Want to keep your eye on the sky in 2025? Here's a look at the best space launches you can watch from the comfort of home.

Finally! A replacement crew is heading to the ISS, and Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will come home at last.

The Room studio's 80s-set paranormal VR mystery Ghost Town gets launch dateQuest first, PCVR/PSVR2 to follow.Image credit: Fireproof Games News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on March 14, 2025 Fireproof Games - the studio behind eerie puzzle box adventure The Room and its equally stellar sequels - has announced a launch date for its paranormal VR mystery Ghost Town. It's coming to Meta Quest on 24th April, with a PCVR/PSVR2 release due later this year.Ghost Town, if you're unfamiliar, whisks players back to 1983, where they'll take on the role of ghost hunter Edith Penrose. Edith runs a successful paranormal detective agency in London with her flatmate and, as Fireproof puts it, "she's almost up-to-date with her rent and the ghosts in her bathroom mirror have been less demanding than usual."Unfortunately, Edith's world is turned upside down when her brother goes missing - and so begins a quest to locate his whereabouts, first taking her to a remote Scottish island in search of a gifted clairvoyant, and later through the supernatural underbelly of London.Ghost Town - Meta Quest release date trailer.Watch on YouTubeAll this unfolds across "large navigable environments" where players will interact with fully motion-captured characters, both alive and dead. "Explore a variety of atmospheric locations with a controller in each hand and a torch to light your way," Fireproof explains. "Use the dexterity of your hands to overcome tactile puzzles, cast spells and even summon troubled spirits to move them on to the next world."Fireproof's The Room series was an absolute pleasure, blending cleverly tactile head scratchers with some deliciously sinister atmospherics - and the studio's most recent game, 2020's The Room VR: A Dark Matter, was a particular highlight. So I'm genuinely excited to see how Ghost Town plays out. And with a 24th April release on Meta Quest now confirmed (and PSVR2/PCVR to follow), there isn't much longer to wait. Oh, and if you're looking for more goggle-based entertainment, here's everything announced in this week's VR Games Showcase.

To promote a project these days, it seems an actor must be filmed eating chicken with one of two media personalities or share their hottest take on the New York City subway. During her most recent turn on the press circuit, Cate Blanchett, who stars in the just-released Steven Soderbergh film Black Bag, opted for the latter. Its a natural choice, since the Oscar winner has had the perfect subway take in her arsenal for years. When Kareem Rahma, the host of the popular TikTok series, asked the question that begins every video in his franchiseSo, whats your take?Blanchett answered with one of her most staunch, well-established opinions: Leaf blowers need to be eradicated from the face of the Earth.Its a metaphor for whats wrong with us as a species. We blow shit from one side of our lawn to the other side, and then the wind is just gonna blow it back, she explains in the two-minute-long video, which was published on Thursday. If Blanchetts gripe sounds familiar, its likely because youve heard her talk about it before. Last year, another TikTok composed of various clips of the Carol star ranting about her hatred of the lawn care tool made the rounds. Her vendetta goes back much, much further, however. Just how far? Lets explore.2007Blanchetts first on-record mention of leaf blowers was in a 2007 interview with W Magazine. If her hatred for leaf blowers was a person, they would be old enough to vote. (Ideally, for a candidate who will ban their use once and for all.) Citing ecological reasons, the Lord of the Rings actor told the outlet that leaf blowers sum up everything that is wrong with the human race.2019The actors distaste for the disruptive machines didnt publicly surface again until an interviewer opened the floodgates during the press cycle for Blanchetts 2019 film Whered You Go, Bernadette. When asked about her breaking point, the actor had another opportunity to spread her anti-leaf-blower message: I fly intowell, I think theyre quite rationalrages, but other people might think theyre irrationalabout leaf blowers, she responded. If I see a leaf blower, I go from nought to a thousand. I just, I cannot. Its all that is wrong with the human race. They drive me nuts. Im like a barking dog, like Im going SQUIRREL! If I see a leaf blower, thats it. Im gone for the rest of the afternoon.On the red carpet for the films premiere, Blanchett was teasingly presented with a photo of a leaf blower, causing her to launch into an impassioned rant: I could be here for three hours talking to you about leaf blowers. I hate them so much. You blow leaves from one side of the pavement to the other side of the pavement, only to have the wind blow them back in the first place. Its like, what happened to the broom? I hate leaf blowers so much.2022When Blanchett was a guest on Hot Ones in 2022, she took another moment to air her grievances. Moving leaves from one place to another, only for them to be blown back again. The gardenersthey know that what theyre doing is stupid.2024During a Cannes press conference for the 2024 film Rumours, an audience member asked Blanchett what makes her laugh. When she brought up leaf blowers, director Evan Johnson uttered, This again? And codirector Guy Maddin advised the audience to Just google Cate Blanchett and leaf blowers. The Dont Look Up actor then mused, Yeah, I mean, they make me laugh and cry. Laughing and crying is a really good state to be in, actually.

