Paramount Weighs Some Concessions in Bid to Finalize Warner Bros. Merger

Seeking to settle a lawsuit with 12 states, Paramount has discussed measures to protect the editorial independence of CNN and the divestiture of Comedy Central.

‘Resident Evil’ Review: The Most Original Take On A Video Game Adaptation Ever Made

Zach Cregger does something truly unique with his "adaptation" of 'Resident Evil.' It wasn't what I expected, but it works.

AllTrails Has 100 Million Members. REI Has 26 Million. Here’s Why They’re Teaming Up

The trail-finding app and old-school retailer are embarking on ‘a long-term partnership’ to promote hiking, conservation work, and outdoor adventures nationwide—and share some money-saving perks.

This gadget—and free software—makes e-reading fun again

Hello again, and welcome back to Fast Company’s Plugged In . At first blush, it sounds like a canonical example of a gizmo the world could live without. The device in question is a truly diminutive e-reader designed to snap magnetically to the back of your phone—you know, the one that can already run a variety of e-book apps. It has no direct access to an e-book store, complicating the essential task of procuring stuff to read. Furthermore, its onboard software is so crude you might wonder if it was engineered to ensure buyer’s remorse. And yet I am delighted with the Xteink X4 Pro I bought last month. It turns out that yes, I do want to carry an e-reader in the same pocket as my phone. Like Amazon’s Kindles and other better-known contenders, those from China-based Xteink are optimized for reading, with paper-like screens and the ability to run for weeks between charges. The fact that they aren’t hooked up to an e-book store turns out not to be a catastrophe. The Xteink X4 Pro clings magnetically to the back of iPhone 16 Pro (with a little overhang at the bottom). [Photo: Harry McCracken] Most important, it’s simple to replace Xteink’s underwhelming software with a free, community-created open-source alternative that’s much, much better. The unexpected bottom line: If an e-reader’s ultimate purpose is to make reading books so easy you do more of it, this might be the best one I’ve ever owned, all the way back to the original 2007 Kindle . I learned about Xteink’s e-readers in January, when my friend Jason Snell reviewed a previous version. But I resisted splurging on one until the $99 X4 Pro came along. It’s the first with an illuminated screen, a feature I consider essential for bedtime reading. It also has the company’s first touchscreen and its largest battery. Other than those updates, the X4 Pro‘s appeal rests on the same foundation as Xteink’s other models, which include the X4 Classic (no light or touchscreen) and the even dinkier X3. At 69 by 111 by 5.95mm and 72 grams, it looks like a Kindle or Kobo that shrank in the wash, or maybe a particularly sleek PalmPilot model. (That’s 2 3/4″ by 4 3/8″ by 15/64″ and 2 1/2 oz.) Even my iPhone 16 Pro suddenly seems unwieldy by comparison. Sadly, Xteink achieved the X4 Pro’s slim profile in part by denying it a USB-C port for charging. Instead, it uses a magnetic charging adapter that is easy to lose and hard to keep firmly attached to the e-reader. It’s the only thing about the hardware I resoundingly dislike. Conventional e-readers are too bulky to tote unless you have specific plans to use them. That helps explain why beach reading is the archetypal use case. My X4 Pro, by contrast, really does go everywhere, either stuck to my iPhone or loose in a pocket. I was worried it would be too small, since it shows only a couple of paragraphs at a time. But holding it in one hand and turning pages by pressing a button with my index finger turns out to be as effortless as reading gets. In sleep mode, my X4 Pro shows the cover of the book I’m currently reading. One long press, and I’m back where I left off. [Photo: Harry McCracken] That still leaves the question: Why not just read e-books on your phone? You may already see the answer coming. On a phone, reading books competes with a cacophony of flashier, more pulse-quickening diversions, as well as mundane temptations such as checking your email. Even if you do your best to stay focused on reading, you will likely be distracted by notifications from other apps jostling for your attention. None of this can happen on Xteink’s devices. There are no other apps, no notifications, no way to do anything with Wi-Fi except transfer e-books from another device. The resulting tranquility is the scarcest of commodities in modern computing, whether you’re sneaking in a few pages while waiting in a line somewhere or putting away a chapter or two as you wind down the day. (I have been doing both.) As I mentioned, however, Xteink’s built-in software is really rudimentary. In fact, when I opened my first book, the font rendering was so crude that I wondered if it was some sort of bug. That didn’t faze me: I was already planning to ditch the X4 Pro’s stock firmware for an open-source alternative called CrossPoint . Created by a developer named Dave Allie shortly after Xteink released its first e-reader last year, CrossPoint is now regularly updated by a community of coders. It provides the X4 Pro, its siblings, and a few other tiny e-readers with the software they deserve, with upgrades such as elegant typography and the ability to tweak the interface in numerous ways. Rather than being overloaded with features, CrossPoint mirrors the minimalism of Xteink’s hardware. Its uncluttered interface never gets in the way of reading, which is more than I can say for my iPhone’s e-book apps. When my X4 Pro is in sleep mode, it displays the cover of the book I’m currently reading on its screen. With one long press on the power button, I return to where I left off. Shortly after my X4 Pro arrived, CrossPoint solved one of Xteink’s biggest limitations by releasing software that lets you read e-books you’ve bought from Kobo’s store. It also recently began supporting Libby, a free service that lets you check out e-books with a library card. These options require installing plug-ins and tapping into your e-reader via a browser on another device (I use my iPad). Other reading options include seeking out books that are free of Digital Rights Management (DRM) controls, gorging on free public-domain ones , and stripping the DRM from copy-protected books. The last act violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act but hurts no one if you’re only doing it to read books you’ve paid for. Getting books onto an Xteink e-reader still requires more steps than buying them right on a Kindle or Kobo. But with CrossPoint’s new Kobo and Libby compatibility, almost anything you might want to read is available. And the fact that the X4 Pro is devoid of the promotional elements of an on-device e-bookstore makes it feel even more like a temple to reading rather than a mere vehicle for digital commerce. CrossPoint’s software gives Xteink’s e-readers the typography they deserve. [Photo: Harry McCracken] Now, on many devices, installing alternative firmware is an act of reckless derring-do. It can feel as if you’ve decided to perform surgery on yourself and are hoping to figure it out as you go along. CrossPoint isn’t like that at all. You plug the e-reader into a Mac or Windows PC using a USB cable and click a button on CrossPoint’s website and wait a minute or two. If you can update your phone’s OS, you can do this. If CrossPoint doesn’t offer a feature you might like, that’s not the end of the story. Several independent development teams have used it as the basis of their own Xteink-compatible firmware: The most prominent such alternative, CrossInk , adds features such as reading stats and a Focus Reading option that boldfaces certain characters in words to help guide you through text. This abundance of operating system options sets Xteink’s e-readers apart from more familiar hardware. Custom firmware is available for Kindle and Kobo devices, but caters to a tiny and geeky sliver of their user bases. Google has lately been making it harder to build alternative OSes for its Pixel phones. Do I even need to mention that Apple will never let you put someone else’s OS on an iPhone or iPad? Even Xteink didn’t instinctively warm to CrossPoint. Earlier this year, it appeared to be girding itself to prevent users from installing the software . Apparently, it’s since realized that CrossPoint and its variants are selling points. The company now touts its devices’ “unlocked firmware freedom” on its website. Maybe Xteink e-readers would be even better if they simply came with CrossPoint preinstalled. I’m not so sure, though. We live in an era when many companies exert so much control over the products they sell that even cars don’t feel like we truly own them. Any evidence that the future won’t be increasingly locked down and enshittified is encouraging in itself. Getting to decide for myself which software to put on my X4 Pro was thrilling. The resulting hardware/software combo certainly showcases open-source software’s awesome potential. But the best proof of its success is that its unusual backstory fades away when I’m using it for its intended purpose: getting lost in a book. You’ve been reading Plugged In , Fast Company ’s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to you—or if you’re reading it on fastcompany.com—you can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at [email protected] with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky , Mastodon , and Threads , and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company OpenAI says the AGI era has begun. AI researchers aren’t so sure GPT-6 Astra is remarkably capable. But experts say its benchmark results don’t prove artificial general intelligence has arrived. Read More → The Energy Department launches $215 million push to make quantum computers scientifically useful by 2028 The Quantum Genesis Q Competition aims to turn quantum machines from lab experiments into practical research tools. Read More → This startup just raised $32 million to build solar farms using robots—and much less land Planted’s approach doubles how much solar power is produced per acre. Read More → The strange comfort of AI food slop Maggot burgers, ringed shrimp, and plasticky cheese make AI-generated food easy to spot. Don’t expect that to last. Read More → Zoom wants to reintroduce itself, courtesy of SNL’s biggest stars Zoom wants to break out of the virtual meeting box. Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon, and Bowen Yang are here to help. Read More → AI is supercharging money scams. Here’s how to protect yourself from fraud Since the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center began tracking AI-linked fraud in 2025, Americans have filed nearly $893 million in losses. Read More →

