The Future of Tech, News and making sense of it all!

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Technology News and More-Saturday Edition...

 Technology News and More...







Why SpaceX Is Finally Gearing Up to Go Public
300+Wired / 12h
Like so many things in Elon Musk's orbit, a lot of it may come down to AI.




Senator endorses discredited doctor’s book that claims chemical treats autism, cancer
500+Ars Technica - All content / 15h
For years, Sen. Ron Johnson has been spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation about COVID-19 and the safety of vaccines. He’s promoted disproven treatments for COVID-19 and claimed, without evidence, that athletes are “dropping dead on the field” after getting the COVID-19 vaccination. Now the Wisconsin politician is endorsing a book by a discredited doctor promoting an unproven and dange


AI chatbots are now integrated 'into the full texture of human life,' Microsoft study claims
Latest from TechRadar / 21h
Work questions in the day, personal questions at night, desktop for productivity, mobile for personal: Copilot reveals all.






I tested 4 of Dyson's best stick vacuums head to head – this is the one to buy, and the one to avoid
Latest from TechRadar / 21min
When it comes to Dyson vacuums, it turns out the newest models aren't always the best choice.





Is A Spirit Airlines Shutdown Imminent? Competitors Seem To Think So…
One Mile at a Time / 1h
It’s anyone’s guess how this plays out, but there seems to be a belief among some senior executives at other US airlines that Spirit Airlines could shut down imminently… as soon as this weekend. Spirit Airlines competitors think the airline will go bust The Air Current reports that executives at multiple airlines in the United States are closely watching Spirit Airlines’ December 13 bankruptcy mi





How to watch Flamengo vs. Pyramids FC online for free
Mashable / 2h
TL;DR: Live stream Flamengo vs. Pyramids FC in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup for free on FIFA+ . Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN . We're approaching the dramatic conclusion of the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Pyramids FC face off against Flamengo for a spot in the final. There the winner will battle it out with Paris Saint-Germain for the title. How i





Hurdle hints and answers for December 13, 2025
Mashable / 2h
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle , then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give





Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on December 13
Mashable / 2h
The moon is returning to its crescent shape as we head towards the New Moon. We're still a few days away from total darkness, so for now there's still a few features to be spotted on the surface. Read on to find out what you can see. What is today’s moon phase? As of Saturday, Dec. 13, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 34% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon





Ouch: Mesa Homeowners Card Shuts Down Effective Immediately
One Mile at a Time / 2h
I’ve written in the past about the Mesa Homeowners Card , which awards points for paying your mortgage, along with offering all kinds of other lucrative opportunities. I had posed the question of whether the card was too good to be true… as it turns out, it was. Mesa Homeowners Card suddenly goes out of business Mesa has reached out to cardmembers to inform them that their accounts are being clos





I tested 4 wireless Android Auto adapters, and this is the only survivor
How-To Geek / 2h
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are some of the best features in newer cars, but if you've ever wanted to upgrade from a wired system to a wireless one, the options were somewhat limited—until now. Don't waste your money on a no-name adapter from Amazon, and buy this one instead.





NYT Pips hints, answers for December 13, 2025
Mashable / 4h
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue. Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit. Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you





NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 13, 2025
Mashable / 4h
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're stylish. Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle , Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints an





NYT Strands hints, answers for December 13, 2025
Mashable / 4h
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love chaos. Strands , the New York Times ' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's





Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 13, 2025
Mashable / 4h
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're frugal. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints





Biggest Wealth Explosion in History
Next Big Future / 5h
There is profound transformation coming over the next decades. It will unlock the equivalent of a century of change every decade. Bi





Divers Intrigued by Huge Underwater Structure


Futurism / 5h
The vast majority of our planet’s oceans remain entirely unexplored , meaning they’re full of tantalizing treasures hidden from sight. In a particularly cool example, French marine archaeologists discovered an enormous undersea wall that measures almost 400 feet in length, as the BBC reports — the biggest underwater construction ever found in France. The wall was discovered off the coast of Britt





Mesa Homeowners Card Appears To Be Going Out Of Business
View from the Wing / 6h
Mesa closed my account, and that of many readers. The option to transfer points to airline miles and hotel points is gone. The only redemption option left in the app appears to be.. Continue reading ...





That twisty Wake Up Dead Man ending, explained
Mashable / 6h
Million-dollar diamonds, priests with neck tattoos, full-on resurrection... These are all elements of the narrative puzzle Rian Johnson pieces together in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery . The latest Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) whodunnit transports audiences to the quiet town of Chimney Rock, where local church Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude has been rocked by a murder most foul, that of





Even 1,001 Disney deals may not save OpenAI
Mashable / 6h
It's hard to imagine a company appearing to put its thumb on the scale for another company more than Bob Iger's Disney just did for Sam Altman's OpenAI . The very day Disney took legal action against Google for what it says is unlicensed use of its intellectual property , it also licensed some of that property for use in Sora, the video generator made by Google's main rival, OpenAI. Just to make





Elon Musk’s SpaceX Valued at $800 Billion, as It Prepares to Go Public
100+NYT > Technology / 6h
A sale of insider shares at $421 a share would make Mr. Musk’s rocket company the most valuable private company in the world, as it readies for a possible initial public offering next year.





How (and why) to book United flights with Aeroplan points
The Points Guy Articles / 6h
If you're sitting on a healthy stash of transferable points and miles and want to fly United Airlines for less, your first instinct may be to move them to United's MileagePlus program . But thanks to Star Alliance partner Air Canada's Aeroplan loyalty program , you can often book the same United-operated flights using Aeroplan points instead — and in some situations, you'll pay fewer points than





Apple releases iOS 26.2, and new Edge Light tool. Heres how to try all the OS updates.
Mashable / 7h
Apple released new updates to its core operating systems today, with the 26.2 versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS available now. As expected, the iPhone update iOS 26.2 is getting the most attention. Apple's official description of the update says it offers "enhancements to Apple Music, Podcasts, and Games, as well as other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPho





WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: How to watch John Cena's final match for free
Engadget / 7h
John Cena began his WWE retirement tour back in January, and it's coming to an end this weekend when the wrestling legend headlines WWE Saturday Night's Main Event . For the last fight of his career, Cena has been matched up with "The Ring General" Gunther on the night's fight card, which also features matches between Cody Rhodes and Oba Femi, a tag team match featuring AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs.





I Tried the New Sunscreen Ingredient the FDA Is Finally Approving After Over 20 Years
Lifehacker / 7h
Some unexpected good news from the FDA: bemotrizinol, a sunscreen ingredient that has been used in Europe and Asia for decades, is finally being added to the allowable ingredients list for products sold in the U.S. Bemotrizinol is the active ingredient in sunscreens like Bioré Watery Essence, which has a cult following for being unlike anything we can get in the U.S. I’ve tried Bioré UV Aqua Rich





Say hello to Google’s ‘Disco’, an AI tool that makes web apps from browser tabs
Mashable / 7h
Google is always introducing new experimental AI tools, like that time it tried out AI-generated podcasts in Google Search results. Another such AI-powered experiment has hit the proverbial airwaves. This time, it’s a Gemini-powered tool that it’s calling "Disco," which can take a web browser tab and turn it into an interactive web app. The process is fairly simple. You take a browser tab and ask





From Word to Excel, bring the Microsoft Office classics to your Mac for just $40
Mashable / 8h
TL;DR : Refresh an Apple computer with this Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 for Mac license for only $39.97 (reg. $229). Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac $39.97 $229 Save $189.03 Gone are the days when Microsoft Office was only for the PC crowd. You can now take advantage of all the perks of these essential tools on your Mac. And right





This $69 tool could help new investors make money
Mashable / 8h
TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Sterling Stock Picker is now only $69. Opens in a new window Credit: Sterling Stock Picker Sterling Stock Picker: Lifetime Subscription $68.99 $486 Save $417.01 It’s a tough time for anyone who wants to get into investing. The stock market is volatile and can feel like a high-stakes guessing game, but it’s actually a lot simpler than it looks. If you want to get





Start 2026 organized and ready with this Microsoft Office license, now $90 off
Mashable / 8h
TL;DR : Give yourself a productivity boost with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for Mac or PC for only $159.97 (reg. $249.99). Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $159.97 $249.99 Save $90.02 Want to get ahead on your 2026 goals? If you want to organize your digital life and really streamline





Jim Carrey Wanted to Become the Grinch at All Costs
Gizmodo / 8h
The Ron Howard movie turns 25 this year, and its star recalls the torture he went through to portray Dr. Seuss' Christmas-loathing character.





