Star Trek: Section 31, Paramount Plus first foray into feature-length Star Trek movies, has to do one, and only one, thing to succeed. The Michelle Yeoh-starring Star Trek: Discovery spinoff follows Philippa Georgiou, former emperor from a morally inverse parallel universe, in her work with Starfleets infamous Section 31, a centuries-old space CIA that operates without the knowledge or consent of the Federations leaders.On the whole, I dont need a lot from Section 31. I am a Star Trek fan who will always allow the series room to fail a little bit. Its healthy to give your faves leeway to be aggressively mid on occasion.But I must draw the line here, no further. Section 31 needs to explain how the very idea of Section 31 doesnt break the entire concept of Star Trek from top to bottom.The spy who walked away from OmelasFirst introduced in the later seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and revisited in prequel show Star Trek: Enterprise and the early, prequel seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, Section 31 purports to have been founded and sanctioned by the original Starfleet charter, a nice touch of space-Masonic paranoia.What is Section 31? Simply, its an off-the-books spy organization that may or may not have gone rogue in its mission to safeguard the existence of the Federation, while also keeping its activities totally secret from the Federation. Whether or not Starfleet higher-ups are unaware of Section 31, or simply look the other way, is a matter of some mystery and also evolution over time. According to Section 31 operatives, however, without their secret assassinations, illegal scientific research, and other black-books operations, the Federation would have fallen centuries ago. (Although were exclusively told this by Section 31 agents, a fertile facet of potential internal propaganda for Trek writers to exploit, should they choose.)The Federation, we understand, is a utopia. Egalitarian, diverse, cruelty-free, post-scarcity all the buzzwords. But to paraphrase Captain Kirk in The Final Frontier, what does utopia need with a starship I mean, an off-the-books CIA program?If the existence of your utopia depends on a bunch of secret, no-consequences war crimes, then its simply not a utopia. Its Omelas. The debate over whether or not Section 31 betrays the fundamental ideals of Trek has raged since 1998, when the Deep Space Nine episode Inquisition established the concept, and it should!Section 31 is not just philosophically bad for Star Trek, but emotionally destructive to the audience, implying that Pike, Kirk, Spock, Picard, Janeway, and the rest owe their triumphant moral and diplomatic victories in some part to an unaccountable group committing atrocities in their name. And in a setting that prides itself on internal consistency, its a deceptive genre blend, with operatives often written by the rules of spy fantasy, not hard sci-fi.How does Agent Sloanes ship have untraceable transporter systems he can use to kidnap Dr. Bashir and subject him to a mind-bending holodeck recruitment/coerced confession experience? It doesnt need explaining; theyre super space spies.This is not to say that you cant depict spycraft and undercover operations within the context of Star Trek. The ironic thing about Deep Space Nine introducing Section 31 to the canon is that the show also contains the most nuanced and devastating take on spycraft in Trek history.The irresistible romance of spies in spaceTheres never been a Trek series so in love with the romantic fantasy of spycraft as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But it was also equally in love with the dramatic potential of the reality of spycraft: immoral drudgery that destroys the psyches of its practitioners, and mostly creates more problems than it solves in an escalating cycle of state-to-state paranoia.Among station doctor Julian Bashirs most prominent pastimes was pretending to be Non-Copyright-Infringing James Bond on the holodeck. DS9 produced a sweep of episodes in which Bashirs fascination with the glorified fictional spy is contrasted with his friend-crush (or more?) on the local tailor, Elim Garak, a slippery former expert operative for the Cardassian Empire whose cheerful charisma is matched only by the grimness of his past. Eventually, this quirk of personality is raised as one reason Section 31 made contact with Bashir, and, after his refusal to join up, embroiled him in a number of plots and schemes.But Deep Space Nine also committed to showing the Federation at war, not dtente with the shifty alien empire du jour, and so committed to grappling much more granularly and dramatically with what circumstances could require upstanding Federation officers to compromise their utopian principles. And the apex of DS9s take on spycraft and the Federation occurs in an episode that has nothing to do with Section 31 at all.I will learn to live with itIn the Pale Moonlight is so memorably associated with Avery Brooks Captain Sisko that all you have to do to find its iconic ending is Google captain sisko speech. It takes the form of a personal log entry that sums up the events of the episode: Via forgery, bribery, murder, and the coverup of all three that is, via spycraft Sisko has manipulated the Romulan Empire into joining the Dominion War against the Dominion. For the cost of two lives and his conscience, he may have almost single-handedly saved the Federation from being bloodily conquered by a supremacist