The Video Electronics Standards Associated (VESA) wants to make buying your next monitor or TV easier, and it’s doing so by introducing a new standard. I know what you’re thinking: between DisplayPort, DisplayHDR and AdaptiveSync, aren’t there already more VESA standards than anyone can keep track of? Well, yes, but the organization’s newest certification program may help demystify one of the more opaque aspects of buying a new display: motion clarity performance.

You probably have a good sense of the problem if you recently spent time researching your next monitor or TV purchase. Using gaming monitors as an example, many manufacturers claim their products feature 1ms gray-to-gray (GtG) pixel response times, yet they don’t handle motion blur to the same standard. One of the reasons for that is that manufacturers cherry-pick GtG results that make their monitors look better on paper.

VESA

Right now, one of the best ways to find a monitor or TV that won’t look blurry when gaming and watching video is to turn to outlets like Rtings and Hardware Unboxed. They’ve developed comprehensive testing methodologies to help you cut through all the marketing. You can also rest assured they probably have the Blur Busters UFO test set as their homepage.

In the future, the process may be less time-consuming thanks to VESA’s new Clear Motion Ratio Compliance Test Specification, or ClearMR for short. The standard introduces a tiered ranking system designed to communicate the ratio of clear to blurry pixels a screen will produce when displaying a fast-moving image. For instance, a monitor with a ClearMR 7000 badge would have a “Clear Motion Ratio” range of 65 to 75 times more clear pixels than blurry ones. According to VESA, there’s a “visually distinguishable change in clarity” between tiers, and the standard will encompass a variety of consumer displays, including those you can find on laptops and tablets.

"It is our goal that ClearMR will replace existing metrics that are used in advertisements for blur-based metrics that are solely based on time, like MPRT [motion picture response time],” Dale Stolitzka, senior principal researcher at Samsung Display and lead contributor to ClearMR, told ArsTechnica. “I would be perfectly happy if I didn't see that in advertisements anymore.”

Interestingly, when certifying displays that feature backlight strobing or black frame insertion, VESA will disable those features to “prevent unfair comparisons” with products that do not include them. The organization also plans to account for overdrive by limiting overshoot to under 20 percent. With today’s announcement, ClearMR also only applies to SDR displays, but the standard will eventually evolve to include HDR screens too.

The first batch of ClearMR-certified products comprises one HP monitor and 15 LG screens, including the 32GQ850 and 27GP850.

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.

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.