TheDynasty Warriorsgames may not be high art, and the series quality has certainly declined over time, but even so, the appeal of musou action games is undeniable. After a bit of a hiatus,Dynasty Warriorsis set to return soon withDynasty Warriors: Origins, a game that is simultaneously looking like a familiar return to roots and a fresh beginning for the franchise, and as we count the days down to its launch, here, were going to go over the key details that you should know about it.STORY DETAILSAdaptingRomance of the Three Kingdomsis what Dynasty Warriorshas all been about, and thats whatOriginsis doing again- though this time, Omega Force is going about it a little differently. Unlike its predecessors,Dynasty Warriors: Originswill only cover the events of about the first half ofRomance of the Three Kingdoms,up to the Battle of the Red Cliffs. Speaking to TheGamer, director and series producer Tomohiko Sho said, We really wanted to be thorough and intense in telling this story; its one of the epic points, so were only focusing on up until that point.PROTAGONISTPastDynasty Warriorstitles have been known for letting players play as multiple different historical figures, thoughOriginsis doing things a little differently. This time, the game focuses on a single protagonist, who is instead an original character who will serve as the lynchpin for the entire story. As confirmed by Omega Force while speaking with IGN, playerscanstill expect to meet several key historical figures, including the likes of Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Lu Bu.TACTICAL ACTIONWith time, theDynasty Warriorfranchise has become more strongly associated with its large-scale battles and action than anything else, though withOrigins, Omega Force is trying to go back to the series earlier entries, when the focus on tactical action was much more pronounced. Speaking to TheGamer, Sho called it a back to the basics experience, explaining, From the very first game of the currentDynasty Warriorsseries,Dynasty Warriors 2onwards, the theme is tactical action, and we really wanted to be able to express that in its fullest. Thats one of the key features of the series, and I think maybe in the past ten years of theDynasty Warriors series, sinceDynasty Warriors 9 and the more recent games, the tactical part was a little bit on the lower side. It was more focused on action.HERO MODETurning the difficulty down will let you playDynasty Warriors: Originsas a hack-and-slash experience where you can just turn your brain off and have fun, similar to its predecessors, but if youre looking for more of that aforementioned tactical edge, youll want to look into Hero Mode. Combat will be much more challenging in Hero Mode, with IGNs preview claiming that even regular enemies can pose a decent threat, and that paying attention to parries and blocks becomes a necessity.NOT OPEN WORLDThere was a lot wrong with Dynasty Warriors 9,and its open world was very, very high on that list. The perfect example of a trend-chasing decision going wrong after woeful execution, the game was made much worse by its decision to shoehorn in an open world- which, thankfully, is a mistake that Dynasty Warriors: Originsis learning from. Between battles, players will now instead traverse a diorama-esque overworld map, which means we can expect a more concise structure.TACTICSCommanding troops is an important part of theDynasty Warriorsloop, andOriginsis fleshing that part out in interesting ways. Once again, players will be managing the morale of their troops, which, in turn will let you unleash a variety of different tactics or abilities, from attacking enemies with volleys of arrows to contingents flanking enemies. Managing morale and unleashing the right tactics at the right moments will be key.GENERALSAs we touched on earlier, youll be spending the bulk ofDynasty Warriors: Originsplaying as a single protagonist, though the game will still allow you to play as other characters at times. Each mission will see you choosing a companion general to take with you into battle, and for brief windows, youll even be able to play as them. Generals will come with their own unique weapons, movesets, and abilities, and will allow you to turn the tide of battle in a variety of ways.THOUSANDS OF ON-SCREEN ENEMIESScale has always been a big part ofDynasty Warriorsappeal, specifically, the series love for pitting players against mind-bogglingly large armies of enemies to mow down. Obviously,Originsisnt looking to buck that trend. In fact, Omega Force is promising larger-scale battles than ever before, with players facing off against as many as 10,000 on-screen enemies at the same time, courtesy of current-gen consoles hardware capabilities.ENDINGSLike many of its predecessors,Dynasty Warriors: Originswill feature multiple endings, though we dont yet have word on exactly how many. Speaking with Noisy Pixel about how the games different endings will function, Tomohiko Sho explained, The branching paths are determined by the battles you choose, not dialogue options. At the end of the third chapter, players decide which kingdom to align with, shaping the storys direction.LENGTHDynasty Warriors: Originsisnt going to be a small game by any means, but it also wont require hundreds of hours of time investment. Omega Force has confirmed that one playthrough of the games main story will take about 20 hours, though of course, those looking to see all the endings will be able to get much more out of the game.PROGRESSIONProgression mechanics inDynasty Warriors: Originswont deviate from the norm too much. Players will make their way through skill tress to unlock various perks and buffs, while over the course of the story, you will also get access to different weapons and arts, with more of them unlocking as you gain more proficiency. Existing arts will also be upgradable, while mastering different weapon styles and their unique strengths and attributes will also be crucial.NO CO-OPDynasty Warriorsgames have offered co-op as an option for a long time now, though sadly, the option wont be returning inOrigins. Playing musou action games in the company of another player is one of lifes simplest pleasures, so its a shame that the feature has been left on the chopping floor. Whether