Darkrai ex is a terrifying new card added to PokmonTCG Pocket as part of the Space-Time Smackdown update. Since the expansions release in January, this card has quickly become the basis for several popular decks and a major card in the TCG Pocket meta, challenging the popularity of previous decks like Celebi ex. The card is kind of a stealthy but strong card that can chip away at even the strongest Pokmon. In a recent tournament, the Hoogland & Spragels Open, seven of the top eight decks used Darkrai ex. So here is why Darkrai ex decks are so popular and why its a key card in one of the best decks of the moment in PokmonTCG Pocket. Why Darkrai ex is the best new deck in Pokmon TCG PocketDarkrai ex is a dark-type card with 140 HP and a retreat cost of two energy. Its a basic Pokmon so you can play it from your hand right when you draw it no need to worry about evolving it. It has one attack, Dark Prism, which deals 80 damage and it requires three energy in total: two dark-type energy and one more energy of any other type. Eighty damage isnt anything to scoff at, but thats not the main draw of this card. What makes it shine is Darkrai exs ability, Nightmare Aura.Nightmare Aura makes it so that whenever you attach a dark energy to Darkrai ex, it will do 20 damage to the opponents active Pokmon. This ability activates even if Darkrai is on your bench, so with it, you could do 60 damage to an opposing Pokmon, all while keeping your previous ex-card safe on the bench. Its an extremely flexible ability that synergizes well with a variety of new cards.The most popular pairing appears to be with the new Magnezone card. In the Magnezone and Darkrai ex deck, the Volt Charge ability from the Stage 1 Magneton card allows the card to juice up on Electric energy without setting the deck to generate both Dark and Electric energy. Evolve it to Magnezone, which has a Thunder Blast attack that does 110 HP, and you have a deadly pairing. Darkrai exs Nightmare Aura and the Thunder Blast attack combined can clear through some major threats in a single turn.People also like to pair it with Weavile ex. It has a Scratching Nails move that only requires one dark energy. This move has a base attack of 30 and it deals an additional 40 damage if the Pokmon youre attacking already has damage on it. Use Nightmare Aura before you attack, and it all adds up to a hefty 90 HP, all with an attack that requires one energy. Its a short ramp-up as far as setups go.And thats not even the extent of Darkrai exs terror. There are tons of ways to use this card. Ive even seen people pair Darkrai ex with Pokmon as Farfetchd, of all Pokmon, just because the combination of its Leek Slap attack plus Nightmare Aura can do 60 damage at once not bad for a basic Pokmon. Yes, its ridiculous, but thats to be expected in a game that continues to change with each major update.

Your clothing and accessories can either clog up your closet for free or go out there, get a job, and earn its keep: I recently found an app that helps you to rent out your clothes and accessories (and borrow other people's), and maybe even help you declutter in the long run. Let me explain why I love Pickle. What does Pickle do?As I have explained, I have a low threshold when it comes to what will inspire me to download an app. Typically, I see an ad, tap on the App Store link, and install on sight. The other day, I saw an ad for one called Pickle, which is a peer-to-peer clothing and accessory rental servicelike DoorDash for fashion. I attempted to download it only to discover it was already on my phone from what must have been a previous run-in with the ad that I never followed up on. Incredible! (Be advised, though, that it's only available for iOS right now.)Over the last year, I've gotten into selling my clothes via app, but it's been limiting because I own a lot of pieces I don't really want to get rid ofyet. But I can't wear them all at the same time, now, can I? So they're just sitting in my closet, waiting for their turn to shine. Pickle, it seemed, could give me a chance to put them to work. I listed a bunch of stuff, checked what others on the app were charging for a week's rental of similar items, and priced my goods competitively. Then, I waitedbut not for long. I got a rental request the next day.The app functions just like resale platforms like Poshmark or Vestiaire Collective: You take a picture of your shoes, bag, dress, or whatever, fill in details about it like size and brand, and set a price. Here, though, the price is what you want to charge for a week's rental. You also indicate, via drop-down menu, whether you're willing to have someone show up at your place to pick it up, send it off with a courier, or even mail it somewhere. That last option really broadens your horizons, since Pickle mostly operates in New York City (where I live) and Los Angeles. While it's a lot easier to link up with a local and hand off your piece, the postal option expands your money-making capabilities to a much wider base of potential consumers. My "closet" and how it looks to edit a listing. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson When someone rents a piece from you, they first send a request outlining the way they'd like to receive it and how long they want to have it. From there, you can enter a chat with them to hammer out details or just accept their request. I accepted the offer sent to me and selected the day and time I would be home to hand my parcel off to a courier. This morning, the courier showed up, took it, and brought it to the borrower, with whom I had arranged for a four-day rental. I listed the piece for $30/week, Pickle took 20%, and I earned $24 despite the fact that it won't be gone for the full week. The process was seamless and remarkably easy and I got detailed notifications throughout the entire event. The app guides you every step of the way. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson Why I like this app as a route to declutteringThere are obvious benefits to using a closet-rental app. First, you can put your extra stuff to work for you and make a little money off of it. Second, you can rent clothes and accessories for special occasions at a major discount without adding to any consumerist clutter you may have going onbut that leads me to the hidden benefit I identified here. I consider Pickle similar to a "purgatory" box, which is a method for decluttering that doesn't require you to make instant decisions about what stays and what goes. Most decluttering techniques are pretty harsh. They call on you to go through a space in your home and make fast choices about what you keep, what you toss, what you donate, and what you sell. Doing that enough times builds a habit and you learn to be less sentimental; but it's still hard. Personally, I'm terrible at doing it with clothing and accessories because I can trick myself into believing I might need anything for a certain outfit in the future. It's not true, of course; I never really miss anything once I've sold it. But it's still difficult to push myself to get rid of items, so they sit there in my closet. With Pickle, I can send them out for days or weeks at a time, which mirrors the experience with the purgatory box that holds your stuff for a month so you can see what it's like not to have access to it. Conversely, Pickle can also help you declutter by providing you with a fallback plan when you do decide to get rid of something. Consider the 20/20 decluttering rule, which asks you to consider if you could replace something for under $20 and in less than 20 minutes if you got rid of it, then encourages you to do away with it if the answers are yes. Clearly, if you choose to sell or donate, say, a black purse that's just sitting in your closet, you won't get a similar one off Pickle in under 20 minutes or, probably, for under $20but it's nice to know that if you did get rid of something you ended up needing for a particular occasion, you could rent a replacement without re-cluttering your space.

If youve ever felt like you were duped by overpaying for something that was advertised as a great deal, youre in the right place. Its easy to get caught up in frenzied online shopping holidays like Black Friday or Prime Day, especially when retailers are known forsneaking price hikes before major sales or deceiving shoppers with tricks to spend more than you intended to. Figuring out the best time to buy something requires constant watch over ever-fluctuating online prices and some knowledge of how prices have changed in the past. As a shopping and deal writer, that is what I do for a living, and I know how time-consuming it can be. Luckily, you dont have to figure it all out yourself: Here are the best websites and extensions I've been using for years to check price history and track prices so that you can be sure youre getting the best deal possible.The best Amazon price tracker: Camelcamelcamel Credit: Camelcamelcamel.com CamelCamelCamel is among the best ways to track prices on Amazon products. You can install the browser extension (on Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Safari) to get access to the sites features without leaving Amazon, or you can just copy and paste an Amazon link or product name to the websites search bar. CamelCamelCamel shows you how the price of the item has gone up or down over time, how prices have changed through Amazon directly, and the fluctuations from third-party Amazon sellers who list new and used items.If you sign up for a free account, you can set up alerts so the site can notify you by email when the price of an item drops below a certain amount, if you can get it used for a given price, or if its at an all-time low and now is a good time to buy. You can even see previous historic highs and lows and try to map out the best time to strike. The best price tracker for most online retailers and to compare prices: Honey Credit: Honey.com You've probably already heard of the Honey influencer scam that blew up in December of 2024. Essentially, Honey hijacked affiliate links from influencers who were sponsoring them. Also, in many instances, they deliberately chose not to give the