There was no shortage of new gaming monitors at CES 2025, and I toured the show scouting out the latest and greatest that the biggest vendors had to offer. There were some genuine surprises and a lot of features being taken to the next level as display and graphics technology advances, making 2025 one of the most exciting years for gaming monitors in recent memory. QD-OLED Isnt Going Anywhere and Should Become More Accessible If there is an overarching theme to gaming monitors at CES, its that QD-OLED is here to stay. Just about every big brand MSI, Gigabyte, LG, etc. had something to show, and many of the representatives I spoke to were quick to highlight their different burn-in warranties and protection features. There will continue to be a big push toward display tech this year.This really isnt surprising given what a surge we saw in 2024, but these new displays are shaping up to be better than ever. Multiple companies debuted 4K 240Hz QD-OLEDs sporting higher-bandwidth DisplayPort 2.1 connections. MSI even revealed a new 1440p QD-OLED that clocks to 500Hz with the MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50. Other brands offered their own takes on the panels driving these experiences, so its safe to say that well be seeing a lot of very fast, very pretty monitors in the future. PlayI was also pleased to see that protection features continue to advance. One particular standout was the Neo Proximity Sensor that Asus built into the upcoming ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM and ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDPG. This new addition to its OLED Care suite detects when youre away from the PC and displays a black screen that prevents burn-in and wearing down the pixels. Currently, you have to physically turn off your monitor when youre away, so this was very nice to see.As this technology continues to work its way through multiple generations, we should also see prices continue to decline. Launch pricing on many of these models is still high, but if youre willing to look back a generation or two, you should be able to snag a still-great monitor at a steep discount throughout the year. Mini-LED Isnt Dead, But It Is Tech To Keep an Eye Out ForMini-LED technology wasnt exactly huge at the show, but it was there. A representative from MSI told me that it plans to position its dual-mode AI mini-LED, the MPG 274URDFW E16M, as a more affordable alternative to QD-OLED. That makes a lot of sense, and, as someone who has tested a number of them at this point, I hope they succeed in bringing this technology back to the forefront. The MPG 274URDFW E16M has 1,152 local dimming zones and a peak brightness of around 1,000 nits, and with local dimming turned on, impressive contrast (especially in the brightly lit showroom). Its also 4K and 160Hz for smooth, high-res gameplay. Interestingly, its able to bump up to 320Hz at 1080p, though I was and remain skeptical of its AI-driven dual-mode AI that will automatically switch resolution depending on whats being displayed. Thats already a no-thanks from me.Though there werent a ton of options at the show, this is a technology I do expect to see more of. The fear of burn-in is real just look at any of our reviews of existing OLED gaming monitors. Mini-LED gets ridiculously bright, can look downright fantastic with the right settings, and has no risk of burn-in at all. And with enough dimming zones (1,152 or more for 27-inches), blooming is far less of an issue. If brands can keep the prices reasonable, they could make for a compelling alternative for those of us that dont want to spend $1,000+ on a display that needs to be babied.Pricing isnt official on this model yet, but I expect it to launch for less than its competing flagship QD-OLED counterparts. Refresh Rates and Resolutions Continue to ClimbI touched on this in the first section, but as QD-OLED display tech gets dialed in and graphics cards get more powerful, refresh rates continue to climb. 4K at 240Hz has arrived, but so has 500Hz at 1440p. Gigabyte impressed me with its Aorus FO27Q5P, which is a super sleek and gorgeously vibrant gaming monitor. Its set to achieve VESA TrueBlack 500 certification, while most current QD-OLED monitors with this certification are only 400-level certified. That means you can count on brighter highlights for improved HDR. Like most gaming monitor tech, other brands do have their takes on the same design (like the MPG 272QR QD-OLED X50 I highlighted earlier), so you should have a few different styles to choose from if you decide to pick one up for yourself. MSI even brought old-school TN panels back from deaths door to push refresh rates even higher. The MSI MPG 242R X60N features an impressive 600Hz refresh rate for gamers that demand the fastest possible speeds. I suspect the market for this one will be smaller, as there are some major trade-offs in color and viewing angles with TN panels, but it was hard not to be impressed with how fast it runs. Will the average gamer notice the clarity or latency improvements? Thats another question entirely.PlayCES 2025 will also be remembered as the year that 5K monitors started to come into their own. Acer displayed the Predator XB323QX, a 5K, 144Hz gaming monitor that also packs Nvidias latest G-Sync Pulsar tech. LG also debuted a pair of new 5K2K gaming monitors thats 5,120 x 2,160 resolution that come in an ultrawide 21:9 form factor. The Ultragear 45GX950A comes with a deep but locked 800R curve. The Ultragear 45GX990A, on the other hand, features a bendable display that can shift from being completely flat to bending to a generous 900R curve. Outside the world of gaming, Asus even featured a 6K (6,016 x 3,384) display targeted at creators. The ProArt Display 6K PA32QCV will come in a 31.5-inch form factor and use a bright mini-LED display for a surprisingly reasonable $1,249 (competing displays can cost well over $2,000). Of course, this isnt a great choice for gaming due to its 60Hz refresh rate, but its another good example of the industrys march ever upward.Smart Monitors Bring TVs and Gaming Monitors Closer TogetherWhile I wasnt a big fan when I reviewed the Samsung G80SD, theres an undeniable appeal to smart monitors for many gamers. Being able to have your display double as a smart TV with built-in access to streaming services has natural advantages in certain situations, such as if youre living in a small apartment or dorm room or if you just like to kick back and take a break from your daily grind.If that describes you, youll be pleased to hear that there are a number of new options on the way this year. While many of the smart monitors on display werent directly targeted at gamers, it was clear that this is a trend that will continue to grow over time. HP unveiled the OMEN 32x Smart Gaming Monitor, a 32-inch 4K thats pre-loaded with streaming apps. Its streaming goes the other way too with built-in support to stream to up to four different platforms, directly from the monitor. The LG UltraGear 39GX90SA provides an ultrawide option with similar video streaming features with a deep 800R curve.Elsewhere, Samsung debuted the M9 Smart Monitor, which comes with on-device neural processing to enhance its 4K OLED panel. The monitor is able to detect what is being displayed on screen and intelligently adjust picture settings and upscale lower resolution content to 4K with its neural network (and also sports a 165Hz refresh rate Its even a decent choice for gaming thanks to its 165Hz refresh rate. Wrapping UpAs always, CES is a show about looking toward the future. The gaming monitors I was able to check out all pushed the boundaries in some way and gave hints of where the industry might turn further in the future. Last year was a great, if expensive, year for gaming monitors, but 2025 is shaping up to be even better. Christopher Coke has been a regular contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology since 2013. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs and gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Toms Hardware, Popular Science, USA Todays Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.

