Looking for a phone around 20,000? Check out this Realme deal for the Realme 9 Pro Plus smartphone.
The Realme 9 Pro Plus in its 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant is available for just Rs. 21,999 on Flipkart (opens in new tab). You can also get this phone for Rs. 20,999 if you have an HDFC bank credit or debit card. But there is a problem. You can only get this phone at this price on prepaid orders and not cash on delivery orders.
Realme 9 Pro Plus launched in India at starting price of Rs. 24,999 for the base variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The 8/128GB variant sells for Rs. 26,999. This variant is the one on sale for Rs. 21,999 So, you are getting the highest variant at a lower price than the basic variant of the phone.
The Realme 9 Pro Plus comes with a 6.4-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC which is one of the best chipsets in the segment.
Talking about the camera side, the 9 Pro Plus comes with a triple camera setup consisting of the 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor with OIS support. It is one of the few phones with OIS support in the segment. There is an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro sensor. The selfie camera is 16MP.
Now speaking of the battery, it comes with a 4,500mAh battery and supports 60W fast charging.
Should I buy Realme 9 Pro Plus in 2022?
(Image credit: Future)
The Realme 9 Pro Plus hasn’t been released that far. It’s still a great buy for the price. If you’re looking for a great camera phone at this price point, this is it. It comes with the flagship-level Sony IMX766 sensor that we’ve seen on the OnePlus 9, OnePlus Nord 2, OnePlus 9RT, Oppo Reno 7 Pro, etc. It’s also one of two phones in this budget that comes with OIS support.
Not just the camera, this phone is still one of the best choices among competing phones. If you want a Samsung phone on that budget, then you can check out the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G, which is also in for a deal.
Intel and AMD are gearing up for one of the biggest showdowns the CPU industry has seen in years, with new generations of processors rapidly approaching launch on both sides. from Intel 13th generation ‘Raptor Lake’ chips will face AMD ‘Zen 4’ Ryzen 7000 series, and both competitors are promising some serious performance.
Details about the new CPUs are slowly emerging through a combination of leaks and official announcements, and things are looking pretty good for Intel. Raptor Lake is reported to represent a significant increase in performance of current-generation Alder Lake chips, and now a leaked slide from an Intel China workshop event has revealed that Raptor Lake-S chips will support both DDR4 and DDR5 memories.
We previously knew that the Raptor Lake and Ryzen 7000 would support DDR5, but now it looks like Intel will have an advantage over Intel by offering support for the new memory standard and the more common DDR4 flavor of RAM.
(Image credit: 无情的滑稽 (Baidu))
That’s a big deal as DDR5 is the new kid on the block and adoption is still pretty slow among PC makers. It is constantly working on pre-built desktops and laptops, but not as common on custom PCs as it requires a motherboard upgrade. DDR5 is also expensive – it’s getting more accessiblebut DDR4 is still much cheaper, and you also need a more expensive DDR5 compatible motherboard.
For the uninitiated, the ‘S-series’ Raptor Lake chips are efficiency-oriented versions of Intel’s CPUs, with slightly less processing in exchange for lower power requirements. It’s unclear at this point whether regular Raptor Lake chips (or the overclocking-enabled K-series) will feature this same dual-standard memory support.
Analysis: AMD could be harmed by forcing adopters to upgrade to DDR5
AMD is is already struggling a little against the resounding success of Intel’s Alder Lake CPUs, which deliver incredible performance thanks to their hybrid core architecture that uses powerful ‘performance cores’ along with low-power ‘efficiency cores’.
AMD is generally still a good choice for building PCs on a budget (the Ryzen 5 5600X is currently available for under $200) and Team Red has long positioned itself as the processor of choice for gamers, but this leak causes problems for the Ryzen 7000.
Potential buyers on a tight budget are likely to be lured by support for the more affordable DDR4 memory standard – especially since DDR5-capable motherboards are often more expensive as well. AMD forcing everyone who buys a Ryzen 7000 CPU to use DDR5 could make it the least attractive option for money-conscious consumers.
AMD appears to have plans for the Ryzen 5000-series chips before the launch of its next-gen processors, at least. It has been suggested that AMD may target a september release date to knock Intel in the punch, but that depends on the Ryzen 5000 stock being shifted first. AMD also appears to have plans to integrate its 3D V-cache technology that boosts the game on new current generation chips, which might help their position a little.
