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Disney / BBC

The Doctor Who franchise is about to get even bigger with a new spinoff series that, interestingly, doesn’t seem like it’s going to focus on everyone’s favorite Time Lord.
During the Doctor Who panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Disney and the BBC announced that The War Between The Land And The Sea — a new series written by Russell T. Davies and Pete McTighe — is on the way. Rather than the Doctor, the new show will revolve around a group of humans as they work together to face the Sea Devils, a race of ancient, ocean-dwelling creatures who first appeared in Doctor Who back in 1972.
Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient are set to reprise their roles as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Colonel Ibrahim, respectively, but they will also be joined by Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as characters not yet revealed. Previously, Tovey and Mbatha-Raw both starred in Doctor Who —he as Titanic midshipman Alonso Frame, and she as Tish Jones — but it’s not clear whether that’s who they’ll be playing here.
In a press release about the new show, Davies called it “a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations,” and while we don’t know when to expect its debut, it’s scheduled to begin shooting in August.

Disney / BBC

The Doctor Who franchise is about to get even bigger with a new spinoff series that, interestingly, doesn’t seem like it’s going to focus on everyone’s favorite Time Lord.

During the Doctor Who panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Disney and the BBC announced that The War Between The Land And The Sea — a new series written by Russell T. Davies and Pete McTighe — is on the way. Rather than the Doctor, the new show will revolve around a group of humans as they work together to face the Sea Devils, a race of ancient, ocean-dwelling creatures who first appeared in Doctor Who back in 1972.

Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient are set to reprise their roles as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Colonel Ibrahim, respectively, but they will also be joined by Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as characters not yet revealed. Previously, Tovey and Mbatha-Raw both starred in Doctor Who —he as Titanic midshipman Alonso Frame, and she as Tish Jones — but it’s not clear whether that’s who they’ll be playing here.

In a press release about the new show, Davies called it “a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations,” and while we don’t know when to expect its debut, it’s scheduled to begin shooting in August.

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Image: Amazon

The first season of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power took its sweet time revealing the true identities of its two most mysterious characters. But when the show returns next month, it seems like it’s going to hit the ground running with big reveals about how Sauron and the Stranger will change Middle-earth. A new, lengthy trailer revealed at Comic-Con gives a good sense at what fans can expect in season 2.
According to Amazon, the new season will be focused on Sauron’s return. “Cast out by Galadriel, without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will,” the streamer explains. It looks like this season will also be a good one for fans of fantasy monsters: the likes of the giant spider Shelob, shape-shifting Barrow-wights, and a Sea Worm will make an appearance.
Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hits Amazon Prime Video on August 29th.

Image: Amazon

The first season of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power took its sweet time revealing the true identities of its two most mysterious characters. But when the show returns next month, it seems like it’s going to hit the ground running with big reveals about how Sauron and the Stranger will change Middle-earth. A new, lengthy trailer revealed at Comic-Con gives a good sense at what fans can expect in season 2.

According to Amazon, the new season will be focused on Sauron’s return. “Cast out by Galadriel, without an army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will,” the streamer explains. It looks like this season will also be a good one for fans of fantasy monsters: the likes of the giant spider Shelob, shape-shifting Barrow-wights, and a Sea Worm will make an appearance.

Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hits Amazon Prime Video on August 29th.

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SpaceX is targeting Saturday, July 27th for its next Falcon 9 launch carrying 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. | Image: SpaceX

SpaceX has completed its investigation into what caused an engine failure during a Falcon 9 launch on July 11th. The company has submitted a “mishap report” to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is ready to return the Falcon 9 rocket to flight as soon as tomorrow.
The company’s investigation team, working with the FAA, was able to determine the July 11th failure was caused by a liquid oxygen leak that developed during the initial burn of the Falcon 9’s second stage engine. It says the leak originated from a crack in a pressure sensor sense line that’s part of the rocket’s oxygen system. A clamp that normally constrains the sense line had come loose, subjecting it to excessive engine vibrations that eventually caused it to fatigue and crack.
The leaking liquid oxygen on the Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage caused “excessive cooling of engine components, most importantly those associated with delivery of ignition fluid to the engine,” according to a statement on SpaceX’s website. Instead of a second controlled burn, the engine experienced what SpaceX describes as a “hard start,” damaging it and causing the upper stage to lose altitude control.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 performed as expected during the July 11th launch and landed safely for reuse, but the second stage incident resulted in the Starlink satellites carried by the Falcon 9 being deployed at a lower orbit where “an enormously high-drag environment” caused all 20 of them to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and hopefully burn up.
To allow the Falcon 9 to return to flight as soon as possible, SpaceX engineers will simply remove the sense line and sensor that failed on the second stage’s engine. “The sensor is not used by the flight safety system and can be covered by alternate sensors already present on the engine.” The company has also inspected, cleaned, and replaced some of the sense lines and clamps on its “active booster fleet.” The changes have already been tested by SpaceX at its facility in McGregor, Texas, under FAA oversight.
Now that the investigation is complete, the Falcon 9 rocket is no longer grounded and can return to service. The company’s website says that SpaceX is targeting July 27th at 12:21AM ET for the next Falcon 9 launch carrying 23 Starlink satellites from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with additional launch window opportunities available later in the day, and on July 28th.

SpaceX is targeting Saturday, July 27th for its next Falcon 9 launch carrying 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. | Image: SpaceX

SpaceX has completed its investigation into what caused an engine failure during a Falcon 9 launch on July 11th. The company has submitted a “mishap report” to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is ready to return the Falcon 9 rocket to flight as soon as tomorrow.

The company’s investigation team, working with the FAA, was able to determine the July 11th failure was caused by a liquid oxygen leak that developed during the initial burn of the Falcon 9’s second stage engine. It says the leak originated from a crack in a pressure sensor sense line that’s part of the rocket’s oxygen system. A clamp that normally constrains the sense line had come loose, subjecting it to excessive engine vibrations that eventually caused it to fatigue and crack.

