It's the start of a new year, and expectations are high for a rumored iPad and iPad Air refresh in Apple's first batch of product updates. Here's what has been rumored so far.iPad AirFollowing after the end of 2024, the attention on Apple turns to its next product launches. Strong candidates among the group due to be updated are the iPad and the iPad Air, representing the budget and mid-range tablets in Apple's catalog.Apple last updated the iPad to the current tenth-generation model in October 2022, making it over two years since it was most recently refreshed. That makes the model prime to be updated soon. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

It was back in 2022 that EA and Respawn Entertainment announced that they were working with Bit Reactor a studio comprised of formerXCOMdevs on a new strategyStar Warsgame. In the years since, details on the title have been scant, though it seems an official announcement is not too far away now.Thats as per Twitter user @bogorad222, who has claimed that the strategy title is going to be announced at this years Star Wars Celebration event, which is scheduled to take place in Japan from April 18-20. The game will allegedly release for PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, and the Epic Games Store, though its claimed that its full release lineup is TBD, which could potentially suggest a Nintendo Switch 2 version as well.Additionally, in its own report, Insider Gaming claims to have seen sufficient evidence from @bogorad222 to deem the leak genuine.Little is known about Bit ReactorsStar Warstitle right now, other than the fact that it is being developed on Unreal Engine 5. After Respawn Entertainment suffered layoffs last year and ended up cancelling another unannounced Star Warsproject, Bit Reactor assured everyone that its own project had remained unaffected.I got some details (regarding the upcoming Respawn Star Wars RTS game )There will be a public announcement and trailer released during Star Wars Celebration in Japan (April 18-20)Aimed Platforms are Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Epic Store. The true lineup is TBD Timur222 (@bogorad222) January 17, 2025

On This Day in HistoryThe Ridiculous Reason Why the U.S. Enacted a Wartime Ban on Sliced Bread Salesand Why It Didnt Last LongDesigned to keep prices low and conserve wax paper, the ban, enacted on this day in 1943, only succeeded in making Americans furious A 1943 banprohibited bakeries from selling ready-sliced bread, among other directives regarding the baked goods manufacture and sale. Sujalajus via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0On January 18, 1943, the Associated Press advised readers on a lost art: bread slicing.Bakers advise housewives to keep their eye on the loaf and not bear down on the knife, the wire service declared.Food Distribution Order 1, which took effect that day, prohibited bakeries from selling ready-sliced bread, among other directives regarding the baked goods manufacture and sale. The order was a wartime move meant to keep increased flour costs from reaching the consumer. Officials also hoped it would shore up the nations supplies of wax paper, since sliced bread required more wrapping to remain fresh.Claude R. Wickard, the secretary of agriculture and head of the War Food Administration, said he was sure housewives wouldnt mind slicing their own bread at home if thereby they can contribute toward preventing a bread price increase and at the same time contribute to the war effort.But consumers soon proved Wickard wrong.Bakery clerks reported that some of the housewives were resigned, the Chicago Daily Tribune wrote on January 19. Others, still uncomprehending, stalked out of stores and a few flexed their cutting arms in a manner one proprietor described as trouble, and plenty of it.During World War II, rationing measures hit meat, sugar, gas and even shoes as officials tried to conserve crucial resources. Trips to the grocery store required ration books, and families had to get creative, whether it meant concocting meatless dinners or planting their own garden. Even though the commercial bread slicer had only skyrocketed in popularity about a decade earlier, Americans were loath to give up the newfound convenience of sliced bread on store shelves.Indeed, from the bans outset, critics were doubtful that the measure would achieve its aims. The Tribune reported that retail and wholesale bakers didnt expect any actual time or labor savings. The newspaper also contended that a loaf of sliced bread was known to outlast an unsliced one. (A sliced loaf could remain safe in its packaging, while unsliced bread needed to be opened completely for cutting, making it likely to grow stale sooner.)Shortly after the ban went into effect, the New York Times wrote that American citizens were fed up with irregularly cut bread burning in the toaster and ending up in the trash.By mid-February, the Harrisburg Telegraph reported that the ban hadnt saved bakers any money, either. In some cases, the order