Netflix’s ‘Delhi Crime’ is a tenacious, disquieting true crime drama

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True crime dramas are frequently engaging but don’t necessarily make for the easiest viewing experience. Shock, grief, and anger usually get involved as you watch the story unravel. 

All of these feelings are escalated in Netflix’s Delhi Crime. The seven-episode first season (which is mostly in English, with subtitled scenes in Hindi) is based on a real-life incident that took place in 2012 in India’s capital of New Delhi – the horrific gang-rape of a physiotherapy intern on a moving city bus.

With Delhi Crime, it’s the shock at the heinousness of the crime that comes first. The starting point of the series is the discovery of the naked, injured bodies of Deepika and Akash (names changed for the show). Akash, who has sustained bruises but is stable, tells the officers they were robbed and beaten in a bus by several men, including the driver. They proceeded to sexually and violently assault Deepika, who is now hanging on for her life. Read more…

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Panasonic Lumix LX100 II Review: A fantastic point-and-shoot for a steep price

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Panasonic Lumix LX100 II Review
$999.99
The Good

Fast autofocus • Versatile

The Bad

Non-adjustable touchscreen • Hefty price tag

The Bottom Line

The Panasonic Lumix LX100 II is a very good point-and-shoot that offers compelling quality, but at a steep price.

⚡ Mashable Score
3.5
😎 Cool Factor
4.0
📘Learning Curve
4.0
💪Performance
3.0
💵 Bang for the Buck
3.0

The Panasonic Lumix LX100 II may be the nicest camera you didn’t know you needed. It’s a point-and-shoot camera in an age where they’ve seemingly been replaced by smartphones. DSLRs are available for enthusiasts and pros who want more versatility. Mirrorless cameras are versatile without being bulky. But, point-and-shoot cameras still serve a purpose for enthusiasts seeking a fast and compact option. Read more…

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‘The Occupation’ might be a fun game, but I was stuck in a vent too long to find out

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The following review of The Occupation is spoiler-free, mostly because I couldn’t make it work long enough to see the ending.

Turing City, 1987. A bomb has gone off at the Bowman-Carson building, killing 23. Harvey Miller must use his cunning investigative journalism skills to crack this alarming whodunit wide open. 

To begin his investigation, Harvey will — pause for dramatic effect — probably need to wait for an   update.

The Occupation, a first-person perspective adventure from White Paper Games, has many of the parts necessary to make for an engaging and enticing mystery. Unfortunately, its insufferable mountain of bugs kept me from enjoying any of them. Instead, I was left confused, frustrated, and (above all else) stuck in a vent for 30+ minutes of playtime. Read more…

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Netflix’s ‘Paddleton’ shows how desperately we need the words to describe our more-than-friendships

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Spoilers for Netflix’s Paddleton lie ahead.

I ship Ray Romano and Mark Duplass. Exactly how I ship them is where things get complicated. 

The marketing for Netflix’s new tragicomedy Paddleton paints the picture of an uninspired buddy comedy. View the trailer and you’ll recognize its narrative: Two friends, one with terminal cancer, embark on a road trip. Their advertised journey promises hijinks and tearful goodbyes, all likely forgettable. It’s seemingly an obvious pass.

What lies beneath the terrible promotion and equally terrible title is one of the most heartbreaking and nuanced on-screen relationships I have ever seen — the exact nature of which I struggled to pin down. Read more…

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Bioware’s high-flying ‘Anthem’ falls flat

Anthem is the first attempt by Bioware (of Mass Effect and Dragon Age fame) to tap into the well of cash supposedly to be found in the “game as platform” trend that has grown over the last few years, with Destiny, Warframe and Fortnite as preeminent exemplars. After a botched demo weekend dampened fan expectations, the final game is here — and while it’s a lot better than the broken mess we saw a few weeks ago, it’s still very hard to recommend.

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Drivetime trivia app turns your daily commute into a gameshow

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Drivetime commuter trivia app
$Free download on App Store or Google Play
The Good

Interactive without being distracting • Designed knowing you are at the wheel • You might actually learn something • Available to play anytime

The Bad

Limited content with a focus on current events • For heavy drivers • only 30 minutes of trivia per day • Meant for solo • adult drivers • so doesn’t work well for carpooling • passengers • or young kids • Can be hard for app to pick up your answers in noisy car situations

The Bottom Line

For commuters looking for something to do while driving, this makes the time go by much faster. For hardcore trivia fans, this is another way to get your fix. It’s tailored to a driving experience, so it’s a slower pace with a bit more banter and background info than usual. Once you’ve opened the app and pressed play, you don’t have to look at or touch the screen again.

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You absolutely must play ‘Far Cry 5’ before touching ‘Far Cry: New Dawn’. Seriously, it’s worth it.

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Warning: One absolutely unavoidable (and major) spoiler for Far Cry 5 is below, but chances are you’ve already heard about it.

Ah, the “standalone sequel.” It’s a tricky beast. Of course players want it to work. Heaven knows studios want it to work. Unfortunately, it rarely works. 

Far Cry: New Dawn is no exception – but that is far from a bad thing.

The latest Far Cry spinoff takes us back to Hope County, Montana, the setting for all of the events in its fifth main game. While we’re dealing with a completely new story line, (almost) entirely different characters, and an elaborately re-skinned environment, newcomers shouldn’t plan on enjoying this chapter sans Far Cry 5 knowledge. Note that I’m saying “shouldn’t” and not “couldn’t.” Read more…

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View More You absolutely must play ‘Far Cry 5’ before touching ‘Far Cry: New Dawn’. Seriously, it’s worth it.

Tesla’s fart mode is a real gem

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Tesla Emissions Testing Mode
$0. It’s free with any Tesla (starting at $42,900).
The Good

Old-school toilet humor • Great for pranks • High-quality and realistic sounds

The Bad

Gross • Immature • Potentially offensive

The Bottom Line

Bathroom humor will never go out of style. Tesla’s fart mode will have you and your unwitting passengers laughing, or cringing and then laughing. It’s a gas.

⚡ Mashable Score
4.75
😎 Cool Factor
4.0
📘Learning Curve
4.5
💪Performance
5.0
💵 Bang for the Buck
5.0

I took my first Tesla Model 3 test drive this week and all I wanted to do was make the all-electric car fart. Read more…

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Roku Premiere and Premiere+ review: You should consider only one

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Roku Premiere and Premiere+
$39.99 or $49.99
The Good

Plenty of apps (aka channels) to choose from • Slim design • Prime Video and YouTube apps included

The Bad

Base IR remote on the Premiere • Limited voice controls • No Dolby Vision support

The Bottom Line

The Roku Premiere+ is a solid media-streaming box, but it’s outshined by the robust voice-assistant controls built into its competitors.

Mashable Score3.75
Cool Factor3.0
Learning Curve4.0
Performance4.0
Bang for the Buck4.0

The Roku Premiere and Premiere+ are nearly identical 4K streaming devices. The one major difference is that the Premiere+ comes with a microphone-equipped wireless remote control (and it’s also only sold at Walmart). At $39.99 and $49.99 respectively, the Premiere and Premiere+ are poised to compete directly with the similarly priced, Mashable Choice-winning Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. Read more…

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