HBO Max has swung the ax on another six animated projects, according to Variety. One of them is Batman: Caped Crusader, a series produced by J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves and Batman: The Animated Series co-creator Bruce Timm. The show, which was announced last year, is a spiritual successor to Timm's classic '90s series.

Unlike some of the other shows and movies HBO Max has canned in recent weeks, production is continuing on these projects. The production teams will seek another home for them. The other projects in this wave of cancellations are Merry Little Batman, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical, Did I Do That to The Holidays: A Steve Urkel Story and The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie.

HBO Max is deprioritizing kids and family content. Last week, it yanked dozens of shows, including several animated series. It also removed hundreds of Sesame Street episodes in an apparent move to save on licensing fees.

On top of that, HBO Max canceled exclusive movies Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt and took down other notable original shows and movies in recent weeks (one of Batgirl's directors seemingly tried to capture some footage from the movie on his smartphone to no avail). What's more, the streaming service and sibling HBO laid off several employees from the family programming division this month.

Parent Warner Bros. Discovery is removing certain shows and movies from HBO Max ahead of merging the service with Discovery+ next year. "As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and Discovery+," it said.

The decisions to cancel and remove content come amid border cost-cutting efforts at Warner Bros. Discovery, which formed after the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery earlier this year. CEO David Zaslav and his team are trying to make $3 billion in cuts, but the moves have had an impact on the company's stock price, which has fallen by 25 percent since August 4th. The company's valuation has dropped by billions over the last month. That footage from The Last of Us sure looks good, though.

Binance's chief communications officer says hackers used a deepfake of his image in Zoom calls to scam cryptocurrency executives. Patrick Hillmann claims the hackers successfully duped crypto project representatives into thinking he would help their tokens get listed on Binance's exchange.

In a blog post spotted by Bitcoin News, Hillmann wrote that the scammers built the deepfake based on his interviews and TV appearances. Hillmann learned about the deception after receiving messages thanking him for discussing listing opportunities. However, he said he didn't meet with any of those people and that he's not involved in Binance's listing process.

"This deepfake was refined enough to fool several highly intelligent crypto community members," Hillmann wrote. It's not clear how many crypto projects were affected by the scam or how much the folks behind them may have paid for the promise of a Binance listing. Binance doesn't have a set figure for listing fees. It asks projects to propose a number they're comfortable with and donates fees to charity.

Hillmann notes that Binance has stringent cybersecurity rules. Still, that won't stop hackers from trying to impersonate its workers. "There’s been a recent spike in hackers pretending to be Binance employees and executives on platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, etc," Hillmann wrote. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao recently warned that there are around 7,000 purported profiles of the company's employees on LinkedIn, but only around 50 are real.

It's not the first time criminals have impersonated executives with the help of technology. In 2019, a scammer pretended to be the CEO of an unnamed company by using artificial intelligence to mimic that person's voice. They asked the head of a subsidiary to transfer $243,000 to a supplier. Of course, that money never arrived at its intended destination.

Last year, someone used a deepfake of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's chief of staff to dupe politicians in the Netherlands into having a video call with them. Facebook took down a deepfake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in March, shortly after Russia invaded his country.

Senate and Congressional committee leaders from both sides of the aisle are looking into claims from Twitter's former security chief that the platform has “extreme, egregious deficiencies” in terms of protections against attackers. Famed hacker Peiter "Mudge" Zatko, who took over Twitter's security division in 2020 and left the post in January, accused the company in a whistleblower complaint of having questionable cybersecurity defenses and weak measures to fend off spam. Zatko also claimed the company violated the terms it agreed with the Federal Trade Commission to settle a privacy dispute.

Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. and Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chair and ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee respectively, say they are "assessing next steps" following the allegations, according to The Washington Post. They said the complaint underscores how important it is for Congress to protect people's data by passing consumer privacy legislation.

"The whistleblower’s allegations of widespread security failures at Twitter, willful misrepresentations by top executives to government agencies and penetration of the company by foreign intelligence raise serious concerns," Senate Judiciary Committee chair Dick Durbin wrote on Twitter. "If these claims are accurate, they may show dangerous data privacy and security risks for Twitter users around the world."