X Games League Draft Results: Full Winter Team Rosters

On Wednesday, the first-ever X Games League winter draft saw 40 of the world’s top skiers and snowboarders selected to one of four Winter X Games League (XGL) clubs.

Why The ‘Resident Evil’ Streaming Release Will Follow Sony Pictures’ PVOD Strategy

"Resident Evil," filmmaker Zach Cregger’s reboot of the classic horror video game-turned-movie franchise, is new in theaters this weekend. How soon will the film arrive on digital streaming?

Cardano Climbs 10% In Bullish Trade

Bitcoin jumps above $81k as short squeeze offsets rate and regulatory pressure

Rare Rides Icons: The Ford Taurus, Modernizing Family Transportation (Part V)

After a lengthy and costly development period while Ford’s finances were nearly underwater, the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable debuted to great fanfare in 1986. On their exteriors the two models had more differentiation than one might expect, and shared only doors and a roof. There were differences between the two models on the inside, too. Almost unbelievably, Sable owners looked at a different dashboard than Taurus customers.

This Six-Wheeled Ford EcoSport Is A Monument To Questionable Decisions

This custom Ford EcoSport has six wheels, 5.6 mpg on its dash, a cramped rear seat, and bidding above $5,500

9k-Mile 2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia

This 2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia has 9k miles and was configured with black and silver racing stripes that adorn its Rosso Corsa-finished body. It is powered by a 4.3-liter DOHC V8 paired with a six-speed F1 automated transaxle, and its carbon-fiber bucket seats are trimmed in black upholstery. Stopping power is provided by Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes with red-finished calipers, and the car is further equipped with 19" Scuderia alloy wheels, carbon-fiber exterior and interior trim, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, a CD stereo, navigation, and automatic climate control. This 430 Scuderia was purchased by the current owner in 2020 and is now offered on dealer consignment by the selling dealer, a BaT Local Partner , with a window sticker, the owner's manual, a car cover, two keys, an accident-free Carfax report, and a clean California title.

