Whether you’re an advertiser or a publisher, partnering up with the right programmatic video advertising platform is one of the most important business decisions you can make. More than half of U.S. marketing budgets are now devoted to programmatically purchased media, and there’s no indication that trend will reverse any time soon.Everybody wants to find the solution that’s best for their bottom line. However, the specific considerations that should go into choosing the right video programmatic advertising solution differ depending on whether you have supply to sell or are looking for an audience for your advertisements. This article will break down key factors for both mobile advertisers and mobile publishers to keep in mind as they search for a programmatic video advertising platform.Before we get into the specifics on either end, let’s recap the basic concepts.What is a programmatic video advertising platform?A programmatic video advertising platform combines tools, processes, and marketplaces to place video ads from advertising partners in ad placements furnished by publishing partners. The “programmatic” part of the term means that it’s all done procedurally via automated tools, integrating with demand side platforms and supply side platforms to allow advertising placements to be bid upon, selected, and displayed in fractions of a second.If a mobile game has ever offered you extra rewards for watching a video and you found yourself watching an ad for a related game a split second later, you’ve likely been on the user side of an advertising programmatic transaction. Now let’s take a look at what considerations make for the ideal programmatic video advertising platform for the other two main parties involved.4 points to help advertisers choose the best programmatic platformLooking for the best way to leverage your video demand side platform? These are four key points for advertisers to consider when trying to find the right programmatic video advertising platform.A large, engaged audienceOne of the most important things a programmatic video advertising platform can do for advertisers is put their creative content in front of as many people as possible. However, it’s not enough to just pass your content in front of the most eyeballs. It’s equally important for the platform to give you access to engaged audiences who are more likely to convert so you can make the most of your advertising dollar.Full-screen videos to grab attentionYou need every advantage you can get when you’re grappling for the attention of a busy mobile user. Your video demand side platform should prioritize full-screen takeovers when and where they make sense, making sure your content isn’t just playing unnoticed on the far side of the screen.A range of ad options that are easy to testYour video programmatic advertising partner should be able to offer a broad variety of creative and placement options, including interstitial and rewarded ads. It should also enable you to test, iterate, and optimize ads as soon as they’re put into rotation, ensuring your ad spend is meeting your targets and allowing for fast and flexible changes if needed.Simple access to supplyEven the most powerful programmatic video advertising platform is no good if it’s impractical to get running. Look for partners that allows instant access to supply through tried-and-true platforms like Google Display & Video 360, Magnite, and others. On top of that, you should seek out a private exchange to ensure access to premium inventory.4 points for publishers in search of the best programmatic platformYou work hard to make the best apps for your users, and you deserve to partner up with a programmatic video advertising platform that works hard too. Serving video ads that both keep users engaged and your profits rising can be a tricky needle to thread, but the right platform should make your part of the process simple and effective.A large selection of advertisersEncountering the same ads over and over again can get old fast — and diminish engagement. On top of that, a small selection of advertisers means fewer chances for your users to connect with an ad and convert — which means less revenue, too. The ideal programmatic video advertising platform will partner with thousands of advertisers to fill your placements with fresh, engaging content.Rewarded videos and offerwallsInterstitial video ads aren’t likely to disappear any time soon, but players strongly prefer other means of advertisement. In fact, 76% of US mobile gamers say they prefer rewarded videos over interstitial ads. Giving players the choice of when to watch ads, with the inducement of in-game rewards, can be very powerful — and an offerwall is another powerful way to put the ball in your player’s court.Easy supply-side SDK integrationThe time your developers spend integrating a new video programmatic advertising solution into your apps is time they could have spent making those apps more engaging for users. While any backend adjustment will naturally take some time to implement, your new programmatic partner should offer a powerful, industry-standard SDK to make the process fast and non-disruptive.Support for programmatic mediationMediators such as LevelPlay by ironSource automatically prioritize ad demand from multiple third-party networks, optimizing your cash flow and reducing work on your end. Your programmatic video advertising platform should seamlessly integrate with mediators to make the most of each ad placement, every time.Pick a powerful programmatic partnerThankfully, advertisers and publishers alike can choose one solution that checks all the above boxes and more. For advertisers, the ironSource Programmatic Marketplace will connect you with targeted audiences in thousands of apps that gel with your brand. For publishers, ironSource’s marketplace means a massive selection of ads that your users and your bottom line will love.

