North Korean troops have returned to fighting alongside Russia, South Korea's spy agency said.It also said there appears to have been a deployment of fresh troops.Ukraine said in January that at least 3,800 North Koreans had been killed or wounded in the war.North Korean troops have returned to fighting alongside Russia, South Korea's spy agency said, following reports of earlier heavy losses."Following about a monthlong lull, North Korean troops were placed back in the frontline region of Kursk starting in the first week of February," South Korea's National Intelligence Service said in a note to the press seen by South Korean news agency Yonhap."It appears that there has been a deployment of additional troops, but their size is still being examined," the intelligence agency said.The note came after South Korean newspaper The JoongAng cited unnamed sources as saying that Russian cargo ships and military aircraft had transported between 1,000 and 3,000 additional North Korean troops sometime in January or February.Business Insider was unable to independently verify the claim.Last fall, Western and South Korean intelligence agencies said that Pyongyang had sent around 11,000-12,000 troops to fight in Kursk, the Russian region under partial occupation by Ukraine.Russia was estimated to be paying around $2,000 a month per soldier, though the soldiers themselves are unlikely to see much of that.Dmytro Ponomarenko, Ukraine's ambassador to South Korea, told Voice of America in November that Pyongyang would likely maintain a presence of up to 15,000 troops in the war, rotating soldiers every two to three months.He said this could mean 100,000 North Korean troops cycling in and out of combat within a year.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last month that at least 3,800 North Koreans had been killed or wounded in Kursk.The UK's Ministry of Defence also said earlier this month that North Korean units had been withdrawn from frontline positions, likely to rest and refit before being redeployed."This is almost certainly primarily due to heavy losses sustained during attacks against Ukrainian-held positions," it said.Pyongyang has sent some of its best units to Russia special forces including members of its elite 11th Corps, also known as the "Storm Corps," considered to be committed and hardened fighters.But the US said in December that North Korean troops were being sent on "hopeless" human wave assaults against Ukrainian positions, taking more than 1,000 casualties in the space of just one week.According to the Kyiv Independent, Russia has, in recent days, ramped up its attacks in Kursk. The region is considered a key negotiating chip in any coming peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

For a decade, my wifes read receipts have been on without her knowing it. She kept checking her phones settings to see if they were turned off, and they were. But every time I sent her a text, Id see that my message got delivered, and what time she read it. Suffice it to say, this led to some awkward moments.Read receipts are a sore spot for a lot of couples, friends, family members, employers really anyone who sends and receives text messages these days. It wasnt always like this. Just a few years ago, you could send a text and not expect the unwelcome and day-ruining reminder that the recipient had read but failed to respond to your message. But these days, bad manners isnt the only reason why read receipts are bad. They can be an invitation for scammers to target you. And while you can turn them off on iOS and Androids default messaging apps, you might even consider using an entirely different app for your day-to-day texting needs that allow you even more privacy protections.Seriously, though, stop using read receipts on any of your messaging apps. Turn them off. There is little upside to giving away this tiny clue about how youre spending your time and attention. There is plenty of upside to reverting to a more primitive form of communication where you send a text and have no idea what happens to it next. You might even find solace in not knowing if the message was read. Maybe it just got lost in cyberspace, and maybe you should move on with your day rather than fretting.It wasnt that long ago that this is how texting worked. The first text message was sent using SMS, or short message service, technology in 1992 it said Merry Christmas. Ten years later, we got MMS, or multimedia messaging service, which worked like SMS but with images, video, and audio files. Just a few years ago, you could send a text and not expect the unwelcome and day-ruining reminder that the recipient had read but failed to respond to your message. Although a similar feature existed on email, BlackBerry gets credit for the first read receipt on a text message in its BBM instant messaging service, which launched in 2005. At the time, you could not turn off read receipts there, and people quickly realized that it could be bad if their friends knew theyd read a message but had not replied. So BlackBerry forums filled up with tips and tricks to avoid this. Apple made the feature mainstream when it launched iMessage in 2011. It complicated the situation four years later, when it added the ability to send read receipts to certain people but not others. Rich communication services, or RCS, is a messaging protocol that started gaining widespread adoption in the years after iMessage launched, and it brought read receipts to most Android devices.So what is a read receipt? Its actually just a bit of metadata, or bits of information that describe other bits of information. In this case, that includes details about the text message, including the fact that it was opened and at what time. So when someone opens a message, that metadata bounces back to the original sender, whos notified that their message was read. There are also delivery receipts that tell the sender only that the message has reached the recipient (but not that its been read). These are common features in both default messaging apps as well as dedicated messaging platforms, like WhatsApp, Signal, and so on. Unfortunately, you cant turn off delivery receipts like read receipts which, once again, you should.You could argue that read receipts are good. And in some