How I Use the NotebookLM Slide Deck Generator to Study More Easily
Lifehacker / 8h
Once again, there is a new feature available on Google's NotebookLM , the AI tool that functions like a personal assistant and only references material you provide for it. This one is a slide deck generator, which can be useful if you need to make a presentation in a hurry, but I've been using it a little differently to help myself retain new information. Generating a slide deck in NotebookLM Fir





5K monitors are finally going mainstream? Asus unleashes ROG Strix true 5120p monitor with 90-day Adobe Creative Cloud subs, but we're missing a critical piece
Latest from TechRadar / 8h
Asus ROG Strix XG27JCG combines 5K resolution, high refresh, HDR, AI motion features, and creative workflow suitability with flexible ergonomics.





Did AMD just launch the fastest silent video cards ever? Passively cooled 32GB DDR6 Radeon AI Pro R9700S debuts with ginormous 300W TDP
Latest from TechRadar / 8h
AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700S offers 32GB memory, passive cooling, and high FP32 compute performance for dense AI workstation setups.





ChatGPT’s adult mode is coming — and it might not be what you think it is
Latest from TechRadar / 8h
OpenAI will introduce a ChatGPT adult mode in 2026, pending the success of its age verification AI currently in testing.





These Kid-Friendly Websites Put a Modern-Day Twist on 'the Quiet Game'
Lifehacker / 8h
Whether you're a teacher, a parent, or just someone with a big family, you know how difficult it can be to keep a room full of kids quiet for any amount of time. One trick I've used is offering to time how long kids can stay quiet. For reasons I don't understand, kids love it when something is being timed. But that only work a few times at the most, so it's good to have as many other tricks on ha





GPT-5.2 vs Grok 4 — How does Musk’s AI compare on benchmarks, price, and features?
Mashable / 8h
Yesterday, just as OpenAI celebrated its 10-year anniversary, the AI company launched GPT-5.2 , its latest series of AI models to power ChatGPT. The latest release is allegedly in response to OpenAI’s rumored “code red” state, as the AI market share leader is reportedly bleeding users to Google's Gemini 3 and other AI chatbots. The main competition appears to be between Gemini 3 and GPT-5.2 , as





Amazon pulls error-filled Fallout AI video recaps from Prime Video
Mashable / 8h
In November, Amazon announced that it was launching AI video recaps for TV shows. In theory, this could be useful, as now that fans often have to wait years in between seasons of a show, plot recaps are often very necessary before binge-watching a new season. In practice, however, viewers have spotted several errors in a video recap for the first season of the Fallout TV series , which is gearing





Tesla’s Cheap Model Y and Model 3 Aren’t Slowing Down Its Sliding Sales: Report
72Gizmodo / 8h
The Cybertruck isn't pulling its own weight either.





OpenAI built an AI coding agent and uses it to improve the agent itself
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
With the popularity of AI coding tools rising among some software developers, their adoption has begun to touch every aspect of the process, including the improvement of AI coding tools themselves. In interviews with Ars Technica this week, OpenAI employees revealed the extent to which the company now relies on its own AI coding agent, Codex , to build and improve the development tool. “I think t





Is the US afraid of Huawei? Reports point to the Ascend 910C accelerator’s performance to explain the surprising reversal of Nvidia's H200 AI GPU ban on China
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
The US permits Nvidia H200 exports to China as Huawei’s Ascend 910C chips demonstrate competitive AI compute performance and potential.





US TikTok investors in limbo as deal set to be delayed again
BBC News / 9h
A deal to sell TikTok has remained elusive, despite earlier claims that a deal was done.





‘Star Wars’ and Deadpool Bring Festive Themed Treats to Disneyland
Gizmodo / 9h
Eat your way through Disney Parks this season with Chewbacca-endorsed Life Day fare at Galaxy's Edge and chimichangas at Avengers Campus.





Four Ways to Fix a Slippery Wood Floor
Lifehacker / 9h
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Recently, a few spots on the hardwood floors in my house have become mysteriously slippery—so slippery that they're kind of dangerous. I really feel like my feet might go out from under me when I walk there, and there were a few close calls before I started avoiding them (or at least bracing myself to walk over them more carefully). This is no way





Los Angeles woman discovers man hiding in Waymo trunk
Mashable / 9h
While Waymo continues its expansion across America's roads (and highways) , some concerns about the self-driving cars persist. The worries mostly concern autonomous vehicles hallucinating or disobeying traffic rules — such as driving past stopped school buses — but a new anxiety was unlocked this week in Los Angeles, when a female Waymo customer discovered a man hiding in the car's trunk. This Tw





“Someone At Hyatt Is Messing With You” — My Tampered JFK Reservation Turned Into Broken Locks And Bogus Charges
View from the Wing / 9h
A night at one of my go-to JFK hotels turned surreal when I arrived and was told my Hyatt reservation had been changed behind my back. From there it spiraled into broken door locks, lounge and billing issues, and “bogus” charges I had to deal with on the way out. Continue reading ...





Amazon pulls its bad AI video recaps after Fallout fallout
Engadget / 9h
Amazon has responded to viewers catching errors in its AI-generated season recaps by apparently pulling them from Prime Video. The company announced its new Video Recaps feature in November as a way to make it easier to jump into a new season of a show, but the feature had issues: A recap created for Fallout included factual errors about the plot and the setting of the show. On Prime Video, recap





Now is a good time to buy a Tesla – the EV giant is offering free upgrades and enticing finance deals to drive sales
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
Been pondering buying a Tesla? It's just launched a range of incentives in North America to help boost sales – here's what you can get.





Former Accenture employee charged by DoJ for cloud security fraud
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
The defendant allegedly hid her employer’s lack of security controls.





Please don't send me an AI Christmas card
How-To Geek / 9h
Let’s be honest, sending Christmas cards is not a fun holiday task. It’s time-consuming and can even be pretty expensive. Using AI to generate a Christmas card “from scratch” is tempting, but it’s a sure-fire way to end up in my trash bin.





Update Your iPhone ASAP to Avoid FaceTime Scams
2 TTPs•
Lifehacker / 9h
On Friday, Apple dropped iOS 26.2 . Despite being the third update in the iOS 26 era, 26.2 still adds some interesting and useful new features, like alarms for reminders and refinements to the Sleep Score on Apple Watch . Updates aren't all about the features, however. Apple typically includes a number of security patches with its software releases as well, which makes each update important to in





Riding onboard with Rivian’s race to autonomy
TechCrunch / 9h
Rivian demonstrated the progress it's made, and in the process showed just how far it still has to go to make its cars autonomous.