we can expect it to be added in post-launch remains to be seen, but Omega Force and Koei Tecmo havent given any such indication as yet.DEMOThose looking to get a taste ofDynasty Warriors: Originsofferings before deciding to take the plunge can thankfully do so, courtesy of a demo thats out right now on all platforms and lets players dive into the Battle of Sishui Gate. Including four usable weapons, a range of customization options, and no time limits, its a good way of dipping your toes in the water and get a sense of how the game is shaping up.PS5 PRO SUPPORTOmega Force has confirmed that upon launch,Dynasty Warriors: Originswill also feature full support for PS5 Pro, with enhancements also included in the games demo, which is available now. Whether we can expect any improvements over the demos implementation in the full game is unknown.PC REQUIREMENTSFor those intending to playDynasty Warriors: Originson a PC, thankfully, it doesnt look like its going to be a very demanding game. On minimum settings, youll need either an a Ryzen 5 2600, along with either a GeForce GTX 1060 or a Radeon RX 590, and 12 GB of RAM. On recommended settings, meanwhile, youll need either a i7-7700K or a Ryzen 7 5700X, alongside either a GeForce RTX 2070 or a Radeon RX 5700 XT, and 16 GB of RAM. 50 GB of storage will also be required.

News Announcing the speakers for TED2025: Humanity ReimaginedPosted by: TED Staff January 9, 2025at 3:00 pm ESTToday we are announcing the first batch of speakers who will take the stage at TED2025: Humanity Reimagined, happening April 7-11, 2025, in Vancouver, BC, Canada.Together with seven brilliant guest curators, were assembling a truly spectacular lineup representing everything from our dazzling digital futures and the cutting edge of AI to freedom, progress and the boundless expression of human creativity. TEDs commitment to amplifying voices that provoke novel thinking, inspire curiosity and bridge divides is stronger than ever.View the TED2025 lineup >>Speakers include:Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAIYoshua Bengio, Deep learning pioneerLei Cheng, JournalistAmaury Guichon, Pastry chef, chocolatierErin Teague, Chief product officer lead at Character.AIWhitney Wolfe Herd, Founder and executive chair of BumbleWell be adding (many) more speakers to the lineup soon, and we hope youll join us this April for TED2025 in Vancouver, where youll have the opportunity to dream, expand your sense of wonder and envision new paths forward.

The Netherlands Has Published a List of 425,000 Suspected Nazi CollaboratorsIn the past, the names could only be viewed in person. But due to expiring access restrictions, theyre now available to anyone with an internet connection People suspected of collaborating with the Nazis were rounded up afterAmerican troops liberated the Dutch town of Nijmegen at the end of World War II. Bettmann / Getty ImagesNearly 80 years after the end of theHolocaust, the names of suspected Nazi collaborators have been digitized and published online in the Netherlands.The digital archive includes the names of roughly 425,000 people accused of helping the Nazis duringWorld War II. The majority of the people on the list have since died, reportsReuters Charlotte Van Campenhout.The names include the roughly 20,000 Dutch individuals who enlisted in the German armed forces, as well as those who were suspected of joining the Dutch Nazi party, according toBBC News Aleks Phillips. Roughly 15 percent of those accused appeared before a court, and the cases of some 120,000 individuals were dropped.Martijn Eickhoff, who directs the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam, is urging the public to proceed with caution when reviewing the records.It is important to look at this archive carefully, Eickhoff tells theGuardians Senay Boztas. Because it contains so many personal documents, this affects people enormously.Experts say its unlikely that anyone on the list would face legal consequences today. But the digitization will undoubtedly ripple through the Netherlands, which is still reckoning with this dark period of its history.The Nazis occupied the Netherlands from May 1940 to May 1945. More than 100,000 Dutch Jews perishedroughly 75 percent of the countrys Jewish population. The Netherlands had the highest proportion of Jewish victims of any country in Western Europe.The country has long struggled to grapple with its role in the Holocaust, but thats started to change in recent years. In March, the nation opened the new National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam. The Dutch government has also issued a formal apology for its failure to protect Jews during the war.By opening up the archives, researchers and descendents will learn about the complexities of decision-making during the Holocaust, Amy Simon, a historian and Jewish studies scholar at Michigan State University, tellsNPRs Rachel Treisman.Simon notes that Dutch people living under Nazi occupation had different motivations for collaborating with the Germans, which ranged from self-protection to antisemitism. Simon also points out the very thin line between cooperation and coercion, as NPR writes.The recently digitized names come from the Central Archives of the Special Jurisdiction, which include roughly 30 million pages of information. Its the largest archive of World War II records in the Netherlands.The list was released through the War in Court project, which is spearheaded by the Huygens Institute, a Dutch history organization, and other groups. The project received $18.5 million from the Dutch government to digitize the archive, reportsNBC News David Hodari.Previously, the names could only be viewed in person at the Netherlands National Archives in the Hague, per NPR. Now, after the expiration of a law that restricted access to the files, theyre available to anyone with an internet connection.This archive contains important stories for both present and future generations, per the Huygens Institutes website. Without digital access, this archive does not exist for many, especially younger generations. Only large-scale and easy access will keep this important archive with all facets of the war relevant, and allow us to continue learning from the past.The Central Archives of the Special Jurisdiction includes more than just namesit also contains photographs, personal documents, reports and full dossiers on those accused of collaborating with the Nazis. However, after the groups working on the project received a warning from the Dutch Data Protection Authority, they decided to only publish the list of names, per Reuters.Some in the Netherlands have opposed the digitization, while others feel it's time for the country to grapple with its past.For years, the whole theme of collaboration has been a kind of taboo, Edwin Klijn, the War in Court project leader, told theNew York Times Nina Siegal in 2023. We dont talk about collaboration that much, but were now 80 years further and its time for us to face this dark part of the war.