In 2024, Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia, two big Shonen Jump (SJ) hits, ended. While One Piece, one of the biggest hits in the magazine's history, is still ongoing, it's also on the way to its climax. It will still take a few years for One Piece to end, but many have been claiming Shonen Jump is heading to its "weakest" lineup in years, without a manga that could "carry the magazine on its shoulders" (but Kagurabachi is seemingly becoming an interesting promise).

One of the most gratifying and unexpected twists in God of War Ragnarok is the shift to Atreus' perspective. As its title indicates, God of War has never been a series about multiple playable protagonistsKratos has always taken center stage. With Atreus taking over a portion of Ragnarok's interactive content, and with him seemingly departing on his own adventure at the end of the game, the stage is set for him to lead a solo story.

Awesome Games Done Quick is revving up again in 2025, with speedrunners at the ready to attempt the perfect run in front of an audience. Humbles primed for the moment, too, offering a bundle of marquee titles thatll be played eviscerated during the upcoming event for just $12 through Jan. 17. The bundle claims to offer seven games, yet it actually includes eight all of which are redeemable on Steam and, as usual, the games are all over the place in terms of genres and themes. Normally, theyd cost $169 to buy individually, so this is a good value, as all of Humbles bundles are.Youll get the Sega Dreamcasts crown jewels, Shenmue and Shenmue 2 (ready for some speed forklifting?), the gorgeous Metroidvania Ori and the Blind Forest, roguelike Have a Nice Death, the 2D-meets-3D Sonic Lost World, 2020s rhythm game-meets-shooter BPM: Bullets Per Minute, the once a VR-exclusive New Super Luckys Tale, and Xbox 360 launch title Condemned: Criminal Origins. See? Its quite a weird, but great lineup.Any bundle purchase will have some proceeds sent to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, but by default, most of the money will go to the games publishers and to Humble. If you want to adjust how much each recipient will earn with your money, you can click the Adjust Donation box to make changes. Its possible to send nearly all of your pledge to charity, though Humble will still get a small commission.

Heres some good news as we head into the weekend: Antonblast is already profitable, according to director Tony Grayson.Less than one month to the day, ANTONBLAST has recouped ALL expenses related to development, marketing, and production! WE ARE PROFITABLE! said Grayson, who doubles as studio head of Antonblast developer Summitsphere. Looks like Summitsphere is going to be making a lot more games for a lot longer. Thank you everyone!Antonblast is an energetic platformer akin to the Wario Land series that was hotly anticipated for years and received high praise when it arrived on Switch and PC last month. In his review for Polygon, gaming correspondent Michael McWhertor complimented Antonblasts barely controlled chaos and focus on platforming precision.Polygon reached out to Grayson about what lies ahead for Summitsphere, and he was open about giving Antonblast fans more of what they want.Well always be interested in pursuing more Anton projects, Grayson told Polygon via email. Weve been deeply fortunate to have cultivated an audience that loves that world and its characters, and Im sure wed be nuts to not make good on that. That said, weve got many more ideas beyond Anton in the pocket so maybe folks will be surprised when they see what we come out with next.