This article contains spoilers for Severance season 1.Hello dedicated employee. Its been awhile since we last saw you. Read more The first season of Apple TV+s successful sci-fi drama Severance premiered its final episode on April 8, 2022. By glancing at the calendar on your desk, you may have noticed that todays date isa long time after that. Yes, it took Severance creator/showrunner Dan Erickson and company more than a couple years to produce a second season of their complicated workplace thriller. While the wait was undoubtedly worth it (see review above), the delay means many viewers likely need their memories jogged on the events of season 1 prior to watching season 2. Thats hopefully where we come in. Like any good corporate orientation document, the following recap is designed to address both the broad and specific beats of the show. The first few sections will provide reminders about the series sci-fi concept and background lore, while the latter sections will get into the nitty-gritty plot points of the finale. That all make sense? Doesnt matter. Lets begin. What Is The Severance Procedure?Who doesnt want to separate their home life from their work life? Well, on Severance, you can! Thanks to the innovative severance procedure developed by biotech company Lumon Industries, an individual can have a chip inserted into their brain that will bifurcate their consciousness between when theyre at work and when theyre at home. The chip works spatially so a persons perspective will split upon entering a designated building or room. Ones work self has no knowledge of the outside world while ones home self has no idea what they do for work. Theoretically its a perfect application for highly sensitive work. Employees cannot leak state or company secrets if they dont know them.Of course, all science fiction technology has consequences. In the case of the severance procedure, its the creation of two separate individuals in one body. Severed workers on the floor, dubbed innies, have a severe case of eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. Possessing only the vaguest sense of how the outside world works, they quite literally live to work. They wake up when their outie arrives to work and then never fully check out for the day. While their outie goes home, eats a meal, watches some TV, and sleeps, innies simply come right back to work the moment they leave it. What Work is Macrodata Refinement Doing?Severance follows four severed employees on Lumons own Macrodata Refinement floor: Mark S (Adam Scott), Helly R (Britt Lower), Irving B (John Turturro), and Dylan G (Zach Cherry). Note that they are given only an initial for a last name as a full last name is a right reserved for outies (Mark Scout, Helly Riggs, Irving Bailiff, Dylan George). In addition to the usual office tasks of visiting the coffee station, watching orientation videos, and taking the occasional field trips to other departments (more on that later), the majority of the MDR departments daily work consists of sitting in front of computer terminals and refining data.What that means in this context is being presented with a screen full of numbers, hovering a cursor over them, and then dragging those numbers into a folder once compelled to do so. When will they feel compelled to do so? Theyll know. As Mark S explains to Helly R: Each category of numbers feels a certain way on sight. In addition to being a wonderful satire of work (truly who cant relate to staring at numbers on a computer all day until they feel somethinganything) its clear that Lumon Industries is Up to Something with this seemingly menial task. Of the MDR employees, Mark S, Irving B, and Dylan G have largely drank the Kool-Aid on the importance of their work. Helly R, however, acts as a sort of audience cypher to reveal how strange and discomfiting this all is. Brought to the MDR floor as its newest member in the series first episode, Helly refuses to get used to her life as an innie. She spends much of the season trying to devise a way off the floor into freedom and is constantly foiled along the way by her outie who continually returns to work. She even goes so far as to attempt suicide by hanging before waking up the next day back in the office. Guiding the MDR workers through this are their bosses Mr. Seth Milchick (Tramell Tillman), and upward-striving middle manager; and Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), an icy executive behind a desk. Cobel is known to Mark in the outside world as his doddering older neighbor Mrs. Selvig. Theres also the floor counselor, an enigmatic woman named Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman). Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Who Is Petey and What Is Reintegration? Mark S is the only MDR character whose outie life is glimpsed consistently throughout the season. We see that he took a job with Lumon on a severed floor after the devastating loss of his wife, Gemma, in a car accident. His only family consists of his sister Devon (Jen Tullock) and her doofy husband Ricken (Michael Chernus) Eventually, however, Mark is contacted by an old work friend Petey (Yul Vazquez) who attempts to enlist him in a struggle against Lumon.Once innie Marks best pal on the MDR floor, Petey quit his Lumon job and underwent a dangerous medical procedure known as Reintegration, designed to reconnect his severed personas once again. Performed by ex-Lumon scientist Dr. Reghabi (Karen Aldridge), the surgery is experimental, vague, and ultimately not very successful. Petey experiences its reality-bending side effects and eventually dies, succumbing to Reintegration Sickness. Before all that though, he is able to successfully convince outtie Mark that something rotten is going on at Lumon. Outtie Mark