actually made bakers jobs harder, since it was incompatible with machines that combined wrapping and slicing equipment.The ban was unpopular with elected officials, too. New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia argued that the order wasted bread and created demand for steel knives, even as other government agencies declared a steel shortage. La Guardia said hed watched his own wife struggle to cut bread with a dull knife.On March 4, Forest Harness, a congressman from Indiana, called the ban wasteful and injurious on the floor of the House of Representatives, saying there were better approaches that didnt involve wasting bread. He described the ban as a dictatorial abuse of power.Harness and other detractors soon got their wish. Less than two months after instituting the ban, rationing authorities rescinded it. In a statement, Wickard didnt address the measures unpopularity directly. Instead, he simply said it hadnt saved as much as expected and that the nation had sufficient wax paper.On March 8, sliced bread went back on salea boon, the Times wrote, to housewives who have risked thumbs and tempers slicing bread at home.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American History, Food, Food History, On This Day in History, World War II

Instagrams profile grids will display content as rectangles instead of squares as part of a change rolling out over the weekend, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said in an Instagram Story on Friday.I know some of you really like your squares. And square photos are sort of the heritage of Instagram. But at this point, most of whats uploaded, both photos and videos, are vertical in their orientation, Mosseri said. Its a bummer to overly crop them, he added.Mosseri recognizes that the change might be a bit of a pain, but he thinks that its a transitional pain. I think people will, over the long run, be excited that more of their photos and more of their videos are actually visible as intended in the profile as opposed to aggressively cropped, Mosseri said.Mosseris justification is pretty similar to what he said in August when Instagram confirmed it was conducting a limited test of the change.Instagram also announced today that its adding a new spot in your Reels feed where you can see videos that your friends have liked.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have become essential tools in software development, offering capabilities such as generating code snippets, automating unit tests, and debugging. However, these models often fall short in producing code that is not only functionally correct but also efficient in runtime. Overlooking runtime efficiency can lead to software that performs poorly, increases operational costs, and impacts user experience. This issue is particularly pronounced for less experienced developers, who may rely on AI-suggested code without fully understanding its implications. Salesforce Research addresses these challenges with PerfCodeGen, a framework that aims to improve both the correctness and performance of LLM-generated code.Salesforce AIs PerfCodeGen is a training-free framework designed to enhance the runtime efficiency of LLM-generated code. It achieves this by using execution feedback in an iterative self-refinement process. Unlike approaches requiring fine-tuning with extensive training data, PerfCodeGen employs a feedback loop that evaluates and refines code based on runtime metrics during test execution. The framework operates in two key phases: refining correctness and optimizing performance. Initially, it ensures the generated code meets functional requirements by addressing issues identified in unit tests. Once correctness is established, the framework focuses on runtime efficiency, optimizing the code by targeting and refining the most resource-intensive test cases. This iterative process results in solutions that are both correct and efficient.Technical Insights and Benefits PerfCodeGen integrates with existing LLM workflows and begins by generating multiple candidate solutions using nucleus sampling. In the first phase, these candidates are assessed for correctness through unit tests. Feedback from failed tests is used to refine the solutions. Once functional correctness is ensured, the framework moves to the second phase, analyzing runtime metrics to identify bottlenecks. This information is then used to optimize the code further, focusing on the most time-consuming test cases.This two-phase process increases the likelihood of producing optimally efficient programs. PerfCodeGens methodology mirrors human debugging and optimization practices, making it both effective and intuitive. Additionally, the frameworks reliance on feedback rather than retraining allows it to scale across various LLMs and application domains. It has shown consistent improvements in runtime efficiency and correctness across models such as Phi-3-mini, Llama 3, and GPT-4.PerfCodeGen has been tested on benchmarks such as HumanEval, MBPP, and APPS, demonstrating its