the template for the Republic’s Clone Army, tracking down one of Dooku’s apprentices, Komari Vosa, who fell to the dark side and became the leader of the cult-like crime organization The Bando Gora.

Jango defeats Vosa at the end of Bounty Hunter, and the insane dark side user is promptly executed by Count Dooku, aka Darth Tyrannus. Vosa’s now red-bladed lightsabers, whose curved hilts were patterned after Dooku’s weapon, were taken by Dooku following her death. Years later, Dooku would travel to Rattatak in search of a Sith Apprentice, as shown in Clone Wars. A local Rattataki and warlord, Asajj Ventress, proved herself to be more than worthy of Dooku’s teachings, and the Sith Lord gave her Vosa’s lightsabers as a gift to replace her two previous lightsabers, which Dooku destroyed during their brief duel. Thanks to Jango Fett, Vosa’s weapons were passed down to Ventress, becoming weapons of the Sith.

It’s unclear when Komari Vosa built her curved-hilted lightsabers, but she fought Jango Fett’s Mandalorians on Galidraan with a single blue-bladed weapon that had a straight hilt. As the Bando Gora leader, the weapons closely resembled Dooku’s lightsaber, with similar hilts and red blades, generated by synthetic lightsaber crystals. The lightsabers could be linked together, forming a double-bladed lightsaber, similar to Darth Maul’s or Exar Kun’s.

Asajj Ventress used the late Vosa’s weapons to kill numerous Jedi and clone troopers during the Clone Wars, as shown throughout the Legends-era Clone Wars multimedia project. Unlike his Canon counterpart, the Legends-era Jango Fett cared for his clones, and likely would have felt disgusted for inadvertently arming someone who killed so many of them. The connection between Dooku, Vosa, Jango, and Ventress demonstrates the depth of Palpatine’s schemes for galactic dominance. In one fell swoop, Jango Fett removed a liability to Dooku and Sidious, provided them with the ideal Clone Army, and supplied Dooku with weapons for his eventual Sith Apprentice.

Komari Vosa has no counterpart in the canon timeline, so Asajj’s weapons in canon were presumably built by Ventress during her Sith training under Dooku. Ventress, whose background was changed in canon from Rattataki to Dathomiri, must have intentionally built them to reflect Dooku’s curved lightsaber and her fighting style, which blended Makashi and Jar’Kai. In the Legends-era Star Wars: Clone Wars, however, Asajj Ventress got her Sith lightsabers, indirectly, thanks to Jango Fett’s first mission for Count Dooku.

News: The Best Great Axe Build in New World

October 9, 2021
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Learn how to create the best Great Axe build in New World, a two-handed weapon that excels in DPS and crowd control in PvP and PvE. As a two-handed weapon, the Great Axe has slower damage output, but it more than makes up for it with being able to attack two or more targets at once. Additionally, higher-level Great Axe perks have some self-healing options as well, making the Great Axe one of the best weapons in New World.Unlike weapons such as the Hatchet, Sword and Shield, or Spear, the Great Axe doesn’t have any ranged options for its Mastery Trees. Instead, its Mastery Trees are split into powerful single-target attacks and multi-target attacks. Both trees are excellent for damaging and crowd control, which is why the Great Axe is a useful weapon for both DPS-focused builds and Tanks Builds.The Reaper is the first Mastery Tree for the Great Axe, and it has abilities that focus on bringing enemies closer to the player and finishing them off quickly. The Mauler tree focuses on bundling enemies together and attacking them all at once. Although the Mauler abilities deal less damage than the abilities in the Reaper tree, they require far less precision to land attacks. A Great Axe is easy to craft, but it can also be earned by claiming New World Twitch drops from select content creators.These are the Great Axe abilities:Reap (Reaper): Extend the axe outward by 5 meters and pull enemies back in, dealing 110% weapon damage.Charge (Reaper): Charge 10 meters dealing 120% weapon damage after reaching a target.Execute (Reaper): A powerful overhead attack dealing 200% weapon damage. Deals 300% weapon damage to foes under 50% health.Maelstrom (Mauler): Fast-spinning attack that pulls targets inward and deals 110% weapon damage.Whirlwind (Mauler): Spin attack dealing 50% weapon damage to all nearby enemies. The user spins again if they land a hit, up to four times.Gravity Well (Mauler): Throw axe to create a vortex that pulls foes to its center for 3 seconds. The move ends with a burst dealing 125% weapon damage.The best Great Axe build uses Execute, Maelstrom, and Whirlwind, all perfect abilities for a New World Tank Build. Since the Great Axe does a great job of handling crowds, abilities like Whirlwind and Maelstrom are ideal for separating a few members and landing multiple attacks. Execute is a powerful move that should be used to finish off enemies, which is particularly useful when a couple of enemies are close to one another.

