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Anna Kendrick on her directorial debut with `Woman of the Hour`

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Anna Kendrick on her directorial debut with `Woman of the Hour`



Anna Kendrick on her directorial debut with `Woman of the Hour`

Actor Anna Kendrick got candid about her directorial debut `Woman of the Hour` and shared why she decided make this dark crime thriller. “Funny enough, I asked another director friend to read the script, and he said something along the lines of, “I`m so happy you`re going to direct, but I have to confess I`m surprised that this is what you`re drawn to…I can see there`s a lot of really interesting themes around being a woman in the world and the challenges that come with that.” He also specifically referenced the violence of the opening scene. So I really had to sit with that and give it some thought,” said Anna in a statement shared in a press release.

The `Pitch Perfect` actor opened up on how she decided to make her directorial debut with this dark crime thriller, saying “I ended up saying that I can understand why a movie that opens with an act of violence doesn`t really seem like it`s in my wheelhouse, but I feel like I`ve been through experiences where I can relate to being with another person and suddenly discovering you`re with someone deeply unsafe. And how earth-shattering it is to have that feeling of annihilation suddenly appear in a room that previously felt very safe and warm.”

She felt connected to the subject, “Those scenes where there`s either violence or the threat of violence don`t feel foreign to me, she shared, adding, “In fact, I had to fight for that opening scene. Some people wanted a very different opening. But I felt so attached to that scene despite most people knowing me as a comedy gal. So I understand why it would seem surprising, but for me, I felt very connected to the material.”

“A woman, her woes and her willingness to survive. `Woman of the Hour` starring Anna Kendrick, dives into the spine-chilling true story of Sheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actor who goes looking for love on a 1970s dating show. But, when her path crosses with Rodney Alcala (played by Daniel Zovatto ), a charming but notorious serial killer, Sheryl`s quest for romance quickly spirals into a horrifying nightmare,” as per the press release.

`Woman of the Hour` will be streaming on Lionsgate Play on November 29.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever


Bungie Becomes the Latest PlayStation Studio to Lay Off Workers, Destiny 2 The Final Shape Delayed

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Bungie Becomes the Latest PlayStation Studio to Lay Off Workers, Destiny 2 The Final Shape Delayed


Destiny 2 maker Bungie is among the latest video game studios to be hit with layoffs. First reported by Bloomberg, the downsizing is part of a wide restructuring across Sony Interactive Entertainment, with no official numbers available yet. Based on social media posts from affected workers, the communications, social media, and publishing departments at the studio were hit the hardest. Sony acquired Bungie in January 2022 in a $3.6 billion (about Rs. 29,973 crore) deal, enabling them to function independently and push forward the former’s plans for more live-service games. The studio is also delaying its upcoming titles — a Destiny 2 expansion called The Final Shape and a reboot of Marathon, Bungie’s first-person shooter title from 1994.

“Today is a sad day at Bungie as we say goodbye to colleagues who have all made a significant impact on our studio,” Bungie CEO Pete Parsons tweeted after reports came out. “What these exceptional individuals have contributed to our games and Bungie culture has been enormous and will continue to be a part of Bungie long into the future.” Understandably, the post was met with collective disdain from others online, with many asking where exactly Sony’s money flows. It’s an interesting development, considering PlayStation had promised Bungie in 2022 that there would be ‘absolutely no layoffs’ as the company continued to restructure. As part of that, the former spent $1.2 billion (about Rs. 9,991 crore) to retain all the key staff members — paid out over multiple years.

As mentioned before, the upcoming Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape has been delayed from February to June, which is poised to conclude its storyline by setting up a conflict against The Witness, the representation of darkness. Some of this lore was drip-fed to players as part of subsequent seasons, making the Lightfall expansion one of the worst received DLCs in the franchise. Back in May, during the PlayStation Showcase event, Bungie also revealed a reboot of Marathon, a sci-fi PvP extraction shooter, where the story evolves through completing objectives and participating in in-game events. No raw gameplay footage was released, but the developer revealed that it’s set on a low-orbit colony, whose 30,000 inhabitants just mysteriously disappeared. As a cybernetic Runner, it is our job to uncover mysterious artefacts and hunt down assailants to reveal the larger story. In light of the layoffs, Marathon has been delayed to 2025.

