Carcinogenic flame retardant chemicals are added to car interiors to meet a NHTSA flammability ... [+] standard with no proven fire-safety benefit.gettyIn 1960s America, puffing on a cigarette behind the wheel was commonplace. Seat belts were rarely worn, and airbags had yet to be introduced. Such driver behaviors and safety shortcomings contributed to the high vehicle fatality rates that plagued those years.To decrease vehicle crashes and deaths, Congress established the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 1970. A year later, the new agency introduced a regulation meant to reduce the risk of fires inside cars, especially ones caused by cigarettes and matches. That regulation, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 302, requires that vehicle components inside the occupant compartment do not burn quickly when exposed to a small open flame.Unfortunately, there is no evidence that this fire safety regulation has prevented any car fire fatalities. Yet, more than 50 years laterin a time when lighting up in a car is passthe standard remains unchanged. Worse yet, to meet the standard, automobile manufacturers use cancer-causing flame-retardant chemicals that could harm the health of everyone who rides in a car. These chemicals are added into vehicle seat foam, dashboard plastics, and more, without data to show they are preventing fires or fire deaths.Flame Retardants Used in Cars Are Linked to Cancer and Other HarmsIn a study by Duke University and the Green Science Policy Institute, scientists found cancer-causing flame-retardant chemicals inside the cabins of all the cars they studied101 recent cars from 22 different brands. Astonishingly, all the cars contained one or more forms of tris flame retardantsthe same carcinogenic, neurotoxic chemicals whose use was stopped in baby pajamas in the 1970s, and in furniture and childrens products more than a decade ago.For the technically-minded, tris (1-chloro-isopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), a flame retardant under investigation by the U.S. National Toxicology Program as a carcinogen was found in 99 percent of the cars studied. Almost all other cars had other flame retardants present, including tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), both of which the state of California has identified as carcinogens under their Proposition 65.MORE FOR YOUOn top of cancer, flame retardant chemicals are linked to neurological and reproductive harm. Epidemiological studies have shown that the average child in the United States has lost three to five IQ points from exposure to one flame retardant once primarily used inside cars, furniture, and childrens products to meet ineffective flammability standards. This IQ loss has been estimated to have cost billions of dollars in lost productivity across our population. And worse, a recent study estimated those with the highest levels of this same flame retardant in their blood had about four times the risk of dying from cancer compared with people with the lowest levels.Particularly vulnerable are children, whose brains are still developing and who breathe more air pound for pound than adults. Automotive workers, rideshare and taxi drivers, and others who spend considerable time in or around cars would also have higher exposures and potentially greater health harm.The Federal Vehicle Flammability Standard Has No Proven BenefitIn contrast to the health risks, the fire-safety benefit of the standard is not backed by science or data. In research sponsored by NHTSA, General Motors, and the Motor Vehicle Fire Research Institute, fires after simulated crashesthe most common cause of lethal vehicle fireswere found to progress very rapidly once entering the passenger compartment. This suggests that flame retardants in vehicle interiors are not contributing to survivability in post-collision vehicle fires. We also know that the presence of flame retardants can make fires smokier and more toxic, potentially impeding escape and increasing hazard to vehicle occupants, fire fighters, and other first responders.Fixing This Safety ProblemThe good news is that this is a problem NHTSA can and should address by updating its 53-year-old standard. Last week, Consumer Reports, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the Green Science Policy Institute formally filed a Petition for Rulemaking calling on the automotive safety agency to Get cancer-causing chemicals out of cars.More than a decade ago, California changed a similar 1970s flammability standard for furniture that had led to manufacturers adding flame retardants to the nations couches, chairs, and baby products. When it became clear that this outdated furniture flammability standard provided no real-world fire-safety benefits but led to severe health harm, it was updated in 2013 to a modern standard that is met without flame retardants.Notably, this update has maintained, or even modestly increased, furniture fire safety by stopping smoldering fires before they reach the flammable foam inside furniture. Best of all, furniture and childrens products purchased in the last decade no longer brings toxic flame retardants into our home. Recent research verified that thanks to the updated furniture flammability standard there are now lower levels of cancer-causing flame retardants in U.S. homes.The outdated federal automobile flammability standard has been exposing drivers, passengers, first responders, and automotive workers to cancer-causing chemicals for half a century without providing a fire safety benefit. NHTSA, the responsible agency, should begin research to find a better test and update this harmful and ineffective vehicle standard as soon as possibleso our cars can be both fire-safe and healthy.

This year is shaping up to be a pivotal one for PC gaming. With the release of more powerful GPUs from Nvidia and AMD, developers are pushing boundaries with titles that showcase even greater graphical fidelity.Game development budgets keep rising, which isn't always a good thing, and one of the most anticipated games in over a decade will arrive in the fall but will it come to PC this year?Our list of the most anticipated games of 2025 features a mix of industry-shaking titles: a game that could determine the future of a long-running studio, the revival of a beloved franchise, one of the most visually stunning games ever created, and an unexpected spinoff of 2022's GOTY. Dive into the full lineup below, complete with trailers and release dates.Civilization VIIClick on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: February 11Genre: 4X Turn-based StrategyBuy if you like: Previous Civilization games, Humankind, Age of Wonders 3, Old WorldHard as it is to believe, it's been nine years since Civilization 6 arrived. Fans of the long-running 4X turn-based strategy series have been aching for a new entry to sink countless hours into, and judging from what we've seen so far, the wait for Civilization 7 may well be worth it.There are plenty of big changes coming to Civilization 7, including a reworked Ages system in which players guide their civs through the Antiquity, Exploration, and Modern periods, each containing legacy paths or goals.That's fewer than the eight eras (or nine, with Gathering Storm) in Civilization 6, but Civ 7's are longer and more focused. The civilizations evolve throughout the ages, replaced by the new ones you select. These come with a fresh set of bonuses, units, and buildings. Various elements will be carried forward, too, allowing you to create a cultural lineage.The other big change is that players will be able to pair any leader with any Civilization, though the game will recommend certain civs based on leaders' attributes. You also get to pick influential figures such as Ben Franklin, Harriet Tubman, and Machiavelli. And in a series first, players can change their civilizations at different points during the game.Other new features include dynamic map terrain changes that evolve over time, streamlined tech and culture trees, and the introduction of crisis events. Change can be a scary thing, but this is still a Civilization game at its heart. That "one more turn" feeling will return on February 11.AvowedClick on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: February 13Genre: First-person Fantasy RPGBuy if you like: The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, The Outer Worlds, Fallout: New VegasStar Wars Knights of the Old Republic II, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity I and II, few companies have a resume filled with as many fantastic RPGs as Obsidian, which is why we should be excited for Avowed.Avowed actually takes place in the same universe as Pillars of Eternity the world of Eora but gone is the isometric view, replaced by a Skyrim-like first-person or optional third-person perspective.With its mix of weapon-based melee combat, firearms, and good old-fashioned spells, Avowed looks very promising. It's said to contain plenty of classic RPG elements, including a classless progression system, allowing players to develop their characters' abilities through