This is a spoiler-free preview of the first five episodes of season three. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ended its second season with arguably the single strongest run of any streaming-era Trek. The show was made with such confidence in all departments that if there were flaws, you weren’t interested in looking for them. Since then, it’s gone from being the best modern Trek, to being the only modern Trek. Unfortunately, at the moment it needs to be the standard bearer for the show, it’s become noticeably weaker and less consistent.  As usual, I’ve seen the first five episodes, but can’t reveal specifics about what I’ve seen. I can say plenty of the things that made Strange New Worlds the best modern-day live-action Trek remain in place. It’s a show that’s happy for you to spend time with its characters as they hang out, and almost all of them are deeply charming. This is, after all, a show that uses as motif the image of the crew in Pike’s quarters as the captain cooks for his crew. Its format, with standalone adventures blended with serialized character drama, means it can offer something new every week. Think back to the first season, when “Memento Mori,” a tense action thriller with the Gorn, was immediately followed by “Spock Amock,” a goofy, starbase-set body-swap romantic comedy of manners centered around Spock. Strange New Worlds is the first Trek in a long while to realize audiences don’t just want a ceaseless slog of stern-faced, angry grimdark. And if they want that, they can go watch Picard and Section 31. Marni Grossman/Paramount+ But, as much as those things are SNW’s greatest strength, it’s a delicate balance to ensure the series doesn’t lurch too far either way. And, it pains me to say this, the show spends the first five episodes of its third season going too far in both directions (although, mercifully, not at the same time). No specifics, but one episode I’m sure was on the same writers room whiteboard wishlist as last season’s musical episode. What was clearly intended as a chance for everyone to get out of their usual roles and have fun falls flat. Because the episode can never get past the sense it’s too delighted in its own silliness to properly function. Marni Grossman/Paramount+ At the other end of the scale, we get sprints toward the eye-gouging grimdark that blighted those other series. Sure, the series has gone to dark places before, but previously with more of a sense of deftness, rather than just going for the viscerally-upsetting gore. A cynic might suggest that, as Paramount’s other Trek projects ended, franchise-overseer Alex Kurtzman — who has pushed the franchise into “grittier” territory whenever he can — had more time to spend in the SNW writers’ room. Much as I’ve enjoyed the series’ soapier elements, the continuing plotlines take up an ever bigger part of each episode’s runtime so far. Consequently, the story of the week gets less service, making them feel weaker and less coherent. One episode pivots two thirds of the way in to act as a low-key sequel to an episode from season two. But since we’ve only got ten minutes left, it feels thrown in as an afterthought, or to resolve a thread the creative team felt they were obliged to deal with (they didn’t). In fact, this and the recently-finished run of Doctor Who suffered from the same problem that blights so many streaming-era shows, which is the limited episode order. Rather than producing TV on the scale broadcast networks were able to — yearly runs of 22-, 24- or 26 episodes, a lot of (expensive) genre shows get less than half that. The result is that each episode has to be More Important Than The Last One in a way that’s exhausting for a viewer. But Strange New Worlds can’t solve all the economic issues with the streaming model on its own. My hope is that, much like in its first season, the weaker episodes are all in its front half to soften us up for the moments of quality that followed toward its conclusion. ASIDE: Shortly before publication, Paramount announced Strange New Worlds would end in its fifth season, which would be cut from ten episodes to six. It's not surprising — given the equally-brilliant Lower Decks was also axed after passing the same milestone — but it is disappointing. My only hope is that the series doesn't spend that final run awkwardly killing off the series' young ensemble one by one in order to replace them with the entire original series' roster as to make it "line up." Please, let them be their own things. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-third-season-falls-short-of-its-second-020030139.html?src=rss

Missing the big picture US science is being wrecked, and its leadership is fighting the last war Facing an extreme budget, the National Academies hosted an event that ignored it. John Timmer – Jun 4, 2025 6:00 pm | 16 Credit: JHVE Photo Credit: JHVE Photo Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more WASHINGTON, DC—The general outline of the Trump administration's proposed 2026 budget was released a few weeks back, and it included massive cuts for most agencies, including every one that funds scientific research. Late last week, those agencies began releasing details of what the cuts would mean for the actual projects and people they support. And the results are as bad as the initial budget had suggested: one-of-a-kind scientific experiment facilities and hardware retired, massive cuts in supported scientists, and entire areas of research halted. And this comes in an environment where previously funded grants are being terminated, funding is being held up for ideological screening, and universities have been subject to arbitrary funding freezes. Collectively, things are heading for damage to US science that will take decades to recover from. It's a radical break from the trajectory science had been on. That's the environment that the US's National Academies of Science found itself in yesterday while hosting the State of the Science event in Washington, DC. It was an obvious opportunity for the nation's leading scientific organization to warn the nation of the consequences of the path that the current administration has been traveling. Instead, the event largely ignored the present to worry about a future that may never exist. The proposed cuts The top-line budget numbers proposed earlier indicated things would be bad: nearly 40 percent taken off the National Institutes of Health's budget, the National Science Foundation down by over half. But now, many of the details of what those cuts mean are becoming apparent. NASA's budget includes sharp cuts for planetary science, which would be cut in half and then stay flat for the rest of the decade, with the Mars Sample Return mission canceled. All other science budgets, including Earth Science and Astrophysics, take similar hits; one astronomer posted a graphic showing how many present and future missions that would mean. Active missions that have returned unprecedented data, like Juno and New Horizons, would go, as would two Mars orbiters. As described by Science magazine's news team, "The plans would also kill off nearly every major science mission the agency has not yet begun to build." A chart prepared by astronomer Laura Lopez showing just how many astrophysics missions will be cancelled. Credit: Laura Lopez The National Science Foundation, which funds much of the US's fundamental research, is also set for brutal cuts. Biology, engineering, and education will all be