This charming, Greek Revival style building near the town green in Scotland, Connecticut, was built in 1843 as a Universalist Church for area residents who split off from more Congregationalist beliefs. By the end of the 19th century, populations shifted heavily to industrial centers where work was more plentiful, the church appears to have lost much of its membership and the building became a local grange hall. The Shetucket Grange was organized in June 1887, and was a meeting place for local farmers and their families to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agricultural pursuits. Today, the building is owned by the town, but it’s use is unclear. Greek Revival in style, the building retains much of its original architecture, from its simple form, facade with two entrances flanking a central hung window, and pilasters framing the bays.

ZDNET's key takeaways What the Sony Bravia X90L lacks in eye-popping specs, it more than makes up for in real-world picture performance and Sony upscaling technology, which delivers great video for movies, sports, cable, and streaming. Regarding the features you'll love for daily use, the X90L has an excellent remote that feels premium, is just the right size, includes backlighting, and has a good balance of just the right number of buttonsThe X90L also has Google TV built-in. The closest rivals to the Bravia X90L are the TCL QM8 and the Hisense U8 Series, both of which cost a little less than the Sony and have impressive specs. more buying choices Multiple screen options for the Sony Bravia X90L are on sale at Best Buy, with the most notable offer being the $600 discount on the 75-inch model. Other notable include $600 off on the 85-inch TV and the 55-inch model selling for $850.The Sony Bravia X90L is one of our picks for the best Sony TVs you can buy, and for good reason. Its color accuracy, precision brightness, 120Hz smooth motion, and 4K image processing make it one of our most recommended TVs you can buy. I also consider it one of the most underrated TVs available. And with the 2025 TVs hitting the market, you can save on just about every size of this excellent 2023 model.I've seen all of the best 2024 TVs from Sony, Samsung LG, TCL, Hisense, and several others. When I had to replace an 8-year-old 55-inch TCL TV that died, I chose a 65-inch Sony X90L because I think it has the best picture for the money right now and boasts some extra advantages.Also: I tested TCL's affordable Mini LED TV, and it made me forget about the OLED flagshipsWhile the Sony Bravia XR X90L doesn't blow you away on the spec sheet -- it's an LED TV with a full-array backlight -- the real-world performance and usability make it one of the best buys on the market, based on ZDNET's testing. This Sony TV is technically in the same category as two of its popular rivals: the TCL QM8 and Hisense U8K. However, while those are Mini LED TVs and look like they should be better TVs on paper, the Bravia X90L has better color accuracy, plenty of brightness, and a nicer remote than either the TCL or Hisense TVs (although recent models are starting to emulate the Sony remote). It goes without saying that the Sony display is the best among these three models.Since Sony has had a long partnership with Google, the X90L also has an excellent implementation of Google TV. This makes the X90L's software interface much friendlier to use than Samsung's Tizen and LG's webOS, which can be overly complicated and frustrating to navigate.With the X90L, you also get Sony's excellent picture processing to upscale content to 4K, which is especially helpful if you're watching older content or YouTube videos, and it's stronger than anything offered by Hisense and TCL. And if you're looking for a TV to watch movies, the X90L nearly rivals expensive OLED and high-end QLED TVs that cost almost twice as much. If you upgrade from a TV that is at least 4-5 years old, you will be blown away by the picture quality of X90L -- and it will require a lot less tuning out-of-the-box than other TVs.Also: The default TV setting you should turn off ASAP - and why it makes a big differenceSony has the most advanced picture processing of all five major TV brands. That means it doesn't oversaturate and overbrighten the image like Samsung, LG, TCL, and Hisense models sometimes do. Again, that means Sony TVs often have a better picture than higher-spec rivals from budget TV makers (Hisense and TCL) and can often compete with more expensive models from premium vendors like the aforementioned Samsung and LG. For gamers, this TV has a dedicated game mode, HDMI 2.1, VRR, and Auto HDR Tone Mapping when connected to the Sony PS5. It also has a game menu to fine-tune the settings to your preferences. Adam Breeden/ZDNETThe Sony X90L isn't as bright as its Mini LED rivals from TCL and Hisense -- or even its 2024 successor, the Sony Bravia 7 -- but it still takes advantage of Sony's advanced backlight system to brighten specific parts of the image. It also does an excellent job of revealing the details in the shadows of dark movies and shows. I'm using the X90L in a bright room and have never had an instance where I wished the picture was brighter.Also: We saw Sony's 2025 Bravia TV lineup, including a flagship OLED model that blew us awayKeep in mind that Sony's products often carry a 10% to 20% price premium because of the Sony brand name, so it's important to look for sales and deals like the ones we've highlighted from Amazon.If you have a little more to spend, I'd recommend upgrading to an OLED. The Sony A80L, the Samsung S90C and the LG C3 are all 2023 OLED screens that are also on sale. The cheapest among these is the 42-inch LG C3, which starts at $875. When will this deal expire? Deals are subject to sell out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to score savings and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.  