GoneTrending

No one is snapping back at big tech and media companies quite like Roku right now. After making headlines last year over their ongoing dispute with HBO Max, the media platform was once again in the news after it called out Google for “predatory, anti-competitive and discriminatory” practices before ultimately making the call to pull the YouTube app from their service this past April. Now, the battle appears to be getting even uglier.

In their latest blog post, Roku is once again calling out Google for being, in short, a pretty damn merciless tech giant that is “under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and more than 30 State Attorneys General for violating competition laws.” Roku says doing business with ” an enterprise as powerful as Google” has created complex problems that have ultimately resulted in the two companies reaching and impasse. However, Roku insists their grievances have nothing to do with money.

According to Roku, the company has not asked for any changes to be made in terms of finances. The media platform says they are content with not earning “a single dollar from YouTube’s ad-supported video sharing service” while Google makes “hundreds of millions of dollars” from being featured on Roku. Instead, Roku said they are concerned with how Google continuously infringes upon their independence in a “disturbing trend that threatens the vibrant and competitive TV streaming ecosystem.”

​”There are two primary concerns we are working to address: First, Google continues to interfere with Roku’s independent search results, requiring that we preference YouTube over other content providers. This is a concern shared by many companies who believe that customers deserve neutral and relevant results to their search queries. Second, Google discriminates against Roku by demanding search, voice, and data features that they do not insist on from other streaming platforms.”

Roku says that while they are “working to resolve” their differences with Google, there’s still a strong possibility Google may remove YouTubeTV from the Roku platform when their current distribution deal is up on December 9. If that’s the case, all newly manufactured Roku smart-TVs and devices will not be able to install the YouTube app. As of right now the two tech companies still have a little over a month left to try to reach some form of an agreement, so here’s hoping something gives and Roku-users will still be able to watch all their favorite funny animal compilations as we enter the new year.

Inglewood-bred Dreamville rapper Cozz returns with a moody video for his new single, “Fortunate,” after having a relatively quiet couple of years since his last album. The video finds Cozz sitting in a wrecked car, having apparently survived a harrowing front-end collision. Throughout the video, Cozz expresses his gratitude and grapples with his vices, a struggle represented by haunting religious imagery and his pained crooning on the song’s confessional chorus.

When we last heard from Cozz, he was cutting up on the Dreamville compilation Revenge Of The Dreamers III, threatening to rob his own label boss alongside fellow West Coaster Reason on “Lambo Truck” and dismissing pushy groupies on “Don’t Hit Me Right Now” alongside Bas, Buddy, Guapdad 4000, and Yung Baby Tate. Before that, he established himself as a lyrical force with his debut album, Effected which featured both his Dreamville boss J. Cole and King of LA, Kendrick Lamar.

More recently, Cozz could be heard assisting his Dreamville compatriot Lute on his new album Gold Mouf and Uproxx regulars may recognize him making a few appearances in our music video show React Like You Know, joining our panel of 20-somethings to give his impressions on videos like Fabolous’ “So Into You.”

Watch Cozz’s “Fortunate” video above and stay tuned.

Alec Baldwin feels “shock and sadness” over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was killed on Thursday in an incident involving a prop gun being loaded with a live bullet.

“There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours. I’m fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family. My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna,” he tweeted.

The tragedy, which also put director Joel Souza in the hospital (he has since been discharged), took place on the set of the Western movie Rust at Bonanza Creek Ranch, outside of Sante Fe, New Mexico. “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones,” Rust Movie Productions LLC wrote in a statement. “We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”

It’s a new era in San Antonio, as the Spurs officially turned the page to the future this offseason after dealing DeMar DeRozan to Chicago and seeing longtime standby Patty Mills depart for a chance at contending in Brooklyn. With DeRozan gone and LaMarcus Aldridge’s departure a year ago, the Spurs are suddenly in need of a new offensive identity.

The backcourt is in good hands with Derrick White and Dejounte Murray, although each of them need to take a step forward as scorers for the Spurs without DeRozan, but in the frontcourt they need one of their young forwards to really assert themselves if they are to have a chance at playing spoiler in the play-in race. My best bet for the player on the Spurs most likely to take a big leap forward is third-year forward Keldon Johnson, as he looks to back up a quality sophomore campaign with even more involvement offensively.

Defensively, Johnson is already tremendous, providing some very important positional versatility on the wing with terrific length, size, and quickness to defend threes or fours. With Doug McDermott added to the starting lineup for spacing purposes on offense, Johnson’s presence on that end is even more important as he will find himself shadowing the top opposing forward each night in order to relieve some of the pressure off of McDermott on that end.

While his defensive chops aren’t a question, where the Spurs need him to take a step forward is on offense. The opener showed that the Spurs are going to, unsurprisingly, take an egalitarian approach to offense this season rather than trying to lean on one or two guys to carry the load. That’s a good thing since they don’t have one guy capable of taking over on a nightly basis, but it also requires just about everyone to pitch in consistently for them to make up for the lack of a go-to scorer. Johnson will have to find his spots to impact the game on offense, but with DeRozan and Aldridge no longer operating out of the midrange/post areas, there ought to be more cutting lanes and space for him to probe defenses and get to the rim, where he’s a strong finisher.