TPI 350-Powered 1938 Lincoln Zephyr Custom Roadster Conversion

This 1938 Lincoln-Zephyr started life as a coupe and became the subject of a custom street rod build carried out in the 1990s by Dave Iverson of South Dakota. More than 5,000 hours were reportedly spent converting the body to a convertible, shaving the exterior, adding a Mustang II-style front suspension and four-wheel disc brakes, and installing a 350ci Tuned-Port Injection V8 linked to a 700R4 four-speed automatic transmission and a ten-bolt rear end. The car was purchased by the current owner in 2019 and relocated to Arizona, where adjustable air springs were installed and the interior was redone with maroon leather upholstery, a mahogany wood dashboard, and a Kenwood sound system. Highlights include a V-shaped windshield, a gray soft top, Vintage Air climate control, power windows, a Lokar shifter, a banjo-style steering wheel, and AutoMeter gauges. Nicknamed “Gracie,” this custom Lincoln Zephyr is now offered by the seller on behalf of the owner with an Idaho title.

40-Years-Owned 1964 Porsche 356C Coupe

This 1964 Porsche 356C coupe was acquired by the current owner in 1986 from its prior owner of 22 years. The car is powered by a 1.6-liter flat-four paired with a four-speed manual transaxle and is finished in Light Ivory over black leatherette. Features include 15" steel wheels, disc brakes, body-color bumpers, twin engine grilles, front bucket seats, an AM radio, and an analog clock. This 356C coupe is now offered on consignment by the selling dealer, a BaT Local Partner , with the owner's manual, service records, and a clean Massachusetts title.

Over 200,000 Jeeps Have A Faulty Convenience Feature Owners Love

The 2024-2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the most impacted model involved in the recall

This Week’s Weird and Wonderful—September 18, 2026

Welcome to the Weekly Weird & Wonderful —our collection of the strangest, coolest, and most interesting cars to appear on BaT in the last seven days. We'll dispense with the preamble this week, save to say that the listings below are but a few notable drops in the vast ocean of vehicles that is our Live Auctions Page , where you may sail on at your leisure until you've fallen off the edge of the Earth.

21-Years-Owned 1947 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible at No Reserve

This 1947 Chrysler Town & Country convertible was owned in Ohio from 1962 through the early 1990s, and it was refurbished during the 1990s. The current owner bought the car in 2005 and had difficulty managing its Fluid Drive transmission and unassisted steering, so the vehicle was stored for ten years before being modified in 2015 with the installation of a 727 TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. The car has been driven approximately 50 miles since that time. Powered by a 323.5ci Spitfire inline-eight, the Chrysler is finished in Heather Green with ash-framed mahogany exterior paneling over brown leather upholstery with tan cloth inserts. Equipment includes a power-operated tan soft top, driving lights, power-assisted drum brakes, power steering, wheel covers, whitewall tires, bench seats, an AM radio, and seatbelts. This Town & Country is now offered in New Hampshire at no reserve with service records, a car cover, tire-changing tools, and Connecticut registration in the owner's name.

Rock Hudson at Home: 10 Photos of Hollywood’s Quintessential Leading Man in His LA Sanctuaries

The Golden Age icon’s longtime SoCal estate was purchased for him as part of his Universal contract renewal

No One Is Accountable in Taryn Simon’s Detective Story

In her ambitious exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, everything is random and no one is singularly responsible for anything.

From A to T & Back Again: Openings, Part One

An Artforum editor visits a slew of galleries—Olney Gleason, Garth Greenan, David Zwirner, and more—during the first week of fall exhibition openings in New York

From A to T & Back Again: Openings, Part Two

Six of the fall's new crop of gallery openings at Lomex, Maxwell Graham, Theta, David Peter Francis, Ellie Rines Gallery, and Ulrik

Shock Downpour Sends Water Torrenting into the Uffizi, Threatening Masterworks

A fast-moving cloudburst swept through Florence on September 17, dropping nearly two inches of rain in the span of an hour and sending water cascading into the Uffizi Gallery and the historic Palazzo Pitti, sparking concern regarding the masterpieces within. At the Uffizi, rain seeped through a skylight of a gallery housing a clutch of […]

Elliot March Lets the Landscape Lead the Way

The MAWD cofounder looks to landscapes, architecture, and the character of a place to shape spaces that feel like they belong

Flock Offers Employees Buyouts as Customers Flee

As dozens of cities end contracts for its controversial license plate readers, Flock is rolling out a voluntary severance program, WIRED has learned.

EV Chargers in the Tourist Regions of Queensland

Tourist regions need high speed charging to drive local economies. Although there is plenty of access to high-speed charging on the coastal highways and cities of Australia, there is still a need for more charging for tourists once you head inland. This was highlighted by a recent event in Kingaroy, ... [continued] The post EV Chargers in the Tourist Regions of Queensland appeared first on CleanTechnica .

Where Marine Energy Meets Hybrid Power Systems, This Laboratory De-Risks Integration

ARIES Platform Has Essential Capabilities To Emulate and De-Risk Marine Energy Systems for Range of Applications Energy from ocean waves has the potential to power offshore and coastal microgrids for applications like recharging autonomous underwater vehicles, supporting ocean sensors and aquaculture, and securing local power for remote communities. But to ... [continued] The post Where Marine Energy Meets Hybrid Power Systems, This Laboratory De-Risks Integration appeared first on CleanTechnica .