situations, Id agree with that. Parents texting teens, a boss texting an employee, a husband texting a spouse I can see how theres value in just knowing a message was seen and it doesnt create any awkwardness. In other social settings, however, it just creates dissonance.Were getting information that implies a response is forthcoming, and when one isnt, we feel slighted which only makes sense, because the receipt made it possible to even know. Jeffrey A. Hall, a communications studies professor at the University of Kansas, told me. It plays with our expectationsPut differently, a read receipt gets you excited about hearing back from a friend, and when you dont, youre understandably annoyed. If youve ever received a spam text and opened it, for instance, the bad actor on the other end of the exchange knows that youre a person.Theres a darker, more technical side to this. Because read receipts are lines of code that get exchanged between the sender and the recipient of the message, it can be exploited by hackers and scammers. If youve ever received a spam text and opened it, for instance, the bad actor on the other end of the exchange knows that youre a person and will likely target you with more spam texts.It gets worse. In a preprint paper from 2024, researchers from the University of Vienna described a worst-case scenario in which read receipts and delivery receipts which, again, cannot be turned off reveal private information about you and your device without your knowledge or consent. Potentially, youve even used these features yourself in a more harmless way and without any bad intentions, e.g., when your partner is on their way home in an unsafe neighborhood and you know theyre low on battery you could ping them with an arbitrary message and wait for successful delivery to see whether their phone is still on, Gabriel K. Gegenhuber, one of the papers authors, wrote to me in an email. Also, when you message somebody that is on a flight, you would later be notified about the exact time theyve landed.This approach even works in encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal. Things could get even worse if the details of your receipts ended up in the wrong hands.Both delivery and read receipts could be abused by people that are actually close to you, Gegenhuber said. Due to the information they leak, they could be used for stalking and intimate partner abuse.Turning off read receipts is an easy way to avoid both social faux pas and being targeted by scammers and other bad actors. Apple has good guides for turning them off on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, which include instructions for turning them off system-wide as well as for specific people. Google offers one switch to turn them off on Android devices, and heres a guide for that. Then it varies by app. Here are some helpful links for WhatsApp and Signal.You might also consider just ditching the default messaging app on your phone altogether and using one of those third-party apps. Signal, in particular, is an app I like. Its end-to-end encrypted, private by default, run by a nonprofit, and free. You can also expect to avoid spam on it.When someone on Signal receives a message from someone for the first time, they encounter what we call a message request screen, Jun Harada, vice president of partnerships and growth at Signal, told me. That way you can see whats in the message without being able to accidentally click a link or open a file, and without worrying about what information they might be sending back to the sender, Hurada says. In the process of reporting this story, I did manage to figure out why my wife kept getting read receipts for me and me alone. Shed somehow turned them off for everyone else, but I was the last holdout. Now my read receipt privilege has been revoked but you know, Im fine with that.A version of this story was also published in the Vox Technology newsletter. Sign up here so you dont miss the next one!See More:

This story originally appeared in Kids Today, Voxs newsletter about kids, for everyone. Sign up here for future editions.In one of Sara Doans earliest memories, her mom is asking her to sort laundry. Shes about 6 years old, and as the first child in her conservative Catholic family, shes already stepped into her role as manager of housework. Soon shell be cooking, doing dishes, and homeschooling herself while her mom takes care of her seven siblings and her dad works six-day weeks at his auto-body shop, occasionally popping in for elaborate home-cooked lunches.It was unrelenting drudgery, Doan, now a professor of experience architecture at Michigan State University, says of her childhood.I reached out to Doan because I wanted to understand a group I havent heard as much about in discussions about tradwives and their role in American politics and culture: the kids who grow up in ostensibly trad homes. On social media, tradwife influencers (think Hannah Neeleman, who posts on Instagram as @ballerinafarm, or Kelly Havens Stickle) are engaged in a performance of traditional femininity, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a professor of history at Calvin University who studies gender and religion, told me. That performance includes a highly aestheticized vision of motherhood its beautiful, its soft, things are orderly, theres plenty of time to knead the dough and to gather the flowers from outside, Du Mez said. In tradwife content, homeschooling multiple young children while making their meals from scratch looks calm and joyful in fact, creators often present their lifestyle, implicitly or explicitly, as the best, healthiest way to raise kids. The reality, people who grew up or parented under these conditions told me, is more complicated. While high-profile influencers may be performing for an audience (and for potential brand sponsors), many real-life families are living out a less camera-ready version of the lifestyle in conservative Christian circles, Du Mez told me. (Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but more than 3 million kids are homeschooled in the US every year, and about a third of families choose homeschooling for religious reasons.)For some kids in these families, trad life is an upbringing like any other Brianna Bell, a former tradwife whos now