Catégorie : Tech News

The Casper Dream Hybrid is one of five brand-new beds the company released recently in a rebranding. The big bed-in-a-box brand has released new lines a few times, and this one is just as good as the previous ones. If you loved the Casper Original Hybrid but want more than the Casper One, check out our in-depth review of the Casper Dream Hybrid.

First impressions of the Casper Dream Hybrid mattress

I was excited to unbox all of the new Casper mattresses because of how popular the Casper brand is and because I’ve always regarded its beds highly. We received all of the Casper beds on a cold day in February, which usually isn’t important, but we noticed something interesting with these Caspers that’s true of all mattresses. 

When we removed the Casper Dream Hybrid from the box and the plastic, it looked more misshapen than the average mattress. The Dream has a memory foam layer in its construction, and memory foam is especially sensitive to changes in temperature and when it’s very cold, the foam becomes incredibly firm until it warms up a bit. The Dream Hybrid looked better in comparison to the Casper One and the Casper Snow and Snow Max because the Dream Hybrid doesn’t use as much memory foam as the others, and it uses coils. 

A mattress being misshapen out of the box is perfectly normal and expected, and even though these Caspers were more misshapen than usual, it only took about a day for them to look normal and firm up.

When I first started testing the Casper Dream Hybrid it felt very familiar in a good way. The other Casper beds in its new line are a departure from the old beds, but the Dream Hybrid is similar to the Casper Original Hybrid with an accommodating firmness and feel that I enjoy. 

Video: Casper Dream Hybrid review

Watch me review the Casper Dream Hybrid in this video review. 

Construction and feel

The Casper Dream Hybrid has four distinct layers and is similar in design to the more affordable Casper One mattress but with a few significant differences.

The bottommost layer of the Casper Dream Hybrid is a two-inch-thick layer of « Casper Core » support foam. Most hybrid features feature a layer of support foam on the bottom like this to provide the coils with a stable foundation. Above this foam layer is a six-inch-thick layer of individually wrapped pocketed coils that functions as the primary support layer of the mattress. 

I generally prefer coil beds like the Dream Hybrid for the added bouncy feel, and coils are usually better for support and durability throughout the life of the mattress, but there are plenty of sleepers who prefer foam beds because foam has better motion isolation, is easier to move and is usually more affordable. If you are interested in a foam mattress, then the aforementioned Casper One is the only option available from Casper.

Above the coil layer on the Dream Hybrid is a layer of « Align Memory Foam. » This layer functions as a buffer between the main comfort layer and the supportive coil layer below. Above this layer of memory foam is the main comfort layer which is what Casper calls « Breathe Flex Foam. » 

The top two layers of the Dream Hybrid are essentially the same as on the Casper One mattress, but the feel of the beds is significantly different thanks to the responsive coil layer. It has a soft, neutral and accommodating feel that most sleepers should enjoy, and the Dream Hybrid feels very similar to the old Casper Hybrid. If you’re looking for a dense, sink-in memory foam-type feel, the new Casper Snow mattresses have that type of feel as well. For something generally comfortable for pretty much everyone, though, I would recommend the Dream Hybrid.

Zoned support design

Previous Casper beds like the Casper Original and the Casper Wave Hybrid were known for featuring a zoned support design. What this means for a mattress is that it is divided into separate sections with varying firmness levels that are meant to promote improved spinal alignment. 

This design is more advanced on the Casper Dream Max and the Casper Snow Max, but there is a distinct zoned support layer in the Dream Hybrid. The center third of the « align » memory foam is noticeably firmer than the outer thirds, and when we opened up the mattress, this difference was very apparent.

This difference is less apparent when actually laying on the mattress though, as it is designed to be subtle. I would expect you’ll notice the firmness difference when you first begin sleeping on the bed and your body is adjusting to it, but after that this design should help to keep your spine in better alignment and possibly help prevent or alleviate back pain.

