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Source: Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment / Helldivers 2
Sony might have put on a masterclass regarding self-sabotage with its latest decision, which has Helldivers 2 players on PC BIG MAD.
Arrowhead Game Studios’ Helldivers 2 quickly became one of the biggest releases of the year, but now, thanks to a move by Sony, it quickly hit a sour patch with its loyal players.
Players who spread democracy by playing Helldivers 2 via Windows PC via Steam learned today that they will now need a PlayStation Network account to maintain access to the game.
Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game’s publisher, relayed the head-scratching news to players on the game’s Steam page.
“Due to technical issues at the launch of Helldivers 2, we allowed the linking requirements for Steam accounts to a PlayStation Network account to be temporarily optional,” Sony wrote. “That grace period will now expire. See details below in this post.”
Sony claims account-linking with the PlayStation Network is “critical” to the “safety and security” of Helldivers 2.
“This is our main way to protect players from griefing and abuse by enabling the banning of players that engage in that type of behaviour,” Sony said. “It also allows those players that have been banned the right to appeal.”
New players will be required to connect their Steam and PlayStation Network accounts beginning May 6 before they can begin playing the game.
Current players will see a mandatory log-in beginning May 30. They will have until June 4 to link their accounts, allowing them to sign up for a free PlayStation Network account if they don’t already have one.
Gamers Are BIG MAD
The reactions to Sony’s move with Helldivers 2 were instant, with the game’s rating on Steam taking a hit.
One user on X, formerly Twitter pointed out why the decision could be potentially bad saying in a post, “To folks wondering why mandating linking your Sony account to Helldivers 2 on PC is such a big deal, players in many countries, such as Belarus, Phillipines and nearly the entirety of Africa don’t have PSN support, so those Helldivers will be defacto banned in a few weeks.”
Another user pointed to the former Xbox exclusive Sea of Thieves requiring the something similar, and players not overeacting.
“Helldivers 2 backlash seems fake. Steam players need a Microsoft account to play Sea Of Thieves and no one bat an eye,” another X user wrote.
In response to the outrage, Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Johan Pilestedt told gamers to direct their anger at Sony and directed them to PlayStation Support.
Lol, bruh.
There is a good chance that Windows PC players will bully Sony into changing their minds. Until then, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Damn shame
3. Tsk Tsk Tsk
5. The accuracy
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Source: Apple / Beats / Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
It’s a new year, meaning new Apple/Beats products. To help roll them out, the company enlisted the help of top female athletes Angel Reese, Naomi Osaka, and Sha’Carri Richardson.
The Apple-owned company unveiled the latest model in its long line of over-ear wireless headphones, the Solo 4. At launch, the Solo 4 headphones will cost $199 and promise up to 50 hours of battery life.
The Solo 4’s exceptional battery life can be attributed to the lack of active noise cancellation, a must-have feature now more than ever. It’s a bummer the Solo 4 headphones do have it, but Beats promises the other features make up for the lack of noise cancellation.
Those features include wired audio and passive tuning, allowing the Solo 4s to continue to work when the battery is dead and plugged in without sacrificing sound quality.
The Solo 4 also features custom acoustic architecture and supports native software on both Android and iOS devices.
Beats Also Announces The New Solo Buds
Source: Apple / Beats / Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
Beats also announced a new entry-level wireless earbuds model, the Solo Buds, which cost $79.99. While they might not be a premium offering, Beats still promises the Solo Buds will offer users “big Beats sound in the smallest case we’ve ever made.”
Also, for a $79.99 price point, you’re not getting ANC (active noise cancellation) or a charging case, but Beats boasts the Solo Buds will offer 18 hours of use on a single charge; after that, you have to plug up via USB-C.
The Solo 4 headphones are now available for pre-order and launch on May 2 in Matte Black, Slate Blue, and Cloud Pink.
The Solo Buds will arrive sometime in June, along with Matte Black, Storm Gray, Arctic Purple, and Transparent Red color options.
You can see more photos of both accessories in the gallery below.
1. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
2. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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3. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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4. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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5. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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6. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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7. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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8. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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9. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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10. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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11. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
12. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
13. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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14. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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15. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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16. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
17. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
18. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
19. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds naomi osaka,sha’carri richardson,angel reese,apple. beats
20. Beats Solo 4 & Solo Buds
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Source: Derek White / Getty
We know you care. The Jeezy and Jeannie Mai saga continues.
*Trigger warning: this story contains incidents of domestic violence.*
Just a week ago, word on the street was that Jeezy was no longer seeking primary care for his daughter Monaco; instead, he wanted to ensure that his ex, former host of The Real, Jeannie Mai, had equal parenting time.
Then, a bomb was dropped on Thursday, April 25, by Mai in the form of domestic abuse allegations, along with some photo evidence per TMZ’s reporting.
