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Halo Infinite Xbox Series X Pre-Orders Open For GameStop Pro Members

4 years 11 months ago

On Tuesday, the Halo Infinite edition Xbox Series X console bundle was made available to pre-order for GameStop PowerUp Rewards Pro members ahead of the game’s long-awaited release in December. The latest Halo installment is set to pick up where 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians left off, and it will bring with it an all-new limited edition new-gen console and controller.

A special limited-edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X console and controller bundle, in addition to a separately sold Halo Infinite Elite Series 2 controller, was unveiled in August, with the products being set for a November 15 release to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Halo franchise. Unfortunately, scalpers quickly got a hold of Halo Infinite Xbox Series X pre-orders and began listing them for prices upwards of $1000, just as has been done with the vanilla Xbox Series X since it launched in 2020. Luckily for some GameStop customers (some of whom might also be scalpers), the Halo Infinite Xbox Series X has been made available at retail price.


On Twitter and elsewhere, GameStop announced a $550 special edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X bundle became available to pre-order an hour early for GameStop PowerUp Rewards Pro Members. The gaming retailer's bundle includes the custom Halo Infinite-themed Xbox Series X console (which features a star pattern modeled after the Zeta Halo skyline and a “Cortana Blue” vent), a matching Xbox Series X/S gamepad (not to be confused with the green Halo Infinite Elite Series 2 controller), and a digital download code for Halo Infinite.

Halo Infinite was notoriously planned to be released as an Xbox Series X/S launch title, but developer 343 Industries ultimately delayed the game after weighing negative feedback, leaving the console's launch window next to empty. In the months since, public opinion on the game has warmed largely thanks a series of multiplayer betas, but its sales and Xbox Game Pass success isn't necessarily assured after the developer revealed Halo Infinite's Forge and campaign co-op modes won’t be available at release.

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For those customers prepared to drop back into the Halo universe feet-first after the long wait for Halo Infinite regardless of its launch state (as well as for those who lack an Xbox Series X or want a more fancifully designed one), the special edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X console and controller bundle seems like a reasonable deal for welcoming Master Chief into their living rooms in style. GameStop's pre-orders for the bundle came less than five weeks before the console releases on November 15, a date that only precedes Halo Infinite's own release by a few weeks.


Sources: GameStop, GameStop/Twitter




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Only Murders In The Building: Every Suspect, Ranked By Likelihood

4 years 11 months ago

Content warning: the following contains plot spoilers for the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building.

Hulu's Only Murders in the Building has been dominating social media since it premiered, flooding the internet with fan discussions and investigations into who killed the mysterious Tim Kono. Viewers have followed along week to week as the unconventional crime-solving trio of Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), Charles Haden-Savage (Steve Martin), and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez) have searched for Tim Kono's killer.


Every subsequent episode has introduced new suspects and eliminated others. But even as the series approaches its first season finale, the mystery of who killed Tim Kono is still wide open. Many suspects are still completely likely at this point, but some of them are clearly much more likely than others.

8 Oscar Torres

When Only Murders first began, the mysterious figure known as "Tie-Dye Guy" was one of the group's first suspects. On the night of Tim Kono's murder, Tie-Dye Guy - later revealed to be Mabel's childhood friend, Oscar - was spotted heading upstairs just before the crime was committed, while everyone else was leaving the building during what they believed to be a fire drill.

Oscar made sense as a first guess, but his status as a suspect was too easy. It would have been too convenient for the first character to have a real connection to Tim Kono to be the one who murdered him. Oscar's explanations and alibis have been thoroughly checked out by the group, clearing him from further suspicion and making him the least likely suspect at this point.

7 Theo Dimas

Theo Dimas was a relative unknown for much of Only Murders' first season. He was the focus of the game-changing episode "The Boy from 6B," a mostly silent episode that focused on Theo's experiences across his life as a deaf person and presented true inclusion of a character with a disability. The episode also explored how he was caught up in one crime after another, first with Zoe's death and later his father's jewelry crime ring.

The group behind the Only Murders podcast was eager to pin Tim Kono's murder on Theo and his father after they learned of his involvement in both of those prior crimes. But subsequent evidence has revealed that there was more to the murder than they knew, which has likely ruled Theo out as a possible suspect once and for all. He may have played a tragic role in Zoe's accidental death, but Tim Kono's demise likely had nothing to do with him.

6 Ndidi Idoko

Not much has been revealed about Ndidi Idoko, the woman who was Tim Kono's next-door neighbor. Early episodes included the reveal that she was envious of Tim's apartment and that she even went so far as to request an apartment swap soon after his death.


While it wouldn't be the first time that real estate was the motive for a murder, it seems unlikely that this would have been a strong enough cause for Ndidi to commit the crime. She did later admit to often overhearing Tim with a lover, claiming that she herself never liked him. But that wording does lend itself to a very skewed reading in which she didn't like Tim, but she did love him, and as such, she could have been the one to poison him in a crime of passion.

5 Jose Torres

Sometimes, the most likely suspects are ones that are hidden in plain sight. Not once during the investigation has the podcast team considered the possibility of Jose Torres, the father of Oscar and the superintendent of the Arconia, being Tim Kono's murder.

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But Jose has had plenty of motive and opportunity both when it comes to Tim Kono. As the superintendent of the building, he would have had many opportunities to have access to Tim Kono's apartment. And since Tim Kono willingly lied about Oscar's alleged involvement in Zoe's death, which resulted in Oscar going to prison for a decade, Jose could have been motivated by a need for revenge, a common motive that has fueled many memorable revenge plots and movies.

4 Teddy Dimas

Another suspect who has hidden in plain sight has been the podcast's own sponsor, Teddy Dimas. A good candidate for inclusion in actor Nathan Lane's best work, Teddy has been a longtime supporter of Oliver's many business ventures, but his investment in the Only Murders podcast has had a very personal stake as it would keep attention off his own crime ventures, which was also going on within the building.

Although the series' eighth episode reasoned that Teddy Dimas was out of the building during the time of Tim Kono's murder and therefore likely could not have been part of it, it is still possible that he was involved after all. Since Tim was murdered by poison, not by the gunshot wound, Teddy could have played a role in the poisoning, even if he wasn't there to deliver the final shot.

3 Howard Morris

Howard's cat, Evelyn, may not have been one of the most memorable cats in television history, but it could still be the case that Tim Kono was killed over a grudge that started because of her. Tim was allergic to cats and hated Evelyn's wandering around the Arconia because of that, which led to Tim and Howard coming in frequent conflict with each other.

The same day Tim was killed, however, so was Evelyn. As it turned out, both of them were poisoned, despite initial reports of Tim dying via gunshot. It may not be likely that Howard would have killed his own cat to cover up his involvement, but it could still be the case that he poisoned Tim and his poor cat suffered an accidental dosage by proximity.

2 Bunny

From her first appearance in the series, Bunny has been a character not to be messed with. Foul-mouthed and quick-tempered, Bunny has never been someone that any character has wanted to be on the bad side of. Unfortunately, Oliver has always been on her bad side, which gives viewers a firsthand experience of her nastiest moments.


In the series' ninth episode, Bunny was particularly eager to put an end to the Only Murders podcast, perhaps due to a desire to conceal her own involvement in Tim Kono's murder. Bunny has been ruthless with Oliver, doing everything she can to squeeze every last penny out of him and ultimately evict him. It's likely, then, that Bunny has had similar feuds with other tenants of the Arconia, and perhaps one of them even crossed the line into murder.

1 Jan

Jan has always been an enigma as a character. It was clear, just by casting Amy Ryan (best known as the lovable Holly Flax in The Office) in the role and billing her as a series regular, that there would be much more to her character than just the role of Charles' unlikely girlfriend. It wasn't until the series' penultimate episode that things began to snap into focus with her character, however.

There have been many signs pointing to Jan's likelihood as the murderer. Her bassoon case is perfect for hiding a likely murder weapon, and bassoon cleaning supplies were found in items taken from Tim Kono's apartment. Further, Jan has been lying about her status as the first chair bassoonist.  It is possible that she was Tim Kono's girlfriend, but her rival for the first chair position may also have been his lover, which means that she could have had a particular jealousy-driven motive to kill Tim Kono if, for example, she had also been trying to get the real first chair out of the way.

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Bad news for WhatsApp users

4 years 11 months ago

 


This may come as bad news for most WhatsApp users but Google may switch some users of the mobile app to a limited storage plan.

Google currently offers unlimited storage for WhatsApp backup chats. Saving WhatsApp chat backups on Google Drive is one of the easiest and most effective ways for WhatsApp users to switch their phones and retain their old messages and chats.