Arizona-based bedding retailer Tuft & Needle has always been ahead of the curve: They launched in 2012two years before Casper kicked off the bed-in-a-box revolutionwith the idea of making the mattress shopping experience a little less hellish. Its price point was low (most of their mattresses retail for less than $1,000) but the materials were solid, thanks to innovations like the brands T&N Adaptive Foam Technology, which combines cooling technology with pressure relief and breathability for a better than memory foam finish. Since then, theyve branched out into everything from sleep tech to silk pillowcases, and all have followed the same guiding principles of high quality products at approachable price points.Our editors have tried a wide range of their offerings, including mattresses suitable for all sleep positions and breathable quiltseven their white noise machineand suffice it to say that were big fans of the brand, which has appeared in many of our best of lists over the years. So, for Sleep Week, were giving you the scoop on everything thats worth having from the wallet-friendly retailer, with editor reviews to back it all up.Dont totally believe us? Not to worrythey offer a 100-night sleep trial and a 365-day warranty on their mattresses, as well as free shipping and returns, in case youre not as smitten as we are.For consistency, all prices listed reflect queen sizes, but different sizes are available for purchase from the brand.Tuft & Needle Original MattressIf youre wanting an upgrade from your spring mattress, but finding direct-to-consumer mattresses are out of your budget, the Tuft & Needle original mattress really hit that sweet spot of being a high-quality foam mattress at a more affordable price, says contributor Elise Portale. Crafted to deliver responsive comfort and pressure relief, Portale says this mattress is the perfect blend of a firm foam core that gives me that strong support I prefer and a softer foam outside that does that contouring memory foam thing that is just so delightful. This mattress pulls out all the stops: comfort layers, considered motion transfer, adaptive foam and edge support, and a friendly trial period to make sure your new mattress suits you perfectly.Tuft & Needle Mint MattressContributor Anna Fixsen, a side sleeper with a medium-firm mattress preference, wrote in her Tuft & Needle mattress review that the Mint suited her needs perfectly. I fell asleep faster and better on this mattress than my old innerspring mattressdespite being someone prone to tossing and turningmaking this a great option out of all the memory foam mattresses out there, says Fixsen. An invisible support layer, made of cushy gel beads distributed evenly under the surface, employ temperature regulation, and render this a cooling and supportive choice thats designed with all sleeping positions in mind.Tuft & Needle Original Foam PillowSifting through Amazon for a suitable pillow is such a chore, it can discourage you from ever upgrading. Digital features editor Katherine McLaughlin, however, found that this T&N original sells Amazon for $80, and is worth every penny. Cooling gel, pressure relief, and adaptive foam make thisaccording to McLaughlinthe most comfortable pillow youve ever slept on.Tuft & Needle Silk PillowcaseThe true secret to luxury bedding? Silk. On our best silk pillowcases list, youll find this pick from Tuft & Needle, which is made from high-quality 100% mulberry silk and machine-washable to boot. For those prone to frizz, acne, or a yearning for finer things, this significant upgrade clocks in at $90that means deep, skin-friendly sleep for less than $100.Tuft & Needle Percale Duvet Cover SetTuft and Needle describes this 100% supima cotton duvet cover as having a strong, breathable weave. Contributor Kristi Kellogg, a patron of the accompanying percale sheet set, can vouch for the material, calling it crisp, thin, and lightweight. Hot sleepers will love the coolness of this duvet cover, as well as the hotel feel of its crisp corners and careful stitching.Tuft & Needle QuiltA contender among our selection of the best quilts and coverlets, this cozy, breathable option is made with breezy cotton thats ideal for a barely-there feel in the warmer months. Associate commerce director Lori Keong called this heavier than just a top sheet for comfort, but lightweight enough to drift off comfortably. Were crushing on the cayenne colorway, which would add a welcome dose of red to an otherwise neutral bedroom design.Tuft & Needle + SNOOZ White Noise MachineOkayyou have the new mattress, the percale duvet cover, the silk pillowcase, and still youre too restless to sleep. Tuft & Needle has thought of that, too. This white noise machine landed in our best looking sound machines (surprisingly hard to find) for its covert design, which luckily doesnt announce itself, but blends seamlessly into the backdrop of your bedroom. It has adjustable light and dark modes, app control, and adjustable tone to suit your needs.Loftie Smart Alarm ClockTuft & Needle knows good productswhich is why the Loftie makes an appearance on their sleep accessories page. Senior digital design editor Zo Sessums is a big Loftie fan (as is the AD staffweve ranked it one of the best sound machines and best alarm clocks). So much so she gave a dedicated review on its ability to reinstate life-tech balance. The Loftie boasts a dimmable display, nightlight, two-phase alarm, and custom content playable right on the device, including guided meditations, sound baths, breath work exercises, sleep playlists, plus a variety of relaxing sounds. Plus, it has a beautiful design.

