News
- NextLadder Ventures is a 15-year, $1 billion initiative to help 90 million low-income Americans
- Grants, equity and revenue-based financing will be on offer to eligible participants
- Anthropic will offer Claude credits and support worth $1.5 million annually
NextLadder Ventures has launched a $1 billion initiative to help support low-income Americans, arming them with AI skills for future employment opportunities.
The initiative was founded by a coalition of major philanthropies, including Ballmer Group, Gates Foundation, Stand Together, Valhalla Foundation and John Overdeck.
It's set to run for 15 years, providing grants, equity and revenue-based financing to nonprofits and for-profits to help support at-risk Americans, with Anthropic joining as its inaugural AI partner offering Claude credits and expert support.
Gates Foundation backs $1 billion AI initiativeThe Gates Foundation described NextLadder Ventures as an "initiative grounded in the belief that every American has the potential to achieve economic prosperity."
"While innovative ideas exist to help low-income Americans overcome obstacles and pursue prosperity, there is insufficient capital available to those serving these populations," its press release says.
The initiative aims to expand economic opportunities for over 90 million low-income Americans, supporting entrepreneurs who want to address job loss, housing instability and health crises. As part of the deal, Anthropic will contribute about $1.5 million annually.
"The Gates Foundation is focused on lifting millions of people out of poverty and onto a path to prosperity," Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman commented.
The coalition announced Ryan Rippel as the CEO of NextLadder Ventures. Rippel, who already has a history working with the Gates Foundation, challenged the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach, pledging new and practical pathways. His "design with, not for" stance comes from growing up in a single-parent household in Missouri, where he was able to experience some of the struggles NextLadder Ventures aims to solve.
In a LinkedIn post, Rippel wrote: "Closing this divide means helping the helpers and the people they serve access new, practical pathways to opportunity."
Further details on NextLadder Ventures are limited, but we expect to hear more in the coming weeks.
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- Apple TV+ has just released the first trailer for Platonic season 2
- It stars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, with Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Milo Manheim joining as newcomers
- The first two episodes are released on August 6, 2025
Buckle up, comedy fans! The hit Apple TV+ show Platonic season 2 is almost here, dropping its first two episodes on August 6. Starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as best friends Will and Sylvia, we can expect a 10-episode run to take us all the way to the beginning of October. That’s a lot of laughs waiting for us over the next few months, and the new trailer is no exception.
The show follows the pair as they contend with midlife hurdles, whether that be at work or at weddings – they’re partners in crises. As Apple TV+ puts it: “The duo tries their best to be each other’s rock – but sometimes rocks break things.” We’ve got some new stars joining the roster this time too, with Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Milo Manheim all adding their weight in gold to new episodes.
We all know Apple TV+ is one of the best streaming services around for original content, and the Platonic season 2 trailer proves that the studio can up the stakes of what we saw the first time around in 2023. All I need is a pair of novelty sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt, and I’m ready to watch new episodes of the hit comedy when they drop.
Don’t get it twisted – Will and Sylvia are still very much besties as far as the Platonic season 2 trailer is concerned. However, it also hints that their friendship could be hitting the rocks sooner than we might like. "Will and I always get screwy when he's in a couple," Sylvia tells husband Charlie (Luke Macfarlane) in the clip. "I don't wanna lose him again. If I were to replace him now, it would take 25 years for me and this new friend to catch up to where Will and I are and by then I'm practically dead and who cares?"
But before we can even worry about getting that far, there’s a whole host of chaos coming our way. A greased up McFarlane is seen flexing his muscles in a white tank top while trying to get Will in shape (frankly, this is enough of a reason to tune in by itself), Sylvia throwing some shapes on a party dancefloor in a way reminiscent of Byrne’s Bridesmaids days, and an epic golfing accident turned into a buggy getaway mission, sporting a bleeding eye. The just over two minute trailer has enough twists that it will give you whiplash.