slashed by over 70 percent; computer science, math and physical science, and social and behavioral science will all see cuts of over 60 percent. International programs will take an 80 percent cut. The funding rate of grant proposals is expected to drop from 26 percent to just 7 percent, meaning the vast majority of grants submitted to the NSF will be a waste of time. The number of people involved in NSF-funded activities will drop from over 300,000 to just 90,000. Almost every program to broaden participation in science will be eliminated. As for specifics, they're equally grim. The fleet of research ships will essentially become someone else's problem: "The FY 2026 Budget Request will enable partial support of some ships." We've been able to better pin down the nature and location of gravitational wave events as detectors in Japan and Italy joined the original two LIGO detectors; the NSF will reverse that progress by shutting one of the LIGOs. The NSF's contributions to detectors at the Large Hadron Collider will be cut by over half, and one of the two very large telescopes it was helping fund will be cancelled (say goodbye to the Thirty Meter Telescope). "Access to the telescopes at Kitt Peak and Cerro Tololo will be phased out," and the NSF will transfer the facilities to other organizations. The Department of Health and Human Services has been less detailed about the specific cuts its divisions will see, largely focusing on the overall numbers, which are down considerably. The NIH, which is facing a cut of over 40 percent, will be reorganized, with its 19 institutes pared down to just eight. This will result in some odd pairings, such as the dental and eye institutes ending up in the same place; genomics and biomedical imaging will likewise end up under the same roof. Other groups like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration will also face major cuts. Issues go well beyond the core science agencies, as well. In the Department of Energy, funding for wind, solar, and renewable grid integration has been zeroed out, essentially ending all programs in this area. Hydrogen and fuel cells face a similar fate. Collectively, these had gotten over $600 billion dollars in 2024's budget. Other areas of science at the DOE, such as high-energy physics, fusion, and biology, receive relatively minor cuts that are largely in line with the ones faced by administration priorities like fossil and nuclear energy. Will this happen? It goes without saying that this would amount to an abandonment of US scientific leadership at a time when most estimates of China's research spending show it approaching US-like levels of support. Not only would it eliminate many key facilities, instruments, and institutions that have helped make the US a scientific powerhouse, but it would also block the development of newer and additional ones. The harms are so widespread that even topics that the administration claims are priorities would see severe cuts. And the damage is likely to last for generations, as support is cut at every stage of the educational pipeline that prepares people for STEM careers. This includes careers in high-tech industries, which may require relocation overseas due to a combination of staffing concerns and heightened immigration controls. That said, we've been here before in the first Trump administration, when budgets were proposed with potentially catastrophic implications for US science. But Congress limited the damage and maintained reasonably consistent budgets for most agencies. Can we expect that to happen again? So far, the signs are not especially promising. The House has largely adopted the Trump administration's budget priorities, despite the fact that the budget they pass turns its back on decades of supposed concerns about deficit spending. While the Senate has yet to take up the budget, it has also been very pliant during the second Trump administration, approving grossly unqualified cabinet picks such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. All of which would seem to call for the leadership of US science organizations to press the case for the importance of science funding to the US, and highlight the damage that these cuts would cause. But, if yesterday's National Academies event is anything to judge by, the leadership is not especially interested. Altered states As the nation's premier science organization, and one that performs lots of analyses for the government, the National Academies would seem to be in a position to have its concerns taken seriously by members of Congress. And, given that the present and future of science in the US is being set by policy choices, a meeting entitled the State of the Science would seem like the obvious place to address those concerns. If so, it was not obvious to Marcia McNutt, the president of the NAS, who gave the presentation. She made some oblique references to current problems, saying, that “We are embarking on a radical new experiment in what conditions promote science leadership, with the US being the treatment group, and China as the control," and acknowledged that "uncertainties over the science budgets for next year, coupled with cancellations of billions of dollars of already hard-won research grants, is causing an exodus of researchers." But her primary focus was on the trends that have been operative in science funding and policy leading up to but excluding the second Trump administration. McNutt suggested this was needed to look beyond the next four years. However, that ignores the obvious fact that US science will be fundamentally different if the Trump administration can follow through on its plans and policies; the trends that have been present for the last two decades will be irrelevant. She was also remarkably selective about her avoidance of discussing Trump administration priorities. After noting that faculty surveys have suggested they spend roughly 40 percent of their time handling regulatory requirements, she twice mentioned that the administration's anti-regulatory stance could be a net positive here (once calling it "an opportunity to help"). Yet she neglected to note that many of the abandoned regulations represent a retreat from science-driven policy. McNutt also acknowledged the problem of science losing the bipartisan support it has enjoyed, as trust in scientists among US conservatives has been on a downward trend. But she suggested it was scientists' responsibility to fix the problem, even though it's largely the product of one party deciding it can gain partisan advantage by raising doubts about scientific findings in fields like climate change and vaccine safety. The panel discussion that came after largely followed McNutt's lead in avoiding any mention of the current threats to science. The lone exception was Heather Wilson, president of the University of Texas at El Paso and a former Republican member of the House of Representatives and Secretary of the Air Force during the first Trump administration. Wilson took direct aim at Trump's cuts to funding for underrepresented groups, arguing, "Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity is not." After arguing that "the moral authority of science depends on the pursuit of truth," she highlighted the cancellation of grants that had been used to study diseases that are more prevalent in some ethnic groups, saying "that's not woke science—that's genetics." Wilson was clearly the exception, however, as the rest of the panel largely avoided direct mention of either the damage already done to US science funding or the impending catastrophe on the horizon. We've asked the National Academies' leadership a number of questions about how it perceives its role at a time when US science is clearly under threat. As of this article's publication, however, we have not received a response. At yesterday's event, however, only one person showed a clear sense of what they thought that role should be—Wilson again, whose strongest words were directed at the National Academies themselves, which she said should "do what you've done since Lincoln was president," and stand up for the truth. John Timmer Senior Science Editor John Timmer Senior Science Editor John is Ars Technica's science editor. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. When physically separated from his keyboard, he tends to seek out a bicycle, or a scenic location for communing with his hiking boots. 16 Comments