The Terminal List, Prime Video’s new military thriller, has taken a critical beating.
The show, which is led by Jurassic World: Dominion star Chris Pratt, premiered July 1 on Prime Video, backed by a massive marketing campaign with a pessimistic Pratt looking into the middle distance.
The Terminal List is based on the novel of the same name by Jack Carr and follows Pratt’s Lieutenant Commander James Reece, a US Navy SEAL who is left helpless after his platoon is ambushed during a secret mission.
Reece is the sole survivor of the mission, and as he tries to uncover the truth about what happened, his version of events doesn’t match the account given by high-ranking Marines. So naturally, the beginnings of a deadly conspiracy begin to form.
Pratt, who was paid $1.4 million for each episode of The Terminal List, takes on the lead role in a cast that also includes Constance Wu of The Hustlers, Taylor Kitsch of Friday Night Lights, Riley Keough and Jai Courtney of The Suicide Squad.
Antoine Fuqua, director of The Equalizer and Oscar-winner Training Day, took over the helm of the first episode, with David DiGilio, who worked on the pirate thriller Crossbones, serving as showrunner.
The show’s eight episodes were released on July 1, but is it worth watching? Well, if you ask the critics, the answer is a firm no.
What did they say?
The program’s ratings aren’t total garbage, but they aren’t good either – The terminal list currently boasts a 34% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (opens in new tab). Interestingly though, the show’s viewership score is much higher at 92%, so it seems to be hitting some.
The general consensus is that the series, which is very much in the mold of the dark, stoic, macho military thriller (similar to Prime Video’s Jack Ryan’s previous show), is good, but not as good as what came before it. It’s also, he whispers, a little boring…
Matt Fowler from IGN Films (opens in new tab) was among the few critics with something good to say, but even he criticized the show’s length and lack of light between the relentless shadow.
Doesn’t look good for a second season then?
Not so fast. As we said, audience reactions to The Terminal List have been pretty good so far, and Carr’s series of novels leaves four more to adapt – so there’s plenty of raw material.
Additionally, Pratt and Prime Video currently have a great working relationship. He made The Tomorrow War for Amazon and is expected to make a sequel to that giant alien-crushing action thriller.
Amazon clearly sees value in military thrillers – it already has Reacher and Jack Ryan, who is expected to get a spin-off, in its repertoire. The terminal list fits this genre perfectly, so if the audience watches it, you can bet the streamer will earn more.
Looking for yet another Prime Video show? Here’s our summary of the Top 20…
That’s not to say all customer reviews are fake – many users take the time to legitimately express their thoughts, but when it comes time to finally spend your savings on a Prime Day deal, it’s important to consider that not everything is always so it seems.
Amazon fighting fake reviews
Amazon is no stranger to rave reviews (where positive reviews are posted as a favor or in exchange for ill-gotten gains) and has been in the media spotlight on the matter.
These forged reviews take many forms; from small-scale operations involving fake reviews from family and friends to large operations with companies dedicated to selling fake Amazon reviews in bulk. Previously, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) even had to weigh against fake comment groups on social media sites (opens in new tab).
Things got even more confusing when Amazon introduced global ratings in the product reviews section, which gathered reviews from around the world. In some countries, the available product has very different and in some cases completely different specifications.
Also, with the removal of the comments section and the addition of one-touch reviews, it is becoming increasingly difficult to verify the validity of customer feedback.
While we can’t say for sure it’s fake, this review we found when shopping for wireless headphones is an example of how fake reviews can be very vague without commenting on any specific element of the product. (Image credit: Future)
Amazon regularly removes fraudulent reviews and even ceased operating its Chinese market (opens in new tab) following difficulties in monitoring and growth. However, it’s fair to say it has a pretty mammoth task on its hands, with a 2021 Amazon blog post (opens in new tab) stating that it has over 300 million active customers and over 1.9 million sales partners worldwide.
According to the post, in 2020, Amazon stopped “over 200 million suspicious fake reviews before they were seen by a customer,” and over 99% of review enforcement was driven by proactive detection.