multiple skill trees and weapon upgrades.Like Obsidian's other games from the genre, there's a big emphasis on story, choices, consequences, and interacting with characters. You also have companions with different personalities and skills, but unlike most RPGs, you won't have the option to pursue romantic relationships with them. Instead, you get to "build thoughtful relationships," which doesn't sound quite as sexy, admittedly.Avowed arrives on February 13, two days after Civilization VII. Next month is going to be a busy one.Borderlands 4Click on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: H2 2025Genre: Looter ShooterBuy if you like: Other Borderlands games, Risk of Rain 2, OutridersTiny Tina's Wonderlands didn't really capture the imagination in the way that Gearbox hoped, and the less said about the painfully bad movie adaptation of Borderlands the better. Thankfully, Borderlands 4 should remind us what we love about the looter-shooter series.The next Borderlands takes place on Kairos, described as a vast, war-torn planet ruled by an oppressive dictator called the Timekeeper. Players get to choose from four new vault hunters, each with their own unique abilities and skill trees.So far, so Borderlands but if it ain't broke... There are some new features, of course: Gearbox says the game will have a "seamless" world with no loading screens between areas, as well as new traversal tools, including a grappling hook. There'll also be the usual billions of procedurally generated weapons, co-op fun, and the series' trademark humor.Borderlands 4 releases sometime in 2025, likely between July and December.Doom: The Dark AgesClick on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: May 15, 2025Genre: FPSBuy if you like: Doom (2016), Doom Eternal, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Titanfall 2Many wondered what id Software would do with the Doom franchise after the brilliant Doom Eternal games, but few, if any, would have imagined a techno-medieval prequel that examines the origins of the Doom Slayer himself, back when he was the "super weapon of gods and kings."We've already seen some of the awesome-looking new weapons that we'll be using to eviscerate demons in the next Doom, including the chainsaw-on-a-shield Saw Shield, the Warhammer 40K-inspired (maybe) Skull Crusher, and the enemy-impaling Quake-like Rail Spike. There's also a more gothic Super Shotgun and a flail, naturally.Doom: The Dark Ages looks like the familiar fast-paced FPS with a pounding industrial-metal soundtrack that we all adore, but there are plenty of unexpected elements. Never before have Doom players been able to fly around on a cyborg dragon to engage in some aerial combat, or climb into a skyscraper-sized mech suit.The next Doom installment looks visually stunning. Nvidia has also confirmed it will be DLSS 4 enhanced, including immersive path tracing, meaning we can expect even higher fidelity along with faster framerates.The ripping and the tearing restarts sometime on May 15.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2Click on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: February 4Genre: Action, Role-playingBuy if you like: Kingdom Come: Deliverance, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Gothic seriesOne of the first titles to launch on this list, action role-playing game Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 concludes Henry of Skalitz's story. It takes place directly after the excellent first game as Henry looks to avenge the death of his parents in 15th-century medieval Europe.Deliverance 2's world map is twice the size of the original's and split into two distinct regions. The sequel also introduces crossbows and even early firearms, which can be used while mounted.RPG fans should be happy to know that they will be able to play Henry however they want, but the choices they make will matter, will have consequences, and will influence the people and the world around them.As before, the almost sim-like realism is a big focus here, especially the sword combat, which appears to once again take time to master. Players need to eat, sleep, and train, and the advanced reputation and law system is still in place.We return to Bohemia on February 4.Fable Click on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: Sometime in 2025Genre: Action, RPGBuy if you like: Fable, Fable 2, The Witcher 3, GreedFallI fondly remember playing the original Fable on my Xbox around twenty years ago. It's been fifteen years since the launch of Fable III, which wasn't particularly well received, and series developer Lionhead Studios sadly closed in 2016. Can the reboot capture the old magic?The next Fable game is developed by UK-based Playground Games, which since being founded in 2010, has made only the Forza Horizon series, but at least it should capture the dry British humor that made the early games so loved.There still aren't too many details about the next Fable, though we know it remains set in the fantasy world of Albion. The trailer suggests that, like the other entries, the choices you make will play a major part in what happens to your character. There are some almost Witcher-like combat scenes in the clip, it's likely open-world, and it all looks very pretty the game is being built using the ForzaTech engine.Fable is set to launch in 2025. Being from Xbox Game Studios means it'll be available on PC Game Pass from day one.Elden Ring NightreignClick on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: Sometime in 2025Genre: SoulslikeBuy if you like: Elden Ring, Dark Souls series, Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceElden Ring, a game so good that its expansion was nominated for a Game of the Year award, is getting a standalone spin-off this year.The next FromSoftware game is still a Soulslike, but this time it's also a co-op roguelike. Players form teams of three, called Nightfarers, and must survive three nights in a procedurally generated version of Limgrave.The game features a battle royale-style shrinking map that resets after players defeat a boss at the end of each game day, survival elements, eight distinct heroes, and more.While a lot of it sounds quite different from Elden Ring, many of the most distinctive characteristics remain, including it being incredibly hard, no doubt.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Click on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: Sometime in 2025Genre: Turn-based RPGBuy if you like: Metaphor Refantazio, Persona seriesFor those who lament the move from traditional turn-based gameplay to real-time action in certain famous RPGs, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 could be a welcome arrival.The game's plot sounds interesting. It sees the titular Expedition 33 looking to put an end to the Paintress, a creature with godlike powers who annually kills individuals of a certain age by simply painting said age on a monolith.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looks gorgeous, but what really stands out is the combat. It uses a hybrid system that mixes turn-based and some real-time mechanics. It's described as using quick-time-event-augmented turns that place an emphasis on both tactics and reactions. Every attack, which costs action points, requires a timed input. The more complex the move, the more complicated the QTE. You can also target enemy weak points using a free-aim system. Defense-wise, there are real-time dodges, jumps, and parries, with perfect deflects leading to massive counter-attacks.The usual RPG staples are also here, from skill trees and passive abilities to weapons with unique properties. There's also a stellar cast, including Daredevil's Charlie Cox and Gollum himself (and many other characters), Andy Serkis.Monster Hunter Wilds Click on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: February 28Genre: Action Role-PlayingBuy if you like: Monster Hunter: World, Monster Hunter RiseThe full release of Capcom's next monster hunting shenanigans is almost upon us. Being a new entry in the successful Monster Hunter series means there's a lot of pressure to get things right, but what we've seen and heard so far looks good.As always, players can expect a slew of creatures to hunt and fight. The latest entry also introduces Seikrets, new dinosaur-like mountable companions that enhance exploration and combat. These offer auto-navigation to guide players to their targets and can store backup weapons, too.Wilds also features a wounds system that creates weak spots on monsters that cause them to take more damage when attacked, as well as dynamic weather systems. The game looks very beautiful, which could be why Capcom is pushing the use of frame generation.There are two more open beta tests for Monster Hunter Wilds next month ahead of its full launch on February 28.South of MidnightClick on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: April 8Genre: Action-AdventureBuy if you like: Star Wars Jedi series, Black Myth: WukongSouth of Midnight is one of those games that we still don't know a huge amount about, but what little we know and have seen shows