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a buyer's market Used Tesla prices tumble as embarrassed owners look to sell Some owners would rather sell their car than be associated with Tesla now. Jonathan M. Gitlin Mar 14, 2025 1:17 pm | 309 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreTesla has a real image problem. Once, it was the beloved brand for the environmentally aware car buyer; more than that, it was the hottest thing in town. Hundreds of thousands of fans paid thousand-dollar deposits and then waited for up to two years for a chance to buy a Model 3, with others paying hefty markups to people at the front of the queue. Back then, of course, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed to care about climate changenow he seems more likely to be found helping to undo work on climate change.That has hurt Tesla's new car sales, which have cratered in Europe and declined to a lesser degree in China (where Musk's political activities have less bearing, and decline is more stiff competition from local brands and the lack of a real model range). It has dented the reality-distortion field that surrounds the company's share price, if perhaps only to where it was six months ago. And it has also affected the prices of used Teslas here in the US.Being a Tesla driver is starting to carry some stigma, and owners are unused to the opprobrium they are now facing for their choice of electric vehicle. "Two weeks ago, I was called a Nazi in the parking lot at Kroger," one owner told The New York Times. The YouTuber Vegas Tesla Family just posted a video explaining that he was selling his Tesla "because of Elon Musk." And more than one Ars commenter has sold their Tesla in recent weeks as a direct result of Musk.But a car is usually the second-most expensive purchase a person will make, and many Tesla owners are in no position to suddenly sell their cars just because they find the man who makes them politically unpalatableeven if the cars continue to depreciate faster and faster. Hopefully no one actually took Musk at his word when he claimed that his cars would become appreciating assets.Similarly, one should take with a pinch of salt a website offering to steal Teslas from owners who are unable to find a buyer themselves.According to data from Car Gurus, used Tesla prices have fallen twice as fast (-3.7 percent) as the wider car market (-1.5 percent) over the last 90 days. Year over year, used Tesla prices are down 7.5 percent, compared to 2.8 percent for the market as a whole. And that's on top of steep depreciation caused by a series of new car price cuts over the past few years, as well as rental car companies and other companies disposing of fleets of Teslasen masse.The Model 3 has been on sale longer than the Model Y, and you'd expect the older cars to have depreciated more. Indeed, the average price of a 2017 Model 3 is just under $20,000 now. But even recent model years are shedding value rapidlya model-year 2022 Model 3 is worth just $25,000 on average.Model Y prices have decreased by a greater degree, although the higher MSRP and younger age of the Y mean prices haven't dropped quite as far as the 3, yet. But CarGurus has seen between 1621 percent drops for each model year of the Model Y, year over year.CarGurus isn't the only one to notice this trend, either. According to its data, iSeeCars says used Teslas have dropped by 13.6 percent, year over year. The Models 3, Y, and S were all in its top four EVs for depreciation, although top place went to the Porsche Taycan (which might be starting to look like a bargain).For its part, Tesla has been trying to boost its image with the help of President Trump. On Monday, the president took to the South Lawn of the White House to promote Tesla's cars, apparently buying one despite having campaigned on an explicitly anti-electric vehicle platform.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 309 Comments