With such an enjoyable balance between flat-out comedy and relatability, everyone should be excited about having new episodes to binge. Rogan and Byrne’s chemistry is second to none, the writing is well-rounded and self-assured (though we were reminded of this recently by Rogen’s other TV show, The Studio) and as an ensemble, the performances are off the hook. We more than deserve a laugh this summer (for those of us in the northern hemisphere at least), so thank you, Will and Sylvia, for coming to our rescue.
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- A Firefox engineer has flagged up an apparent issue with Intel Raptor Lake
- These CPUs are reportedly crashing more in the summer heat in Europe
- There's a greater prevalence of crashes in places where temperatures have spiked due to heatwaves, and the 14700K CPU is suffering in particular
Intel's Raptor Lake (and Raptor Lake Refresh) 13th and 14th-gen processors are struggling with the heatwave in Europe, which is seemingly causing these CPUs to crash more frequently with a popular web browser.
Tom's Hardware reports that Gabriele Svelto, a senior staff engineer on Mozilla's Firefox browser, flagged up the issue on Mastodon, observing that: "If you have an Intel Raptor Lake system and you're in the northern hemisphere, chances are that your machine is crashing more often because of the summer heat."
To clarify, these are browser crashes - as opposed to full system lock-ups - and Svelto adds that he's obtained this info thanks to Firefox crash reports coming from Raptor Lake PCs, which are tied to specific countries in the EU. There's a greater prevalence of crashes in places where temperatures have markedly spiked during the summer.
The issue is so bad that we're told that the level of crashes has become overwhelming, meaning Mozilla had to take action to disable the bot filing these reports.
Svelto notes: "Raptor Lake systems have known timing/voltage issues that get worse with temperature. Things are so bad at this time that we had to disable a bot that was filing crash reports automatically because it was almost only finding crashes from people with affected systems."
Another Mastodon user makes the assumption that this is related to the known degradation issues that hit 13th and 14th-gen Intel CPUs, with the heat exacerbating the problem. Svelto replies to agree that yes, this is true, while adding a caveat, saying: "Yes, though some of these bugs are very repeatable and predictable which is puzzling. They might be timing-related or even genuine consistent CPU bugs (we've seen a fair bit of those too)."
As the Mastodon thread progresses, the engineer suggests that Intel's most recent microcode update, codenamed '0x12F' for Raptor Lake (and Raptor Lake Refresh), actually made things worse, at least in terms of what Firefox is seeing here.
Svelto notes: "In particular microcode 0x12C had reduced the incidence of a number of bugs, but they've come back in full force when Intel released version 0x12F."
The 0x12F patch was pushed out in May 2025, a good while after the previous updates, as a fix for a more niche scenario where issues occurred with PCs that were left on continuously (for days at a time, running light workloads). Svelto is therefore suggesting that while this patch improved matters for those outlying scenarios, it made things worse for other folks.
According to the engineer, these crashing issues with Raptor Lake chips are happening the most with Intel Core i7-14700K models.
Analysis: Hot hot heat(Image credit: Phuwadach Pattanatmon / Shutterstock)Clearly, we need to be careful around pinning the blame here, though. Seemingly, something has gone substantially awry if Mozilla needed to disable a system because it was becoming overloaded with crash reports.
This certainly suggests Firefox is pointing to a chip-related problem - even if the cause could be (theoretically) partly down to buggy behavior with the browser, it's still only manifesting with certain Intel silicon (to an apparently profound level, correlating with hotter locations in Europe).
Cooling may play a role here, too, of course, in terms of the CPU coolers being used. The reason the 14700K may be showing up a lot more in these crashes could be because it's a more mainstream speedy chip, possibly coupled with a less effective cooling solution as a result. Whereas those running the even faster top dog 14900K (or indeed 13900K) have probably invested in an expensive cooler to go with the processor, and thus it may be less prone to overheating issues as temperatures climb, so there aren't as many crashes recorded. There won't be nearly as many 14900K chips out there, either, due to their more pricey nature.
What will be interesting to see is if other software developers are noticing a similar kind of pattern with their products crashing (browsers, or otherwise) - and now this report has been aired, others may have cause to investigate crash logs further, perhaps.