The leaking liquid oxygen on the Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage caused “excessive cooling of engine components, most importantly those associated with delivery of ignition fluid to the engine,” according to a statement on SpaceX’s website. Instead of a second controlled burn, the engine experienced what SpaceX describes as a “hard start,” damaging it and causing the upper stage to lose altitude control.

The first stage of the Falcon 9 performed as expected during the July 11th launch and landed safely for reuse, but the second stage incident resulted in the Starlink satellites carried by the Falcon 9 being deployed at a lower orbit where “an enormously high-drag environment” caused all 20 of them to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and hopefully burn up.

To allow the Falcon 9 to return to flight as soon as possible, SpaceX engineers will simply remove the sense line and sensor that failed on the second stage’s engine. “The sensor is not used by the flight safety system and can be covered by alternate sensors already present on the engine.” The company has also inspected, cleaned, and replaced some of the sense lines and clamps on its “active booster fleet.” The changes have already been tested by SpaceX at its facility in McGregor, Texas, under FAA oversight.

Now that the investigation is complete, the Falcon 9 rocket is no longer grounded and can return to service. The company’s website says that SpaceX is targeting July 27th at 12:21AM ET for the next Falcon 9 launch carrying 23 Starlink satellites from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with additional launch window opportunities available later in the day, and on July 28th.

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Amazon

The Boys’ fourth season ended on a nightmarish note that made the show’s upcoming final chapter seem like it’s going to its most deranged. But during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Amazon revealed that while The Boys may be coming to an end, the larger franchise is about to get even bigger with a prequel series set in the distant past.
Though The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke was tightlipped about the show’s series finale, he was all too excited to bring actor Jensen Ackles on stage during a panel to announce the forthcoming arrival of Vought Rising, a new prequel series. Set in the ‘50s, Vought Rising will chronicle the lives of Soldier Boy (Ackles) and Stormfront (Aya Cash) — two of Vought’s earliest and most powerful superhumans.
In a press release about the new show, Kripke described Vought Rising as a “twisted murder mystery” that, in addition to being “soaked in blood and Compound V,” will delve into how Vought became a nefarious megacorporation. Paul Grellong is attached to showrun and executive produce the series, which does not yet have a projected premiere date.

Amazon

The Boys’ fourth season ended on a nightmarish note that made the show’s upcoming final chapter seem like it’s going to its most deranged. But during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Amazon revealed that while The Boys may be coming to an end, the larger franchise is about to get even bigger with a prequel series set in the distant past.

Though The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke was tightlipped about the show’s series finale, he was all too excited to bring actor Jensen Ackles on stage during a panel to announce the forthcoming arrival of Vought Rising, a new prequel series. Set in the ‘50s, Vought Rising will chronicle the lives of Soldier Boy (Ackles) and Stormfront (Aya Cash) — two of Vought’s earliest and most powerful superhumans.

In a press release about the new show, Kripke described Vought Rising as a “twisted murder mystery” that, in addition to being “soaked in blood and Compound V,” will delve into how Vought became a nefarious megacorporation. Paul Grellong is attached to showrun and executive produce the series, which does not yet have a projected premiere date.

Read More 

Image: SharkNinja

This Ninja Luxe Café claims to be the only “no guesswork” semiautomatic espresso machine that also comes with the ability to make drip coffee and cold brew. Using “Barista Assist Technology,” it can suggest what grind size to use based on the drink you’re trying to make, ideally saving you a few minutes and some stress in getting your fresh-roasted beans dialed in right for an espresso.
It will also weigh the ground coffee coming out of the machine so you don’t have to rely on inconsistent timed grinds. Afterward, you’ll press the grounds with an assisted tamper, then, like most other espresso machines, manually install the portafilter in the group head.
The Luxe Café is not a fully automatic espresso machine like this $1,999 one from Bosch that can make you a whole drink on demand via Alexa, and it might not have the manual and crafty feel my colleague Allison Johnson loved about the (normally $700 but currently on sale for $550) Breville Barista Express.
But at $499, its step-by-step guidance might be worth considering for espresso, coffee, and milk-based drinks during your morning rush that are a step above what you’d get from pod machines like those from Nespresso or Keurig.

SharkNinja says the machine’s automatic steamer and frother can prepare dairy and plant-based milk to the perfect texture, including microfoam, that you can immediately pour from the jug to create your own latte art. For those who prefer cold coffee drinks, the machine can accommodate large glasses and extract lower-temperature coffee that you can drip right over ice.

Image: SharkNinja

Image: SharkNinja

This Ninja Luxe Café claims to be the only “no guesswork” semiautomatic espresso machine that also comes with the ability to make drip coffee and cold brew. Using “Barista Assist Technology,” it can suggest what grind size to use based on the drink you’re trying to make, ideally saving you a few minutes and some stress in getting your fresh-roasted beans dialed in right for an espresso.

It will also weigh the ground coffee coming out of the machine so you don’t have to rely on inconsistent timed grinds. Afterward, you’ll press the grounds with an assisted tamper, then, like most other espresso machines, manually install the portafilter in the group head.

The Luxe Café is not a fully automatic espresso machine like this $1,999 one from Bosch that can make you a whole drink on demand via Alexa, and it might not have the manual and crafty feel my colleague Allison Johnson loved about the (normally $700 but currently on sale for $550) Breville Barista Express.

But at $499, its step-by-step guidance might be worth considering for espresso, coffee, and milk-based drinks during your morning rush that are a step above what you’d get from pod machines like those from Nespresso or Keurig.

SharkNinja says the machine’s automatic steamer and frother can prepare dairy and plant-based milk to the perfect texture, including microfoam, that you can immediately pour from the jug to create your own latte art. For those who prefer cold coffee drinks, the machine can accommodate large glasses and extract lower-temperature coffee that you can drip right over ice.