makes a connection with Dr. Reghabi (Karen Aldridge), who kills Lumon operative Graner (Michael Cumpsty) and gives Mark his access card for use later. He also gains a hand-drawn map of the severed floor from Petey before he dies. What Is Lumon Industries Up To and Who Is Kier Eagan?A lot of background lore about Lumon Industries and its mysterious creator is revealed throughout season 1. Lumon is described as one of the worlds biggest biotech companies, founded by Kier Eagan in 1865. For much of its existence, Lumon developed products like topical salves, soaps, and ethers before eventually creating the revolutionary severance chip. The culture inside Lumon is one of a cult of personality around Kier Eagan. The town that Lumons headquarters reside in is even named Kier.Lumon employees pepper their language with phrases like Praise Kier and when someone dies they are said to be sitting with Kier now. His taming of the four tempers is the stuff of company legend. Various rituals within Lumon represent each of the four tempers: Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice. Early on in season 1, the MDR team is taken on a field trip to the Perpetuity Wing, which is essentially a museum exhibit detailing the major moments of Kiers life. His writings and experiences are considered the core of Lumons corporate philosophy. Oil paintings throughout the MDR offices depict important moments from Kiers life, such as the courtship of his wife Imogene. Kiers descendent Jame Eagan is the current CEO of Lumon Industries and looms as a big bad over the proceedings.What Are The Other Departments at Lumon Industries?In addition to Macrodata Refinement, a couple other departments are introduced on the severed floor in Severance season 1. The first is the Optics & Design team, led by Burt Goodman (Christopher Walken), who are largely tasked with producing the beautiful propaganda regarding Kier Eagans mythos. MDR initially views O&D with distrust but the two teams eventually grow closer with Burt and Irving even developing a romantic relationship.Another department within Lumon deals with the raising of goats for an unknown purpose. Mark and Helly learn of this fact when they come across a room full of goats with a man bottle-feeding one. You cant take them yet, theyre not ready, the man says. Thats the only clue that we have to the goats existence though the shows producers have insisted we will discover what the department does in season 2.The severance procedure is even put to use outside of the severed floors within Lumon. At one point, Marks sister Devon discovers that her friend Gabby underwent the procedure so that she wouldnt have to remember the trauma of childbirth, instead sending her innie off to endure it in a special birthing suite. What Is The Overtime Contingency Plan?All of the sleuthing throughout season 1 leads to an important discovery for the innies. At one point, Mr. Milchick is able to wake up innie Dylan G in the outside world so that he can locate a card he stole. The experience is partially designed to intimate Dylan but all it really does is reveal to him that his outtie has a family and that its possible for innies to experience the outside world. After bringing this knowledge to his friends at MDR, the team resolves to put Peteys map and Graners keycard to use to trigger this technology known as the Overtime Contingency. Since Dylan already experienced the outside, he volunteers himself to commandeer the contingency from the inside. He leaves his waffle party (a Kier-themed orgy) early and enters into a control room to wake up Mark S, Helly R, and Irving B on the outside. The season 1 finale deals with what they all discover. Big Reveals From the Severance Season 1 FinaleInnie Mark awakens at a house party and immediately refers to Mrs. Selvig by her Harmony Cobel name, tipping her off that the innies are loose. She and Milchick spring into action to end the Overtime Protocol. Before Milchick successfully overpowers Dylan and halts the process, here is what the innies find outHelly R Is Helena EaganHelly comes to at a swanky Lumon gala and learns that her outtie is none other than Helena Eagan daughter of Jame Eagan and heir to the Lumon throne. Helena underwent severance to promote the procedure and built support for its mass legalization. Before Helly goes back offline, she is able to take the stage for her keynote address and tell a stunned audience that innies are being tortured and hate their lives. Irving Has Been Investigating LumonIrving awakes to a dingy and sad apartment where he is surrounded by evidence of his outties military service and his talent for painting. One painting in particular, that of a black hallway with a light at the end, appears to hold major Lumon significance. He immediately rushes out into the world to use an employee directory to track down Burt Goodman. Unfortunately he discovers that Burt seems to already be in a happy relationship. Marks Wife Gemma Is Ms. CaseyAfter innie Mark accidentally ruins everything by misidentifying Mrs. Selvig (but honestly, he really stood no chance. The moment he achieves awareness hes mid-hug with Selvig/Cobel. What are the odds?!?), he reveals to Devon that he is his innie self. More importantly: he eventually finds a photo of outtie Marks wife Gemma and recognizes her as severance floor counselor Ms. Casey. Just as the Overtime Protocol is about to be cut, innie Mark yells out Shes alive! to Devon and the rest of the party. And thats where things stand when Severance season 2 begins.All nine episodes of Severance season 1 are available to stream on Apple TV+ now. The first episode of Severance season 2 premieres Friday, January 17 on Apple TV+. New episodes debut on Fridays, culminating with the finale on March 21.

