So close, yet so far away — that’s how we feel about the Game of Thrones season 6 premiere. With only days to go until the first new episode, The Red Woman, airs, HBO has released nine photos to whet our already-voracious appetites. Anyone who hasn’t seen season 5 yet should avert their eyes, because there are spoilers ahead.
For fans who have been keeping close tabs on all season 6 developments, namely the three recently released clips, many of the images look familiar, but there are new nuggets as well. Noticeably absent from this batch is Jon Snow (played by Kit Harington), presumably because HBO has finally stopped teasing us by revealing his sad state. Of course, there are plenty of gripping storylines to follow even without him, and the latest photos give us glimpses at what to expect.
Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) is shown in an apparent state of shock as he sits beside the body of his dead lover, Myranda, who was killed by Theon “Reek” Greyjoy (Alfie Allen). Not surprisingly, other images feature Theon and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) on the run and hiding. A man as sadistic as Bolton isn’t going to let them get away without a fight.
Another revenge-inspiring murder is alluded to in still other photos, including one of a ship that is presumably bringing home the body of Myrcella Baratheon (Nell Tiger Free); another showing her mother, Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), in the throes of grief; and yet another with the woman who poisoned her, Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma). The last of the photos feature Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the Dothraki, and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), who is now blind.
To say that there’s a lot to eagerly anticipate when Game of Thrones season 6 premieres is an understatement. Can it be Sunday now?
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.