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  • Sinners will hit Max with a version translated into Black American Sign Language

    Sinners was already a huge hit in theaters, and for the film's debut on streaming, Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to make it as accessible as possible. The studio announced today that when the vampire film gets added to Max on July 4, it'll be available to stream alongside a new version of the film interpreted in Black American Sign Language (BASL).

    The film follows a pair of twin brothers played by Michael B. Jordan, and their aspiring musician cousin played by newcomer Miles Caton, as they stand up a nightclub in Mississippi. Of course, humans aren't the only ones interested in a night of music and dancing, which naturally leads to some decidedly supernatural problems. Besides confidently straddling a line between genre B-movie and thoughtful meditation on race in America, Sinners shines because of its commitment to cultural specificity. Adapting the film in BASL — a distinct dialect of American Sign Language developed by the Black deaf community and with its own methods of signing — feels right in line with the spirit of the film.

    While most people could make do with closed captions and subtitles, interpreting a film or TV show captures the nuances of performance that aren't normally communicated in text. For the premium most people pay for streaming, offering an ASL version seems like the least streaming services could do.

    The BASL-version of Sinnersis interpreted by Nakia Smith and directed by Rosa Lee Timm, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. Timm also directed the ASL-versions of A Minecraft Movie and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Warner Bros. Discovery has been slowly building a library of ASL-versions of its films and TV shows: Both Barbie and the two available seasons of The Last of Uscan be viewed with an ASL interpretation.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/sinners-will-hit-max-with-a-version-translated-into-black-american-sign-language-200216402.html?src=rss

  • A Super Mario Maker 2 player has cleared an astonishing 1 million levels

    Super Mario Maker 2 was released six years ago this past Saturday. While Nintendo didn't do a whole lot to mark the occasion, one of the game's most dedicated players sure did. DSteves hit a remarkable milestone by becoming the first to clear 1 million SMM2levels.

    The Twitch and YouTube streamer had hoped to reach that point by the game's sixth anniversary and got there toward the end of a 18-hour marathon. In fact, DSteves cleared 1,000 levels during that single stream.

    After the 999,999th level clear, an emotional DSteves punched in the code for a custom level a player named raysfire created just for this occasion — you can try it yourself by entering the level ID QKQ-4TD-0DG. Since this is SMM2, of course there was some cheap (or should that be Cheep Cheep?) trolling from raysfire, such as a Question Block that dispensed an enemy instead of a power-up. DSteves died a couple of times while playing this level, including to Bowser fireballs that were disguised by a bunch of coins.

    DSteves said on the stream it took six years and eight hours to beat 1 million SMM2levels, and then toasted the achievement with some champagne. The vast majority of the level clears, nearly 800,000 of them, occurred in one Endless Challenge streak on Easy difficulty (just slightly more than my current streak of 581). So, DSteves didn't exactly grind through several hundred thousand ultra-hard kaizo-style stages, but it's still an impressive achievement.

    To reach the goal, DSteves cleared an average of 456.4 levels per day. The streamer skipped more than 80,000 levels, died more than 772,000 times and hit the million mark with about 165,000 more stage clears than the player in second place (I love that SMM2shows these stats publicly).

    Despite hitting an astounding number of cleared levels, DSteves isn't done with SMM2. The streamer was back to playing the game the following night and, at the time of writing, has now beaten 1,000,050 Super Mario Maker 2stages.

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/a-super-mario-maker-2-player-has-cleared-an-astonishing-1-million-levels-192445569.html?src=rss

  • The best midrange smartphone for 2025

    A great phone doesn’t need to cost a fortune. In 2025, features once exclusive to high-end devices – big batteries, multi-camera arrays, high refresh rate displays and more – have trickled down to more affordable models. Sure, you’ll still need to buy a flagship smartphone to get the best camera or fastest processor, but you don’t need to compromise nearly as much anymore if you’re looking for a great handset at a reasonable price. If you have less than $600 to spend, let us help you figure out what features to prioritize when trying to find the best midrange smartphone.

    While the term frequently appears in articles and videos, there isn’t an agreed-upon definition for “midrange” beyond a phone that isn’t a flagship or an entry-level option. Most of our recommendations cost between $400 and $600 — any less and you should expect significant compromises. If you have more to spend, you might as well consider flagships like the Apple iPhone 16 and the Samsung Galaxy S25.

    Buying a new device can be intimidating, but a few questions can help guide you through the process. First: what platform do you want to use? If the answer is iOS, that narrows your options down to exactly one phone. (Thankfully, it’s great.) And if you’re an Android fan, there’s no shortage of compelling options. Both platforms have their strengths, so you shouldn’t rule either out.

    Of course, also consider how much you’re comfortable spending. Even increasing your budget by $100 more can get you a dramatically better product. Moreover, manufacturers tend to support their more expensive devices for longer with software updates and security updates, so it’s worth buying something toward the top limit of what you can afford. 

    Having an idea of your priorities will help inform your budget. Do you want a long battery life or fast charging? Do you value speedy performance above all else? Or would you like the best possible cameras? While they continue to improve every year, even the best midrange smartphones still demand some compromises, and knowing what’s important to you will make choosing one easier.

    Every year, the line between midrange and flagship phones blurs as more upmarket features and specs trickle down to more affordable models. When Engadget first published this guide in 2020, it was tricky to find a $500 phone with waterproofing and 5G. In 2025, the biggest thing you might miss out on is wireless charging – and even then, that’s becoming less true.

    One thing your new phone probably won’t come with is a power adapter; many companies have stopped including chargers with all of their smartphones. Performance has improved in recent years, but can still be hit or miss as most midrange phones use slower processors that can struggle with multitasking. Thankfully, their camera systems have improved dramatically, and you can typically expect at least a dual-lens system on most midrange smartphones below $600 with decent camera quality, selfie performance and software support to keep things running smoothly for years to come..

    This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/best-midrange-smartphone-183006463.html?src=rss

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