People dont understand how close D&D and wrestling are, said Brennan Lee Mulligan. And hes speaking from an informed perspective, ushering Dimension 20: Titan Takedown into the world this week. In the new four-episode season of the long-running anthology actual play show, Mulligan hosts four WWE superstars Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Bayley, and Chelsea Green to a game set in a professional-wrestling-themed reimagining of Greek mythology. And despite its brevity, the season has become a playground for wrestling-loving Dimension 20 veterans, who were welcomed into a suite of extra skits and bits to celebrate their own fandom. The parallels between professional wrestling and actual play Dungeons & Dragons are easy to find, and when Polygon chatted with Mulligan via video call last week, we started with the obvious one. Did he feel like his entire career had come down to this: playing every heel? The Dungeon Master should just be called the All-Heel, Mulligan said. It is the heel of all heels; you play every heel, and it is your role to be big and blustery and then lose, and that is what the people want to see. Its a delight. I flew into it with all of the love and ardor I could muster. For more of Brennans thoughts on Titan Takedown, the kayfabe all around us, and the unexpected advantages of having new players in your actual play, read on. Polygon: Are you a wrestling fan from way back or is it something youve been introduced to later in life or for the show?Brennan Lee Mulligan: Later in life; I had the pleasure, the honor I wish that everyone in the world could be so lucky as to be pals with the magnificent Danielle Radford [comedian and co-host of the Tights and Fights podcast]. Danielle is a wrestling and comedy super maven. I have always been tangentially a fan of wrestling, as a lot of people are tangentially fans of D&D, where theyre like, Oh, that looks fun, but no one has invited me specifically to participate. I dont have an on-ramp. Im not at a friends house where theyre watching it, my parents arent watching it. So its this thing that seems cool, but that Im not getting drawn into.Working in comedy, there are so many comedians that are huge wrestling fans. And Danielle took me by the hand especially ramping up as this season was approaching and went like, Heres the historic matches, heres the lore, heres the jargon, heres the encyclopedia. She created this beautiful document for the season, came through and said, Heres the matches you need to watch to understand these four players. After years and years of being like, Oh, that seems cool, but I dont see an organic way into participating in that, Danielle could not have thrown more of a royal red carpet out for me and all the D20 people that wanted to finally be involved. And it was a joy, a privilege, and an honor.Ive always been in a similar boat, but the appeal of wrestling clicked for me when I found out what kayfabe means. I thought, Oh, its like the Muppets. Its a performance of a performance. Hey, listen, kayfabe is all around us. Anyone who has ever had to visit their grandma knows that you are not the same person everywhere, right? You go, [soft, cheerful voice] Hi, Grandma. Its good to see you! We present these masks; we present these sides of ourselves. Kayfabe is a really useful concept, and I love that its entering common parlance. Its a useful term, especially in the age of social media [mildly deranged voice] where we are all performers, Susana, all of us are performers...Oh god, interviews are already the most kayfabe space I occupy, this is a level of metatext Im not sure Im capable of processing.Dimension 20 has always included players of different levels of experience with Dungeons & Dragons. But recent seasons like Dungeons and Drag Queens and Titan Takedown have really leaned into new players as performers. Whats in your playbook for introducing not just a player to a game they havent played, but a performer to this kind of performance they havent done before?The best thing I always say is: Dont worry about the rules. And I try to really remind people that I am a living encyclopedia. Im like, You should just step out into open air and Ill build a bridge underneath you. You cant go wrong. Dont be afraid. And also just trying to remind people that its story first, game second. What I mean by that is, its not that the game doesnt matter its that people will literally come with a game mentality of being like, Wait, so how do we win? Can we die? Whats going on? What happens when we die, we lose the game? And youre like, No, you make another character...Image: DropoutIts very funny, because its not even a debate. It is story first. The game is story first. Theres no lose condition, theres no win condition. The game ends when youre done telling your story, its built into the bones of the thing. And so: Reminding people of that [is the first step]. But the truth is a lot of that being a novice to the game [stuff] is incredibly beneficial to the show. Its really helpful. It creates an on-ramp for people that can come and find a season really approachable. Its so funny, we did Dungeons and Drag Queens, which was a lot of first-time players, and whats so funny is you think, Oh, this is going to be like a Reeses Cup; your peanut butter got in my chocolate. Fans of drag and fans of D&D can cross-pollinate and find these other mediums and performers. It was so funny that a lot of people approached that season as people that were not drawn from either, but it was a good on-ramp to learn about both. That you are novice to each other creates this really interesting opportunity to be able to jump into the beginning of something and go, Oh, theyre explaining the game to these performers and its an easy on-ramp for me coming in. I think that with Titan Takedown, it was really great, because you see apex performers at the top of their mastery of this skillset, learning something new, but being absolutely so entertaining and charming that its a wild ride while youre learning along with them.Maybe this is a question wrongly asked, because all gaming groups are going to be different in their own ways, but were there any unexpected differences between introducing a group of drag performers to the game and introducing a group of wrestling performers to the game?Yeah, I think I would say no. Id say that theyre just wonderful. Theyre just really wonderful. Dungeons and Drag Queens just won Best Web Series at the Queerty Awards, onstage with Mont and Bob and our incredible producer, Ebony Hardin whos the supervising producer for Dropout, but was also our day one production coordinator and producer going forward in Dimension 20. Theyre just phenomenal people. You meet them on day one and you see these people that are quite famous, and theyre just the most down to earth and funny and gregarious. Like Bob and Monts rivalry, taking shots at each other, the cameras arent [even] rolling, its just delightful. And the same was true for these wrestlers, they were just the most warm and incredible [presences]. And again, to watch that facility and charm I would say the cool thing was the storytelling. If youre someone thats approaching this as a D&D fan that is seeing wrestlers for the first time, you might think of them as these obviously athletic, incredible performers. You see the big, larger-than-life persona. What I grokked right away was [that] their facility was storytelling. The understanding of setting something up and paying it off. The understanding of those turns, of moments where something shifts. There are storytelling moments in [Titan Takedown] that you really see how confident and skilled they are at bringing a character through an experience. I think thats going to be really gratifying for people to come in and see. Titan Takedown premiered on Dropout on April 2, with new episodes airing Wednesdays through April 23. See More:

