Konami has announced a new entry to the long-running Suikoden series, but the upcoming game, titled Suikoden Star Leap, will only be available for iOS and Android devices. Additionally, Suikoden Star Leap will be a free-to-play title, and players can expect to encounter some in-game microtransactions.

When Wednesdayseason 2 premieres on Netflix later in 2025, fans will be happy to see more of the perfectly sarcastic Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega). Now that she's been at Nevermore Academy for a year, she's adjusted to being away from home, made some new friends despite her best efforts, and uncovered the identity of the horrifying Hyde Monster. Wednesday will also interact with quite a few new cast members as viewers have said goodbye to some characters and are getting ready to welcome some new ones.

The birdman returns in the next-gen remake of Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4, coming to PS5 and PS4 on July 11. The legendary skateboarding series first launched on the original PlayStation in 1999, and the shreds not dead. Its back and better than ever.Skate the original content rebuilt from the ground up joined by new skaters, parks, tricks, music, and more, including enhanced creation tools and New Game+ to keep the grind going.Play VideoHeres whats coming down the halfpipe:Prepare to shredSkate through two challenge-filled tours in Career, chase high scores in Single Sessions and Speedruns, or take your time nailing tricks and exploring each park in Free Skate.Bring your skate friends along, too. Cross-platform online multiplayer supports up to eight skaters at a time. Go head-to-head in competitive game modes or skate every surface together in multiplayer Free Skate. Whichever mode you play, the games smooth handling and simple-to-learn controls will have you grinding and landing tricks in no time.Classic and new parks, New Game+Skate the original parks from THPS3 and THPS4 remade in 4K resolution and given streamlined goals in the two-minute format along with some new parks to expand your skating options. Tackle dozens of challenges to earn in-game cash and unlock new gear including new skate decks, grip tapes, wheels for your board, and extra apparel for your skater.Shred harder than ever in New Game+, retaining your skaters stat growth achieved in the first playthrough as you work toward true mastery over each of the parks.WaterparkIn the new Waterpark map, skaters drop into the Mojave Desert in an abandoned theme park thats seen better days, its slides rusted, graffiti on the walls, and a drained-out lazy river creating the perfect skate obstacle for circling the park. Skip the line and head straight to the top of several huge water slides, testing your grind balance and vert abilities on the way down.New skaters, tricks, songsHit up the park with new skaters joining the original lineup or create your own skater with in-depth customization options for hair, tattoos, makeup, and more. Pick your skaters name, hometown, skating style, and get out there with your arsenal of new and classic tricks.If youre feeling rusty, the in-game tutorial led by Tony Hawk will get you started with lessons on the all-important ollie, kickflips, vert tricks, grinds, reverts, manuals, special tricks, and everything you need to become a high-score skater, all set to songs from the original soundtrack expanded with new music.Skate the Foundry DemoPreorder THPS 3 + 4 to skate in the Foundry Demo in June featuring two playable skaters, two parks, and a selection of songs from the soundtrack. Players who preorder the game also gain instant access to the in-game Wireframe Tony Shader at launch.Digital Deluxe Edition: Early Access and morePurchase the Digital Deluxe Edition to join the Early Access period starting three days before the games official July 11 launch date. Plus, get access to some sick in-game extras:Extra skaters: Get evil with Doom Slayer and Revenant. Both skaters include a pair of unique special tricks for some truly sick moves suited to their demonic style.Extra tracks: Expand the in-game soundtrack with a selection of headbanging tunes inspired by a classic video game.Extra skate decks, apparel: Get additional skate decks including designs inspired by Doom Slayer and Revenant, plus extra apparel options for your skater.Collectors Edition: limited-edition skate deckThe Collectors Edition is for the most dedicated skaters including a limited-edition full-size Birdhouse skateboard deck with a reissued version of the Wings graphic and a printed Tony Hawk autograph. The Collectors Edition includes a physical copy of the game with a voucher giving access to all the Digital Deluxe Edition benefits.Get shreddingPreorders are now available for Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4, which launches on PS5 and PS4 on July 11. Stay tuned for more information to come.