An Amazon spokesperson highlighted to the set of policies (opens in new tab) to reviewers and sales partners, expressing a commitment to “suspend, ban and take legal action against those who violate these policies”.
The spokesperson added to this, saying that Amazon uses “powerful machine learning tools and skilled investigators to review more than 10 million weekly review submissions, with the aim of preventing abusive reviews before they are even published.
“Additionally, we continue to monitor all existing reviews for signs of abuse and act quickly if we find an issue. We also proactively work with social media sites to report bad actors who are cultivating abusive reviews outside of our store.”
How to spot fake reviews
While Amazon continues to work behind the scenes to minimize the impact of fake reviews, they seem to be here to stay in every corner of the internet. However, there is a lot you can do to protect yourself.
There are some red flags that are easy to spot; overly promotional language, repeated comments, comments for an entirely different product, etc. Still, it can take a bit of legwork when you’re trying to make a choice – especially a quick one on Prime Day.
While Noonan noted that ReviewMeta data did not show a change in the rate of fake reviews posted, Khalifa’s FakeSpot tool noted an influx of fake reviews over the course of the 2020 lockdown.
It is impossible for Amazon to verify that all products and reviews are legitimate
Tommy Noonan, Founder of ReviewMeta
Where previously they accounted for an average of 25-30% of all global ratings, in June/July 2020 this has increased to 40-45% according to FakeSpot data – a number Khalifa has never seen before.
He says the problem stems from the volume of sellers using the site as a “valet service”, claiming that it is “impossible for Amazon to verify that all products and reviews are legitimate or not”.
As highlighted in Amazon’s recent blog post, social media groups play a huge role in today’s fake review market.
Noonan says that sellers in these groups will pay members to buy and rate the products: “The reviewers are using their own money to buy the product, so the reviews still have the ‘Verified Buyer’ badge.
We Tested ReviewMeta on Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones (opens in new tab) and the results were quite promising. (Image credit: Future)
In addition, Noonan says, many sellers are encouraging reviews by offering bundled deals. “They will use tricks like pre-screening customer feedback before asking for a review and even asking people to change their reviews to 5 stars before they receive the free gift.
“This is against Amazon ToS, but I’m personally seeing a note like this on about 35% of my Amazon purchases.”
A fake Amazon branded voucher that we received in a package a few days after writing this article (Image credit: Future)
In addition to the superficial information a consumer can get from a quick glance at a listing, there is a lot of deeper information that can help make an informed decision.
Noonan highlights unverified purchases, “easy rating” reviewers who give everything 5 stars, batches of reviews in close succession, as well as the type of language used in reviews as indicators of authenticity that ReviewMeta checks.
In addition to the quality issues that can arise with cheap products that slip off the net on Amazon, there are legitimate concerns about how fake reviews can also mask counterfeit items.
Khalifa highlights how counterfeits of everything from Apple products to gaming equipment and components from brands like Nvidia and AMD are available on the site, which can be purchased in bulk from sites like Alibaba and Aliexpress.
Using components as an example, he says, “Many people question us when we give F grades to ads like these. It’s because the ads are known to have fakes for sale and they use fake reviews to hide them.
“You read the reviews, buy the product and don’t expect it to be a fake, but it’s an insidious problem that won’t show up until the component overheats.”
Fortunately, tools like ReviewMeta and FakeSpot give customers a way to shop faster and more effectively on Amazon this Prime Day.
You read the reviews, buy the product and don’t expect it to be counterfeit
Saoud Khalifa, founder of FakeSpot
ReviewMeta allows users to copy and paste any Amazon product URL into ReviewMeta.com to receive a full review of reviews.
Noonan says, “We leverage algorithms and data science to examine hundreds of millions of reviews and help identify suspicious patterns in reviews.”
FakeSpot also has a website with a similar function, as well as a browser add-on for Chrome or Firefox and an app that enhances the buyer’s journey while shopping online with a set of features.
The first is FakeSpot’s review rating, which uses an AF rating system to score the reliability and reliability of reviews. Next up is FakeSpot Guard, a tool that highlights sellers known to market counterfeit goods, which was added in 2020 after the team identified an increase in counterfeiting issues. Lastly is the Highlights feature, which provides the top-notch review information that is most important to users.
