GhostBSD lead developer Eric Turgeon published an update regarding X.Org Server vs. XLibre vs. Wayland planning for the GhostBSD distribution moving forward as well as some future uncertainties to this desktop-focused, FreeBSD-derived OS…
10 Shows Like ‘Ponies’ You Should Watch Next
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Impeccable period vibes are a highlight of Ponies, the Peacock spy show starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson. They play a couple of housewives living in Moscow with their CIA agent husbands, at least until their spouses are killed under mysterious circumstances. In order to get to the bottom of things, the two convince the Moscow station chief that they could be useful as agents themselves. He figures, hey—who’d ever suspect a couple of secretaries? You can stream Ponies on Peacock, and then stream these stories of other unexpected spies.
The Americans (2013 – 2018)
Set during the Cold War 1980s, and created by former CIA officer Joe Weisberg, Americans follows Soviet KGB intelligence agents Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys), living lives as an American couple in the DC metro area—and raising their American-born children. The critically acclaimed (and popular) show makes much of its period setting and a central conflict that places two spies in the heart of suburban America, even as they’re tasked with undermining the Reagan-era government under which their children will grow up. Stream The Americans on Disney+ and Hulu.
Kleo (2022 – )
With this German import, we have a Cold War-era spy thriller punctuated by moments of very dark comedy. Jella Haase stars as Kleo Straub, a ruthless East German Stasi assassin who was framed for treason a couple of years before the series kicks off in 1989, and who’s now free to pursue brutal revenge. Sven Petzold (Dimitrij Schaad), meanwhile, is the hapless police officer who’s linked Kleo to a murder he’d been investigating, and pursues her before discovering that he’s in way, way over his head. Stream Kleo on Netflix.
Black Doves (2024 – )
This genre-bender has been something of a hit for Netflix—enough to have earned a second-season renewal. Keira Knightley stars as Helen Webb, wife of the Secretary of State for Defence of the U.K., and a secret spy in the employ of the mercenary spy organization of the title. She learns from her handler (Sarah Lancashire) that her lover has been killed, thus potentially blowing her cover, but luckily she has a hitman bestie (Ben Whislaw) to help her out. It’s all deliberately pulpy, with a tongue-in-cheek self-awareness that lightens the tone. Stream Black Doves on Netflix.
Homeland (2011 – 2020)
The series begins with CIA case officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) coming to suspect that that decorated Marine Corps scout sniper Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), recently rescued from an al-Qaeda compound, has been turned and is planning a terrorist attack on the United States. As she’s been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, her superiors don’t give Mathison’s suspicions much credence, kicking off a cat-and-mouse/is-he-or-isn’t he? game between the two. Both leads won Emmys for their performances, and the series took the Outstanding Drama prize in its first year. Stream Homeland on Hulu and Netflix.
The Sympathizer (2024)
A stellar miniseries with a reminder that boys can be spies, too. Based (kinda) on a true story, the show stars Hoa Xuande as the Captain (we know him only by that title), a member of the South Vietnamese army during the run-up to the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Except that he has a pretty big secret: He’s a spy for the communist north, and, when he’s evacuated to the United States, it’s as a double agent. His new life in sunny Southern California gets very complicated as he struggles with his old loyalties and his new life. With touches of dark comedy, great performances and some absolutely brilliant direction from showrunner Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, No Other Choice), this is an impressively unconventional period spy story. Stream The Sympathizer on HBO Max.
The Recruit (2022 – 2025)
A bit of fun in the “unlikely spy” genre, this one stars Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks, a nobody-in-particular young lawyer at the CIA who comes across an extortion threat from a former CIA asset in some otherwise boring paperwork. The discovery triggers a series of fast-paced, globetrotting adventures for which Hendricks is generally unprepared—always knowing more than he should, but not nearly enough to keep him out of trouble. It’s an adventure show more than a thriller, mostly, and a fair bit of fun for it. Stream The Recruit on Netflix.