No, that voice you heard wasnt a call from the other side. It was emergency services calling to help thanks to Crash Detection on Apple Watch. Thats exactly what happened to a 55-year-old Apple Watch customer in Massachusetts after passing out while driving and ending up in his upside down car in someones pool.Taylor Smith and Ryan Trowbridge for WGGB/WSHM tell the story of Brent Hill from Easthampton, MA:It was a scary situation for Hill, who recalled suddenly feeling nauseous while driving home on December 16. Thats the last thing he remembered before completely blacking out. Based on a neighbors outdoor camera footage, Hills car was seen, a short time later, accelerating through his neighbors garage and landing upside down in their swimming pool. []While slowly coming back to consciousness, Hill said he recalled hearing a tiny voice speaking to him. While, at first, he thought it was a call from the other side, it turned out that the voice was coming from his Apple Watch. It was emergency services telling him that help was on the way.It may not have been a voice from the other side, but it was a miraculous situation all the same. Thats because Crash Detection on Apple Watch worked as advertised when it phoned 911. Hill recalls what happened and how the watch came in clutch:It was that moment of panic when you realize youre in a very bad situation. [] So the assumption is that when my weight shifted and my foot really hit that accelerator and no braking and I was just plowing right through. I didnt know any of this was going on and, when I saw the footage of my car careening down the street and crashing, I was shocked because of how fast I was going.He credits Apple Watch with changing how the harrowing situation played out:If emergency services had not contacted me through that watch and just coached me through that, theres no way I wouldve got out of there. I could barely hear anything outside. I knew there was commotion, but I could barely understand what they were saying. I didnt know where I was and that person just kept me calm and, if that probably not have happened, I probably would have drowned.Read the full story here. Apple details how Crash Detection works in a support document here.The event, which took place on December 16, reminds us how critical health and safety features on Apple Watch continuously prove to be for customers on a daily basis. Looking for a deal on a newer Apple Watch? You can grab the outgoing Apple Watch Series 9 for just $249 from Walmart while supplies last.Apple Watch Series 10 introduces sleep apnea detection and a redesigned, thinner casing.Crash Detection works on newer Apple Watch and iPhone models including:Apple Watch Series 8 and newer, Apple Watch Ultra and newer, and Apple Watch SE 2 and newer with watchOS 9 or lateriPhone 14 and newer with iOS 16 or laterBest Apple Watch accessoriesThis three-in-one magnetic wireless charging pad works with both iPhone and Apple WatchAdd a 1200mAh power bank with Apple Watch charging to your keychain for under $20Protect your Apple Watch display and casing or change up the look for under $10Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

There's "something seriously wrong with his moral compass, if not his perception of reality,"Friend to FoeDuring the early days of the COVID pandemic, Elon Musk lost a bet to a longtime friend and apparently took the loss incredibly poorly, in what sounds like an early warning sign of his now near-permanent state of self-humiliation.Thatnow ex-friend, podcaster-philsopher Sam Harris, is finally revealing how the wager led to them dramatically falling out.The petty saga is a case study in how, in Harris' view, Musk has totally changed as a person and for the worse. In sum: being chronically online melted Elon's brain."The friend I remember did not seem to hunger for public attention." Harris wrote in a post on his Substack. "But his engagement with Twitter/X transformed him.""Let this be a cautionary tale for any of Elon's friends who might be tempted to tell the great man something he doesn't want to hear," he added.COVID Mind VirusIt all started back in March 2020, when the coronavirus was taking hold in the US. "The coronavirus panic is dumb," Musk tweeted at the time.Harris thought this was irresponsible and that it'd hurt Elon's reputation, so he reached out to his friend in a private text. "You have an enormous platform, and much of the world looks to you as an authority on all things technical," Harris cautioned.Elon's response was jarring: "Sam, you of all people should not be concerned with this." The billionaire linked to a page on the CDC website indicating that COVID was not among the top 100 causes of death in the US."This was a patently silly point to make in the first days of a pandemic," Harris wrote on his Substack.After hours of texting, neither saw eye to eye. But they did agree on a bet. Musk bet donating $1 million to charity against a $1,000 bottle of tequila that COVID cases in the US would not exceed 35,000."The terms of the bet reflected what was, in his estimation, the near certainty (1000 to 1) that he was right," Harris said.Podcaster ScornedObviously, this didn't age well. Just a few weeks later, the CDC reported 35,000 deaths and 600,000 cases. A triumphant Harris texted Musk, "Is (35,000 deaths + 600,000 cases) > 35,000 cases?" Musk never replied."This text appears to have ended our friendship," Harris wrote, and Musk "began maligning me on Twitter." (A small sampling: Harris is "actually not that smart," an "utter idiot," is "irrationality personified.")This is despite the fact that the two of them agree on a bevy of political issues, Harris claims. "The problem with Elon, is that he makes no effort to get his facts straight when discussing any of these topics.""Any dispassionate observer of Elon's behavior on Twitter/X can see that there is something seriously wrong with his moral compass, if not his perception of reality," Harris concluded. "There is simply no excuse for a person with his talents, resources, and opportunities to create so much pointless noise."Share This Article

