A new Witcher spin-off game is set for a 2022 release

All fans of The Witcher 3’s Gwent will be thrilled to know that a new single-player card game is coming this year.

According to IGN, a brand new standalone single player game codenamed Project Golden Nekker will be released within the year.

Developed by CD Projekt Red, the same studio that bought us The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077, the game aims to offer an entirely new standalone experience that would stand out from the previous variants of the digital card game.

Speaking of which, Gwent saw massive growth in popularity in the last Witcher game, but it fully evolved into a standalone single-player game back in 2016.

The first official spin-off, The Witcher Tales: Thronebreaker, was released back in 2018, but reports suggest the upcoming version will be something completely different.

CD Projekt Red has been sparse with details, but has apparently given hints about the new project over the past few months, with live streams and community projects alluding to the card game.

If these clues have gotten to much for you, don’t worry, the official Project Golden Nekker reveal is coming soon, although no dates have been announced yet.

Concept art for the game was also revealed, with the titular Golden Nekker taking center stage alongside Living Fire and Fire Elemental.

Since they’re all Gwent card-themed, perhaps let’s take a look at some of the playable units from the new game. You can check out the images just below.

Credit: CD Projekt Red/IGN

The roadmap for Gwent in 2022 shows new maps coming in April, July, October and December. It’s also worth noting that every Witcher game has historically released in either May or October, so Witcher fans might want to keep an eye out during those months.

We’ll be keeping you posted on all things Project Golden Nekker, so keep checking back with for more Witcher updates.

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Fast Charge: Samsung never went big enough with the Galaxy Note

Longstanding rumors that Samsung is shelving its iconic line of phablets were confirmed this week when the company announced it has no plans to launch a Note family phone this year.

The news made waves in the phone world, and with good reason. Samsung’s unveiling of the Galaxy Note has been a fixture on most tech fanatics’ calendars for years, and offers a mid-year treat ahead of the launch of Google’s and Apple’s respective flagships. Which are expected to be the iPhone 13 and Pixel 6 this year.

The Note line is also undoubtedly the most well-known phablet family in the world, with only Apple’s Max and Plus lines offering equivalent brand awareness. For that reason, many of you might be wondering why Samsung decided to scrap it in favor of the much more niche and younger Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldables.

I was initially in this camp as well, my disdain for foldable devices being well documented on the site. But after considering the move, I think it makes perfect sense for one key reason: Samsung never got big enough with the Galaxy Note.

To be clear, I’m speaking literally here. Samsung has always done a great job with the Galaxy Note at the hardware level. For example, last year’s flagship Galaxy Note 20 Ultra was the first mainstream phone to include a truly variable refresh rate screen.

Before that, the original Galaxy Note was a pioneer, offering a then-huge screen and a never-before-seen dockable S Pen stylus. When I unboxed the handset back then, I was genuinely shocked that a company thought a 5.3-inch screen was something consumers actually wanted.

Hands in the air, I got that particular move wrong. Check out the entries in our guide to the best phones and you’ll see that people definitely like big screen phones.

publisher’s Note

But for me, Samsung failed to replicate that initial “wow” factor because year after year it didn’t go far enough with the size of the phone. Last year’s Ultra sure had a whopping 6.9-inch screen, but even that didn’t feel big enough to really take advantage of the Note’s biggest selling point: the S Pen.

As an aspiring amateur digital artist and person who often needs to edit photos on the fly, the S Pen has always had appeal. But to date, every Note phone I’ve tested has proven a bit disappointing due to the device’s pronounced “phone” form factor.

Editing photos in Android’s Photoshop Express app, even with an S Pen, is still a frustrating experience, especially when coming from the larger desktop or iPad versions. The less said about trying to draw something the better, because 6.9 inches isn’t big enough for anything other than light doodling, no matter how responsive and good quality a screen is.

For that reason, it makes sense to me that Samsung is trying to recapture the Note’s potential with a foldable device like the Fold S3, which is intentionally designed to offer a larger and sculpted tablet-sized screen specifically for things how creative work was developed.

The only downsides are that it still has to bypass Android’s woefully populated digital artist app library – which, outside of a nice port of Krita, isn’t nearly as good as Apple’s iPad OS – and my lingering concerns about build quality regarding it folding screens .

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How to watch Jungle Cruise on Disney Plus today

How to watch Disney’s Jungle Cruise on Disney Plus: Stream the new film from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt with Premier Access today.

