Welcome to our latest roundup of what’s going on in the indie game space. As ever, we’ve got a whole bunch of new games for you to dive into this weekend, along with announcements and updates on several others that are coming down the pike.
I love how spoiled we are for game showcases these days, and I’m really looking forward to the latest installment of the indie-focused Triple-i Initiative at noon ET on April 9 as the first two editions were really strong. The trailer for this one features the likes of Cairn, Warhammer Survivors (the Warhammer-themed Vampire Survivors spinoff), the excellent CloverPit, Final Sentence and Far Far West. The organizers are promising to share release dates and gameplay reveals. Expect to see eight game announcements here too.
Summer Game Fest is fast approaching. That means the mid-year edition of Day of the Devs, one of the biggest indie game showcases around, isn’t too far away. Developers still have a chance to be featured in the show. Submissions for Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Digital Showcase are open, but you’ll need to hurry if you’re ready to shoot your shot at being included. The deadline for submissions is this Monday, April 6.
Meanwhile, I’d normally write about notable ports in the new releases section of this roundup, but there was no trailer for this, so I’ll mention it here. Before its success with Peak last year, Landfall also scored a hit with Content Warning on PC (making it free for the first 24 hours didn’t hurt!). Now, this friendslop game is out on PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox on PC, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 for $10. Landfall added cross-play to the Steam version as well.
Advertisement
New releases
A sequel to an all-time indie classic dropped this week, and it took the squishy protagonist of the series to another dimension. Like its predecessors, Super Meat Boy 3D is a tough precision platformer. You’ll need to guide the titular meat cube past saws, shredders, burning forests, laser-guided rockets, enemies and other obstacles. There are boss fights too. A mistake spells a quick trip back to the beginning of the level. Meat Boy does have an air dash this time around, though.
I played through the first world and Sluggerfly and Team Meat haven’t changed the base formula too much. The additional dimension and fixed perspective make platforming a little trickier. When there’s a gap while I’m running across a wall, for instance, I might forget to stop pressing up while I’m crossing the hole, causing Meat Boy to disappear into the void. I found it easier to control him with the D-pad than a thumbstick, for what it’s worth.
You can try it for yourself right now as Super Meat Boy 3D, from publisher Headup, is available on Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 for $25. There’s a 10 percent launch discount on PC, and it’s on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC Game Pass.
Advertisement
I really enjoyed the Raccoin demo, so I’m bummed that I haven’t had much of a chance to jump into the full game yet. I have some other things on my plate at the minute (more on some of those next week!). When I do have time to properly sit down with Raccoin, though, I may just lose the rest of the month to it.
Raccoin is a roguelike deckbuilder in the vein of games like Balatro and CloverPit. Instead of racking up giant scores in spins on poker or one-armed bandits, the action here takes place in a coin pusher. The aim, as ever, is to find wild synergies between special coins and items to break the rules and earn enough points to keep moving forward. I’m excited to experiment with a much larger box of tools in the full game.
Raccoin, from Doraccoon and Balatro publisher Playstack, is out now on Steam. It’ll usually cost $12, but there’s an 18 percent discount until April 7.
I’ve only played around an hour of Tombwater, but I’m really digging this game from Moth Atlas and Midwest Games. It’s a 2D, eldritch horror Western Soulslike. It feels like Bloodborne meets The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past (there’s even a hookshot), by way of Red Dead Redemption.
Advertisement
After a brief prologue, you’ll pick a character class and jump right into the action as you search for a former train-robbing partner who has somehow become a sheriff. Enemies are quite varied, and you’ll use a mix of melee attacks, firearms and magic to battle them.
Resource management is vital. You restore ammo by dishing out melee damage. The magic meter has an interesting twist too. Using spells too often can send your character spiraling into madness, which can cause hallucinations.
There are lots of hallmarks of the Soulslike genre here. When (not if) you die, you’ll leave behind a totem that has all your cash and unused leveling experience. You can destroy this to regain your lost loot, or wait until you’ve dispatched nearby enemies to do so, as the totem can heal you (helpful in a tough boss battle). You can level up and restore health flasks at campfires.
There’s a wonderfully gloomy tone to Tombwater. The lovely pixel art and atmospheric music are spot on so far.
Advertisement
However, I got lost quite a few times — the map didn’t help much — and I don’t love the way aiming works with a controller or on Steam Deck. You aim by holding the left trigger and fire with the right. But you can only point your weapon in the four cardinal directions, and you need to let go of the left trigger before you can change your aim. That’s not a problem with a mouse, as you can aim freely.
I hope Moth Atlas improves controller aiming, since Tombwater is very promising so far. I’m looking forward to playing more when I can.
Tombwater is out now on Steam. It’ll typically run you $25, but if you pick it up before April 14, it can be yours for $20.
Corgis in mechs. That’s the first thing you need to know about Animalkind, a co-op village-building game. You and your friends can play as corgis (or tuxedo cats or raccoons) in mechs. You’ll first need to find the parts to assemble your ancient mech before you can actually pilot the machine, though. Exploring the open world, gathering resources, crafting and recruiting NPCs are all elements of this charming-looking game.
Advertisement
Animalkind is available on Steam for $20, with 10 percent off until April 6. Developer Uncommon Games expects it to remain in early access until 2027. Once again, corgis in mechs.
Hozy is another lovely-looking game — perhaps the title is a portmanteau of “home” and “cozy.” The idea behind this home renovation title is that you’ll be restoring a neighborhood of abandoned abodes. There are nine locations for you to clean up and decorate.
There are so many nice touches in the trailer, from the robot mop cleaning floors to pulling a new table out a box filled with packing peanuts (on that note, Unpacking hit Apple Arcade this week). The animations for things like laying down floorboards, changing the height of a chair and unfurling a roll of wallpaper are all delightful. The lighting looks great too.