a journalist, told me her oldest daughter remembers the trad portion of her childhood as a period when we baked cookies and we did crafts and Daddy worked a lot and you were around all the time. For others, though, growing up trad can mean doing chores and caring for younger siblings instead of playing or learning. And some say their childhood left them unprepared for any life other than becoming a tradwife themselves. You were given one map, Sarah, a former trad kid who asked that her full name not be used, told me, and if that map doesnt work for you, then you have nothing.Its hard to find empirical research on trad families, in part because the term tradwife is relatively new and can have many different meanings. Some conservative Christian stay-at-home moms homeschool their children, and some dont, Du Mez noted, while some Mormon families may ascribe to tradwife-style values but hold very different religious beliefs from evangelicals or Catholics. While some conservative religious families have nine or 10 children, Du Mez said, many have far fewer (the average number of children born per woman in the US is now under two).Meanwhile, many conservative Christian families dont fit the tradwife mold at all, not least because its increasingly difficult for parents to make ends meet on a single income. Still, a lot of conservative Christians nonetheless see a trad setup as an ideal maybe its not for everybody, but kind of the most faithful, Du Mez said.However, a number of ex-tradwives and children of tradwives have begun speaking out about why they left the lifestyle behind. Obviously, those who left may not be a representative sample, but their experiences are diverse. Bell, for example, grew up with a single, working mom but became obsessed with the idea of a particular kind of nuclear family after attending a Baptist church on her own, she told me. She married at 21 and quickly became a stay-at-home mom, raising three children and trying to fit the mold of a sacrificial mother you prioritize your husband and you prioritize your kids and you have to also, above all, prioritize God, she said.Her kids, now 12, 10, and 7, have very positive memories of that time in their lives, Bell told me. But she decided to change her life after reading Christian childrearing books like To Train Up a Child, which advocates beating children with a belt.Everyone around me was saying my children were sinners, and I had to correct the sin in them, Bell told me. I had a really hard time looking at my children as sinners.Deciding not to spank her children, she said, was her first step toward leaving her trad lifestyle behind. In the 2000s and 2010s, three children died after being beaten in manners described in To Train Up a Child. And while no religion or culture has a monopoly on child abuse, homeschooling can isolate kids and make abuse harder to detect, advocates warn.For Doan, meanwhile, homeschooling mostly meant teaching herself. One of the last lessons Doan ever did with her mother was a fifth-grade science exercise on the colors of the rainbow, she recalled. After that, whatever new baby my mother was having was more important than my education.An early and avid reader, Doan was able to piece together her own education with the help of the local library, but chemistry was awful and math was virtually impossible (research suggests that homeschooled kids, in general, take fewer math and science classes than traditionally schooled students, and feel less prepared for college).When she wasnt reading, Doan was cooking, cleaning, or grocery shopping there was an expectation that even for lunch, when my dad was there, we had to have a vegetable, a potato, and a meat, she said. Garlic and onions were banned because her father didnt like them.Trad living isnt just about stay-at-home motherhood or home-cooked food a core tenet for many conservative Christian families who live this way is that God commands women to submit to their husbands authority, Du Mez said. For Enitza Templeton, that meant spending hours making complex meals for her husband, including homemade bread hours she couldnt spend with her kids. Youre not really getting to be the mother you want to be, she said. Youre not truly getting to love your children the way you want. Youre really more abiding to these rules that your husband has set up for you, that your religion has set up for you.Templeton, who has four children, told me she started thinking about divorce after realizing the effect her lifestyle could have on her daughters: Im showing them this example of the tradwife life, she thought, and theyre going to follow that.Today, she and her ex-husband share custody of the kids, and Templeton tries to emphasize to them that they dont have to have children if they dont want to. Im just constantly trying to get them to see and understand that the world has endless options for them, she said.Its not a lesson Sarah received growing up in her conservative evangelical community; girls were expected to become stay-at-home moms when they grew up. A tradwife lifestyle requires women to totally vacate their own lives, to relinquish any sort of autonomy or responsibility to know themselves, or to figure out what their place is in the world, because its already prescribed for you, she said.Even though Sarah chose to work, travel, and not have children, shes still found herself recreating the dynamics of her upbringing in her own life. It takes so long to undo that self-abandonment thats taught to you from such a young age, she said.For Doan, its even hard for me to know, like, what do I want for dinner, she told me. Because I was never allowed to want anything.While families leading any sort of trad lifestyle are a minority in the US, theyre getting outsized attention now as Trump and members of his administration valorize families with many children, criticize child-free people, and back further restrictions on reproductive rights. In a historical moment where there is an assault on feminism and assault on womens rights, tradwife content attempts to send the message that this isnt coercive, Du Mez said. Its actually going to liberate women to live their best lives.But Doan has a different message for children growing up in trad homes today. Hold tight to whatever makes