Thanks to this option, the users can exclude specific media to be included in the next backup.

According to WABetaInfo, the feature is under development and will be available in a future update.

"Unfortunately, the release date is unknown but we’re carefully following the development of the feature and we will keep you updated as usual," it said in a report.

It added that there may be a different background for the reason why WhatsApp is developing this feature.

It is important to note that WhatsApp backups do not count against the Google Drive storage quota under an agreement between the two companies.

Unfortunately, the publication said, there is a good chance that WhatsApp backups on Google Drive will partially count again and WhatsApp is planning to offer some options to manage the backup size.

"Google might stop offering unlimited storage for WhatsApp backups, but they will switch to a limited plan (2000 MB per user)," WABetainfo said.

"This new plan has not been announced yet and everything may change in the next weeks, but this is the idea around the new way to store WhatsApp backups on Google Drive," it added.

"Note that we prefer to mark this news as a rumour seen that nothing has been publicly announced, but this is what we have learned after studying the feature and this is not to discard: Google Photos stopped offering unlimited storage some months ago".

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Apple announces October 18th event after months of Mac rumors

4 years 11 months ago

 

Apple’s next hardware event will take place on October 18th, according to invites it sent out today. The company is widely expected to use its second fall event to launch a pair of new MacBooks, a redesigned higher-end Mac Mini, and possibly a pair of third-generation AirPods.

The invite video teases one word: Unleashed. As seen below in a tweet from Apple marketing exec Greg Joswiak, it appears in a dotted font that could hint at mini LED tech on the way. The “special” event will stream live on Apple.com at 1PM ET / 10AM PT.

There have been reports for months that Apple is on the cusp of releasing new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. The new MacBooks would be the latest step in Apple’s transition away from Intel chips, replacing them with an Arm-based processor called the M1X that Apple designs itself. The new chip could boost performance compared to the M1 chip that debuted last year, as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the M1X has ten CPU cores compared to the M1’s eight, plus graphics processors with 16 or 32 cores compared to seven or eight in M1-equipped machines.

Other anticipated features include the return of fan-favorite MacBook features like magnetic MagSafe charging, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot. The maligned OLED touch bar, mercifully, could be on the way out. Gurman recently noted that stock of the company’s existing MacBook Pro appears to be running low.

Rumors suggest that the same M1X processor will feature in a redesigned higher-end Mac Mini. The new machine will reportedly have more ports than last year’s M1 model, with two Thunderbolt / USB 4 Type-C ports and two USB Type-A ports. The changes should make the new Mac Mini much better suited to power users.

Unleashed! These next six days are going to speed by. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/0ops2bVPvl

— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 12, 2021

Finally, Apple may announce a pair of redesigned AirPods, representing the third generation of the company’s original true wireless earbuds. The AirPods are expected to adopt a design similar to the AirPods Pro, with shorter stems and a redesigned charging case.

Source:The Verge

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Carphone Warehouse leaks Pixel 6 and 6 Pro in full detail

4 years 11 months ago



We can’t really say we’re surprised at this point – the Pixel 6 duo leaked yet again. This time it was Carphone Warehouse that jumped the gun as the retailer published the pages for both models. They have been taken down now, but not before Evan Blass

spotted them. Here is everything you may want to know about the upcoming Google phones before their October 19 announcement.

We’ll start with the Pixel 6 Pro. It is powered by Google’s first custom-built chipset. Previously, the company designed an image processing chip, but that wasn’t an integrated design. The Google Tensor chipset as it is called has on-device AI hardware for accelerating features like Night Sight, Portrait Mode and the new Magic Eraser (more on that in a bit). It is optimized for power efficiency yet it manages to be 80% faster than the Pixel 5’s Snapdragon 765G.

The Pro model has the most advanced camera on a Google phone ever. It starts with the main module whose 50 MP sensor is much larger than the tiny 1/2.55” sensor inside the Pixel 5. It captures 150% more light, which will be a boon for night time photos.

Also, the telephoto lens is back. This one offers 4x optical magnification, which can be extended to 20x using Super Res Zoom. There isn’t much on the ultra wide camera other than that it will have a 12 MP sensor.

The selfie camera will be fairly wide itself with a 94º field of view (in RAW mode, presumably before lens correction).





Now for Magic Eraser – it’s an AI tool that removes unwanted people and objects from your photo. This will be most useful in crowded touristy areas where you can’t get the place all to yourself. There’s also Face Unblur, which rescues blurry photos by restoring the face of your subject.

The Pixel 6 Pro will support 30W charging over USB-C, getting to 50% in 30 minutes (the 30W charger will be sold separately). Fast wireless charging at 23W and battery share are also supported.

The display will be a 6.7” LTPO OLED panel with variable refresh rate ranging from 10 Hz to 120 Hz. It will be covered with Gorilla Glass Victus, the whole phone will enjoy IP68 dust and water resistance.

Security will be a key feature for the phone with the new Titan M2 chip, a sequel to the Titan M that was introduced with the Pixel 3 series. To help it fight off new attacks, Google will provide 5 years of security updates.

Other highlight features include offline translations in 55 languages. You can point the camera at a sign to get it translated or get translated captions for a podcast. The At a Glance feature will surface relevant info for upcoming events, e.g. your plane ticket. The Pixels will come with the new Android 12, though some features are Google-exclusive.

Finally, a few accessories. There’s the 30W USB-C charger, of course. Tthe Pixel Stand wireless charger can turn the phone into a hub that can control smart devices and a photo frame that shows pictures from Google Photos. There’s also a translucent protective case made with over 30% post-consumer recycled plastics.

Moving on to the smaller Pixel 6. It too will be powered by the Google Tensor chipset paired with the Titan M2 security chip. The phone will feature the same 50 MP main and 12 MP ultra wide cameras, but it will miss out on the telephoto module.

The display will measure 6.4” and it will be a regular OLED. It will have a high refresh rate, but it doesn't sound like an LTPO panel. It will still be covered with Gorilla Glass Victus and the phone gets an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

The same accessories are available for the smaller Pixel 6, though the wireless charging is a fraction slower – 21W.

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will launch on October 19, but we should warn you that they will only be available in 8 countries, so getting one will depend on where you live. The smaller Pixel 6 should start at €650.

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[Global] ColorOS 12 beta official Roadmap/Timeline: These devices will receive the update

4 years 11 months ago

 


ColorOS 12 beta official Roadmap/Timeline: These devices will receive the update – Today, a launch event Oppo has released its new ColorOS 12 skin, based on Android 12 for the global market. It not only features fresh design aesthetics but also a boatload of exciting new features. ColorOS 12 advocates authenticity and noise reduction in design.

The new acrylic icon has just the right light and shadow details and light style, and the level is richer and more suitable for the real texture; at the same time, the white space is processed and the text contrast is improved. The distinction between light and dark colors redefines information density, making information acquisition faster and more comfortable in the long run.

OPPO ColorOS 12 beta official Roadmap/Timeline

From Today

  • OPPO Find X3 Pro 5G

From November

  • OPPO Find X2 Pro
  • OPPO Find X2 Pro Automobile Lemborgini Edition
  • OPPO Find X2
  • OPPO Reno 6 Pro 5G
  • OPPO Reno 6 Pro 5G Diwali Edition

From December

  • OPPO Reno 6
  • OPPO Reno 5
  • OPPO Reno 5 Marvel Edition
  • OPPO Reno 5 Pro 5G
  • OPPO Reno 5 Pro
  • OPPO Reno 6z 5G
  • OPPO F19 Pro+
  • OPPO A74 5G
  • OPPO A73 5G

From the First Half of 2022

  • OPPO Find X3 Lite 5G
  • OPPO Find X3 Neo 5G
  • OPPO Find X2 Neo
  • OPPO Find X2 Lite
  • OPPO Reno5 5G
  • OPPO Reno5 F
  • OPPO Reno5 Lite
  • OPPO Reno5 Z 5G
  • OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G
  • OPPO Reno4 5G
  • OPPO Reno4 F
  • OPPO Reno4 Lite
  • OPPO Reno4 Z 5G
  • OPPO Reno4 Pro
  • OPPO Reno4
  • OPPO Reno4 Mo Salah Edition
  • OPPO Reno3 Pro 5G
  • OPPO Reno3 Pro
  • OPPO Reno3
  • OPPO Reno 5A
  • OPPO Reno 10x Zoom
  • OPPO F19 Pro
  • OPPO F17 Pro
  • OPPO A94
  • OPPO A94 5G
  • OPPO A93
  • OPPO A54 5G
  • OPPO A53s 5G

From the Second Half of 2022

  • OPPO F19
  • OPPO F19s
  • OPPO A74
  • OPPO F17
  • OPPO A73
  • OPPO A53
  • OPO A53s
  • OPPO A16s

The above Roadmap/Timeline for Global users.

