A remastered collection of the first two Life is Strange games will arrive a bit later than expected. Square Enix says it's pushing back the bundle of Life Is Strange and Life Is Strange: Before the Storm to early 2022. The Life Is Strange Remastered Collection was originally scheduled for September 30th.

"Due to the ongoing challenges of the worldwide pandemic, we want to alleviate any additional pressure on the Life is Strange team by giving more time between the release of Life is Strange: True Colors and the Life is Strange Remastered Collection," Square Enix wrote in a tweet.

While the delay might be disappointing to some, it's good to see the developers getting more breathing room. The new versions will include "vastly improved character animation" drawn from full facial motion capture. If you buy the ultimate edition of Life is Strange: True Colors, you'll still have access to the remastered collection when it eventually arrives. 

Meanwhile, Square Enix had some other news to share about the franchise. True Colors, from Before the Storm studio Deck Nine, is still on track for its September 10th release date. If you manage to zip through the next game in the series quickly, you won't have to wait until early next year for another fix. The Wavelengths DLC is now scheduled for September 30th, taking the remastered collection's old slot. A trailer will be released on August 12th.

With Samsung hosting its latest Unpacked event earlier today, you may have missed Nintendo's Indie World showcase at noon ET. It was only about 20 minutes long, but the company had a lot of news to share. Most notably, you can download Axiom Verge 2, the sequel to Tom Happ's acclaimed 2015 Metroidvania, today. If you don't own a Switch, it's also available on PC via the Epic Games Store and PlayStation 4.

Axiom Verge 2 is not the only Switch indie you can download today. In all, there are six other games you can play today. Of those, the highlights are Boyfriend Dungeon and Garden Story. The former is a hack-and-slash title where you can romance and date the weapons you find on your adventure, while the latter is a top-down Zelda-like RPG set in a charming world filled with anthropomorphic plants.

Then there are the indie games you can look forward to playing at a later date on your Switch. Leading that pack is Tetris Effect, which will finally make its way to Nintendo's portable console on October 8th. This latest version of the game will include both single-player and multiplayer components. 

Other highlights include Eastward, a new action RPG from Stardew Valley publisher Chucklefish Games, and the highly-acclaimed Loop Hero, which came out on PC and Mac earlier this year. Both will arrive on Switch before the end of the year. We're also looking forward to a game called Bomb Rush Cyberpunk. It's reminiscent of Jet Set Radio and is coming to Switch sometime next year.

Not to be outdone by the Rivian R1T's "tank-turning" feat or the Hummer EV's crab-walking capabilities, Chevrolet on Wednesday shared a sneak peak of its own all-wheel steering trick arriving with the upcoming Silverado EV. This system is designed to reduce the vehicle's turning radius at low speeds and improve handling and control at higher speeds.

Many details about the 2023 Silverado EV remain scarce though we do know that the R1T and F-150 rival will sport GM's Ultium battery technology and share the Hummer EV's electric drivetrain. Depending on the battery pack size, that could translate into a 400 mile range. There's no word yet on pricing, trim levels or specific availability, though the 2023 model is expected to go on sale in early 2024 and, if the EV follows the pricing model for its gas-powered cousins, we could see the electrified Silverado start at around $50,000 — but again, Chevy hasn't officially confirmed those details. 

YouTube has suspended Sen. Rand Paul from the platform after he claimed in a video that "cloth masks don't work" with regard to the spread of COVID-19. It marked the second time YouTube has removed one of Paul's videos.

Paul violated YouTube's policy on coronavirus medical misinformation, a company spokesperson told The New York Times. YouTube prohibits videos containing "claims that masks do not play a role in preventing the contraction or transmission of COVID-19.” Paul won't be able to upload videos to the platform for seven days.

“Most of the masks you get over the counter don’t work. They don’t prevent infection,” Paul said in the now-deleted video. Paul also cited "actual science" while claiming cloth masks don't work. However, he noted that N-95 masks are effective in protecting against COVID-19 infection.