Monster Hunter Wilds is an unbelievably fussy game when it comes to combat, especially if youre new. Youve got a weapon that takes a fighting game brain to memorize its moveset, pockets full of items that do something other than healing you, and a monster trying to kick your ass. Trying to manage it all without getting your fingers tangled is a challenge, but theres a setting you can change that can make combat much easier.Focus mode is huge in Monster Hunter Wilds. By default, when you hold left trigger on a controller (or alt on PC), Focus mode will activate and highlight big orange gashes on the monster youre fighting. Hitting those wounds will make you deal extra damage and get you bonus monster parts for crafting items theres really no downside to it.Holding down a button while trying to dance around a monster is kind of a pain as the fights get harder later in the game. Theres a trick for this that lets you turn focus mode on and off like a light switch, freeing a whole finger to do other things. Once I enabled the option to toggle focus mode on and off, my life as a dual blades user became significantly easier. Ranged weapon players, however, probably wont benefit from this all that much.Heres how to enable toggle focus mode in the Monster Hunter Wilds option menu.Open the pause menu and select optionsSwap over to the controls tab and flip to page 2 of 3Under Aim/Focus Mode Controls change the Melee Weapons mode from Activate Mode to Toggle ModeId also recommend increasing the focus mode camera sensitivity so youre not stuck in the mud while you have it on. Heres how to do that.Open the pause menu and select optionsMove to the camera tab and make sure youre on page 1 of 4Look for the Camera Speed options with the focus mode button and increase the horizontal and vertical values to something like 10Now you can tap your focus mode button to turn it on when youre taking swings at the monster and leave it on until you have to run away. Some weapons, like the insect glaive, actually nudge you toward your target when youre in focus mode, which means youll whiff fewer swings with it on, too.Youre now authorized to hunt those monsters with your newfound knowledge.

A Seattle court has awarded Nintendo $7,030,158 as a default judgment against two counterfeit amiibo sellers, per newly filed court documents reviewed by Polygon.Nintendo and Amazon filed a joint lawsuit in October 2023 against a group of counterfeit sellers that allegedly sold fake Nintendo goods. Through the lawsuit, the companies learned the identities of the sellers, but the sellers failed to respond to the lawsuit. Nintendo and Amazon asked the court in early February to issue a default judgment in their favor and to order the sellers to pay more than $7 million in damages related to trademark violations. Seattle district judge Marsha J. Pechman agreed with Nintendos assessment of the situation and awarded Nintendo the more than $7 million it asked for. The sellers are also ordered to cease creating then selling counterfeit Nintendo products, or products that otherwise infringe on Nintendos trademarks, on Amazon. Amazon shut down the sellers accounts before its original complaint was filed in 2023.Nintendo utilizes both internal and external resources to combat counterfeit and infringing products, lawyers wrote in the original complaint. Nintendo works with a third-party brand protection service vendor on the detection and removal of product listings violating Nintendos IP rights that are identified and sold in Amazons stores. Nintendo works regularly and collaboratively with Amazon to identify counterfeit Nintendo products and to strengthen automated detection and removal of the products from Amazons stores.Nintendo and Amazon originally alleged the sellers sold at least $2,343,386 worth of product a lot of amiibo cards, essentially.[The] counterfeiting scheme caused harm to Nintendos reputation and goodwill, as well as direct financial harm in the form of lost sales, lawyers wrote in a document trying to convince the court to enter a default judgment in Amazon and Nintendos favor, filed in February. Nintendo and Amazon said in that earlier document that statutory damages could technically range from $27,000 to $54,000,000 each, but that $7,030,158 triple the sales of each seller was sufficient.This amount is conservative and on the low end of the range of damages available for Defendants wrongdoing, but it is significant enough to provide deterrence against future counterfeiting conduct, lawyers wrote in February.

