And the built-in microphone enables in-game voice communication, which comes in handy for online multiplayer games. Whether it’s to call for backup, to share strategic plans and tactical decisions, to build morale when your team is losing, or simply to chat with other gamers and shoot the breeze, the in-game voice chat feature can be great when playing online. So why do so many gamers turn the in-game voice chat feature off?...
Nowadays, manga authors (called mangaka) are innovating in new ways when it comes to art styles and techniques, elevating the format to exciting new heights. The diversity in art styles makes each manga unique from the rest, from different inking techniques to different shading patterns to different color palettes, which all affect their stories in different ways. And amidst all this innovation, there are still mangaka who rely on classic, traditional styles that fans have come to love—styles that most often appear in romance, slice-of-life, and shojo series....
But with international success comes international scrutiny! While many anime series were aired at the same time as they were in Japan, there are notable examples of anime series being banned in certain countries for various reasons. That’s right, media bannings aren’t limited to books, movies, and video games. When you go beyond mainstream and family-friendly anime series like Pokemon, Digimon, and Cardcaptor Sakura, you’ll find all kinds of unusual anime series that can be offensive....
But high-quality true wireless earbuds aren’t cheap. The AirPods—along with other competing devices by Samsung, Bose, Jabra, Sennheiser—are well over $100. The one exception? The EarFun Free 2 true wireless earbuds. My review unit was provided for free, but my opinions are my own and haven’t been influenced in any way. Overview of the EarFun Free 2 The EarFun Free 2 are the second iteration of the original EarFun Free true wireless earbuds, which came out in 2020 and were even a CES 2020 Innovation Award Honoree....
For a long time, the only way to access these behind-the-scenes details was to read about them in interviews or to buy special editiong DVDs and Blu-rays with juicy insider footage. Nowadays, you have another option: podcasts! Podcasts are great because they’re often more casual, freeform, and open—which leads to all kinds of smaller details that are free to be “leaked.” And whether the podcast is run by actual cast and crew members, or by extreme fans who have the time and energy to learn everything they can and even directly interview actors, directors, and writers, you can be sure that podcasts will spill the secrets....
But Disney has also put out several films that are really good but never quite garnered the same kind of traction or status as their all-time greatest hits. For every Aladdin or Frozen, there are also films that have a small but dedicated fan base—the cult classics. These are the Disney films that may have flopped in the box office or failed to impress movie critics or fueled specific controversies, yet over time gained a special reputation thanks to their legion of fans who recognized each particular film’s uniqueness....
But like any media, anime is created for specific age groups, specific demographics, specific tastes. While shonen anime is aimed at younger boys, shojo anime targets younger girls. The stories in shojo anime typically involve a small-town girl falling in love with a boy, getting help from her quirky friends, and ending up in painful situations involving their school and/or families. But it’s not only romance and low-stakes life. Many shojo anime series contain elements of fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, and more—the kinds of genre blends that are common in shonen anime....
But that’s not to say that working from home is always easy. There are plenty of challenges—and that means plenty of ways to brighten someone’s work-from-home routine with a gift. Whether for a birthday, for a holiday, or even for no reason at all, there are so many great options when it comes to work-from-home gifts that remote workers will find useful. If you know a remote worker and you’re in need of a gift idea, here are some of the best work-from-home gift ideas they’re sure to love....
But at their core, movies are the alchemy of boundless imagination and bitter reality, able to transport us to vast fantasy realms and tap into our deepest feelings, dreams, and sentiments. Here are some of the greatest movies that celebrate the medium of cinema itself and successfully capture the magic of filmmaking. 12. Brigsby Bear (2017) The poster for Brigsby Bear might be familiar to cinephiles. It’s a parody of the 1902 short film A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès....
Often times, you may not even realize that multiple characters are played by the same person, particularly if they’re buried under layers of makeup and prosthetics. Other times, you don’t know that multiple characters are being portrayed, which is later revealed as a plot twist. Whatever the case may be, it takes a truly talented actor to convincingly play multiple characters so well that you forget that they’re all one person....
