It looks like the ‘Uncharted 4’ and ‘Lost Legacy’ bundle is coming to PC on October 19th

It seems that nine long months after a remastered bundle of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: Lost Legacy debuted on PlayStation 5, PC gamers will be able to find out what all the fuss is about. According to a listing on the Epic Games Store spotted by Twitter gaming deals maestro Wario64, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection will hit that storefront on October 19th. It appears Epic published the information ahead of schedule, as the game’s page currently displays a 404 error. The leak backs up a previous hint from SteamDB that October 19th was the release date.

Legacy of Thieves Collection is supposed to be coming to Steam before the end of the year as well, but it appears that if you pre-order through Epic, you’ll gain access to a Sully’s Seaplane glider in Fortnite at no extra cost. Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer skins arrived in that game earlier this year to promote the Uncharted movie.

The apparent timing of the Legacy of Thieves Collection PC release is interesting, since Sony said Spider-Man: Miles Morales is coming to that platform sometime this fall. One would think they’d try to space things out a bit. In any case, perhaps Sony will soon host a PlayStation showcase that clears everything up.

Watch the Disney and Marvel games showcase here at 4PM ET

Disney and Marvel are holding what’s shaping up to be a newsworthy gaming event today at the D23 Expo. The first Disney and Marvel Games Showcase (to give its official name) starts at 4PM ET and you’ll be able to watch it below.

Expect updates on Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 20th Century projects. There’s something new in store for Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (a timely expansion focused on Rogue One, perhaps?), along with info on Disney Dreamlight Valley, which arrived this week, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. Perhaps most enticingly, we’ll get a peek at the Marvel action-adventure game that Amy Hennig’s studio, Skydance New Media, is working on. 

On top of those, rumors suggest the showcase will include a peek at an Iron Man game from EA. Maybe we’ll finally learn a bit more about the Indiana Jones game Bethesda announced early last year or even get a look at Spider-Man 2 gameplay. In any case, we won’t have to wait long to find out.

Electro-Harmonix looks to bring genuine Big Muff tones to DAWs with a pedal-plugin hybrid

Electro-Harmonix is looking to bridge the gap between analog and digital music creation with its Big Muff Pi Hardware Plugin, which is a mashup of an effect pedal and audio interface. The $329 unit is said to work like a standard digital audio workstation (DAW) plugin, though you can route your guitar tracks through the genuine actual analog circuitry of the Big Muff Pi harmonic distortion-sustainer. It’s the real deal, rather than a software-emulated version of the classic pedal.

The device uses the circuit design of the 1973 Violet Ram’s Head Big Muff, albeit with some tweaks to deliver true stereo audio. Electro-Harmonix says the unit, which is available now, has Tone Wicker and Tone Bypass, along with 10 footswitch-accessible presets.

The company claims the device, which can be used as a standalone pedal too, should integrate with DAWs including Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Cubase, GarageBand and Logic Pro X without a hitch. The unit can operate as a 2-in/2-out USB audio recording interface, so you can record tracks without having the Big Muff effect active.

The Big Muff is one of the most important effects pedals in music history. Artists including Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr., Pink Floyd, Carlos Santana, Mudhoney and Sonic Youth have used it to hone their sounds. Being able to harness those genuine Big Muff tones in a digital environment could help more musicians create more bombastic-sounding songs.

United Airlines plans to buy up to 500 electric flying taxis

United Airlines is moving deeper into the flying taxi business. Not only has the airline plowed $15 million into Eve Air Mobility, it ordered 200 flying taxis and has an option for another 200. United expects to start receiving Eve’s four-seater electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) as soon as 2026.

The company says its investment was spurred by both its confidence in the urban air mobility market and Eve’s working relationship with Embraer. According to United, Embrarer is “a trusted aircraft manufacturer with a proven track record of building and certifying aircraft over the company’s 53-year history.” Embrarer previously worked with Uber on a flying taxi project that the latter eventually ditched.

Eve’s flying taxi has conventional fixed wings, rotors and pushers with a design that United says favors safety, efficiency, reliability and certifiability. It’s said to have a range of 60 miles and United added that the vehicle can “reduce noise levels by 90 percent compared to current conventional aircraft.”

This isn’t the first time United has reached an agreement with an eVTOL company. Last month, it put down a $10 million deposit with a different California-based one for 100 flying taxis. As such, the company has lined up as many as 500 flying taxis to add to its fleet.

United has set up a corporate venture fund with the aim of bolstering its ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050 without relying on traditional carbon offsets. Through the United Airlines Ventures fund, it has also invested in hydrogen fuel cell engines and sustainable fuel.

“Today, United is making history again, by becoming the first major airline to publicly invest in two eVTOL companies,” United Airlines Ventures president Michael Leskinen said in a statement. “Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionize air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future.”

Apple Watch Ultra repairs cost $499 without AppleCare+

If you decide to pick up the new, high-end Apple Watch Ultra, it’s probably a good idea to pay for AppleCare+ protection. Without AppleCare+, an Apple Watch Ultra repair will cost an eye-watering $499, as MacRumors points out. Not only is that nearly two-thirds of the price of the $799 Ultra, it’s the cost of an Apple Watch Series 8 with cellular connectivity.

Apple will charge that $499 fee to fix physical damage to the device. During the coverage period, AppleCare+ includes “unlimited incidents of accidental damage protection.” Even so, you’ll still need to pay a $79 service fee for repairs. Meanwhile, Apple will charge $99 to replace the battery, even if you do have AppleCare+.

Depending on the model, Apple Watch Series 8 repairs will cost between $299 and $399 without AppleCare+ protection (the device starts at $399). The service fee is $69 with AppleCare+. Apple Watch SE repairs outside of AppleCare+ coverage will run you between $199 and $229. Battery replacements for the non-Ultra models cost $79.

Meanwhile, we had some hands-on time with the Ultra this week. While the device certainly seems more rugged than other Apple Watch models, it’s not immune to damage, so ponying up $99 for AppleCare+ coverage could prevent your wallet from feeling a far sharper sting.