Sony PlayStation had The Last of Us creators Naughty Dog let go of 25 employees, with the affected allegedly not receiving any severance payments. Despite being an incredible year for games, the people making them have been suffering through massive layoffs, studio shutdowns, and chief studio executives leaving. Fortnite maker Epic Games cut down 16 percent of its staff in September — about 830 employees — with CEO Tim Sweeney claiming that the company had been spending more money than it was earning. Industry giant Embracer Group has also been getting rid of the developers it had acquired, shutting down Saints Row creator Volition and putting Borderlands’ Gearbox up for sale.

Destiny 2 The Final Shape is now slated to release sometime in June 2024, across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.


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Babil Khan’s next `Log Out` to premiere at Mar del Plata Film Festival

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Babil Khan’s next `Log Out` to premiere at Mar del Plata Film Festival



Babil Khan’s next `Log Out` to premiere at Mar del Plata Film Festival

’Qala’ actor Babil Khan is all set to return to the screens with Amit Golani`s film, ‘Log Out’. The film is set to have its world premiere at ‘Mar del Plata International Film Festival’ in Argentina.

Speaking about the experience, Babil shared, “I’m thrilled to see people finally witness Log Out. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this project, and I can`t wait for the world to see it. I’m incredibly grateful that the film will premiere at such a prestigious festival. Working with Amit Golani Sir has been an incredible experience. His vision and direction pushed me to explore new depths in my performance, and I’m proud of what we’ve created together.”

In ‘Log Out’, Babil takes on a completely different role, portraying a modern-day influencer navigating the complexities of digital fame. As his character rises to success in the virtual world, he soon becomes trapped by its darker consequences.

With its modern-day relevance, the film promises to strike a chord with today’s digitally-driven audiences.

Babil Khan is son of late Irafan Khan. He made his debut with ‘Qala’ and later went on to feature in ‘Friday Night Plan’ and ‘The Railway Men’. His roles in ‘Qala’ and ‘The Railway Men’ have been quite appreciated. Prior to this Babil worked as a camera assistant.

Babil is also working with director Shoojit Sarkar for his next project titled ‘The Umesh Chronicles’.

Babil Khan recently shared an old interview of his father, Irrfan Khan, and captioned it: “When Baba did this interview, I was very lost in life. I still laugh with joy at the honesty with which he said, `My son is not figuring it out.` This was his response when asked if his children were figuring out their paths in life.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever


Redmi Note 14 Series India Launch Tipped to Take Place in Late December or Early January

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Redmi Note 14 Series India Launch Tipped to Take Place in Late December or Early January


Redmi Note 14 series was unveiled in China in September. The lineup includes a base, a Pro, and a Pro+ variant. Although nothing has been officially announced yet, the handsets are expected to make their global debut soon. The international versions may come with slightly different features from their Chinese counterparts. The vanilla Redmi Note 14 5G was reportedly spotted on Indonesia’s SDPPI certification site. A tipster has now hinted at the India launch timeline of the Redmi Note 14 series. 

Redmi Note 14 Series India Launch (Expected)

The Redmi Note 14 will launch in India in either the last week of December or the first week of January, according to an X post by tipster Abhishek Yadav (@yabhishekhd). Meanwhile, the sale is said to start between January 10 and January 15.

While the tipster does not mention the word “series”, the attached images show the specifications for all three handsets in the lineup. This suggests that Redmi could launch the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ and Redmi Note 14 Pro  in India as well. The tipster adds that the Indian variants will come with slight changes over the existing Chinese versions. 

Redmi Note 14 Series Features

The Redmi Note 14 is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra chipset paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM. Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 14 Pro and Note 14 Pro+ carry the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra and Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 SoCs, respectively. The Pro+ variant supports up to 16GB of RAM, and all three handsets ship with Android 14-based HyperOS. The Pro models have 6.67-inch 120Hz 1.5K displays, while the base model gets a 6.67-inch full-HD+ AMOLED screen.