Hozy, from Come On Studio and publisher TinyBuild, is out now on Steam for PC and Mac. It will normally run you $15, but you can save 10 percent if you snap it up by April 6.
Advertisement
“You stay in the warmth of your friends,” reads a narrative subtitle as three characters stand on a rooftop, looking out at a cityscape and a multicolored sky. By itself, that shot from the launch trailer was enough to sell me on Fishbowl, a coming-of-age adventure from the two-person team at imissmyfriends.studio and co-publisher Wholesome Games Presents.
I then looked back at a previous trailer, which included the prompt “hydrate?” with the options of “yes, hydrate and live” and “no, dehydrate and die.” Shortly afterward, Fishbowl became the latest addition to my Steam library. Funny how that happens.
You’ll play as Alo, taking care of her and her home and trying to give her a fulfilling life even as she remains isolated. You’ll meet Alo’s loved ones and co-workers on video calls, edit video in her work-from-home job and rearrange items in boxes to discover her childhood memories. Learning about Alo’s past (with the help of a magical talking fish from her youth) can help you shape Alo’s future through you narrative choices. There’s a surrealist aspect to this game too.
Fishbowl is out now on Steam for PC and Mac, as well as PS5. It costs $10, though there’s a 10 percent discount on Steam until April 16. There’s a demo available on both platforms.
Advertisement
Upcoming
Here’s a deep dive into gameplay from Nightholme, a survival extraction game from Studio Ellipsis, which is led by Assassin’s Creed Revelations and Assassin’s Creed Unity creative director Alexandre Amancio. It’s coming to Steam and consoles, with a closed beta lined up for this summer.
Each match will have 12 monster hunters. You can run solo or group up with other players. At the start of each match, you load into a camp on the edge of a town full of horrors. Here, you’ll drink a potion that turns your character into a monster — three archetypes will be available at the outset.
There are a number of things you can opt to do in each match, from carrying out quests tied to factions, scavenging, defeating enemies and taking out other players to snag their loot. Each match also has a boss that’s protecting a high-value item.
The horror aspect makes me more interested in this than many other survival extraction games out there. I’m definitely looking forward to checking this one out.
Advertisement
We’ve seen a bunch of interesting climbing games over the last few years. You can add another one to the list. Ascenders: Beyond the Peak is a turn-based roguelite in which you’ll go exploring with a team of climbers. It seems that you’ll encounter Lovecraftian horrors on these mountain, along with dangers like avalanches, blizzards and rockfalls.
You’ll have nine character classes to choose from and you can level up your climbers and their gear and skills between runs. While the levels are short, you’ll need to be mindful as there’s a permadeath element to this game. You might even end up having to sacrifice a member of the party in order to save the rest. Brutal.
Ascenders: Beyond the Peak, from Ludogram Games and publisher Twin Sails Interactive, is coming to PC and consoles. It’ll debut in early access on Steam later this year for $20.
Puzzling Places has been a hit on PlayStation and Meta virtual reality platforms, as it has racked up 400,000 players. The 3D jigsaw game will soon be playable without a VR headset for the first time, as it’s going to hit Steam on April 9 — it will run on Steam Deck and SteamVR as well. A Steam demo is available now.
Advertisement
There are a wide range of puzzles for you to solve, ranging from 25-piece quick hits to gargantuan 1,000-piece endeavors. Each features animations, including of figures going about their lives. It seems very relaxing!
It’s only 86 seconds long, but I felt a lump in my throat as I watched this trailer for The Day I Became a Bird. The visuals, music and story beats got me caught up in my feelings. It’s a narrative adventure about a first love. You play as a young lad named Frank who tries to grab the attention of a classmate, bird-lover Sylvia. Designing and wearing a bird costume just might help him do that.
Developer Hyper Luminal Games is based in my hometown, which is yet another reason for me to get on board. I’m not familiar with the children’s book — by Ingrid Chabbert and illustrator Guridi — that the game is based on. I kind of want to buy it for my partner’s kid… and maybe myself.
The Day I Became a Bird is coming to Steam, PS5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16. The base game costs $20. On Steam and PS5, that version includes a short animated film from Passion Games, which found out about the book and teamed up with Hyper Luminal and publisher Numbskull to make the game. A $25 Feathered Adventurer edition includes the film, a digital artbook and the soundtrack.
Prime Video has steadily built a formidable roster of sci-fi TV shows. Considering the amount of time I’ve put into compiling similar science fiction guides for streamers like Netflix and Apple TV, I like to think I know what I’m talking about. Compared to the two heavy-hitters I just referenced, Prime Video holds its own in the genre space; these sci-fi TV shows hit different.
What do I mean by that? Comparing the three streamers, it’s clear that Prime Video’s genre offerings lean into an indie-film aesthetic. Many of the titles you’ll find below go against the grain. They feature offbeat, edgy narratives, making these shows impactful on many levels.
You want something bleak and dystopian? Prime Video has it. If you want something with lesser stakes and a lighter tone, you can find those types of shows here, too. Below are the best sci-fi shows on Prime Video right now. Please check back each month, as I’ll be updating this article regularly.
Darren Michaels/Sony/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Timeless, which ran for two seasons on NBC, follows an unlikely team of time-traveling experts who are enlisted to return to various points in time to stop a criminal organization from altering history. That may sound silly, and at points the show absolutely is, but that’s just a part of its charm. There’s a serial quality to the story, with major Doctor Who vibes throughout.
Advertisement
AMC Studios
Humans came out over a decade ago, yet the AI-themed subject matter still feels surprisingly relevant. The show, which aired on Channel 4 and AMC, explores an alternate reality where synthetic humans are the must-have in-home technology. Can humans and synths live in harmony? The three-season series dares to answer that question. And you can probably imagine, things get a bit bleak.
