Saucycarpdog Member Oct 25, 2017 20,233 A dead MMO that launched with a now-cancelled TV show in 2013 is coming back 4 years after servers were shut down Defiance, indeed. www.pcgamer.com Trion Worlds' Defiance was an odd duck. It launched in 2013 alongside a TV show tie-in with the same name, set on a future Earth following an alien invasion—during which the planet was aggressively terraformed. Both the game and the show were a mix of grungy post-apocalyptic western and futuristic sci-fi. Only a couple of years later, the show was cancelled, but the MMO persevered. And it stuck around for a while, until 2021, when the servers were shut down. Defiance was never one of the heavy-hitters, and I haven't thought about it for a good long while, but it looks like it's been living in enough folks' heads that it's making a comeback. Fawkes, "an indie studio and publisher dedicated to reviving treasured titles", has decided that Defiance fits its brief, and has set itself the task of bringing the game back to life. It acquired the rights to both the original 2013 version of the game and the relaunched Defiance 2050 version that appeared in 2018. Defiance will make its comeback in April, with Fawkes launching the original 2013 version of the MMO. Its plan is to work with the community, starting small, with a PC launch, and then growing based on feedback. The return of the console version might be on the cards, too, but that ultimately depends on its reception on PC. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Not really sure who this is for but ok. I'm all for game preservation. Hopefully they can make an offline version of the game so people can always access it.   Slayven Never read a comic in his life Moderator Oct 25, 2017 102,176 Saucycarpdog said: A dead MMO that launched with a now-cancelled TV show in 2013 is coming back 4 years after servers were shut down Defiance, indeed. www.pcgamer.com Not really sure who this is for but ok. I'm all for game preservation. Hopefully they can make an offline version of the game so people can always access it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yeah I be down for an offline version   IDontBeatGames ThreadMarksman - Saved Transistor's sanity twice Member Oct 29, 2017 20,996 New York YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, I have way too many fond memories of playing this game with Kaelan   Primus Member Oct 25, 2017 4,557 Well.....shit. From one of the first alphas all the way to server shutdown, I was in this game. I am more than happy to jump back in, especially if it's back to original launch version.  Haregan Member Aug 21, 2022 4,847 Serbia Had a lot of fun with it back in the day so I'll definitely check it out. Bring back MMO shooters.   masizzai Member Nov 28, 2017 2,340 Played this game at launch and jumped in and out of it through the years. Interesting to want to start with the 2013 version of the game though.   Kraken3dfx Member Oct 25, 2017 3,546 Denver, CO This is like the 3rd time they've tried to revive this I feel like. Having said that, as someone who bought it at launch and enjoyed it, sign me up  kurahador Member Oct 28, 2017 19,693 I actually followed the tv series, I thought it was pretty decent. Will def check this out.   Nax Hero of Bowerstone Member Oct 10, 2018 7,213 Oh damn. That'd be awesome. I got like 1 achievement on Xbox 360 and then forgot about it. Would be nice to get more time into it.   Shinobido Heart Member Dec 23, 2017 10,144 This sounds super familiar! I love seeing MMO's getting another chance. I'm watching some gameplay now.   Timu Member Oct 25, 2017 18,428 I almost forgot about it. Never played it so that is cool for them to try to bring it back.   TheBaldwin Member Feb 25, 2018 8,754 I was oddly enough just thinking about this game a few weeks back, so weird that it's poped up again. I watched the tv show and it was good for a nice little sci fi drama, but remember the game being quite mediocre. Odd that someone would try and bring it back  Beelzebufo Member Jun 1, 2022 5,819 Canada That's hilarious and pretty awesome. I remember my girlfriend at the time got weirdly invested in the show lol   bounchfx Member Oct 25, 2017 7,873 Muricas can't say I expected to read this headline Lol. worked on it for a bit and it was fun enough to play but certainly did not last long   EllaJay Member Dec 10, 2024 127 3rd time lucky? I remember playing it with some friends the first time it came out. It was a bit rubbish. The last time it came out it was still a bit rubbish. I expect it will a be a bit rubbish the next time it comes out too.   Kalentan Member Oct 25, 2017 50,562 I remember enjoying it, and I liked the show well enough, flawed as it was, but IIRC the game was pretty barebones and the 2050 launch was bad.   noodlesoup Member Feb 21, 2018 3,591 The world events in this game were so cool.   MerluzaSamus Member Dec 3, 2018 1,450 Argentina That game must have done something right.. This is like the third time it launches. Can't deny it has a fanbase.  Timu Member Oct 25, 2017 18,428 I totally forgot there was a TV show as well!   