Per TMZ:
In her filing, Jeannie outlines a few different instances of alleged abuse — including claims that Jeezy is prone to explosive outbursts, excessive drinking, and domestic violence.
Jeannie cites one alleged incident from April 2022, when she says they were at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, and claims Jeezy choked her from behind while she was going up some stairs, and alleges he even pushed her down those same stairs.
Jeezy Denies Jeannie Mai’s Claims, Provides Receipts
It didn’t take long, but Jeezy immediately shot down those claims and had receipts in the form of text messages and photos provided to the blog, The Jasmine Brand.
In one of her claims, Mai points to an incident involving a golf cart in April 2022. In the photos provided by the “Put On” crafter, he alleges the golf cart incident was nothing but a mere accident, no one was to blame, and they both suffered injuries, adding it took place in June 2022.
Instead of being civil, this situation continues to get ugly. Social media, of course, has thoughts on the matter.
“Jeezy a black man in America and thought he was getting joint custody of an Asian lady baby. They must’ve never sold common sense at his trap house,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Another X user wrote, “seeing straight black men pretend to care about being fetishized by women to help protect jeezy from abuse allegations is so funny. they’re so see-thru.”
We sincerely hope these two can be civil for the sake of their daughter.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. That part
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Apple Vision Pro
Not even Apple could make a big splash in the VR/AR space. According to reports, the company Steve Jobs built is slashing shipments of its latest product, the Apple Vision Pro.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the tech giant is cutting Vision Pro shipments to 400,000-450,000 units while the market predicts 700,000–800,000 units or more.
Apple’s headset allegedly flopping signals that the demand for the $3,500 headset was not as high despite viral photos showing people using it while walking the streets and celebrities boasting about it.
The decision to cut sales comes as Apple preps to release the headset overseas.
If you are one of the Apple fanatics hoping that a cheaper model will come, according to Kuo, Apple is considering ditching a more affordable version of the Vision Pro in 2025 as the company reviews the roadmap for the device.
In more Apple Vision Pro news, Frank Casanova, Apple Inc.’s senior director, who was leading the product-marketing efforts for Vision Pro, has retired.
Per Bloomberg:
Frank Casanova, who worked at Apple for 36 years in various roles, including helping to lead the expansion of the iPhone to new carriers, departed last week, according to his LinkedIn page. In 2019, he was named Apple’s first head of marketing for augmented reality before being tapped to lead the headset effort.
X Users React To The Vision Pro Reportedly Flopping
The news of the Apple Vision Pro reportedly flopping isn’t shocking to many people, especially because of the headset’s price and lack of comfort.
One user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote, “why are they surprised people don’t wanna spend 3.5k on VR ski goggles to avoid human interactions.”
Another person added, “Apple when they find out niggas don’t wanna spend 3 and a half K on some i robot goggles, when they can buy different ones for a quarter the price.”
Welp.
There’s always the Meta Quest 3; it’s affordable and does many of the same things the Apple Vision Pro does. I’m just saying.
More reactions to the Vision Pro flopping are in the gallery below.
2. Everyone’s reaction basically
3. According to the report they were very serious
4. That plan is reportedly in danger as well.
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Source: Lexie Moreland / Getty / Megan Thee Stallion
Late afternoon, the internet was set ablaze when a former videographer for Megan Thee Stallion charged her with a lawsuit accusing her of some eyebrow-raising things that the Houston rapper vehemently denies.
NBC News first broke the news of the 42-page complaint brought by Megan Thee Stallion’s former videographer, Emilio Garcia, accusing the Houston rapper of “harassment, creating a hostile work environment and violating labor codes.”
The one claim that had the internet talking was Garcia allegedly being forced to watch Thee Stallion have sex with another woman while riding in a moving vehicle while on tour in Ibiza, Spain, in June 2022.
Per Huffpost:
“Plaintiff could not get out of the car as it was both moving and he was in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country. Plaintiff was embarrassed, mortified and offended throughout the whole ordeal,” according to the suit.
The following day, Megan demeaned Garcia and told him, “Don’t ever discuss what you saw.”
“Stallion berated and directed her fat-shaming comments towards plaintiff such as ‘Fat Bitch,’ ‘Spit your food out,’ and ‘You don’t need to be eating,’” the lawsuit says.
Garcia began working for Roc Nation, which manages Megan, as the rapper’s personal cameraman in 2018. In 2019, he quit his other job and switched to full-time employment, working for Megan for more than 50 hours a week.
The website also notes that Roc Nation initially hired Garcia before working full-time for Megan Thee Stallion, earning $4,000 monthly and becoming an independent contractor.
He also claims he was not given meal breaks or rest periods and was forbidden from doing outside work.