For optics, the base Redmi Note 14 gets a 50-megapixel dual rear camera unit and a 16-megapixel front camera sensor. The triple rear camera unit of the Redmi Note 14 Pro includes a 50-megapixel main Sony LYT-600 sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle shooter, and a 2-megapixel macro camera.

The triple rear camera system of the Note 14 Pro, on the other hand, has a 50-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle sensor, and a 50-megapixel portrait telephoto camera. The Pro models carry 20-megapixel selfie shooters.

The Redmi Note 14 is backed by a 5,110mAh battery with 45W fast charging support, while the Pro variant carries a 5,500mAh cell with similar charging. The Redmi Note 14 Pro+ has a 6,200mAh battery with 90W fast charging support. 




Vidhu Vinod Chopra says Hollywood feels 12th Fail should have been India's entry to Oscars, 'not whatever went'

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Vidhu Vinod Chopra says Hollywood feels 12th Fail should have been India's entry to Oscars, 'not whatever went'


Nov 23, 2024 09:04 AM IST

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail starred Vikrant Massey as a UPSC aspirant battling poverty and other obstacles.

Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra has opened up on the international acclaim his film 12th Fail has received. The Vikrant Massey-starrer inspirational drama was a sleeper hit last year and earned not just much more than its budget but also surpassed trade expectations. Chora has now said that people in Hollywood told him it was worthy of Oscar contention. (Also read: Vikrant Massey says it has been a ‘lifelong dream’ to win a National Award amid buzz for 12th Fail)

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail starred Vikrant Massey
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail starred Vikrant Massey

Vidhu Vinod Chopra on 12th Fail’s Oscar buzz

Speaking at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on Friday, Chopra addressed the trend of thrillers and other films not getting National Film Awards. He said we lay too much emphasis on awards and added, “Can I tell you one thing in return that so many people have told me, including people in Hollywood, that 12th Fail should have represented India at Oscars, not whatever went.”

Last year, India’s official entry to the Academy Awards was the Malayalam survival drama 2018, which did not get a nomination. 12th Fail was not selected by the Film Federation of India, the body tasked with selecting India’s entry for the awards.

However, Chopra reiterated his point about the undue significance of awards, saying, “Say yes or no, do I care? What I care for — did I make a good film, did I not make a good film. So please don’t give so much importance (to awards). Awards are for people outside of (the industry) who are acknowledging you for God knows what reasons. So please don’t bother.”

About 12th Fail

12th Fail was based on Anurag Pathak’s eponymous non-fiction book about the rise of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma. Starring Vikrant alongside Medha Shankr, Anant V Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar and Priyanshu Chatterjee, the film received praise from audience. It also made around ₹70 crore at the box office on a ₹20-crore budget.

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Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge with Microsoft Copilot+ Unveiled: Price, Specifications

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Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge with Microsoft Copilot+ Unveiled: Price, Specifications


The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge was unveiled globally on Monday (May 20). Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset, the laptop becomes the company’s first AI PC, expanding upon its Galaxy AI mobile ecosystem. Samsung says that it is certified as a Copilot+ PC and promises on-device AI capabilities courtesy of a 45 TOPS NPU for offline processing. The Galaxy Book 4 Edge also brings mobile AI features such as Live Translate, Chat Assist and Circle to Search to PCs for the first time ever.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge price, availability

The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge starts at $1,349.99 (roughly Rs. 1,12,450) for the 14-inch variant and $1,449.99 (roughly Rs. 1,20,778) for the 16-inch variant. The laptop is available in a single Sapphire colourway and will be available for purchase starting June 18.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge specifications

The launch of the Galaxy Book 4 Edge is a collaboration between Samsung and Microsoft that sees the introduction of Copilot, Microsoft’s suite of AI services, on the device. It was launched just moments after Microsoft took the wraps off its latest AI PCs, the new Surface Pro (11th Edition) and Surface Laptop (7th Edition), at its Surface and AI event.

