Compute
Express Link (CXL) memory is not like the ordinary RAM that one might
install into a computer; it can come and go at any time and is often not
present when the kernel is booting. That complicates the management of
this memory. During the memory-management track of the 2025 Linux Storage,
Filesystem, Memory-Management, and BPF Summit, Gregory Price ran a session
on the challenges posed by CXL and how they might be addressed.
Panic has set a date for when it will share more about the second season of Playdate games. The company is hosting a Playdate Update event on April 17, at 1PM ET / 10AM PT where it plans to cover the developers participating in the season, how you can pre-order it and how much it’ll cost.
The Playdate’s season structure was one of the main things that made the tiny handheld unique when it was first released. Every week for 12 weeks you receive two new games automatically downloaded to your Playdate, free of charge. The list was curated, featuring games from prominent developers like Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi, but also varied, with adventure games, platformers and more.
Given the difficulties Panic faced making and shipping the Playdate to customers, there was initially some uncertainty whether the company could afford to commission another season. Before season two became official, Panic introduce an on-device store, called Catalog, as a way to purchase games from a curated library of titles. Then in October 2024, Panic confirmed that season two was happening in 2025.
In a statement to press, Panic shared that through the Playdate and Catalog, they’ve been able to raise $1,043,186.85 for developers. The company has also sold over 70,000 Playdate handhelds since the device launched in 2022. The price of the Playdate was recently raised from $179 to $229.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/panic-will-showcase-the-second-season-of-playdate-games-on-april-17-181556782.html?src=rss
Every folder on macOS looks the same—a boring blue representation of a paper file. That makes browsing a folder full of folders harder than it needs to be because everything looks identical. Unless, that is, you use custom icons for your most-used folders. You can do that pretty easily, but the feature is a little bit hidden.
And yes, this means you can use something silly for your folder icon. But it can also be practical. Having an important folder a different color than the rest, or all of your folders different colors depending on functionality, makes it easier to find and click on what you’re looking for. And the process isn’t difficult.
First things first: you need to find the image you want to use as an icon. I recommend going to macOSicons.com, which has thousands of icons sized just right. You can search for any color and find folder icons matching it. You can also search for random objects or applications and find icons. Find the images you want to use and click Download to get an .icns file which you can assign to any folder you like. Alternatively, you can just search the web for whatever image you want, right-click the image, and click Copy Image (note that you cannot click “Copy Image URL”—you need to copy the image itself).
Next, right-click the folder you want to change the icon for and click Get Info to pull up a window with information about the file. You will see a folder icon in the top-left corner of that window (not the one in the window’s toolbar). If you downloaded an .icns file, simply drag it to this icon in this panel—after a few moments the folder icon will be replaced.
If you copied an image from your browser, simply click the icon in the panel—you’ll see that it is highlighted. Now use the keyboard shortcut CMD-V and the folder icon will be replaced with the image you copied.
Want to switch back to the default folder icon? Open the Get Info* panel, click the icon, then press the Delete key. The icon will go back to the default.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t limited to folders. We’ve talked about changing Mac app icons before, and you can also edit how external hard drives look. This can make it easier to figure out which drive is plugged in at a glance, especially if you find an icon that resembles the drive itself.
Easily make your own macOS icons
Credit: Justin Pot
Finding an icon online is perfectly fine, but it’s pretty simple to design your own folder icons, too. You could copy the default icon, paste it into an image editor, and change it to look however you like. If you don’t have those skills, though, or would prefer something faster, Fancy Folders is a free application that can do the work for you.
This app lets you choose any color you want for your folder. It also lets you add an icon—this can be an image, if you want, or you can just type text. Choose which folder you want to browser, click Save folder icon, and the icon will change. Y
The Nintendo Switch 2 is functionally similar to its predecessor. Sure, the detachable controllers can now each be used as a mouse (on your pants, no less), the screen is bigger, the hardware is more powerful and there’s a built-in mic for voice chat. But otherwise the company isn’t rocking the boat too much. At least not outside of its business model, as it may be preparing to sell the console at a loss.
