Earlier today, we talked about the various nerfs that are being implemented in Destiny 2: Season of the Chosen ahead of season 14 on the horizon. The reason behind the wide swath of nerfs is that the studio is bringing in a ton of new weapons and gear for the upcoming season, and the team is making preemptive changes to ensure that those arrivals fit right in. While we don't know even a small portion of what's on the way, Bungie did reveal the new Season 14 Iron Banner weapons on the way to help ease the blow of the most recent nerfs. Iron Banner is slated to kick off one last time in Season of the Chosen on April 13 at 10 a.m. Pacific until April 20 at the same time. This will be the final Iron Banner before season 14, so get in there if you still need to complete the Iron Sharpens Iron Seasonal Challenge. Saladin also offers weekly bounties that are great for leveling, especially for those trying to get to 1325 for Grandmaster Nightfalls.
Regarding what's next, here's our first look at the new weapons on the way for the upcoming season:
The Hand Cannon and Sniper Rifle, seen above, will be familiar for dedicated Guardians, but there will also be brand new weapons joining as well. "Our goals moving forward are to continue bringing some Year-1 weapons up to speed with random rolls, but also bringing some new rewards into the fold when possible," said Bungie in its most recent update. "This always depends a bit on what resources we have for a given season, but we’re looking forward to a few new Iron Banner-themed tools for your arsenal."
There will be new armor in Iron Banner as well, but the studio isn't ready to share that first look quite yet since it won't be ready to debut for a few more seasons.
I'm interested in seeing how the new weapons operate, given the recent meta changes. It's nice to see a blend of returning favorites and new weapons. While I like that Bungie keeps bringing back familiar items, it does get a little exhausting when returning gear takes a priority of brand-new weapons and armor.
What do you think about our first look at the new weapons for Destiny 2: Season 14 Iron Banner? Sound off with your hopes and Guardian-driven dreams in the comment section below!
CS Video: Godzilla vs Kong’s Adam Wingard Talks Mechagodzilla!Warner Bros. and Legendary provided ComingSoon.net with the chance to sit down 1:1 with Adam Wingard, director of the smash MonsterVerse crossover Godzilla vs. Kong! In this segment, we ask Wingard to talk about how the previous iterations of Mechagodzilla influenced his version in the new film. Check out what Wingard had to say in the player below!Click here to purchase Criterion’s amazing Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films collection!RELATED: CS Interview: Tom Holkenborg On His Score for Godzilla vs. Kong!Directed by Adam Wingard (Death Note) from a script by Eric Pearson (Black Widow) and Max Borenstein (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) based on a story treatment from Zach Shields, Michael Doughtery (Krampus) and Terry Rossio (Shrek), this epic action-adventure pits two of the greatest titans in motion picture history against each other with humanity caught in the middle. The film not only marks the second major showdown between the two, but also marks the 36th Godzilla film and 12th Kong outing, with the former having two under his belt for the MonsterVerse while the latter only has Skull Island.The ensemble roster for the monster mashup features returning franchise stars Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) and Kyle Chandler (First Man) as well as Alexander Skarsgård (The Stand), Rebecca Hall (The Night House), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), Shun Oguri (Gintama), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2) and Demián Bichir (Land). King of the Monsters‘ Zhang Ziyi and franchise newcomer Jessica Henwick (Love and Monsters) were slated to appear in the film, though their roles were left on the cutting room floor.RELATED: Godzilla vs. Kong Destroys the Box Office!Godzilla vs. Kong is produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod and Brian Rogers while Kenji Okuhira, Yoshimitsu Banno, Jon Jashni and Thomas Tull as served as executive producers and Jay Ashenfelter, Jen Conroy and Tamar Kent as co-producers.It is now available in theaters and on HBO Max!
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway moves upOriginally slated for July 2, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway now shifts up to an earlier release date of June 18. With cinemas opening up again, this move makes a play for summer vacation families eager to go back to the theaters.The first film, Peter Rabbit, opened in 2018 and went on to take in $351M worldwide.RELATED: First Ghostbusters: Afterlife Clip Features the Return of Stay PuftIn Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, the lovable bunny is back. Bea, Thomas, and the rabbits have created a found family of their own. Even with a new life, Peter can’t seem to shake his mischievous reputation. Adventuring out of the garden, he finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated. Realizing he is missing, Peter’s family risks everything to go looking for him. Seeing what he has at stake, Peter must figure out what kind of bunny he wants to be.James Corden returns to lead an ensemble voice cast as the voice of Peter Rabbit. Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki return as the voices of Flopsy Rabbit and Mopsy Rabbit and Domhnall Gleeson and Rose Byrne are reprising their live-action roles as Thomas and Bea. Aimee Horne has stepped in to replace Daisy Ridley in the role of Cottontail Rabbit. The sequel also features the additions of Emmy nominee David Oyelowo, Lennie James, Rupert Degas, and Damon Herriman. RELATED: Ghostbusters and Jumanji rides set for new Columbia Pictures Aquaverse ParkPeter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is written and directed by Will Gluck, who returns having co-written the script with Patrick Burleigh, based on the characters and tales of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. The film is produced by Gluck alongside Zareh Nalbandian, Catherine Bishop, and Jodie Hildebrand, with Doug Belgrad, Jonathan Hludzinski, Emma Topping, and Thomas Merrington serving as executive producers on the film.
Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick & Mission: Impossible sequels delayedParamount Pictures has officially decided to shift the release dates for their three highly-anticipated projects starring Tom Cruise, with the long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick seeing its sixth delay from Independence Day weekend to November 19 as well as the Mission: Impossible sequels both being delayed a year.RELATED: Delaney, Parnell, Varma & More Join Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 RostersWriter/director Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible 7, which still currently in production, is now set to open Memorial Day weekend on May 27, 2022, pitting it against fellow tentpole actioner John Wick: Chapter 4 at Lionsgate, while Mission: Impossible 8 has also been delayed from its November 4, 2022 to July 7, 2023. Filming for the project is expected to begin as soon as Cruise completes his promotional duties for Top Gun: Maverick.Directed by Kosinski from a script by Peter Craig, Justin Marks and Eric Warren Singer, Top Gun: Maverick is set in a world of drone technology and fifth-generation fighters along with exploring the end of the era of dogfighting. Maverick (once again played by Tom Cruise) is now a flight instructor, who takes Bradley Bradshaw (played by Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late partner Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, under his wing. The film also stars Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell and Ed Harris.A follow-up to Tony Scott’s 1986 hit has been in the works for quite some time, with Tom Cruise interested in reprising his role as United States Naval Aviator Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer previously outlined that the film will deal with the rise of unmanned drones and pilots becoming a thing of the past.RELATED: Top Gun: Maverick: Miles Teller Details Intense Training for Real Flight StuntsJoining Cruise and Hayley Atwell in seventh and eight installments are returning Mission: Impossible alums Rebecca Ferguson (Doctor Sleep), Simon Pegg (Ready Player One), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), Vanessa Kirby (Hobbs & Shaw) and Henry Czerny (Ready or Not) along with newcomers Shea Whigham (Joker), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy 2), Rob Delaney (Deadpool 2), Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Cary Elwes (Stranger Things), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and Esai Morales (La Bamba, Titans) who will replace Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road) for the villain role.Following the large critical and commercial success of the past two installments, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie inked a deal with the studio to return to write and direct the next two installments, with Skydance Media, who joined the franchise in the fourth installment, Ghost Protocol, will be returning to produce the next two entries.
Paramount shuffles release dates for Jackass, Snake Eyes & more!As theaters slowly begin to open around the globe and studios revisit their theatrical schedule, Paramount Pictures has announced a major shuffle in its lineup of upcoming films, including a bump up for the G.I. Joe spin-off prequel Snake Eyes, delays for the new Jackass, Top Gun and Mission: Impossible sequels and first dates for a number of other films!RELATED: Universal Bumps Up The Forever Purge Release a WeekSummer plans made. #SnakeEyes is now coming to theatres July 23, 2021 – Experience it only on the big [email protected] pic.twitter.com/5r9hn3JR6Z— G.I. JOE (@GIJoeOfficial) April 9, 2021Originally slated for an October 22 release, the Henry Golding-starring Snake Eyes origin story film is moving up to July 23, putting it squarely between Warner Bros’ Space Jam: A New Legacy the week prior and Disney’s Jungle Cruise the following week, as well as pitting it against Universal’s Old and Sony’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania. Meanwhile, in addition to the shift of Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, Paramount is also delaying its only other 2021 film, Jackass, from its September 3 release to October 22 in place of Snake Eyes.Another major delay from the studio can be found in John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s ensemble adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons, which will be shifting from its May 27, 2022 release to March 3, 2023, with the highly-anticipated Mission: Impossible 7 taking its place.RELATED: Dwayne Johnson Announces July 2022 Black Adam Release Date!Sad news of delays aside, Paramount did bring some exciting calendar additions for the next few years, one of which includes the Kenneth Branagh-helmed untitled Bee Gees biopic, which has been set for a November 4, 2022 release date, taking the place of the recently-delayed Mission: Impossible 8. Additionally, the new Star Trek film from Discovery writer Kalinda Vazquez has been set for a June 9, 2023 release, the film adaptation of The Shrinking of Treehorn has been set for a November 10, 2023 release and the Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski-led fantasy comedy, previously titled Imaginary Friends though now untitled, for a November 17, 2023 release.
Josie and The Pussycats cast reunites for 20th AnniversaryUniversal’s cult early aughts classic Josie and the Pussycats, inspired by the Archie comics and Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name, turns 20 today and to celebrate, stars Rachael Leigh Cook (Love, Guaranteed), Rosario Dawson (The Mandalorian) and Tara Reid (Sharknado) reunited virtually to look back on the film’s legacy! The cast reunion can be viewed in the player below!RELATED: Watch Rosario Dawson Transform Into Ahsoka Tano for The Mandalorian“I think it was way ahead of its time. You watch it now and it so resonates with the moment we’re in but at the time I think it was hard for people to really appreciate the satire that it was.” Rosario Dawson, who starred as Valerie, said of the film which is still often quoted to this day: DUJOUR MEANS FAMILY! The quote is even homaged by indie film fashion labels like Super Yaki, which featured hoodies and even ornaments based on it during one of their limited runs.Rachael Leigh Cook starred as Josie and was brought in by the film’s directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, she reflected on the shoot, “As an experience, [it was] very much women supporting women from day one to this day.”Co-lead Tara Reid echoed the sentiment as they looked back, “It meant so much to us. When we made this film we had the best time ever. One of our directors was also a woman. So it’s kind of changed. And that was before there was such an influence now but in so many ways I feel like we started this game.” Click here to purchase the cult classic musical comedy!Upon release, Josie and The Pussycats was compared to Spice World, though cinephiles would later fight to reclaim it as a cult classic. The film shares more DNA with another cult film about the pop music industry: Brian De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise, especially in how it dives into the soul-selling world of subliminal messaging to conform to capitalism over individualism. Mondo released a printing of the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack on Vinyl that you can pre-order here. Matthew Libatique, the film’s cinematographer, would later work on both Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born and Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey starring Margot Robbie. Josie and the Pussycats may have been a blueprint for Birds of Prey.RELATED: Friends Unscripted Reunion Special to Tape Next Week!Both on-screen and behind the scenes the teamwork of the film really made the film shine as being about young women sticking together even as the fame machine tried to eat them up and chew them out. It was about friendship, and Rosario thinks the film transcends time because of that, “There’s scene after scene after scene that was not about how men were in our lives. It wasn’t about all these other things. It was about us and our dreams and our passions. And seeing these men being being super supportive of these women and wanting to see them shine. And watching them grow in front of you and being amazed by that. It’s just there are so many levels in it that are just really profound looking back on it through the lens of now.”[embedded content]
The perfect cosplay doesn't exis... Last year, the Internet fell hard for the most epic friendship ever: Animal Crossing's Isabelle and Doom's Doomguy. The duo is surprisingly wholesome, so much so that even id Software itself lent itself to the joke. Now, one cosplayer is bringing the pair front and center once more, though this time with Isabelle not hanging out with the Doom Slayer. Instead, she's becoming the Doom Slayer. The Isabelle Doomguy cosplay comes courtesy of @Mads_Five on Twitter. The self-proclaimed "space monk" has an impressive cosplay history, but it's her Animal Crossing x Doom crossover nod that really brought the biggest smile to my face:
While the duo isn't "canon," it was a a period on the internet that was drenched in feel-good vibes and adorable artwork. Memes, videos, and fanart ran rampant, showing how Isabelle is the very best helper when it comes to taking to the hoardes of hell alongsider her good pal Doomguy.
I will never stop being impressed by incredible creations like this. Crafting that armor, stylizing the wig down to perfection, the detailed weaponry? All of it takes time, dedication, and passion that results in something truly incredible. As the cosplay community continues to grow and flourish, I can't help but to enjoy every second spent in the rabbit hole of celebrating some of our favorite franchises through fan tributes like this. That, and Doomguy x Isabelle will never cease to be just the cutest thing ever.
Like the cosplayer's work seen above with her cleverly done Isabelle Doomguy? You can support her right here. Feel free to also drop some lovely thoughts on this cosplay in the comment section below!
After a year away, 2K announced it’s stepping back in the wrestling video game arena with the reveal of WWE 2K22. The publisher debuted a brief teaser video during Night 1 of Wrestlemania 37 that doesn’t offer much in terms of in-game footage but serves to get fans excited that the series is making a comeback. Rey Mysterio headlines the trailer in a cinematic match-up against Cesaro. The live-action video incorporates gameplay footage of the same bout, providing glimpses of the superstars’ in-game character models. Unfortunately, outside of the game’s tagline of “It Hits Different”, the trailer doesn’t divulge platforms, a cover star, or a release date.
This marks the return of WWE 2K after it took a year off in 2020. Besides the pandemic complicating game development, the other big reason for the hiatus was that the previous game, WWE 2K20, was an unmitigated disaster. It launched with a myriad of technical issues that made it nigh unplayable at times, and the game’s more outrageous bugs launched a thousand memes that made it the laughing stock of the gaming world. While Visual Concepts went back to the drawing board, Saber Interactive released the arcade-style WWE Battlegrounds last September in place of a 2K game.
As someone who reviewed WWE 2K20 (and hated it), 2K22 has a steep mountain to climb if it wants to right the ship. Glitches are one thing, but the series has long suffered from legacy issues like the sluggish and overly convoluted gameplay and scaled back features. 2K22 needs to do a lot more than not catch fire while playing it; the series needs a fundamental redesign from the ground-up.
The main problem has been that, as an annual series, you can only change so much with such a tight deadline and, in theory, who cares? WWE 2K is the only major wrestling sim in town (at least for now), and fans buy these games in droves no matter what because of that. That doesn’t create much incentive to shake things up, but, to their credit, 2K and Visual Concepts said it's taken 2K20’s reception to heart and promises a substantial overhaul for 2K22. With an extra year of development, not to mention the added horsepower of the new consoles, they're in a better position to do so than ever before. We'll just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best.
Are you excited for WWE 2K22 and what do you hope to see in the game? Let us know in the comments.
Have hammer, will smash. That's not the official catchphrase of the new Dota 2 hero but it definitely should be. Meet Dawnbreaker, the latest hero to arrive in the MOBA Dota 2. She comes at the perfect time with the Dota anime making its Netflix debut just last month. A new update has gone live and it's a pretty big one. With Radiant Mid change and various other map tweaks, the new update is more than just the new character, but the new character is arguably the biggest part.