Casper Dream Hybrid firmness and sleeper types

The Casper Dream Hybrid has the exact same firmness level as the now-discontinued Casper Original Hybrid at a flat medium. This means that the Dream Hybrid will generally be accommodating for all sleeper types, back, stomach, side and combination. A medium firmness profile like this works well for combination sleepers and for couples especially. 

The Dream Hybrid is the most accommodating choice of the new Casper beds when it comes to firmness. The Dream Max Hybrid is significantly softer and designed for side sleepers, and the Casper One Foam is much firmer for back and stomach sleepers. 

Casper Dream Hybrid mattress performance

Edge support

The edge support of a mattress refers to how well the perimeter of the bed holds up under pressure. If the edge compresses too much, you can feel like you are going to roll off the mattress, which usually leads to poor sleep. 

Fortunately for the Dream Hybrid, the edges are reinforced by the same « Casper Core » support foam found on the bottom layer. The coil layer is actually encased foam around the perimeter and that makes the edge support really solid. I didn’t observe any of that roll-off sensation on the Dream Hybrid.

Motion isolation

If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night because your partner tosses and turns a lot, having a mattress that does a good job of isolating cross-mattress motion is really important. 

The Dream Hybrid is overall pretty average in this category. The support layer is pocketed coils, which have almost entirely replaced traditional innersprings in mattress design. These coils do a much better job at isolating motion, so we don’t see this being a deal breaker for the vast majority of sleepers. However, if you are a really light sleeper who wakes up easily if your partner tosses and turns, it could happen more on this bed than others, and you might want to opt for a foam mattress. 

Temperature regulation

The top layer of foam on the Casper Dream Hybrid is noticeably different from the old Casper models. Before, it was called « Airscape » foam, and I observed that foam to be very breathable thanks to it being perforated. The new « Breath Flex » foam on the Casper Dream Hybrid isn’t perforated, but it does have an open-cell design and is light and breathable. Having coils also improves the breathability of the Dream Hybrid in comparison to a foam mattress so we think this bed should sleep solidly temperature neutral.

However, if you do want a bed with active cooling elements Casper’s new Snow and Snow Max mattress are noticeably cool to the touch, and we also have a best cooling beds list you can check out.

Casper Dream Hybrid mattress pricing

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Size	Measurements	Price
Twin	38×74 inches	$1,495
Twin XL	38×80 inches	$1,495
Full	54×75 inches	$1,745
Queen	60×80 inches	$1,875
King	76×80 inches	$2,375
Cal king	72×84 inches	$2,375

The Casper Dream Hybrid the the second most affordable mattress in the new Casper lineup, only outdone by the Casper One and foam mattresses are usually the more affordable choice in comparison to hybrids. The Dream is competitively priced when compared to other great hybrid beds like the Saatva Classic, Leesa Sapira Hybrid and the WinkBed.

We expect to see discounts on the Casper Dream Hybrid around major holidays like President’s Day, Independence Day and Black Friday, so make sure to check out our mattress deals page for the latest pricing and discounts on the Casper Dream Hybrid or any other bed you might be interested in.

Casper Dream Hybrid mattress policies

Free shipping

Casper Dream Hybrid mattress ships right to your door at no extra cost in the contiguous United States inside of a box. Unboxing a mattress is a quick and easy process; we’ve done it literally hundreds of times, and it’s actually fun. 

Just remember what I mentioned earlier about beds not always looking « right » out of the box. If that happens to you just remember it is normal and expected for the bed. 

100-night trial 

Casper offers the usual standard in-home sleep trial of 100 nights. So you get roughly three months to really test out the bed to see if it’s supportive enough and comfortable enough for you. 

Keep in mind that it can take a month or longer for your body to adjust to a new mattress, no matter how well-suited it is to you. So, if you struggle to get a good night’s sleep in the first week or two, don’t panic. After the first 30 days, is when you could start to get concerned.

Return policy

Casper, despite more brands introducing return fees, still offers completely free returns on all of its mattresses if you choose to return it within the provided trial period. 