For most countries, President Donald Trump has paused the harshest tariffs that he announced last week. Still, he increased tariffs on imports from China to 125 percent on Wednesday, while imports from elsewhere will still be subject to a levy of at least 10 percent.
Per Bloomberg, Nintendo may be looking to make as many Switch 2 units as it can in Vietnam (it’s manufacturing about a third of the consoles there) during the 90-day freeze on higher tariffs and ship as many as possible to the US. The US is a critical market for Nintendo as it accounts for about a third of sales.
Still, with a 10 percent tariff, Nintendo may reluctantly eat that cost, even if that means losing money on each sale. “We believe the Switch 2’s bill of materials is around $400, meaning Nintendo would still be selling consoles at a loss in the US with the 10 percent tariff — but the loss would be something Nintendo would be able to absorb,” Hideki Yasuda of Toyo Securities told Bloomberg. “Sony is in a tougher situation as most of its PlayStation production is in China, and it may be forced to hike PS5 prices in the US in the near future.”
If the Switch 2 has about $400 worth of materials, that means Nintendo will also be taking a hit on a Japan-only edition of the console in its home country. It’s selling that variant for under $350.
Another analyst, Robin Zhu of Bernstein, also suggested that Nintendo will take the hit and keep the price at $450 if the tariff on Vietnamese imports remains at 10 percent. However, “At 46 percent Vietnam tariffs, I expected them to raise [the Switch 2 price] by $50 to $100.”
Unlike Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo has not historically sold its consoles at a loss with the aim of making up for that with sales of pricey software. The gaming side of the business is far and away Nintendo’s largest source of revenue. It’s diversifying more these days with things like movies and theme parks, but it still needs a thriving base of Switch and Switch 2 players. With the consoles critical to the company’s success, the suggestion that Nintendo may sell the $450 Switch 2 at a loss is somewhat surprising, even if it’s because of tariffs.
Nintendo formally revealed the Switch 2 just hours before Trump announced higher import tariffs on every country. Soon after, Nintendo delayed pre-orders for the console in the US (it later did the same in Canada, perhaps to reduce the risk of secondary-market price gouging) to assess the impact of the tariffs. With those now on hold, the company surely wants to get the ball rolling on pre-orders so it has a better sense of North American demand and can accordingly adjust its manufacturing plans if need be.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-may-sell-the-switch-2-at-a-loss-in-the-us-due-to-tariffs-175857327.html?src=rss
Chinese companies that sell to US customers on Amazon are reportedly preparing to raise prices or quit the US market because of tariffs imposed by President Trump. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has meanwhile confirmed that he expects the cost of tariffs to be passed on to US buyers.
Reuters talked to several individual sellers and a Chinese trade association that represents over 3,000 Amazon sellers for an article published today. “It’ll be very hard for anyone to survive in the US market” because “the entire cost structure gets entirely overwhelmed” by the tariffs, Reuters was told by Wang Xin, who leads the Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association. Xin also “not[ed] the tariffs could also lead to customs delays and higher logistics costs.”
Trump increased tariffs on China imports to 125 percent yesterday even as he announced a 90-day pause on tariff hikes affecting other countries. The total tariffs are 145 percent because the newly raised tariff “comes on top of a 20 percent fentanyl-related tariff that Trump previously imposed on China,” CNBC wrote today.
Yesterday, OpenAI counter-sued Elon Musk, alleging that Musk’s “sham” bid to buy OpenAI was intentionally timed to maximally disrupt and potentially even frighten off investments from honest bidders.
Slamming Musk for attempting to become an “AGI dictator,” OpenAI said that if Musk’s allegedly “relentless” yearslong campaign of “harassment” isn’t stopped, Musk could end up taking over OpenAI and tanking its revenue the same way he did with Twitter.