Advertisement
Syfy/NBC Universal
12 Monkeys is inspired by the Terry Gilliam classic, which posits the notion that a criminal from the future must travel back in time to stop a plague from destroying the human race. The series uses the same theme as a jumping-off point, but it expands the story universe and takes things in new and exciting directions. Its four-season run remains one of the best, underrated sci-fi shows of the past decade.
CBS
Advertisement
Person of Interest follows an ex-CIA agent and a billionaire shut-in who fight crime that hasn’t happened yet, thanks to an AI program that predicts the future. Sure, that sounds like Minority Report. I assure you, it’s not. Beneath the network procedural veneer lives a surprising amount of depth in this show. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering that it features J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk — yes, the same Bad Robot duo behind Lost — as executive producers.
Starz
Bryan Fuller’s American Gods feels like a dream in that it was here and then gone in a flash. Over its three seasons, the program delved into the ethereal universe created by Neil Gaiman in his iconic novel. The story follows an ex-convict named Shadow Moon who begins working with a man named Mr. Nobody, only to discover a world where the old gods (I’m talking characters like Odin, Anansi and Jesus) and new gods (Media, Technical Boy and Mr. World, among others) are on the brink of war. You can watch the entire first season on Prime Video.
Advertisement
Amazon MGM Studios
As powerful, violent and bewildering as its parent series The Boys, Gen V shines a light on the next generation of genetically altered superheroes. The usual social and political tropes are on display here. Additionally, Gen V digs into topics like the influence of social media, body image, classism and race in the realm of higher education.
Advertisement
JoJo Whilden/Prime Video
Fallout is a fun, kinetic, action-packed video game adaptation that upholds the vibe of Bethesda’s iconic franchise while also charting a new course, story-wise. You don’t need to be familiar with the games to enjoy this show. Sure, there are loads of cool Easter eggs for fans to appreciate. But Fallout was made with a broader audience in mind. And thanks to the killer performances by the cast — Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell are perfect — and the detailed world-building, you won’t want to miss taking this wild ride into the Wasteland.
Prime Video
Advertisement
The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
Advertisement
If you’re looking for a hospital drama with otherworldly flair, may I suggest giving The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy a spin? It’s like Grey’s Anatomy if every patient were from another planet — which, of course, means all sorts of odd conditions and neuroses to deal with. It’s funny, heartfelt and original, which ticks all the boxes for me.
Prime Video
Secret Level hails from the creators of the animated anthology hit Love, Death and Robots. Each episode is inspired by a different video game, expanding the story world to provide newbies and hardcore gamers with new adventures to revel in. Dungeons & Dragons, Pac-Man, Warhammer 40,000 and Mega Man are just a few of the games featured in the show.
Advertisement
Sophie Mutevelian/Prime Video
Cyberpunk icon William Gibson wrote the novel that inspired The Peripheral. Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy — the duo that brought Westworld and Fallout to the small screen — the series stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Flynne Fisher, a woman who becomes involved in a reality-bending virtual reality video game. A trip to future London and an unexpected mission to save the world flip her life, and this series, on its head.
Advertisement
Liane Hentscher/Prime Video
From The Office to Parks and Recreation and The Good Place, Greg Daniels has extensive experience bringing game-changing comedies to the small screen. In Upload, he brings his quirky sensibilities to the afterlife with a program that posits that, in the near future, tech companies will offer virtual resorts where the consciousnesses of the recently deceased can enjoy a heavenly forever vacation. That is, of course, if they can afford it.
Amazon Studios
Advertisement
The Expanse is The Little Engine That Could of science fiction TV shows. The series explores a future reality where humanity successfully colonized the solar system. It began as a scripted original series on SyFy but after three seasons, the network dropped the ax on the program. Thankfully, Amazon swooped in to save it from cancellation. Over its six-season run, the series found its legs and audience, blossoming into an intelligent, riveting sci-fi drama.
Amazon Studios
A few years after Garth Ennis’s Preacher achieved mild success on AMC, the writer’s famous superhero comic The Boys touched down on Prime Video and blew the doors off. In the series, a group of corrupt celebrity superheroes grapple for power and fame as a gang of outlaws (aka The Boys) hunts them down individually. It’s a violent spectacle that smacks the audience in the face with a heaping helping of social and political commentary. And it’s quite good, too.
Inspired by the narrative art book by Swedish retro-futuristic artist Simon Stålenhag, the series balances the sleek aesthetic of a tech-heavy future world with the quiet quaintness of rural America. Jonathan Pryce and Rebecca Hall deliver standout performances in this quirky, slow-burn sci-fi series.
Advertisement
Karen Kuehn/Amazon Studios
If Yellowstone and The X-Files had a baby, it’d probably be Outer Range. The sci-fi Western follows Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin), the patriarch and owner of the Abbott family ranch. His family lives in the wake of the unexplained disappearance of his daughter-in-law. When a stranger comes to stay with the family, Royal must reckon with his past, present and potential future. This would be it if you’re looking for a trippy series grounded in its writing and stellar performances.
What if America didn’t win World War II? That’s the central question The Man in the High Castle aims to answer. Based on Philip K. Dick’s novel of the same name, the series takes place in the 1960s and presents an alternate reality where Nazi Germany and Japan share control of the US. When newsreel footage from an alternate timeline where Germany and Japan lost the war surfaces, the seeds of rebellion are planted. Ridley Scott executive produced the poignant, thought-provoking series.
Advertisement
Elizabeth Sisson
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams
Advertisement
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) and Michael Dinner (Justified) came together to bring Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams to life. The futuristic anthology series explores how technology can impact humanity in various fantastic and horrific ways. Narrative similarities between Electric Dreams and Black Mirror most certainly abound. However, each episode of the Prime Video program takes inspiration from the work of the titular sci-fi author.