a lot of promise.Developed by Compulsion Games, maker of We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a third-person action-adventure game set in a gothic fantasy American Deep South. Players control Hazel, a young woman with ancient "weaving" powers who confronts mythical creatures, known as Haints, as she tries to untangle her family's past.The stunning creature design, magic-filled combat, stop-motion animation style of the cutscenes, great music, and lush environments have put South of Midnight on many gamers' radar. The combat looks very good, too, bearing a resemblance to the Star Wars Jedi series and Black Myth: Wukong.It's just been announced that South of Midnight will arrive on April 8Little Nightmares 3Click on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: Sometime in 2025Genre: Platformer, PuzzlerBuy if you like: Little Nightmares 1 & 2, Limbo, Inside, It Takes Two2017's Little Nightmares remains one of this writer's favorite games, as does the excellent sequel, which has an ending you won't quickly forget. It's been almost four years since we last visited the surreal horror of this platform-puzzler world, with its hideous giant creatures. A return is well overdue.The next game in the series introduces two tiny and slightly terrifying masked children, Low and Alone, who are trying to escape The Nowhere without meeting a grisly demise.The third installment of Little Nightmares will be the first to feature optional online co-op alongside playing solo with an AI. With Low using a bow and arrow and Alone utilizing a wrench, it sounds like there will be plenty of It Takes Two-style co-op puzzle-solving, just a lot darker.Assassin's Creed ShadowsClick on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: March 20, 2025Genre: Open-world action-adventureBuy if you like: Assassin's Creed Valhalla/Mirage/Origins, Ghost of Tsushima, Like a Dragon: Ishin!The failure of Star Wars Outlaws worried Ubisoft so much that it decided to postpone the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows from its original launch date last year to February 14, then again to March 20. If ever a company needed a game to succeed, it was this one.While Mirage never really captured gamers' imagination, Assassin's Creed Valhalla was a brilliant if bloated addition to the AC franchise, one that spawned many, many DLCs, expansions, and more. Ubisoft will certainly hope Shadows turns into an equally lucrative money-maker, but whether it does remains to be seen.The next AC's enormous open world is set in 16th-century Japan near the end of the Sengoku Period, a time of intense civil war. Players will be able to freely switch between an African samurai called Yasuke, inspired by the historical figure of the same name, and Naoe, a female shinobi assassin.Each character has their own gameplay mechanics, offering both stealth and combat-first options. We're promised dynamic lighting and environmental interactions, including a grappling hook for parkour, seasonal changes such as frozen water in winter, and non-linear missions.Crimson DesertClick on image to play gameplay videoRelease Date: Late 2025Genre: Open-world action-adventureBuy if you like: Dragon's Dogma 2,Despite CD Projekt Red getting us excited over the Witcher 4 recently, Ciri's adventures won't be arriving for a very long time. Until then, Crimson Desert could be one of those high fantasy games that bridge the gap.Crimson Desert's spectacular trailers look so incredible that some thought they were too good to be true. It appears to meld games like The Witcher with some Dark Souls-like elements and a splash of Ghost of Tsushima you even get to fly around on a dragon, roasting people below Game of Thrones-style.Published by Pearl Abyss, the creators of Black Desert Online, this open-world action-adventure promises a dynamic combat system with a variety of styles, large-scale conflicts, and some huge bosses to fight as protagonist Kliff, the leader of the mercenary group known as the Greymanes.Crimson Desert isn't on a lot of people's radar, but it could be the surprise hit of the year.Honorable mentionsGTA VIThe most anticipated game of 2025, the next Grand Theft Auto, would be the first name on this list if Take-Two had confirmed its release on PC this fall. But we still don't know when the game will hit our favorite platform, and based on Rockstar's previous titles, it's unlikely to be this year. GTA VI launches on console this fall. It's anyone's guess when a PC version will get here. Still, here's hoping.AtomfallAtomfall appears to answer the question: what if Fallout: New Vegas was set in England's Lake District? The first-person open-world adventure might be analogous to Obsidian's classic, but it also features detective and survival elements. It arrives on March 27.InZOIThe Sims has long held the undisputed crown within the life simulation genre, so InZOI will have a battle on its hands trying to get fans to take notice. However, the game promises unique features such as the karma system, incredibly life-like graphics, and the ability to control not only individual characters' interactions but also broader city dynamics. There's also a focus on AI-driven behaviors. The game launches on March 28Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake EaterKonami knows people love updates of classic games, hence the success of Silent Hill 2 last year. The studio's next title to get the remake treatment is 2004's Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Expect overhauled graphics, revamped controls, and more elements that make this a modern game. Hopefully, it will arrive in 2025.Dying Light: The BeastOne of those games that was originally conceived as a DLC before its size demanded it become a game of its own, The Beast marks the return of Kyle Crane, the protagonist from the original Dying Light who now has zombie-human hybrid powers. Expect more excellent parkour, brutal melee combat, and beating the crap out of the infected. Coming summer 2025.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsFirst generation: 1972 1983Second generation: 1976 1985Third generation: 1983 1990Fourth generation: 1987 1996Fifth generation: 1993 2002Sixth generation: 1998 2005Seventh generation: 2005 2013Eighth generation: 2012 2020Ninth generation: 2020 presentVideo games are still a young medium in the grand scheme of things, but have been around for well over 50 years now. After the arcade boom in the 70s, home consoles slowly took over the gaming landscape with Nintendos NES leading the charge. The NES is one of the best video game consoles of all time, but it was far from the first console and certainly not the last with the likes of the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 2 currently fighting for market dominance. Currently, were in the ninth generation of consoles but how exactly did we get here, and what consoles were in the eight prior generations? Lets rewind time and look at what defined every console generation from the first up to today.If you want to look even further ahead, we can also tell you about every upcoming video game console and upcoming video game.Recommended VideosNote that generations werent as clearly defined for the first several decades so the specific years some generations start or end is up for debate and many generations will overlap. We will also only list well-documented consoles released in each generation to avoid bloating the list with one-off systems no one purchased.RelatedMagnavoxGoing all the way back to the origins of home consoles, we are at a point where most games dont even resemble the experiences we have today. The most recognizable game in this era was one of the best games of all-time, Pong. In this generation, consoles were essentially smaller arcade machines in the sense that most could only play one or two games. The main exception, and most famous console from this generation, was the Magnavox Odyssey. This console included various plastic overlays you could put on your screen to play different games with as you moved blocks of light around the screen.Notable consoles in the first generation:Magnavox OdysseyPing-O-TronicHome Pong seriesTV Tennis ElectrotennisColeco TelstarColor TV-GameGiovanni Colantonio / Digital TrendsThe second console generation is where we start to see some names that still exist today. The Atari 2600 and 5200 both arrived this generation in the late 70s and early 80s, setting the standard for cartridge-based consoles. However, it wasnt the first to pioneer this technology. The Fairchild Channel F is widely accepted as the first widely available home console to fully allow for consoles to read ROM cartridges and process new code. This, along with a more user-friendly joystick controller, paved the way for the likes of Atari to dominate the generation and become the leader in home consoles over Magnavox, Coleco, and Intellivision. This era was also when Activision first entered the game space and became the first-ever third-party developer of games. This is the generation we got some of the first truly great home console games like Space Invaders, Combat, Super