Nine games will no longer be playable online come February, according to a roundup by TrueAchievements.The eclectic group includes 3D platform fighter Divine Knockout, the still early access Realm Royale Reforged, and long-in-the-tooth sports games like EA Sports UFC 3 and The Golf Club 2. Heres all the relevant info:Divine Knockout (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) February 17Realm Royale Reforged (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch PC) February 17EA Sports UFC 3 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One) February 17Hood: Outlaws and Legends (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC February 18Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) February 24The Golf Club (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) February 28The Golf Club 2 (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) February 28KartRider: Drift (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) February 28Disco Dodgeball Remix (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch) February 28American poet Robert Frost published Nothing Gold Can Stay in 1923, and while I wouldnt call any of these games gold, todays news is a sad reminder that all online games will eventually succumb to the ravages of times. Lets all reflect on Frosts words as we await these server shutdowns.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.I have two rice cookers. Ol' trusty, that I've used since college (and that was not recently), and a modern digital one from Toshiba. Judge me all you want, but I use them both and the old one is still kickin'. Whether your machine is $200 with 30 settings, or $15 with a single toggle switch, rice cookers all have the same bones. The best part is that theyre so easy to use, even the least confident cook can feel good about their rice. Heres how to use a rice cooker for riceand the many other non-rice foods you can cook in one.How do rice cookers work? Inside the rice cooker there is a circular heating plate and a smaller central, spring-loaded plate. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann (Please forgive the appearance of my elder rice cooker in the photos; lets just call it seasoned, shall we?)A rice cooker uses heat and water to cook rice. If youve ever cooked rice in a pot on a stove before, you know heat and water arent hard to come by. Its the final stage of not burning the rice thats tricky. Thats where the rice cooker wins. Unlike your pot on the stove, a rice cooker has a sensor that ensures your grains are cooked to fluffy perfection, and then stops cooking.Rice cookers have simple mechanics on the inside: a thin metal bowl to hold the rice, a heating plate inside with a spring mechanism underneath, and a thermostat. When you fill the metal bowl with water and rice and load it into the machine, the heating plate conducts easily through the thin metal of the bowl. The temperature only goes up to boiling (212F) while cooking, because thats the peak temperature of water before it evaporates.The steamy air slowly escapes through a hole in the lid or another vent in your rice cooker. This slow ventilation allows condensation to drip back into the rice, extending the boiling time and giving the rice ample time to absorb enough water.At the end of the cooking time, all of the water has been soaked up or escaped as steam. There is no longer a pool of water in the bowl so the temperature starts to rise above 212F. This change in temperature triggers the thermostat in the appliance to switch from cook over to the warm setting, and the spring pushes the bowl up away from the heating plate. The rice is cooked through, with nary a grain burnt.How to use a rice cooker1. Measure and rinse your riceThere are many types of rice out there, but I grew up on Jasmine rice, and we always rinsed it. Rinsing it gets rid of excess starch, and this makes sure the finished rice doesnt end up gloppy. To do this, you can put your measurement of rice in a mesh sieve and run water through it, moving it around with your fingertips. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Alternatively, I usually dump the rice into the metal cooking pot and then cover it with water. You can see in the picture that the water becomes nearly opaque with starch. Simply swish it around a bit with your fingers and pour off the cloudy water. I do this twice.Note that the water you add for cooking might cloud up a little, and that's just fine it doesn't have to run clear. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann 2. Add the cooking waterAdd the water that youll cook the rice in. A 1:2 ratio of rice to water is well-loved. This can change depending on the type of rice youre using, and how you prefer the final texture to be. If you want drier grains, use a quarter-cup or so less water. If you like wetter rice, use a bit more. If you want super soft rice to break up into congee then youll need even more water. Many packages of rice come with suggestions so you can check the directions if youre unsure.3. Load up the cookerPut the metal bowl into the rice cooker and close the lid. Now comes the cooking part where you can press a button and walk away.Multi-setting modelsCooking with a rice cooker should be a pleasant, simple experience. Even if you have an appliance with a digital screen and multiple settings, there should be a button for rice. Some models will have buttons for specific types of rice, like brown rice, sushi rice, or jasmine rice. If you know the type of rice you have, go ahead and select the button.That might be enough, or if there is a "start" button, press it now. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann If you dont know what kind of rice you have, thats totally fine. Just click rice or white rice. The amount of water you added is actually more important than the clever little button options they give you. Sure, brown rice and white rice need different timings, but remember what I said about the thermostat? A good machine will be able to adjust the timing based on how much water is left in the tank.Single-setting modelsIf you have a rice cooker like I do, you dont have a lot of options. Simply load the bowl with rice and water, cover it with the lid and press the lever to cook. The machine will automatically switch to the warm setting when its done. With just one switch, it doesn't get more "no frills" than this, but boy can it cook. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Highly rated rice cookers:Aroma 6-cup Rice CookerZojirushi 6-cup Rice CookerUse your rice cooker for a whole lot moreDefinitely use this handy gadget for perfect rice, but you might as well find it a permanent spot on the counter because it can do so much more. Use it for one-pot meals, hands-off hot oatmeal, perfectly peelable hard-boiled eggs, use chicken broth instead of water for seasoned rice, or try mac and cheese that makes itself. I could write a whole entire post on all the things you could make in a rice cooker, but we have that already so just read all about it right here. Have fun exploring, and may your rice cooker steam multiple happy decades of food for you.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, crowned "The Best Android Smartwatch of 2024" by PCMag, is currently priced at $199.99 (down from $249.99)the lowest it's ever been, according to price-trackers). Designed exclusively for Android users (Android 10 or newer), it is a compact, 40mm smartwatch with a 1.19-inch Super AMOLED display. That said, its bezels are a bit chunky, which might not be to everyones taste. Setting it up is straightforward but requires a few extra apps. Youll need Galaxy Wearable to get started, Samsung Health for accessing detailed health metrics, and Samsung Health Monitor for ECGs. Its a bit of a hassle but manageable if youre already in Samsungs ecosystem. SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch FE 40mm LTE AI Smartwatch w/Fitness Tracking, BIA Sensor, Personalized HR Zones, Heart Rate Tracker, Sleep Monitor, 2024, Black [US Version, 1Yr Manufacturer Warranty] $199.99 at Amazon $249.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $199.99 at Amazon $249.99 Save $50.00 The Galaxy Watch FE covers the essentials on the health side, tracking heart rate, sleep stages, blood oxygen levels, and body composition metrics like body fat percentage and BMI. Snore detection is also available, but only if youre using a Samsung phone. However, it lacks a few high-end features like sleep apnea detection, skin temperature sensors, and Galaxy AI. On the lifestyle side, it holds its own. Youll have access to a variety of third-party apps via the Google Play Store, with popular options like Audible, Calm, Spotify, and WhatsApp readily available. The watch also lets you make calls, send texts, and receive notifications, making it a practical everyday companion.Available in black, silver, and pink gold, the Galaxy Watch FE is lightweight at just 0.9 ounces, yet its built to endure. With an IP68 rating, 5ATM water resistance, and MIL-STD-810H certification, its tough enough to handle dust, submersion, and extreme temperatures. The battery life of the Watch FE is decent, though not groundbreaking. You can expect 27 hours of usage with the always-on display, or 40 hours with it turned off, according to this PCMag review. If longer battery life is a must, the OnePlus Watch 2, currently priced at $249.95 (down from $299.99), might be a better fit.

