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We may earn a commission from links on this page.Following a tariff-induced delay, retailers officially kicked off Nintendo Switch 2 preorders on Thursday. I could tell you that preorders went smoothly across all stores, and that there was plenty of stock for everyone who wanted one of Nintendo's new consoles. I could tell you that, but I'd be lying. The Switch 2's preorder launch was never going to be seamless: The console has eight years of hype built up around it, and fans want their chance to secure the first Nintendo console to play games in 4K. Even still, the preorder situation was rough: There were endless digital queues, error screens, and, in Best Buy's case, even a late start. You might have emerged from that chaos victorious—but if you're reading this article, chances are that fate had other plans for you. At the moment, Switch 2 stock is pretty depleted. If you search online, you'll likely see a number of "Sold Out" or "Unavailable" alerts where the "Buy Now" button should be. However, just because stores no longer have Switch 2 units to reserve for you at this time, that doesn't mean they'll be out for good. Successfully preordering a Switch 2 might just come down to being in the right place at the right time—something you can plan for, if you're savvy.Tracking Switch 2 restocking There are four main retailers offering Switch 2 preorders in the U.S., and none of them have consistent units in stock as of this writing. However, they all offer some hope for customers looking for a chance to reserve a console: restock notifications. Walmart, Target, GameStop, and Best Buy all have sign-up options on their websites to opt into restock alerts. These vary depending on the site: Walmart and Target require you to log into your associated accounts in order to enroll in notifications. GameStop offers email alerts, as does Best Buy—though the latter only seems to offer general Switch 2 news via email, rather than alerts for individual product restocks. I have all of the various product pages linked below. To maximize your chances, sign up for alerts for all, but if you know you only want the console or that you'd prefer the Mario Kart World bundle (so, you know, you actually have something to play on June 5) stick to those:Walmart (console only)Walmart (Mario Kart World bundle)Target (console only)Target (Mario Kart World bundle)GameStop (console only)GameStop (Mario Kart World bundle)Best BuyYou could also use a dedicated website for tracking Switch 2 restocks. There are tons of websites out there for this purpose, including RestockTracker, HotStock, and NowInStock. Register for Nintendo's offerNintendo is selling Switch 2 units as well, but isn't offering preorders. Instead, you can "register your interest" to buy a Switch 2 from the company. In order to qualify, you need a Nintendo Account with at least 50 hours of game play—as of April 2. It's an odd requirement, but it's designed to prevent scalpers from snatching up all the Switch 2s. (Nintendo doesn't want you to make multiple Nintendo Accounts this month and register each.) Once you register your interest, Nintendo places you on a list on a first-come, first-serve basis. Since you're a bit late to the game, you might be low on this list, but that's okay: Many of the customers who sign up might be fighting for preorders at other stores too, and if they get it, they may reject Nintendo's invitation—bumping your place up in line. At this time, Nintendo says deliveries might roll past June 5, as well as invitations themselves. Still, it's a great backup in case you're not successful preordering at the other stores.