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Archives, Crime, European History, Germany, Historical Documents, History, Holocaust, Law, Nazis, Netherlands, World War II

A composite of enhanced color images of Pluto (lower right) and Charon (upper left), taken by NASAs New Horizons spacecraft on July 14, 2015. NASA / JHUAPL / SwRIThe demoted dwarf planet Pluto and its largest moon Charon make an unusual pair, and for decades, scientists have been discussing how the binary systemin which each mutually orbits the othercame to be. With Charon being half Plutos size, experts have struggled to explain how it ended up in the dwarf planets domain.Now, a team of researchers has suggested that Pluto may have secured Charon through a newly described kiss and capture mechanism that challenges previous theories. Their work was published on Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience.The new theory suggests that billions of years ago, Pluto and Charon collided in the far reaches of the outer solar system. Rather than obliterating each other, the two bodies joined together in a spinning snowman shape (the kiss) for 10 to 15 hours before separatingbut ultimately, they remained trapped in each others orbits (the capture). Despite the collision, the dwarf planet and moon would have remained mostly intact.Most planetary collision scenarios are classified as hit and run or graze and merge. What weve discovered is something entirely differenta kiss and capture scenario where the bodies collide, stick together briefly and then separate while remaining gravitationally bound, says planetary scientist Adeene Denton, a NASA postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arizonas Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and lead author of the study, in a statement.I had always assumed that any collision between planetary bodies that were hundreds of kilometers across would destroy the smaller one, if captured, David Rothery, a planetary geoscientist at the Open University in England who was not involved in the study, tells New Scientists Alex Wilkins. The proposed kiss and capture of Charon by Pluto, shown hours after the collision, at the time of separation Robert Melikyan and Adeene DentonPreviously, scientists suggested Charon had formed through another scenario: A celestial body catastrophically smashed into Pluto, generating a massive amount heat from the impact that would have made the bodies behave in a fluid-like manner, like silly putty or blobs in a lava lamp. Scientists widely agree thatEarths moon formed in a similar way.Pluto and Charon, however, are very different from our Earth and moon. While the moon clearly orbits Earth, Pluto and Charon orbit each other. Charon is HUGE relative to Pluto, to the point where they are actually a binary, Denton explains to Space.coms Robert Lea. [Charon is] half Plutos size and 12 percent of its mass. Our moon, for comparison, is about27 percent of Earths size. (But thats still closer to Charon and Pluto than other moon-planet pairings in our solar systemJupiters largest moon, Ganymede, is 1/28 the size of the gas giant.)The differences dont end therethe researchers also argue that Pluto and Charon are less likely to behave like fluid during a collision. The dwarf planet and its moon are quite small, so the assumption that they are fluid bodies probably no longer applies, Denton tells New Scientist. They are also mostly made of rock and icefeatures that provide structural strengthwhich previous studies had overlooked.The team ran advanced computer simulations of the Pluto-Charon impact and included these key structural features. In turn, their models revealed the novel kiss and capture cosmic collision mechanism for the first time.Weve found that if we assume that Pluto and Charon are bodies with material strength, Pluto can indeed capture Charon from a giant impact, Denton explains to Space.com. We were definitely surprised by the kiss part of kiss-and-capture, she continues. There hasnt really been a kind of impact before where the two bodies only temporarily merge before re-separating!The model accurately predicted the binary systems orbit today, lending further confidence in its reliability.Because Pluto is rotating rapidly prior to the collision, and because Charon lies mostly outside of their corotation zone, it is able to push Charon off, and Charon starts to slowly migrate out, Denton tells the Guardians Nicola Davis. She adds that the impact could have marked the start of a new geological era for Pluto, whose surface we observed in 2015 with the New Horizons space probe.Among other things, the team now hopes to investigate how the new scenario might have impacted the bodies geologyincluding potential subsurface oceansas well as whether the kiss and capture mechanism might be responsible for other binary systems in the universe.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Astronomy, Moon, New Research, Outer Space, Planets, Solar System