The offices of Durbin and the committee's ranking member Chuck Grassley said they've held early talks with Zatko. The Senate Intelligence Committee is also looking to set up a meeting with the whistleblower.

"Security and privacy have long been top company-wide priorities at Twitter," spokesperson Rebecca Hahn said, while claiming that Zatko's assertions are "riddled with inaccuracies." The company fired Zatko "for poor performance and leadership," Hahn said, adding that he "appears to be opportunistically seeking to inflict harm on Twitter, its customers and its shareholders."

Zatko has said he "felt ethically bound" to file the complaint as a member of the cybersecurity community. Given the bipartisan interest in Zatko's claims, the allegations could prompt Congress and the Senate to beef up cybersecurity legislation after several failed efforts to more strictly regulate the technology industry.

Additionally, Zatko's disclosure could play a role in Twitter's case against Elon Musk, who is trying to back out of a deal to buy the company. The two sides are set to go to trial in October.

Sony seems determined to turn every gaming property it has ever laid a finger on into a movie or TV show. PlayStation Productions has a whole heap of projects in the works and the latest, according to Deadline, is a Gravity Rush film.

The movie will be based on the 2012 PlayStation Vita game of the same name from Japan Studio's Team Gravity (the title was later remastered for PlayStation 4). You play as Kat, an amnesiac who can manipulate gravity to traverse an open world in a novel way. Kat uses her powers to protect the people of Hekseville from gravity storms and monsters. A sequel arrived on PS4 in 2017.

Ridley Scott's production company Scott Free Productions is reportedly working on the movie. Emily Jerome, the writer of upcoming thriller Panopticon, is working on the script. Anna Mastro, who helmed Disney+ film Secret Society of Second Born Royals and episodes of many notable TV shows, is onboard as director.

The Gravity Rush project underlines just how serious Sony is about expanding its gaming IP into the realms of film and television. It finally released an Uncharted movie earlier this year and over the weekend, it emerged that a Days Gone film is in development. That's on top of shows based on Twisted Metal,God of War and the Horizon games, as well as upcoming Gran Turismo and Ghost of Tsushima movies.

Last, but by no means least, a show based on The Last of Us is coming to HBO next year. The network released the first footage from the series in a sizzle reel on Sunday. With The Last of Us Day fast approaching, we likely won't have to wait long for a full trailer.

NBA 2K23 isn't the only major sports game that 2K will release in the next couple of months. The publisher has revealed that PGA Tour 2K23 will arrive on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Steam on October 11th. Two versions will be available on that date: the deluxe edition and the Tiger Woods edition. 2K will release the standard edition on October 14th.

This is the first game in 2K's PGA Tour series since it brought in Woods last year to work with HB Studios as an executive director and consultant. Not only is Woods one of the most successful golfers of all time, he was also the face of EA Sports' golf games for 15 years.

As you might expect, Woods is a playable character in PGA Tour 2K23. Other pros who are available at the outset include Justin Thomas, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Brooke Henderson. More will be added later. There are 20 licensed courses — including South Course of Wilmington Country Club, The Renaissance Club and St. George’s Golf and Country Club — and you'll be able to create your own.

You can try new casual modes, including Topgolf, where you hit targets and try to achieve the highest score. Online modes include custom tournaments and full seasons with friends. There's also a Clubhouse Pass (with free and premium tiers) that will include post-launch content.

Both the deluxe and digital-only Tiger Woods editions include the PS4 and PS5 versions, or Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game. Other bonuses include virtual currency and cosmetic items. If you pre-order the standard edition (or buy the other two editions) you'll receive a bonus pack that includes NBA legend Michael Jordan as a playable character.

MoviePass is about to write the next chapter in its turbulent history. A beta of the revived service will launch on or around September 5th (Labor Day). Pricing will vary depending on each market, but it will be a tiered system costing around $10, $20 or $30 per month. Insider, which first reported the relaunch details, notes that users will get a number of credits each month to see movies in theaters. There won't be an unlimited plan at the outset.

MoviePass cofounder Stacy Spikes announced at a launch event earlier this year that users will be able to transfer credits. There was no mention of that in an FAQ, though it says more details will be revealed later. The FAQ does not provide details of the Web3 framework Spikes said the service would use, nor was there any mention of the eye-tracking tech the app will supposedly employ to reward users with credits for watching ads.