This week, I'm taking a look at a brain-rot creator Cookie King, whose constant output of brain-rot videos is shaping the internal lives of millions of kids under 15. I'm also taking a look at what people think ChatGPT would be like if it were a person, introducing the clueless to Beabadoobee, and dunking on "millennial burger joints."Meet Cookie King, the brain behind the brain rotI think of brain-rot internet memes as springing fully formed from the collective unconscious of the internet like Athena sprang from the head of Zeus, but the culture vultures at KnowYourMeme tracked down the actual person who is probably most responsible for brain-rot. Demir Basceri, known as Cookie King to his millions of followers, has probably done more to create and define the brain-rot aesthetic than anyone else. Cookie pioneered ironically applying garish transitions, effects, and filters from video editing software Capcut on all-but-meaningless footage. He started off making "fan edits" of The Walking Dead like this one then matured into making videos like this: Then he started making videos that combine unrelated memes in ways that defy meaning. Check out this video: Here's Cookie King's explanation of it: "On Instagram, there was a new meme. It was about Chopped Chin and Property in Egypt, and people were doing battles between them. I was like, 'Wait, what if I just combined them together with the Johnnie Walker thing and the Friggin' Packet Yo?' I just thought, 'I'm gonna combine them all."Cookie King says he's been posting videos since he was seven, first on YouTube and then everywhere else, and the key to his brain-rot supremacy is his work ethic: Dude says he spent his senior year of high school spamming "20, 30, 40, 50 videos a day." Eventually, some of them caught on, like the currently popular memes Eye of Rah and making "99% accurate" copies of existing videos. He seems to not think at all about what he puts outbrain-rot is a pure expression of his internal life, and it resonates with his audience of millions of "raised in the digital world" followers. So what's going on with all this shit?In the 1920s, partly in response to the mechanized mass slaughter of World War I, avant-garde artists created Dadaism, a movement that aimed to replace meaning in Art with chaos and nonsense. The Dadaist movement didn't really catch onit was elitist, self-conscious, and bogged down by a central contradiction: The Dadaist said they didn't care about meaning in art, but they sure liked publishing manifestos explaining what their work meant. Maybe brain-rot is actual Dadaismchaos blotting out reason entirely. Unlike Dada art, there really is no discernible ideas or thoughts behind brain-rot: It's actually nonsense. Brain-rotters are just spamming 50 videos a day without trying to comment on the horrifying alienation of modernity or whatever, even if that's the message I'm taking from it. I don't think this is a good thing, but it's the thing that's happening."How I imagine ChatGPT:" Young women personifying AISpeaking of the unspeakable horror of the modern world, young people, especially young women, have been asking and answering a fascinating question this week: If large language model artificial intelligence program ChatGPT was a person, what would they look like? The initial post came from TikToker @mymetaldiary. According to them, ChatGPT is a brown-haired, handsome young white dude wearing glasses, as you can see in this video: While many commenters replied with a variation of "nailed it," others reported their own head-canon visions of ChatGPT-as-a-person. These responses run the gamut from "an old lady like mother nature," to "a mafia boss," or "a golden retriever."I don't picture anything physical when I think of ChatGPT, but the AI's unfailing politeness and literally endless patience suggest a human personality. I think of ChatGPT as someone I regret having started a conversation with at a party. They seem like someone I don't know who is trying to get me to like them, and I can't figure out why. ChatGPT is a combination of boring and desperate, like someone searching for the most non-offensive thing to say at all time. It's someone I don't trust, even though I have no reason not to trust them. Famous people you've never heard of: Who is Beabadoobee?If you've been hearing people talking about (or reading people posting about) "Beabadoobee" lately, here's a look at the person behind the unique name: Beabadoobee is a 24-year-old singer/songwriter who was born in the Philippines. Her parents named her "Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus." At three, her family moved to London. When she was 17, she taught herself to play guitar, started writing songs, and began calling herself Beabadoobee. It was a joke at first, but it stuck. Her music might have been called "twee" a generation ago; it's wistful and soft and influenced by artists like Elliott Smith and Mazzy Star. It sounds like this: She released her first single in 2017, and