imperial state.What disgusts him is that hes not disgusted. The most terrible thing, the most enraging thing, the most unnerving thing the war has done to Captain Sisko so far and its a long way from being over is this erosion of his morality. In that moment, Sisko is a microcosm for the Federation.The tricky thing about depicting an established utopian society at war, especially an existentially necessary war, is that it implies that war itself can be a utopian act. The thing that makes In the Pale Moonlight one of the best Trek episodes to ever do it is how deftly and emphatically it says that the Dominion War is an existential threat to the Federation on two fronts: from the empire that wishes to dominate it, and through the act of war itself.The Federation is a system of principles, and if it abandons those principles it will cease to exist just as surely as if Dominion rule abolished them. For a forgery, a bribe, two murders, and a coverup, the Federation will survive, but it has destroyed itself to do so, and that is not a victory.Conceptually, this speech is the mirror opposite of Section 31, which says that extralegal, immoral acts are necessary for utopia to exist. Instead of undermining the diplomatic and moral victories of Treks great heroes, In the Pale Moonlight imbues them with a new urgency: This is why Starfleets vaunted, anticlimactic, occasionally myopic commitment to diplomacy matters. Because when a utopia sets aside its principles, even in the face of a true and complete existential threat, it ceases to be a utopia.All Star Trek: Section 31 really needs to do is clearly and emphatically establish Section 31 as counter to the principles of the Federation. Maybe the smartest thing to do would be to reveal that most of what Section 31 agents think about their organization that its sanctioned by unidentified Federation higher-ups, that its been the secret key to the Federations survival for centuries, that its spooky and untouchable and youll never wipe it out completely is self-perpetuating internal propaganda.Because either Section 31 is a betrayal of everything the Federation stands for, or the Federation isnt utopian, theres just no getting around it. If we are to think of Star Trek as anything more than a hollow and gilt-edged military fantasy, Starfleets victories cant rest on a sanctioned and unaccountable black ops department.If Star Trek: Section 31 just wants to have its non-copyright-infringing James Bond fun with Michelle Yeoh, itll probably be very fun! Its Michelle Yeoh! But will I be watching a Star Trek movie? Im curious to find out.Star Trek: Section 31 premieres on Paramount Plus on Jan. 24.

Ceramic, one of the first signs of civilization, contains a storied past full of the richness of humanity. Lighting brand Entler Studio knows that we see ourselves in our creations, and this is no different: the sculptural Ceramic Planters standing proudly on three legs, holding their little round bodies up towards the sky, and the Beginning End Tables with a bulbous bottom similar form language to Entlers other work.Finish changes this planter collection drastically, with a satin matte highlighting the soft shadows that cascade around the vessel and legs. The planters with high shine illicit a completely different feeling, a gummy jewel with a leafy hairdo. These planters receive up to 15 coats of glaze to achieve this gorgeous shine, a clear example of the incredibly high level of finish these pieces receive.Founder Jonathan Entler wanted to see what a room would look like fully populated with branded products, and thus the planter and side table were born. Different considerations plague different products, and slipcast ceramic is a particularly finicky material. However, it is sustainable, as greenware and bisqueware can be endlessly recycled. He shares, Variations on form and proportion are always on my mind, creating an ongoing curiosity about how these ideas will eventually take shape. Translating them to new scales is both a challenge and a thrill theres a balance to maintain as the dimensions shift. By the time a new piece comes out of the kiln for the first time, Ive already spent so much time thinking about it, its like meeting an old friend.Two table heights offer multiple different uses for these glossy, mirror-topped tables, offering a visually solid vignette. The high-top is simply a minimal extrusion of the side table, a move that retains cohesion within the collection, and also allows for ease of production. Entler has taken strides to minimize waste in production, reducing the amount of inorganic materials by 80% swapping out plastic and foam for wood and recycled paper. As shipping ceramics is notoriously difficult and packaging-heavy, this creates huge opportunities to bring down waste down the road, reducing pollution and keeping our world safer.Jonathan Entler started his Los Angeles-based lighting venture in 2015, with the hope of offering a format of cast ceramic that could be combined to create larger pieces. After a couple years of experimentation, he got the molds, tooling, and hardware necessary to create the first Entler lighting. After the highly successful launch, the next hurdle was keeping up with demand. Because the pieces are endlessly customizable, and come in 32 colors, the sky is the limit for this burgeoning brand.Jonathan EntlerTo learn more about Entler Design, visit entler.co. To follow along for more updates on Instagram, click here.