Learn how to create the best Great Axe build in New World, a two-handed weapon that excels in DPS and crowd control in PvP and PvE. As a two-handed weapon, the Great Axe has slower damage output, but it more than makes up for it with being able to attack two or more targets at once. Additionally, higher-level Great Axe perks have some self-healing options as well, making the Great Axe one of the best weapons in New World.

Unlike weapons such as the Hatchet, Sword and Shield, or Spear, the Great Axe doesn’t have any ranged options for its Mastery Trees. Instead, its Mastery Trees are split into powerful single-target attacks and multi-target attacks. Both trees are excellent for damaging and crowd control, which is why the Great Axe is a useful weapon for both DPS-focused builds and Tanks Builds.

The Reaper is the first Mastery Tree for the Great Axe, and it has abilities that focus on bringing enemies closer to the player and finishing them off quickly. The Mauler tree focuses on bundling enemies together and attacking them all at once. Although the Mauler abilities deal less damage than the abilities in the Reaper tree, they require far less precision to land attacks. A Great Axe is easy to craft, but it can also be earned by claiming New World Twitch drops from select content creators.

These are the Great Axe abilities:

Reap (Reaper): Extend the axe outward by 5 meters and pull enemies back in, dealing 110% weapon damage.
Charge (Reaper): Charge 10 meters dealing 120% weapon damage after reaching a target.
Execute (Reaper): A powerful overhead attack dealing 200% weapon damage. Deals 300% weapon damage to foes under 50% health.
Maelstrom (Mauler): Fast-spinning attack that pulls targets inward and deals 110% weapon damage.
Whirlwind (Mauler): Spin attack dealing 50% weapon damage to all nearby enemies. The user spins again if they land a hit, up to four times.
Gravity Well (Mauler): Throw axe to create a vortex that pulls foes to its center for 3 seconds. The move ends with a burst dealing 125% weapon damage.

The best Great Axe build uses Execute, Maelstrom, and Whirlwind, all perfect abilities for a New World Tank Build. Since the Great Axe does a great job of handling crowds, abilities like Whirlwind and Maelstrom are ideal for separating a few members and landing multiple attacks. Execute is a powerful move that should be used to finish off enemies, which is particularly useful when a couple of enemies are close to one another.

News: Google Pixel 6 leak teases Magic Eraser feature, plus five years of Android security updates

October 9, 2021
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The Google Pixel 6 (top) and Pixel 6 Pro (bottom) | GoogleNew leaks from a marketing site appear to confirm that the camera for the Pixel 6 will have a new Magic Eraser feature, and the devices will apparently get five years of Android security updates (h/t 9to5 Google)According to reliable leaker Evan Blass, the Carphone Warehouse website was showing images of Google marketing materials for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro (the images have since been taken down, but you can view the earlier versions of the Carphone Warehouse pages on the Wayback Machine here and here). Screenshots show the description for the previously leaked Magic Eraser, which will apparently be linked to Google Photos:Magic Eraser makes distractions disappear with a few taps. Remove strangers and unwanted objects in Google Photos, so the people and places that you capture remain the true stars. Much of what is in the latest photos has been leaked or confirmed already; the Pixel 6 camera will have a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide lens, and the Pixel 6 Pro will have a 48MP telephoto lens.And as Engadget noted, some of the copy on the leaked images (in the tiny, tiny fine print) references “Android security updates for at least five years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US.” That would mean Pixel 6 devices would have protection into 2026.

New leaks from a marketing site appear to confirm that the camera for the Pixel 6 will have a new Magic Eraser feature, and the devices will apparently get five years of Android security updates (h/t 9to5 Google)

According to reliable leaker Evan Blass, the Carphone Warehouse website was showing images of Google marketing materials for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro (the images have since been taken down, but you can view the earlier versions of the Carphone Warehouse pages on the Wayback Machine here and here). Screenshots show the description for the previously leaked Magic Eraser, which will apparently be linked to Google Photos:

Magic Eraser makes distractions disappear with a few taps. Remove strangers and unwanted objects in Google Photos, so the people and places that you capture remain the true stars.

