Colnago has announced the colourway of the V5Rs that Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates XRG teammates will ride next year.
The bike’s colour remains black and white, but there’s a departure from the stripes to a more blocky design emanating from the head tube.
Colnago is calling the livery SDM6, and it incorporates red accents that were previously used only as the background colour of the Emirates logo.
The new livery adds red to the palette. Colnago
There’s notably less paint in the design, with the black portion of the bike taking up more of the livery this year.
This is to keep weight down to a minimum, with the finish said to be as lightweight as possible.
We’ve seen this trend in Formula 1 over the past few seasons, with teams leaving a large portion of the cars unpainted to eke out marginal gains.
This has become so widespread that the F1 Commission has introduced new rules for 2026 that mandate a minimum of 55% of the car’s surface area must be covered by painted or stickered liveries as opposed to bare carbon fibre surfaces.
The stealthy design should make Pogačar’s attacks even more deadly. Colnago
While we’re not sure if the UCI would ever clamp down to this extent, with the rider and their jersey being more easily differentiated than F1 cars, a peloton of the same carbon-shaded bikes wouldn’t showcase the sport’s flamboyance in the same way.
Colnago says the livery of the Y1Rs will remain unchanged for 2026 and will be identical to the version used in 2025.
Developers behind Redox OS, the original open-source operating system written from scratch in the Rust programming language, have ported Wayland to it with initially getting the Smallvil Wayland compositor up and running along with the Smithay framework and the Wayland version of the GTK toolkit…
Necrobotics is a field of engineering that builds robots out of a mix of synthetic materials and animal body parts. It has produced micro-grippers with pneumatically operated legs taken from dead spiders and walking robots based on deceased cockroaches. “These necrobotics papers inspired us to build something different,” said Changhong Cao, a mechanical engineering professor at the McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Cao’s team didn’t go for a robot—instead, it adapted a female mosquito proboscis to work as a nozzle in a super-precise 3D printer. And it worked surprisingly well.
Fangs and stings
To find the right nozzle for their 3D necroprinting system, Cao’s team began with a broad survey of natural micro-dispensing tips. The researchers examined stingers of bees, wasps, and scorpions; the fangs of venomous snakes; and the claws of centipedes. All of those evolved to deliver a fluid to the target, which is roughly what a 3D printer’s nozzle does. But they all had issues. “Some were too curved and curved for high-precision 3D printing,” Cao explained. “Also, they were optimized for delivering pulses of venom, not for a steady, continuous flow, which is what you need for printing.”
Subaru owners are reporting full-screen SiriusXM pop-up ads appearing on their infotainment systems while driving — sometimes even overriding Apple CarPlay. Subaru says the ads appear only twice a year, but frustrated drivers argue the practice is distracting, unsafe, and a sign of an industry trend that’s likely to get worse. The Drive reports: At least one 2024 Crosstrek owner reported that the pop-up took over their screen even though they were using Apple CarPlay. To force-close an application that’s in use, solely for the sake of in-car advertising, is especially egregious. [The following Subaru owner complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reiterate that point…]
The Drive reached out to Subaru for comment on the marketing tactics. A company spokesperson responded, “We will discuss those messages in an upcoming meeting and will always consider customer feedback. This is the first we’ve heard of any issue. Those messages occur only twice a year, around Memorial Day and Thanksgiving, to alert customers that all channels are available to them for about two weeks.” Reddit posts dating back as far as 2023 show owners complaining about in-car notifications.
Thanks to an AI arms race, PC memory prices have gotten out of control in the past several months (and also pushed Crucial out of the consumer market), but is a motherboard with slots for both DDR5 and DDR4 modules really the answer? Probably not but that didn’t stop ASRock from quietly launching such a thing. It’s new H610M Combo lives up
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What if you make this the year you don’t fill all the stockings with candy or socks? Both have their place, but if you want to really make this the best Christmas ever, you have to shove some tech in those stockings. The good news: tech gifts don’t have to be expensive to be impressive.
No matter who you’re shopping for, there are tons of affordable gizmos that are some combination of cool and useful and that feel pricier than they are. Here are 20 cool tech stocking stuffers to light up any holiday morning, all of which cost less than $50.
