For the 110 people working on Anno 117: Pax Romana, the upcoming city-builder from Ubisoft Mainz, every game in the franchise has led to its Winter 2025 release. The Anno series has had some hits and misses — its most recent game, 2019’s 1800, is widely considered one of its best, while future-focused titles 2205 and 2070 had mixed results. But Pax Romana has something for die-hard tactics players, beauty builders, and even newcomers like me: the franchise’s first-ever simultaneous release on PC and console, the reintroduction of land combat, the promise of finally bringing Anno to Rome, and major updates to existing game systems. Recommended Videos Some team members have worked on the series for 10, 15, or 20 years, know exactly what diehard Anno fans want (prettier palettes that take advantage of improved graphics, a greater variety of choice, more robust gameplay systems, and diegetic moments of hilarious catastrophe), and are determined to deliver. I travelled to Rome to be one of the first people in the world to go hands-on with Anno 117: Pax Romana and chat with creative director Manuel Reinher and game director Jan Dungel, emerging from the experience thoroughly jet-lagged and with a newfound appreciation for the series and the genre. Andiamo! A new Anno Anno 117: Pax Romana is the first game in the series since the beloved 1800, which was set during the Industrial Revolution. It’s also the series’ biggest historical leap backwards. The team didn’t want to set the next Anno game during the bloody, war-fueled throes of the Roman Empire, but during the height of a 200-year-long period of peace and prosperity.  “Our fans have asked for this for a very long time,” Reinher tells Digital Trends. “The power of Rome, it’s a very appealing setting, but we struggled because with Rome there’s a certain fantasy that is well-delivered, and delivered so often people have a certain expectation … We found Pax Romana is the playground for us, it ticked all the boxes. It’s almost 200 years of stability in the empire, peak growth … and it’s a good fit because conflict is not the core of the Anno experience.” U In Anno 117, you’ll play as a freshly appointed Roman governor in Latium, a province close to the center of the Empire, tasked with upholding that aforementioned peace and prosperity. Will you govern with an iron fist and hope that fear keeps the peace, or show empathy and kindness and pray to one of your chosen Gods that rival governors don’t step on your exposed toes? And then there’s Albion, the fog-covered Celtic lands where no “civilized” Roman dares tread lest they face the ire of the strange, savage locales. You can go there, as well (though I didn’t get to that during my hands-on), and decide what to do with the land and its people.  Anno 117: Pax Romana hopes to offer players deeper, more meaningful choices than any other game in the franchise. A massive discovery tree, with over 150 “discoveries” divided into three main categories (economy, civic, and military), will help “soften the linearity” players may have felt in previous titles.  Researching improved storage capacities can help you store more product to trade with neighboring provinces, while civic research allows you to explore different religions, or build new public buildings. And you won’t be locked to a certain branch on this discovery tree, you’re free to research paved roads, or learn Latin, or beef up your military presence.  Like any Anno game, 117: Pax Romana is centered around economic simulation with some traditional city builder mechanics and 4X strategy features sprinkled in. But 117 is bringing back a controversial feature players haven’t seen in the franchise in a very long time: land combat. Ub The team is pretty close-lipped about it during our preview, but confirmed Anno 117: Pax Romana will have both land and naval combat, with more depth when it comes to integrating the two, and the promise that only big, powerful cities can have a thriving military. But don’t fret — Anno is not a war sim franchise, and the team considers land combat to be “another choice, another tool.” Diplomacy could be your vibe, rather than wielding steel. Aside from gameplay features, the team wants 117 to be the “most beautiful builder gamer, period.” There’s a new day and night cycle that elicits some big “ooohh” moments, like when the flickering fires of the lucernae come alive as the sun sets, or when burgeoning cities are cut through with gorgeous lavender fields. The added ability to create curved roads allows for more freedom in city layouts, and the team’s attention to detail can be found in every pixel, from the waves breaking around a sailing ship to grain crops shifting softly in the wind. Ubisoft is excited to show people how multicultural ancient Rome was, how it pulled inspiration and even religions from Celtic and Egyptian lands, and how the expansion of the empire led to cultural exchange. “Religious ideas, technologies, resources, they travel from one province to the other,”  Reinher explains.  This ancient melting pot helped stabilize the empire. “People are surprised by that fact … This happened 2,000 years ago. Ideas travelled like this, and it’s a fascinating story that breaks the boundaries of what we all have in our minds when we think about such an economic empire.” Roman onboarding Ubisoft Mainz promises Anno: 117 Pax Romana’s gameplay experience is for both newcomers and old heads alike, thanks to an improved onboarding system. “Anno can be quite complex, but it’s rewarding step-by-step,” Dungel says. “You don’t need to completely understand the universe to enjoy [the games].” To describe sitting down to play an Anno game for the first time while surrounded by the cold stone walls of an ancient Romane estate as “surreal” wouldn’t do it justice. Overwhelmed by the game’s systems and in awe of the Horti Sallustiani (the gardens of Sallust), I worry I won’t be able to create an Empire my ancestors would be proud of. I consider lingering around the craft services table and eat as much olive bread (a staple of the Romane diet) to avoid embarrassing myself. But I have a job to do, and gawking at the marble structure soaring overhead won’t do me any good.  So I sit down, load in, and am immediately tasked with placing my governor’s villa somewhere on this newfound island that’s far enough inland to avoid getting attacked by coastal invaders, but central enough that it can easily connect to warehouses and other important commerce buildings. Ubi An in-game pop-up urges me to ensure that my villa is connected to another important building, but fails to tell me I have to build that second structure. I glance around, helpless, until someone comes over and walks me through it, just for me to immediately get stuck again because I can’t see a missing pixel of road that means the buildings were technically still not connected.  I let out a grunt of frustration. I am jetlagged and my brain is functioning at its lowest possible capacity. I need more olive bread. Soon enough, my Italian ancestors smile upon me. I start to get the hang of things after my little roadblock (teehee). I build a sawmill in the center of a forest to ensure we have a steady supply of wood, and place a collection of houses for my lowest class working folks probably a bit too close to the governor’s house for a man of his stature’s liking (I believe in solidarity across classes in my ancient Rome). I ring the workers’ homes with purple wildflowers, place a tavern and a market close enough to their quarters so that they buff everyone who lives there (which helps you earn more money faster), and send my sole ship out to treaty with a neighboring isle.  “[Building Anno 117] was a little bit challenging, because we have very different audiences,” Dungel admits. “Some people want to collaborate, they are super hardcore, they want to value share and network, but some people are more casual. For the first time, we decided we would try to find a way to please both of these groups, not make it less deep and less complex, but give an option for people who want to go more casual. That’s why you don’t have to deliver all the needs [requirements for every population tier that must be filled in order to progress] … you don’t have to immediately go to another province.” Ub Though I stumble at first, after about 1.5 hours of playtime, I have a tier 3 city sprawling out before my eyes, complete with soap production, ship-building, tunic and sandal makers, tilers, and a temple to worship our chosen goddess, Ceres, who helps boost our farms’ output. There’s a plethora of emergency services, including doctors, Vigiles Urbani (basically Rome’s NYPD), and firefighters, the last of whom successfully snuff out a fire that starts near my sheep pasture. I even have a massive new ship that can carry far more cargo than the one I started with.  But my city is net negative, and losing money fast. I get a loan, then another, then another, and then I start to panic. Despite my efforts, there just aren’t enough people to produce my much-needed products (the pretty lady on a neighboring island really wants tunics), or enough raw material for the people to form into something usable for the empire. I need to build more homes to get more able-bodied workers, but I don’t have enough lumber, and my island is looking more and more like a desert every minute.  Even the Anno experts next to me are struggling with their financials. “I can’t take another loan,” one player bemoans.  Before I can right my ship, the hands-on is over. I had just gotten my negative income out of the triple digits and was in the process of conquering another island that had some crucial resources (olives, mackerel), when we were given a times-up signal. “I was getting the hang of it!” I protest. “I just need more plebeians!” The Ubisoft dev who pulled me from the depths of dirt road despair two hours earlier laughs. He has just seen a new city builder player be born before his eyes. Anno 117: Pax Romana releases later this year for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