Killing Eve (2018 – 2022)
Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer star as the two halves that form one of television’s great cat-and-mouse narratives, with Oh as Eve Polastri, a bored MI5 analyst who becomes obsessed with hunting down the brutal and notorious assassin known only as Villanelle. It starts as a professional compulsion before it becomes personal: Eve and Villanelle begin toying with each other, and it soon becomes clear that the fascination goes both ways—like Ponies, it’s the rare spy drama with two women out in front. Stream Killing Eve on Prime Video, Paramount+, Britbox, Tubi, and Netflix.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024 – )
One-upping the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie movie on which it’s based, Mr. & Mrs. Smith stars Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as a couple of spies tasked to pose as a married couple while coordinating (and sometimes competing against one another) on missions. Smartly, each episode takes on a standalone mission in a different location, while complicating the relationship between the two and gradually upping the stakes until the season finale, which sees them pitted against each other. The show has been renewed for season two, but it’s been delayed, and it’s unclear if Glover and Erskine will be returning, or if we’ll be getting a new Mr. & Mrs. Stream Mr. & Mrs. Smith on Prime Video.
The Day of the Jackal (2024 – )
Cinematic in scope, this new adaptation of the Frederick Forsyth novel is buoyed by brilliant casting: Eddie Redmayne plays the Jackal, a steely international assassin pursued by MI6 operative Bianca Pullman, played by Lashana Lynch (putting her experience as the new 007 in No Time to Die to good use). I’m not sure there’s anything here we haven’t seen in countless other spy thrillers (including, of course, the 1973 and 1997 film adaptations), but the performances and production values are top-notch, with each episode playing out like a tense mini-movie. Stream The Day of the Jackal on Peacock.
Down Cemetery Road (2025 – )
Splitting the difference between spy and detective genres, this show (from the works of Mick Herron, writer of the more specifically spy-centric Slow Horses novels), this one starts out as a murder mystery and builds to a rather massive government conspiracy. Emma Thompson stars as hard-living, hard-drinking private investigator Zoë Boehm, hired by Ruth Wilson’s Sarah Trafford, a married art restorer whom nobody takes seriously (including and especially her husband)—even when she becomes invested in the fate of a young girl whose family is killed in a gas explosion (allegedly) down the street. The girl, whose parents were killed, disappears into the system and no one really seems to care until Sarah hires Zoë and her husband to look into it. Turns out both women are in way over their heads, as the missing girl points to a much broader conspiracy. Thompson and Wilson are a brilliantly mismatched pair, and their performances are more than worth the price of admission. Stream Down Cemetery Road on Apple TV+.
Specialized boosts Levo 4’s motor power in eMTB arms race – does DJI have the ‘big S’ worried?
Specialized’s free over-the-air update boosts peak power and torque figures on the 3.1 Motor, fitted to the Turbo Levo 4.
The S-Works Levo 4 gets a 130W power boost to 850W, while torque remains at 111Nm. The non S-Works bikes – which have less power and torque as standard – are upped to 810W and 105Nm from 666W and 101Nm.
In a landscape of power and torque top trumps – with Bosch’s 100Nm and 750W and DJI‘s 120Nm and 1,000W – it looks as though Specialized’s update is a bid to keep its motors as competitive as possible.
Four additional features have been added during the 30-minute over-the-air update.
First is a rider-matched power setting for MicroTune. This new setting is claimed to match motor assistance precisely to rider input – you put in 100W of power to the bike and the motor gives you 100W of support.
Specialized says it’s designed to give the rider the “ultimate control” and boosts efficiency.
The transition between the support cut-off at the assistance speed limit has been remapped, and is claimed to be smoother as a result. Support now tapers down towards the speed limiter, helping the bike feel more natural on the trails.
Overrun has also been remapped, with “sharper” behaviour. When you stop pedalling, the overrun is said to be more responsive, with the aim of making it easier for the rider to get up steps, roots, rocks and obstacles.
Walk mode has been given three speed settings; you can now set the bike to move at your pace.
Specialized is keen to extoll the virtues of its over-the-air (OTA) updates, made accessible via the Specialized smartphone app.
Marco Sonderegger, the brand’s leader of turbo technology, says: “With over-the-air updates, every Turbo bike becomes a living evolving machine that gets better over time… With a simple software update done from the convenience of their home, riders’ bikes get more powerful, more refined, and more personalised.”
The brand also states “this milestone marks the start of a new era… keeping bikes running the most advanced software Specialized has ever created.”