Shooting is, like with so many wings, a swing skill for Johnson, and a step forward from last year’s 33.1 percent mark from deep would be very welcomed in San Antonio on a team not exactly stocked with great shooters. The good news for the Spurs is that while it’s not a roster full of household names on a national level, there’s intriguing young talent on this roster and they are now freed of expectation and can use this season to let their younger players fully explore their abilities with ample opportunity to weather the ups and downs that come with it.

If it all comes together, they could find themselves once again in the play-in mix. That would mean a few players taking a leap offensively, and Johnson likely needs to be at the forefront of those making strides.

Former attorney and disgraced congressman Matt Gaetz is getting pummeled with more bad news this week after the Florida Bar deemed him “not eligible to practice law in Florida.”

The organization labeled Gaetz “delinquent” after the Republican representative allowed his Florida license to lapse by not paying the required $265 in dues to remain in good standing with the regulating body which means he can no longer practice law in his home state. Obviously, this is not good news for a guy currently under investigation on sex trafficking charges who might need to have other job options lined up should he lose his seat in the House. According to Gaetz’s representatives, the lapse was somewhat intentional.

“Congressman Gaetz is no longer actively engaged in the practice of law. He is focused on representing his constituents in Congress, not the courtroom,” Joel Valdez, Gaetz’s communications director, told The Daily Beast.

But, in speaking with other bar members in the state, the failure to pay such a small amount in dues to remain in good standing with the association seems like proof that Gaetz doesn’t prioritize anything but free press. The Daily Beast reported that four attorneys in the state confirmed that it’s “extremely rare” for lawyers to make such a gaffe considering Gaetz could have paid a smaller fee to simply register as “inactive” but still remain in good standing with the organization.

“He clearly doesn’t take his law license very seriously when he doesn’t take the time to pay the $265 dues,” Daniel Uhlfelder, a Santa Rosa Beach attorney who lives in Gaetz’s district, told The Daily Beast. “He’s not a serious lawyer. He’s not a serious congressman. He’s not a serious person. This is one small but symbolic example of that.”

This isn’t the first time the congressman has gotten in trouble with the Florida Bar — he was under investigation twice before for mishandling client funds and violating the organization’s “standards of civility.” Though Gaetz’s team is trying to play off the delinquency as a consequence of his busy schedule as a state representative on Capitol Hill, the more likely reason for letting his license expire has to do with the impending sex trafficking case. On Thursday night, the New York Times reported that two top prosecutors had been added to the investigation. This follows news of a confession letter from Gaetz’s friend, Joel Greenberg, who he allegedly paid via Venmo transactions to procure him women to have sex with, including one woman who may have been 17-years-old at the time. Gaetz might have just been trying to get the jump on the bar, lapsing on his dues so he could avoid more investigations into his conduct and the bad publicity of having his license forcefully revoked.

Or maybe he just forgot to Venmo them. Who knows?

(Via The Daily Beast & New York Times)

The three Grand Theft Auto games that came out on the PlayStation 2 — Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — are still, for many, the best the series has ever been. Often called the PS2 trilogy, these games gave fans an unprecedented for the time open-world experience. While all of us expect gigantic worlds with the freedom to do whatever we want these days, it was GTA that set the trend that so many games still follow today.

All three of those games have been readily available across multiple consoles for years now, but as time has moved forward, the games have begun to show their age. Rockstar, the developers of GTA, decided it was time to bring them into the modern age with a packaged remaster. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition will release digitally on Nov. 11. It will be available on every current platform, including the Nintendo Switch. Rockstar went into detail about the game, including how it’s been improved, on its website.

Experience the games that started it all — introducing unprecedented freedom and immersion through three living, breathing worlds filled with hilarious action, rich, cinematic storytelling, classic characters, and unforgettable music.

Bringing the classic worlds of Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas to modern platforms, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition debuts new GTAV-inspired modern controls, plus across-the-board visual enhancements such as resolution upgrades and improved visual fidelity across the world, and much more to faithfully tune and improve upon all three games, while also maintaining their distinct original aesthetic.

Alongside the website, a trailer was released for the game that gives fans a direct comparison to how the games looked when they originally came out. The differences are stark with the remaster going with a more cell-shaded, cartoonish look compared to the attempted realism of the original games. This actually serves the old style well, because it helps the game keep that original style to it without looking dated. Alongside the visual upgrades, the game is going to have the same aiming system when shooting as Grand Theft Auto V.

When this trilogy was originally teased, one of the big questions was how it was going to justify buying it. This trilogy of games has not been hard to find historically for anyone besides Nintendo owners. While that might be a little more difficult now with Rockstar delisting the games in anticipation of the trilogy, it does feel like these games may be worth the cost of admission.