When looking for extraterrestrial life, scientists found something odd — two bizarre electromagnetic pulses coming from a distant constellation that cannot be explained.In a new study published in the journal Acta Astronautica, researchers from NASA and CalTech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory admitted they could not rule out the chance that the twin star pulses they detected within Ursa Major, some 100 light-years away, were related to alien life.The star in question, HD 89389, is slightly larger and brighter than our Sun and was the focus of observation for veteran NASA scientist Richard Stanton. In 2023, Stanton detected an unexpected signal emanating from the star: two identical and fast pulses roughly 4.4 seconds apart that made it flash brightly, dim, and then flash again."The star gets brighter-fainter-brighter and then returns to its ambient level," Stanton told Universe Today. "This variation is much too strong to be caused by random noise or atmospheric turbulence. How do you make a star, over a million kilometers across, partially disappear in a tenth of a second? The source of this variation can't be as far away as the star itself."This signal had never been detected before, but to make sure it wasn't something else, the researcher spent an estimated 1,500 hours, which is the equivalent of about two months straight, comparing it to everything from planes and lightning to meteors and system malfunctions.When none of those searches yielded anything similar, Stanton told Universe Today that he felt confident that what he was seeing had not been observed for that Ursa Major star before. However, it did resemble another surprise twin pulse observation from 2019 that emanated from a hot gas giant now named Dimidium located about 50 light-years from Earth.The electromagnetic pulses emitted from Dimidium were initially dismissed as having been caused by birds, as Universe Today notes.To avoid a similarly false conclusion, Stanton began positing all manner of explanations related to the strange signals, including atmospheric conditions on Earth or even an anomalous reading due to our planet's gravity — but none of them "are really satisfying at this point," he said."We don't know what kind of object could produce these pulses or how far away it is," the scientist said. "We don't know if the two-pulse signal is produced by something passing between us and the star or if it is generated by something that modulates the star's light without moving across the field."It's way too soon to tell what's going on with those strange signals from Ursa Major — but it seems certain that something weird is going on there, and that whatever is causing it will be fascinating indeed."Until we learn more," Stanton concluded, "we can't even say whether or not extraterrestrials are involved!"Share This Article

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Inside the story that enraged OpenAI —Niall Firth, executive editor, MIT Technology Review In 2019, Karen Hao, a senior reporter with MIT Technology Review, pitched me a story about a then little-known company, OpenAI. It was her biggest assignment to date. Hao’s feat of reporting took a series of twists and turns over the coming months, eventually revealing how OpenAI’s ambition had taken it far afield from its original mission.The finished story was a prescient look at a company at a tipping point—or already past it. And OpenAI was not happy with the result. Hao’s new book, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI, is an in-depth exploration of the company that kick-started the AI arms race, and what that race means for all of us. This excerpt is the origin story of that reporting. This spa’s water is heated by bitcoin mining At first glance, the Bathhouse spa in Brooklyn looks not so different from other high-end spas. What sets it apart is out of sight: a closet full of cryptocurrency-­mining computers that not only generate bitcoins but also heat the spa’s pools, marble hammams, and showers.  When cofounder Jason Goodman opened Bathhouse’s first location in Williamsburg in 2019, he used conventional pool heaters. But after diving deep into the world of bitcoin, he realized he could fit cryptocurrency mining seamlessly into his business. Read the full story. —Carrie Klein This story is from the most recent edition of our print magazine, which is all about how technology is changing creativity. Subscribe now to read it and to receive future print copies once they land. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Nvidia wants to build an AI supercomputer in Taiwan As Trump’s tariffs upend existing supply chains. (WSJ $)+ Jensen Huang has denied that Nvidia’s chips are being diverted into China. (Bloomberg $) 2 xAI’s Grok dabbled in Holocaust denialThe chatbot said it was “skeptical” about points that historians agree are facts. (Rolling Stone $)+ It blamed the comments on a programming error. (The Guardian) 3 Apple is planning to overhaul Siri entirelyTo make it an assistant fit for the AI age. (Bloomberg $) 4 Dentists are worried by RFK Jr’s fluoride banParticularly in rural America. (Ars Technica)+ Florida has become the second state to ban fluoride in public water. (NBC News) 5 Fewer people want to work in America’s factoriesThat’s a problem when Trump is so hell-bent on kickstarting the manufacturing industry. (WSJ $)+ Sweeping tariffs could threaten the US manufacturing rebound. (MIT Technology Review) 6 Meet the crypto investors hoping to bend the President’s earThey’re treating Trump’s meme coin dinner as an opportunity to push their agendas. (WP $)+ Many of them are offloading their coins, too. (Wired $)+ Crypto bigwigs are targets for criminals. (WSJ $)+ Bodyguards and other forms of security are becoming de rigueur. (Bloomberg $) 7 How the US reversed the overdose epidemicNaloxone is a major factor. (Vox)+ How the federal government is tracking changes in the supply of street drugs. (MIT Technology Review) 8 Chatbots really love the heads of the companies that made them And are not so fond of the leaders of its rivals. (FT $)+ What if we could just ask AI to be less biased? (MIT Technology Review) 9 Technology is a double-edged sword What connects us can simultaneously outrage us. (The Atlantic $) 10 Meet the people hooked on watching nature live streamsThey find checking in with animals puts their own troubles in perspective. (The Guardian) Quote of the day “People are just scared. They don’t know where they fit in this new world.” —Angela Jiang, who is working on a startup exploring the impact of AI on the labor market, tells the Wall Street Journal about the woes of tech job seekers trying to land new jobs in the current economy. One more thing How the Rubin Observatory will help us understand dark matter and dark energyWe can put a good figure on how much we know about the universe: 5%. That’s how much of what’s floating about in the cosmos is ordinary matter—planets and stars and galaxies and the dust and gas between them. The other 95% is dark matter and dark energy, two mysterious entities aptly named for our inability to shed light on their true nature.Previous work has begun pulling apart these dueling forces, but dark matter and dark energy remain shrouded in a blanket of questions—critically, what exactly are they?Enter the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, one of our 10 breakthrough technologies for 2025. Boasting the largest digital camera ever created, Rubin is expected to study the cosmos in the highest resolution yet once it begins observations later this year. And with a better window on the cosmic battle between dark matter and dark energy, Rubin might narrow down existing theories on what they are made of. Here’s a look at how. —Jenna Ahart We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.) + Archaeologists in Canada are facing a mighty challenge—to solve how thousands of dinosaurs died in what’s now a forest in Alberta.+ Before Brian Johnson joined AC/DC, he sang on this very distinctive hoover (vacuum cleaner) ad.+ Wealthy Londoners are adding spas to their gardens, because why not.+ I must eat the crystal breakfast!