If you’re in the homebuying market, you’ve probably come to realize that the grass is always greener in the listing description—both literally and figuratively. Real estate agents sometimes get creative with Photoshop edits on listing photos, often brightening up the grass and editing out unsightly objects, like a neighbor’s clunker car or wires cluttering a bedroom. They also use some descriptive language that can be, well, deceptive. Adjectives like cozy and charming may evoke good feelings in potential buyers, but they’re high on the list of frequently used adjectives that probably don’t mean what you think they do. Photos and descriptions give you a teaser, but nothing beats an in-person tour for catching any potential sneaky details. Still, there are certain phrases to keep an eye out for as you're browsing for your next dream home online. Below, we're rounding up 10 common words or phrases often found in real estate listings should raise red flags, according to real estate pros. Related Stories“Charming”DreamPictures//Getty ImagesOr, similarly, unique. “Often, this means the property has some quirks that might not appeal to everyone,” real estate expert Yawar Charlie, director of the luxury estates division at Aaron Kirman Group, says. “It could be anything from a funky floor plan to unconventional finishes.” Think about resale value and whether any of these quirks might be a dealbreaker for future buyers, should you choose to sell“Cozy”Cozy is most likely a code word for lacking square footage, Charlie says. “When they call it cozy, they’re hinting that it might be a bit cramped,” he says. “Check for square footage and layout specifics.”“Home Being Sold As Is”"As is" is perhaps one of the biggest red flags in real estate. “It often signals that the property may have significant issues the seller is trying to offload,” says Nikki Bernstein, a global real estate advisor with Engel & Völkers Scottsdale.According to Bernstein, an "as is" condition indicates that the seller is likely emotionally detached and unwilling to negotiate on price or concessions. It also suggests they may be withholding information, indicating there could be hidden problems waiting to be uncovered during inspection, she says. “As is might as well be a warning: ‘Buyer beware,’” Bernstein says. “Fixer Upper”Mableen//Getty ImagesIf you’ve got a design-build background or are looking for homes that are worth renovating, a property advertised as a fixer-upper might make for a fun challenge. But this phrase usually means the property has seen better days and needs some TLC, which is not what most buyers are looking for. Charlie's advice? Bring a contractor or a handyman to the home inspection with you. “You’re not just checking for cosmetic issues; you want to get the lowdown on structural problems, electrical updates, and plumbing repairs,” Charlie says. “A fixer-upper can quickly turn into a money pit.”If you choose to pursue a home that needs a fair amount of love, make sure you’ve got the right loan, Virginia Realtor and real estate broker Michelle Brown cautions. For example, a FHA 203K loan lets buyers roll home improvement costs into their mortgage.“Investors’ Dream”This phrase typically signals the property is in poor condition but priced low for potential profit through renovations or redevelopment, Brown says. This is another instance where you’ll want to have a contractor with you to get a full picture of all the repairs that may be needed.“Make This Home Your Own”This phrase signals the home is likely outdated and in need of cosmetic updates at the very least, New Jersey Realtor Larry Devardo says. Listings that advertise “potential” or say “home has endless possibilities” are also indicators that repairs and updates are needed, he says. “Great Bones”DreamPictures//Getty ImagesOn the upside, “great bones” means the home is structurally sound with strong infrastructure, Maryland Realtor Ellie Hitt says. On the downside, it likely needs a lot of cosmetic updates to bring it up to date with modern conveniences and aesthetics.“Needs TLC”Often, when a home requires cosmetic work, “TLC” is noted, indicating the property needs someone who is willing to put in a little bit of elbow grease, agent Karen Kostiw of Coldwell Banker Warburg says. You may be thinking of new carpet, updated cabinets, and a few other touch-ups, but in some cases, TLC could actually mean the property requires a gut renovation.“Motivated Seller”Translation: The seller is eager to sell, possibly due to financial issues, a pending foreclosure, or a property that has been on the market for a while, says Jeffrey Borham, owner of Tampa Bay, Florida Team Borham. “This could be an opportunity for negotiation,” he adds. “However, investigate why the seller is motivated; there could be hidden issues that have deterred other buyers.”Similarly, “priced to sell” could mean a whole host of things, ranging from the property needs some work or the seller wants to start a bidding war, New York City Broker Sean Adu-Gyamfi of Coldwell Banker Warburg says.“Hot Listing”Some agents advertise “hot listings” on the MLS to create urgency, even if there are no other offers, Misty Spittler, a licensed public insurance adjuster and certified roof inspector, says. Don’t feel pressured, though. She recently had a client bid $20,000 over asking on a listing advertised as hot. Spittler’s inspection found $30,000 of necessary repairs, so the client was able to renegotiate.Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