Megan Thee Stallion Slams The Accusations
Immediately after the news broke, Megan Thee Stallion slammed the accusation through a statement from her lawyer, Alex Shapiro.
“This is an employment claim for money — with no sexual harassment claim filed and with salacious accusations to attempt to embarrass her,” Alex Spiro tells Page Six exclusively. “We will deal with this in court.”
The social media streets are talking and, of course, joking about the matter. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Interesting
2. People love a juicy headline, and never care to do the required reading
6. Y’all are not serious people
7. Never fails
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Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty / Draya Michele / Jalen Green
It’s been no secret to the world. Still, Houston Rockets hooper Jalen Green and model/reality star/bikini slinger Draya Michele are finally going public with their relationship and forthcoming child.
Everyone’s favorite gossip site and propaganda-spreading platform, The Shaderoom, dropped some video footage from Jalen Green and Draya Michele’s baby shower on Sunday, April 21. The couple wore matching red outfits to match the event’s cherry-red theme, welcoming their daughter’s impending birth.
Michele (39) set the internet ablaze when she revealed she was expecting a child. Many immediately assumed the father was the 22-year-old professional hooper, which caused quite a stir due to the enormous age gap between them and the fact she also has a son a year younger than Green.
The couple’s daughter will be Green’s first child, but there are rumblings on the internet that he is also the father of two more children on the way with two separate women.
Rumors of Draya robbing the cradle began swirling in the summer when she started popping up at Green’s games. The baby shower marks the first confirmation from the couple outside of Washington Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma tagging Green in his congratulatory comment under Draya’s announcement post.
The couple is still going strong despite the rumors that Green’s other kids will arrive around the same time his child with Draya is due.
Of course, social media is reacting to the baby shower news. You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Spits out drink
2. Lol, damn
3. No chill
4. Howling
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Source: Xinhua News Agency / Getty / Jontay Porter
Jontay Porter f***ed around and found out. The now-former two-way player for the Toronto Raptors gambled his money and his NBA career away.
NBA.com dropped the news yesterday that Jontay Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets superstar Michael Porter Jr., has been slapped with a lifetime ban for violating the league’s gaming rules.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came down with the hammer on Porter after the league wrapped its investigation and discovering he “disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games,” the website reports.
Per NBA.com:
The league’s investigation found that prior to the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor. Another individual with whom Porter associated and knew to be an NBA bettor subsequently placed an $80,000 parlay proposition bet with an online sports book, to win $1.1 million, wagering that Porter would underperform in the March 20 game.
The league’s investigation also found that Porter limited his own game participation to influence the outcome of one or more bets on his performance in at least one Raptors game. In the March 20 game, Porter played only three minutes, claiming that he felt ill. Due to the unusual betting activity and actions of the player, the $80,000 proposition bet was frozen and not paid out.
Jontay Porter Bet On Himself & Lost Big Time
The bets Porter made that involved his performance in the Raptors’ March 20 game were brought to the league’s attention by licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets.
Bruh
The website notes that Porter placed 13 bets from January through March 2024 while traveling with the Raptors and Raptors 905, the Raptors’ G-League affiliate. None of the bets were made on games he played in.
Adam Silver Issues A Statement
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment. While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this matter also raises important issues about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including the types of bets offered on our games and players. Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our league and game.”
Welp.
Of course, social media has been lighting Porter’s a** up. There are also some wild takes, which you can see in the gallery below.
3. One way ticket out of here
4. L M A O
5. Hoooowwwllliiinnnggg
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Source: Roberto Machado Noa / Getty / Red Lobster
Red Lobster possibly going out of business? Say it ain’t so.
Folks on social media are panicking right now because they might have to find another spot to enjoy cheddar bay biscuits and endless crab legs for graduation day, Mother’s Day or after Easter service.
Spotted on TMZ via Bloomberg, iconic seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster is mulling bankruptcy as the company tries to figure out how to restructure its debt and other expenses, including restaurant leases and rising labor costs, as the celebrity gossip site reports.
Some even point to popular promotions like endless shrimp hurting the restaurant and the chain, which is bleeding cash due to the pandemic.
Per TMZ:
There’s also this tidbit that some are resurfacing amid this news — namely, the fact that Red Lobster’s recent endless shrimp reportedly hurt their bottom line quite badly … only for them to pivot to endless lobster after reporting a $12.5 million operating loss in ’23’s 4th quarter.
Even before the $12 mil hit … Red Lobster was bleeding cash, with reports saying they’d suffered a $19 million loss through the first 9 months of ’23… attributed to the pandemic, among other issues. Some minority owners in the biz have also started to jump ship.