Image: SharkNinja

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A critically endangered California condor chick that will soon fly for the first time is seen at its nest site on a cliff above the drought-stricken Colorado River on August 31st, 2022, in Marble Canyon, Arizona. | Photo: Getty Images

Conservationists will be able to release more California condors into the wild thanks to a record number of chicks hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo this breeding season. It’s the latest success in an incredible conservation story for North America’s biggest flying bird.
A total of 17 chicks hatched at the zoo this season, which came to a close with the last little one arriving in June and “thriving.” That beats a 1997 record of 15 chicks in one season. The zoo credits the accomplishment to a new strategy it developed for minimizing the birds’ contact with humans.
“The result is more condor chicks in the program and ultimately more condors in the wild,” Rose Legato, curator of birds at the Los Angeles Zoo, said in a press release on Wednesday.
Condor moms still make much better parents than humans trying to step in
The California condor is still considered critically endangered after years of lead poisoning from scavenging carcasses tainted by ammunition. Thankfully, their numbers are increasing with efforts to introduce captive-bred birds into the wild. Even so, condor moms still make much better parents than humans trying to step in — which is what led to conservationists’ recent breakthrough in breeding and rearing techniques.
Zoo staff initially place fertilized eggs in incubators for safekeeping. Just before hatching, they move the eggs to surrogate condor parents. In the wild, a California condor typically only raises a single chick at a time. So, until 2017, conservationists would place just one egg with one bird. If they had more eggs than surrogate parents, humans would care for the remaining chicks — sometimes using puppets to mimic real birds.
But growing up with real condors as parents better prepares the chicks for life outside of the zoo. And in 2017, the LA Zoo decided to try giving a surrogate parent two chicks at once. This year, they tried placing three eggs with a single female for the first time. They found that this also allows breeding pairs to have more than one viable egg each season.
All in all, the zoo placed six chicks in triple broods and eight chicks in double broods this season. Another three chicks were raised solo. All 17 of them are now candidates to eventually be released in the wild.
The initiative is part of the California Condor Recovery Program (CCRP), a collaboration that started in the 1980s between tribes, state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, and zoos. Human activity had nearly wiped the California condor off the map by 1982, with only 22 remaining on the planet. Fast forward to December 2023, and their numbers had grown to 561 in total — including 344 in the wild.
“Condors are social animals and we are learning more every year about their social dynamics. So I’m not surprised that these chick-rearing techniques are paying off,” Eastern Michigan University wildlife ecologist Jonathan Hall told The Los Angeles Times.
The LA Zoo doesn’t keep California condors on exhibit, although visitors can meet a nonreleasable condor named Hope during its bird show. Luckily for us, there are also some adorable videos on YouTube (does Hope look like she’s smiling?).

What the videos don’t show is how majestic these birds are in the wild, with a wing span reaching more than nine feet. They can fly up to 150 miles a day, reaching heights of 15,000 feet. As scavengers, they play an important role in cleaning up the carcasses of large mammals — including deer, cattle, seals, and even whales.
That’s how they wind up with lead poisoning, still the leading cause of death for the birds through 2022. Conservationists ask hunters and ranchers to use non-lead ammunition, such as bullets made from copper, to protect the birds. Cleaning up small pieces of trash like bottle caps, can tops, and glass shards also helps prevent the birds from eating anything harmful to them.
Every step can make a difference. The first chick hatched in the wild since the collaborative conservation effort started was documented in 2004. And by 2008, there were more condors soaring open skies than those living in zoos.

A critically endangered California condor chick that will soon fly for the first time is seen at its nest site on a cliff above the drought-stricken Colorado River on August 31st, 2022, in Marble Canyon, Arizona. | Photo: Getty Images

Conservationists will be able to release more California condors into the wild thanks to a record number of chicks hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo this breeding season. It’s the latest success in an incredible conservation story for North America’s biggest flying bird.

A total of 17 chicks hatched at the zoo this season, which came to a close with the last little one arriving in June and “thriving.” That beats a 1997 record of 15 chicks in one season. The zoo credits the accomplishment to a new strategy it developed for minimizing the birds’ contact with humans.

“The result is more condor chicks in the program and ultimately more condors in the wild,” Rose Legato, curator of birds at the Los Angeles Zoo, said in a press release on Wednesday.

The California condor is still considered critically endangered after years of lead poisoning from scavenging carcasses tainted by ammunition. Thankfully, their numbers are increasing with efforts to introduce captive-bred birds into the wild. Even so, condor moms still make much better parents than humans trying to step in — which is what led to conservationists’ recent breakthrough in breeding and rearing techniques.

Zoo staff initially place fertilized eggs in incubators for safekeeping. Just before hatching, they move the eggs to surrogate condor parents. In the wild, a California condor typically only raises a single chick at a time. So, until 2017, conservationists would place just one egg with one bird. If they had more eggs than surrogate parents, humans would care for the remaining chicks — sometimes using puppets to mimic real birds.

But growing up with real condors as parents better prepares the chicks for life outside of the zoo. And in 2017, the LA Zoo decided to try giving a surrogate parent two chicks at once. This year, they tried placing three eggs with a single female for the first time. They found that this also allows breeding pairs to have more than one viable egg each season.

All in all, the zoo placed six chicks in triple broods and eight chicks in double broods this season. Another three chicks were raised solo. All 17 of them are now candidates to eventually be released in the wild.

The initiative is part of the California Condor Recovery Program (CCRP), a collaboration that started in the 1980s between tribes, state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, and zoos. Human activity had nearly wiped the California condor off the map by 1982, with only 22 remaining on the planet. Fast forward to December 2023, and their numbers had grown to 561 in total — including 344 in the wild.

“Condors are social animals and we are learning more every year about their social dynamics. So I’m not surprised that these chick-rearing techniques are paying off,” Eastern Michigan University wildlife ecologist Jonathan Hall told The Los Angeles Times.