G-X Member Oct 28, 2017 1,565 Wasn't the original game director on this revealed to be highly toxic Edit i think i was incorrectly mixing up this and Firefall  Last edited: Mar 12, 2025 Bucca Member Oct 25, 2017 5,415 Never played the game but I remember binging the show lol   texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,286 Indonesia Just a re-release, not even adding anything substantial? What's the point then, third time is a charm?   TinTuba47 Member Nov 14, 2017 4,318 I remember kinda liking this back in the day   Charpunk Member Oct 25, 2017 12,499 This was actually not terrible but no one I knew played it.   Bansai Teyvat Traveler Member Oct 28, 2017 14,090 I remember fairly liking the show and having 0 interest in the MMO game. I doubt this is gonna work, but good luck to them nevertheless.  SCUMMbag Prophet of Truth - Chicken Chaser Member Oct 25, 2017 7,161 How many times does this game need to come back?   Mario_Bones Member Oct 31, 2017 3,755 Australia Hell yeah, it always bummed me out I didn't finish the story before it went kaput. The world events and PvP were a lot of fun   Vash Member Oct 28, 2017 2,446 I enjoyed it a lot when it came out, so I am definitely going to keep an eye on this.   DieH@rd Member Oct 26, 2017 11,998 The weirdest stuff is, the TV show Defiance ended up being really great. After OK s1, it really got much better in following seasons, which culminated in truly awesome ending.   MadMod Member Dec 4, 2017 4,771 Found it super bland and dropped it quick, even watched a few eps of the show too, good way to hype the IP at the time. Wild to bring it back tbh hahah.  GuitarGuruu Member Oct 26, 2017 7,652 I bought this on PS3, it was a really cool idea at the time but man that gameplay was extremely rough.   DocScroll Member May 25, 2021 706 I remember enjoying this! The public events were fun and the loot was pretty good for this sort of thing. PvP felt busted and the tie in the TV show felt cheesy despite enjoying the first season of the show at the time.   deadfolk Member Oct 25, 2017 6,471 Loved both the game and show. The game did a really good job of taking the rift mechanic from the Rift MMO (same dev) and applying it to a shooter.  LycanXIII The Fallen Oct 26, 2017 11,898 I played this on PS3, but I don't remember if I bought it, or if they gave it away with PS+. Edit: It could have been after it went F2P, but au feel like it was at launch with the show.  texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,286 Indonesia It's live now, by the way. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=defiance   Primus Member Oct 25, 2017 4,557 It was also laggy as hell when I popped in and went through the tutorial section this morning, so very much a Classic Defiance Experience(tm).   BizzyBum Member Oct 26, 2017 10,403 New York I was actually really into the 2013 MMO, never played the updated 2050 version. I even thought the show wasn't half bad. Maybe I'll give it a try again just for the nostalgia.  Shinobido Heart Member Dec 23, 2017 10,144 This came out already, right?   texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,286 Indonesia Shinobido Heart said: This came out already, right? Click to expand... Click to shrink... The launch was a mess lol, I was there. Never really pay attention to it after that. It's probably on its way back to the grave.  Shinobido Heart Member Dec 23, 2017 10,144 texhnolyze said: The launch was a mess lol, I was there. Never really pay attention to it after that. It's probably on its way back to the grave. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Damn, what happened? Too many people trying to get in?  SpellSwordFoxx Member Feb 27, 2025 305 I think my friend got me to try this with her once. I remember vaguely shooting something, and learning there was TV show tie in. I never got around to watching any of that lol  Primus Member Oct 25, 2017 4,557 Shinobido Heart said: Damn, what happened? Too many people trying to get in? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Servers were way overloaded and were more often down than up for the first couple weeks. It's fine now, no issues getting in and playing but I see very little population outside of major Arkfalls. Major Arkfalls which still have the same old problem of enemies or other players or both just vanishing constantly because the area's overloaded, thus making it impossible to do anything before getting blown up out of nowhere.  Shinobido Heart Member Dec 23, 2017 10,144 Primus said: Servers were way overloaded and were more often down than up for the first couple weeks. It's fine now, no issues getting in and playing but I see very little population outside of major Arkfalls. Major Arkfalls which still have the same old problem of enemies or other players or both just vanishing constantly because the area's overloaded, thus making it impossible to do anything before getting blown up out of nowhere. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I see, that's unfortunate to hear. I was checking out that Fawkes Games website, looks like they host other old games as well but most of the links don't work.  PLASTICA-MAN Member Oct 26, 2017 29,074 There was a TV series for this?   ReginaldXIV It's Pronounced "Aerith" Member Nov 4, 2017 9,768 Minnesota Season 1 of the show was pretty decent. But they never had the budget to really do what they wanted to do.  