Source: rmupdate
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Apple releases iOS 15.0.2 with some Find My fixes

4 years 11 months ago

 


Apple released iOS 15.0.2 on Monday, and it has some important bug fixes, including a couple specific to Find My. For the iPad and iPhone, it also fixes a security flaw that Apple says may already be under attack, so update ASAP. Credited to an anonymous researcher, CVE-2021-30883 could allow an attacker to exploit the IOMobileFrameBuffer to “execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges,” and take over your device.

On my iPhone 12 Mini, the update clocks in at 531.1MB.

Here are the patch notes from Apple:

This update includes bug fixes for your iPhone:

Photos saved to your library from Messages could be deleted after removing the associated thread or message

iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe may not connect to Find My

AirTag might not appear in the Find My Items tab

CarPlay may fail to open audio apps or disconnect during playback

Device restore or update may fail when using Finder or iTunes for iPhone 13 models

iPadOS 15.0.2 is also out. Here’s what’s included in that, according to 9to5Mac:

Photos saved to your library from Messages could be deleted after removing the associated thread or message

AirTag might not appear in the Find My Items tab

Device restore or update may fail when using Finder or iTunes for iPad mini (6th generation)

Apple released iOS 15 on September 20th, and already updated it once to iOS 15.0.1 to fix an issue where people couldn’t use their Apple Watch to unlock their iPhone 13 while wearing a mask. Apple is also testing iOS 15.1 in beta, which currently includes features like SharePlay, support for adding a COVID-19 vaccination card to Apple Wallet, and new iPhone 13 Pro camera features.

Apple posted watchOS 8.0.1 on Monday, too. According to Apple, here’s what’s fixed:

Software update progress may not be displayed accurately for some Apple Watch Series 3 users

Accessibility settings may not have been available for some Apple Watch Series 3 users

Source:The Verge 

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Ted Lasso: 10 Best Character Evolutions

4 years 11 months ago

It's not often that characters from a comedy show undergo drastic character transformations in two short seasons but that's exactly what happened in Ted Lasso. The sports comedy series seems to be the exception to every comedy show rule by winning praise from critics and audiences alike for its well-developed characters.


With a massively talented ensemble cast, it's no surprise that the show was able to give both major and supporting characters amazing storylines. What's even more impressive is that the stories all felt earned and authentic, with such popular figures like Ned, Keeley, and the titular coach Ted changing in realistic, and often surprising, ways from how they started out in the pilot episode.

10 Dani

Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez) joined A.F.C. Richmond halfway through season one as a summer transfer. When he arrived "football was life" and Dani's only priority was getting playing time. However, his mentality took a turn during the opening episode of season two when Dani accidentally killed the team's mascot during a penalty kick.

Thanks to the help of Dr. Sharon (Sarah Niles), Dani was able to work through his guilt over killing the mascot. However, it wasn't until the end of season two that he got the chance to redeem himself by taking another penalty shot.

9 Jamie

Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) was a full-fledged egotistical jerk during season one of Ted Lasso. He viewed himself as the best player on the team and regularly hogged the ball. Things started to change for Jamie towards the end of season 1, when it was revealed his father was one of the main reasons why Jamie was the way he was.

After getting voted off a reality show during the start of season 2, Jamie returned to A.F.C. Richmond determined to improve his life. This time, he actually listened to Ted (Jason Sudeikis) and the coaches and became a player devoted to helping the team rather than advancing his own career. Jamie dispensed with the selfishness that defined him in the first season and became one of the show's most empathetic characters.

8 Keeley

Ted Lasso once again subverted everyone's expectations by making Keeley (Juno Temple) a well-rounded female character instead of just a trophy girlfriend. Fans quickly learn that's not the case with Keeley when she breaks up with Jamie because of the way he treats her. Though Keeley does end up in another relationship, her story is so much more than simply supporting another male character.

In fact, Keeley becomes the team's head of PR and did such an amazing job that by the end of season 2, she was given money to start her own PR firm. She also began a healthy and honest romance with Roy and found a best friend in Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), two of the best relationships in Ted Lasso. Keeley proved that she had the intelligence and thoughtfulness to not only be a key part of the team, but also one of the most dynamic characters in the show.

7 Issac

Issac (Kola Bokinni) didn't get a lot of screentime during season 1 but he surely made an impression with the time that he did get. After throwing a chair at Jamie on TV, Issac is given the captain position by Roy (Brett Goldstein).




Though that could have been it for Issac, season 2 opened with Issac struggling with his captain duties. Instead of demoting him, Ted and Roy helped Issac reconnect with why he wanted to play soccer in the first place: to have fun. From that point forward, Issac became a fun captain who encouraged his teammates to believe in themselves and each other.

6 Nate

Nate (Nick Mohammed) might not be everyone's favorite character after the season 2 finale, but there's no denying that his character transformation is one of the best. During season one, Nate is the overlooked kit manager who has a hard time speaking up. At the end of season 1, Nate gets promoted to a coaching position and it's all downhill from there (for fans at least).

By the end of season 2, Nate becomes the villain of the story by selling Ted out to the tabloids and taking a job with Rebecca's ex-husband. While the change might have seemed odd considering Nate was largely portrayed as loyal and meek, it's actually appropriate for him, who was shown as quietly aggressive throughout season 1.

5 Rebecca

During season 1, Rebecca is still reeling from her divorce which has left her feeling petty and bitter. This prompts her to try to destroy A.F.C. Richmond to get back at her ex-husband. However, her goals begin to shift as she gets to know Ted and the rest of the team on a deeper level.

Season 2 continues Rebecca's redemption arc as she dedicates herself to making sure the team gets promoted at the end of the season. She cares so much she even turns down any attempt at buying the team from her, making her one of the best TV bosses on television.  She also sheds her "love sucks" mentality by getting back into the dating scene.

4 Roy

Roy might have undergone one of the more obvious transformations over the first two seasons of Ted Lasso, going from a star athlete to a sports broadcaster to eventually a coach but his journey is so much more than that.

On an emotional level, Roy let himself get vulnerable with himself and others which allowed him to start a relationship with Keeley. He also learned to appreciate Jamie as the talented soccer player he is and even cut back on swearing to be a better influence on his niece, even though some of Roy's best quotes in Ted Lasso involve a plethora of expletives. While Roy still contains a gruff, stubborn streak, he's more emotive and caring by the end of season 2.

3 Sam

Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) has a quiet transformation that is easy to miss if viewers aren't paying close attention. At the start of season 1, Sam is still adjusting to being a member of the team. He's missing home and isn't performing his best.


However, he begins to slowly bond with the team and proves that he's a worthy member. That continues in season 2 as Sam becomes one of the best players on the team. He even confronts his homesickness by deciding to open his own Nigerian restaurant at the end of the season.

2 Ted

It might not have seemed like Ted would undergo a major transformation when the show started but there was a lot hidden under his sunny disposition. Unlike some of the other characters, Ted's transformation happened exclusively on a personal level.

With the introduction of Dr. Sharon, Ted reluctantly began therapy which allowed him to confront not only his feelings about his divorce but also the pain he's carried with him over the death of his father. Confronting his past let Ted be a better and more open coach and person. It also made him change his opinion about the usefulness of therapy, which has fans hopeful that his plotline with Dr. Sharon will continue in Ted Lasso's next season.

1 Trent

Trent Crimm (James Lance) from The Independent is one of the more popular supporting characters in Ted Lasso. As a journalist, Trent is extremely hard on Ted in the beginning, criticizing him every step of the way. However, after Trent spends the day with Ted, he begins to see why everyone is so kind to him.



During season 2, Trent continues to be critical of Ted's coaching but does so in a respectful manner. His respect for Ted runs so deep that Trent puts his career in jeopardy when he gives Ted a head up about the anxiety article and also reveals his anonymous source. Now that Trent has given up his journalism career, he's sure to continue his transformation in season 3.

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Survivor: Every Pro Athlete Who Has Competed

4 years 11 months ago

Athleticism is a huge aspect of Survivor, and contestants often find it important to keep their tribes physically strong so that they will perform well in challenges. Tribes with former professional athletes usually keep those players in the early stages of the game with a goal to eliminate them before individual immunity challenges begin.


Over Survivor's more than 40 seasons, professional football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer players have competed as well as some Olympians.. They have ranged from being the first boot of a season to winning the game and the title of Sole Survivor, but all were targeted at one time or another for their athletic past.

