Connections is back again to challenge your brain's pattern recognition. For anyone familiar with the rules of how to play Connections, you know it doesn't take much to lose this difficult game; you don't have very many mistakes you can make before you lose.

This article was originally published on GameDevDigest.com

Nintendos Switch 2 ramp-up week started with a cheerful bang (a jingle, really) at Wednesdays Switch 2 Direct that revealed the sleek new consoles release date, launch games, and features. Donkey Kong hype abounded online, at least until the companys news releases started trickling out to outlets like Polygon, and sticker shock took over. Nintendo announced it would charge $450 for its console and $80 for its flagship game, Mario Kart World (or $500 for the two bundled together).Around the same time, President Trump announced his sweeping global trade plan, which included significant tariffs for virtually every country in the world including uninhabited regions. To put it simply, everyone began freaking the fuck out in response, and the stock market did, too. In the news and on social media, both Switch 2 and Trump tariffs began trending, marking the beginning of a very chaotic 48 hours in which the release of a highly anticipated game console and the blundering whims of the U.S. president became inextricably linked not just for the folks who care about games, but for consumers of other mainstream media, too.The tariffs will impact the cost of almost everything Americans purchase, all amidst stocks plummeting downward and social services getting dismantled. That might include the cost of Switch 2 a price that a lot of people werent happy about before Nintendo announced it would delay pre-orders due to tariffs and evolving market conditions. Panic has ensued for fans: What if the Switch 2 is even more expensive than $450? Thats on top of this other bit of lurking dread: What if there arent enough Switch 2s to go around?Business professor and author Joost van Dreunen said in an email to Polygon that Nintendos explicit reference to tariffs in its statement is highly unusual for the company, and for Japanese corporate posturing in general. Japanese companies traditionally avoid commenting on foreign policy matters, making this directness particularly noteworthy. By specifically naming tariffs as the cause rather than using vaguer language about supply chain challenges or global market conditions, Nintendo is clearly signaling to shareholders and consumers that the delay stems from external policy decisions rather than internal planning failures. (Polygon reached out to Nintendo for comment but did not hear back before press time.)There have long been a vocal few in the gaming community who talk about keeping politics out of games, which is a senseless take devoid of critical thought to begin with. But that take has never been more senseless than it is right now: Trumps trade war is, quite literally, impacting games. And Nintendo wants us to know it, too.But its likely not because so many gamers favorite nostalgia manufacturer is taking a stand against the big bad along with us. Its a strategic decision (though I wouldnt be surprised if Nintendos execs privately despise Trump for this decision and maybe even others).It insulates Nintendo from criticism about their own execution while gently educating their consumer base about how trade policy directly impacts product availability and potentially pricing, van Dreunen said. The reference to evolving market conditions gives them flexibility to make adjustments beyond just responding to tariffs, potentially including competitive positioning against the rumored PS5 Pro price drop or shifts in component availability.Trumps newest round of tariffs include a hefty increase up to 46% for Vietnam, the location Nintendo moved much of its manufacturing to several years ago when Trump increased tariffs on China. But van Dreunen doesnt think its too likely Nintendo will raise the price of Switch 2 so close to launch, which he says would be unprecedented.Nintendo needs time to assess whether their existing price point of $449.99 remains viable or if their projected margins have been compromised. The delay gives them flexibility to either secure additional inventory ahead of potential tariff implementation, explore manufacturing alternatives, or adjust their go-to-market strategy, van Dreunen said. More likely, Nintendo will maintain the announced price but potentially reduce initial production volume or adjust bundle offerings to preserve margins. Theyre essentially buying time to make the most informed decision possible in a rapidly evolving trade environment.And while its tempting to take van Dreunens salient expertise here as a sign that its not all that bad, he also says the gaming industry tends to offer a decent pulse on the rest of the economy.Nintendo specifically makes an interesting barometer because their audience skews more mainstream and family-oriented than competitors, meaning their customer base includes the middle-income consumers most affected by economic headwinds, van Dreunen said. In this case, Nintendos response to these tariffs offers a preview of how global companies with complex supply chains will navigate increasing trade barriers not by immediately passing costs to consumers, but by tactical delays and strategic reassessment. Their caution signals the broader uncertainty facing multinational companies as global trade tensions escalate.The only thing we know for sure is that a lot more uncertainty is coming our way.

