Sony's PlayStation 5 sales remain relatively steady and strong, with 3.3 million units sold in fiscal Q2 compared to 2.2 million last quarter, bringing total sales to 13.4 million units, Sony announced. Game sales were also up significantly at 76.4 million units compared to 63.6 million in the previous quarter, due in large part to third-party sales.

All told, this amounted to a healthy 27 percent boost in gaming revenue to 645.4 billion yen ($5.68 billion). However, operating income of 82.7 billion yen ($728 million) was down compared to last quarter by 3.4 billion yen ($29 million). Sony's fiscal year ends on March 31, 2022.

So how can profit be lower when sales and revenue are up? While Sony did sell more games last quarter, first-party titles dropped very significantly, from 10.5 million last quarter to 7.6 million in Q2. That was offset in numbers by third-party games, but those don't tend to be as profitable. Both Microsoft and Sony have acquired gaming studios to boost their Xbox/PS first-party titles, but Microsoft has been more prolific in that regard. 

And while PS5 sales were up, PS4 units dropped considerably, down to just 200,000 from a half a million the quarter before. Other factors that Sony mentioned are a "loss resulting from strategic price points for PS5 hardware that were set lower than manufacturing costs." That means that Sony may have sold the PS5 with minimal or negative profits this quarter, although in August, the company said it was no longer selling the PS5 at a loss. 

Despite the drop in quarterly income, Sony's gaming division appears to be on pretty solid footing. In its August earnings call, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki told investors that the company believes it will eclipse the 14.8 million unit sales achieved by the PlayStation 4 in its first year. PS5 sales are tracking close to that figure.

The company also said at the time that it had secured enough components for 22.6 million units sold by March 2022. That would be enough to meet its sales projections, but if sales really explode during the holidays, it may not have a lot of margin for error — meaning shortages could continue through next year. 

This post contains moderate spoilers for the first episode and slight spoilers for episode two of ‘Star Trek: Prodigy.’

How do you make a series that can draw in newcomers while still appealing to long-time fans? In the case of Star Trek: Prodigy, you set it in a place where the United Federation of Planets has little to no presence — the Delta Quadrant — and make your cast a bunch of misfit kids who have never heard of the Federation or Starfleet. That puts them on the same level as the children this show hopes to draw in, while offering up just enough tidbits to intrigue their Trekkie parents.

The pilot, ‘Lost and Found,’ is a feature-length episode that debuted today on Paramount+ (that means it’s technically two parts). It was originally planned to air on Nickelodeon first, but it was changed to a streaming-exclusive for 2021 with the cable channel airing it later at a still-unknown date. The animated show fills in the content gap between the end of Lower Decks earlier this month and the premiere of Discoveryseason four in November — which in turn, should carry fans through to the start of season two of Picardin February. The idea is to keep Star Trek fans from dropping their subscriptions to Paramount+ during the downtime, something that was fairly common during Discovery’s first three seasons.

Nickelodeon

That assumes, however, that Prodigy has something to offer those adult fans. And that’s where the deeper ties to Trek lore come in. Though Voyager spent seven years in the Delta Quadrant, the ship’s mission to get back to Federation space meant it couldn’t stick around in any one place too long, or return to previous locales. There’s a ton left to explore — as well as plenty of room for Prodigy’s creators, Dan and Kevin Hageman, to populate their own corner of the universe.

First, they have to introduce their main characters, and that’s what ‘Lost and Found’ is largely dedicated to doing. Our cast of misfits, led by Dal (voiced by Brett Gray), lives on a mining colony populated by prisoners and orphans. It’s the last place anyone would want to be, especially a Star Trek character, which is why the main drive is to just get off this bleak rock. But right away the series makes its point about being far from Federation space and technology, as the inhabitants can’t even talk to each other due to a lack of universal translators. That system has been how, for over 55 years, Star Trek has managed to populate its cast with aliens who all speak English. It’s the future! Different languages aren’t a problem!