Design the Future of Campus Energy in the Energy District Cup

New U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Competition Invites Interdisciplinary Student Teams To Develop Practical Energy Solutions for College Campuses and Districts By Karen Petersen, NLR Could your next class project help solve a real energy challenge—and give you winning work to showcase to future employers? If you answer the call ... [continued] The post Design the Future of Campus Energy in the Energy District Cup appeared first on CleanTechnica .

I Don’t Care What Anyone Says, I Love This Fiat Topolino!

It’s no secret here on CleanTechnica, I love smaller cars. I am not a fan of large vehicles. Unfortunately (for me), I’m in the minority on this topic, especially here in the United States. But we still get to see some great, fun, small electric cars. (The 2018 BMW i3 ... [continued] The post I Don’t Care What Anyone Says, I Love This Fiat Topolino! appeared first on CleanTechnica .

Sierra Club Applauds Governor Abigail Spanberger’s Data Center Executive Order and Policy Framework Release

Sierra Club Applauds Governor Abigail Spanberger’s Data Center Executive Order and Policy Framework Release Richmond, VA — Today, Governor Abigail Spanberger announced protections regarding data center development in Virginia via executive order and a broad policy framework. The executive order curbs some consequential impacts of data center growth related to ... [continued] The post Sierra Club Applauds Governor Abigail Spanberger’s Data Center Executive Order and Policy Framework Release appeared first on CleanTechnica .

Steven Kolb, CFDA Head, Resigns After Confrontation With PETA Protesters

Steven Kolb, the head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America for two decades, has stepped down after a physical altercation at a runway show.

I Tried An $8 TikTok-Viral Hair Dye—It Gave Me Sun-Kissed Highlights in 30 Minutes

I'm actually obsessed with my results.

Barn Jackets Are Getting Replaced—Lili Reinhart Just Wore What’s Next

Currently trending.

Zendaya and FKA Twigs Agree: This Is the Coolest Boot Trend of Fall 2026

Great minds think alike.

Extra Space Storage: A Great REIT At The Wrong Time

FVD: DGRO And SCHD Are Better Dividend Bets Barring A Deep Recession

Antero Resources: Strong H2 2026 FCF Expected Amidst Cost Reduction Efforts

Paramount in talks to settle antitrust lawsuit blocking WBD deal

Agreement to end action by a dozen Democratic states would clear path for $111bn tie-up

Google’s Gemini agents hacked three companies in new AI safety incident

Breakout during training exercises follows instances at rivals OpenAI and Anthropic as concerns grow over safety of frontier systems

Anthropic brings in Accenture for AI safety testing

CEO Dario Amodei says labs should more deeply embed third-party testers as concerns grow around risks associated with the technology

Startup Nscale’s CEO pay nearly matched the FTSE 100 record, because of course it did

Power? Low. Pay? Very high

TJX Companies: Weakening Comps And Rich Multiples In Shaky Macro (Downgrade)

Sur la Table’s Anniversary Sale Includes Deals Up to 70% Off — Including Le Creuset, Staub, and More!

It only happens once a year! READ MORE...

5 Near-Perfect Time Travel Movies Where the Science Actually Makes Sense

From Interstellar to Primer, these sci-fi movies use time travel to further the plot, without throwing actual science out the window

Indie Dev Says “AI” Voice In His Game Was Actually His Wife

Someone playing Refractive Entertainment's recently released action-RPG Luminary for less than an hour accused the team of using AI for the game's only voiced character. The player said the voice "killed it" for them. There was just one problem: It wasn't AI. It was actually the developer's wife doing her first-ever voice acting gig. Refractive Entertainment launched Luminary into Steam Early Access on August 11. It's a resource-gathering action-adventure sandbox with an art style that's giving Fable meets Immortals Fenyx Rising. It's cute-looking and well-received, with a "Mostly Positive" rating out of almost 350 Steam reviews. But for an indie developer who says his game's success lives and dies by its Steam review score, one particular negative review caught the creative director's attention. On September 10, user NyteKnyte posted a short Steam review after only 0.4 hours with the game to say that Luminary looked good but "the awful AI-generated voice killed it" for them. "Feels off, like an AI game," NyteKnyte said in their review. "Hopefully its temporary and gets better, but [the AI voice] killed it for me." Not long after this review hit the game's Steam page, Refractive Entertainment responded, saying that the “awful AI-generated voice” that NyteKnyte decried was actually the creative director's wife. "While my wife might not be the greatest voice actress out there (that was her first time), I can assure you she is a real person and not AI haha," creative director Keith Kolod said. "We don't use AI at all in our game, we're just some indie game devs doing our thing with the resources we have." https://twitter.com/RefractiveENT/status/2098435648218910791 Kolod even shared the negative review on X on September 11 to wonder publicly why people just "automatically assume" that every voice in an indie game is AI just because it doesn't sound like AAA quality. He also thanked those who played Luminary and complimented his wife's portrayal of the Temple Guardian. In Discord DMs with GameSpot, Kolod said he doesn't have any issues with people using AI for any reason, especially in game development and for voiceovers. However, he doesn’t use the controversial technology because voiceovers are a way for him to "leave parts of me, my family, and friends" in the games he makes. "That said, Mikell did NOT jump to the opportunity," Kolod explained. "She is shy, felt like it would be bad, and didn't want to hurt the game. I told her this part doesn't need a lot of 'acting.' It's an ethereal goddess who should feel calming to the player as though she has delivered this speech to hundreds of Luminaries over centuries, and that I believe she could do it. The first few takes of recording you could tell she was extremely nervous, even though it's literally just me and her at my computer and a mic. [She] stumbled on words, worried about all of her inflections and how certain words sounded, but with enough takes and only reading a couple sentences at a time, I thought we got a pretty decent run. She was happy it was over." Kolod said the whole reason he built Luminary was so "me, my wife, and son [could] play together." As a Souls and Elden Ring fan, he wanted something that could introduce newer players to the action-RPG genre without the punishing difficulty of those games while creating something his whole family could enjoy together. Luminary is that for Refractive Entertainment. With no funding, no publisher, and no other job bringing in income, Luminary has a lot of expectations on its shoulders. For Mikell, lending her voice to the game wasn't about becoming a professional voice actor or saving money. She did it because she wanted to help her husband succeed. "This was my wife's first time voice acting, she wasn't a huge fan," Kolod told GameSpot. "You know how it is--everyone hates hearing their own voice in a recording who isn't a professional. As [much] fun as we had together doing it, it may be a hard sell for me to convince her to do it again. She really just helped me out of love and wanting to see me succeed with Luminary, and helping in any way she could." Despite the AI accusation, Luminary appears to be off to a promising start for the two-person team at Refractive Entertainment. Two weeks after its Steam Early Access launch, Kolod took to X on August 25 to share that the action-RPG had generated over $100,000 in sales in just one week, with the team pulling in approximately $70,000 in revenue after Steam’s cut. Not bad for a two-person studio with no funding and no publisher. The attention surrounding Mikell's voice has apparently brought even more eyes to the game, too. Kolod told GameSpot that posts about the story on Reddit and elsewhere have generated views, likes, upvotes, and more wishlists, though he said the team has yet to see that attention translate into a comparable bump in sales. And perhaps nobody was more surprised by the whole thing than Mikell herself. Before Kolod pushed the update to the game containing her voice, she had one request for her husband (who will celebrate 15 years together in November): “Ok, but I don't wanna hear if people hate my voice in reviews or on X. I did what I could.” “Little did she know it would turn into our biggest story,” Kolod said.