Chuck Hodes/Amazon Studios
Advertisement
Thematically, Night Sky feels reminiscent of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Cocoon. The slow-burn series, which lasted only one season, stars J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek as an aging married couple grappling with the trials and tribulations of their golden years. Also, a mysterious portal to a strange planet exists beneath their shed. This sentimental mystery box series explores aging and mortality in a surprisingly heartfelt way — thanks to the engaging performances of the two leads.
Inspired by Robert Kirkman’s comic series of the same name, Invincible follows Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), an ordinary high school kid who happens to be the son of Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) — the most powerful superhero on the planet. When Mark exhibits special abilities, he discovers the unfortunate truth about who his father is and the insidious things he’s done. This animated series is beautifully designed, well-written and wonderfully acted. It’s seen by many as the best superhero show on TV, and for good reason.
Advertisement
In The Power, Prime Video’s series based on Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel of the same name, teenage girls all over the globe suddenly develop the ability to shoot electricity from their hands. How exactly does this superpower change the female experience in America and beyond? Toni Collette and Jon Leguizamo star alongside a cast of talented young women in a series that aims to flip gender tropes and dynamics on their heads.
Advertisement
Prime Video/Amazon Studios
It’s easy to compare Paper Girls to Stranger Things. Parts of the story take place in the ’80s and follow a group of kids struggling to make sense of a supernatural event in town as they ride around on their bikes. The similarities end there, though. Based on the Brian K. Vaughn comic books of the same name, the one-season program kicks off when our 12-year-old paper delivery girls face their future selves and fight for survival amid a time travel war that unfolds around them.
Advertisement
Niko Tavernise/Prime Video
Prime Video took a big swing with Dead Ringers. This updated twist on David Cronenberg’s cult horror classic finds Rachel Weisz in the dual-starring role as doctors Elliott and Beverly Mantle. Their drive to push the health care envelope throws medical ethics to the wind. The result is a program that never shies away from exploring topics like big pharma’s control over women’s health, antiquated reproductive practices, body autonomy and so much more.
Amazon Studios
Advertisement
The rotoscoping animation used in Undone offers a dreamlike tapestry for the audience to take in. One could easily view the show as an ethereal work of art but there’s also deep substance here. The show follows Alma (Rosa Salazar), a troubled 20-something whose life is turned on its head after she suffers an accident. As her reality shatters itself into something else, she must fight to make sense of her trauma. Part mystery, part thriller and part family drama — it’s safe to say that Undone is unlike any TV show you’ve seen before.
Jessica Miglio/Amazon Studios
Not to be confused with the short-lived sitcom starring Patrick Warburton, this live-action take on the blue superhero with wiggly antennae is more extensive, more action-packed and takes the comic book genre it’s parodying a bit more seriously. Ben Edlund, the creator of the original comic and 2001 TV series, executive produced this iteration of the character, ensuring the program’s sense of humor and vibe stayed true to his original vision. Peter Serafinowicz and Griffin Newman have a wonderful chemistry together. Jackie Earle Haley’s villainous portrayal of The Terror is an absolute delight. It makes the three-season series a must-watch for any comic book fans.
Not only are the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 the best workout earbuds if you have an Apple Watch, but they are also the best workout earbuds, period. They even have a heart rate monitor that’s built off the one used in the Apple Watch. If you already own an Apple Watch, this feature is superfluous, as iOS will prioritize the Apple Watch’s more sophisticated readings over the earbuds. But if you run with third-party fitness apps like Nike Run Club or Peloton, you will find the extra data useful.
On top of that, the buds are crazy comfortable, sound great, have excellent noise canceling, and have most of the aforementioned Apple-exclusive features, like hands-free Siri (no Adaptive Audio, however, sad). The case also sports wireless charging and, unlike many of Apple’s other products, it comes in bright, fun colors. Our test unit is Electric Orange, but I find the Hyper Purple to be just as good. —Adrienne So
Shoppers have a lot of options when it comes to tech purchases in 2026, including mainstays like Best Buy, online giants like Amazon, and other retail giants like Walmart. Costco is often overlooked, at least by people who don’t actively shop there, despite being a legitimately good source for technology purchases. Costco sells TVs, smartphones, major appliances, computers, and all sorts of stuff. Every retailer has its own pros and cons, and that includes Costco, but Costco probably doesn’t get enough attention when it comes to buying electronics.
Costco is an experience unto itself. You’ve likely heard about the company’s famous loss leaders like the $5 rotisserie chicken that’s been around for decades and the $1.50 hot dog and 20-ounce soda. These loss leaders get people in the door to buy other things, and it’s a brilliant strategy, especially in the wake of swiftly rising gas prices. As it turns out, buying just about anything from Costco is a good idea, so it makes sense that a shopper may want to consider the retailer for their next big purchase.
Advertisement
Below is a list of reasons why you would want to consider Costco over Amazon for your next major tech purchase. It’s a tough call because Amazon’s convenience is excellent in its own right, but there are just some things Costco does better.
Advertisement
Costco has a superior return policy
Buying electronics is often a big deal. A TV is meant to be the centerpiece of a living room, and most TVs can last for many years, so you want to make sure you get the right one. If you don’t, and you have to return it, Costco is a much easier place to do so than Amazon. This is primarily for two reasons. The first is that Amazon’s return policy for most of its electronics is 30 days, while Costco will still take the TV back for up to 90 days. This gives you an extra two months to make sure you really don’t like that TV, and if you do return it, Costco finds a use for those returns.
The other reason is that Costco’s return policy verbiage is a little more liberal when it comes to the condition of the device when it’s returned, in that it doesn’t specify that an item has to be in new or unused condition when it’s returned. Amazon’s return policy does expressly state that the item has to be in “original or unused condition” in order to be eligible for a return.