It’s an arms race
But free OTA updates are nothing new; Bosch’s recent 100Nm and 750W update was delivered to its Gen 5 Performance Line CX motors via the Flow smartphone app
DJI’s latest 120Nm and 1,000W boost also came via app, giving the Avinox motor the highest figures of any mainstream manufacturer.
There’s more to it than headline figures, however.
How the power is delivered, and the bike’s assistance or support ratio or percentage are just as important.
The Bosch Gen 5 motor is hardly lacking in the power or torque departments, but its 1:4 or 400 per cent support ratio can make it feel lacklustre compared to the Avinox’s 1:8 or 800 per cent figure.
100W of rider power gives you up to 400W of Bosch motor power, totalling 500W. In the Avinox camp, 100W of your power will generate up to 800W of motor power, totalling 900W.
As I found in a recent head-to-head test between the Bosch and Avinox, the support ratio makes DJI’s motor shine everywhere.
Specialized doesn’t disclose its support ratios in the same way Bosch and DJI do, making direct comparisons hard.
Instead, the brand quotes its support and power as a percentage, rather than treating it as a rider amplifier number.
We don’t know how much rider input is required to access the 850W or 810W of peak power on the Turbo 3.1 motor.
Whether or not Specialized’s latest updates will edge it closer to the feel of a DJI motor remains to be seen.
Specialized turns the S-Works Tarmac SL8 into a rolling canvas with three limited-edition designs
Specialized has released the S-Works Tarmac SL8 Artist Series, featuring artwork from Pieter ‘Parra’ Janssen, Yoon Hyup and Lucas Beaufort on its flagship road frame.
The brand says it has chosen to work with the artists, who are cyclists themselves, to draw on their experiences on and off the bike.
Specialized claims each design expresses a different relationship to movement, colour, rhythm and the feeling of riding the bike.
The S-Works Tarmac SL8 Artist Series frames are priced at £4,999, and once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.
We’ve seen other brands work with artists to turn their bikes into rolling canvases, with Canyon’s MyCanyon Aeroad available with artwork from Felipe Pantone and Elena Salmistraro.
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 Parra
Specialized says the Parra-designed bike draws from the colourful 90s cycling culture that first inspired Pieter Janssen, reimagined through his signature curvy, hand-drawn style.
The frame is said to carry the feeling of blasting through colour at high velocity, layered with hidden typography and redrawn elements waiting to be discovered.
It’s said to reflect the clarity Janssen finds on the bike and the surge of the cycling high, resulting in a design that feels electric, modern and unmistakably Parra.
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 Yoon Hyup
The brand says Yoon Hyup’s frame captures the sensation of moving fast through the city – quiet, sharp and stealthy in motion.
It’s said to be inspired by dawn and night rides where streetlights stretch ahead like a runway, the design reflecting the blur of night-chase energy as speed turns into flow.
There are hand-painted textures and hidden elements that are said to be drawn from Hyup’s riding life, bringing his signature rhythm to the SL8.
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 Lucas Beaufort
Specialized says this frame is shaped by a style rooted in life and experience, carrying hidden layers meant for each rider’s interpretation.
It is said to encourage curiosity, openness and the confidence to follow your own path with joy and hope.
Netflix is streaming its first MMA fight on May 16
Netflix is streaming its very first live MMA fight on May 16. The combatants are one-time phenom Ronda Rousey and one-time actor Gina Carano. Both women have retired from the sport. Rousey left in 2016 and Carano left all the way back in 2009. In any event, they are both back for one night only.
The featherweight bout will take place inside a hexagon cage and will stream globally. It’s likely Netflix had to choose two retired fighters because current stars are under contracts with various promotional entities. This fight is co-hosted by Most Valuable Productions, a promotional company started by Jake Paul.
A LEGACY SHOWDOWN � #RouseyCarano
RONDA ROUSEY vs. GINA CARANO
Saturday May 16
LIVE only on Netflix pic.twitter.com/cybtQHNyPT— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) February 17, 2026
Netflix has already been streaming boxing matches, so MMA seems like a natural next step. The platform has also aired live talk shows, golf events and awards ceremonies.
If you’re unfamiliar with the aforementioned fighters, Rousey is a UFC champion and Olympic medalist who has a fantastic 12-2 record in MMA. Carano is a pioneer in the sport, starting her career all the way back in 2006.