you human, she said. You are worthy, and it gets so much better when you can leave.What Im readingThe chancellor of the New York City schools, the nations largest school district, issued a statement this week reaffirming the districts support for LGBTQ+ students, after President Trump issued an executive order targeting trans kids experience in schools.Some hospitals are resuming gender-affirming care for youth after an executive order threatening to withdraw federal funding from hospitals that provide such care was blocked by federal judges.An Idaho bill to eliminate all maximum child-to-adult ratios in child care facilities has advocates concerned about the quality and safety of early education programs.My older kid has been enjoying the Amulet graphic novel series, which is very beautifully illustrated and sort of reminds me of Myst. (Warning: There is some family tragedy and peril, and I will admit I have skipped some parts during bedtime reading.)From my inboxIn response to my essay last week on Arnold Lobels Owl at Home, reader Dennis Recio wrote that he still returns to the book from time to time, even at age 53. I think whats interesting about Owl at Home is the curious way there are no other persons in the story other than the owl, Recio said. He relates to an interior world all by himself and while he has some connection to nature the snow (which is the guest) or the moon, which follows him home there is a real sense of being with yet alone happening in this book.Ive also been watching the Trump administrations cuts to national parks, and Id love to hear from you about your experiences with these protected lands. Did you take a meaningful trip to a national park as a child? Have you taken the kids in your life to one of the parks? You can get in touch with national park (or any other) stories at anna.north@vox.com. See More:

When we think of Nintendo we picture serene and cosy cartoon adventures filled with cute creatures and lovable Italian stereotypes. But while there is plenty of Mario on the Switch, the console offers a diverse range of delights for newcomers and longtime gaming veterans. Here are the 15 essentials.Animal Crossing: New HorizonsA virtual paradise Animal Crossing: New Horizons screenshot. Photograph: NintendoThe cosy life sim returned with new characters, chill activities, and endless knick-knacks with which to decorate your own virtual paradise. Create a dream island and then invite friends over for tea.Why we love it: Animal Crossing is everything I have been craving: it is gentle, soothing, social and creative. Read the full review.Fire Emblem: Three HousesEngrossing Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Photograph: NintendoLead your feisty war-students on to the battlefield in this engrossing, complex and endearingly melodramatic tactical role-playing adventure from Intelligent Systems.Why we love it: By turns grandiose and silly, but always engrossing, this bubbling school soap opera is a game to spend a summer with. Read the full review.HadesRogue-like dungeon crawler Hades. Photograph: Supergiant GamesAn award-winning rogue-like dungeon crawler in which your many attempts to slay all the monsters in the underworld are wonderfully interrupted by suggestive conversations with horny gods.Why we love it: Interesting things happen all the time, in conversations and chance encounters as well as in battles, and no matter how long I spend with Hades I feel like I am only just getting acquainted with it. Read the full review.Hollow KnightAtmospheric Hollow Knight. Photograph: Team CherryAn eerie, atmospheric blend of platforming, tense fighting and exploration, set in an obtuse subterranean world of prowling beasties and expressionistic vistas. Dark Souls meets Metroid but full of insects.Why we love it: A game that worms its way into your subconscious the excellent sound design and animation are noteworthy, too.Kirby and the Forgotten LandZingy appeal Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Photograph: NintendoNintendos beloved pink blob has a 3D adventure in the cutest ever postapocalyptic world. Weird new abilities and a decent co-op mode add to the zingy appeal.Why we love it: Has surprisingly cinematic flair, and many of the levels are broken up by impressively slick cutscenes. A rip-roaring orchestral soundtrack also helps elevate this adorable heros outing. Read the full review.Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildUtterly ingenious Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Photograph: NintendoLink returns to a drastically reimagined Hyrule in order to save Zelda from naughty tyrant Ganon. An utterly ingenious take on the open-world adventure, crammed with charming ideas. Its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, is also a brilliant follow-up.Why we love it: A game that marries the best bits of the franchises long history with the best bits of the rest of the gaming world, and produces something even greater than the sum of its parts. Read the full review.Mario Kart 8 DeluxeBrilliant Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Photograph: NintendoThe greatest cartoon racing game in history, lusciously updated to include 48 circuits and a vast array of drivers. The brilliant multiplayer makes it a mandatory purchase for Switch owners.Why we love it: Mario Kart is a vehicle for fun with all your friends and family, no matter their individual skill, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best, most versatile version of that yet. Read the full review.Pokmon Legends: ArceusTruly explorable Pokmon Legends: Arceus. Photograph: NintendoA complete reinvention of the classic Pokmon adventure, with a more challenging capture system and a truly explorable open-world environment. One for Pokmon veterans who are tired of the same old formula newcomers should go for Pokmon Sword and Shield instead.Why we love it: This ambitious reboot sets Pokmon on an exciting new trajectory, finally recapturing a lost sense of adventure That gleeful sense of excitement is back. Read the full review.Sea of StarsEpic Sea of Stars. Photograph: Sabotage StudioA gorgeous, heartfelt tribute to the classic Japanese role-playing games of the 1990s, with a typically epic story of magic and adventure, and tense turn-based