Mountaintop Studios announced a new developer update video for Spectre Divide, offering a sneak peek at Flashpoint, the titles first major seasonal content update. Its coming in mid-February along with a version of the game for console players.The three-versus-three multiplayer tactical shooter will debut worldwide on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S early next year. The game had an unusual anime art style and interesting tactics where players had a second body that they could deploy and move to during a match. But the launch was tough. In addition to quality-of-life optimizations for PC players, Mountaintop has focused on controller support development for both PC and console versions. Weekly playtests for the functionality are currently underway, and interested players can sign up here to participate.Skyway Cyberlord in Spectre Divide.Spectre Divide looked promising as it showed off the game in the summer and launched the title on August 1. But it had a lot of bugs, including some that caused system crashes. The team had a layoff but there are still a lot of folks working on it and trying to improve the experience for players, said Nate Mitchell, CEO of Mountaintop, in an interview with GamesBeat.Mitchell, who was a cofounder of Oculus, started Mountaintop in 2020 with game designer Lee Horn and the title has been in the works for four years. Mountaintop raised$30 millionand then went quiet as the team figured out what to make. They built a team of 70 people, and enlisted the help of gaming influencer Shroud, an expert player who helped them with features that players would love. Their goal was to build a tactical shooter game that people would play for 10,000 hours.I played the game and it was reminiscent of Counter-Strike, a game that the team loved. But it had a twist. In Spectre Divide, Mountaintop created Duality, where you have two bodies controlled by one player. You can play as one character in a 3v3 match, and then place your second character in a strategic or secret spot by tossing a puck at the spot. Then you can instantly switch between characters. If one of the spectres is killed, you automatically switch to the other one. You get the benefit of one mind, two bodies. Its an innovation that just might enable the game to grab its own audience of dedicated fans in the highly competitive FPS market.A rough startNate Mitchell is CEO of Mountaintop.It launched in early September, but, as noted, there were numerous problems. On September 26, the company laid off 13 of its people.Its no secret, we got off to a bumpy start. The game went down on launch day. That was brutal, especially for players who were super excited to play. We had performance issues, especially on a wider diversity of hardware than we tested, Mitchell said. In the beta, we had more regions online, more people with networking challenges, connection challenges. We werent running servers all over the world. We heard that feedback loud and clear.In the wake of the layoffs, Mitchell said the company has had to do the fixes with a smaller team. Its goal is to focus on getting to profitability, which is a must for an indie studio that is self-publishing, he said.We have to make ends meet. We hope thats better than break even on running the studio and running the game, but ultimately, weve got to make some profit, and so thats really the focus for us. Into the next year we are looking at how we make sure that we can sustain the team we have.There was also pricing feedback as well. The bones are the same, the core is the same, but everything really has been tuned up and improved based on what players want to see, Horn said.On Steam, the number of players has been about a million so far. The concurrency is low with about 1,000 players playing, compared to a peak of 81,000 four months ago, as the company has slowed its marketing and is in the midst of fixing the game. The team considered taking the game off the market but it saw there are players who were having fun and running tournaments and so it didnt make sense to take the game away from them, Mitchell said.Horn said, We really want players to know that we believe in the game and we are trying to improve it. And so by continuing to update it like were here on Discord, they can chat with us, and were not going anywhere. We are improving it every day.RegroupingSniper fighting in Spectre DivideThe teams goal was to make the title feel like a brand new game when players came back for Season 1, Horn said in an interview with GamesBeat.Its not just a couple of tweets here and there. Weve spent a lot of time after launch listening to player feedback. And part of the reason we did this is were going to take some more time to do Season 1, Horn said. It was clear we needed to do it in a big way that really hit on all the feedback and felt like that substantial change.One of the biggest changes that were very excited about is were adding sprint, Horn said. Anytime theres a new movement mechanic, that is a major game shift. One of the pieces of feedback we got was that it was slow to rotate and felt sluggish. We actually found that sprint just opens up the game.He added, You actually get more team play out of it, which is pretty crazy to say from a mechanic, but the net result is your team is together more youre able to support your team. You can flank and get into position, you can rotate and get behind. Were very excited about sprint, and that is like a great example of a feature that takes some time to refine. We dont want to just jam it in there.New Flashpoint Season 1 ContentBack to back fighting in Spectre Divide.Like in The Hunger Games, there are sponsors in the game that can send you things to give you an advantage in battle. The new one for the update is Monark Tactical, and theres a new map coming called Canal, which will let the team show off more of its sci-fi worldbuilding, Horn said.There are also new characters, weapon skins, and cosmetics. Horn said the sponsor will give you a combat escape, which is a shield that can protect you as you activate it.The company said the Season 1 Battle Pass offers tons of value including more than 70 total rewards. Players can earn more than a dozen free items including four character outfits, two weapon skins, and 10 additional goodies.There are updates to the original maps to create better lanes around where you expect enemies to be and more readability. And there will be a major reduction in the price of cosmetics. Horn said that the controller gameplay has been in the works for a long time and team plays with it all of the time now. The company decided its ready and so the controller can be used for the console or the PC versions. Horn said the team has good backend tools and it can