RuneScape developer Jagex has laid off an undisclosed number of staff from 'non-game development roles, which was confirmed today by the studio.Reported by PCGamer, the layoffs first came to light on the RuneScape subreddit, with users noticing moderators missing all of a sudden. A mod that goes by Hooli replied to the thread mentioning the job cuts. They added that the majority of the layoffs were "from non-game dev and non-player facing areas," adding that the roadmap for RuneSpace: Dragonwilds, which launched into Steam early access two months ago, “won’t change because of these job reductions.”“We’ll continue the great path we've been on with our content,” Hooli added."Changes to operational structure" at JagexAccording to the studio (via a statement sent to PCGamer), the layoffs, presented as “changes to our operational structure,” were part of a strategy to build “the best experiences for players and grow the RuneScape community.” The goals are to “reduce complexity, increase agility, and ensure we are fully focused on the areas that matter most-our games, our players, and our future.”While Jagex declined to disclose the exact number of employees affected, it says the vast majority are within the operations and administrative support teams.Related:“We recognize that any change of this nature is difficult, and we are committed to supporting all impacted employees throughout the transition,” the company addded, although it didn’t share specifics about how it plans to provide support.Jagex reported profit growth for the seventh year in a row at the end of 2022, four years after shutting down RuneScape Classic, ending a 17-year-old run. The studio was then acquired by private equity firms CVC Capital and Haveli Investments in February 2024. A month later, CEO Phil Mansell departed the studio after eight years. CVC Capital advisor and Jagex board member Jon Bellami then took helm of the studio.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 now shows you microtransaction ads when you swap weapons "Actively witnessing Call of Duty become the Krusty Krab." Image credit: Eurogamer / Activision / u/whambampl News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on June 1, 2025 Eagle-eyed Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 players have spotted a new feature on the weapon selection menu. Right at the top there now sits advertisements promoting premium weapons and skins, so players get exposed to ads for microtransactions in-game. As some players point out, it's not an advert in the classic sense, and no one's trying to flog you a cheeseburger or a pair of jeans every time you swap a weapon. Nonetheless, it's a new and insidious addition that we haven't seen in Call of Duty games before. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Opening Scene and Gameplay (4K).Watch on YouTube "One of the unwelcome changes I’ve noticed with Season 4 is that they’ve now inserted a new ad spot at the top of the list of your weapon specifics builds," wrote one player. "So now every time you toggle between weapon builds you get to stare at ads for $20-$30 skins. I’m sure the Activision developer who suggested this terrible feature is very proud of themselves. "This change is especially unneeded because you could already toggle from Builds to Shop on any given weapon and apparently not being thrown directly in our faces didn’t make them enough money. Many of us payed [sic] $60-$100 for a feature game and don’t want to be bombarded with additional ads." "Actively witnessing Call of Duty become [SpongeBob SquarePants'] the Krusty Krab," replied another. Season 4 brings new ad spot in game for weapons byu/whambampl inblackops6 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. "Well guys looks like COD can suck a fat one," replied someone else. "This ad mess is ridiculous. They make huge bank already for them to even do this should be illegal. I've never been done with a COD this fast ever. But she's getting deleted. You can't scrounge people for money and not have a decent game. I'm not asking for a great game, just not a buggy game." In a separate thread that's been upvoted almost a thousand times, one player opined: "I wouldn't even be mad if this was just in warzone, a free game, but putting it in a pay-to-play premium title, with how expensive they're getting?" "Agree 100%, it really feels like one of those free cell phone games from a tiny indie studio begging you for money at every turn. Pathetic for a full price, stand alone game from a huge developer," replied another. Earlier this year, in a update shared on social media, developer Treyarch said it recognised cheaters "are frustrating and severely impact the experience for our community" but insisted it was addressing the issue, and will continue to do so "throughout 2025". At the same time, it confirmed 136,000 ranked play accounts were banned for cheating across both Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone.

The Steam Deck changed the game for PC players, opening up a world of portability that was usually reserved for Nintendo fans. Naturally, manufacturers tried to follow suit with Windows-based handhelds and the results are, shall we say, mixed. Now, Valve has released official instructions for installing its SteamOS on devices other than the Steam Deck. Let's dive into how to do it—and whether you should.I should note up front: This is going to be a nebulous area when it comes to official support from the company that made your handheld. At time of writing, the Lenovo Legion Go S is the only handheld with the "Powered by SteamOS" branding (besides the Steam Deck itself), meaning it's officially supported with a final build. You can install SteamOS on devices like the Legion Go and the ROG Ally, but their support isn't final.Also, it should go without saying, but we'll say it anyway: If you wipe Windows from your handheld, you won't be able to play Windows-based games that aren't supported via SteamOS. That largely consists of online games that require anti-cheat software, but it's worth checking sites like ProtonDB to make sure your favorite games will work on SteamOS.Why should you install SteamOS on your Windows handheld?So, with the caveats out of the way, what are the upsides? Put (overly) simply, Windows is not designed for handhelds. In fact, under the hood, Windows tends to see your gaming handheld as a laptop. Right down to including things like Microsoft Teams that run in the background, or popping up alert boxes that interrupt your game to inform you of a low battery.Now that people are able to experiment with SteamOS and Windows on the same hardware, it's becoming clearer that Windows itself is a massive nerf to both frame rate and battery life. Even gaming laptops, which can often last all day for normal work, can struggle to get even a few hours of gameplay while away from a charger. That's why it's so important to tweak your settings for the best battery life.Gaming handhelds only make this problem worse with a smaller form factor, and thus a smaller battery. In my own experience, I've struggled to get two hours of playing a lightweight game like Stardew Valley from a Windows handheld, while the Steam Deck and even the Switch can get upwards of six hours or more.Since Windows is primarily designed as a desktop (and secondarily as a tablet) computer, it's also harder to tweak settings using controller inputs. What, exactly, is the controller equivalent of Ctrl+Alt+Delete again? While you can plug in a keyboard to dig around in your handheld's settings, it's just easier to do on SteamOS, since its interface has been built from the ground up for controller input.At this point, Valve has also shown that running Steam games via the Proton compatibility layer works so well that it's almost seamless. I admit, when the Steam Deck was first announced, I expected games to be broken or perform much worse than their native Windows counterparts. Four hundred hours in Hades II later, though, and it's clear that many games can actually run better on SteamOS than Windows.Step 1: Download and prepare a SteamOS recovery image USB stickWith all that out of the way, let's get started. To install SteamOS on your gaming handheld, you'll need two things: the SteamOS recovery image and a USB stick (preferably USB-C) with at least 8GB of storage. Make sure anything on that USB stick is properly backed up, because this process will reformat that device.The Steam Deck recovery image