For commuters prone to motion sickness, using a laptop on a train is perhaps do-able; trains don't make sharp turns and sudden stops. But trying to work on a bus or in a car is likely difficult.Apple has designed a fascinating feature that aims to prevent motion sickness while using their laptops, iPads or iPhones. Called Vehicle Motion Cues, the feature places a bunch of dots across your screen:These dots move as if they are part of the scenery outside the vehicle. In other words, when the vehicle you're riding in turns to the left, the dots move to the right. As the vehicle accelerates, the dots move downwards. Like this:I'm super curious to see how well this works. As a remote worker myself, I have no opportunity to commute, but reviews should come out later this year. Apple plans to roll the feature out in their forthcoming Mac OS and iOS updates.

Astral Member Oct 27, 2017 33,335 You know what I'm talking about. You just know they're such a sick by the way the jump, the way that they run, the way that they DP, their choice of combos, etc. You can tell who the jerks are even in games that don't have a taunt button. Losing to this type of players makes me salty as hell and winning doesn't do anything because you know they're too big of a jerk to care. Fuck these players. But in all seriousness, I find it funny how I'll immediately make judgments about a person's character based on how they play or if they beat me in a way I don't like. I love this genre.  Pendas Member Oct 28, 2017 6,559 Anyone who ledge grabs is not welcome in my house.   QisTopTier Community Resettler Member Oct 25, 2017 15,126 You're the exact type of player I prey on when I notice it in ranked. Gotta build that mental fortification.   Ant_17 Member Oct 28, 2017 2,934 Greece Do not shake hands with a Blanka player, do not make eye contact with a Blanka player   skillzilla81 "This guy are sick" The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 11,307 I feel like fighting games are just this in video game form: View: https://youtu.be/naleynXS7yo?si=SZOtdeGgSxwANjKT Somebody assuming the worst, the other person just having fun and thinking the same of their opponent.  OP OP Astral Member Oct 27, 2017 33,335 skillzilla81 said: I feel like fighting games are just this in video game form: View: https://youtu.be/naleynXS7yo?si=SZOtdeGgSxwANjKT Somebody assuming the worst, the other person just having fun and thinking the same of their opponent. Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's exactly what I thought of lol. There are a select things I do find unambiguously disrespectful though. Teabagging of course but worse than that is when someone much better than you suddenly decides to do dumb stuff like jab the whole match. Anything that indicates they're not trying at all. Like, don't accept the rematch then.  Tuorom Member Oct 30, 2017 11,581 Me when I just spam a normal because they can't seem to figure it out   nekonekoneko Member Oct 1, 2024 266 I can't seem to play fighting games because there seems to be a strong section of the playergroup who believes that taunting the other player to make them angrier is a legitimate play. I sort of think that it's a horrible mindset for a game, as well as mostly just an excuse to bully someone that's weaker... maybe I'm just making excuses because it works so well on me?   Ferrio Member Oct 25, 2017 19,762 Astral said: It's exactly what I thought of lol. There are a select things I do find unambiguously disrespectful though. Teabagging of course but worse than that is when someone much better than you suddenly decides to do dumb stuff like jab the whole match. Click to expand... Click to shrink... If someone is doing that then you need to come at it from a learning position. They're giving you a chance to learn how to counter it.  Cipher Peon One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 9,639 I taunt all of the time, be it in game taunts or spamming the crouch button. Depends on the character I play as really. I wouldn't say I'm nice, but I don't think I'm too mean either haha  Musubi Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth Member Oct 25, 2017 27,464 Astral said: It's exactly what I thought of lol. There are a select things I do find unambiguously disrespectful though. Teabagging of course but worse than that is when someone much better than you suddenly decides to do dumb stuff like jab the whole match. Anything that indicates they're not trying at all. Like, don't accept the rematch then. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I'm honestly floored by the amount of people that get legitimately tilted by teabagging. Ive never understood why.  super-famicom Avenger Oct 26, 2017 30,487 Freeze, uppercut, slide, repeat til I win. You have a problem? -me in 1992 playing Mortal Kombat  CaptainK Member Oct 29, 2017 2,063 Canada lul  Tsumami Member Feb 3, 2022 6,854 Idk, I don't like to project onto players I'm playing online. I can't read minds, no way I would be able to 100% know what another player is thinking   Eugene's Axe Member Jan 17, 2019 4,061 Also how they play in racing games.  