Except here, they are. It keeps the characters from even knowing each other’s names, which makes the discovery of the USS Protostar and its built-in translator the perfect opportunity for everyone to re-introduce themselves to each other and thus, to the audience. And, when Dal and Rocktok discover a lost Starfleet ship buried under the surface of the planet, the ship itself may fill them with awe, but it’s the translator that truly elicits the most enthusiastic reaction: Rocktok calls it “magic.” It’s a rather fitting introduction to a franchise with a goal to “seek out new life and new civilizations,” in how it puts the connection between these disparate aliens up front.

When I saw the pilot at New York Comic Con a few weeks ago, I compared it to shows like Clone Wars and Rebels. The Star Wars influence that J.J. Abrams brought to the Star Trek franchise is still present in Prodigy, notably in its action sequences and score, the latter composed by frequent Michael Giacchino collaborator Nami Melumad. Giacchino is best known for his work on various Pixar and Star Trek films, and he also supplies the main theme for Prodigy. You can hear his influence on Melumad’s score, which does a great job of blending a quirky style with the signature Trek leitmotifs.

The final action sequence feels like pure Star Wars, as the USS Protostar makes its way off the planet and Dal is trapped on its hull, battling the villainous Drednok. The bad guy’s insect-like cyborg body reminds me of General Grievous — if the general could turn into a giant gun, that is. It’s the kind of thing that works best in CG and, like Lower Decks before it, Prodigy seems more than willing to embrace the extra freedom offered by animation as a medium. We’re long past the clunky microfiche displays and cosplaying dogs of the original series.

That freedom is probably best illustrated in the character of hologram Captain Janeway, voiced by Kate Mulgrew (of course). It’s been over 20 years since Voyager last graced the small screen, and Mulgrew has kept busy on shows like Warehouse 13 and Orange is the New Black. But in the Star Trek universe, it’s only been six years (though an exact date is never given on-screen in Prodigy). Animation means they can easily erase the decades from Janeway without resorting to the creepy live-action simulacrums seen in Rogue One of Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia.

Hologram Janeway makes her debut at the end of today’s pilot episode, but she’ll make a much fuller appearance in next week’s ‘Starstruck.’ That’s where the new “cadets” get to explore the ship and learn more about the distant “Federation.” While there’s still plenty of banter and conflict between the characters, the real star of the second episode is the ship itself — what it looks like, and what it’s capable of. While there is a plot — which I won’t divulge details of — it serves as a showcase for all the different features of this new prototype ship. You can almost imagine Janeway as a car salesman, slapping the hood of the Protostar and saying “this baby’s warp core can travel to so many planets.”

Star Trek has always been a humanist franchise, devoted to exploring social themes and dilemmas. It also has a tendency to take its technology and the “post-scarcity utopia” for granted. Prodigy goes against the grain by showing from the start how technology can change lives.

The third quarter of 2021 was a record breaker for Samsung, which posted a revenue of 73.98 trillion Korean won or US$63.1 billion. That's 10 percent higher from the same period last year. It also reported an operating profit of 15.82 trillion Korean won or U$13.5 billion, which is 26 percent higher than the previous quarter's. 

Despite the pandemic, the tech giant's semiconductor business posted 26.4 trillion won or US$22.6 billion in revenue, thanks to a strong demand for computers due to companies implementing work-from-home arrangements. Its DRAM sales, mainly for servers, continue to grow and is the leading factor for the division's stellar performance. Samsung says it was able to do business as usual despite the global shortage in chip components "by flexibly operating its product mix."

In addition to its chip business, Samsung's mobile division also contributed greatly to its record-breaking third quarter. It saw an improvement from the previous quarter, with its 28.42 trillion won or U$24.2 billion in revenue, thanks to strong sales of its mass-market lineup and its flagship models. The latter includes its new foldable devices, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, though the company admitted that the bigger marketing investments for its foldables affected the division's total profits. 

It's also thanks to the high demand for its phones that Samsung's display business was able to post 8.86 trillion won or US$7.5 billion in revenue. Display earnings were up from the previous quarter primarily due to the higher demand for small to medium OLED panels despite a sluggish demand for bigger panels.