Show more What are the tariffs in the US? The recent US tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.Televisions, many of which are manufactured in these nations, may experience price increases of up to 20%, making them less affordable for consumers. Manufacturers contemplate relocating assembly operations to countries with tariff exemptions, but such moves involve logistical challenges and substantial costs. Companies like Samsung, which produces a significant portion of their TVs in Mexico, anticipate being less affected than competitors relying heavily on Chinese manufacturing. Overall, consumers should brace for higher prices and potential shifts in product availability within the home entertainment market. Show more Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET RecommendsFeatured reviews

Suki Tea has embraced ethical sourcing, plastic-free packaging, and workplace wellbeing to build a ... More more sustainable tea business.Suki Tea In an era of heightened awareness around plastic waste, carbon footprints, and ethical supply chains, the food and beverage industry faces growing pressure to align everyday consumer goods with sustainable values. Tea is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, with an estimated 2.16 billion cups consumed every day and a global market value exceeding $50 billion. However, this massive industry carries substantial environmental consequences. According to some estimates, the total carbon footprint of tea production amounts to 31.5 kg CO2e per kg of tea, with packaging (53%) and consumption (13%) representing the largest contributors. This translates to approximately 28 million tons of CO2 equivalent annually from global tea consumption alone, comparable to the emissions of entire small countries. Perhaps more alarming for consumers is the discovery that a single plastic teabag can release approximately 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billionnano plastics into a cup of tea. These microscopic particles can potentially enter the bloodstream, posing potential health risks. Studies also suggest that discarding old tea bags can clog landfills and release harmful chemicals into the soil and groundwater. From pesticide use and deforestation in cultivation regions, to single-use plastic in packaging and opaque supply chains, the sector’s challenges mirror those of many global industries navigating the balance between scale and sustainability. Against this backdrop, Belfast-based Suki Tea offers a case study in how small businesses can not only respond to these concerns, but lead innovation within their sector. Founded in 2005 with a mission to bring high-quality, ethically sourced tea to a broader audience, Suki Tea has evolved into a brand recognized not only for its products, but for its progressive practices. From early adoption of Fairtrade principles to recent B Corp certification, the company has consistently prioritized social and environmental integrity alongside growth. A key focus for the company has been plastic reduction. By transitioning to fully compostable packaging and eliminating glue-backed labels, Suki Tea is addressing one of the tea industry’s most persistent environmental issues—microplastic contamination. Their investment in a purpose-built facility powered by renewable energy exemplifies how operations can be reimagined around climate-conscious design. Yet perhaps more notable is how the company integrates sustainability throughout the value chain: through audits, employee engagement, and ongoing collaboration with academic institutions and policy bodies. Read more below in my interview with Oscar Woolley, co-founder of Suki Tea below. Christopher Marquis: Sustainability has been central to Suki Tea from the beginning. How has your approach to sustainability evolved over two decades, and what were some of the biggest challenges along the way? Oscar Woolley, co-founder of Suki TeaSuki Tea Oscar Wooley: From the outset of Suki Tea, sustainability has been a top priority for us, driven by a belief that business should be a force for good. We were early adopters of Fairtrade and Real Living Wage practices, for example, and have always been on the lookout for ways to be greener. In terms of challenges regarding sustainability, one of the biggest has been breaking down the enormity of the task at hand to be more socially and environmentally aware. We engaged with our