Disney is continuing its strategy of launching blockbuster films simultaneously in theaters and on its Disney Plus streaming service. Currently, the standalone MCU film Black Widow is available to watch alongside theaters at home.

Now Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Emily Blunt, is following the same strategy following its theatrical release today, Friday 30th July. Disney Plus subscribers can watch the film in the comfort of their own home via Premier Access.

Unfortunately, it’s not part of a Disney Plus subscription, instead costing an additional £19.99/$29.99 to unlock. From there, you can ride The Rock as many times as you like.

While that sounds like a pretty hefty expense to watch a new movie at home, the multi-viewing requirement eases the pain, as does the savings of taking the whole family to the movies and buying snacks and drinks.

How to watch Jungle Cruise on Disney Plus Premiere Access

First, you must be a Disney Plus subscriber. If you haven’t already joined, it costs £7.99 a month or £79.99 a year and you get all the Marvel, Disney, Pixar and Star Wars content you could ever dream of.

Once you’re signed in, you’ll need to open the Disney Plus app on your chosen platform, find Jungle Cruise and click Unlock Now. Your payment method will then be authenticated and you’re good to go.

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When is Jungle Cruise coming to Disney Plus?

If you don’t want to pay extra for Jungle Cruise, you’ll have to wait until November 12, when it arrives for all Disney Plus subscribers. That’s about 100 days from now.

Anyway, given that Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney for getting the Black Widow movie straight to Premier Access, we’re not sure how long this will be a thing, so get in while things are going well.

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Horizon Forbidden West is yet another big game delay – report

One of the most anticipated PlayStation exclusives Horizon Forbidden West has been pushed back to 2022, according to reports Friday.

This news would come as a huge disappointment to many of the 10 million Sony PS5 owners, as well as many millions of PS4 owners hoping to play the first-party action RPG before the end of the year.

Following comments from Jeff Grub yesterday on the Giant Bomb Show, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier also reports that Sony has decided to delay the game until the first three months of next year.

According to a person familiar with the matter, Sony’s decision was made some time ago but has not been officially confirmed by the company at the time of writing.

The reported delay is just the latest in a series of titles due for release in 2021 that have now been postponed. Other PS5 titles like Returnal and Deathloop also experienced delays this year. Sony’s God of War has also been pushed back to 2022. On the Xbox side, Halo: Infinite is slated for release later this year, a full year after it was originally planned.

The warning signs were clear back in June, when PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst refused to fully commit to the 2021 release window for Horizon Forbidden West.

In a post on PlayStation Blog, he said: “We believe we’re on track to release Horizon this holiday season. But that’s not entirely certain yet and we’re working as hard as we can to confirm that to you as soon as possible.”

With the myriad of game delays being caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and remote working away from studios, it’s little surprise that one of the most exciting next-gen titles won’t be available for another six months or so. However, we are confident that the wait will be worth it.

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Elon Musk wanted Tim Cook’s job if Apple bought Tesla, book claims

Did Elon Musk brazenly tell Tim Cook he wanted his job as Apple CEO? Normally we’d dismiss such a wild rumor immediately, but this is Elon Musk.

A new book about the Tesla founder and CEO alleges a dispute between Musk and Cook that ended with the latter swearing at the former and slamming the phone on the floor.

Both Musk and Apple have disputed the encounter brought to light by Tim Higgins’ new book, Power Play, but it’s quite a yarn.

The story claims Cook tried to buy the then-ailing electric car company in 2016. Here’s how the LA Times (via The Verge) tells the anecdote of Tesla, Elon Musk and the bet of the century:

Musk is interested, but one condition: “I’m CEO.”

Sure, says Cook. When Apple bought Beats in 2014, it retained founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. dr

No, says Musk. Apple. Apple CEO.

“F- you,” says Cook and hangs up.

via LA Times

Ridiculous, right? But not exactly from Musk’s wheelhouse given the man’s boldness and past form. We also can’t imagine Tim Cook dropping the F-bomb for just being so nice.

Anyway, it seems academic, as both Apple and Musk have dismissed the claims, pointing out the trifle that Musk and Cook have never spoken to each other before. According to Musk’s tweet, “Cook and I have never spoken or written to each other.”

By also denying the report, Apple alerted reporters to comments he made about Musk during a previous interview. “You know, I’ve never spoken to Elon, although I have great admiration and respect for the company he built,” Cook said in April.