Dota 2 new hero: Dawnbreaker
Dawnbreaker is a mele-heavy hero that was "molded from the heart of a young metallic star." She's a warrior from the Children of Light and wields a massive hammer like it weighs nothing. Her primary move (Starbreaker) utilizes said hammer by spinning it around in three quick moves. Upon the final spin, she slams the meaty end of the hammer down to deal massive amounts of damage to her foes.
Dawnbreaker shines in the heart of battle, happily crushing enemies with her celestial hammer and using the energy released to heal nearby allies. At one with the mass of her weapon, she revels in hurling her hammer through multiple foes and then converging with it in a blazing wake. Created to rival ancient forces of chaos and darkness by descendants of the first light, Dawnbreaker only taps her true cosmic power to fly to the aid of her teammates — eager to rout her enemies on the battlefield no matter where they may be.
Her three other abilities include:
Celestial Hammer:
Dawnbreaker hurls her weapon at a target, damaging enemies struck along the way. The hammer pauses briefly at the destination before flying back to her, leaving a blazing trailer that slows enemies.
Luminosity:
After three attacks, Dawnbreaker powers up, charging her next attack with a critical hit that heals all allied heroes around her for a portion of the attack damage dealt.
Solar Guardian:
She creates a pulsing effect at a location near an allied hero anywhere on the map, damaging enemies and healing allies with each pulse. After a short duration, she flies to the target location, dealing additional damage and stunning enemies upon landing.
She looks like a pretty killer character and the lore surrounding her origins is nothing short of fascinating. Dota 2 has been getting a lot of love lately, and it's nice to see. Hopefully, the anime also drew new players in to see what all of the fuss is about. There is a reason why the Dota 2 community continues to be strong since the game's launch back in 2013, and now is a perfect opportunity for new players to see exactly what that reason is.
General updates
According to Valve, here are the general changes you can find with the latest Dota 2 update:
Terrain updated with various changes
Added Water Power Rune. Spawns at both Power Rune locations only at minute 2 and 4. Instantly restores 100 health and 80 mana when used. Can be used to fill bottles. Starting at 6 minutes, Power Runes spawn as usual on one side.
Added +2 Attributes leveling for up to 7 times (for the 7 empty levels from 1-26), and can be leveled in any order (via clicking on the talent tree circle). They will automatically be leveled if there are no other options available.
Level 30 no longer grants all remaining talents. Instead level 27/28/29/30 will grant you the remaining level 10/15/20/25 talents
Outposts no longer give XP at the 10/20/30/etc minute mark
Outposts now provide XPM while controlled (XP = 2*Minute). No extra XP granted when controlling two outposts, similar to the existing rules.
Notes:
Compared to the previous version at 10/20/30/40 minutes, total XP given per player changed from 150/500/1050/1800 to 110/420/930/1640.
The XP is provided on the minute mark
The amount you get for each minute at the start is 2/4/6/8/10/12/14/16/18/20 for minutes 1 through 10
Bounty Runes after the initial set are reduced by 10%
Bounty Runes no longer spawn in the river. The amount these runes gave is now provided automatically over time through GPM.
Bounty Runes now spawn every 3 minutes in the respective jungle area (total rune count reduced from 4 to 2)
Bounty Runes no longer disappear when new ones spawn, they now spawn alongside the previous one if it isn't picked up
At minute 0, Bounty Runes spawn in the jungle and at the power rune locations (4 total at the start of the game)
Various cast ranges and movement speed talents/items/abilities have been replaced or toned down (these are included in-line with the item and hero sections below)
Hero kill assist gold now adjusted based on the relative NW difference between the two teams. For example, if your team is down 5,000 gold and the enemy has 50,000 total net worth, your assist gold will be worth 10% more.
Heroes now start the game with 1 TP scroll rather than 3
Heroes now gain 1 TP scroll on death
TP Scroll cost increased from 90 to 100
Heroes with 1.0 turn rate now have 0.9 turn rate
Heroes with 0.5 turn rate now have 0.6 turn rate
Turn rate effect on time to turn improved by 20%
Aghanim's Scepter: Roshan drop now requires you to activate it to consume it (has no effect until consumed)
Aghanim's Shard: Now drops on the second Roshan kill, and only that one (has same activation mechanics as the Scepter drop)
Increase building teleportation range from 575 to 800 (affects TP scrolls and Boots of Travel)
Outpost teleport base channel time reduced from 6 to 5 seconds
Outpost vision reduced from 700 to 500
Captains Mode initial picking phase changed from 1st-2nd-1st-2nd to 1st-2nd-2nd-1st
Hoodwink added to Captains Mode
Couriers no longer have vision when inside Roshan's pit
Wards can now be denied from full health by any allied player if the ward is placed in a spawn camp box
Ancient neutral creeps armor increased by 1 (except for the Ancient Golems)
Neutral Items now fly towards the killing hero, rather than spawning under the dead unit
Hero ban count for matchmaking increased by 6 (still chance-based)
Buyback cost reduced from 200 + NetWorth/12 to 200 + NetWorth/13
Courier respawn time reduced from 60 + 7*Level to 60 + 6*Level
Backdoor protection damage reduction increased from 40% to 50%
Hero-to-hero item transfer range increased from 150 to 300
Tree respawn interval reduced from 5 to 3 minutes
The following abilities no longer destroy trees: Earth Splitter, Mortimer Kisses, Meteor Hammer, Macropyre.
Reduced the radius of tree destruction on the following abilities: Wild Axes, Gust, Power Cogs, Vacuum, Fire Remnant, Relocate, Tether, Blinding Light, Skewer, Doppelganger, Telekinesis, Firesnap Cookie, Spit Out, Spider Legs, Blast Off!, Toss, Snowball, Powershot, Will-O-Wisp.
Are you excited for the new Dota 2 hero with Dawnbreaker? What do you think about the other changes with the latest game update? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! You can also find the full patch notes, including item changes, right here.
Today, an Age of Empires fan preview event held online showcased new content coming to the entire franchise, but also a significant amount of new information on the upcoming Age of Empires IV. Gameplay was showcased along with a number of other interesting tidbits! Age of Empires IV is slated to arrive sometime in fall 2021.First, one of the most important information points is that Age of Empires IV features asymmetric civilizations. This means that playing as the Delhi Sultanate is going to be much, much different than playing as the Mongols, both in what units you can create and more importantly, how your strategies involving resources, expansion, combat and all other facets play out. While previous Empire games may have hinged mainly on a few special units to create civilization identity, Age of Empire VI is heavily focused on unique gameplay for each faction.
Eight different factions are expected to be available at launch, each playing wildly different from one another. That said, maintaining the “paper-rock-scissors” philosophy for core unit types like pikemen, archers,mounted units, etc was also important, so any civilization can engage with the opponent at this base level, regardless of their overarching philosophies and gameplay mechanics. The Mongols for instance, are nomadic and focused heavily on the stone resource, and are able to move quickly and spread out across an entire map. Mongols can pack up and move their entire base, which makes for massive mobile presence in a game. In stark contrast, a faction like the Delhi Sultanate may be interested in hoarding all the berry bushes because they can do special things with them instead of branching out or hunting at the onset of a game. There are four core resources in Age of Empires IV, but each civilization prioritizes their weights differently. If you’re a real-time-strategy enthusiast, just think about how cool it’s going to be to have eight disparate factions to engage with here. Good luck with the balancing Relic!
Gameplay showcased at the event highlighted the Delhi Sultanate and their powerful War Elephants. Viewers were treated to watching the Elephants stomp over everything with archers firing, spearmen attacking, and more during a slice of action. The combat looks a lot like the Age of Empires that people know from the legacy titles, so fans are probably going to be happy about that. There are four ages to tap into, which should also resonate well with current fans that are used to the structure of Age of Empires II. Players weave their way through Medieval, Feudal, Castle, and Imperial Ages, with all the assorted keeps, castles, trebuchets, and other technology you’d expect. One little change that players will see is that melee units like knights no longer whack on buildings and castles with swords, instead they will switch to torches and other brick-busting fare when they execute attacks on settlements. It’s a simple sort of cosmetic shift, but it makes things look more realistic than having Brave Sir Edward attempt to take down keep walls with a broadsword.
Viewers also got to see a chunk of campaign and campaign philosophy for Age of Empires IV. The campaign takes a sort of documentary approach, aiming to convey a somewhat historical tale as the player engages with real-world locations with story and scale. Instead of simply giving the player new units or tools each campaign mission as a sort of filler experience before they get to the meat of multiplayer or custom maps, the campaign tackles things with a history hinge. In the Norman campaign, players are treated to Duke William of Normandy and his mission to take control of England from King Harold. This arc features events such as the Battle of Hastings and charts the Duke’s descendants such as William II and Henry I as the story makes its way toward modern day England over the generations. In addition to the Norman campaign, three other civilizations have the campaign treatment to explore in Age of Empires IV. Age of Empires IV campaigns tap heavily into historical figures to tell its tales.
As much as Age of Empires IV is featured, the Age of Empires legacy titles haven’t been ignored either. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is getting new campaigns, co-op historical battles, and more later this year. A new civilization, The United States, is coming to Age of Empires III on April 13.
Can’t wait for Age of Empires IV to arrive? A closed beta period has been announced, and you can sign up at the official website. Relic is bringing Age of Empires back, and I can’t wait to try out each and every civilization when the game arrives (finally!) this fall.
What do you think about Age of Empires IV? Do you still play Age of Empires II? Did you like Age of Empires III? How do you feel about the current state of the real-time strategy genre? Let us know in the comments!
Today's Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest began with the announcement of a new Fortnite action figures line, and concluded with a handful of reveals for Star Wars' Vintage Collection and Black Series lines. Disney Plus' The Mandalorian remains a strong focus for Hasbro, but various video games also grabbed the spotlight for a number of figure reveals.Along with new Vintage Collection figure announcements for Luke Skywalker (Hoth), the Emperor's Royal Guard, Han Solo (Endor), and Admiral Akbar, Hasbro debuted a new subgroup of Gaming Greats. This wave consists of a Heavy Battle Droid from Battlefront II, a Shadow Trooper from The Force Unleashed, and a Scout Trooper and Electrostaff Purge Trooper from Jedi: Fallen Order. All of these figures are currently available for pre-order at GameStop. The Gaming Greats line is exclusive to retailer.
For the fan-favorite Black Series, Hasbro unveiled a slate of exciting figures. From the film side, we're getting new figures of Aurra Sing and General Lando Calrissian. From The Mandalorian, the trigger-happy assassin droid ZERO (or Q9-0) is getting a great looking figure, as is Koska Reeves, the Mandalorian in Bo-Katan Kryze's group. And from the animation side of the Star Wars universe, Hasbro is releasing a figure of Tech, one of the main characters from the forthcoming Bad Batch show.
The most surprising Star Wars announcements were for two fringe characters that are getting pricey collectibles. You'll soon be able to wear a replica of Wedge Antilles' helmet, which consists of forest green coloring and a similar shape to Luke's traditional X-Wing helmet. This Black Series collectible will release for $99.99 this summer, and features electronic lights and sound effects. Hasbro is also commemorating another X-Wing hero in plastic with a vintage collection two-pack that consists of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Antoc Merrick and his light blue X-Wing fighter. This product hits in the fall for $99.99.
We didn't get the Boba Fett announcement we were hoping for. Everyone wants a figure of him based on his time in The Mandalorian, but it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer for that one. Here's hoping he comes seated on a particular throne shown in the second season's final episode.
What did you think of Hasbro's showing today, not just for Star Wars, but Transformers and Fortnite as well? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
Disclaimer: GameStop is the parent company of Game Informer
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Sweet Crude Bring Feel-Good, Bilingual Jam "Laissez les Lazy"
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CJ Entertainment
Officially, NCT 127 was not the headliner of KCON 2018 New York, but the intricate setlist and crowd screams would have made one think otherwise. Kicking off with an intense dance introduction, pin-point performances of singles like "Touch" and "Cherry Bomb," and even a special rendition of their 2017 b-side track "Whiplash," the boy band delivered one of the longest sets of the fest and left an audibly obvious impact on the Prudential Center arena. The scene-stealing showcase marked the latest step in NCT 127's steady trajectory to more American visibility that recently included stops at Beats 1 radio, BUILD Series, and even a live Apple Store performance.
Talking to Fuse the morning ahead of the set, the nine members reflected on their growth in the past year, where they see their band going in the future and the love that they have for the other members in their NCT brand.
FUSE: NCT 127 is back in America! We first talked to you at KCON New York last year, your first U.S. show, so how are you feeling a year later?Taeyong: It's similar. What we're feeling is very similar, but now we're headed towards new goals in what we want to do. We're always thinking about what kind of songs we need to sing, what kind of performance we need to put on and what's good to show our fans. So overall, it's very similar, but it's always comes down to what's next to show to the fans.Mark: One more thing to add to that, like what Taeyong said, we do feel the same way with how thrilled we are to stand in front of our fans and with as much that has happened in the year, we have new things to show to the fans music-wise and performance-wise. We want to show how much we've developed as well and so we're just glad to meet our fans who have waiting for us. We also prepared a new intro for "Touch" and it's a lot stronger than what people are expecting, it's going to be the first thing that everyone sees. We also have three members perform one of our new songs "Whiplash" so people can look forward to something new.
It really does feel like you guys are leading this kind of "new generation of K-pop," as they say. Do you guys feel this yourselves?Taeyong: Rather than being able to feel that we are leading this new generation, we feel that K-pop as a genre is at the forefront of attention around the world. We have to try really hard as just one of the K-pop artists in this genre and we feel like we need to really just do our best within this genre. But I think we're going to be in every spot in the whole wide world.
Recently, you participated in the Empathy album by NCT that included a song and video performed by NCT 2018 with all 18 members in the band. What is a video shoot like that like?Haechan: All the members were involved and because there are so many members we had to concentrate a lot harder and there were a lot more things to pay attention to. But because we tried hard, the end result was actually a lot better. In regards to atmosphere of the music video, because everyone was there it was actually really great. Everyone was feeling great and, in general, it was just good.
We saw you in Los Angeles recently performing and doing interviews. Now you're back in New York. Is the US more of a priority for NCT 127 this year? Taeyong: Yes!Johnny: [Clarifying] I feel like we are always getting ready to come out to wherever, even America, even anywhere else, because NCT 127 as a team is a group that starts in Seoul and we want to spread out into the world just to tell everyone what K-pop is. We want to show everyone what NCT 127 is, so we're always ready to come to America—come to anywhere, practically!
You also recently made your debut in Japan and fans are hoping for news about a Korean comeback. What are you working on right now?Jaehyun: We are always preparing new songs, new performances, and I hope we have more opportunities to meet more fans like over the world. I think we are always ready.Mark: We actually don't know the exact date or anything [in regards to new Korean music], but I feel like we are always getting ready to kind of like make something, you know, to get back to our fans as quickly as possible. [We're involved with] every angle of the preparation, we're just trying to interact with the music. We are working on it.
“I ask fans to keep their expectations high for the group.”