Theres the egg price problem for sure, but whether youre trying to save grocery money or you have an aversion to eggs for dietary or health restrictionsyou too deserve cake. Cake for a birthday or cake on a whim, there should be nothing holding you back from achieving your sugary dreams of the moment, least of all a lack of eggless cake recipes. I tested out five common and accessible egg replacement options to see which one produced the best eggless cake.The batterI decided to test a basic yellow cake recipe Ive used before. It uses a combination of butter and oil, sugar, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, and usually eggs. Its a good layering cake since when its prepared as-written (with eggs), it produces a sturdy, level (not domed), vanilla scented cake. In the interest of time, making multiple batches, and reducing mess, I spooned the batter out into cupcake papers rather than into larger cake pans. The first round of cake was prepared with egg as a control.The replacements Cupcakes from left to right: egg (control), banana, applesauce, yogurt. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann There are almost too many options for substituting eggs in cake batter, so I focused on the ones Ive heard about the most often: mashed banana, Greek yogurt, applesauce, aquafaba, and a tapioca flour and baking powder mixture.Eggs are essential to cake batter and other baked goods, because theyre a binder, can be a leavener, and theyre an emulsifier (they can help keep fats and liquids stable and homogenized). They also add structure and moisture to the finished product. Truly, theyre incredible. Were looking for a single ingredient to do as much of that as possible, but its important to keep our expectations realisticfew other ingredients can accomplish all of that without sacrificing something.The resultsLets get to the good stuffthe results. Here are the best egg replacements for cake, and the worst performers. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann 1. Aquafaba. Its easy to dismiss aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas or other beans) until you actually use it. This cake was perfectly delicious, spongy, moist, and with no off-flavors. It was the most similar in structure and flavor to a cake prepared with whole eggs. Its also the easiest substitution. As long as you saved some aquafaba from last nights dinner (or do what I do and keep it handy in your freezer), you simply add three tablespoons of the bean liquid per single whole egg the recipe calls for. I mixed it in during the same stage I would have for the egg, right after the butter and sugar got mixed together. Note that if your beans werent low-sodium then you may want to reduce the salt in the recipe by a quarter teaspoon. Left: Aquafaba cupcake. Right: Tapioca and baking powder cupcake. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann 2. Tapioca flour and baking powder. This easy to make mixture produced a good quality final product as well. Points were taken off for the mixture being an extra step, and for tapioca flour being possibly harder to source depending on where you live. The cake had more loft and was more tender than the aquafaba replacement, making it more delicate to handle if youre stacking layers for a big cake.Mix one tablespoon of tapioca flour with one tablespoon of cold water. Stir in a quarter-teaspoon of baking powder, and this replaces one whole egg in your cake recipe. The mixture will be very liquidy. The tapioca flour, baking powder, and water mixture. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Alternatively, you can simply add the extra baking powder measurement to the dry ingredients. Add the tapioca and water mixture to the bowl after creaming the butter and sugar, and proceed with the recipe. You can usually find tapioca flour in the baking aisle of large supermarkets.3. Banana. Bananas are a great helper in batters because they actually can mimic some of what eggs do: they can bind, add moisture, and their fibers provide structure and can help keep fats and liquids suspended like eggs. Plus, theyre pretty easy to access in every region and in most grocery stores. The finished product is sturdy and moist, making it a good cake for handling and decorating. That said, bananas make your cake taste like bananas. If you dont like that, then this totally stinks.To use banana as an egg replacement, mash up enough banana to make a quarter-cup of banana glop per egg needed.4. Greek yogurt. I love when yogurt or sour cream is added to cake batters because the cake is always moist, flavorful, and tender. However, its not a very good egg replacement. While the flavor of the cake was delicious, the yogurt added no structure and completely caved in while cooling. For context, I used a quarter-cup of Greek yogurt to replace one whole egg. The only reason I ranked it above applesauce is because the flavor was deliciousbut this would never work for a cake that I'd serve in public. Imagine if I had used an eight or nine-inch cake pan. The cake would look like a bowl. The applesauce and yogurt cupcakes (two on the right side) both fell after cooling. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann 5. Applesauce. Applesauce produced similar emulsifying results to bananas but without the benefit of firm structure. You can see in the picture above that after the cake cooled, it dipped in the center. Not as dramatically as the yogurt one, but still, not great. Applesauce adds moisture but since it has less structure, the batter falls while cooling and then you end up with a stodgy center. Furthermore, I found applesauce cake to be slightly nauseating in flavor, and it overly sweetened my cake even though I used the natural kind with no added sugar. If you must use it, use a quarter-cup to replace one egg.If youre looking to seamlessly make cakes and cupcakes without extra steps or special ingredients, use aquafaba for the best results. Its vegan, has good structure and moisture, and doesnt negatively alter the flavor of your cake. It doesnt need to be whipped for recipes where the eggs arent whipped, butas an added benefitthis is the only ingredient where you can whip it to replace whipped eggs in a recipe. Aquafaba is a versatile cooking helper to keep around, and its essentially free if youve been draining it from your beans all these years.