That isn’t entirely unreasonable, as it keeps people from abusing the policy, and Amazon returns tend to be pretty easy anyway, but it is something to keep in mind. Costco’s return policy has made news headlines for how liberal it is, so it’s generally considered the better one.
Advertisement
Costco often has better deals on larger items
Costco’s deals are legendary, and even its permanent ones tend to be better than what Amazon offers day to day. A famous example of this is the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle, which retails for $499. It’s a reasonable deal for a game console and a bundled, popular Mario Kart game, and that’s the price you pay on Amazon when the bundle is in stock from Nintendo. Costco sells the same bundle for $499, but it includes a free 12-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online, valued at $50.
Business Insider compared hundreds of items from Costco their prices to that of Amazon’s. Costco came out on top roughly 80% of the time overall. This is across a range of categories, including baby and pet, household items, toiletries, and other items. It also applies to electronics, albeit not as obviously. Much like the Switch 2 example above, the benefits are often better from Costco, even when the prices are the same. For example, the LG C5 OLED TV is about $1,400 from both retailers. Costco’s includes a longer five-year warranty, and Executive members get 4% cashback, an increase from the 2% cashback that Executive members usually get.
Advertisement
If you’re shopping for an electronic, don’t just compare prices between the two retail giants. Check the other perks as well. Costco often comes out on top.
Advertisement
Costco memberships pay for themselves
It’s pretty common knowledge that you need a membership to shop at Costco unless you order from Instacart or have a gift card. These memberships are pricy on the surface, costing $65 for a regular Gold Star Membership and $130 for an Executive Membership. The Executive members get expanded shopping hours, 2% annual cashback (after $1,250 spent), and other stuff. The thing is that these memberships ultimately pay for themselves over the course of the year through the various benefits that you get from the store.
As a personal example, the first time my wife and I got a Costco membership, we bought a couple of external SSDs on sale for 50% off, a deal Amazon did not have at the time. We bought a Gold Star Membership and walked out with two hard drives, the savings from which paid for the membership in full, giving us 364 more days of Costco access. In addition, the 2% cashback rewards on the Executive membership will eventually pay for the membership if the shopper spends enough money throughout the year.
Amazon has its Prime membership, which includes a host of various features, and grants access to member-only deals during Amazon Prime shopping events. However, there’s no cashback reward, and many products are still on sale for non-members as well. Prime offers more features overall, but Costco’s membership benefits continually roll in on themselves, making the price a non-issue for many members.
Advertisement
Costco gives away free extended warranties
One of the benefits of buying something new is that if it messes up, you can get it fixed or replaced under warranty. Most warranties are only about a year or two, which is long enough to catch immediate issues, but doesn’t protect you at all after that. Costco helps by adding an extra two years of warranty on top of whatever warranty the device comes with. This isn’t for every electronic, but does apply to televisions, projectors, computers, and major appliances. There are some limitations, for example, like touchscreen tablets and small appliances like mini refrigerators.
This can be a huge boon for shoppers looking to maximize their protection without spending additional money. In some cases, Costco occasionally tosses in free additional coverage from Allstate. An example of this is the LG C5 OLED TV we mentioned earlier. LG usually only grants a 1-year warranty for C-series TVs, but Costco gives you five total years. That’s one year manufacturer warranty, an extra year via Costco directly, and then three years via Allstate.
Advertisement
Amazon doesn’t include an additional warranty with its products by default but may occasionally as part of a promotion. Amazon offers extended warranties that you can purchase with many electronics across the website, but that’s all you’ll be able to get. Costco definitely wins here, and often by more than a year or two. Don’t forget to check out the free tech support if you do buy electronics from Costco.
Advertisement
The convenience of brick and mortar stores
There are some intrinsic advantages to having brick-and-mortar stores in a variety of locations. The ability to walk into a building, make a purchase, and walk out with the product immediately is one of the most obvious. Electronics usually fare okay when being shipped, especially if they’re smaller items like smartphones, earbuds, and DIY PC components. However, electronics are still high up on the list of items that break most frequently during shipment, and larger items like TVs can be very difficult to ship effectively. Thus, being able to retrieve your item from a physical store and take it home is a boon, especially if the product is broken and you have to return it. It’s much easier to return a TV to a physical store than it is to ship it back to Amazon.
There are other, albeit smaller, benefits to shopping in a physical store. You can inspect packaging for damage before purchasing, look around for items you may not have seen while browsing online, and you may find in-store promotions that aren’t available online. These are all benefits you don’t get from shopping at online-only retailers like Amazon. Plus, many Costco stores have smartphone kiosks where you can hold the device before buying it, which is a powerful tool for customers, offering a “try it before you buy it” experience.
An AI company that was accused of enabling sexualized chats with underage chatbot characters and undressing real people has sued Apple for wrongfully removing its apps from the App Store.
Ex-Human has sued Apple over AI app removals. Image source: Ex-Human
Apple is in charge of keeping the App Store safe and clear of apps that openly violate its guidelines. This practice isn’t always cut and dry, but a new lawsuit may be barking up the wrong tree. According to a report in the San Francisco Business Times, Apple has been sued by Ex-Human for removing its apps from the App Store and allegedly withholding $500,000 in revenue. The company owns the apps Botify AI and Photify AI, both of which are still on the Google Play Store. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Jason Blundell, a former creative lead on Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty: Black Ops series, has announced that he’s formed a new development studio called Magic Fractal Studios. Blundell announced the studio on a livestream with former Dark Outlaw Games coworker JC Farmer, a little over a week after the previous studio was closed by Sony.
