Tag:

watch

How to watch Apple debut the iPhone 17 lineup at its ‘Awe Dropping’ event on September 9

by admin September 6, 2025

It’s September, and that usually means it’s iPhone season. Like clockwork, Apple once again appears set to show off new smartphones with its latest showcase next week. The upcoming event has been dubbed “Awe dropping,” so we’re hoping for a few announcements that’ll warrant the tagline. The showcase begins on September 9 at 1PM ET/10AM PT.

If you want to tune in to hear what Tim Cook and crew have to say about the presumed iPhone 17, you can stream the show on Apple’s website or YouTube channel. We’ve also got the livestream embedded below so you can follow along with our liveblog while you watch.

With just a few days to go until the “Awe dropping” event, it seems like we’ve already gotten a lot of advanced insights about what the iPhone 17 lineup has in store. Apple introduced the software side of the equation with the iOS 26 unveil at WWDC this summer, and since then we’ve gotten some pretty reliable insights on the hardware.

The big reveal is expected to be an ultralight smartphone, likely called the iPhone 17 Air. This would be Apple’s first application of its Air nomenclature for mobile, and when we had Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman on the Engadget Podcast at the end of August, he suggested that the first iteration of the smartphone might come with some growing pains. We also anticipate seeing a base iPhone 17, an iPhone 17 Pro, and an iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Beyond the smartphones, the “Awe dropping” event could also include three new Apple Watches and updated AirPods Pro earbuds. Bloomberg reports that Apple has several other devices in the works as well, including a new AirTag, Apple TV and iPad Pro, but it’s not as certain if those will pop up at this specific event. Either way, you can tune in on September 9 to hear about all the new product launches.

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September 6, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Withings Updates ScanWatch 2 With 35-Day Battery Life the Apple Watch Could Only Dream Of

by admin September 6, 2025

Withings, which is best known for its smart scales and similar devices, also makes a smartwatch series, the latest of which is the ScanWatch 2. At IFA 2025, the company announced a new blue and silver version of the 42mm model. It also unveiled HealthSense 4, an AI-laden software update that leverages the tech to handle a set of new health- and sleep-tracking features.

I grabbed a picture of the ScanWatch 2 while I was there, and now I get the appeal of this watch. If you’re not familiar, the ScanWatch’s big deal is that they’re like smartwatches disguised as regular old analog watches, complete with mechanical time-telling hands and a more standard overall watch face. The screen itself is just a watch face complication—a tiny circle embedded in the upper part of the screen. The ScanWatch 2 looks nice, and the blue-banded, silver model is no different. In fact, I’m a fan of the blue, if only because it reminds me of the blue suit Adam Sandler wears throughout the movie Punch Drunk Love. (If you haven’t seen it and you’re scoffing at an Adam Sandler mention in this Very Serious Smartwatch Article, cut it out, and go watch the movie.)

This version of the ScanWatch 2 is available now on Withings’s website, Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, and costs $369.95. Buyers will get a month of Withings Plus for free. (After that, it’s $9.95 a month, or $99.50 per year.)

Under the hood, the ScanWatch 2 does a lot of what other, more conspicuous smartwatches do. It takes measurements of things like heart rate and blood oxygen level, or carries out ECG readings to power atrial fibrillation detection.

With HealthSense 4, the ScanWatch 2 (and ScanWatch Nova and Nova Brilliant, but not the original ScanWatch or ScanWatch Light) can now track REM sleep and take more accurate measurements of your breathing rhythm while you sleep. Withings says its new algorithms, using data gathered by the smartwatch—such as heart rate variability, physical activity, body temperature, and respiratory rhythm—can find possible causes of fatigue, and provide AI-powered recommendations telling users what they might be able to do to feel less tired all the time. These recommendations are collected under what Withings calls the Vitality Indicator, which you need a Withings Plus subscription to access on your phone.

Withings product manager Etienne Tregaro walked me through some of the new app features at IFA 2025. The Vitality Indicator screen gives you an overview of your “vitality,” which I took to be a sort of shorthand for Withings’ AI system’s impression of your overall readiness to face a given day. Days of the week at the top of the screen are filled with circles with green outlines that can be anywhere from nonexistent to a complete ring—the fuller the ring, the less fatigued you are. At the bottom, various boxes tell you where you are for the day in categories like Recovery and Effort.

The Withings app also features Withings Intelligence—a chatbot you can talk to about your health metrics. It can take note of patterns; another Withings representative I spoke with showed me a screen where the chatbot noted he had just lost a little weight, speculated about the causes, and asked if he’d been intentionally trying to lose weight. In theory, it would give him helpful guidance, depending on his answer.

The subscription also gives access to AI-powered notifications letting users know when their menstrual cycle is beginning or when the ScanWatch 2 has picked up signs of an infection. The Withings Plus service also comes with Cardio Check-Up, an option to have your cardiovascular data checked by a professional cardiologist, who returns a basic summary of what they saw and recommendations for dealing with issues that may have cropped up.