has been growing in popularity since, helped along by many, many uses of her songs on TikTok videos. As of 2025, there are three full-length Beabadoobee albums and six EPs, all released on indie labels. In a nutshell: Beabadoobee is a cult-popular singer favored by young women who make their own clothing. What does SYBAU stand for?The acronym SYBAU isn't exactly newit was first defined on urban dictionary in 2008but it's growing in popularity in the comment section of TikTok and Instagram lately. It means "shut your bitch ass up." (Rude.)What does "snatched" mean?According to young-people slang, "snatched" means very attractive and/or flawlessly styled. Example: "That new dress has you looking snatched." (For more definitions of slang words, check out "'Mewing,' 'Sigma,' and Other Gen Z and Gen Alpha Slang You Might Need Help Decoding.")Viral video of the week: dunking on millennial burger jointsTim Marcin over at our sister site Mashable noticed a hilarious new trend on TikTok: Generations Z and A are mocking millennial burger joints, pointing out the cliches and tropes of a kind of restaurant you've probably eaten at dozens of times, especially if you've spent any time in a "medium-sized city just outside of a major metropolitan area," but never thought about.This week's viral video from Tiktoker @user2521208780374 lays it out: Here are some of the hallmarks of a millennial burger joint:Founded by "two friends with a dream"Burgers cost $19Metal barstoolsReclaimed wood tableTruffle friesMenu written on a chalkboardGarlic aioliBrioche bunSpecial sauce described with mild swear like "kick ass" or "bitchin'" Local "craft" beers, always IPAs.Some millennial burger joints really strive to be different by serving food on something other than plates, usually slabs of wood, a phenomenon covered in detail on Reddit's "We Want Plates" board.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.I'm Lifehacker's resident marathon runner and senior finance writer. And now, I'm merging my two worlds. Running is often touted as one of the most accessible sportsjust lace up and go, right? But as many runners discover, what starts as a "free" activity can quickly transform into a significant investment. Last week I broke down what it looks like to invest in proper running gear. And now, I'm turning my eye to the world of races. You might think you'll never get into races. I was like you, once: a casual runner who scoffed at the idea of paying money to run. Then you get coerced into running a 5k for charity or something. Then you feel the high of crossing the finish line. You realize how intoxicating it to push yourself to longer distances, to have strangers cheering your name, to simply set your sights on a goal and work toward it. Now, six marathons later (and so many smaller distances along the way), I understand how people budget races into both their finances and fitness.Of course, once you enter the world of racing, costs can add up quickly and vary dramatically depending on your approach to the sport. So let's take a look at the financial commitment involved in running organized races.The casual runnerFor those who participate in a handful of local races each year, running remains relatively affordable. As a minimalist runner who does sign up for a marathon a year (and some shorter races leading up to the main event), I fall in this category.Typical annual expenses:3-5 local 5K/10K races: $25-50 each ($75-250 total)One half-marathon: $75-120Basic running shoes: $80-120 (replaced annually)No-frills running clothes (see more here): $100-200Optional race photos: $20-40 per eventTotal annual cost: $330-730Casual runners can keep costs down by focusing on community races organized by local running clubs, which often have lower entry fees than commercial events. Early bird registration can also save 15-30% off standard entry fees. Many casual runners also use free training plans available online rather than paying for coaching.The dedicated road racerRunners who focus on performance and participate in multiple races throughout the year face a more substantial financial commitment. Keep in mind, a lot of these are upfront costs for investing in gear that will last years. For instance, you probably won't be buying a new smartwatch annually. Typical annual expenses:Races of varying distances: $100-1,000One or two major marathons: $150-350 eachPremium running shoes: $130-180 (two to three pairs annually)Technical running apparel: $300-500GPS watch: $200-500 (amortized over two to three years)Race photos/videos: $100-200Training plan or app subscription: $100-300Total annual cost: $580-1,630These runners often join running clubs ($40-150 annually) for the social aspects and training benefits. They might also invest in regular sports massages ($70-120 per session) or recovery tools like foam rollers, massage guns, and compression gear ($150-300). Brooks Women's Ghost 16 GTX $165.17 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $165.17 at Amazon