Well, if gamers are looking to change their motherboard on a Dell Alienware pre-built system, they might need to get a dedicated conversion kit that comes with a questionable price tag.Swapping Out Motherboard On Dell's Alienware Area-51 Pre-Built Will Now Cost An Extra $35, Just For a Conversion KitOne thing that Dell's pre-built system lacks is the ability to install third-party components after purchase, given that the firm has its own "hardware ecosystem" integrated with the build, making it almost impossible to mount after-market parts, except for a few. However, with Dell's newest Alienware Area-51 system, you can apparently swap out the motherboard with a third-party one, but that will require purchasing a dedicated "AlienFX" board cable conversion kitthat costs a mighty $35, which is too much, given the accessories included in the kit.But, given that you have made up your mind to spend $35 to replace your Alienware PC motherboard, the kit includes a 14-pin fan power bridge cable assembly, an AlienFX four-pin power switch cable, a top I/O USB dongle, and three micro ATX motherboard screw nuts. By using this kit, you can essentially access all the functionalities of the build, such as chassis features, and even access the build's custom lighting using the Alienware Command Center.Well, replacing the motherboard isn't much of a complicated process if you know about PCs in general, since the main requirement here is to get one that supports the components of your build, including an ATX12VO connection from your power supply. To ensure a safe installation, you can view Dell's tutorial on setting up a third-party motherboard here.With system integrators, you would obviously need to spend extra in order to get something small done, since that is how builds are configured. While the $35 price tag for a conversion kit is certainly high, it might be justifiable for those who are hardcore Alienware fans looking to step up things with a third-party motherboard.News Source: NeowinDeal of the Day

Earlier today, Nintendo made the unprecedented decision to delay prerelease orders for the Switch 2 in the US in order for the company to "assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions." The news follows the Trump Administration announcing its plan to implement steep and controversial tariffs across the globe, with nations such as Japan, Vietnam, China, Canada, Mexico, and the EU facing the worst of these trade penalties. But while Nintendo might be the first company to address the impact these tariffs will have on production, the Entertainment Software Association--the video game industry's trade association that represents most of its major publishers--suspects that this is just the beginning.In an interview with IGN, ESA spokesperson Aubrey Quinn said that the tariffs being announced the same day as the Switch 2's pricing reveal was "just unfortunate coincidental timing," and that Americans "aren't taking it seriously" if we think think it's just the Switch 2 that will impacted by tariffs."It's been interesting with media coverage around video games and tariffs because just unfortunate coincidental timing that the Switch [2 reveal] was the same day as President Trump's announcement. There are so many devices we play video games on. There are other consoles, but as I was saying, VR headsets, our smartphones, people who love PC games, if we think it's just the Switch, then we aren't taking it seriously. This is going to have an impact," Quinn said. Continue Reading at GameSpot

Punk rock started as a music genre in the 1970s. It was defined by its stripped-back sound and rebellious nature, standing against the mainstream and often shouting out about struggles against "the man."