What Youll Do:Work cross-functionally with product, design, and other engineering counterparts to execute on product and business strategy and build novel products and features that our users will love.Contribute to the full development cycle: technical design, development, test, experimentation, analysis, and launch. Youll be reviewing code and design docs, giving feedback on product specs and mocks.Participate with a team of thoughtful, fast-moving, and motivated engineers. Contribute to standards that improve developer workflows, recommend best practices, and help mentor junior engineers on the team to grow their technical expertise.Move fast while balancing quality. We cant afford extensive processes, and we also cant afford show-stopping bugs. We need someone who can balance speed with quality while quickly building brand-new products.Qualifications for this role:Minimum 5+ years of post-internship, full-time, hands-on, professional software development experience developing software in one or more front end focused programming languages; Javascript, Typescript, ES6.Experience with one or more front-end web frameworks such as LIT, Polymer, React, Vue, or Angular with experience with CSS.Experienced with GraphQL, REST, HTTP, Thrift basics, and the ability to design and implement maintainable APIs is a plus.Experienced with distributed caching layers, and distributed large scale data storage systems.Strong organizational skills, the ability to prioritize tasks and to deliver projects on schedule.BS degree in Computer Science, a similar technical field of study or equivalent practical experience.Entrepreneurial spirit. You are self-directed, innovative, and biased towards action in fast-paced environments. You love to build new things and thrive in ambiguity and even failure.Excellent communication skills. You partner effectively with teams in a fully remote environment and discuss complex topics with technical and non-technical audiences.Benefits:Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits401k MatchingWorkspace benefits for your home officePersonal & Professional development fundsFamily Planning SupportFlexible Vacation (please use them!) & Reddit Global Wellness Days4+ months paid Parental LeavePaid Volunteer time offThis role is 100% remote with the option to work in a Reddit office if you live close to one and would like to! (NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago).Pay Transparency:This job posting may span more than one career level.In addition to base salary, this job is eligible to receive equity in the form of restricted stock units, and depending on the position offered, it may also be eligible to receive a commission. Additionally, Reddit offers a wide range of benefits to U.S.-based employees, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) program with employer match, generous time off for vacation, and parental leave. To learn more, please visit https://www.redditinc.com/careers/.To provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base pay ranges for all US-based job postings regardless of state. We set standard base pay ranges for all roles based on function, level, and country location, benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including, skills, depth of work experience and relevant licenses/credentials, and may vary from the amounts listed below.The base pay range for this position is:$190,800 - $267,100 USDReddit is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse communities we serve. Reddit is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at [emailprotected].

Against the odds, the next game in the beloved Yakuza game series, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii, is shaping up to look like it will live up to its outlandish name. At a themed preview event in Buena Park, California, just outside Knotts Berry Farm, I and other journalists got to take a stab at heretofore unseen parts of the game -- and combat at sea seems like it'll be a fun highlight among the many activities.Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii is a new adventure from Sega studio Ryu Ga Gotoku starring series favorite Goro "Mad Dog" Majima, a wild eye patch-wearing gangster stepping up from manic sidekick in Yakuza 0 and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth to main character. Picking up right six months after Infinite Wealth, Majima washes up on an island shore with no memory of his past (mis)deeds. After getting a first look at the game late last year, this new preview introduced me to a trio of activities teased in the trailers -- ship-to-ship sea combat, coliseum fights and the returning minigame Dragon Kart.More importantly, I got a feel for the flow of the game, as the first preview session dropped me into the second chapter of the game. Though bereft of many abilities and upgrades, I could still switch between Majima's two fighting styles. The first, the pirate-themed Sea Dog style, had me flailing around swinging twin cutlasses (or throwing them like boomerangs), shooting my flintlock pistol and using a chain whip to pull myself into enemies. The second, Mad Dog style, will be more familiar to Yakuza fans who fought Majima in earlier games: He lunges around with a knife like a back-alley brawler, even summoning doppelgngers to even the odds against masses of enemies.Both styles are fun, and although I got by with button-mashing, I was pushed to use my small pool of skills and tools when enemy groups pulled guns on me (and actual modern ones that put my wee flintlock to shame). While the game is lumped into the Like A Dragon subseries, it wisely ditched the turn-based RPG combat in favor of real-time fighting like the mainline Yakuza series, and it's better for it; flailing around with boomerang cutlasses in a pirate outfit is the kind of zany action that's feasible in nonstop motion (which could fall apart if players are given a moment to think).In that first free-roaming play section, I faced roaming gangs of island tough guys, but mostly I ran around learning the game's odd and pleasing corners: planting herbs to harvest later, cooking stat-buffing meals, winning the favor of animal friends and stocking up on health items and energy drinks. Even on islands, I'm buying supplies for the next lopsided fight.The next play session brought on the good stuff, namely the ship battles teased in earlier trailers. As gamers yearn for the swarthy sea dog days of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, enjoy Sea of Thieves and mourn what Skull and Bones could've been, the cannonball-stricken waters of Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii will surely appeal. RGG/SegaSea combat, coliseum clashes and moreThe second play session opened up in the wondrously grimy pirate dreamland of Madlantis, the game's big addition to the Yakuza landscape. Scalliwags prowl the rusted metal walkways spoiling for fights and neon signs point to bars, shops and a casino (where you can play poker and blackjack). But the centerpiece is the Pirates Coliseum, which lets you engage in four different kinds of fights with escalating difficulty.The first, Quick Clash, puts your ship in the flooded coliseum to take on enemies in a quick fight. At the lower ranks, you'll take on single ships, but more difficult fights will pit you against multiple vessels of varying sizes. Sea combat is a bit more arcade-style Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag than the more realistic Sea of Thieves, as you'll sail with a birds-eye view as attack reticles pop up for your three slotted weapons: forward-firing machine guns as well as a set of cannons each for port and starboard. These can be traditional cannonball-firing guns, short-range flamethrowers or even