battles.Why we love it: Attention to detail is what makes the game such a fabulous way to while away evenings Sea of Stars is no shallow mirror of RPGs past. Its depth and sparkle make it a modern classic in its own right. Read the full review.Splatoon 3Multiplayer mayhem Splatoon 3. Photograph: NintendoAnother round of paint-splattered multiplayer mayhem for people who like the idea of online shooters but cant deal with the guns, gore and glorification of military hardware.Why we love it: Splatoon 3 doesnt offer something different, it offers more: more fashions, more modes, more ways to spend time in its messy, chaotic universe, alone or together. It is delightful to be back. Read the full review.Stardew ValleyThe cosiest of cosy games Stardew Valley. Photograph: ConcernedApeA beautiful homage to the Harvest Moon series, in which you farm, explore and socialise to your hearts content. The cosiest of cosy games.Why we love it: Part farming sim, part role-playing adventure, Stardew Valley was the surprise indie hit of the year, offering charm, wit and a beautiful little world.Super Mario OdysseyUtterly delightful Super Mario Odyssey. Photograph: NintendoWhen predatory Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach yet again, Mario takes his sentient hat across the galaxy, from deserts to the big city, to track her down with utterly delightful results.Why we love it: A truly joyful, fizzily creative game that revels in the pleasures of movement and surreal humour. Read the full review.Super Mario Bros WonderA modern family classic Super Mario Bros Wonder. Photograph: NintendoMario returns to his side-scrolling roots in this 2023 adventure which is rich, not only in nostalgia, but in inventive and vaguely hallucinogenic new ideas. A modern family classic.Why we love it: This is a wonderful introduction to the fizzy creativity and attention to detail that has made Mario a family staple for nearly 40 years. Read the full review.Super Smash Bros UltimateUnconventional brawler Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Photograph: Patrick Lum/NintendoNintendos unconventional multiplayer brawler returns with a diverse cast of pugilists from Pac-Man to Solid Snake. A staple competitive game that has been at the centre of countless housemate rivalries.Why we love it: A palpable love of video games infuses everything, and references to their colourful history are omnipresent, from iconic and world-famous series to esoteric games that you thought nobody else even remembered. Read the full review.Tetris 99Legendary Tetris 99. Photograph: NintendoThe legendary falling-block puzzler somehow returns as a battle royale multiplayer face-off and once you get over how weird that is, you find you cant stop playing.Why we love it: Im pathetically unable to stop playing it twice, while writing these words, I had to stop and play another round. Like all battle royale games, your every sweet taste of almost-success makes you hungry for more. Read more here.

Looking for a gaming keyboard with Hall Effect sensors? Then the Lemokey L5 HE 8K from Keychron could be just what you're looking for here's why you should consider itTech11:25, 27 Feb 2025Updated 12:20, 27 Feb 2025The Lemokey L5 HE 8K is a fantastic keyboard for work and play(Image: Lloyd Coombes)As Ive mentioned before, I love a mechanical keyboard. A board with the right feel and sound can do wonders when youre hammering away at it for upwards of 9 hours a day, and that means Im also looking for new options.You may not know a great deal about Lemokey, but the company, which essentially forms Keychrons gaming section, is gaining momentum in the space.With the Lemokey L5 HE 8K available on Kickstarter, should you invest? It depends what youre looking for in a premium keyboard, but after using it for weeks, Id find it hard to give it up.One of the biggest draws here is that the L5 HE 8Ks HE part of its name comes from Hall Effect the idea of changing electrical currents to mean you can press keys with varying levels of pressure.Its not new tech, but it is the kind of thing thatll be commonplace as time goes on. Does it give a competitive advantage? Yes, but dont expect to become a Valorant champion just from switching keyboards although being able to adjust the actuation of keys 0.01mm at a time is certainly impressive.Those cut-out lights are a nice idea(Image: Lloyd Coombes)Thats paired with an 8,000Hz polling rate that means inputs are fast. Ive not used a stopwatch for testing because were talking a few milliseconds here, but rest assured the Lemokey L5 HE 8K is like lightning, particularly when pressing the same key.It's a very nice keyboard to use(Image: Lloyd Coombes)Lets cut to one of the deciding factors though theres no getting around the fact that this thing weighs 1.8kg.Its a hefty chunk of metal, and that wont be for everyone. Our review unit is the black variant with opaque keys (there are transparent ones), but as with anything Keychron or Keychron-adjacent, much of it is customisable.Lemokey uses its own version of Keychrons Launcher software, which means remapping keys, adjusting actuation, and tweaking the RGB lighting is easy. That lighting is more prominent than many of Keychrons own boards, too, with a slick cutout on the back that allows the board to illuminate your desk. Its a nice touch, but you also have the Launcher to tweak it to your liking.I tested the Lemokey L5 HE 8K on PC and enjoyed playing games like Overwatch, Valorant, and more, and then switched to Mac to use it for work. Launcher let me quickly tweak the keys between the two, but there are some replacement caps in the box too.I didn't love the knob(Image: Lloyd Coombes)Theres also a nice chunky USB-C cable, and herein lies my main complaint theres no wireless option (at least not yet). Keychron has some fantastic wireless boards, but the Lemokey L5 HE 8K is wired only for now.My only other issue is the volume knob. Theres a nice click to it, but its concave design doesnt appeal as much as Keychrons Q1 and others, and theres not quite the same level of resistance. Its a small gripe, I admit, and you may prefer its smoother action.Speaking of smooth, Id be remiss to close out this review without mentioning just how good this keyboard sounds. Its got the right amount of thock with every keypress, and the space bar in particular has a sort of bounce to it thats satisfying from the first press to the thousandth.Article continues belowIts weight wont appeal to everyone and the lack of wireless is a shame, but the Lemokey L5 HE 8K is a great-looking, great feeling board thats future-proofed as far as Hall Effect goes. - 4.5/5Review unit provided by the manufacturer