At a glance, House Houses 2019 honking sensation Untitled Goose Game may not seem like the most obvious choice to write a book about. The game essentially a stealth game where your job is to cause trouble was a viral hit, but isnt filled with extensive lore or complex mechanics that beg to be broken down over the course of hundreds of pages. So when Boss Fight Books announced a Goose Game book, I was curious to see what approach it would take.As it turned out, not only there was a fascinating behind-the-scenes story, but the game ended up being a perfect entry point to talk about developer House House and the broader Australian game development community which has struggled to make a name for itself over the years.As part of an effort to spotlight game-related books and documentaries, Polygon is running an email interview series with the people behind them. Check out the full list to read up on a Sky: Children of the Light book, a Street Fighter 2 documentary, and others. Below, Untitled Goose Game book author James OConnor discusses the Australian game development scene, the power of coincidence, and page 171.Polygon: On the surface, Untitled Goose Game is a relatively simple game. What inspired you to write a book about it?James OConnor: The initial spark was, more than anything, a want to write about the Australian game development scene. Id long been a fan of Boss Fight Books, and the more books they released, the more it felt to me like an opportunity was being missed if they didnt publish any books about Australian game development a topic I knew fairly well from my time working as a games journalist down here.For decades, the countrys studios were best-known for their work with ports, handheld translations and licensed titles Australian studios were cheap and had a reputation for getting good work done fast. Following the global financial crisis in the 00s, a lot of the foreign investment that was fueling that work dried up, and studios began to shutter. What we ended up with was a wealth of experienced game developers who knew how to work efficiently, who had never been able to work on their own original ideas and then along came the iPhone and the App Store. I get into this in more detail in the book!I pitched a book on Untitled Goose Game for fairly practical reasons I wanted to write about the shifts and changes across the local industry from 2010 to 2019, and Untitled Goose Game capped off that decade perfectly with a huge, strange, funny hit, one that had struck a huge cultural nerve. Its just kind of a perfect object a singular idea, realised brilliantly, a game that everyone immediately recognized the moment it was announced. I figured that digging down into how a game like this came to be would be interesting and fun. Luckily, I was right!What did you learn about Australias development community when working on the book?Ive been in and around Australias game development community for a long time as a journalist, and then eventually as a developer myself but the thing that surprised me most was how many folks from across the local community intersect with the story of Untitled Goose Games development. Working on this book felt a bit like how I imagine Stephen King feels when he writes a story and finds the characters from his other books suddenly walking across the page, except that most of it is set in Melbourne rather than Maine. Oh, heres the guy I interviewed for a magazine ten years ago; Ah, I didnt know the person who used to run this festival was friends with the team; Huh, this story has weird parallels to this other story I heard. That sort of thing.I have long benefited from the generosity and support that flows through the local game development community across Australia, so its been nice being able to share some of that with readers.What was the wildest anecdote or behind the scenes story you came across when reporting the book?I will say that this isnt necessarily a huge wild anecdote book, in that the stories that are really wild in here are more about how well everything went than how poorly. There isnt a scene where a goose gets loose in the office and causes havoc, or where the publisher comes over for dinner and the four lads at House House have to try and disguise their ruined roast. The wild anecdotes are more along the lines of the perfect person to help them with the next part of the development process just sort of showed up one day.Perhaps the anecdote that has stuck with me the most since writing this book is the one I lead with the story of the day the four members of House House really cemented themselves as a team. Like many good stories, it starts with a misunderstanding, continues with a coincidence, and ends with them playing Sportsfriends. Its this weird Sliding Doors moment I honestly believe Untitled Goose Game would not have happened if things had gone even slightly differently on the day I describe in the introduction. There are a few such instances throughout the story, and its interesting to think about.Whats the best page in the book?Page 171. Partly because its right near the end, so once someone gets there, theyve enjoyed the book enough to make it all the way through (hopefully). But that page also does something a little fun that I wont spoil.I know Ive just singled out the start of the book and the end of the book, but I recommend that people read all the other pages in between, too. Honk!!

