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Get a new Mac? Here's what you need to know about setting it up

Get a new Mac? Here's what you need to know about setting it up

Apple's newest computers -- MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini -- are fast, have impressive battery life and can even run iPhone apps. The difference between this crop and previous models? These are powered by the Apple Silicon M1 processor. It's the same kind of processor the company uses in the iPhone and iPad. If you spoiled yourself and picked up a new Mac this holiday season, or were lucky enough to get one as a gift, don't rush through the setup process. 

Whether you're replacing a worn-down MacBook or getting rid of a tired PC, it's only natural to want to tear open the box, hit the power button and cruise through the setup prompts. But before you do that, take a deep breath and a step back. There are some things you need to know about setting up a Mac.

For starters, the process can take several hours if you plan on transferring your data from another computer. Then there are other things to consider: Do you need FileVault? How can you get information off of your old Mac or PC and onto the new one? Those questions are exactly why we're here.

There's something special about getting a new computer. 

Dan Ackerman/CNET

What you'll need

Make sure to set aside around an hour to get your Mac set up. The process will take longer if you plan on restoring your Mac from a Time Machine backup of another Mac.

In addition to a reliable internet connection, you'll need your Wi-Fi network information, your Apple ID username and password, and the Mac's charger or power cord. 

Having a piece of paper and a pen nearby is helpful. During the setup process, you'll be asked to create a user account, which includes a username and password. We don't recommend storing passwords on paper -- it's much safer to use a password manager -- but a piece of paper is helpful for temporarily storing this kind of information until you can enter it into your password manager. Just make sure to destroy the piece of paper when you're done. 

Once you have everything in order, connect the charger or power cord to your Mac and turn it on. 

Setting up a new Mac isn't hard, but it can take some time. 

Apple

Apple's Setup Assistant walks you through most of the process

The first time your Mac turns on, a setup assistant will greet you. The assistant will walk you through selecting your country and language, and connecting the Mac to the internet. You'll also be tasked with creating a user account on the Mac and signing into your Apple ID. 

Throughout the process you'll be asked if you want to enable services like FileVault, iCloud Keychain or Find My Mac. You'll also be asked if you want to enable Siri or provide any logs to developers when issues are detected. Here's what some of those features mean for you.

FileVault encrypts your Mac's hard drive to prevent unauthorized access to the information you store on it. If you aren't sure, you can always enable or disable it in the future.

iCloud Keychain is Apple's password manager that's built into all of its devices. If you use iCloud Keychain on an iPhone ($500 at Best Buy) or iPad ($176 at Amazon), those usernames and passwords will also be available on your Mac. iCloud Keychain also stores your Wi-Fi network credentials, meaning you won't have to log into a Wi-Fi network on your Mac if you've previously connected to it on your iPhone. It's a good idea to turn on iCloud Keychain. 

Find My Mac works with the Find My app to help you track down a lost Apple device. I recommend turning on Find My Mac, even for a rig as large as an iMac ($990 at Best Buy) that's less likely to disappear, because you never know when you might end up with a lost or stolen MacBook. There's no drawback to turning it on.

If you have a MacBook, you'll also be tasked with setting up Touch ID, the fingerprint reader that unlocks your computer, lets you sign into apps or approve Apple Pay purchases. All of it is pretty straight-forward, just continue to follow the prompts, entering any required information such as your Apple ID or creating a user name, to finish the core of the setup process. 

Migration Assistant makes it easy to transfer all of your information. 

Apple

Restore from a Time Machine Backup

During setup, you'll be asked if you want to restore your new Mac from a Time Machine backup of another Mac through Migration Assistant. If so, you'll need the storage device your Time Machine backup is stored on. 

If you haven't backed up your old Mac through Time Machine, it's not too late. We have a guide that walks you through the process. Or if you'd rather directly transfer your files and settings from one Mac to another, Migration Assistant can do that, too. 

Follow the prompts in the Migration Assistant tool, selecting that you want to transfer your information from a Time Machine backup. Select the Time Machine drive that's connected to your new Mac, and select the most recent backup.  

Next, you'll be asked to confirm which information you want to transfer -- including home folders, applications, settings, user accounts and other miscellaneous documents. 

The process can take several hours, depending on how much you have to transfer. If it's going to be awhile, you don't have to babysit it. It's perfectly fine to leave your computer and go watch a show, let it process overnight, or even run some errands. 