see crash rates and performance on different hardware specs. That helps identify problems. The company also communicates with players on Discord and Reddit. It also has a group of trusted playtesters who have been helping for a couple of years. The team has responded to thousands of Steam reviews. Overall reviews among the 18,740 reviews is mixed, with a rating of three out of five stars.More information on Flashpoint and Console launch will be shared in future updates, coming early next year. Under developmentDefusing a bomb in Spectre Divide.Heres a full list of the changes currently under development. They include game health and quality of life updates, meaning fewer crashes. Theres also a new sprint movement mechanic, fresh sandbox rebalancing, new economy tuning (where cosmetics will cost a lot less per item than in the past), existing maps updated to improve gunplay and updated and improved base facial models.On top of that, there will be a long awaited Careers tab, infrastructure improvements, client and server performance upgrades, improved networking and new server regions world-wide, thousands of fixes shipped since launch based on player feedback, faster and snappier combat and movement and visual overhauls for a more vibrant game. Anti-cheat has undergone months of tuning and advancements making major gains in detection and banning. And the observer mode has launched. Were trying to be transparent with players. Weve been sort of quiet. We did a post that basically said, Hey, were going to really focus on adding to the game. So the dev video is really to say, Check out all the things were doing. Its a pretty extensive list,' Mitchell said.Daily insights on business use cases with VB DailyIf you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.Read our Privacy PolicyThanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.An error occured.

Honda released one of the more interesting concepts at last years CES with two Honda Zero prototypes: the Saloon and the Space-Hub. It promised to come back in a year with something a little closer to production. But rather than temper those space-age design elements, Honda leaned into them. Way in. The Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV retain a lot of what made the concepts so weird and different and not necessarily in an off-putting way. But its definitely not the electric CR-V that customers have been begging the company to make for years. In fact, Honda seems to be saying to all those people who want normie-looking EVs, We see you. We hear you. We dont care.Much has already been said about the similarities between these Honda Zero prototypes and certain iconic vehicles from the 70s and 80s, like the Lamborghini Countach, AMC Gremlin, Aston Martin Lagonda Shooting Brake, and (h/t Jason Torchinsky) the Brubaker Box. My theory is that Honda is reaching for these design inspirations as a way to offset the future shock of an ultra-minimalist interior and all the marketing speak about software-defined vehicles. After all, Hondas real announcement this year was the operating system it developed in-house, named after its iconic Asimo robot. The Zero EVs mostly feel like a lot of window dressing for the actual product, which is software. What better way to draw people into listening to a TED talk about high-performance system-on-a-chip than to stand in front of a car that looks like it should be floating in low orbit? Honda 0 Saloon1/61/6One of the things I noticed about the Saloon was the lack of a rear window that rounded rectangle in the back isnt transparent. The depth effect is very impressive, but its not obscuring an incognito window. Its just the taillight. Something else that caught my attention was the lack of sideview mirrors. Honda is using cameras instead. Drivers who want to check their blind spots will need to use two screens embedded at either end of the long piece of glass that spans the length of the dashboard. Of course, US safety regulations require regular old sideview mirrors, so this seems mostly aspirational. Honda 0 SUV1/81/8The SUV is less out there than the Saloon, and that probably means were likely to see some version of it on US roads before the sedan. Theres definitely a rear window, and the airiness of the greenhouse seems to allude to Honda Zeros design principles of thin, light, and wise.We dont have any specs for either vehicle, though Honda has said that its Zero EVs will draw from the automakers Formula 1 racing experience. The automaker is also aiming for optimum battery efficiency through its e-Axle system consisting of a motor, inverter, and gearbox that convert electric power into energy for driving. Each EV is expected to have around 300 miles of range, which translates to an 8090kWh battery. Other important details include an effort to consolidate electronic control units, similar to Rivians recently relaunched R1 vehicles. By reducing the number of components and wiring, Honda is clearly trying to limit its costs in an environment where the price of production seems to be on the rise. Interior1/61/6The absence of anything remotely resembling a physical knob or dial inside either vehicle is a pretty good sign that automakers continue to ignore the pleas of customers to stop porting every last bit of functionality through its digital interfaces. Yes, Im an old man yelling at clouds, but for the love of god, give me something to twist or push. Trying to adjust the heat by tapping blindly at a smooth pane of glass while careening down a highway at 75mph isnt exactly my idea of a good time. The yoke is... a yoke. Automakers love their steering yokes! But when it comes time to actually put something into production, they mostly retreat back to wheel shapes. The moonroof is another one of those features that suggest thin principles. And obviously, Hondas promise that its Zero vehicles will come with Level 3 autonomy, also known as hands-off, eyes-off driving, needs a lot more explanation. Whats the handoff between autonomous system and driver look like? And how will it account for our very human tendency to zone out when were not actively engaged in driving?There are a lot of questions swirling around these vehicles! Will they ever go into production? Theres a nonzero chance.