Google is bringing Gemini live translation to your headphones (unless youre using an iPhone, of course)
Mashable / 9h
Google just made whatever pair of headphones you own a bit more useful. As part of a broader expansion of Google Translate, the company is rolling out a beta for live language translation using headphones, Google announced in a blog post . Google says the feature supports more than 70 languages and, most importantly, works with "any pair of headphones," presumably provided that they have a microp





Highest Chase Freedom Unlimited offer in 9 months — should you apply?
The Points Guy Articles / 9h
When it comes to no-annual-fee credit cards , it doesn't get much better than Chase's duo of the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees ) and the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees ). They both come with valuable welcome offers, too, with the potential to take home tons of cash back. And right now, the Chase Freedom Unlimited is offering its highest bonus since March . (The Freedom Fle





Reminder: Donate to win swag in our annual Charity Drive sweepstakes
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
If you’ve been too busy floating in your new WoW house to take part in this year’s Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes , don’t worry. You still have time to donate to a good cause and get a chance to win your share of over $4,000 worth of swag (no purchase necessary to win). In the first two days or so of the drive, over 200 readers have contributed over $11,000 to either the Electronic Fronti





Google Translate expands live translation to all earbuds on Android
Ars Technica - All content / 9h
Google has increasingly moved toward keeping features locked to its hardware products, but the Translate app is bucking that trend. The live translate feature is breaking out of the Google bubble with support for any earbuds you happen to have connected to your Android phone. The app is also getting improved translation quality across dozens of languages and some Duolingo-like learning features.





This Zotac mini PC has the most powerful GPU ever bundled in a PC of this size — 16GB GeForce RTX 5060 Ti is competitive with 5070 Ti laptop edition
Latest from TechRadar / 10h
Zotac’s EN275060TC fits a desktop RTX 5060 Ti into a compact frame, delivering competitive performance through a hybrid PCIe power setup.





Blue Origin’s Next Mission Is Helping Redefine Who Gets to Go to Space
Gizmodo / 10h
Should the mission proceed as planned, it will mark a major step forward for accessibility in spaceflight—sending the first wheelchair user beyond Earth.





Amazon Pulls AI Recap Video After ‘Fallout’ Mess
74Gizmodo / 10h
Amazon is being forced to repeatedly learn a lesson: use AI slop, and get people yelling at you until you don't.





Wall Street Sphincters Tighten as Oracle Delays Its OpenAI Data Center Buildout
Gizmodo / 10h
When the bubble pops, you can't say there weren't signs.





Hegseth’s New Pentagon AI Is Telling Military Personnel His Boat Strike Was Completely Illegal
Futurism / 10h
Pete Hegseth and his Department of Defense lackeys might not care whether their air strikes on Venezuelan fishing boats are legal, but their own AI chatbot sure does. Earlier this week, the DoD — which is now calling itself the “War Department” — unveiled GenAI.mil , a large language model (LLM) designed for military personnel. Just minutes after the platform went live, someone thought to ask it





Reddit Sues Australia Over Teen Social Media Ban as Other Nations Consider Similar Laws
Gizmodo / 10h
The company says the law violates teens’ political speech rights as other countries consider similar restrictions.





Mind-Bending ‘Einstein Cross’ Reveals Ultrabright Supernova From an Unthinkable Distance
Gizmodo / 10h
For the first time, astronomers have captured the brilliance of a superluminous supernova via gravitational lensing.





Online gaming escaped Australia's social media ban - but critics say it's just as addictive
38BBC News / 10h
Parents and experts say gaming poses many of the same risks for kids as social media, and want them included.





Google Translate gets a major upgrade from Gemini
How-To Geek / 10h
Google is rolling out a major update to its Gemini audio models, bringing powerful live speech-to-speech translation capabilities to the Google Translate app. This upgrade uses the improved Gemini 2.5 Flash Native Audio model, which is designed to handle complex voice interactions.





With iOS 26.2, Apple lets you roll back Liquid Glass again — this time on the Lock Screen
TechCrunch / 10h
Your iPhone clock doesn't have to be so "glassy" anymore, thanks to a new Apple software update.





4 reasons it's worth booking a suite at the W Philadelphia
The Points Guy Articles / 10h
There's nothing quite like staying in a hotel room that feels like it's nearly the size of your own apartment, especially when you're staying in the heart of a bustling city like Philadelphia . And if you've been eyeing a stay at the W Philadelphia, in particular, you're in for a treat — especially if you opt to upgrade to one of the hip hotel's eight suite types with sky-high views of downtown P





iOS 26.2 has landed — here are the 7 biggest new features for your iPhone
Latest from TechRadar / 11h
iOS 26.2 includes a few improvements to all sorts of apps and features, from AirDrop to reminders to Sleep Scores and beyond.





Google and Apple roll out emergency security updates after zero-day attacks
21TechCrunch / 11h
Apple released patches for all of its flagship devices to fix security flaws under attack. Google also updated Chrome to remediate one vulnerability exploited in the attacks.





‘Fate of the Old Republic’ Puts ‘Star Wars’ at an Incredible Crossroads
Gizmodo / 11h
Which way, Jedi? Either will change the relationship between 'Star Wars' and its past forever.





The Pitt Season 2s first scene is out, and Im already concerned for Dr. Robby
Mashable / 11h
The Emmy–winning medical drama The Pitt returns to HBO Max on Jan. 8, but you can watch its opening scene right now. SEE ALSO: 'Euphoria' Season 3 gets first look in HBO Max's 2026 trailer HBO Max has released the first 90 seconds of Season 2, which returns viewers to the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Like in Season 1, every episode represents one hour in a 15-hour shift. This time, though, t





AMD CEO Lisa Su Isn’t Afraid of the Competition
20Wired / 11h
In this episode of Uncanny Valley we take you through our recent conversation with Lisa Su and go behind the scenes of our Big Interview event.





Topping's new desktop DAC comes fully loaded for a very low price
Latest from TechRadar / 11h
Topping's E50 II DAC delivers a lot of musical bang for less than two hundred bucks





You Don’t Want to Miss This Year’s Geminid Meteor Shower
Gizmodo / 11h
All conditions favor a dazzling show across the skies this weekend.





Ukrainians sue US chip firms for powering Russian drones, missiles
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Dozens of Ukrainian civilians filed a series of lawsuits in Texas this week, accusing some of the biggest US chip firms of negligently failing to track chips that evaded export curbs. Those chips were ultimately used to power Russian and Iranian weapon systems, causing wrongful deaths last year. Their complaints alleged that for years, Texas Instruments (TI), AMD, and Intel have ignored public re





Scientists built an AI co-pilot for prosthetic bionic hands
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Modern bionic hand prostheses nearly match their natural counterparts when it comes to dexterity, degrees of freedom, and capability. And many amputees who tried advanced bionic hands apparently didn’t like them. “Up to 50 percent of people with upper limb amputation abandon these prostheses, never to use them again,” says Jake George, an electrical and computer engineer at the University of Utah





Man Suffers Grim Fate After Drinking Eight Energy Drinks Per Day
Futurism / 11h
Ever wondered what would happen if you swapped water for Redbull? One man did so you won’t have to. First spotted by Gizmodo , a recently released case study details the startling health issues of a man in his 50s who drank eight energy drinks a day. Described as “normally fit and well,” the man suddenly had a stroke after consuming an average of 1280mg of caffeine a day, or over three times the





Here are 2 ways a Raspberry Pi can protect you from smart TV tracking
How-To Geek / 11h
There was once a time when you could avoid buying a smart TV, but that’s no longer true. While convenient and packed with streaming apps, smart TVs are also filled with ads and tracking technology that monitors how you use your device, what you watch, and more.





Do Kwon Gets 15 Years for $40 Billion Crypto Collapse as Victims Testify to Destruction He Caused
27Gizmodo / 11h
The collapse of Terraform Labs was part of a greater deleveraging event in crypto that culminated in the fall of FTX.