The new Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge features a Dynamic AMOLED 2X touchscreen display with a resolution of 2880×1800 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. It is available in two sizes: 14-inch and 16-inch, reserved for the Edge and Edge Pro models, respectively. Powering the laptop is a Snapdragon X Elite chipset with Adreno GPU, 12-core CPU and a dedicated 45 TOPS Qualcomm Hexagon NPU. Both models support 16GB RAM and up to 1TB internal storage.

Being a Copilot+ PC, the Galaxy Book 4 Edge supports AI features such as Live Captions, Circle to Search, Live Translate, Recall and Cocreator. Furthermore, users can enhance their experience during video calls with tweaks such as portrait blur and voice focus, courtesy of Windows Studio effects.

Connectivity options on the Galaxy Book 4 Edge include USB 4.0 and HDMI 2.1 ports. The laptop also sports a backlit keyboard, 65W fast charging via USB Type-C, Bluetooth v5.4 and Wi-Fi 7. The 14-inch Galaxy Book 4 Edge weighs 1.20kg and measures 12.30 x 8.81 x 0.43 inches, while the 16-inch variant laptop weighs 1.55kg and measures 13.99 x 9.86 x 0.48 inches.


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Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 crosses the 240 crore mark

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Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 crosses the 240 crore mark


Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Day 23 BO: The Kartik Aaryan led horror-comedy crosses the 240 crore mark

This Diwali saw some literal fireworks at the BO, with the release of Rohit Shetty‘s Singham Again, and Anees Bazmee’s Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. While it was expected that Rohit’s franchise might have a slight edge over Anees’ film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 has managed to beat the Ajay Devgn starrer, albeit by a small margin, and both films have done stupendous business at the box office.

Now slowly reaching the end of its theatrical run, the horror comedy, co-starring Triptii Dimri, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit, has collected a total of Rs 241.04 crore, having amassed 0.02 Cr India net on its 23rd day.
Earlier, BB 3 started seeing a better number than ‘Singham Again’ just when its second week was about to begin.

Gradually, with time, it also managed to beat the overall collections of the movie. After collecting Rs 173 crore nett in the first week, ‘Singham Again’ made Rs 47.5 crore in its second week. The third week is yet to end. On Wednesday, the film made around Rs 1.65 crore. Thus the total collection of the movie so far, is Rs 235.15 crore. Meanwhile, the total collection of BB 3 so far, in India is Rs 237 crore.

Both these films have slowly started seeing a bit of competition from ‘The Sabarmati Report’ now, as it’s gaining momentum due to word of mouth and has made in the range of Rs 1 crore each day from the time it released. The film may get better footfalls now that it has been declared tax free in regions like Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.




Markets Stage Sharp Recovery; Sensex Reclaims 79K Level, Nifty Surges 557 Points | Economy News

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Markets Stage Sharp Recovery; Sensex Reclaims 79K Level, Nifty Surges 557 Points | Economy News


Mumbai: Benchmark equity indices rebounded sharply on Friday, with the Sensex climbing 2.54 per cent to reclaim the 79,000 level, driven by across-the-board rally and value buying at lower levels.

Strong buying by domestic institutional investors and a firm trend in the US markets also helped the indices, traders said.

The BSE benchmark Sensex jumped 1,961.32 points or 2.54 per cent to settle at 79,117.11. During the day, it surged 2,062.4 points or 2.67 per cent to 79,218.19.

The NSE Nifty soared 557.35 points or 2.39 per cent to 23,907.25.

All the 30 Sensex firms ended in the green.

Hectic buying in blue chip counters like Reliance Industries, IT and teck shares boosted market sentiment.

State Bank of India, Tata Consultancy Services, Titan, ITC, Infosys, Larsen & Toubro, Reliance Industries and Bajaj Finance were the biggest gainers.

The majority of the listed Adani group firms ended higher, bouncing back from the previous day’s sharp fall after billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani was charged in the US for alleged bribery and fraud.