Survivor: Africa winner Ethan Zohn first competed on the show at age 27. He returned a few years later for All-Stars, and came back nearly two decades later for the iconic Winners At War.



Prior to his first appearance on the show, Ethan was best known for being a professional soccer player. He was a goalkeeper for the Hawaii Tsunami and the Cape Cod Crusaders in the United States, and played for the Highlanders F.C. in Zimbabwe before he founded Grassroots Soccer.

Gary Hogeboom was best known in his Survivor career for lying about who he was — he told his tribe-mates that his name was Gary Hawkins — and maintaining that he was and always had been a landscaper. He also found the first ever hidden immunity idol and used it correctly.

Unbeknownst to his fellow castaways originally, Gary played football for Central Michigan University and then was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and the Phoenix Cardinals. The other contestants quickly figured out his identity and targeted him for being a physical and social threat.

Ashley Massaro was the second person voted out of Survivor: China, so viewers didn't get a chance to see her Survivor story unfold on their television screens. However, she already had a large television presence as a WWE Diva.

Ashley professionally wrestled for almost four years, returning to the scene briefly in 2017. She was on the popular wrestling show Smackdown! as a commentator after winning the Raw Diva Search in 2005. She died in 2019 less than two weeks before her 40th birthday.

Crystal Cox was best known for her hilarious confessionals on Survivor: Gabon and her season-long rivalry with fellow castaway Randy Bailey. She placed sixth and ended up being a jury member.


Despite her tribe calling her out for her weak performances in challenges, Crystal was an Olympic athlete years before she competed on the show. Crystal ran track and field in the 2004 Olympics and won a gold medal, but was later stripped of it after admitting to doping.

Steve Wright was dealt the unfortunate cards of being on a tribe with notorious Survivor villain Russell Hantz as a captain on the 22nd season of Survivor. He was taken out in a Pagong-like fashion by Boston Rob and his allies, but he did make the jury.

In the 1980s, Steve played in the National Football League for several teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Raiders. He was an offensive tackle and briefly played with future Survivor alum Gary Hogeboom when they were both on the Cowboys.

On Survivor: Redemption Island, Grant Mattos became fan-favorite Survivor player "Boston Rob" Mariano's right-hand man before being blindsided by the legend himself.

Much like his castmate Steve Wright, Grant played professional football. He was a wide receiver and had a fou- year career where he played for San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, and the Tennessee Titans before retiring in 2006 due to knee injuries.

Jeff Kent was bitterly voted out of Survivor: Philippines by Lisa and Michael's alliance just after the merge. He became the second member of the jury and ultimately voted for Denise to become the Sole Survivor.

Jeff was one of the most famous and notable professional athletes to appear on the reality show. He played second base for six teams over the course of his Major League Baseball career, playing his longest stint with one club as a San Francisco Giant.

Julia Landauer was on the "fans" tribe for the second edition of Fans vs. Favorites. Her tribe was taken down pretty quickly by the "favorites," and she was the victim of a re-vote following a tie at a pre-merge tribal council.




Julia was only 21 years old when competed on Survivor but had already been racing stock cars for several years. Following her appearance on the reality show, she became a NASCAR driver and motivational speaker.

Brad Culpepper was a divisive character both times he appeared on Survivor. The first time, he was known as returning player Monica's husband and the enemy of several other castaways. His second time around, he made it to the final tribal council and even racked up a few votes after having a great redemption arc.

When his wife Monica first appeared on One World, people recognized her as being married to former NFL player Brad Culpepper. Brad was a defensive tackle for nearly 10 years, playing for teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Chicago Bears.

Cliff Robinson had a legendary Survivor bromance with martial arts instructor Woo Hwang before being blindsided at the first tribal council his tribe attended in season 28.

Cliff and Woo bonded over their love for sports and competing, something Cliff knew well as he played professional basketball for 18 seasons. He played for five different teams over the course of his career and was named an NBA All-Star in 1994. Cliff sadly died in 2020 after battling lymphoma. He was 53.

John Rocker was a bit of a hothead when he appeared on the 29th season of Survivor with then-girlfriend Julie McGee, so it was no surprise when he was eliminated third from the game. Julie later quit Survivor because she felt that John's reputation was hurting her game.

John's tribemates recognized him as being a relief pitcher in the MLB for several years. He played for teams such as the Braves, Indians, Rangers and Devil Rays during his professional career.

Tyler Frederickson was placed on the "white collar" tribe for Survivor: Worlds Apart, falling victim to an idol play by eventual winner Mike Holloway sometime after the merge.


Before he was on the island, Tyler was a placekicker on eight different NFL teams. Unlike other pro football players who appeared on the show, Tyler never started in a regular season game and was primarily a practice squad member on the teams he was signed to.

Scot Pollard was famously blindsided out of Survivor: Kaoh Rong after Tai Trang refused to join forces with him to activate their shared super-idol at tribal council.

Scot played in the NBA for 11 years, first with for the Detroit Pistons before going on to play for Sacramento, Indiana, Cleveland and Boston. He retired in 2008 after winning a championship.

Alan Ball placed 15th on the 35th season of Survivor. He was voted out on day 11 when a tribe swap didn't go in his favor after originally being placed on the "heroes" tribe.

Prior to his Survivor appearance, Alan was a football cornerback for several teams including the Cowboys, Texans, Jaguars, Bears and Cardinals. He was released in 2016 following a foot injury the previous season.

Katrina Radkte was unlucky during her time on Survivor, as she was the first person voted out of the 35th season. As far as professional athletes go, she had the worst placement of any to appear on the reality series.

Despite this, Katrina had an impressive professional swimming career. She was on the U.S. team for the 1988 Olympics and won two gold metals in the 1985 and 1987 Pan Pacific Championships.

John Hennigan was a member of the great season 37 alliance the "Brochachos," in which he and fellow "Goliath" tribe member Dan aligned with "David" tribe member and all-around likable Survivor castaway Christian Hubicki.


Originally born John Hennigan, John adopted the stage name John Morrison as well as the nickname "Mayor of Slamtown" in the professional wrestling scene. He has won multiple WWE championships over the course of his two-decades-long career.

Bi Nguyen's time on Survivor was cut short due to a knee injury early on that led her to withdraw from the game in order to protect her career.

Bi was an MMA fighter when she competed on the show, something she continued to pursue after leaving the game. Her knee injury took months to heal, causing her to lose her first post-Survivor match. She goes by the wrestling name Killer Bee.

Elizabeth Biesel was the third Olympian to compete on Survivor, and she did well in challenges due to her swimming excellence.

Though she didn't strike gold on the show, Elizabeth has racked up plenty of medals during the course of her career. She went to the Olympics in 2008, 2012 and 2016, specializing in the individual swimming medleys and backstroke.

Tom Laidlaw competed on the 39th season of Survivor as a member of the Lairo tribe. He created strong connections with his tribemates early on, but he was voted out following a trip swap.

Tom was best known for his professional hockey career spanning 12 years. He played as a defenseman for the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Raiders before going on to be a motivational speaker.

Danny McCray is the latest pro athlete to compete on Survivor, making his appearance on the Survivor 41, which host Jeff Probst declared as being a new era of the reality series.

While Danny's fate on the show has yet to be determined, he has appeared on television screens before. He was a safety in the NFL for six years, playing for teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears after graduating from Louisiana State University.

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One Piece: 10 Best Finishing Moves, Ranked

4 years 11 months ago

As a good battle shonen should, One Piece has a variety of iconic fights that are complemented by some flashy and exciting finishing moves. A staple of any anime fight, the idea of the finishing move fuses both brutal power and explicit branding to create some of the most exciting and recognizable attacks ever seen in fiction.


In One Piece's world, Devil Fruits, Haki, martial arts, robotic enhancements, and some very loose interpretations of physics all contribute to One Piece's own, colorful gallery of finishing moves. And while rating each one's power and effectiveness is a large discussion within its own right, it's also really fun just looking at which finishing moves are just the coolest and most memorable.

10 Gatling

Monkey D. Luffy's Gum-Gum Gatling doesn't have the awe-inspiring, simplistic appeal of a one-hit attack; but what it lacks in brevity, it more than makes up for with raw, visceral spectacle. The Gum-Gum Gatling isn't often used as Luffy's finishing move, but it is the stopping point for a couple of his best fights and most action-packed episodes of One Piece.

At the end of his iconic battle with Sir Crocodile, Luffy didn't just invent a new move to defeat a Warlord. He just summoned all of his strength and just kept punching until Crocodile was through the ceiling. The same thing happens in his legendary bout with Rob Lucci when Luffy refused to go down and unleashed a flash barrage to send Lucci flying.

