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Mario Kart Tour Officially Shuts Down, and This Time Nintendo Isn't Leaving an Offline Version
After seven years online, mobile game Mario Kart Tour officially took its servers offline in September. The app still opens, but all that's left to see is your old player data—joining the ranks of shut-down titles like Miitomo and Dragalia Lost.
Amazon's New Fire TV Stick 4K Touts Faster Boot Times, Slimmer Body, While New Remote Goes by Feel
Amazon has launched its next-gen Fire TV Stick 4K, claiming boot and launch speeds 20% to 40% faster than similarly priced competitors. It's priced at $60, dropping to $30 during Prime Big Deal Days.
Xbox Launches Mythic Achievements, Finally Scratching That Decade-Long Platinum Trophy Itch
Xbox has unveiled a new system called Mythic Achievements, awarded to players who fully complete a game's original achievement list. The system retroactively applies all the way back to Xbox 360-era titles, though it's currently only available to Xbox Insider testers.
QALO Launches SL-1 Smart Band, No Monthly Fees and Syncs with Smart Ring
QALO, known for its silicone accessories, is entering the screen-free wearable market with its new SL-1 Smart Band, priced at $199.95. The company emphasizes no subscription fees and full compatibility with its smart ring through a shared app account.
Instagram's Campus Program Adds New Feature: Verified-Students-Only Stories and Club Channels
Instagram is expanding its School Partnership Program, letting partner schools set up clubs and channels to post exclusive content that only UNiDAYS-verified students can view. The feature is rolling out now.
$42B Net Loss and Another AI Extinction Warning—Anthropic Still Pushing for $2T IPO
Anthropic's IPO draft rarely admits in its own prospectus that its AI could pose an "existential risk" to humanity, while also revealing a $42 billion loss last year—yet its valuation could still reach $2 trillion.
Florida AG Files Emergency Injunction Against OpenAI, Demanding Halt to New Model Training and Block on Minor Users
Florida Attorney General Uthmeier filed an emergency motion on Monday asking the court to bar OpenAI from training new models without independent safety oversight and to cut off minors' access to ChatGPT, in a case stemming from a criminal investigation earlier this year into the FSU shooting.
TikTok Pays $100M to Settle Lawsuit—All It Buys Is a 2-Hour Daily Cap for Minors
TikTok has settled a social media addiction lawsuit with the state of Alabama, agreeing to pay at least $100 million and rolling out measures targeting underage users—including a two-hour daily usage cap and a ban on beauty filters. Failure to follow through could mean an additional $300 million fine.
'Control Resonant' Launches at $60 the Same Week as an Indie Boss-Beatdown Game
'Control Resonant' launched this week at $60, alongside 'Stick It to the Stickman' — where you climb the corporate ladder by literally beating up the CEO — plus a first look at the 'Ball x Pit' expansion dropping November 12.
SpaceX Starship Completes Pre-Launch Wet Dress Rehearsal, First Orbital Test Flight Set for September 28
SpaceX has confirmed that Starship has completed its wet dress rehearsal, paving the way for the next test flight, dubbed Flight 14. This will mark Starship's first attempt at a true orbital flight, and the first time it carries the next-generation Starlink V3 satellites into space.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 Launches at $449 — Is It Worth $70 More Than Gen 2?
Meta unveiled the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 at Connect 2026, with minor tweaks to battery, microphones, and design — but most of the new software features are also coming to Gen 2, even though the starting price jumped by $70.
Nintendo Wins $4.5 Million Judgment Against Switch Piracy Seller Who Never Showed Up in Court
Nintendo sued James Williams, known online as Archbox, in 2024, accusing him of running multiple pirated Switch game shops. Since the defendant never appeared in court, the judge ruled in Nintendo's favor by default, ordering $4.5 million in damages and the shutdown of all related shops.
Nicolas Cage as Legendary Coach in Madden Trailer — One Line Reveals the Video Game's Origin Story
The trailer for David O. Russell's biopic Madden has dropped, with Nicolas Cage playing legendary football coach John Madden. The film recreates the pivotal scene where he discusses the design of the original Madden NFL game with EA founder Trip Hawkins.
Musk Threatens to Sue Director Over Doc — 'Musk' Already Scores 100% on Rotten Tomatoes Before It Even Hits Theaters
Director Alex Gibney, known for tackling Enron, Scientology, and Elizabeth Holmes, now turns his camera on Elon Musk. The nearly four-hour documentary comes with a ten-minute intermission, and Musk has threatened legal action while blasting the film on X. It currently sits at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
New York Goes After Polymarket Again: Prediction Market Regulatory Battle Spreads to Four Firms
New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul have sued Polymarket's US arm, accusing it of running an unauthorized gambling operation—the fourth legal action New York has taken against prediction market platforms in the past six months.
Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, Letting Earbuds Actually Understand What You're Saying
Qualcomm has announced its next-generation audio chip, Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, boasting doubled on-device AI processing power aimed at powering the next wave of voice-interactive gadgets like earbuds and audio glasses.
OpenAI AI Agent Hacked Australian Government Website on Its Own, PM Blasts Company for Three-Month Reporting Delay
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that an OpenAI AI agent breached the government's Medicare public health insurance system website back in June, but OpenAI didn't disclose the incident until September—with several similar undisclosed intrusions occurring in between.
Meta VR Glasses Arriving Next Spring: $1,300, Five Times Lighter Than Quest 3
At Meta Connect 2026, the company unveiled its first tethered VR glasses—just 100 grams and starting at $1,300—alongside the audio-only Ray-Ban Meta Audio, third-gen camera glasses, and a new hearing enhancement feature.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio Ditches the Camera, Starting at $349, Ships October
Meta unveiled its first camera-free smart glasses, Ray-Ban Meta Audio, at Connect 2026, focusing on voice calls and Meta AI features. Pricing starts at $349, with shipping beginning October 13.
Lisa Joins Meta's Glasses Lineup — Two Collab Frames Hide Her Pet-Shaped Charging Cases
At Connect 2026, Meta unveiled two smart glasses collaborations with Blackpink's Lisa, featuring star accents on the temples and pet-shaped charms on the charging cases, starting at $399. Meta also dropped the entry-level model's price to $249.
Logitech Drops Four New Pro Gaming Gear at Once—Even the Mouse Pad Costs $60
Logitech is updating its mouse, keyboard, headset, and mouse pad all at once. The Pro X3 mouse switches to HITS haptic trigger tech, the Pro X2 keyboard supports Rapid Trigger, and the priciest headset will set you back $250.
UK Regulator Steps In: Android, Chrome Users May Have to Repick Their Search Engine Every Year
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has proposed new rules requiring Google and phone makers to show search engine choice screens on Android and Chrome — and repeat the prompt annually. AI assistant choice is also on the table.
Eight Sleep Launches Pod 6, Sensors Jump from 2 to 18, Subscription Fee Still Applies
Eight Sleep has unveiled its next-generation smart mattress system, the Pod 6, adding 18 biometric sensors and a standalone single-size version. Pricing still lands between $2,000 and $3,000, plus a mandatory monthly subscription fee.
Discord's New Age Rating System Goes Live: Most Users Need No Action, Unverified Accounts Get Multiple Verification Options
Starting this week, Discord will automatically sort adult and teen users based on metrics like account activity, with an estimated 90% of users requiring no additional steps. Those who can't be auto-verified can confirm their age through methods like credit cards, the App Store, or facial age estimation.