Insomniac Confirms Wolverine Doesn’t Contain AI-Generated Assets After A Weird-Looking Sign Goes Viral

A funky-looking bathroom sign is the result of an in-game glitch and is not AI slop

Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Fans Cause Online Banana Shortage At Walmart

Let me explain

Star Wars: Zero Company Contains One Of The Coolest Star Wars Cameos Ever

For fans of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order , hearing a certain name immediately let you know things weren't going to go well

Welcome to The World’s Game: EA Sports FC 27 Early Access Trial with EA Play Available Today

The EA Sports FC 27 10-hour EA Play trial is now available on XBOX Series X|S, XBOX One, and XBOX on PC for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members. If members decide to buy, their progress carries over to the full game, so they can pick up the season right where they left […] The post Welcome to The World’s Game: EA Sports FC 27 Early Access Trial with EA Play Available Today appeared first on XBOX Wire .

Should you skip the War Arc (Act 2) in Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave?

This guide explains what happens if you skip the War Arc (Act 2) in Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave and when it's best to replay the War Arc

Guns Are The Best Narrative Thing That Has Ever Happened To Fire Emblem

As a weapon, they're fine. As a storytelling accessory, they're peak

On Chip Debug for (Some) MicroPython

If you’ve used MicroPython much, you know that debugging usually amounts to printing a few things out, trying your code out, and then repeating. But [ghi-electronics] wants you to have …read more

No Solid Wall Needed: These 10 Balconies Still Feel Surprisingly Private

You don’t need to build a wall to stop feeling watched every time you step outside. The best balcony privacy setups let air, light, and views through in the parts you want, and shut down the sightlines you don’t. These 10 balconies pull it off without closing the whole thing in. 10 Balcony Privacy Setups […] The post No Solid Wall Needed: These 10 Balconies Still Feel Surprisingly Private appeared first on Trendir .

MAKERphone 2.0 Assembles Like LEGO, Calls Like a Real 4G Phone

MAKERphone 2.0 Assembles Like LEGO, Calls Like a Real 4G Phone Most phones arrive finished, sealed behind glass before you open the box. MAKERphone 2.0 flips that script. It ships as loose parts that only become...

No Hose, No Daily Watering: These 9 Gardens Quietly Handle It Themselves

The best-looking gardens are usually the ones where the watering happens on its own. No hose to unspool, no kink at the spigot, no forgetting the far bed on a hot day. These 9 setups show what it looks like when the water lines are already in place and every plant gets its share without […] The post No Hose, No Daily Watering: These 9 Gardens Quietly Handle It Themselves appeared first on Trendir .

Sony’s First Computer

In 1982, desktop computers were coming into their own, and no clear leaders had emerged. But everyone knew they wanted a piece of the action. This led to, among other …read more

Razer’s New Gaming Keypad Puts 31 Customizable Controls Right Under Your Hand

Razer’s New Gaming Keypad Puts 31 Customizable Controls Right Under Your Hand A keyboard can give you plenty of keys, but when you’re gaming, you rarely use all of them. What matters is having the right controls...

No Spare Room? These 14 Home Offices Still Feel Separate From the Rest of the House

Working from home without a real office door is the reality for most people, and the good news is you don’t need a closed room to actually get things done. These 14 home offices figured out how to stay focused, look put together, and hold up on video calls, all without shutting anyone out. 14 […] The post No Spare Room? These 14 Home Offices Still Feel Separate From the Rest of the House appeared first on Trendir .

The Japanese Grooming Kit That Actually Makes Sense

The Japanese Grooming Kit That Actually Makes Sense Most guys have a drawer like this: a razor with a blade that’s gone slightly dull but not dull enough to justify tossing, tweezers that...