— NCT's Taeyong
KCON has a great lineup this year including some of your label mates like Super Junior and Red Velvet. But if you bring on one more artist to the lineup, who would you bring?Taeyong: There are a lot of different artists in SM Entertainment, and there are a lot of our seniors in SM, but because there are a lot of our members in NCT, I think we would really like it if we could perform at KCON with the other members of NCT.
And do you have a message to the fans that are reading around the world and that may not get to see you as often as other areas of the world?Johnny: So, first off, I would like to say thank you for always, I guess like, always rooting for us and supporting us. We are always working on something to show you guys, so I hope you guys are always ready to come out and be like, "Whoa, NCT is finally back!" Taeyong: We're really happy that we can, once again, meet all our fans in New York and we want to continue to make great memories with our fans. NCT is going to continue to grow as a group, and I ask fans to keep their expectations high for the group.
Emerging from pop-rock group One Direction, Liam Payne tells Fuse after ten years of trusting the process and dedication he is set to release his debut album this fall. Having worked with Quavo, Zedd, J Balvin, Rita Ora and more Payne reveals he doesn't want to "pigeonhole" himself and wants to give fans a taste of everything.
With five hit singles showcasing how versatile Payne can be, the new dad explains his debut will be a "mixed bag" and more of a playlist. "My debut album is kind of a bit of a mix bag at the minute. The idea I went for is one, I want to see what people want from me. I'm really into the idea of finding out what it is because I'm trying to do it myself," says the 24-year-old. "And we are doing so many different great songs. I mean, you know, from what you've heard so far. I've done so many different genres of music."
Payne also shares how an experience in Peru influenced him to infuse Latin vibes into his music which would become "Later" featuring J Balvin. Watch the full interview above where Payne discusses traveling being the "biggest education" anyone can have and his first headline concert.
Speaking of Liam Payne and Rita Ora's recent "For You (Fifty Shades Freed)" collab, throw it back to 2014 when Ora spoke about her highly-anticipated 50 Shades of Grey role as Mia Grey:
CJ Entertainment
From an unexpected viral hit in 2014 to a member's health battle needing to have her sit out of a few album releases, EXID's road to K-pop stardom has been atypical but the cheers from the KCON crowd would make one think otherwise. Earning some of the biggest roars at KCON 2018 New York, the girl group performed their '90s-inspired new single "Lady," along with a handful of other singles, to greet their U.S. fans on the East Coast.
Backstage at the final Day 2 concert of KCON 2018, just as the news hit that a record-breaking 53,000 K-pop fans had officially attended the festival, EXID spoke to Fuse looked back at their best memories from the '90s, looked forward to what's coming next and more.
FUSE: Your latest single "Lady" is obviously inspired by the '90s. You guys are '90s babies, growing up in that time. Do you remember any songs that were really really popular in Korea during the '90s time or from your childhood?Jeonghwa: I was very young, born in 1995, so by the time I was able to actually listen to music and remember it was already the '00s so probably the other members that are better off answering this question. [Laughs]Hani: JYP [Park Jin Young], I really liked JYP songs. Hyelin: I would have school festivals and my friend and I would actually cover groups like S.E.S and Fin.K.L. and I think that actually helped my dream to become a singer.LE: I remember songs from Biggie— who's from New York! Where we are!— and Tupac, yes, of course. Songs like "California Love," I remember listening to a lot of old hip-hop music and songs. We definitely feel like trends repeat themselves and we're so happy that they're able to sing songs that we heard when we were younger.
Do you see any other trends from your childhoods coming back?Hyelin: I remember "fanny packs." In Korea, they called it a sack, but it's called a fanny pack. Yeah, but it's coming back, we call it a side, you know, a side bag because it's cooler. But for me, I remember that it's specifically something my dad wore at that time, but now it's something that people wear.Hani: Bucket hats are back in style. And just like how the rim go around and round, trends go around and around, you know? And to add on to that, even when it comes to pants, back then there were pants with really wide legs, but it's starting to come back. And once again fashion, it comes and goes.
No more skinny jeans for me. Thank you for all those memories, but looking forward to the future, what else does EXID have coming in 2018?Jeonghwa: Solji's health has been recovering very well and as we're watching her health get better, we're looking to come back as all five. I want a group comeback and the group wants the fans to continue to expect us to come back as all five. We really do hope that the fans continue to wait for us.
“We feel like the world is just starting to come around and show love for K-pop”
— Jeonghwa
2018 feels like a really special year for K-pop. EXID's music is reaching so many more people than ever, I think. Do you feel that it's a special year too?Hyelin: First off, we didn't have as much time to go abroad, but when we do see our group mentioned in the media we look into it and we're always touched to see what's being said about us and that we're being talked about overseas. When we do get a chance to go abroad, there are fans at the airport and those are the times when we realize that we're being loved overseas. Anytime we see our fans overseas, we get so much energy and so much support. We're always very thankful.Jeonghwa: Not just our team, but all the Korean teams are trying so hard to achieve their dreams and it's just right now that we feel like the world is just starting to come around and show love for this genre of music.Hani: And we feel so proud that it might just be because we're part of this genre, you know? We see that K-pop culture is actually growing right now, starting to be accepted in this world, and it's really surprising. So we feel this sense of pride to be part of this growing genre.
Young M.A came through to the Fuse office for a Hip-Hop at 45 edition of our Rant and Rave series. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., the emcee shares her thoughts Jeezy's "Snowman" movement, dance waves in hip-hop and the late '80s to early '90s hip-hop rivalry between legendary KRS-One and Marley Marl.
"That was like lit man, I ain't gon lie," she says on the Queensbridge vs. Kingsbridge rivalry. "KRS-One man, he was holding it down. I like MC Shan, though. I wasn't born when that beef happened. When I grew up on hip-hop and I was learning a lot about hip-hop, I remember that beef."
Watch the full Rant and Rave interview above where the 26-year-old also discusses Missy Elliot's iconic black suit, 50 Cent's "Many Men (Wish Death)" and gives Soulja Boy a shout out for making an impact on the hip-hop dance movement.
Below, watch the legendary trio Salt-N-Pepa rate a few hip-hop fashion statements, dance moves and even their own video:
This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the wild world of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, with Engadget Senior Editor Dan Cooper. What do they mean for the future of art and commerce? And should you care about them at all? Also, we chat about Microsoft’s finalized Bethesda acquisition, as well as Facebook’s push to dismiss its latest antitrust charges.
Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
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CreditsHosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn LowGuest: Dan CooperProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
Google has discussed how Chrome version 89 has improved the browser's memory usage and loading times on Mac, Windows and Android in a new post on the Chromium blog. The tech giant says the browser is now smarter when it comes to using and discarding memory across platforms — for instance, it now discards memory that the foreground tab is not actively using, such as big images that you've already scrolled past.
In addition, the update is also shrinking the browser's memory footprint in background tabs for macOS, which Chrome has already been doing on other platforms for a while now. For macOS, in particular, Google is seeing up to eight percent in memory savings and up to 65 percent in improvement on Apple Energy Impact score for tabs in the background. Those translate to a cooler Mac with quieter fans. Chrome 89 now also uses PartitionAlloc, the company's own advanced memory allocator, everywhere on Android and 64-bit Windows. Thanks to that change, it has improved browser responsiveness by up to 9 percent, and it's seeing up to 22 percent in memory savings on Windows.
The Chrome team says new Play and Android capabilities allowed it to repackage the browser for fewer crashes and that it rebuilt the browser to be more stable for newer Android devices. It has also introduced a feature called "Freeze-Dried Tabs" to make starting up Chrome on Android up to 13 percent faster. Freeze-Dried Tabs work by saving a lightweight version of your tabs — it's around the size of a screenshot, but it still supports scrolling and zooming, and it keeps links clickable. The screenshot-like tabs show up when you first fire up Chrome and while the actual tabs are loading in the background, so you can see pages load faster than before.
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Welcome to Friday morning. As some email subscribers may have noticed, the daily newsletter has been on hiatus for several weeks as we contended with a persistent technical issue. We’ve now figured out a fix, so we’re back to our regularly scheduled newsletter.
Thanks for your patience and if you have any more feedback, you can get in touch with us at themorningafter(at)engadget.com. (And if you’re reading this on the site, you can subscribe right here.)
Today's edition includes a smartphone with a ‘microscope’ camera, Tenet on a Game Boy Advance, an explanation of exactly what NFTs are and how to digitally organize your Mac, as our Spring Cleaning series goes beyond simply cleaning your keyboard. That’s where my spring cleaning typically ends.
— Mat Smith
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Bob Wulff, YouTube
Proving old devices never really die, some enterprising crafters keep squeezing functionality out of yesteryear’s gadgets. That includes a horrifically compressed version of Tenet for Game Boy Advance, and a wildly unnecessary Twitter client for the Handspring Visor. Continue reading.
The cryptocurrency offshoot presents a jumble of contradictions.
NBA
Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs, are the cryptocurrency off-shoot that has, all of a sudden, burst into the mainstream. They’re essentially a way of tying a certificate of authenticity to a digital file, among other things, like a contract, video clip or even a still image. The possibilities for NFTs are still to be explored, but they’re booming right now like Bitcoin did through much of 2020. Yesterday, a digital artwork by Beeple and associated NFT sold at auction for nearly $70 million. For what essentially amounted to a copy of a still image someone could have printed at home for free and a signed receipt.
If you’re wondering what exactly all of this means, and what’s going on, then Dan Cooper has written a lengthy explainer to get you up to speed on what this is, even if you still have trouble understanding why someone would spend so much money on it. Continue reading.
And both its wide and ultra-wide cameras have the same sensor.
Engadget
Oppo’s new flagship phone, the Find X3 Pro is entirely focused on photography — the giant sensor array on the back kind of gives that away. The headline feature has to be its "microscope" camera. The 3-megapixel f/3.0 microscopic camera delivers 30x magnification natively and can handle 1080p video recording. As you have to get close — the focal distance is between only 1mm and 3mm — this camera even has a small ring light to illuminate your subject.
The results make for a unique camera phone. It’s an Oppo device, so there’s also lightning-fast charging with the bundled 65W SuperVOOC charger and speedier wireless charging with compatible docks, which can fully charge your phone in 80 minutes. Given past form, chances are the Find X3 Pro won't head to the US, but the company has announced it'll be available in the UK on April 14th, starting at £1,099, which is around $1,250. Continue reading.
It aims to have a high-capacity pre-production battery by 2023.
GM is elaborating on its next-generation Ultium batteries, which sound like something from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but are not. The company plans to use lithium-metal (Li-metal) technology to boost performance and energy density. Li-metal batteries replace carbon anodes with lithium metal, allowing for lighter and more powerful cells. The challenge with the technology is increased resistance and "dendrite" filaments that tend to form on the anodes, making batteries short-circuit and heat up. “With this next-generation Ultium chemistry, we believe we’re on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation improvement in energy density and cost," said GM President Mark Reuss, adding that there was also “still room for improvement”. Continue reading.
Taking care of your computer doesn’t need to be complicated.
Engadget
Once you’ve dusted the cookie crumbs from your MacBook keyboard, it’s time for a digital clean. Associate Editor Igor Bonifacic reveals his fastidious Mac cleaning techniques, encompassing hard-drive organization, keeping your desktop clean going forward and even how to purloin the best organization features from Windows 10 for your Mac. Continue reading.
Do you remember whose account you’re streaming on?
Getty
For years, Netflix has looked the other way on people sharing passwords to their streaming accounts with folks that may not quite meet the definition of a “member of the household.” As its streaming audience has grown into the hundreds of millions, allowing easy access has been more important than triple-checking credentials.
But those days may be coming to an end. The company confirmed a test it’s running that prompts suspected freeloaders to get their own accounts and then asks to verify their access with a code sent to the registered account holder’s phone number or email address. Now that Netflix has hiked its prices for several years in a row, and growth in some countries is slowing, it looks like this is a way to find a few more paying customers. Continue reading.
Nearly every addition is coming to play on Xbox, PC and mobile.
Now the deal is done, Microsoft-owned game publisher Bethesda has announced 20 of its games are xton Xbox Game Pass, starting today. In all, Microsoft is adding 12 new titles, including Fallout 4, Morrowind and The Evil Within, for people to check out. They'll join eight other Bethesda games, like Dishonored 2, Fallout 76 and Doom Eternal, that were already available through the service, making a total of 20 titles. Check the full list of titles here.
But wait, there’s more...
US lawmakers introduce bill to make high-speed internet available to all
Chrome for Android lets you preview web links
SSL's UF8 DAW controller is a luxury in search of an audience
Google Meet update crams more people into your mobile video calls
EA opens probe into claims that staff are selling rare ‘FIFA 21 Ultimate Team’ cards
Apple's MagSafe Duo Charger is 22 percent off at Best Buy
Netflix's 'Resident Evil' CG anime leans on familiar voice actors
The best white noise machines for babies
Verizon (owner of Engadget's parent company Verizon Media) has expanded its 5G Home Internet service's availability, launching it in 10 new cities this month. Starting on March 18th, the service will roll out to parts of Cleveland, OH; Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY; Omaha, NE and San Diego, CA. A few days after that, on March 25th, the service will also be available in parts of Charlotte, NC; Cincinnati, OH; Hartford, CT; Kansas City, MO and Salt Lake City, UT.
The carrier launched its 5G Home internet service back in 2018, promising typical download speeds of around 300 Mbps and max speeds of up to 1 Gbps with no data caps. As the name implies, it doesn't need a cable or fiber hookup, just the company's "Internet Gateway" device that customers can set up on their own. It was only available in five cities for quite some time, because Verizon pushed back its broader rollout to wait for more powerful equipment to come in. The service costs $50 a month for current customers with eligible mobile plans or $70 a month for non-Verizon customers.
Verizon has also recently announced winning between 140 and 200 megahertz of C-Band spectrum in every available market from the latest FCC auction. That'll allow the company to expand its 5G Ultra Wideband's availability, though only those with premium unlimited plans will be able to access C-Band's faster speeds.
Last seen in 1993, Jeep's Wagoneer is back and big in every sense of the word — including the amount of technology found inside. The classic large luxury SUV brand (which surely inspired the Simpson's "Canyonero") has multiple touchscreens, support for both Apple and Android entertainment systems and even video streaming via Amazon's Fire TV.
The big daddy Grand Wagoneer packs up to no less than four touch displays to fill out that enormous dash. That includes a 12.3-inch digital dash cluster, along with a 12-inch infotainment system. The latter uses the latest version of Chrysler/Jeep's Uconnect 5, and also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Sitting directly below that is a 10.3-inch display that lets you control the climate and seats. (On the regular Wagoneer, you get smaller 10.3- and 10.1-inch displays for the digital dash and infotainment display, respectively.)
Stellantis
Those are just for the driver — the front passenger gets their own (optional) 10.3-inch touchscreen that allows them to watch movies, monitor the vehicle and more. Rear passengers get a pair of matching 10.1-inch displays, also optional. All three of those screens let passengers control navigation and media, monitor the external cameras, and play your own content via the aforementioned Android Auto/Apple CarPlay or Uconnect.
As we detailed last week, you can also stream video using Amazon's Fire TV for Auto with Alexa, giving passengers access to Amazon's library of Prime Video shows. You'll also be able to play games, use apps and access Alexa on the road through Fire TV for Auto.
