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Celebrate Global Running Day With Exclusive Apple Watch Digital Award

Celebrate Global Running Day With Exclusive Apple Watch Digital Award

Geek Culture4 days ago

Ahead of Global Running Day on 4 June, Apple is encouraging healthy living with the chance to earn a limited edition digital award for recording a user's run using the Apple Watch.
To earn the exclusive award, runners will need to clock in a distance of at least 5 km on 4 June using any Apple Watch app that adds workouts to its Health feature. Users who complete this challenge will earn a digital badge that can be viewed in the Awards tab of the Fitness app, alongside exclusive animated stickers that can be sent through the Messages app. Apple Watch Digital Award (Source: Tom's Guide) Animated Stickers for Messages App
Apple Watch beginners don't have to worry either, as the device comes packed with runner-friendly features to get both newcomers and pros on their feet, such as Custom Workouts for structured exercise plans that include intervals of work and recovery, giving users haptic or voice feedback to let them know when to switch between work and rest, Pacer to help a user's training session with alerts to notify them of their goals, automatic track detection that will automatically tell when runners arrive at a standard-shaped outdoor track, or Training Load, which compares training intensity with data from the past 28 days to allow users to understand the strain on their body.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Apple apple watch Global Running Day

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Logitech G522 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset — Review
Logitech G522 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset — Review