The destination racerThose who combine their love of running with travel face the highest costs.Typical annual expenses:Two to three local races: $100-200Two to three major destination races: $150-350 eachTravel costs (flights, accommodations, food): $1,000-3,000+ per destination racePremium running gear (technical clothing, shoes, watches): $300-500Race insurance: $50-100 per major raceTotal annual cost: $1,600-4,100+The World Marathon Majors (Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo) are particularly expensive, with entry fees up to $350not to mention extremely competitive qualification standards or lottery systems to sign up in the first place. International races may also require additional expenses like travel insurance and vaccinations. Garmin Forerunner 55 $163.26 at Amazon $199.99 Save $36.73 Shop Now Shop Now $163.26 at Amazon $199.99 Save $36.73 The trail/ultra runnerNow I'm speaking outside of personal experience, but I am manifesting a future in ultra distances for myself. Fun fact: "Ultra marathon" refers to any distance longer than a marathon. A 30-miler and an 100-miler would both be called ultras. Neat!Naturally, ultra runners and trail enthusiasts face unique cost considerations for specialized gear requirements and remote race locations.Typical annual expenses:Three to five trail races: $50-100 eachOne to two ultra marathons: $150-500 eachTrail-specific shoes: $130-180 (2-3 pairs annually)Specialized gear (hydration vest, headlamp, trekking poles): $300-600Weather-appropriate apparel: $400-800Navigation tools: $100-300Required safety equipment: $200-500Total annual cost: $1,630-3,980Ultra events often have higher entry fees due to their length and the support required from the organizers. Many require specific safety equipment like emergency blankets, whistles, and first aid supplies. Remote race locations can also increase travel costs significantly. CamelBak Hydrobak Hydration Pack $50.55 at Amazon $60.00 Save $9.45 Shop Now Shop Now $50.55 at Amazon $60.00 Save $9.45 Look out for hidden costsRegardless of runner type, several hidden costs can impact your budget:Race day parking: $10-30 per eventPost-race celebration meals: $20-50 per eventPhysiotherapy or sports medicine appointments: $80-150 per sessionCross-training (gym membership, yoga classes): $300-1,000 annuallyNutritional supplements and race-day fuel: $100-500 annuallyRace cancellation or postponement feesCost-saving strategiesLike I mentioned above, I'm a marathon runner who refuses to spend more than $1,000 a year on my hobby. Here's how I save on costs I can't avoid altogether: Volunteer at races: Many events offer free future entries to volunteers.Register early: Take advantage of early bird pricing.Seek out package deals: Some race series offer discounted entries when you sign up for multiple events.Shop end-of-season sales: Stock up on gear when prices drop.Consider virtual races: These typically have lower entry fees and no travel costs.While racing costs can add up, I still find the most valuable aspects of runningthe endorphin rush, sense of achievement, and community connectionare more than worth it. When you consider the costs associated with your preferred style of running, you can make informed decisions about which races and experiences are worth the investment for you.

Mobile World Congress is taking place in Barcelona this week, offering manufacturers an opportunity to show off new gear without needing to hold their own splashy event. So far, we've learned about some new laptops and phones, as well as upcoming AI updates to Android and an internet connectivity announcement from Meta. Here's a look at everything announced at Mobile World Congress that caught our eye. We'll update this story throughout the week. Lenovo Sam Rutherford for Engadget Among the bigger-name manufacturers, Lenovo has arguably had the busiest MWC so far. The company has revealed a whole bunch of laptops, including upgraded ThinkPads and several intriguing concept models. The ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1 has a design thats more aligned with the convertible format of the Yoga lineup than a typical ThinkPad. The 14-inch machine can be equipped with a 400-nit WUXGA touch display. Other ThinkPads are getting spec upgrades, while Lenovo claims the new ThinkPad X13 Gen 6 has one of the lightest ThinkPad designs ever. The company has a fresh slate of laptops with generative AI capabilities as well. Some of Lenovos concepts have certainly caught our attention. Its a bummer that the company doesnt currently plan to turn the Yoga Solar PC Concept into a commercial device. Thanks to the solar cells on the casing, the laptop can soak up enough energy from the sun in 20 minutes to play an hour of videos. As little as 0.3 watts of light is enough to juice up the battery. While solar-powered laptops aren't exactly new, the Yoga Solar PC feels polished. Here's hoping Lenovo does more with the notion in the future. Sam Rutherford for Engadget