Amazon's new feature could make it easier to get into the latest release in a series, especially if it's been some time since you've read the previous books. The new Recaps feature is part of the latest software update for the Kindle, and the company compares it to "Previously on..." segments you can watch for TV shows. Amazon announced Recaps in a blog post, where it said that you can get access to it once you receive the software update over the air or after you download and install it from Amazon's website. Amazon didn't talk about the technology behind the feature in its post, but a spokesperson has confirmed to TechCrunch that the recaps will be AI generated.Shortly after the feature rolled out, users talked about it on social media, wondering if Amazon is using generative AI to write series summaries. They expressed concerns about the use of generative AI, especially about the possibility of the technology hallucinating plot elements that aren't actually in the books. "We use technology, including GenAI and Amazon moderators, to create short recaps of books that accurately reflect book content," Amazon spokesperson Ale Iraheta told the publication. Iraheta assured TechCrunch that Amazon's recaps are accurate, but of course, use it at your own risk.At the moment, the Recaps feature is available for best-selling English-language book series on all Kindle devices in the US. To know if your favorite series has one, look for the "View Recaps" button within the series page in your Kindle library. It will soon be available for the Kindle app on iOS, as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/amazon-will-use-ai-to-generate-recaps-for-book-series-on-the-kindle-170018503.html?src=rss

Arm has x86 on the ropes as it declares close to 50 percent of compute shipped to top hyperscalers.