She also played Cara Dune in The Mandalorian before getting into hot water after social media posts that mocked mask wearing during the pandemic, alleged voter fraud during the 2020 election and denigrated transgender people. However, it really came to a head when she doubled down on her comments, likening the social media blowback conservatives receive to what Jewish people experienced during the holocaust. That’s when she was fired from the hit Star Wars show.
Carano has since teamed up with Elon Musk to sue Disney over the firing. In related news, there’s a fresh trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu movie and it’s pretty darned fun.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-is-streaming-its-first-mma-fight-on-may-16-165702479.html?src=rss
The Highguard Website Is Down As Players Brace For The Worst
The free-to-play raid shooter found itself at the center of endless online discourse the moment it was announced less than 70 days ago
There’s a lot of big talk about sovereign launch—who is doing something about it?
No one will supplant American and Chinese dominance in the space launch arena anytime soon, but several longtime US allies now see sovereign access to space as a national security imperative.
Taking advantage of private launch initiatives already underway within their own borders, several middle and regional powers have approved substantial government funding for commercial startups to help them reach the launch pad. Australia, Canada, Germany, and Spain are among the nations that currently lack the ability to independently put their own satellites into orbit but which are now spending money to establish a domestic launch industry. Others talk a big game but haven’t committed the cash to back up their ambitions.
The moves are part of a wider trend among US allies to increase defense spending amid strained relations with the Trump administration. Tariffs, trade wars, and threats to invade the territory of a NATO ally have changed the tune of many foreign leaders. In Europe, there’s even talk of fielding a nuclear deterrent independent of the nuclear umbrella provided by the US military.
This Is The Ultimate Trick Shot Of Pokémon Shiny Hunting
Shiny hunting is usually a long process, then you see people pull off something like this
How DuckDuckGo’s New Encrypted Voice AI Chat Compares With ChatGPT and Gemini
While OpenAI is pushing ads on its free users, DuckDuckGo’s Duck.ai portal is going a different way. Duck.ai is a privacy-first AI chatbot that doesn’t use your data for training, but still gives you AI answers using popular models, including those from OpenAI. The data privacy feature goes beyond as well. DuckDuckGo removes all private metadata (like your location and IP address) before prompting the AI model, and it doesn’t share anything about you or your device. Your questions, as well as DuckDuckGo’s answers, are never used for AI training.
Since its launch in 2024, the portal has only offered a chatbot interface, but now, DuckDuckGo has added a voice mode as well. With voice chat, instead of reading through long and meandering answers, the AI replies in short, to-the-point snippets that are relevant to your query. Duck.ai’s take on the feature is competing with those from companies like OpenAI and Google, and it’s free—though expanded limits are offered for DuckDuckGo subscribers.
How Duck.ai’s voice chat works
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Duck.ai’s voice chat is opt-in, not mandatory. In fact, you can even use it without a DuckDuckGo account. To try it, head to the Duck.ai portal, then from the sidebar, choose the voice chat option and enable it for your account.
Now, when you click the “New Voice Chat” button in the sidebar, Duck.ai’s bot will appear. You can start speaking, and the bot will reply to you. Just like ChatGPT or Gemini, this is a continuous voice chat, so you don’t need to perform any action to ask follow-up questions. You can also interrupt the AI answer to add clarifications or to ask more questions.
While the text prompts let you choose the models (including OpenAI’s ChatGPT 5-mini), it’s not clear exactly what powers voice chat. DuckDuckGo says that it uses an OpenAI model, but doesn’t specify which one it is.
When it comes to AI voice chats, ChatGPT is still the king
Of course, the real question is how Duck.ai’s voice chat holds up against Gemini and ChatGPT. For general knowledge questions, Duck.ai holds its own, but it falters when it comes to the latest news. I asked all three services the same questions, and while some responses were similar, ChatGPT’s voice mode offers the best overall user experience by far.
I tested the voice chat features using three different kinds of questions. First, I asked about the upcoming Samsung S26 series; second, we talked about the Roman Empire; and lastly, I asked for some advice on how to get started with coding.