lowhighkang_LHK Member Oct 25, 2017 6,494 USA Chicago I always wanted to play it back in the day but never had a PC to run it proper. Looking at it now, it seems such a departure to the Doom trilogy post 2016. Doom 3 seems more tightly built, claustrophobic level design more designed to build fear and tension. Just wondering if it's still worth it to play or is it something that should just be left in the past?   Huey Member Oct 27, 2017 15,757 Loved doom 3 at release and I love it today. I'm currently playing through the dhewm3 source port on PC and it's as great as ever. I love that iteration of id's engine - it's hard to overstate what a visual leap it was at the time, the atmosphere and lighting is just second to none. Legit scary game in many instances, especially if you're playing alone in a dark room with headphones etc It's just different. It's got some survival horror sensibilities mixed in with the usual action. It's definitely not for everyone - there are definitely detractors here - but I absolutely think it's worth at least trying with an open mind.  Forerunner Resetufologist The Fallen Oct 30, 2017 18,749 I hope you like jump scares lol   MorshuTheTrader Member Oct 27, 2017 1,579 I played it about a year ago and finished it for the first time and had a blast. I originally played as a pre-teen back in the original Xbox and found it too scary at the time lol. Funny how playing it now it wasn't nearly as terrifying and actually once you get past the horror trappings, it plays a lot more like regular Doom than it seems at first. Kinda like playing Doom in a haunted house amusement park attraction.   Tasman1991 Member Oct 22, 2024 432 Yes honestly it's one of my favorite Dooms the atmosphere it's just pretty good I also like just going through people's pdas and reading up the history of Mars City so yeah I recommend it oh With The Shotgun you have to get up to the Enemies face with it   tidewatersouthern Member Nov 27, 2020 7,282 Yes. It's a very different experience from the originals or Doom 2016, but it's fantastic in its own right. It's moody, it's more survival horror than "rip and tear", and it can be hard. It's a real good time, and still looks great.   Henry Jones Jr Avenger Oct 27, 2017 2,735 I played it a couple years ago and still liked it. But I'm nostalgic for it   TaySan SayTan Member Dec 10, 2018 36,634 Tulsa, Oklahoma It's a very different game from the originals, but its very much worth playing!   AaronMT Member Oct 27, 2017 8,386 Toronto avoid any Flashlight mod (if that' even a thing these days), play as intended   Spark Member Dec 6, 2017 2,810 Doom 3 is Half Life: Doom Edition   Eye_of_Sauron Member Feb 27, 2024 134 Hell yeah   Crushed Member Oct 25, 2017 8,158 It's a fascinating time capsule of a game, because it feels like id going, "Well, what's the de facto way to make a sci-fi horror shooter? Half-Life 1 and System Shock 2, right?" and releasing that game in 2004 at the same time as the rest of the heavy hitters in the genre were veering off in another direction. And while it's not nearly as incredible as that sounds on paper, there is something very endearing about it when you can accept it as its own thing.   The Lord of Cereal #REFANTAZIO SWEEP Member Jan 9, 2020 12,225 Yes, but if you can, play the original rather than the BFG Edition. BFG edition is fine, but it totally ruins a lot of the atmosphere and tight combat of the original game in exchange for a more traditional Doom experience   Miker Member Oct 25, 2017 3,561 I played through it last year, and I think it's okay. It's amazing as a time capsule to see what idTech was doing at the time, not just with shadows, but also the neat interactive menus you could control using the mouse. It is simple and repetitive though, and the gameplay scenarios struggle to escalate in meaningful ways. The core shooting, small encounters, and endless monster closets remain the same through the entire campaign. You've seen 90% of what the game has to offer by hour 3 of a 10 hour campaign. If you have a lot of nostalgia for that era of PC shooters, as I do, that may be enough to carry you for a playthrough, but I really don't think the game rises above "fine." If you do, play the OG version that forces you to switch to the flashlight rather than the BFG edition.  CloudsFromSpace baaaaa Member Mar 8, 2018 1,178 Pasture I think it's pretty neat - liked it a lot when I did a full series playthrough in 2022. It's definitely different from the rest of the series, but not bad.   DrScruffleton Member Oct 26, 2017 14,857 Played this recently while going through all the dooms. Absolutely hated it, and felt it was way too long with samey environments almost nonstop   WyLD iNk Member Oct 27, 2017 2,444 Here, duh. Ha, I was just playing my Switch version like 20 minutes ago. Yes, absolutely. It's a fantastic game, and deserves all the love it got then and receives now. Only weirdo purists have a problem with it. But they're weirdos, so ignore 'em.  defghik Member Feb 15, 2018 114 It's worth checking out, but don't play the BFG edition. Not having to choose between your weapon or the flashlight ruins the tension that the game was going for. Even today the lighting still looks fantastic, I love those super sharp stencil shadows.  TheSpaceBetween Member Jan 11, 2018 10,054 I played it for the first time a few years back and was largely underwhelmed. It didn't feel like a Doom game at all. I understand wanting to go in a different direction after a while, buy nothing in particular about this game was interesting or well designed to me.   Hero_of_the_Day Avenger Oct 27, 2017 19,780 I have really been wanting to go back to it. I remember thinking it felt really long back in the day. But, I enjoyed it well enough back at launch.   Eila Member Oct 27, 2017 3,382 The Lord of Cereal said: Yes, but if you can, play the original rather than the BFG Edition. BFG edition is fine, but it totally ruins a lot of the atmosphere and tight combat of the original game in exchange for a more traditional Doom experience Click to expand... Click to shrink... What did the BFG do, did they actually change the level design? Also, is this best played vanilla or are there some must install mods? I feel like most games from that era need some modding to run well nowadays.   MatildaMuggins Member Oct 29, 2017 1,139 Australia I love Doom 3. Honestly it feels more like Doom to me than the Dark Ages does. As someone who played the originals at a very young age they were basically horror games to me at the time. Doom 3 feel like a more natural evolution than where the series ended up going.  