In addition, Lenovo showed off some conceptual display accessories for a ThinkBook laptop. There's an eight-inch screen that attaches to the side magnetically to help you, for instance, keep up with notifications and widgets. The Magic Bay Dual Display Concept adds a 13.3-inch panel to either side of the main display. There's also a slim second display that's designed to sit above your laptop screen and provide quick access to things like the time, weather, notifications, a focus mode timer, an AI assistant and notifications. Sam Rutherford for Engadget On top of all of that, Lenovo offered a look at a new prototype laptop with a flexible display. Building on the tech the company used in the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, the ThinkBook codename Flip AI PC Proof of concept (to give its full name) has a fold-out screen. This allows Lenovo to double the panel's size from 13 inches to 18.1 inches. The ThinkBook Rollable's display, on the other hand, can extend to 16.7 inches. Again, Lenovo doesn't currently plan to release a commercial version of this fold-out laptop, but it's an interesting idea. Samsung Photo by Mat Smith for Engadget. The main MWC news from Samsung this year is the company's latest midrange and budget phones. The Galaxy A56 has a larger screen than its predecessor at 6.7 inches, but it's thinner too at 7.44mm vs. 8.2mm. There's now a small bump where the volume and power buttons are a tweak that we feel makes the A56 easier to handle. Samsung has switched up the camera array in the A56. On the front, there's a lower-res 12MP lens. On the other side, you'll find an upgraded 12MP ultrawide, 50MP main sensor and a 5MP macro lens. The A56 has a bunch of AI-powered camera and image editing features, such as enhanced subject detection in portrait mode and an object eraser. Pre-orders are open in the UK for the Galaxy A56, which costs $499/499. It will hit the UK on March 19, but folks in the US will have to wait until "later this year" for it. Samsung also revealed the Galaxy A36 5G and Galaxy A26 5G. Both devices have a 120Hz, 6.7-inch display with brightness of up to 1,200 nits. They also share an IP67 rating and 5,000mAh battery with the A56. However, the base models of each only have 6GB of RAM (compared with the A56's 12GB). In addition, the A36 has the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor instead of the Exynos 1580 that the A56 boasts, while the A26 has a Exynos 1380 chipset. Xiaomi Sam Rutherford for Engadget Unfortunately, Xiaomi doesn't have plans to bring a handset it showed off at MWC to the US. That's a real pity, because no other companies are selling phones quite like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra in the country these days. Xiaomi teamed up with Leica to make a smartphone that leans heavily into photography. The camera array includes a 1-inch 50-megapixel Sony main sensor, an f/2.2 50MP ultrawide cam, a 50MP midrange lens with a 70mm focal length and a 200MP periscope array with a 100mm focal length that equates to a 4.7x optical zoom. Some preset Leica filters help to tie the two brands' knowhow together. That's not all that might be interesting to mobile snappers. Xiaomi's separate Photography kit includes an add-on camera grip with a physical shutter button, an adjustable dial and dedicated video button. You'll have the option to attach a standard 67mm filter adapter to a case as well in other words, some of the equipment you might use on a dedicated camera is compatible with the Ultra 15 as part of this setup. Moreover, the Ultra 15 has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and up to 3,200 nits of brightness to help you get a good look at your captures. Plus, unlike some other Chinese phones (like Huawei's), Xiaomi supports Google services in HyperOS 2, which is an Android skin. The Ultra 15 starts at about 1,499 (around $1,572). Android Speaking of Android, Google announced two new AI-powered features for the operating system at MWC. The Live Video function, which Google first previewed at I/O 2024, allows you to share what your phone's camera sees with Gemini so you can ask the chatbot questions about the footage. The new screensharing function works in a similar way. You can ask Gemini questions about whatever's on your phone or tablet's display. If they work as well as advertised, these features could be a boon for accessibility. Google will first offer them to Gemini Advanced subscribers starting later this month. Those with a $20 per month Google One AI Premium membership, which is included with some Verizon plans, have access to Gemini Advanced. Nothing Image by Mat Smith for Engadget Samsung wasn't the only smartphone maker of note to show off two new mid-range devices at MWC. Nothing debuted its Phone 3a Pro and Phone 3a at the event even though it has yet to unleash the Phone 3. The 3a Pro has a beefier camera module (quite literally as the device is about 10 grams heavier than the 3a). It contains a 50MP telephoto sensor