This WNBA court looks like an Xbox loading screen

Source: Microsoft

When the New York Liberty Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team plays against the Los Angeles Sparks this Tuesday and Wednesday, they will play on a court that looks like an Xbox loading screen. The basketball court is covered in Xbox logos and console-inspired designs. According to Microsoft, it's the league's "first gaming-inspired basketball court." Even the area under the net is made to look like the ventilation holes in the Xbox Series X.

Unsurprisingly, there's a metaverse component to this. The court is recreated in the Dunking Simulator Roblox experience. But, of course, it's a bit more fantastical than how real-life basketball is played.

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'Jetpack Joyride 2' will be an Apple Arcade exclusive

Jetpack Joyride's sequel is coming, and Apple fans will be happy to learn they get exclusive access to the title. The aptly named Jetpack Joyride 2 is essentially a sequel to the original game with gameplay style and graphics quite similar to the original. Jetpack Joyride is an infinite runner where your player flies using a jetpack inside a lab while trying to dodge missiles and other obstacles.

With this new game, you'll "team up with Barry and Betty" to stop the scientists' experiments before it's too late. You can expect high-resolution graphics and new mechanics in this sequel, though. Developer Halfbrick Studios promise there will be "new ways" to play, but it is unclear what that means. Jetpack Joyride 2 was silently released in a few countries last year on Android and iOS, but Halfbrick says that was a "closed phase development," and now it's an Apple Arcade exclusive. It'll launch on August 19.

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Samsung's partnership with iFixit gets an official rollout

You'll appreciate this news if you're confident and capable enough to fix some minor issues on your Samsung Galaxy devices. Samsung and device repair website iFixit is finally allowing people to buy parts for their Samsung devices that need repairs. This program is available for those with Galaxy S20, S21, and Galaxy Tab S7+ devices. For now, you get the option to replace the charging port, phone screen, and back glass, with other replacement parts coming at an unspecified later date.

You can buy the parts through iFixit and access the repair manuals for free online. Samsung will accept returns for broken parts for proper recycling. Samsung and iFixit originally announced the partnership in March, but this news marks the official rollout. 

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ExpressVPN update allows it to run natively on Apple silicon-based Macs

ExpressVPN rolled out a new update for macOS users. Version 11.5.0 of the app adds native support for Apple silicon Macs, allowing it to "enjoy the full performance benefits of Apple silicon Macs by updating to the latest Mac app." The app developer doesn't specify what benefits it'll bring. Still, it says the app will work "even more seamlessly on the newest Mac computer models, allowing users to enjoy a performance boost along with lower battery consumption."

If you are on an older, Intel-based Apple computer, this app version will still work fine since it is a "universal binary that supports both architectures."

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