The rest of the interior is a lux as you'd expect in such an SUV, equipped with what Jeep calls an "American premium" design (the word "American" appears no less than 32 times in the Wagoneer press release). You're coddled with wood, aluminum and leather throughout and the Grand Wagoneer has 24-way adjustable power seats, with lumbar support and memory settings. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer offer 94.2 and 116.7 cubic feet of storage space, respectively. Pricing starts at just under $60,000, but to get all the tech bells and whistles, you'll pay up to $105,995 for the Grand Wagoneer Series III.
Sitting on the western tip of India and meeting the sea, Dwarkadhish Temple is one of the largest temples in the ancient holy city of Dwarka. It is located where River Gomti meets the Arabian Sea and one can see the temple from many miles due to its large structure and the vast empty stretch of lands that surrounds the temple.
The temple is active all day long where daily activities will be happening from the early morning hours to late evening hours.
History
The history of the temple goes back to many centuries where people believed that the temple is constructed by Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna and this is where the Hari Griha or the home of Krishna once stood making Dwarka a holy land.
The current structure of Dwarkadhish temple is an amalgamation of changes and construction for over a few centuries from the 8th to the current year where changes and renovation works have been done.
The giant temple stands tall for over 80m which is equivalent to the current 25 storey building. And on top of the building is 25ft long flagstaff.
The tall tower over the main sanctum is built in Nagara Style and there are 7 visible stories which are constructed keeping in mind 7 ancient cities in India. The 7 cities that are depicted here include Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Avantika, Kanchipuram, and Dwarka. If you notice this, the whole of India is represented here and this is an intriguing factor.
Mandapa of the temple is carved out of a single stone and it stands on over 72 pillars. It has 4 stories that represent the Char Dhams of Vaishnava Temples, Dwarka being one of the 4 Dhams of the western corner of India.
Style of Architecture
The temple has been constructed in general Solanki style which was a prevalent style of architecture in Gujarat. As per archaeologists, the main temple is said to be constructed around 12-13th CE while the Sabah Mandap is said to be constructed around 15-16th CE.
During the excavations, it is revealed that this is the 4th temple and the oldest temple should have been around 2000 years old.
Dwarkadhish temple is home to one of the 4 Shankaracharya Peetas or Shardha Peetas. Shardha Peetas are part of temples that are dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya and in the evenings one can hear students chanting Sanskrit Shlokas from Vedas.
Dwarkadhish Group of Temples
Dwarkadhish Temple is big and full of small temples however, at the inner sanctum or Girbha Gruha, the idol of Lord Krishna as four-armed Vishnu where the experts call this as Trivikram.
The temple of Dwarkadhish here is also known as Jagat Mandir.
The idol or Murti of Dwarkadhish is 2.25ft high and is carved out of Black Stone. The current murti is the third one. The first Murti is now at Beyt Dwarka which was bought here to protect it from foreign invaders, the first Murti was believed to be worshipped by Rukmini herself.
The second murti is at Dakor. The story goes that there was a little girl who was a devotee of Sri Krishna who used to travel from Dakor to Dwarka. Pleased by her devotion, Sri Krishna decided to go along with her and priests suspected that the girl had stolen the idol and when they approached the little girl, she paid them with gold coins and now the second idol sits at Dakor.
Priests suspected that there is another idol at Savitri Taalav and when they dug the place in a hurry an incomplete idol came out. This is the current image of Sri Krishna that is being worshipped.
The idol of Sri Krishna faces the western direction which suggests that he might be looking at the sea where his city has been submerged.
Other temples are located at the Dwarkadhish temple complex.
As Dwarkadhish temple is a collection of the temple, one can notice smaller temples here such as
Kusheshwar Mahadev Temple – A shiva temple
Navagraha Yantra
Kashi Visvanath Shivalingam
Gayatri Devi Temple
Aniruddha and Pradyumna Temple
Rishi Durvasa Temple
Amba Ji Temple
Devaki Temple
Radha Krishna Temple
Shankaracharya Samadhi
Gates of Dwarkadhish temple
Dwarkadhish Temple has 2 entrances, they are titled Moksha Dwara and Swarga Dwara. From the Swarga dwara, 56 steps lead down to Gomti Ghat and stories suggest that 56 steps represent 56 crore yadavas.
Ceremonies
As mentioned before, the temple is busy all day long where they follow a strict routine. During the day, there will be aarti, darshans, and bhogs. The activities mean, devotees converse with the deity and offer food.
Throughout the day, the Shringar of the deity is changed and every time the shringar is changed, the backdrop of the deity is changed where the deity is put on with amazing jewellery.
Flag Hoisting Ceremony
One of the striking features of the Dwarkadish temple is its flags. And every time you look, a different colored flag will be visible as it is changed 3 times in morning hours and twice evening hours.
There is a waiting list of 2 years for a person to sponsor flags.
The flags itself hold great importance here. The family sponsoring the flag should feed all the Brahmanas in Dwarka and they bring the flag singing and dancing to the temple premises. The flag is then offered to the deity where a person from the Brahmin community goes up and changes the flag.
The flag that is sponsored comes with a lot of rules where it should measure 52 yards. 52 smaller flags are attached to the large flag representing 52 sub-casts of yadavas. Another theory says 52 represents the 52 doors that Dwarka once had.
The flag can be of any color except black and the flag should have a sun and a moon emblem on it.
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Things to do in Dwarka
Dwarka is an ancient city in the Northwestern state of Gujarat which is also an important pilgrimage site. It is located on the banks of the Gomti River. Dwarka is one of the 4 Chardham and one of the 7 religious cities in India. Dwarka was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Krishna and is believed to be the first capital of Gujarat.
Being an historic city, you can explore many things to do in this ancient city.
Dwarkadhish Temple
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One of the famous temples in Dwarka is Dwarkadhish. When you visit this ancient city of Dwarka, you should not miss visiting this temple and make sure you visit the temple once in the morning and once in the evening. One of the striking features of the Dwarkadhish temple is that the flag of the temple is changed 5 times a day. The flag will be sponsored by a family and it is a huge affair here.
Dwarkadhish Temple is situated on the banks of the Gomti River and the temple worships Lord Krishna who was King of Dwarka. The temple is supposed to be built by Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna.
Nageshwar Temple
One of the jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, Nageshwar jyotirlinga is one of the 12 jyotirlingas and is located around 15kms from the city center.
Nageshwar temple is one of the oldest temples mentioned in Shiva Purana and is believed to be the first of all 12 jyotirlingas. The swayambhu lingam is enshrined in the underground chamber of Nageshwar Temple and thousands of pilgrims visit this location all-year-round.
The temple is built with the typical Hindu architecture. This is a unique temple as Shiva Lingam faces south and the gomugam faces the east. The Shiva lingam at Nageshwar temple is a tri-mukhi rudraksha and is around 40cms in height and 30cms in diameter.
The Ghats have an important place in Hindu mythology where people worship, Gomati Ghat is one of the sacred ghats located on the banks of River Gomti in Dwarka and is located behind Dwarkadhish temple.
Gomati Ghat is located at the mouth of the Gomti River, which is one of the important tributaries of the sacred River Ganges. According to the myths, River Gomti is a daughter of Vashistha Muni and her waters are enough to purge one’s sins.
There is a space of 56 steps from Dwarkadhish temple and Gomati Ghat and taking a dip here is believed to be sacred and will liberate one’s sins committed in previous births. It is also said, Lord Krishna, himself took bath several times here.
Rukmini Temple
One of the important sites to visit in Dwarka is Rukmini Devi Temple.Rukmini Devi who is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.
and this temple is dedicated to the beloved wife of Lord Krishna. The temple is believed to be constructed for more than 2500 years but its domed mandapa and stepped sanctuary belong to the 12th Century. The sanctum of the temple has a marble idol of Devi Rukmani and is an architectural marvel in itself. On the walls, there will be rich paintings on the walls depicting Rukmini and Krishna.
The Rukmini Devi temple is located on the banks of the Bhagirathi river and never miss out on visiting this temple while you visit the ancient city of Dwarka.
Shivrajpur beach is one of the famous beaches in Gujarat and is a must-visit location. It is a beautiful beach with white sands which offers stunning sunsets and picturesque views to the tourists. The beach is not much commercialized which makes it ideal for tourists to visit and spend some quality time off away from chaotic city experience.
If you are lucky, you can spot Dolphins and beautiful birds on the sea here, recently, beach management has introduced water sports, food, and shopping areas for visitors.
Recently, Shivrajpur Beach has been certified with Blue Flag which means it is one of the cleanest beaches in the world. To get a blue flag certification, a beach should have 33 stringent criteria approved which are based on environmental education and information, bathing water quality, environmental management, and conservation of the beaches.
The Blue flag is one of the world’s most prestigious voluntary awards for beaches and getting a blue flag certified will help to increase tourism to the state.
Shree Nath Dining Hall is a local Restaurant Run by an elderly lady and her family that offers local authentic Gujarati Food with personal care and touch by the lady who personally visits every table and serves us food and are treated like house guests.
All the spread is for Rs 130 for the thali and generally takes 1 hour waiting time during peak hours.
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Seychelles will be reopening its borders from the end of this month as the island nation gears up to welcome tourists and is hoping to resuscitate a sector for the economy which has been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the coronavirus started spreading all across the world, authorities sealed off the archipelago to the rest of the world and thus bringing losses to travel, resorts, cruise ships, and nature reserves of the customers.
“Seychelles will reopen to tourists from all over the world … on March 25,” said a state-owned news agency according to the statement provided by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde.
Tourists from all over the world except South Africa can enter the archipelago.
Revenue from tourism fell over 61% as anti-coronavirus restrictions cut arrivals by 70%.
The Island nation would be open to tourists however, it comes with rules where the tourists need to undertake coronavirus tests within 72 hours before entering the country. Tourists who are tested negative need not quarantine, however, they need to stay at hotels that are certified by the government and need to comply with coronavirus measures.
Wearing masks, hand sanitizing, and social and physical distancing will be mandatory.
“We are hoping that this will give the economy the breathing space that the economy needs, the country needs,” said the minister as quoted by the agency.
The country so far has at least 2,618 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 11 deaths, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data.
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A US district judge has sentenced a UK National to five years in federal prison for participating in the cybercrime activities of hacking collective group “The Dark Overlord.” Nathan Wyatt was extradited from the UK to the US in December 2019 for targeting computer networks of American companies. Victims include healthcare providers and accounting firms in the St. Louis, Missouri area where Wyatt faced charges. He has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and computer fraud, and according to the Justice Department, he has admitted to being a member of The Dark Overlord since 2016.
The group is notorious for remotely accessing the computer networks of companies in the US to steal sensitive data, such as patient medical records and personal identifying information. They’d then threaten to release that data unless the victim companies pay a ransom that usually falls between $75,000 and $350,000 in bitcoin. Back in 2017, the group infamously leaked new Orange Is the New Black episodes even after the post-production company they stole the files from paid a $50,000 ransom. Last year, they also dumped a bunch of 9/11-related documents online.
Aside from confirming that he was part of The Dark Overlord, Wyatt revealed the specific roles he played within the group. The Justice Department says he admitted to participating in conspiracy “by creating, validating, and maintaining communication, payment, and virtual private network accounts” that the group used to threaten and extort victims in Missouri.
US Attorney Jeff Jensen of the Eastern District of Missouri said in a statement:
“The Dark Overlord has victimized innumerable employers in the United States, many of them repeatedly. I am grateful to the victims who came forward despite ransom threats and to the prosecutors and agents who were the first to catch and punish a member of The Dark Overlord in the United States.”
In this article: ransomware, the dark overlord, Nathan Wyatt, news, gear
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Disney+ Delays The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Debut
While last night brought the exciting first true teaser for the platform’s WandaVision, it’s also been revealed that as the series gets back to production in Atlanta, Georgia, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Disney+ debut has been delayed to 2021, according to Comic Book Movie.
RELATED: WandaVision Trailer Debuts for Marvel Studios’ TV Series!
Though clearly out of their hands due to the global pandemic, this new release date definitely shows a shift in plans for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four series as the Captain America spin-off was originally planned for release first followed by the Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany-led series, which is still reportedly eyeing a December premiere.
John Wick creator Derek Kolstad joined the writing/creative team of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, though details are still under wraps, it seems likely to follow up on Falcon’s new status quo after Avengers: Endgame.
Anthony Mackie (Point Blank) and Sebastian Stan (I, Tonya) will be reprising their roles as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes. Joining them are MCU veterans Daniel Bruhl and Emily VanCamp, who are set to return as Helmut Zemo and Sharon Carter, respectively. Neither character has appeared onscreen since 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.
During the Marvel Studios panel at D23 Expo 2019, it was revealed that Wyatt Russell (Lodge 49, Black Mirror) has joined the series for the role of Marvel Comics character U.S. Agent. Miki Ishikawa (The Terror: Infamy), Desmond Chiam (Now Apocalypse), Carl Lumbly (Doctor Sleep, Supergirl) and Noah Mills (The Enemy Within) have also been cast for the series.
RELATED: Marvel Snags Three Directors for Hawkeye Disney+ Series
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier may only run for six episodes, but it will connect with the larger MCU. The series was originally expected to debut in August 2020 but was delayed due to filming setbacks including the ongoing pandemic that temporarily shut down all major TV and film productions.
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Facebook is launching a national consumer awareness ad campaign around voting and registration that includes a “vote-a-thon” and in-app consumer marketing campaign. It’s the continuation of a program that Facebook said that has helped 2.5 million people register to vote so far this year, with the aim of registering 4 million people before the November 3rd election date.
Facebook said it will run the campaign across “national broadcast, cable, radio, and digital homepage takeovers within lifestyle and news outlets,” encouraging people to visit its voting information centers. It will also be featured front and center on its Instagram and Facebook apps. All of that will culminate in a vote-a-thon on the Facebook app page on Tuesday at 11 AM ET.
On Saturday, Facebook began showing users how to register to vote at the top of the Facebook, Instagram and Messenger apps. “These notifications take them to the relevant page with their state’s official website or one of our non-partisan partner organizations if online voter registration isn’t available in their state,” the company wrote. It promised to show those notifications through September 25th. (Voter registration deadlines vary widely from state to state.)
Facebook has been criticized during this election cycle for allowing lies to stand in political ads, when other sites like Twitter have banned political ads altogether. Earlier this month, however, CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed concerns about the risk of “civil unrest” after the election and vowed to take measures to slow misinformation. However, critics have noted that it continues to flourish on the site despite the company’s efforts.
In this article: facebook, election, misinformation, ad campaign, voting, registration, fraud, news, gear
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2020 Emmy Awards Winners List!
Tonight on ABC The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the 2020 Emmy Awards winners in a virtual ceremony hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. Check out the full list of nominees and winners (HIGHLIGHTED IN RED) below!
Making special appearances during the broadcast were Anthony Anderson, Jason Bateman, Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox, D-Nice, America Ferrera, Morgan Freeman, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Randall Park, Issa Rae, RuPaul, and Patrick Stewart.