When it comes to asking questions about news, like Samsung’s S26 release, DuckDuckGo’s limitations are immediately evident. It sometimes flat out refuses to answer, saying its knowledge cutoff is 2023. Other times, it gives vague responses about the upcoming event, suggesting I check news sites for the latest information. When pressed for details, like when the event is or the rumors surrounding it, it goes back to its cut-off period excuse.
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
ChatGPT’s app, however, gave me a detailed response with all the latest rumors, as well as articles to read for additional information—basically, what you’d expect from an AI assistant. Gemini Live provided shorter responses than ChatGPT, though they were accurate. I was able to get Gemini to give me more details in the regular text mode, which reads aloud results if you ask questions using the Mic button, but this defeats the back-and-forth purpose of a voice mode.
Samsung Event rumors according to ChatGPT Voice (Left) and Gemini Live (Right).
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Duck.ai didn’t fare much better when I asked about the Roman Empire. I asked for a brief overview of the subject, before cutting it off to just ask who the last emperor was. It answered correctly (Romulus Augustulus), and its overview was fine, but lacked details about the transitionary period and exact dates.
Duck.ai’s reponse to Roman History question.
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Again, ChatGPT gave me a much more detailed answer (as demonstrated by the screenshot below). Gemini Live’s answer, however, was devoid of any real dates, or meaning. Mic mode offered more details, but Google’s voice mode was quite limited.
History of Roman Empire in Gemini (Left) vs ChatGPT Voice (Right)
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Duck.ai performed better when I asked it about learning how to code. It followed a very similar script to ChatGPT and Gemini, suggesting I learn Python, even offering the same sources for learning (e.g. freeCodeCamp and Harvard CS50 courses).
Duck.ai Response to coding question.
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Gemini Live was the outlier here, though, asking follow-up questions about what I’d like to build or practice. It then changed its answers based on my project ideas (switching from Python to JavaScript as the first language I should learn to build web projects). ChatGPT provided an overview, again focusing on Python, and elaborated on the language’s barrier to entry when I asked for more information.
Intro to programming languages in Gemini (Left and Middle) vs ChatGPT Voice (Right).
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Duck.ai’s voice chat feature is a mixed bag. It can be fast, doesn’t use any personal information, and lets you interrupt it. But its limited knowledge base and its inability to give detailed answers are what make it tough to recommend. For the smoothest voice mode experience, ChatGPT is still the king. While DuckDuckGo has the advantage for privacy, you could always use ChatGPT while logged out or in temporary mode to limit the data you share with OpenAI.
KDE Plasma 6.6 Desktop Environment Released, This Is What’s New
KDE Plasma 6.6 desktop is out now, introduces an optional new login manager, improved zoom modes, and faster everyday desktop interactions.
Kingdom Come Deliverance II And The Witcher 3 Are Coming To Xbox Game Pass
It’s a busy month, with High on Life 2 and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora as well
The Best Quest 3 Soft Head Straps For Reclined & Lying Down Use
Watching a movie or chilling out with a meditative VR experience can meaningfully expand the use case and the amount of time someone might be willing to spend in a headset.
Unfortunately there are many factors that push against this trend. Most notably the soft cloth head straps that ship with the Quest 3 and 3s (and the Quest 2 previously) are not comfortable for many people, especially for longer sessions.
The dream of a personal theater to view movies and other entertainment is not new, born out of the Oculus revolution. But early VR was developed mainly for gaming, with head straps prioritizing stability on the head for movement rather than comfort lying down.
The laying down use case is now being served by many more consumer choices than ever before. I’ve been testing these options to bring them to light for others like me, who are seeking a comfortable solution.
Apexinno A3 Ultra-Light Head Strap
Apexinno has introduced a new lightweight head strap that uses a silicone accordion rear strap, reminiscent of the Apple knit straps for Vision Pro. The top strap is a fabric and Velcro piece that sits front-to-back to provide lift on the headset to reduce pressure on the face and cheekbones.
The A3 successfully replicates much of the satisfying gathering, cupping sensation that the Apple knit straps provide on the back of the head. It makes for a comfortable and lightweight solution that essentially disappears once you’re laying down. There is a scroll wheel on the right hand side that tightens the rear strap. To loosen you pull outward on the knob and the rear strap relaxes.