NateTheHate, who correctly predicted the format and date of the original Nintendo Switch 2 reveal in January, says Nintendo is planning to reveal something about the console soonTech11:18, 27 Feb 2025Could Pokemon Presents give us Switch 2 news?(Image: The Pokemon Company)The Switch 2 was finally revealed last month, but we're still some way away from that big April 2 reveal of the console.That special Nintendo Direct will give us information on the price and when we can play it, as well as potentially sharing the console's launch game lineup.Now, one insider has posted something which has fans expecting an update on the console as soon as this week which would certainly be welcome as time slows to a crawl ahead of the official reveal.There is going to be plenty of Pokemon announcements (Image: The Pokemon Company)Industry insider NateTheHate, who knew the day the Switch 2 would be revealed, and who correctly suggested it would be focused on hardware and not games, has posted a poll on YouTube asking if Nintendo is likely to make some kind of Switch 2 announcement.On the surface of it, it's an innocuous enough question to the community, but some on the Switch 2 Reddit have suggested NateTheHate only tends to post polls when they believe news is incoming."This was just a fun poll based on the ongoing rumors of Nintendo doing something this month," NateTheHate insisted. "This was not a poll meant to tease. If Nintendo does anything this week, it's pure coincidence."Today marks Pokemon day, and with the series being a huge system-seller all the way back to the Game Boy for Nintendo, there's every chance we get a reveal for something.While Pokemon Legends: Z-A is still slated for the first Switch, could we be about to get hints at the future of the franchise on Nintendo's new hardware?It's hard to say, but as Pokemon's Senior Director of Marketing Peter Murphy told us, "Game Freak are always able to surprise".Article continues belowPersonally, I'd take a chance to revisit Scarlet and Violet again on more powerful hardware, but with Pokemon Presents at 2pm UK time today, we won't have long to wait.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

Were keeping the clown make-up on stand-by, just in case (Valve)A seemingly minor update to Dota 2 is enough to spark speculation that Half-Life 3 is nearing completion.Rumours of Valve making Half-Life 3 have persisted for years, to the point where theyre now considered more meme than rumour, but things did ratchet up in the second half of 2024 to the point where theyre sounding almost believable.The purported evidence mostly comes from datamining of other Valve titles, which contain files for a project codenamed HLX, as well as claims of a new Half-Life being playtested in recent months.Were now nearly three months into 2025 and YouTuber Tyler McVicker, whos been pushing Half Life 3s existence for a while, believes the newest datamine discoveries could point to a formal announcement this year.Its always worth remembering that Valve has cancelled far more projects than theyve ever released, including multiple iterations of Half-Life 3. McVicker is confident that this newest attempt has avoided a similar fate, but we wouldnt count on anything until its sitting on your hard drive.Nevertheless, in his latest video, McVicker references how whenever Valve breaks for the Christmas period, projects that were in development beforehand tend to get scrapped once everyone gets back from their holidays, citing Left 4 Dead 3 as an example.Valve has also often abandoned or re-evaluated projects after the kind of external playtesting HLX is believed to have gone through. According to McVicker, though, the latest update to Valves Dota 2 proves that HLX is alive and kicking and apparently nearing the end of development.McVicker does admit that all the strings of new code found in the updates arent particularly important, covering small changes to the games graphics engine. For the record, since 2015, all of Valves games, including Half-Life: Alyx, have been built with Source 2.However, these changes pertain to optimisation and polishing, which McVicker says are indicative of Valve reaching the end of a production cycle.Basically, whatever Valves new game is, its nearing completion and thus McVicker thinks it will be annouced later this year. Something fans also suspected Mike Shapiro, the voice of the series G-Man character, teased in his New Years message.If this is the case, theres no telling when or where Valve would make such an announcement. Summer Game Fest is perhaps the safest bet and were sure Geoff Keighley would be thrilled to host a Half-Life 3 reveal.More TrendingIf we were feeling particularly spicy, wed say it could be a surprise third party reveal at the April Nintendo Direct for the Nintendo Switch 2.The consoles new mouse controller functionality could be of great interest to Valve, although traditionally theyve shown little enthusiasm for supporting Nintendo platforms.The Switch has proven far more popular than Valves own Steam Deck, but Valve likely makes enough money through Steam to outweigh any risks it takes on hardware. Plus, for a game with Half-Life 3s status, Valve may want to keep it exclusive to its Steam platform, at least at first.Ultimately, this all remains speculation and HLX may very well be a different Half-Life project altogether. For example, Half-Life: Alyx is still meant to be getting a sequel, although theres been nothing to suggest HLX is a VR title. It has been nearly five years since Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