And on rare occasions, the soundtrack of a movie can even exceed the quality of the movie itself. For that to happen, the composer needs to be of legendary skill—or, in the case of a soundtrack featuring actual pop songs, those songs need to be timeless yet fresh. Here are our picks for the best movie soundtracks that feature the coolest and freshest pop songs, making it hard to resist listening to these soundtracks even without the movie playing....
The trick, of course, was in the balance between nearly impossible and actually impossible. Players needed to feel like they were just one good run away from completing the level and attaining ultimate glory. This approach to game design didn’t immediately go away when gaming culture shifted away from arcades to home gaming consoles and PC gaming. Some of the most frustratingly difficult and blatantly unfair levels came from this arcade mindset poisoning console video games....
Every book has at least one memorable quote in it, powerful enough to change the way you see the world. Here are some of our favorite quotes from throughout Discworld. Given how many great lines and quips Pratchett wrote, this is by no means an exhaustive list! On the Poverty Cycle Sometimes the best quotes don’t seem to have anything to do with the rest of the plot. This one, which details the reasons for why the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor, uses boots as a baseline for purchases....
The series takes place at 30 Rockefeller Plaza and follows the exploits of a fictional sketch series The Girlie Show (TGS)—very similar in concept to Saturday Night Live (SNL)—with Tina Fey as show writer Liz Lemon. 30 Rock grew increasingly more madcap and bizarre with every passing season, but it never lost its essential sense of comedic magic, which it captured right from the very first episode. Tina Fey really internalized her tenure at SNL and reveled in the shifting dynamics between actors and creative team, bringing it to life on 30 Rock with a stellar cast embodying everything from the mighty executives down to the page boys occupying the ground floor....
The discussions among today’s Friends watchers are the same that people were having back when the show first aired: Why wasn’t the Joey and Rachel storyline destroyed in utero? Where did Ross’ son Ben go? And, most importantly, who was the best character? We’ve had many years to review the characters in hindsight, to see who they are now as adults and what we think of them now that we’re adults....
With the 21st century’s advent of online streaming, viewers around the world suddenly gained easy access to hundreds of excellent TV series that have been produced by South Korea—and people started to see for themselves just how good those TV series were. K-drama is no longer a delight only enjoyed by Eastern viewers. It’s now a supergenre that holds the attention of a worldwide, multinational audience with its fun escapades and uniquely told stories....
While describing The Expanse’s endless twists and turns would be a near-impossible task for anybody, it’s those exact twists and turns that make the show utterly addictive and unique. Bluntly put: The Expanse is like no other sci-fi TV series ever made, and its total originality and “hard sci-fi” approach combine to make it the best sci-fi TV series in the world. If you aren’t watching The Expanse, you need to give it a shot—especially if you’re a fan of science fiction....
One of the most important elements in doing this is the cartoon theme song. Not only is a cartoon theme song the first thing a viewer sees, and not only is it a glimpse into what the show is like, but it’s an opportunity to get lodged in the viewer’s brain as an earworm. With cartoon theme songs being so important to the success of an animated series, a lot of work goes into making them as exciting and memorable as possible....
However, there’s a big difference between a movie that’s called off during pre-production and a movie that’s cancelled during production or after it’s been marketed, especially when the cancellation makes no sense. Yes, we all know that finances play the main role in every decision by movie studios these days. Even then, some decisions are so radically senseless that you can’t help but question them. Here are some of the most anticipated movies that were cancelled for whatever reason, that we still wish were released....
We’ve grown sick of Christmas movies by this point—which are little more than fresh reminders of recent fun—and now we enter that time of year where everything is cold, wet, and bleak before spring. Which movies can help us get through this dull time of year? Between last year’s regrets and this year’s resolutions, which films will spur us forward yet again? Here are our picks for the best post-winter holiday movies to watch when the celebrations are over....