There are a lot of great uses for GPS tracking technology. But tracking technology gets dark fast when someone plants one on your stuff without your knowledgelike the police, who are increasingly using these devices to monitor the movements of people involved in investigations (the cops can even shoot one onto a car during a high-speed chase!). If youre now paranoid about the cops tracking your cars movements, heres what you need to know.What the law says about placing GPS trackers It is 100% legal for the cops to place a tracking device on your car without your knowledgebut they must have a warrant giving them permission to do so. This was settled by the Supreme Court in United States v. Jones in 2012, which found that a warrantless GPS device violated the Fourth Amendment prohibition against illegal search.However, attorney Andrew Flusche notes that its often very easy for police to get these warrants, and they can even get them issued by magistrates (who arent judges, and sometimes arent even lawyers) in some states. That means that the police can probably legally place a GPS tracker on your car even if youve done nothing wrong, as long as theyre willing to file the paperwork.Of course, these trackers are easy to buy and to place by anyone, not just the police. But if you find one, you should be careful about your response.Where to look for a GPS trackerFirst, how can you even know if youre being tracked by one of these devices? Most police departments wont be using a Tile or AirTagthey prefer a magnetic tracker that can be quickly attached to the exterior of your car. To determine whether youre being tracked, start with an exterior inspection. Common spots for attaching trackers include:Side mirrorsThe cars undercarriage (including exhaust pipes)Wheel wellsBumpersIf you dont see anything on the outside of the car, you should also check the interior. While less likely, its not impossible that a tracker has been placed inside the car if theres been opportunity. Spots to check include:Under and between seatsUnder rugs and matsIn the glove compartmentAttached to dashboardInserted into the cars OBD2 data port, if it has one (usually beneath the steering column)Inside the trunkYoure looking for anything that stands out and can be easily removedthese trackers are typically relatively small and encased in black plastic. You can also purchase GPS detectors and bug sweepers that scan for the frequencies these devices use and alert you to their presence.Steps to take if you find a GPS tracker If you discover a GPS tracker on your vehicle, your first instinct might be to remove it. If the device wasnt placed by law enforcement, you have every right to remove itbut if it was placed by the police with a proper warrant, removing it could be a mistake. While there have been cases where the police merely requested the return of their device when it was discovered and removed, there have also been cases where the police used the removal of these devices as probable cause for further action. For example, in Indiana in 2018 a man discovered and removed a GPS tracker from his carand the police used that removal to get a new warrant to raid his house (where, it should be noted, they found methamphetamine).The police were eventually found to be in the wrong there, and the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that removing the tracker wasnt theft or probable cause; the evidence they gathered during the raid was suppressed. But it demonstrates that removing a GPS tracker can trigger unpredictable reactions if it was placed by law enforcement. Since you cant tell who placed it just by looking at a tracker, your best bet is to leave it in place and contact a lawyer, who can help you determine if youre under investigation and advise you as to the specific laws in your state surrounding GPS trackers (which vary). In the meantime, if you can use an alternate vehicle, you should do so.

Threat actors are creating malicious web pages to trick users into clicking on links, experts warn.

Palit's Pandora can be used for AI inference, machine learning and robotics.