One thing to keep in mind, and Migration Assistant will remind you if you run into this, is that your new Mac needs to be on the same OS update as your old Mac (or vice versa). So you may have to finish the setup process without using Migration Assistant, then update your OS (directions covering how to do that are below), and then run Migration Assistant. 

If you're switching from a PC to a Mac, you can use Apple's Migration Assistant, but the process is a little bit more involved and technical (just at the beginning). Apple walks you through the process in this support article. 

Once you have your Mac all set up, it's time to get to work! 

Sarah Tew/CNET

Install any software updates

Once you've completed the Setup Assistant and find yourself looking at your Mac's desktop, it's a good idea to check for any pending software updates. 

To do that, click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen followed by System Preferences > Software Update. 

Once your Mac's software is up to date, you'll also want to check and make sure all of the preinstalled apps are updated in the App Store. Find the App Store icon in the app dock along the bottom of your screen. Click on it to open the App Store and then select Updates and then update any apps with pending updates. 

Now that you have your Mac all set up, it's a good idea to be prepared for any hiccups you may run into. Here are system tweaks you may want to make right away. If this is the first time you've used MacOS Big Sur, we have plenty of tips to help you get started. When your Mac inevitably slows down, learn how to speed it back up again. 

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Bill gates wordle strategy involves very specific rules of hinduism bill gates wordle strategy involves very specific rules are a major bill gates wordle strategy involves very specific type bill gates wordle strategy involves very specific shirts bill gates wordle strategy involves very specific t shirts bill gates wordle strategy first word bill gates wordle strategy youtube bill gates wordle strategy words bill gates wordle game bill gates and wordle

Bill Gates' Wordle Strategy Involves Very Specific Rules for Vowel, Consonants

Bill Gates' Wordle Strategy Involves Very Specific Rules for Vowel, Consonants

Bill Gates can't get enough of Wordle. The Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist took a break from the online puzzle game to write about his Wordle "obsession" and what kinds of words he starts the game with in a blog post published Tuesday. 

"If you've played Wordle, you know how important it is to make your first guess strategically," Gates wrote in the post, titled "I can't stop playing Wordle!"

Gates has kicked days off with a game of Wordle for several months, and that's not all. After attempting the Wordle of the day, he moves on to spinoffs like Quordle and Octordle, according to the post. Once he's puzzle-solved to his heart's content, he checks email "to see how I stacked up against the friends and family who share my obsession."

"Unlike some time sinks, Wordle and the other puzzles are a great way to stay connected with people, because they're the same for everyone," Gates wrote. "Every day you can ask your fellow Wordle fans, 'Are you ready to discuss it?' ... And by seeing who sends out their scores first, we know who got up earlier and who maybe stayed up too late the night before."

Wordle  tasks players with guessing a five-letter word in six tries or less. When a Wordler offers up a word, the letters show up in different colors that designate if they're in the right place in the word or not. With Quordle, a player guesses four words; with Octordle, it's eight words. 

So how does Gates approach a game of Wordle? According to the blog post, he likes "to start with a word that contains lots of vowels, like AUDIO or OUNCE. ADIEU is a good one too." (Want more starting words? Here are some of CNET's favorites). 

Next, he wrote, "it helps to think about which consonants (consonants = not a vowel) can go next to each other," like C and H, or S and L.

"Then the consonants that are almost never paired with others-like Q, V, X, and Z-really jump out," Gates wrote. 

Gates says he has to remind himself that vowels can be at the start or end of words. 

He wrote that he usually solves the Wordle in the span of "four guesses, sometimes five." But he did offer a time when the puzzle bested him.

"One time, I had the last four letters of a word: A-S-T-Y. I just needed the first letter, but I was down to my final guess," Gates wrote. "Thinking of obscure words, I tried PASTY. But I'd forgotten one of the cardinal rules of Wordle: Letters can be used more than once. The answer was TASTY. I lost, thanks to that lousy double T. Lesson learned."

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RedMagic 7S Pro's Highlight Feature May Be Its Hidden 16MP Selfie Camera

RedMagic 7S Pro's Highlight Feature May Be Its Hidden 16MP Selfie Camera

What's happening

RedMagic 7S Pro's international model has an under-display selfie camera and will be available in the US.

Why it matters

Putting a front-facing camera underneath the screen makes sense for a gaming phone like the RedMagic 7S Pro, as it gives you more screen real estate to play with.