IKEA's new wireless charger is as cute as it is practical
Engadget / 11h
IKEA's revamp of its smart home products doesn't end with Matter support. The furniture and home goods company also has a line of new Qi wireless chargers, the best of which, the VÄSTMÄRKE wireless charger , combines the functionality of a PopSockets-style phone grip with cable storage. The $10 VÄSTMÄRKE wireless charger is reminiscent of a bagel or donut, if you could take the top half of those





U.S. Airlines Are Quietly Preparing For Spirit To Shut Down — Cash Deadline Hits As Soon As Saturday
51View from the Wing / 11h
Two major U.S. airlines are quietly drawing up contingency plans in case Spirit can’t secure its next $100 million lifeline and has to shut down operations. A crucial cash deadline hits as soon as Saturday, and with no sale or standalone reorganization plan yet on file, Spirit’s future now depends on what its lenders are willing to accept. Continue reading ...





You Can Use 'Circle to Search' to Identify Scams on Android
Lifehacker / 11h
Android users are getting more tools to combat the seemingly endless stream of scam texts from bad actors looking to steal your data and your money. Circle to Search and Google Lens can now assess messages for scam red flags, and if possible fraud is detected, you'll get recommendations for what to do (or not do) next. Even if you think you know the telltale signs of a scam—a sense of urgency, a





Sonys Afeela electric vehicle will offer digital license plates
Mashable / 11h
Sony's perpetually upcoming electric vehicle is going to allow for a degree of license plate customization never thought possible before. According to TechRadar , Sony's Afeela EV (which has been showcased at multiple CES events in previous years but still isn't on sale) will pioneer something new: digital license plates. Sony is partnering with a company called Reviver to incorporate its RPlate





The AT&T data breach settlement deadline is almost here. How to file a claim in the $177 million case.
Mashable / 11h
If you're an AT&T customer who was impacted by the company's data breaches in 2019 and/or 2024, then you still have time to file a claim in the $177 million class action settlement . In October, the deadline to file was extended to Dec. 18, so you have a little less than a week. The first of the two large-scale breaches was discovered in March 2024, after customer data appeared on the dark web. A





Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature review: Valuable points and solid perks for Alaska and Hawaiian flyers
The Points Guy Articles / 11h
The Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Credit Card is an entry-level card option in the Atmos Rewards ecosystem. The card earns valuable Atmos Rewards points that can be used to book free flights with Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and other Oneworld partners, such as American Airlines, Japan Airlines and Qantas. This card packs a punch and offers solid perks when flying with either airlin





Hackers posing as law enforcement are tricking Big Tech to get access to private data
Latest from TechRadar / 11h
Companies are being phished for data too, and sometimes compromised police inboxes are abused.





OK, what’s going on with LinkedIn’s algo?
TechCrunch / 11h
Women ran an experiment to see if LinkedIn's new algo was being sexist and thought they proved it. But there's more complexity involved, experts say.





Here’s why I’d choose this luxury sedan over a Mercedes every time
How-To Geek / 12h
Spend a few minutes with the Genesis G80 , and you start thinking about it differently. Suddenly, you’re not comparing it to other midsize sedans —you’re sizing it up against the luxury heavyweights with crazy MSRPs and dealer markups that make your eyes water.





Intel set to buy AI chip specialist as it scrambles to catch up with AMD, Nvidia
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
Intel plans to buy SambaNova but faces mounting pressure as valuation concerns shadow the sale.





Everything to Remember Before ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
Gizmodo / 12h
With James Cameron's latest blockbuster on the way, it's time to refresh yourself on the world of Pandora.





How I’m Maxing Out Citi Strata Elite’s Huge Point Bonus And Double Dipping Its Travel Credits In Year One
View from the Wing / 12h
Citi’s new Strata Elite card doesn’t just come with a 100,000 point bonus – its Splurge, Blacklane, and $300 hotel credits are timed to the calendar year, so you can use them twice in your first cardmember year. Here’s exactly how to stack those perks, plus Priority Pass and Admirals Club passes, to squeeze the maximum value out of year one. Continue reading ...





10 Hacks Every Traveler Should Know
Lifehacker / 12h
We may earn a commission from links on this page. We travel for a wide variety of reasons—vacations, business, family obligations—and in a variety of different ways, but there’s one constant: The actual traveling can be hectic , stressful, and expensive . Considering Americans took nearly 2 billion trips in 2025 alone, that stress can be pretty epic. From planning to de-boarding, travel can be a





Microsoft buys 3.6M metric tons of carbon removal from bioenergy plant
TechCrunch / 12h
Microsoft's data center ambitions have imperiled its 2030 pledge to remove more carbon than it generates, making carbon removal credits all but necessary.





A study in contrasts: The cinematography of Wake Up Dead Man
Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Rian Johnson has another Benoit Blanc hit on his hands with Wake Up Dead Man , in which Blanc tackles the strange death of a fire-and-brimstone parish priest, Monseigneur Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). It’s a classic locked-room mystery in a spookily Gothic small-town setting, and Johnson turned to cinematographer Steve Yedlin ( Looper , The Last Jedi ) to help realize his artistic vision. (Minor





Trump tries to block state AI laws himself after Congress decided not to
46Ars Technica - All content / 12h
President Trump issued an executive order yesterday attempting to thwart state AI laws, saying that federal agencies must fight state laws because Congress hasn’t yet implemented a national AI standard. Trump’s executive order tells the Justice Department, Commerce Department, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, and other federal agencies to take a variety of actions. “My





Man shocks doctors with extreme blood pressure, stroke from energy drinks
27Ars Technica - All content / 12h
Sometimes, downing an energy drink can feel like refueling your battery. But with too much, that jolt can turn into a catastrophic surge that fries the wiring and blows a fuse. That was the unfortunate and alarming case for a man in the UK several years ago, according to a case report this week in BMJ Case Reports. The man, who was in his 50s and otherwise healthy, showed up at a hospital after t





Instacart Caught Using AI to Charge Wildly Different Prices for the Same Item
Futurism / 12h
Does your online grocery order ever feel fishy, like the prices just aren’t adding up? It turns out you’re right to be suspicious — and now we have compelling evidence. New research by a consortium of groups including Groundwork Collaborative, Consumer Reports, and More Perfect Union have found evidence of a massive experiment being run on consumers by grocery delivery company Instacart. The rese





Your surge protector is putting your PC at risk—use this instead
How-To Geek / 12h
Surge protectors can help protect your electronics from large spikes in voltage caused by weather events, other appliances, and problems with the power grid. While it’s never a bad idea to use a surge protector with your PC, you can ensure better protection by spending a bit more.





YouTube finally gets the TV update we've been waiting for –and there are 5 handy upgrades
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
The YouTube app for TVs is finally getting a long-promised makeover–here are all the handy improvements.





Move over, Bang & Olufsen: Germany's Loewe is expanding to the US and it's bringing its super-premium OLED TVs
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
Loewe's high-end OLEDs include some very striking designs and unusual materials





Everyone is wrong about AI regulation, and the history of the Internet proves it
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
The US White House wants to stop states from regulating AI, and the states want their own AI regulation. What if they're both wrong?





Tanning Beds Are Giving Us Skin Cancer Where the Sun Doesn’t Shine
Gizmodo / 12h
New research highlights the unique dangers of the UV radiation provided by tanning beds.





U.S. Government Websites Are Hosting PDFs Promoting Porn and Scams
26Gizmodo / 12h
Not exactly a public service.