It’s a staggering update that leapfrogs over Apple’s more passive presentation of health information and more closely mirrors efforts by companies like Samsung to deploy AI, informed by smart wearables data, as a health coach. I worry it could draw certain people further into unhealthy obsessions with constantly tracking and micromanaging their health? I’m not an expert in this; for that, I’d encourage you to read the many articles on the subject. We’re riding into a new frontier with generative AI now becoming more deeply enmeshed in smart wearables, and only time will tell.

One thing you won’t need a subscription for is the battery life improvement that comes with the new HealthSense4 software. Now, the ScanWatch 2 gets 35 days on a charge, which is up from 30 days before, already way more battery life than most standard smartwatches. Although to get there, you’ll probably need to turn off a number of the ScanWatch 1’s features, like its always-on display or blood oxygen sensor.

Tregaro told me Withings managed to add those days by identifying areas it could optimize its code. I asked what your settings would have to look like to actually reach 35 days on a charge, because obviously you can’t expect that while using every single feature the ScanWatch 2 offers. He said you’d need to turn off a number of features, including some of the overnight tracking or notifications. Withings, to its credit, has a chart that can tell you which features incur the biggest battery life penalty. Nice to have a guide.

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September 6, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Watch out, Hollow Knight: Silksong’s hiding a sneaky Stardew Valley creatorman cameo

by admin September 6, 2025

In case you missed it, a plucky little game no one had heard anything about whatsoever arrived yesterday. Hollow Knight: Silksong. Yeah, I know, it’s news to me too. Anyway, what’s also news is that Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone has a voice acting cameo in Skong. Though, he’s being all coy about revealing when and where you can hear his dulcet tones.

This came to light because of some valiant folks who’ve already made it to Silksong’s end credits, presumably having pulled mammoth sessions last night, as our own Ollie did to provide you lot with some helpful early game walkthroughs. Or, you know, they’ve gone to the extras bit of the main menu and pressed the button that rolls the credits.

Barone’s name is just chilling there in a section dedicated to additional characters voices, which also features Team Cherry marketing and publishing fellow Matthew Griffin. Naturally, the question is where do folks have to go to find Barone’s cameo?

According to The Verge, who reached out to ConcernedApe LLC’s head of operations Cole Medeiros, neither he nor Barone would just come out and say where the cameo is, despite confirming it is indeed that Eric Barone. Medeiros told the site that the Stardew and and also Haunted Chocolatier dev would “rather not say which character(s) so as not to spoil any surprises for anyone”.

I’ve not had a chance to join the RPS Skong hive currently reviewing/guiding/Edwining their way through Silksong yet, so I’m gonna take a big old stab in the dark as to which character Barone’s voiced.

It’s this one:

I can’t wait to meet this guy

[image or embed]

— Kelsey (@badkirbys.bsky.social) 4 September 2025 at 09:43

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I stress, that’s a total guess based on zero knowledge or information, just vibes. If it’s correct, everyone who reads this owes me a pound of human flesh to feed Horace. If it’s wrong, I’ll pretend it didn’t happen and probably go dark on the socials for a bit, as is the custom when you’ve callously said something wrong and are a bit embarrassed about it.

Outside of the Barone cameo coming to light, Silksong’s arrival also briefly murdered Steam. The storefront has since been revived by a crack team of medics exhibiting the sort of CPR enthusiasm reserved for those who know their ability to play I Am Jesus Christ’s demo is at stake.

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September 6, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin Names One Major Stablecoin Use Case to Watch

by admin September 6, 2025

Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum (ETH) cofounder, has shared his thoughts about stablecoins as an asset class in the cryptocurrency space. Buterin dropped his insights in reaction to a post highlighting Codex, a stablecoin built on the Ethereum blockchain.

Vitalik Buterin tags stablecoins key driver of crypto utility

According to Buterin, cheap stablecoin transactions remain one of the key real-world value drivers of the crypto industry. He is implying that stablecoins have utility in cross-border remittances and payments, which makes them pivotal in the adoption of crypto.

Stablecoin’s $1.2 trillion market projection

Watch out Skull and Bones, industry veteran believes GTA 6 will be the first “AAAAA game”

by admin September 5, 2025

Devolver Digital co-founder Nigel Lowrie believes that Grand Theft Auto 6 could potentially be the first “AAAAA game”.

Lowrie spoke with IGN on the topic of video game delays in the wake of massive releases like GTA 6 and Hollow Knight: Silksong. Yet even as games shifted release due to Silksong, Lowrie stated GTA 6 will be an industry-shaking event on a bigger scale.

“There are AAA games and then there’s AAAA games and I’d argue that Grand Theft Auto is potentially the AAAAA game,” stated Lowrie. “It’s just bigger than anything else both in the scope and scale of the game and the kind of cultural impact that it has and the attention it demands.”

Here’s the latest GTA6 trailer!Watch on YouTube

Adam Lieb – CEO of video game marketing platform Gamesight – echoed similar sentiments in the piece, noting: “I would say that GTA for the last year and a half has been a part of almost every conversation around launch dates I have heard.”