‘WFH Has Made Some Very Weird Habits Feel Completely Normal’: People Share What Strange Habits They Developed While Working Remote Jobs

Working from home is a blessing and a curse at the same time You're on your own; no one is there to police what you're wearing or whether you've taken off your pajamas in the last three weeks. You promised it wouldn't happen to you, but your schedule got messed up, and sometimes you work until one in the morning because you lost the entire afternoon to showering, cleaning the house, and a trip to the grocery store. Every Monday you tell yourself you will start working at normal hours , but temptation knocks on your door, and the next thing you know you're doing laundry when you should be writing a report, and writing a report when you should be eating dinner and relaxing. It's terrible, but it's beautiful to be free . You get to know yourself and your relationship with time, whether you're organized or whether you leave everything to the last minute. It's wonderful! But hey, at least you're allowed, and if any day you feel like it, you can sleep in; you don't have to get in traffic; you don't have to go out on days when it's raining. We can complain about lots of stuff, like all the time we spend in front of a screen, but those of us who have had the experience of working jobs where we had to show up very early, or had to use our bodies a lot, or maybe customer service jobs, aren't we a lot more privileged now? Choosing when to go to the office or walking our dogs during lunch break? We have to learn to manage our time better, and also, we should learn to be thankful for what we've got, right? Has any of you developed a really weird habit since working from home?

Two purrfectly different cats unexpectedly join the family and turn one hooman’s life upside down in the best way

Three months ago, Rhaegar and Nyx unexpectedly fell into their hooman's life, and it didn't take long for these two to completely take over. Rhaegar, the red-collared boy, is the attention seeker of the pair. He loves being near his person and getting affection, but there are rules. Please keep your face out of his face, thank you very much. He also prefers cuddling without actually touching, unless there's a blanket separating everyone. We respect a cat who knows his boundaries. His other great love is food. Rhaegar will happily inform his hooman that he is wasting away from starvation despite having eaten approximately .3 seconds earlier. A tale as old as time. Nyx, meanwhile, likes affection on her own terms. She can be wary when something big approaches too quickly, but once she's comfortable, she's a serious snuggler. At night, she'll crawl right under the blankets and press herself against her hooman. Excuse us, that is ridiculously sweet. She's also the adventurous one. Nyx is usually first to investigate somewhere new and figured out the cat door leading to their catio within a single day. No tutorial required. She's quite the little huntress too, always ready to take down any dangerous strings or evil red dots threatening the household. Despite their differences, both cats seem pretty smitten with their person. They usually want to hang out nearby and regularly come looking for attention, but they're independent enough to do their own thing too. Sounds like a pretty great balance to us. Their hooman says these two have changed life for the better and that leaving the house now comes with one problem: wanting to get back home to them. Three months in, we'd say Rhaegar and Nyx have made themselves pretty irreplaceable.

HBO Max Officially Says Goodbye to One of Cinema’s Greatest Directorial Debuts

Released in 1955 and hugely influential to Wes Anderson, one of the greatest directorial debuts ever made is about to be removed from HBO Max.

Cult Classic Japanese Video Game Is Officially Getting A Live-Action Movie Adaptation

A live-action adaptation of a cult classic Japanese video game is officially on the way, bringing the hit franchise to the big screen.

Reacher Season 4's Ending Breaks 2 Big Franchise Traditions

Reacher season 4’s ending seems different from all previous instalments because it cleverly breaks two major traditions followed by the franchise.

Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger Collide In New JRPG You Can Play Free

Mixing two of the greatest JRPGs of all time is a tall order, but this particular RPG looks like it's pulling it off, and you can try it for free.

Live Action ‘Lollipop Chainsaw’ Film Adaptation Announced

Lollipop Chainsaw fans not only have a new entry in the series to look forward to next year, but there’s also a new film adaptation to go along with it. Per Deadline, the new film will actually be an R-rated action comedy prequel to the events of the original game. Announced at this year’s Tokyo […] The post Live Action ‘Lollipop Chainsaw’ Film Adaptation Announced appeared first on Bloody Disgusting! .

‘Murderous’ Review: Neil LaBute’s New Film Is Undone by Its Overly Familiar Premise and Obvious Plot Machinations

A successful filmmaker receives an unwelcome visit from a former collaborator in this thriller receiving its world premiere at the Oldenburg International Film Festival.

Zach Cregger explains ‘Resident Evil,’ including the ‘most dangerous scene’

Horror auteur spills all about his latest terrifying blockbuster. Plus, why it ends like that.

Narnia Officially Returns for 2026 Release Ahead of Netflix Reboot

Ahead of its planned Netflix reboot, The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy is getting a new release. Read on for more.

‘Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been’ Review: A Stirring Pop Doc Traces How the Great Singer of ‘He’s a Rebel’ and Other Classics Reclaimed Her Name

"Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been" tracks the unique fusion of glory, injustice, fleeting opportunity, dashed dreams, resilience, and latter-day recognition that defines her story. The movie, like Love’s life and career, is a one-of-a-kind ride, and by the end you don’t just feel like you know and understand this remarkable artist. You feel closer to the center of the mysteries of pop.