can be found here. It's a little over 3GB, so it might take a little while to download, depending on your connection. While you wait for that, you'll also need a utility to create the recovery USB drive. Valve recommends Rufus for Windows users, and Balena Etcher for Mac or Linux users. Once the recovery image is downloaded, use whichever tool you chose to write the recovery image to your USB drive. This process should be relatively straightforward. Rufus, for example, will present you with a dropdown to select which drive to write the file to under Device, and under Boot Selection, click Select to pick the recovery image file. Click Start and wait. Reminder: This will wipe the contents of your USB drive.Step 2: Disable Secure Boot on your handheldThis part can be a bit tricky, and the exact process will vary depending on which handheld you own. Valve has a breakdown of the steps here for a couple specific devices, like the Legion Go and the ROG Ally. However, other devices like those from MSI or Ayaneo will have their own process.In general, the steps will usually go something like this:Reboot to the bios. Similar to how you can hold Del or F2 on a computer while rebooting to get to the bios, your gaming handheld has a similar process. Often it's holding a button like Volume + while pressing the power button, but check your specific device's instructions if that doesn't work.Navigate to the Secure Boot settings. You may have to poke around for this one. Look for categories like Security, and you may need to switch to an Advanced settings mode or menu to find it. This setting should be called Secure Boot. Change this to Disabled.Save settings and restart your device. Once you've changed the Secure Boot setting, make sure to save the changes to your bios and restart.Depending on the device, you might have to use the touchscreen to navigate the bios, or even plug in a keyboard or mouse. Again, Valve has specifics for a couple of devices in the link above, but if you're lost, your device's manufacturer will be your best bet for getting specific instructions.Step 3: Boot using the SteamOS recovery image Credit: Eric Ravenscraft Once you've disabled Secure Boot, you can plug the USB stick into your handheld and restart the device. At this point, you should end up at a boot menu that lets you choose which drive to boot to. Once again, this process will sometimes differ by device, so if you're not sure how to get to the boot menu, check your device's documentation.When you get to the boot menu, select your USB drive with the SteamOS recovery image on it. This will take you to a SteamOS desktop environment. Here, you'll see four shortcuts on the desktop. The one we care about is labeled "Wipe Device & Install SteamOS". Give that a single tap (double-tapping will launch it twice, so be careful).At this point, you should see a warning that proceeding with this step will erase everything on your device. If you had any important game saves, media, or work files (for some reason) on this device that weren't already backed up, you can still bail on this process and reboot to Windows to save them. This is the point of no return, though. Make sure you're ready before moving forward.Step 4: Familiarize yourself with your new handheld's quirks Credit: Eric Ravenscraft The install process won't take too long, and when it's done, your handheld will restart and begin setup as though it's a natural-born Steam Deck. There are a few quirks, though. For example, in my testing on the Legion Go, the device tutorial pointed to the "Steam button" on the bottom-left side, but used the Xbox logo. In reality, the corresponding button was at the top-right, and had a Legion logo. It also pointed to a microSD card slot on the bottom of the device that doesn't exist.Unless you're using an official "Powered by SteamOS" device, prepare for some awkwardness while using the device. Aside from the tutorial, I found some games I wasn't able to install—pressing "Install" on Doom Eternal simply did nothing, for example—and it took some time to figure out which hardware buttons were mapped to which Steam Deck input.To my surprise, some things that I expected to be broken worked perfectly when I tested this. The Legion Go is unique in that its controllers can be detached, Joy-Con style, from the handheld. I expected them to be laggy or non-functional when I played with SteamOS, but they worked perfectly during a Hades II run—a game that isn't very forgiving of input lag.Your mileage can and will vary depending on what games you want to play and what hardware you want to run SteamOS on. Still, as we wait for manufacturers to more officially support SteamOS—or for Microsoft to make a proper handheld of its own—it's exciting to finally be able to have a choice in platform for these devices.

Are we on the cusp of truly affordable Teslas? A YouTuber flew a drone over Tesla's Fremont test track and saw what may be its new cheap model racing around it.As spotted by Teslarati, new flyover footage from an account that calls itself "Met God in Wildnerness" — which along with frequent Fremont flyovers also publishes what appear to be Christian missives in Chinese — there's a good chance that the disguised vehicle could be a prototype for Tesla's purported affordable model."A disguised Tesla car testing on test track," the video's caption reads. "We could be seeing the new low cost model."Though the blog describes the vehicle as resembling a "compact Model Y," the black-and-white machine looks to our eyes like an elongated Volkswagen Beetle. In the video, it's seen stopping and going on the track, which is located off to the side of Tesla's manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, followed by a disguised Cybertruck.In its writeup, Teslarati notes that although there's a possibility the car is the new performance version of the Model Y, its compact size suggests it could be a prototype for the long-teased affordable model.As InsideEVs pinpointed back in April, Tesla admitted in its abysmal first-quarter earnings report for 2025 that switching over production lines to make room for the new Performance Model Y, which resulted in "several weeks of lost production" on the upgrade, was also paramount as it seeks to produce cheaper versions of its cars."During the switchover, we also prepared our factories for the launch of new models later this year," the report's fine print read. "Given economic uncertainty resulting from changing trade policy, more affordable options are as critical as ever."When discussing that earnings report in an investor call, CFO Vaibhav Taneja said that production of the cheaper model — which may utilize design aspects of Model 3 and Model Y — is "planned for June."As with most of the company's timelines, we're taking that one with several grains of salt — especially because CEO Elon Musk was mocking the idea of a $25,000 Tesla, which he'd been promised for years, less than a year ago.Right now, we don't know any specifics about what will constitute an "affordable" Tesla or when it will hit production lines or dealerships — but that flyover video could be our first glimpse of what's to come.More on Tesla: Tesla Can't Find Legal Places to Store All Its Unsold CybertrucksShare This Article