We tested the exact same product on FakeSpot to compare the results, which were equally positive. (Image credit: Future)
Amazon Prime Day is an exciting time to get a great deal – so make sure it’s a really good deal you’re getting.
Whether remaining skeptical and investigating reviews yourself or using tools to do the legwork for you, it’s more important than ever to protect yourself online against deceptive promotional tactics.
If you see a review that you believe to be false, it’s important to report it to Amazon by clicking on the ‘Report Abuse’ link that appears below the review.
Outside of Amazon, you can always read reviews on sites like ours and stay up to date with what we’re saying are the best deals on Amazon Prime Day.
If you’re having trouble getting your hands on a Steam Deck, Chinese tech company GPD has a rather strange solution.
It’s called GPD Win Max 2 (opens in new tab) and it’s a miniature laptop that doubles as a portable game console. Looking like an oversized Nintendo DS, the Win Max 2 features physical gaming controls above the keyboard, complete with two analog sticks, a directional pad and four face buttons. There are two pairs of shoulder buttons, plus an extra programmable pair on the back. It even has a six-axis gyroscope for motion control and a vibration motor.
Really, the GPD Win Max 2 is an odd hybrid of recent gaming features. The only thing missing is a touchscreen.
double duty
Unlike the Steam Deck, the GPD wants their new device to function as a work laptop. For starters, the Win Max 2 comes with two magnetic covers that can be placed over the built-in controllers to hide them so your boss doesn’t know. And there’s a built-in 2MP camera with a wide-angle view for video conferencing.
In addition, the computer has quite powerful hardware. You will be able to choose between two models, depending on which processor/graphic pair you choose.
The first model features an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor paired with an AMD Radeon 680M RDNA2 graphics card. The 6800U consists of eight cores with 16 threads and has a maximum clock speed of 4.7Ghz. The GPD claims that the 680M GPU allows Win Max 2 to run certain games at “around 40-60 FPS at 1920×1200 resolution”. The full list of games that run at this quality is unknown, but the company reveals 12, which include Elden ringand Valorant.
The other combination consists of a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P CPU with Iris Xe GPU. It has four performance cores and eight efficient cores with 16 threads in total. According to the GPD’s own numbers, the Intel model outperforms the AMD model by a small margin. However, the maximum clock speed is the same as the AMD CPU.
Aside from the performance differences, the two laptops share the same features. You will be able to choose between a 1TB or 2TB SSD with SD and microSD card readers. For RAM, you can choose between 16GB and 32GB. And all that power is displayed through a 10.1-inch display with a maximum resolution of 2560×1600, far superior to the Steam Deck’s 1280×800 display.
GPD claims that its 67Wh battery provides power for up to “five hours of continuous gaming.” If you’re just working in the office, the battery life can go up to 14 hours. Fast charging is available, which gives you two hours of life in about five minutes. And for high temperatures, the WIn Max 2 sports a big fan with two heat pipes to keep everything cool.
Review: Small but expensive
Admittedly, this is a pretty interesting device, but we doubt it’s a “Steam Deck killer”. Horizontally, Win Max 2 is 160mm long and 227mm wide (about 6.2 inches by 9 inches). Considering its size, the computer seems to work well as a portable gaming device. To get the job done, it’s probably too small and cramped to wear comfortably.
There are several packages available with the highest cost of $1299. If you promise that amount, you will get a Win Max 2 that comes with AMD CPU, 2TB of storage and 32GB of RAM. The cheapest is $899, which has the same AMD CPU but with 128GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. The estimated shipping date is set for sometime in September 2022.
If you are one of the lucky few who have a Steam Deck, we recommend that you check it out. our list of the best console games.
The current cryptocurrency crash has had far-reaching effects on the tech market and has even had a substantially positive impact on the environment.
According to data released by Digiconomistthe accident reduced carbon emissions by a significant amount – 150,000 metric tons of CO2 per day are avoided due to reduced cryptomining.
As stated by Digiconomist, “the total reductions in the last few weeks already represent a quarter of the annual CO2 reductions from Tesla vehicles”. We will see how much more emissions decrease as the market continues to fall.