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call SaulThe CrownThe Handmaid’s TaleKilling EveThe MandalorianOzarkStranger ThingsSuccession **WINNER**
Outstanding Comedy Series
Curb Your EnthusiasmDead to MeInsecureSchitt’s Creek **WINNER**The Good PlaceThe Kominsky MethodThe Marvelous Mrs. MaiselWhat We Do in the Shadows
Outstanding Limited Series
Little Fires EverywhereMrs. AmericaUnbelievableUnorthodoxWatchmen **WINNER**
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Masked SingerNailed It!RuPaul’s Drag Race **WINNER**Top ChefThe Voice
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Batemna, OzarkSterling K. Brown, This Is UsSteve Carell, The Morning ShowBrian Cox, SuccessionBilly Porter, PoseJeremy Strong, Succession **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning ShowOlivia Colman, The CrownJodie Comer, Killing EveLaura Linney, OzarkSandra Oh, Killing EveZendaya, Euphoria **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, black-ishDon Cheadle, Black MondayTed Danson, The Good PlaceMichael Douglas, The Kominsky MethodEugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, Dead to MeRachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselLinda Cardellini, Dead to MeCatherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**Issa Rae, InsecureTracee Ellis Ross, black-ish
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Jeremy Irons, WatchmenHugh Jackman, Bad EducationPaul Mescal, Normal PeopleJeremy Pope, HollywoodMark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True **WINNER**
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. AmericaShira Haas, UnorthodoxRegina King, Watchmen **WINNER**Octavia Spencer, Self MadeKerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call SaulNicholas Braun, SuccessionKieran Culkin, SuccessionMatthew Macfadyen, SuccessionBradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s TaleBilly Crudup, The Morning Show **WINNER**Mark Duplass, The Morning ShowJeffrey Wright, Westworld
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Laure Dern, Big Little LiesMeryl Streep, Big Little LiesFiona Shaw, Killing EveJulia Garner, Ozark **WINNER**Sarah Snook, SuccessionHelena Bonham Carter, The CrownSamira Wiley, The Handmaid’s TaleThandie Newton, Westworld
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-NineMahershala Ali, RamyKenan Thompson, Saturday Night LiveDaniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**William Jackson Harper, The Good PlaceAlan Arkin, The Kominsky MethodSterling K. Brown, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselTony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Betty Gilpin, GLOWYvonne Orji, InsecureKate McKinnon, Saturday Night LiveCecily Strong, Saturday Night LiveAnnie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek **WINNER**D’Arcy Carden, The Good PlaceAlex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselMarin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Dylan McDermott, HollywoodJim Parsons, HollywoodTituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The ReverendYahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen **WINNER**Jovan Adepo, WatchmenLouis Gossett Jr., Watchmen
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Holland Taylor, HollywoodUzo Aduba, Mrs. America **WINNER**Margo Martindale, Mrs. AmericaTracey Ullman, Mrs. AmericaToni Collette, UnbelievableJean Smart, Watchmen
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Daily Show with Trevor NoahFull Frontal with Samantha BeeJimmy Kimmel Live!Last Week Tonight with John Oliver **WINNER**The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch ShowDrunk HistorySaturday Night Live **WINNER**
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Amy Poehler, Making ItNicole Byer, Nailed It!Bobby Berk, Queer EyeRuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race **WINNER**Barbara Corcoran, Shark TankPadma Lakshmi, Top Chef
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Andrew Scott, Black MirrorJames Cromwell, SuccessionGiancarlo Esposito, The MandalorianMartin Short, The Morning ShowJason Bateman, The OutsiderRon Cephas Jones, This Is Us **WINNER**
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With MurderLaverne Cox, Orange Is the New BlackCherry Jones, Succession **WINNER**Harriet Walter, SuccessionAlexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s TalePhylicia Rashad, This Is Us
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Fred Willard, Modern FamilyDev Patel, Modern LoveBrad Pitt, Saturday Night LiveAdam Driver, Saturday Night LiveEddie Murphy, Saturday Night Live **WINNER**Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Angela Bassett, A Black Lady Sketch ShowMaya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live **WINNER**Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Saturday Night LiveMaya Rudolph, The Good PlaceWanda Sykes, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselBette Midler, The Politician
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It’s no secret that some countries have spied on their citizens through innocuous-looking apps, but one effort is more extensive than usual. Check Point Research has discovered (via ZDNet) that Rampant Kitten, an Iranian hacker group that has targeted the country’s political opponents for years, has developed Android malware focused on stealing two-factor authentication codes. It isn’t just focused on any one service, either — it targets Google, Telegram, and other major internet or social services.
The attackers first use a phishing trojan to collect login details, and then try those with the real site. If the victim has two-factor authentication turned on, the newly-reported malware intercepts the incoming SMS messages and quietly sends copies to the intruders.
The code also has tools to grab contacts, text message logs and even microphone audio, but it’s unusually centered around two-factor data. It has so far been found in an app pretending to help Persian speakers in Sweden get driver’s licenses, but it might be available in other apps.
This is an important discovery. Although it’s no secret that likely state-backed groups can get around two-factor requests, it’s difficult to see how those systems work. It also stresses the importance of using two-authentication systems that avoid SMS, such as hardware security keys. SMS is better than nothing, but it’s no longer a deterrent for the most determined intruders — whether they’re pro-government spies or everyday criminals.
In this article: Iran, Malware, Android, mobile, spyware, Rampant Kitten, surveillance, Spying, 2fa, two-factor authentication, phishing, news, gear
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CS Video: Godzilla vs Kong’s Adam Wingard Talks Mechagodzilla!Warner Bros. and Legendary provided ComingSoon.net with the chance to sit down 1:1 with Adam Wingard, director of the smash MonsterVerse crossover Godzilla vs. Kong! In this segment, we ask Wingard to talk about how the previous iterations of Mechagodzilla influenced his version in the new film. Check out what Wingard had to say in the player below!Click here to purchase Criterion’s amazing Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films collection!RELATED: CS Interview: Tom Holkenborg On His Score for Godzilla vs. Kong!Directed by Adam Wingard (Death Note) from a script by Eric Pearson (Black Widow) and Max Borenstein (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) based on a story treatment from Zach Shields, Michael Doughtery (Krampus) and Terry Rossio (Shrek), this epic action-adventure pits two of the greatest titans in motion picture history against each other with humanity caught in the middle. The film not only marks the second major showdown between the two, but also marks the 36th Godzilla film and 12th Kong outing, with the former having two under his belt for the MonsterVerse while the latter only has Skull Island.The ensemble roster for the monster mashup features returning franchise stars Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) and Kyle Chandler (First Man) as well as Alexander Skarsgård (The Stand), Rebecca Hall (The Night House), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), Shun Oguri (Gintama), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2) and Demián Bichir (Land). King of the Monsters‘ Zhang Ziyi and franchise newcomer Jessica Henwick (Love and Monsters) were slated to appear in the film, though their roles were left on the cutting room floor.RELATED: Godzilla vs. Kong Destroys the Box Office!Godzilla vs. Kong is produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric McLeod and Brian Rogers while Kenji Okuhira, Yoshimitsu Banno, Jon Jashni and Thomas Tull as served as executive producers and Jay Ashenfelter, Jen Conroy and Tamar Kent as co-producers.It is now available in theaters and on HBO Max!
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway moves upOriginally slated for July 2, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway now shifts up to an earlier release date of June 18. With cinemas opening up again, this move makes a play for summer vacation families eager to go back to the theaters.The first film, Peter Rabbit, opened in 2018 and went on to take in $351M worldwide.RELATED: First Ghostbusters: Afterlife Clip Features the Return of Stay PuftIn Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, the lovable bunny is back. Bea, Thomas, and the rabbits have created a found family of their own. Even with a new life, Peter can’t seem to shake his mischievous reputation. Adventuring out of the garden, he finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated. Realizing he is missing, Peter’s family risks everything to go looking for him. Seeing what he has at stake, Peter must figure out what kind of bunny he wants to be.James Corden returns to lead an ensemble voice cast as the voice of Peter Rabbit. Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki return as the voices of Flopsy Rabbit and Mopsy Rabbit and Domhnall Gleeson and Rose Byrne are reprising their live-action roles as Thomas and Bea. Aimee Horne has stepped in to replace Daisy Ridley in the role of Cottontail Rabbit. The sequel also features the additions of Emmy nominee David Oyelowo, Lennie James, Rupert Degas, and Damon Herriman. RELATED: Ghostbusters and Jumanji rides set for new Columbia Pictures Aquaverse ParkPeter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is written and directed by Will Gluck, who returns having co-written the script with Patrick Burleigh, based on the characters and tales of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. The film is produced by Gluck alongside Zareh Nalbandian, Catherine Bishop, and Jodie Hildebrand, with Doug Belgrad, Jonathan Hludzinski, Emma Topping, and Thomas Merrington serving as executive producers on the film.
Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick & Mission: Impossible sequels delayedParamount Pictures has officially decided to shift the release dates for their three highly-anticipated projects starring Tom Cruise, with the long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick seeing its sixth delay from Independence Day weekend to November 19 as well as the Mission: Impossible sequels both being delayed a year.RELATED: Delaney, Parnell, Varma & More Join Mission: Impossible 7 & 8 RostersWriter/director Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible 7, which still currently in production, is now set to open Memorial Day weekend on May 27, 2022, pitting it against fellow tentpole actioner John Wick: Chapter 4 at Lionsgate, while Mission: Impossible 8 has also been delayed from its November 4, 2022 to July 7, 2023. Filming for the project is expected to begin as soon as Cruise completes his promotional duties for Top Gun: Maverick.Directed by Kosinski from a script by Peter Craig, Justin Marks and Eric Warren Singer, Top Gun: Maverick is set in a world of drone technology and fifth-generation fighters along with exploring the end of the era of dogfighting. Maverick (once again played by Tom Cruise) is now a flight instructor, who takes Bradley Bradshaw (played by Miles Teller), the son of Maverick’s late partner Nick “Goose” Bradshaw, under his wing. The film also stars Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell and Ed Harris.A follow-up to Tony Scott’s 1986 hit has been in the works for quite some time, with Tom Cruise interested in reprising his role as United States Naval Aviator Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer previously outlined that the film will deal with the rise of unmanned drones and pilots becoming a thing of the past.RELATED: Top Gun: Maverick: Miles Teller Details Intense Training for Real Flight StuntsJoining Cruise and Hayley Atwell in seventh and eight installments are returning Mission: Impossible alums Rebecca Ferguson (Doctor Sleep), Simon Pegg (Ready Player One), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), Vanessa Kirby (Hobbs & Shaw) and Henry Czerny (Ready or Not) along with newcomers Shea Whigham (Joker), Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy 2), Rob Delaney (Deadpool 2), Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick), Indira Varma (Game of Thrones), Cary Elwes (Stranger Things), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and Esai Morales (La Bamba, Titans) who will replace Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road) for the villain role.Following the large critical and commercial success of the past two installments, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie inked a deal with the studio to return to write and direct the next two installments, with Skydance Media, who joined the franchise in the fourth installment, Ghost Protocol, will be returning to produce the next two entries.
Paramount shuffles release dates for Jackass, Snake Eyes & more!As theaters slowly begin to open around the globe and studios revisit their theatrical schedule, Paramount Pictures has announced a major shuffle in its lineup of upcoming films, including a bump up for the G.I. Joe spin-off prequel Snake Eyes, delays for the new Jackass, Top Gun and Mission: Impossible sequels and first dates for a number of other films!RELATED: Universal Bumps Up The Forever Purge Release a WeekSummer plans made. #SnakeEyes is now coming to theatres July 23, 2021 – Experience it only on the big [email protected] pic.twitter.com/5r9hn3JR6Z— G.I. JOE (@GIJoeOfficial) April 9, 2021Originally slated for an October 22 release, the Henry Golding-starring Snake Eyes origin story film is moving up to July 23, putting it squarely between Warner Bros’ Space Jam: A New Legacy the week prior and Disney’s Jungle Cruise the following week, as well as pitting it against Universal’s Old and Sony’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania. Meanwhile, in addition to the shift of Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, Paramount is also delaying its only other 2021 film, Jackass, from its September 3 release to October 22 in place of Snake Eyes.Another major delay from the studio can be found in John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s ensemble adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons, which will be shifting from its May 27, 2022 release to March 3, 2023, with the highly-anticipated Mission: Impossible 7 taking its place.RELATED: Dwayne Johnson Announces July 2022 Black Adam Release Date!Sad news of delays aside, Paramount did bring some exciting calendar additions for the next few years, one of which includes the Kenneth Branagh-helmed untitled Bee Gees biopic, which has been set for a November 4, 2022 release date, taking the place of the recently-delayed Mission: Impossible 8. Additionally, the new Star Trek film from Discovery writer Kalinda Vazquez has been set for a June 9, 2023 release, the film adaptation of The Shrinking of Treehorn has been set for a November 10, 2023 release and the Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski-led fantasy comedy, previously titled Imaginary Friends though now untitled, for a November 17, 2023 release.
Josie and The Pussycats cast reunites for 20th AnniversaryUniversal’s cult early aughts classic Josie and the Pussycats, inspired by the Archie comics and Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name, turns 20 today and to celebrate, stars Rachael Leigh Cook (Love, Guaranteed), Rosario Dawson (The Mandalorian) and Tara Reid (Sharknado) reunited virtually to look back on the film’s legacy! The cast reunion can be viewed in the player below!RELATED: Watch Rosario Dawson Transform Into Ahsoka Tano for The Mandalorian“I think it was way ahead of its time. You watch it now and it so resonates with the moment we’re in but at the time I think it was hard for people to really appreciate the satire that it was.” Rosario Dawson, who starred as Valerie, said of the film which is still often quoted to this day: DUJOUR MEANS FAMILY! The quote is even homaged by indie film fashion labels like Super Yaki, which featured hoodies and even ornaments based on it during one of their limited runs.Rachael Leigh Cook starred as Josie and was brought in by the film’s directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, she reflected on the shoot, “As an experience, [it was] very much women supporting women from day one to this day.”Co-lead Tara Reid echoed the sentiment as they looked back, “It meant so much to us. When we made this film we had the best time ever. One of our directors was also a woman. So it’s kind of changed. And that was before there was such an influence now but in so many ways I feel like we started this game.” Click here to purchase the cult classic musical comedy!Upon release, Josie and The Pussycats was compared to Spice World, though cinephiles would later fight to reclaim it as a cult classic. The film shares more DNA with another cult film about the pop music industry: Brian De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise, especially in how it dives into the soul-selling world of subliminal messaging to conform to capitalism over individualism. Mondo released a printing of the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack on Vinyl that you can pre-order here. Matthew Libatique, the film’s cinematographer, would later work on both Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born and Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey starring Margot Robbie. Josie and the Pussycats may have been a blueprint for Birds of Prey.RELATED: Friends Unscripted Reunion Special to Tape Next Week!Both on-screen and behind the scenes the teamwork of the film really made the film shine as being about young women sticking together even as the fame machine tried to eat them up and chew them out. It was about friendship, and Rosario thinks the film transcends time because of that, “There’s scene after scene after scene that was not about how men were in our lives. It wasn’t about all these other things. It was about us and our dreams and our passions. And seeing these men being being super supportive of these women and wanting to see them shine. And watching them grow in front of you and being amazed by that. It’s just there are so many levels in it that are just really profound looking back on it through the lens of now.”[embedded content]
The perfect cosplay doesn't exis... Last year, the Internet fell hard for the most epic friendship ever: Animal Crossing's Isabelle and Doom's Doomguy. The duo is surprisingly wholesome, so much so that even id Software itself lent itself to the joke. Now, one cosplayer is bringing the pair front and center once more, though this time with Isabelle not hanging out with the Doom Slayer. Instead, she's becoming the Doom Slayer. The Isabelle Doomguy cosplay comes courtesy of @Mads_Five on Twitter. The self-proclaimed "space monk" has an impressive cosplay history, but it's her Animal Crossing x Doom crossover nod that really brought the biggest smile to my face:
While the duo isn't "canon," it was a a period on the internet that was drenched in feel-good vibes and adorable artwork. Memes, videos, and fanart ran rampant, showing how Isabelle is the very best helper when it comes to taking to the hoardes of hell alongsider her good pal Doomguy.