By the time you read these words, it’s quite possible that Adorama will be out of stock of the new DJI Mavic 4 Pro. But when I wrote them, the US-based retailer was still selling a drone that wasn’t supposed to go on sale in the US at all, with roughly 70 left in stock.This morning, I wrote how DJI was skipping the US with its most advanced drone yet, citing Trump’s tariffs among other reasons for the decision. DJI did not send the drone to US reviewers, and it wouldn’t provide US prices when we asked.But Adorama and B&H, two rival camera stores based in New York City, apparently didn’t get the message!Today, they both listed the drone for $2,699 — or $3,549 for the Fly More Kit, or $4,649 for the Creator Combo with the fancy new controller with the folding sticks and swiveling 1600-nit screen, or $1,299 for that controller all by its lonesome. B&H even issued a press release.B&H is only offering preorders today; I confirmed with Miguel Perez in the store’s drone department that “we don’t yet have it in stock,” and he wasn’t sure when stock might arrive. “It’s a little bit of a grey area for logistics between the US and China for aircraft,” he admits. But he says B&H isn’t taking anyone’s money — “we don’t charge until it ships” — and that he’s heard other US retailers like Adorama are selling the drone this very week.Adorama sales rep Steve Chill confirms that over the phone, and offers to put one on hold for me, because he says they’re moving fast. “We had a few hundred in stock, now we’re down to 70,” he says. “They’ll be gone tomorrow.”Over the phone, he says he has the $3,549 Fly More Combo right now if I want, though he’s out of the $2,699 base model. (At the time I reached out, Adorama’s website was showing the entry model in stock, shipping next week, though it’s now just listing a preorder again; however, the new DJI RC Pro 2 controller appears to be in stock too.)It’s not clear what’s happening. Did DJI ship some to the US early, but not enough for a full launch, perhaps? DJI spokesperson Daisy Kong doesn’t have an answer for me yet.If you want to try your luck, here are the links:DJI Mavic 4 Pro: Adorama, B&HDJI Mavic 4 Pro Fly More Combo: Adorama, B&HDJI Mavic 4 Pro Creator Combo: Adorama, B&HDJI RC Pro 2 Controller: Adorama, B&HOr, you could just call, like me.See More:

In the early days of President Donald Trump's second administration, federal agencies including the US Department of Agriculture were ordered to remove information about climate change from their websites. Now, the USDA has committed to reinstating the deleted content following a lawsuit on behalf of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, the National Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Working Group. According to a letter sent yesterday to a district court judge, the agency has already begun the restoration process and expects to "substantially complete" the effort in about two weeks. The material removed from USDA sites in February included content about climate-smart agriculture, forest conservation, climate change adaptation and clean energy project investments in rural areas. The trio of plaintiffs sued on the basis that removing that information violated the Freedom of Information Act that allows public access to important federal records, as well as failing to provide advanced notice required by the Paperwork Reduction Act and without the reasoned decision-making of the Administrative Procedure act. The USDA said that it "will restore the climate-change-related web content that was removed post-Inauguration, including all USDA webpages and interactive tools enumerated in plaintiffs' complaint."  "This is a major victory and an important first step. Members of the public, including our clients, rely on information from USDA to understand how climate change is affecting our nation’s forests, food supply, and energy systems," said Stephanie Krent, staff attorney with Knight First Amendment Institute, which helped file the lawsuit. "USDA was wrong to remove these webpages in the first place, and it must comply with federal law going forward."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/the-usda-will-republish-climate-change-information-online-following-farmer-lawsuit-211907357.html?src=rss

Taxi Studio has created a new visual and verbal identity for smart insurance platform Yoloh. The start-up, which currently offers home and car insurance, has adopted a new brand built around the idea of “dejumbling insurance” and its team credits the rebrand with a 10-fold surge in its valuation, leading to seed funding from investors across Europe, the Middle East and the US. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/01.Yoloh_Intro.mp4 CMO Manish Bhatt had previously worked with the Bristol-based studio on the Airbus rebrand, and he saw a similar opportunity to shake up a conservative industry. “I have no insurance experience,” Bhatt explains, “so the idea was that Taxi and I could both come to this with a fresh perspective, to add value and create a brand that’s going to make a lasting impact.” The company had previously been called Smartsurance, and originally the founders wanted to change the name to Yolo, to reflect its mission to “to ensure people spend time living, not form-filling.” But having been quoted $15million to buy the website domain, they landed instead on Yoloh (the extra letter stands for happiness). The old identity had been built around a dog mascot called Simba. Bhatt pointed out that they may well get a lawsuit from Disney if they persisted with that character, and, given that animals are a common visual trope in the sector, he convinced them that they needed to do something different. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/04.-TaxiStudio_Typefaces.mp4 “We wanted to disrupt the industry,” Bhatt explains. “Insurance is historically seen as a tax, so how could we flip that narrative around, and build a brand that can scale and resonate? We are trying to innovate, and so the new identity had to reflect that.” For Martin Fresle, Taxi’s associate creative director, the idea of dejumbling insurance – a world most people find complex and confusing – was the perfect foundation on which to build the identity. The team knew early on that they wanted to inject more playfulness, but they were also conscious that people feel very seriously about their finances. “You can only disrupt to a certain point,” Fresle says. “We had to be credible and trustworthy, and not make it seem too out-there.” Another challenge was the very broad target audience. Yoloh wants to build a multi-generational client base, from young people saving for their first home, to older people planning their retirement, and there is also a B2B market of banks and other lenders that are onboarded onto the platform. Starting with the brandmark, Taxi turned Yoloh into an ambigram, with the first ‘y’ and the final ‘h’ mirroring each other, so it can be read both ways, and flipped round in its motion design form. This was accompanied with the strapline, “Making life easier, whichever way you look at it.” https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/07.-TaxiStudio_Yoloh_Andi_Hands.mp4 Taxi also created Andi, a four-fingered hand that interacts with the other visual assets to, “make complex insurance terms and concepts easier to understand.” “Andi was designed to add that human touch,” Fresle explains. “That’s really lacking across other insurance providers and big banks, who use a lot of stock imagery.” Both the typography and the colour palette were chosen to balance trust and playfulness. For the fonts, Jokker bought a more serious sensibility while Bunch Bold added what Fresle calls “a curvy fluid bounce” that mirrors Andi’s angles. And the navy blue much used in the financial industries is offset with pops of brighter colours. Another challenge was to create an identity that could still convey its personality in the scaled-down space of an app, which is where most people would encounter it. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/11.TaxiStudio_Yoloh_IphoneUX.mp4 Language played a big part in maximising the new brand’s impact. Taxi worked with brand writer Nick Carson to create a “warm, witty, and accessible tone of voice” in keeping with its mission. Working with start-ups can have its challenges, but Fresle says the pace of decision-making and direct access to key people makes these collaborations particularly dynamic. And for Bhatt, the new brand has already proved its worth in driving clear financial impact. He draws a very direct line between the identity and the company’s recent seed investment. “Securing seed funding was a pivotal moment for Yoloh, and our new brand identity played a key role in getting us there. Taxi Studio didn’t just give us a brand, they gave us a bold, ownable story that helped investors instantly ‘get’ what we’re about. “Now we are able to take this brand and scale it to any market around the world, which is very exciting,” he says. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/05.TaxiStudio_Yoloh_Logo.mp4 https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/10.TaxiStudio_Yoloh_Icons-and-phone.mp4

Can't get enough of Wordle? Try Mashable's free version now Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N. What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers. Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though. SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 14, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:A type of drum. Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?The letter O appears twice.Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.Drumroll please!The solution to today's Wordle is...BONGO.Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle. Topics Wordle