Much of what is in the latest photos has been leaked or confirmed already; the Pixel 6 camera will have a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide lens, and the Pixel 6 Pro will have a 48MP telephoto lens.

And as Engadget noted, some of the copy on the leaked images (in the tiny, tiny fine print) references “Android security updates for at least five years from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US.” That would mean Pixel 6 devices would have protection into 2026.

News: 10 New & Upcoming Horror Movies To Stream Before Halloween

October 9, 2021
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As Halloween fast approaches, several highly anticipated new horror movies are set to hit both the theatrical and VOD circuits between now and October 31st. Acclaimed genre filmmakers such as James Wan, Edgar Wright, David Gordon Green, Patrick Brice, Scott Cooper, and more have intriguing new horror tales to go with a solid mixture of international arthouse fare, broad Netflix originals, and everything in between. From eerie haunted houses, creepy creature features, and anthological period pieces to unnerving psychological thrillers and time travel chillers, this Halloween has plenty of cinematic streaming treats in store.Updated on October 9th, 2021 by Tanner Fox: As summer descends into autumn and windswept auburn leaves dance between carved jack-o-lanterns and tacky lawn decorations, horror becomes the hot topic among moviegoers. However, thanks to the various streaming services available, satisfactory scares abound and are no longer relegated to the theater.With cerebral artistic pieces and reboots to dormant franchises alike set to hit Netflix, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime Video before October is out, there’s never been a better time to get immersed in all things horror.Debuting on Netflix on October 6, 2021 is There’s Someone Inside Your House, a sadistic high-school slasher film from well-established horror director Patrick Brice (Creep, Room 104). Based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins, the film tracks a masked killer stalking the senior class of Osborne High only to be met with resistance by a marginalized group of outcasts.What makes this story interesting is how the killer intends to expose the students’ deep-dark secrets before ending their lives, making for a subversive, unpredictable, and genre-defying story that Brice often enjoys telling.One of the more underrated horror anthology series of the past decade includes V/H/S, created by David Bruckner and Simon Barrett. Both men return for the upcoming 4th franchise entry, V/H/S/94, set to bow exclusively on Shudder on October 6. Set in 1994, the film concerns a police S.W.A.T. unit uncovering a cult conspiracy recorded on a grainy old videotape.The main draw of the film, aside from the promising premise and well-established brand name, is the collection of daring directing talent at the helm. Chapters will be guided by Barrett (Seance), Chloe Okuno (Slut), Ryan Prows (Lowlife), Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin), and Timo Tjahanto, the latter of which directed the scariest franchise chapter to date in V/H/S/2’s “Safe Haven.”Strange occurrences plague a Mexican-American family after they move to a quaint home in the California countryside, and an expectant mother must endure malignant horrors as her due date approaches. While it’s sure to introduce a few ideas of its own, director Ryan Zargoza’s Madres certainly seems to be taking a page or two from the Rosemary’s Baby playbook.Set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on October 8, Madres looks be a sinister thrill ride comparable to other classic haunted house horrors.One of a set of Blumhouse productions set to terrorize horror fans this October, The Manor is an upcoming offering from director Axelle Carolyn, who is perhaps best known for directing episodes of American Horror Story and The Haunting of Bly Manor.After an elderly woman moves into a nursing home, she is accosted by supernatural entities. Unable to prove that what she experiences is real, she must figure out a way to validate her sanity and escape before she meets a grizzly fate. The Manor is set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on October 8.An Argentinian psychological thriller set to boggle the minds of horror fans, Fever Dream is an adaptation of the short story Rescue Distance. Seemingly something out of the mind of horror auteur Ari Aster, the movie tells the tale of a fragmented family when a mother and son duo become the epicenter of unnatural happenings.This may be a dense and intentionally difficult work, but viewers who love to dissect and interpret films will absolutely adore Fever Dream. Set to debut on Netflix on October 13, it may not be destined for widespread appeal, but it will almost certainly find a fascinated film niche.Germany’s ominous Black Forest is the setting of Demigod, the new folk horror outing from writer/director Miles Doleac (The Dinner Party) due on October 15. The story concerns Robin (Rachel Nichols), a woman who returns to her birthplace at the sinister site following her grandfather’s death in search of answers.Aside from the foreboding forest setting, the film boasts an unsettling mixture of ancient head-hunting rituals and scary sacrificial customs with a personal story of a modern-day woman uncovering her cryptic past. With cult-favorite scream queen Rachel Nichols (P2, Inside) taking center stage, Demigod is worth bowing to when it opens this October.In addition to penning V/H/S/94, David Bruckner’s third directorial effort The Night House will open to the public on October 19. After proving his filmmaking skills in The Signal and The Ritual, Bruckner’s latest looks to be a deeply disquieting tale of a widow (Rebecca Hall) uncovering her deceased husband’s darkest secrets.The deliberately-paced, slow-burn horror film is already drawing rave reviews for Hall’s central turn, the brooding atmosphere of rural upstate New York, the tonal tension Bruckner is able to sustain, and the chillingly ambiguous finale.A Netflix exclusive set to debut on October 20, Night Teeth follows a hapless chauffer as he’s wrapped up in a blood-soaked supernatural thrill ride when the women he’s driving are revealed to be vampires.Though it doesn’t appear to be an out-and-out horror movie, Night Teeth will certainly be able to satisfy those looking for the perfect Halloween thriller. Starring Sydney Sweeny and Megan Fox, it’s sure to catch the attention of Netflix subscribers.Another Netflix exclusive, Hypnotic sees a woman suffering from general anxiety receive treatment from an enigmatic therapist. Unfortunately, he uses the suggestive powers of his practice to coax her into unconsciously performing strange and terrible acts. Now, she must get to the bottom of this strange plot before it’s too late.Stylish and cerebral, Hypnotic promises to have viewers scratching their heads until the credits roll—and likely for some time after that. The film also looks to be a breath of fresh air when compared to many of the more traditional horror movies debuting this October.Billed as a reboot of the popular found-footage series, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin removes the series from its Southern California roots, placing the preternatural panic in the heart of Amish country.A woman begins filming a documentary about her newly-discovered biological relatives only to uncover sinister tidings in the otherwise tranquil rural setting. Helmed by William Eubank, who is best known for 2020’s Lovecraftian undertaking Underwater, Next of Kin is set to be a return to form for the relatively wayward franchise.