Of course, another factor to watch will be the performance of Raptor Lake CPUs if temperatures continue to rise (over the summer in Europe, or elsewhere - or indeed more broadly as the next couple of years roll on).
Even before this, my worry has always been what underlying degradation the instability issues may have caused with 13th and 14th-gen processors. As we know, these chips were running in PCs for some time in a problematic state, with the microcode fixes applied being preventative in nature - not a cure, meaning they don't reverse any damage that was already done. So, there could be undetectable deterioration under the hood of the chip that only manifests much later in its lifespan - a process possibly sped up by the processor running too hot, perhaps?
Now, the good news - as those affected no doubt recall - is that Intel did up the warranty coverage for these CPUs to five years. However, as I've pointed out in the past, what if in the sixth year, your Raptor Lake CPU starts going down the plughole in terms of recurring instability issues? You're out of luck in that case, which doesn't seem very fair - it's not unreasonable to expect a processor, the engine of a PC, to last longer than half a decade.
Of course, we can't go jumping to any negative conclusions yet, but this situation is certainly worth monitoring.
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- The Department of Homeland Security says Salt Typhoon accessed National Guard systems
- Hackers were present between March and December 2024
- The group stole vital intelligence and personally identifiable information
A Chinese state-sponsored threat actor known as Salt Typhoon was lurking in the network of the US Army National Guard for nine months, the US Government has confirmed.
TheDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) said the attackers were present in the networks between March and December 2024.
During this time, the group stole sensitive data from its victims, including administrator credentials, network traffic diagrams, geographical maps, and personally identifiable information (PII) of service members. Furthermore, the attackers accessed data traffic between the state’s network and every other US state, and at least four additional territories. This means that they could have pivoted to other networks as well, compromising even more government and military targets.
Typhoon over AmericaIt was not discussed how the breach happened, but DHS did say the group was known for exploiting existing vulnerabilities (CVEs) in Cisco’s routers and similar hardware.
Salt Typhoon is a known Chinese state-sponsored threat actor, part of the wider “typhoon” organization that includes groups such as Brass Typhoon, Volt Typhoon, and others.
These organizations were tasked with infiltrating different core organizations within the US, such as critical infrastructure organizations, communications firms, government, military, and defense organizations, and similar.
The goal of the campaign was to be present inside the networks should tensions between the US and China over Taiwan escalate into a full-blown war, giving it the ability to disrupt networks, and steal key intelligence.
Salt Typhoon is often in the media - with recent attacks against the likes of AT&T, Verizon, Lumen, Charter, Windstream, and Viasat, to name a few, often abusing unpatched Cisco routers to gain access, before deploying custom malware such as JumblePath and GhostSpider.
Via BleepingComputer
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Attention Hulu subscribers, for the time is almost here when the platform will remove the next group of movies from its library to free up some space for its next wave of new titles. All of the best streaming services do it, but Hulu seems to only target its lesser-known titles, which is a relief.
Over the next few weeks, a total of 16 movies will leave the service one by one and though this isn't a huge number, there's a handful of movies that we think you should catch. The main title we have our eyes on is Skinamarink (2022), a horror movie that shocked audiences despite its low budget, which leaves on August 1.
Additionally, the Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin comedy/ drama Moving On (2022) is set to be removed on August 13, shortly followed by the Bruce Willis action-thriller flick Vendetta (2022), and the French-language romance movie Anaïs in Love (2021), which has a 91% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Everything leaving Hulu in August 2025Leaving on August 1
Skinamarink (movie)
Leaving on August 7
Just Super (movie)
Leaving on August 9
The Friendship Game (movie)
Leaving on August 13
Moving On (movie)
One True Loves (movie)
Leaving on August 16
Four Samosas (movie)
Leaving on August 18
The Last Son (movie)
Leaving on August 21
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (movie)
Leaving on August 23
Hostile Territory (movie)
Nocebo (movie)
Leaving on August 24
7 Days (movie)
Leaving on August 25
Assailant (movie)
Vendetta (movie)
Leaving on August 31
American Rapstar (movie)
Anais in Love (movie)
Tell It to the Bees (movie)
- Only Murders in the Building season 5: everything we know so far about the show's return to Hulu and Disney+
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- Experts warn of malware running real apps in fake virtual environments
- GodFather bypasses security checks and overlays fake screens to steal credentials
- Targets banking and crypto apps globally with nearly invisible techniques
Zimperium zLabs has uncovered a new version of the GodFather malware that uses on-device virtualization to hijack real banking and cryptocurrency apps.