What's next

As photo quality improves for under-display cameras, mainstream phones may adopt this style in 2023 and beyond.

Nubia's new RedMagic 7S Pro could be one of the first US phones to get the most benefit out of an under-display camera. The international model of the gaming phone was revealed Tuesday, with a price tag of $729 (£669, roughly AU$1,160). It has a 16-megapixel front-facing camera hidden underneath its display and it runs on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip. The phone is similar to a version released earlier in July in China. Putting the selfie camera under the display means you get more screen real estate for games.

We've seen under-display cameras before, but they either produce grainy photos, like the one on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, or they don't make it to the US, like the 32-megapixel one on the ZTE Axon 20. To be clear, the 4-megapixel under-display camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is intended for video calls only. The phone has a dedicated selfie camera built-into the external display.

Given how unusual it is to see a US phone with an under-display camera, I immediately fired it up. I took a few selfies and called a friend on Google Duo to see how it holds up. For better or worse, it's hard to see where the front-facing camera is exactly. When using the default camera app, the dark borders on the display make it nearly impossible to see the under-display camera's position.

The 16-megapixel front-facing camera takes an OK photo, considering the camera is hidden underneath the screen.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

These aren't the best front-facing photos I've ever taken, but just the fact that they look OK and are able to pick up facial details from behind a screen is impressive.

The RedMagic 7S Pro's under-display implementation hints at what mainstream phones may do in their quest to eliminate the notch. It also reveals some of the advantages of holding on to it -- when I launched a Google Duo video call with my best friend Gary, the app added a visual "notch" around the camera to show me where to look. Google's virtual notch is likely an indication of just how rare under-display cameras are on phones.

Taking into account that I was using an under-display camera, Gary said the image quality for the video call was on nearly par with other phones I tested with him. I'm grading on a curve because I made the video call with a camera behind a screen.

While running a Google Duo video chat on the RedMagic 7S Pro with my friend Gary, the software inserts its own "notch."

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

I haven't yet tested the phone's rear cameras, which include a 64-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It's a similar setup to the $629 RedMagic 7. Photos from that phone were fine, but not likely the reason someone would pick up a gaming phone like this.

Many of the RedMagic 7S Pro's other features prioritize speed, graphical power or keeping the phone from overheating. Nubia says the new Qualcomm chip can reach a peak speed of 3.2GHz. The phone also has a dedicated gaming chip called the Red Core 1 and a built-in cooling fan that increases airflow by 16% over the RedMagic 7. The 7S Pro has a 5,000-mAh, dual-cell battery and comes with a 65-watt adapter. While I haven't tested battery charging on the 7S Pro, the RedMagic 7's 4,500-mAh battery fully charged up in 30 minutes using the same adapter.

The phone's 6.8-inch AMOLED screen supports a full HD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate -- which means silky smooth animations. Keep in mind that the RedMagic 7's display can crank up to 165Hz. Nubia notes that the 7S Pro's screen has a touch sampling rate between 480Hz and 960Hz, which minimizes the lag between pressing an on-screen button and seeing that you did. I played a few rounds of the mobile version of Mortal Kombat and cranked up the graphics settings in Apex Legends Mobile, finding that both games ran smoothly and responsively.

The RedMagic 7S Pro is able to support games with higher refresh rates and more demanding graphic settings.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

As with previous RedMagic phones, you can flip an external switch on the side of the phone to boot up the Game Space launcher. The app minimizes menus to help you focus on gameplay and adds shortcuts for the phone's refresh rate, processor speeds and the cooling fan.

We're currently testing this phone alongside the RedMagic 7 Pro phone, which the 7S appears to be displacing, and will update with comparisons in later coverage.

When playing a game from the RedMagic's Game Space launcher, you can quickly access performance settings for the processor and the refresh rate.

Mike Sorrentino/CNET

The RedMagic 7S Pro's $729 model has 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and a design called Obsidian. The step-up version is $899 and includes 18GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and RGB lighting for its cooling fan. It's available in supernova or a silver transparent mercury design. The RedMagic 7S Pro will be available to preorder on Aug. 2 and goes on sale at Amazon and RedMagic's website on Aug. 9.

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Summer Game Fest 2022: All the Announcements and Reveals

Summer Game Fest 2022: All the Announcements and Reveals

Summer Games Fest is almost here!

Summer Games Fest

We didn't have E3 this year, so we pinned all of our video game dreams on Summer Game Fest, AKA Keigh3. That was probably a mistake.