The LA Zoo doesn’t keep California condors on exhibit, although visitors can meet a nonreleasable condor named Hope during its bird show. Luckily for us, there are also some adorable videos on YouTube (does Hope look like she’s smiling?).

What the videos don’t show is how majestic these birds are in the wild, with a wing span reaching more than nine feet. They can fly up to 150 miles a day, reaching heights of 15,000 feet. As scavengers, they play an important role in cleaning up the carcasses of large mammals — including deer, cattle, seals, and even whales.

That’s how they wind up with lead poisoning, still the leading cause of death for the birds through 2022. Conservationists ask hunters and ranchers to use non-lead ammunition, such as bullets made from copper, to protect the birds. Cleaning up small pieces of trash like bottle caps, can tops, and glass shards also helps prevent the birds from eating anything harmful to them.

Every step can make a difference. The first chick hatched in the wild since the collaborative conservation effort started was documented in 2004. And by 2008, there were more condors soaring open skies than those living in zoos.

Read More 

Image: Furniture and Mattress

The game’s deceptively complicated puzzles will make you love every second as you lose track of time. I first encountered Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure at the Netflix booth during Summer Game Fest. Within moments of settling in with the demo, I was struck by the game’s clarity of conceit and purpose. You’re a little girl named Jemma, who, as she moves across a tiled world of columns and rows, moves objects with her. Puzzle shenanigans involving — if you’ll pardon the pun — arranging objects will undoubtedly ensue.
Arranger is an “Oh… oh!” kind of puzzle game. It is deceptively simple, with clear objectives no more complicated than “use the pressure switch to unlock the door.” But the game’s simplicity of presentation obscures cleverly designed puzzles that tested my spatial awareness to its absolute limit, and I loved every second of it.
That spark of recognition, that eureka moment, is a priceless jolt of excitement that happens early and often
Early in the game, I was in an empty room with a pressure plate and a blocked door. Standing on the plate naturally unblocked the door, but when I moved off the plate, it slammed shut in my face. I tried every which way of arranging (sorry, this is gonna happen a lot) myself, thinking I could quickly hop off the plate and into the open door before it shut —but to no avail. Frustrated, I went back out the way I came thinking I’d missed some key item from an NPC, and by the doorway… there were two potted plants.
Oh… oh!
Before I entered that room, those potted plants were a throwaway decoration. Coming out, I immediately gleaned their purpose. Playing Arranger feels like the first time a baby discovers that the square block goes into the square hole. That’s not to say the game is too easy; rather, it’s like you can feel yourself learning a new thing in real time. That spark of recognition, that eureka moment, is a priceless jolt of excitement that happens early and often.
When I’m playing, the click of the tiles as Jemma moves gets slower as I mutter “I think I got this” the closer I get to the objective. I know what has to happen. To beat this centipede boss, I must shove its spiky tail into its eye, but for every tile the tail gets closer, the eye moves a tile away like in a game of Snake. But there are stones in the boss arena, and I can wedge the centipede around the stones and…
Oh… oh!

As rewarding as those moments are, though, they also work in reverse. The game’s antagonist is an affliction called “the static.” Objects affected by it essentially act as barriers. Jemma can’t move them the way she can other things, so if they’re in her way, she has to figure out a way to go around them. The static also spawns path-blocking monsters that can only be defeated if you push a sword into its space. A lot of Arranger’s puzzles involve moving a sword, Jemma, or mission-critical items around “static’d” objects.

Image: Furniture & Mattress

Combat in Arranger involves moving swords around and pushing them into enemies.

In one puzzle, I had to reassemble the pieces of a broken record, rotating the record around and filling each hole. Seemed easy enough. But when Jemma moves, every movable object on the same axis moves with her. So when I pushed in the last piece, another piece on the opposite side popped right out.
Oh… oh! Shit.
A lot of the game’s puzzles start off just like that, easy right up until the end, when the curveball comes out of nowhere. But believe it or not, those moments felt good, too. With the record puzzle, once I saw that piece pop out, I started giggling. It was a feeling akin to putting your Crocs in “sport mode.” This puzzle was harder than I expected, time to lock in. (And don’t worry, there are settings that let you skip puzzles if they’re too hard, settings to make puzzles harder, and a multiplayer mode that lets a friend move stuff, too.)

Image: Furniture & Mattress
Locked doors mean nothing to Jemma.

Though Arranger is a puzzle game, it effectively uses its mechanics to build an interesting world and tell a sweet story. Jemma’s movement ability makes her unique, and she goes on an adventure to find others like her, using her powers for good along the way. When Jemma reaches the end of a row or column, she warps around to the other end. She uses that feature to bust out a teenager trapped in their locked room by strict parents by simply pushing them into the opposite wall. In another area, she saves a town whose inhabitants have become moribund in their homes because they relied too much on communicating via blue mechanical birds.
Oh… oh! Ha!

Arranger is the video game equivalent of a book you’d take with you on a beach vacation — perfect for your Switch, Steam Deck, or tablet. It’s pleasantly short — I’m in the final area, and I’ve played around four to five hours total. If you’re adventurous, you can extend that playtime by completing the optional puzzles scattered throughout. I love this little game unlike anything I’ve played recently.
To really drive home how charmingly seductive Arranger is, let me leave you with a short story. It was 11PM on a weekday night. I decided to play some Arranger before heading to bed — nothing more than 30–45 minutes tops. When I put down my Switch to check the time, it was 1:51AM. Two hours had passed and I didn’t even feel it. Moreover, I didn’t care. A game hasn’t done that to me, even ones I’ve adored, in recent or distant memory. I felt like a kid again. Give Arranger the chance to do that to you.
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is out now on Switch, PlayStation, PC, and mobile via Netflix.

Image: Furniture and Mattress

The game’s deceptively complicated puzzles will make you love every second as you lose track of time.