This handheld retro gaming console
If there’s an old-school gamer on your list, their Christmas morning will be extra merry if it includes a tiny video game emulator. R36T Retro Gaming Console ($47.50) puts over 18,000 video games in the palm of your hand. It has a 3.5″ screen, so whether they like arcade classics or consoles-of-the-past, they can fit ’em all in a pocket. You can even network up with another emulator for head-to-head action.
The Xteink X4 is an e-reader that’s smaller than your phone. It uses e-ink like an Amazon Kindle, so you can whip a glare-free screen out of your pocket and start reading anywhere there’s a light source. The X4 is a no-frills gadget—there’s no lighting, touchscreen, or apps—but if you want a cheap, convenient way to read for around $50, it’s perfect.
Those disposable cans of compressed air with the red straws are so 2015. Blow the dust off your electronics with an SDFM Electric Air Duster ($32.99) instead. With an engine that moves at 150,000 RPM, it shoots air such high speeds, the dust doesn’t stand a chance. It’s also cordless and comes with a variety of cleaning attachments to keep your gear in top shape.
If your giftee likes to listen to music or podcasts while drifting off to sleep, there’s no gift better than a pair of sleep headphones; except twopairs of sleep headphones! This two-pack retails for $29.99 and contains two headbands with built in speakers you can pair with your phone or other device easily. You could buy a single pair, but these things break fairly regularly, so a backup is good.
Your giftee may have the tech side of their battle station/home office locked down, but I bet they don’t have the aesthetics dialed in. Govee Smart LED Light Bars ($33) are programmable, colorful light bars work with Alexa and Google Assistant and can display light effects created from 16 millions colors. It even syncs with your music to provide trippy visuals.
My lifestyle doesn’t involve cutting down trees, but I still need one of these miniature chainsaws. I mean, it’s a chainsaw, andit’s only six-inches long. This Dodowin mini chainsaw ($40) is battery powered, so no one will be accidentally cutting the cord. According to listing, it’s suitable for tree pruning, garden artistry, shrub trimming, forest logging, and wood cutting. They don’t mention it, but it’s also perfect for tiny Texas massacres.
You know what computer fiends are missing in their lives? Knobs. This little $36 gadget lets you assign functions to four external knobs and 12 push buttons, so you can finally have a decent volume control, scrub through video smoothly, skip music tracks with a button push, and control any other function easily and physically. Perfect for gamers.
You could use a tape measure like a caveman, or you could measure things with a frickin’ laser that fits in your pocket. This $40 gadget has an LED screen that’s easy to read and it doubles as a cat toy. But does it measure things? Goddamn right it measures things—big things, little things, middle-sized things—it doesn’t give a shit what you put in front of it, it will measure the hell out of it! (Up to 98 feet, anyway.)
This compact bluetooth speaker has an Amazon rating of 4.7 stars out of 5, and it’s cheap—just $32. It’s waterproof, it sounds great, and it features a built-in light show with six different settings so you can check out cool visuals with your tunes.
Keep track of the things in your life with these miniature tracking tags. Slip one in your wallet or your keys, and if you misplace them, you can hit a button and it will play a sound and/or give you a map that will lead you exactly to your missing item. Plus, it works in reverse, so you can hit a tag and it will ring your lost phone. I rely on these; no joke.
If you want to keep warm during the holidays, you could do a lot worse than this portable neck, shoulder, and back warmer. There are three temperature settings and a safety shut-off feature, and it heats up really fast.
This tiny little vacuum will keep your desktop dustfree. It sucks at 1000Pa of suction power for 400 minutes off a single charge, and it’s very easy to use: You put it in the palm of your hand and push it around. Cool!
It’s not like most people need an endoscope camera every day, but if the need for a tiny camera does arise—if you need to see why the engine isn’t working or if your wedding ring falls behind the oven or something—you’ll be glad you have this Anykit USB Endoscope Camera. It plugs right into your Android or iPhone and captures HD photos and video.
Projectors have gotten really good over the last few years, and they prices have come down massively too. This mini projector costs only $40 and projects a 1080p image up to 201″ and even comes with a remote control and a projection screen.