The cryptocurrency crash is (so far) having a lasting impact on related carbon emissions. 150,000 metric tons of CO2 are avoided each day compared to before the accident. The total reductions in recent weeks are already equivalent to a quarter of the annual CO2 reductions from Tesla vehicles. pic.twitter.com/BPiTu1d8WPJune 30, 2022
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To put this into context, this amount of avoided carbon emissions, according to the Digiconomist analysis, is more than the entire global net savings produced by the deployment of electronic vehicles, which the International Energy Agency (opens in new tab) put at around 50 Mt in 2020.
Of course, this is just avoiding carbon emissions, which means this represents carbon emissions that we don’t actively add to our total emissions output, not existing emissions that we somehow deny.
Analysis: The far-reaching effects of cryptomining
Seeing how much carbon emissions declined after the cryptocurrency crash is worrying to say the least. The cyptomining industry has left a lasting negative impact on the world.
The far-reaching damage of cryptomining to the environment is a well-documented fact, with several studies reporting the incredibly large amount of carbon emissions it releases due to the high energy consumption of mining through electronic devices.
Mining devices based on ASIC technology also produce significant electronic waste, as their lifespan lasts between three to five years on average before needing to be replaced, and worn-out equipment cannot be reused for other uses by its nature.
Another form of mining equipment comes in the form of GPUs, with the best graphics cards being highly sought after by miners, as we can see how Ethereum miners spent alone. $15 billion on graphics cards in the last two years. Even the best cheap graphics cards from a few generations ago became nearly impossible to buy during the cryptocurrency boom.
Many of these cards are now flooding the used market as miners try to recoup their losses, and there is no way of knowing what their remaining lifespan might be or the conditions under which they were operating. So there’s no way to know if these used cards are a smart buy unless miners are literally giving them away for free.
As excitement builds for the iPhone 14, we can say with great confidence that Apple hasn’t started pre-orders for the product yet. But that doesn’t mean excited fans can’t put their money where their mouth is…if they have enough of that money.
Customized iPhone maker Caviar has revealed its iPhone 14 collection (opens in new tab), with 13 different exorbitant rounds on Apple’s next smartphone. They range from the $9,500 Champagne Rose model you can see above, with stingray leather and titanium, to a $22,620 Gold Champagne Crystal model that includes lots of gold jewelry and nine diamonds.
Most of these devices are of limited run, with only 99 models being manufactured. You can choose whether to get an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max version – the latter pushes the price even higher.
It’s worth noting that the iPhones shown in these photos are likely not accurate to what the iPhone 14 looks like – they look based on the iPhone 13 Pro. Caviar is probably using this phone as a placeholder to showcase the designs.
Caviar is no stranger to wild, wacky, and incredibly expensive smartphones – we’ve also seen the company make a $27,000 Steve Jobs iPhone, $8,600 Dinosaur iPhone (with real fossil), $6,900 iPhone made from original iPhones and many other crazy creations for people with a lot of money.
If you’re interested in these new models – and have a lot of money to spend – you can pre-order them now, but it’s unclear whether you’ll get the phone once the iPhone 14 goes on sale or later.
Review: It’s Probably Not Your Only Way to Get an iPhone 14
If you’re super excited about the iPhone 14 but don’t have $10,000 in your pocket, you can easily ignore Caviar’s offerings.
The existence of these phones won’t affect the availability of the final models, and you’ll still have plenty of time to pre-order them if Apple follows its usual pattern of making them available for pre-order a week or so before they go on sale.
If you’ve got the money for those expensive iPhones – and you’ve run out of charities to donate or people to help – maybe you can enjoy the most forgiving phone you’ve ever seen. But there are probably better things to buy than a gold and diamond iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The OnePlus 10T is expected to arrive this year, and one of the big questions surrounding it is whether it will be a higher-end or high-end handset than the OnePlus 10 Pro – and a new price leak suggests OnePlus itself can’t really decide. .
That converts to roughly $965 / AU$1,415, but what’s more interesting is that the UK price is exactly the same as the starting price of the OnePlus 10 Pro – a phone that, for reference, starts at $899 US USA (not available in Australia).
This appears to be the starting price of the OnePlus 10T too, as it’s for a model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is the lowest configuration we’d expect to see – and the same basic configuration as the OnePlus 10 Pro. So if this listing is correct, it looks like OnePlus might sell both phones for exactly the same price.