laser cannons (stay awesome, Yakuza).While you'll mainly careen between ships to get the best angle for your next cannon salvo and scoot out of range of your opponent's rejoinder, there are a few reasons for stepping away from the wheel to prowl the deck of the Goromaru (as your vessel is called). Most notably, you'll need to do so if your ship catches fire, as putting out the blaze will stop ticking damage as the less health your ship has the less damage it will do. While walking around your ship, you can also man a deck-mounted machine gun or run around firing rocket launchers at enemy ships (never change, Yakuza). Keep in mind that you'll crawl to a stop away from the wheel, so watch out for enemies pouncing on your immobile ship. RGG/SegaOnce you've defeated the enemy ship, it's time to board, and you'll automatically leap into hand-to-hand fighting with your crew against the other vessel's captain and mates. It's a fun end to the fighting, especially in the second Pirates Coliseum mode, Tournament of Captains, wherein your opponents will sport increasingly zany themes -- I played against the Biker Pirates, for instance, who not only dressed like extras in Grease or The Outsiders but after boarding, drove across their deck in motorcycles.The third Pirates Coliseum mode, Madlantis Mania, was a series of deck battles against enemy crews and a bit less exciting than the others. But the fourth mode, Swashbuckler Showdown, was a merry hand-to-hand melee on an island arena pitting you and your crew against dozens of enemies -- a bit like Dynasty Warriors brawling into crowds of goons with some champions sprinkled throughout. It's here where I fought long enough to charge up the Sea Dog style's Madness gauge and summon one of the four dark gods of the sea (shark, parrot, ape or jellyfish) to trounce my enemies en masse.Your crew, by the by, are pulled from a gleefully wide assortment of oddballs you'll pick up as you play through the game, some with different abilities suitable to man the cannons, be squad leaders or make your first mate. From chefs to brothel madams to accountants to gangsters, you'll fill out your squad with a who's who of who's that. During one fight, my preset crew surged on to the enemy ship's deck with me, including one dude wearing a ram's head atop his business suit while another brawled in his underwear. RGG/SegaGangster, pirate, what's the difference?Sadly, we weren't shown much about the story, though we do know that the amnesiac Majima at the start of the game will revel in his freedom and affection for friends he meets. This gets complicated, though, as his memories return of the crime boss he was at the end of the last game, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth.This preview was more about exposing us to the pirate yakuza vibes awaiting players -- and the vibes are just shy of being too ridiculous. The Yakuza series balances melodrama and zany hijinks in ways that are somehow complementary, and amping up the wilder aspects in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii works for Mad Dog Majima. It's pushing the envelope for what players can take seriously, but with many familiar features returning from the main games to ground it.One of those recurring perks is the beloved Dragon Kart, which we got to play in the preview. While I was no master of RGG's take on the go-kart racing staple minigame, it was pretty fun to stuff Majima into a mini-vehicle and blast around corners, and there's even a battle royale-like duel mode (which sounds a lot like Mario Kart's battle mode). Of course, no Yakuza game would be complete without karaoke, which you can sing on your ship.But it's the fun new pirate-themed touches that drew my attention, from adorning all of Majima's 10 fingers with different exotic rings (to boost stats and abilities) to acing the cooking minigame so I can set a rowdy feast for my crew to raise their morale and strength. I can sail the waters between the game's four major land areas to fight marauding ships and find secret treasure ashore on remote islands.The game's themes of freedom from rules and supporting your crew nicely replicate the same dynamics in many other Yakuza games, making the earnest silliness more charming than alienating. With snappy combat on land and sea, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is shaping up to be a fun jaunt expanding the world of the series without straying from its central message of keeping true to your chosen family (through violence). Watch this: Everything We Expect in Gaming in 2025 05:01

January 16, 20254 min readWhat to Know about the Ban on Red Dye in Foods and DrugsThe Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of the dye Red No. 3 in all food and ingested drugs. Heres what foods and drugs contain the coloring, and how it compares with Red No. 40 and other artificial dyesBy Tanya Lewis edited by Dean Visser Oleksa/Getty ImagesEarlier this week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revoked the authorization of the dye Red No. 3, which is used in a variety of foods and medications. This artificial dye, which is made from petroleum and had been found to cause cancer in rats, was removed in response to a 2022 petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest and other advocacy groups.The cherry-red coloring agent is found in foods such as candies, Maraschino cherries, and strawberry-flavored milk drinks and in medicines such as cough syrups. Manufacturers of foods and ingested drugs have until January 15, 2027, and January 18, 2028, respectively, to remove the dye from their products.Food safety activists had long called for Red No. 3s removal, citing concerns about its possible carcinogenicity in humans, as well as some evidence that similar dyes may contribute to behavioral problems in childrenincluding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Scientific American spoke with experts about why this red dye is being banned, how much exposure may be harmful and how it compares with other food colorings.Which red dye is being banned?Its official name is Red No. 3.What foods or medicines contain it?Its found in candies, fruit juices, snack foods, Maraschino cherries and strawberry-flavored milk. Its also found in some medications such as cough syrups.Why was it banned?Male rats developed thyroid tumors after being exposed to high levels of the dye in lab studies. But according to the FDA, the rats developed cancer through a hormonal mechanism that does not occur in humansand studies in humans and other animals have not shown similar effects. Nevertheless, the dye was removed under the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which bans FDA authorization of a food or color additive that has been found to cause cancer in humans or animals.Concerns have also been raised that some other artificial dyes, including another red dye called Red No. 40, may contribute to hyperactivity in