Apple’s macOS operating system has changed a lot over the last 25 years, with new features and designs coming and going as the decades have passed. Even the name has been adjusted, starting out as Mac OS X before shortening to OS X and eventually settling on macOS. The world the original version inhabited back in 2000 is very different to today. Including the initial public beta, Apple has released 22 versions of the Mac operating system so far, with new launches becoming an annual occurrence. But it wasn’t always this way, and there have been some fascinating updates and developments in the time since the first version appeared. Let’s see how macOS has changed over the years. Recommended Videos Mac OS X Public Beta (2000) Blake Patterson / Flickr The world’s first glimpse of what was then called Mac OS X came in 2000 with the launch of the Mac OS X Public Beta. Codenamed Kodiak, this preview version cost $29.95 and was intended to gather feedback from users. The biggest advance over previous Mac-based operating systems was the introduction of the famous blue-and-gray Aqua user interface, which Steve Jobs touted as looking so good you wanted to lick it. Aside from that, it introduced the Dock, the menu bar, and protected memory, as well as a host of apps still in use today, such as Mail, Preview, QuickTime, Terminal, and TextEdit. Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah (2001) DavzTheEditGuy / Wikimedia The Mac OS X Public Beta only lasted six months, with Apple launching the first version of its new operating system – Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah – in spring 2001. Given that it was a full release and not a beta, Cheetah cost $129. It continued to use the Aqua interface, and its bubbly blue buttons and translucent menus instantly became iconic. Yet it was riddled with issues, including poor performance (even on machines that met the minimum spec), freezes, kernel panics, and more. There was a disappointing lack of third-party Mac apps, and some people complained that those shiny new interfaces were hard to use. That all coalesced into a feeling that Cheetah was simply undercooked and not ready for prime time. While its visual style was a revelation and created the playbook for future OS X releases, it probably needed a little more time in the oven before launching. Mac OS X 10.1 Puma (2001) Apple Another six months later, Mac OS X 10.1 (codenamed Puma internally at Apple) was released. This came with a number of features that were missing from Mac OS X 10.10, including DVD playback, greater support for third-party printers, an Image Capture app for exporting pictures from digital cameras and scanners, and more. There were also plenty of performance enhancements. This included faster 3D output, a more capable version of AppleScript, and more user-friendly file handling. Performance was also improved across the entire operating system. Although Puma cost $129 to new users, it was released as a free update for anyone who had purchased Cheetah. In January 2002, Apple announced it would be the default Mac operating system, replacing Mac OS 9. Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar (2002) Apple Although past versions of Mac OS X had used codenames (like Cheetah and Puma), those titles were intended for internal use only. Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar, on the other hand, was the first to use its codename publicly, giving users a much easier way to remember its name than a string of numbers. Arriving a year after Puma, Jaguar added a slew of quality-of-life features. The Finder gained a search box, Quartz Extreme improved responsiveness by offloading graphics compositing to your Mac’s graphics card, while the introduction of Universal Access made the system much more usable for disabled customers. Although Jaguar remained a $129 purchase for general users, Apple gave it away for free to all US K-12 teachers. Mac OS X 10.3 Panther (2003) Apple When Mac OS X 10.3 Panther came out in October 2003, its main focus was on performance. Here, Apple improved Preview’s PDF rendering abilities, brought quicker compile times to Xcode, added FileVault for on-the-fly encryption and decryption, and more. The update also came with better compatibility with Microsoft Windows apps and features. But there was more to it than that. It also featured the most extensive user interface update since the first version of Mac OS X. Finder was revamped with a new brushed-metal look and a customizable sidebar, the Exposé window manager was added, as was fast user switching and built-in fax support. Mac OS X 10.3 Panther lasted a full 18 months until it was replaced, giving it a more significant shelf life than previous Mac OS X releases. Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger (2005) Wylve / Wikimedia Apple boasted that Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger came with over 200 new features when it launched in April 2005, and it brought with it several tools and apps that are still used by Mac fans today. That includes Spotlight, Smart Folders, Smart Mailboxes in the Mail app, VoiceOver, and Automator. Among the other important new features was the Dashboard, which lasted 12 years until it was discontinued. Tiger was also the first Mac operating system to work with Intel processors, as Apple announced the transition from PowerPC chips to Intel processors during its lifetime. To facilitate the move, Apple included the Rosetta compatibility layer in Tiger, which allowed PowerPC apps to run on Intel hardware. Apple continued to use Intel chips until the debut of the M1 chip in 2020, which heralded the start of the Apple silicon era. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (2007) Apple Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard was promoted by Apple as “the largest update of Mac OS X,” and this was due to its inclusion of over 300 new features. Among them were a new visual appearance with skeuomorphic icons and reflective aspects, fresh features in Mail, Finder and iChat, plus plenty of security patches. Apple also pre-loaded Time Machine, desktop Spaces and Boot Camp with compatible Macs. Existing apps like Photo Booth, Safari, Spotlight and Front Row were reworked and improved. And there were other new features, such as the Quick Look file preview framework and Back to My Mac, which allowed MobileMe users to access the files on their home computer while away from their desk. Leopard had support for both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs, and was the last release to run on PowerPC chips. After that, Apple went all-in on Intel, marking the start of a new era for the Mac. Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (2009) FHKE / Flickr When Apple brought those 300 changes to Leopard in 2007, there was a sense that the company had overstretched itself, with many of the features working poorly and requiring fixes. To put things right, Apple launched Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard in 2009 as a “no new features” update, with the sole focus on improving what came before. To that end, Apple made plenty of small-but-significant adjustments. For instance, clean installs would leave much more free space compared to Leopard, Time Machine backups took less time to complete, and Finder was more responsive thanks to being extensively rewritten. The overall system was made faster and more reliable compared to its predecessor, too, while the Mac OS X 10.6.6 update introduced the Mac App Store for the first time. In terms of hardware, Snow Leopard could support greater amounts of memory, dual-core processor compatibility was improved, and GPU performance was stepped up. OS X 10.7 Lion (2011) Tony Nguyen / Flickr Ever use the Launchpad to view your installed apps in macOS? If so, you can thank OS X 10.7 Lion for that, as it was the operating system version that introduced that feature. It also expanded the use of multi-touch gestures on the Mac, and added Mission Control, which combined the previously separate Dashboard, Spaces, Exposé, and fullscreen apps. Aside from what was actually in its software, Lion had a few other notable changes. It dropped the “Mac” from its name, becoming simply OS X 10.7 Lion. It was also the first OS X version to not support 32-bit processors, and it also ended support for PowerPC chips by coming without the Rosetta translation layer. OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion (2012) Masaru Kamikura / Flickr Like Snow Leopard, Mountain Lion was another “refinement” release that aimed to improve on its predecessor and ramp up the usability of the operating system. And it succeeded in a big way, almost immediately being recognized as a major enhancement over OS X 10.7 Lion.f Compared to Lion, Mountain Lion was far more stable and pleasant to use. But it didn’t just put right past mistakes — it added a boatload of new features. Notification Center was the most prominent addition, but Messages and Notes came across from iOS, while system features like Power Nap and AirPlay Mirroring also made their debuts. Mountain Lion showed that Apple could refine its operating systems and add new features, and that combination proved to be a winner at the time. OS X 10.9 Mavericks (2013) Apple With OS X 10.9 Mavericks, Apple stopped naming its Mac operating system updates after big cats and instead switched to locations in its native California. Notably, it was also a free upgrade for anyone running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or later on a Mac with