Girls’ Generation’s “Genie” Becomes Their 10th Group MV To Hit 100 Million Views

Another Girls’ Generation music video has just joined the 100 million club! On September 19 at around 11:55 a.m. KST, Girls’ Generation’s music video for their iconic 2009 hit “Genie” surpassed 100 million views on YouTube, making it their 10th full-group music video to do so after “Gee,” “The Boys,” “Mr. Taxi,” “I Got A… Continue reading Girls’ Generation’s “Genie” Becomes Their 10th Group MV To Hit 100 Million Views The post Girls’ Generation’s “Genie” Becomes Their 10th Group MV To Hit 100 Million Views appeared first on Soompi .

September Boy Group Member Brand Reputation Rankings Announced

The Korean Business Research Institute has revealed this month’s brand reputation rankings for individual boy group members! The rankings were determined through an analysis of the consumer participation, media coverage, communication, and community awareness indexes of 755 boy group members, using big data collected from August 19 to September 19. BTS’s Jimin held onto his… Continue reading September Boy Group Member Brand Reputation Rankings Announced The post September Boy Group Member Brand Reputation Rankings Announced appeared first on Soompi .

Papa Roach Bassist's Health 'Emergency' Forces Festival Exit

Papa Roach has pulled out of Louder Than Life festival performance. The band was set to play Saturday at the festival in Louisville. Continue reading…

5 Costume Period C-Dramas With Perfect Chemistry

Costume period C-dramas have an undeniable charm, whether it is for the beautiful cinematography, the astonishing wardrobe styles, or the intriguing plots that combine history, martial arts, and fantasy. But sometimes, what draws people in the most is the incredible chemistry between the main leads. Sometimes a pairing turns so iconic that it redefines the… Continue reading 5 Costume Period C-Dramas With Perfect Chemistry The post 5 Costume Period C-Dramas With Perfect Chemistry appeared first on Soompi .

Heavy Song of the Week: F**ked Up Bring Progressive Hardcore to “Good Goat Saw a Leaf”

Fucked Up signal the end of their gargantuan 5-hour Grass Can Move Stones mega-project with a kaleidoscopic cut. Heavy Song of the Week: F**ked Up Bring Progressive Hardcore to “Good Goat Saw a Leaf” Langdon Hickman

Madrid Howls With Shakira as She Kicks Off 12-Date Residency: ‘Tonight We Are One’

“Te Dejo Madrid” was added to a setlist spanning more than three decades of music, reconnecting the Colombian star with her first visit to Spain.

British Rapper Sway Dasafo Dead at 44 - Report

R.I.P. Continue reading…

Kennedy Center Supporters Rally Amid Speculation About Possible Demolition

Photos of President Trump reviewing a poster board with the title “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED” spurred the largest gathering yet in support of the performing arts institution.

U.S. Has Reached Security Deal on Greenland, Trump Says

The full contours of the deal were unclear, but Denmark and Greenland both indicated they expected an agreement to be signed soon.

Trump Has Tried to Ban Reporters From Government Spaces Before

There are several instances where the president made an effort to stifle the work of journalists.

Ban on selling handguns to adults under 21 is unconstitutional: Justice Department

The Justice Department says federal law banning licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under age 21 is unconstitutional and can’t be enforced

Virtual Biotech Company Puts 37,000 AI Agents to Work on Drug Discovery

The system, designed by Stanford researchers, identified which drugs are more likely to succeed in trials and even proposed a cancer treatment a major drugmaker later landed on too. The post Virtual Biotech Company Puts 37,000 AI Agents to Work on Drug Discovery appeared first on SingularityHub .

BepiColombo Makes Up-Close Measurement of Mercury's Solar Bombardment

BepiColombo's measurements of particle bombardment at Mercury will help assess the impact of space storms on Mercury's surface and on Earth's atmosphere.

ESA and The Pokémon Company International reveal Europe-wide exhibition and astronaut Pikachu experience

The European Space Agency (ESA) and The Pokémon Company International (TPCI) have launched an official collaboration to celebrate World Space Week 2026 from 4–10 October 2026.

Kelsey Mitchell breaks A'ja Wilson's single-season scoring record in Fever's rout of Tempo

A'ja Wilson set the former record of 1,021 points in 2024 with the Las Vegas Aces.

FBI says 35 more victims allegedly scammed by fake 49ers player Daejon Love

FBI agent Doug Olson said more alleged victims are still coming forward and called on the public to show them compassion.

Harry Kane smashes record for fastest to 100 Bundesliga goals in 98th game

Kane double helps Bayern Munich beat Union Berlin 7-0 Dieter Müller’s record of 129 games had stood since 1977 Harry Kane smashed the 49-year-old record for the fastest player to score 100 Bundesliga goals in Bayern Munich’s 7-0 victory over Union Berlin, his 98th league game for the club. Cologne’s Dieter Müller set the previous mark in 1977, but it took him 129 matches and, with the England captain scoring at better than a goal a game, a new record had been inevitable for some time. Since his arrival in 2023 Kane had been averaging a Bundesliga goal every 78.5 minutes and has now scored 152 in 154 appearances in all competitions, including 61 in 51 games last term. Continue reading...

Keely Hodgkinson shows off Catwoman style to steal Athlos London event

Briton destroys 800m field in hooded black bodysuit Mill Hill event more like a rave than an athletics meeting Athlos arrived in London promising that its all-female spin on track and field would be radically different. Long before Keely Hodgkinson destroyed a women’s 800m field dressed in a hooded black bodysuit, looking like a cross between a ninja assassin and Catwoman, it had made its point – and then some. Throughout the night the sound of the bassline from the aptly named DJ Trauma, who was given pride of place in front of the main stage, carried enough power to make eardrums bleed. Continue reading...