Little is known about Magic Fractal beyond its logo and social media accounts. Dark Outlaw Games was similarly mysterious, and closed before it could even announce its first project. All that’s known is what Blundell has shared after the studio was shut down: Dark Outlaw wasn’t working on a live-service game. The distinction is notable, if only because live-service games have been connected to at least two notable studio closures in the past. Sony shut down Firewalk Studios in October 2024, not long after its live-service shooter Concord was released, and in February 2026, closed Bluepoint Games after its live-service game based on the God of War series was reportedly cancelled.
Magic Fractal is Blundell’s third studio after leaving Activision Blizzard in 2020. He formed Dark Outlaw Games with Sony’s backing in March 2025. Before that, he led Deviation Games, which was closed in 2024 and was reportedly also working on a game for PlayStation.
Earlier last month, I noticed my son’s baby monitor, the Nanit Pro, started showing a sleep score every morning. This number tells you how well your child slept the night before on a scale from zero to 100. Sleep scores track how long it takes to fall asleep, sleep cycles, heart rate throughout the night and any disruptions that may have happened. This is also one of our expert-recommended baby monitors, so it seemed appropriate that it would provide this information. As many parents know, infant and toddler sleep habits can be unpredictable.
I previously tested the Oura Ring, one of CNET’s favorite smart rings, which tracks your health and sleep data. It also provides a sleep score based on data collected by its sensors on your finger (movement, temperature, heart rate and more). I started using the Oura Ring to hold myself more accountable for going to sleep on time.
Seeing that my son has his own sleep score made me think, “I bet he has a better sleep score than I do.” I decided to conduct an experiment to see if I could prove my point by comparing our sleep scores.
Advertisement
To preface this, my 2.5-year-old has been going through a rough patch of sleep, which I’m blaming on a sleep regression (a temporary phase when babies and toddlers struggle with sleeping). Despite the disrupted sleep, he still seems better rested than I am on most days.
I started consistently wearing my Oura Ring to put my theory to the test. For the sake of this experiment, I tracked our data over a couple of weeks to prove (or disprove) my point.
How the Nanit baby monitor tracks sleep
As previously mentioned, I use the Nanit Pro Baby Monitor to keep an eye on my son while he sleeps. According to Nanit, it first introduced the sleep score in December 2025, and this is the first AI-driven, science-backed sleep score designed to grow with your child and automatically adjust as they age. Nanit collects the sleep score using the same advanced computer vision technology sensors it has used for years to analyze sleep.
To come up with a sleep score, Nanit looks at four aspects of sleep: sleep duration (how long your child slept), sleep timing (your child’s bedtime and wake-up time), sleep continuity (how smoothly your child sleeps) and parent visits (how often a guardian tends to the child).
Advertisement
How our sleep scores compared
After a week of reviewing his data, my son’s sleep scores were higher than mine overall, as I predicted. He was hitting scores over 80, with the lowest being a 74. His highest was a 95, which I vividly remember was one of the times he slept through the night without getting up once. I also slept peacefully because I wasn’t being awoken by cries at 3 a.m.
For context, below is the week’s worth of data I collected from the Nanit Pro and the Oura Ring.
Friday, Feb. 20
The first day shows that my son had a better sleep score than me.
Advertisement
CNET/Giselle Castro-Sloboda
Our sleep scores were close, but I didn’t feel well-rested, even though Oura said I got a good amount of sleep. It’s not common for my son to sleep under 10 hours, so that’s how you know he didn’t have the most restful night. Plus, he woke up before 6 a.m. on this day.
Saturday, Feb. 21
Somehow, I scored a higher sleep score than my toddler on this day, but by a small margin.
CNET/Giselle Castro-Sloboda
I found it ironic that I scored slightly higher than my son, even though he slept longer than I did and we both had a poor night’s sleep. He also got up earlier than normal. A normal wake time for him is between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Advertisement
Sunday, Feb. 22
My son had a higher sleep score, and mine was efficient on this day.
CNET/ Giselle Castro-Sloboda
As you can see, he had a higher sleep score than I did and slept over 11 hours. He also woke up at 7 a.m., which I consider sleeping in for both of us. My sleep score was considered efficient, even though I remember feeling tired this day.
Monday, Feb. 23
Advertisement
My son had a higher sleep score than me on this day and even slept about 10 hours.
CNET/Giselle Castro-Sloboda
Monday night was another night when my son had a higher sleep score than me. He slept about 10 hours, but this was one of those days when he woke up slightly earlier than his usual wake time.
Tuesday, Feb. 24
This was one of my worst sleep scores during the experiment. However, my son fared pretty well.
Advertisement
CNET/Giselle Castro-Sloboda
It’s evident I had a terrible night of sleep on Tuesday. My son had a significantly higher sleep score than me, which doesn’t surprise me. I slept in his bed and couldn’t get comfortable, which affected my ability to get quality sleep.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
This was one of the couple of nights where we both had a restful night of sleep.
CNET/Giselle Castro-Sloboda
This was the one day out of the week when we both slept well, and I felt the most refreshed. You can see by our sleep scores that his is nearly perfect and still higher than mine. I could tell by his mood that day that he was well rested, and he had fewer tantrums.
Advertisement
Thursday, Feb. 26
The Nanit didn’t collect a sleep score for my son this night. I only have the Oura sleep score, which showed I had an OK night of sleep.
CNET/Giselle Castro-Sloboda
I’m not sure why the Nanit didn’t collect enough data for a sleep score this night. I’m assuming it must’ve disconnected from the Wi-Fi at some point. This was one of my issues with the monitor when I first reviewed it. Since it only functions on Wi-Fi, the monitor can’t be used without it.
The Oura Ring noticed I had another so-so night of sleep and pointed out how sleep trends can fluctuate. I’ve included one extra day to this experiment to even things out.
Advertisement
Friday, Feb. 27
My son had a decent night of sleep, but Oura pointed out that I’ve been having a bad period of sleep.