a 64-bit Intel chip. As with Mountain Lion, Mavericks brought across more features from iOS, including the Maps and iBooks apps. Tabs were added to Finder, and Safari was sped up thanks to better JavaScript performance. There were also improvements to multi-monitor setups and performance under the hood. At the time, Mavericks was seen as a gradual evolution of the Mac operating system, although it wasn’t without its critics. However, some of the biggest praise went to its price tag: it was totally free, marking a trend that continues to this day. OS X 10.10 Yosemite (2014) Apple OS X 10.10 Yosemite featured the first major visual overhaul of the Mac operating system in years. Gone were the skeuomorphic apps of the Steve Jobs era, replaced by flat icons and translucent design elements that are still in use today (albeit with some alterations). That followed the moves made by iOS 7 in 2013, which also dropped its skeuomorphic touches. It also enabled Apple to show off the tight integration of its iPhone and Mac products with a new feature called Handoff. With this enabled, you could answer an iPhone call on your Mac, or start editing a document on one device and then finish it on another. A change that was less well received was the replacement of the iPhoto and Aperture apps with Photos. The former two apps had loyal followings, and even today you’ll find Apple users who lament their demise. OS X 10.11 El Capitan (2015) Digital Trends As we’ve seen, every now and then Apple releases a “refinement” update to the Mac operating system, and OS X 10.11 El Capitan was one such case. That meant a plethora of small fixes and improvements, including a better user interface in the Notes app, . System Integrity Protection was also brought in for stronger security. But El Capitan wasn’t totally devoid of new features. You could now get public transport directions in the Maps app, there were new window-management features, and Mission Control was tweaked and enhanced. The Metal API was also added from iOS 8 to enhance performance in games and pro apps. All these small adjustments resulted in a positive reception for El Capitan, with praise offered for its stability and functionality. macOS 10.12 Sierra (2016) Digital Trends When you think back to macOS 10.12 Sierra, perhaps the most obvious thing you’ll remember is the name. It was the first time Apple used the “macOS” branding, dropping OS X and bringing its Mac naming style in line with that of its other systems (such as iOS and tvOS). But that’s not what made it a great release. Sierra is one of the best versions of macOS because of what it introduced. That includes Siri on the Mac, Auto Unlock to unlock your Mac using an Apple Watch, and Night Shift, which automatically reduced blue light late at night. There was Picture in Picture and the Universal Clipboard, plus the first look at the APFS file system that modernized Mac storage. Sierra was an important release both on the surface and under the hood, with a bunch of features that are still well-loved today. It was an impressive way to kick off the macOS era. macOS 10.13 High Sierra (2017) Jayce Wagner / Digital Trends In 2017, macOS 10.13 High Sierra was released with the intention of polishing much of what arrived a year earlier in Sierra. To that end, Apple put the emphasis on speeding up performance and solidifying the system’s stability, although there were a handful of new features in apps like Photos, Mail and Safari. Unfortunately, High Sierra was affected by a number of serious security issues that dented its reputation. There was the infamous “root” problem, for example, which let anyone enter the username “root” on the login screen, then log in to the all-powerful root account without even requiring a password. Other issues included problems with external monitor connections and lagging animations likely caused by a last-minute Metal 2 update. macOS 10.14 Mojave (2018) Digital Trends While macOS Sierra was the start of a new era, macOS 10.14 Mojave was the last of its kind. It was the final version of macOS to support 32-bit apps, and as such is cherished by a small subset of users who could not or would not update their apps to run on 64-bit operating systems. There was much more to Mojave than that, though. It was the first version to feature Dark Mode, which people still love today. Huge piles of files on your desktop could be grouped into Stacks, making things appear much neater (even if they actually weren’t). The App Store was totally remade and got editorial content, while a handful of apps were transferred from iOS to the Mac (although they were far from perfect at the time). Mojave was one of those editions that never really screamed and shouted to get attention, yet its consistency and thoughtful, incremental changes made it a firm favorite. As the old Steve Jobs adage went, “It just works.” Sometimes, that’s just what you’re looking for. macOS 10.15 Catalina (2019) Digital Trends Released in 2019, macOS Catalina wasn’t a terrible launch for Apple. It had plenty of positives, including the introduction of Sidecar and Find My, better security features, and more. But if you’ve used Catalina, there’s one thing that probably makes all that seem irrelevant: its incredibly annoying pop-ups. Let’s say you’ve got an app that you’ve told to open a file on your desktop. Catalina would insist you needed to grant it permission first, then did the same for every single other app that wanted to do the same. The alerts would often appear even when the app didn’t seem to be trying to do anything at all. They were a constant barrage of irritating distractions, akin to Windows’ much-mocked User Account Control pop-ups. Just trying to use your Mac in a normal way became annoying. Apple has always prided itself on the security of its Macs, but this was one case where it swung wildly away from convenience and too far into security territory. Fortunately, it seems to have found a much better balance these days. macOS 11 Big Sur (2020) Digital Trends Six years after Yosemite, macOS 11 Big Sur introduced another major design overhaul, with a new look that featured major changes to first-party apps, design elements like windows and the Dock, and remade system sounds. It also changed the macOS naming convention to drop the incremental 10.x style and instead use full integers. Big Sur wasn’t just about the visuals, though. Time Machine was revamped, Control Center was added, and the Notification Center was redesigned. Big Sur was also the first version of macOS to support Apple silicon chips, a significant alteration in the Mac’s history. macOS 12 Monterey (2021) Digital Trends Big Sur was always going to be a tough act to follow, but macOS 12 Monterey acquitted itself well. It added features like Universal Control (which lets you control multiple devices using a single mouse and keyboard) and Focus modes that are much loved today. It also ported the Shortcuts app across from iOS and iPadOS, giving far more power to users to create automated workflows. That’s not all. Live Text let you highlight words and phrases in images, while Low Power Mode helped save your MacBook’s battery and extend its life. SharePlay, Portrait mode and noise cancelation were all added to FaceTime, Visual Look Up let you identify plants and animals in photos, and AirPlay was tweaked with better streaming options for iOS and iPadOS content. Overall, then, there was a lot to like about macOS Monterey. macOS 13 Ventura (2022) Digital Trends Apple likes its whizzy demos, and following the wow factor that came with macOS Monterey’s Universal Control, the company needed a follow-up. It delivered that in macOS 13 Ventura in the form of Continuity Camera, which lets you mount an iPhone on your Mac’s display and use it as a webcam, no extra steps required. But there was more to Ventura than just a cool video-calling feature. System Preferences was renamed to System Settings and given a more logical design, Stage Manager was introduced (to a mixed reception), and native Freeform, Weather and Clock apps were added. It was a solid update with new features that are still well-regarded today. macOS 14 Sonoma (2023) Digital Trends Apple had long had an issue with Mac widgets – since the demise of the Dashboard, it hadn’t found a way to do them justice. In macOS 14 Sonoma, Apple found the solution in the form of widgets that could be placed anywhere on your desktop and interacted with, all without needing to open their companion apps. Sonoma also introduced Game Mode for enhanced gaming performance, added animated wallpapers and screen savers in a variety of styles, and the Lock Screen was redesigned to take on a similar appearance to iOS. It wasn’t the most feature-packed update, but it had enough going for it to be a solid upgrade. macOS 15 Sequoia (2024) Digital Trends With macOS 15 Sequoia came one of Apple’s biggest new features yet: Apple Intelligence. The artificial intelligence (AI) system was meant to revolutionize the way you used your Mac, although its initial rollout was marred by delayed features and subpar performance compared to rivals. Still, there were more positive changes elsewhere, like the introduction of the Passwords app for managing your logins, an iPhone Mirroring feature that lets you directly use your Apple phone on your Mac, and the debut of Math Notes, which can automatically calculate sums and formulae for you in the Notes app. Other new features comprised window tiling, a redesigned Calculator app, the second version of the Game Porting Toolkit, and more.