Samsung remains optimistic for the fourth quarter, as well as for next year, but it didn't provide specific guidance for its chip business due to the ongoing component supply issue affecting various industries. It expects continued high demand for PCs and servers, nonetheless. For the fourth quarter specifically, it's expecting even higher earnings "due to expanded supply of SoCs and related products for launches of new 5G smartphones in 2022."

PlayStation exclusive Bugsnax is getting a lot bigger in a few different ways next year with the Isle of BIGsnax update. Heading to PlayStation 4 and PS5 in early 2022, The Isle of BIGsnax unlocks a new landscape filled with oversized Bugsnax, plus it adds challenges to complete and hut-decorating options back on Snaktooth Island. And of course, the cutest part of the update is the ability to dress up your Bugsnax in various hats. 

The Isle of BIGsnax update will be free for all Bugsnax owners (try saying that ten times fast).

Bugsnax was a PS5 launch title, dropping alongside a tight roster of big names like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and the Demon's Souls remake. It comes from independent studio Young Horses, which was previously known for making Octodad, a surprisingly heartwarming physics game about an octopus pretending to be a normal father.

Recently, Young Horses has made headlines for establishing a permanent four-day work week, in the interest of cultivating a healthy work-life balance for employees. This is a big deal in the video game industry, where crunch — implementing 100-hour weeks and otherwise overwhelming employees' lives — is a common business practice.

“While I enjoy making weirdo games, it's also just very important that I'm making responsible decisions to take care of the people I work with, stuff like that,” Young Horses co-founder Philip Tibitoski told Engadget in January. “That's become much more of a thing than it used to be, or at least I've moved further into a business-y, boss role, I guess. Weird, but feels right.”

Mercedes is using the impending COP26 climate conference to highlight its EV efforts — and show how sustainability can involve more than a switch to battery power. The newly unveiled Sustaineer delivery van concept is fully electric, as you'd guess, but it also improves the environment around it. Fine particulate filters on the front and underbody purify the air around the van no matter what its speed. It even uses cast iron, ceramic-coated disc brakes that both reduce the amount of dust in the air and limit brake wear.

The Sustaineer also has solar panels on its roof to extend range and reduce the need for plug-in charging (this sometimes contributes to CO2 emissions). It can further power devices whether or not the van is running, such as tools and laptops. Solar power on electrified vehicles is nothing new, but Mercedes clearly hopes implementations like this would keep EVs as green as possible.

Other eco-conscious technology includes an energy-saving heating system that hews close to the body (including the seatbelt) and a heavy use of recycled materials. The filler is made from household waste, the cab partition is built from natural straw and the underbody includes recycled polypropylene and used tires. Mercedes lowers noise pollution, too, thanks to a quiet electric drivetrain, low rolling resistance tires and a hushed automatic delivery door.

Safety is a concern as well. A camera monitors road conditions to share reports of potholes and other hazards with cities, while digital mirrors provide a clearer field of view than you normally get with cargo vans. A "biologically active" light keeps the driver alert by filling the cab with illumination similar to daylight while maintaining a natural rhythm.

There are no mentions of plans to mass-produce the Sustaineer. With that said, Mercedes stressed that all the van's technology was crafted with large-scale production in mind. You might see this in other vans, not to mention other Mercedes vehicles. The company already has other green tech on the horizon, such as sustainable repairs for EV batteries in 2022, and Sustaineer is ultimately a logical extension of those plans.

Death's Door, one of the best indie games to come out earlier this year, is heading to PlayStation consoles. During Sony's State of Play presentation on Wednesday, Devolver Digital announced it will release the Zelda-like action-adventure game on November 23rd, allowing PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 fans to experience it.  