Lowrie is correct, of course. GTA 6 is positioned to be a truly monumental release, one that threatens to overshadow not just other games coming out in 2026 but prior releases throughout the history of the industry. The term AAAAA is apt to describe such a monster, though given gaming’s official first quadruple A game Skull & Bones was truly a game like no other, GTA 6 has a big task ahead of it.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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September 5, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Best Apple Watch for 2025

by admin September 5, 2025

Apple Watch Series 10 Apple Watch Ultra 2Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)Shape SquareSquareRectangularWatch size 42mm, 46mm49mm40mm, 44mmMaterials, finishes Aluminum, titaniumTitaniumAluminum, Midnight, Starlight, SilverDisplay size, resolution 42mm: 1.65-inch OLED 446 x 374 pixels; 46mm: 1.81-inch 496 x 416 pixels1.91-inch, 502 x 410-pixel OLED40mm: 324 x 394, 44mm: 368 x 448Dimensions 42mm: 42 x 36 x 9.7mm; 46mm: 46 x 39 x 9.7mm44mm x 49mm x 14.4mm40mm: 40 x 34 x 10.7 mm, 44mm: 44 x 38 x 10.7 mmWeight 42mm (Wi-Fi): 30 g; 42mm (cellular): 29.3 g; 42mm (titanium): 34.4 g; 46mm (Wi-Fi): 36.4 g; 46mm (cellular): 35.3 g; 46mm (titanium): 41.7 g61.4g40mm GPS: 26.4g, 40mm Cellular: 27.8g, 44mm GPS: 32.9g, 44mm Cellular: 33gColors Jet black, rose gold, silver; titanium: slate, gold, naturalNatural titaniumMidnight, Starlight, SilverAlways On YesYesNoInterchangeable bands YesYesYesGPS YesYes (L1 and L5)YesAutomatic workout detection YesYesYesCompass YesYesYesAltimeter YesYes (operating range: -500m to 9,000m)Always-on altimeterWater/Dust resistance Water resistant up to 50m (5ATM), IP6X (dust)10ATM (100 meters) and recreational scuba diving up to 40 metersWater resistant up to 50m (5ATM)Calls YesYesYes (Cellular only)Microphone YesYes (3-mic array)YesSpeaker YesYesYesVoice assistant Yes (Siri)Yes (Siri, on-device)SiriMobile Payments Yes (Apple Pay)Yes (Apple Pay)Ys (Apple Pay)Sleep tracking YesYesYesPeriod tracking YesYesYesSensors Accelerometer, altimeter, gyro sensor, temperature sensor, compass, third-gen optical heart sensor, electrical heart sensor, ambient light sensor, depth gauge, water temperature sensorSPo2 (blood oxygen), ECG, optical heart, ambient light, high dynamic range gyroscope, high-g accelerometer, water temperature, depth gauge + appSecond-gen optical heart sensor, accelerometer, High dynamic range gyroscope, Compass, Always-on altimeter, Ambient light sensorEmergency features Fall detection, crash detection, Emergency SOS, international emergency calling, noise monitoring, BacktrackInternational emergency calling, Emergency SOS, crash detectionEmergency SOS, International emergency calling, Crash Detection, Fall Detection, Noise monitoring, BacktrackCompatibility iOS 18 and neweriOS 17iPhone 8 or later with iOS 16 and newerSoftware WatchOS 11WatchOS 11WatchOS 11Processor S10 SiP with 64‑bit dual core processor, 4‑core Neural EngineApple S9S8 SiP, 64-bit dual-core, 2-core Neural EngineConnectivity Bluetooth 5.3, 2nd gen Ultra Wideband chipLTE and UMTS, Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.3Bluetooth 5.3, LTE/UMTS (Cellular model)Memory and storage 64GB64GB32GBCharging USB-C fast charging cableUSB-C magnetic fast chargingMagnetic charging cable, 80% in ~1.5 hoursBattery life Up to 18 hours normal use; up to 36 hours in low power modeUp to 36 hours; up to 72 hours (low power mode)Up to 18 hoursBattery capacity Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)UnavailableNot specifiedUS price 42mm: $399 (Wi-Fi); 42mm: $499 (cellular); 42mm: $699 (titanium); 46mm: $429 (Wi-Fi); 46mm: $529 (cellular); 46mm: $749 (titanium)$79940mm GPS: $249, 44mm GPS: $279 40mm GPS + Cellular: $299, 44mm GPS + Cellular: $329UK price 42mm: £399 (Wi-Fi); 42mm: £499 (cellular); 42mm: £699 (titanium); 46mm: £429 (Wi-Fi); 46mm: £529 (cellular); 46mm: £749 (titanium)£79940mm GPS: £219, 44mm GPS: £249, 40mm GPS + Cellular: £269, 44mm GPS + Cellular: £299Australian price 42mm: AU$649 (Wi-Fi); 42mm: AU$809 (cellular); 42mm: AU$1,199 (titanium); 46mm: AU$699 (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth); 46mm: AU$859 (cellular); 46mm: AU$1,279 (titanium)AU$1,39940mm GPS: A$399, 44mm GPS: A$449, 40mm GPS + Cellular: A$479, 44mm GPS + Cellular: A$529

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September 5, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Watch Out For a Spike in Bond Market Index

by admin September 5, 2025

The bitcoin BTC$111,686.32 bull run has already stalled with ongoing sales from long-term holder wallets and a slowdown in ETF inflows. To make matters worse, another lesser-known but significant market variable appears to be turning against BTC bulls, signaling new challenges on the horizon.