In its filing, OpenAI argued that Musk and the other investors who joined his bid completely fabricated the $97.375 billion offer. It was allegedly not based on OpenAI’s projections or historical performance, like Musk claimed, but instead appeared to be “a comedic reference to Musk’s favorite sci-fi” novel, Iain Banks’ Look to Windward. Musk and others also provided “no evidence of financing to pay the nearly $100 billion purchase price,” OpenAI said.
OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT’s memory functionality to include references from all past conversations. The system now builds upon existing saved memories by automatically incorporating previous interactions to deliver more contextually relevant responses for writing, learning, and advisory tasks, the startup said Thursday.
Subscribers can disable the feature through settings or request memory modifications directly in chat. Those already opted out of memory features won’t have past-chat references enabled by default. Temporary chats remain available for interactions that users prefer to keep isolated from memory systems. The update is rolling out immediately to Plus and Pro subscribers, excluding users in the EEA, UK, Switzerland, and other European markets.
Hallelujah, the threat of the (once again delayed) TikTok ban might just get Instagram users the thing they’ve been waiting for since 2010—an iPad app. Over the past couple of years, Instagram repeatedly made it clear that the iPad is just not a priority for the company, but now it seems that might have changed.
According to a new report from The Information, Instagram is planning to take full advantage of TikTok’s uncertain legal status in the US to introduce some new features that would fill the void left by its competitor’s potential exit from the market.
Back in 2022, Instagram head Adam Mosseri replied to a tweet from tech influencer Marques Brownlee, denying requests for an iPad app by saying that “It’s still just not a big enough group of people to be a priority. Hoping to get to it at some point, but right now, we’re very heads down on other things.”
But now, in 2025, The Information says it’s spoken to a Meta employee who reportedly has access to the company’s plans for catching up with TikTok, which finally include (but are not limited to) an iPad app. The move would see the company release a native iPad solution that could better hold up to TikTok’s, which has full-screen video playback in vertical mode, and even a dedicated landscape mode that fills up empty space with comments and other features.
Why we desperately need an Instagram app for iPad
Instagram on a tablet just makes sense. The screen is bigger, and better, and it’s much more enjoyable to watch the new, longer form Reels content on a tablet sized screen. Not to mention the fact that so many creators user the iPad to edit the Reels and photos posted on the network anyway. Having a dedicated Instagram app would do wonders for their workflow.
Then there are people like me, who use Instagram on the Mac and iPad, to curb their iPhone addiction and screen time. I find that it’s just easier to be mindful of your social media when it’s not on your smartphone, and I’d love to not have to fiddle with the web app or iPhone app compatibility to do that.
How to add the Instagram web app to the iPad
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
But just because Meta is working on an Instagram app doesn’t mean that it’s going to be available quickly. The company could also change its plans, too.
For now, your best bet for using Instagram on an iPad is to use the web app. Recently, Instagram’s website experience has gotten much better. It’s no longer just a bare-bones website. There’s the vertical sidebar, and DMs show up in a two-pane interface that’s actually usable.
Plus, if you go to the Reels tab, you get a similar endless feed of scrolling Reels videos like you do on the Instagram app. Of course, the only difference is that it’s not going to be nearly as smooth or responsive as the official app.
You can even separate the web app from Safari. After opening the website, tap the Share button and use the Add to Home Screen option. Then, tap Add. A New Instagram “app” will show up on the home screen.
When you tap on the Instagram “app,” it will now open the Instagram website as its own little app, with no toolbars, tabs, or other websites.
You can also try using the blown up Instagram iPhone app on your iPad
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Alternatively, you can also just install and use the iPhone Instagram app on your iPad. It works, but by default, it displays in a comically small iPhone sized window in the middle of your screen. You can expand the window size using the Zoom button, and that makes it kind of passable.
The upside to this approach, if you can deal with the blown-up interface, it that it’s more feature rich than using the website. For example, on the web app, you can’t repost to Stories or accept collaborators. Running the Instagram iPhone app, even in the ridiculous blown-up mode, has no such limitations.