When it comes to finding a device to read ebooks, you have a few options to choose from. You can always buy a tablet or use your phone, but those devices are multipurpose and can be used for a ton of things, like surfing the web or doom-scrolling on X. If you are looking for something to strictly read books, e-readers, while niche, are designed to store all of your books in a virtual library with limited functionality. Amazon, one of the pioneers of the e-reader, has dominated the space for years with its ever-expanding Kindle lineup, which consists of several unique models with their own pros and cons. The bulk of the devices function as simple ebook readers; however, with the Kindle Scribe, Amazon is moving beyond books and into the realm of writing something that should make future Kindles function more akin to physical paper.Below, weve listed each model currently available. Sometimes there isnt a deal for one or even any of the products, but in those cases, weve listed the most recent sale price. RelatedThe entry-level Kindle remains the smallest e-reader Amazon offers, one thats available in either black or green. Image: AmazonThe best Kindle (2024) dealsWhat does it mean when a Kindle is ad-supported?Amazon Kindle e-readers come in different storage configurations, but there is also an additional option that allows you to buy the e-reader with or without ads. Ad-supported Kindles will display personalized advertisements on the lock screen when it is in sleep mode or at the bottom of the homescreen when the device is connected to Wi-Fi. Typically, you save about $20 by buying the ad-supported version, but if you decide to remove ads later, you can make a one-time payment to cover the difference and remove the ads.In case you missed it, Amazon announced a new entry-level Kindle in October, one that was designed to replace the outgoing 2022 model. The latest Kindle which starts at $109.99 boasts a brighter 94-nit display, improved contrast levels, and slightly faster page turns. It also comes in a matcha green instead of denim, just in case youre not a fan of the default black color. Otherwise, though, its nearly identical to its predecessor, with the same six-inch 300ppi screen, support for USB-C, and 16GB of base storage.In the past, Amazons newest ad-supported Kindle has dropped to as low as $84.99 ($25 off) with three months of Kindle Unlimited. Right now, however, you can only buy the Kindle at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for its full retail price of $109.99.Kindle (2024) $110Amazons new entry-level Kindle retains a six-inch, 300ppi display and USB-C. Its both brighter and faster than its predecessor, however, and features longer battery life.The best Kindle Kids (2024) dealsAmazon also updated its kid-friendly Kindle in late 2024. The new Kindle Kids is identical to the standard model but comes with several accessories and provides age-appropriate content for younger readers who prefer digital books. Like the last-gen Kindle Kids, the latest model retails for $20 more than the base model, bringing the MSRP to $129.99.RelatedIn terms of add-ons, the new Kindle Kids edition consists of four items: the device, a protective case, a two-year extended replacement guarantee (in the event the device breaks), and six months of Amazon Kids Plus. The latter is the biggest selling point of the device aside from the kid-friendly patterns and lack of ads, as it allows parents to grant their child access to games, videos, and books including those in thePercy Jackson andHarry Potterseries at no additional cost.In the past, weve seen the new Kindle Kids sell for as low as $94.99 ($35 off). Right now, however, you can only buy the e-reader at its full price of $129.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.Kindle Kids (2024)$130Amazons Kindle Kids is identical to the standard Kindle meaning it packs a 300ppi display and support for USB-C charging but comes with a case, an extended two-year warranty, and six months of Amazon Kids Plus.The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is identical to the standard model but features wireless charging and a sensor to automatically adjust the backlight.The best Kindle Paperwhite (2024) dealsThe latest Kindle Paperwhite, which launched last year, is Amazons 12th-gen model. Considering its one of the companys higher-end configurations, it offers all the features found in the entry-level Kindle, including USB-C charging and a crisp 300ppi display. That being said, its noticeably faster than Amazons base ebook reader and features IPX8 waterproofing, a larger seven-inch display, and longer battery life. RelatedLike other Kindles, the new Paperwhite is available in a few different configurations. Theres an ad-free Signature Edition for $199.99, which is identical to the standard model but comes with 32GB of storage, Qi wireless charging, and a backlight that will automatically adjust when needed. Theres also a Paperwhite Kids for $179.99, which comes bundled with a kid-friendly cover, a two-year extended replacement guarantee, and six months of Amazon Kids Plus.In the past, weve seen the Paperwhite drop to as low as $129.99. Unfortunately, the standalone model is currently only available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target starting at $159.99 (its full retail price). If youre okay with purchasing a bundle, you can also grab it at Amazon with a power adapter and a black, green, or pink fabric cover for $196.97 ($20 off) or with a plant-based black, green, or pink leather cover for $202.97 ($20 off).Read our Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review.Kindle Paperwhite (2024)$160Amazons latest Paperwhite features a larger seven-inch display and noticeably faster performance. It also boasts longer battery life than the previous model, retains IPX8 waterproofing, and includes a USB-C port.