best coupons to users who used the extension (going completely against their business model). Honey is not alone in this behavior. Many coupon aggregator companies hijack affiliate links; Honey just happens to be in the spotlight because they're the biggest one. Use your own judgment if you choose to use any of their services. The bad news for those looking for a price-tracking tool that can be used for most online retailers is that Honey is the only option. The good news is that Honey's price-tracking tool can't scam you or give you subpar coupons. The Honey browser extension compares prices from a whole bunch of retailers, not just Amazon. You can create a Droplist, which notifies you if the prices drop for an item on your list if youre willing to wait for a deal. Here is what creating a Droplist can do for you:First, itll keep the items you want to keep tabs on organized and easily accessible. Second, itll track the prices of those products and alert you when they go on sale at any major retailer. You can see how much those prices cost leading up to the sale to see if they are, in fact, good deals or a trick from retailers to take advantage of you, and even compare them with other major retailers to see who has the best deal. You can see how to set up your droplist here.As long as you don't buy the products using a Honey link, you won't be giving money to the service. You can still use their tool to your advantage without giving them any of the affiliate revenue. Until there's a better alternative, Honey is the only option that can instantly pull up price histories and track prices for multiple retailers with a browser extension (for now).The best tool to compare prices: Capital One Shopping Credit: Amazon.com Capital One Shopping, previously known as Wikibuy, compares prices from other sellers when you shop on Amazon. The browser extension will notify you if a product you are looking at is cheaper somewhere else, and offers a summary of pricing history, estimated delivery time, and total price, including tax and shipping. If you can apply a coupon, itll add that as well. When the price drops for a product youve viewed, Capital One Shopping will notify you. When you shop, you can earn credits for your purchases at some websites, like Walmart and eBay, that Capital One Shopping has partnered with. You can trade that credit for gift cards or put it toward purchases through Capital One Shoppings site.The extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, and an iOS app allows you to scan barcodes and search products to do price comparisons from your phone.The best price tracker tool for gamers: CheapShark Credit: CheapShark.com While most of the others in the roundup focus on products like electronics, apparel, household goods, and appliances, CheapShark is a great option for those looking to save money on video games. CheapShark combines all of the great places to get discounts on games in one place, one easily searchable directory and database of current prices from sites including Steam, GoG, Green Man Gaming, GameStop, Amazon, and more. Of course, its limited to video games, but you can search a game name not just to see how much itll cost you to buy, but even if you can buy it at alland which retailer has it available. If you want, you can even filter by games currently on sale at their selected stores.When you search for a specific game, CheapShark tells you what the cheapest-ever price was, when it hit that price, and gives you the choice to either go ahead and buy it from your choice of retailer or to sign up for a price notification if it drops again.Honorable mentionsSlickDeals: Great for finding deals and checking pricesSlickDeals is known for bringing you up-to-the-minute discounts, coupons, and other deals from around the web, but its web-based price tracker is also great for watching prices on just about any item on Amazon and on a ton of other popular shopping sites, like Newegg, Gamestop, Chewy, Home Depot, and others. Credit: SlickDeals The service doesnt give you a detailed price history like some of the others in the roundupit only shows a deal history under the price intelligence section for a few popular products. However, it will track the price of your item from when you create an alert and send you an email if the price drops below a threshold that you set. You can also return to the price tracker at any time, log in to your account, and see all of your tracked items on the same screen.Keepa: Great price-tracking tool for Amazon and eBay Credit: Amazon.com using the Keepa browser extension Keepa works very similarly to Camelcamelcamel, but instead of clicking on the extension to see the price history, it'll be automatically displayed below the image of the product. This helps if clicking on the extension or installing is one click too much for you. Keepa also lets you track specific products and sends you notifications when they go below a specific price that you set. It also works on eBay. You can download the extension for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Edge, and Safari.