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How to add Covid Pass to Apple Wallet

It emerged yesterday that the NHS Covid Pass is now compatible with the Apple Wallet app for iPhone, ensuring easy access for users who need to view their Covid-19 status.

With the increasing requirement to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to gain access to venues and sporting events, many will find it more convenient to show their passport in their wallet.

It’s great if you don’t have internet access either, as it doesn’t rely on connectivity once it’s added to the Apple Wallet. It also saves you from searching for the PDF you may have downloaded to your device.

If you have a Covid Passport available on the NHS app (not to be confused with NHS Covid app) you can easily add it to your Apple Wallet. Remember you must be double vaccinated (two weeks after the second vaccination) or have reported a negative Covid test to be eligible.

If you don’t already have the NHS app, you’ll need to download it from the App Store and answer a few identity verification questions.

How to add a Covid Pass to Apple Wallet

  • Open the NHS app and sign in with your NHS details
  • From the options select Get your NHS Covid Passport
  • Close Continue and then Domestic
  • Once you see the pass, you can select “Add to Apple Wallet”.

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How to access Covid Pass in Apple Wallet

If you have an iPhone with Face ID, you simply have to press the power button twice to bring up the Apple Pay options (if you entered any). Then you can tap to expand the deck of cards below and reveal your Covid Passport. From here you can show the barcode to the appropriate person.

If your phone has Touch ID like the iPhone SE, it’s the same process, but you double-tap the home button to bring up the cards.

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Zoom finally makes its way to the Amazon Fire TV Cube

After a long wait, Amazon has finally added support for Zoom on the Fire TV Cube.

It seems that everyone knows what Zoom is these days, anyone working from home or wanting to organize a virtual meeting will be familiar with Zoom and online meeting traces.

And now Amazon welcomes Zoom to the Fire TV Cube family, making the Fire TV even more robust when it comes to video conferencing. See a company blog post for details.

According to Amazon, all you need is a second-gen Fire TV Cube with the latest software update, a compatible webcam, a micro-USB to USB adapter, and of course, Zoom downloaded onto your Fire TV.

And for anyone who needs a little guidance on setting up your Fire TV with Zoom, read on to find out how to get the best experience.

Setting up a webcam

To make sure you can show everyone what your TV is seeing, you need to set up a webcam. You need a webcam that supports USB Video Class (UVC), ideally with a resolution of at least 720p and 30 fps, with a micro USB to USB adapter.

For an even better experience, you can even opt for webcams that offer 1080p resolution and a 60-90 degree field of view from 6-10 feet away, allowing people to see everything that’s going on in your living room .

Here are a few webcams and adapters that can help you get started on your Zoom journey:

Micro USB to USB Adapter:

webcams:

Activate Zoom on your TV

Once you’re set up and happy with your webcam, you’ll need to download the Zoom app onto your TV.

After downloading Zoom from the Fire TV App Store, you can immediately start zooming as a guest or sign in to an existing account by following the onscreen instructions.

Once you log into your account, you can access all your contacts and all upcoming meetings. You can even start meetings from the app itself.

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Get the phone for almost half off

Need a cheap iPhone upgrade? The Apple iPhone 11 is currently available for almost half the price, costing £374.99 off its RRP of £642.99

It’s no secret that Apple devices typically cost a small fortune, so any chance to jump on the iOS bandwagon without breaking the bank is cause for celebration.

Premium seller Electrical Deals is selling the iPhone 11 at a 41% discount, saving you £268. The phones are Certified Refurbished, which means they have been approved by Apple and are in like-new condition. At just £374.99 it’s an absolute steal compared to its usual retail price.

So if you’re looking for your next phone, you can treat yourself to one of Apple’s flagship phones at a fraction of the price. You might want to act fast, however, as certified refurbished deals on iPhones tend to fly off the shelves pretty quickly.

With an original price of £729 at launch, the iPhone 11 is still one of the best options for truly stunning smartphone photography. It captures light brilliantly and Apple has really taken the competition by storm when it comes to natural-looking bokeh and portrait shots.

In our 4.5 star review for the 11 we summed it up: “A great phone, the iPhone 11 is Apple’s standard flagship phone for the next year and it deserves the crown. An excellent camera and strong battery life make this an easy choice.”

It’s been called “an iPhone that’s very easy to recommend,” and it’s not hard to see why.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a better iPhone 11 deal right now. So if you fancy taking the plunge, this is the best way to do it.

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