Unfortunately Summer Game Fest was a little bit of a bust, but we've only got ourselves to blame. Geoff Keighley himself warned us to manage expectations, stating the show would mostly focus on existing, already announced games. He was right. It did, and it was a bit of a grind.

Please find below all the games as they were announced in our liveblog of the event. If you want to check out all the trailers from the event, head here.

June 9, 2022, 10:51 AM PDT

Hello everyone!

By Mark Serrels

Well it's morning where I am (3.50am in Australia). Looks like they've already announced that Last of Us remaster officially. 

That's always felt like a weird one to remaster for me. Didn't it recently get a PS4 upgrade? Maybe it's the new Doom. Beggars can't be choosers I suppose.

June 9, 2022, 11:02 AM PDT

Alright here we go...

By Mark Serrels

It has begun. We are live. Mr. Charisma Geoff Keighley is presenting. 

Again... Keighley is bracing folks for disappointment. I have a feeling this could be a bust.

June 9, 2022, 11:04 AM PDT

Street Fighter 6

By Mark Serrels

Street Fighter 6 is first up, showing off proper footage of a game in progress. Looks good, but yeah Street Fighter has had this sorta style since the big reboot with Street Fighter 4. 
Looking forward to playing this for a couple of hours, getting wrecked online and never touching it until the next one.

Here's Guile. 

June 9, 2022, 11:07 AM PDT

WORLD PREMIERE...

By Mark Serrels

Wait is this a new Alien game? I'm struggling here. Dunno what this is...
Yep it's an Alien game. 
Honestly though, don't people realise we want an Alien Isolation sequel? Why do we keep getting regular shooter style games when we really want a game that mimics the pacing of Alien. 
Aliens Dark Descent it's called, release date 2023. Looks bad, sorry. I'm not keen.

June 9, 2022, 11:10 AM PDT

Callisto Protocol

By Mark Serrels

Geoff reminding everyone they broke news of this game last year.
It's funny, even though I reckon that Alien game will be bad, there something in Callisto Protocol that's got me a little more excited. I think it's the Dead Space vibe. 
This game looks good. Looks like it has its own aesthetic and weight. 

It's a bit full on though. Far out. December 2 2022 is the release date. Can't remember if that's breaking news or not.
We're now getting a live gameplay demo.
Again, Dead Space vibes off the charts here. Which makes sense as it's being made by Glen Schofield's studio, who was one of the original creators of Dead Space back in the day.

This game is stupidly violent. Wow. Looks good. I will play this.

June 9, 2022, 11:21 AM PDT

Modern Warfare 2

By Mark Serrels

We've got a look at this game already live on our site, which you should check out.
They seem to be showing off one of the levels CNET man Oscar got to see during that preview event. At that event the team seemed really keen on selling this as a genuine evolution for the series. Back in the day Call of Duty always felt like a leap forward visually for shooters. I can't lie, this new demo gives me the same feeling. It just looks incredibly polished. 
I mean it's still very much Modern Warfare though. I mean... it's very much the same stuff we've been doing for decades now.

June 9, 2022, 11:25 AM PDT

Just in general...

By Mark Serrels

Feels like this very much could be low key. We're dedicating a lot of time to games that wouldn't get a lot of time, say, at a Microsoft or Sony E3 presentation.
Maybe Geoff really meant it when he told us to temper our expectations.
That said, I absolutely agree with Lucy James, dungarees are back. 

June 9, 2022, 11:29 AM PDT

Flashback 2

By Mark Serrels

Oh wow, Flashback is getting a sequel, set for release in December 2022. Apparently it continues the story of the original, which I've long forgotten.

June 9, 2022, 11:31 AM PDT

Witchfire

By Mark Serrels

Man, this looks pretty good. Sorta like they dropped a dude with guns into Dark Souls. 

June 9, 2022, 11:33 AM PDT

Fort Solis

By Mark Serrels

Man a lot of games with DARK SPACESHIP AESTHETIC. I guess its a vibe shift.
This is Fort Solis and looks kinda cool. Seems to be very performance and story driven, especially given the cast -- which includes the only video games voice actor most people can name, Troy Baker. 

Baker says the VERBS speak for themselves. Sounds like there's gonna be exploration elements, which I like. And -- like I guessed -- very narrative driven. To be honest, I'm keen on this.