That market variable is the MOVE index, created by Harley Bassman, a former managing director at Merrill Lynch. The index calculates implied volatility using a weighted average of option prices on one-month Treasury options across multiple maturities (2, 5, 10, and 30 years). This method captures the collective expectations of market participants about future interest rate movements.

The MOVE index has surged from 77 to 89 in three days, marking the sharpest rise since early April, when President Donald Trump’s tariffs shook global markets, including bitcoin, which fell to $75,000.

More importantly, momentum indicators like the MACD are signaling a clear bullish shift, suggesting the index is poised for continued gains. That calls for caution on the part of bitcoin bulls, as spells of higher expected bond market volatility, as captured by the MOVE index, are known to cause liquidity tightening worldwide.

U.S. Treasury notes are widely regarded as high-quality liquid assets and form a cornerstone of the global collateral pool, helping to reduce credit risk for lenders and facilitating a smooth flow of funds across financial markets.

Thus, heightened volatility in Treasury notes tends to disrupt liquidity, increase borrowing costs and create ripple effects across credit markets and the broader financial system. In such situations, lenders demand higher risk premiums, and market participants pull back from riskier assets, ultimately slowing the flow of funds and adding stress to global markets.

Furthermore, heightened volatility in Treasury notes often prompts bondholders to reduce duration risk by shifting from longer-dated bonds (such as 10- or 30-year Treasury notes) to short-term securities, like two-year notes or Treasury bills.

This “flight to quality” or “flight to safety” usually accompanies a broader market sell-off, as investors reduce exposure to equities, corporate bonds, and other risk assets to preserve capital amid volatility in the Treasury market.

Hence, it’s no surprise that historically BTC’s price rallies have been characterized by declining trends in the MOVE index and vice versa.

To cut to the chase, the latest bounce in the MOVE index could exacerbate the BTC market’s pain, potentially deepening the price pullback.

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September 5, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

NFL 2025 Kickoff Game: How to Watch Cowboys vs. Eagles Tonight

by admin September 4, 2025

The Philadelphia Eagles begin their Super Bowl title defense at home against their NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles return with many of the stars from last year’s championship team, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Cowboys just traded away their best defensive player in Micah Parsons but should be able to score plenty of points this season with an offense led by Dak Prescott and George Pickens joining CeeDee Lamb at receiver.

The Cowboys and Eagles kick off tonight at 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT). The game is available to watch nationally on NBC or stream on Peacock.

Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys tonight in the first game of the 2025 NFL season.

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

How to watch Cowboys vs. Eagles

You can watch this game on your local NBC station with a cable or satellite TV subscription or with an over-the-air antenna. Most live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV also carry your local NBC station (see below).

If you don’t subscribe to a TV service with NBC and want to watch the game tonight, you can sign up for Peacock Premium for $11 per month. In addition to tonight’s game to kick off the 2025 season, NBC and Peacock will show the NFL’s Sunday Night Football broadcasts as they have in the past.

You can also subscribe to NFL Plus, the NFL’s streaming service at $7 per month, but streams are limited to just watching on a phone or tablet (not a TV).

Peacock/CNET

With Peacock’s $11-per-month Premium plan, you can watch tonight’s Cowboys-Eagles game and every Sunday Night Football game this season. Read our Peacock review.

Sling/CNET Sarah Tew/CNET

YouTube TV costs $83 a month and includes NBC and the rest of the channels you need to watch NFL games week in and week out. Right now, the first two months are discounted to $50 a month, and there is a free 21-day trial. Plug in your ZIP code on YouTube TV’s welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area. Read our YouTube TV review.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Hulu Plus Live TV costs $83 a month and includes NBC in most markets. On its live news page, you can enter your ZIP code under the “Can I watch local news in my area?” question at the bottom of the page to see which local channels you get. Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review.

Fubo/CNET

Fubo’s Essential plan costs $85 a month and includes NBC. Click here to see which local channels you get.

Fubo recently introduced a $56-per-month skinny bundle for sports fans that includes the other channels that show NFL games — ABC, CBS, Fox and ESPN — but it does not include NBC. Read our Fubo review.

DirecTV Stream/CNET

All the live TV streaming services above allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.