children.Why did it take so long for the U.S. to ban this compound in food?The FDA has banned the use of Red No. 3 in cosmetics and topical medications since 1990. The European Union banned the dye in food (except cocktail cherries) in 1994, and in 2023 California banned it as well.The FDA has a really large mandate, and they have focused primarily on drugs. Within the food realm, they focused on food safety with a specific eye on infectious diseases like [Escherichia coli infection], says Sheela Sathyanarayana, a professor of pediatrics and an adjunct professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Washington and Seattle Childrens Research Institute, but where theres been a hole or a gap is in food safety related to additives and environmental exposures and contaminants.The FDA, under the Biden administration, recently created a new food chemical safety office. I am hopeful, with that new office opening, that they will be able to kind of assess in a more holistic way multiple different exposures, from food additives to contaminants,Sathyanarayana says.Red No. 3 is also found in some cough medicines.Food Drink and Diet/Mark Sykes/Alamy Stock PhotoHow much of this red dye do you need to consume for it to be harmful?The relevant studies exposed rats to doses of the dye that were likely much larger than what a human would normally consume. Its very hard to do studies on the toxic dose in humans because its unethical to conduct randomized, controlled trials that give people food with large amounts of certain additives. Most human studies of food ingredients are epidemiological: they involve asking people to remember what foods theyve eaten and in what amounts, which is notoriously unreliable.According to physician Melinda Ring, director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the acceptable daily intake of Red No. 3 is a maximum of 0.1 milligram per kilogram of body weight per day. For perspective, this equates to roughly 12 red gummy bears for a child and 36 for an adult based on typical concentrations, Ring wrote in an e-mail to Scientific American. However, research indicates cumulative exposure to toxins can have additive effects, making it safer to avoid synthetic dyes entirely rather than consuming a tolerable amount.Do other artificial food dyes also pose health risks?Red No. 3 may be one of the most well-studied dyes, but others, such as Red No. 40, have also been linked to health concerns. Some studies have tied red dyes to an increased risk of behavioral disorders such as ADHD.Now that Red No. 3 has been banned, it will be interesting to see if the FDA bans some of these other dyes, says Tracy Crane, an associate professor of medical oncology and director of lifestyle medicine, prevention and digital health at the University of Miamis Miller School of Medicine.Should you avoid eating anything with artificial dyes in it?In general, its best to avoid large amounts of foods or medicines that contain artificial dyes. I always tell people [to consume] sparingly, Crane says. What I tell people is: Its always better to not be putting artificial substances in your body. If something was not made by nature that color, its probably synthetic.Instead there are safer natural alternatives, such as dyes made from beets, carrots or even insects.One problem with foods that contain artificial dyes is that they often attempt to target children by using bright, cheery colors. We need to change expectations of what food should look like, Crane says.And its not just artificial dyes that may be harmful; many of the foods that contain these dyes also contain a lot of sugar. From a cancer prevention standpoint, it is recommended to consume less than 10 percent of calories from added sugar, wrote Hannah Manella, a registered dietician at Northwestern Medicine, in an e-mailed statement to Scientific American.Many of these foods are also ultraprocessed, and some studies have linked foods in this category to various diseases or health problems. Choosing whole, unprocessed foods or carefully reading ingredient labels can help consumers reduce exposure to synthetic dyes and other environmental toxins while supporting a cleaner, safer food supply, Ring says.

RedNote "caught unprepared" RedNote may wall off TikTok refugees to prevent US influence on Chinese users Rumors swirl that RedNote may segregate Chinese users as soon as next week. Ashley Belanger Jan 16, 2025 1:49 pm | 105 Credit: Difydave | iStock / Getty Images Plus Credit: Difydave | iStock / Getty Images Plus Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreJust a few days after more than 700 million new users flooded RedNotewhich Time noted is "the most apolitical social platform in China"rumors began swirling that RedNote may soon start segregating American users and other foreign IPs from the app's Chinese users.In the "TikTokCringe" subreddit, a video from a RedNote user with red eyes, presumably swollen from tears, suggested that Americans had possibly ruined the app for Chinese Americans who rely on RedNote to stay current on Chinese news and culture."RedNote or Xiaohongshu released an update in the greater China region with the function to separate out foreign IPs, and there are now talks of moving all foreign IPs to a separate server and having a different IP for those who are in the greater China area," the Reddit poster said. "I know through VPNs and other ways, people are still able to access the app, but essentially this is gonna kill the app for Chinese Americans who actually use the app to connect with Chinese content, Chinese language, Chinese culture."There has been no official announcement that such a change is coming, but Reddit commenters speculated that possibly the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was requiring a change to stop American TikTokers from using the app to influence Chinese citizens."CCP don't want American influence to spread to their citizens," a top commenter wrote. That prompted another commenter to respond, "a bit of irony here," seemingly suggesting China walling off American TikTokers seems a lot like what the US government plans to do through the TikTok ban. But others pointed out that China has long blocked Western social media apps like Reddit and X to prevent such feared influence. "If people couldnt see this coming, then they have no idea what Chinas politics are," one Redditor suggested in the thread.On social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), others discussed the potential update that could fence off Chinese users, with one post with 1.2 million views suggesting the update could come next week.Unlike other popular Chinese apps that require a Chinese phone number to register as a user, like WeChat, RedNote has never had such a requirement and always operated one single version of its app, Reuters reported. So, a shift to segregating users would be a big change and could possibly take more time.Whether TikTok will be banned in the US in three days is still up in the air. The Supreme Court has yet to announce its verdict on the constitutionality of a law requiring TikTok to either sell its US operations or shut down in the US. It's possible that the Supreme Court could ask for more time to deliberate, potentially delaying enforcement of the law as TikTok has requested until after Donald Trump takes office.While the divest-or-sell law had bipartisan support when it passed last year, momentum has seemingly shifted this week. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced a bill to extend the deadline ahead of a potential TikTok ban, and a top Trump adviser, Congressman Mike Waltz, has said that Trump plans to stop the ban and "keep TikTok from going dark," the BBC reported. Even the Biden administration, whose justice department just finished arguing why the US needed to enforce the law to SCOTUS, "is considering ways to keep TikTok available," sources told NBC News.Many US RedNote users quickly bannedFor RedNote and China, the app's sudden popularity as the US alternative to TikTok seems to have come as a surprise. A Beijing-based independent industry analyst, Liu Xingliang, told Reuters that RedNote was "caught unprepared" by the influx of users.To keep restricted content off the app, RedNote allegedly has since been "scrambling to find ways to moderate English-language content and build English-Chinese translation tools," two sources familiar with the company told Reuters. Time's reporting echoed that, noting that "Red Note is urgently recruiting English content moderators [Chinese]" became a trending topic Wednesday on the Chinese social media app Weibo.Many analysts have suggested that Americans' fascination with RedNote will be short-lived. Liu told Reuters that "American netizens are in a dissatisfied mood, and wanting to find another Chinese app to use is a catharsis of short-term emotions and a rebellious gesture." But unfortunately, "the experience on it is not very good for foreigners."On RedNote, Chinese users have warned Americans that China censors way more content than they're used to on TikTok. Analysts told The Washington Post that RedNote's "focus on shopping and entertainment means it is often even more active in blocking content seen as too serious for the apps target audience." Chinese users warned Americans not to post about "politics, religion, and drugs" or risk "account bans or legal repercussions, including jail time," Rest of World reported. Meanwhile, on Reddit, Americans received additional warnings about common RedNote scams and reasons accounts could be banned. But Rest of World noted that many so-called "TikTok refugees" migrating to RedNote do not "seem to know, or care, about platform rules."Likely as a result of failing to read community guidelines, TechCrunch noted thatmany American RedNote users were quickly being banned. Some were kicked off for reasons they didn't totally understand because "users are joining the app but are unable to read the Community Guidelines, which are written in Mandarin."Some bans were due to posting videos with a TikTok watermark, TechCrunch reported, while others were likely banned as suspected bots after several failed attempts to verify their US-based phone numbers. Several TikTokers have confirmed they're attempting to appeal their bans, TechCrunch reported, but no one's sure how easy it will be to reinstate their accounts.Investors are closely watching to see if American users will stick with RedNote, though. On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that RedNotes biggest shareholders were discussing selling their shares "at a valuation of at least $20 billion." Those negotiations could end, Bloomberg noted, if RedNote ends up being a flash in the pan or if TikTok remains available in the US.RedNote isn't exactly a perfect alternative for TikTok. It was founded in 2013 by Mao Wenchao and Miranda Qu Fang as an Instagram-like knockoff where Chinese users and lifestyle influencers could share pictures and text posts.If TikTokers politicize RedNote and influence Chinese users, some China-based RedNote users suggested, they could draw attention from the CCP, which the app has historically avoided.RedNote's Chinese name, Xiaohongshu, literally translates to "Little Red Book," which seems like a direct reference to a book of quotes from Chinese communist leader Mao Tse-tung. But The Washington Post reported that the app is designed to be apolitical and its co-founder, Mao, maintains that the name instead pays "homage to the colors of his college," Stanford Business School, and his former employer, Bain Capital.Ashley BelangerSenior Policy ReporterAshley BelangerSenior Policy Reporter Ashley is a senior policy reporter for Ars Technica, dedicated to tracking social impacts of emerging policies and new technologies. She is a Chicago-based journalist with 20 years of experience. 105 Comments

Update: Ubisoft says it's in "love" with the Switch 2.Nintendo's new console launch is seemingly on the horizon and apart from first-party titles there is also expected to be plenty of third-party support.The reliable podcaster 'Nate the Hate' has once again chimed in, claiming Ubisoft has "more than half a dozen games for the Switch 2" planned, with many of them expected to be "late ports" of existing releases:Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The Federal Aviation Administration has told TechCrunch that it had to briefly slow and divert a number of aircraft near the area where debris was seen falling after SpaceXs Starship exploded during a test flight Thursday. Multiple flights could be seen entering holding patterns or completely changing course in the airspace near Puerto Rico shortly after the ship exploded on its way to space, according to data from Flightradar24. The FAA said normal airspace operations have since resumed.Airports suffered disruptions as a result of the diversions. Miami International Airport posted a 30 minute delay warning due to the rocket launch anomaly, according to the FAAs website. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida also cited the same reason for a short delay.SpaceXs Starship lifted off earlier Thursday from the companys facility in Boca Chica, Texas in what was the seventh test flight of the heavy launch system. SpaceX was able to catch the massive booster rocket on its descent with the launch tower for the second time ever. The company was hoping to test out a load of new equipment and upgrades on the Starship portion.SpaceX had already caught some flak this week when Qantas airlines complained that debris from the spaceflight companys rocket launches was apparently causing delays of some flights.Not long after the ship broke apart Thursday, videos and images of the debris went viral on social media. SpaceX CEO Elon Muskshared one of the videos on X, writing: Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!