If your giftee is into house automation within the Amazon ecosystem, you can’t go wrong with an Echo Dot. This compact smart speaker packs a surprisingly nice sound along with built-in Alexa, so it can be used for for playing music, setting timers, and controlling your smart devices.
Alright, most people already have a media streamer attached to their televisions, but in case you’re gifting someone who doesn’t, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is a solid choice. This no-frills device serves up 4K HD video, gives you access to hundreds of free and premium channels, and is easy to setup.
The Twelve South AirFly SE is an ultra-compact Bluetooth transmitter lets you plug into any device with a 3.5 mm jack, like in-flight entertainment systems, gym machines, or TVs, and stream audio wirelessly to your Bluetooth earbuds or headphones. Leave those accursed wired headphone in the drawer where they belong!
A portable inflator is perfect for car emergencies or keeping your bike tires plump, and this one from Slime is a steal at only $50. It’s rechargeable, has an onboard pressure guage, an LED flashlight, and can inflate a car tire in only eight minutes. You will never go back to a manual air pump, I promise.
I am 100% sure whoever you’re giving a gift to will be able to use this compact, high‑power Anker charger. It has two USB‑C ports plus one USB‑A, letting you power up your laptop, phone, and tablet all at once, from one plug.
Here’s something most of us saw coming: the accelerating deployment of tens of thousands of communication satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) is creating a diffuse veil of light pollution that is now demonstrably compromising the performance of some of the most powerful telescopes in the world, including the venerable Hubble Space Telescope.
Watching Clark Griswold fail at hanging up Christmas lights in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation may be a hilarious annual holiday tradition, but in real life, decorating failure is no laughing matter. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, around 15,000 people in the U.S. go to the emergency room every year for holiday decorating-related injuries. And no one is keeping statistics on the countless serious injuries my eyes suffer when I see neighbors with a half-ass light display. So let’s avoid all that unpleasantness with this ultimate guide to Christmas lights, from planning, to tools, tips, safety, and storage.
Make a Christmas light hanging plan
The time to think about how you’re going to hang your holiday lights is not when you’re up on the ladder, so first, sit down and make a comprehensive plan for lights before you do anything else. Here are some steps and things to keep in mind:
Assess your space: Consider your roofline, windows, trees, shrubs, and walkways and decide what you’re going to light up. Then develop an overall vision for your light display.
How much is enough: Decide whether you’d like a maximalist, minimalist, or traditionalist display.
Choose a color scheme: A coherent look to your holiday lights is so important, I made a whole section about it below. Skip ahead if needed.
Highlight architectural details: You want the lights to go around windows, roofs, and doorways.
Decide on your lights: Do you want string lights, icicle lights, net lights, projectors?
Props and other decorations: There are so many outdoor decorations available for all styles, from fairly understated displays to Santa in a pickup truck, that you kind of have to have something. Just make sure it fits in with the overall vibe. We’re going for coherence here.
Measure it: Now that you know what you’re going for, it’s time to measure. The first step to measuring is to throw away your old tape measures and get a laser. Here’s a laser measurer for less than $30. Get something like this and you won’t have to climb a ladder to know how long your roofline is.
Consider the power: Make sure you know where the outlets are and whether you have enough extension cords.
Check your older lights: Part of planning is checking if the gear you already have is still working, so mix up some eggnog and make sure those old strings of lights still function.
Choose your color palette wisely
Anyone can throw some lights up, but throwing up lights with intention is what separates us from chimpanzees. Here’s some color theory for your Christmas light display:
Pick a palette: The most obvious choice is red, green, and white, but consider other options like white, blue, and silver for a winter wonderland look, or red, white, and pink for candy cane vibes.
Limit your colors: You could go for a maximalist, every color look, but it’s hard to pull-off without it looking like a Christmas thrift store.
Be careful with the flair: If you’re going to have lights that twinkle, chase, or change color, make sure it’s part of an overall cohesive look. One flashing light amongst a bunch of static strings is not what you want.
Remember that LED Christmas lights are superior
If you’re still using those old-school incandescent mini bulbs, shame on you. Stop being a caveman. LED lights are better than incandescent in all of these ways:
They’re cool: LED lights run at about half the heat of older style bulbs, so they are unlikely to set anything on fire, even if you try.