10 Hacks for Moving Day That Everyone Should Know
Lifehacker / 12h
We may earn a commission from links on this page. More than 37 million Americans moved last year —and while that’s actually a historic low, one thing that hasn’t changed is the levels of hair-tearing stress the experience can inspire. Everything about moving, from packing to hiring movers to switching utilities, comes with a little spice of stress and anxiety. Even the most competent and careful





Netflix is showing Hollywood what happens when a startup grows up
TechCrunch / 12h
A baby was born in a Waymo this week, and it wasn’t even the first one. What started as a novelty story quickly became a reminder of how autonomous vehicles have quietly become part of everyday life, complete with all the messiness that entails. The real coming-of-age story this week, however, wasn’t happening in San Francisco’s robotaxis. It was playing out in […]





I left my laptop on a flight. Here's how I got it back within 24 hours
The Points Guy Articles / 12h
It's one of the worst feelings in the world: Suddenly realizing you've left something valuable behind. In my case, it was my work laptop — and that sinking feeling set in when I realized it wasn't in my backpack when I got home from a recent flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). I quickly realized I had stowed it away in the seat pocket on my Delta Air Lines flight t





Kali Linux 2025.4 arrives with GNOME 49, KDE Plasma 6.5, and much more


How-To Geek / 12h
Kali Linux, a popular Linux distribution for cybersecurity research and penetration testing, just revealed the Kali Linux 2025.4 release. This new build has updates to GNOME, KDE, and Xfce desktop environments

Friday, December 12, 2025

Technology News and More-Friday Edition...

Technology News and More...




Hollywood’s Labor Unions Respond to Disney’s Dystopian New AI Deal
Gizmodo / 11min
The WGA and SAG-AFTRA have released statements following Disney's alliance with OpenAI.



Clair Obscur sweeps The Game Awards with nine wins
40BBC News / 1h
The French-made role-playing game is named game of the year and also picks up prizes for music and performance.






Ice giant planets Uranus and Neptune might not be full of ice after all
Mashable / 1h
Scientists may have missed the mark when they started referring to Uranus and Neptune as the "ice giant" planets of the solar system decades ago. Like giving a certain short-armed dinosaur a name that means " terrible lizard king, " calling these planets "icy" hasn't aged well. New research from a team at the University of Zurich in Switzerland suggests the nickname was a misnomer, with the two b







Southeast Asia seeks its place in space

MIT Technology Review / 3min
__________________________ Thai Space Expo October 16-18, 2025 ___ Bangkok, Thailand It’s a scorching October day in Bangkok and I’m wandering through the exhibits at the Thai Space Expo, held in one of the city’s busiest shopping malls, when I do a double take. Amid the flashy space suits and model rockets on display, there’s a plain-looking package of Thai basil chicken. I’m told the same kind





NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for December 12, 2025
Mashable / 5min
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times ' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe. With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it. So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustr





This hilarious clip of Conan OBrien blaming Jason Bateman for his parents deaths is going viral
Mashable / 5min
"You know what's weird. I swear to God, this is how I grieve." That's Conan O'Brien explaining the hilariously dark message chain he had with Will Arnett and Jason Bateman in the days after the deaths of his parents, which the two break down in the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast clip above. In a nutshell, what started as a jokey rivalry with Bateman over a party invite escalated to O'Brien





The Fitbit Inspire 3 has returned to its lowest-ever price at Amazon — save $30 for a limited time
Mashable / 5min
SAVE $30: As of Dec. 12, the Fitbit Inspire 3 has dropped back to its lowest-ever price of $69.95 at Amazon. This is $30 off its list price of $99.95. Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $69.95 at Amazon $99.95 Save $30 2026 is almost here, and if you're setting some fitness goals for the new year, a fitness tracker can help you stay on course. Our favorite budget pick , the Fit





The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is back on sale at Amazon — save over $10 right now
Mashable / 34min
SAVE $10.99 : As of Dec. 12, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus is on sale for $29 at Amazon. That's a 27% saving on the list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Streaming Stick Plus $29 at Amazon $39.99 Save $10.99 The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is back on sale at Amazon, and it's the perfect timing for the festive season. It's one of the most popular streaming devices on the market, and fo





The AirTag 4-pack is over $20 off at Amazon — save on this functional stocking filler
Mashable / 34min
SAVE $24.02: As of Dec. 12, the Apple AirTag four-pack is on sale for $74.98 at Amazon. That's a 24% discount on the list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag 4-Pack $74.98 at Amazon $99 Save $24.02 Apple AirTags are back on sale, and just in time for a pre- Christmas stock up. As of Dec. 12, you can get the pack of four for only $74.98, a saving of $24.02. That works out at ju





60+ of the best Harvard University courses you can take online for free
Mashable / 34min
TL;DR: A wide range of online courses from Harvard University are available to take for free on edX. Do you have big plans to do absolutely nothing over the festive period . We get it. It's been a long year, and you deserve some rest. But believe it or not, there are some people out there who refuse to rest. These people are "built different." They see the holidays as an opportunity to learn, dev





Apple HomePad specs revealed in new leak
Mashable / 34min
Apple 's long-rumored smart home accessory, sometimes dubbed the HomePad, has just become a little more real. Macworld was able to obtain "leaked internal Apple code," finding several references to the new gadget (no reference to its name, though, but HomePad does have a nice ring to it.) In a pre-release iOS 26 build, this smart home hub is referenced by the codename J490. It's listed as having





AI chatbots are now integrated 'into the full texture of human life,' Microsoft study claims
Latest from TechRadar / 47min
Work questions in the day, personal questions at night, desktop for productivity, mobile for personal: Copilot reveals all.





This unique case will put a screen on the back of your iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max
Latest from TechRadar / 54min
The Selfix Case adds a second screen to your iPhone, so you can use the main cameras to take selfies.





Deadpool finally joins Marvel Rivals next season — everything announced for Season 6's monster hunting mayhem
Latest from TechRadar / 54min
Marvel Rivals Season 6 has been revealed at The Game Awards, and Deadpool is the next Hero. Here's what we know so far.





How to unblock XNXX for free
Mashable / 1h
TL;DR: Unblock porn sites for free with a VPN . The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN . The online world is full of content restrictions and blockades. It might not always seem like that, but look around. More and more restrictions on your movement are coming into force. Porn naturally comes with a lot of restrictions , but there's really nothing wrong with adults visiting thei





Scan anything, anywhere with this app — now $42 for life
Mashable / 1h
TL;DR : Make scanning a breeze with this lifetime subscription to SwiftScan VIP for just $41.99 (reg. $199.99) with code SCAN through Dec. 21. Opens in a new window Credit: SwiftScan SwiftScan VIP: Lifetime Subscription $41.99 $199.99 Save $158 No home office? No problem. Gone are the days when you needed a whole separate room to hold your computer and all the necessary equipment — you can now sc





Make 2026 the year you finally learn piano with this AI-powered app
Mashable / 1h
TL;DR : Learn something new with this lifetime subscription to Skoove Premium Piano Lessons , now just $109.97 (reg. $299.99). Opens in a new window Credit: Skoove Skoove Premium Piano Lessons: Lifetime Subscription $109.97 $299.99 Save $190.02 Want to learn an instrument in 2026? How about piano? It’s easier than ever with Skoove Premium Piano Lessons . This innovative app helps you learn to pla





Paul Mescal movies ranked by Sad Boyness
Mashable / 1h
In a few short years, Paul Mescal has gone from rising Irish actor to major movie star with an Academy Award nomination to his credit. His vulnerable turns in Normal People , Aftersun , and All of Us Strangers have secured him a spot in the hallowed halls of Internet Boyfriends. But what sets Mescal apart from Ryan Gosling, Timothée Chalamet, Pedro Pascal, and Jonathan Bailey is his supreme abili





Why The Hollow Man novel is crucial to Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Mashable / 1h
The central locked room mystery of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery sees writer-director Rian Johnson drawing on a long literary history. The film takes many cues from the likes of authors including Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe , but one particular novel is crucial to the core puzzle: John Dickson Carr's The Hollow Man . The American author's 1935 mystery novel, which features his re





Harold Hamm, Oklahoma Oil Tycoon, Allies With Trump to Reshape U.S. Energy
NYT > Technology / 1h
Harold Hamm, an Oklahoma oil tycoon, has played a central role in reshaping energy policy by allying himself with President Trump.