I first encountered Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure at the Netflix booth during Summer Game Fest. Within moments of settling in with the demo, I was struck by the game’s clarity of conceit and purpose. You’re a little girl named Jemma, who, as she moves across a tiled world of columns and rows, moves objects with her. Puzzle shenanigans involving — if you’ll pardon the pun — arranging objects will undoubtedly ensue.

Arranger is an “Oh… oh!” kind of puzzle game. It is deceptively simple, with clear objectives no more complicated than “use the pressure switch to unlock the door.” But the game’s simplicity of presentation obscures cleverly designed puzzles that tested my spatial awareness to its absolute limit, and I loved every second of it.

Early in the game, I was in an empty room with a pressure plate and a blocked door. Standing on the plate naturally unblocked the door, but when I moved off the plate, it slammed shut in my face. I tried every which way of arranging (sorry, this is gonna happen a lot) myself, thinking I could quickly hop off the plate and into the open door before it shut —but to no avail. Frustrated, I went back out the way I came thinking I’d missed some key item from an NPC, and by the doorway… there were two potted plants.

Oh… oh!

Before I entered that room, those potted plants were a throwaway decoration. Coming out, I immediately gleaned their purpose. Playing Arranger feels like the first time a baby discovers that the square block goes into the square hole. That’s not to say the game is too easy; rather, it’s like you can feel yourself learning a new thing in real time. That spark of recognition, that eureka moment, is a priceless jolt of excitement that happens early and often.

When I’m playing, the click of the tiles as Jemma moves gets slower as I mutter “I think I got this” the closer I get to the objective. I know what has to happen. To beat this centipede boss, I must shove its spiky tail into its eye, but for every tile the tail gets closer, the eye moves a tile away like in a game of Snake. But there are stones in the boss arena, and I can wedge the centipede around the stones and…

Oh… oh!

As rewarding as those moments are, though, they also work in reverse. The game’s antagonist is an affliction called “the static.” Objects affected by it essentially act as barriers. Jemma can’t move them the way she can other things, so if they’re in her way, she has to figure out a way to go around them. The static also spawns path-blocking monsters that can only be defeated if you push a sword into its space. A lot of Arranger’s puzzles involve moving a sword, Jemma, or mission-critical items around “static’d” objects.

Image: Furniture & Mattress

Combat in Arranger involves moving swords around and pushing them into enemies.

In one puzzle, I had to reassemble the pieces of a broken record, rotating the record around and filling each hole. Seemed easy enough. But when Jemma moves, every movable object on the same axis moves with her. So when I pushed in the last piece, another piece on the opposite side popped right out.

Oh… oh! Shit.

A lot of the game’s puzzles start off just like that, easy right up until the end, when the curveball comes out of nowhere. But believe it or not, those moments felt good, too. With the record puzzle, once I saw that piece pop out, I started giggling. It was a feeling akin to putting your Crocs in “sport mode.” This puzzle was harder than I expected, time to lock in. (And don’t worry, there are settings that let you skip puzzles if they’re too hard, settings to make puzzles harder, and a multiplayer mode that lets a friend move stuff, too.)

Image: Furniture & Mattress
Locked doors mean nothing to Jemma.

Though Arranger is a puzzle game, it effectively uses its mechanics to build an interesting world and tell a sweet story. Jemma’s movement ability makes her unique, and she goes on an adventure to find others like her, using her powers for good along the way. When Jemma reaches the end of a row or column, she warps around to the other end. She uses that feature to bust out a teenager trapped in their locked room by strict parents by simply pushing them into the opposite wall. In another area, she saves a town whose inhabitants have become moribund in their homes because they relied too much on communicating via blue mechanical birds.

Oh… oh! Ha!

Arranger is the video game equivalent of a book you’d take with you on a beach vacation — perfect for your Switch, Steam Deck, or tablet. It’s pleasantly short — I’m in the final area, and I’ve played around four to five hours total. If you’re adventurous, you can extend that playtime by completing the optional puzzles scattered throughout. I love this little game unlike anything I’ve played recently.

To really drive home how charmingly seductive Arranger is, let me leave you with a short story. It was 11PM on a weekday night. I decided to play some Arranger before heading to bed — nothing more than 30–45 minutes tops. When I put down my Switch to check the time, it was 1:51AM. Two hours had passed and I didn’t even feel it. Moreover, I didn’t care. A game hasn’t done that to me, even ones I’ve adored, in recent or distant memory. I felt like a kid again. Give Arranger the chance to do that to you.

Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure is out now on Switch, PlayStation, PC, and mobile via Netflix.

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Image: OnLeaks via Android Headlines

While there’s been no shortage of Pixel 9 leaks over the past couple of days, a new ad for the device seems to have leaked in full — and it shows off a new feature that makes sure you aren’t left out of a group photo.
The feature, seemingly called “Add Me,” appears in a leaked ad shared with Android Headlines by OnLeaks. The ad shows someone using a Pixel 9 to take a picture of two friends in front of a van. After snapping a shot, the photographer trades spots with her two friends, allowing her to get a picture in front of the van — only the Pixel’s display shows the phantom-like image of the two friends standing beside her. Her friend snaps a photo, and boom, she appears in the picture as if she were there the entire time.

Judging by the UI in the ad, the Pixel 9 appears to stitch together two images with the same background, allowing you to add someone to a group photo who wasn’t even there or maybe just volunteered to take the picture. It looks pretty nifty, and I’m excited to see it in action when Google debuts the Pixel 9 on August 13th.
Other features on display are Google’s Gemini assistant and “Pixel Screenshots,” which appears to use AI to help you search through your screenshots. Meanwhile, another leaked ad for the Pixel 9 shows an upgrade to Magic Editor, potentially letting you replace the background of a photo based on a prompt.
But “Add Me” once again blurs the line between what’s real and what’s not, similar to the several other tools Google has rolled out for Pixel and Photos users. Last year, Google launched the AI-powered Magic Eraser, allowing you to instantly zap someone out of a picture. It also rolled out something called Best Take, which lets Pixel owners swap out someone’s face (who was presumably blinking) for another recent take.