The Legend of Ochi feels like a film that shouldn't exist today. It's an original story, not an adaptation of an already popular book or comic. It's filled with complex puppetry and practical effects, something many films avoid because CG is simply easier to deal with. And it evokes some of the scarier children's films of the '80s and '90s, like the nightmare-inducing adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches. According to Isaiah Saxon, the film's writer and director, it was a struggle to get The Legend of Ochi made. "The attempt to make the film took longer than the making of the film," he said in an interview on the Engadget Podcast. " I think it's extremely hard to reach kids with your first film because kids are kind of behind this kind of corporatized IP world now. But I really wanted to reach kids with my first film and, and so that's why it took so long." Whenever he received a bit of funding for the film, Saxon says he used it to prototype creatures with London's John Nolan Studios, which has built animatronics for films like Jurassic World Dominion, as well as scouted locations in Romania. "And so, through the three-and-a-half years of this work before I got a green light [to make the film], I had then accrued this visual package that was kind of undeniable," he said. "That's when A24 finally just said, okay we're gonna be bold and risky and this isn't what anyone normally does, but we're gonna believe in you here." The result is a film that feels incredibly personal and distinct. It centers on a young girl, Yuri (Helena Zengel), who is growing up in a tiny village on the island of Carpathia. There the people fear the Ochi, mysterious primates who live in the forests and attack farm animals. Her father Maxim (Willem Dafoe in another unhinged A24 film performance) is a conservative, overly-macho man who leads a band of boys to hunt Ochi. Oh yeah, and he occasionally wears Viking armor. A24 The film begins with the Ochi, who from afar look like menacing monkeys. Yuri was raised to fear them, but after encountering one young Ochi, she begins to reject everything her father taught her. It also helps that the creature looks adorable, with large eyes and protruding ears, it's a bit like The Mandalorian's Grogu (AKA Baby Yoda), but with fur. The infant Ochi is also a complex puppet created by John Nolan Studios, and it looks uncanny at first, since these days we expect it to be computer generated. But it's clearly a physical object, with actual facial movements that Yuri can react to. "Puppetry is such an ancient art form," Saxon said, when I asked why he pushed to make the Ochi a puppet and not a purely CG creature. "We've been making shadows on the cave wall for thousands of years, and our brain as we watch the human hand give life to a character is just fully accepting of it." "And then there's also the charm of the failure space of puppetry. Even when you're not doing it just right, it feels alive. And especially for this baby primate, we found immediately as we were testing the puppet, that the little imperfections that came through rod puppeteering were actually exactly the way that a little baby monkey would be just discovering how to move their own body." A24 Creating a believable puppet is just one problem though, another is orchestrating it effectively on a movie set. "[John Nolan Studios] pushed the limits of what you could do at a really small scale with animatronics," Saxon said. "We were able to prototype for years to build these creatures. And then on set, we have extensively rehearsed every single scene with all these puppeteers. There's five on the body led by Rob Tygner, who's doing the head, and he's kind of calling out the internal monologue of the animal — all its thinking, all its vocalization — so that everyone can sync." Another two people control the puppet's face while staring at monitors, so there's a challenge to making them all work as one entity, Saxon says. The film's sets are also built to hold all of the people who control the Ochi puppet, and who often need to be hidden from view. And then there are the suit performers. "We have small people in ape suits with hand extensions with heavy animatronic heads that they can barely see out of. They're hot and they're out in the Carpathian wilderness in the mountains of Transylvania," Saxon said. After seeing what he accomplished with The Legend of Ochi, it's not hard to see Disney tapping Saxon for something in the Marvel universe, like it has with so many independent filmmakers. But that likely won't happen. "I've already said no," Saxon remarked in regards to making a Marvel film, and he also has no desire to make anything based on an existing IP. Saxon isn't entirely against using digital tools, despite his obvious love for puppetry. The Legend of Ochi still uses CG for distant shots of the Ochi, and for creating virtual sets. "I've also, over the years, learned CG and I've made purely animated 3D films. And I know the software myself and I know that it's a bespoke craft art that is tedious and full of love and attention to detail." "It doesn't get the respect it deserves," he added. "And that's partly because there's been a kind of corporatization and overuse of CG a lot.” Saxon says he was well aware a CG character couldn’t carry the film, but he also knew that it was the best way to create a 3D river that didn’t exist in Romania. (It’s also reminiscent of the music video he directed for Bjork’s “Wanderlust.”) "You have to look at each opportunity and come to the technique organically for the task. You can't have philosophies about this." This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/it-feels-alive-the-legend-of-ochi-director-on-the-power-of-puppets-183043579.html?src=rss

Phison launches enterprise-grade SSD built for AI, reaching record read speeds and IOPS beyond typical consumer-grade hardware limits

The SEC’s Crypto Task Force hosted its first major roundtable under Chair Paul Atkins, signaling a shift toward a friendlier posture.