Unlike older attacks that showed fake login screens, this malware launches the actual apps in a virtual space where attackers can see everything the user does.
The attack begins with a host app that includes a virtualization tool - this host app downloads the targeted banking or crypto app and runs it in a private environment.
Moving beyond simple overlaysWhen users open their app, they are unknowingly redirected into the virtual version. From there, every tap, login, and PIN entry is tracked in real time.
Because the user is interacting with a real app, it is almost impossible to spot the attack by looking at the screen.
GodFather also uses ZIP tricks and hides much of its code in a way that defeats static analysis. It requests accessibility permissions and then silently grants itself more access, making the attack smooth and hard to detect.
“Mobile attackers are moving beyond simple overlays; virtualization gives them unrestricted, live access inside trusted apps,” said Fernando Ortega, Senior Security Researcher, Zimperium zLabs.
“Enterprises need on-device, behavior-based detection and runtime app protection to stay ahead of this shift toward a mobile-first attack strategy.”
Zimperium’s analysis shows that this version of GodFather is focused on Turkish banks, but the campaign targets almost 500 apps globally. These include financial services, cryptocurrency platforms, e-commerce, and messaging apps.
The malware checks for specific apps on the device, clones them into the virtual space, and uses the cloned version to collect data and track user behavior.
It can also steal device lock screen credentials using fake overlays that look like system prompts.
Attackers can control the infected phone remotely using a set of commands. These can perform swipes, open apps, change brightness, and simulate user actions.
How to stay safe- Avoid installing apps from unknown sources - always use official stores like Google Play.
- Check app permissions carefully. If an app asks for accessibility access or screen overlay permissions without a clear reason, uninstall it immediately.
- Keep your phone’s operating system updated.
- Use mobile security tools from trusted developers.
- Avoid sideloading APK files, even if shared by someone you know.
- Rebooting your phone regularly can help thwart any persistent malware.
- Pay attention to unusual behavior, such as faster than usual battery drain and weird, unexpected overlays.
- If your banking app ever looks different or asks for login more often than usual, stop using it and contact your bank.
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- Japanese businesses are being bombarded with millions of phishing messages
- FiiO wants you to know that hi-res audio's about to go 'truly mainstream'
- …and the QX13 is priced to reflect that
- Made from 21 layers of carbon fiber for a lightweight yet durable build
You know what my favorite kind of audio gadget is? One that makes people go 'What is that?' ideally with the follow-up question, 'And also, what do the numbers mean?'
This is one such piece of kit. It's almost like the handheld super-computer Ziggy in Quantum Leap – because while nobody really understands everything about it, everyone agrees it's a Good Thing. And with Spotify HiFi launch rumors gathering momentum (recent reports suggest it might land in late 2025, and be called 'Spotify Music Pro'), when hi-res goes mainstream, you don't want to be left unable to take advantage…
What you're looking at is the FiiO QX13, a pocket DAC and headphone amp for your phone, laptop, or games console – a gateway to the world of hi-res audio on the go. And although it is a flagship product and one that marks 18 years of FiiO’s audio expertise, it isn't particularly pricey either.
New to the world of headphone DACs? That's fine: every product you own that accepts and plays a digital music signal (your phone, wireless earbuds, laptop, Bluetooth speakers, and so on) has its own built-in DAC.
The thing is, many of them are inexpensive, and adding a standalone dedicated (read: better) option to the audio path can level up what you hear a lot. Additionally, the added amplification can help give oomph and volume to hard-to-drive headphones wired up to your phone or a portable player.