network to make this happen – undergoing the Climate Action Programme as a team with Business in the Community (BITCNI) propelled our strategies and team engagement, as did becoming members of the Responsible Plastic Management and performing all-team training and plastic audit on the business. Suki Tea was also one of the first companies in the UK to achieve BITCNI’s Take 5 Workplace accreditation in recognition of its wellbeing provision for employees. Signatories of the Climate Action Pledge since 2019 have brought impactful Scope 1 and 2 reduction strategies and a great focus on Scope 3. We have also taken on board placement students from the QUB (Queen’s University Belfast) Furthermore, major recognition of our sustainability efforts came with us last year (2024) obtaining B Corp certification - a major milestone. Marquis: You recently moved to an eco-friendly factory. What are the features of the factory that make it sustainable, and why is ‘plastic-free tea’ important? Wooley: We relocated to a state-of-the-art, purpose-built production facility near Belfast, which we designed with sustainability at its core, and it runs on up to 100% wind energy, with solar panels generating 17% of its electricity and heating. And we’ve prioritised reducing waste at every step of production. The glass-fronted HQ is more than just a workspace – it’s a statement of what we stand for. It’s not only full of sustainable tea-making machinery, but is also decorated with gorgeous artworks from local art school students Suki Tea has supported over many years through grants of up to £5,000. Among those supported is talented Irish artist Ursula Burke. We are passionate about plastic-free tea as there are concerns about plastics in conventional teabags being dangerous for both the environment (including oceans), being slow to biodegrade, and for consumers, who can potentially ingest microplastics. Suki Tea is using a new method of printing directly onto compostable bags, which eliminates the last traces of plastic in packaging. Tea is a wonderfully natural product - and should not be tainted with plastics through either the convenience of placing it in a teabag, or the way its outer packaging is made. Marquis: You are soon to remove glue from your packaging to go fully plastic-free. What room is there for further innovation in sustainable production and distribution methods? Wooley: That’s right, we’re saying goodbye to glue-backed labels entirely. The label-backing material made of a composite plastic is the kind that has the largest environmental impact – we’ve put an estimated 300 kilograms of this into our mixed waste bin for landfill in the last 12 months alone. We identified this as one of our biggest sources of plastic waste in a recent plastic audit, and can now reduce this. We’re looking at potential advances in carbon footprint reduction across our distribution channels, and are always examining ways to reduce our environmental impact in sourcing, while we strive to buy local where possible. On the tea front, we plan purchases up to two years ahead to ensure the product can be produced and shipped in the most efficient way possible, in bulk, so that we aren’t operating in a ‘just in time’ scenario whereby deliveries would be smaller and more frequent - and have a higher carbon footprint. Marquis: Making supply chains greener is one of the biggest challenges for any industry. What can the tea industry do to improve in this area? More generally, what does the tea industry need to do to become more ethical and sustainable? Wooley: Transparency and traceability are key, and we knew from the early days of Suki Tea that working with Fairtrade and sustainable farms was the only way forward. Ethical sourcing practices, ensuring fair wages and working conditions at farms, should be the norm in the industry. In terms of tea sustainability, we’re looking forward to discussing suggested measures - such as the environmental impact of growing the product and challenges faced by smallholder farmers - with the B Corp network. We’re always looking for new ways to become more sustainable, and we see that even small innovations can collectively make a big difference. Marquis: Suki Tea recently became a B Corp. Why was this important to you? What did you learn through the process? Wooley: B Corp status affirms commitment to sustainability, social impact, and ethical business. We in fact kicked off our 20th anniversary year by becoming Northern Ireland’s first certified B Corp tea company at the first attempt. We felt our score of 98.3 was a very strong result for a first-time certification, and testament to the importance of the company’s ethical and environmental initiatives, including the introduction of compostable packaging that has removed 10 tonnes of plastic from circulation. It was a really pivotal moment for the team, and we believe it demonstrates accountability in all areas: sourcing, production, employee welfare, and governance. The biggest takeaway from the certification was that, over the years, all our efforts in team welfare, sustainable sourcing and delivering the best quality, honest tea in considered