Magic: The Gathering kicked off 2025 last week with the reveal of Aetherdrift, the first big set of cards releasing this year. Fans who were worried about a lack of classic Wizards of the Coast storytelling were pleased to find its loaded with new lore and dozens of excellent new cards, with lavish art. Today, Polygon can reveal two additional new cards dropping on Feb. 14, Spikeshell Harrier and Daring Mechanic.Spikeshell Harrier is the big draw here, with art clearly meant to evoke the racing spirit of the set with a callback to Mario Karts spiny blue shell. When the Spikeshell Harrier leaves its casters hand, the Artifact Creature zips along the course in pursuit of a creature or vehicle. On impact, it returns that element to its owners hand, effectively removing it from play. But it also reduces your opponents speed, a new mechanic being introduced with this set. If youre not cruising at maximum speed, youre not able to make the best use of Aetherdrifts most powerful effects, so this Artifact Creature should come in really handy especially in Commander.Daring Mechanic, on the other hand, is a more traditional buff. Our orange-jumpsuited friend here sports a cunning mustache as well as the ability to add a +1/+1 counter to a target Mount or Vehicle.Pre-release weekend for Magic: The Gatherings Aetherdrift set begins on Feb. 7, and the online release for Magic: The Gathering Arena begins on Feb. 11.For nearly 80 more preview cards from the set, check out our feature story with quotes from the development team on its newest mechanics, like speed and exhaust.Want to collect the entire set, or just the newest Commander cards? Then check out our where-to-buy post.

The annual Ennie Awards, among the most prestigious awards in the tabletop industry, will no longer allow nominations for products that make use of generative AI but only after this years awards conclude. The announcement, made Sunday, comes after a period of vocal outcry from fans and professionals in the tabletop role-playing industry on social media and elsewhere. However, products that made use of AI tools in their production will be allowed in the 2024-2025 awards cycle.Beginning with the 2025-2026 submission cycle, the ENNIE Awards will no longer accept any products containing generative AI or created with the assistance of Large Language Models or similar technologies for visual, written, or edited content, the organization, which has been separate from the EN World forums since 2019, said in a statement. Creators wishing to submit products must ensure that no AI-generated elements are included in their works. While it is not feasible to retroactively alter the rules for the 2024-2025 season, this revised policy reflects the ENNIE Awards commitment to celebrating the human creativity at the heart of the TTRPG community.The use of generative AI continues to be a hot button issue in the tabletop space, in part due to the technologys massive environmental impacts. But many LLMs also exploit labor by stealing from artists without their consent. The all-volunteer Ennies, like virtually all other creatives grappling with these well-funded technologies, are racing to catch up something that was clearly indicated in last weeks statement.The ENNIES remain a small, volunteer-run organization that values the ability to adapt quickly, when necessary, despite the challenges inherent in their mission, the team said.The Ennie Award winners will be announced at this years Gen Con in Indianapolis on August. Submissions are currently open.

Situated along the coastline of San Jos del Cabo in Baja California Sur, Mexico, the IMA House by Ezequiel Farca Studio spans 38,007 square feet, spread between a main house and an accompanying guest house. The home is anchored by a bold longitudinal axis that organizes the entire project. This central feature connects the homes interiors with its outdoor patios and terraces, facilitating the free flow of natural light and air. The design places a strong emphasis on the harmony between the built environment and its seaside surroundings, allowing residents to experience a profound connection to the landscape.Water features and carefully arranged patios further enhance the tranquil atmosphere. These elements not only shape the interior spaces but also provide moments of contemplation and serenity, transforming the home into a sanctuary. The residences eastern side opens dramatically toward the ocean, framed by substantial concrete slabs that shade the ground-level living spaces while serving as terraces above.The homeowners, avid collectors of Mexican art, have infused their love for culture into every corner of the IMA House. The design intentionally echoes the qualities of an art gallery, with spaces meticulously curated to display works acquired during their travels across Mexico. This unique blend of personal expression and architectural refinement ensures that the home is as much an exhibition space as it is a living area.Material selection plays a critical role in the IMA Houses aesthetic and functional success. Teak wood and precast concrete slabs dominate the palette, chosen for their durability, natural beauty, and ability to blend with the coastal surroundings. These materials, with their earthy tones and textures, serve as a canvas that accentuates the vibrant blues of the ocean and sky.Approaching the main house, visitors are greeted by a blind facade that offers a sense of privacy and intrigue. The upper-level bedrooms cantilevered volume doubles as a shelter for an outdoor reception area. Within the home, a small incision in one of the earthen walls reveals a serene waterfall, creating a contemplative space that enhances the homes connection to nature.The primary suite is a private retreat, complete with terraces, a fire pit, and a jacuzzi, all offering panoramic ocean views. Meanwhile, the infinity-edge pool on the ground floor seemingly merges with the horizon, enhancing the feeling of boundlessness.The guest house, while designed with a simpler and more informal layout, maintains the elegance and connection to nature found in the main house. An inclined pathway leads from the street to a sheltered courtyard, which offers both protection from the wind and a connection to the ocean. The ground floor features open living spaces, including a kitchen and gym, while the upper floor houses four bedrooms. Each bedroom enjoys ocean views and access to a teak-wood-latticed hallway that provides both shade and aesthetic appeal.For more information on IMA House and Ezequiel Farca Studio, visit ezequielfarca.com.Photography by Fernando Marroqun, Jaime Navarro, and Oscar Hernndez (IMA Guest House).