The M2 MacBook Air is on sale for just $800 via Amazon. This is a decent discount, as this model has been going for around $1,000 lately. The well-reviewed laptop is actually on sale for $950, but theres a clippable coupon worth $150. The only caveat to this sale is that the coupon doesnt work on the midnight black model, but all other colorways are fair game. The laptop easily found a spot on our list of the best MacBooks. It lacks some of the punch of last years M3 MacBook Air but the M2 chip is no slouch. This computer is fast and should be able to handle most everything you throw at it. This particular model includes 8GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage. We heaped a whole bunch of praise on Apples M2 MacBook Air upon the initial release, calling it a near-perfect Mac. The screen is bright and colorful, the battery lasts 18 hours per charge and the computer is both thin and light. As previously mentioned, the performance is speedy, even when using software like Logic Pro X. The only downsides? This isnt Apples latest MacBook Air and it only comes with 8GB of RAM. Most MacBooks come with 16GB nowadays. The webcam is also on the drab side. If you find yourself in a lot of Zoom meetings, look into purchasing a standalone webcam. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-m2-macbook-air-drops-to-800-195140269.html?src=rss

Smart rings have been a niche inside a niche in the wearables world for more than a decade. But in the last few years, theyve enjoyed a renaissance as more attention and hype brought bigger names to the category. Finnish company Oura has been around longer than most and is now the class leader despite fierce competition. At the end of last year, Oura released the Ring 4 to address the flaws of its predecessor and keep ahead of its now many imitators. Its easy to say that it remains a technological marvel, but harder to say if its worth a decent chunk of your hard-earned to get one. Hardware Daniel Cooper for Engadget Oura put a lot of effort into nipping-and-tucking the Ring 4, like ditching the epoxy resin interior for a full titanium body. The Ring 3, especially once it moved beyond its squared-off side, already looked like a fashion ring, and the Ring 4 continues in that vein. I wear my Oura Ring on my left index finger with a Vitaly Grip ring on the right to balance the look. And nobody can tell the difference between the two, which is just how it should be. Unlike a watch strapped in place, rings have a knack of turning on your finger through the day. To combat this drift, Ouras previous rings housed their sensors in raised domes on the inside surface to maintain contact with your flesh. I never found them uncomfortable, but it was an issue for some, which is why Oura has worked to re-package the sensors to fit flush. In lieu of that, theres now an ugly-ass notch on the ring to indicate the side that should be facing your palm at all times. Since it's easy for the sensors to be out of alignment, youre constantly at risk of poor quality data or, worse, gaps. Oura upped the number of signal pathways from eight on the Ring 3 to 18 here in order to maximize data collection. Plus, a new algorithm hunts for the most efficient way to pull data from those sensors to hopefully ensure gaps are a thing of the past. The Ring 4 is available in a wider number of sizes than its predecessor, fitting fingers from size 4 to 15. With a re-engineered ring comes a re-engineered charging dock thats a lot nicer, too. Unfortunately, its also slightly bigger and heavier, which is a burden when youre taking the ring on a trip lasting longer than seven days. If you already own an Oura Ring 3, then Id say that while the Ring 4 is nicer, more comfortable and more useful, its not so compelling to make you ditch an existing unit in good working order. In use Daniel Cooper for Engadget One downside of Ouras iterative update is that much of what I wrote about the Ring 3 remains true about the Ring 4. Once its on your finger, it should very quickly fade into the background of your day, and its plenty easy to forget. Naturally, youll do all of your interacting with the ring via its mobile app, which is one of the best available for a smart ring. Youll get regular notifications telling you how far through your daily activity goal you are, plus advice on when to get ready for bed. Itll also send the occasional reminder to get up and move if the ring feels youve been sitting for too long. Open the app and youll first be presented with a row of numbers showing your Readiness, Sleep, Activity, Heart Rate and Stress scores. Scroll down and youll get panes with more information about your activity goals, stress metrics and heart rate. If theres an issue, youll also get additional commentary about the problem and suggestions on how to improve. For instance, my resting heart rate dropped in the late evening because Id gone to town on a very big bag of Doritos. The ring knew, and told me that if I kept eating close