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.

Since the launch of Google TV almost two years ago, Google has been busy adding new features to the platform – including, most recently, iOS support. So if you feel the company has neglected the product from a performance and stability standpoint, the latest Google TV update is for you.

To start, Google says new CPU and cache management optimizations will reduce the time it takes for the “For you” tab to load on startup. Similarly, navigating within a tab and switching between multiple ones should feel more responsive after installing the latest update. A faster Live tab should also result in you seeing less of Google TV’s loading animation. Google says switching to kids profiles will take less time as well. But best of all, the software will now use less RAM, leading to a smoother viewing experience.

If you’ve been using Google TV for a while, you’ll also appreciate the storage enhancements included in this latest update. Google has added a “Free up storage” option to the Setting menu to make it easier to clear the program’s cache and uninstall apps you’re not using. The feature is already available on Chromecast with Google TV and coming to smart TVs soon. The company has also made under-the-hood tweaks that should reduce the number of errors users see when attempting to install new apps. Lastly, there’s a new automated process that will free up space on your device so that you can install more apps.

Google has begun rolling out the above enhancements to users. If you don’t see them immediately, it may take them a few days to reach your device.

Companies already use The Game Awards to pitch related movies and shows, but now the event will officially recognize those productions. Organizers have revealed that the 2022 Game Awards will take place December 8th with a new Best Adaptation category. Companies will receive statuettes for any project that translates games to "popular media," including movies, TV series, podcasts and books.

The event will not only retain an in-person component, but extend that to theaters. The Game Awards will offer a live "IMAX Experience" in cities worldwide. While more details are due in the months ahead, it's safe to presume you'll get a richer audiovisual presentation as you watch ceremonies and game trailers.

The creation of an adaptation category isn't surprising. This year has had a flurry of game-inspired media, including the long-in-the-making Halo TV series, a well-received Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie and an anticipated (if unspectacular) Uncharted film. This gives The Game Awards a chance to capitalize on the trend, of course, but it could also reward those studios that do justice to favorite gaming franchises.

If you love technology as much as we do and have writing chops to boot, we want to hear from you. Engadget is looking for freelance news writers in the US! Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume and links to three writing samples to jobs at engadget dot com. Here’s the deal:

Contributing writer

Engadget is looking for ambitious and enthusiastic freelance writers capable of telling compelling stories about technology, science and the future of everything. The ideal candidate will put important news in proper context with minimal fluff, find an interesting and original angle from which to tackle a story, explain complicated subjects simply and clearly, and do this all reasonably quickly.

As a writer at Engadget you'll be an essential part of our dedicated and passionate news team. Our ideal candidates will have some solid professional media experience under their belt, but we're also open to early-career writers who are ready to hustle. You'll gain valuable experience and exposure in a fast-paced, online newsroom. Plus, you'll have access to some of the finest writers and reporters in the business who can offer invaluable lessons on how to thrive in the modern media landscape.

Freelance contributing writers will take on between three and five assignments per day (sometime between 8AM and 9PM ET, but your exact schedule is negotiable). We are currently looking for writers located in the US, or anyone willing to work during US business hours. Shifts will be a minimum of four hours.

We're looking for:

• Preferably someone who already has some professional tech/science/auto bylines under their belt.

• A familiarity with and sincere interest in consumer technology.

• A writer with a strong, lively voice who can turn in clean copy quickly.

• Works well with others, and is receptive to feedback.

• Experience with Photoshop or other photo editing software is a plus.

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.

The James Webb Space Telescope team is still flexing its ability to capture detailed images close to home. Webb has snapped a pair of near-infrared photos showing Jupiter's polar auroras. You can also see the planet's extremely faint rings and two of its smaller moons, Amalthea (the bright spot to the far left) and Adrastea (the dot at the left edge of the central ring).

The pictures were taken using NIRCam's widefield view on July 27th. As for the trippy visuals? Astronomers created composites using several images produced with filters mapped to multiple colors (particularly visible in the image below). The Great Red Spot and other cloud formations are white as they reflect large amounts of sunlight.

NASA, ESA, Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Judy Schmidt

The James Webb crew didn't just create these images for the sake of bragging rights. The observations should provide more insights into Jupiter's "inner life," according to the European Space Agency. That, in turn, could help scientists understand the behavior of gas giants beyond the Solar System. In other words, Webb's data could soon prove useful on multiple levels.

Apple's Self Service Repair program is no longer limited to iPhones. The company is adding M1-based MacBook Air and Pro systems to the program on August 23rd, giving you access to official parts and tools to fix your laptop at home. You can replace the display, the battery (plus the top case), trackpad and other major components. As before, you're using "many" of the same resources you'd find at an Apple retail store or authorized repair shop.

You'll pay $49 to rent a repair kit. TechCrunchnotes part pricing is the same as for third-party service centers, ranging from $12 for an audio board through to $580 for a motherboard. You'll have to trade in your old parts to get these prices (a motherboard costs three times as much otherwise), but Apple will recycle anything it can't rescue. Don't expect to use this as a memory or storage upgrade — Apple will charge the full amount if you buy a board that doesn't match the computer you bought.

The program will expand to more Macs and countries later this year. As usual, Apple recommends repairs only to experienced users. It's still pointing the "vast majority" of customers to approved repair facilities.

The program kicked off in April, and is widely seen as Apple's response to Right to Repair laws and regulations, including at the federal level. It won't necessarily reduce government scrutiny, and may not change much for DIY repair fans who've turned to unofficial sources like iFixit. Still, this could be welcome news if you'd rather not rely on a technician to maintain your Mac.