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September 4, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Watch 007: First Light’s September PlayStation State of Play livestream with us here

by admin September 4, 2025

17:33 pm
UTC

Martinis are go

Well good evening everyone, I have made myself an after dinner drink and am now snuggled up under a large blanket ready for 007 to start (it just didn’t feel right to watch Bond without a martini glass in hand)

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:33 pm
UTC

I’m not hijacking this blog too but I’ve got an important question: do you think Ian Fleming knew, when styling 007, that the zero and the seven together would look like a saluting person?

Makes you think.

Robert Purchese

17:37 pm
UTC

I have the stream up on my TV ready for go time, had hoped there would be some Bond music playing us in. Maybe that will happen closer to 7pm…

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:39 pm
UTC

Bertie says: Hey Bertie what a great question! I think Ian Fleming knew. I think he foresaw Slack chats in the future.

Thanks Bert XD

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:39 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: Since we’ve got young Bond, can we have a unlockable mode where a second player can play as a young Sheriff J. W. Pepper from Live And Let Die and The Man With The Golden Gun?

I read this in his voice!! XD

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:43 pm
UTC

Best Bond for kids?

I really want to get my kids into Bond, but so far they have resisted. Which do you think would be the best one to start them off with? I want to go from Dr No, but my husband thinks something like GoldenEye would be better…

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:44 pm
UTC

Bertie says: So Victoria, you’re a massive Bond fan, so I wonder: what are you worried about with this game? Are there elements the game has to get right for you, or is it just a giddy occasion there being a Bond game at all?

Does it have nothing to lose or does it have something to lose?

One thing it better have is an incredible opening number! I love the Bond theme songs.

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:47 pm
UTC

Bertie says: Oh ooh that’s a great question. I wonder if Bond is lost a bit on kids these days. Has Mission Impossible maybe filled that void instead?

You know something, I have watched a Mission Impossible film since… 2, maybe! Have seen the Henry Cavill readying up fist punching many times, though, but not the actual film that is from

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:48 pm
UTC

(that was clearly meant to say haven’t… isn’t it good I write for a living)

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:50 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: My wife and I watched them all from start to finish over the last few years. But it’s impossible to imagine watching any of them with my daughter (almost 8) until she’s much older – despite the fact I’d seen loads of them by the time I was that age.
Things are just so different now – when I was a kid, I probably saw five or six black and white Westerns every week, just because that’s what was on TV. My daughter has never seen anything other than films which are VERY suitable for children. So Bond would be something of a bolt out of the blue.

That said – Goldeneye is wildly more accessible than Dr No to a young audience, I should think.

Honestly, when I look back on what I watched (and played) when I was younger XD Oh my! There is no way I would let my kids watch most of those things

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:51 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: I’ve settled for a nice cup of decaf, and the milk was done in a frother so stirred, and I guess a little shaken… Not really working that though, is it!

Decaff tea, frothed not eeeerm… fermented?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:52 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: 2 was the worst MI! You’re missing a treat with the rest of them Victoria, although have to admit Final Reckoning was a bit of a slog…

Haaaa, I agree it wasn’t great – but that bit when he is climbing at the start… I love it still 😀

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:52 pm
UTC

EdNights_EG says: I’d say GoldenEye is a good starting point but I’m biased as a) that was my first Bond and b) it will forever be my favourite thanks to memories of the game

Aha, I have found your weakness (see what I did there…)

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:54 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: I maybe should’ve said decaf coffee! I don’t drink tea…

I am fuelled by Earl Grey

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:54 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: MI 2 remains the only one I’ve ever seen too! And they filmed the last one rock throwing distance from where I now sit…

Did you get to see Tom C????

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:56 pm
UTC

Less than five minutes to go!

Not much longer to go now!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:57 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: And yeah the climbing bit at the start of MI2 was great in fairness, just the rest that wasn’t so good!

Trying to remember the name of the chap that played the baddie…

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:58 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: The kid learnt to play the Bond theme on piano last term in his school music lessons (Year 4). He’s not watched any of them yet though. I think the earlier ones would be a little too slow for him.

I could see him enjoying some of the Roger Moore ones (like Moonraker) and, as others have said, something like Goldeneye and the other Bronson ones. For a good action movie for the younger family, I can say that he did enjoy Raiders a lot though we watched that a few months ago (he did close his eyes when the Arc was opened though). I think we’re going to jump to Last Crusade next before Temple of Doom (to sidestep the whole heart-ripping stuff and child slaves).

I tried Raiders when my kids were four and five, we didn’t get past the intro. As soon as the trap spikes came out, my daughter was out of the room like a shot XD

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:59 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: MI2 not good? Did you not see the slow motion hair flicks? The hair!!!!!

THIS!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

17:59 pm
UTC

Just another mad EG Bond fan checking in here. Once the broadcast is over, keep an eye on the site, won’t you…?

Alex Donaldson

17:59 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: This is a single player game, we’re expecting, yes?
Has there been any multiplayer ruled in or out due to the Goldeneye memories? Another possible avenue for young J W Pepper or Baron Samedi Jr.