Those who want to try out the revamped MoviePass can join a first-come, first-served waitlist, which will open at 9AM ET on Thursday on the company's website and close at 11:59PM on Monday. The beta will have a limited number of users and MoviePass will start sending invites on September 5th. If you're selected and you become a member, you'll receive 10 invites that you can send to friends. Returning users who are on the waitlist will receive extra credits when they join.

The beta won't go live across the entire US at once. In the FAQ, MoviePass says the "launch determination will be weighted on level of engagement from the waitlist in each market as well as locations of exhibition partners." It added that the service will be available at all major theaters in the US that accept major credit cards. The company says it has officially partnered with a quarter of US theaters.

There will be a physical card again, though it will be black instead of red. You can use it to pick up tickets at a theater's box office. Alternatively, you can book tickets through the MoviePass app.

Spikes, who regained control of MoviePass last November, created the service with Hamet Watt in 2011. Helios and Matheson Analytics (HMNY) bought the service in 2017. A subscription plan introduced that year offered users a movie ticket a day for $10 per month. That approach unsurprisingly proved unsustainable despite the plan's popularity. The app shut down in 2019.

HMNY filed for bankruptcy the following year amid investigations from the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, several district attorneys in California and New York's attorney general. Among its other questionable business practices, MoviePass at one point forced those on an annual plan to renew their subscription three months early if they wanted to keep it. Former CEO Mitch Lowe suggested that the app was tracking users' locations too. Lowe, fellow principal Theodore Farnsworth and HMNY reached a settlement with the FEC last year over charges that they prevented subscribers from using the service and didn't do enough to secure users' data.

The revival of MoviePass comes at a time when theaters are still struggling to drum up business in the wake of pandemic-imposed closures. Regal Cinemas owner Cineworld, the second-largest movie theater chain in the world, said today that it's considering filing for bankruptcy. The company has around $5 billion in debt. It claimed that the relative lack of blockbusters this year has left it struggling to draw movie fans back to theaters. Global box office revenue this year is down by a third compared with 2019.

PowerWash Simulator players can now take part in a research project that looks at the links between gaming and mental health. Developer FuturLab has teamed up with independent researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute for what it calls a "a one-of-a-kind anonymous research study centered around the wellbeing of PowerWash Simulator’s players."

FuturLab says it's working on in-game rewards for participants. If you'd like to take part, you'll need a copy of the game on Steam. You'll also need to download a separate build of PowerWash Simulator. From the Betas menu under Properties, select the "research-edition – Research Edition 2022" option.

As Eurogamer points out, this build will provide two types of anonymized data to the researchers. They'll receive information on players' progress, item purchases and other activities as part of a "base telemetry" dataset.

The second type of data is obtained through questions that the researchers will be able to ask players about their experience. These will seemingly only take players a couple of seconds to answer. Players will also be able to provide feedback to researchers through a "Tell us how you feel" button in the menu. FuturLab won't have access to these responses.

Your game progress won't carry over between the regular game and the Research Edition (though taking part in the study will earn you cosmetic rewards in the main game). This is to help make sure study data is consistent and to avoid issues with save data. In addition, the Research Edition won't have a multiplayer mode and it will only have English-language support. FuturLab added that the Research Edition will be available for at least three months.

PowerWash Simulator, at least from my experience, is a relaxing game. It's just you, a power washer, perhaps a friend or two, maybe some soap and a whole lot of virtual gunk to blast away. It's not hard to see why many folks might find it soothing.

A number of studies into the benefits of gaming on mental health and wellbeing have been conducted over the years with mixed results. One suggested that playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, both of which have sturdy social gaming features, may be good for you (the study was conducted in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic). However, a recently published study, which looked at the gameplay habits of nearly 40,000 people, found that gaming had no significant impact on wellbeing.

It's a little jarring to consider what's happening over at HBO Max a bloodbath in the context of Sesame Street, but that's exactly what's going on at the streaming platform right now. The platform has removed around 200 old episodes of the classic preschooler show, as Variety reports.