packaging were all part of the bigger picture, and encapsulate Suki Tea’s ethos and culture. Sustainability is a cornerstone of our business, and we have more work to do to finalise our net zero plan with integrity and ownership of the plan. Marquis: You mentioned that when you started out in speciality tea, you wanted it to be seen in the same way as speciality coffee. Are there lessons that can be learned from the coffee industry on sustainable and ethical practice? Wooley: The speciality coffee sector set the standard for ethical sourcing and consumer education, and loose-leaf tea now mirrors its emphasis on quality, origin, and ethical production. Direct trade models that are commonplace in the coffee industry are not so in the tea industry (albeit not unheard of), because of the way the majority of the latter operates through world market auctions and regional export/importers. Our commitment and advocacy of Fairtrade certified tea also narrows down our sourcing, but this is important for us to hold ourselves up the high standards of Fairtrade. Baristas are uniquely positioned to champion sustainable practices. In coffee, they’re supported by influential organisations like the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association). I sit on the board of the European Speciality Tea Association, which is working towards helping baristas elevate the industry’s ethical and responsible standards through their education platform. Marquis: To what extent does demand play a part in the drive towards more sustainable and ethical practice, both for Suki Tea and the wider industry? Wooley: Welcome to the rise of the savvy tea consumer. We very much see consumer demand for transparency and sustainability growing at a rate of knots, and ethical production is no longer a niche expectation – it’s absolutely mainstream. Our B Corp certification, plastic-free packaging, and carbon-conscious production align with these evolving expectations. Improving labour standards for the tea farmers requires a significant shift in industry practices as some big brands battle for the supermarket space, driving down the quality for ‘competitive’ pricing to achieve volume sales. As informed buyers prioritise quality and transparency, both specialty and mass-market brands should adopt responsible sourcing and packaging, raising standards across the board. Suki Tea started with a commitment to quality and a lot of creativity. Now, we want to bring it to even more people, and there’s loads more to come from us across the UK and internationally. Tea is all about connection, and we’re grateful to be a part of that. It’s fair to say tea transformed our lives!

In a nutshell: Although spending on PC and console games declined slightly last year, and older titles take up the most playtime, analysts expect Nintendo and Rockstar to contribute to strong industry growth over the next few years. The optimism comes despite the recent announcement of historically high US tariffs that some analysts say will increase prices and lower sales expectations. Recent market reports from Newzoo and DFC Intelligence predict that US tariffs will slow but not stop PC and console game spending over the next few years. The Nintendo Switch 2 and Grand Theft Auto VI, arriving in 2025, are expected to reverse recent industry stagnation. Newzoo's annual PC and console gaming report states (via Eurogamer) that overall spending fell two percent to $80.2 billion last year, continuing the sluggishness seen since the pandemic boost wore off. Although older free-to-play and live-service games dominate the PC market, new premium-priced titles like GTA 6 and the recently announced Nintendo Switch 2's launch lineup could help console sector revenue reach $85.2 billion in 2025 and $92.7 billion in 2027. However, rising game prices might impact that growth. While analysts have theorized that Rockstar Games could get away with selling GTA 6 for up to $100, Nintendo recently pushed the envelope by announcing an $80 price tag for Mario Kart World, the Switch 2's flagship launch title. Nintendo blamed inflation for its decision to charge $450 for the upcoming hybrid console but paused pre-orders in North America after the White House announced severe worldwide tariffs. Some of the worst duties impact Vietnam (46 percent), Japan (24 percent), and Cambodia (49 percent). Furthermore, President Trump recently increased anti-China tariffs to a staggering 104 percent. The import taxes would compound for Switch 2 and many other devices built with components from these and other countries. Meanwhile, DFC Intelligence estimates (perhaps optimistically) that the new handheld's price could rise by 20 percent over the next two years, increasing to $530. Nintendo has already shipped numerous Switch 2 units to the US ahead of the tariffs, but how long they will last remains to be seen. The research firm expects Nintendo to sell around 15 million units before the end of 2025 – down from an initial projection of 17 million but still unprecedented for the company. In comparison, the original Switch, Wii, and PlayStation 4 took over a year to reach 15 million.