Singleplayer yah!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:00 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: @MarcusJ I would love it if they went full Goldeneye with this, so single-player, with different objectives depending on difficulty (why do more games not do this?!), and a non-too serious multiplayer.

I reckon we maybe get multiplayer but little chance of the objective changes…

Loved the docket at the start of each mission in GoldenEye, and the noises it made

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:01 pm
UTC

We are GOOOOO

Eeeeeeeeeeee! I am shaking like a, well, cocktail shaker!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:01 pm
UTC

Love that Bond in First Light has a scar down his face, like the Bond in the books

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:02 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: 4 and 5 you say? That’s ambitious.

Looking back, I have other words to describe that choice… XD

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:02 pm
UTC

Oooh, nice Jag!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:03 pm
UTC

IO does know how to make me want to travel! That scenery

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:04 pm
UTC

Pretty sure that is a nineties Jag Xj… which is interesting in itself. Not all new and shiny stuff! Which feels appropriate. The big thing here, really, is seeing Bond working in a team with other agents – something you really don’t see that often in the books or the films, Felix aside…

Alex Donaldson

18:05 pm
UTC

How are you all at driving in games? I am def better in real life. In games, I tend to start offroading without intention

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:06 pm
UTC

Telling James to “stay”… that can only go well

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:06 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: Very good looking game isn’t it!

Beautiful!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:07 pm
UTC

EdNights_EG says: Sexy European party? I’m in.

How did you know the rest of my plans for this evening?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:07 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: Is this set in the present day? Or is it a period piece?

It’s a contemporary present-day thing. Present-day Bond, present-day setting.

Alex Donaldson

18:07 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: Is this set in the present day? Or is it a period piece?

Pretty sure it’s present day

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:08 pm
UTC

Knew he wouldn’t stay put!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:08 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: If this segues into a Ferrero Rocher advert I’m fully in

Ahh, Ambassador!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:09 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: Thanks – the older looking Jaguar just threw me for a second. In another life, I had an X type. I was informed it made me look like an old man (I was 23)

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:10 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: I love that there’s a bona-fide single player high profile game. Not many of those around any more, or so it seems.

With this (assuming it is well received) and Indy last year maybe there will be a renaissance?

With this and Indy (and its DLC tomorrow), I am one very happy camper!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:10 pm
UTC

A section like this looks to be where you get your Hitman DNA – the game sort of puts the brakes on the story stuff for a moment to put you in a small environment with a variety of Hitman-like solutions to a problem… in this instance, to get into the hotel. But what you do within that is up to you.

Alex Donaldson

18:10 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: All of a sudden getting very strong Hitman vibes same!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:11 pm
UTC

MarcusJ says: My mission is now to go and read a bedtime story.
If Bond has to disguise himself as a sad clown, as in Octopussy, please beep me.

(This looks promising though! Mind you io are always great.)

Will beep, have a good evening!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:12 pm
UTC

EdNights_EG says: Agent 00-47 reporting for duty…

I may have that strap lined up for something later ;-P

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:13 pm
UTC

This reminds me, I need to watch The Queen’s Gambit still

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:14 pm
UTC

So, this is Bond’s version of Hitman vision

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:15 pm
UTC

Another lovely car! You are spoiling me IO

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:16 pm
UTC

So, this is our Bond Girl, eh

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:16 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: It’s a privilege to see the inner workings of the EG Pun Machine in full flow.

Behind the scenes, we only talk in puns

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:17 pm
UTC

So, the funny thing about this particular 1970s Aston Martin is it has never been driven by Bond before – but it was regularly driven by one Roger Moore, in the TV show The Persuaders – before he became Bond. In this colour and everything! A deep cut for the hardcore fans.

Alex Donaldson

18:17 pm
UTC

Gremkarc says: Everything or Nothing is actually the best Bond game, and a proto-Uncharted.

I probably have very, very, rosy rose-tinted goggles about it though.

All I can say is, “M, you’re welcome!”

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:17 pm
UTC

Gremkarc says: Everything or Nothing is actually the best Bond game, and a proto-Uncharted.

I probably have very, very, rosy rose-tinted goggles about it though.

Love the Everything or Nothing theme song!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:20 pm
UTC

He has his gun out… It’s licence to kill time

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:20 pm
UTC

Enjoyed that moment there where as the ‘License to Kill’ was activated, the enemy up that pipe was framed just like he was up the Bond gun barrel sequence. A little bit of cinema in the gameplay!

Alex Donaldson

18:24 pm
UTC

Some of our previous 007: First Light coverage

Here are some pieces Alex and I wrote about First Light a little while ago you may find interesting:

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:24 pm
UTC

How do we feel about player characters thinking out loud?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:25 pm
UTC

Uncharted vibes!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:26 pm
UTC

My godfather loves skydiving, and keeps saying he will take me. I keep politely declining…

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:26 pm
UTC

YAAAAAAAAASSSSSS

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:27 pm
UTC

EdNights_EG says: Definitely filling an Uncharted hole….and then the Bond theme kicks in! Love it!