If your partner displays even just one (let alone all) of these three behaviors, you’ve definitely ... More got a good thing going.getty In too many areas of life, we’re inclined to search for negatives before we do positives. When we’re looking for a new TV show, movie or book, we look at the bad reviews before we do the good ones. We’re more likely to remember the one rude email we received at work than the five friendly ones that succeeded it. Occasionally, even our relationships fall prey to this pattern of pessimism. We point out weaknesses, in the relationship or even within our partner, more easily than we can point out their strengths. Of course, this is human instinct; it’s rooted in our DNA to do whatever we can to protect ourselves. The problem, however, is that this survival mechanism is difficult to switch off. That is, we forget that there comes a point where we can stop looking for dangers. But just as our brains can be trained to scan for threats, they can also be retrained to look towards the good. Making a conscious effort to recognize what’s going right in your relationship — and in your partner — can transform the way you see them. In the spirit of optimism, here are three signs that your partner is a real keeper. 1. They ‘Match Your Energy’ Colloquially, we often see people refer to the importance of a partner being able to “match your energy” — to be excited when you’re excited, or to feel your sadness in the same way they would their own. While the terminology might not be scientific, there’s ample research that lends support to the idea as a whole. In psychology, “matching someone’s energy” would be conceptualized as “compersion.” According to a 2023 reference in the Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior, compersion refers to the range of positive emotions one experiences in relation to those of another. In simpler terms, it could be understood as the opposite of jealousy: feeling happy when you witness your partner’s happiness, as opposed to feeling threatened by it. “Matching energy,” in this sense, is indeed a very positive indicator in a romantic relationship. In fact, a 2024 study from Emotion notes that greater “smile synchrony (that is, how frequently and quickly partners return one another’s smiles) is associated with greater relationship satisfaction. There’s nothing more discouraging than getting excited about something, only to be met with a blank stare, lukewarm indifference or a dismissive comment. Even if they don’t mean to, incongruencies like these can make you feel incredibly small and silly. So if your partner is able to share in your joy with genuine enthusiasm, you’ve definitely got a keeper. Maybe you just read a fascinating article about penguin parenting habits, or perhaps you finally beat that impossible boss level in your favorite video game. Whatever it is, you should never feel like you have to downplay your excitement to be taken seriously. If your partner can light up, laugh or celebrate right along with you — regardless of how trivial or offbeat the moment may seem — then they’re definitely waving a green flag. 2. They Always Take Your Side One of the most tell-tale signs that you’re in a healthy, lasting relationship is knowing that your partner will take your side when it really matters. It could be during tense moments with in-laws, standing up for you when your own family tends to dismiss your feelings or even offering support during disagreements within the relationship itself. In too many of these scenarios, people end up feeling like they’re fending for themselves, alone. But in a secure partnership, that should never be the case. No matter how complicated or uncomfortable the situation may be, you should feel that, at the very least, your partner will always have your back. Unwavering support like this is especially crucial for people who tend to feel insecure or anxious in close relationships. Stressful situations involving criticism, exclusion or emotional conflict can hit home for them. Without someone in their corner, they may feel the need to defend themselves, shut down or lash out in ways they’ll regret later on. In psychology, this is known as “partner buffering.” As 2020 research explains, this refers to one partner’s ability to help regulate the other’s emotions during times of distress. Sometimes this looks like stepping in to de-escalate a conflict. Other times, it’s simply about reassuring their partner that they’re not alone and that someone’s on their side. Maybe your in-laws are making subtle digs at you over dinner. Maybe your family mentions that one childhood memory that you’ve asked them to stop bringing up. Or maybe it’s something as light as a board game night where things unexpectedly became heated. If your partner is willing to firmly stand by you in these moments — to validate your emotions and speak up when no one else does — then you’re in a relationship that most people can only dream of. 3. They Do Things Without You Asking Them To It’s an unfortunate truth that, in many relationships, one partner ends up having to constantly remind the other of their needs — and often, these are just the basics. But when they speak up, they’re too often labeled as “needy” or accused of “nagging.” But, in reality, it’s nowhere near unreasonable to expect effort from someone you share your life with. You shouldn’t have to convince your partner to show up for you. In healthy relationships, however, this is never the case. There’s no scoreboard, nor a need to repeatedly spell things out. In fact, 2019 research from Personality and Individual Differences notes that choosing an altruistic partner — someone who genuinely cares about your well-being without expecting anything in return — is a smart, successful mate choice. In other words, choosing someone who consistently shows up for you just because they want to is one of the strongest predictors of long-term relationship satisfaction. You don’t need to ask them to put their phone down while you’re talking. You don’t need to chase them to pick up after themselves. And beyond these bare necessities, you don’t need to ask for them for love or kindness. It’s already part of their routine, and they do it without hesitation or resentment. Maybe they come home from the grocery store with your favorite snack or a bouquet of flowers, just because. Maybe they quietly start rubbing your shoulders after a long day without needing to be prompted. Or maybe they simply do the little things they know make you smile, without expecting praise, recognition or anything in return. This kind of selfless love is something only a rare few get to experience. And if your partner ticks all three of the boxes above — if they match your energy, have your back when it counts and show up without being asked — you probably already know you’ve got something special. But if you didn’t know it before reading this, let this be your sign: they’re a keeper. The kinds of relationships described above don’t just survive. They thrive. Take this science-backed test to find out if yours fits the description: Relationship Flourishing Scale

As so-called "killer whales" have made news over the past few years for violent boat attacks in European waters, marine biologists have noticed a far sweeter behavior in Iceland's frigid waves: the adoption of a baby whale from an entirely different species.In interviews with Scientific American, scientists described their shock at observing a pilot whale calf that traveled with an Icelandic pod of orcas over a period of years.One of those researchers, Chérine Baumgartner, said she and her colleagues at the Icelandic Orca Project initially couldn't believe their eyes."At first, we were like, 'Oh my god, this killer whale calf has a problem,'" the researcher said of the bulbous-headed baby she and her team first spotted back in 2022. It looked at first glance like a malformed orca — until they realized it was no killer whale at all.The next day, when Baumgartner and her colleagues were witnessing the same pod again, the baby pilot whale was absent. Eventually, however, they started seeing baby pilot whales with orca pods throughout 2022 and 2023, and began to develop theories about what was happening.In a new paper published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, Baumgartner and her team from a consortium of Nordic research institutions have posited three theories about the fascinating matchup: that the orcas are hunting the babies, playing with them, or perhaps even nurturing them.As SciAm notes, each sighting involved a pilot whale calf that could be no more than a few weeks old that swam alongside an adult orca female in what marine biologists call "echelon position," with the baby beside and slightly behind the elder.In some instances, the baby pilot whale was nudged along by the adult orcas, and on another occasion, it swam ahead of the pod before the adults caught up to it and lifted it out of the water and onto one of their backs.That kind of playful and protective behavior does not, of course, sound predatory — but because "killer whales" are known for their violence, it can't be completely ruled out, the scientists say.Along with what the orcas are doing with the baby pilot whales, researchers want to know how the two species, which generally do not overlap, came to not only be in the same place but also coexist in such a way."It could be," Baumgartner told SciAm, "[that the orcas] encountered the pilot whale opportunistically, and some individuals played with the whale, and others tried to nurture it."As study co-author Filipa Samarra noted, there's a chance that climate change has led pilot whales, which typically follow schools of warm water-seeking mackerel, into orca territory.Share This Article