YouTube's interest in podcasts appears to extend beyond paying creators to make videos. 9to5Googlenotes YouTube has quietly launched a podcast Explore page. Only some people can access it on desktop or mobile, but those that can will see popular channels, episodes and playlists as well as categories and recommended shows. At present, you'll see standard video thumbnails and playback controls, even if you're a YouTube Premium subscriber who normally sees listening-oriented options.

We've asked YouTube for comment. The Explore page appears to have gone live near the end of July, but is only now becoming more widely available. It's not clear what (if anything) will happen to Google Podcasts.

Engadget

While YouTube's longer-term plans aren't evident, the new area suggests the Google brand is positioning itself as an alternative to major podcast clients like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. That wouldn't be surprising if so. YouTube already hosts numerous podcasts, particularly those that have video versions. The Explore page could draw more attention to those productions and encourage more podcasters to publish their work on YouTube.

Google has made some solid wireless earbuds over the past couple of years, but the latest Pixel Buds Pro are its best yet. We gave them a score of 87 when we reviewed them last month, and now you can pick the buds up while they're on discount for the first time. Amazon has the Pixel Buds Pro in charcoal and lemongrass for $175, which is $25 off their usual price and a record low. The more affordable Pixel Buds A-Series have also been discounted to $69, which is their lowest price yet.

Essentially, Google made small changes to the earbuds' design and also added a few key features to make them worthy of the "Pro" moniker. The buds themselves are bit more oval shaped than the previous models, helping them fit better into the contours of the ear. They're IPX4-rated, so they'll survive sweaty workouts, and they have onboard controls that let you play/pause, skip tracks, adjust the volume and switch between ANC and transparency mode.

ANC is arguably the biggest new feature on the Pixel Buds Pro, and Google did a pretty good job with it. The buds use a six-core audio chip for active noise cancellation, and a feature called Silent Seal helps block out even more noise and minimize sound leaks. All of those things combine to make solid ANC that blocks out noises like a TV show playing in the same room as you or sounds of people talking nearby. Sound quality is also quite good and Google added a feature called Volume EQ that automatically adjusts tuning when you change the volume, so the highs, miss and lows are more balanced and nuanced at any volume.

The buds' companion app lets you do things like customize touch controls, change sound modes, fine-tune Google Assistant features and check in on the last known location of the earbuds. You can also turn on automatic switching between Android devices in the app, which will come in handy when you use a few devices in tandem. Finally, when it comes to battery life, you'll get roughly 13 hours out of the Pixel Buds Pro when using ANC or up to 20 hours with that feature turned off. Google also added wireless charging capabilities to the buds' carrying case, which is a feature that previous iterations didn't have. So while the Pixel Buds Pro are Google's most expensive wireless earbuds to date, they're also its best sounding, most capable and most versatile buds yet.

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Ahead of the premiere of HBO’s new Game Of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, the company shared the first glimpse of its adaptation of PlayStation’s The Last of Us. In a trailer published on YouTube, we get a heady 20 seconds of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, including a flashback to Joel interacting with his daughter. The 10-episode series should premiere in early 2023.

— Mat Smith

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Lincoln replaced the steering wheel with a 'chess piece controller' in its new concept car

It drives itself.

Lincoln

Last week, Lincoln revealed the Model L100, its futuristic foray into electrified mobility, which draws inspiration from the company’s very first luxury sedan, the 1922 Model L. The Model L100 tries to match the opulence of the original, with “next generation battery cell and pack technologies” that apparently deliver “game changing energy density.” Instead of a steering wheel, it has a “jewel-inspired chess piece controller that captures light and depth by redefining the vehicle controls inside the cabin.” Sure.

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Scientists may have found an affordable way to destroy forever chemicals

PFAS are everywhere and have been linked to negative health effects.

A team of scientists may have found a safe, affordable way to destroy forever chemicals. PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are in many household items, including non-stick Teflon pans and dental floss. They share one common feature: a carbon-fluorine backbone that is one of the strongest known bonds in organic chemistry. It’s what gives PFAS-treated cookware its non-stick quality, while also making them harmful to humans. A group of scientists have been able to break down these PFAS with a mix of sodium hydroxide and an organic solvent called dimethyl sulfoxide.

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The Sega Genesis Mini 2's 60-game line-up includes two unreleased titles

Let’s not forget the Sega CD classics.

Sega has unveiled the complete list of games coming with the Genesis Mini 2, and it's clear the new machine is as much for collectors as it is nostalgic fans. The 60-game catalog includes two previously unreleased games, for starters. There’s Devi & Pii, a "paddle-style" game designed by Sonic 3's Takashi Iizuka, as well as Mindware's finished but unpublished puzzler Star Mobile. I think the 12 Sega CD titles — including Night Trap and CD versions of classics Sonic the Hedgehog and Ecco the Dolphin — are the most exciting part.

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Search ads could arrive in Apple Maps as early as next year

The company may have already allocated resources to the project.

Apple could integrate ads into Maps by next year, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Gurman says the company has begun preparing the software to support search ads. He previously reported the company had tested an internal version of Maps that included search ads. Apple already serves ads through its App Store. Developers can pay the company to prioritize their software in search results, ensuring it shows up at the top of the page when users input specific terms. Search ads within Maps would work in a similar way, says Gurman.

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