Oh Ed, I am so happy!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:27 pm
UTC

Think we will get a release date this evening?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:29 pm
UTC

What names! Hope we get at least one inuendo name at some point during the game. Remember Holly Goodhead!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:30 pm
UTC

That’s going to hurt in the morning

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:31 pm
UTC

Think we can upgrade the watch as the game goes on?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:32 pm
UTC

EdNights_EG says: I’m intrigued by this “Bluff” mechanic at the bottom of the screen

Same! And the “instinct” needed for it

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:33 pm
UTC

Ain’t that the truth!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:34 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: The fighting feels very Daniel Craig bond.

Agree! A little bit ‘rough and ready’ but effective

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:35 pm
UTC

I like that this is an origin story for Bond

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:36 pm
UTC

We have a First Light release date

Guys! It’s coming out on 27th March!!!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:38 pm
UTC

Well, that was a very good start to my Wednesday evening! What did you all think?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:39 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: But that won’t fit under my Christmas tree in a couple of months!

Hmmm… what would be a good stop gap?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:44 pm
UTC

Kami says: Wasn’t the last big Bond game that one with Joss Stone in it?

Oh my days, I had forgotten that. Was it Blood Stone??

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:46 pm
UTC

Kami says: Quick google, it was Blood Stone, back in 2010. Why am I THIS OLD?! XD

Pfft, you haven’t aged a day!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:47 pm
UTC

Mya sang the theme for Everything or Nothing, I wonder who they will get for First Light

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:49 pm
UTC

I did like Adele’s Skyfall, think a Bond theme needs to be powerful. Wasn’t a fan of the one for Specter. Who sang that one again?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:49 pm
UTC

Sam Smith! (answered my own question)

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:50 pm
UTC

Kami says: I’m approaching the big 5-0 and I’m still here on Eurogamer, hence why I can also remember James Bond Jr. The Animated Series.

Birthday martinis?

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:51 pm
UTC

Kami says: I still have Tina Turner’s Goldeneye on one of my playlists.

Ah I love it! The end credits song for GoldenEye still always catches me off guard, though XD

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:54 pm
UTC

“He’s the real deal” – Meet the new face of James Bond

Our Alex has some lovely Bond-flavoured features heading your way, and the first is now live.

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:54 pm
UTC

Kami says: Tina Turner did that song justice. I also liked Garbage’s “The World Is Not Enough”. Awesome music video too.

Oooh with all the dripping oil!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

18:59 pm
UTC

007: First Light gets a $300 collector’s edition

While I have been blogging, the wonderful Matt has been news-ing! Want to learn more about the various editions of First Light you will be able to get your hands on? 00-Matt has you covered.

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:00 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: Live and let die…

When you were young, and your heart was an open book…

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:00 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough are bangers. License to Kill is a great one too!

Saying it here loud and clear, Timothy Dalton was the best Bond!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:02 pm
UTC

Premium Bond is a very good strap, Matt!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:04 pm
UTC

Kami says: $300? Gonna need to cash in some Bonds for that one.

I see what you did there!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:05 pm
UTC

£59.99 for the base game seems reasonable

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:06 pm
UTC

Zombie-Hamster says: Timothy Dalton was a very under-rated Bond. And also the first I was old enough to see in the cinema!

I think he is the Bond most like the books, honestly think he is great in the role

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:07 pm
UTC

Kami says: It feels weird when you see a £60 price tag as reasonable.

Ha! Yeah! What a time we are living in…

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:08 pm
UTC

I wonder who will be the next Bond in films. The Dune director is on board, if I remember correctly

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:11 pm
UTC

It’s looking like a hit, man – here’s Alex’s First Light preview

Alex is back, this time he has his 007: First Light preview impressions for you all to enjoy.

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:15 pm
UTC

Just had a google. Apparently, Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson are the actors at the top of the list for the next Bond

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:17 pm
UTC

Dwayneh says: Elordi seems to be in everything at the moment. I’d like it to be Tom Hollander rather than Holland. That would be a different take.

What about… Tom Hollandaise ;-P

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:17 pm
UTC

Kami says: Tom Holland looks a little young for the role imo, but would be interesting to see. I think Holland would lean more to a soft reboot, like First Light.

That boy (who is actually a man) does not age!!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:19 pm
UTC

Kami says: Anyways, I gotta go get some more pushes in. A pleasure hanging out as always, if rumours are to be believed, see you for the Nintendo Direct I guess!

Have a good evening!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

19:21 pm
UTC

(Agent) Goodnight

Think I am also going to call it a night – my cocktail glass has been empty for a while now and I could do with a top up.

Thanks for joining and chatting (this was my first time running the live blog and was quite nervous I was going to break the site!).

Have a good night all. See you in the morning!

Victoria Phillips Kennedy

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September 4, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

10 Horror Sequels to Watch on Peacock

by admin September 4, 2025

Horror is a staple on nearly every streaming service, but what if you’ve seen all the important classics and are looking to venture a little further afield? One way to keep mainlining your favorite villains and settings is to dive into sequel territory. Not all horror sequels are created equal, but for every misguided cash grab, there’s a cult classic waiting to be rediscovered. Head to Peacock, home of next year’s Crystal Lake prequel series, to check out these 10 horror sequels.

Halloween II

We’ve had Halloween II on the brain thanks to the upcoming Strangers: Chapter 2, which imperils the Final Girl anew as she’s trying to recover from the first film’s horrific attack. That’s not unlike Laurie Strode’s ordeal in 1981’s Halloween II, which shows us what happens once she checks into Haddonfield’s local hospital—a facility with a horny staff and not many existing patients, where Michael Myers easily tracks down that troublesome babysitter and continues his stalking rampage. Watch on Peacock.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

The only film in the Halloween series not to feature Michael Myers as the killer—he does get a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, though—Halloween III is a wonderfully bonkers tale involving a witchy plot to massacre scores of children using cursed Halloween masks powered by Stonehenge-adjacent witchcraft and activated by an irritatingly catchy commercial jingle. It also features one of the least likely horror-movie heroes ever, as well as one of the booziest. Watch on Peacock.

The Exorcist III

The first Exorcist is an influential masterpiece. The second Exorcist teeters between “so bad it’s good” and “no, seriously, what were they thinking?” But The Exorcist III, written and directed by Exorcist book author William Peter Blatty (and, as pop culture will have us believe, beloved by Jeffrey Dahmer), is a deeply distressing tale that both picks up the threads of William Friedkin’s original film and creates its own specific nightmare. It also has one of the greatest jump scares in cinematic history, so searing that even if you know it’s coming, you’ll still flinch. Watch on Peacock.

Day of the Dead

Make sure you click on the 1985 version from George A. Romero; Peacock also has the forgettable 2008 remake. Zombies are still roaming the earth in this third entry in Romero’s classic trilogy, but in this military-focused entry, you can definitely see why it’s time for humankind to consider bowing out. Wonderful gore further elevates the story, as does the endearing undead dude Bub, an eternal fan favorite. Watch on Peacock.

Terrifier 2 and 3

The saga of Sienna the warrior angel versus the maniacal Art the Clown takes shape in Damien Leone’s second and third Terrifier movies, which back-to-back equal some four and a half hours of circus-tinged mayhem and cruel brutality. The kill scenes are always the main attraction, but part three in particular introduces some intriguing Art lore that Leone has said he’ll further explore in the upcoming fourth film. Watch on Peacock: Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3.

Son of Frankenstein

Most horror fans have watched the classic Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. But as we await Guillermo del Toro’s fresh take on Mary Shelley’s literary creation, why not watch the third film in that original series? Released in 1939, Son of Frankenstein stars Boris Karloff as the revived Monster, Bela Lugosi as the diabolical Ygor, and Basil Rathbone as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein. As the title suggests, he’s Henry Frankenstein’s son, and he ill-advisedly decides it’s his job to restore the family reputation. Watch on Peacock.

Child’s Play 2

Chucky may have been burned to a crisp at the end of 1988’s Child’s Play, but you can’t keep a killer doll down—especially one hellbent on claiming a human body by any means necessary. The sequel brings back kid actor Alex Vincent as Andy Barclay, giving him a tough foster sister (Christine Elise) and cementing one of horror’s best sibling duos. It also takes on the corporate jerks behind the Good Guy doll line, which gives the film reason to skewer big business and build to an inspired climax in a Chucky-filled toy factory. Watch on Peacock.

Amityville II: The Possession

There are now over 50 movies purporting to be part of the Amityville film series, including several parodies and in-name-only entries. But back in 1982, just a few years after The Amityville Horror “true story” book, Amityville II did its best to continue the success of the first film by offering a prequel of sorts to its events. While the famous haunting was later debunked as a hoax, there was a real-life tragedy behind the ghost story, and Amityville II digs into the family massacre—with the expected sensational supernatural twist, of course. Watch on Peacock.

Phantasm: Ravager

The final Phantasm film was released in 2016 and reunited original stars A. Michael Baldwin (Mike Pearson), Reggie Bannister (Reggie), and Angus Scrimm (the Tall Man)—the latter sadly passing away before the film hit theaters. While the original Phantasm will always be the best entry, not to mention one of the purely weirdest horror movies ever made, this farewell entry offers a blend of “one last time” nostalgia as well as its own extremely freaky dream-world adventures. Watch on Peacock.

Scream 4

Wes Craven’s Scream 4 is sort of the odd man out of his Scream series. It was released in 2011, 11 years after Scream 3 and 11 years before the series’ revival with Scream in 2022. It follows Sidney Prescott, self-help author, as she returns to Woodsboro, where Ghostface launches a fresh series of attacks, with Sidney’s teenage cousin at the center. Scream 4 is not unaware of its odd place in the continuity, poking fun at excessive sequels with glimpses of the in-universe Stab series having reached parts six and seven—and it’s well worthy of rediscovery. Watch on Peacock.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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September 4, 2025 0 comments