June 9, 2022, 11:38 AM PDT

Routine

By Mark Serrels

Okay another spooky ass game set in a decaying futuristic space. There's robots and it's very horror focused. It's called Routine. 
I guess Im keen.

June 9, 2022, 11:41 AM PDT

The Rock

By Mark Serrels

CUT TO THE ROCK, SHIRTLESS IN THE GYM, PROMOTING ALL HIS STUFF.

Honestly though, The Rock is lame now, I'm just gonna say it. His Instagram is the worst and this segment is The Rock's insta gone into overdrive.

He's literally going through the list of things he's in or sponsored by.

Oh... he's here to show a Black Adam trailer. 

June 9, 2022, 11:43 AM PDT

The Immovable

By Mark Serrels

I feel bad, I mostly missed this trailer because I was being mad about The Rock.

June 9, 2022, 11:50 AM PDT

Stormgate

By Mark Serrels

New game, new thing here. Can't lie this isn't very inspiring. Another dark sci-fi game. Robots and demons fighting. Very generic. 
Apparently there's a 2023 beta. I don't even know what this game is.
Oh wait, a guy is here to explain.
Looks like it's an RTS and that was just a cut-scene style trailer. Looks like this is done by ex-Blizzard folks, which I guess bodes well.

June 9, 2022, 11:53 AM PDT

Highwater

By Mark Serrels

Finally, some color. Highwater's whole thing is "the world ended on a sunny day". Almost looks like a modern top down JRPG from the 90s but not? Hard to explain. I'll embed the trailer here. It kinda looks interesting.

June 9, 2022, 11:55 AM PDT

American Arcadia

By Mark Serrels

American Arcadia seems to be set in a weird dystopian future. Kinda cool. 

June 9, 2022, 11:57 AM PDT

Goat Simulator 3

By Mark Serrels

Holy crap, Goat Simulator? This is honestly such an incredible trailer. Highlight of the show so far. No gameplay, just an amazing trailer that made me laugh out loud. Coming out later this year on the Epic Store.
Apparently that trailer was a parody of the Dead Island trailer from a while back. Deep cut.

June 9, 2022, 12:00 PM PDT

Marvel's Midnight Suns

By Mark Serrels

Sorry I can't muster a single shred of energy for this. I guess there's new characters and what not, but this is just another cinematic trailer and I'm not into it. 

I guess Hulk is the big reveal here from this trailer, but meh.

Comes out October 2022.

June 9, 2022, 12:02 PM PDT

Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course

By Mark Serrels

Cuphead is hitting June 30, which is THIS MONTH. 
Cuphead rules and this is well timed with the Netflix show. We've got new gameplay footage here, which looks as great as you'd expect, because -- once again -- Cuphead is very cool.

June 9, 2022, 12:05 PM PDT

Neon White

By Mark Serrels

Apparently a game where you play as assassins fighting for the chance to ascend from hell to heaven. Seems like a mad, hyper paced first person parkour game with... cards? Not much to go on here. Seems weird. That's cool I guess.

June 9, 2022, 12:07 PM PDT

Midnight Fight Express

By Mark Serrels

Midnight Fight Express is being made by a single person based out of Poland? Wow. This has big Hotline Miami vibes. Hotline Miami is one of my favourite games ever, so hell yeah to this.

June 9, 2022, 12:10 PM PDT

Warframe

By Mark Serrels

I don't play this game, so please forgive my mad ignorance on this one. 
They're unveiling a fresh look at The Duvari Paradox. 

June 9, 2022, 12:12 PM PDT

Honkai Startrail

By Mark Serrels

Another game in space. I am exhausted.
This one at least looks a little different. It's got a cel-shaded anime aesthetic and is very JRPG. Also seems to feature steampunk elements and a teenager playing a guitar. Seems interesting. Who even knows.

June 9, 2022, 12:14 PM PDT

Zenless Zone Zero

By Mark Serrels

This one was announced a couple of weeks ago, but I think this is our first look. 
Zenless Zone Zero seems to be an action game, with the same anime, cel shaded aesthetic as the last game we saw. Sure, why not. Both of these games are from the creators of Genshin Impact, should have mentioned that before.

June 9, 2022, 12:16 PM PDT

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

By Mark Serrels

This was announced at a previous Geoff Keighley thing, and it looks cool. Features six players, adding Casey whatshisname and Splinter as playable characters.
This one comes out June 16, so you'll be able to play it like next week.