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After farmers filed suit, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has agreed to restore climate information to webpages it took down soon after President Donald Trump took office this year.The US Department of Justice filed a letter late last night on behalf of the USDA that says the agency “will restore the climate-change-related web content that was removed post-inauguration, including all USDA webpages and interactive tools” that were named in the plaintiffs’ complaint. It says the work is already “underway” and should be mostly done in about two weeks. If the Trump administration fulfills that commitment, it’ll be a significant victory for farmers and other Americans who rely on scientific data that has disappeared from federal websites since January.“We’re ecstatic.”“I’ll be real frank, it feels good to win one, right? Farmers have been so put upon by the actions of this administration that, you know, it feels good to be able to say, we have something for you. This is back. You can rely on these resources,” says Marcie Craig, executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York. “We’re ecstatic.”The group filed suit in February alongside two environmental organizations, alleging that the USDA threatened organic farmers’ livelihoods by removing information they relied on to help them make decisions about planting crops and managing their land — key resources as climate change leads to more unpredictable and extreme weather. One of the resources removed by the USDA is an online tool called the “Climate Risk Viewer” that showed the impacts of climate change on rivers and water sheds, and how that might affect water supplies in the future.“We’re really glad that USDA recognized that this blatantly unlawful purge is harming farmers and researchers and advocates all across the country, and we’re ready to ensure that USDA follows through on this promise,” Jeffrey Stein, an associate attorney with the nonprofit legal organization Earthjustice that represented the plaintiffs, tells The Verge. The initial complaint accused the USDA of violating the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that gives the public the right to access key records from any federal agency, the Paperwork Reduction Act that stipulates adequate notice before changing access to information, and the Administrative Procedure Act that governs the way federal agencies develop regulations. President Trump’s backing of the fossil fuel industry has also stripped farmers of federal funding through climate-related programs. The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York has lost nearly half of its budget this year due to funding freezes, which it has been trying to make up for through donations, according to Craig. “This has been one of so many cuts. You know, pain by a thousand cuts,” Craig says. “This [legal victory] was good … then, of course, after the initial feeling, you sit back, you take a breath, and you say, ‘and we still have a whole lot of work to do.’”See More:

SAG-AFTRA publishes counterproposals in ongoing negotiations around performer rights and AI "This chart includes our analysis in plain language of what the proposed changes would mean for performers" News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on May 13, 2025 SAG-AFTRA - the union that represents 160,000 actors, voiceover artists, and other media professionals - has responded to the "video game employers' April 30 offer "with a comprehensive AI proposal" detailing "in plain language what the proposed changes would mean for performers." In a lengthy response posted to its website, SAG-AFTRA raised several points of contention, including a revised approach to the secondary performance payment (SPP) and questioning the video game employers' parameters of when it would be acceptable to seek a "vocal digital replica [...] in lieu of performer." "Employers only wanted to give AI protections to NEW performances under the [Interactive Media Agreement]. That meant that anything and everything done previously, and all performances taken from outside the IMA, would be given NO protections," the organization stated. "They are now willing to cover any work done under the IMA, no matter when it was recorded, as a Digital Replica. Also, if you are employed under the IMA for a particular project, they cannot designate your replica as an [independently created digital replica] for that project." SAG-AFTRA also detailed that if it "accepted Employer language" about consent as detailed in the agreement, "performers will have to pay back money to avoid scabbing a strike as their digital replica, which would be $6k "per game or higher." It also took issue with a clause that SAG-AFTRA said means "Employers want to be able to use your Replica for pre-production in a franchise you've worked on without ever getting your permission, but are willing to pay you a minimum of scale." "We hold that they should always have to let you know and get your Consent," the union said. "Some companies pay session by session for performers to record for pre-production, whereas many don't pay for this work or don't use performers at all. Paying a single session fee for all scratch use on a project is a middle ground." Visit the SAG-AFTRA website for full rundown of its counterproposals. SAG-AFTRA voted to strike at the end of July after it failed to reach an agreement with the convenience bargaining group over rights and protection concerns raised by the industry's exploration of AI technologies. SAG-AFTRA issued an update about the strike in March, saying it remained "frustratingly far apart" from video game studios and publishers. It came after two Zenless Zone Zero voice actors claimed they had been replaced for participating in the SAG-AFTRA strikes. Since then, the union has issued two new agreements to permit members to work with students and game jams.