Ambuja Cements surged 3.50 per cent, ACC jumped 3.17 per cent, Adani Enterprises climbed 2.16 per cent, Adani Ports (2.05 per cent), Adani Total Gas (1.18 per cent) and NDTV (0.65 per cent) on the BSE.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 5,320.68 crore on Thursday, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought shares worth Rs 4,200.16 crore, according to exchange data.

In Asian markets, Seoul and Tokyo settled in the positive territory while Shanghai and Hong Kong ended lower.

European markets were trading lower. The US markets ended higher on Thursday.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.19 per cent to USD 74.37 a barrel.

On Thursday, the BSE benchmark tanked 422.59 points or 0.54 per cent to settle at 77,155.79 points. The Nifty slumped 168.60 points or 0.72 per cent to 23,349.90.


Father and Daughter Decode Mysterious Signal From Space: What Does It Mean?

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Father and Daughter Decode Mysterious Signal From Space: What Does It Mean?


A simulated extraterrestrial message sent from Mars to Earth in 2023 was decoded in June by Ken Chaffin and his daughter, Keli Chaffin, through nearly a year of persistent efforts. Created as part of “A Sign in Space” project by the SETI Institute, the message displays five formations of amino acids, though its meaning remains unclear. Daniela de Paulis, SETI’s artist-in-residence and a licensed radio operator, designed the project with other international scientists and artists to explore what an alien signal might resemble.

Signal Reception and Decoding Process

In May 2023, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter transmitted a signal intended to simulate an alien message. This was captured by three Earth-based observatories: the Allen Telescope Array in California, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station in Italy. Released online, the raw data allowed citizen scientists worldwide to engage in decoding efforts through a community forum. Decoding required the Chaffins to use cellular automata algorithms on what appeared to be a “starmap” of white pixels, eventually revealing clusters representing amino acids.

Interpreting the Message

The Chaffins’ discovery is confirmed by the project team to represent amino acids, essential molecules in life forms. However, no interpretation has been provided for why these particular configurations might have been chosen. De Paulis and her team maintain that understanding the message’s intent is left to those examining it, in part to mimic a real-life scenario of receiving an alien transmission without guidance.

Open Interpretation and Ongoing Exploration

This simulation invites global citizen scientists to theorise about the message’s significance. Speculations range from life-forming compounds assembling in space to a simple extraterrestrial greeting. De Paulis plans to document public interpretations in a forthcoming book, recognising the difficulty in reaching a universal consensus on its meaning. Ken and Keli Chaffin, while uncertain about the precise intent, have voiced enthusiasm over their role in exploring this unique cosmic message.

 

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Siemens Partners With Microsoft to Use AI to Increase Productivity

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Siemens Partners With Microsoft to Use AI to Increase Productivity


Siemens and Microsoft on Tuesday announced a joint project to use artificial intelligence to increase productivity and human-machine collaboration.

The Siemens Industrial Copilot scheme will see the two companies work together to use generative AI for the manufacturing, transportation and healthcare industries.

German automotive supplier Schaeffler AG is among the companies to have adopted the Siemens Industrial Copilot, Siemens said.

No cash amounts related to the partnership, which will also supply Siemens itself, were disclosed.

The project will create AI copilots to assist staff at customer companies as they design new products, and organise production and maintenance.

It examines information gathered by Siemens and helps customers quickly create, improve and debug complex automation codes and shorten simulation times at their factories and other facilities.

Schaeffler has been using generative AI to help its engineers programme industrial automation systems like robots. It intends to use the Siemens Industrial Copilot to reduce production downtimes at its plants.

Tasks that previously took weeks to complete could now be completed in a matter of minutes, Siemens said.

“This has the potential to revolutionize the way companies design, develop, manufacture, and operate,” said Siemens Chief Executive Roland Busch. 

“Making human-machine collaboration more widely available allows engineers to accelerate code development, increase innovation and tackle skilled labour shortages.”

© Thomson Reuters 2023


Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company’s new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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