to my bedtime, Id ruin the quality of my sleep. Keep scrolling and youll find your activity timeline, based on what the ring thinks youve been up to that day. Sadly, in my experience the system will frequently assume youre exercising when it sees movement plus an elevated heart rate. Itll often accuse me of doing some form of rigorous workout when, in reality, Im just going up and down stairs while I get my kids ready for school. If youre doing one type of activity, then itll pick it up as such but if youre chopping and changing for instance by doing circuits then itll be labeled as other. If, in fact, it gets labeled at all: I have had instances where walking to and from my gym was recognised, but nothing I was doing when I was actually working out counted. The app has a number of hidden depths, including the Explore section which hosts a small library of meditation content. Theres also Oura Labs, which is where the company shares its not-ready-for-prime-time features before theyre added to the platform proper. At present, the company is testing Oura Advisor, a conversational AI that gives you the same advice the app would anyway, just in a chat box format. Its also testing an AI-based food-tracking algorithm thatll discern what youre eating from a picture of your meal. Well get into the economics of this down in the Price section, but Oura paywalls a number of key features behind its Membership program. If you dont cough up, you wont get 24/7 heart-rate tracking, temperature monitoring, menstrual cycle insights, SpO2 and VO2 Max analysis. All of these features are essential if youre looking to get even the basic use out of your Ring 4. As for battery life, I wear a size 10 ring and over the last two months Ive fairly regularly wrung seven days out of the device before Im advised to find a charger. Naturally, the bigger rings have a bigger battery, and so your mileage may vary, but the company is promising up to eight days. Having lost a significant amount of weight in 2024, I would often find my Ring 3 sliding clean off my finger. Thankfully, if your ring is paired with your smartphone, youll now be able to see its last-known location through the app. Unfortunately, this is just using your phones GPS, so while youll be able to know if its in your home (or further afield), its no help finding which couch cushion it fell under. Consequently, itll still be worth picking up third-party developer Andreas Assermarks Find My Ring app, which will use the Bluetooth signal strength to help you pinpoint its location. Tracking activity, sleep and stress Daniel Cooper for Engadget Ive never believed wearables, or any consumer-grade health device, can or should be held to the same standard as a clinical model. The smarter approach is to trust the trend and look for patterns rather than obsess if you did 10,000 or 10,001 steps in a day. Especially as, for most people, if youve had a rough night or youre feeling like hell, you probably already know. What Oura offers is a lot of data which, if youre not happy with a single aggregate score, you can drill down into. Thanks to a British Airways snafu, I wasnt able to get my intended flight out to CES on January 4 and was waitlisted for the following day. That was a pretty stressful time given Id be letting the Engadget team down on a pretty crucial and busy week. Looking at the data now, I can see my resting heart rate spiked on Saturday and didnt settle for a few days. Oura also provides a metric for Daytime Stress, which aggregates your heart rate, HRV, motion and body temperature through the day. Whats interesting is that even if the ring is keeping an eye on my heart rate, there are several instances where it stops collecting stress data. For instance, that stressful Saturday, my heart was racing but theres no Stress metric from 7:45 to 11:15. A few days after I had some distressing personal news and while my heart rate spiked to 158bpm, the stress metric disappeared entirely. Ive already griped about the issues with automatic activity detection, even if it gets the bulk of its calls correct. I am often vexed, however, that itll often have a delay between you starting an activity and it beginning to track it. For instance, one of my regular lunchtime walks is to a local landmark 0.8 miles away from my home and back again. But often, the ring wont notice that Im out for a walk until Im a way down the road, curtailing my stats, even if it has my phones GPS to help. These are minor gripes but ones worth knowing if youre thinking about using the ring for more intensive insights. Nobody in their right mind would think about buying a smart ring in place of a smartwatch, but be aware the data youll get is not perfect. Theres one thing that Im very intrigued by, even if Im not in a position to test it right now, which is the recent tie-up between Oura and (Diabetes biosensor company) Dexcom. The partnership, announced November 2024, will see the two companies share data between their respective