They last forever: LEDs can run for tens of thousands of hours. They’ll outlive you.
They use less energy: LEDs use about 10% of the energy that old school bulbs use.
They are independent: Remember back in the day, when your whole string of lights was shot if one bulb went out? That’s the past, man. LEDs don’t care whether other LEDs are dead or not.
Having followed these steps, you should know exactly how many feet of lights you need and what color they should be, but that’s not the whole story. You need tools and other supplies, too.
Safety first: Hanging holiday lights is the most embarrassing way to injure yourself. It’s just not worth it, so make doubly sure you have a plan for everything, don’t take any risks, and get a helper to hold the ladder.
Start at the power source: Always begin where your lights will plug in. Starting elsewhere is a Griswold move that will ruin Christmas. Work outward from the outlet so you don’t run out of cord length mid-roofline.
Re-test your lights: You should have already tested them, but test each string again before you string ’em up. It’s much easier to deal with a loose connection on the ground than up on a ladder.
Use clips and hooks instead of nails: Nails can damage your house or even cause electrical fires, so don’t nail anything. Bonus: Hooks make taking everything down in January much easier.
Hang lights evenly: Space out the bulbs so you don’t end up with a spaghetti look. Follow the lines of your house for the best looking display.
Wrap trees and shrubs neatly: For trees, start at the trunk and work outward. For small bushes, wrap in a spiral pattern from bottom to top.
How to remove and store Christmas lights
When the holidays are over, it’s time to put everything back until next year. Resist the temptation to just clump everything up and throw it in boxes—you will not be happy with yourself next year. Do not just leave everything strung up either; you’re a civilized person.
Reverse the installation: Do it all backwards. Remove lights starting from the farthest point from the outlet. Remove lights from trees from the outside-in and from the bottom up.
Wrap carefully: To avoid a “ball of despair” next Christmas, wrap your lights around something—a makeshift spool or just a piece of cardboard work wonders.
Label each strand: Denote where it went (roofline, bushes, tree, etc.) with a piece of masking tape and a Sharpie.
Store hooks and clips: A dedicated container for hooks and clips is a must. Fishing tackle boxes work great for this.
Store securely: Keep all your gear in a cool, dry place, in a plastic storage bin, so you can be ready for next year. Do not use cardboard boxes. Instead, get something like these Rubbermaid tubs.
If you like both electric vehicles and emotional roller coasters, 2025 was an excellent year. However, for those of us whose nerves are already sufficiently frazzled, the highs and lows of the last 12 months were a bit hard to stomach.
In 2025, we saw the introduction of new, compelling models like the Lucid Gravity and refreshed Nissan Leaf, the latter available at a price on par with its internally combusted competition. From a product availability standpoint, 2025 was the year the EV market started feeling more mature and less manic.
But 2025 also saw new heights of anti-EV vitriol stirred up during a particularly traumatic election cycle. The means of propulsion or badge on the hood of your commuter machine suddenly became an indicator of your political affiliations. Put simply, the car you drive is now a political statement, and it’s the latest unprecedented situation in an exhaustingly long and dire string of unprecedented situations. Yes, it’s been a long year, and the pessimism of 2025 will surely carry us well into 2026, but not all hope is lost for EVs.
Tesla and the DOGE effect
Elon Musk flashes his T-shirt that reads “DOGE” to the media as he walks on South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, March 9, 2025.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
We’ve certainly seen some civic-minded CEOs in the past as auto executives have a long history of mixing their corporate interests with their political panderings. Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca was even considered a potential presidential candidate once upon a time. However, we have never seen the kind of ass kissing and cronyism we were privy to in this year’s fickle friendship between Elon Musk and President Trump.
Musk was (hyper) active on the Trump campaign trail, and wasted no time digging into what he described as government overspending. While the Department of Government Efficiency’s efficacy is debatable, it certainly proved quite effective at decimating the accounts of Tesla investors. Between January and March, Tesla’s stock price dropped by nearly half. Things didn’t turn around until Musk left DOGE in May.