How does this particular DAC work? Add any audio source with USB-C, and you've got it. You just breathed new life into your wired headphones.
The QX13 can fully decode MQA music and is compatible with file formats such as DSD512 and 768Hz / 32-bit tracks. A 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm headphone socket ensures wide compatibility with all headphones, too.
(Image credit: FiiO )DAC's rightAnd it's quite a looker, no? The QX13 is made with 21 layers of carbon fiber for a lightweight yet durable build to show off its "extra large" 1.99-inch hardened IPS color display.
The QX13 also introduces the flagship Ess Sabre Pro ES9027PRO chip, recommended for use in full-size hi-fi systems. However, FiiO has achieved a "micro DAC/AMP design" created to make the most of your headphones and IEMs. The chip features 8 channels set up in parallel, and is paired with two ultra-low-noise ES9312 regulators for precise output matching on each audio channel.
Of course, FiiO would point you towards its own IEMs to pair them with – possibly the FiiO FH19 (which are very good indeed) and FiiO notes that the QX13 arrives with an (optional) magnetic leather case, compatible with the custom FiiO power 'estick' pack for lightweight portability with powerhouse performance in Desktop Mode. Choose the magnetic leather case to combine both devices in one unit.
The QX13 is now available, priced $219 / £219 (around AU$450), and if that sounds a little rich for your blood, note that rival iFi's flagship DAC, the iFi iDSD Valkyrie, comes in at a cool $1,699 / £1,699 / AU$2,999 (approx). So, there's that option also…
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- Netflix bosses have said they "expect advertising revenue to roughly double in 2025"
- This is due to the introduction of personalized ads in the second half of the year
- However, this decision could put subscribers off Netflix's ad-supported tier
The best streaming services are always adding new features and trialing new things, but Netflix's decision to focus on interactive ads might frustrate subscribers.
Speaking in a conference call, Netflix co-CEO Gregory K. Peters said: "The most immediate benefit from this rollout is just making it easier for advertisers to buy on Netflix. We hear that benefit, that ease from direct feedback talking to advertisers. They tell us that it's easier. We see it in our overall sales performance."
He added: "There's also leveraging advertiser and third-party data sources, which we definitely hear demand for as well. And it will ultimately allow us to improve the ad experience for our members, which is critically important. So that means better ads personalization."
This isn't the only change Netflix has teased, as they also discussed making their adverts more interactive for viewers.
Peters concluded: "We're also going to be introducing interactivity in the second half of the year. So that's exciting. So that's all to say this is a pretty significant milestone for us, one we're super excited to get behind us because now we can shift into the steady release cycle where we're dropping new features all the time, both for advertisers and for members."
Focus on ads might provide frustration for Netflix subscribersSquid Game, Netflix's biggest non-English language series, recently came to an end in 2025. (Image credit: Netflix)If you're currently on Netflix's "with ads" plan, you should expect to see these changes coming soon. However, while it's an exciting time for the streamer, viewers may not be as enthusiastic.
Subscribers are currently paying $7.99 per month for Netflix Standard with Ads. And when you look at ad-free streaming services like Apple TV+, which charges slightly more at $9.99 per month, it might make people wonder if they're getting the best value for money.
Ad-supported tiers are common now, of course, with rival streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu also offering this option. But constant ad-breaks are a pain, and one of the reasons many of us move away from linear TV.
Everyone will have their own opinion on this decision, as some people don't mind the ad breaks and use them as an opportunity to have a break themselves. We'll just have to wait and see how these personalized ads do once the rollout is complete.
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- ThinkPad X9 “White Moonlight” Edition’s Lunar Lake chips bring raw power, yet discrete GPU lovers are left in the cold
- Lenovo also removes red TrackPoint and physical buttons, erasing decades of ThinkPad identity
- Four ports on a premium laptop also feels like a design choice made without real users in mind
Lenovo has unveiled a new variant of its flagship ThinkPad business laptop range but has deviated from the black, boxy, and functional design principles which have sustained it for over three decades.