platforms. Plus, Dexcom has put $75 million behind the ring maker, pushing its valuation north of $5 billion. Price and the Competition The Oura Ring 4 is available for $349 if you opt for the default silver or black colorways. Should your taste extend to brushed silver or stealth, then youll need to pay $399, while the gold or rose gold paint jobs are $499. Before you buy, youll need to order a sizing kit the existing sizing kits are not compatible with the Oura 4 and are available in Size 4 through 15. As explained earlier, key features arent available for use unless you pay $5.99 a month or $70 a year for Oura Membership. Oura has been charging this fee since the launch of the Ring 3 and is, for now, a key plank of its business model. Now, plenty of companies will sell you their hardware and paywall off additional features for you to subscribe for afterward. I suspect the reason the Membership rankles so many people is that the features held back arent just nice to have, theyre essential. On a pragmatic level, small hardware businesses cant survive without the lifeblood recurring revenue from existing customers brings in. $70 a year is, to be blunt, your insurance ensuring that Oura doesnt go belly-up, turning your smart ring into a dumb one. Oura has been good at regularly adding more features to its platform, and allowing users to beta test them in Labs on the way. Plus, the company has been working with academics to help refine its data collection and prove its methods are sound. But the approach of charging for what should be basic features is always likely to rankle the users. And it gives Ouras rivals, which may not be as well-equipped, an easy stick with which to beat the current market leader. Samsungs Galaxy Ring isnt as good as Oura, but it retails for $400 without any additional monthly charges. Ultrahuman, Circular and RingConn all boast they wont charge you extra to use their rings hardware and software features. Wrap-up Daniel Cooper for Engadget The Oura Ring 4 is a stellar piece of hardware, an engineering marvel and a useful companion as you go about your day. If I sound like Ive been nitpicking, its because the overall package is so good that its hard not to focus on the specs of dirt on the otherwise clean plate. The ring and its companion app are well-developed and muscular, offering a useful way to sum up your day. If youre looking to buy a smart ring, then theres little need to explore the wider market unless you are particularly predisposed to buying a Samsung. If theres a downside, its that Oura remains forever constrained by the limitations a smart ring imposes. As I wrote last year, theres only so much data you can collect reliably from such a small device worn on the finger. Not to mention, theyre designed to fade into the background of your life, keeping an eye on your vitals and offering some post-facto tips. If you want something more comprehensive, then its likely a smartwatch is a better option, but for everything else, theres this.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/oura-ring-4-long-term-review-out-ahead-of-its-rivals-150047874.html?src=rss

The BizonTech ZX5500 could well be the fastest PC for creatives ever built.

Threat actors are using malware dubbed FlexibleFerret to target victims.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) stock (NASDAQ: AMD) fell 9% before the bell on Wednesday after the company fell short on sales for its data centers, despite reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. (The stock is down 7% as of midday Wednesday.)Thats because the chipmakers core business is selling data center chips for graphics processing units used to power AI. Its currently going head-to-head with Nvidia for market share of the lucrative, high-powered AI chip market.Shares in Nvidia(NVDA), meanwhile, were up 4% in midday trading Wednesday after Googles parent company,Alphabet, announced it will spend $75 billion in expected capital expenditures in 2025, a majority of which will go into building data centers and servers in an effort to help Google increase its AI capabilities.On Tuesday, AMD reported Q4 revenue that came in at $7.66 billion, beating estimates of $7.54 billion, and an adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.09. Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2025, the chipmaker forecast revenue coming in between $6.8 billion and $7.4 billion.On its earnings call with investors, CEO Lisa T. Su told investors the company sees strong double-digit percentage revenue and EPS growth for 2025, calling 2024 a transformative year for AMD . . . [when we] successfully established our multibillion-dollar data center AI franchise, launched a broad set of leadership products, and gained significant server and PC market share.Also on Wednesday, Truist Securities analyst William Stein reduced the companys price target to $130 a share, down from $145. At the time of this writing, AMD stock was trading at $109.58, near its 52-week low.