During CES 2025, Dell announced plans to get rid of all of its existing computer brands, including the iconic XPS line of performance laptops. Also gone are Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, and other brands. The entire lineup will now be divided into three categories: Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. The strategy, clearly inspired by Apple, was created in hopes of simplifying the product catalogue, but in the short term, some confusion is warranted.In theory, it is simple, and brings the focus on Dell, the company, rather than sub brands. But there are two issues. The "Pro" and "Pro Max" brand names are already done to death, and not just by Apple. Second, every Dell brand will have three tiers, so now you are looking at nine different combinations only to find a new computer. It is a mess, but we can hopefully help you make sense of it when you step into the big box store and are confused with all the new Dell-speak.Dell's new, nine-tier product strategy Credit: Dell Let's start with some general definitions: Standard Dell machines are mainstream computers aimed at general consumers. You'll find them sold at big box stores, and they are designed for school, work, and casual gaming. The Dell Pro line, which is primarily intended for businesses, and designed for productivity work. The Dell Pro Max line is designed for maximum performance and features higher-end computer and workstation builds.Thankfully, the Dell strategy doesn't extend to Alienware, so all the gaming laptops and monitors from that brand are safe, at least for now.But, the rebranding doesn't stop there: Within each of these three families, there are three different product tiers: Base, Plus, and Premium. Credit: Dell As you'd expect, the Base model lineup across Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max will all be entry level machines, albeit with increasingly beefy specs, befitting their classification as standard, Pro, or Pro Max. So far, so good.Things start to get a bit more confusing with the Plus and Premium tiers: The Plus tier serves as a mid-range option, while the Premium label will be reserved for the most powerful machines.Dell says that the rebranding is going to be a slow process, and the phasing out will only happen when new models are released and older models are discontinued, which may extend through the end of 2025. How will you be able to spot the new laptops? The old machines featured a Dell logo with a circle around it, while the new laptops just read "Dell," sans the circle. How to find the Inspiron and XPS laptops after the rebrandingWondering which new machines will match the former, budget-friendly Inspiron and Inspiron Plus laptop lines? They are now called Dell (Base) and Dell Plus, respectively. Yes, that means a laptop called Dell 15that's it. It's weird. But these are the models most consumers will be looking for if they want a cheaper but still capable laptop.If you're looking for the former XPS models, you should now look at the Premium tiers in Dell Pro and Dell Pro Max. For example, the new Dell Pro 13 Premium is a Copilot+ PC, designed for business users, and it will come with an industry first Tandem OLED option later this year.Business users should look at the Dell Pro Plus range, available in 13-, 14-, and 16-inch models. These are equipped with system BIOS that simplifies management for IT professionals, and they offer USB, HDMI, and Thunderbolt port options. They can even be equipped with optional 5G Modems (only in the Plus and Premium configurations). The regular Dell Pro range is where you'll find cheaper business laptops.The Dell Pro Max range is reserved for high-performance workflows, people who are working with CAD models, AI, engineering apps, and more. The Dell Pro Max devices will shop with Intel Core Ultra Series 2 and will support NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation Laptop GPUs.If you're really curious to see what the new models look like, Linus Tech Tips has a sponsored video where they walk you through the changes and a couple of important new models. All this rebranding does come with a couple of nice changes. First of all, the USB-C ports on all the machines are modular, and can be replaced with a couple of screws. This is a huge win for sustainability and longevity of laptop use, especially in business. Second, the top of the line Dell Pro Max computers are getting full-size SD card slots and dual Thunderbolt 5 ports.RIP to XPS, a real oneYes, this rebrand is confusing, and losing out on the XPS brand is, for this tech enthusiast anyway, actually quite sad. XPS did what Sony VAIO couldn't do: create a premium PC brand, and keep it going. XPS was the first to pioneer bezel-less laptop displays, way before Apple even got into the game.Alas, all good things come to an end, and if you believe Dell, this is all for the ultimate good. For the TL,DR, here are the specifics one last time:Choose Dell and Dell Plus PCs if you're looking for everyday, run-of-the-mill laptops. The Dell Pro and Dell Pro Plus lines are where all the business laptops are (what used to be Latitude series).XPS laptops are distributed across in the Premium tier, so you'll find them in Dell Pro Premium, and Dell Pro Max Premium. (Generally, Dell Pro Max is the new branding for high-end machines offering the fasted processors, and cutting-edge technology.)[Dell]

