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Forza Horizon 6 gives would-be racers another gorgeous open world to explore

​I’ve played a couple of hours of Forza Horizon 6, and so far I’ve enjoyed it in much the same way as its predecessor: by exploring and taking in the sumptuous world Playground Games has crafted. The preview build I played on my Xbox Series X was limited in terms of available activities — it was basically the game’s prologue — but I was able to explore almost all of the open world. The on-rails intro takes you through some of the Japanese countryside and past landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing on the way to a race through the streets of the country’s largest city. Once that was out of the way and a springtime version of the map opened up, I set a marker for the mountains in the north. I wanted to check out an area I’d seen in a screenshot, a pass where you can drive through snowdrifts that are dozens of feet tall. Playground Games/Xbox Game StudiosMy goal was simple: to bury my car into these snowdrifts, just to find out if it was possible. Sadly, the piles of snow were steadfast barriers. What a shame. The journey to the mountains took me through rainstorms and falling cherry blossom leaves, small towns and forests. The environments, vehicles and weather effects all look pretty and polished, as you’d expect from this series at this point. (For what it’s worth, I normally opt for performance mode in modern console games, prioritizing higher framerates over visual fidelity. This Forza Horizon 6 preview was locked to the 30fps quality mode.)In the prologue, there are activities to complete ahead of the Horizon Qualifier, a “wristband” event that gates story progress, and I checked a few of those out on my way up north. Trying to go as fast as you can through speed traps, drag meets, time trials and drift zones are enjoyable enough, but it’s the races that are the bread and butter of this series. I entered a challenging cross-country race in a GMC Jimmy with a tall suspension. Not my smartest move. Still, I managed to pull out the victory after drifting my way across rice fields and beaches. I would have had an easier time if I’d chosen my car more carefully – there’ll be hundreds available in the full game. Playground Games has built on the very welcome slate of accessibility features from Forza Horizon 5 as well. Having options like autosteering should help ensure a broader range of folks can play the latest game. Other than only having access to a limited number of activities, the only aspects of the open world that were blocked off were The Estate (i.e. your home base) and Legend Island, which sounds like an endgame region. I didn’t tinker with my vehicles in the garage either. I did, however, stumble across an aftermarket sale, where I was able to buy a tuned-up car at a discount. That’s one of several neat additions in Forza Horizon 6. Playground Games/Xbox Game StudiosThough I’m not much of a car guy, I dug my time with the last two Forza Horizon games. I’m looking forward to playing through this one. More than anythin  

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Tech

How to de-Gemini your Google apps

​Over the past couple of years, Google has found ways to stuff Gemini in nearly every app and service it offers. Whether it’s Gmail with its AI inbox or Chrome with its chat sidebar, Gemini is now inescapable inside of Workspace. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need an AI to tell me how to write a =SUM equation in Sheets or an outline for a first draft. Most of the time, I find Gemini is a distraction. If you feel the same way, this how-to is for you.    How to remove Gemini from your personal Workspace account From the “General” tab of Gmail’s settings menu, look for the Smart features checkbox. Igor Bonifacic for EngadgetTo turn Gemini off, you will need to disable two separate sets of options. The first set covers a set of features, including smart compose, that are shared across Gmail, Chat and Meet — so if you turn them off in one app, they won’t be available in any of the three. All of this is most easily done through Gmail’s web client.  In Gmail, tap the cog icon.Select See all settings.Under the General tab, scroll down to find Smart features.Disable Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet.  In Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, smart features are turned off by default.  Next, turn your attention to Workspace. In Gmail, tap the cog icon.Select See all settings.Under the General tab, scroll down and click Manage Workspace smart feature settings.Toggle off smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products.A word of warning: completely disabling smart features in Google Workspace turns off not only Gemini integration but also access to basic capabilities like spelling and grammar corrections. You’ll also lose features that have been Google staples for years. In Gmail, for example, the app will stop sorting incoming emails by priority, a notification at the top of the screen informing you that smart features are required for inbox categorization. Whatever Google’s motivation for this state of affairs, it’s a design decision that actively discourages users from disabling Gemini integration. Disabling Gemini in Google Workspace will also turn off other features. Igor Bonifacic for EngadgetIf you want to rid yourself of Gemini but would still like to use some of the other features the company offers through Gmail and its other apps, I recommend leaving the first set of smart features on while disabling the Workspace-specific ones. You can also opt to turn off some of the features included in the first group, while leaving others on. Below is a list of those features, with a brief overview of the less self-explanatory ones.    GrammarSpellingAutocorrectSmart Compose — as you write an email, Gmail will generate predictive writing suggestions  Smart Compose personalization — as you write, Gmail will tailor Smart Compose suggestions to your writing style Nudges — Gmail will generate notifications prompting you to respond or follow up on unanswered ema  

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Pragmata Review: A Streamlined, Satisfying Follow-Up to Resident Evil Requiem

​A fun third-person shooter wrapped in a dad-and-daughter narrative make for a familiar, yet engaging game.  

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Tech

The Sneaky Way AT&T Is Hiking Rates on Legacy Customers This Month

​If you’re on an older AT&T wireless plan, here are the price hikes to watch out for this month.  

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Tech

Hades 2, the Award-Winning Sequel, Lands on Xbox Game Pass Soon

​Game Pass Premium subscribers are also getting a handful of games, including the remastered Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.  

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Tech

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 13, #1037

​Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 13 No. 1,037.  

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