Why the electrical grid needs more software
The electrical grid is facing unprecedented stress from the addition of new data centers. Software could offer a cost-effective way to boost reliability and capacity.
Analysis
Hollywood cozied up to AI in 2025 and had nothing good to show for it
AI isn’t new to Hollywood – but this was the year when it really made its presence felt. For years now, the entertainment industry has used different kinds of generative AI products for a variety of post-production processes ranging from de-aging actors to removing green screen backgrounds. In many instances, the technology has been a […]
The year the government broke
The first crack showed right before Inauguration Day. The year before, Congress had overwhelmingly passed a bill banning TikTok unless it broke ties with its Chinese parent company. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld it, and it was clear what needed to happen next: either the president could give TikTok another 90 days to complete a […]
‘Friend slop’ made co-op gaming goofier than ever in 2025
When a friend invited me to play a new game called REPO earlier this year, I thought I was wasting my money – not because the game looked bad, but because it looked like Lethal Company. The surprise-hit 2024 co-op survival horror game has players wander through unnerving ruined structures collecting trash while evading monsters. […]
Don’t expect Trump Media’s nuclear fusion power plant to generate electricity soon
Trump Media – yup, the parent company of Truth Social – is the latest entrant in the near century-long race to develop a nuclear fusion power plant. It announced a merger agreement with fusion company TAE Technologies on Thursday, and a bold plan to break ground on the first utility-scale fusion plant some time in […]
There’s finally a little bit of sunshine in Pluribus
Things might finally be looking up. In the penultimate episode of Pluribus’ first season, Carol (Rhea Seehorn) actually seems to be happy. That’s a pretty big deal for someone the show describes as the “most miserable person on Earth,” who also happens to be living through an odd sort of apocalyptic scenario that she is […]
Communities are rising up against data centers — and winning
If there’s one thing Republicans and Democrats came together on in 2025 – at least at the local level – it was to stop big, energy-hungry data center projects. For communities sick of rising electricity bills and pollution from power plants, data centers have become an obvious target. Fights against new data centers surged this […]
It’s the great AGI rebrand
The cringe comes for us all, and for all our hot new turns of phrase. “Rizz” lost its luster when grandparents started asking about its meaning. Teachers who dressed up as “6-7” on Halloween drove a nail into the coffin of Gen Alpha’s rallying cry. And tech CEOs who once trumpeted the quest for “artificial […]
Larry Ellison’s big dumb gift to his large adult son
Media is a business about dreams, and Larry Ellison’s son is dreaming big. This might explain why the case for Paramount Skydance to buy Warner Bros. Discovery is so incoherent. In October, Warner Bros. put itself up for sale, leading to a number of bids. The two we are concerned with are a bid from […]
I’ve been waiting years for Animal Crossing’s best new features
I never felt done with my Animal Crossing: New Horizons island. Despite playing every day for two years, and racking up 1,700 hours of playtime, I somehow never finished decorating. I had plenty of ideas for my island, sure, but actually implementing them was another story: The decorating and terraforming systems that helped make New […]