A week after banning TikTok from app stores (no, it still isnt downloadable) and one day after threatening 25% tariffs on Colombia, the U.S. has taken a major blow in its ongoing trade warsovernight, Silicon Valley seems to have lost its AI dominance.The shakeup follows a release from fresh-faced Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which on Jan. 20 updated its ChatGPT-like AI assistant with its open-source R1 reasoning model. According to Deepseeks testing, the R1 model matches OpenAIs o1 reasoning model on several metrics, all while being much, much cheaper to develop.The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on DeepSeek R1s ultra-low development cost, citing the one-year-old companys claims that it only took $5.6 million to develop the new model, vs. over $100 million from OpenAI for its equivalent.It took a little bit for the news to get out there, but DeepSeek has consequently risen to the top of the App Store, unseating ChatGPT as the most-downloaded free app. The sudden surge in attention has been hard on U.S. stocks, sending the Dow down by about 0.22%, the S&P down by 2%, and the Nasdaq down by 3.6%. More specifically, Google parent company Alphabet is down 2.89%, with Meta, Oracle, and other tech giants also seeing significant declines. Notably, data center and graphics card company Nvidia, which supplies much of the hardware powering AI development, is down 11.64%.Nvidias stock drop in particular likely has to do with claims from DeepSeek that it only needed roughly 2,000 specialized Nvidia chips to train its latest AI model, whereas leading U.S. models tend to use closer to 16,000 chips. Said claims are still awaiting verification, but if true, would poke holes in the US recent policy efforts to restrict the amount of U.S. chips Chinese developers can use.On the consumer side of things, DeepSeek promises cheaper access to higher-tier models than ChatGPT, which puts basic access to its o1 model behind a $20/month ChatGPT Plus subscription and unlimited access to the o1 model behind its pricey $200/month ChatGPT Pro plan. Unfortunately, the company seems to be suffering from success right nowservers appear to be overloaded, and Im currently not able to sign up for an account for testing. Presumably, as more people get through and get their hands on these models, it'll be easier to verify just how scared of DeepSeek U.S. companies should be.Still, the competition could prove to be a shot across the bow for U.S. AI developers, who, alongside President Trump, just announced the $500 billion Stargate Project, an initiative to build out U.S. AI infrastructure starting with a $100 billion plan to build out data centers in Texas.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.Super Bowl LIX kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. ET. This year, the game is being broadcast by Fox with a pregame show starting at 2 p.m. ET and game coverage at 6 p.m. ET. Even if you don't have cable, there are a few ways, both paid and free, that you can watch all the action live from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Watch free on TubiThe gameas well as pre- and post-game coveragewill be streaming on Fox-owned Tubi for free, with 4K available on some devices (including Roku, Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV). You do need to sign up for a Tubi account, but no credit card is required. Tubi also includes the NFL Channel for supplemental Super Bowl content. Sign up for a live TV streaming serviceThere are a handful of streaming services with live TV that include Fox. Before signing up, check the channel listings for your zip code to confirm Fox is available in your local market. DirectTV Stream: $87 per month for the Entertainment plan, 5-day free trialFuboTV: Currently $60 per month for the Essential plan with promo, 7-day free trial for new customers Hulu + Live TV: $83 per month, 3-day free trial (includes ads on Hulu)YouTube TV: Currently $73 per month with promo, 5-day free trial for new usersSling TV (in limited markets): $23 per monthWhen signing up for a free trial, make sure you know when you'll be billed for a paid subscription and cancel before your trial expires. The game will be available in 4K for FuboTV and YouTube TV subscribers (included in the free trials but at an additional fee or at a higher tier with paid plans). The Spanish-language broadcast will be on Fox Deportes and Telemundo, which are also available on most live TV streaming services. Watch over the airAnother free (ish) way to get the game is with over-the-air (OTA) TV. Of course, this requires you to invest in a digital TV antenna and have a place to put it that gets good reception. You should check the FCC's reception map to see what signals are available in your area and try your antenna out before game day. Your mileage may vary, so if you want a stress-free watch experience, this probably isn't the best option. Other ways to watch the Super BowlYou can also watch the game via the Fox Sports app if you already pay for Fox with a cable or satellite package or one of the live TV streaming services listed above. The game will also stream through the NFL+ mobile appa subscription costs $7 per month.