Returning a mattress is usually pretty easy; you just contact the company, and usually, a group will come by your house to pick up the bed, and then it will often get donated or sometimes resold by a third party.

Warranty

All Casper mattresses are backed by a standard 10-year warranty. If you buy a mattress online, a 10-year warranty is the minimum you should expect.

Final verdict

When we first started testing the beds in the new Casper lineup I was pretty surprised by how different the Casper Snow beds and the Casper One mattress were when compared to the old Casper lineup. The Casper Dream Hybrid is not all that different, though, and I think that is a very good thing. It has the same type of soft, neutral and responsive feel that the Casper Original and the Casper Original Hybrid had, and this type of feel is very accommodating, and most sleepers enjoy it. 

On Casper’s website they call the Casper One the « no-brainer » mattress choice, but I would argue the Dream Hybrid deserves that description more. It has a super accommodating firmness and feel that I think pretty much everyone can enjoy. Plus, it has a zoned support design and is relatively affordable. Anyone looking for a generally comfortable bed with coils should take a look at the Dream Hybrid.

You might like the Casper One mattress if:

• You are a combination sleeper
• You want a responsive feel
• You want a mattress with coils for support
• You will be sharing this mattress

You might not like the Casper One mattress if:

• You are seeking a specialized firmness profile 
• You are seeking a foam mattress
• You want a classic memory foam feel
• You are shopping with a tight budget

Other mattresses from Casper

Casper Snow Hybrid: This mattress is the most interesting new mattress from Casper because it is Casper’s first mattress that has a traditional memory foam feel. The top two comfort layers are made of memory foam that is very slow to respond. Like the Dream Hybrid, it also has a zoned-support design, enhanced edge support and a more accommodating firmness profile. This bed is also active cooling, and it should help you sleep a few degrees cooler at night. It will also be a bit more expensive than the Dream Hybrid.

Read more: Casper Snow Hybrid Mattress Review 2024

Casper One Foam: This is the most affordable new mattress from Casper, and it is the only one made entirely of foam layers. It is constructed in a similar way to the Dream Hybrid with the same type of memory foam transition layer and the same « Breathe Flex » foam as the top comfort layer. Despite this, the Casper One is much firmer than the Dream Hybrid, between a medium-firm and a true firm on our scale, and has a dense yet somehow responsive feel, which is not something we usually see. It doesn’t have zoned support like the Dream Hybrid but it is also much more affordable. 

Read more: Casper One Foam Mattress Review 2024

How does the Casper Dream Hybrid mattress compare to similar mattresses?

Casper Dream Hybrid vs. Leesa Sapira Hybrid

Leesa mattresses have historically been pretty similar to Casper mattresses thanks to having similar design and feel. The Leesa Sapira Hybrid is the one that compares most directly to the Casper Dream Hybrid. Both beds have a similar accommodating neutral feel that most sleepers enjoy, and both are similar in terms of firmness profile, with the Sapira being slightly firmer.

The Sapira has more foam layers above the coils and is similar in terms of breathability. The biggest thing the Dream Hybrid has in comparison to the Sapira Hybrid is the zoned support layer, which the Sapira Hybrid doesn’t have, and it is slightly more affordable.

Casper Dream Hybrid vs. WinkBed

The WinkBed mattress is one of my all-time favorite hybrid beds, and it is actually the mattress my Mom sleeps on. It is priced similarly to the Casper Dream Hybrid and has a similarly accommodating feel, although it has more of a fluffy, pillow-top feel as opposed to a soft, neutral one. The WinkBed mattress comes in several different firmness options that go from roughly a medium-soft — which is ideal for side sleepers — a medium firmness that should work well for most and a model around a medium-firm for back and stomach sleepers.

The biggest thing the Dream Hybrid has over the WinkBed is that zoned support layer.

Yes, alongside ChatGPT integration for Siri and the long-awaited arrival of Genmoji, iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 also add an entirely new application to your Apple device. Whether you find it on your iPhone or iPad’s home screen or in the Applications folder on a Mac, fear not of this furry cat floating in a purple, holographic, circle-looking app.