Breakout, Missile Command, and Pitfall!Notable consoles in the second generation:Fairchild Channel FAtari 2600Magnavox Odyssey 2IntellivisionColecoVisionAtari 5200NintendoFor most people, home consoles really started with the third generation when Nintendo entered the American market with the Nintendo Entertainment System and pulled the entire gaming industry back from collapse. Games evolved into the 8-bit era, which is a style many creators still emulate today, especially with some of the best indie games. Atari was still in the game with the 7800, but was a distant third behind the power of Nintendo and newcomer Sega with its Master System. While rudimentary by todays standards, game production in this generation was unlike anything before it. There were more colors, sounds, and even basic storytelling.It wasnt just the home console market Nintendo upended, but handhelds as well. The Game Boy was the most sophisticated handheld ever released. It was the first to not only take advantage of cartridges but also offer console-like quality experiences on the go. This is the era where major gaming icons first appeared on consoles, like Kirby.Notable consoles in the third generation:NESMaster SystemAtari 7800Atari XEGSGame BoyDigital TrendsThe fourth generation is where the console wars officially began. Sega was out for blood with the 16-bit Genesis, which easily outclassed the NES for a few years before the SNES arrived. Sega also tried to push more hardware out faster than the competition with add-ons to the Genesis, such as the Sega CD, to take advantage of the new CD technology that allowed for more storage space and use of full-motion video. Neo Geo, an arcade powerhouse, also dipped its toes into the home console space but failed to find much footing due to charing far more than the competition.The 16-bit era is one of the most fondly remembered thanks to some amazing games that are still played today. Games like Super Mario World, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Super Metroid are considered all-time classics.Notable consoles in the fourth generation:Sega GenesisNeo GeoSNESSega CDCD-iSonyThe jump from 16-bit graphics to fully 3D games is arguably the largest generational leap ever seen in console gaming. After being burned as a partner with Nintendo, Sony entered the console business as a new player with its PlayStation. It was far from the first CD-based console, but it managed to completely dominate the generation with a combination of fantastic PS1 games like Metal Gear Solid, Twisted Metal, and Crash Bandicoot, plus the brilliant marketing move of allowing the console to also play CDs. This is a tactic PlayStation would soon use to even greater effect. While it lagged behind in terms of sales, the N64 proved that Nintendo understood 3D game design far better than the competition. Sega especially struggled to translate its franchises into this new dimension, plus was also losing its customers faith with how quickly it was releasing new hardware. This would also mark the last major console from Atari.On the handheld side, Nintendo was still essentially unchallenged. It released the upgraded Game Boy Color to enhance its games with more than two-tone screen, but even more powerful competition like the Nomad or Neo Geo Pocket couldnt overtake Nintendos stranglehold on the space.Notable consoles in the fifth generation:Atari Jaguar3DOSega SaturnSega 32XPlayStationNintendo 64Game Boy ColorNeo Geo PocketGenesis NomadSegaAt this point in the timeline, the number of players in the home console space was shrinking to a few powerhouses. This was Segas last gasp with the Dreamcast before it would throw in the towel on hardware and focus on publishing, but not for a lack of great Dreamcast games. Nintendo was still feeling the pressure from both Sony and Microsoft with its first console, the Xbox. Despite great games like Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikmin, and Animal Crossing, it couldnt match the success of either rival. Xbox had a very strong start not only because of a strong lineup of games, most notably Halo: Combat Evolved, but technical innovations like a streamlined online console multiplayer experience through Xbox Live. Despite that, it was now the only real competition in town for handheld games and finally released a true Game Boy successor with the Game Boy Advance.It goes without saying that the PS2 crushed this generation to the point where it remains the best-selling console ever made. Games played a big part in that, but what made it such a phenomenon and reach the widest possible audience was the fact that it was the only console that doubled as a DVD player.Notable consoles in the sixth generation:DreamcastPlayStation 2GameCubeXboxGame Boy AdvanceMicrosoftAlso known as the HD-era, the seventh generation firmly established the three-way console war between Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox. Home consoles were now completely mainstream and games were breaking media records left and right. Xbox and PlayStations latest systems were attempting to transition into more than just video game machines, but complete entertainment boxes with more app integration and online services. Xbox Live really came into its own for online multiplayer, which PlayStation also adapted to with a competing online and PlayStation Plus service. Console exclusives were the main differences between systems now, with Xbox building a reputation on games like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza whilePlayStation established franchises like Uncharted, Infamous, and The Last of Us. Nintendo made its first major gamble with a console and decided against competing directly with Xbox and PlayStation and instead stuck to SD graphics but instead focused on a system fully built on motion controls. The Wii, despite its lack of power, was such a cultural moment that it finally brought Nintendo back to the top of the sales charts on the back of games like Wii Sports, Mario Galaxy, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.PlayStation also made its first attempt to get a cut of the handheld market with the PSP competing against Nintendos new DS line.Notable consoles in the seventh generation:Xbox 360PlayStation 3WiiNintendo DSPSPPlayStationEven when the PS2 was the clear dominant force of its generation, Xbox and Nintendo were still both healthy competitors. The eighth generation was one of massive missteps for everyone except PlayStation, letting its PS4 run away with the lead right up until the very end. The Xbox One got off to a terrible start with poor messaging that focused on media over games, DRM restrictions, and requiring the motion sensor Kinect that increased the price by $100 over the PS4. On the other hand, Nintendo tried to recreate the same success with the Wii U, and even launched it two years before the PS4 and Xbox One, but also failed in its communication leading to the worst-performing system in the companys history. Thankfully the new 3DS handheld was doing well, but Nintendo made the call to cut its generation short and launched the Switch in 2017. Merging its home console and hybrid systems together ended up being a brilliant move that completely turned the companys outlook.PlayStation took one last shot at the handheld market with the Vita, but it ended up falling short of what the PSP managed to do by a large margin.Notable consoles in the eighth generation:Wii UNintendo SwitchPlayStation 4Xbox OneNintendo 3DSPlayStation VitaFuture Publishing/Getty ImagesThat brings us to the ninth and current console generation. Despite its best efforts Xbox continues to struggle with its Xbox Series X and S systems compared the the PS5, although both systems had a rocky start due to supply constraints. Xbox made some of the biggest acquisitions in industry history this generation with the likes of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard but is also moving away from console-exclusive games. It remains to be seen if it will continue to invest in hardware or pivot to a third-party publisher like Sega before it.Nintendo continued to enjoy the popularity of the Switch even after Xbox and PlayStation released hardware that dwarfed its technical power. At long last, it is releasing the Switch 2 to lessen the gap, though likely not completely erase it.This generation also saw the rise of handheld PCs that blur the line between PC gaming and consoles. The Steam Deck was the first to break into this space in a big way with a system that made it easy to play the best Steam games on a handheld, with many others following suit.There are still a few years left to go in this generation but we do have an idea of what upcoming consoles might look like that will define the tenth generation.Notable consoles in the ninth generation:PlayStation 5Xbox Series X/SSteam DeckSwitch 2Editors Recommendations

The billionaire philanthropist speaks about his early years, geopolitics, past mistakes and how he isnt always checking his phone.

The snacks popularity has brought a proliferation of new flavors and high-end options. For some fans, thats a problem.