Geek Culture

time9 hours ago

  • Geek Culture

Logitech G522 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset — Review

Young gamers may focus on a good keyboard and mouse for their gaming set-up, but it's the pro players who understand that a pair of solid headphones also forms part of a formidable arsenal against others. From audio quality that can make the difference between victory and defeat, to the comfort and weight that affects players and their well-being, and of course, a crystal clear microphone pivotal in communicating strategies and crucial callouts, there's more to a set of headphones than one might think. The Logitech G552 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Headset ticks off all the boxes, though, giving players a competitive edge from a company that has been playing the hardware game for quite a while. Keeping in line with the brand's minimalist and sleek design, the G552 Lightspeed sports a matte black headband and earcups that, in the vein of gaming, sports a healthy dose of RGB along the outline of where the band meets the earcups, with colours and effects that can be customised within the Logitech G HUB application. The memory foam earcups come wrapped in a soft mesh fabric that elevates comfort levels further, and this solid addition to Logitech's award-winning G5 series of gaming peripherals comes fitted with a comfortable adjustable fabric band that comes with two slots that can be used to accommodate the various head sizes of users. What makes the Logitech G522 Lightspeed stand out is how lightweight it is, at 290g, making it feel almost featherlight on the head. While it may not be as light as the Logitech G435, at 165g, this headset doesn't weigh your head down even after 10 hours of constant use. Combined with its light headband pressure that keeps the G552 Lightspeed in place, the unit has become our go-to headphones for long days at work and participating in the preservation of freedom across a variety of gaming titles. With up to 70 hours of battery life without the use of its RGB lighting and 30 hours with its default lighting turned on. It also has a 30-metre range that keeps you connected even as you roam around the home and away from your PC, as the unit offers you extensive portability and connectivity. The controls are located at the rear of the left earcup, with a small bump to guide and orient your fingers. The closest control is the volume wheel located right next to the bump, alongside the Bluetooth and Power buttons, while located below the volume wheel is a textured microphone mute button, as well as a USB-C port for charging and for updating the headphone's firmware. Despite its gaming pedigree, the headphones can only be used with the PlayStation 5, PC and mobile devices via wireless connection with the provided LIGHTSPEED dongle or Bluetooth, or via a wired USB connection with the included USB-A to USB-C cable. There is a 3.5mm jack, but it is solely reserved for its removable and adjustable full bandwidth 48kHz 16-bit omnidirectional microphone, placed in a trapezoid port at the front of the left earcup. However, the fear is that the microphone feels elastic, so users may overestimate the angle at which it maxes out before getting damaged. This means a conservative amount of force is recommended while manipulating it. The quality of the audio output is impressive for an attached microphone, so if you don't have a dedicated microphone, you can rely on it. Still, the lack of a dedicated 3.5mm audio jack, especially with plenty of real estate on the unit, seems like a wasted opportunity, especially if owners were to misplace their wireless dongle, damage the USB-C port or have the Bluetooth option simply refuse to work. Its design is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, though customers may have a gripe with how it has a mostly plastic build, which gives rise to questions as to how durable this pair of S$239 headset costs. Thankfully, the headphones are as sturdy as they are flexible, so only an inordinate amount of force could damage them. It also does away with the classic hinge at the earcups most gaming headsets are designed around, eliminating another concern for points susceptible to wear and tear. The plastic itself is made from 27 percent post-consumer plastic (PCR) and comes in all-paper packaging, displaying Logitech's efforts in reducing environmental impact. When it comes to audio quality, the 40mm PRO G graphene drivers housed in Self-Contained Audio Modules work well, until you realise that the unfortunate acronym – S.C.A.M – seems counterintuitive, only made funnier with the knowledge that Logitech is actually aware of it. The drivers do a great job of delivering great bass and decent trebles within their SCAM housing, ensuring that the drivers do not run into any interference with other modules within the earcups. Beyond games, the headset works wonderfully with music, as listening to the jazz rendition of 'I Am Better Off' by Wildson brought forth the singer's warm and mellow solo vocals, with the bass from the full band accompaniment cutting nicely through the various percussion instruments, supported by the rounded piano music. How this translates to your gaming experience is that gunshots ring true while shotgun blasts pack a nice kick. Players can hear the rumble from a tank coursing through a field, providing covering fire in a game like Squad , and be comforted by the sound of the turret adjusting its angle and sending a High Explosive round to its target. The G552 offers a wide soundstage that helps with properly identifying the spatial nuances in-game, setting it up for some accurate imaging. It is also accurate enough, as we were able to pick up the directions where sounds are coming from, which is important for players to know if the source of audio cues is at level with the player or at an elevation. Imagine playing tactical games like Rainbow Six Siege X , where audio cues from around the buildings become the best form of intel for what is coming at you. The Logitech G Hub Application allows you to change up the EQ on the unit, and through the Blue VO!CE option, players are able to tweak how their voice sounds through the microphone, from emulating an FM radio, to offering a variety of options to adjust, to get the sound you'd want others to hear. One noticeable improvement over its predecessors is the larger earcups that make it suitable for folks sporting glasses or earrings, but more importantly, also give your ears more real estate to breathe, instead of having them clamped in and soaking up sweat from long hours of gaming. Thankfully, the earcups, with their breathable fabric, stay cool after long hours of usage. There is one drawback to the G522 LIGHTSPEED headset, however, which is that it lacks simultaneous Bluetooth. What this means is that both the dongle and Bluetooth cannot be used at the same time, so users won't be able to stay connected to the phone while maintaining its connection to a device using the dongle, and would have to manually switch between devices. All in all, these points of contention are mostly quelled by how solid the performance of the headphones is, from the quality of the microphone, its great sounding audio and comfortable overall design. The G552 LIGHTSPEED is the best gaming headset in its price range, offering so much value compared to other pricier options. This headset is an excellent pick for anyone looking for an upgrade. Summary The epitome of form and function that delivers in almost every department. Lightweight, superbly comfortable, great-sounding audio and an amazing microphone to boot make this the benchmark for gaming headsets. No frills, only pure performance. 9.3/10 Aesthetics - 9/10 Build Quality - 8/10 Performance - 10/10 Value - 10/10 Geek Satisfaction - 9.5/10 Abandon Reason Know Only War! Zinho is a shooter fanatic still waiting for direct sequels to Black (2006) and Star Wars: Republic Commandos. He also truly believes that the Warhammer 40K universe can take on any franchise and destroy them. To think any different is heresy and punishable by Exterminatus.

‘Predator: Killer of Killers' Director Dan Trachtenberg Discusses Aliens and… Terminator?
‘Predator: Killer of Killers' Director Dan Trachtenberg Discusses Aliens and… Terminator?

Geek Culture

timea day ago

  • Geek Culture

‘Predator: Killer of Killers' Director Dan Trachtenberg Discusses Aliens and… Terminator?

Ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch Schaefer and his team of soldiers embarked on their doomed rescue mission in 1987, only to be hunted by an invisible alien threat, the Predator franchise has become synonymous with gratuitous live-action violence, filled with heaping amounts of blood and no shortage of spine-ripping gore. And across multiple sequels and crossovers, it has been something that fans just can't get enough of. Everything is about to change with the arrival of Predator: Killer of Killers , as the streaming film marks the series' first foray into the animated space, and opens up a new realm of visual storytelling possibilities that can't be easily and effectively replicated in a live-action format. From smooth, slick anime-like movements to whole new levels of stylistic destruction and modern animation, director Dan Trachtenberg ( Cloverfield Lane ), who also directed the last Predator sequel, Prey (2022), realised that he could introduce new elements to the lore, and connect with audiences in ways that the live-action films could not. 'I distinctly remember, as a kid, Predator was one of the first R-rated movies I was allowed to see, and the violence really blew my mind,' Trachtenberg recalls in an exclusive interview with Geek Culture. 'And I think around the same time, I eventually saw Akira for the first time, and that movie, as an animated film, was one of the more emotionally intense and heavy movies I had seen, and also one of the coolest action movies I had ever seen.' Based on the manga of the same name, the 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk action adaptation has been lauded as one of the most influential anime films ever made. Trachtenberg's goals for this film are twofold – to bring the Predator franchise to a medium it had yet to be in, while simultaneously fostering that 'first R-rated movie watching' experience he had, balancing both incredible violence with a story full of heart and emotional intensity. When it comes to stories, Predator: Killer of Killers offers not one, but three tales, with the anthology film covering three distinct characters across different points in history – a Viking in a raiding party on a bloody quest for revenge, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his brother in a battle for succession, and an allied pilot during World War II – as all three encounters something far deadlier than an enemy from that era. The time periods might differ, but one thing remains constant throughout – they are all hunted by a member of the galaxy's deadliest predator. With three stories, each with its own associated Predator, one would think that Predator: Killer of Killers would be a non-stop violence fest throughout its 90-minute runtime, but that was never the intent, to triple the same tale of man vs. alien. Instead, Trachtenberg wants to offer that same balance between action and deep character development, in the same vein as his 2022 prequel, Prey. 'Since the first Predator movie, which essentially was a slasher movie, you're bonding with human characters, and you're seeing them picked off one by one by an unseen creature. [This] same thing was somewhat a part of Prey , although I think Prey decides to be even more character forward and more drama forward before the intensity unfolds,' he explains. 'It was really important to me to carry that forward with Killer of Killers , but not just with having characters that were on their own emotional story, but also featuring an action sequence before the Predator even shows up. So there really is an exciting conflict in the stories that only gets amplified when the Predator becomes a part of it, harkening back to the franchise's DNA.' Even though a stronger emphasis has been placed on the human side of the equation, Trachtenberg and the team are still well aware that most viewers are in it for the grand reveal of each Predator, thus making huge strides to ensure each hunter fits well into its associated time period, which sets up an interesting prospect considering how this film brings the franchise further back in time even, compared to Prey's 1719 tribal setting. 'Set in the 800s, we're seeing a Predator that is before even Prey , but still has to feel far more formidable and advanced than our Earthlings,' he explains, 'So that's where it's very singular weapon came in, something that certainly speaks to technology and does things that human weaponry cannot do, but also seems to be a little bit more in the the Viking aesthetic.' And from the snippets seen in trailers, this statement certainly rings true, with the Vikings facing off against a hulky beast with an energy weapon for a right hand, making it less technologically advanced than the usual Predators fans are used to, but still much superior to the opposing Vikings, which by comparison, might as well be fighting the creature with literal sticks and stones. It's not just the Vikings who will be having a tough go at it, though, as the Predators are also leaving their mark on feudal Japan, and a time period where society has been ravaged by World War II, each bringing their own unique tools to the table. 'For our Japan chapter, we wanted to lean into something that felt more stealth-like. We loved the idea of ninja meets ninja, and the Predator has always been this 'ninja-like' creature, and it was exciting to see game meet game.' Trachtenberg adds. 'And then, of course, World War II, the pure joy of realising we could tell a story that would be almost entirely set in the air, and have the Predator function the way it normally does on the ground, except from his spaceship exclusively, still unleashing all of his fun toys and seeing if humans could outsmart that gauntlet was really exciting.' But what's next for the series? There's no secret that the filmmaker is in the midst of the upcoming Predator: Badlands film, which marks the seventh film in the mainline series. Starring Elle Fanning ( Maleficent , A Complete Unknown ), the movie does not take place on Earth and is instead set on the Predator species' home world, and will focus on the culture of their species. But what ignited excitement among the fandom was the revelation that Fanning was playing the role of Thia, an android created by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation – the same company that has sought to exploit the xenomorphs from the Alien franchise. The appearance of the company's logo left fans anticipating some level of crossover between the two massive franchises, each featuring a distinct species of formidable alien hunters. While there have been two Alien vs. Predator films in the mid-2000s, both received negative reviews, but with the recent success of Alien: Romulus (2024), and excitement for the upcoming Alien: Earth TV series, a revival of the crossover has become top of mind among fans. Elle Fanning's Thia in Predator: Badlands When pressed about the hints of a connected Predator and Alien universe, Trachtenberg merely points to established lore that already showed that Predator and Alien have long shared a connected universe, as 1990's Predator 2 featured a Xenomorph skull hanging in the trophy room of a Predator ship during its closing scene. 'Even before Predator 2 that featured the Xenomorph skull in the trophy room at the end, there's always been a shared DNA between Terminator and Predator and Aliens,' notes the filmmaker, who references James Cameron's iconic franchise. Comic book fans would remember that all three franchises were involved in a limited series from 2000. 'They're all action, horror, sci-fi that came out around the same time,' he notes. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) For Trachtenberg, the dichotomy between the Alien and the Predator was always interesting, with the former being more of a creature, while the latter being a character, possessing 'intelligence, a code and a culture that separates him from all the other action horror films that came out of the 80s', something that allows the apex hunter to gain all the new stories over the years, with an underlying 'terrestrial idea' that can link to different cultures, iconography and aesthetics. 'Certainly with Predator and Alien, they've intersected over time, and as evidenced in Badlands , there's some further linkage there,' he hints, while also adding, 'I think I have no interest in taking all the action figures and smashing them together inside one movie, but there's certainly something fun about telling a story that's very world-expansive.' Predator: Killer of Killers premieres on 6 June 2025 on Disney+ and Hulu in the United States. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.