Mewgenics, the cat-breeding RPG that was originally announced as a follow-up to Super Meat Boy, is coming out in 2025, based on a new trailer shared by IGN and the game's updated Steam page.A blend of a turned-based RPG and twisted cat simulator, Mewgenics started as the next project from Team Meat, the development duo made up of Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes. Team Meat teased Mewgenics throughout 2013, but ultimately put the game on hold in 2014 to focus on finishing Super Meat Boy Forever, a mobile sequel to Super Meat Boy.When McMillen ultimately left Team Meat in 2018 to focus on supporting The Binding of Isaac, Mewgenics came with him,and the game has been slowly making its way to release since then. If the trailer is any indication, repeatable, turn-based battles have become a big part of Mewgenics, but McMillen's trademark gross-out animation style remains intact (as does all of the cat furniture).If you're looking for more information about how the game has changed since it was announced over a decade ago, McMillen and co-developer Tyler Glaiel have kept up a relatively regular cadence of blog posts on Steam covering different aspects of the development process. We should also see a lot more of the game soon: In their latest update, Mewgenics' developers shared that IGN is publishing hands-on coverage of the game in May.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-creator-of-binding-of-isaac-will-release-a-new-game-mewgenics-this-year-211049653.html?src=rss

The compact yet powerful Kingdel Mini PC delivers desktop-level performance in a portable package with a built-in touchscreen display.

AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi called his company's late-stage bid to acquire TikTok a "much stronger bid than others" on CNBC's The Exchange.

A whole range of invisible effects work, make-up effects enhancements, and more. Note: this breakdown contains nudity.The post Watch CGEVs VFX breakdown for The Substance appeared first on befores & afters.

PresidentDonald Trumphas abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency, according to U.S. officials and members of Congress, but the White House and the Pentagon have provided no reasons for the move.Senior military leaders were informed Thursday of the firing of Air ForceGen. Tim Haugh, who also oversaw the Pentagons Cyber Command, the officials said. They received no advance notice about the decision to remove a four-star general with a 33-year career in intelligence and cyber operations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel decisions.The move has triggered sharp criticism from members of Congress and demands for an immediate explanation. And it marks the latest dismissal of national security officials by Trump at a time when his Republican administration faces criticism over his failure to take any action against other key leadersuse of an unclassified Signal messaging chatthat included The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss plans for a military strike.Its unclear who now is in charge of the NSA and the Cyber Command.Also fired was Haughs civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble.The NSA notified congressional leadership and top lawmakers of the national security committees of the firing late Wednesday but did not give reasons, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter. The person said Noble has been reassigned to the office of the defense undersecretary for intelligence.The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment. The NSA referred questions about Haugh to the Defense Department, which had no comment Friday.Far-right activist andcommentator Laura Loomerappeared to take credit Friday in a post on X, saying she raised concerns to Trump about Haughs ties toGen. Mark Milleyand the Biden administration and questioned the NSA chiefs loyalty to the president. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trumps first term but has since become an outspoken critic.Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position, Loomer wrote. Thank you, President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you and thank you for firing these Biden holdovers.Loomer, who has claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an inside job, had discussed staff loyalty with Trump in an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, according to several people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel manner. A day later, Trump said he fired some White HouseNational Security Councilofficials.Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding to know why Haugh and Noble were fired.Public reporting suggests that your removal of these officials was driven by a fringe social media personality, which represents a deeply troubling breach of the norms that safeguard our national security apparatus from political pressure and conspiracy theories, Himes, D-Conn., wrote.Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said Friday that he has long warned about the dangers of firing military officers as a political loyalty test.In addition to the other military leaders and national security officials Trump has fired, he is sending a chilling message throughout the ranks: dont give your best military advice, or you may face consequences, Reed said in a statement.He added that Trump has given a priceless gift to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea by purging competence from our national security leadership.Another Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the U.S. was facing unprecedented cyber threats and asked how firing Haugh, who has served in the military for more than 30 years, makes America safer.Haughs firing sets off a 60-day process. Unless he is moved to another three- or four-star job in 60 days he would automatically revert to a two-star.Any new high-level job would be unlikely since that would require a nomination from Trump, who just fired him. As a result, Haugh, who was confirmed for the NSA job in a unanimous Senate vote in December 2023, would likely retire.Trump hasnt commented on Haugh or Noble, but on Thursday he dismissed the National Security Council firings as normal.Always were letting go of people, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he made his way to Miami on Thursday afternoon. People that we dont like or people that we dont think can do the job or people that may have loyalties to somebody else.The firings come as Trumps national security adviser, Mike Waltz, fightscalls for his ousterafter using the publicly available encryptedSignal appto discuss planning for a sensitive March 15 military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen.Warner called it astonishing that Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the National Security Agency while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office.Haugh met last month withElon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency has roiled the federal government by slashing personnel and budgets at dozens of agencies. In a statement, the NSA said the meeting was intended to ensure both organizations are aligned with the new administrations priorities.Haugh had led both the NSA and Cyber Command since 2023. Both departments play leading roles in the nations cybersecurity. The NSA also supports the military and other national security agencies by collecting and analyzing a vast amount of data and information globally.Cyber Command is known as Americas first line of defense in cyberspace and also plans offensive cyberoperations for potential use against adversaries.Lolita C. Baldor and Lisa Mascaro, Associated PressAssociated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, David Klepper, and Lou Kesten contributed to this report.