From eerie haunted houses, creepy creature features, and anthological period pieces to unnerving psychological thrillers and time travel chillers, this Halloween has plenty of cinematic streaming treats in store.

Updated on October 9th, 2021 by Tanner Fox: As summer descends into autumn and windswept auburn leaves dance between carved jack-o-lanterns and tacky lawn decorations, horror becomes the hot topic among moviegoers. However, thanks to the various streaming services available, satisfactory scares abound and are no longer relegated to the theater.

With cerebral artistic pieces and reboots to dormant franchises alike set to hit Netflix, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime Video before October is out, there’s never been a better time to get immersed in all things horror.

Debuting on Netflix on October 6, 2021 is There’s Someone Inside Your House, a sadistic high-school slasher film from well-established horror director Patrick Brice (Creep, Room 104). Based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Perkins, the film tracks a masked killer stalking the senior class of Osborne High only to be met with resistance by a marginalized group of outcasts.

What makes this story interesting is how the killer intends to expose the students’ deep-dark secrets before ending their lives, making for a subversive, unpredictable, and genre-defying story that Brice often enjoys telling.

One of the more underrated horror anthology series of the past decade includes V/H/S, created by David Bruckner and Simon Barrett. Both men return for the upcoming 4th franchise entry, V/H/S/94, set to bow exclusively on Shudder on October 6. Set in 1994, the film concerns a police S.W.A.T. unit uncovering a cult conspiracy recorded on a grainy old videotape.

The main draw of the film, aside from the promising premise and well-established brand name, is the collection of daring directing talent at the helm. Chapters will be guided by Barrett (Seance), Chloe Okuno (Slut), Ryan Prows (Lowlife), Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin), and Timo Tjahanto, the latter of which directed the scariest franchise chapter to date in V/H/S/2‘s “Safe Haven.”

Strange occurrences plague a Mexican-American family after they move to a quaint home in the California countryside, and an expectant mother must endure malignant horrors as her due date approaches. While it’s sure to introduce a few ideas of its own, director Ryan Zargoza’s Madres certainly seems to be taking a page or two from the Rosemary’s Baby playbook.