Since then, Tesla’s price has returned to its highs before the DOGE debacle. Its sales, however, have not. Q1 deliveries declined by 13 percent, then 14 percent in Q2. Deliveries bounced back 7 percent in Q3 as everyone scrambled to buy before the EV credits expired, but profits plunged 37 percent. Tesla’s market share in the US electric vehicle space has halved, leading perennial pitchman Musk to start hawking everything from AI agents to spandex-clad robots — anything to distract from the numbers.
And it’s apparently working. Musk’s $1 trillion pay package was approved by Tesla’s shareholders without much worry. This could make him the world’s first trillionaire, but only if he meets a series of aggressive targets and deadlines for sales, an area where the man has struggled in the past.
The big, beautiful sales spike
A Tesla with a sticker referring to the car’s purchase is shown on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Concord, Mass.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s bromance wasn’t the only fallout from the latter’s second term. So, too, died the $7,500 federal EV incentive, which expired in September as part of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” That actually spurred a short-term sales spike ahead of the deadline. Many manufacturers even set new EV sales records riding that wave, but there’s a disconcerting trough to come.
We still need to wait a bit to see just how bad Q4 EV sales are going to be, but early indications are not looking good. J.D. Power’s October report says that EV sales in September were a record high, making up 12.9 percent of new vehicle sales in the US. In October, after the credit expired, they fell to a mere 5.2 percent.
That’s a worrying drop, and it’s already affecting product planning.
Cuts in EV production
Honda’s Super-One Prototype isn’t coming to the US.
Tim Stevens for Engadget
When I was in Japan last month, getting an early look at some next-gen hybrids from Honda, I wasn’t expecting to hear talk of midterm American elections from the company’s executives. But that’s what was on CEO Toshihiro Mibe’s mind. He’s watching American voting trends closely to determine the nature of the company’s upcoming releases.
Mibe said that Honda has already canceled plans for some EVs here in America, instead focusing on a broader selection of hybrid models. It’s not the only company to do so. Ram also canceled its 1500 EV truck, but the hybrid version is still supposedly on the way.
Scout Motors, too, has been focusing more on its extended-range hybrid offerings. The company’s initial pitch was purely electric trucks and SUVs. Lately, it’s been prioritizing its extended-range EV options based on the feedback from its 130,000 pre-orderers. 80 percent of them want the onboard generator, an add-on that may prove a saving grace for this EV startup.
There is reason for optimism
Some manufacturers may be throttling back on their EV aspirations, but others are forging ahead. There’s a delightful collection of battery-powered machines coming next year, and that’s worth getting excited about.
Again, the 2026 Nissan Leaf should be a hugely popular choice as its production ramps up. It’s already hitting dealerships now, and with a starting price under $30,000, it’ll be hard to beat. But, Chevrolet is going to try with a refreshed Bolt EV for similar money.
If you’ve got more to spend, you’ve got more options. BMW’s stellar iX3 crossover SUV is due soon, as are both the electric CLA sedan and GLC SUV.
The most anticipated EV of the year, though, might just be the Rivian R2. This electric SUV will join the stellar R1S and R1T, expanding Rivian’s segment footprint while also hopefully expanding its market reach. A $45,000 starting price makes it far more attainable than any of the company’s previous offerings.
A photograph of the Rivian factory producing the company’s R1 SUV variant.
Nathan Heleine / Rivian
If the prospect of a fun, affordable SUV from Rivian doesn’t have you excited for the upcoming year in EVs, maybe some promising news from Europe will. After cutting its own EV incentive program in 2023, Germany’s EV sales fell off a cliff, dropping 28 percent in 2024. Cue the predictions of the demise of EVs by many local pundits.
Since then, though, EV sales slowly climbed back up, and lately they’ve been booming, with German road traffic agency KBA saying the total number of newly registered electric vehicles increased by nearly 50 percent in October (year over year). Electric cars now make up 19 percent of the market there, and that’s despite Tesla’s sales cratering.
There’s no guarantee that the American market will follow a similar rebound, especially if the anti-EV political messaging continues. Me, though, I’ve decided I’m staying optimistic, as exhausting as that can be these days.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/a-shaky-year-for-american-evs-could-set-the-tone-for-2026-153000210.html?src=rss
It’s been less than a year into the second Trump administration, and to many outside observers, US government policies appear confusing or incoherent. Yesterday provided a good example from the automotive sector. As has been widely expected, the White House is moving ahead with plans to significantly erode fuel economy standards, beyond even the permissive levels that were considered OK during the first Trump term.