Table of Contents Table of Contents Anger Management (2003) Fall (2022) Sexy Beast (2000) What’s new on Hulu in April? Several notable franchises have been added to the streamer, including The Karate Kid and Jurassic Park. Other notable movies joining Hulu this month include The Wolf of Wall Street, 21 Jump Street, Superbad, The Equalizer, and Arrival. Beyond the popular IP adventures and notable sequels, a dearth of underrated movies is available on the genre pages. Our three picks for underrated movies in April include a slapstick comedy, a survival thriller, and a British crime caper. Recommended Videos We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+. Related Sony Pictures Releasing It’s not every day you get two titans from their respective genres working together. Adam Sandler, the SNL legend who became a 1990s movie star, and Jack Nicholson, the three-time Oscar winner, joined forces for Anger Management. After an incident on a flight forces him to lose his cool, Dave Buznik (Sandler) is sentenced to anger management under therapist Dr. Buddy Rydell (Nicholson). Buddy is extremely unorthodox, which pushes Dave to his absolute limits. Sandler and Nicholson have great chemistry, even if much of their interactions consists of Sandler freaking out and Nicholson being the coolest guy in the room. Watch Anger Management on Hulu. Lionsgate It doesn’t take an expert to guess the premise of Fall. How it gets to the climax is fairly absurd (compliment). One year after losing her husband in a climbing accident, Becky (Grace Caroline Currey) is persuaded by her best friend, Hunter (Virginia Gardner), to climb an abandoned radio tower. Hunter says it will help Becky heal, and Becky plans to spread her late husband’s ashes at the top. The climb goes according to plan, as the two girls successfully reach the top. However, the descent becomes a battle for survival once the ladder breaks, stranding them thousands of feet in the air with no way down. Suspend some disbelief when watching Fall, and you’ll be rewarded with a fun, thrilling endurance movie. Watch Fall on Hulu. Fox Searchlight Pictures Sexy Beast, or as Bill Hader once said, “A British crime movie where you can’t understand what anybody’s saying.” Ray Winstone stars as Gal Dove, an ex-criminal who retired to Spain to live out the rest of his life with his new wife, DeeDee (Amanda Redman). One day, London sociopath Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) arrives at Dove’s house to recruit him for one last job. At first, Dove declines, citing his happiness in his new life. Eventually, Don’s erratic actions lead to Dove partaking in the heist. For Dove, what starts as a job for money becomes a mission to protect the love of his life. Jonathan Glazer might have directed the Oscar-winning The Zone of Interest, but this stylish British gangster saga remains his best movie. Watch Sexy Beast on Hulu. Editors’ Recommendations

The Southwest has recently sent left-leaning senators to Washington. As more minorities move there, the region might shift to the right.

Money money money is all you need Mario Kart World’s $80 price isn’t that high, historically Adjusting for inflation shows console game prices have been higher in the recent past. Kyle Orland – Apr 8, 2025 5:26 pm | 49 Mario Kart World's $80 price tag increase is a significant bump from the current Switch. Credit: Nintendo Mario Kart World's $80 price tag increase is a significant bump from the current Switch. Credit: Nintendo Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Last week, Nintendo made waves across the game industry by announcing that Mario Kart World would sell for a suggested price of $80 in the US. That nominal price represents a new high-water mark both for Nintendo and for the game industry at large, which has generally reserved prices above $70 for fancy, trinket-laden collectors' editions or Digital Deluxe Editions that include all variety of downloadable bonuses. Console gaming's nominal price ceiling has gone up pretty consistently in the last 40+ years. Kyle Orland / Ars Technica Console gaming's nominal price ceiling has gone up pretty consistently in the last 40+ years. Kyle Orland / Ars Technica After adjusting for inflation, an $80 price level doesn't seem all that out of the ordinary. Kyle Orland / Ars Technica After adjusting for inflation, an $80 price level doesn't seem all that out of the ordinary. Kyle Orland / Ars Technica Console gaming's nominal price ceiling has gone up pretty consistently in the last 40+ years. Kyle Orland / Ars Technica After adjusting for inflation, an $80 price level doesn't seem all that out of the ordinary. Kyle Orland / Ars Technica When you adjust historical game prices for inflation, though, you find that asking $80 for a baseline game in 2025 is broadly in line with the prices big games were commanding 10 to 15 years ago. And given the faster-than-normal inflation rates of the last five years, even the $70 nominal game prices that set a new standard in 2020 don't have the same purchasing oomph they once did. The data $34.99 for Centipede on the Atari 2600 might sound cheap, but that 1983 price is the equivalent of roughly $90 today. Retro