with a 3x optical zoom; a 50MP primary sensor with f/1.88 lens and dual-pixel phase detection auto-focus (PDAF); and an ultrawide 8MP sensor with a 120-degree field of view. The handset has a telemacro mode too. As for the 3a, that boasts a main 50MP camera with single-pixel PDAF, but the other two sensors are the same as on the 3a Pro. The cameras are the main difference between the two phones, which both have a 6.77-inch AMOLED LTPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,300 nits of brightness. The phones have a 5,000mAh battery with support for 50W fast charging, and they run on a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset. The devices have Nothing's multipurpose Essential Key, a physical button that can take screenshots and help you record voice notes. The phones also have some generative AI features, such as the ability to transcribe said voice notes and describe what's in screenshots and photos. As usual, Nothing is initially offering these devices in the US through a beta program. Phone 3a pre-orders are open now and the $379 handset ships on March 11. That's the date when pre-orders for the Phone 3a Pro go live. The $459 phone can be in your hands on March 25. Meta There was more news out of MWC beyond new gear and OS updates. Meta and the Internet Society announced a partnership to bolster affordable internet connectivity around the globe. They're jointly putting $30 million into the initiative over the next five years. A major aim of the project is to help build out infrastructure in areas where commercial providers have yet to do so. The Connectivity Co-Funding Initiative will also back training programs, community-centered solutions for underserved areas and locally owned networks. The Internet Society is hoping to find more partners to help with the project.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/mwc-2025-all-the-news-from-samsung-nothing-lenovo-xiaomi-and-more-200029163.html?src=rss

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has once again promised to end the provinces $100 million contract with Elon Musks Starlink after reversing course back in February, according to reporting by the CBC. The reasoning behind this reversal is fairly obvious. The long-threatened Trump tariffs have officially gone into effect, which pops a 25 percent tariff on most Canadian goods and a 10 percent tariff on energy exports.The contract was signed in November of last year and tasked Starlink with providing internet service to remote parts of Ontario. Ford, a former staunch supporter of President Trump, is prepared to go even further to protect Canadas interests. He said that if the tariffs persist that the region will be forced to issue its own 25 percent surcharge on electricity exported to the US. He also said he would shut off electricity with a smile on his face to US customers if things arent resolved, according to the Toronto Sun."We also need to be ready to dig in for a long fight," Ford said. "We need to be ready to escalate using every tool in our tool kit."Its worth noting that Canada provides electricity to US residents in Michigan, New York and Minnesota, and a shutdown would impact over 1.5 million people. Ford has also floated the idea of issuing a surcharge to mineral exports or ending them entirely.Ontarios primary liquor wholesaler, the LCBO, has confirmed that it will stop purchasing and selling US-made alcohol. Additionally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would be issuing its own retaliatory matching tariffs on US goods."Today the US launched a trade war against Canada, their closest ally and their closest friend. At the same time, they're talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense," Trudeau said during a news conference. He also suggested that Trump was trying to weaken the Canadian economy as an annexation strategy, but that "Canada will never be the 51st state."Trumps stated boogeyman behind these tariffs continues to be fentanyl, even though less than one percent of the drug arrives in this country via Canadian routes. This data has been confirmed by both Trudeau and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.Dont worry about SpaceX and Starlinks financials. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) just announced a partnership to install Starlink terminals at various airports, which seems like auspicious timing. The agency also reportedly ordered staffers to begin finding tens of millions of dollars for a Starlink deal. Government efficiency at its finest. In any event, we've reached out to Ontario's Ministry of Infrastructure for details regarding the the contract cancellation and will update this post when we find out more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ontario-once-again-promises-to-nix-100-million-starlink-deal-over-trump-tariffs-194512098.html?src=rss

YouTube is reportedly planning some big changes to its TV app, including adding more paid-for streaming services to its homepage.