Yet at the very announcement of that rollback, surrounded by compliant US automotive executives, the president decided to go off piste to declare his admiration for tiny Japanese Kei cars, telling Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to make them street-legal in the US.
50.4 mpg40.4 mpg 34.5 mpg
A little over a decade ago, the Obama administration announced new fuel economy standards for light trucks and cars that were meant to go into effect this year, bringing the corporate fleet fuel economy average up to 50.4 mpg. As you can probably tell, that didn’t happen. It wasn’t a popular move with automakers, and the first Trump administration ripped up those rules and instituted new, weaker targets of just 40.4 mpg by 2026.
Apple’s longtime human-interface chief Alan Dye is leaving to lead a new creative studio at Meta’s Reality Labs, where he’ll shape AI-driven design for devices like smart glasses and VR headsets. Dye will be replaced by Steve Lemay, who has had “a key role in the design of every major Apple interface since 1999,” according to a statement Apple CEO Tim Cook gave Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. TechCrunch reports: Shortly after the news broke of Dye’s departure, Zuckerberg announced a new creative studio within Reality Labs that would be led by Dye. There, he’ll be joined by Billy Sorrentino, another former Apple designer who led interface design across Reality Labs; Joshua To, who led interface design across Reality Labs; Meta’s industrial design team, led by Pete Bristol; and its metaverse design and art teams led by Jason Rubin.
Zuckerberg said the studio would “bring together design, fashion, and technology to define the next generation of our products and experiences.” “Our idea is to treat intelligence as a new design material and imagine what becomes possible when it is abundant, capable, and human-centered,” the Meta CEO wrote on Threads. “We plan to elevate design within Meta, and pull together a talented group with a combination of craft, creative vision, systems thinking, and deep experience building iconic products that bridge hardware and software.”
How do you top a highly detailed scale model of NASA’s new moon-bound rocket and its support tower? If you’re Lego, you make it so it can actually lift off.
Lego’s NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket, part of its Technic line of advanced building sets, will land on store shelves for $59.99 on January 1, 2026, and then “blast off” from kitchen tables, office desks and living room floors. The 632-piece set climbs skyward, separating from its expendable stages along the way, until the Orion crew spacecraft and its European Service Module top out the motion on their way to the moon—or wherever your imagination carries it.
“The educational LEGO Technic set shows the moment a rocket launches, in three distinct stages,” reads the product description on Lego’s website. “Turn the crank to see the solid rocket boosters separate from the core stage, which then also detaches. Continue turning to watch the upper stage with its engine module, Orion spacecraft and launch abort system separate.”
We’ve all experienced gift panic—that sinking feeling when you realize you need a present in an hour and you just don’t have one to give. Whether you spent all year chasing the “perfect” gift or simply procrastinated, your time is nearly up. But don’t panic. The clock may have run out, but your options haven’t. Before you resort to re-gifting something from the back of a closet, here’s how to pull off a last-minute gift that is effortless but feels elevated and worthy of the person you’re giving it to.
Sometimes the gift is in the delivery
With the right presentation, even the most last-minute gift can read as thoughtful. Any performer will tell you that the difference between a good show and a bad one comes down to commitment and confidence. The same is true for last-minute gifts: If you act like your gift is thoughtful and intentional, they’ll think it is. The biggest mistake people make is apologizing as they hand over a present—nothing ruins a vibe faster than, “Sorry this is so last-minute.” So give with confidence.
And focus on presentation. A handwritten note that contains a shared memory or personal joke can elevate a present. Use simple but personal wrapping; kraft paper and twine, or a reusable gift bag that looks like you planned ahead. Add a small flourish, like a sprig of rosemary or a fancy bow. Small touches can make it seem like you’ve carefully prepared. What you don’t want are obvious panic gifts that scream, “I grabbed this on the way here.” The goal is effortless, not frantic. Here are some suggestions.