I saved a college fund for my daughter but decided not to give it to her.Instead, I'm having her apply for student loans so that she can learn financial independence.I hope this financial responsibility will help her become a better adult.College was one of the biggest challenges when parenting my daughter.High school was easy because we were a small, tight-knit family that followed a schedule.My wife and I would do school drop-off every morning and then go to work. In the evenings, we would all meet back at home and talk about the highs and lows of our days. Weekends were rather adventurous. We would go out to explore new places, or our daughter would spend time with her friends. Everything was rather predictable.Unpredictability set in just when my daughter was about to go to college. There were so many decisions to be made, and we were not all in agreement with them. My daughter wanted one thing; my wife and I wanted another, and it was a constant cycle of trying to figure things out.Paying for college was our biggest hurdle to face as a family.We saved for my daughter's college but then had second thoughtsOne thing we were prepared for was the financial aspect of higher education. We knew the transition would be expensive, so we had set aside a college fund years ago to ensure we would all be comfortable.However, I started reflecting on my life and the hardships that I had to go through as I grew up. For me, going to school was a privilege because I came from a middle-class family where my parents tried their best to give us everything we needed.As one of six siblings, things were never easy. My parents provided my education by constantly applying for loans. This gave me a burning desire to work harder and reach my goals because there was no fallback plan.Along the way, I learned significant money lessons that I've carried into adulthood lessons I wish my children would equally learn.Of course, the goal is always to provide a better life for your children so they don't have to know the difficult life experiences you went through but sometimes we have to make decisions they will be grateful for later.Therefore, despite having a college fund, I encouraged my daughter to apply for student loans.I hope she can learn financial responsibilityApart from emphasizing savings and keeping piggy banks when she was younger, I never had real-life opportunities to teach my daughter about money management. Her journey to college was the best place to start. After all, she would be independent in a couple of years.By encouraging her to apply for student loans, I was hoping to teach her to make important financial decisions in the long run and understand debt management.As education is important, paying back the student loans will be equally important to her because the loans provide long-term educational value. Learning how to budget and manage debt repayments is a critical life skill for anyone.To ensure our daughter was on board with the idea, my wife and I had an open discussion with her regarding this huge financial step. We also set realistic expectations on the loan repayment terms and exchanged ideas on how to manage finances post-graduation.We agreed that she will look for jobs during semester breaks and will be able to save a little of what she will earn in a "loan payment" account that she will eventually have.She was surprised and had to process it for a couple of days. But after many discussions, she understood and now does the loan applications herself now that she's in her second year of college. Owning a personal bank account and a loan repayment account will help her split the money she gets into two and make do with what she can.Now, she'll be better prepared for adulthoodConsidering that we can afford to pay for college, this may seem like an extreme measure, but it's one that we feel is needed. My biggest fear is raising kids who will not be financially independent when the time comes.By taking these little steps, we hope our daughter will understand the importance of managing her finances properly, even if we won't be there to guide her. Life is unpredictable, and you don't want your kids to feel incapable of handling the challenges that may come their way.What she doesn't know is that her college fund will remain untouched for her to receive in the future and that we will be a safety net if things get tough. But we didn't offer that upfront because we wanted to help her find her way and give her a start in this cold world.

Some cruise lines are sailing to places the US State Department has advised against visiting.The US has destinations like Haiti, Honduras, and Sinaloa, Mexico, at a "Level 4: Do not travel."Industry group CLIA said cruise lines work with security experts and governments to assess their routes.The warm, palm-tree-dotted beaches of Royal Caribbean's private Haitian resort, Labadee, accommodate thousands of eager cruisers every year. But a six-hour drive away, near Toussaint Louverture International Airport, the situation couldn't look more different.The Federal Aviation Administration has halted US airlines from flying into Haiti's primary airport, which the State Department calls a "focal point for armed activity." Amid continuing civil unrest, the US advises against travel to the Caribbean country, warning of robberies, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings, including of American citizens. Labadee, located along the northern coast of Haiti, offers amenities such as ziplines, floating trampolines, and private beaches. Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean paused voyages to Labadee for seven months in 2024. But some of its larger ships have since returned despite the country remaining at the State Department's most severe "Level 4: Do not travel" advisory.Royal Caribbean has maintained Labadee's safety, telling CruiseHive in late 2024 that the property has private security and minimal crime. (The cruise line did not provide Business Insider with a comment about Labadee.)Like Royal Caribbean, popular vacation-at-sea companies like Carnival, Norwegian, and Princess also continue sailing to destinations where the US has a Level 4 or Level 3 travel advisory, such as Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, and several Mexican states.To understand why, you have to read the notices' fine print. The Honduran island of Roatan is a popular port of call despite the US issuing a Level 3 travel advisory. Carnival Corp The State Department advises reconsidering travel to Honduras due to heightened levels of violent crimes and gang operations. However, it notes there are more resources and improved policing in tourist areas like Roatan home of Carnival Corp's Mahogany Bay Cruise Center port.As such, cruise lines like Celebrity, Princess, MSC, and Oceania all have Roatan itineraries scheduled for 2025.Similarly, the US government recommends avoiding travel to the Mexican states of Colima and Sinaloa. But the advisory says federal employees can travel to specific tourist areas in Mazatlan, Sinaloa and Manzanillo, Colima where cruise lines like Norwegian and Princess would sail to in 2025. (Royal Caribbean and Carnival currently don't offer Manzanillo itineraries.)A spokesperson for the trade group Cruise Lines International Association told BI that its companies "prioritize safety and security in all of their operations and closely monitor all planned routes, including working closely with global security experts and government authorities." If needed, itineraries are adjusted to comparable ports, they said. The State Department says federal employees can travel to Mazatlan, Sinaloa, by plane or ship and are restricted to its historic town center and Zona Dorada, a beachside tourist strip. Marica van der Meer/Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Of course, not all travel advisories are created equally.The US has the Bahamas at Level 2 "exercise increased caution" due to crime on two of its most popular islands, Grand Bahama and New Providence (home to Nassau).Yet, the Caribbean country continues to be a popular vacation destination potentially even more so by the end of the year.Several cruise giants have been expanding their private port portfolio throughout the two Bahamian islands. Carnival is currently building a $600 million resort, Celebration Key, on Grand Bahama, while Royal Caribbean's coming Royal Beach Club Paradise Island would be a short drive from New Providence.Both are expected to debut in 2025.

Bird flu is surging in the US again and has, once again, sent egg prices skyrocketing. Nearly 13 million birds have been infected or culled in the past month alone, contributing to shortages. A carton of eggs today costs more than $4 on average, up from about $2.50 a year ago. Prices arent the only thing making headlines the virus has recently taken a human life, too. After nearly three years of warnings from leading public health and animal agriculture experts that bird flu was becoming a threat to human beings, Louisiana health officials reported earlier this month that an individual died from the virus, the first reported human death in the US from bird flu. This particular strain of bird flu, H5N1, has been circulating in the US and infecting poultry since February 2022. So far, millions of birds have been infected or were culled to prevent further spread. But, as Vox reported previously, the concern has always been that this strain could jump from birds, then to another animal, and then to humans, and evolve along the way into something much deadlier to humans. Last March, the virus made its way to US dairy cows. About a month later, Americans began getting infected in greater numbers the majority of those infected, health officials say, were exposed to commercial cattle or poultry farms. Today, nearly 1,000 cattle herds across 16 states have been affected, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).The deceased Louisiana patient, however, was infected by backyard poultry wild birds. The individual was older than 65 years old and had underlying medical conditions, which likely increased their risk for severe disease and death, as it does for conventional flu.This case brings the total number of documented human infections in the US to 