This listing also includes a few other specs if you want to get an idea of what you’ll get for your money. In addition to RAM and storage, it lists a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, an FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a triple-lens camera with a 50MP primary sensor, and 5G.
The OnePlus 10T listed here is said to also come in a Moonstone Black hue and include a charger and case in the box. However, we’d take all of this with a pinch of salt – the first few listings could be wrong, and since the listing has been removed, we can’t verify that the screenshot has not been edited either.
Analysis: choose your priorities
Assuming this pricing is accurate, and the various spec leaks we’ve heard are too, OnePlus apparently plans to charge for both the 10T and 10 Pro, despite the OnePlus 10T having a lower resolution display, a smaller battery, and a smaller configuration. bottom camera.
On the other hand, the OnePlus 10T reportedly has a more powerful chipset and faster charging. So the choice can come down to the specs you value most.
It’s also possible that the OnePlus 10 Pro will receive a price cut when the OnePlus 10T launches, which would position the new model as OnePlus’ flagship flagship, but you’re in a position to pay more for specs that in some areas are lower.
So identical pricing might make sense, but it might also make the OnePlus 10T a hard sell, as anyone interested in a new OnePlus flagship has had months to buy the OnePlus 10 Pro, and the 10T doesn’t feel like much of an upgrade on the market. overall – it will be interesting to see where it ranks in our list of the best OnePlus phones.
Major spoilers for the fourth season of Stranger Things follow.
Stranger Things season 5 will contain shorter episodes than its predecessor – and I’m glad the show’s final season isn’t another lengthy affair.
Speaking of the last episode of Podcast happy sad confused (opens in new tab)the Duffer brothers – co-creators of Stranger Things – have confirmed that season 5 won’t be as long as the latest entry in the hit Netflix show.
“The only reason we don’t wait [Season 5] being so long is because this season, if you look at it, it’s almost two hours of prep before our kids are really drawn into the supernatural mystery,” explained Matt Duffer. End of [season] 4. So he’ll be moving, I don’t know if he’ll be moving at 100 mph at the start of Season 5, but he’ll be moving pretty fast.”
That, dear reader, is music to my ears. I enjoyed Season 4 of Stranger Things – in our review, we said Season 4 was a “terror-fueled triumphant return” for the series. For the most part, Season 4’s lengthy episodes didn’t bother me either, as they were necessary for its multi-narrative approach and extensive character development, particularly for newcomers like Joe Quinn’s Eddie Munson (RIP, you wonderful metalhead).
Even so, I’m glad Stranger Things 5 is returning to the show’s roots with its shorter episodes. And there are several reasons for this.
It’s time to save Hawkins – and the world. (Image credit: Netflix)
For one, after spending the entire fourth season apart, the show’s main actors have reunited in Hawkins. If the fictional town of Indiana is the only location where Season 5 takes place, we won’t have to follow our heroes across multiple stories across multiple locations. Without a plethora of narratives to follow, Season 5’s episodic runtimes are sure to be significantly shortened.
With Season 5 set to be the final entry in the main Stranger Things show – the Duffer brothers have plans for a spin-off or two – Eleven and company (and us by proxy) are really at the endgame. The show’s fifth season will include the Hawkins gang’s last stand against Vecna and other gruesome creatures from the Upside Down, so it’s unlikely we’ll see the introduction of new characters or too much in the way of character development.
And that’s okay. Season 5 of Stranger Things should be completely focused on the protagonists of the series and their fight against the Upside Down. We want to see our heroes’ stories wrapped up at the end of Season 5 in a satisfying way, with no outstanding plot when the credits roll for the last time.
Of course, Stranger Things season five needs to answer some fundamental questions from season four and even further back. Is Max still alive? Where did Vecna go? What is The Shadow exactly? How did the Upside Down become such a dark and gloomy dimension when it was a stormy wasteland when Henry Creel (i.e. Vecna) first arrived in this realm? Why is the Upside Down apparently stuck in the year 1984? Will the number eight – also known as Kali Prasad – make an appearance?
Ultimately, though, Season 5 needs an action-packed entry – namely, Hawkins’ team taking the fight to the Upside Down in an attempt to save the world – while simultaneously focusing on the core group of heroes we’ve followed since the Netflix show premiered in July 2016. Focus on this lighthearted band and Stranger Things 5 won’t need episodes that last longer than an hour. You know, aside from the long finale to Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King that the Duffer brothers are already planning for the show’s final season, according to the Happy Sad Confused podcast discussion.