June 9, 2022, 12:21 PM PDT

One Piece Odyssey

By Mark Serrels

I love One Piece, but I've never played a game based on a manga that wasn't mediocre. 
This is an RPG written by the series creator Oda though... that could potentially change things.

I have to say though, I don't really like the way this game looks. Doesn't feel very One Piece if I'm being honest.
Coming 2022.

June 9, 2022, 12:23 PM PDT

Soul Hackers 2

By Mark Serrels

They showed off a gameplay trailer and a release date -- August 26.

June 9, 2022, 12:26 PM PDT

Metal Hellsinger

By Mark Serrels

This is a bullet hell FPS with a mad metal soundtrack. Sounds like someone's dream game and I respect that out. You can play this one already -- a demo is out now. It has a crazy soundtrack with heaps of people who are famous in that genre. Not my thing, but absolutely knock yourself out.

June 9, 2022, 12:29 PM PDT

The Quarry

By Mark Serrels

We've got a launch trailer for The Quarry, the successor to Until Dawn, which was absolutely AMAZING.
I've been hankering after this one. The trailer looks great. I cannot wait to play this game. Luckily I won't have to wait long. 
This one seems to be really... funny? It's literally out tomorrow.

June 9, 2022, 12:31 PM PDT

Nightingale

By Mark Serrels

This is a weird, dark fantasy thing with cards? Heaps of games have cards now I guess. It features some really cool enemy design and you can build towns. I have no idea what the hell is going on here I'll be honest with you. I wish this show would end.

June 9, 2022, 12:34 PM PDT

Saints Row

By Mark Serrels

They're announcing a "boss factory" thing? I guess it's like a mad customisable character creator tool where you can mess about and build your own character ahead of the game's release? This thing looks serious. A huge part of Saints Row is creating the wildest character possible. This is a great idea I think.

You can download it now.

June 9, 2022, 12:36 PM PDT

Warhammer 40k: Darktide

By Mark Serrels

There are so many Warhammer games it can be tough to figure out which ones are good. I don't know if this one is good. Is it good? It looks okay! It's got a wild sense of scale and you face off against genuine hordes. Heaps of enemies.

Comes out Sept 13.

June 9, 2022, 12:38 PM PDT

Layers of Fears

By Mark Serrels

This is a horror game made in the Unreal 5 engine, which everyone knows is the spookiest engine.

This doesn't look that great to be honest.

June 9, 2022, 12:41 PM PDT

Gotham Knights

By Mark Serrels

Looks like we're getting a new look at Gotham Knights, which is another game I'm not that excited about. God I'm old.
We're getting our first look at Nightwing. 
To be totally honest, this game could potentially be good. Co-op Arkham Asylum isn't a terrible idea. I just always feel like co-op waters this type of game down. 

June 9, 2022, 12:44 PM PDT

The Last of Us Part 1

By Mark Serrels

Looks like Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog is here to announce the remaster. Shame it leaked because this would have been a nice surprise.

Looks like they're announcing a Last of Us multiplayer game, a standalone game. They've got concept art here and Druckman is really trying to sell the scale of it. It's coming out next year. 
They're talking about the upcoming HBO Last of Us show now. Druckmann got to direct an episode -- very cool.

June 9, 2022, 12:49 PM PDT

The Last of Us on HBO

By Mark Serrels

Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker are here now. They're gonna be in the show, which is pretty cool considering they played Joel and Ellie in the original. Very tight lipped on exactly what they're gonna doing on the show.

June 9, 2022, 12:56 PM PDT

And that's it...

By Mark Serrels

Oh my lord. That really was a bit of a bust. 

I guess the big announcement was The Last of Us and that got leaked. Either way, there was almost nothing significant to speak of. Folks tuning in for Elden Ring DLC or Death Stranding 2 will have to wait I guess.
Either way, thanks for sticking around. Have a good one. I'm signing off!

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Amazon uses Snapchat to send exclusive deals

Amazon uses Snapchat to send exclusive deals

Amazon uses Instagram to promote its new Snapchat account. Screenshot by Donna Tam/CNET

Snap up these deals before they're gone in 10 seconds. Literally.

Amazon, the world's largest online retailer by revenue, hopes to boost sales with a new take on social shopping -- using a Snapchat account to send gift ideas, recommendations and exclusive deals that disappear in seconds. The company will send out its first "snap" on Thursday.

The account -- announced Wednesday alongside a new Instagram feed for its site and an early kickoff for Black Friday deals -- is Amazon's latest effort to grab the attention of shoppers glued to social networks on their smartphones and tablets. The company in May created a hashtag for Twitter that would let people put products in their Amazon shopping cart just by responding to a tweet.

The new Instagram feed encourages users to buy items posted to Amazon's profile. A click on the product image sends the user straight to the product page.

All about mobile

Half of Amazon's customers shopped from a mobile device during last year's holiday season, according to John Yurcisin, Amazon's director of social.

The online retailer knows it has to keep up with consumers' constantly growing presence on social media, Yurcisin said. And that's where Instagram and Snapchat come in.

"Instagram and Snapchat are the two of the fastest growing mobile social networks where people are engaging and interacting with each other in entirely new ways," Yurcisin said.

Instagram attracts roughly 40 million unique users who access the site only from their mobile devices, according to a May report from ComScore. Snapchat, which is only accessible through a mobile app, has 21.7 million users.

Both have rapidly growing mobile audiences, according to the report, with Instagram increasing its mobile users by 45 percent since last year.

Amazon is trying to tap into that trend by reaching out to social media followers.

Despite their potential for boosting sales, it's still too early to predict which social media services will have the greatest impact on consumers' buying habits, said Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru-Kodali.

"It's all experimental," she said.

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Lower Prescription Drug Prices: How Cost Plus Drugs Could Save You Money

Lower Prescription Drug Prices: How Cost Plus Drugs Could Save You Money

As high as inflation has been lately, prescription drug prices have soared even higher. The cost of prescription drugs has increased 35% since 2014, according to Healthcare Finance, compared with 19% for all goods and services.

Some 18 million Americans can't afford their prescriptions, according to a 2021 Gallup survey, and 10% of adults actually skip doses as a way of cost-cutting. A National Health Interview Survey report shows that more than five million Medicare beneficiaries struggle to pay for prescription medication.

To help alleviate the burden, billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban launched the Cost Plus Drug Company in early 2022. The online marketplace offers prescription drugs at prices that are far lower than most retail pharmacies and even many discount sites.

"It's just wrong that people have to choose between eating, their rent, and taking their medications or buying their medications in the United States of America in 2022," Cuban told PBS in June. "It's just wrong. And it was obvious there was not going to be a political solution."

The newly signed Inflation Reduction Act gives Medicare the chance to negotiate drug prices for the first time ever -- but only on a limited number of medications. A June 2022 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that Medicare could have saved $3.6 billion in 2020 if it purchased prescription medications through Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs.

How does Cost Plus Drugs work, why are its prescription drug prices so cheap and how can you take advantage of its low prices? We'll give you all the details.

What is Cost Plus Drugs?

Cost Plus Drugs was started in January by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and radiologist Dr. Alexander Oshmyansky, now the company's CEO. 

"When I see an industry that is just so convoluted and messed up like the pharmaceutical industry is, I saw it as a great opportunity," Shark Tank investor Cuban said on The View in February, "and that allows us to charge much, much less."

The Cost Plus Drugs site was launched with the aim of avoiding pharmacy benefit managers -- intermediaries who negotiate drug prices with manufacturers on behalf of health insurance providers. PBMs have come under criticism for pocketing negotiated savings, as well as for a practice called "spread pricing" -- charging payers like Medicaid more than they pay the pharmacy for a medication and keeping the difference (or "spread") as profit.

Shortly before its launch, Cost Plus Drugs created its own pharmacy benefit manager, allowing it to provide medications to companies with health plans. But Cuban has promised Cost Plus Drugs' PBM will be "radically transparent" in negotiating drug prices and will not employ spread pricing.

What medications are available at Cost Plus Drugs?

As of Aug. 23, Cost Plus Drugs offers 338 drugs including medicines for high cholesterol, kidney disease, mental health, diabetes, arthritis, migraines, allergies, cancer, HIV and many other conditions.

Cost Plus Drugs sells the top 10 most prescribed generic drugs in the US -- atorvastatin, levothyroxine, lisinopril, metformin, amlodipine, metoprolol, albuterol, omeprazole, losartan and simvastatin -- as well as many of the top 50 most prescribed medicines. Although Cost Plus Drugs warns that some medicines have limited stock due to supply chain issues, a random check of 50 of its 337 medications found all of them were available.

The company is constantly expanding its inventory and provides a form for submitting requests for new medications. On The View, Cuban said that he hopes to be selling 2,000 medications by mid-2023.