67. Human infections have been reported in 10 states so far, but most cases have occurred in California, where the governor declared a state of emergency in December. As much as the death set off alarm bells, the risk to most people in the US from bird flu remains very low. Humans arent catching bird flu from one another right now. That could always change, though. The H5N1 virus could mutate in some way that makes it easily transmissible between humans. This is how a flu pandemic would begin.And as long as that possibility remains, its easy to feel as though not enough is being done to prevent the possibility of another terrible pandemic, especially when influencers are touting raw milk as a potential, natural medicine for various ailments (its not) or when official government responses feel unclear or insufficient. (There is some truth to that.)From egg prices and vaccines to pandemic potential and disease monitoring, here are five answers about the ongoing response to bird flu.RelatedHow is the government responding to bird flu and is it doing enough? Bird flu mostly spreads among wild and domestic birds, but the virus sometimes does spill over and infect other animals. In the past three years, bird flu has infected cows, seals, bears, dogs, cats, and a number of other mammals.As with any major disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working alongside state agencies to track cases in humans. But because most people eat animals for food, there are two other key players involved: the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The USDA leads federal efforts to monitor and contain bird flu among farm animals, live bird markets, backyard flocks, and wild animals. The agency develops biosafety and biosecurity standards to prevent the spread of bird flu, and then assists state agencies and commercial farmers to implement those measures. In addition, the agency runs a bird flu surveillance program that involves trapping wild birds, collecting samples from them, and testing them for H5N1 and other pathogens. Wild birds are a reservoir for bird flu, meaning that the virus is normally spread among them and from there spills over to infect domestic birds and other mammals. Farmers and poultry or cow owners who suspect their flock or herd is infected with bird flu can report the cases to the USDA and to state animal health officials or to their veterinarian, who can then report the cases up the chain. The USDA has a network of laboratories that tests samples from flocks and herds across the country for H5N1 and other pathogens. But while this might seem like the USDA has broad reach to closely monitor poultry and cattle across the country, it is, in reality, a deeply faulty system. A lot of farmers dont report illnesses to their veterinarian or state health officials, citing distrust in the government or because they think the epidemic is a hoax. Other farmers do not allow veterinarians to test their flocks or herds for the virus. If bird flu is detected on a farm or in a live bird market, the USDA mobilizes funding and personnel to those areas to cull in particularly gruesome ways, such as spraying birds with a water-based foam to suffocate them or closing barn vents and causing birds to die of heat stroke and dispose of infected animals to prevent further spread. Cows are spared this horrific end because they dont get so severely sick from bird flu and are too expensive to kill en masse. J. David Ake/Getty ImagesWhile the USDA works closely with the agricultural sector, the FDA is more consumer-facing, ensuring food products are safe. The FDA monitors egg-laying chickens and those slaughtered for meat for signs of infection. Commercial eggs are tested for H5N1 before they are transported to grocery stores and animals are inspected before and after slaughter for any signs of disease. (Well get to how effective this process is in the next section.)Since the beginning of the outbreak, the FDA has also led a number of studies to test dairy products for H5N1 and to determine how to make contaminated dairy products safe for consumption. The administration also funds academic researchers to test methods for killing the virus in dairy products and even to experiment with gene-edited chickens that are immune to H5N1. The CDC, meanwhile, monitors H5N1 infections among humans, tracks people who were exposed to infected animals, and investigates each reported case to determine how the person was infected and if any close contacts of the infected person may also be at risk of contracting bird flu. State health departments are required to report cases to the CDC; doctors and physicians are, in turn, mandated to report H5N1 cases to state health departments. The CDC also gathers and analyzes data from emergency departments around the US to understand if there might be an uptick in H5N1 cases. But, as we have seen with Covid and Mpox, this system does not always function perfectly, or at times even well, because of reporting lags and a lack of infrastructure or human resources. The CDC also runs a wastewater surveillance system and regularly tests wastewater samples from hundreds of collection sites for H5N1. Although the FDA, USDA, and CDC might seem to have all the legislation, policies, monitoring, and surveillance programs in place, federal government agencies seem to have resigned themselves to largely sitting back and watching this epidemic unfold. Veterinarians and public health experts have criticized the USDA for prioritizing industry profits and exports instead of rolling out a vaccination program that may have prevented bird flu from spilling over into cows or humans in the first place. The USDA has also failed to take obvious measures such as shutting down cross-state transportation of cattle, which has led to hundreds of infected herds in multiple states. Other efforts such as the USDAs national milk testing program have been too little, too late and still do not require mandatory participation from every US state where bird flu has been reported. And while most of the failure to contain bird flu lies with the FDA and USDA, the CDC has not pushed to expedite research and development for a bird flu vaccine in humans, which might be needed if the disease becomes more widespread and more severe in people, especially farm workers in close contact with infected animals. Its currently unclear what new policies the Trump administration might usher in to combat bird flu in humans or animals. President Donald Trump has vowed to cut federal funding which may impact how the various federal agencies operate. Concerningly, on Tuesday, the Trump administration ordered staff at agencies including the CDC and FDA to pause external communications, including social media and web posts, to the public. When will egg prices go down? The USDA forecasts that egg prices will continue to rise through the first few months of 2025 before dropping to about half the peak price, according to the agencys January forecasts. However, new or expanding outbreaks in the US could disrupt this.Can you contract bird flu from contaminated eggs, milk, and other meat and dairy products? In short, its very unlikely that the average American will contract bird flu from consuming milk, eggs, cheese, meat, or other animal products. Although the FDA found last year that about 20 percent of milk, cheese, and other dairy products contained genetic material from the bird flu virus, researchers at the agency also confirmed that pasteurization the process of briefly heating milk kills the virus. Fortunately, 99 percent of the countrys milk supply comes from farms that participate in the agencys milk safety program which mandates that milk is pasteurized. This means that buying milk or cheese from a grocery store in the US is a safe bet. To be sure, check the label to make sure it contains the word pasteurized. What might be riskier is buying milk from noncommercial farms, like a vendor at your local farmers market or your neighbor down the street who sells milk or cheese out of their house. If that vendor or neighbor pasteurizes their milk, then youre probably good to go. Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesThere is also a growing trend of consuming raw milk, or milk that has not been pasteurized. Some social media influencers claim that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk. A handful of scientific studies have even reported a link between consuming farm milk, which sometimes includes raw milk, with a lower risk of developing allergies and asthma. The FDA has, however, debunked many of the health claims associated with raw milk and further warns that drinking raw milk may expose people to H5N1 and a host of other disease-causing pathogens. (Between 1998 and 2018, consuming raw milk caused more than 2,600 illnesses, more than 200 of which required hospitalization.) So, your best bet is to avoid drinking raw milk and stick to the pasteurized stuff. Eggs and chicken are also safe to consume. Avian influenza causes such severe disease in chickens and other egg-producing poultry that infected animals are most likely too sick to even produce eggs. But even if sick chickens were producing eggs or were slaughtered for their meat, all commercial poultry flocks in the US are monitored for signs of infection. All eggs are tested for H5N1 before they are transported to grocery stores and animals are inspected before and after slaughter for any signs of disease.But such inspections arent 100 percent foolproof. While the FDA also requires eggs to be tested for other pathogens such as salmonella before they leave the farm, outbreaks of those diseases still occur from time to time. (A salmonella outbreak in 2024, for instance, spanned 12 states and landed 34 people in the hospital.) This may be, in part, because not every single egg is tested for salmonella. Egg producers are required only to test a representative sample of eggs from each batch. Eggs can also be contaminated during packing or transportation from the farm to the grocery store. The good news is that cooking eggs and meat to recommended temperatures and using proper precautions when handling eggs or meat (like washing your hands after handling them) would also kill the bird flu virus. Whats