Yesterday brought the newest update to Microsoft’s in-house Linux distribution, Azure Linux. The Azure Linux 3.0.20250402 brought many package updates mostly in the name of shipping security fixes plus brought new instructions on making use of the AMD graphics driver stack under this Microsoft Linux distribution along with various other updates…
DoorDash has started robot deliveries in Los Angeles and Chicago. This is thanks to a partnership with the company Coco Robotics. Eligible customers will be able to receive sidewalk deliveries sourced from over 600 participating merchants.
Coco robots have been making deliveries for DoorDash in Helsinki since late last year through its international sub-brand Wolt. DoorDash says that Coco robots completed over 100,000 deliveries during this initial pilot phase.
Robots take humans out of the delivery process, which is bad for gig workers, but this method is better for the environment. Coco robots are free from emissions. Harrison Shih, Senior Director of DoorDash Labs, says that “not every delivery needs a two-ton car just to deliver two chicken sandwiches.”
This is part of a larger push by DoorDash towards what it calls “multimodal” deliveries, which combines human workers, drones and autonomous robots to “meet increasing demand while lowering costs and emissions.” To that end, the company has partnered with Wing to provide drone deliveries in the US and Australia.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/doordash-starts-robot-deliveries-in-la-and-chicago-172358704.html?src=rss
For its third incarnation, the Mini Countryman now comes in an all-electric variant. The Countryman is Mini’s take on the family car, a compact crossover with bold design both inside and out. At time when far too many automakers are supersizing their vehicles, Mini’s offerings are still right-sized, even if the Countryman is a bit bigger than the model it replaces. But at times, you might be left feeling that style took preference over substance.
The previous Countryman was available with the brand’s only plug-in hybrid powertrain, but Mini now only offers the Countryman with either an internal combustion engine or as a full battery electric vehicle. Consequently, the Countryman SE is a fair bit more expensive now, starting at $45,200 before any tariffs are taken into account.
Much of that money has gone to more lithium-ion—66.5 kWh in total (64.7 kWh useable), coupled to a pair of electric motors with a combined output of 308 hp (230 kW) and 364 lb-ft (494 Nm). That’s sufficient for an EPA range estimate of 212 miles (341 km), although that might be a little on the conservative side. Based on the past few hundred miles, the test car we spent a week with averaged 3.4 miles/kWh (18.3 miles/kWh), which should allow for 220 miles (354 km) on a single charge, at least in good weather.
Framework is opening US preorders for its new Laptop 12 today, a couple of months after announcing the system at an event in February. Framework’s DIY edition of the laptop, which is missing RAM, an SSD, a USB-C charger, and an OS and requires some assembly, will start at $549. A fully assembled pre-built version with 8GB of RAM, a 500GB SSD, a 60 W charger, and Windows 11 Home starts at $799.
All preorders placed on Framework’s site require a $100 deposit, and almost all configurations begin shipping in July. A first batch of systems is slated to ship in June, but this requires a $250 donation to Hack Club; Framework says the donation will be used to buy Framework 12 laptops for high school students.
The Laptop 12 was built to be a more budget-friendly system, which is reflected in its specs, screen size, and its mostly plastic construction. But like the Laptop 13, the Laptop 12 prioritizes upgradeability and repairability and retains the USB-C-based Expansion Card system that was the Laptop 13’s biggest innovation when it was introduced. Each Laptop 12 has four Expansion Card bays plus a headphone jack, allowing the installation of USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort, and HDMI ports, as well as the other Expansion Cards Framework offers.
Slocap’s next game Rematch will be available on June 19. It’ll cost $30 and will be playable on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. The announcement was made at the The Triple-i Initiative indie showcase.
Rematchis a soccer title, which may seem surprising for the company that made the brawlers Sifu and Absolver. However, it looks to be an arcade-focused affair instead of a serious sim. There are both 5v5 and 4v4 matches and the action looks fast-paced.