effectiveness:Runtime Efficiency: On HumanEval, GPT-4s optimization rate (%Opt) increased from 24.54% to 28.83% with PERFCODEGEN, with similar improvements observed across other models.Correctness Improvement: On MBPP, GPT-3.5s correctness rate (%Correct) rose from 66.38% to 73.36% with a single sample (Best@1).Outperforming Ground Truth: PERFCODEGEN enabled LLMs to generate more efficient solutions than ground truth in approximately 55% of HumanEval tasks and 67% of MBPP tasks.Scalability: Open models such as Phi-3-mini and Mixtral achieved performance comparable to closed models like GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.These results highlight PERFCODEGENs ability to balance correctness and runtime efficiency effectively, making it a valuable addition to LLM-driven code generation workflows.Conclusion: PerfCodeGen offers a practical solution to a key limitation of current LLMs: their focus on correctness at the expense of runtime efficiency. By incorporating execution feedback into an iterative refinement process, PerfCodeGen enables the generation of code that is both correct and efficient. This approach enhances the usability of LLMs in software development, providing developers with tools to produce higher-quality code without extensive retraining. The frameworks success across diverse benchmarks demonstrates its potential as a step forward in creating efficient, reliable, and accessible AI-driven programming solutions.Check out the Paper and GitHub Page. All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,dont forget to follow us onTwitter and join ourTelegram Channel andLinkedIn Group. Dont Forget to join our65k+ ML SubReddit.(Promoted) Asif RazzaqAsif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences. Meet 'Height':The only autonomous project management tool (Sponsored)

See at Sling TV Watch the Premier League on USA Network from $40 a month Sling TV See at Sling TV See more details See at ExpressVPN Best VPN for streaming ExpressVPN See at ExpressVPN See more details See at TNT Sport Watch over 50 Premier League games live in the UK with TNT Sports TNT Sports See at TNT Sport See more details See at Fubo Watch the Premier League in Canada from CA$30 per month Fubo Canada See at Fubo See more details See at Optus Watch the Premier League in Australia from AU$7 a month Optus Sport See at Optus See more details Table of Contents Newcastle face a tricky test of their top-four credentials as they host in-form Bournemouth at St. James' Park in the weekend's first English Premier League match.The Magpies eased past Wolves with a 3-0 win in midweek to climb into the UEFA Champions League qualification spots, with Eddie Howe's men now on a fantastic run of nine consecutive victories across all competitions.Up next for the hosts are a Bournemouth side that boast an almost equally impressive recent record. Andoni Iraola's Cherries are unbeaten in 10 games, and a win here would see them climb above Manchester City into sixth.Newcastle United take on AFC Bournemouth on Saturday, Jan. 18, at St. James' Park, with kickoff set for 12:30 p.m. GMTlocal time. That makes it a 7:30 a.m. ET or 4:30 a.m. PTstart in the US and Canada, and an 11:30 p.m. AEDTkickoff in Australia.Below, we'll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch the match as it happens, wherever you are in the world. Antoine Semenyo was on target in Bournemouth's 2-2 draw with Chelsea in midweek. Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty ImagesHow to watch Newcastle vs. Bournemouth in the US without cableSaturday's Newcastle vs. Bournemouth match is streaming on USA Network, which you can access as part of your cable package or at theNBC Sports websitewith a valid login. It can also be streamed via Sling TV and other, more expensive streaming TV services. Sling TV/CNET Sling TV's Blue plan includes USA Network, making it a great option for fans wanting to watch Premier League action. It's $40 a month and features over 40 channels, including other sports channels like ESPN and FS1.Read our Sling TV review. See at Sling TV How to watch the Premier League 2024/25 season from anywhere with a VPNIf you find yourself unable to view EPL matches locally, you may need a different way to watch the games -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. James Martin/CNET 2024 Latest Tests DNS leaks detected, 25% speed loss in 2024 testsNetwork 3,000 plus servers in 105 countriesJurisdiction British Virgin Islands ExpressVPN isour current best VPN pickfor people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 a month, but if you sign up for an annual subscription for $100 you'll get three months free and save 49%. That's the equivalent of $6.67 a month.Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. 