'Fantastic Four: The First Steps' Final Trailer Drops Comics-Accurate Catchphrase
'Fantastic Four: The First Steps' Final Trailer Drops Comics-Accurate Catchphrase

Geek Culture

timea day ago

  • Geek Culture

'Fantastic Four: The First Steps' Final Trailer Drops Comics-Accurate Catchphrase

Family is front and centre of the latest trailer for Fantastic Four: The First Steps , featuring bonding moments sprinkled amid all the superhero action, alongside a first look at a certain someone. The celebration of family is established in the opening scene of the clip, with Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm going, 'Family — it's about connecting to something bigger than yourself.' As baby Franklin Richards is officially revealed, she continues: 'Whatever life throws at us, we'll face it together. As a family,' and the attention turns to various displays of the group's dynamics, including Johnny Storm (Joseph Quin, Stranger Things 4 ) giving The Thing a fist-bump, and the Human Torch's quip about taking back 'every single bad thing I've been saying about you' to Reed ( Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us ). And speaking of The Thing, played by The Bear 's Ebon Moss-Bachrach in the pic, the character finally gets time with his catchphrase from the comic books. Well, sort of — he responds with a 'Oh yeah!' after Johnny yells, 'Is it clobbering time?'. It's not all fluff, though, for two threatening forces are looming in the background: Julia Garner's Silver Surfer, and the terrifying Galactus (Ralph Ineson, Harry Potter films), who has also been turned into a popcorn bucket (via a separate trailer). Indeed, the greatest strength of Marvel's first family is each other, especially since Franklin has yet to grow into the powerful reality warper with god-like abilites that he is in the comics. The mutant is expected to play a role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film that will reunite this cast with the wider characters of the MCU, including Robert Downey Jr, who will play longtime Fantastic Four nemesis, Victor von Doom aka Dr Doom. Fantastic Four: The First Steps marks the first live-action debut of Franklin and Shalla-Bal, the female version of the Silver Surfer portrayed by Garner. Matthew Wood, known for voicing General Grevious across various Star Wars projects, joins the cast as robot H.E.R.B.I.E, with Natasha Lyonne ( Orange is the New Black ), John Malkovich ( In the Line of Fire ), and Paul Walter-Hauser ( Cobra Kai ) also starring. Matt Shakman directed a screenplay written by Josh Friedman and Eric Pearson. The first film in Phase Six of the MCU is scheduled to release on 25 July. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Disney fantastic four Marvel Marvel Studios The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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