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Sony has entered a multi-year global technology partnership with the NHLThis could mean more real-time, animated simulcasts of the game are on the horizonSony's Beyond Sports, Hawk-Eye setups, and cameras will still be used at the arenasIf you've ever dreamed of seeing your hockey heroes playing alongside the biggest animated stars then Sony's new deal with the NHL might get you excited.Sony has already expanded into the professional sports world via its Beyond Sports brand, which is key to real-time data processing and the ability to take all that action and translate it into something else.Its partnership with the NFL (National Football League) led to the airing of the The Simpsons Funday Football on Disney+ and ESPN last year, and now the NHL could be next for that kind of treatment.The NHL already uses Sony's Hawk-Eye Technology system – a combination of cameras above the ice and wearable sensors on players – but this new deal will expand on that, while continuing the use of Sony cameras for both still photography and video.Most excitingly, it promises to broaden the role that Beyond Sports could play in changing how fans of any age can experience a hockey game.(Image credit: Sony)If real-time animated simulcasts are on the horizon as part of this deal, it won't be the first time the NHL and Sony have collaborated on such a venture.In 2023, the NHL Big City Greens Classic was produced using Beyond Sports technology and that system, along with the Hawk-Eye setup, is now installed in all 32 arenas.As with other animated broadcasts, the goal is to expand the appeal and attract a wider audience – one that might be different from or adjacent to those attending the game in person.Speaking to TechRadar, David Lehanski, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Innovation at the NHL, said that the talks began with a question about how the league can reach more fans.Now, though, “We're going to eventually get to a point where we allow the fan to customize so they can have some role in determining what the environment looks like. And then another step after that might be to even give the fans an ability to interact with the content,” Lehanski continued.A preview of the Simpsons Monday Night Football game (Image credit: Sony's Beyond Sports)Those comments echo back to TechRadar’s conversation with Sander Schouten, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Beyond Sports last year.Schouten then hinted that more environments could come depending on the partner, and that we could see more interactive streams. He also highlighted the sheer volume of data being generated and its rapid pace, suggesting that the runway is wide open for various implementations.That could mean multiple streams or different ways of accessing the action – be it on a traditional TV, through streaming, or even in a virtual reality environment. The latter is something the NHL has already explored, both for analysts and for players.For both Sony and the NHL, this is an exciting endeavor – a formalized partnership built on technology already being used in games. It should open the door to more robust interactions and increased investment, enhancing the game experience whether you’re in the stands or watching from home.While neither Sony nor the NHL would comment on future partners for real-time animated moments, I am hopeful we might see a return of The Simpsons – not for football, but for hockey.You Might Also LikeSony WH-1000XM6 review: excellent headphones that meld the best parts of Sony's previous cansHold the phone! Samsung has just teased a Galaxy Z Fold 7 UltraNew The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer confirms two of the worst-kept secrets about the Marvel Phase 6 movie

We are on the eve of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, and a few last-minute details are still trickling in. Like many other Nintendo consoles, you'll create a Mii to represent you during setup. With the Switch 2, the Mii isn't given a gender. My Nintendo News first noticed this detail, and we were able to confirm it independently.

When you're creating a new avatar, the console simply asks you to "Select a style for your Mii." The styles look like the same stock models that several previous hardware generations used as their male and female models, but the Switch 2 has no pronouns or other gender signifiers attached to either one. Although Nintendo isn't making any assumptions about Mii gender, it does acknowledge that some games might do so. The second line of the creator screen says, "Some games may use style as a gender indicator."

Nintendo has previously used genderless language within individual games. That was the case for character creation in recent titles Splatoon 3 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so it seems in line with the company's current approach to put that neutral attitude at the hardware level.

If you haven't ordered your Switch 2 yet, here's all the details you need to know about how to buy a console of your own. And be sure to read our hands-on preview so you can make an informed decision about whether or not you need to upgrade right away.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-miis-are-post-gender-on-switch-2-200426912.html?src=rss

Browser extensions can be silent threats, silently harvesting your data without obvious signsExtensionPedia could become the go-to source for vetting browser add-ons before installationLayerX exposes a serious security gap that even major app stores consistently overlookBrowser extensions often make browsing easier by blocking ads, autofilling passwords, or providing productivity tools, but they also pose one of the most overlooked security risks in today’s digital ecosystem.To address this, cybersecurity company LayerX has launched ExtensionPedia, a kind of “Wikipedia for extensions,” aimed at providing in-depth risk assessments for over 200,000 browser extensions across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.Internet users typically rely on app stores to vet these extensions and ensure they are safe. However, LayerX claims that these stores “only do a superficial job of vetting extensions.” While they scan for malware and obvious red flags, they do not investigate behavioral patterns or the ownership lineage of extension code.Extra scrutiny for browser extensions“When someone installs a browser extension - either for personal or work use - users and their organizations have no idea what permissions the extension has, how reputable the author is, or the extension’s overall risk profile,” said Or Eshed, co-founder and CEO of LayerX.This has created a loophole through which malicious actors have repeatedly introduced spyware, adware, and data-harvesting tools.In recent months, browser-based identity theft and data exfiltration via extensions have become so prevalent that they’ve prompted official warnings from agencies like the FBI.“While browser extensions are often considered harmless, in practice they are frequently granted extensive access permissions to users’ identity information and data,” LayerX notes, “leading hackers to use them as an attack channel for credential theft, account takeover, and data theft.”LayerX says its service pulls anonymous data from millions of browser sessions via its database, which includes unified risk scores, granular permission breakdowns, and detailed reputation analyses, all in one searchable, public-facing tool.While antivirus and endpoint protection platforms can help guard against malicious extensions, the availability of a dedicated risk score could empower users to make more informed decisions.However, users must actively search the ExtensionPedia database and understand the significance of permission scopes or publisher risk scores.The concept is promising, but skepticism remains over whether users will truly comprehend the scores or simply dismiss them as technical jargon. Additionally, the effectiveness of such a database in addressing the broader cybersecurity threat landscape remains to be seen.The concept also assumes users will research extensions before installing them, something that rarely happens in practice.By making extension risk scores public, LayerX is undeniably increasing transparency, but visibility alone does not equate to protection.ExtensionPedia is currently available for free, but its real impact will depend on how widely, and thoughtfully, it’s used.You might also likeThese are the best VPNs with antivirus available nowHere's a list of the best firewalls around todayCriminals hijacking subdomains of popular websites such as Bose or Panasonic to infect victims with malware