Image: OnLeaks via Android Headlines

While there’s been no shortage of Pixel 9 leaks over the past couple of days, a new ad for the device seems to have leaked in full — and it shows off a new feature that makes sure you aren’t left out of a group photo.

The feature, seemingly called “Add Me,” appears in a leaked ad shared with Android Headlines by OnLeaks. The ad shows someone using a Pixel 9 to take a picture of two friends in front of a van. After snapping a shot, the photographer trades spots with her two friends, allowing her to get a picture in front of the van — only the Pixel’s display shows the phantom-like image of the two friends standing beside her. Her friend snaps a photo, and boom, she appears in the picture as if she were there the entire time.

Judging by the UI in the ad, the Pixel 9 appears to stitch together two images with the same background, allowing you to add someone to a group photo who wasn’t even there or maybe just volunteered to take the picture. It looks pretty nifty, and I’m excited to see it in action when Google debuts the Pixel 9 on August 13th.

Other features on display are Google’s Gemini assistant and “Pixel Screenshots,” which appears to use AI to help you search through your screenshots. Meanwhile, another leaked ad for the Pixel 9 shows an upgrade to Magic Editor, potentially letting you replace the background of a photo based on a prompt.

But “Add Me” once again blurs the line between what’s real and what’s not, similar to the several other tools Google has rolled out for Pixel and Photos users. Last year, Google launched the AI-powered Magic Eraser, allowing you to instantly zap someone out of a picture. It also rolled out something called Best Take, which lets Pixel owners swap out someone’s face (who was presumably blinking) for another recent take.

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Image: The Verge

X uses your data to train its Grok AI assistant, but if you’d like to opt out of that, you can do that right from your settings menu. It is accessible on the web right here, or you can find it yourself if you click the three dots menu, then “Settings and privacy,” then “Privacy and safety,” and then “Grok.”
X’s @Safety account wrote in a post on Friday that the setting is available to all users on the web now and “will soon be rolled out on mobile.”

All X users have the ability to control whether their public posts can be used to train Grok, the AI search assistant. This option is in addition to your existing controls over whether your interactions, inputs, and results related to Grok can be utilized. This setting is…— Safety (@Safety) July 26, 2024

In the menu, you can uncheck a box to opt out of allowing “your posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning purposes” and sharing data about your interactions with xAI. The other option for opting out is to have a private account, which “prevents your posts from being used to train Grok’s underlying model or to generate responses to user queries.”
It’s unclear when the setting first became available. We noticed it because of a few posts that were widely reshared overnight, but an archived version of X’s About page for Grok from May mentioned the steps to get to the setting.
You can also delete your conversation history with Grok (though you may not have any, as Grok is currently only available if you subscribe to X Premium or the more expensive Premium Plus).
It’s not exactly new for X to communicate that it trains its artificial intelligence tools on user data. The company’s privacy policy, last updated in September 2023, says that “we may use the information we collect and publicly available information to help train our machine learning or artificial intelligence models for the purposes outlined in this policy.”

Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge

When reached for comment, X’s press email replied with its current standard auto-reply: “Busy now, please check back later.”

Image: The Verge

X uses your data to train its Grok AI assistant, but if you’d like to opt out of that, you can do that right from your settings menu. It is accessible on the web right here, or you can find it yourself if you click the three dots menu, then “Settings and privacy,” then “Privacy and safety,” and then “Grok.”

X’s @Safety account wrote in a post on Friday that the setting is available to all users on the web now and “will soon be rolled out on mobile.”

In the menu, you can uncheck a box to opt out of allowing “your posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning purposes” and sharing data about your interactions with xAI. The other option for opting out is to have a private account, which “prevents your posts from being used to train Grok’s underlying model or to generate responses to user queries.”

It’s unclear when the setting first became available. We noticed it because of a few posts that were widely reshared overnight, but an archived version of X’s About page for Grok from May mentioned the steps to get to the setting.

You can also delete your conversation history with Grok (though you may not have any, as Grok is currently only available if you subscribe to X Premium or the more expensive Premium Plus).

It’s not exactly new for X to communicate that it trains its artificial intelligence tools on user data. The company’s privacy policy, last updated in September 2023, says that “we may use the information we collect and publicly available information to help train our machine learning or artificial intelligence models for the purposes outlined in this policy.”

Screenshot by Jay Peters / The Verge

When reached for comment, X’s press email replied with its current standard auto-reply: “Busy now, please check back later.”

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An Intel Core i9-13900K CPU, one of the first types that was identified to sometimes crash games this way. | Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