Instant purchase digital gifts
Digital gifts are your friends. You can order something in minutes that arrives instantly online, and with a little thought, will still read as personal and intentional. The trick is choosing a present that speaks to the recipient’s tastes, hobbies, or quirks, and pairing it with a small note to show you remember what they love. From eBooks to streaming subscriptions, these gifts hit the sweet spot of thoughtful and last-minute. Here are some suggestion:
Kindle unlimited subscription
If you have a reader on your list, they want books, and a Kindle Unlimited subscription lets them read anything they like. It can be ordered instantly and lets users access millions of titles, including audiobooks, for six months or a year, even if they don’t have a Kindle reader. Include a note that says something like, “I know how much you love discovering new stories. Now you can explore as many as you like—just make sure you tell me what you find!” Boom! Mission accomplished.
Gift cards that aren’t impersonal
When time is running out, gift cards are your secret weapon. They arrive instantly online, don’t require shipping, and with the right presentation, they can feel surprisingly thoughtful. The key is to pick a card that fits the recipient’s interests and add a personal note. The more specific you are, the better. If your giftee is into Italian food, get them an Eataly gift card. If they’re a PC gamer, get them a Steam card. If they’re into education, a membership to Skillshare is perfect. There’s a gift card out there for just about any interest, and all you have to do it google it and email it.
Making generic gift cards seem thoughtful
Generic gift cards can be a last-minute lifesaver that can still seem a little personal if you give them the right way.
Pick a theme or design: Many online cards, like Amazon, Etsy, or Starbucks, let you choose designs. The right visual makes the card feel more intentional.
Include a warm, personal message: Even one line can make a digital card feel thoughtful—something like, “I couldn’t pick just one thing for you. Hope this helps you treat yourself!”
Send strategically: Deliver the card by email or text, but consider printing the email or screenshotting it in a small envelope so it feels like a “real” gift.
Subscription boxes with instant confirmation emails
Sign someone up for a subscription service, write a note explaining you want to keep giving them presents all year, and you’re golden. Here are some suggestions:
SnackCrate: This service sends a different snack from around the world every month.
SpiceClub: For the culinary adventurer on your list. A subscription to RawSpiceBar’s Spice Club delivers a curated selection of spices every month.
Mocktail variety box: Booze-free fancy drinks delivered once a month? Sign me up.
Thera Box: If you know someone in need of some self-care, this once-a-month box is packed with wellness and relaxation items.
Loot Crate: If your giftee is geeky, consider this monthly surprise box of pop culture treasures.
Send a message from a celebrity
Cameo is a platform where celebrities, influencers, musicians, and performers create personalized video messages for fans. If someone on your list is a fan of someone on Cameo, you can set up a session, and give a card with a mysterious note like “Keep an eye out for a special message.” They’ll be delighted when Kenny G. sends them a video.
Experiential gifts
I have enough crap in my house, so I love getting experiences instead of things. The challenge with experience gifts is usually timing: Many require reservations or coordination, but there are plenty of options that let your giftee schedule the time, making them perfect last-minute gifts.
Museum membership cards: Many institutions sell digital gift memberships that the recipient can activate whenever they like.
Movie tickets: Your local multiplex probably has a gift certificate you can buy online.
Local attraction passes: Some city attractions offer gift cards or “anytime admission” tickets that don’t expire immediately.
Pair these with a note explaining why you chose the experience, or, if you have that kind of relationship, something like, “I want to take you to the Museum of Modern Art” or whatever. Just make sure you follow through and actually go.
Really last-minute, on-the-way-to-the-party gifts
Sometimes, there’s literally no time to order, wrap, or even think about a gift. If you’re scrambling out the door and need something now, you might be able to fake your way through, even if you’re stopping at the liquor store on the way to the Christmas party.
Easy on-the-way options
Flowers or a small potted plant: Give a seasonal bouquet or a small indoor plant. Add a handwritten note, even a single line, and it might come off as thoughtful.
Gourmet chocolates or candy: Specialty chocolates from a local shop or grocery store display can feel luxe with a little ribbon or bag.
Wine, craft beer, or non-alcoholic beverage: A bottle with a clean label or interesting packaging immediately elevates your gift. Ask the clerk at the liquor store to help you find something unique.
Lottery tickets: Who wouldn’t appreciate a bunch of scratch-off lottery tickets?