Age verification is coming to app stores in Texas, meaning that users could soon be required to provide some form of identification in order to download anything from the Google Play and Apple App stores, regardless of the app's content. Earlier this week, Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Texas App Store Accountability Act, which is set to take effect at the beginning of next year. The new law, which purports to be about keeping children safer online, has significant implications for user privacy and data security. What will be required for app store age verification in Texas?The Texas law will require Google and Apple to verify the age of all users before they download any app through their app stores, even if the app has no sensitive or age-specific content. Parents will have to provide consent for minors to download apps or make purchases, and app stores will have to confirm that parents or guardians have the legal authority to make those decisions for their children. App stores will also have to share which age categories users fall into (child, young teen, older teen, or adult) with app developers. While the specifics are yet to be determined, that means Google and Apple will have to collect some form of user identification, whether that's a driver's license, passport, or other government-issued ID, or biometric data, such as a facial scan, for anyone using their app stores in Texas. Even more documentation will be required for parents proving legal guardianship of minor users. Utah passed a similar bill earlier this year making app stores responsible for centralizing age verification, and while its requirements are slightly less onerous, they're not much better when it comes to your privacy. How age verification compromises your privacyPrivacy experts—as well as both Apple and Google—have raised alarms about the implications of age verification, noting that requiring all users to turn over sensitive personal information included in data-rich documents that can prove your age is a form of digital surveillance. It creates an identifiable record of online activity and increases the risk that the data will be used, shared, or sold (unlike physical ID checks, which are momentary and impermanent). Age verification also presents security concerns with how sensitive user data is collected and stored. Data breaches are a fact of life in 2025, and individuals may have very little (if any) knowledge about whether and how their information is used and stored without their consent, and without recourse if it is compromised. Aaron Mackey, free speech and transparency litigation director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), notes that the Texas law doesn't have any built-in protections for user data, such as minimizing what is collected and transmitted and for how long it is retained. Plus, there are risks present in the likelihood that app stores will utilize third-party verification services to comply with the requirements, meaning data is available to multiple parties. The EFF and the ACLU also argue that online age verification requirements violate users' First Amendment rights, as they may make protected free speech inaccessible—if adults don't have a valid form of identification, or facial recognition inaccurately estimates age, or minors can't get parental consent—or force people to choose between shielding their privacy and being online. "If I have to provide this level of personal information because the government mandates it just to download an app from an app store, I'm going to be significantly worried about what happens to my data, and I might just decide to not actually download the app or even use this app store," Mackey says.

Strategies to future-proof UX that meets EU legal standardsThe EAA requires digital accessibility to accommodate all users with different needsAccessibility for digital products is no longer optional — it’s a necessity with the upcoming enforcement of the European Accessibility Act (EAA).Until now, European standards such as EN 301 549 have required only the public sector to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). So only government agencies or businesses that sell information and communication technology (ICT) to government agencies have needed to meet accessibility specifications.As of June 2025, this will be expanded into the private sector in the European Union (EU) — including e-commerce, restaurants, and banking services.Are you thinking any of the following?Does the EAA apply to me or the business I work for?What is the WCAG and what does it require?How much work is needed make my UX designs compliant?I get it — it’s time-consuming to understand the grueling details of a legislative act, but it’s vital to realize how it directly impacts you and your business (whether you’re an employee or employer).What is the European Accessibility Act (EAA)?The EAA is a “directive” that aims to improve accessibility in products and services in EU member states. This ensures people with disabilities can successfully access any digital product — ranging from writing an email on a laptop to checking-in at the doctor’s office with an iPad.The directive was enacted in 2019, but will become enforced on June 28, 2025 for any new products.The EAA is a EU directive that follows EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 requirementsEAA requirementsTo comply with the EAA, you need to follow the European “standard,” EN 301 549. EN 301 549 includes many clauses covering accessibility for a broad range of ICT — from native mobile applications to electronic hardware.The clauses circling the web and software incorporate the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.Who does the EAA apply to?The EAA impacts all 27 member states of the EU. This includes countries such as France, Spain, and Sweden.Not only do EU member states need to comply, but any company that does business with the member states — even if the company isn’t based in the EU. For example, if a person in Italy accesses an e-commerce website based in the United States, the website must comply with the EAA.What does WCAG require?WCAG offers internationally recognized standards for digital accessibility. These standards are developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and are constantly evolving to account for changes in HTML and assistive technologies.The EAA and EN 301 549 require conformance to WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards. But what does that mean exactly?WCAG versionsNew versions of WCAG are periodically released to accommodate to the internet’s evolution. As methods and technologies are deprecated and replaced, it’s important to update standards to ensure accessibility is met.The most current version of WCAG is 2.2, which was released in October 2023. Though the EAA and EN 301 549 currently require WCAG 2.1, it’s expected they will be updated to include the WCAG 2.2 version.WCAG has released 3 versions between 2008 and 2023WCAG conformance “levels”WCAG includes 3 levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Level A offers guidelines for the most basic accessibility considerations, while Level AAA reaches the widest degree of accessibility.Each success criteria (SC) in WCAG has a conformance level. For instance, SC 1.1.1 (Non-text content) is Level A, while SC 2.4.12 (Focus not obscured–Enhanced) is Level AAA.To conform to a certain WCAG level, the digital product must also conform to the level below it. So if your website is Level AA, it passes both Level A and AA success criteria (which is what’s required to comply with the EAA).WCAG’s “levels” refer to the degree of accessibility your