A new Game Of Thrones video game for consoles is long overdue (TellTale)In the wake of Warner Bros. shutting down three of its studios, the source that broke the story shares what he knows about its current slate of upcoming games.With not one, not two, but three studios being shut down by Warner Bros. this week, the company is unlikely to have any major new video game releases until possibly the next decade. Especially now its Wonder Woman game has been cancelled.Warner Bros. likely planned to ride on the successes of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and MultiVersus for as long as possible, but both games underperformed enough for their plugs to be pulled within a year of release. And with Mortal Kombat 1 apparently not selling too well either, the company is in need of another win, besides Hogwarts Legacy.The only projects confirmed to be in the works are Hogwarts Legacy 2 and the Game Of Thrones: Kingsroad mobile game (the latter of which is being handled externally at Netmarble) although Bloombergs Jason Schreier, who broke the story of the studio shutdowns, has provided some insight into what else the publisher is planning.Firstly, Gotham Knights developer WB Games Montral is in the process of pitching a new Game Of Thrones game, presumably for consoles. There hasnt been a console Game Of Thrones title since the 2015 Telltale game (unless you count the 2018 Nintendo Switch port of mobile strategy game Reigns: Game Of Thrones) and no big budget action game of any kind.However, Warner Bros. identified Game Of Thrones as one of four franchises it wanted to focus on (along with DC Comics, Harry Potter, and Mortal Kombat), so a AAA title does seem long overdue.So overdue, in fact, that its now probably more likely to be based on one of the many spin-off shows, rather than the original series.Speaking on the Kinda Funny podcast, Schreier suggested that WB Games Montral were in danger of being downgraded into a support studio, after plans for a Gotham Knights half-sequel, in the vein of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and a Flash game were cancelled.According to Schreier, higher-ups at Warner Bros felt the studio couldnt be trusted to make new games after the failure of Gotham Knights.As such, a lot of their staff were sent to work not just on Wonder Woman but various other projects within the company, although Warner Bros. never formally turned the developer into a support studio.More TrendingIts unclear if its Game Of Thrones pitch will be picked up, but Warner Bros. Montral is believed to be working on a new DC project too, based on a 2024 job listing. But Schreier didnt mention anything about that.What he did say though, is that Travellers Tales next Lego game is apparently aiming for a release either this year or 2026. While Schreier refrained from saying what it is, previous rumours point to it being a Harry Potter game, possibly one done in the same style as Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.These two titles are on top of the Hogwarts Legacy directors cut thats reportedly in the works, which will feature new DLC and is said to be coming out this year. Original developer Avalanche Software is handling that, but Suicide Squads Rocksteady is assisting as well.Schreier also reiterated that Rocksteady is making a new Batman game. He couldnt validate the rumour of it being a Batman Beyond game though, admitting he hadnt even heard of that rumour before and theorising that its too early for even Rocksteady to know what the premise will be. A genuine possibility or just wishful thinking? (Warner Bros.)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

When the World Came to Montreal: The Urban Legacy of Canadas Expo 67Save this picture!Around the Canada Pavillion in 1967. Image Cortomaltais via Wikipedia under license CC-BY-SA-4.0Canada's Expo 67 stands as one of the most successful world expos ever held, setting records and leaving an enduring impact on Montreal's urban landscape. As part of Canada's 100 years celebrations, the event provided an opportunity for the city to showcase its cultural and technological achievements on a global platform. With over 50 million visitors in just six months, it shattered attendance records, including an astonishing 569,500 visitors in a single day. An unprecedented feat for a world fair at the time. Now, 58 years later, and with the Osaka Expo 2025 set to showcase how to design the future society for our lives, it is worth revisiting the legacy of Expo 67 and exploring the urban transformations it brought to Montreal.Despite its eventual success, Expo 67 faced considerable obstacles during its early planning stages. Political and logistical issues threatened to derail the project, and public support within Canada was initially low. However, the commitment of Montreal's mayor, Jean Drapeau, and a team of dedicated organizers ensured its realization. The funding was structured as a three way partnership, with the federal government contributing 50 percent, Qubec providing 37.5 percent, and the city of Montreal covering the remaining 12.5 percent. In just four and a half years, a significantly shorter timeline than most world expos, the construction was completed, marking an impressive achievement for the country.Save this picture!One of the features of Expo 67 was its innovative site, which was located on artificial islands in the St. Lawrence River. Instead of selecting an existing landmass, Mayor Drapeau supported the creation of Notre Dame Island and the expansion of Sainte-Hlne Island. This new land was connected to downtown Montreal by the recently inaugurated metro system. Despite its construction starting many years before the World Fair, the opening of Expo 67 helped to increase the Metro's popularity. By the end of 1966, when the metro had been open for only 2.5 months, riders had already made 32.1 million trips on the system, reaching 300 million by 1967. Related Article First Look at Expo 2025 Osaka: Previewing Sou Fujimoto's Masterplan and the Initial National Pavilion Designs The construction of the islands required a massive amount of material. According to Montreal Historian Bruno Paul Stenson, the urban legend that says the islands were built from excavated soil from the metro construction is actually not true. In fact they only contributed around 10% of the material. The majority of it was sourced by dredging the river and demolishing Green Island and Round Island, with thousands of trucks transporting the materials over Jacques Cartier Bridge every day.Save this picture!The event also started extensive