When all else fails, give cash
Hard cash is the most impersonal gift of all, but the only one you know will be used. This gift really depends on the person getting it, so be aware of whether they’re likely to think “Just what I wanted!” or “Wait, I’m not poor.” If you give cash, make sure it’s crisp bills in a nice card, with a personalized note.
Slated for an early 2026 release, the low-cost iPhone 17e is rumored to get a couple of significant design overhauls, nudging the e-series’ aesthetics closer in line with the company’s flagships.
As we know, the facade of Apple’s iPhone 16e is characterized by relatively thick display bezels and a screen notch. South Korean news outlet
If you’ve never considered an Alienware product because you thought the pricing premium would be too high, do yourself a favor and have a look at the current crop of deals. We already highlighted some fantastic savings on Alienware desktop PCs and laptops for Cyber Monday (which are still on sale, by the way), and now a handful of Alienware
Sony Interactive Entertainment has signed a deal to produce and publish a game from Bad Robot, JJ Abrams’ production company. The two sides are keeping most of the details close to their chest for now, but the game is a four-player co-op shooter for PlayStation 5 and PC directed by someone who knows a thing or two about that genre: Left 4 Dead creator Mike Booth.
Bad Robot Games — which is a fully remote studio — was formed in 2018 with the help of Tencent. It has lent a hand on games including Weird West (as an investor and creative consultant) as well as interactive streaming series Silent Hill: Ascension. This new game is the first one that Bad Robot Games is developing in-house.
A few months back, Booth dropped into the Left 4 Dead subreddit to say that he was working on a new co-op game “built on the foundations of what made L4D special. If you enjoyed the teamwork, tension and replayability of my past games, you’ll probably find this one interesting. It expands on the co-op formula in ways I’ve wanted to explore for a long time.” He added that, while the game was still in early development, Bad Robot was opening up a waitlist for access to playtests.
According to a press release, “Bad Robot Games is a dedicated game studio working on new and existing transmedia franchises.” So, this project could well be part of an entirely new franchise, but the prospect of co-op shooter from the designer of Left 4 Dead that’s set in the Cloverfield universe is pretty darn intriguing.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-teams-up-with-bad-robot-and-the-creator-of-left-4-dead-for-a-co-op-shooter-144637802.html?src=rss
Amazon is reportedly considering discontinuing use of the US Postal Service and building out its own shipping network to rival it, according to The Washington Post. The e-commerce behemoth spends more than $6 billion a year on the public mail carrier, representing just shy of 8 percent of the service’s total revenues. That’s up from just shy of $4 billion in 2019, and Amazon continues to grow.
Over the past decade, Amazon has invested heavily in shipping logistics, buying its own Boeing planes, debuting electric delivery vans and slowly building out a drone delivery network. Last year, Amazon handled over 6.3 billion parcels, a 7 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Pitney Bowes parcel shipping index. USPS, for its part, handled roughly 6.9 billion, just a 3 percent increase over 2023. That is to say that Amazon’s shipping network can already handle over 90 percent of the volume of the US Postal Service (at least by sheer numbers).
The USPS has been in dire financial condition for some time, losing billions of dollars a year. Negotiations between Amazon and the public carrier have reportedly stalled, which, together with the agency’s need to keep raising its prices, may create more urgency for the company to eliminate its reliance on the service altogether.
The Postal Service has struggled to modernize and adapt (its attempt to electrify the truck fleet was a bust) in a market where the likes of Amazon and Walmart are investing billions in delivering packages around the country at lightning speed. The ever-accelerating digitization of communication and heavy investment in privately owned shipping operations threatens the very existence of one of the country’s greatest public goods.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-reportedly-considering-ending-ties-with-the-us-postal-service-144555021.html?src=rss
Dictionaries are ubiquitous in Python code; they are the data structure of
choice for a wide variety of tasks. But dictionaries are mutable, which
makes them problematic for sharing data in concurrent code. Python has
added various concurrency features to the language over the last decade or
so—async, free threading without the global interpreter lock
(GIL), and independent subinterpreters—but users must work out their own
solution for an immutable dictionary that can be safely shared by
concurrent code. There are existing modules that could be used, but a recent proposal, PEP 814 (“Add frozendict
built-in type”), looks to bring the feature to the language itself.
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