$197$197$2179% offThe seven-inch Kindle Paperwhite features a larger display and faster performance than Amazons entry-level ebook reader. You can also buy it in a bundle with a cover and a USB-C charger. $197 at Amazon (fabric cover)$203 at Amazon (leather cover)As for the ad-free Signature Edition, its available at Amazon and Best Buy right now for $199.99 its regular retail price. You can also grab it at Amazon with a wireless charging dock and a black, green, or pink fabric cover starting at $251.97 ($25 off) or with a plant-based black, green, or pink leather cover for $257.97 ($25 off).Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024)$200The premium Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition offers the same design and performance as the standard model but with more storage and support for wireless charging.$200 at Amazon $200 at Best Buy $252$252$2779% offAmazons step-up Kindle Paperwhite bundle includes a Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, a wireless charging dock, and your choice of either a fabric or plant-based cover.$252 at Amazon (fabric cover)$258 at Amazon (leather cover)You can write in the Kindle Scribe and use its AI features to clean up the handwriting or summarize your notes.The best Kindle Scribe (2024) dealsLike its predecessor, the second-gen Kindle Scribe is Amazons biggest e-reader. It packs a 10.2-inch display with 300 dpi, along with the same great battery life for which Kindles have become known. What separates the Scribe from other Kindles, however, is that it comes with a stylus, which can be used to jot down notes or doodle in the ebook readers built-in notebook. With the latest Scribe, Amazon also introduced a new Active Canvas feature, so you can scribble notes directly on ebook pages, as well as a suite of AI-powered features that can summarize your notes and refine your handwriting.RelatedThe new Kindle Scribe starts at $399.99 with 16GB of storage, but right now, you can buy it at AmazonandBest Buy. for an all-time low of $324.99 ($75 off).Read our Kindle Scribe (2024) review.Kindle Scribe (2024)$325$40019% off$325$325$40019% offThe latest Kindle Scribe is a 10.2-inch e-reader with a stylus for taking notes. Its faster than its predecessor and offers a host of new features, including one that lets you jot notes directly in your book.The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is Amazons only color e-reader. Photos by Andrew Liszewski / The VergeThe best Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition dealsIn October, Amazon announced its first color e-reader, theKindle Colorsoft Signature Edition. Like the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, it boasts a seven-inch display with a crisp 300ppi resolution, IPX8 water resistance, wireless charging, and 32GB of storage. However, unlike the Paperwhite, the e-reader offers a color mode, which cuts the resolution in half. Thankfully, its still vibrant for a color E-Ink screen despite the lower resolution, rendering it particularly ideal for reading comic books and manga.We have yet to see the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition go on sale. Right now, you can only buy the standalone e-reader at Amazon and Best Buy for its full retail price of $279.99. However, you can save some money if you buy it as a part of a bundle for $327.97 ($35 off), which nets you a wireless charging dock and plant-based leather cover in black, pink, or green. You can also buy it with a premium leather cover in red or black for $349.97 ($35 off). Read our Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition review.$328$328$36310% offTheKindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is Amazons first color e-reader. It comes with wireless charging, IPX8 water resistance, and 32GB of storage. It retails for $279.99 by itself, but Amazon also sells it as part of a bundle that contains a wireless charging dock and one of two covers.$328 at Amazon (with plant-based cover)$350 at Amazon (with premium leather cover)

X launches Groks iPhone app in the USX launches Groks iPhone app in the US / Elon Musks AI chatbot became free for all users last month.By Emma Roth, a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Jan 9, 2025, 9:18 PM UTCShare this story Image: The VergexAI has released an iOS app in the US for its Grok chatbot, as spotted earlier by TechCrunch. The standalone app version of the chatbot, which xAI calls a beta, can perform the same functions as the one built into X, as it can field real-time information, answer questions, and generate images.xAI started testing Groks standalone iOS app in December in a handful of countries. Theres no word on when it may come to Android. Though Grok was initially only available to X Premium subscribers, the platform started letting all users access the chatbot last month, bringing it in line with other free-to-use chatbots like OpenAIs ChatGPT, Anthropics Claude, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot. As pointed out by TechCrunch, it seems xAI is also working on a dedicated Grok.com website that currently has a coming soon message on it. After raising $6 billion in June, xAI reported another $6 billion funding round, including from strategic investors like Nvidia and AMD.Most PopularMost Popular