Stranger Things 5 needs to answer some fundamental questions – but not to the detriment of its core narrative. (Image credit: Netflix)
By focusing on one location and following the main characters of Stranger Things, Season 5’s overarching storyline will also be tighter and more cohesive than Seasons 2, 3, and 4. This will keep the gang together and ensure they collaborate more closely. than the previous ones. seasons and allow Season 5 to evoke the tone, aesthetic, and togetherness of the show’s first season.
Yes, Stranger Things needed to evolve as a TV show to simultaneously remain relevant and fulfill the Duffer brothers’ ambitions for the story they wanted to tell. That’s why the series has become more and more expansive and creative with each passing season.
But there’s a reason why the first season of Stranger Things holds a special place in fans’ hearts. Okay, it was the right show released at the right time, but its potent blend of 80s nostalgia, original story, and talented cast (remember how good the young actors of Stranger Things were even in 2016?) wasn’t cheesy by any means, but it became a global phenomenon nonetheless. Season 5 is set to follow Season 1’s model of a smaller-scale narrative, focusing on a core group of characters as they fight to save the world from a supernatural threat and complete the series cycle. By doing so, your episodic durations will be compared to Season 1’s 45-55 minute installments rather than the longer Season 4 offerings.
Of course, the Duffer brothers may decide to write another oversized season for the show’s fifth and final entry, with the route they take being determined by the story they want to tell. Still, I can’t help but feel that a season comprised of shorter episodes would be a fitting and satisfying way to end the show’s main narrative. If that’s the choice the Duffers make, you won’t hear me complain.
For more Stranger Things-based content, check out our season 4 volume 2 final explainer. Alternatively, find out why a fan-favorite character might not be back for Season 5.
Nintendo has filed a Switch-related trademark that has inevitably sparked a lot of speculation online – but is there really anything to it?
This latest Nintendo Switch trademark was registered in Europe under the name “NSW”. Originally viewed by users on reset (opens in new tab)speculation has begun on whether or not the trademark will be substantial.
‘NSW’ is Nintendo’s official abbreviation for the Nintendo Switch console and a trademark for the abbreviation can mean a number of things. The question is, why would Nintendo want to register the initials.
If we let our speculations run ahead of us, it could mean that Nintendo is planning to release some new hardware, like another revision like the Nintendo Switch Lite or the Nintendo Switch OLED. Or better yet, it could be a sign that the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 is on the horizon.
Should we really take stock of a brand?
Ultimately though, I think it’s best not to get your hopes up with this latest Nintendo Switch-related trademark. The most likely reason for the filing simply comes down to the fact that Nintendo wants to protect its intellectual property. That and making the abbreviation ‘NSW’ even more official as something tied to Nintendo Switch systems. The people of New South Wales, Australia may have trouble capturing Nintendo’s initials, but that shouldn’t get in the way of Nintendo’s lawyers.
It’s not the first time Nintendo has done something like this, and it most likely won’t be the last. Earlier this year, as reported by Nintendo Life (opens in new tab), Nintendo renewed its trademarks for The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Donkey Kong franchises. It’s very likely a bit of trademark spring cleaning on Nintendo’s part.
There is no doubt that the ‘NSW’ brand comes at a curious time. Nintendo recently launched its Wide Care repair service in Japan. This is a subscription-based service that covers damages for Nintendo Switch consoles, Joy-Con controllers, and more. As such, there’s a slim chance that the latter brand could hint at a European launch for the Wide Care service. But this is just speculation on my part.
I’m keeping my expectations low for now, but any kind of plan for the future of Nintendo Switch is certainly appealing. Fans have long wanted an ‘updated’ Nintendo Switch model, thanks to the console’s lack of hardware power when compared to PS5 and Xbox Series X. It’s harder to ignore the question, ‘Is Nintendo Switch worth it in 2022?’ when the competition is much more powerful.
And considering we’re half a decade into the Switch’s lifecycle, the handheld hybrid is definitely too long at this point. A Switch review, then, couldn’t come at a better time than now.