Youd be forgiven for mistaking it for a prop straight out of Blade Runner 2049a cross between a drone and a dieselpunk art installation. But the Cyclotech Blackbird is very real, very airborne, and potentially the boldest reimagining of vertical flight weve seen in years. Forget spinning rotors and tilt wings. This machine flies on six mechanical barrels that look more at home in a gearbox than the sky.The Blackbird isnt a full-sized eVTOL yetits a 750-pound demonstrator with zero seating and all the raw, experimental energy of a garage-built prototypebut its making history as the first aircraft ever to fly using six Cyclorotors. If that sounds like a new indie rock band, lets get technical: Cyclorotors are essentially horizontal barrels with a rim of paddle-like blades, each capable of tilting mid-spin. Think Voith-Schneider Propeller meets Da Vinci sketchbook.Designer: CycloTechJust looking at it, it feels counterintuitive. Helicopters adjust pitch on long, spindly blades rotating around a central mast. Cyclotechs system instead manipulates the tilt of short airfoils housed inside rotating drums Im in half minds to throw my clothes in and expect them to dry. The whole mechanism is a throwback to the swashplate designs of classic rotorcraft, but here, the blade adjustments are so rapid and precise they can redirect thrust 360 degrees on the flyliterally. Unlike conventional props that need to spool up or down to modulate thrust, Cyclorotors shift airflow direction on demand by altering blade orientation. Thats not a marginal upgradeits a different language of control.What does that mean in the sky? Micro-adjustments to keep hover stable in gusty wind. Immediate lateral thrust without banking. Redundancy across multiple axis-aligned rotors. And a footprint compact enough to not look totally dystopian on a rooftop pad. The current prototype has four Cyclorotors at each corner and two more mounted horizontally under the nose and tail. This six-pack layout allows the aircraft to twist, slide, or climb without angling its bodyideal for surgical maneuvers in crowded airspace.But lets not gloss over the awkward bits. Cyclotechs voodoo barrels are mechanically complex, with a moving-part count that might make aerospace engineers sweat. And the blades, while arguably less intimidating than traditional rotors, still look like they could julienne a bird mid-flight. Theres also the looming reality that this thing wont hit consumer or commercial markets before 2035an eternity in eVTOL years.Yet Cyclotech isnt sprinting to market with air taxi dreams and urban mobility decks. The real play here is propulsion tech. Their goal isnt to win the flying car raceits to build an engine platform that can be licensed across platforms, from drones to emergency VTOLs to cargo craft. Its a modular, mechanical idea in an age of batteries and software.Speaking of specs, the envisioned production modeltentatively called CruiseUpis aimed at personal ownership. A two-seater with a top speed of 93 mph (150 km/h) and a max range of 62 miles (100 km) sounds humble, but keep in mind this isnt an airliner. Its a city-hopper, a flying commuter capsule for the well-heeled futurist. Range anxiety? Sure. But its enough for suburb-to-downtown hops, especially in traffic-choked megacities.And if youre wondering about the ride experience, Cyclorotors could deliver surprisingly smooth motion. Unlike quadcopters that jostle with every micro-correction, Blackbirds 360-degree thrust vectoring promises a more composed hover and agile, side-slip maneuvers that resemble underwater thruster dynamics more than airborne flight.Theres a whiff of nostalgia baked into the entire endeavor. It recalls an era when flight felt experimental againwhen engineers were allowed to be weird and curious, and prototypes werent just sleek renderings but awkward, brilliant machines with exposed parts and ambitious dreams. The Blackbird is very much that. Aesthetically odd. Mechanically dense. Technically ambitious. And more than anything, a signal that aviations next leap might not be software-defined or purely electricbut mechanically radical.Its early days still, with test flights likely consisting of cautious hops and brief hovers. But the concept is up, airborne, and pivoting in the air like a sci-fi dragonfly. Cyclotechs approach wont dethrone the tiltrotors or ducted fans of the world anytime soon. But it might make them rethink what agility, control, and mechanical elegance really look like in the sky.The post Worlds Weirdest Flying Car Uses Spinning Drums Instead Of Propellers For Better Stability first appeared on Yanko Design.