I will never stop being impressed by incredible creations like this. Crafting that armor, stylizing the wig down to perfection, the detailed weaponry? All of it takes time, dedication, and passion that results in something truly incredible. As the cosplay community continues to grow and flourish, I can't help but to enjoy every second spent in the rabbit hole of celebrating some of our favorite franchises through fan tributes like this. That, and Doomguy x Isabelle will never cease to be just the cutest thing ever.
Like the cosplayer's work seen above with her cleverly done Isabelle Doomguy? You can support her right here. Feel free to also drop some lovely thoughts on this cosplay in the comment section below!
After a year away, 2K announced it’s stepping back in the wrestling video game arena with the reveal of WWE 2K22. The publisher debuted a brief teaser video during Night 1 of Wrestlemania 37 that doesn’t offer much in terms of in-game footage but serves to get fans excited that the series is making a comeback. Rey Mysterio headlines the trailer in a cinematic match-up against Cesaro. The live-action video incorporates gameplay footage of the same bout, providing glimpses of the superstars’ in-game character models. Unfortunately, outside of the game’s tagline of “It Hits Different”, the trailer doesn’t divulge platforms, a cover star, or a release date.
This marks the return of WWE 2K after it took a year off in 2020. Besides the pandemic complicating game development, the other big reason for the hiatus was that the previous game, WWE 2K20, was an unmitigated disaster. It launched with a myriad of technical issues that made it nigh unplayable at times, and the game’s more outrageous bugs launched a thousand memes that made it the laughing stock of the gaming world. While Visual Concepts went back to the drawing board, Saber Interactive released the arcade-style WWE Battlegrounds last September in place of a 2K game.
As someone who reviewed WWE 2K20 (and hated it), 2K22 has a steep mountain to climb if it wants to right the ship. Glitches are one thing, but the series has long suffered from legacy issues like the sluggish and overly convoluted gameplay and scaled back features. 2K22 needs to do a lot more than not catch fire while playing it; the series needs a fundamental redesign from the ground-up.
The main problem has been that, as an annual series, you can only change so much with such a tight deadline and, in theory, who cares? WWE 2K is the only major wrestling sim in town (at least for now), and fans buy these games in droves no matter what because of that. That doesn’t create much incentive to shake things up, but, to their credit, 2K and Visual Concepts said it's taken 2K20’s reception to heart and promises a substantial overhaul for 2K22. With an extra year of development, not to mention the added horsepower of the new consoles, they're in a better position to do so than ever before. We'll just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best.
Are you excited for WWE 2K22 and what do you hope to see in the game? Let us know in the comments.
Have hammer, will smash. That's not the official catchphrase of the new Dota 2 hero but it definitely should be. Meet Dawnbreaker, the latest hero to arrive in the MOBA Dota 2. She comes at the perfect time with the Dota anime making its Netflix debut just last month. A new update has gone live and it's a pretty big one. With Radiant Mid change and various other map tweaks, the new update is more than just the new character, but the new character is arguably the biggest part.
Dota 2 new hero: Dawnbreaker
Dawnbreaker is a mele-heavy hero that was "molded from the heart of a young metallic star." She's a warrior from the Children of Light and wields a massive hammer like it weighs nothing. Her primary move (Starbreaker) utilizes said hammer by spinning it around in three quick moves. Upon the final spin, she slams the meaty end of the hammer down to deal massive amounts of damage to her foes.
Dawnbreaker shines in the heart of battle, happily crushing enemies with her celestial hammer and using the energy released to heal nearby allies. At one with the mass of her weapon, she revels in hurling her hammer through multiple foes and then converging with it in a blazing wake. Created to rival ancient forces of chaos and darkness by descendants of the first light, Dawnbreaker only taps her true cosmic power to fly to the aid of her teammates — eager to rout her enemies on the battlefield no matter where they may be.
Her three other abilities include:
Celestial Hammer:
Dawnbreaker hurls her weapon at a target, damaging enemies struck along the way. The hammer pauses briefly at the destination before flying back to her, leaving a blazing trailer that slows enemies.
Luminosity:
After three attacks, Dawnbreaker powers up, charging her next attack with a critical hit that heals all allied heroes around her for a portion of the attack damage dealt.
Solar Guardian:
She creates a pulsing effect at a location near an allied hero anywhere on the map, damaging enemies and healing allies with each pulse. After a short duration, she flies to the target location, dealing additional damage and stunning enemies upon landing.
She looks like a pretty killer character and the lore surrounding her origins is nothing short of fascinating. Dota 2 has been getting a lot of love lately, and it's nice to see. Hopefully, the anime also drew new players in to see what all of the fuss is about. There is a reason why the Dota 2 community continues to be strong since the game's launch back in 2013, and now is a perfect opportunity for new players to see exactly what that reason is.
General updates
According to Valve, here are the general changes you can find with the latest Dota 2 update:
Terrain updated with various changes
Added Water Power Rune. Spawns at both Power Rune locations only at minute 2 and 4. Instantly restores 100 health and 80 mana when used. Can be used to fill bottles. Starting at 6 minutes, Power Runes spawn as usual on one side.
Added +2 Attributes leveling for up to 7 times (for the 7 empty levels from 1-26), and can be leveled in any order (via clicking on the talent tree circle). They will automatically be leveled if there are no other options available.
Level 30 no longer grants all remaining talents. Instead level 27/28/29/30 will grant you the remaining level 10/15/20/25 talents
Outposts no longer give XP at the 10/20/30/etc minute mark
Outposts now provide XPM while controlled (XP = 2*Minute). No extra XP granted when controlling two outposts, similar to the existing rules.
Notes:
Compared to the previous version at 10/20/30/40 minutes, total XP given per player changed from 150/500/1050/1800 to 110/420/930/1640.
The XP is provided on the minute mark
The amount you get for each minute at the start is 2/4/6/8/10/12/14/16/18/20 for minutes 1 through 10
Bounty Runes after the initial set are reduced by 10%
Bounty Runes no longer spawn in the river. The amount these runes gave is now provided automatically over time through GPM.
Bounty Runes now spawn every 3 minutes in the respective jungle area (total rune count reduced from 4 to 2)
Bounty Runes no longer disappear when new ones spawn, they now spawn alongside the previous one if it isn't picked up
At minute 0, Bounty Runes spawn in the jungle and at the power rune locations (4 total at the start of the game)
Various cast ranges and movement speed talents/items/abilities have been replaced or toned down (these are included in-line with the item and hero sections below)
Hero kill assist gold now adjusted based on the relative NW difference between the two teams. For example, if your team is down 5,000 gold and the enemy has 50,000 total net worth, your assist gold will be worth 10% more.
Heroes now start the game with 1 TP scroll rather than 3
Heroes now gain 1 TP scroll on death
TP Scroll cost increased from 90 to 100
Heroes with 1.0 turn rate now have 0.9 turn rate
Heroes with 0.5 turn rate now have 0.6 turn rate
Turn rate effect on time to turn improved by 20%
Aghanim's Scepter: Roshan drop now requires you to activate it to consume it (has no effect until consumed)
Aghanim's Shard: Now drops on the second Roshan kill, and only that one (has same activation mechanics as the Scepter drop)
Increase building teleportation range from 575 to 800 (affects TP scrolls and Boots of Travel)
Outpost teleport base channel time reduced from 6 to 5 seconds
Outpost vision reduced from 700 to 500
Captains Mode initial picking phase changed from 1st-2nd-1st-2nd to 1st-2nd-2nd-1st
Hoodwink added to Captains Mode
Couriers no longer have vision when inside Roshan's pit
Wards can now be denied from full health by any allied player if the ward is placed in a spawn camp box
Ancient neutral creeps armor increased by 1 (except for the Ancient Golems)
Neutral Items now fly towards the killing hero, rather than spawning under the dead unit
Hero ban count for matchmaking increased by 6 (still chance-based)
Buyback cost reduced from 200 + NetWorth/12 to 200 + NetWorth/13
Courier respawn time reduced from 60 + 7*Level to 60 + 6*Level
Backdoor protection damage reduction increased from 40% to 50%
Hero-to-hero item transfer range increased from 150 to 300
Tree respawn interval reduced from 5 to 3 minutes
The following abilities no longer destroy trees: Earth Splitter, Mortimer Kisses, Meteor Hammer, Macropyre.
Reduced the radius of tree destruction on the following abilities: Wild Axes, Gust, Power Cogs, Vacuum, Fire Remnant, Relocate, Tether, Blinding Light, Skewer, Doppelganger, Telekinesis, Firesnap Cookie, Spit Out, Spider Legs, Blast Off!, Toss, Snowball, Powershot, Will-O-Wisp.
Are you excited for the new Dota 2 hero with Dawnbreaker? What do you think about the other changes with the latest game update? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below! You can also find the full patch notes, including item changes, right here.
Today, an Age of Empires fan preview event held online showcased new content coming to the entire franchise, but also a significant amount of new information on the upcoming Age of Empires IV. Gameplay was showcased along with a number of other interesting tidbits! Age of Empires IV is slated to arrive sometime in fall 2021.First, one of the most important information points is that Age of Empires IV features asymmetric civilizations. This means that playing as the Delhi Sultanate is going to be much, much different than playing as the Mongols, both in what units you can create and more importantly, how your strategies involving resources, expansion, combat and all other facets play out. While previous Empire games may have hinged mainly on a few special units to create civilization identity, Age of Empire VI is heavily focused on unique gameplay for each faction.
Eight different factions are expected to be available at launch, each playing wildly different from one another. That said, maintaining the “paper-rock-scissors” philosophy for core unit types like pikemen, archers,mounted units, etc was also important, so any civilization can engage with the opponent at this base level, regardless of their overarching philosophies and gameplay mechanics. The Mongols for instance, are nomadic and focused heavily on the stone resource, and are able to move quickly and spread out across an entire map. Mongols can pack up and move their entire base, which makes for massive mobile presence in a game. In stark contrast, a faction like the Delhi Sultanate may be interested in hoarding all the berry bushes because they can do special things with them instead of branching out or hunting at the onset of a game. There are four core resources in Age of Empires IV, but each civilization prioritizes their weights differently. If you’re a real-time-strategy enthusiast, just think about how cool it’s going to be to have eight disparate factions to engage with here. Good luck with the balancing Relic!
Gameplay showcased at the event highlighted the Delhi Sultanate and their powerful War Elephants. Viewers were treated to watching the Elephants stomp over everything with archers firing, spearmen attacking, and more during a slice of action. The combat looks a lot like the Age of Empires that people know from the legacy titles, so fans are probably going to be happy about that. There are four ages to tap into, which should also resonate well with current fans that are used to the structure of Age of Empires II. Players weave their way through Medieval, Feudal, Castle, and Imperial Ages, with all the assorted keeps, castles, trebuchets, and other technology you’d expect. One little change that players will see is that melee units like knights no longer whack on buildings and castles with swords, instead they will switch to torches and other brick-busting fare when they execute attacks on settlements. It’s a simple sort of cosmetic shift, but it makes things look more realistic than having Brave Sir Edward attempt to take down keep walls with a broadsword.
Viewers also got to see a chunk of campaign and campaign philosophy for Age of Empires IV. The campaign takes a sort of documentary approach, aiming to convey a somewhat historical tale as the player engages with real-world locations with story and scale. Instead of simply giving the player new units or tools each campaign mission as a sort of filler experience before they get to the meat of multiplayer or custom maps, the campaign tackles things with a history hinge. In the Norman campaign, players are treated to Duke William of Normandy and his mission to take control of England from King Harold. This arc features events such as the Battle of Hastings and charts the Duke’s descendants such as William II and Henry I as the story makes its way toward modern day England over the generations. In addition to the Norman campaign, three other civilizations have the campaign treatment to explore in Age of Empires IV. Age of Empires IV campaigns tap heavily into historical figures to tell its tales.
As much as Age of Empires IV is featured, the Age of Empires legacy titles haven’t been ignored either. Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is getting new campaigns, co-op historical battles, and more later this year. A new civilization, The United States, is coming to Age of Empires III on April 13.
Can’t wait for Age of Empires IV to arrive? A closed beta period has been announced, and you can sign up at the official website. Relic is bringing Age of Empires back, and I can’t wait to try out each and every civilization when the game arrives (finally!) this fall.
What do you think about Age of Empires IV? Do you still play Age of Empires II? Did you like Age of Empires III? How do you feel about the current state of the real-time strategy genre? Let us know in the comments!
Today's Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest began with the announcement of a new Fortnite action figures line, and concluded with a handful of reveals for Star Wars' Vintage Collection and Black Series lines. Disney Plus' The Mandalorian remains a strong focus for Hasbro, but various video games also grabbed the spotlight for a number of figure reveals.Along with new Vintage Collection figure announcements for Luke Skywalker (Hoth), the Emperor's Royal Guard, Han Solo (Endor), and Admiral Akbar, Hasbro debuted a new subgroup of Gaming Greats. This wave consists of a Heavy Battle Droid from Battlefront II, a Shadow Trooper from The Force Unleashed, and a Scout Trooper and Electrostaff Purge Trooper from Jedi: Fallen Order. All of these figures are currently available for pre-order at GameStop. The Gaming Greats line is exclusive to retailer.
For the fan-favorite Black Series, Hasbro unveiled a slate of exciting figures. From the film side, we're getting new figures of Aurra Sing and General Lando Calrissian. From The Mandalorian, the trigger-happy assassin droid ZERO (or Q9-0) is getting a great looking figure, as is Koska Reeves, the Mandalorian in Bo-Katan Kryze's group. And from the animation side of the Star Wars universe, Hasbro is releasing a figure of Tech, one of the main characters from the forthcoming Bad Batch show.
The most surprising Star Wars announcements were for two fringe characters that are getting pricey collectibles. You'll soon be able to wear a replica of Wedge Antilles' helmet, which consists of forest green coloring and a similar shape to Luke's traditional X-Wing helmet. This Black Series collectible will release for $99.99 this summer, and features electronic lights and sound effects. Hasbro is also commemorating another X-Wing hero in plastic with a vintage collection two-pack that consists of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's Antoc Merrick and his light blue X-Wing fighter. This product hits in the fall for $99.99.
We didn't get the Boba Fett announcement we were hoping for. Everyone wants a figure of him based on his time in The Mandalorian, but it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer for that one. Here's hoping he comes seated on a particular throne shown in the second season's final episode.
What did you think of Hasbro's showing today, not just for Star Wars, but Transformers and Fortnite as well? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
Disclaimer: GameStop is the parent company of Game Informer
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Officially, NCT 127 was not the headliner of KCON 2018 New York, but the intricate setlist and crowd screams would have made one think otherwise. Kicking off with an intense dance introduction, pin-point performances of singles like "Touch" and "Cherry Bomb," and even a special rendition of their 2017 b-side track "Whiplash," the boy band delivered one of the longest sets of the fest and left an audibly obvious impact on the Prudential Center arena. The scene-stealing showcase marked the latest step in NCT 127's steady trajectory to more American visibility that recently included stops at Beats 1 radio, BUILD Series, and even a live Apple Store performance.