 9 Hell Memories

Hell Memories is the upgraded version of Sanji's Diable Jiambe, a kick attack that uses high-speed friction and passionate intensity to burn Sanji's opponents at extreme temperatures. Seeing Diable Jiambe for the first time against Jabra was one of the great spectacles of the Enies Lobby Arc. It captured the imagination by teasing just how fast and good at kicking Sanji really is.


Hell Memories is a more advanced version that uses Sanji's own trauma from training to create a kick that envelops his opponent's entire body in flames. It's a flashy and ridiculous move that does a great job of capturing the imagination and getting people to love Sanji even more.

8 Three-Sword Style Secret Skill: Billion-Fold World Trichiliochosm

Roronoa Zoro's strongest attack to date and one of the most ridiculously named attacks in anime (and most rewatchable scenes in One Piece), the billion-fold world trichiliochosm is the epitome of samurai slashes. Anime and Japanese movies are famous for their special brand of swordplay that idolizes attacks faster than the eye can see but powerful enough to create clean cuts through bodies, doors, and, in Zoro's case, a guy made out of an entire country.

This move is the result of Zoro summoning all of his strength and haki and focusing it into a singular point between all three of his swords and slashing so hard that he can practically cut through an entire city.

7 Meteor Volcano

Meteor Volcano isn't exactly coined as Akainu's finishing move in the anime, but it is in some of the video games. It's also easily his most jaw-dropping attack. While the rest of his move set just has Sakazuki create a large, molten fist, meteor volcano sends a barrage of blazing fists into the air, only to have them arch back down like hellish rain.

This attack created one of the most frightening scenes during the Paramount War where pirates had to scramble as lava fell down upon them and the ground beneath their feet evaporated. This is the One Piece version of the Omaha Beach scene from Saving Private Ryan, and it solidified Akainu, ironically, as one of the coldest figures in the Marines.

6 Great Fire Commandment: Flame Emperor

While Sanji and Akainu have some pretty hot moves of their own, no one in the series has as much burning blood as the ex-Captain of the Spade Pirates and Whitebeard's 2nd Division, Portgas D. Ace. Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit wasn't exactly the most original, anime power out there, but Ace did use it in a variety of interesting ways, such as his signature Fire Fist, his fireflies attack, and his Flame Commandments.


His most powerful move of all simulates the look and intensity of an entire sun that, if launched at anyone else besides Blackbeard, could wipe out nearly any enemy in the One Piece world.

5 Poisonous Giant Soldier: Hell's Judgement

Magellan was the transitionary villain of the Marineford Saga who guarded the dark cells of Impel Down. With his Venom-Venom Fruit, Magellan did so much more than just coat himself in poison. He created venomous bubbles, noxious gas, and even a terrifying hydra that he could swim through.

His best attack of all transforms him into a giant, devilish soldier made of his strongest venom. Besides the horrifying aesthetics, Hell's Judgement creates a venom so strong that it can infect even the stone walls and floors of Impel Down, allowing Magellan to wreak, harsh justice literally wherever he steps.

4 Ursus Shock

Ursus Shock isn't the shiniest move or the most complex one, but it does a better job than most at quieting a scene with pure intensity. With his Paw-Paw Fruit, Bartholomew Kuma is able to reflect what seems to be everything and anything at the speed of light. This includes Perona's Hollow-Hollow ghosts and somehow the concept of pain.

His most iconic attack with the Paw-Paw Fruit involves Kuma constantly reflecting air particles between his hands and condensing large quantities of them into a single, paw-shaped bubble. This bubble is essentially a bomb that can unleash destructive amounts of air pressure that can wipe out armies or even a continent-moving giant.

3 Lion Majesty: Earth Coiling

Shiki the Golden Lion is a semi-canon character who rivaled Gol D. Roger during One Piece's old pirate era and ran amok as the main villain of the movie, One Piece: Strong World. With his Float-Float Fruit, Shiki is able to levitate and seemingly manipulate anything he touches, allowing him to fly, move entire ships by himself, and even hold up his entire, captive country in the sky.



However, Shiki's Devil Fruit really stretches the meaning of floating when he uses it to manipulate the ground to create torrents of solid rock. With Lion Majesty, Shiki is able to create a giant, lion head that can crush his opponent, and Lion Majesty: Earth Coiling is essentially a tsunami version of that.

2 Nine-Sword Style: Asura

While Zoro has grown considerably stronger since his adventures on Enies Lobby, he has yet to really capture people's imaginations the same way that he did when, for seemingly no reason at all, he grew two heads, seven extra arms, and six swords - quite the One Piece plot twist!

A manifestation of Zoro's aura, his Nine-Sword Style: Asura move allows Zoro to create the illusion of a multi-limbed god of war as well as triple the output of his attacks. There's not much more that actually explains this move, especially since he rarely uses it, but it's super cool nonetheless.

1 King Kong Gun

Luffy has thrown some pretty iconic punches over the years. His first Gum-Gum Pistol against a Sea King is a series signature, his first "fight" with Bellamy was incredible, and his cathartic punch against a Celestial Dragon on Sabaody Archipelago is one of One Piece's most rewatchable moments.

However, his best and strongest punch to date has to be the ultimate culmination of both his Haki training and Gear transformations. King Kong Gun requires Luffy to transform into the already, overpowered Bound Man. However, in this state, Luffy can continue to blow air into his arm, essentially fusing Gear Fourth with Gear Third, allowing him to deliver a punch that can split an entire island.

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One Piece’s Luffy Vs. Mr. Fantastic: Which Elastic Hero is Stronger?

4 years 11 months ago

While there are several superheroes blessed with the uncanny power of elasticity, two of the more iconic stretchy comic book heroes are One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy and the Fantastic Four's leader Mr. Fantastic. Naturally, since their powers are based on their ability to stretch and contort themselves in unworldly forms, the question becomes, whose stretchability is the strongest.

Neither Luffy nor Mr. Fantastic were born with their powers. Instead, each came onto their powers as a result of an outside event. In the case of Luffy, that event occurred when he ate the "Gum-Gum Fruit" as a child. As a result of eating the fruit, Luffy's body was rendered in a rubber-like state that allowed him to stretch, bend, elongate, and inflate his body. In contrast, Reed Richards' transformation occurred after he piloted an authorized flight into space with his future wife Sue Storm, her brother - Johnny Storm, and Reed's college roommate Benjamin Grimm. The flight, which was conducted without proper protection, was pelted by gamma radiation. That radiation transformed Reed's DNA to give him the ability to stretch every part of his body as if he were a rubber band.


On the surface, it might seem that there is little difference in the stretching ability of Luffy and Mr. Fantastic.  Both Luffy and Mr. Fantastic's power of elasticity allows them to reform their bodies into any shape that they wish. In addition, their rubbery consistency makes them immune from most "blunt" attacks such as a punch, kick, or even a bullet. Moreover, their elasticity allows them to transform their bodies into effective weapons. For instance, both can use their bodies to redirect bullets and shells back towards the shooter. In addition, both can use their bodies to wrap up and constrain others from moving. However, a deeper dive into the abilities of Luffy and Mr, Fantastic reveals that not all stretching abilities are equal.

Despite the similarities, there is one crucial metric that separates the top-rated from the runner-up, namely maximum stretch distance. Indeed, how powerful is one elasticity, if one's ability to stretch covers only a short distance. In this respect, Luffy comes out as the clear winner. Indeed, Luffy has the ability to stretch without restriction. That is, he can stretch as far as he deems necessary to accomplish the task. Conversely, while there is no official limit to how far Reed can stretch, it has been demonstrated that there are limits upon which Reed can effectively control his stretching abilities. There is a distance where Reed loses his ability to effectively control these body parts. Conversely, there is no such known limitation for Luffy.

While there is no argument that both Luffy and Mr. Fantastic have incredibly powerful abilities of elasticity, not all rubber-like abilities are the same. The Fantastic Four's Mr. Fantastic might be able to use his powers to wrap up a villain across the street, chances are that One Piece's Luffy can do the same a block or even a city away.

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10 Low Key Villains In Supernatural

4 years 11 months ago

Larger-than-life, witty, and fascinating villains were one of the things that fans of the cult fantasy Supernatural couldn't get enough of. In fact, the show had a range of supervillains who kept the heroic Winchester brothers on their toes.


However, the big baddies alone wouldn't be able to sustain the show had it not been for a variety of other, low-key, but often dangerous antagonists that the brothers had to face and fight. Whether humans, angels, or humans and angels possessed by other angels and archangels, there was no dearth of challenges that the brothers had to rise to, beyond the typical freak-of-the-week monsters.