The new Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura “White Moonlight” Edition eliminates the iconic red TrackPoint and the physical touchpad buttons - in their place, this device offers a sleek white slab with only four ports.
The lack of a discrete GPU and premium price tag, starting around $1810, also make it a niche option rather than a broadly recommended pick.
Design and portability trade-offsAt just 1.4 kg and a svelte 6.8mm thick, the 14-inch model targets users who value extreme portability, and is one of the lightest laptop options Lenovo has ever produced.
It comes with Intel’s new Core Ultra chips based on the Lunar Lake platform (Core Ultra 7258V and Core Ultra 9 288V processors) and integrated Arc Xe2 graphics.
Combined with 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe-NVMe SSD storage, it can easily handle demanding business or creative tasks.
On paper, it checks off many of the features expected of a top business-focused device, as its 2.8K OLED display with HDR, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time should appeal to professionals who need clarity and speed.
Its on-device AI acceleration, up to 48 TOPS, is another nod toward the engineering and creative crowd, making it a contender for the best laptop for engineering students' needs as well.
Yet, practicality suffers because the drastic slimming down comes at a cost. With only two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, users who rely on multiple external devices like USB-A devices, SD cards, and Ethernet may find the connectivity underwhelming.
At least it supports the latest wireless connectivity options, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
The biggest sticking point, however, remains the design’s ideological shift - this machine feels less like a continuation of the ThinkPad ethos and more like a clean break.
The white finish and minimalist profile may attract new users, but long-time fans will wonder whether the brand has abandoned the very features that once made it iconic.
Via Videocardz
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- Mounting SSDs on a GPU limits your ability to upgrade graphics and storage independently
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- Colorful iGame Ultra mid-range GPU is trying to do too much with too little justification
Colorful has revealed a curious hybrid product at Bilibili World 2025: a graphics card from its iGame Ultra series which features two M.2 SSD slots mounted directly onto the PCB.
The integration of storage and graphics processing may appear efficient for compact systems, but it raises questions about practicality and long-term value.
Colorful has not confirmed the GPU’s architecture, although observers believe it is based on Nvidia’s GB206 or GB207 silicon, possibly aligning with the RTX 5050 or 5060.
An integrated approach to graphics and storageThis configuration positions the card firmly in the mid-range category, far from what most would consider the best GPU tier.
The standout feature of this card is the presence of dual M.2 SSD slots on its backside, near the I/O bracket, allowing users to install drives without separate cabling.
These slots are supported by mounting points for heatsinks and are cooled by the same dual-fan system that manages the GPU itself.
By using PCIe bifurcation, the card splits a single x16 slot into eight lanes for graphics and four lanes each for the SSDs.
This setup aims to preserve bandwidth for both functions while reducing the need for additional expansion cards.
For builders working with limited motherboard M.2 slots or compact ITX cases, this could seem like a space-saving solution.
The cooling arrangement also suggests that SSD thermals will be actively managed under load - however, the benefits of this layout may not justify the compromises.
Attaching storage directly to a GPU introduces additional layers of complexity in system configuration, including BIOS support, lane sharing, and upgrade constraints.
Storage and graphics are typically upgraded on separate timelines, and combining them on a single board limits that flexibility.
Visually, the card adopts a clean, matte-white aesthetic that stands apart from the more common darker GPU designs.
While this may appeal to custom PC builders who prioritize appearance, the core performance considerations remain unchanged.
The SSD slots are unlikely to support the largest SSD capacities or deliver the best SSD speeds on the market, and the GPU itself, based on its probable architecture, is not aimed at top-tier performance.
This puts the product in a narrow use case, offering integration without delivering leadership in either category.
As of now, the company has not provided detailed specifications or pricing, and without this information, the card appears more experimental than practical.
This device is technically interesting, but it is not yet clear why such a product needs to exist beyond novelty.
For users who care about maximizing storage capacity, pursuing the best GPU performance, or building for future flexibility, this design may offer more limitations than advantages.