Waste $34.99 for Centipede on the Atari 2600 might sound cheap, but that 1983 price is the equivalent of roughly $90 today. Retro Waste Check out the premium pricing for Zelda titles above other NES games in the 1988 Sears catalog. Hughes Johnson Check out the premium pricing for Zelda titles above other NES games in the 1988 Sears catalog. Hughes Johnson If you wanted Streets of Rage 2 from Electronics Boutique in 1993, you'd better have been ready to pay extra. Hughes Johnson If you wanted Streets of Rage 2 from Electronics Boutique in 1993, you'd better have been ready to pay extra. Hughes Johnson Check out the premium pricing for Zelda titles above other NES games in the 1988 Sears catalog. Hughes Johnson If you wanted Streets of Rage 2 from Electronics Boutique in 1993, you'd better have been ready to pay extra. Hughes Johnson To judge Mario Kart World's $80 price against historical trends, we first needed to figure out how much games cost in the past. To do that, we built off of our similar 2020 analysis, which relied on scanned catalogs and retail advertising fliers for real examples of nominal console game pricing going back to the Atari era. For more recent years, we relied more on press reports and archived digital storefronts to show what prices new games were actually selling for at the time. To avoid the influence of low-priced bargain bin games or retailer discounts, we focused on the highest asking prices for individual games we could find in each year (excluding "Deluxe" collector's editions and the like). But to avoid undue skewing from outliers like the $100 Genesis version of Virtua Racing, we averaged the highest top-level asking price we could find in each of eight different genres, building a representative "basket" of big-budget games for the year. In 2020, for instance, that means the new high-water price of $70 for NBA 2K21 in the "Sports" slot was balanced by the $60 price for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in the "Action" slot that same year. $70 was a common price for N64 software, and that was in 1997 dollars! Hughes Johnson $70 was a common price for N64 software, and that was in 1997 dollars! Hughes Johnson By 2008, top-end disc-based prices had settled to the current standard of $59.99. Beyond Media Online By 2008, top-end disc-based prices had settled to the current standard of $59.99. Beyond Media Online $70 was a common price for N64 software, and that was in 1997 dollars! Hughes Johnson By 2008, top-end disc-based prices had settled to the current standard of $59.99. Beyond Media Online We assembled data for those game baskets across 21 non-consecutive years, going back to 1982, then normalized the nominal prices to consistent February 2025 dollars using the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI calculator. You can view all our data and sources in this Google Sheet. The bad old days In purely nominal terms, the $30 to $40 retailers routinely charged for game cartridges in the 1980s seems like a relative bargain. Looking at the inflation-adjusted data, though, it's easy to see how even an $80 game today would seem like a bargain to console gamers in the cartridge era. Video game cartridges were just historically expensive, even compared to today's top-end games. Credit: Kyle Orland / Ars Technica Video game cartridges were just historically expensive, even compared to today's top-end games. Credit: Kyle Orland / Ars Technica New cartridge games in the 20th century routinely retailed for well over $100 in 2025 money, thanks to a combination of relatively high manufacturing costs and relatively low competition in the market. While you could often get older and/or used cartridges for much less than that in practice, must-have new games at the time often cost the equivalent of $140 or more in today's money. Pricing took a while to calm down once CD-based consoles were introduced in the late '90s. By the beginning of the '00s, though, nominal top-end game pricing had fallen to about $50, and only rose back to $60 by the end of the decade. Adjusting for inflation, however, those early 21st century games were still demanding prices approaching $90 in 2025 dollars, well above the new $80 nominal price ceiling Mario Kart World is trying to establish. Those $50 discs you remember from the early 21st century were worth a lot more after you adjust for inflation. Credit: Kyle Orland / Ars Technica Those $50 discs you remember from the early 21st century were worth a lot more after you adjust for inflation. Credit: Kyle Orland / Ars Technica In the 2010s, inflation started eating into the value of gaming's de facto $60 price ceiling, which remained remarkably consistent throughout the decade. Adjusted for inflation, the nominal average pricing we found for our game "baskets" in 2013, 2017, and 2020 ended up almost precisely equivalent to $80 in constant 2025 dollars. Is this just what things cost now? While the jump to an $80 price might seem sudden, the post-COVID jump in inflation makes it almost inevitable. After decades of annual inflation rates in the 2 to 3 percent range, the Consumer Price Index jumped 4.7 percent in 2021 and a whopping 8 percent in 2022. In