10 Bela Talbot

Bela wasn't a villain per se as much as she was a troublemaker. She turned up as suddenly as she left but within the short span of time that her path crossed the boys', she brought them a world of trouble, including stealing a staggering 46,000 dollars, that was probably more money than Sam and Dean had or were ever to see in their lives.

Bela also stole the coveted Colt from the brothers, the gun that was the only one of its kind and could kill any entity however immune to other weapons. Never particularly scrupulous, Bela was a slippery eel, but she certainly wasn't as horrifying as some of the people or creatures that Sam and Dean go on to meet. Her death, presumably by hellhounds, seemed a tad harsh and the boys seemed to forget about her pretty soon.

9 Anna Milton

The fallen angel Anna seemed like a potential ally for the brothers and Castiel at first, and even had a steamy night with Dean at the back of the Impala, one of the many emotional Supernatural moments the Impala had been through. She was an angel who had revolted against the requirements of Heaven and thus seemed like one of the good guys, capable of thinking of her own.

However, she soon became antagonistic as she decided to go back in time and kill Mary and John Winchester so that Sam and Dean would never be born, the first of the 66 seals that needed to be broken to unleash Lucifer upon the earth would remain intact, and most importantly, Lucifer would not have his true vessel. She was then killed off by the archangel Michael possessing John who wanted to save his wife and although it meant that the apocalypse couldn't be stopped, Anna's death was good riddance.

8 Gadreel

Not an out-and-out villain, Gadreel was one of the main characters in season 9, and a secondary antagonist of sorts after Metatron, the scribe of God.


Gadreel had taken refuge in Sam's body after most of the angels were ejected from Heaven. Having convinced Dean that that was the only way to keep Sam alive, he ended up becoming the scheming Metatron's right-hand man. While he did seem ambivalent at first, fans went thoroughly against him when Gadreel, possessing Sam, murdered young Kevin Tran in cold blood following Metatron's instructions, and Dean could do nothing about it.

7 Duma

An angel who at first seemed desperate to save a chaotic Heaven, Duma gradually turned antagonistic as she allowed Lucifer to rule over Heaven in return for his help in creating more angels.

She also held sway over Heaven briefly herself, creating a reign of terror which made Heaven a brutal final destination for humans. She also manipulated Jack so that she could have his tremendous power at her disposal, and eventually became a vessel for the Shadow, the entity ruling the Empty, one of the main locations/sets on Supernatural, since time immemorial. Duma was yet another loose end that needed tying up which Cas finally did.x

6 Billie

Billie the reaper became Death after the former Death was killed with his own scythe by Dean Winchester. Initially appearing to be an ally who wanted to save the world and destroy God just as the Winchesters did, Billie turned out to be a villain too towards the end of season 15.

Billie's endgame was ambiguous, for the most part, although it seemed as though she was on the brothers' side and wanted to get rid of God. To that end, she had even had Jack resurrected and told him how he could improve his strength which he would need to preserve to kill God. Yet, at the end, it was revealed that Billie had been manipulating the brothers and Jack all along. She wanted to kill God not to save the world but to take over the universe herself.

5 Toni Bevell

Although not exactly low profile, Lady Toni Bevell became a temporary villain in season 12 as the merciless killer on the British Men of Letters' payroll.

Bevell was shown to be a terminator of sorts, with very little morality or scruples to anchor her, and willing to go to any length to follow the instructions coming from upstairs. She abducted Sam Winchester and tortured him inhumanly, all to please the high command, And unlike Ketch who at least had a compelling personality, Bevell's character was simply irritating. This was one villain fans hated unlike some of the other Supernatural villains whom they loved.

4 Uriel

One of the earliest angels the brothers met, Uriel deceived everyone (including Castiel) when it was revealed that he was actually working to bring about the apocalypse, rather than helping to stop it.


As the Devil's mole in Heaven, Uriel was one of the angels who had turned against God, sick of his absence and tired of following instructions from someone who never really showed up. He was probably the one who proved to Sam and Dean that angels, contrary to popular perception, weren't necessarily the good guys. Uriel was still just a pawn since more important angels like Zachariah soon joined the party and made life a living hell for Sam and Dean. But he was the first of the villainous angels the brothers encountered.

3 Castiel

Castiel makes this list since he nearly went dark side more than once. Season 6 saw Cas going rogue, killing hundreds of his fellow angels, to say nothing of humans he massacred. The idea of becoming God possessed him to the extent that he lost any ounce of humanity he might have picked up from spending time around humans like Sam and Dean.

Later too, Cas agreed to let Lucifer in so that they could beat the Darkness. However, Lucifer had his own plans and the Cas shaped Lucifer soon took over Hell where he kept Crowley under captivity, killed Rowena and basically raised hell. Castiel himself might have been the best of entities, but he made some choices that didn't go so well, especially for him.

2 Soulless Sam

One of the villains in the course of the series that fans might have forgotten but who was definitely a key antagonist at the time was Soulless Sam. Sam Winchester returned in season 6 from Lucifer's Cage in Hell where he had been broken and battered to the point that when he returned, his soul had been left behind.

The havoc that the Soulless Sam wreaked became a major plot point in the sixth season as Sam lost his connection with the softer human emotions and didn't care if he had to kill a few perfectly innocent humans here and there. He even set a vampire on his own brother knowing that the latter ran the risk of getting turned, and indeed he did! Soulless Sam might have been pretty low-key in the context of the entire series but he was quite terrifying for a period of time.

1 John Winchester

Of course, John Winchester was a good man who had met with a terrible tragedy when his wife died so shockingly, leaving him with two young kids, one of them an infant. It was also he who taught the boys everything they knew about hunting.

However, there is a reason Supernatural fans consider Bobby a better father to the brothers than John Winchester. it was John's obsession with finding the demon who had killed his wife that led Sam and Dean down this path from where there was no turning back, that took away their childhood. And although they did save the world multiple times, and certain events had been set in motion that would have affected them anyway, the brothers only had their father to thank for a lot of the sacrifices they had had to make.

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The 10 Best Quotes From The Fly (1986)

4 years 11 months ago

The 1986 remake of The Fly is one of the single-best horror/sci-fi epics ever made, and the debate still rages over whether it's better than the original 1958 version. Jeff Goldblum's excellent performance as the eccentric and loopy Seth Brundle is one of his best, and the film is loaded with many memorable quotes not just from his character, but others as well.


These quotes help tell the story of Brundle's grotesque transformation from a handsome young scientist into a horrific man/fly hybrid and the horrors that ensue. It's one of the darkest and most tragic horror flicks of the 1980s, and the blood-curdling visuals are married to one fantastic script that sticks to the story and sells it perfectly.

10 "What Am I Working On? Uhhh, I'm Working On Something That Will Change The World And Human Life As We Know It." - Seth

Seth Brundle was an eccentric oddball who mostly kept to himself, and the rigors of his work. His days were spent researching technology related to teleportation, which would have a drastic impact on humanity, were the power harnessed correctly. He wasn't a typical horror movie mad scientist, but he walked the obsessive edge of the knife that led many to fall astray.

He first met Victoria at a science gala, where he immediately tried to woo her with tales of his research. It was enough to capture her interest, and agree to come back to his lab, where he introduced her to the teleportation pods he had been working on.

9 "I'm Glad I Didn't Give You My Rolex, If I HAD A Rolex!" -  Victoria

Brundle's teleportation technology was akin to something out of the Black Mirror franchise, and just as dangerous. To demonstrate the power of his teleportation pods, Brundle asked Victoria to share a personal item. She ended up taking down one of her stockings and giving it to him, after which he placed it in a pod, activated the machine, and successfully teleported it to the other pod.

At first, Victoria believed he had destroyed her stocking, prompting this funny quote that was ironic in and of itself. She'd later come to realize just how on the money Seth was when it came to his research, even if teleportation of organics was still out of his reach.

8 "The Complete Record Of The Most Earth-Shattering Invention Ever. The One That Ended All Concepts Of Transport, Of Borders And Frontiers, Of Time And Space." -  Seth

When Victoria revealed that she wanted to write a piece on Seth's work, he immediately hesitated for fear of his funding being cut. He tried to woo her a little more by inviting her to lunch, where he pitched the idea of them working together, rather than on opposite sides.

Victoria would hold off on revealing her story until Seth felt that the technology had been perfected. It was a deal made on mutual trust, paving the way for a working relationship, and a romantic one that followed.

7 "... Human Teleportation - Molecular Decimation, Breakdown And Reformation Is Inherently Purging. It Makes A Man A King!" - Seth

After experiencing a bout of jealousy over Victoria's ex-boyfriend, Seth got a little too drunk and decided to test his teleportation pods on himself. He emerged healthy and intact on the other side, but it didn't take long for the warning signs to start popping up.