There are no fouls, offsides or anything like that, as the title has been “designed for nonstop competitive play.” The game even has a Rocket League-style boundary wall, so the ball never goes out of play. Rematch offers a number of quickplay modes to get started with and a variety of backdrops for matches. There’s even an underwater field.
Preorders are already online and there’s an open beta set to kick off (get it?) on April 18. Players can register for this two-day event right now. There are also a couple of other editions of the game that cost extra. The Pro Edition costs $40, but allows people to play the game a few days early and offers cosmetic and gameplay upgrades. The Elite Edition includes the contents of the Pro Edition, but offers even more upgrades. These include sneakers to “give your footwork the dazzle it deserves.” This version costs $50.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/sifu-devs-soccer-game-rematch-arrives-june-19-170031959.html?src=rss
Meta says in its Llama 4 release announcement that it’s specifically addressing “left-leaning” political bias in its AI model, distinguishing this effort from traditional bias concerns around race, gender, and nationality that researchers have long documented. “Our goal is to remove bias from our AI models and to make sure that Llama can understand and articulate both sides of a contentious issue,” the company said.
“All leading LLMs have had issues with bias — specifically, they historically have leaned left,” Meta stated, framing AI bias primarily as a political problem. The company claims Llama 4 is “dramatically more balanced” in handling sensitive topics and touts its lack of “strong political lean” compared to competitors.
The next time you open WhatsApp, you might notice some changes. As announced in a blog post on Thursday, the app is rolling out a dozen new features, affecting the chats, calls, and even the Updates tab. Here’s what’s new:
Chat updates
Group chats are getting a number of updates this go-around. WhatsApp is adding an online indicator to group messages, so you can see who in the thread has WhatsApp open at any given moment. That change should help you gauge how many people are currently reading the chat. You’ll see the new indicator directly below the group chat name. Similarly, WhatsApp is adding a new “Notify for” section in group chat settings to manage the notifications you receive from these threads. You can use the “Highlights” option to limit when the app pings you, including for “@mentions,” replies, or messages from saved contacts. Of course, you can always choose to accept notifications for all messages in any group chat, as per usual.
The app is now adding the option to create events in one-on-one chats. This feature was previously exclusive to group chats, which makes sense—you’re more likely to want to plan an event with a group than a single contact—but in case you want to formerly plan a hangout, or send a custom invitation to someone who doesn’t have the invite app you’re using, this change could be helpful.
There are two features specific to iPhones here as well: WhatsApp now has a built-in document scanner on iOS, in case you don’t want to use the one in your Notes app. You’ll find the option in the attachment tray, under “Scan document.” WhatsApp says the feature will walk you through how to scan the doc, as well as how to crop and save it. Second, you can now set WhatsApp as your iPhone’s default calling and messaging app, if you spend most of your time chatting on WhatsApp over iOS’ Messages.
The last change to chats affects reactions. Now, you can copy someone else’s reaction to a message without having to dig through the selections yourself.
Updates to calls
You’ll notice three new features when placing calls. On iOS, you can pinch to zoom when on a video call. This works on both your video feed, as well as the feed of the person you’re talking to. For example, your friend might be showing you something on their end, but you can’t tell what it is from the video feed alone. You can then pinch to zoom on the display to get a closer look. Conversely, if you want to see something in your video feed you can’t make out, you can give that a quick zoom as well.
You can now add a friend to a one-on-one call by swiping over to their chat, tapping the call button, and choose “Add to call.” It’s a small change, but one I can imagine being convenient whenever you need to phone a friend into an ongoing call.
Finally, WhatsApp says they’ve upgraded their video call tech, optimizing the routing system and boosting bandwidth detection. Calls should be higher quality, as well as freeze and drop less often—but we’ll have to see if that’s the case with real-world use.