Starting today, shopping on Shein and Temu is going from dirt cheap to slightly less dirt cheap. In updates to U.S. customers last week, the rival retailers shared similar announcements that their pricing would go up beginning on April 25, citing rising operating expenses from “global trade rules and tariffs.” The retailers even encouraged shoppers to get one last order in before it was too late: “Until April 25, prices will stay the same, so you can shop now at today’s rates,” Temu wrote in its announcement. “We’ve stocked up and stand ready to make sure your orders arrive smoothly during this time.” By this morning, that shopping window had passed. Here’s what we know so far about the price hikes, and how they might impact your favorite TikTok influencer’s next haul: Why is this happening now? This update from Shein and Temu doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. Since early February, President Trump’s new tariff policies made it clear that neither company’s business model could survive unchanged for long.  Both Shein and Temu operate by using labor in Chinese factories to manufacture ultracheap goods and ship them abroad. But unlike other companies with a similar manufacturing strategy–like Gap or H&M—Shein and Temu cut the middleman of stocking in U.S. warehouses by shipping goods directly from China to shoppers’ doors. This strategy has historically allowed them to take advantage of a tax code loophole called de minimis, which allows all packages under $800 to ship into the U.S. duty-free. In early April, Trump signed an executive order that’s set to end the de minimis loophole starting on May 2. That means that Shein and Temu’s packages—part of a total of four million low-value packages that arrive in the U.S. every day—will no longer be exempt from duties. For companies relying on Chinese-made goods, that’s an especially heavy financial burden, given that Trump also recently slapped a 145% tariff on most products made in China. As experts predicted back in February, Shein and Temu are unable to absorb the major costs associated with Trump nixing the de minimis loophole. Now, they’ve been forced to forfeit some of their competitive advantage by offloading costs onto consumers. How will this affect pricing? So far, it’s not entirely clear what those added consumer costs will look like. Neither Shein nor Temu provided specific price hike rates or an idea of how shipping might be affected, and it’s not immediately evident whether markups are the same across the board or variable based on items. Pricing on Shein and Temu is difficult to navigate at the best of times, given that both sites rely on a nightmarish UX of constant promotions, markdowns, and discount codes to obscure the actual cost of individual items and make them appear even cheaper than they already are. To get some sense of how costs have increased, Fast Company took a look through TikToks that track Shein orders from earlier this week (when customers were flocking to place their last orders) and compared them to prices on the sites today.  On Tuesday, creator Chiara Aceto made a video showing followers “what to add to your Shein cart before you place that order on April 25th.” In the TikTok, she recommends a $21.59 yellow two-piece set, a $17.86 pair of heels, and an $8.79 sparkly tank top, among other items. Those pieces are now $44.71, $22.90, and $17.69, respectively, with both the set and the tank top nearly doubling in price. Other pieces, like a relatively pricey ($63.80) knockoff Miu Miu handbag only went up by about $1, while still others, like a Stanley cup dupe, have gone down slightly in price.  Aceto followed up with another video on Wednesday sharing her favorite bags on the site. Most of the bags are hovering around the same prices today, while a few have shot up considerably, like one Prada dupe that was $36.85 and is now $56.20. Overall, nearly all of the items mentioned by Aceto in the two TikToks are at least slightly more expensive today than they were earlier in the week—though, given that Shein’s prices are known to fluctuate on a regular basis, it’s difficult to tell how much of the change can be attributed to tariff price hikes, and how much is just par for the course. Nevertheless, customers appear to be noticing a difference today. In a video posted on Wednesday, creator @lifeoqhi0js, who is a Shein ambassador, also warned followers to get their orders in before April 25. Several commenters under the video reported seeing prices go up this morning, including one user who wrote that their cart had increased by $60 overnight, and another who asked, “why did a $3 shirt go up to $11?”  Shein and Temu’s futures are currently looking relatively bleak, given that their business models revolve almost entirely around offering the lowest possible prices compared to competitors. To be clear, both retailers’ prices are still unbelievably cheap. But for consumers, the difference between a $3 T-shirt and an $11 T-shirt might be enough to abandon a $700 Shein haul in favor of investing in fewer pieces that will last a bit longer.

Here's what we looked at this week:Why tariffs can be tricky: The Honda Ridgeline is a more "American" truck than a Ford F-150. Three Humanscale solutions for neatly delivering power to your desk.Practical Industrial Design student work: This much-needed "Basic Knowledge of Product Development" course tasked students with designing connectors that met strict criteria.A clever, open-source design for an easy-to-use 3D-printed solder dispenser.Tree transplanting, the old way and the new way.This rotary-printed HIVE lamp is by Dutch designer Stijn van Aardenne, who invented a new production method to make it.This timeless, visually light Liviana chair is by veteran industrial designer Gabriel Teixidó.The AfricroozE: A German e-bike designed specifically for the African market.Oatey's pop-down sink drain: Easier to install and clean, less leak prone.ToughBuilt's folding Japanese pull saw protects both sets of teeth in transit. It's a better design than competitors', and actually costs less (until the tariff war really gets going).Researchers "discover" a never-before-seen color.Single flippable lens eyeglasses for applying eye makeup.These lightweight stone-like furniture pieces are by Karim Rashid and Zachary A. Design.Horizon, by industrial designer Louis Filosa, is a sunset-inspired table lamp.1970s Italian design classic: Angelo Mangiarotti's Molla lamps.A 3D-printed Starbucks opens this month in Texas.Excellent Industrial Design student work: Sapna Tayal's Quilted Furniture expands the possibilities of existing fabrication methods.Furniture designer Aidan Reinhold's Foldseat is a fold-flat aluminum chair that fits in a FedEx box.Industrial design case study: Mixer Design tackles a communications analyzer.