digital product complies withDesign strategies for EAA complianceWCAG standards are dense, and it takes time to incorporate them into your UX design process. But there are strategies you can start using now to meet most of the requirements to comply with the EAA.1. Color contrast ratioDesigners must create color palettes that support a high color contrast ratio for content like text or UI components. You can check color contrast ratios with tools such as WebAIM’s Contrast Checker.Small text (less than 18px) must have a color contrast ratio of 4.5:1 with its backgroundLarge text (larger than 18px) must have a contrast ratio of 3:1 with its backgroundUI components, like buttons, should have a color contrast ratio of 3:1 with its backgroundColor should not be used alone to convey meaning; semantic color also needs a text label or appropriate iconFor more details, visit WCAG 1.4-Distinguishable.Don’t use color alone to convey meaning, such as errors or warnings on text fields2. Keyboard functionalitySome users can’t use a mouse or their laptop’s trackpad. Users who are blind or have limited hand mobility use their keyboard or other assistive technologies, and must be able to operate the product with their preferred input method.All user actions are doable from a keyboard, except for freehand movements (I.E., digital painting)Keyboard users must not encounter a keyboard trap (I.E., the user can’t navigate away from elements like a modal)Keyboard users have a way to turn off or remap keyboard shortcuts made up of single-character keys (I.E., use “D” to delete an item)For more details, visit WCAG 2.1-Keyboard accessible.Example of keyboard tab/ focus order for a restaurant’s website3. Multimedia featuresAll users, whether they are blind, hard-of-hearing, or have a learning disability, must be able to access the information any multimedia provides (I.E., videos or audio).Provide captions for any pre-recorded audio that is time-based (I.E., syncing audio with text-based captions)Provide an audio description for pre-recorded videos (I.E., an animation without audio showing how to tie your shoes)Provide captions for all live video content (I.E., a news organization’s live broadcast)For more details, visit WCAG 1.2-Time based media.Example of a live news broadcast with closed captioning4. Headings and labelsWhen headings and labels aren’t used properly or aren’t used at all, users have a hard time processing content and completing tasks — from reading an article to filling out a form.Provide clear headings and labels that describe the page content or input fieldEnsure labels and headings that visually convey structure and relationships are programmatically associated to their content (I.E., the page heading includes a <h1> tag)Ensure individual cells in a data tables are programmatically associated to their parent column or row header (I.E., the cell named “Blue” is associated to its parent column named “Colors”)For more details, visit WCAG 1.3-Adaptable.Ensure the heading tags properly convey the web-page’s content structure5. Support screen readersMany people use screen readers, such as NVDA or JAWS, so they can use any website or software. Ensuring digital products are compatible with screen readers seem challenging, but there are ways to proactively support screen readers.Use semantic HTML elements, like <button>, and avoid non-semantic elements, like <div> and <span>, that don’t contain built-in meaningProvide a text alternative for meaningful images using the alt attributeEnsure all interactive elements have a corresponding name, role, and valueEnsure the focus indicator is always visible so the user knows where they are in the interfaceFor more details, visit WCAG 4.1-Compatible.Tools to use for an accessible design processTo help meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA standards, there are tools you can incorporate in your UX process to create accessible designs and hand them over to your development team.1. WAVEWAVE is a free accessibility evaluation tool developed by WebAIM. WAVE offers multiple browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. After adding the extension to your preferred browser, all you have to do is visit your website and activate WAVE to get an automated evaluation.Note: Automated tools only find about a third of accessibility issues, so a manual evaluation is still needed after using WAVE.WAVE is a free accessibility evaluation tool that works on any live websitePros of WAVE:Offers multiple extensions for your preferred browserAllows you to easily see the tab order and structure of a web-pageProvides recommendations on how to correct accessibility issuesCons of WAVE:The icons representing potential accessibility issues are overwhelming and difficult to understand which icon goes to which element2. StarkStark offers a plug-in for both Figma and Sketch that designers can use to thoroughly check and annotate UX designs for developer hand-off. This ensures that developers know the specifics for alt text, tab order, and heading levels.Stark’s plug-in for Figma allows you to annotate designs and check color contrast ratiosPros of Stark:Offers a range of features to check designs for contrast and typography issues, as well as annotate for developer hand-offProvides color suggestions when the color contrast ratio doesn’t meet WCAG, Level AA requirementsProvides a vision simulator to test designs against different types of color blindness (I.E., protanopia)Cons of Stark:It can be difficult to select the correct layer when annotating designsSome advanced features in the plug-in are paid to use3. JAWSJAWS (Job Access with Speech) is one of the most commonly used screen readers. JAWS allows users with limited vision to access and use digital products, and is beneficial to test your digital product with to ensure it’s compatible with screen readers.Note: JAWS’ free version only allows you to use it for 45 minutes before restarting, and is best used on Chrome or Firefox browsers.JAWS screen reader running on a Mac through the Parallels virtual machinePros of JAWS:Ability to highly customize the JAWS settings, such as the voice synthesizerProvides output both through audio and braille devicesFreedom Scientific offers trainings to learn how to use JAWSCons of JAWS:Includes a steep learning curve compared to other screen readersOnly accessible through a Windows operating systemHas a limited free version–must pay to access the full versionConclusionReady or note, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will be enforced on June 28, 2025. So any company (public or private) that provides ICT or operates digital products that an EU citizen can use is subject to the EAA.Any new product introduced to the market must comply with WCAG 2.1, Level AA to meet the requirements of the EAA and EN 301 549.Web accessibility is no longer optional — it’s essential. Though building inclusive products is the right thing to do, you may be subject to legal action if you avoid it. Is your digital product ready?SourcesWCAG by Level Access, “EN 301 549 Conformance: An Overview”Accessibility Works, “European Accessibility Act Compliance Requirements: The Next GDPR”WCAG by Level Access, “The European Accessibility Act: Technical Aspects of Compliance”European Union, “Types of legislation”W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, “WCAG 2 Overview”W3C, “WCAG 2.1 Guidelines”Ready or not, the EAA is here was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.