Changes to ‘Updates’
There are also three changes to the Updates tab: Channel admins can record and post videos to their followers directly from the app (though these videos need to be 60 seconds or less). You can also see a transcription of voice messages updates in channels, and channel admins can share QR codes to link to the channel.
Unno’s updated Mith eMTB is one of the first bikes to use the impressive DJI Avinox drive unit.
The motor in question can deliver a whopping 105Nm of torque and 850 watts of peak power as standard, but flick it into the short-burst Boost mode, and there’s 120Nm and 1,000 watts on tap.
DJI’s Avionox drive unit has masses of torque and loads of power. UNNO
Powering this is an 800Wh battery encased within the sleek carbon frame.
Its slender tube shapes hide the fact that it’s an eMTB, let alone the fact that it’ll be one of the most powerful on the trails.
Despite the cheapest bike in the range costing just over £8,000, I still think this beast of a bike will be in high demand.
New motor, more power and lower weight
Unno will be one of the first bike brands to take on the DJI motor, which is one of the most sensitive, responsive drive units available. UNNO
While the previous-generation Mith was built around the Bosch Performance Line CX motor, the new bike is one of the first to use the DJI Avinox drive unit.
This motor offers Eco, Trail, Auto and Turbo modes, along with the more powerful Boost setting.
The fully integrated touchscreen helps to make the DJI system one of the slickest on the market. UNNO
From a design point of view, though, it’s the compact size and low 2.52kg weight that open up possibilities for the engineers.
Powering the Avinox motor as standard is the 800Wh battery, although there is a 600Wh option if you’re looking to bring the overall weight down a bit.
Two wireless bar-mounted controllers enable riders to alter motor modes and change the display on the integrated screen. UNNO
In addition to the motor and battery technology, Unno has also able to make use of the Avinox’s incredible integration, including the top-tube mounted touchscreen, wireless bar-mounted controllers and the Avinox app that enables you to customise just about everything you can think of.
Rider-friendly frame improvements
Shorter seat tubes help to deliver better seatpost insertion depths, enabling riders to use long-travel dropper posts. UNNO
Unno has made changes to the full-carbon frame, built around a mixed-wheel setup.
For a start, the brand has ditched the headset-routed cables in a bid to keep things simple – and keep riders happy.
The frames are lined with cable guides to make the job of swapping hoses easier, too.
On top of that, the new rear-shock position should make setup quicker, with better access to the damper and all its adjustments.
A change of shock position gives better access, which should improve setup. UNNO
Shorter seat tubes, which now range from 400-440mm across the three sizes, have been shortened to allow for longer-travel dropper posts across all sizes.
Other improvements include better chainstay and lower-link protection, along with a rubber-coated (internally) chain guide to help keep the Mith silent while you ride.
This cutaway image shows the Mith’s integrated fenders. UNNO
The linkage bearings are now bigger and said to be better sealed, while there are integrated fenders to protect the shock and links from rear-wheel spray.
Finally, there’s room for a 750ml bottle within the front triangle.
All frames get a lifetime warranty, too.
Refined rear-wheel travel
At just over 21kg, there should be no issues with chucking the Mith around in the air or on the trail. UNNO
The 160mm of rear-wheel travel is controlled using Unno’s virtual-pivot system.
This is configured to create an extremely supple first 30 per cent of the travel before more support kicks in through the middle of the travel, hitting a controlled ramp-up at the end of the stroke.
Unno suggests two sag settings, depending on what you’re riding. You can set the shock up with 30 per cent sag for the ‘standard’ geometry setup, or 35 per cent sag in the race setup, which Unno says is ideal on steeper trails.
Anti-squat values (the amount the bike resists bobbing while you pedal) remain above 100 per cent in both of these settings.
Three frame-size options
Better chainstay protection should help to keep the Mith nice and quiet. UNNO
Unno is offering the Mith in only three sizes, meaning there’s a chance not everyone will be catered for.
Reach figures range from 430-490mm.