Starting January 6, sign up to receive news and updates about Samsung's 2025 lineup of TVs and as a bonus, you'll receive a $100 credit good for any 2025 TV preorder. Since this isn't a commitment to preorder or buy, you don't need to place any kind of deposit. If you're planning to pick up one of these TVs as soon as they become available, there's no reason not to sign up and claim the discount.$100 Credit on a 2025 Samsung TV PreorderSign Up and Get $100 Credit With Your 2025 Samsung TV PreorderSee it at SamsungSamsung showcased several of their top models during CES 2025. Here's a quick rundown of the biggest highlights. At the moment, exact pricing for each model is unknown.OLED TVsThe new OLED TVs - the S95F, S90F, and S85F - feature several incremental upgrades over its predecessors. The S95F, Samsung's flagship model, boasts a new NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor, a faster 165Hz refresh rate, an improved anti-glare coating, and an upgraded QD OLED panel that promises up to 2,000 nits of brightness. The S90F will also feature the Gen 3 processor, 144Hz refresh rate with VRR, and a QD OLED panel with up to 1,300nits of brightness (for TV models 55" and up). The S85F remains the "budget" OLED TV with a Gen 2 processor.Art TVsThe Frame Pro will make its debut this year alongside the standard Frame TV. The Frame Pro finally features the superior Neo QLED Mini-LED panel for richer and brighter colors, a faster 144Hz refresh rate, the new anti-glare tech, and wireless hookups in the form of a "One Connect" box that can be stowed away discreetly. The standard The Frame TV will still be available too, at a significantly lower cost I assume.Mini LED TVsSamsung revealed a total of six Mini-LED TV models for 2025. The Neo QLED QN990F and QN900F are true 8K TVs with some incremental improvements like the new anti-glare tech, the One Connect wireless transmitter box, and access to Samsung's Art Store, which was previously retricted to the Frame TVs. The Neo QLED QN90F, QN85F, QN80F and QN70F will be the new 4K Mini-LED models. The highest end model is the QN90F and it will feature the same 165Hz refresh rate, Gen 3 processor, and anti-glare coating as the S95F. The mid-range QN85F will be Samsung's first 100" TV. Samsung QN90D (2024) Review by Jaron SchneiderSamsungs 2024 mini LED QN90D is a very nice television that refines the interface and adds a host of new features that increase the value of the offering. Its expensive, but the brightness, color quality, wealth of HDMI 2.1 ports, built-in gaming, and more make a solid argument to warrant the asking price.AI and Anti-Glare Tech Are the Highlights for SamsungLike just about everyone else in the industry, Samsung is going all in on AI. Samsung's new tech for 2025 is their "Vision AI", which can recognize the content you're watching, including specifics like the actors or setting, and display relevant personalized commentary in real-time. In addition, more TV models this year will be equipped with AI Upscaling Pro and AI Motion Enhancer Pro which work in tandem to optimize image quality on the fly. Other features include Active Voice Amplier Pro, which uses AI to isolate and enhance voices, AI Optimization, and AI Energy Mode.Samsung is also decisively moving many of their TV panels to the matte-like anti-glare coating we saw on the S95D in 2024. This anti-glare anti-reflective tech doesn't desaturate like we typically see with anti-glare coatings from other brands, and yet reflections are minimized to the point that you'll never notice them.For more big tech news for this month, check out our CES 2025 hub for all of the latest updates.Why Should You Trust IGN's Deals Team?IGN's deals team has a combined 30+ years of experience finding the best discounts in gaming, tech, and just about every other category. We don't try to trick our readers into buying things they don't need at prices that aren't worth buying something at. Our ultimate goal is to surface the best possible deals from brands we trust and our editorial team has personal experience with. You can check out our deals standards here for more information on our process, or keep up with the latest deals we find on IGN's Deals account on Twitter.Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Calling all Elden Ring fans: a brand-new figure of Malenia Blade of Miquella is up for pre-order at IGN Store. Cited by many as the most difficult boss in Elden Ring, this is one formidable foe you can now add to your collection. Check out the details below, and be sure to get your pre-order in before orders close!Pre-Order S.H.Figuarts Malenia Blade of Miquella Figure NowElden Ring - Malenia Blade of Miquella - Action FigureSee it at IGN StoreStanding at approximately 7.5 inches tall, this Malenia figure is perfect for any Elden Ring fan's collection. In the box, you'll get Malenia, replacement wrist parts, prosthetic hand sword parts, a replacement slit skirt, an exclusive pedestal, and more. The S.H.Figuarts line allows you to customize your figure to your liking, so you can set Malenia in any of the iconic battle poses from the game. Elden Ring is one of the biggest games of the past decade, with the game outselling the entirety of the Dark Souls franchise. A second game in the franchise, Elden Ring Nightreign, is set to release in 2025, offering a multiplayer experience for players to take down bosses together. You can read more about this upcoming game in our first hands-on preview.Elden Ring - Malenia Blade of Miquella - Action FigurePre-orders for this highly anticipated figure close on January 30. Be sure to get your order in before it's too late!Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.