Public health experts say masks work in tandem with other preventative measures such as vaccinations and washing hands frequently to stem the spread of COVID-19. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that members of the general public should use masks made with breathable fabric.

Paul acknowledged in a statement that YouTube, as a private company, had the right to suspend him. However, he argued that the decision marked “a continuation of their commitment to act in lockstep with the government.”

YouTube has yanked tens of thousands of videos that made erroneous claims about COVID-19 vaccines, and it suspended Sky News Australia and OANN for spreading misinformation. YouTube has also run a series of PSAs encouraging people to get inoculated.

Meanwhile, Twitter suspended Paul's fellow Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene once again on Tuesday over COVID-19 misinformation. Green claimed that coronavirus vaccines were "failing" and that the Food and Drug Administration should not give them full approval. It's at least the third time Twitter has prevented Greene from tweeting after she shared information. Users can be banned from Twitter permanently after violating the policy five or more times.

Marvel has often been taken to task for poor pacing on its shows. The Netflix programs were always said to be padded out, with more installments than they really needed per season. The Disney+ era has given us shows with fewerepisodes, but that hasn’t deterred complaints about slow pacing. What If…?, premiering this week on the service, has a different problem: It’s frantic and rushed, like a podcast episode played at 1.5x speed.

The concept behind What If…? is simple. Take a pivotal moment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, change one thing, see what happens. In the premiere episode, set during the events of Captain America: The First Avenger, Peggy Carter chooses to stay in the room where Steve is receiving the super soldier serum. Steve gets shot, forcing Peggy to jump into the machine and get bulked up in his place.

You’d need to be intimately familiar with the original movie to spot the difference, which is why the omniscient narrator is there to point it out. It’s probably the only time the episode stops to catch its breath.

The problem is that this is a half-hour show attempting to present an alternate version of a two-hour movie. It isn’t even enough to just say that Captain Carter has super powers; they feel the need to show how the events of the entire movie play out, down to the final battle with the Red Skull. There isn’t a lot of time for character development, because they assume you already know the characters well from seeing them on the silver screen. (Also, why is she Captain Carter and not Captain Britain?)

Marvel Studios

It runs from plot point to plot point, a highlight reel of the film with some small and a lot of big changes. You’ll probably want to rewatch the original movie either before or after, just because there are so many winks and nudges to it that the episode simply cannot stand alone. It’s like a DVD extra and fan fiction had a baby — which, to be fair, is what the original comic felt like.

The difference here is that this is a version of What If...? that gets to play in the MCU sandbox, with the voices and likenesses to boot (except for Hugo Weaving, who is once again replaced by Ross Marquand as the Red Skull). Animation is the only way to pull it off, given that the cast and setting changes with every episode so a live action production would be prohibitively expensive.

Marvel Studios

But, despite being owned by one of the most famous animation studios in the world, Marvel Studios went with third-party animators. It’s a cel shaded style, which is more often used in video games and here looks a lot like rotoscoping. It’s sort of stiff and awkward, with more attention paid to making characters look like their actors instead of being more fluid or expressive. It’s a shame, given that Disney’s 2012 short film Paperman utilized a hybrid 2D/3D style which looks similar to this, but with a lot more personality.

Future episodes will explore other divergences from the MCU, like T’Challa becoming Star Lord or Tony Stark getting saved by Killmonger. So it’s likely some episodes will be far more enjoyable than others based on their conceit alone, though Captain Carter is still a solid start. But a good concept can’t completely overcome animation and pacing issues.

When Razer came out with its Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds in 2019, it was one of the first companies to include a low-latency Bluetooth mode for gaming. That's a feature that has since made its way to various headphones, and the true wireless market has only become more competitive in the meantime. Enter the second-generation Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds, which cost $30 more than their $100 predecessor but include additional premium features.

Razer

To start, they include both ANC and RGB lighting. You won't get the same noise-canceling experience that you can expect from Razer's $200 Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds, but the company says the new model will still filter out sounds like the hum of a plane. Using the Razer Audio App, you can customize the color and brightness of the Chroma RGB. The software also lets you tweak EQ settings to your liking. Other improvements include support for Bluetooth 5.2 and a new design Razer claims improves sound isolation and fit for most people. 