The Walt Disney Company posted first-quarter earnings Wednesday that beat on the top and bottom lines but also revealed the start of predicted streaming subscriber losses at its Disney+ service.The service lost 700,000 subscribers over the final three months of 2024, which is the first quarter of Disneys fiscal year 2025. The media and entertainment giant had warned during its fiscal fourth-quarter report in November that it expected a modest decline in core subscribers during the first quarter of 2025.Hulu picks up the streaming slackTotal paid Disney+ subscriptions currently rest at 124.6 million compared with 125.3 million at the end of the fiscal fourth quarter. ESPN+ also saw a loss of 700,000 subscribers, currently at 24.9 million, compared with 25.6 million at the end of last quarter.Though Disney saw losses at Disney+ and ESPN+, total Hulu subscriptions rose to 53.6 million, compared with 52 million at the end of the fiscal fourth quarter.The decrease in subscribers came as a result of an increase in prices that Disney announced in August of 2024. The price rose to $9.99 with ads and $15.99 with no ads, following its announcement of continuous playlists and growing offerings.Disneys earnings beat underscores the success of its cost-cutting initiatives and resilient performance in parks and studios, offsetting headwinds in streaming, Jesse Cohen, a senior analyst at Investing.com, said in an emailed statement. However, the surprising loss of Disney+ subscribersthe first decline since its 2019 launchraises red flags about saturation in a crowded market and the trade-offs of its pricing strategy.Disneys stock was down around 1.5% Wednesday in afternoon trading. Theme parks hampered by extreme weatherDisneys domestic parks and experiences business saw a decline of 5% in operating income due to hurricanes and cruise preopening expenses. However, it did see operating income increase 28% for international parks.Although Disney lost subscribers for Disney+ and saw a decline in domestic park attendance, net income increased nearly 23% to $2.64 billion, compared to $2.15 billion during the same quarter last year. Revenue increased 4.8% to $24.69 billion compared to $23.55 billion from last year.Our results this quarter demonstrate Disneys creative and financial strength as we advanced the strategic initiatives set in motion over the past two years, said CEO Robert Iger in a statement.The companys success was thanks in part to box office performance from its studios, which had the three top movies in 2024: Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Moana 2.Moana 2, released during Q1, grossed more than $1 billion, which was a driving factor behind the improvement in operating results.In its sports-content segment, Disney saw a 13% operating-income growth. The increase came as a result of college sports and one additional NFL game, as well as Disneys exit from the Venu Sports, the planned sports-focused streaming service that Disney and other media giants discontinued earlier this year.The company plans to launch its own direct-to-customer streaming app for ESPN this fall, company executives said on a conference call Wednesday.Disneys streaming business may continue to face headwinds in a crowded marketplace, particularly among price-conscious viewers. While profitability in streaming improved, the subscriber dip suggests price hikes or content gaps may be driving churn, particularly as rivals like Netflix and Amazon Prime retain momentum, Cohen said.Disney told investors on Wednesday that it expects another decline in subscribers during the second quarter.