Talking to Fuse the morning ahead of the set, the nine members reflected on their growth in the past year, where they see their band going in the future and the love that they have for the other members in their NCT brand.
FUSE: NCT 127 is back in America! We first talked to you at KCON New York last year, your first U.S. show, so how are you feeling a year later?Taeyong: It's similar. What we're feeling is very similar, but now we're headed towards new goals in what we want to do. We're always thinking about what kind of songs we need to sing, what kind of performance we need to put on and what's good to show our fans. So overall, it's very similar, but it's always comes down to what's next to show to the fans.Mark: One more thing to add to that, like what Taeyong said, we do feel the same way with how thrilled we are to stand in front of our fans and with as much that has happened in the year, we have new things to show to the fans music-wise and performance-wise. We want to show how much we've developed as well and so we're just glad to meet our fans who have waiting for us. We also prepared a new intro for "Touch" and it's a lot stronger than what people are expecting, it's going to be the first thing that everyone sees. We also have three members perform one of our new songs "Whiplash" so people can look forward to something new.
It really does feel like you guys are leading this kind of "new generation of K-pop," as they say. Do you guys feel this yourselves?Taeyong: Rather than being able to feel that we are leading this new generation, we feel that K-pop as a genre is at the forefront of attention around the world. We have to try really hard as just one of the K-pop artists in this genre and we feel like we need to really just do our best within this genre. But I think we're going to be in every spot in the whole wide world.
Recently, you participated in the Empathy album by NCT that included a song and video performed by NCT 2018 with all 18 members in the band. What is a video shoot like that like?Haechan: All the members were involved and because there are so many members we had to concentrate a lot harder and there were a lot more things to pay attention to. But because we tried hard, the end result was actually a lot better. In regards to atmosphere of the music video, because everyone was there it was actually really great. Everyone was feeling great and, in general, it was just good.
We saw you in Los Angeles recently performing and doing interviews. Now you're back in New York. Is the US more of a priority for NCT 127 this year? Taeyong: Yes!Johnny: [Clarifying] I feel like we are always getting ready to come out to wherever, even America, even anywhere else, because NCT 127 as a team is a group that starts in Seoul and we want to spread out into the world just to tell everyone what K-pop is. We want to show everyone what NCT 127 is, so we're always ready to come to America—come to anywhere, practically!
You also recently made your debut in Japan and fans are hoping for news about a Korean comeback. What are you working on right now?Jaehyun: We are always preparing new songs, new performances, and I hope we have more opportunities to meet more fans like over the world. I think we are always ready.Mark: We actually don't know the exact date or anything [in regards to new Korean music], but I feel like we are always getting ready to kind of like make something, you know, to get back to our fans as quickly as possible. [We're involved with] every angle of the preparation, we're just trying to interact with the music. We are working on it.
“I ask fans to keep their expectations high for the group.”
— NCT's Taeyong
KCON has a great lineup this year including some of your label mates like Super Junior and Red Velvet. But if you bring on one more artist to the lineup, who would you bring?Taeyong: There are a lot of different artists in SM Entertainment, and there are a lot of our seniors in SM, but because there are a lot of our members in NCT, I think we would really like it if we could perform at KCON with the other members of NCT.
And do you have a message to the fans that are reading around the world and that may not get to see you as often as other areas of the world?Johnny: So, first off, I would like to say thank you for always, I guess like, always rooting for us and supporting us. We are always working on something to show you guys, so I hope you guys are always ready to come out and be like, "Whoa, NCT is finally back!" Taeyong: We're really happy that we can, once again, meet all our fans in New York and we want to continue to make great memories with our fans. NCT is going to continue to grow as a group, and I ask fans to keep their expectations high for the group.
Emerging from pop-rock group One Direction, Liam Payne tells Fuse after ten years of trusting the process and dedication he is set to release his debut album this fall. Having worked with Quavo, Zedd, J Balvin, Rita Ora and more Payne reveals he doesn't want to "pigeonhole" himself and wants to give fans a taste of everything.
With five hit singles showcasing how versatile Payne can be, the new dad explains his debut will be a "mixed bag" and more of a playlist. "My debut album is kind of a bit of a mix bag at the minute. The idea I went for is one, I want to see what people want from me. I'm really into the idea of finding out what it is because I'm trying to do it myself," says the 24-year-old. "And we are doing so many different great songs. I mean, you know, from what you've heard so far. I've done so many different genres of music."
Payne also shares how an experience in Peru influenced him to infuse Latin vibes into his music which would become "Later" featuring J Balvin. Watch the full interview above where Payne discusses traveling being the "biggest education" anyone can have and his first headline concert.
Speaking of Liam Payne and Rita Ora's recent "For You (Fifty Shades Freed)" collab, throw it back to 2014 when Ora spoke about her highly-anticipated 50 Shades of Grey role as Mia Grey:
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From an unexpected viral hit in 2014 to a member's health battle needing to have her sit out of a few album releases, EXID's road to K-pop stardom has been atypical but the cheers from the KCON crowd would make one think otherwise. Earning some of the biggest roars at KCON 2018 New York, the girl group performed their '90s-inspired new single "Lady," along with a handful of other singles, to greet their U.S. fans on the East Coast.
Backstage at the final Day 2 concert of KCON 2018, just as the news hit that a record-breaking 53,000 K-pop fans had officially attended the festival, EXID spoke to Fuse looked back at their best memories from the '90s, looked forward to what's coming next and more.
FUSE: Your latest single "Lady" is obviously inspired by the '90s. You guys are '90s babies, growing up in that time. Do you remember any songs that were really really popular in Korea during the '90s time or from your childhood?Jeonghwa: I was very young, born in 1995, so by the time I was able to actually listen to music and remember it was already the '00s so probably the other members that are better off answering this question. [Laughs]Hani: JYP [Park Jin Young], I really liked JYP songs. Hyelin: I would have school festivals and my friend and I would actually cover groups like S.E.S and Fin.K.L. and I think that actually helped my dream to become a singer.LE: I remember songs from Biggie— who's from New York! Where we are!— and Tupac, yes, of course. Songs like "California Love," I remember listening to a lot of old hip-hop music and songs. We definitely feel like trends repeat themselves and we're so happy that they're able to sing songs that we heard when we were younger.
Do you see any other trends from your childhoods coming back?Hyelin: I remember "fanny packs." In Korea, they called it a sack, but it's called a fanny pack. Yeah, but it's coming back, we call it a side, you know, a side bag because it's cooler. But for me, I remember that it's specifically something my dad wore at that time, but now it's something that people wear.Hani: Bucket hats are back in style. And just like how the rim go around and round, trends go around and around, you know? And to add on to that, even when it comes to pants, back then there were pants with really wide legs, but it's starting to come back. And once again fashion, it comes and goes.
No more skinny jeans for me. Thank you for all those memories, but looking forward to the future, what else does EXID have coming in 2018?Jeonghwa: Solji's health has been recovering very well and as we're watching her health get better, we're looking to come back as all five. I want a group comeback and the group wants the fans to continue to expect us to come back as all five. We really do hope that the fans continue to wait for us.
“We feel like the world is just starting to come around and show love for K-pop”
— Jeonghwa
2018 feels like a really special year for K-pop. EXID's music is reaching so many more people than ever, I think. Do you feel that it's a special year too?Hyelin: First off, we didn't have as much time to go abroad, but when we do see our group mentioned in the media we look into it and we're always touched to see what's being said about us and that we're being talked about overseas. When we do get a chance to go abroad, there are fans at the airport and those are the times when we realize that we're being loved overseas. Anytime we see our fans overseas, we get so much energy and so much support. We're always very thankful.Jeonghwa: Not just our team, but all the Korean teams are trying so hard to achieve their dreams and it's just right now that we feel like the world is just starting to come around and show love for this genre of music.Hani: And we feel so proud that it might just be because we're part of this genre, you know? We see that K-pop culture is actually growing right now, starting to be accepted in this world, and it's really surprising. So we feel this sense of pride to be part of this growing genre.
Young M.A came through to the Fuse office for a Hip-Hop at 45 edition of our Rant and Rave series. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., the emcee shares her thoughts Jeezy's "Snowman" movement, dance waves in hip-hop and the late '80s to early '90s hip-hop rivalry between legendary KRS-One and Marley Marl.
"That was like lit man, I ain't gon lie," she says on the Queensbridge vs. Kingsbridge rivalry. "KRS-One man, he was holding it down. I like MC Shan, though. I wasn't born when that beef happened. When I grew up on hip-hop and I was learning a lot about hip-hop, I remember that beef."
Watch the full Rant and Rave interview above where the 26-year-old also discusses Missy Elliot's iconic black suit, 50 Cent's "Many Men (Wish Death)" and gives Soulja Boy a shout out for making an impact on the hip-hop dance movement.
Below, watch the legendary trio Salt-N-Pepa rate a few hip-hop fashion statements, dance moves and even their own video:
This week, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into the wild world of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, with Engadget Senior Editor Dan Cooper. What do they mean for the future of art and commerce? And should you care about them at all? Also, we chat about Microsoft’s finalized Bethesda acquisition, as well as Facebook’s push to dismiss its latest antitrust charges.
Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
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CreditsHosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn LowGuest: Dan CooperProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien
Google has discussed how Chrome version 89 has improved the browser's memory usage and loading times on Mac, Windows and Android in a new post on the Chromium blog. The tech giant says the browser is now smarter when it comes to using and discarding memory across platforms — for instance, it now discards memory that the foreground tab is not actively using, such as big images that you've already scrolled past.
In addition, the update is also shrinking the browser's memory footprint in background tabs for macOS, which Chrome has already been doing on other platforms for a while now. For macOS, in particular, Google is seeing up to eight percent in memory savings and up to 65 percent in improvement on Apple Energy Impact score for tabs in the background. Those translate to a cooler Mac with quieter fans. Chrome 89 now also uses PartitionAlloc, the company's own advanced memory allocator, everywhere on Android and 64-bit Windows. Thanks to that change, it has improved browser responsiveness by up to 9 percent, and it's seeing up to 22 percent in memory savings on Windows.
The Chrome team says new Play and Android capabilities allowed it to repackage the browser for fewer crashes and that it rebuilt the browser to be more stable for newer Android devices. It has also introduced a feature called "Freeze-Dried Tabs" to make starting up Chrome on Android up to 13 percent faster. Freeze-Dried Tabs work by saving a lightweight version of your tabs — it's around the size of a screenshot, but it still supports scrolling and zooming, and it keeps links clickable. The screenshot-like tabs show up when you first fire up Chrome and while the actual tabs are loading in the background, so you can see pages load faster than before.
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Welcome to Friday morning. As some email subscribers may have noticed, the daily newsletter has been on hiatus for several weeks as we contended with a persistent technical issue. We’ve now figured out a fix, so we’re back to our regularly scheduled newsletter.
Thanks for your patience and if you have any more feedback, you can get in touch with us at themorningafter(at)engadget.com. (And if you’re reading this on the site, you can subscribe right here.)
Today's edition includes a smartphone with a ‘microscope’ camera, Tenet on a Game Boy Advance, an explanation of exactly what NFTs are and how to digitally organize your Mac, as our Spring Cleaning series goes beyond simply cleaning your keyboard. That’s where my spring cleaning typically ends.
— Mat Smith
Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Bob Wulff, YouTube
Proving old devices never really die, some enterprising crafters keep squeezing functionality out of yesteryear’s gadgets. That includes a horrifically compressed version of Tenet for Game Boy Advance, and a wildly unnecessary Twitter client for the Handspring Visor. Continue reading.
The cryptocurrency offshoot presents a jumble of contradictions.
NBA
Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs, are the cryptocurrency off-shoot that has, all of a sudden, burst into the mainstream. They’re essentially a way of tying a certificate of authenticity to a digital file, among other things, like a contract, video clip or even a still image. The possibilities for NFTs are still to be explored, but they’re booming right now like Bitcoin did through much of 2020. Yesterday, a digital artwork by Beeple and associated NFT sold at auction for nearly $70 million. For what essentially amounted to a copy of a still image someone could have printed at home for free and a signed receipt.
If you’re wondering what exactly all of this means, and what’s going on, then Dan Cooper has written a lengthy explainer to get you up to speed on what this is, even if you still have trouble understanding why someone would spend so much money on it. Continue reading.
And both its wide and ultra-wide cameras have the same sensor.
Engadget
Oppo’s new flagship phone, the Find X3 Pro is entirely focused on photography — the giant sensor array on the back kind of gives that away. The headline feature has to be its "microscope" camera. The 3-megapixel f/3.0 microscopic camera delivers 30x magnification natively and can handle 1080p video recording. As you have to get close — the focal distance is between only 1mm and 3mm — this camera even has a small ring light to illuminate your subject.
The results make for a unique camera phone. It’s an Oppo device, so there’s also lightning-fast charging with the bundled 65W SuperVOOC charger and speedier wireless charging with compatible docks, which can fully charge your phone in 80 minutes. Given past form, chances are the Find X3 Pro won't head to the US, but the company has announced it'll be available in the UK on April 14th, starting at £1,099, which is around $1,250. Continue reading.
It aims to have a high-capacity pre-production battery by 2023.
GM is elaborating on its next-generation Ultium batteries, which sound like something from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but are not. The company plans to use lithium-metal (Li-metal) technology to boost performance and energy density. Li-metal batteries replace carbon anodes with lithium metal, allowing for lighter and more powerful cells. The challenge with the technology is increased resistance and "dendrite" filaments that tend to form on the anodes, making batteries short-circuit and heat up. “With this next-generation Ultium chemistry, we believe we’re on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation improvement in energy density and cost," said GM President Mark Reuss, adding that there was also “still room for improvement”. Continue reading.
Taking care of your computer doesn’t need to be complicated.
Engadget
Once you’ve dusted the cookie crumbs from your MacBook keyboard, it’s time for a digital clean. Associate Editor Igor Bonifacic reveals his fastidious Mac cleaning techniques, encompassing hard-drive organization, keeping your desktop clean going forward and even how to purloin the best organization features from Windows 10 for your Mac. Continue reading.
Do you remember whose account you’re streaming on?
Getty
For years, Netflix has looked the other way on people sharing passwords to their streaming accounts with folks that may not quite meet the definition of a “member of the household.” As its streaming audience has grown into the hundreds of millions, allowing easy access has been more important than triple-checking credentials.
But those days may be coming to an end. The company confirmed a test it’s running that prompts suspected freeloaders to get their own accounts and then asks to verify their access with a code sent to the registered account holder’s phone number or email address. Now that Netflix has hiked its prices for several years in a row, and growth in some countries is slowing, it looks like this is a way to find a few more paying customers. Continue reading.
Nearly every addition is coming to play on Xbox, PC and mobile.
Now the deal is done, Microsoft-owned game publisher Bethesda has announced 20 of its games are xton Xbox Game Pass, starting today. In all, Microsoft is adding 12 new titles, including Fallout 4, Morrowind and The Evil Within, for people to check out. They'll join eight other Bethesda games, like Dishonored 2, Fallout 76 and Doom Eternal, that were already available through the service, making a total of 20 titles. Check the full list of titles here.
But wait, there’s more...