Released this past summer on PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, Death's Door is the latest project from Acid Nerve, the studio behind 2015's Titan Souls. You play as a crow whose job it is to collect souls for a bureaucratic organization called the Reaping Commission Headquarters. In addition to The Legend of Zelda, it has a lot of similarities to From Software's Dark Souls. The game has earned praise for its art direction, music and gameplay. If you pre-order Death's Door before its November 23rd release date, you'll get Titan Souls for free. 

Volvo is eager to bring self-driving technology to construction crews, but it's taking a decidedly unusual route to get there. The automaker has unveiled an autonomous wheel loader prototype, the LX03, that's based on a Lego model — 42081 Lego Technic Concept Wheel Loader Zeux, if you're looking for it. The machine can haul 5 tons and can make its own decisions in a wide variety of situations, including team-ups with human workers. 

The LX03 is also uniquely modular. Volvo can make "just one or two changes" to produce a larger or smaller loader to meet a customer's demands. It's unsurprisingly electric and can last for up to eight hours depending on the job. It should be available for a typical workday, then.

The prototype isn't indicative of a production model. It does represent the "next stage" in Volvo's efforts to both explore AI and decarbonize construction, however. And there's little denying the appeal of building a real, fully functional vehicle based on a plastic building system, particularly when it could usher in a futre that keeps humans away from dangerous and monotonous tasks.

As promised at WWDC earlier this year, Apple today will start letting developers highlight their in-app events on the App Store. You'll need iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 to see the event listings, and they work as you'd expect, allowing you to see seasonal competitions, livestreams and more. It's a pretty straightforward feature, but it's the sort of thing that could encourage more people to install and use their apps. 

Hopefully, developers won't rely on it as a spammy way to rack up engagement. Many mobile gamers would love to know when they can log on for special item drops, for example. And if you encounter a particularly intriguing upcoming event, you can also create a notification or calendar reminder of when it begins. You'll also be able to share events to get your friends on board too.

The FCC wants to make it easier to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for those who can't (or prefer not to) call. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed an order that would let people text 988 to reach the Lifeline. Carriers would have to automatically route texts to 988 to the Lifeline's full number (1-800-273-8255) no later than July 16th, 2022. Providers would have to support every messaging format the Lifeline can handle, and the FCC would explore the possibility of texting the Veterans Crisis Line.

The move would not only accommodate younger people more familiar with texting, but would make the Lifeline more accessible to people with disabilities, according to the FCC. The regulator also suggested this would offer a "certain level of anonymity" for people who aren't comfortable with phone conversations. The FCC will hold a vote on the proposal at its November 18th meeting.

The Lifeline already supports online chats through the web. As Rosenworcel explained, however, this is a bid to "meet [people] where they are" and give them a choice in a moment of crisis. Americans would have more opportunities to get help, and might be more inclined to get that help in the first place.

Next month on Mars, the ESA and China's National Space Administration (CNSA) will try something that's never been attempted before in space: Sending data from a planet-based rover to an orbiter that it can't receive any messages from. Specifically, China's selfie-taking Zhurong rover, which has been on the Red Planet since May, will try to shoot data over to the ESA's Mars Express Orbiter. 

As the ESA explains, Zhurong can't actually receive any communications from the Express Orbiter, due to a radio incompatibility. That means it can't hear the hail signal sent from the orbiter, which is typically what a rover waits for before it starts sending out data. Instead, next month Mars and the ESA will attempt a new method that's previously only been tested on Earth. During five tests, Zhurong will send a signal blindly into space, and the Mars Express will listen for that signal and any potential data.

"If [Mars Express] detects the magic signal, the radio will lock on to it and begin recording any data," ESA's Josh Tapley writes. "At the end of the communication window, the spacecraft will turn to face Earth and relay these data across space the same way it does for other scientific Mars missions. When the data arrive at ESOC, they will be forwarded on to the Zhurong team for processing and analysis."    

It's not unusual for rovers to send data to foreign orbiter — that's commonly been seen as a smart backup method — but this test opens the door for communication between incompatible systems. That'll be useful if China has any issues with its Tianwen-1 orbiter down the line, or if the US and other countries need help in turn.