Because Ive always had a dog, Ive also always had a pet door. Even the most expensive models are still terribly simplistic it is nothing more than a hole cut in your door (or wall) with a plastic flap hanging down that allows your pet to access the outside autonomously. They leak air, are a big security risk for your home, and they get quite dirty as your pet bolts in and out. Pawport introduced a solution this week at CES: a smart door that retrofits your existing doggie door on both the inside and outside, opening only when your pet approaches it. CES was impressed enough to award Pawport the Innovation Award.This isnt Pawports first time at CES; the company showed an earlier prototype last year, but the new version vastly improves on the original. While last years version only had a smart door on one side of the pet door (the inside), by adding a matching door for the outside that syncs and works in tandem with the inside door, your pet will be able to identify if the door is closed from both sides. More importantly, the door is actually on pre-order now, with release plans for early 2025.The build looks solid: thick, powder-coated steel and aluminum, with two solid deadbolts, meaning the door is likely to be built better than the existing pet door, which are often constructed with a lot of plastic parts. It features a French door design, so the two half doors open toward the pet as it approaches the door.Heres why Im excited to try the Pawport on my doggie door: First, the dual door design is going to solve the leaking air issue. Pet doors are terrible for your heating and cooling billseven the really nice ones. Keeping the door sealed unless your pet needs it will stop that problem immediately, and the double-door design on the inside and out provide double the insulation.While any intruder would have to get past my doberman, having what is basically a person-sized hole in my back door is a screaming gap in my security system. Pawport is installed securely enough to also solve this issue. The door has safeties built in to never close on your pet, and also to prevent your kids from getting out through it.A small, wearable Bluetooth device alerts the door as your pet approaches it. Controls on top of the door allow you to manually open and close the door, but that function can be disabled via the app to prevent kids from accidentally (or purposely) activating the door.The doggie door itself is always dirty. The function of a dog sliding through the door means that the flaps pick up all the dirt and oil on your pet. I far prefer to look at the Pawport, which will come in three styles (Standard, Designer, and Signature) and price points to match almost any home (although it will always look futuristic due to the persistent LED light that you can customize).The covers that come with pet doors now, to keep pets in or out, are largely worthlessany pet worth its salt can paw that plastic off easily.Pawport looks impervious to such assaults.But regular pet doors, with or without their covers, cant offer the insight into your pet that Pawport can, either. The Pawport app allows you to set access to the door based on a curfew (keep my pet inside after 10 p.m.) or weather (keep them inside if it starts to rain). You can see how many times your pet went in and out over the course of the day, and know whether they are in or out right now.The door has a number of power options: consistent power via usb or plug, hard wiring, or rechargeable battery. With the battery installed, the door is usable even when power and wifi go out.Pawports start at $499 and are expected to hit the market in early 2025. They are available for pre-order now.

In well over a decade of journalism, I've seen a fair amount of copied designs, but I've never seen anything as blatant as Bing's attempt to hoodwink people into believing they're using Google. Since time immemorial, people have used default apps to look for better alternatives, and to switch to those instead. Back in the day, Internet Explorer was often used to download Firefox or Chrome, before being forgotten forever. Now, the same thing is happening with BingMicrosoft's search engineand the company clearly isn't pleased with that.If you haven't changed any defaults on the Microsoft Edge browser, Bing is your search engine. When you type the word "Google" in the browser's address bar, you'll see a page that you may mistake for Google search, but it's actually Bing deceiving you into believing that you're using your preferred search engine. Bing will load a page that looks a lot like Google, complete with a fake Google doodle, a search bar, results laid out in Google's design, and show other spoofed Google UI elements. This was first spotted by 9to5Google.The worst part is that the spoofed page even hides Microsoft Bing's branding entirely by hiding the top bar. You can reveal that by scrolling up a little. When you search for any term other than "Google," Bing's branding and the search bar at the top are prominently visible.It's clear that Microsoft has noticed that people are using Bing to locate Google, their preferred search engine, and chose to try a sneaky way to stop losing users to Google. Parisa Tabriz, who's the vice president of Google Chrome, expressed her displeasure at this move on X (formerly Twitter). Her post reads, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Microsoft spoofing the Google homepage is another tactic in its long history of tricks to confuse users & limit choice. New year; new low @Microsoft." If you're unhappy with such tricks, you can easily switch the default browser on Windows 11.Editor's note: We have reached out to Microsoft for comment but haven't yet gotten a response.