For someone looking for a solution similar to the Apple Vision Pro Knit strap but for far less money, and without having to go with 3rd party adapters, the Apexinno A3 is a compelling choice. You can find the A3 available for $29.99 on the Apexinno website or Amazon.com
Editor’s Note: Apexinno provided a review unit of the A3 head strap for this article.
Kiwi Design K4 Flex Comfort Elite Head Strap
Kiwi Design’s K4 Flex takes a different approach. It combines a rigid yet flexible rear pad and elastic side straps to create a secure yet very comfortable experience for the user. The rear is well cushioned with a synthetic leather pad and a front to rear top strap is also present to provide lift for the headset off the face. Also noticeable is the high level of fit and finish and attention to detail in the design and construction of the K4 Flex. It feels and behaves like a high-quality product.
In practice this is one of the most comfortable head straps I’ve used on my quest. During lying down sessions the rear pad is more apparent than the Apexinno, and some people might find it not as suited to full horizontal VR. However, it is well padded and flexible enough that it was never uncomfortable for me, just noticeable.
My impression of the K4 Flex is that it neatly falls between a true lying down solution and a capable elite-style head strap, with some valuable qualities of both types. And in the end might be the most compelling for all-around use.
The K4 Flex is available on the Kiwi Design website for $34.99 or Amazon.com.
Meta Quest 3 Stock Head Strap with 3rd Party Head Pad
A low cost solution I found that greatly improved the comfort of the stock Meta Quest head strap is the addition of a rear head pad. This spreads the pressure of the strap more widely and evenly across the back of the head and reduces the “hot spots” where I would get sore using the stock strap alone.
These are commonly available on Amazon and other online marketplaces. Apexinno features one on their website. I purchased mine from Ali Express for less than $10.
Apple Vision Pro Dual Knit Band with 3rd party adapters
I previously wrote about my experience adapting an Apple Dual Knit bank to my Meta Quest 3, using 3rd party adapters from an Etsy vendor. While this is easily the most expensive solution here, it also has some unique advantages.
The Dual Knit strap is exceptionally well made and designed, no surprise given its Apple design and lofty price tag. The woven material is soft and luxurious to the touch. The adjustment knob serves a dual function, and does so with a feeling of quality and precision. The tungsten weights built into the rear strap and the cross-head design instead of a front-to-back design means that weight is managed differently. Given the Quest 3’s lighter weight than the Vision Pro, this makes for a very balanced and comfortable solution that offers terrific adjustability.
The comfort of Apple’s design demonstrates that the Vision Pro was designed with the reclined or lying down use case in mind. Quest owners can now experience Apple’s design choices for themselves.
Thoughts On Comfort & Convenience
One added benefit of these soft straps is the convenience afforded when traveling with your Quest. I was able to simply roll the entire thing up, headset and strap, into a sweatshirt and stick it in my bag – no special travel case required. As someone who travels for work frequently, it’s not a small thing to have that option. Convenience is king when making decisions about what to bring along.
What all of these options really highlight is an acknowledgment of the broader spectrum of how many people actually use VR. For years, head strap design decisions were built around the assumption that users would be standing, moving, and playing. But a lot of us also want to lean back, watch a movie, or spend some quiet time in a headset. Comfort for those moments looks different than it does for active gaming, and the industry is finally starting to recognize that.
Breakthrough Holographic 3D Printing Tech Creates Objects In Half A Second
If you thought your Bambu X1 Carbon was fast, a new 3D printing technique that can fabricate complex millimeter-scale objects in just 0.6 seconds may bring some buyer’s remorse. To achieve such performance, the tech uses holographic light fields to solidify resin all at once, obviously taking away the wait needed for layer-by-layer process
Surprise! Konami Just Quietly Delisted Old Metal Gear Solid Games Ahead Of The Newest Remasters
Also: Project Windless‘s publisher confirms its genAI-friendly development cycle
Mazda Finally Admits Its Infotainment System Is the Worst
Mazda, the automaker that for years defended its scroll-wheel infotainment system as a safer alternative to touchscreens, is abandoning the approach entirely in the 2026 CX-5 in favor of a 15.6-inch touchscreen and zero physical buttons.