61% off with 2yr plan (+4 free months) See at ExpressVPN Livestream Newcastle vs. Bournemouth in the UKThis lunchtime kickoff is exclusive to TNT Sports -- with the game showing on its TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports 1 HD channels, as well as TNT Sports Ultimate in 4K. TNT Sports TNT Sports is offering a sizable 52 matches exclusively live this season to viewers in the UK. You can access TNT Sports via Sky Q as a TV package, as well as the option of streaming online. It costs 31 either way and comes in a package that includes the Discovery Plus library of documentary content. See at TNT Sport Livestream Newcastle vs. Bournemouth in CanadaIf you want to stream this EPL game live in Canada, you'll need to subscribe to Fubo Canada. The service has exclusive rights to every Premier League fixture once again this season. Fubo Fubo is the go-to destination for Canadians looking to watch the EPL this season, with exclusive streaming rights to every match. It costs CA$30 a month, though you can save some cash by paying quarterly or annually. See at Fubo Livestream Tottenham vs. Newcastle in AustraliaFootball fans Down Under can watch EPL matches live on streaming service Optus Sport, which is showing every single Premier League fixture of the 2024/25 season live in Australia. Optus With exclusive rights to stream all EPL matches live this season, as well as German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga games, streaming service Optus Sport is a particularly big draw for Aussie soccer fans.If you're already an Optus network customer, you can bag Optus Sport for a reduced price, with discounts bringing the price down to as low as AU$7 a month. If you're not, a standalone monthly subscription to the service starts at AU$25. See at Optus Quick tips for streaming the Premier League using a VPNWith four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming EPL matches may vary.If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommendBrave.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereEpic Games has unleashed a massive crossover in Fortnite, bringing the iconic kaiju Godzilla to the Battle Royale island as both a titan boss and a cosmetic skin. This collab allows players to fight against or turn into the King of Monsters via portals or by equipping the skin by completing special in-game quests. However, the inclusion of Godzilla portals, which allow users to turn into the kaiju, caused some frustration in the community due to their low spawn rate. Fortnite players voiced their dissatisfaction, emphasizing the difficulties of encountering these situations. In response to comments, Epic Games now buffed the Godzilla portal spawn rate across Battle Royale and Zero Build matches, and heres how it works now.Fortnite increases Godzilla portal spawn chance on Chapter 6 Season 1 mapAccording to Fortnite dataminer HYPEX, Epic has now buffed the spawn chance of the Godzilla portal on the Chapter 6 Season 1 map from 20% to 40%. This means Godzilla will spawn more often at one of the seven locations around the island across the matches.Godzilla spawn buffed in Fortnite. Image credit HYPEX.Earlier it was rumored that the spawn chance for a Godzilla portal across matches would be as slim as the Doom Island from Chapter 5 Season 4. However now that players have expressed their dissatisfaction with such a scenario, Epic is giving them more chances to become Godzilla themselves or even defeat one to get the coveted Medallion.Upon the implementation of this buff, the community rejoiced and turned in their comments. One such user wrote, Blessed be a good time for Fortnite. Another chimed in, I already came across him like 5 times today, but this is still a great change.However on the contrary some believe that this should instead be increased to a 100% spawn rate given that its a full seasonal collab and players have to buy the Battle Pass to get the Godzilla skin. One such player said, Should be in every game considering they advertised him for over a week. A second player commented, Make it 100. Tryna get these challenges done.While the debate around the player community will continue as long as Godzilla is in the game and they try to defeat him, Ranked players can be relieved as this content is unavailable in competitive playlists. FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Jeremy White shared this incredibly realistic video of a swimming crocodile - all made in Blender!This fluid simulation was crafted entirely in Blender using the Flip Fluids add-on and simulated on an Intel Xeon workstation. The trees and shrubs were designed with the Grove add-on, while the rocks and grass were generated using GeoScatter, with materials sourced from Quixel Megascans.The underwater caustics were achieved by applying a water caustic image sequence to the transparency of the water shaders shadows. For the volumetric water scattering, the newly added Fournier-Forand phase function was utilized, creating realistic underwater god rays.Production information:Blender 4.3Particles Fluid and Whitewater : 238GB [189.30 hours]Particle Fluid Count : 144.52 millionRender : Cycles [4min/frame]Composite : BlenderVideo edit and sound : Davinci ResolveYou can enjoy more of Jeremy's work on his Blender Artists portfolio.