'Bullied' and 'out of control' - Chelsea's defensive issues laid bare

"You need to feel it. We're not feeling it," said Xabi Alonso after Chelsea's 3-0 loss at Brentford. Yet Chelsea are stuck in a familiar feeling.

Biltmore Championship | Day two highlights

Highlights from the second round of the Biltmore Championship at The Cliffs Walnut Cove Golf Course in Asheville, North Carolina.

'We're unpredictable' - Andrews delighted with 'brilliant' Brentford

Brentford manager Keith Andrews is full of praise after a resounding 3-0 win against West London rivals Chelsea, branding them "brilliant" following a unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign.

'Everything was disappointing' - Alonso on Brentford defeat

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso says everything about his side's performance in their loss at Brentford was "disappointing", stressing that they need to improve in every aspect of their game.

The new itel A300C is tough, cheap and has a 6,000mAh battery

itel spent weeks teasing its new A300C model and it is finally go time. This is a rugged-but-affordable Android 16 Go Edition phone – it costs ₹11,000 and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. That isn’t much, of course, but the phone supports microSD cards up to 2TB, so you can add as much storage as you like. The phone has a MIL-STD-810H certification (it has been drop tested). However, it lacks an official dust and water resistance rating. On the plus side, itel offers a free screen replacement for the first 100 days after you buy the phone. The itel A300C has a 6.56” 90Hz...

India forces caller-ID apps to feed spam reports to telcos

Truecaller says the one-way sharing requirement would hand a commercially valuable proprietary asset to telecom operators.

The ASUS Googlebook looks like the anti-dongle laptop we asked for

Ahead of Googlebook's September 21 pre-orders, a leaked ASUS Googlebook surfaced featuring a dedicated G key, glowing lid, rich port selection, and active cooling.

Tilly Norwood’s press tour is going about as well as you’d expect for an AI

In one particularly odd interview, Norwood seems to malfunction and begin speaking Chinese.

A startup that builds other startups raised $100M, and is all-in on physical AI

UP.Labs, now doing business under the name Vantora, is building startups for industrial corporations.

This is when Motorola is unveiling the Signature 27

Motorola's Signature, its current flagship smartphone, came out in January, and now the company is almost ready to reveal its successor, the Signature 27. Motorola started teasing the upcoming device earlier this month, and today it has announced its unveiling date: September 22. That is also when Qualcomm is expected to unveil the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipsets, during its Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii. Motorola specifically calls out the Snapdragon Summit, so it looks like the Signature 27 using one of those chips is a given. There’s more to...

TECNO Camon 50 Ultra 5G Review

The TECNO Camon 50 Ultra 5G is the sort of phone that makes the upper mid-range increasingly difficult to define. It has a 1.5K curved AMOLED display, three rear cameras with a dedicated 3x telephoto lens, a generous 6,500mAh battery, extensive water and dust protection, and a body measuring only 7.75mm thick. Then you get […]

Google gives me a free VPN, but these hidden gaps forced me to keep my paid subscription

I tried relying on Google's free VPN but VPN by Google is too basic for my needs

¿Cómo es ‘Macondo Park’? La ‘Ciudad Shakira’ creada para sus conciertos en Madrid

Macondo Park es la ‘Ciudad Shakira’ de 220 mil metros cuadrados creada en Madrid para sus 12 conciertos.

B.C. family rescues exhausted baby bear swimming in Okanagan Lake

Christina Zamniuk says they were boating between their Vernon lakehouse and Adventure Bay last weekend when a baby bear was spotted swimming in the middle of the lake.

Kemenhaj Dalami Dugaan Jual Beli Porsi Haji di Jawa Timur

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- Kementerian Haji dan Umrah (Kemenhaj) melalui Direktorat Jenderal Pengendalian Penyelenggaraan Haji dan Umrah kembali melakukan pendalaman terhadap dugaan penyimpangan pelimpahan nomor porsi haji reguler di Jawa Timur....

তারেক রহমানকে নির্ধারণ করতে হবে তিনি কীভাবে ক্ষমতা থেকে যাবেন: নাহিদ ইসলাম

নাহিদ ইসলাম বলেন, সরকারের কাজ মানবাধিকারের সুরক্ষা দেওয়া, কিন্তু তারা মানবাধিকার হরণ করার সব ধরনের প্রেক্ষাপট তৈরি করছে।

Oaxaca confirma 45 casos de miasis humana por gusano barrenador; 15 más están bajo estudio

Las autoridades sanitarias de Oaxaca confirmaron 45 casos de miasis humana vinculada al gusano barrenador; otros 15 permanecen bajo estudio.

Xinhua Finance: Robotics Contest Highlights Chongqing District's Push Into Embodied AI

Xinhua Finance: Robotics Contest Highlights Chongqing District's Push Into Embodied AI

‘In hard times, your honour shines’: Jack Ma pays tribute to Tung Chee-hwa

Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma reflects on his ties to Hong Kong’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. Those connections spanned both business and philanthropy, encompassing Tung’s eight years on Alibaba’s board of directors and his inspirational role in Ma’s youth entrepreneurship foundation for local youths. Ma’s reflections are part of the South China Morning Post’s special commemorative print supplement published on Saturday. I knew Mr Tung for many years. When he served as the chief...

Pourquoi Emmanuel Macron insiste sur les risques d’intensification de la guerre hybride russe en France

Le chef de l’Etat a réuni, vendredi, à l’Elysée, les candidats à la présidentielle et les chefs de partis pour une présentation confidentielle de l’état de la menace, alors que les attaques et les accidents suspects se multiplient en Europe.