infrastructure developments throughout Montreal. Major roads such as the Bonaventure Autoroute, the Dcarie Expressway, and the Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine Tunnel were upgraded or constructed to accommodate the anticipated influx of visitors. Additionally, significant architectural projects, including Place Bonaventure and the Chteau Champlain Hotel, emerged as part of the city's modernization efforts.Save this picture!Visitors to Expo 67 had various modes of transportation available to navigate the expansive fairgrounds. The Expo Express provided rapid transit, while the Minirail offered a slower monorail experience. Pedicabs allowed for a more leisurely exploration, and boats glided through the site's canals, adding to the immersive experience. Official guides were also present to assist guests, and a 3D map provided an overview of the exhibition's layout.Save this picture!Save this picture!One of the most iconic architectural contributions of the event was Habitat 67, a revolutionary housing project designed by Moshe Safdie. Originally conceived as his master's thesis, the modular structure aimed to address the challenges of urban housing by merging the benefits of individual homes with the density of apartment living. Situated on an area of the expo site known as Cit du Havre, Habitat 67 became a symbol of forward-thinking architecture and remains a prominent landmark in Montreal's skyline.Save this picture!After the exposition concluded in October 1967, the site continued to operate as an exhibition known as "Man and His World", which remained active during the summer months until 1984. For example, one iconic structure built for the occasion was Frei Otto's German Pavilion, which he designed in collaboration with Rolf Gutbrod. However, since many of the buildings were not designed for long-term use, they eventually fell into disrepair and were dismantled. Despite this, several key structures survive and continue to play significant roles in the city's landscape.Save this picture!Among the most recognizable remnants is Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome, which originally served as the American Pavilion. Now repurposed as the Montreal Biosphere, it functions as an environmental museum. Habitat 67 remains a functioning residential complex and was designated a historic monument in 2009. Additionally, the former French and Quebec pavilions were transformed into the Casino de Montral. The original site of Expo 67 has since been rebranded as Parc Jean-Drapeau, a public space that hosts major events, including music festivals and the annual Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.Save this picture!The transportation and architectural advancements that emerged from the expo continue to shape Montreal's modern identity, reinforcing its place as a center of culture and innovation. Today, it remains a defining moment in the city's history. It not only celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation but also demonstrated its ability to host a world-class event. More than five decades later, its legacy endures in the structures, transportation networks, and cultural landmarks that continue to shape Montreal's identity. Today, it serves as a reminder of a time when the world came together to celebrate human achievement and progress. This year, the Osaka Expo 2025Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorMoises CarrascoAuthorCite: Moises Carrasco. "When the World Came to Montreal: The Urban Legacy of Canadas Expo 67" 27 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027277/when-the-world-came-to-montreal-the-urban-legacy-of-canadas-expo-67&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

House in Sotogrande / Fran Silvestre ArquitectosSave this picture! Fernando GuerraHousesSotogrande , SpainArchitects: Fran Silvestre ArquitectosAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:802 mPhotographsPhotographs:Fernando GuerraMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Situated in front of the Sotogrande golf course, the layout of this house invites you to experience the shade created between the ground plane and the roof that extends above it. A generous overhang not only provides refuge from the intense sun of Cdiz but also protects against the heavy rains that descend from the Sierra de Grazalema, the area with the highest rainfall in the Iberian Peninsula.Save this picture!Save this picture!In a highly recessed part of the building, a wooden structure unfolds, providing the rooms with the necessary privacy while bringing the desired warmth to every corner. Four distinct boundaries emerge that define the spatiality of the house: the ground plane, the shadow generated by the architectural overhang, the glass that allows for efficient climate control inside, and finally, the cozy limit of the wood.Save this picture!Access to the home is from the upper street, a strategic point that offers a privileged view of the water roof and the landscape. The water surface of the roof acts as thermal and acoustic insulation. The layer of water regulates the building's temperature, functioning as an insulator, absorbing heat during the day and slowly releasing it at night, reducing the need for heating and air conditioning.Save this picture!One of the requirements for the home was that the materials used have a warm tone. Internally, the compact program is distributed through a central communication core that gathers the skylights illuminating the central spaces and allowing access to the upper water surface.Save this picture!Save this picture!The roof planes and the zero elevation plane are carefully shifted to create a covered entrance that invites you in, as well as an infinity pool that extends over the golf course. The goal is to minimize impact on the environment, to live between two planes, promoting the experience of something as simple as a shaded space in Sotogrande.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on February 27, 2025Cite: "House in Sotogrande / Fran Silvestre Arquitectos" [Casa en Sotogrande / Fran Silvestre Arquitectos] 27 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027442/house-in-sotogrande-fran-silvestre-arquitectos&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream