Americas

‘American Idol’ Renewed for Historic 25th Season as ‘Idol Across America’ Returns

• American Idol renewed for a historic 25th season
• "Idol Across America" auditions begin 25 August
• VIP Day offers first 250 registrants a guaranteed slot

American Idol has confirmed its 25th season, with the "Idol Across America" audition phase set to launch on Tuesday, 25 August. This is a landmark milestone for the long-running singing competition, which continues to search for new talent across the United States following Hannah Harper's win over Jordan…

‘Welcome II The Terrordome’ Returns To Cinemas With New Restoration, Ngozi Onwurah Discusses How The Film Was Almost Lost & Plans For Her Next Project

• New 2K restoration of Onwurah's 1995 film hits US cinemas this week.
• Once panned by critics, now hailed as an Afrofuturist landmark.
• Original film negative lost after Technicolor's collapse; restored from old print.

Janus Films is releasing a new 2K restoration of Welcome II the Terrordome in US cinemas this week, marking a dramatic reappraisal of British director Ngozi Onwurah's groundbreaking 1995 debut feature. The film, savaged by critics on its original release for its raw exploration of racism and state…

‘American Idol’ Renewed for Season 25 With Auditions Kicking Off in August

• "American Idol" renewed for Season 25, auditions start 25 August
• Nationwide "Idol Across America" search covers all 50 states plus D.C.
• Hannah Harper won Season 24; same judges and host return

"American Idol" has been renewed for a 25th season, with the audition process officially getting under way on 25 August. The renewal keeps the long-running singing competition as a fixture of ABC's schedule and launches with a virtual nationwide search called "Idol Across America", covering all 50 US…

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation boss has been thinking about ways to make a mysterious boss suitable for the upcoming crossover raid with Final Fantasy 14

• FF7 Revelation boss designer eyeing a boss for an FF14 crossover raid
• Signals ongoing collaboration between FF7's mainline series and FF14
• No details confirmed on the boss, raid scope or release date

A boss designer on Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Revelation has reportedly spent time working out how to adapt a mysterious in-game boss for use in an upcoming crossover raid with Final Fantasy 14. The development points to continued collaboration between Square Enix's mainline Final Fantasy 7 project…

DoorDash secures FAA approval to launch its own drone delivery service

• DoorDash is launching its own drone delivery arm, DoorDash Air.
• It has FAA Part 135 certification to operate commercially in the US.
• No launch date yet; existing Wing and Flytrex partnerships continue.

DoorDash has confirmed it is building its own drone delivery operation, DoorDash Air, complete with custom-built aircraft, after securing a Part 135 air carrier certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration that allows it to run a commercial drone delivery service. The move, developed in-house by DoorDash Labs,…

The Nothing Ear 3A deliver great, but sometimes buggy, performance for the price

• Nothing's $99 Ear 3A earbuds reviewed by The Verge
• Strong sound and ANC, but adaptive ANC has minor bugs
• Robust in-app EQ fixes bass-heavy default sound signature

The Verge has reviewed Nothing's new Ear 3A wireless earbuds, priced at $99, finding they offer strong overall performance for the money despite some minor software quirks. The earbuds continue Nothing's distinctive transparent design language, now available in a new pink colourway alongside yellow, black and white, and…

Broadway’s ‘Fallen Angels’ Live Capture Starring Rose Byrne & Kelli O’Hara Sets Theatrical Release

• Fallen Angels' Broadway live capture heads to cinemas from 22 October
• Stars Rose Byrne and Kelli O'Hara; production earned five Tony nominations
• Follows Hadestown's cinema release model via Trafalgar and BroadwayHD

Noël Coward's Broadway revival Fallen Angels, starring Rose Byrne and Kelli O'Hara, is being turned into a live-capture cinema release after wrapping its sold-out theatre run last month. Trafalgar Releasing, working with BroadwayHD, will bring the filmed production to cinemas in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and other…

Krafton pledges to turn Subnautica into “franchise IP” after Subnautica 2 surpasses 5m sales in just 22 days

• Subnautica 2 hit 5m sales just 22 days after early access launch
• Krafton now plans to develop Subnautica into a "franchise IP"
• Follows legal dispute with ousted Unknown Worlds leadership over bonuses

Krafton has announced plans to expand Subnautica into a full "franchise IP" after its sequel, Subnautica 2, surpassed 5 million sales within just 22 days of its early access launch. The milestone comes despite a turbulent year for developer Unknown Worlds, which saw a bitter legal dispute between…

Serve refreshments and spot demons in Night Plane, a PSX-style horror job sim about being a flight attendant in 1999

• Night Plane is a PS1-style horror job sim releasing later this year
• Players act as a 1999 flight attendant amid demonic passengers
• Made by Liquid Static Studio and Snapping Turtle, published by New Tales

Rock Paper Shotgun has previewed Night Plane, a PS1-style horror job simulation in which players work as a flight attendant on a plane full of sinister passengers in the year 1999. It joins a growing trend of horror-themed workplace simulation games, but distinguishes itself with its retro aesthetic…

Congress can’t seem to figure out that sports gambling is just sports gambling

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