It’s Apple’s Image Playground and one of the most fun additions, coming with Apple Intelligence in the second wave of features. Now, just like Genmoji, it’s text-to-image generation, but it’s not just limited to creating emojis. Rather, you’re creating a square image in a selected illustration style that can feature you or someone else – if they’re in your photos – and you can add a bunch of terms to set the scene.

Frog riding on a skateboard with fireworks going off in the background? Sure. A spooky castle-themed birthday cake? Yep. Me rocking out on stage at night with fireworks and a laser show in a hard hat? Yes, though, why? It’s Apple’s take on image generation, and just like Genmoji, it is quite fun and has some safeguards at play… unlike competing options.

So once you’ve updated your iPhone to iOS 18.2 (provided it’s powered by an A17 Pro, A18, or A18 Pro), an iPad to iPadOS 18.2 (with an A17 Pro or M-Series), or any Mac with an M-series chip to Sequoia, and are ready to dive into Image Playground, I’ll walk you through the steps ahead.

Find Image Playground

You’re off to the races once you spot Image Playground on your home screen or spotlight search for it. And it will appear as soon as your device restarts after updating to iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS Sequoia 15.2.

You’ll have a bit of an onboarding process on the first open, but after that, you’ll see a plus sign: hitting that presents the creation stage. Image Playground greets you with “Describe an image or add a suggestion from the list” floating midscreen in front of a rainbow hue, and below that, you’ll find suggestions, followed by a text field.

Chances are you’ll see yourself in the corner – in my case, it’s me, Jake – and tapping that adds you into the scene. It will take a few seconds to present an illustrated version of yourself, and from there, you can start customizing yourself into really any type of image you like. You can also swap the photograph that Image Playground is basing its creation on – this is how you can also select a friend or a pet, and even a specific shot, assuming it’s synced over from Photos.

You’ll then see several suggestions, ranging from the desert, city, forest, mountains, park, space, stadiums, stage, a volcano, and even a lighthouse. Alongside those locales, there are accessories like all sorts of hats or even job types like a scientist, superhero, astronaut, or artist. Atmospheric elements or environments like fireworks, seasons, a party, or adventure are here too.

You shouldn’t feel limited by those, though; you can describe whatever you like. In fact, you don’t even have to select any of the presets and can just describe an image like a “bernedoodle puppy in an apartment” or a “frog riding on a skateboard with fireworks,” and Image Playground will do its best to create it. Like Genmoji, you can swipe between a few options, and this action will allow Image Playground to create a few other alternatives.

You can also change your selected ‘Style’ on the fly by clicking the “Plus” sign in the bottom right-hand corner. At launch, you can pick between Animation – which kind of makes everything a Pixar film – or Illustration. Sketch is set to arrive at some point with a later update.

Considering Image Playground is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, it’s also nice that your creations will automatically sync thanks to your Apple Account. After you’ve made one image in Image Playground, the home screen will change to a sort of gallery with a plus sign at the very bottom.

The only place this isn’t the case is in Messages – if you open Image Playground via Messages, it will automatically start you on the creation page, and that’s mostly based on your likely intent. It’s the same functionality, though. Of course, anything created within the app is designed to be easily shared, and its final form is a square image.

That about wraps up Image Playground; it’s an easy way to generate an image quickly, one with you in it, an inanimate object, a setting in a specific environment, or even an animal.

The best part is that unlike when Image Playground was made available in the developer or public beta of the software, there is no waitlist for the full release. Simply update your Apple device to iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS Sequoia 15.2 and download the respective models – then you’re ready to let your imagination run wild in Image Playground.

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Finally, there’s an update on the future of Bluey. Fans of the beloved show, which centers around the everyday adventures of the family of Heeler dogs and their canine community and was created by Joe Brumm and Ludo Studios, now have some answers about what’s next. It’s pretty huge but comes with some bittersweet news.

