Digital Trends Live: Disney D23 wrap-up, PlayStation 5 leak, air taxis, and more

By Todd Werkhoven Updated April 25, 2023

On this episode of Digital Trends Live, hosts Greg Nibler and Ryan Waniata discuss the biggest trending stories in tech, including major announcements from Disney’s D23 convention, a leaked PlayStation 5 design, cities’ fight against 5G infrastructure, a new electric pickup, another step forward for air taxis, and more.

Nibler then sits down with DT’s Riley Winn to go over the tech must-haves for college students in our college student gift guide, from wireless headphones to the best ways to cook ramen.

We then talk with Ed O’Brien, chief executive officer of eMoney Advisor, about improving transparency and communication between consumers and their financial advisers.

Melissa Wong, CEO and co-founder of Retail Zipline, joins the show to discuss how companies that focus on employee engagement and customer experience are seeing success at brick-and-mortar businesses.

Finally, we’re joined by Ryan Steelberg , president of Veritone, who discusses the company’s A.I. and machine learning platform, and how it’s turning podcasts and video content into actionable metadata.

Topics

Todd Werkhoven's work can be read at numerous publications and he co-authored a personal finance book called "Zombie…

Gaming

Huge PlayStation 5 update adds M.2 SSD support, 3D audio for TV speakers

A PS5 standing on a table, with purple lights around it.

The PlayStation 5 will get a significant global update on September 15. This major update includes storage expansion, improved game streaming with PlayStation Now, and UX enhancements. Updates to the PlayStation 4, PlayStation App, and PS Remote Play App will also roll out in addition to the major PS5 update.

This new update will allow PS5 owners to install an M.2 SSD to expand their storage for both the mainstram PlayStation 5 and the digital-only version of the console. Players can play both PS4 and PS5 games directly from the M.2 SSD storage.

Gaming

PlayStation 5 owners will help improve the console through Sony’s beta program

ps5 beta sign up 1000x 1

Sony announced on its site that it is inviting PlayStation 5 owners to the PlayStation 5 System Software Beta Program, which will allow users to test out new software in development for the PlayStation 5. Users can register on the PlayStation site to see if they are eligible to be part of this program.

In order to take part in the PlayStation 5 System Software Beta Program, users will have to make sure that they qualify. PlayStation owners must be 18 years old or older and must live in the United States, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, or the U.K. They must own a PlayStation 5 and have a stable internet connection and a valid PlayStation Network account.

Gaming

Sony has over 25 first-party PlayStation 5 games in development

Aloy looks at the horizon.

Sony has more than 25 first-party PlayStation 5 games in development, and nearly half of them are new intellectual property, according to a recent report from Wired. "There’s an incredible amount of variety originating from different regions. Big, small, different genres," Hermen Hulst, PlayStation head of Worldwide Studios, told Wired in reference to the PS5 games currently in development.

This is in line with what Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan said last month when confirming the PS5 will have more exclusives than ever before.