Have you ever wanted to raise Anakin Skywalker, instead of letting those hoity-toity Jedi fumble the whole thing? Heres your chance, albeit in the form of a virtual pet. Bandai just announced a Darth Vader-themed Tamagotchi, complete with a protective silicone case thats shaped like the Sith lords iconic helmet.As for the software, its a Tamagotchi with a Star Wars sheen. You raise a sprite-based Anakin from a boy, influencing his transformation into Darth Vader. You can feed him, train him and take him to meet characters from the wider universe.Theres one thing you cant do. You cant love him enough to avoid his eventual fall to the dark side. Anakin will always turn into Darth Vader, though your specific caretaking (or lack thereof) will influence what kind of menace he grows into. The company says there are ten unique Darth Vader personalities that can blossom.BandaiThe Vader Tamagotchi also plays over a dozen low-res renditions of famous scenes from the movies, and even includes several minigames. Theres a word puzzle, lightsaber training, a take on the famous Death Star trench run and more. Oddly, theres no pod-racing minigame.This cute lil genocidal maniac goes on sale in March, with pre-orders available right now. It costs $30. The Vader-based virtual pet is the third Star Wars-themed Tamagotchi. Theres already one inspired by R2-D2 and another based on Grogu.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/now-you-can-raise-anakin-skywalker-with-this-darth-vader-tamagotchi-173422209.html?src=rss

Chinese AI assistant DeepSeek has become the top rated free app on Apple's App Store in the US and elsewhere, beating out ChatGPT and other rivals. It's powered by the open-source DeepSeek V3 model, which reportedly requires far less computing power than competitors and was developed for under $6 million, according to (disputed) claims by the company. At the same time, it offers performance that's on par with Claude-3.5, GPT-4o and other rivals, DeepSeek said last week.The news that DeepSeek topped the App Store charts caused a sharp drop in tech stocks like NVIDIA and ASML this morning. Google parent company Alphabet and Microsoft were also down this morning. As the New York Times notes, the overall Nasdaq and S&P 500 dropped as well, and markets in Europe and Japan also took a bit of a hit.Available on web, app and API, DeepSeek is similar to AI Assistant like ChatGPT with features like coding content creation and research. Its first DeepSeek-R1 release is available under an MIT license, so it can be used commercially and without restrictions.The company is headquartered in Hangzhou, China and was founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, who also launched the hedge fund backing DeepSeek. To develop the tech, he reportedly stockpiled NVIDIA A100 chips prior to the US export ban and paired those with less powerful chips that can still be imported, according to MIT Technology Review.However, DeepSeek was still at a significant hardware disadvantage next to rival models from OpenAI, Google and others. That forced the company to be more efficient with its AI models, and it has supposedly been able to build and train them at a far lower cost than previously thought possible.Analysts from Citi and elsewhere have questioned those claims, though, and pointed out that China is a "more restrictive environment" for AI development than the US. Still, the rise of DeepSeek has raised concerns about the potential profits of rivals like OpenAI that have already invested billions in AI infrastructure.All the attention today around DeepSeek appears to have attracted some bad actors, though. According to CNBC, DeepSeek says it is temporarily limiting registrations for the service in light of "large-scale malicious attacks." Existing users should be able to log in as usual, however. But if all the buzz around the tool made you want to check it out, you might have to be patient.Update, January 27 2025, 11:47AM ET: This story has been updated with details on the cyber-attack on DeepSeek that has limited registrations for the service.Update, January 27 2025, 11:27AM ET: This story and its headline were updated with more details on the stock price drops that appear to have hit this morning in conjunction with the news around DeepSeek.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chinas-deepseek-ai-assistant-becomes-top-free-iphone-app-as-us-tech-stocks-take-a-hit-134445151.html?src=rss

DeepSeek is experiencing outages as the new free AI chatbot struggles to cope with demand.

DeepSeek has taken the world by storm, but what can you do with the new Chinese AI chatbot wonderkid?

DeepSeek on Monday said it would temporarily limit user registrations "due to large-scale malicious attacks" on its services.