the years since, annual price increases still haven't gotten below the 3 percent level that was once seen as "high." That means $80 spent on a game today has the same value as about $65 spent on a game in 2020, as hard as that might be to believe. That also mean the $60 Nintendo charged for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2017 is worth about $78 in today's money; and that game went on to sell a franchise record 67 million units at that price. You can make a similar historical argument for Mario Kart Wii, which sold 37 million units after launching at $50 in 2008; the equivalent of about $74 in today's money. While many gamers' incomes and/or wealth haven't kept up with that level of price increase in recent years, the cold logic of the money supply and monetary policy means "we're unfortunately living in an era where I think inflation is affecting everything," as Nintendo Vice President of Player & Product Experience Bill Trinen recently told Polygon. Artist's conception of consumer reactions to NBA 2K21's $70 asking price in 2020. Artist's conception of consumer reactions to NBA 2K21's $70 asking price in 2020. It's important to remember, too, that Nintendo is offering a $499 bundle with the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World packaged together. That bundle values the game at just $50 (compared to the $449 a la carte hardware), providing a bit of a relief valve for gamers that might balk at paying $80 for the game on its own. We may have to see at least one other example to judge whether the gaming market is ready to pay $80 for a baseline game. In a recent interview with CNBC, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser said Nintendo is "not really looking to establish a [new] benchmark for pricing" with Mario Kart World's $80 price tag. Given historical pricing trends, though, we wouldn't be surprised if multiple major publishers follow Nintendo's lead in the coming months and years and raise their baseline price for big-budget games in well-known, fan-driven franchises. Five years ago, NBA 2K21 was the vanguard of a $70 video game price point that is now an accepted pricing standard for big-budget games across the industry. Five years from now, Mario Kart World may be remembered the same way for establishing a new $80 pricing tier that is increasingly seen as the new normal. Kyle Orland Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 49 Comments

[Virtual Event] Generative AI: You're already behind

The right technique can make great pour-over coffee with fewer beansKemal Yildirim/Getty Images Physicists have discovered a technique that can produce the perfect cup of coffee with up to 10 per cent fewer beans. With climate change making coffee production an increasingly tricky proposition, it is becoming more important to brew in the most efficient way possible, says Arnold Mathijssen at the University of Pennsylvania. Advertisement “Coffee is getting harder to grow, and so, because of that, prices for coffee will likely increase in coming years,” he says. “The idea for this research was really to see if we could help do something by reducing the amount of coffee beans that are needed while still keeping the same amount of extraction, so that you get the same strength of coffee.” Mathijssen and his colleagues focused on pour-over coffee, where hot water is slowly added to grounds in a cone-shaped paper filter. Their advice can be boiled down to some very simple tips. Firstly, pour slowly; the more time the beans are immersed in water inside the cone, the more extraction takes place. But this only works up to a point. Pour too slowly and the grounds aren’t mixed up enough; they settle to the bottom and actually begin to reduce the amount of extraction. To combat this, the second tip is to pour from a height. The latest science news delivered to your inbox, every day. Sign up to newsletter “If you lift up the height of your kettle, you can basically just get more energy from gravity,” says Mathijssen. “Then all the particles will enter this kind of global circulation that you wouldn’t normally get if you were to pour from a lower height.” The team’s experiments showed that coffee strength increased when raising the kettle up to 50 centimetres above the cone. But Mathijssen warns that if you pour from too high up, the stream of water begins to break up, forming unconnected glugs, which again will disrupt the circulation in the coffee cone. Not to mention that pouring boiling water from too high presents a scalding risk. “Be reasonable,” says Mathijssen. “First, try to be slow. Then lift [the kettle] up and go as slow as you can, but don’t let [the flow of water] break up,” he says. “That’s the strategy that I would follow.” The process is very dependent on the type of coffee, the size of the grounds, the type of kettle used and numerous other factors, but the researchers found that their technique can lead to savings of between 5 per cent and 10 per cent in the amount of coffee needed. Their experiments showed that the resulting brew has the same amount of dissolved solids, so it should be just as strong and flavoursome. Journal referencePhysics of Fluids DOI: 10.1063/5.0257924 Topics:food and drink