What just happened? In a stark farewell address from the Oval Office, President Joe Biden issued a grave warning about the growing influence of tech billionaires on American democracy. He described a country where wealth and power have been concentrated in the hands of a few tech titans just as the traditional safeguards against misinformation have started crumbling. The outgoing president's message echoed concerns raised decades ago by President Dwight Eisenhower about the military-industrial complex, but with a modern twist focused on the tech industry's consolidation of power.Biden's address painted a picture of an America at risk of becoming an oligarchy, with a small group of ultra-wealthy individuals wielding disproportionate influence over the nation's political landscape. "Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," Biden cautioned.The president's warning comes at a time of significant shifts in the tech industry's relationship with politics. Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest individual, has taken an unprecedented role in shaping the incoming administration after reportedly spending $250 million to support Donald Trump's re-election campaign. This level of involvement by a private citizen in campaign financing and subsequent policy-making has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum.Other tech giants have also made moves that indicate support for the incoming administration. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta recently announced the discontinuation of its third-party fact-checking program for its platforms in the United States, a decision that has sparked concerns about the spread of misinformation.Biden addressed this directly, stating, "Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit." // Related StoriesThe upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th U.S. President illustrates Biden's concerns. Tech CEOs including Musk, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, and Zuckerberg are expected to attend, occupying positions of honor alongside former presidents and family members.Many of these same tech leaders have reportedly made substantial donations to Trump's inauguration fund, with several companies and individuals contributing $1 million each. This financial support, coupled with recent visits by tech executives to Mar-a-Lago to discuss policy matters with Trump, has fueled speculation about the potential influence these companies may wield over future tech regulations and antitrust enforcement.As Biden prepares to leave office, his words serve as a sobering reminder of the challenges facing American democracy in the digital age. Whether these concerns will be addressed remains to be seen, but Biden's parting message has certainly brought the issue to the forefront of national discourse.

Update: Registration has begun in select citiesThe stop-gap generationOllie Reynolds, Staff WriterI'm currently playing a rather intriguing game for review, so keep an eye out for that soon, but otherwise, I'm currently knee-deep in a Halo: Reach Legendary campaign run.The recent rumour regarding the Master Chief Collection coming to Switch 2 really got me in the mood to play through the entire series again, so that's exactly what I'm doing! It's just so special, and after years of honing my skills, Legendary feels like the most suitable difficulty for me now.Alana Hagues, Deputy EditorAnother WAYP, another week of Trails through Daybreak. Look, its like, 80 hours! Im on chapter 5! Thats good progress, right? This is fast becoming one of my favourite games in the series, even with its problems. Van is the best main character.Tales of Graces f Remastered is also on the list Im so excited to revisit of the best combat systems in an RPG, and Ill be playing the whole thing co-op too! Problem is, were actually going to be away most of the weekend, so I probably wont get a lot of time with Arkride Solutions or the Lhants, so expect to hear more next week. Probably.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube793kCraig Reid, ContributorI was planning to relax with Disco Elysium all weekend, but the recent reveal of squishy Mario in that sliver of Mario Kart 9 footage has me hankering for an Italian. This weekend, Ill be docking the Switch into the living room TV to go head-to-head with my wife on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Party Superstars. Pray for me; my queen is lethal on Superstars.Depending on the outcome of our party games, I may need some time to lick my wounds with a single-player romp. And because Im all in on the mushroom lads, Ill be returning to Mario & Luigi: Brothership.Lets-a go!Gonalo Lopes, ContributorI'm planning to continue my good progress in the delightful The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Im quite taken by Blade Chimera and will put more time into it accordingly. FreeSpace 2 continues to deliver one of the finest space shooting simulator despite its age. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD might not be new, but it does remain a incredible entry in the series. It is time to level up one final time my Assault Marine in Warhammer 40.000: Space Marine II and begin my new career as a Sniper for the Imperium.Game of the week is Smugglers Run: Warzones. I often revisit Gamecubes library and the timing is right to replay Rockstar published classic. Pump up the volume, enjoy the crazy electronic soundtrack and watch the chasing opponents fly up in the air after triggering in one of our countermeasure bombs. It is (strangely) quite Zen.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube793kWatch on YouTube Trent Cannon, ContributorI've not been able to hit the gym much this week between a sick toddler in the house and a busy work schedule, so I've spent a bit of time each evening busting out the Ring Fit Adventure. Sure, it isn't the same as my usual workouts but 30 minutes in and I've got a bit of a sweat on. Just enough to keep me from abandoning my workout routine completely.Who knows - maybe the Switch 2 will even give us a sequel.Michelle See-Tho, ContributorWith Switch 2 arriving soon (!) Im chipping away at my backlog this weekend/month/year. I got the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy for Christmas (after finishing the Phoenix Wright Trilogy last year) so I will spend some good hours solving crimes.If I get tired of shouting Objection! and Take that! Ill play Untitled Goose Game. Im finally getting to this Australian-made gem after wishlisting it years ago. Being a stealthy goose is so much fun. And even more fun when I recruit my partner to join me in co-op mode two geese are better than one.Oliver Revolta, ContributorBack on the 28th of December I wrote that I was playing Super Hydorah. Im still going. Its so difficult (and also great). Im battling through but Im barely halfway and Im also battling with the irony of being so excited for the Switch 2 while also spending tens of hours playing a game that could have (I think) run on the PlayStation 1.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube793kWatch on YouTube Nile Bowie, ContributorWere fresh off the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal and Im absolutely pining to try out those sneakily alluded-to mouse controls. Its going to be a grueling wait till the April 2nd Direct, but truth be told theres loads in the backlog to chew on.First up, Ill be giving Donkey Kong Country Returns HD a whirl, and itll be my first time playing it. Im somewhat disappointed by the apparent lack of graphical polish in this HD re-release, but heartened that the gameplay reportedly holds up nicely. Those vigilant enough to pre-order DKCR in my region (Asia) scored this nifty Banana Pouch as a free gift. My wife and I debated whether its a pouch intended for banana storage or simply a pouch with a banana motif. Turns out it fits an entire nanner so the answer Id say is clearly the former.Elsewhere Ill be firing up Splatoon 3 this weekend to chip away at the brilliant single-player campaign and Side Order DLC, neither of which Ive finished yet (its so hard to pull myself away from online turf wars once I start). Ive also begun my maiden playthrough of GBA classic Golden Sun on NSO, which Ive literally been meaning to try since my days in the schoolyard when I saw a buddy playing it. Its a real charmer so far, easy to see why so many want a franchise reboot. I honestly wouldnt rule it out! Happy gaming everyone.Roland Ingram, ContributorWith a serious case of Switch 2 fever going round, I thought it wise to stockpile Metroid games ahead of the anticipated appearance of Prime 4. Behind the curve here, but very close to finishing Metroid Dread, which has been spectacular. Samuss movement is just so fluid and tactile. And whats this? Metroid Prime Remastered just plopped through the letterbox, too!Elsewhere, Ive nearly splattered my way quickly and happily through 2020s Carrion that creature feature where youre the creature. And lets see if Indiana Jones and the Great Circle can snatch its fedora under the stone door of the weekend just before it closes!That's what we have planned for the weekend, but what about you? Let us know in the following poll which games you're planning on booting up over the next couple of days.What are you playing this weekend (18th/19th Jan)? (20 votes)Pentiment (Switch eShop)1Related GamesSee Also