After its pretty final-feeling season finale at the start of the year, which ended with a time jump into Bluey’s future as a mom, fans were left with so many burning questions. Not even the drop of mini-sodes gave us any sort of clue about whether we were getting more Bluey seasons. Thankfully today Ludo Studios announced that it’s official: Bluey is getting a movie! In a statement released on the official website, it’s been confirmed that the BBC and the Walt Disney Company have partnered up with the show’s creators to bring Bluey to the big screen in 2027.

 

The film is set to be CG, which we hope means it will elevate the show’s 2D look—in the style ofThe Wild Robot, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, or Disney’s Wish—and not that it will be fully CG animated. That’s our first gut reaction as fans of the animation, along with the excitement that it’s also staying mostly in-house as a Ludo Studio production in collaboration with BBC Studios, with Brumm on board as the writer and director. The creator shared, “I really enjoyed the experience of working with a longer format on ‘The Sign’ in Series 3, so going even further with a feature film feels like a natural extension of that. I’ve always thought Bluey deserved a theatrical movie. I want this to be an experiential event for the whole family to enjoy together. I’m excited to continue to partner with Cecilia Persson, Tom Fussell and the team at BBC Studios, and Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, and Disney to bring this new Bluey story to the big screen.”

However, Bluey: The Movie will mark Brumm’s final touch on the series he created as he’ll be exiting the Bluey team after. In a “trifficult” to read letter he expanded on the reasons why he’ll be leaving after the film. “I always said I wouldn’t keep making the show if I thought I couldn’t make any new season as good as the last,” Brumm wrote. “This would have been the case for me with a potential season four, so I’ve decided to take a break from my involvement in the TV series. In the event I can’t wrap my head around doing more seasons myself, ‘The Sign’ will mark my TV finale for Bluey and I wrote it as such.” The Bluey movie is based on a resurfaced idea he had that inspired his cinematic coda on what’s currently the biggest cartoon on the planet.

He continued. “Bluey has completely changed my life. It’s been an immensely satisfying thing to be a part of, more than I can really put into words. To walk away from it while it’s at such a height will seem crazy to some but, for now, I am finding it difficult to reach back genuinely into that four to six year old world and write authentically.”

To be honest, that makes at least this Bluey fan a little nervous about the pressure maybe being put on Ludo for more of the show by BBC and Disney. But at least there’s a sense of relief that Bluey might still continue on at its original home, just without Brumm. “My Bluey crew and all the creative people in my life completely understand my decision. Working with that wonderful group of people has been the absolute highlight of my animation career and I hope Bluey on their CV is a badge of pride for them,” he said. “To be clear, this is not an announcement about the end of the show, but it is an acknowledgment that my focus will be on the film.”

Brumm emphasizing that this announcement doesn’t mean the show is ending, gives us some hope the showrunning and writing might just now include more voices who love these characters. The year 2027 is a little too far away and it’s hard to imagine a little over a year without more Bluey, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for any word from Disney and Ludo about whether we’re getting another season or more mini-sodes to hold us over in between.

We hope that whatever happens, whoever remains Bluey‘s stewards are allowed to be creative and truthful to the characters we love without feeling like a cash grab. If they go full steam ahead on just the film, that would be okay too—just don’t mind us throwing a Muffin Heeler-sized fit over here.

Bluey: The Movie will be released in 2027.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Honda and Nissan are reportedly set to discuss a merger. The Japanese publication Nikkei said the two automakers plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to sort out shared equity stakes in a new holding company for the consolidated rivals.

The potential merger would combine the assets of Japan’s second- and third-biggest automakers, giving them a better shot of competing with the nation’s market leader, Toyota. Bloomberg adds that it would also put them in a better position against Tesla and Chinese EV makers. Nikkei says Mitsubishi could join the talks later.