Set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on October 8, Madres looks be a sinister thrill ride comparable to other classic haunted house horrors.

One of a set of Blumhouse productions set to terrorize horror fans this October, The Manor is an upcoming offering from director Axelle Carolyn, who is perhaps best known for directing episodes of American Horror Story and The Haunting of Bly Manor.

After an elderly woman moves into a nursing home, she is accosted by supernatural entities. Unable to prove that what she experiences is real, she must figure out a way to validate her sanity and escape before she meets a grizzly fate. The Manor is set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on October 8.

An Argentinian psychological thriller set to boggle the minds of horror fans, Fever Dream is an adaptation of the short story Rescue Distance. Seemingly something out of the mind of horror auteur Ari Aster, the movie tells the tale of a fragmented family when a mother and son duo become the epicenter of unnatural happenings.

This may be a dense and intentionally difficult work, but viewers who love to dissect and interpret films will absolutely adore Fever Dream. Set to debut on Netflix on October 13, it may not be destined for widespread appeal, but it will almost certainly find a fascinated film niche.

Germany’s ominous Black Forest is the setting of Demigod, the new folk horror outing from writer/director Miles Doleac (The Dinner Party) due on October 15. The story concerns Robin (Rachel Nichols), a woman who returns to her birthplace at the sinister site following her grandfather’s death in search of answers.

Aside from the foreboding forest setting, the film boasts an unsettling mixture of ancient head-hunting rituals and scary sacrificial customs with a personal story of a modern-day woman uncovering her cryptic past. With cult-favorite scream queen Rachel Nichols (P2, Inside) taking center stage, Demigod is worth bowing to when it opens this October.

In addition to penning V/H/S/94, David Bruckner’s third directorial effort The Night House will open to the public on October 19. After proving his filmmaking skills in The Signal and The Ritual, Bruckner’s latest looks to be a deeply disquieting tale of a widow (Rebecca Hall) uncovering her deceased husband’s darkest secrets.

The deliberately-paced, slow-burn horror film is already drawing rave reviews for Hall’s central turn, the brooding atmosphere of rural upstate New York, the tonal tension Bruckner is able to sustain, and the chillingly ambiguous finale.

A Netflix exclusive set to debut on October 20, Night Teeth follows a hapless chauffer as he’s wrapped up in a blood-soaked supernatural thrill ride when the women he’s driving are revealed to be vampires.

Though it doesn’t appear to be an out-and-out horror movie, Night Teeth will certainly be able to satisfy those looking for the perfect Halloween thriller. Starring Sydney Sweeny and Megan Fox, it’s sure to catch the attention of Netflix subscribers.

Another Netflix exclusive, Hypnotic sees a woman suffering from general anxiety receive treatment from an enigmatic therapist. Unfortunately, he uses the suggestive powers of his practice to coax her into unconsciously performing strange and terrible acts. Now, she must get to the bottom of this strange plot before it’s too late.

Stylish and cerebral, Hypnotic promises to have viewers scratching their heads until the credits roll—and likely for some time after that. The film also looks to be a breath of fresh air when compared to many of the more traditional horror movies debuting this October.

Billed as a reboot of the popular found-footage series, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin removes the series from its Southern California roots, placing the preternatural panic in the heart of Amish country.

A woman begins filming a documentary about her newly-discovered biological relatives only to uncover sinister tidings in the otherwise tranquil rural setting. Helmed by William Eubank, who is best known for 2020’s Lovecraftian undertaking Underwater, Next of Kin is set to be a return to form for the relatively wayward franchise.