Kodiak Brush doesnt mince words when it comes to the state of football helmet design. Most helmets today are designed to win lab tests, not protect players on the field, he tells me over email. Brush, an MIT-trained mechanical engineer and former middle linebacker, is a production engineering manager who leads helmet design at Carlsbad, California-based Light Helmets. His latest creation is the Apache helmet, which, at just 3.5 pounds, is the lightest on the marketand yet it has achieved the highest safety score ever recorded by Virginia Techs independent helmet testing lab.The Apache is a direct challenge to decades of conventional wisdom about what makes a football helmet safe. Its not just lighter, Brush claims, its smarterleveraging advanced materials, 3D printing, and a player-first philosophy that prioritizes real-world performance over outdated assumptions. And, while the number of total concussions in the NFL decreased 17% in 2024, theres still a lot of work to be done.[Photo: Light Helmets]Brushs journey to revolutionize helmet design connects directly with his very core. As a middle linebacker at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he was never the biggest or fastest player on the field, he tells me. I would very rarely get out-leveraged. One of my favorite things to do was meet a pulling guard in the gap, put him on the ground, and ask him, How are you going to let a little guy like me do that to you? His helmet was an extension of his bodya tool he relied on for protection and performance. But it wasnt perfect. The pain points I had with helmets are personal, he says.After graduating from MIT and working in accident reconstruction and product design, Brush joined Light Helmets with a mission to create a helmet that addressed those pain points while pushing the boundaries of safety technology.The weight mythThe Apaches most striking feature is its weightor lack thereof. At 3.5 pounds, its up to 40% lighter than many competing helmets. This isnt just about comfort; its about physics. Lower helmet mass means less energy that needs to be mitigated, Brush says. It also reduces neck fatigue, allowing players to control their heads better and for longer. While people think SUVs beat sedans in crashes, he tells me, your head isnt a car. Its 10% of your body mass, tethered by a neck thatmuststay engaged. So adding weight to it is never a good idea. Less is better.[Photo: Light Helmets]This philosophy runs counter to an industry trend of adding weight to helmets to improve performance in lab tests. Standardized testing protocols like those used by Virginia Tech and the NFL involve striking static head forms with pendulums or pneumatic rams. Heavier helmets tend to score better in these tests because they absorb more energy due to their mass. [Its] lab test gaming, he tells me.But on the field, where players are dynamic rather than static, heavier helmets can do more harm than good. Increased helmet mass leads to higher energy impacts, Brush says. It makes the game less safe for everyone.[Photo: Light Helmets]How it worksAesthetically, the helmet looks familiar, but certain details make it very different from its typical predecessor. It appears much leaner, and its lines are reminiscent of a trial bike helmetmore aggressive and angled. It also offers a wider field of view. The front of traditional helmets tends to be small and make players feel boxed-in, as if theyre medieval soldiers on the battlefield, but the Apache front is surprisingly open and airy. This is the result of the shock-absorption technologies Brush used.First, there is its flexible outer shell, made from impact-modified nylon, a material more commonly found in racing helmets than football gear. Unlike traditional rigid shells, it flexes on impact, spreading forces across a larger area and reducing pressure peaks on the skull by nearly 20%.Inside the shell there is a 3D-printed liner, a thermoplastic polyurethane network of many cylindrical pods with variable stiffness. This means they buckle under impact to absorb energy before returning to their original shape. This design dissipates energy more efficiently than traditional foam liners, which compress linearly and struggle to recover after heavy impacts.It was developed with K3D, a 3D design and printing technology developed by Kollide, a company that develops impact-resistance technologies through 3D printing to protect humans in motion. Light Helmets simulated thousands of impact scenarios using K3D and rapidly iterated designs in ways that traditional manufacturing cant match. We broke 47 prototypes before we got the liners buckling pattern right, Brush says. But every failure taught us something new.The company claims that its titanium alloy maskwhich is available only for professional teams at this pointallows it to shave about 40% of the weight of a comparable traditional face mask, which is usually made with steel. And yet, it has the same hardness and durability of steel.The helmet comes in two models: the Apache, designed for NFL and college football teams, and the Apache Lightning, designed for youth programs. The key difference between the models is in the interior liner material. The 3.5-pound Apache uses impact-absorbing TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), a durable material thats engineered to absorb impacts and return to its original state after shocks, maintaining flexibility through time, Light Helmets says.The Apache Lightning uses EPP (expanded polypropylene) foam, an aerospace-grade material known for its ability to efficiently dissipate impact energy, the company claims. Its also lighter, configurable to less than 3 pounds. All the helmets can be custom made, allowing players to choose colors and different mask designs. The Apache is priced from $649 to $849; the Lightning variant sells for $449 to $649.[Photo: Light Helmets]Testing realitiesDespite its lightweight designwhich Brush admits puts it at a disadvantage in standardized testingthe Apache scored an unprecedented 0.46 on Virginia Techs STAR rating system (lower scores indicate better performance). The testing protocol involves striking helmets at multiple locations and speeds with a pendulum system, then calculating a severity score based on how likely those impacts would result in traumatic brain injuries. Virginia Tech has become the Consumer Reports of helmet testing, Brush says. Their public results drive innovation by holding manufacturers accountable.Still, he believes theres room for improvement in how helmets are evaluated. Both Virginia Tech and NFL protocols reward heavier helmets without consequence, he says. Light has proposed updates that would normalize scoring for weight or incorporate drop-tower tests where impact energy is proportional to massa change that could fundamentally shift how helmets are designed across the industry.But the real test of any helmet isnt in the lab. Its on the field, according to Brush. Feedback from players at every level has been overwhelmingly positive. NFL players using the Apache report feeling quicker and more agile compared to when they wore heavier helmets from competitors like Riddell or Vicis. High school athletes have praised its comfort and visibility, noting that it feels more like wearing a cap than carrying extra weight on their heads.One linebacker told Brush that wearing the Apache was like removing blinders: I can actually see my targets now. Another player described finishing games without the usual neck strain hed come to expect from heavier helmetsa small but significant change that could extend careers over time.The futureBrush tells me the Apache design is the future of football helmets. He believes that flexible shells like those used in the Apache will become standard within the next decade, as evidence mounts that they mitigate impact energy more effectively than rigid designs. He also predicts greater adoption of additive manufacturing for position-specific liners tailored to individual needsdenser padding for linemen who take head-on hits versus lighter configurations for quarterbacks who need mobility and peripheral vision.Further down the line, he envisions helmets integrating technologies like impact sensors, communication devices, and even camerasthough he insists these features must not come at the expense of weight reduction or safety.For now, the Apache seems to already be the future of football helmets. Light Helmets sold 5,000 units in 2024, and its projecting sales of 50,000 helmets with increased production and word spreading across the community.As one AFC North coach remarked: Its not a helmet. Its an unfair advantage.But for Brush, success isnt measured by sales figures or accoladesits about changing how people think about football safety and avoid traumatic brain injuries. We didnt set out to revolutionize anything, he says simply. We just stopped lying to ourselves about what works.

We look back on fan concepts that were more innovative than the real design.

Craving carb-y comfort? We picked our favorite outdoor ovens for backyards, countertops, or camping.