On Monday, it initially seemed like the beginning of the end for Intel’s desktop CPU instability woes — the company confirmed a patch is coming in mid-August that should address the “root cause” of exposure to elevated voltage. But if your 13th or 14th Gen Intel Core processor is already crashing, that patch apparently won’t fix it.
Citing unnamed sources, Tom’s Hardware reports that any degradation of the processor is irreversible, and an Intel spokesperson did not deny that when we asked. Intel is “confident” the patch will keep it from happening in the first place. (As another preventative measure, you should update your BIOS ASAP.) But if your defective CPU has been damaged, your best option is to replace it instead of tweaking BIOS settings to try and alleviate the problems.
And, Intel confirms, too-high voltages aren’t the only reason some of these chips are failing. Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford confirms it’s a primary cause, but the company is still investigating. Intel community manager Lex Hoyos also revealed some instability reports can be traced back to an oxidization manufacturing issue that was fixed at an unspecified date last year.
This raises lots of questions. Will Intel recall these chips? Extend their warranty? Replace them no questions asked? Pause sales like AMD just did with its Ryzen 9000? Identify faulty batches with the manufacturing defect?
We asked Intel these questions, and I’m not sure you’re going to like the answers.
Why are these still on sale without so much as an extended warranty?
Intel has not halted sales or clawed back any inventory. It will not do a recall, period. The company is not currently commenting on whether or how it might extend its warranty. It would not share estimates with The Verge of how many chips are likely to be irreversibly impacted, and it did not explain why it’s continuing to sell these chips ahead of any fix.
Intel’s not yet telling us how warranty replacements will work beyond trying customer support again if you’ve previously been rejected. It did not explain how it will contact customers with these chips to warn them about the issue.
But Intel does tell us it’s “confident” that you don’t need to worry about invisible degradation. If you’re not currently experiencing issues, the patch “will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service.” (If you don’t know if you’re experiencing issues, Intel currently suggests the Robeytech test.)
And, perhaps for the first time, Intel has confirmed just how broad this issue could possibly be. The elevated voltages could potentially affect any 13th or 14th Gen desktop processor that consumes 65W or more power, not just the highest i9-series chips that initially seemed to be experiencing the issue.
Here are the questions we asked Intel and the answers we’ve received by email from Intel’s Hannaford:
How many chips does Intel estimate are likely to be irreversibly impacted by these issues?
Intel Core 13th and 14th Generation desktop processors with 65W or higher base power – including K/KF/KS and 65W non-K variants – could be affected by the elevated voltages issue. However, this does not mean that all processors listed are (or will be) impacted by the elevated voltages issue.
Intel continues validation to ensure that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors are addressed.
For customers who are or have been experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors, Intel continues advising them to reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance. Additionally, if customers have experienced these instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors but had RMA [return merchandise authorization] requests rejected we ask that they reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance and remediation.
Will Intel issue a recall?
No.
Will Intel proactively warn buyers of these chips about the warning signs or that this update is required? If so, how will it warn them?
Intel targets to release a production microcode update to OEM/ODM customers by mid-August or sooner and will share additional details on the microcode patch at that time.
Intel is investigating options to easily identify affected processors on end user systems. In the interim, as a general best practice Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel Default Settings on their desktop processors, along with ensuring their BIOS is up to date.
Has Intel halted sales and / or performed any channel inventory recalls while it validates the update?
No.
Does Intel anticipate the fix will be effective for chips that have already been in service but are not yet experiencing symptoms (i.e., invisible degradation)? Are those CPUs just living on borrowed time?
Intel is confident that the microcode patch will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service, though validation continues to ensure that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processors are addressed.
Intel is investigating options to easily identify affected or at-risk processors on end user systems.
It is possible the patch will provide some instability improvements to currently impacted processors; however customers experiencing instability on their 13th or 14th Generation desktop processor-based systems should contact Intel customer support for further assistance.
Will Intel extend its warranty on these 13th Gen and 14th Gen parts, and for how long?
[No answer yet.]
Given how difficult this issue was for Intel to pin down, what proof will customers need to share to obtain an RMA? (How lenient will Intel be?)
[No answer yet.]
What will Intel do for 13th Gen buyers after supply of 13th Gen parts runs out? Final shipments were set to end last month, I’m reading.
Intel is committed to making sure all customers who have or are currently experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported in the exchange process. This includes working with Intel’s retail and channel customers to ensure end users are taken care of regarding instability symptoms with their Intel Core 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors.
What will Intel do for 14th Gen buyers after supply of 14th Gen parts run out?
Same as above.
Will replacement / RMA’d chips ship with the microcode update preapplied beginning in August? Is Intel still shipping replacement chips ahead of that update?
Intel will be applying to microcode to 13th/14th Gen desktop processors that are not yet shipped once the production patch is released to OEM/ODM partners (targeting mid-August or sooner). For 13th /14th Gen desktop processors already in service, users will need to apply the patch via BIOS update once available.
What, if anything, can customers do to slow or stop degradation ahead of the microcode update?
Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel Default Settings on their desktop processors, along with ensuring their BIOS is up to date. Once the microcode patch is released to Intel partners, we advise users check for the relevant BIOS updates.
Will Intel share specific manufacturing dates and serial number ranges for the oxidized processors so mission-critical businesses can selectively rip and replace?
Intel will continue working with its customers on Via Oxidation-related reports and ensure that they are fully supported in the exchange process.
Why does Intel believe the instability issues do not affect mobile laptop chips?
Intel is continuing its investigation to ensure that reported instability scenarios on Intel Core 13th/14th Gen processors are properly addressed.
This includes ongoing analysis to confirm the primary factors preventing 13th / 14th Gen mobile processor exposure to the same instability issue as the 13th/14th Gen desktop processors.

That’s all we’ve heard from Intel so far, though Hannaford assured us more answers are on the way and that the company is working on remedies.
Again, if your CPU is already damaged, you need to get Intel to replace it, and if Intel won’t do so, please let us know. In the meanwhile, you’ll want to update your BIOS as soon as possible because your processor could potentially be invisibly damaging itself — and if you know your way around a BIOS, you may want to adjust your motherboard to Intel’s default performance profiles, too.
Lastly, here is that Robeytech video that Intel is recommending to Redditors to potentially help them identify if their chip has an issue. Intel says it’s looking into other ways to identify that, too.

An Intel Core i9-13900K CPU, one of the first types that was identified to sometimes crash games this way. | Photo by Tom Warren / The Verge

On Monday, it initially seemed like the beginning of the end for Intel’s desktop CPU instability woes — the company confirmed a patch is coming in mid-August that should address the “root cause” of exposure to elevated voltage. But if your 13th or 14th Gen Intel Core processor is already crashing, that patch apparently won’t fix it.

Citing unnamed sources, Tom’s Hardware reports that any degradation of the processor is irreversible, and an Intel spokesperson did not deny that when we asked. Intel is “confident” the patch will keep it from happening in the first place. (As another preventative measure, you should update your BIOS ASAP.) But if your defective CPU has been damaged, your best option is to replace it instead of tweaking BIOS settings to try and alleviate the problems.