The amount of battery life you can look forward to eeking out of the 2021 model will vary greatly depending on your use of the RGB and ANC features. With both turned off, Razer claims you can look forward to six-and-a-half hours of playtime on a single charge and an additional 26 hours with the included charging case. However, those figures drop to four and 20 hours when you enable both features. While not necessarily great, that's still an improvement on the 19 hours of total listening time the previous model offered.

You can buy the Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds starting today from Razer's website for $129.99.

Google has released the fourth beta of Android 12, and while there aren't any major new features here, it marks an important step in the operating system's development. Android 12 has now reached platform stability, meaning work is complete on most of the underlying tech. Google said in March it was hoping to hit platform stability in August, so it's right on track.

"Android 12’s APIs and all app-facing behaviors are finalized," according to Google. That means developers can start their final Android 12 compatibility tests without worrying things will change much. A final Android 12 beta will emerge in the coming weeks. 

Google is expected to roll out Android 12 broadly in the next couple of months, likely alongside the Pixel 6 lineup. While there might be more features in the pipeline, we may not learn about those until Google gives an in-depth look at its new flagship handsets. 

If you'd like to try out the Android 12 beta, a number of devices have access to it. Along with Google Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi and ZTE phones, it's also available on Google TV.

After a couple of less interesting events, Samsung's latest Unpacked was a more jam-packed affair, with the company announcing a total of four devices. Here's everything the company showed off during its August 11th livestream. 

Galaxy Z Fold 3

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy Fold 3 headlined Samsung’s latest Unpacked event. One of the more noteworthy features of the foldable is that it includes an under-display camera. When it’s not in use, the Fold 3’s internal selfie shooter will attempt to blend in with the screen. While you can still see the component, particularly if your eyes drift to that part of the display, it helps make the device feel like more of a traditional tablet.

And speaking of tablets, you can use Samsung's S Pen stylus with the Galaxy Fold 3. The company devoted an entire segment of its Unpacked event to detailing the time and effort it invested to make the two compatible with one another. In short, the $50 S Pen Fold Edition and S Pen Pro feature rounder tips that can automatically retract if you apply too much pressure to the Fold 3’s internal display. Samsung also made the screen protector 80 percent stronger.

Once you get past those upgrades, a more capable Cover Display and the addition of IPX8-rated waterproofing, the one thing that stands out the most about the Fold 3 is that Samsung plans to sell it for a more palatable $1,800. You can pre-order the Galaxy Fold 3 starting today before it goes on sale on August 27th.

Galaxy Z Flip 3

Mat Smith / Engadget

Samsung may have spent less time on the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but in many ways it was the more compelling of the two phones we saw today. A lot of that has to do with the fact Samsung plans to sell its latest clamshell foldable for $1,000 when it comes out on August 27th. That’s a $200 price cut from the $1,200 Samsung started selling the Galaxy Z Flip 5G at the start of 2021 and puts it more inline with other high-end phones. 

Critically, Samsung also outfitted the Flip 3 with a more usable Cover Display that is four times larger than the one found on its predecessor. That means there’s more room for notifications and widgets, and you can do things like access Android’s quick settings menu and Samsung Pay without opening the device.

Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic

Samsung

Once you get past the mouthful that is Wear OS powered by Samsung, the Galaxy Watch 4 looks like it has a lot going for it. In our hands-on, we found the Galaxy Watch 4’s software had more in common with Tizen than Wear OS. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. All of the usual flourishes that made the company’s previous wearables compelling were still there, with the added advantage of better third-party app support.

In terms of hardware, Samsung added a 3-in-1 BioActive sensor that can measure your body fat percentage, a new 5nm processor and 50 percent more RAM. Those latter additions should make the Galaxy Watch 4 feel faster. What’s more, the more expensive Watch 4 Classic features the return of the company’s much-loved rotating bezel. The Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic will start at $249 and $349 when they hit store shelves on August 27th.