All episodes from seasons 39-52 are still available, along with a selection from the first, fifth and seventh seasons. There are 456 Sesame Street episodes on HBO Max right now, but it offered around 650 episodes not too long ago. HBO landed an exclusive deal back in 2015 to broadcast new episodes of the show before they aired on PBS. HBO Max will be the place to catch new Sesame Street episodes through at least 2025, but good luck trying to find old episodes there.

The platform yanked the Sesame Street episodes in the same week it removed dozens of other shows, including 20 original series (such as animated programs). While it's common for titles to cycle in and out of streaming services, it's rare to see exclusives going away. That's becoming increasingly par for the course at HBO Max.

Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery said it nixed those shows ahead of HBO Max merging with Discovery+ next year. “As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and Discovery+. That will include the removal of some content from both platforms," it said.

Since the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery has been on a brutal cost-cutting drive. It laid off dozens of HBO and HBO Max production staffers this week. The company recently removed some other original films and shows from HBO Max — including An American Pickle, HBO show Vinyl and the 2020 remake of The Witches — reportedly to avoid paying residuals on them. 

It also canceled HBO Max exclusive movies Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which were almost completed. Reports suggest it did so to claim tax write-downs on the projects.

Rivian has discontinued the entry-level Explore trim for its R1T and R1S electric vehicles. "After weighing customer demand, Rivian decided to remove Explore Package as an option when configuring an R1T or R1S," wrote in a support article. "We realize this news comes as a surprise and apologize to customers who have had their planning impacted."

The company said it initially gave customers two package options to offer them "more variety." While Rivian expected that many customers would opt for the Explore package, it claimed that only a small percentage of them have done so, with "the vast majority" selecting the Adventure trim. The company said that by narrowing its focus to the Adventure trim, it would be able to streamline its supply chain and deliver its EVs more rapidly.

The move means Rivian's electric truck and SUV are getting more expensive for those looking for the cheapest option — it marks an increase of $5,500 across the board. The R1T truck now starts at $73,000, while the R1S costs at least $78,000 for new orders (the latter starts at $75,500 for those who pre-ordered on March 1st or earlier).

Those with a pre-order for an Explore trim will need to reconfigure their package to an Adventure model by September 1st. Otherwise, Rivian will move them out of the production queue. Customers with an Explore package pre-order will receive their deposit back if they cancel. Those with a binding Explore order agreement can cancel by September 16th for a full refund.

Meanwhile, the quad-motor option has increased in price for new orders in the US (by $2,000) and Canada (by $3,250 CAD). Rivian is currently testing dual-motor versions of the R1S and R1T.

Rivian announced price increases of between $12,000 and $20,000 for all models earlier this year. After a swift backlash, it altered those plans and limited the increases to new R1T and R1S orders, though shareholders brought a lawsuit against the company.

Rivian recently laid off six percent of staff in order to funnel more resources into increasing production. It's struggling to build EVs quickly enough to meet demand and it had to slash its production forecast for the year in half to 25,000. The company's pre-order backlog stood at around 98,000 as of the end of June, not counting the 100,000 electric delivery vehicles Rivian is making for Amazon.

Paramount+ will be the home of UEFA Champions League soccer for the rest of the decade. Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS) has secured a six-year extension to stream the glitzy annual soccer tournament until the end of the 2029-30 season. The deal includes the English-language rights to the Europa League and Europa Conference League, the second and third tiers of international European club soccer competition.

The agreement is valued at over $1.5 billion, meaning that Paramount Global will pay around $250 million per year. That's a steep increase from the $100 million per year the company is currently paying, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. Several media companies are said to have been interested in the Champions League rights, with Paramount believed to have pipped Amazon.

The deal marks an extension of the current agreement Paramount has with UEFA, which will expire in 2024. Although some Champions League games air on Paramount-owned networks like CBS and CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ streams all of them. The service will continue to do so for another eight years.

The latest pact runs through the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico and is expected to make the sport even more popular in North America. Paramount (which also has the rights to broadcast Serie A, some CONCACAF international games, the National Women's Soccer League and the Women's Super League) aired the 2022 Champions League final on CBS and drew record ratings. It was also the most-streamed soccer match ever on Paramount+.

“UEFA has been a key driver for Paramount+ since our launch and we are thrilled to extend this successful partnership showcasing even more world-class soccer through the 2029-30 season, building on the incredible momentum we have created the past two years,” CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said in a statement.