Airbnb's revamped app. Credit: Courtesy Airbnb At a celebrity-packed Tuesday press event in Los Angeles, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced a refreshed app for the home rental site, new curated "Experiences," and the opportunity to book professional "Services."Chesky began the media event by highlighting the humble beginnings of the stalwart rental site, which started in 2007 when he offered up his own San Francisco apartment to travelers seeking a place to stay. Beginning over a decade ago, Airbnb began to take off in popularity, attracting 272 million bookings in 2019 — but business, unsurprisingly, fell off a cliff with the COVID pandemic in 2020. Now, with travel picking back up and the website reaching profitability for the first time in 2022, Airbnb is working to diversify its current offerings of rentable homes and apartments. With the newly offered "Services," travelers can use the relaunched Airbnb app to book catered meals, massages, makeup services, workouts, professional photography, and more. Airbnb "Services" are available in 260 cities, and anyone can book, even those not using Airbnb for temporary lodging. Similarly, "Experiences" are available to anyone and offer highly curated opportunities, like touring temples with a mystic in Peru or sipping mezcal with a sommelier in Mexico City. Airbnb is also launching "Airbnb Originals," a new tier of Experiences, which Chesky described as "extraordinary experiences hosted by the world's most interesting people." Some examples cited were learning to dance in Seoul with a K-Pop star, touring Note Dame with the architect who worked on its restoration, and performing with your own alter ego created with help by Megan the Stallion (who was in attendance at the launch, along with other celebrities like Doechii, Karlie Kloss, and too many influencers to count). Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! Jud Coplan, Vice President of Product Marketing at Airbnb, says Services and Experiences allow people to continue a relationship with Airbnb after a trip, by utilizing its offerings in their own home.The people behind Airbnb's Services and Experiences are carefully vetted, Coplan and Chesky attested. "Services hosts have an average of 10 years of experience, have completed Airbnb’s identity verification process, and are required to submit relevant licenses and certifications," according to a press release. Related Stories Airbnb sees Services and Experiences as offering new opportunities to its current hosts (including American hosts dealing with a drop in guests from Canada), where homeowners can expand their offerings with things like tours and catered meals. Interested hosts can apply to be part of Services and Experiences through Airbnb's website.Chesky also announced the Airbnb app's new features, which include easier access to booking Experiences and Services, expanded options for messaging and sharing photos with travel buddies, and a more elaborate calendar that allows trips to be synced with Google calendars. The app's new Profile section also allows travelers to quickly see all the places they've visited and contacts for Airbnb members they've interacted with on their journeys. Topics Airbnb Neal Broverman Enterprise Editor Neal joined Mashable’s Social Good team in 2024, editing and writing stories about digital culture and its effects on the environment and marginalized communities. He is the former editorial director of The Advocate and Out magazines, has contributed to the Los Angeles Times, Curbed, and Los Angeles magazine, and is a recipient of the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for LGBTQ Journalist of the Year Award from the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association (NLGJA). He lives in Los Angeles with his family.

Twenty years ago, the name Leeroy Jenkins rang through the halls of Upper Blackrock Spire, and now it echoes through eternity. On May 11, 2005, the famous “Leeroy!!” video was posted to WarcraftMovies, a website dedicated to World of Warcraft machinima. The video came from a guild called Pals for Life. In it, the guild leader addressed the group in a semi-serious tone, asking after coming up with a detailed plan, “Can you give me a number crunch real quick?” In response, the apparent number-crunching guy laid down the first meme of the video, “I’m coming up with 32.33 repeating, of course, percentage of survival.” Don’t ever tell Leroy the odds, because that’s when he declared, “Times up,” and delivered a battlecry for the ages, “Leeeeeeeeeroy Jenkins!!!” Soon after charging in from an AFK state, Leeroy Jenkins stepped on a bunch of dragon eggs that spawned hatchlings, killing everybody in the room. When the dust settled a bit, Leeroy was berated, “Goddamn it, Leeroy,” one said, another adding in, “You moron.” Taking things in stride, Leeroy responded with words of wisdom, “At least I have chicken.” It’s gone down in history as a defining moment for viral clips while bringing some gaming culture into the mainstream. The list of pop culture references to Leeroy Jenkins includes a Family Guy bit, trivia on Jeopardy!, a How I Met Your Mother impersonation, a Howard Stern segment, and even U.S. House Rep. Jared Huffman using the rallying call during a Speaker of the House vote. Blizzard kept Leeroy Jenkins alive by turning him into a staple Hearthstone card, rewarding the “Jenkins” title for a World of Warcraft achievement, and making a Leeroy Jenkins NPC voiced by Ben Schulz (the real Leeroy Jenkins) in the Warlords of Draenor expansion. Kotaku confirmed in 2017 that the beloved clip was staged as a comedy skit by the Pals for Life guild after much speculation about its authenticity. Ben Vinson, the video recorder (not Leeroy himself), said, “We didn’t think anyone would believe it was real, we thought it was so obviously satire, but we were wrong.” I guess everyone just wants to believe that charging headfirst into danger — chicken in hand — is the best way to go down.