Via Guru3d
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- You can celebrate Disneyland's 70th at home via Disney+
- The streaming service has released 16 new Park POVs
- You can ride Radiator Spring Racers, Rise of the Resistance, and countless other attractions in exceptional quality
Disney Parks around the world are a whole host of fun, but what if I told you that you could experience and ‘ride’ some of the best attractions at Disneyland right from the comfort of your home? Well, that’s a possibility now for a handful of the best attractions, including classics and more modern debuts, as there are full ride POVs on Disney+.
These pro-shot, excellently edited ride-alongs for some of the most popular attractions at the original Disney park dropped this week in honor of the 70th anniversary of Disneyland, the same day the Walt Disney animatronic made its official debut. It’s also a massive expansion as Disney dropped a ride-along for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance for May the 4th, just a few weeks back.
This is a much bigger drop, though, providing anyone with a Disney+ account a taste of Disneyland. 16 more ‘Parks POVs’ as the streamer puts it, have arrived, covering classics like Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain to Radiator Springs Racers and a walk-through of Cars land. The total of Park POVs is now at 17.
(Image credit: Disneyland)Whether you’re someone who frequents the parks, doesn’t go that often, or are in the lead-up to a visit, these are all pretty great. And the quality also bests what we’ve had on YouTube for years – you have the best seat with a camera in a rig (likely) right in the front row, and it’s all edited well, even turning to view something as you might on the ride.
Disney shot all of these with either a Sony FX6, RED Raptor, or a Ronin 4D, and the decision was made based on the attraction or land that was captured. The Sony FX6 was great in low-light scenarios, likely Rise of the Resistance and Cars Land. Regardless of the camera, these were mixed and mastered at UHD quality with HDR and SDR, with audio either in 5.1 or 2.0.
Even though it’s not particularly brand new this drop, I’d start with Rise of the Resistance, whether or not you're a Star Wars fan. It’s a tour-de-force of an attraction that combines multiple ride systems and, let’s be clear, join the resistance. After that, you can roam around Galaxy’s Edge West – aka Batuu – and might just encounter a Stormtrooper or two.
(Image credit: Disney+)All of these Parks POV are captured when the parks are empty as well, so you really get the feeling of a front row seat to the experience. After a trip into far, far away, I’d take a ride on Route 66 and check out Radiator Spring Racers – this is one of my favorite rides in all of Disney’s California Adventure.
You can see just how good the environment that Walt Disney Imagineering made, as the course really puts you into the film Cars – you can also stream that on one of the best streaming services, Disney+ – and after that, you can even mosey down the main boulevard of Radiator Springs and see the whole place come to life.
(Image credit: Disney+)Also captured here with this drop of 16 Disneyland Park POVs are Pirates of the Caribbean – complete with an extra drop that Disney World doesn’t have – Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise with a skipper just for yourself, Indiana Jones Adventure, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and even a walk down Main Street U.S.A.
Here’s a full list of the Park POVs dropped for Disneyland’s 70th on Disney+:
- 70th Celebration Nighttime Spectaculars
- Avengers Campus
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Cars Land
- Haunted Mansion
- Hollywood Land
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Incredicoaster
- Jungle Cruise
- Main Street, U.S.A.
- Mickey's ToonTown
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Pixar Pal-A-Round
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Soarin' Around the World
- Tiana's Bayou Adventure
I watched a good few of these already, and can share that they were a hit with my nieces as well. So, definitely fun for the whole family, and I especially like that it brings a bit of the Disney Parks into your home with excellent quality.
The super-cut of the new nighttime spectaculars, including 'Paint the Night' and 'It's Wondrous', is a really nice touch. You can read more about those and other elements of the 70th celebration for Disneyland here.
Let’s just hope there are more of these coming. I, for one, would love to see Guardians of the Galaxy, Tower of Terror, or Kilimanjaro Safaris from Disney World.
You can read more about Walt Disney - A Magical Life and our first thoughts on the new animatronic here. And if you're anything like me, here are eight new shows to watch soon on Hulu and Disney+.
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