Galaxy Buds 2

Billy Steele / Engadget

Before closing out the event, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds 2. They’re smaller and lighter than the Galaxy Buds+ and include active noise cancellation. With the ANC feature, you have access to three adjustable ambient sound levels. Samsung also added a machine learning feature that will filter out noises when you’re using the Buds 2 to talk to someone over the phone. We had a chance to review them before today’s event and came away mostly impressed. The Galaxy Buds 2 are not perfect, but you get a lot of features for the $150 asking price.

Follow all of the news from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event right here!

Facebook's Oversight Board has instructed the social network to restore a post from a user that criticized the Chinese state. According to the board, Facebook mistakenly removed the post for violating its hate speech policy under the belief it targeted Chinese people.

"This case highlights the importance of considering context when enforcing hate speech policies, as well as the importance of protecting political speech," the Oversight Board wrote. "This is particularly relevant in Myanmar given the February 2021 coup and Facebook’s key role as a communications medium in the country."

The user, who appeared to be in Myanmar, posted the message in question in April. The post argued that, rather than providing funding to Myanmar's military following the coup in February, tax revenue should be given to the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hlutaw, a group of legislators that opposed the coup. The post, which was written in Burmese, was viewed around half a million times.

Although no users reported the post, Facebook decided to take it down. The post used profanity while referencing Chinese policy in Hong Kong. Facebook's translation of the post led four content reviewers to believe that the user was criticizing Chinese people. 

Under its hate speech rules, Facebook doesn't allow content that targets someone or a group of people based on ethnicity, race or national origins that use “profane terms or phrases with the intent to insult.” The user who wrote the post claimed in their appeal that they shared it in an effort to “stop the brutal military regime.”

The Oversight Board says context is particularly important in this case. The Burmese language uses the same word to refer to both a state and people who are from that state. Other factors made it clear the user was referring to the Chinese state, according to the board.

Two translators who reviewed the post "did not indicate any doubt" that the word at the heart of the case was referring to a state. The translators told the board the post includes terms that Myanmar’s government and the Chinese embassy commonly use to refer to each other. Public comments the board received regarding the case indicated the post was political speech.

The Oversight Board ordered Facebook to restore the post and recommended Facebook ensures "its Internal Implementation Standards are available in the language in which content moderators review content. If necessary to prioritize, Facebook should focus first on contexts where the risks to human rights are more severe."

The company has had a complicated history with Myanmar. In 2018, Facebook was accused of censoring information about ethnic cleansing in the country. It admitted it didn't do enough to stop people from using the platform to incite offline violence and "foment division," following a report it commissioned about the matter.

Soon after the coup, Facebook was temporarily blocked in Myanmar. After it returned, Facebook took steps to limit the reach of the country's military on its platform, and later banned the military outright on Facebook and Instagram.

The Oversight Board previously told Facebook to restore a post from another user based in Myanmar. As with the latest ruling, the board said Facebook misinterpreted the post as hate speech. While it was “pejorative or offensive,” the post didn't “advocate hatred” or directly call for violence.

Ford is delaying shipments of Mach-E electric vehicles due to the global chip shortage that’s causing problems across all manner of industries. The company told affected owners their deliveries will be delayed by at least six weeks.

In an effort to make up for the delay, Ford is offering an additional 250kWh worth of charging on the house, which should be good for around 700 miles of driving. That doubles the complimentary charging Mach E owners receive with their EV. According to Elektrek, the delay affects EVs that were scheduled for production between July 5th and October 1st.

“We’d like you to know that while we’re working nonstop to deliver your very own Mustang Mach-E vehicle, we project your vehicle delivery will be delayed by a minimum of six weeks," Ford wrote in an email to customers. “Once your vehicle receives the required chip, your vehicle status will be updated, and you’ll receive an email with an estimated week of delivery.”

The semiconductor shortage has impacted production of a broad range of products in recent months. Along with EVs and other vehicles, gameconsoles, graphics cards, smartphones, Apple products and other goods have been affected. Ford cut vehicle production earlier this year due to the problem.