Tech company CEOs at Trump's inauguration day. SHAWN THEW/via REUTERS 2025-04-08T22:26:57Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Tech and finance stocks plunged after Trump's tariff announcement on April 2. Trump's plan includes a blanket 10% tariff and additional tariffs for some countries. The downturn affected CEOs of Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Tesla, Uber, Goldman Sachs, and Oracle. After making high-dollar donations and, in some cases, appearing at President Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration, billionaire tech and finance CEOs are watching their companies' stocks plunge.Since Trump's April 2 "Liberation Day" announcement of a 10% blanket tariff on all countries, on top of additional tariffs on certain countries, the stock market has experienced heavy losses in a matter of days.Here is how much eight companies lost in share value since Trump's inauguration day as of market close on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, according to Yahoo Finance.Apple Apple CEO Tim Cook at Trump's inauguration. SHAWN THEW/via REUTERS Percentage of share decline since January 21: -23%Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, personally donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee and attended the ceremony.Trump took credit for Apple's plans to spend and invest more than $500 billion in the US over the next four years.Amazon Amazon founder Jeff Bezos at Trump's inauguration. Saul Loeb/via REUTERS Percentage of share decline since January 21: -26%Jeff Bezos, the founder and executive chairman of Amazon and founder of Blue Origin, praised Trump for an "extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory" after Trump won the election.Amazon donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration committee, and Bezos also attended the inauguration.Google Google CEO Sundar Pichai at Trump's inauguration. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con Percentage of share decline since January 21: -27%Google donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund.In addition to attending Trump's inauguration, Sundar Pichai, Google's CEO, also congratulated Trump on his election win and said, "We are in a golden age of American innovation."Meta Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan at Trump's inauguration. Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS Percentage of share decline since January 21: -17%Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attended the inauguration.Uber Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Percentage of share decline since January 21: -4% Uber and its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, each donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund.After Trump's election win, Khosrowshahi took to social media to congratulate Trump "on a resounding victory."Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon. Mike Segar/REUTERS Percentage of share decline since January 21: -27%Goldman Sachs donated an unspecified amount to Trump's inauguration fund. It also removed a section about diversity and inclusion in its annual filing earlier this year, in line with Trump's crackdown on DEI policies.David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, previously praised Trump on the Fox Business Network for being "engaged with the business community."Other notable business leaders who have donated in some way to Trump — though not specifically to his inauguration — are Tesla's Elon Musk and Oracle's Larry Ellison.Tesla Tesla CEO Elon Musk at Trump's inauguration celebration. Mike Segar/REUTERS Percentage of share decline since January 21: -48%Tesla CEO Elon Musk donated at least $260 million to put Trump back in the White House. Musk and his PAC also spent at least $12 million on the Wisconsin Supreme Court election to support a conservative candidate, who eventually lost.Tesla's diminished share value comes after not only tariff and recession fears but also a widespread protest movement against his company and involvement in the White House DOGE office.One Telsa fan called the carmaker's decline in sales "brutal," and branding experts have said it would take significant concessions from Musk to rebrand Tesla. Musk himself said that running his businesses while working closely with the White House hadn't been easy.Oracle Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison speaks at the Roosevelt room at White House in Washington DC on January 21, 2025. Carlos Barria/REUTERS Percentage of share decline since January 21: -28%Oracle's cofounder and chairman, Larry Ellison, was one of the few top technology executives to openly support Trump back in 2020. He hosted a fundraiser for Trump at his Rancho Mirage estate in California in February 2020.Ellison, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and SoftBank's Masayoshi Son are also spearheading Project Stargate, a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative supported by Trump.Meta, Google, Oracle, Tesla, Amazon, Apple, Goldman Sachs, and Uber did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Recommended video