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of e-bikes: Ones with a motor in one of the wheels, and ones with the motor mounted between the pedals. Those in the former group, known as hub motors, are cheap and bountiful, but lack the oomph required to cover rough terrain and high inclines. Those in the latter group, known as mid-drive motors, have all the power, but are heavy on the wallet as well on your arms as you lug them around. Consequently, Im excited by what Urtopia turned up with to CES 2025: Titanium Zero, a 3D-printed titanium concept e-bike weighing less than 20 pounds packing Quark DM1.2, a custom-designed mid-drive motor thats small enough to fit inside the bottom bracket and weighs just 2.6 pounds on its own. By its own admission, its not as brawny as chonky mid-drive models from Bafang and Bosch, but it might be a perfect alternative for less extreme trails.Of course, right now its just a concept device so we should keep the salt of reasonable skepticism in our left palm at all times. Even so, Urtopias Titanium Zero is plenty light enough in the hand, looking a lot more like a regular steel-framed three-speed bike than an e-bike. Hell, if it didnt have the little controller visible on the crossbar, you could easily mistake this for an old-school racing bike, down to the drop handlebars.Daniel Cooper for EngadgetAnd then theres the aforementioned Quark DM1.2, which adds another layer of theoretical desirability onto the package. Urtopia says the tiny mid-drive motor can produce 65nm of max torque, which isnt going to give any of the bigger names any nightmares; a Bafang M560 can output 130Nm. But its a rough rule of thumb that a regular rear hub motor can output around 40nm, so theres a significant performance boost. Its the sort of hardware Im quite eager to test on the comically steep hills near to my home, just to see if the claims match the reality.Sadly, the Titanium Zero and Quark DM1.2 arent ready for prime time, and so well have to wait for now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/i-want-urtopias-titanium-zero-concept-e-bike-174539195.html?src=rss

This isnt just any retro-styled microphone, but an all-in-one tool for music creators looking to record vocals when on the go. Its the creation of Hisong, a startup looking to build a more elegant alternative to toting around a microphone, mixer and headphones wherever you go. The AirStudio One is a wireless condenser microphone with a few secrets buried inside, like a professional audio interface, a wireless USB-C dongle and a pair of true wireless headphones. The idea being you can record a banging vocal when youre on the road without any additional hardware.AirStudio One isnt just a regular microphone, either, since its been engineered with a multi-core Digital Signal Processor to help get the best sound from its slender body. Open the companion app on your phone, and youll be able to mix the audio, set the EQ and even apply audio effects in real time. This isn't the first product we've seen this CES that puts more of the meat inside the microphone Shure's MV7i carries its own two-channel audio interface.You could also use this to record sound for your videos, and if you opt for the analog dongle, can even output your sound to any device with a 3.5mm line-in. Its worth saying the ambient noise at CES made it impossible to test the sound quality of microphone. But this is the sort of gadget that has intriguing prospect stamped all over it. Well likely give this a deeper prod when its available to buy later in the year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/airstudio-one-is-a-portable-microphone-thats-full-of-surprises-173019602.html?src=rss

Robot vacuums are having a very weird year at CES 2025. Weve seen robot vacs that can scoot over stairs and pick up socks. Now, another robot vacuum maker is showing off robot vacuums that can zoom around with air purifiers, tablet stands, security cameras, tabletops and other objects on top.The SwitchBot K20+ Pro is a robot vacuum that doubles as a modular platform for other household devices. The company describes it as a multitasking household assistant that can perform a bunch of tasks while maybe also cleaning your floor.The vacuum itself mostly resembles a typical robot vac, if a bit larger. It also has a connector on top that supports a wide array of attachments or even appliances. The company says it can support up to 8 kg nearly 18 lbs and will connect seamlessly to other SwitchBot appliances like an air purifier or home security cam. The SwitchBot vac can then be programmed to follow you around or stay in one spot.Karissa Bell for EngadgetAt SwitchBots booth, I saw vacuums that had a tablet stand, an air purifier with an attached tabletop and a security cam. But the companys promotional materials also show a vacuum with a fan and a laundry basket on top. It also suggests that the K20+ Pro can deliver drinks and carry small packages around the house.A SwitchBot rep at the booth said the company wants to allow people to 3D print their own custom parts for the K20+ Pro so that anyone can come up with their own use case for a vacuum-enabled small appliance. A video posted to the companys YouTube channel even shows a vacuum with an arm that can pick up trash and deposit it in a wastebasket. (Yes, another robot vacuum with an arm.)If all of this sounds a bit ridiculous, thats because it is. While I can kind of understand the appeal of a robot vacuum that doubles as a phone or tablet stand, I cant imagine many scenarios when Id want a floor-level fan or air purifier zooming around my house.I didnt get to see any of SwitchBots vacuums actually moving around at its booth, so I have no idea how well any of this might work. Its also not clear how much the K20+ Pro will cost when it goes on sale later this year, though the company is already selling some of its attachments, like the $270 air purifier/tabletop combo.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/one-robot-vacuum-is-trying-way-too-hard-to-outdo-the-competition-at-ces-2025-171554433.html?src=rss

The rumored Oppo Find X8 Mini could be coming to global markets via OnePlus, the companys West-focused brand but what does a 6.31-inch mini phone mean for the future of small handsets?

There's lots more to talk about from CES 2025 on the third day of the show.