Earlier this year, Honda and Nissan said they would work together on software development, batteries and other EV components. That “combine-and-compete” alliance followed Toyota’s acquisition of stakes in Subaru, Suzuki and Mazda. With today’s news that the pair are ready to take the next step, the landscape is clearly heading toward fewer (but bigger) legacy automakers competing for customers.

The companies confirmed that they’re in talks to The New York Times. « As announced in March of this year, Honda and Nissan are exploring various possibilities for future collaboration, leveraging each other’s strengths, » they told the publication. ‘We will inform our stakeholders of any updates at an appropriate time. »

Bloomberg also reported on Tuesday that Honda is stepping up production of hybrid vehicles as demand for electric / gas vehicles remains high outside of China. The automaker is aiming to double its annual hybrid sales by 2030. “The goal is still to become carbon neutral by 2050, but demand for hybrids will remain high for the foreseeable future,” Honda Chief Officer Katsuto Hayashi said on Sunday. “We see most of that growth happening in North America.”

Speaking of North America, US President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to reverse President Biden’s EV policies. His transition team is said to have recommended ending government support for EVs and charging stations and focusing instead on blocking cars, components and battery materials sourced from China. Climate scientists have warned that transitioning from gas-powered to electric vehicles is necessary to reduce carbon emissions and head off the most catastrophic projections for our planet.

Update, December 17, 2024, 8:46PM ET: This story has been updated to add a statement the companies had provided to The New York Times.

There are many factors to consider when it comes to glasses. Some of which will be personal preference, like how they look. Most will be essential, like comfort and prescription options. Here are the key things to consider when shopping for the best blue light glasses. 

Prescription

First and foremost, you must ensure that the blue light glasses you like can be tailored to your prescription if you have one. Some options on the market can’t be, making them unsuitable for people who need corrective lenses and blue-light features. 

Usage

How often you plan to use your blue light glasses will determine factors like weight and shape. If you are going to wear them all the time while gaming or staring at your computer screen at work, comfort is essential. If they are something you wear every once in a while at your computer at night, then you have more versatility in your selection. 

Blue-light-blocking capabilities

Deciding how much light you want to block out will help you decide which pair is best for you. Glasses with a yellow or orange tint will block out more of the light spectrum. They can distort colors on your computer. The clear blue light glasses won’t do this, but they won’t be able to block out as much light. 

Frame style

This is mainly a personal preference, but your frame style matters. Glasses, while useful, are also a way to express yourself. The good and bad news is you have tons of options to choose from. In addition to shape and style, you can choose from different materials like plastic, acetate and wire. 

Additional features

Depending on how much you plan to use the glasses, you may be interested in features like anti-glare, UV protection or an anti-scratch coating. Not all options offer these features, so look closely to ensure your desired pair fits your needs. 

Price

Blue light glasses are more affordable than prescription lenses, averaging anywhere from $15 to $100. Prescription options often cost even more. Finding your budget will help you determine which glasses are within your price range. The more additional features you want your glasses to have, the higher the price tag. 

• LG has announced its 2025 QNED TV lineup in advance of CES 2025.
• QNED TVs will be available in 40 to 100-inch screen sizes.
• One model, the QNED9M, will support a True Wireless connection to LG’s Zero Connect box.

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LG announced its new QNED evo TV lineup today in advance of CES 2025. The new TVs will be available in sizes ranging from 40 to 100 inches, and use wireless 4K 144Hz transmission tech in the top models. LG is also going all in on AI for its QNED TVs, with AI enhancements for picture and sound and AI-based personalization features in the webOS 25 smart TV interface.

The new TVs feature a new proprietary wide color gamut tech called Dynamic QNED Color Solution, which is a replacement for the quantum dots used in previous LG QNED models and has been certified for Color Volume by testing organization Intertek.

The QNED9M model will also feature the company’s True Wireless 4K tech, a feature previously limited to the LG M-series OLED TVs. This uses a separate Zero Connect Box to send up to 4K 144Hz video and audio wirelessly to the TV, and do so without any picture quality compromises, according to LG.