CNET/ Giselle Castro-Sloboda
My son had better sleep than I did again on Friday, sleeping for about 10 hours. He slept well overall through the night, except for a couple of visits, but you can tell it affected my sleep. Even Oura notes that my sleep hasn’t been the best and says that this can happen some weeks.
Saturday, Feb. 28
Advertisement
This day had my worst sleep score during the experiment, and I felt it.
CNET/Giselle Castro-Sloboda
I clearly was depleted on Saturday morning. This was my lowest sleep score yet. My son had a really bad night of sleep, continuously getting up because of nightmares. Coincidentally, this was the night before I signed up for a bootcamp class in the morning. It’s a miracle I made it to the class, let alone completed it.
Sunday, March 1
My sleep wasn’t the worst this night because my son had a more restful slumber.
Advertisement
CNET/Giselle Castro-Sloboda
This night wasn’t so bad for either of us, but my son’s sleep score was still higher than mine. He slept the majority of the night, and I think that can be attributed to getting energy out by running around with other kids during a family party the evening prior.
Monday, March 2
This was a better day of sleep for me, but not as good for my son.
Giselle Castro-Sloboda
Sunday was a successful night, and I even got an extra hour of sleep. My rating was higher than my son’s, surprisingly, and I did feel more rested.
Advertisement
Toddler sleep explained
Brittany Sheehan, a certified pediatric sleep therapist, tells CNET that sleep needs for toddlers vary by age. “Total sleep needs do diverge as kids get older, but for a 2-year-old, for example, we ideally want at least 11 hours overnight in bed, if not 12, along with a nap that is at least two hours, up to three hours,” said Sheehan. If it’s a true sleep regression, Sheehan notes that it can last anywhere from a day or two to up to six weeks in the most extreme cases.
Under normal circumstances, my son is a good sleeper (with the occasional wake-up), so when he started having frequent night wakings, I suspected it was a sleep regression. Dr. Alisa Niksch, senior director of medical affairs at Owlet, a baby monitor company, points out that disordered sleep during early childhood doesn’t occur for the same developmental reasons as those earlier in infancy.
“What parents are usually seeing is a disruption that stems from developmental and environmental factors,” Niksch said. She elaborates that for toddlers, the most common driver is developmental, driven by a growing imagination and increased cognitive function.
“Night wakings where a child cries but resettles quickly is a sign of this growth, as the developing brain is actively processing new experiences and emotions during sleep, which can surface as nightmares,” she said. Nightmares are common during this age, and although they’re normal, they also shouldn’t be ignored.
Advertisement
Natalie Barnett, who holds a doctoral degree and is vice president of clinical research at Nanit, said, “If [nightmares are] occurring once in a while and your child is calmed by a quick hug and then [goes] back to sleep, you probably don’t need to do anything about it necessarily.” However, if the nightmares are occurring repeatedly or are interfering with daytime function, she recommends speaking with your child’s pediatrician.
How to improve your toddler’s sleep
Sleep is important for toddlers and can affect everything from their mood to eating behaviors. Niksch points out that overtired toddlers often become hyperactive and emotionally dysregulated. Additionally, poor sleep affects their immune function, growth hormone release and early memory and learning. This also applies to naps, which they outgrow over time but shouldn’t be eliminated right away.
Generally, children under three should still be napping, but as they reach ages three to four, total sleep needs decrease slightly to 10 to 13 hours, and naps become shorter and less frequent before disappearing altogether. If you’re at this stage, Barnett recommends cutting the nap back first before removing it altogether.
“If your toddler is resisting bedtime, it’s often a sign that they’re not tired enough, so you may want to think about cutting back or cutting out the nap,” Barnett said. “In those first couple of weeks after dropping a nap, it can be hard for your toddler to stay awake in the late afternoon.” She advises against placing them in the stroller or car, where they’re more likely to fall asleep, in the late afternoon, since even a short nap can mess with bedtime.
Advertisement
Sheehan says that parents often drop a toddler’s nap too early in an attempt to fix sleep problems, but this can have a negative, compounding effect. “Often nap struggles are behavioral, regression-related or simply the timing is off,” she said.
Another mistake Sheehan sees parents make with 2-to-3-year-olds is putting their child down for a nap too early. This impacts their sleep because they don’t have enough sleep pressure built up to take a good nap. If you’re seeing constant bedtime and nap-time resistance or early-morning wake-ups, this could mean your toddler’s sleep timing needs adjustment.
Even with sleep disruptions, you want to make sure that their bedroom is set up for sleep success. “To support better sleep, the fundamentals remain the same: a consistent sleep and wake schedule, a predictable bedtime routine and a dark and quiet sleep environment,” Niksch said.
What parents can do to feel less sleep-deprived
Parents often take the brunt of these sleep disruptions and also struggle to function at full capacity daily. Sheehan advises that parents figure out a process or arrangement with another caregiver that allows them to rest during these phases. “If you can’t make these changes, give yourself some grace and realize it’s OK to choose a nap over a run, or to tag team with a partner who is on duty for night wake-ups,” Sheehan said.
Advertisement
Niksch agrees and recommends that parents apply the same sleep principles for their toddlers to themselves: “Consistency matters most, whether that is committing to a regular sleep and wake schedule or building a simple bedtime routine that signals to the body that rest is coming.” She points out that some parents try to sleep when their toddler does, but for some, it can be challenging if they’re not tired enough.
“If sleep doesn’t come within 15 minutes of lying down, it’s better to get up and do something that calms the mind, like reading, until tiredness sets back in,” Niksch advised.