News: What We Do In The Shadows: How Derek (Accidentally) Became A Vampire

October 9, 2021
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What We Do In The Shadows reintroduces former amateur vampire hunter Derek as a confused new vampire – but how did he turn undead? In What We Do In The Shadows season 3, co-equal vampire council rulers Nadja and Nandor bicker about who gets to sit on the throne, Nandor’s familiar and bodyguard Guillermo convinces them to let him do it, as it solves the lack of a throne figure, and no one would recognize him behind the ceremonial robes.However, a problem quickly turns up as it is Guillermo who recognizes someone who’s fated for judgment: Derek, an amateur vampire hunter. After Nandor and Nadja sentence Derek to death, Guillermo puts his skills to use once again to free Derek. Guillermo then convinces Nandor and Nadja to spare Derek, on the condition that he works off his transgressions and gets training as a new vampire under Laszlo, who is too drunk to object the ruling.How did Derek end up becoming a vampire in the first place? In What We Do In The Shadows season 2, episode 3, Guillermo meets Derek as a member of an amateur vampire hunting organization. This could provide more clues regarding Derek’s vampiric origins.In the What We Do In The Shadows universe, the rules for siring a new vampire are highly similar to that of traditional western vampiric lore. A human must be drained of their blood, and then drink the blood of a vampire, which starts the undead transformation. After the new vampire first consumes human blood, only then will the transformation be complete. This was how Nadja turned the LARPer Jenna into a vampire in What We Do In The Shadows season 1, episode 2. The fact that it’s so easy to turn someone into a vampire is part of why Nandor’s familiar Guillermo is so frustrated that they haven’t turned him into one of them yet. However, while the process is easy to start, it’s not always quick. After drinking Nadja’s blood, Jenna spent several nights thinking that she’s sick, as Nadja never explained that her transformation has begun. This led her to eat food and then vomit it all out, as vampires cannot eat real food. It takes several nights for Jenna to finally feed on human blood and complete her transformation. This shows how vampires in the What We Do In The Shadows universe don’t always look after the ones they sire, which could be what happened to Derek. After drinking the blood of a vampire, Derek could have simply wandered off, which explains why he knows nothing about the rules that all vampires are supposed to follow.Derek appears in one of the first episodes that shows Guillermo’s vampire killing skills. While looking for virgin blood for his masters, Guillermo finds an organization called the Mosquito Collectors of the Tri-State Area, which turns out to be a secret organization of amateur vampire hunters. One of these hunters is Derek, who then joins Guillermo on an ill-fated mission to infiltrate a home that’s infested by vampires. While Guillermo manages to kill some vampires and escape with the other hunters, they leave many of the others behind, including Derek. In fact, Derek is missing in the rest of What We Do In The Shadows season 2, suggesting that he died. However, as he resurfaces as a fledgling vampire in season 3, it appears that instead of being killed, he was turned into a vampire after the encounter, and is now a recurring character in What We Do In The Shadows.What We Do In The Shadows season 3 is yet to dig deeper into Derek’s vampiric origins, leaving much room for speculation. As Derek’s last known encounter with vampires was during the botched hunting mission back in season 2, he was likely sired by one of the vampires that they encountered there. Unlike the home of the main characters of What We Do In The Shadows, which is shared by only 4 vampires, the home that Derek and Guillermo infiltrated was inhabited by more than 10 vampires. Derek could’ve been sired by any one of those vampires at any time during or after the mission. However, it seems that no one stuck around to teach Derek the most basic rules that he needs to follow in order to avoid the ire of What We Do In The Shadows’ vampire council. This means that Derek’s transformation is most likely an accident, and that his sire is unaware that they not only turned an amateur vampire hunter into a vampire, but also abandoned the poor creature.Meanwhile, another possible explanation is that Derek could’ve gotten his hands on a vial of vampire blood somewhere in the home. As Nadja shows when she turned Jenna into a vampire, some older vampires keep their blood in a vial when they intend to sire another. While it’s unlikely that Derek was turned knowingly, there’s a chance that in his scramble to escape, he could’ve found and kept one of these vials, and then later drank the contents.Derek is a returning What We Do In The Shadows character who is also likely to appear in more future episodes. This is because Laszlo, whom Guillermo convinced to be Derek’s lawyer during his vampire council trial, is also now in charge of teaching Derek the ways of the modern vampire. In order to work off his transgressions, Derek has also been enlisted by Laszlo to sell the overpriced pillows that his human best friend Sean needs to sell. If Derek becomes a recurring character in the show, the question of who created him, and how, will become even more important. It is rumored that when a vampire’s sire dies, then all the other vampires that they created will die as well. This is an idea that’s been tackled by What We Do In The Shadows season 3, and will likely continue to be explored as the show progresses.

What We Do In The Shadows reintroduces former amateur vampire hunter Derek as a confused new vampire – but how did he turn undead? In What We Do In The Shadows season 3, co-equal vampire council rulers Nadja and Nandor bicker about who gets to sit on the throne, Nandor’s familiar and bodyguard Guillermo convinces them to let him do it, as it solves the lack of a throne figure, and no one would recognize him behind the ceremonial robes.