AI is now widely used in the best TVs, capabilities in the new TVs include AI Super Upscaling, AI Picture Pro and AI Sound Pro for automatic picture and sound optimization. A Dynamic Tone Mapping Pro feature fine-tunes HDR brightness on a scene-by-scene basis, and a new AI Magic Remote provides an AI button for assisted content searching based on a large language model.

2025 LG QNED TVs

The LG QNED99 is the flagship 8K model for 2025 QNED99. It features a mini-LED backlight and LG’s Alpha a9 8K Gen7 processor.

The LG QNED92 is the flagship 4K QNED model for 2025 and also features a mini-LED backlight. The QNED92 uses LG’s Alpha A8 AI Gen2 processor, the same one found in LG’s B-series OLED TVs.

The LG QNED9M uses LG’s NanoCell backlight tech. It features the Alpha a9 4K Gen8 processor, the same one used in the LG C-series OLED, and has an Ultra Slim design, with a depth of 16.4mm. The QNED9M supports True Wireless 4K tech and has earned an AMD FreeSync Premium certification for gaming.

The LG QNED85 uses the same panel tech as the QNED9M but lacks wireless support. It will come in a new 100-inch size, following the trend of 98-inch and larger sets from brands like Hisense, TCL and Samsung. The QNED85 features the same Alpha a8 AI 4K Gen2 processor used in LG’s QNED90 and B-series OLED TVs.

Finally, the LG QNED82, LG’s entry-level QNED model, has similar features as the QNED85 and the same Ultra Slim Design as the QNED9M.

Pricing, specific screen sizes and availability for LG’s 2025 QNED TVs have not yet been announced.

The face that launched oh-so-many memes and ultimately a change in Sonic’s appearance in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies has gone from something Paramount Pictures would want to forget to an important touchstone of the franchise’s history. And it’s all thanks to the fans of the beloved Sega video game’s legacy who knew that Ugly Sonic wasn’t their Sonic.

During an interview with the Hollywood Reporter at the premiere for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the film’s voice of Sonic, Ben Schwartz, talked about how Ugly Sonic is something he embraces now: “Maybe sometimes you need a little push to really look in the mirror and to hear the fans, to then really figure out if you want to adjust. And we did.”

It was really as if an internet audience composed of Sonic fans and casual moviegoers gave out a collective scream in horror at the teeth, the eyes, and just sheer eerie countenance of the movie’s botched abomination upgrade on Sonic’s classic look. Thankfully the studio and creative team quickly worked to reshape the icon into his real form. “How often can you think of a film that really listens to fans and the studio takes money and time to change it because they think it would better the film? I think it’s rarely ever happened before, if ever,” Schwartz said.

But Ugly Sonic never truly died.

The memes continue and audiences are quick to quake in social discourse fear thanks to Ugly Sonic PTSD when it comes to turning beloved characters into live-action. One Piece fans are holding their breath that Netflix doesn’t pull an Ugly Sonic on live-action Tony Tony Chopper for example in season two. And both How to Train Your Dragon‘s Toothless and Lilo & Stitch‘s Stitch retained their original cuteness in recent teasers for their upcoming live-action features. It truly is all thanks to Ugly Sonic’s cautionary tale, because hey: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Ugly Sonic would go on to be featured as a supporting character in Disney’s 2022 hybrid film live-action Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers and he’s most recently been seen in a Christmas sweater officially released by Paramount Pictures in a giveaway. At the premiere, Sonic 3 director Jeff Fowler also gave Ugly Sonic his due: “It was out of the ashes of Ugly Sonic that this beautiful trilogy of films, this phoenix, had to rise. It was a necessary sacrifice but yes, thank you Ugly Sonic for the memories.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 opens in theaters this Friday.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Wizards of the Coast is shutting down the online servers for Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance early next year. According to the updated , the game will no longer be available for purchase and its servers will go down for good on February 24, 2025. « The base game and all DLC are still available to play in offline single player by anyone who currently owns it, » the notice from the company adds.