Higher power Do these Buddhist gods hint at the purpose of China’s super-secret satellites? Until recently, China's entries in the realm of spaceflight patches often lacked originality. Stephen Clark – May 17, 2025 1:00 pm | 14 This illustration of Chíguó, protector of the east in Buddhism's Four Heavenly Kings, shows the divine being strumming a pipa, a traditional Chinese musical instrument. Credit: Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology This illustration of Chíguó, protector of the east in Buddhism's Four Heavenly Kings, shows the divine being strumming a pipa, a traditional Chinese musical instrument. Credit: Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more Mission patches are a decades-old tradition in spaceflight. They can range from the figurative to the abstract, prompting valuable insights or feeding confusion. Some are just plain weird. Ars published a story a few months ago on spaceflight patches from NASA, SpaceX, Russia, and the NRO, the US government's spy satellite agency, which is responsible for some of the most head-scratching mission logos. Until recently, China's entries in the realm of spaceflight patches often lacked the originality found in patches from the West. For example, a series of patches for China's human spaceflight missions used a formulaic design with a circular shape and a mix of red and blue. The patch for China's most recent Shenzhou crew to the country's Tiangong space station last month finally broke the mold with a triangular shape after China's human spaceflight agency put the patch up for a public vote. But there's a fascinating set of new patches Chinese officials released for a series of launches with top secret satellites over the last two months. These four patches depict Buddhist gods with a sense of artistry and sharp colors that stand apart from China's previous spaceflight emblems, and perhaps—or perhaps not—they can tell us something about the nature of the missions they represent. Guardians of the Dharma The four patches show the Four Heavenly Kings, protector deities in Buddhism who guard against evil forces in the four cardinal directions, according to the Kyoto National Museum. The gods also shield the Dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, from external threats. These gods have different names, but in China, they are known as Duōwén, Zēngzhǎng, Chíguó, and Guăngmù. Duōwén is the commander and the guardian of the north, the "one who listens to many teachings," who is often depicted with an umbrella. Zēngzhǎng, guardian of the south, is a god of growth shown carrying a sword. The protector of the east is Chíguó, defender of the nation, who holds a stringed musical instrument. And guarding the west is Guăngmù, an all-seeing god usually depicted with a serpent. The patches for a quartet of Chinese satellites launched since March each portray one of the Four Heavenly Kings. We know little about these satellites, other than their names and locations, and they were reportedly manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a division of China's main state-owned aerospace contractor. They are part of a series of Chinese missions known as Tongxin Jishu Shiyan (TJS), or what China calls communication technology test satellites. But that's likely a cover for their real purpose. This artwork released by one of China's state-run space companies shows the Four Heavenly Kings. Clockwise, in order of launch from the upper left: TJS-15 as King of the West, TJS-16 as King of the East, TJS-17 as King of the North, and TJS-19 as King of the South. Credit: Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology China launched TJS-15, the first satellite with a Heavenly King mascot, on March 9 aboard a Long March 3B rocket. A Long March 7A rocket launched the TJS-16 satellite March 29, and another Long March 3B deployed the TJS-17 payload April 10. Finally, on Monday, a Long March 3C rocket sent China's TJS-19 satellite into orbit, skipping TJS-18 in the sequence. All four satellites are on their way to, or already operating in, geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator. At that altitude, a satellite's orbital velocity matches the speed of Earth's rotation, allowing it to remain over the same part of the planet. Notably, ground-based trackers have detected unexpected objects that appear to have separated from TJS-15 and TJS-17 in geosynchronous orbit. These may be remnant rocket engines that helped inject the satellites into their operating orbits, but a handful of earlier Chinese satellites also released smaller spacecraft to perform their own maneuvers. Orbital intrigue US officials believe China uses many of the TJS satellites for missile warning or spy missions. In the first instance, some of the TJS satellites may be similar to the US Space Force's fleet of early warning satellites, on guard with heat sensors to detect the thermal signature of a ballistic missile launch. TJS satellites filling the role of a reconnaissance mission might have enormous umbrella-like reflectors to try and pick up signals transmitted by foreign forces, such as those of the United States. It's not difficult to start making connections between the Four Heavenly Gods and the missions that China's TJS satellites likely carry out in space. A protector with an umbrella? An all-seeing entity? This sounds like a possible link, but there's a chance Chinese officials approved the patches to misdirect outside observers, or there's no connection at all. All of the TJS satellites are parked in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, or the Western Pacific, except for one—TJS-7—positioned over the Eastern Pacific, with good visibility over the entire United States. A Long March 7A rocket carrying the TJS-16 satellite lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on March 30, 2025, in Wenchang, Hainan Province of China. Credit: Liu Guoxing/VCG via Getty Images Mike Dahm, a researcher at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and a former naval intelligence officer, told the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission last year that TJS-7 is probably a missile warning satellite, but it could be spying on signals coming from the US homeland. Some of the TJS satellites might also be capable of maneuvering near other satellites for closeup inspection. The US military has its own inspector satellites, known as GSSAP, to get a closer look at interesting things happening in geosynchronous orbit. And the Space Force is using them. One of these GSSAP platforms, designated USA-324, approached within about 10 miles of China's new TJS-16 and TJS-17 satellites on April 26 and April 29, according to COMSPOC, a commercial satellite tracking company. A video animation released by COMSPOC, embedded below, shows how the USA-324 satellite maneuvered close to each of the Chinese satellites last month over the Western Pacific Ocean. It seems the Space Force is intrigued by China's flurry of new top secret satellites missions, too. Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark Space Reporter Stephen Clark is a space reporter at Ars Technica, covering private space companies and the world’s space agencies. Stephen writes about the nexus of technology, science, policy, and business on and off the planet. 14 Comments