However, a problem quickly turns up as it is Guillermo who recognizes someone who’s fated for judgment: Derek, an amateur vampire hunter. After Nandor and Nadja sentence Derek to death, Guillermo puts his skills to use once again to free Derek. Guillermo then convinces Nandor and Nadja to spare Derek, on the condition that he works off his transgressions and gets training as a new vampire under Laszlo, who is too drunk to object the ruling.

How did Derek end up becoming a vampire in the first place? In What We Do In The Shadows season 2, episode 3, Guillermo meets Derek as a member of an amateur vampire hunting organization. This could provide more clues regarding Derek’s vampiric origins.

In the What We Do In The Shadows universe, the rules for siring a new vampire are highly similar to that of traditional western vampiric lore. A human must be drained of their blood, and then drink the blood of a vampire, which starts the undead transformation. After the new vampire first consumes human blood, only then will the transformation be complete. This was how Nadja turned the LARPer Jenna into a vampire in What We Do In The Shadows season 1, episode 2. The fact that it’s so easy to turn someone into a vampire is part of why Nandor’s familiar Guillermo is so frustrated that they haven’t turned him into one of them yet. However, while the process is easy to start, it’s not always quick. After drinking Nadja’s blood, Jenna spent several nights thinking that she’s sick, as Nadja never explained that her transformation has begun. This led her to eat food and then vomit it all out, as vampires cannot eat real food.

It takes several nights for Jenna to finally feed on human blood and complete her transformation. This shows how vampires in the What We Do In The Shadows universe don’t always look after the ones they sire, which could be what happened to Derek. After drinking the blood of a vampire, Derek could have simply wandered off, which explains why he knows nothing about the rules that all vampires are supposed to follow.

Derek appears in one of the first episodes that shows Guillermo’s vampire killing skills. While looking for virgin blood for his masters, Guillermo finds an organization called the Mosquito Collectors of the Tri-State Area, which turns out to be a secret organization of amateur vampire hunters. One of these hunters is Derek, who then joins Guillermo on an ill-fated mission to infiltrate a home that’s infested by vampires. While Guillermo manages to kill some vampires and escape with the other hunters, they leave many of the others behind, including Derek. In fact, Derek is missing in the rest of What We Do In The Shadows season 2, suggesting that he died. However, as he resurfaces as a fledgling vampire in season 3, it appears that instead of being killed, he was turned into a vampire after the encounter, and is now a recurring character in What We Do In The Shadows.

What We Do In The Shadows season 3 is yet to dig deeper into Derek’s vampiric origins, leaving much room for speculation. As Derek’s last known encounter with vampires was during the botched hunting mission back in season 2, he was likely sired by one of the vampires that they encountered there. Unlike the home of the main characters of What We Do In The Shadows, which is shared by only 4 vampires, the home that Derek and Guillermo infiltrated was inhabited by more than 10 vampires. Derek could’ve been sired by any one of those vampires at any time during or after the mission. However, it seems that no one stuck around to teach Derek the most basic rules that he needs to follow in order to avoid the ire of What We Do In The Shadows’ vampire council. This means that Derek’s transformation is most likely an accident, and that his sire is unaware that they not only turned an amateur vampire hunter into a vampire, but also abandoned the poor creature.

Meanwhile, another possible explanation is that Derek could’ve gotten his hands on a vial of vampire blood somewhere in the home. As Nadja shows when she turned Jenna into a vampire, some older vampires keep their blood in a vial when they intend to sire another. While it’s unlikely that Derek was turned knowingly, there’s a chance that in his scramble to escape, he could’ve found and kept one of these vials, and then later drank the contents.

Derek is a returning What We Do In The Shadows character who is also likely to appear in more future episodes. This is because Laszlo, whom Guillermo convinced to be Derek’s lawyer during his vampire council trial, is also now in charge of teaching Derek the ways of the modern vampire. In order to work off his transgressions, Derek has also been enlisted by Laszlo to sell the overpriced pillows that his human best friend Sean needs to sell. If Derek becomes a recurring character in the show, the question of who created him, and how, will become even more important. It is rumored that when a vampire’s sire dies, then all the other vampires that they created will die as well. This is an idea that’s been tackled by What We Do In The Shadows season 3, and will likely continue to be explored as the show progresses.

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