CAT IN THE CITY
A new adventure game released on 19 July by BlueTwelve Studio is proving to be catnip for lovers of all things feline. Stray offers a cat’s-eye view of the world as an unnamed cat wanders through a post-apocalyptic cybercity peopled by robots and drones—lost, alone and separated from family, it must untangle an ancient mystery to escape the city. Played as a third-person adventure, the user has to solve puzzles to advance through the narrative, moving obstacles and traversing platforms. With realistic graphics and a melancholy ethos, Stray is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows via Steam.
NEW, UPDATED FOLDABLES FROM SAMSUNG?
To announce its forthcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung tweeted a cryptic puzzle that, when decoded, revealed 10 August as the official date. Samsung watchers are excited about the prospect of new and updated gadgets that will be unveiled at the event, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Watch 5. The Z Fold 4 is rumoured to feature important design changes, such as a less pronounced crease and a single-hinge mechanism, while the Z Flip 4 could get a bigger external display, useful for checking the time and reading notifications. The event will be streamed on Samsung.com.
ADS ARE COMING TO NETFLIX—BUT NOT RIGHT AWAY
In an earnings call on 19 July, Netflix’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, said the streaming company’s ad-supported tier, which it is working on with Microsoft, will go live in early 2023. Sadly, however, it seems this cheaper subscription will not include all the content available on the platform today. Netflix also revealed that it lost over 970,000 subscribers in the quarter ended 30 June, though the figure is lower than company estimates. Asked what could have stemmed the flow of people leaving Netflix, CEO Reed Hastings said, “If there was a single thing, we might say Stranger Things.”
A PRIVATE LANDING ON MARS
US-based private space companies Impulse Space and Relativity Space have announced a joint plan to launch the first commercial mission to Mars, ambitiously slated for 2024. Relativity, founded in 2015, has raised more than $1 billion (around ₹8,000 crore) and should launch its small Terran 1 rocket later this year. Its Terran R rocket, slated to carry the mission to Mars, reportedly has more powerful boosters than SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Bring on the space race!
—Compiled by Shrabonti Bagchi
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