How much lower are Cost Plus Drugs prescription prices?

Drug prices in general will vary considerably based on the provider and PBM. Cost Plus Drugs provides a comparison of a listed retail price and its own price for every medicine it sells.

Some of the savings are remarkable: 30 tablets of the generic version of the bipolar disorder medicine Abilify (aripiprazole) retails for $678, compared to the same amount and dosage for $6 at Cost Plus Drugs.

"It's wrong that people have to choose between eating, their rent and taking their medications," Cuban told PBS in June.

Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images

However, retail prices of prescription drugs can skew higher than what many people actually pay. Discount online pharmacies like GoodRx, Blink Health and SingleCare already provide coupons that can lower prices considerably. Even so, prices at Cost Plus Drugs compare favorably.

For example, a box of 30 tablets of the generic version of Zegerid -- commonly prescribed for acid reflux -- currently sells for $20 at Cost Plus Drugs. Blink Health sells generic Zegerid for $86, much lower than a listed retail price of $2,073, but four times more than Cost Plus Drugs. 

The savings appear to be real for many prescription drugs. Thirty tablets of the generic version of the heart medication Toprol XL (metoprolol succinate) go for $3.90 at Cost Plus Drugs, compared to $24 per 90 pills (or $8 per 30) at Costco.

The generic version of the antidepressant Pristiq costs $18 at Cost Plus Drugs. Discount pharmacy GoodRx sells it for $25, the next lowest price we could find online. That's far lower than the average retail price of $290, but more than Cost Plus Drugs.

At CVS, a three-month supply of 20mg of generic Lipitor (atorvastatin), a commonly prescribed medication for high cholesterol, costs $362 without insurance.

At Cost Plus Drugs, the same three-month supply sells for $6.

The company is also in the process of constructing an $11 million, 22,000-square-foot facility in Dallas to manufacture its own versions of generic drugs, which could lower prices even further.

The price of atorvastatin at Cost Plus Drugs is much lower than the quote we received from CVS.

Cost Plus Drugs/Screenshot by Peter Butler/CNET

How do I order prescription drugs from Cost Plus Drugs?

First, you'll want to view the list of medications available at Cost Plus Drugs to see if it has the prescription drugs you need. If it does, you'll need to create an online account, verify your email address and enter basic information about your health history and any current medications you are taking.

After you're registered with Cost Plus Drugs, you can provide your doctor with a paper form that includes all of the information they'll need to submit your prescription.

Alternatively, you can ask your doctor to write a prescription that includes your name, email address, date of birth and any medications you take. The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) Provider ID for Cost Plus Drugs is 4940208 and its telephone number for prescriptions is 833-926-3384.

Your doctor can also fax your prescription information or the paper form to 650-683-9775.

Why are prescription drugs so cheap at Cost Plus Drugs?

Unlike the mysterious calculations behind drug pricing at traditional pharmacies, Cost Plus Drugs uses a transparent method -- the wholesale price Cost Plus Drugs pays for the medicine plus a 15% markup, a $3 pharmacy fee and a $5 shipping charge. Prescriptions are filled by the pharmacy services startup Truepill.

On the company's mission page, Cuban specifically calls out the price of albendazole, a drug used to treat hookworm, which continues to thrive among poorer communities in the Southeast US. (In a 2017 paper, researchers found more than one-third of the people in one Alabama county were infected with hookworm disease.)

Normally, albendazole costs on average $441 for its daily dose of two tablets, which could be taken for up to 30 days. At a wholesale price of $26 plus $4 markup and $3 pharmacy fee, Cost Plus Drugs can sell those two tablets for $33, plus $5 for shipping. Multiply that $408 in savings for two tablets by 30 days and you're talking about a potential difference of $12,240.

Does Cost Plus Drugs take health insurance?

Cost Plus Drugs does not currently accept any health insurance. The site claims that "even without insurance, our prices are less than what you would pay when using your insurance at a typical pharmacy."

The company does work with some pharmacy benefit managers, though, and allows the use of prescription drug discount cards for their members. According to the Cost Plus Drugs website, PBMs that work with Cost Plus Drugs can have members pay the listed price on its website or the insurance co-pay amount, whichever is lower.

For more on drug prices, learn how California is planning to make its own insulin to counter rising costs and how the Inflation Reduction Act will lower prescription prices and subsidize the healthcare marketplace.

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