The light cuts low across a gravel turnout. Campfire smoke folds into golden haze as someone rinses salt from their face using water from a steel bottle balanced on the Slate’s tailgate. There are no badge glints, no chrome reflections, just flat surfaces the color of dry cement. On paper, it’s a pickup, but in this moment, it’s a bench, a kitchen, a gear table. And in the hush between waves crashing beyond the trees, the silence of its electric heart feels right. No idling hum. No waste heat. Just stillness with a charge port. Designer: Slate Auto Slate doesn’t chase power fantasies or luxury posturing. It arrives stripped to the bone. And that’s where the possibilities begin. Brutal Simplicity, Measured Lines Compact without apology, the Slate Truck shrinks the bloated dimensions we’ve come to expect from American pickups. The form is a composition of right angles and practical intentions. Short overhangs place it confidently over rough terrain or tight alleys, while chamfered corners break the light in subtle shifts. It’s not trying to be aggressive. It’s trying to be adaptable. The face is cartoon-clear: round headlights, blocky panels, and a plastic bumper that isn’t pretending to be more. There’s an openness in its expression, one that doesn’t feel defensive. Flared arches hold steel wheels that sit proud and unpolished, the kind that look better with dust caked in their edges. Where metal would ripple, Slate’s polypropylene skin stays consistent. This choice isn’t about pretending to be premium. It’s about honesty. Every panel has a matte tactility, impervious to light scratches and ready to wear stories like a well-loved duffel. The rear window tilts open like a wink, inviting airflow or a tailgate nap. You can sense how it was built to be used, not curated. Inside the Absence Slide into the cabin, and you don’t feel overwhelmed. No stitched leather, no backlit glass panels or screens posing as dashboards. Instead, there’s space. A flat dash stretches wide with analog restraint. The HVAC knobs click with a purpose you can feel in your fingers. The digital gauge cluster is more tool than trophy, and your phone slots in as the interface you already trust. Door panels are fabric-wrapped where it counts, and the seats wear a heathered textile that speaks softly about dirt, wear, and long drives home from muddy trailheads. There are no power windows here. A crank begs to be spun. It’s familiar and oddly satisfying, like the click of a cassette tape. Nothing inside tries to impress. Everything tries to work. That clarity brings a different kind of luxury, the kind that comes from knowing what you need and nothing more. What Plastic Can Feel Like Touch the body and you’ll find texture with grip. These are not panels polished to a mirror’s edge, but material meant to live outside. It resists fingerprints, shrugs off the path of brambles, and welcomes vinyl wraps like a sketchbook welcomes ink. The base gray isn’t neutral. It’s an invitation. Each panel is molded rather than stamped. You feel it in the consistency, in the uniform depth and durability. Even the surface noise is different. Tap it and the tone is softer, less metallic, more muted. Less armor, more shell. Climate knobs are chunky, with a resistance that slows the motion of your wrist. They were made to be turned by gloved hands or wet fingers. The glovebox opens with a slide, not a latch, and swallows bulky objects without complaint. When everything is optional, function becomes the first aesthetic. A Cabin Tuned for Nature With no drivetrain rattle and no exhaust drone, you hear things you’ve forgotten in modern cars. The slap of branches. Wind threading through side mirrors. A bird call in stereo. Even the thud of gear hitting the bed feels closer, like it belongs to the vehicle instead of bouncing off it. The Slate invites you to drive with the windows down, even if you crank them manually. There’s something pure about hearing tires chew gravel without a soundproofed filter. Something intimate about a truck that doesn’t isolate you from the places you’ve gone to find. Visibility comes not from augmented mirrors or surround-view stitching, but from clean lines and thin pillars. The proportions are honest. The roofline doesn’t droop. The tail doesn’t puff out. You see where it ends because it’s shaped to be seen. Function You Can Touch The Slate’s most radical idea isn’t its electric drivetrain or price point. It’s the idea that the vehicle changes as you do. Accessories aren’t bolt-on flair. They’re choices that reflect what you need today and leave space for tomorrow. A flat-pack SUV kit adds seats, safety hardware, and a fiberglass roof that slots into place with purpose. Want a camper one year and a grocery hauler the next? It’s not a new car, it’s a new configuration. Roof racks and rear carriers clip on without begging for bodywork. Wraps apply like stickers, not paint jobs. Even the dashboard becomes a canvas. Decorative vents accept clip-on charms, Slatelets, they call them, that mark ownership with whimsy. Like a charm bracelet if charm bracelets came in truck form. A Different Way Forward Slate doesn’t preach sustainability through reclaimed materials or carbon offsets. It does it through reduction. Through choosing what doesn’t need to exist. No leather. No built-in speakers you’ll replace anyway. No touchscreen growing obsolete before the battery does. The idea isn’t to innovate through excess. It’s to invite users back into the making. You can feel it in every crank, every exposed screw, every option skipped. This isn’t minimalism as style. It’s mechanical clarity. What would happen if the next generation of cars weren’t about computing power or aggressive profiles, but about modularity, ease of repair, and ownership that grows with you? The Slate doesn’t answer that question. It lets you live into it. And maybe that’s the future worth parking next to a cliffside, listening to the wind press through the conifers, while your board dries in the sun.The post The Slate Truck: A Gray Shape for the Future of Freedom first appeared on Yanko Design.

Featuring a clever design twist.

FRDM+ provides access to an impressive library of automotive videos for $20 a month.