Last year was a pivotal one for Netflix, as it saw arguably the streamer’s two most prominent series – Stranger Things and Squid Game – come to an end. And while Netflix has a number of competing priorities now, its lineup for 2026 also shows it’s not quite done with blockbuster franchises just yet. The […]
Roblox is rolling out its previously announced requirement for all users to go through an age estimation process to be able to use the platform’s chat features. The policy was announced in November 2025 and was rolled out to Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands in December, but now users will be prompted to complete […]
Universal Music Group is partnering with Nvidia to bring a new AI model to one of the world’s largest music catalogs. Among other initiatives, Tuesday’s announcement touts the extension of Nvidia’s music AI model Music Flamingo, which is designed to mimic how humans understand music by recognizing nuanced elements like song structure, harmony, emotional arcs, […]
The parking lot was packed. That’s the first Strange Thing. A little background. Just about every mall is struggling now, but the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem, Pennsylvania is more or less comatose. As Defector’s Dan McQuade, a lifelong Pennsylvanian and mall fan, wrote in his fond remembrance of the shopping center, the once bustling complex […]
LG is adding a karaoke-focused party speaker to its lineup of Xboom devices, which is built in collaboration with Will.i.am. Announced this week, LG says the Stage 501 speaker comes with an “AI Karaoke Master” that can remove or adjust vocals from “virtually any song,” similar to the Soundcore Rave 3S. It can also adjust […]
Some years ago, I was writing a science fiction short story in which I wanted to incorporate verses from a 1928 song, “Button Up Your Overcoat.” However, when I sold the story, my editor told me that since the song was still copyrighted, it was safer not to include the verses. If I had written […]
2025 was a big year for gaming, and that includes gaming hardware. Nintendo launched its Switch 2 console in June, and since then, numerous Switch 2 titles and noteworthy updates for original Switch games have launched. These include brand-new Nintendo experiences like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, as well as some belated but […]
With all the drama surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans to sell itself to another company, it’s not currently clear how much longer HBO Max will continue to exist in its current form. But for the time being, the streamer is chock full of solid series you might want to consider watching if you find yourself […]
Hello from the dead week of the year, when all sane people have logged off to spend time with their families. This is when I typically write at least one deeply weird post while I’m working over the holiday. One time I got left alone on New Year’s Day and posted about cats all day […]
Things that HP Lovecraft was good at: Creating a mythos. Building atmosphere. Things that HP Lovecraft was bad at: Writing dialog. Creating compelling characters. Not being a racist. As a fan of horror in general, I can’t pretend that Lovecraft isn’t an important touchstone. But the man’s blatant racism is also impossible to ignore, especially […]