The head angle is slacker than the previous iteration of the bike, now sitting at 63.5 degrees, and can be made slacker by 0.5 degrees if you opt to put the bike into the low setting.
We’ve emailed Unno to confirm this because there’s nothing about it in the press materials, apart from a single line regarding changes.
Seat tube angles are set at 77 degrees across all sizes, while the chainstay length remains 450mm across the board.
The Mith, now powered by the DJI Avinox motor, should be rapid on the climbs. UNNO
There are two build options available, both of which use the same carbon frame and DJI Avinox motor, 800Wh battery, Fox Factory-level suspension and short, 155mm e*thirteen cranks.
Forbidden has announced two new eMTBs, utilising the brand’s high-pivot suspension design and the DJI Avinox motor – the Druid E LitE and the Druid E CorE.
Both of the bikes in the new Druid E family have two travel options, with correspondingly different battery sizes.
The Druid E CorE has 150mm of travel, a 160mm fork and a larger 800Wh battery.
Want to go big? The Druid E CorE is for you. Forbidden
While the Druid E LitE is slightly more trail-focused, the CorE is built with burlier kit, and is named to honour Forbidden’s late bike builder, Cory Thornton.
Forbidden’s goal was to build a bike that matches the capability and ride characteristics of the Druid mountain bike, with the added punch of the market’s most powerful motor.
Why am I so excited?
The high-pivot system gives a rearward axle path, smoothing out bumps. Forbidden
Forbidden’s high-pivot suspension layout gives it great on-trail characteristics. It’s smooth and fast, and capable on the toughest terrain.
At the same time, the DJI Avinox motor in the Amflow bike blew almost every bike tester away with its controllable, high levels of power and torque – as yet still unmatched (despite Specialized’s best efforts).
Combining the two, as I hoped would happen, should make for an extremely capable eMTB.
Forbidden Druid E details
A carbon rocker keeps the weight low. Forbidden
Both of the new bikes feature a carbon construction, including carbon links. There’s plenty of protection on there to keep the frame safe and the ride quiet.
There’s space for a full-sized bottle in the frame, as well as an accessory mount.
Oversized bearings, additional sealing and a steel idler featuring two sets of bearings are there to boost durability, while the bikes come with a lifetime warranty.
The bikes feature mixed wheel sizes. Forbidden claims this helps keep them agile and manoeuvrable, despite the added weight of the motor and battery.
Forbidden Druid E geometry
Plenty of protection for the down tube here. Forbidden
Although they’re modern, the figures on the geometry sheet might not look particularly extreme.
However, there’s good reason for this, according to Forbidden.
The reach figure, in particular, is fairly short (in the most modern terms), while the stack is tall.
Forbidden says the distance between the cranks and the bar is what really dictates geometric fit.
Put the front end up higher – for DH control and confidence – and you can reduce the reach, ensuring there’s a consistent fit and feel.
So, don’t expect any wild, stretched ride positions here.
To further complement this descending bias, there are short seat tubes to maximise dropper drop – 180mm on the smallest size – and short cranks.
The LitE has 155mm cranks, while the CorE gets 150mm.
Why DJI?
DJI’s Avinox is the most hyped motor around. Forbidden
There’s tons of hype around the DJI Avinox motor, and it’s easy to see why brands, especially smaller, more reactive ones, are flocking towards it.
The first reason is the power – 800W peak power, with a 1,000W boost function is, frankly, ridiculous.
Then there’s the lesser-discussed (but more important in my opinion) torque figure – the real grunt of an eMTB motor when you’re churning up a techy climb – 120Nm here.
DJI’s top-tube mounted display is data-rich. Forbidden
That surpasses the new S-Works-only torque figure of 111Nm on the new Turbo Levo, the new Druid’s closest competitor, and will beat rumoured updates to Bosch’s motor, as far as we understand.
It’s also not a particularly heavy system, at 2.5kg (the Bosch Performance CX comes in at 2.8kg), and the UI and app are as detailed as they come.