US lawmakers introduce bill to make high-speed internet available to all
Chrome for Android lets you preview web links
SSL's UF8 DAW controller is a luxury in search of an audience
Google Meet update crams more people into your mobile video calls
EA opens probe into claims that staff are selling rare ‘FIFA 21 Ultimate Team’ cards
Apple's MagSafe Duo Charger is 22 percent off at Best Buy
Netflix's 'Resident Evil' CG anime leans on familiar voice actors
The best white noise machines for babies
Verizon (owner of Engadget's parent company Verizon Media) has expanded its 5G Home Internet service's availability, launching it in 10 new cities this month. Starting on March 18th, the service will roll out to parts of Cleveland, OH; Las Vegas, NV; Louisville, KY; Omaha, NE and San Diego, CA. A few days after that, on March 25th, the service will also be available in parts of Charlotte, NC; Cincinnati, OH; Hartford, CT; Kansas City, MO and Salt Lake City, UT.
The carrier launched its 5G Home internet service back in 2018, promising typical download speeds of around 300 Mbps and max speeds of up to 1 Gbps with no data caps. As the name implies, it doesn't need a cable or fiber hookup, just the company's "Internet Gateway" device that customers can set up on their own. It was only available in five cities for quite some time, because Verizon pushed back its broader rollout to wait for more powerful equipment to come in. The service costs $50 a month for current customers with eligible mobile plans or $70 a month for non-Verizon customers.
Verizon has also recently announced winning between 140 and 200 megahertz of C-Band spectrum in every available market from the latest FCC auction. That'll allow the company to expand its 5G Ultra Wideband's availability, though only those with premium unlimited plans will be able to access C-Band's faster speeds.
Last seen in 1993, Jeep's Wagoneer is back and big in every sense of the word — including the amount of technology found inside. The classic large luxury SUV brand (which surely inspired the Simpson's "Canyonero") has multiple touchscreens, support for both Apple and Android entertainment systems and even video streaming via Amazon's Fire TV.
The big daddy Grand Wagoneer packs up to no less than four touch displays to fill out that enormous dash. That includes a 12.3-inch digital dash cluster, along with a 12-inch infotainment system. The latter uses the latest version of Chrysler/Jeep's Uconnect 5, and also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Sitting directly below that is a 10.3-inch display that lets you control the climate and seats. (On the regular Wagoneer, you get smaller 10.3- and 10.1-inch displays for the digital dash and infotainment display, respectively.)
Stellantis
Those are just for the driver — the front passenger gets their own (optional) 10.3-inch touchscreen that allows them to watch movies, monitor the vehicle and more. Rear passengers get a pair of matching 10.1-inch displays, also optional. All three of those screens let passengers control navigation and media, monitor the external cameras, and play your own content via the aforementioned Android Auto/Apple CarPlay or Uconnect.
As we detailed last week, you can also stream video using Amazon's Fire TV for Auto with Alexa, giving passengers access to Amazon's library of Prime Video shows. You'll also be able to play games, use apps and access Alexa on the road through Fire TV for Auto.
The rest of the interior is a lux as you'd expect in such an SUV, equipped with what Jeep calls an "American premium" design (the word "American" appears no less than 32 times in the Wagoneer press release). You're coddled with wood, aluminum and leather throughout and the Grand Wagoneer has 24-way adjustable power seats, with lumbar support and memory settings. The Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer offer 94.2 and 116.7 cubic feet of storage space, respectively. Pricing starts at just under $60,000, but to get all the tech bells and whistles, you'll pay up to $105,995 for the Grand Wagoneer Series III.
Sitting on the western tip of India and meeting the sea, Dwarkadhish Temple is one of the largest temples in the ancient holy city of Dwarka. It is located where River Gomti meets the Arabian Sea and one can see the temple from many miles due to its large structure and the vast empty stretch of lands that surrounds the temple.
The temple is active all day long where daily activities will be happening from the early morning hours to late evening hours.
History
The history of the temple goes back to many centuries where people believed that the temple is constructed by Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna and this is where the Hari Griha or the home of Krishna once stood making Dwarka a holy land.
The current structure of Dwarkadhish temple is an amalgamation of changes and construction for over a few centuries from the 8th to the current year where changes and renovation works have been done.
The giant temple stands tall for over 80m which is equivalent to the current 25 storey building. And on top of the building is 25ft long flagstaff.
The tall tower over the main sanctum is built in Nagara Style and there are 7 visible stories which are constructed keeping in mind 7 ancient cities in India. The 7 cities that are depicted here include Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kashi, Avantika, Kanchipuram, and Dwarka. If you notice this, the whole of India is represented here and this is an intriguing factor.
Mandapa of the temple is carved out of a single stone and it stands on over 72 pillars. It has 4 stories that represent the Char Dhams of Vaishnava Temples, Dwarka being one of the 4 Dhams of the western corner of India.
Style of Architecture
The temple has been constructed in general Solanki style which was a prevalent style of architecture in Gujarat. As per archaeologists, the main temple is said to be constructed around 12-13th CE while the Sabah Mandap is said to be constructed around 15-16th CE.
During the excavations, it is revealed that this is the 4th temple and the oldest temple should have been around 2000 years old.
Dwarkadhish temple is home to one of the 4 Shankaracharya Peetas or Shardha Peetas. Shardha Peetas are part of temples that are dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya and in the evenings one can hear students chanting Sanskrit Shlokas from Vedas.
Dwarkadhish Group of Temples
Dwarkadhish Temple is big and full of small temples however, at the inner sanctum or Girbha Gruha, the idol of Lord Krishna as four-armed Vishnu where the experts call this as Trivikram.
The temple of Dwarkadhish here is also known as Jagat Mandir.
The idol or Murti of Dwarkadhish is 2.25ft high and is carved out of Black Stone. The current murti is the third one. The first Murti is now at Beyt Dwarka which was bought here to protect it from foreign invaders, the first Murti was believed to be worshipped by Rukmini herself.
The second murti is at Dakor. The story goes that there was a little girl who was a devotee of Sri Krishna who used to travel from Dakor to Dwarka. Pleased by her devotion, Sri Krishna decided to go along with her and priests suspected that the girl had stolen the idol and when they approached the little girl, she paid them with gold coins and now the second idol sits at Dakor.
Priests suspected that there is another idol at Savitri Taalav and when they dug the place in a hurry an incomplete idol came out. This is the current image of Sri Krishna that is being worshipped.
The idol of Sri Krishna faces the western direction which suggests that he might be looking at the sea where his city has been submerged.
Other temples are located at the Dwarkadhish temple complex.
As Dwarkadhish temple is a collection of the temple, one can notice smaller temples here such as
Kusheshwar Mahadev Temple – A shiva temple
Navagraha Yantra
Kashi Visvanath Shivalingam
Gayatri Devi Temple
Aniruddha and Pradyumna Temple
Rishi Durvasa Temple
Amba Ji Temple
Devaki Temple
Radha Krishna Temple
Shankaracharya Samadhi
Gates of Dwarkadhish temple
Dwarkadhish Temple has 2 entrances, they are titled Moksha Dwara and Swarga Dwara. From the Swarga dwara, 56 steps lead down to Gomti Ghat and stories suggest that 56 steps represent 56 crore yadavas.
Ceremonies
As mentioned before, the temple is busy all day long where they follow a strict routine. During the day, there will be aarti, darshans, and bhogs. The activities mean, devotees converse with the deity and offer food.
Throughout the day, the Shringar of the deity is changed and every time the shringar is changed, the backdrop of the deity is changed where the deity is put on with amazing jewellery.
Flag Hoisting Ceremony
One of the striking features of the Dwarkadish temple is its flags. And every time you look, a different colored flag will be visible as it is changed 3 times in morning hours and twice evening hours.
There is a waiting list of 2 years for a person to sponsor flags.
The flags itself hold great importance here. The family sponsoring the flag should feed all the Brahmanas in Dwarka and they bring the flag singing and dancing to the temple premises. The flag is then offered to the deity where a person from the Brahmin community goes up and changes the flag.
The flag that is sponsored comes with a lot of rules where it should measure 52 yards. 52 smaller flags are attached to the large flag representing 52 sub-casts of yadavas. Another theory says 52 represents the 52 doors that Dwarka once had.
The flag can be of any color except black and the flag should have a sun and a moon emblem on it.
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Things to do in Dwarka
Dwarka is an ancient city in the Northwestern state of Gujarat which is also an important pilgrimage site. It is located on the banks of the Gomti River. Dwarka is one of the 4 Chardham and one of the 7 religious cities in India. Dwarka was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Krishna and is believed to be the first capital of Gujarat.
Being an historic city, you can explore many things to do in this ancient city.
Dwarkadhish Temple
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One of the famous temples in Dwarka is Dwarkadhish. When you visit this ancient city of Dwarka, you should not miss visiting this temple and make sure you visit the temple once in the morning and once in the evening. One of the striking features of the Dwarkadhish temple is that the flag of the temple is changed 5 times a day. The flag will be sponsored by a family and it is a huge affair here.
Dwarkadhish Temple is situated on the banks of the Gomti River and the temple worships Lord Krishna who was King of Dwarka. The temple is supposed to be built by Vajranabh, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna.
Nageshwar Temple
One of the jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, Nageshwar jyotirlinga is one of the 12 jyotirlingas and is located around 15kms from the city center.
Nageshwar temple is one of the oldest temples mentioned in Shiva Purana and is believed to be the first of all 12 jyotirlingas. The swayambhu lingam is enshrined in the underground chamber of Nageshwar Temple and thousands of pilgrims visit this location all-year-round.
The temple is built with the typical Hindu architecture. This is a unique temple as Shiva Lingam faces south and the gomugam faces the east. The Shiva lingam at Nageshwar temple is a tri-mukhi rudraksha and is around 40cms in height and 30cms in diameter.
The Ghats have an important place in Hindu mythology where people worship, Gomati Ghat is one of the sacred ghats located on the banks of River Gomti in Dwarka and is located behind Dwarkadhish temple.
Gomati Ghat is located at the mouth of the Gomti River, which is one of the important tributaries of the sacred River Ganges. According to the myths, River Gomti is a daughter of Vashistha Muni and her waters are enough to purge one’s sins.
There is a space of 56 steps from Dwarkadhish temple and Gomati Ghat and taking a dip here is believed to be sacred and will liberate one’s sins committed in previous births. It is also said, Lord Krishna, himself took bath several times here.
Rukmini Temple
One of the important sites to visit in Dwarka is Rukmini Devi Temple.Rukmini Devi who is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.
and this temple is dedicated to the beloved wife of Lord Krishna. The temple is believed to be constructed for more than 2500 years but its domed mandapa and stepped sanctuary belong to the 12th Century. The sanctum of the temple has a marble idol of Devi Rukmani and is an architectural marvel in itself. On the walls, there will be rich paintings on the walls depicting Rukmini and Krishna.
The Rukmini Devi temple is located on the banks of the Bhagirathi river and never miss out on visiting this temple while you visit the ancient city of Dwarka.
Shivrajpur beach is one of the famous beaches in Gujarat and is a must-visit location. It is a beautiful beach with white sands which offers stunning sunsets and picturesque views to the tourists. The beach is not much commercialized which makes it ideal for tourists to visit and spend some quality time off away from chaotic city experience.
If you are lucky, you can spot Dolphins and beautiful birds on the sea here, recently, beach management has introduced water sports, food, and shopping areas for visitors.
Recently, Shivrajpur Beach has been certified with Blue Flag which means it is one of the cleanest beaches in the world. To get a blue flag certification, a beach should have 33 stringent criteria approved which are based on environmental education and information, bathing water quality, environmental management, and conservation of the beaches.
The Blue flag is one of the world’s most prestigious voluntary awards for beaches and getting a blue flag certified will help to increase tourism to the state.
Shree Nath Dining Hall is a local Restaurant Run by an elderly lady and her family that offers local authentic Gujarati Food with personal care and touch by the lady who personally visits every table and serves us food and are treated like house guests.
All the spread is for Rs 130 for the thali and generally takes 1 hour waiting time during peak hours.
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Seychelles will be reopening its borders from the end of this month as the island nation gears up to welcome tourists and is hoping to resuscitate a sector for the economy which has been battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
When the coronavirus started spreading all across the world, authorities sealed off the archipelago to the rest of the world and thus bringing losses to travel, resorts, cruise ships, and nature reserves of the customers.
“Seychelles will reopen to tourists from all over the world … on March 25,” said a state-owned news agency according to the statement provided by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Sylvestre Radegonde.
Tourists from all over the world except South Africa can enter the archipelago.
Revenue from tourism fell over 61% as anti-coronavirus restrictions cut arrivals by 70%.
The Island nation would be open to tourists however, it comes with rules where the tourists need to undertake coronavirus tests within 72 hours before entering the country. Tourists who are tested negative need not quarantine, however, they need to stay at hotels that are certified by the government and need to comply with coronavirus measures.
Wearing masks, hand sanitizing, and social and physical distancing will be mandatory.
“We are hoping that this will give the economy the breathing space that the economy needs, the country needs,” said the minister as quoted by the agency.
The country so far has at least 2,618 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 11 deaths, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data.
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Francis and The Godfather: Oscar Isaac to Play Francis Ford Coppola, Jake Gyllenhaal Set as Robert Evans
Oscar-winner Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Bugsy, Dopesick) is set to direct Francis and The Godfather, an upcoming drama about the “legendary and wild battles” behind the making of the 1972 Oscar-winning crime drama The Godfather, with Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac (Show Me a Hero, Ex Machina, Star Wars franchise) starring as The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola and Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain, Prisoners) portraying producer Robert Evans (via Deadline).
RELATED: The Guilty: Netflix Acquires Jake Gyllenhaal & Antoine Fuqua Thriller Film
Francis and The Godfather is based on a Black List script written by Andrew Farotte, which was redeveloped by Levinson.
“Out of the madness of production, and against all odds, a classic film happened,” said Levison, regarding the difficulties behind the development of The Godfather that the film will be exploring.
“Coppola was 31 at the time, determined to convince Evans and the studio to allow him to film expensively in New York, set in the time period of a novel which would become a big bestseller. This after the original Mario Puzo script was set in contemporary Kansas City. Among the other debates was the idea to gamble on Marlon Brando, an eclectic character who hadn’t been in a hit film in years, to play mob family patriarch Don Corleone (for which he would win the Best Actor prize), and also Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, a character who slowly evolved from a desire to get far away from the family business to taking it over when it was clear his father would be murdered even after a bungled assassination attempt. Evans, who took the top job after a career as an actor, had pressures all his own, as the studio was in danger of closing up shop. There was also the uneasy discussions with real mobsters who were none too pleased to have their dirty business to be aired in a major studio film,” the outlet shares.
Coppola reportedly gave his approval for Francis and the Godfather, saying: “Any move that Barry Levinson makes about anything, will be interesting and worthwhile!”
“Here was a young man who lived outside the system and every step of the way the system was telling him, ‘You can’t do that.’ But Francis never gave up on his vision and the result speaks for itself,” added Echo Lake Entertainment’s Mike Marcus.
RELATED: Paramount Pictures to Release Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone
Echo Lake Entertainment’s Mike Marcus, Doug Mankoff, and Andrew Spaulding will produce along with Kevin Turen, Jon Levin, and Baltimore Pictures’ Jason Sosnoff.