For those who know about running a business and financial issues, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy does not mean the end for the restaurant that Beyoncé at once had popping cause she sang, “When he fuck me good, I take his ass to Red Lobster.”
Despite knowing that, the reactions to Red Lobster possibly filing for bankruptcy are flowing like butter you pour on your lobster tails, and they are hilarious.
One user hilariously wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “they still got them unlimited crab legs cause if so I’ll go tomorrow.”
“oh lawd somebody save the biscuits,” another person wrote in response to the news of Red Lobster considering chapter 11 bankruptcy.
“How did we let this happen???? Y’all too bougie for Red Lobstas?!?,” another post on X read.
We don’t think Red Lobster is going anywhere, but we are always here for funny reactions. You can see those in the gallery below.
2. Sharing means caring
3. Solid suggestions
4. Very important question
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Take-Two
Even with games like Grand Theft Auto V, the forthcoming GTA 6, and the NBA 2K franchise under its belt, Take-Two Interactive is the latest video game publisher that will reduce its workforce and drop projects.
Spotted on The Verge, Take-Two announced it will lay off “approximately five percent” of its global workforce and scrap several projects already in development.
In an SEC filing published Tuesday, the company said it was “streamlining its organizational structure, which will eliminate headcount and reduce future hiring needs.”
Take-Two says that its “cost reduction program” will see the company be subject to charges up to $200 million, hoping to save $165 million a year.
The website reports that Take-Two’s downsizing efforts should be “largely completed” by December 31st, 2024.
As for the workers, a 5% reduction in the workforce would amount to around 579 out of the company’s 11,580 employees, which Take-Two disclosed in a previous impact report.
There is no word on what departments the layoffs will happen in or what projects Take-Two will be cutting. GTA 6 will feel the sting of these cost-cutting measures.
Of course, the news is not sitting well with gamers who tire of hearing about layoffs in an incredibly profitable industry.
Oh, and we can’t forget that Take-Two Interactive is still working on purchasing Borderlands developer Gearbox from The Embracer Group for $460 million.
“They’re doing this a year out from releasing the sequel to the most commercially successful game of all time,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, said.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Follow his lead
9. It better not
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Source: Ramsey Cardy / Getty / MKBHD
YouTuber Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD, has caused quite a stir with his recent review of Humane’s AI Pin.
Regarding reviews on your favorite tech items, the newest smartphones, smart cars, electric vehicles, and other new gadgets, no one is more revered than MKBHD. The tech enthusiast has become the go-to for all things tech, and his YouTube page has become the premiere destination for reviews, boasting over 18 million followers.
So it’s no surprise that his opinions can make or break an item’s reception by the masses; Brownlee’s latest review is a case in point.
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Humane’s new AI Pin arrived, and it’s not receiving any glowing reviews from anyone. However, MKBD’s in-depth analysis, in which he said it was the “worst product I’ve ever reviewed…for now,” has caused quite a stir on X, formerly Twitter.
In the video, Brownlee ripped the wearable tech, slamming it for being “too much of a pain to use” and noting that it was “bad at almost everything it does.”
The popular YouTuber said the device’s responses to commands were often slow and incorrect because the generative AI chatbot technology was not up to snuff.
He slammed the device’s battery life, pointing out that in his review, it could only last a couple of hours during heavy use.
His thoughts on the camera were no better, adding that photos taken by the Ai Pin “look pretty bad” and videos “look even worse.”
He Did Have Some Positive Things To Say
But his review was all negative; he did like the Ai Pins’ ability to save notes quickly and how it could be used for first-person videos, adding, “As a brand new product and a team trying to make something new — that I respect, I respect the attempt.”
But in the same breath, he also said the device has “a long way to go” before it hits the usable stage and that “never buy a product based on the future promise of updates to it.”
The Backlash From His Review
Following the release of his review, there was some backlash, most notably from internet personality Daniel Vassallo. In a post on X, Vassallo called out Brownlee, saying, “I find it distasteful, almost unethical, to say this when you have 18 million subscribers. It’s hard to explain why, but with great reach comes great responsibility.”
“Potentially killing someone else’s nascent project reeks of carelessness. First, do no harm.”
In response to Vassallo’s assertions, Brownlee wrote, “We disagree on what my job is.”
Of course, Vassallo’s comments opened up a discourse. Some pointed out the power of MKBHD’s opinion, and one person alluded to how he “bankrupted a company in 41 seconds.”
Some defended Brownlee. Philip DeFranco said in a YouTube video that Vassallo’s post on X was “one of the dumbest, braindead takes” he had ever seen.
MoistCr1TiKaL said Vassallo’s response to MKBHD’s review was “dogsh*t” and helped potential buyers steer clear of a “turbo ass” product.
It definitely sounds like Vassallo is a hater.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Just saying
3. Exactly, is this where we are at now?