Forbidden Druid E LitE and CorE spec and price details
The Druid E LitE is ready to hit the trails, with 140/150mm of suspension travel. Forbidden
At the time of writing, we are waiting for confirmed specifications and pricing. We will update the story when we have this information.
While Forbidden’s Druid E launched today was long rumoured to be the first third-party bike to feature the motor, Paprika 53’s Model 25 GT joins it on launch day as the first electric gravel bike.
Unlike other systems, DJI uses a touchscreen display. Paprika 53
The bike features a full carbon fibre frame, integrating the DJI’s touchscreen display into the top tube, battery in the downtube and motor in the bottom bracket area.
Paprika 53 says it has made the bike as compliant as possible, theorising that the added power will mean riders spend more time in the saddle.
RockShox’s Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork should provide good damping for larger bumps. Paprika 53
The frame features what Paprika 53 calls a dropline dip to absorb bumps, with the design also allowing for better saddle height adjustability.
As well as two bottle cage mounts, the frame appears to have accessory mounts under the drop line dip and under the top tube, although these don’t look compatible with the standard mounting hardware.
SRAM’s Reverb AXS XPLR dropper post sits in the frame, allowing for the saddle to be dropped out of the way on descents.
The Model 25 GT borders the line of XC bike with wide 50mm tyres and front suspension. Paprika 53
The brand has developed its own handlebar – the Parabola Carbon Bar which features 25 degrees of flare, and is said to add control and comfort to the front end.
A mullet drivetrain is used, combining SRAM’s road Force eTap AXS shifters and X01 Eagle AXS mountain bike drivetrain with a 38t front chainring and 11-50t cassette.
Paprika 53’s own carbon wheels are wrapped in 50mm Maxxis’ Rambler tyres.
Just in case you thought the Moots Routt CRD wasn’t exclusive enough, the Steamboat, Colorado, titanium specialists have been busy working on this ultra-limited-edition version.
Based on the ‘standard’ Routt CRD, the limited-edition bike gets Moots’ lightweight RSL titanium tubing, along with 3D-printed Universal Derailleur Hanger dropouts, a T47 bottom bracket, an all-new integrated cockpit and Moots’ carbon gravel fork.
The California Dreamin’ Routt CRD isn’t your average gravel bike, though – it comes with another layer of exclusivity and a price tag of $15,899.
Even more exclusive
The California Dreamin’ Routt CRD comes with matching Chris King components. Moots
The California Dreamin’ Routt CRD is a collaboration with Chris Johnston of Outdoor Bros.
Every element of the California Dreamin’ finish is created by Richard Jara. Moots
The finish of the bike is inspired by Johnston’s ride along the west coast of California, from the Pacific Coast Highway to the gravel routes in the Sierra Nevada.
“I wanted a bike that could adapt seamlessly to whatever terrain I encountered,” Johnston explains. “It needed to have both capability and personality, capturing the essence of California style and performance.”
The rear dropouts are made from 3D-printed titanium. Moots
Fine-art finishing
Moots’ anodising and graphics specialist Richard Jara finishes each bike meticulously. Moots
What that means is a Moots CRD with a massively labour-intensive finish. Moots told us it takes three full working days to complete the finish alone.
The finish involves a meticulous anodising treatment that shifts from a high-voltage blue to a vibrant pink. It is paired with hand-finished checkerboard graphics and subtle skull details.
Moots’ in-house specialist Richard Jara completes each frameset by hand, meaning no two frames from this limited run are alike.
“The anodising process is like painting with voltage, and Jara is Michelangelo,” says Johnston. “Every frame will have nuances, subtle colour shifts, and intentional imperfections that add character and depth. It’s raw, refined and thoughtfully detailed.”
The attention to detail is beyond Moots’ standard bikes. Moots
A frameset or complete bike can be ordered from Moots, but the run is limited to 25, so it won’t be around for long.
No two California Dreamin’ bikes will be identical.