the deal with bird flu vaccines?Currently, there are no bird flu vaccines available for humans or poultry or cows. The CDC has developed a few vaccine candidates for humans that the agency says could be used to develop a vaccine. Additional data regarding the vaccines effectiveness has not been released. According to the CDC, the annual flu shot offers no protection against bird flu, but it is unclear if or how the agency actually tested this. While it is critical for the US government to continue funding vaccine research and development in case a deadlier pandemic emerges, the CDC says there is not an immediate need for widespread vaccination efforts. There have been fewer than 100 documented human infections in the US in the past year. This is likely an undercount given that farm workers are most likely to be infected and may be less likely to seek medical treatment. But more importantly, health officials have documented only three severe bird flu cases, and only one case resulted in death. Globally, there have been nearly 1,000 H5N1 infections among humans between 2003 and 2024, and about half of those people died. Any threat from the virus now has to be weighed against potential side effects of vaccines, such as Guillain-Barr Syndrome, a condition triggered by an infection that causes the immune system to attack nerves. Given that the current H5N1 strain is causing mostly mild disease, then, at least as of right now, most people would not need to get vaccinated against bird flu even if a vaccine was available. However, this could change rapidly. Any day, the H5N1 virus might mutate to spread from person to person or to cause more severe illness, in which case vaccination might become an important tool. Another approach for vaccination might be to only vaccinate farm workers and other populations who are exposed to infected birds or cattle, and therefore at a higher risk of developing bird flu. Last year, Finland adopted this approach and started offering bird flu vaccines to farm workers. Perhaps the better question to ask here is why we arent vaccinating birds or cows against bird flu. I posed that question to infectious disease experts and an economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization last May. I learned that, in short, vaccinating poultry against bird flu would impact trade and would require US trade agreements with foreign countries to be rewritten. The veterinarians I interviewed were particularly frustrated with this reasoning.Im a poultry veterinarian, and as a veterinarian, I dont like the idea that you tell me to go fight the biggest fight of my career and you say, heres your gun; first, lets unload it. Now, go, Carol Cardona, a professor at the University of Minnesotas College of Veterinary Medicine, told me last year.Last week, the USDA said it was beginning to stockpile bird flu vaccines for use in poultry but still hasnt pushed for actual vaccination efforts. The USDA has a history of this. During the 20142015 bird flu outbreak, the US government stockpiled almost 5 million doses of a vaccine for poultry but never used them. But because bird flu, like the seasonal flu, is a rapidly mutating virus, those vaccines are now useless.Will bird flu cause the next pandemic? In the US, bird flu has been circulating among birds for nearly three years now and has been sporadically spreading from birds to humans for about a year. It hasnt caused a widespread pandemic among humans yet. That might indicate that the potential for a future pandemic is low, but, in truth, scientists and public health officials really arent great at predicting or even understanding why certain viruses suddenly escalate into uncontrollable worldwide outbreaks. The key ingredient this epidemic needs to become a widespread pandemic among people is human-to-human transmission. So far, there have been no documented instances of this. For this reason, the CDC says that bird flu presents a low risk to the general public. Farm workers, hunters, and other people who come into contact with wild birds, poultry, and cows are at a higher risk of contracting H5N1. However, while the risk to most people might be low now, the longer the epidemic in poultry continues and the more opportunities the virus has to adapt to spread amongst humans, the more likely the risk for a pandemic becomes.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

Whats old is new again. About five years into my tech reviewing journey, gaming tablets became a thing for about a year. Then they fizzled out faster than a cheap July 4th sparkler. But theyre back again, and if the RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet is any indication, theyre better than ever. The 10.9-inch slate ($500 starting, $650reviewed) has a lot of power under the hood thanks to an overclocked Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, which makes gaming an absolute joy. The display is bright and vivid, and the quad speakers pack a wallop without going overboard. The slate also has a bang-up pair of cameras if you want to snap a quick pic, stream, or video conference. However, a slightly clunky user interface with a bunch of bloatware is a minor hurdle for some consumers to overcome. And itd be nice if RedMagic bundled the keyboard and stylus with the tablet instead of being an additional purchase. But for gamers looking for a powerful tablet to take their mobile gaming to the next level, the RedMagic Nova is an excellent choice. The RedMagic Nova comes in two flavors. The $499 (478.50) has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. The company sent me the $699 (670.28), which has 16GB of RAM and doubles the storage. RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet The tablet made for gaming (and everything else) Pros Cons RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet Review: Design Tablets suffer from a design problem. Where smartphones and laptops bend, fold, and roll, tablets are kind of just therea straight slab of glass and maybe plastic or metal. RedMagic tries to shake things up with a couple of embellishments on the dark gray anodized aluminum rear panel. At the top of the panel (or the side, depending on the slates orientation), your eye is immediately drawn to the glowing RGB RedMagic logo. While the company is speaking my multicolored love language, the more compelling aspect is the clear panel showing off some of the tablets internals, including a couple of heat pipes and the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. According to RedMagic, the peekaboo window makes the Nova the worlds first transparent gaming tablet. Its a cool design feature, but now I want a full glass rear panel despite the impracticality.Photo: Adriano Contreras/Gizmodo Next to the window is the housing for the 50-megapixel rear camera. Unlike the window that lies flush with the metal back, the sensor house protrudes ever so slightly. That means the slate will never lie flat, which is annoying. RedMagics logo sits in the center of the panel, looking like a late 90s tramp stamp, being equal parts fun and wistful regret. The front of the tablet is made of glass, with the 10.9-inch display surrounded by some rather thick bezels. The 20MP camera sits in the middle of the top (or right) bezel. Like the rear panel, the tablets sides are made of anodized aluminum, with the power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader sitting on the top left with the volume rocker just around the corner. The USB-C charging port resides in the center of the Novas right side, and you get a pair of speakers on both sides of the slate. Finally, along the bottom, you will find a set of Pogo connectors for the optional magnetic keyboard ($109). Surprisingly, the tablet lacks an audio jack.The Nova weighs 18.7 ounces (530 grams) and measures 11 x 7.4 x 1.89 inches (279 x 188 x 48 millimeters). For comparison, thats larger than the currentiPad mini model, which weighs 10.3 ounces (293g) and measures 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.25 inches (195.4 x 134.8 x 6.3 mm). Remember that the iPad is a smaller tablet than the RedMagic overall. RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet Review: Display and Audio Its not OLED, but Ill still take it. Taking my eyes off the Novas 10.9-inch, 2880 x 1800 LCD display was hard. The colors almost pop off the screen with crisp, clear details. In fact, the details were so sharp during the Exhibiting Forgiveness trailer that I saw the fiber pattern on a blank canvas and the paintbrush striations left in the paint as they touched said canvas. The display did a great job of actors Andr Holland, Andra Day, and John Earl Jelkss skin. The colors, however, were the best part, whether the vibrant blues and violets in the paintings or the yellow and reds worn by some of the characters. Photo: Gizmodo Although you can watch movies, read comics, and check out your social media accounts, this is a gaming tablet. As such, Novas games look gorgeous on its display, especially with its 144Hz refresh rate. The screen also boasts an 840Hz touch sampling rate if you use the touchscreen to play a fast-paced FPS instead of a Bluetooth controller. I had a blast questing around and defeating fantastical creatures in Wuthering Waves.Photo: Gizmodo The tablets quad speakers are surprisingly loudso loud that theyd put a couple of these ultraportable systems to shame. Even at max volume, the Nova delivered warm, balanced audio whether I was streaming music from Spotify or Tidal. Dialogue and explosions from my mobile games also sounded good. My only issue is the lack of bass, but considering its a tablet, its not that much of a shock. RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet Review: UI and Software Although the Nova runs Android 14, RedMagic has RedMagic OS 9.5. The design isnt going to set the world on fire. The default skin is a series of grays and light blues meant to give a futuristic aesthetic. However, the lock and home screens are customizable, and RedMagic provides several themes. This is fine, except for Hot Apps and Hot Games, a collection of 20 suggested bloatware apps rather than anything useful.Since the Nova is a gaming tablet, it stands to reason that theres software to support that gamer-centric track. Game Space is the main app for this, as it aggregates all the games you have installed and lets you launch them from within the app. In the Game Lobby, you can adjust the touch sampling rate, smoothness, edge accidental touch protection, CPU and GPU performance profiles, and display settings. Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Photo: Gizmodo Jump over to Game Base, and you can check out the tablets preinstalled plugins and which games can use them, including a key remapping feature or free display, which lets you customize the game screen ratio and create landscape and portrait modes. This is also where you can customize Mora, RedMagics AI assistant. In addition to changing her clothes, you can peruse her different actions. When enabled, Mora acts as a guide in Game Space but can also be utilized throughout the phone to interact with notifications and system alerts such as low battery. While Game Space is easy to navigate, it can be hard to find. I searched high and low for the app but found it in the quick settings menu in the notifications shade. RedMagic has committed to at least one Android OS update, so the Nova should upgrade to Android 15. The company will also support up to two years of security updates. This is not as long as what Samsung or Apple offer for their devices, but its better than nothing.RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet Review: Performance The Nova gets its power from the 3.4-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8th Gen 3 Leading Version processor, which is just an overclocked version of the original SoC. That extra oomph and the 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM allowed the Nova to easily deal with my 50 open Google Chrome tabs, light photo edits in Adobe Photoshop Express, and several open Google Docs. But more importantly, combined with its Adreno 750 GPU, the tablet consistently delivered fast, smooth gameplay on every taxing game I threw at it, including Dead Cells, Zenless Zone Zero, and Alien Isolation. I ran a couple of benchmarks to see how well the Nova would fare. I have to say, Im pretty impressed. On Geekbench 6, the slate achieved a single-core score of 2,208 and a multi-core score of 6,422. When I ran the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light benchmark, which tests the GPU, the tablet returned a respectable score of 1,743. Photo: Gizmodo When the Nova is hard at work, it cranks up its internal 20,000-rpm fan to keep things cool. According to RedMagic, the Nova is the worlds first gaming tablet with an integrated turbo fan and 3D heat pipe. I spent two hours fighting my way through Dead Cells. At the start of my playthrough, the middle of the back panel measured a cool 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26.5 degrees Celius) with the fan engaged. Two hours in, the temperature rose to 91 degrees (32.7 degrees). It was warm but not uncomfortably so. RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet Review: Cameras The Nova has two cameras: a 50MP rear camera and a 20MP front shooter. Both cameras snap solid photos and can handle any video conferencing or streaming that youd like to do. They even have modes similar to what youd find on a smartphone (Time-lapse, Panorama, and Slow Motion). No matter which camera I used, I was really impressed with both the color reproduction and detail. Photo: Sherri L. Smith/DreamSmith LLC Photo: Sherri L. Smith/DreamSmith LLC Photo: Sherri L. Smith/DreamSmith LLC Photo: Sherri L. Smith/DreamSmith LLC Photo: Sherri L. Smith/DreamSmith LLC The myriad colors in my locs looked great in the selfie shots, and they didnt wash out my skin tone. The camera captured the exact mustard yellow of the can in the background. In the shot of my friend holding an Astro Bot plushie, the green wall, as well as his shirt, is nice and vibrant. The detail was sharp enough to make out some of the words on the tag when you zoomed in with minimal blurring. Speaking of detail, look at these pics of my puppies on my sofa. Not only can you see the sheen of their beautiful fur, along with individual hairs. You can even see the intricate details in my sectionals fabric panel.RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet Battery Life I squeezed 12 hours and 18 minutes out of the Novas 10,100mAH battery as the tablet played a 24-hour video at 50% brightness. That time was significantly shorter when I started gaming. I only got 3 hours and 29 minutes playing Wuthering Waves before it was time to reach for the charger. Speaking of the charger, its rare to see one shipped with a smartphone these days, let alone a tablet. RedMagic bundles an 80W charger with the slate, and the company estimates that it takes 55 minutes to charge the tablet from 0 to 100%.RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet Review: Verdict Im not a fan of tablets. More specifically, I dont believe in them, not when smartphones unfurl or rocking nearly 8-inch displays. But past my usual purposeful avoidance, I must admit that the RedMagic Nova has made a positive impression. Tramp stamp of a logo aside, I like the design, especially the transparent window and the RGB. Even after a couple of hours of play, I encountered minimal slowdown. And while the screen isnt OLED, the color is nice and vibrant; paired with the impressive quad speakers, youre in for an audiovisual treat. And depending on what youre doing, you expect solid battery life. The user interface will take some getting used to, and I wish the accessories came bundled with the tablet. Overall, the RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet is a great choice for gamers or people looking for a tablet that Apple or Samsung doesnt make.

By Passant Rabie Published January 26, 2025 | Comments (0) | Artist's depiction of the Einstein Probe detecting the incoming X-rays. OPENVERSE/Einstein Probe Science Center On March 15, 2024, a space-based observatory detected bursts of low-energy X-rays from deep in the ancient universe, fluctuating in brightness for over 17 minutes before fading away. About an hour later, ground-based telescopes picked up visible light from the same source, tracing it back to when the universe was only around one billion years old. The newly launched Einstein Probe is already spotting distant explosions with the potential to upend what we know about the universes earliest years. Using its wide-field X-ray telescope, the spacecraft detected so-called soft, or low-energy, X-rays, that lasted for an unusually long period of time. These events are known as fast X-ray transients (FXRT), and the newly spotted blast has been designated EP240315a. After monitoring the burst at radio wavelengths for a period of three months, the team of astronomers behind the detection confirmed that the energy output was consistent with a gamma-ray burst dating back to when the universe was only 10 percent of its current age. So given the universes estimated age of 13.8 billion years, the burst occurred when the universe was approximately 1.38 billion years old. These results show that a substantial fraction of FXRTs may be associated with [gamma-ray bursts] and that sensitive X-ray monitors, such as Einstein Probe can pinpoint them in the distant Universe, Roberto Ricci, a researcher at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy, and one of the authors behind the new paper detailing the discovery, said in a statement. Combining the power of X-ray and radio observations hands us a new way to explore these ancient explosions even without detecting their gamma rays. EP240315a marks the first time soft X-rays were detected from an ancient explosion that lasted for such a long duration. Follow-up observations using the Gemini-North telescope in Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope in Chile measured visible light from the same location that confirmed the burst had come from around 12.5 billion light-years away.Gamma-ray bursts are brief flashes of high-energy light and the most powerful explosions in the universe, typically triggered by the collapse of massive stars or the merger of neutron stars. Those bursts are also known to emit copious amounts of X-rays. The recently discovered soft X-rays were traced back to GRB 240315C, a gamma-ray burst first detected by the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on NASAs Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, with additional data provided by the Konus instrument aboard NASAs Wind spacecraft. Although gamma-ray bursts are associated with X-rays, the newly discovered fast X-ray transient is an anomaly. The X-rays typically precede the gamma rays by a few tens of seconds, but EP240315a was seen more than six minutes (372 seconds) before GRB 240315C. Such a long delay has never been previously observed, Hui Sun, a team member from the Einstein Probe Science Center at the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and co-author of the new study, said in a statement.The mystery behind the long duration of time between the X-rays and the gamma-ray burst, in addition to the long duration of the X-rays themselves, are reason to question whether gamma-ray bursts explode the way scientists believe them to. The Einstein Probe, an X-ray telescope managed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and built in collaboration with European Space Agency and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, launched on January 9, 2024. Its Wide-field X-ray Telescope takes in X-ray light in square tubes in a grid, which means it can observe 3,600 square degrees (just under one-tenth of the celestial sphere) in a single shot.As soon as we opened the eyes of Einstein Probe to the sky, it found interesting new phenomena, Erik Kuulkers, ESAs Einstein Probe project scientist, said in a statement. Thats pretty good and should mean that there are a lot more interesting discoveries to come.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matt Novak Published January 19, 2025 By Matthew Gault Published January 17, 2025 By Isaac Schultz Published January 15, 2025 By Lucas Ropek Published January 15, 2025 By Matt Novak Published January 15, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published January 14, 2025