SNL is letting a sketch comedian host the show for the first time this season.

Former cast member Jason Sudeikis will make his SNL hosting debut this weekend (he better bring back the tracksuit), along with musical guest Brandi Carlile. The promo for the episode finds the Emmy-winning actor channeling Ted Lasso’s good-natured enthuasism — and hearing an “awful” pitch for a parody of the Apple TV+ series.

After Chloe Fineman and Alex Moffat said the episode will be “spooky” and “scary,” and Carlile promised it will “have some laughs,” Sudeikis adds, “And if we do things right, we just might learn a little something about ourselves along the way.” Blank stares. “Or not.”

In the second part of the promo, Moffat asks “Jas” if he’s had a chance to read the sketch he wrote. “The one with the loaf of sourdough that coaches Manchester United?” That’s the one: “Bread Lasso.” “Yeah, Brandi and I were just talking about that one,” Sudeikis responds. “Real awful stuff, man.” Fineman agrees, so she offers a punch up, “Shed Lasso.” He’s a fan. “That’s really good, actually,” Sudeikis says.

Sudeikis was a cast member on SNL from 2005 to 2013. He impersonated George W. Bush and Mitt Romney and appeared in one of the show’s weirdest sketches of all-time. And let’s not forget DJ Supersoak.

RIP Ass Dan.

Now that Migos have gotten their Culture III rollout out of the way, it appears the Atlanta trio is again working on solo albums. At least, Quavo is, and today, he released the high-energy lead single, “Strub Tha Ground” featuring City Girls’ Yung Miami. Built on a sample of Miami bass trio Splack Pack’s 1993 single “Scrub Da Ground,” the song encourages the ladies at the club to drop it down low for both entertainment and profit. The video concept finds the pair resurrecting the legendary Atlanta street party Freaknik, with Quavo walking around filming the festivities.

Quavo announced his upcoming solo album on Complex‘s Hiking With Rappers series earlier this week, explaining that he’s aiming for release in 2022. “Probably like next year, the Huncho solo project will come back out,” he said. That’ll make it around four years since his 2018 solo debut, Quavo Huncho, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, sold gold within a year of its release, and contained the singles “How Bout That” and “Workin Me.”

Yung Miami, who delivers a standout verse on the new track, was recently linked romantically to Diddy. Meanwhile, she’s not the only member of her Miami duo to fly solo lately; JT popped up with a verse on Summer Walker’s new single “Ex For A Reason.”

Watch Quavo’s “Strub Tha Ground” video featuring Yung Miami above.

For perhaps the first time in weeks, the Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia has taken an apparent step towards the All-Star guard suiting up for the 76ers at some point this season. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Simmons met with the entire Sixers team on Friday morning and spoke through what’s going on.

Simmons reportedly told the team that he does, indeed, want to play at some point this season, but in a refrain that has popped up a few times in recent weeks, the former No. 1 overall pick said he’s not in a place mentally to take the floor.

Wojnarowski added that the next step is for Simmons to undergo some sort of evaluation. It is unclear if this is a standard, run of the mill physical — he reportedly told the Sixers he was dealing with back issues on Thursday — or if this is an attempt to get him to a place where he feels he can contribute.

Simmons had a scheduled individual workout on Thursday at the team’s facility, but showed up, expressed his back was bothering him, underwent treatment, and went home without participating in the workout. Later in the day, team executive Daryl Morey went onto a local radio station in Philly and expressed that he is willing to wait for Simmons to return to the team or for the Sixers to get back players who help them win a championship, and that he would rather wait out the remaining four years on Simmons’ contract than trade him for a package that does not meet the bar the team has set.

The irony of Donald Trump naming his new social media platform TRUTH Social (all-caps are his) is not lost on anyone who understands the meaning of irony. That includes The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, who dedicated several minutes of Thursday night’s show to poking fun at the former president’s new Interweb endeavor—beginning with its name.

“The man who told over 30,000 lies in office has started something called TRUTH,” Colbert marveled, joking that “He’s also launched a new makeup line called Human Skin.”

Colbert’s favorite part of the story, however, was how quickly it took for the site to become hijacked by trolls. As the host explained:

“The site was briefly accessible to the public last night, and was immediately overrun by trolls. Including one who started a fake account under the former president’s name that posted a photo of a pig defecating on its own scrotum.”

Colbert’s main question: “Are they sure that was a fake account? ‘Cause it feels on-brand.”

Trump also announced that part of his new online takeover will include setting up his own streaming service… which Colbert was quick to point out would actually be “his second streaming service.”

“Evidently, it’s going to be called TMTG+,” Colbert continued, saying that it beat out the former president’s original title: Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV. “According to the press release, they’ll proudly broadcast ‘non-work’ entertainment programming. That’s right! Non-woke! If you can stay awake, your money back!”

You can watch the full clip above, beginning around the 6:00 mark.