The current lineup — the CX-50 Hybrid, CX-70 and CX-90 — still relies on a console-mounted scroll wheel and dedicated action buttons to navigate a tablet-like screen perched atop the dashboard. Upper-trim CX-70 and CX-90 models do have 12.3-inch touchscreens, but touch input only works when parked and only inside CarPlay; it disables automatically once the car is in drive.
The new CX-5 goes the other direction entirely, eliminating all hard buttons including the volume knob and physical climate controls that current models still offer. Mazda says the touchscreen is safe because core functions like climate are pinned to a persistent bottom bar — an approach Ford, Rivian, and most of the industry adopted years ago.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
[$] Do androids dream of accepted pull requests?
Various forms of tools, colloquially known as “AI”, have been
rapidly pervading all aspects of open-source development. Many
developers are embracing LLM tools for code creation and review. Some
project maintainers complain about suffering from a deluge of slop-laden pull
requests, as well as fabricated bug and security
reports. Too many projects are reeling from scraperbot attacks that
effectively DDoS important infrastructure. But an AI bot flaming an
open-source maintainer was not on our bingo card for 2026; that seemed
a bit too far-fetched. However, it appears that is just what happened
recently after a project rejected a bot-driven pull request.
Snapchat is rolling out creator subscriptions
Snapchat is taking a page out of Meta’s handbook. The social media platform has announced it will launch creator subscriptions for users. Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook currently offer a similar feature.
On Snapchat, creator subscriptions will give users access to exclusive content across Snaps and Stories. They will also get priority replies and go ad-free on stories. Snapchat pitches the new feature as great way to give creators “freedom to experiment” and “build a recurring income stream” — all good things for keeping people on your platform.
Creators can choose exactly how much they want to charge subscribers per month. They can spread these figures out across Snapchat’s recommended tiers.
Snap
Starting February 23, select US-based Snapchat creators will be able to offer subscriptions. In the US, iOS users should then be able to subscribe to their accounts. The feature should expand to Canada, France, and the UK in the coming weeks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/snapchat-is-rolling-out-creator-subscriptions-152114731.html?src=rss
Pokémon Pokopia Has The Best Approach To Multiplayer Possible, With One Caveat
The life sim will allow anyone to access an island regardless of who owns it
Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router Deals To Supercharge Your Network
Don’t let an aging wireless router hold back your home network. These days, practically everything is downloaded and streamed, from triple-A games to movies and TV shows. Practically everything is a connected device too, and if your router is a few generations old, then consider upgrading to take advantage of features only found in later protocols.
Wi-Fi
Nintendo’s Virtual Boy app is now available to download
Nintendo’s Virtual Boy app is now available to download on Switch and Switch 2 as part of its Nintendo Classics offering. You’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership to access the launch titles, and unlike Nintendo’s other retro emulators, this one also requires a dedicated accessory.
As a reminder, the Virtual Boy was a portable tabletop system released in 1995, and the first console capable of rendering stereoscopic 3D graphics. It had a facemask with a monochrome red display built onto a bipod, so rather than wearing it like a modern VR headset, you had to awkwardly push your face towards it to play games.
Once you enter the third dimension, there’s no going back…#VirtualBoy – Nintendo Classics is available now on #NintendoSwitch2 and #NintendoSwitch, as part of #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack! pic.twitter.com/2uLd8iYorB
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) February 17, 2026
While undeniably innovative for the time, the console never took off (to put it gently), but Nintendo is giving anyone who missed out in the ’90s a chance to experience one of the strangest experiments in its history in 2026. Aesthetically, the $100 Virtual Boy add-on is a near perfect replica of the original console, with the big difference being that rather than a built-in display, it has a slot for sliding in your Switch or Switch 2. And unlike the OG Virtual Boy, this one is also wireless.
If $100 seems a bit steep for something that’ll almost certainly be collecting dust before summer rolls around, Nintendo is also selling a $25 cardboard version (unfortunately your old Labo VR headset won’t work here). Both are available to buy from the My Nintendo Store.
The Virtual Boy app is launching with the following games today: 3d Tetris, Galactic Pinball, Golf, The Mansion of Innsmouth, Red Alarm, Teleroboxer and Virtual Boy Wario Land. More games will be added in the future, including Mario Clash, Mario’s Tennis and Space Invaders Virtual Collection.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-virtual-boy-app-is-now-available-to-download-150705800.html?src=rss