Expanded carrier screening: Is it worth it?
MIT Technology Review / 1h
This week I’ve been thinking about babies. Healthy ones. Perfect ones. As you may have read last week, my colleague Antonio Regalado came face to face with a marketing campaign in the New York subway asking people to “have your best baby.” The company behind that campaign, Nucleus Genomics, says it offers customers a way to select embryos for a range of traits, including height and IQ . It’s an e





The Anker Solix C300 power station is over $80 off at Amazon
Mashable / 1h
SAVE $84.06: As of Dec. 12, the Anker Solix C300 is on sale for $214.94 at Amazon. That's a 28% discount on the list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C300 $214.94 at Amazon $299.99 Save $85.05 Portable power stations don't have to cost thousands of dollars. Of course, if you're looking for a powerful unit to power your whole house for days on end, these options will naturall





Bose QuietComfort earbuds are down to their lowest-ever price at Amazon — save $50 right now
Mashable / 1h
SAVE $50 : As of Dec. 12, Bose QuietComfort earbuds are on sale for $129 at Amazon. That's a 28% discount on the list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Earbuds $129 at Amazon $179 Save $50 It's Christmas gift shopping season, and if you're looking for a great gift for the music lover in your life, why not check out this latest Amazon deal on Bose QuietComfort earbuds ? A





Google asks UK experts to find uses for its powerful quantum tech
20BBC News / 1h
UK researchers will get a chance to develop applications for the tech giant's quantum processor.





Evolved Novelties Pleasure Puff Inflatable Rabbit Review: A-Spot Stimulation
Wired / 2h
If A-spot stimulation doesn't mean much to you, the Pleasure Puff likely won't excite.





Remedy confirms that Control Resonant is the sequel to its critically acclaimed paranormal action game, and it's coming in 2026
Latest from TechRadar / 3h
Remedy Entertainment has finally revealed Control Resonant, the highly anticipated sequel to its critically acclaimed paranormal action game Control.






Want a 70TB HDD before 2030? Seagate researchers may have reached the holy grail of 7TB per platter
Latest from TechRadar / 4h
Seagate demonstrates experimental 70TB HDDs using HAMR and SMR, with projections suggesting 10TB per platter within a few years.





This $69 mechanical keyboard has features that usually cost $200
How-To Geek / 5h
If you want the most satisfying typing experience and a decent gaming keyboard, you should opt for a mechanical.





China Is Getting Much of What It Wants From the U.S., Including Chips
36NYT > Technology / 6h
For China, President Trump’s moves to loosen chip controls, soften U.S. rhetoric and stay silent on tensions with Japan amount to a rare string of strategic gains.





Hurdle hints and answers for December 12, 2025
Mashable / 6h
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle , then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give





Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on December 12
Mashable / 6h
We've reached the last phase of the lunar cycle before the New Moon. This means that each night the moon will appear less and less visible, until there's nothing to see at all. Keep reading to see what this means for tonight's moon. What is today’s moon phase? As of Friday, Dec. 12, the moon phase is Waning Crescent. This means 43% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Obs





Everything announced and all the winners at The Game Awards 2025
Engadget / 6h
This year at The Game Awards, if your game wasn’t melodramatic, mechanically innovative, beautifully presented and aggressively French, it didn’t stand a chance. The Game Awards 2025 wrapped up on the evening of Thursday, December 11 with a record-breaking showing by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive. The game received the most nominations and wins in the show’s 12-year histor





Housemarque's Saros is delayed to April 30
Engadget / 6h
PlayStation had said on X that it would have news about Saros at The Game Awards, and unfortunately, fans excited for the new Housemarque project will need to wait a little longer to get their hands on it. The game has been delayed from its planned March release. But there's only a short time until the new date of April 30, and pre-orders are open now. Star Rahul Kohli appeared at The Game Awards





4:LOOP is a co-op shooter from the creator of Left 4 Dead and JJ Abrams' Bad Robot
Engadget / 7h
The next game from Left 4 Dead designer Mike Booth is putting a sci-fi spin on his last game's co-op action, based on a trailer Booth and producer JJ Abrams shared at The Game Awards 2025. The new game is called 4:LOOP , and it's the first project entirely developed by Bad Robot Games , film production company Bad Robot's game studio. 4:LOOP combines the four-player co-op action of Left 4 Dead ,





Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a podracing game set for 2026
Engadget / 7h
Why have one Star Wars game announcement at an edition of The Game Awards when you can have two? Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a podracing (and speeder racing) game from Fuse Games , a studio established in 2023 by former Burnout and Need for Speed developers. It's scheduled to hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC in 2026. The action here is set after the fall of the Empire. With the galaxy in rebuild





‘Star Wars: Galactic Racer’ Is Speeding Into Our Hearts
Gizmodo / 7h
Now this is podracing, among other things.





Exodus is delayed to early 2027
Engadget / 7h
So there's good news and bad news about the highly anticipated Exodus coming out of The Game Awards this year. The good news is that there's a fresh trailer showcasing more of the game. The bad news is that the game won't be out until early 2027. The game was originally announced two years ago (also at The Game Awards) and had been pegged for release in 2026. We may be waiting longer to get our h





Pluribus episode 7 ending explained: what happens to Carol and Manousos in the new Apple TV show?
Latest from TechRadar / 8h
The antepenultimate episode of Pluribus season 1 puts two of its main characters through the physical and emotional wringer.





Trump signs order to block states from enforcing own AI rules
79BBC News / 8h
California's governor Gavin Newsom issued a strongly-worded statement in response to the executive order.





NYT Pips hints, answers for December 12, 2025
Mashable / 8h
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue. Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit. Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you





NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 12, 2025
Mashable / 8h
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a gardener. Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle , Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints





NYT Strands hints, answers for December 12, 2025
Mashable / 8h
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love old poetry. Strands , the New York Times ' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. Th





Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 12, 2025
Mashable / 8h
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love big cars. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hi





Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic announced as a KOTOR spiritual successor
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Over two decades after the release of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II , a new project described as a “spiritual successor” to that seminal RPG series was announced at The Game Awards Thursday night. Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic will be a collaboration between Lucasfilm Games and Arcanaut Studios, a new development house being launched by original KOTOR director Casey Hudson. Huds





Jonathan Blow has spent the past decade designing 1,400 puzzles for you
Ars Technica - All content / 8h
Back in 2016, after six-and-a-half years spent working on puzzle-adventure opus The Witness , Jonathan Blow says he needed a break. He tells Ars that the project he started in The Witness’ wake was meant to serve as a quick proof of concept for a new engine and programming language he was working on. “It was supposed to be a short game,” that could be finished in “like a year and a half or two ye





Lara Croft will return in Tomb Raider: Catalyst and a new remake
Engadget / 8h
The last mainline Tomb Raider game was 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider , and after spending a few years in video game purgatory, Lara Croft is coming back in two new games. At The Game Awards 2025, Amazon Game Studios announced that Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis will reimagine of one of the hero’s early adventures in 2026, and Tomb Raider: Catalyst will continue the series in 2027. Catalyst is





Surprise! Deadpool Is Also Coming to ‘Marvel Rivals’
Gizmodo / 8h
The merc with a mouth will be the next character to join Netease's Marvel Comics shooter early next year.





Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight swoops onto PC and consoles on May 29
Engadget / 8h
It didn't take too long for a game that a whole bunch of people are excited about to swoop into Grand Theft Auto VI 's old release week. Or maybe Rockstar had an idea of was what was coming and delayed its blockbuster by six months to get out of the way of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight . Either way, TT Games and Warner Bros. Games brought a new trailer to The Game Awards and revealed tha





The First Trailer for the New ‘Street Fighter’ Movie Really Looks Like That
67Gizmodo / 8h
Director Kitao Sakurai's 'Street Fighter' movie kicks its way into theaters in 2026.





South of Midnight is coming to PS5 and Switch 2 next spring
Engadget / 8h
South of Midnight is heading to PlayStation 5 and Switch 2 in Spring 2026, developer Compulsion Games announced on X . The third-person action-adventure game launched as an Xbox and PC exclusive, but like plenty of Microsoft's other first-party games, it's heading to competitors' consoles. Mixing platforming with magic-infused combat in a unique setting inspired by the folklore of the South, Comp





Trump orders creation of litigation task force to challenge state AI laws
Engadget / 8h
On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for a single, nationwide regulatory framework governing artificial intelligence at the expense of the ability of different states to regulate the nascent technology. “To win, United States AI companies must be free to innovate without cumbersome regulation,” the order states. “But excessive State regulation thwarts this





The devs of SOMA are back with a spiritual successor called Ontos
Engadget / 8h
Frictional Games is back with a new game that looks primed to carry on the studio's tradition of excellence in horror. It's called Ontos , and it's slated to launch on PC, PlayStation and Xbox next year. The trailer debuted during The Game Awards 2025. The company's past projects include Amnesia: The Dark Descent and SOMA , and this new title is also looking pretty dang creepy. It looks like thin





Control Resonant steps into a larger world that's inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion
Engadget / 9h
Remedy Entertainment's Control is a bizarre yet totally captivating action game that feels like Die Hard by way of David Lynch. In Control: Resonant , players step into the role of the original game's most enigmatic and unsettling characters for their own jaunt through a 'new-weird' world outside The Oldest House. Just ahead of the reveal at The Game Awards, we got an early look at Control: Reson





Trump signs AI executive order, aims to stop state laws
Mashable / 9h
AI is still the Wild West when it comes to government regulation. But 2025 was the year U.S. states started to make an effort. Some states, including California and New York , passed legislation that required some pretty basic things from AI companies — including transparency, whistleblower protections, and the well-being of teen users in particular. Tech world proponents of unfettered AI innovat





What is the release date for Landman season 2 episode 5 on Paramount+?
Latest from TechRadar / 9h
After last week's emotional outing, Landman season 2 episode 5 could be a huge turning point. But when is it on Paramount+?





Larian Studios is returning to the Divinity series with... Divinity
Engadget / 9h
Larian Studios didn’t rest on its laurels for long. Two years after taking home the Game of the Year prize for Baldur’s Gate III at The Game Awards, the developer popped up again at the 2025 edition of the ceremony to announce its upcoming project, which is the next entry in the Divinity series. Simply called Divinity , this will be the studio’s biggest game to date with “more breadth and depth t





Ten years after The Witness, Jonathan Blow's next massive puzzle game is almost ready for primetime
Engadget / 9h
Many of the big announcements at The Game Awards are for completely new projects, some of which are total surprises (if you had an Okami sequel on your bingo card last year, you're either in the know or probably used up all your luck for the next few years). We'll often get updates on games that were previously announced too. The trailer for Order of the Sinking Star is something a little differe





Coven of the Chicken Foot is the debut game from Naughty Dog alum Bruce Straley's indie studio
Engadget / 9h
Coven of the Chicken Foot has a lot of things going for it already, in my book. It stars a hero rarely seen in video games, an elderly woman, and it has gorgeous storybook-style art in a lush fantasy setting. It’s a single-player puzzle platformer, it relies on wordless storytelling and the woman, a witch named Gertie, travels with a creepy-cute companion. Plus, Gertie has chicken feet. I love he





World launches its ‘super app,’ including crypto pay and encrypted chat features
21TechCrunch / 9h
Tools for Humanity, the company behind the app, is seeking to expand its "real human network."





How to watch Die My Love: Stream Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinsons feral love story at home
Mashable / 9h
How to watch 'Die My Love' at a glance: Watch now Rent or buy 'Die My Love' on Prime Video $14.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy Watch now Rent or buy 'Die My Love' on Apple TV+ $14.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy Watch now Rent or buy 'Die My Love' on Fandango at Home $14.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy Watch as of Dec. 23 Mubi annual subscription Free 7-day trial, then $119.88/year (save 33%) Watch as of Dec. 23 M





Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is a new action RPG from the director of Mass Effect and KOTOR
Engadget / 9h
The Game Awards kicked off with a bang, showing the world premiere of Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic . It's a brand new action role-playing game that will be directed by Casey Hudson, who previously headed up several notable BioWare games you probably know like Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic . There’s not much to go on in the trailer, but the game simply existing is a





The Old Republic Returns to ‘Star Wars’ Video Games
Gizmodo / 9h
Expected to see the 'Knights of the Old Republic' remake at the Game Awards tonight? Too bad: have a *brand new* game instead.





Capcom's Pragmata is coming your way on April 24
Engadget / 10h
Capcom’s long, long-delayed sci-fi shooter Pragmata finally has a release date. It’s headed your way on April 24, 2026 on Steam, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and — as Capcom confirmed in a trailer at The Game Awards — Nintendo Switch 2. You don’t have to wait another four months to try it out, though. A gameplay demo is out now on Steam . It will be available for consoles at a later date. Pragmata first





Calling all gamers: Prime members can score exclusive deals thanks to The Game Awards — but only for 24 hours
Mashable / 10h
SAVE 25% ON NOMINATED GAMES: During The Game Awards , Prime members can score exclusive deals on Amazon, including on nominated games. Score 25% off Split Fiction , Kingdom Come: Deliverance II , Sonic Racing: Crossworlds , and Elden Ring Nightreign . Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Exclusive Prime member deals during The Game Awards Get 25% off nominated games and up to 20% off gear. The bi





Bradley the Badger looks like Wreck-It Ralph as a real video game
Engadget / 10h
A lot of trailers drop during The Game Awards, but the comedy of Bradley the Badger stood out from the pack. The conceit is similar to Wreck-It Ralph . Bradley, the protagonist of a fictional platforming series, is suddenly transported into the worlds of other unfinished video games; the trailer shows a badger-ified Bloodborne , Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us . He also has access to a kit of d





Trump Signs Executive Order That Threatens to Punish States for Passing AI Laws
100+Wired / 10h
The order creates a Justice Department task force to challenge state AI laws and directs the Commerce Department to pull future broadband funding from states that pass “onerous” legislation.





Stanford’s star reporter takes on Silicon Valley’s ‘money-soaked’ startup culture
28TechCrunch / 10h
His reporting on a Stanford University president put Theo Baker on the map, but his upcoming book may cement his reputation as the rare young journalist willing to challenge Silicon Valley's startup machine.





GPT-5.2 vs Gemini 3 — How the two heavyweight models compare on benchmarks, price, and feature set
Mashable / 10h
OpenAI's latest AI model GPT-5.2 is here . But how does it compare to its biggest competitor, Google's Gemini 3? The ChatGPT creator launched the GPT-5.2 on Thursday, and it's currently rolling out to paid ChatGPT customers, with wider access to follow. It comes on the heels of a leaked memo, in which OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared "code red" for the AI company. OpenAI is facing steeper competiti





Crypto fraudster sentenced for 'epic' $40bn stablecoin crash
29BBC News / 10h
In August, Do Kwon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud and apologised for his actions.





Google launched its deepest AI research agent yet — on the same day OpenAI dropped GPT-5.2
29TechCrunch / 10h
For the first time, developers can embed Google's Deep Research tool, based on Gemini 3 Pro, into their own apps.