Dark Alliance in 2021 with a single-player mode and an option for up to four-player co-op. It marked the first time WotC had published a video game from the hugely popular D&D universe. The project was meant to follow in the lineage of the Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance games that were released in the 2000s, but the title made by Tuque Games didn’t receive the same high praise as those predecessors. For some context, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance has an 87 score on and Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance 2 has a 78. Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance sits down at a decidedly middling 53.

At least Larian Studios’ excellent Baldur’s Gate 3 is still thriving and getting for your D&D-inspired video game needs.

We test every phone in real-world scenarios, focusing on its features, design, performance, cameras, battery life and overall value. We document our findings in an initial review that is periodically updated when there are new software updates, or to compare it against new phones from competitors such as Apple, Samsung, Google and OnePlus. Below is our methodology for testing smartphones in general, which also applies to flip phones. 

Photography

Photography is a major focus for most phones, so we take pictures and videos of various subjects in multiple settings and lighting scenarios. We try out any new camera modes, such as the revamped Action mode on the iPhone 15 line, or the Magic Editor photo tool that launched with the Google Pixel 8 series.

Battery life

Battery testing is conducted in a variety of ways. We assess how long a phone lasts during a typical day of use and note how it performs during more focused sessions of video calls, media streaming and gaming. We also conduct a video playback test, as a simple, replicable measure of pure battery life, which isn’t always included in the initial review but is sometimes added later in an update.

Performance measuring

We use benchmarking apps to measure each phone’s performance, alongside our own anecdotal experiences using the phone for our review. Of note are how graphics and animations look. Are they smooth? Or do they lag or stutter? We also look at how quickly the phone switches between horizontal and vertical orientations, and how fast the camera app opens and is ready to take a photo.

We perform processor-heavy tasks like editing photos, exporting videos and playing games. We evaluate whether a newer version of a particular phone includes enough features to make it worth upgrading from older models.

Read more: How we test phones

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• Security researchers spot campaign to distribute Lumma Stealer malware
• A fake CAPTCHA page comes with a JavaScript that copies malicious code into the clipboard
• To « solve » the fake CAPTCHA, users are told to paste the code in CMD and run it

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Fake CAPTCHA pages are being used to trick victims into downloading and running the Lumma infostealer malware.

Security researchers at Guardio Labs recently discovered a major malicious operation, targeting millions of people, called “DeceptionAds”.

The campaign abuses two legitimate services, the Monetag ad network and BeMob, a cloud-based performance tracking platform. It starts with fake ads, promoting things that appeal to the host site’s audience, such as fake offers, downloads, or different services – with pirate streaming and software platforms apparently among the most common themes.

Vane Viper

When the victim clicks on the ad, they are redirected to a fake CAPTCHA page through the BeMob cloaking service. This makes moderation difficult, since BeMob is a legitimate service, and as such, is not being removed from the Monetag ad network by default.

« By supplying a benign BeMob URL to Monetag’s ad management system instead of the direct fake captcha page, the attackers leveraged BeMob’s reputation, complicating Monetag’s content moderation efforts, » Nati Tal, head of Guardio Labs, said in a writeup.

The CAPTCHA page comes with a piece of JavaScript code that copies a malicious PowerShell one-line command into the clipboard. However, the victim still needs to paste that code into the CMD and run it, which is where the CAPTCHA “solution” comes in. To solve the CAPTCHA, users are required to bring up the Windows Run dialog, press CTRL+V (paste), and hit enter.

This runs the command that downloads and executes Lumma Stealer. The group behind the attack is called Vane Viper.

Lumma is a popular infostealer in the underground community. It is capable of stealing a wide range of sensitive information , including cryptocurrency wallets, browser data, email credentials, financial information, FTP client data, and system information.

When Monetag and BeMob were notified of the campaign, both companies stepped in to address the issue. Monetag removed 200 accounts, while BeMob terminated the campaign in four days.

Via BleepingComputer

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