Skai represents a bold reimagination of urban and regional air mobility. Designed as an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, it integrates advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology with a streamlined, functional design to create an efficient transportation solution. Unlike traditional helicopters that rely on noisy, fuel-guzzling engines or battery-powered drones constrained by limited range and long charging times, Skai provides a cleaner, more efficient alternative. Its hydrogen fuel cells enable flights up to 400 miles per charge with zero emissions, producing only water vapor and heat as byproducts. This makes it an environmentally responsible choice for passenger transport, cargo delivery, medical evacuations, and disaster relief.Designer: BMW DesignworksBMW Designworks played a crucial role in shaping Skais appearance and passenger experience. The exterior maintains aerodynamic efficiency while emphasizing visual appeal. Inside, the cabin is spacious and adaptable, accommodating up to five passengers or supporting 1,000 pounds of cargo. Its versatility makes it ideal for both personal and commercial applications. Whether bypassing traffic as an air taxi or providing emergency relief in hard-to-reach areas, Skai aligns with modern urban demands while prioritizing sustainability.SkaiBuilt for SafetySafety is central to Skais design, making it well-suited for urban air travel where reliability is essential. The aircraft incorporates multiple redundant systems to ensure safe operation. Its six independent rotors, powered by brushless electric motors, allow it to maintain stability even in the event of rotor failure. Redundancy extends to its hydrogen fuel cell systemif one fuel cell stack malfunctions, the others continue providing power. A triple-redundant autopilot system enhances flight stability and control, even during system failures.SkaiEliminating traditional helicopter components like gearboxes and tail rotors reduces potential failure points. Instead, Skai employs a simplified fly-by-wire control system thats resistant to electromagnetic interference. Advanced LIDAR and camera sensors enhance real-time obstacle detection and situational awareness, essential for navigating dense urban airspace. In emergencies, an airframe-mounted parachute deploys if all other systems fail. The carbon fiber composite airframe flexes on impact to mitigate hard landings, while FAA-certified impact-absorbing seats with four-point harnesses further enhance safety. These elements collectively position Skai among the safest eVTOLs designed for urban mobility.Why Hydrogen?Hydrogen fuel cells power Skais propulsion system, offering distinct advantages over traditional battery-powered eVTOLs and fossil-fuel-based helicopters. It provides three times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, enabling extended flight ranges and greater payload capacity without sacrificing performance. This makes it well-suited for applications requiring long-distance travel or rapid turnaround times between flights. Unlike batteries that require hours to recharge, hydrogen fuel cells can be refueled in under 10 minutesa critical advantage for air taxi services and emergency response missions.Beyond operational benefits, hydrogen serves as a sustainable energy source. The fuel cells generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with only water vapor and heat as byproductseliminating carbon emissions entirely. Additionally, 95% of materials used in the fuel cells are reusable, with 99% being recyclable, minimizing long-term environmental impact. Alakai Technologies supports renewable hydrogen production through solar, wind, and hydroelectric power sources, ensuring that Skai remains an environmentally conscious solution throughout its lifecycle. By harnessing hydrogen technology, Skai delivers practical advantages while setting a precedent for sustainable aviation.Quiet, Clean, and ComfortableUrban air mobility faces challenges related to noise pollution and passenger comfortSkai addresses both with thoughtful engineering. Traditional helicopters generate significant noise due to high-speed rotors and combustion engines. Skais six electric rotors operate at low RPMs, substantially reducing noise levels and making it less disruptive in urban environments.Skais InteriorInside, the cabin provides a spacious, comfortable layout. Large panoramic windows enhance visibility, creating an open and inviting atmosphere. Configurable seating arrangements accommodate up to five passengers or convert into cargo space capable of carrying up to 1,000 pounds. BMWs influence is evident in the premium materials and ergonomic seating, ensuring a refined travel experience.Modern technology enhances passenger convenience. Ambient LED lighting and high-speed 5G connectivity allow for a connected and productive journey. Whether used for daily commutes or critical supply transport, Skai combines quiet operation with luxury, redefining air travel in urban settings.Ready for TakeoffWhile Skai remains in the FAA certification process, Alakai Technologies is optimistic about its future adoption across multiple industries. Once certified, large-scale production will begin, with plans to manufacture over 10,000 units annually.SkaiSkais potential applications include:Air taxis: Enabling fast, congestion-free urban travelEmergency response: Delivering medical supplies or conducting rescue missionsCargo logistics: Facilitating rapid regional goods transportMedical evacuations: Providing life-saving transport solutionsWith projected operating costs of around $200 per hoursignificantly lower than traditional helicoptersit presents a cost-effective, high-performance alternative. As global hydrogen infrastructure continues to develop through renewable energy investments, Skai stands poised to lead aviation into a cleaner, more efficient future. Skai redefines urban mobility with sustainable aviation, cutting emissions and congestion while advancing cleaner air travel.The post Skais A New Kind of Flying Machine first appeared on Yanko Design.