This is not a drill! New 2XKO news has popped up on social media that makes this month way more exciting than it would be otherwise. The news is, well it's an announcement of a future development update video, but we can now firmly say that a detailed briefing on changes to the game, Jinx, and the next Alpha Lab test should be coming soon. Read more

As businesses race to replace humans with AI agents, coding assistant Cursor may have given us a peek at the attitude bots could bring to work, too.Cursor reportedly told a user going by the name janswist that he should write the code himself instead of relying on Cursor to do it for him.I cannot generate code for you, as that would be completing your work you should develop the logic yourself. This ensures you understand the system and can maintain it properly, janswist said Cursor told him after he spent an hour vibe coding with the tool.So Janswist filed a bug report on the companys product forum called Cursor told me I should learn coding instead of asking it to generate it and included a screen shot. The bug report soon went viral on Hacker News, and was covered by Ars Technica.Janswist speculated that he hit some kind of hard limit at 750-800 lines of code, although other users replied that Cursor will write more code than that for them. One commenter suggested that janswist should have used Cursorsagent integration, which works for bigger coding projects. Anysphere couldnt be reached for comment.But Cursors refusal also sounded an awful lot like the replies newbie coders could get when asking questions on programming forum Stack Overflow, folks on Hacker News pointed out. The suggestion is that if Cursor trained on that site it may have learned, not just coding tips, but human snark as well.

Swedish fintech Klarna took the next step in its highly anticipated U.S. IPO on Friday when it made its F-1 prospectus public. We are sifting through the document now.Klarna hopes to raise at least $1 billion dollars at a $15 billion valuation with this IPO, Bloomberg reported last week. The public documents dont yet reveal how many shares it plans to sell or the price range, so we wont know if this IPO will meet its fundraising aspirations or not until it prices shares. Thats typically around a month, sometimes more, after the prospectus documents are made public for everyone to chew on.However, this IPO has been anticipated for years now so perhaps its bankers have some indication that investors will bite at that level. One reason could be that Klarnas previous private valuation recently reboundedto $14.6 billion, according to reports, after one investor increased its stake. Another could be that Klarna is reporting a profit. Specifically, Klarna reported revenue of $2.8 billion for 2024, up from around $2.3 billion in 2023. It also reported a net profit of $21 million in 2024, a big swing from a loss in 2023 of -$244 million.Founded in 2005 by its current CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Klarna is one of several players that offerbuy now, pay later financing to customers for purchases. After launching in the U.S. in 2015, Klarna hit a hefty valuation of more than $45 billion by 2021, a figure that swiftly plummeted by 85% to $6.5 billion when the 2021 venture capital valuation bubble burst.Klarna has recently been making news for developing its own in-house AI system based on OpenAIs ChatGPT and saying that it dropped its contract for Salesforce CRM to use its internally systems instead.Siemiatkowski said its homegrown ChatGPT-powered customer service bot led to replacing 700 full-time contract employees and a savings of approximately $40 million annually. He even went so far as to say that Klarna stopped hiring aggressively because of its use of AI, letting its workforce dwindle from 5,000 in 2023 to about 3,500 by the end of 2024.