And, Intel confirms, too-high voltages aren’t the only reason some of these chips are failing. Intel spokesperson Thomas Hannaford confirms it’s a primary cause, but the company is still investigating. Intel community manager Lex Hoyos also revealed some instability reports can be traced back to an oxidization manufacturing issue that was fixed at an unspecified date last year.

This raises lots of questions. Will Intel recall these chips? Extend their warranty? Replace them no questions asked? Pause sales like AMD just did with its Ryzen 9000? Identify faulty batches with the manufacturing defect?

We asked Intel these questions, and I’m not sure you’re going to like the answers.

Intel has not halted sales or clawed back any inventory. It will not do a recall, period. The company is not currently commenting on whether or how it might extend its warranty. It would not share estimates with The Verge of how many chips are likely to be irreversibly impacted, and it did not explain why it’s continuing to sell these chips ahead of any fix.

Intel’s not yet telling us how warranty replacements will work beyond trying customer support again if you’ve previously been rejected. It did not explain how it will contact customers with these chips to warn them about the issue.

But Intel does tell us it’s “confident” that you don’t need to worry about invisible degradation. If you’re not currently experiencing issues, the patch “will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service.” (If you don’t know if you’re experiencing issues, Intel currently suggests the Robeytech test.)

And, perhaps for the first time, Intel has confirmed just how broad this issue could possibly be. The elevated voltages could potentially affect any 13th or 14th Gen desktop processor that consumes 65W or more power, not just the highest i9-series chips that initially seemed to be experiencing the issue.

Here are the questions we asked Intel and the answers we’ve received by email from Intel’s Hannaford:

How many chips does Intel estimate are likely to be irreversibly impacted by these issues?

Intel Core 13th and 14th Generation desktop processors with 65W or higher base power – including K/KF/KS and 65W non-K variants – could be affected by the elevated voltages issue. However, this does not mean that all processors listed are (or will be) impacted by the elevated voltages issue.

Intel continues validation to ensure that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors are addressed.

For customers who are or have been experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors, Intel continues advising them to reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance. Additionally, if customers have experienced these instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors but had RMA [return merchandise authorization] requests rejected we ask that they reach out to Intel Customer Support for further assistance and remediation.

Will Intel issue a recall?

No.

Will Intel proactively warn buyers of these chips about the warning signs or that this update is required? If so, how will it warn them?

Intel targets to release a production microcode update to OEM/ODM customers by mid-August or sooner and will share additional details on the microcode patch at that time.

Intel is investigating options to easily identify affected processors on end user systems. In the interim, as a general best practice Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel Default Settings on their desktop processors, along with ensuring their BIOS is up to date.

Has Intel halted sales and / or performed any channel inventory recalls while it validates the update?

No.

Does Intel anticipate the fix will be effective for chips that have already been in service but are not yet experiencing symptoms (i.e., invisible degradation)? Are those CPUs just living on borrowed time?

Intel is confident that the microcode patch will be an effective preventative solution for processors already in service, though validation continues to ensure that scenarios of instability reported to Intel regarding its Core 13th/14th Gen desktop processors are addressed.

Intel is investigating options to easily identify affected or at-risk processors on end user systems.

It is possible the patch will provide some instability improvements to currently impacted processors; however customers experiencing instability on their 13th or 14th Generation desktop processor-based systems should contact Intel customer support for further assistance.

Will Intel extend its warranty on these 13th Gen and 14th Gen parts, and for how long?

[No answer yet.]

Given how difficult this issue was for Intel to pin down, what proof will customers need to share to obtain an RMA? (How lenient will Intel be?)

[No answer yet.]

What will Intel do for 13th Gen buyers after supply of 13th Gen parts runs out? Final shipments were set to end last month, I’m reading.

Intel is committed to making sure all customers who have or are currently experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported in the exchange process. This includes working with Intel’s retail and channel customers to ensure end users are taken care of regarding instability symptoms with their Intel Core 13th and/or 14th Gen desktop processors.

What will Intel do for 14th Gen buyers after supply of 14th Gen parts run out?

Same as above.

Will replacement / RMA’d chips ship with the microcode update preapplied beginning in August? Is Intel still shipping replacement chips ahead of that update?

Intel will be applying to microcode to 13th/14th Gen desktop processors that are not yet shipped once the production patch is released to OEM/ODM partners (targeting mid-August or sooner). For 13th /14th Gen desktop processors already in service, users will need to apply the patch via BIOS update once available.

What, if anything, can customers do to slow or stop degradation ahead of the microcode update?

Intel recommends that users adhere to Intel Default Settings on their desktop processors, along with ensuring their BIOS is up to date. Once the microcode patch is released to Intel partners, we advise users check for the relevant BIOS updates.

Will Intel share specific manufacturing dates and serial number ranges for the oxidized processors so mission-critical businesses can selectively rip and replace?

Intel will continue working with its customers on Via Oxidation-related reports and ensure that they are fully supported in the exchange process.

Why does Intel believe the instability issues do not affect mobile laptop chips?

Intel is continuing its investigation to ensure that reported instability scenarios on Intel Core 13th/14th Gen processors are properly addressed.

This includes ongoing analysis to confirm the primary factors preventing 13th / 14th Gen mobile processor exposure to the same instability issue as the 13th/14th Gen desktop processors.

That’s all we’ve heard from Intel so far, though Hannaford assured us more answers are on the way and that the company is working on remedies.

Again, if your CPU is already damaged, you need to get Intel to replace it, and if Intel won’t do so, please let us know. In the meanwhile, you’ll want to update your BIOS as soon as possible because your processor could potentially be invisibly damaging itself — and if you know your way around a BIOS, you may want to adjust your motherboard to Intel’s default performance profiles, too.

Lastly, here is that Robeytech video that Intel is recommending to Redditors to potentially help them identify if their chip has an issue. Intel says it’s looking into other ways to identify that, too.

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