He took Victoria to lunch, where he went off on a super-energetic rant about teleportation technology, and how it made him feel. He seemed reborn, like a new man bursting with boundless optimism, self-confidence, and physical strength, not to mention a rather unhealthy obsession with sugar.

6 "Something Went Wrong, Seth! When You Went Through, Something Went Wrong!" - Victoria

Victoria realized that Seth wasn't well when his personality started to change. He was no longer the adorable, socially awkward guy she fell in love with. He had become arrogant, unhinged, temperamental, and judgmental, all because she wouldn't allow herself to be teleported as well.

He eventually clashed with her and sabotaged his romantic relationship by saying he'd find someone else who wasn't afraid of the process. To Seth, teleportation was the pathway to ultimate bliss. To Victoria, it was a nightmare scenario wrought with pitfalls that she did not trust.

5 [Seth] "Don't Be Afraid." [Veronica] No, Be Afraid! Be VERY Afraid!"

After breaking up with Victoria, Seth decided to go out and find another woman that he could convince to get into the teleportation pods. He arm-wrestled a burly bar patron and broke his wrist as a demonstration of his power, which was enough to entice a young woman to come home with him.

The two hooked up after Seth demonstrated his teleportation technology to her, but when he tried to convince her to go through, she resisted. Seth told her not to be afraid as he dragged her to the pods, but Victoria stood in his way, telling the young woman to be very, very afraid. Ironically, a behind-the-scenes Fly factoid reveals that comedy legend Mel Brooks was the one who came up with this quote as a tagline, believing it was a comedy instead of a horror film.

4 "What's Happening To Me? Am I Dying?" - Seth

After Victoria left Seth to his own devices, he began taking her warnings about his physical appearance and personality changes to heart. He went into the bathroom to examine himself, noticing that several parts of his body were beginning to deteriorate.

He ended up pulling off one of his own fingernails with ease, which was enough to strike fear into him. He wondered if the process had caused him to contract some sort of disease, or mess with his molecular structure to the point where a rabid form of cancer had set in. This element of "body horror" is just one reason why the 1986 remake is better than the original 1958 version of The Fly.

3 "I'm Becoming Brundlefly. Don't You Think That's Worth A Nobel Prize Or Two?" - Seth

Seth compared the data of his first teleportation trip and discovered that a foreign organic entity was in the pod with him at the time. He was horrified to learn that it was a common housefly which the computer didn't know what to do with. It chose to fuse their respective DNA patterns together at the genetic level.


He finally had his answer for why he was changing. When Victoria showed up to discuss it with him, Seth indicated that the unnatural fusion of the DNA was turning him into something the world had never seen. To lighten the mood, he cracked a joke about the scientific merit that would undoubtedly have earned him at least one Nobel Prize.

2 "The Medicine Cabinet Is Now The Brundle Museum Of Natural History. You Wanna' See What Else Is In It?" - Seth

As Seth kept mutating, so too did parts of his body keep falling off. His teeth, ears, genitals, and other pieces of his body were now becoming redundant in the wake of the emerging new genetic mutation. Rather than get rid of them, he stuffed the parts in jars and hid them in the medicine cabinet of his home.

With nothing else to do but ride the mutation out, Seth felt compelled to at least make some jokes about his state of affairs. He asked Victoria if she'd like to see the collection of body parts that had since fallen off, but she was understandably opposed to the idea.

1 "I'll Hurt You If You Stay!" - Seth

When the mutation entered its second-last stage, Seth realized that his mind was gradually regressing into something much more primitive. He joked about the irony of "insect politics" with Victoria, which was meant to illustrate that insects are brutal and instinctive, and don't care much for diplomacy.

It was his way of demonstrating the dangers of her being around him. Finally, he came right out and said that if she stayed, he'd end up hurting her. Seth knew that as his mental state deteriorated, so too would his regard for humans. Instinct would become his first reactionary mechanism, and nothing could be more dangerous.

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WhatsApp's underdeveloped feature leaked

4 years 11 months ago

 



Photo by Anton from Pexels



WhatsApp had been planning to introduce a feature called "Community"; however, someone leaked the underdevelopment, WABetainfo reported Monday.

"We wanted to wait for some screenshots to introduce it," it said on its official Twitter handle.

Someone leaked "Community", under development for WhatsApp. We wanted to wait for some screenshots to introduce it.
Community is a way for users to organize their WhatsApp groups better. Nothing more, it's not something like Twitter and Facebook. Updates will be following soon...

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) October 11, 2021

 According to WABetaInfo, the community feature is a way for users to organise their WhatsApp groups better.

However, addressing the rumours that this feature is like Twitter, WABetaInfo — the main independent portal where you can discover the news and real-time updates about WhatsApp — said: "It is not something like Twitter and Facebook."

The portal added that more details of the feature will be revealed soon.

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How to Read Whatsapp Deleted Messages | Genius Trick

4 years 11 months ago


Marketing the trick to read deleted WhatsApp messages might be seen as concerning to many users but one can look back at any messages, embarrassing or not, they quickly deleted. Try the steps below if you do.



What is a deleted message?

You can delete messages instantly from both individual chats and from groups no matter if you’re using on Android or on iOS phones.



It comes with the condition that recipients are told  “this message was deleted”, which can be triggering.

But this message even after being deleted by the sender is stored on the phone, and can be seen using WhatsApp’s backup feature.

How do I read deleted messages?

If you’re really desperate and impatient to read that deleted message(s), you need to first uninstall WhatsApp and then re-install it and restore chats from backup.

Simply select the restore option and your chats will be restored, including deleted messages, which are shown as if they were never removed.

Also, there are various third party apps that you have to have installed in your phone before that message was deleted. So it’s like preemptive action. These apps record all your chats and do not acknowledge the sender’s right to delete them.

Apps like Notification History Log and Notification Log show you all of the notifications stored in your gadget’s notification register.

But the apps do have their limitations: You have to have interacted with the notification to read it.

Nevertheless, this has the security hazard because you’re allowing apps to read into your personal space only so you can have an eye on some deleted messages.

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Android 12 or Windows 11: Which one do you think is the bigger and better upgrade?

4 years 11 months ago


Google and Microsoft released their latest OS updates this week. While Android 12 is yet to roll out to most users, Windows 11 is now generally available on compatible devices. Considering the XDA community is chock full of early adopters, it won’t be wrong of us to assume that many of you have already installed the updates on your devices. If that’s the case, which of the two updates do you think was the bigger and better release?

Before you answer that question, let’s take a quick look at some of the cool new features included in the latest software releases from Google and Microsoft.

Android 12
Image Credit: XDA

Android 12 is undoubtedly one of the most significant updates to the Android operating system in years. It brings a ton of new features and changes, including a massive Material You redesign, scrolling screenshot support, a native one-handed mode, and a Game dashboard. It also brings several privacy and security improvements, like the new Privacy dashboard and the camera and microphone indicators.

In addition, Android 12 brings with several new widgets, a better auto-rotate system, URL/image sharing support in the recent apps overview, a new Internet panel, stretch overscrolling effects, app launch splash screens, and much more. While it’s still too early to say how Android 12 will perform on Google’s Pixel phones and devices from other manufacturers, we already know quite a bit about the update to decide whether it is a bigger and better upgrade than Windows 11 or not.

Windows 11
Image Credit: XDA



Microsoft’s latest software release is also a pretty significant upgrade over the previous version. Like Android 12, Windows 11 also brings some massive design changes. It also includes a boatload of new features, including Android app support (which isn’t live in the current release), updates for several stock apps, and gaming improvements. Furthermore, Windows 11 packs a revamped Microsoft Store, Snap Layouts and Snap Groups, and new widgets.

While Windows 11 also brings a ton of other smaller changes, it also suffers from some issues. Since it has already started rolling out to users, we’ve seen several reports claiming that early users are facing performance issues on AMD CPUs, gaming performance has taken a hit, etc. Although we can’t say that Android 12 won’t face similar problems when it reaches more users, the chances of that happening are rather slim.

Windows 11 review: Fixing the wrongs of the past decade

Android 12 or Windows 11: Which is the bigger and better upgrade?

Keeping all these things in mind, which one do you think was the bigger and better upgrade? Can you think of any other reasons to pick one over the other? Or are you of the opinion that one shouldn’t draw a comparison between the two? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! 

Source: XDA Pranob Mehrotra

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'SNL' pulls no punches in ridiculing Mark Zuckerberg amidst Facebook chaos

4 years 11 months ago



 Social media giant Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg became a laughing stock at Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update segment.

Hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che didn’t hold themselves back in ridiculing the company after an eventful week at the Facebook HQs over a whistleblower’s revelations about the firm and the application facing an outage as well.

“This week we found out that sometimes a guy in a hoodie actually can be dangerous,” begam Jost.



Jost—also a Harvard graduate like Zuckerberg—said he was at the Ivy League school around the same time as the young tech mogul in 2004.

"I feel terrible. Sometimes I wish I had a time machine so I could go back to college and find Mark and say, ‘hey man!… Can I be part of your company?" he said.

"Which explains their rival’s new slogan, ‘TikTok, bring your fat [expletive] over here," he quipped.



Che chimed in to the mockery of Facebook, saying: "This week, Instagram was down for an entire day, forcing many Instagram addicts to fill their time with Twitter, TikTok or hosting ‘SNL,’" he said, subtly pulling guest host Kim Kardashian’s leg. 

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Google to give Iphone users a better experience of it's app, here's how

4 years 11 months ago

 


Google has never really given ‘inferior’ treatment to iPhone users when it comes to its apps and services. Some app features, in fact, get to iPhone users first before Android smartphone users. Having said that, the Google experience on iPhone can be better and it’s something the company is working on. According to a report by 9to5Mac, staff engineering lead for Google Design on Apple platforms Jeff Verkoeyen, explained this in a long Twitter thread.


Verkoeyen said in a series of tweets that “as we continued on the pursuit of cross-platform pixel parity, our iOS components were slowly drifting further and further from Apple platform fundamentals because those fundaments were also evolving year over year.”


He further said that what Google realised is that how it approached the design for Apple platforms allowed it to “marry the best of UIKit with the highlights of Google's design language.” UIKit being the user interface kit that enables Google to maintain or provide a specific user interface across it apps.


As a result, “app bars become UINavigationControllers. Standard controls just need light branded touches,” explained the engineering lead for Google design. He further said, “Simplification, while still affording distinction where it matters.”


Verkoeyen said that with the introduction of SwiftUI and significant UIKit improvements in iOS 14+, “it's never been easier to build a great branded experience with a tiny amount of code.”


Google is not really making custom code for Apple platforms but is rather “now invested in the long tail of UX details that really make products feel great on Apple platforms.”


Google has been quick to update its apps to have better integration with iOS 15. For instance, it has updated Google apps to work with Focus mode and make notifications as relevant and timely as possible. “For example, if you’re navigating somewhere with Google Maps, we’ll still let you know when you need to make a turn or if there are changes to your route — like road closures or unexpected traffic. Focus mode won’t silence these helpful, timely reminders,” Google explained.

Source: Times Of India

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Astronomers 'Stumped' Over Images Of Bizarre Double Galaxy

4 years 11 months ago

It's not too often that astronomers are at a loss for words when making a space-related discovery, but the above image from NASA's Hubble telescope managed to do precisely that. Of all the tools at our disposal for exploring outer space, Hubble has repeatedly proven to be one of the best. The 31-year-old telescope has made countless discoveries over the years, whether it be answering questions about our own Solar System or investigating galaxies millions of light-years away.



In 2021 alone, Hubble has been up to a lot. It's captured a large 'eye' in the middle of a constellation, learned new information about Jupiter's Great Red Spot, and even identified a 'ghost' galaxy utterly devoid of dark matter. All of this has happened despite a scare earlier this year — one that caused Hubble to go offline for a month due to a nasty computer glitch.


NASA just shared one of Hubble's latest discoveries, and it may be one of the most head-scratching of the entire year. Looking at the photo above, all seems pretty normal at first. The picture shows a large cluster of galaxies deep in space, with Hubble focusing on two of them. The first one, labeled 'single image,' is a run-of-the-mill galaxy with a bright center and numerous stars surrounding it. Where things get interesting is with the galaxy labeled 'mirrored image.' Not only does it look like a galaxy mirroring itself, but it's also a copy of the 'single image' galaxy above it. In other words, there are three sightings of the same galaxy for no apparent reason. After first spotting the 'double' galaxy in 2013, astronomer Timothy Hamilton admitted he and his team "were really stumped."



If it sounds impossible for there to be three instances of the exact same galaxy, that's because it is. What's really happening here is something called 'gravitational lensing'  — a visual trick that occurs when a large amount of matter distorts light from other galaxies. Gravitational lensing is a fairly well-known thing today, but in 2013 when Hamilton discovered these perplexing galaxies, that wasn't the case.

In this particular situation, NASA explains the lensing as follows: "A precise alignment between a background galaxy and a foreground galaxy cluster produces twin magnified copies of the same image of the remote galaxy. This rare phenomenon occurs because the background galaxy straddles a ripple in the fabric of space." Another way to think about it is like wavy reflections present in a swimming pool. When the afternoon sun is shining bright on an outdoor pool, the light from the sun appears on the bottom of it with swirling, wavy reflections. As Richard Griffiths from the University of Hawaii explains, "The ripples on the surface act as partial lenses and focus sunlight into bright squiggly patterns on the bottom."

This is essentially what's happening in the image at the top of this article, albeit on a much larger scale. A ripple in space is taking light from the single image galaxy, magnifying and distorting it, and that's what's seen with the mirrored image galaxy. That's a great oversimplification of all the science and research that went into getting to this answer, but that's ultimately how the photo is explained. If anything, it's a great reminder of how much we still have to learn about space. In just 8 years, astronomers went from not understanding this photo to having a logical explanation for it. In the next 8, 16, or 32 years, who knows what other mysteries we'll also have answers to.


Source: NASA




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Dead By Daylight Survivor Guide: Mikaela Reid (Perks, Tips, & Strategies)

4 years 11 months ago

The latest Dead by Daylight survivor in need of a strategy guide, Mikaela Reid, will be arriving in the game on October 19 along with the update for chapter 21.5. The next chapter in Dead by Daylight, Hour of the Witch, is predictably based around a Halloween theme.

Mikaela Reid looks like a character plucked straight out of a Halloween movie: black attire, long, red hair, funky glasses, and a hat fit for a witch. Mikaela’s backstory involves her father dying when she was 16, leading her down a path of witchcraft and the occult.


Mikaela has three perks unique to her character in Dead by Daylight. Like all the characters in the game, Mikaela’s survivor perks can be used to gain an advantage over the killer. Mikaela’s perks are all centered around totems, similar to the Killer The Hag's Hex Totems when she was released. Traditionally, only Killers could use Totems to make survival more difficult. Hex Totem effects remain until a Survivor cleanses the totem. Mikaela's abilities allow her to bless and use totems, including Hex Totems, turning them into Boon Totems that benefit the whole Survivor team.

The following perks will be available for Mikaela Reid upon the character’s release in Dead By Daylight:



Clairvoyance: This is an intrinsic energy in a Survivor that sees beyond their vision. Clairvoyance activates whenever a Survivor cleanses a Totem. When empty-handed, hold the Ability button to unlock full aura-reading potential. For up to 10 seconds, Survivors can see the auras of exit gate switches, generators, hooks, and chests within a 64-meter range. Teachable at Level 30.

Boon: Circle of Healing: A boon that offers comfort amidst the terror. Press and hold the Ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem. Soft chimes ring out in a 28-meter range. Any Survivors within the Boon Totem’s range gain a 100% healing speed bonus and can heal themselves without needing a Med-Kit or Perk. Survivors can only bless one Totem at a time. All equipped boon Perks are active on each Boon Totem. Teachable at Level 35.

Boon: Shadow Step: A boon that conceals the truth. Press and hold the Ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem. Soft chimes ring out in a 28-meter range. Any Survivors within the Boon Totem’s range will have their scratch marks and auras hidden to the Killer. This effect lingers for 4 seconds after leaving the Boon Totem’s range. Survivors can only bless one Totem at a time. All equipped boon Perks are active on each Boon Totem. Teachable at Level 40.

Boon: Circle of Healing and Boon: Shadow Step are immensely useful for group play. If players are near a Circle of Healing Boon Totem, they can all heal themselves at 200% healing speed without a Med-Kit. Using this ability after unhooking a teammate and losing the killer can make the getaway much smoother.



Using Boon: Shadow Step can also make a getaway smoother. Players’ scratch marks and auras become hidden near this totem, which conceals fleeing players’ movements. Lastly, Clairvoyance is a straightforward ability. Players should use Clairvoyance when they have an opportunity and keep moving afterward. Seeking out a totem for Clairvoyance is not particularly useful, so Survivors can instead simply activate it when the opportunity arises. Whether players are playing Dead By Daylight solo or with friends, Mikaela is a great addition to the Survivor team.


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