'It's amazing' – the wonder material very few can make
39BBC News / 11h
Just a handful of companies can make cadmium zinc telluride, a material with powerful properties.





Trump Moves to Stop States From Regulating AI With a New Executive Order
500+NYT > Technology / 11h
The order would create one federal regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.





Bring home this 65-inch TCL 4K QLED TV for its lowest price yet
Mashable / 11h
SAVE $200.02: As of Dec. 11, get the 65-inch TCL 4K QLED TV for $499.97 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $699.99. That's a discount of 29% and the lowest price we've seen . Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 65-inch TCL 4K QLED TV $499.97 at Amazon $699.99 Save $200.02 It might be hard to believe, but TVs are relatively cheap these days. If you're trying to find a great one for entertain





The Game Awards 2025: Biggest announcements, surprises, winners
Mashable / 11h
Gaming’s biggest night of the year is in the books. The Game Awards 2025 rewarded the most notable games of 2025. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took home the coveted Game of the Year award. It also set a new record with the most wins at 8 — beating out 2020’s The Last of Us Part 2 , which won 7 awards. Check out the full list — and below it, our pick from a plethora of announcements from games comp





Everything is fine: Disney CEO Bob Iger says OpenAI deal isnt a threat to creatives.
Mashable / 11h
The House of Mouse recently announced a surprise $1 billion deal with OpenAI , which will bring about 200 Disney characters, props, and other copyrighted items to ChatGPT and Sora , OpenAI's AI chatbot and video app. So, if you've ever wanted to make a video of yourself hanging out with Deadpool and wielding a lightsaber, you'll be able to do exactly that starting in 2026. And though many artists





Apple (mostly) loses its appeal in Epic Games case
Engadget / 11h
Apple has clawed back a bit of ground in its legal fight with Epic Games that could have wide-reaching consequences for all app developers. Today, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals mostly upheld a previous contempt ruling regarding fees Apple levied on third-party payment systems. However, the judges did decide to reverse the order that Apple cannot charge any commissions on those external pa





Runway claims its GWM-1 “world models” can stay coherent for minutes at a time
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
AI company Runway has announced what it calls its first world model, GWM-1. It’s a significant step in a new direction for a company that has made its name primarily on video generation, and it’s part of a wider gold rush to build a new frontier of models as large language models and image and video generation move into a refinement phase, no longer an untapped frontier. GWM-1 is a blanket term f





Reddit launches High Court challenge to Australia's social media ban for kids
40BBC News / 11h
It said the landmark policy has serious implications for Australians' privacy and political rights.





Instead of fixing WoW’s new floating house exploit, Blizzard makes it official
Ars Technica - All content / 11h
Long-time World of Warcraft players have been waiting 21 years for the new in-game housing features that Blizzard officially announced last year and which launched in early access last week . Shortly after that launch, though, players quickly discovered a way to make their houses float high above the ground by exploiting an unintended, invisible UI glitch . Now, Blizzard says that the overwhelmin





I wasn’t convinced there was a need for the LG StanByMe 2 TV – but I’m completely sold on this rollable display after 3 weeks with it
Latest from TechRadar / 11h
The LG StanByMe 2 is a unique TV proposition and I wasn't sure I'd find a need for it at home – how wrong I was.





The TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus tablet is back down to a record low price of under $240
Mashable / 12h
SAVE $130: The TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus Android tablet is on sale at Amazon for $239.99, down from the list price of $369.99. That's a 35% discount that matches the record-low price. Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL NXTPAPER 11 Plus Android tablet $239.99 at Amazon $369.99 Save $130 A new tablet for 2026 could be the fresh start we all crave. You have tons of options these days if you're looking





Turn PDF headaches into hassle-free workflows with this $24 tool
Mashable / 12h
TL;DR: Make peace with PDFs with this lifetime subscription to PDF Converter and Editor , now just $23.99 (reg. $99.99) with code CONVERT through Jan. 11. Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker PDF Converter & Editor: Lifetime License $23.99 $99.99 Save $76 PDFs don’t have to be frustrating. Whether you edit PDFs daily or just every now and then, the right tool for the job makes a big differenc





Stop doomscrolling and learn something new in your spare time with this $40 app
Mashable / 12h
TL;DR: Learn new concepts in 15 minutes with this lifetime subscription to Headway Premium , on sale now for just $39.99, the best price on the web, with code SUMMARY20 through Jan. 31. Opens in a new window Credit: Headway Headway Premium: Lifetime Subscription $39.99 $299.95 Save $259.96 Do you have some lofty goals for 2026? Whether you have a lengthy TBR list or you are just hoping to learn s





Which brand has the best pet hair tool? I tested a whole bunch – here are the results
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
If you need a tool to de-fuzz your sofa, these are the brands to buy.





ChatGPT 5.2 is here and all about being a better thinker – here are the 3 things you need to know
Latest from TechRadar / 12h
ChatGPT 5.2 is here and offers the smartest, most dependable version of the AI chatbot yet.





‘Doctor Who’ and the Disintegration of 2025
29Gizmodo / 12h
2025 should've been a banner year for 'Doctor Who,' but instead it almost became one of its darkest hours.





Why I’m happily holding on to my Capital One Venture X Rewards card for a third year
The Points Guy Articles / 12h
I've just paid my third annual fee for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , and I did so with zero hesitation. The reason is simple: Year after year, this card essentially pays me to keep it open, and I come out ahead. Here's why this card has been one of the most rewarding I've ever held — long after the excitement of the first-year welcome bonus wore off — and why I plan to keep it f





Please Enjoy Laughing at the Prediction Markets, in Full Meltdown, After Time’s “Person of the Year” Reveal
Futurism / 12h
Just as many had predicted , Time magazine once again took some liberties with its annual “Person of the Year” issue. Besides blocking users from reading its website with an AI chatbot , the magazine anointed the “architects of AI” as its most important visionaries of 2025, eschewing the definition of “person” yet again. The eyeroll-inducing announcement was met with plenty of incredulity, especi





Do Kwon, Crypto Entrepreneur Who Caused 2022 Crash, Sentenced to 15 Years
500+NYT > Technology / 12h
Do Kwon, who designed the virtual currencies Luna and TerraUSD, which plunged in 2022, had pleaded guilty to fraud.





Southwest Has A Secret “Infinite Legroom” Seat — Here’s Why It Exists And How To Grab It
View from the Wing / 12h
Southwest has a “secret” infinite-legroom window seat on its 737-800s and MAX 8s: 16A and 16F, with nothing at all in front of them. They only exist because FAA overwing-exit rules force Southwest to delete the window in the row ahead, and a 175-seat cap in the pilot contract means that missing seat costs the airline nothing. I’ll show exactly where to find these seats, why they exist, and how ot





Crypto Magnate Do Kwon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
71Wired / 12h
The founder of Terraform Labs was sentenced today for lying about “experimental” coins that blew a $40 billion hole in the crypto economy.





Flip's affordable NBN plan pricing doesn't mean you'll be left high and dry if you ever need help
200+Latest from TechRadar / 12h
Finding an affordable and reliable NBN service is one thing, but can you be sure you'll get satisfactory support further down the line? This Aussie-owned telco stakes its reputation on it.





Warnings Mount in Congress Over Expanded US Wiretap Powers
21Wired / 12h
Experts tell US lawmakers that a crucial spy program’s safeguards are failing, allowing intel agencies deeper, unconstrained access to Americans’ data.





RFK Jr.’s Health Department Is Pondering a National Men’s Health Initiative
100+Wired / 12h
At an FDA discussion of testosterone replacement therapy, a top official called for special health centers to address a “men’s health crisis.” Others called to ease men’s access to hormones