What I took away from this experiment
Eventually, I’m sure my son’s and my sleep scores will even out again, but for now, it’s important to support him as he transitions to the next stages of toddlerhood. The sleep scores feature of the Nanit baby monitor is helpful for better understanding my son’s sleep habits and is something I wish I had when he was an infant. It also gives me some insight into his mood on some days compared to others, since sleep affects so many aspects of a child’s life.
Even restarting my tracking helped — my sleep score showed me my blind spots, ways to improve my sleep and when to take it easy. As someone who likes staying busy, it’s easy for me to have a hard time resting. The Oura Ring tracking my sleep and stress levels reminds me to take a beat.
Advertisement
While I’ve only been a parent for two years, I’ve learned that children go through many phases. This sleep experiment was a necessary reminder that you can’t bypass the tough times; you just have to get through them as best as you can.
It’s always nice to simulate a project before soldering a board together. Tools like QUCS run locally and work quite well for analog circuits, but can fall short with programmable logic. Tools like Wokwi handle the programmable side quite well but may have license issues or require the cloud. The Velxio project by [David Montero Crespo] is quite an excellent example of an (online) circuit simulator with programmable logic and local execution!
It’s built largely around Wowki’s AVR8JS library for Arduino simulation. All CPU simulation occurs on the local computer, while sketch compilation happens on the backend using official Arduino tools. But this was certainly not the most impressive aspect of the project. Likewise, Velxio features RP2040 execution using the rp2040js library. It also features the execution of some ESP32 derivative boards built around the RISC-V architecture using the RiscVCore.ts library.
For more complex CPU architectures like the vanilla ESP32, Velexio implements a QEMU simulation on the backend. This methodology even enables the execution of Raspberry Pi Python code. Multiple boards can also be used in the same simulation, allowing one to test interactions between Raspberry Pis and other boards! It can also expand to handle multi-file code executions and it keeps everything in a backend database. Of course, everything is wrapped together in a neat modern UI, with a circuit diagram, parts selector, and full-blown IDE. You can try it at velxio.dev. Or, you could execute it on your home lab; it’s just one docker compose away!
NHS workers boycott Palantir software, saying it links them to endorsing the company
Government reportedly considered a break clause amid the backlash
However, UK’s FCA just awarded Palantir a trial contract
A growing number of NHS staff in the UK are reportedly refusing to use Palantir’s Federated Data Platform (FDP), according to claims from Financial Times, which reports informal boycotts from both clinical and non-clinical staff.
The biggest pushbacks come from ethical concerns over Palantir’s ties to US defense and intelligence agencies, as well as immigration enforcement and other controversial geopolitical activity.
There are also ongoing concerns over privacy and data governance when it comes to sensitive NHS patient data.
Article continues below
Advertisement
Palantir’s position in the NHS criticized from within
As well as the above, there’s also an ongoing push across Europe and the UK to reduce reliance on US tech firms – the US-headquartered company is clearly an indirect target in this geopolitically-influenced trend.
The report notes groups like the British Medical Association (BMA) are encouraging resistance to Palantir’s software, with campaigners arguing that using the platform essentially endorses the company.
Advertisement
Politicians have already responded to the backlash, agreeing in part with what campaigners stand for.
MPs say the criticism is about value, transparency and trust – not necessarily ideology – and as such, the UK government could be considering a break clause in the contract amid the backlash.
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Together, the NHS and Palantir’s FDP claim to have opened up tens of thousands of new operations, reduced wait times and improved scheduling, by combining multiple data sources into one central database.
Advertisement
However, while politicians seem to be reacting to NHS workers’ arguments, Palantir’s footprint is far from disappearing in the UK, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) awarding the US tech firm a three-month contract ahead of what could potentially be a much bigger contract.
Years of steady usage and exposure to the elements have taken a toll on Japanese railway stations, making replacement a headache. Finding competent contractors is difficult, and construction wages are high. Serendix collaborated with ABB to help JR West restore a historic wooden shelter from 1948 at a station in Wakayama Prefecture. This site, a true relic, was only frequented by around 270 visitors every day in a tiny coastal village near Arida that few people had ever heard of.
The factory handled the heavy lifting, and the ABB IRB 6700 robot arm stole the show. It was producing concrete components out of mortar and did an excellent job. Their Vertico nozzle proved to be a game changer, since it is four times more accurate than any other nozzle they’ve used, and they were able to reduce mortar waste by half, which had to be a positive thing. They also increased the arm’s range of motion to seven axes, which is rather astounding. It can also handle building fairly complicated surfaces.
High-Speed Precision: Experience unparalleled speed and precision with the Bambu Lab A1 3D Printer. With an impressive acceleration of 10,000 mm/s…
Multi-Color Printing with AMS lite: Unlock your creativity with vibrant and multi-colored 3D prints. The Bambu Lab A1 3D printers make multi-color…
Full-Auto Calibration: Say goodbye to manual calibration hassles. The A1 3D printer takes care of all the calibration processes automatically…
It took approximately a week to complete the printing process, but the important news is that all of the major components were completed and brought to the site, ready to be assembled. The designers chose an arched ceiling and even incorporated a few flourishes, and all of this was completed between the last train and the first the next morning. The crew then used the robotic equipment to assemble the pieces and create a completely new station in about six hours.
What truly sticks out is how much time and money they saved, and by saved, I mean that this printing method cut both time and cost in half. Furthermore, they used far less material. JR West stated that if this had been done the traditional way, the facility would have had to be shut down for months and would have cost double what they did, with the added benefit of reducing concrete and steel waste.
JR West executives stated that they had to complete this portion on the factory floor or the entire rail network would have come to a halt, and the Serendix employee was overjoyed with how the ABB arm performed, since his employer believes they can automate more of the procedure for the next job.
Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar): This system, also used by self-driving cars, fires out rapid laser pulses to map the terrain in 3D. It enables mowers to cut grass under thick tree canopies or near tall buildings where GPS signals usually fail.
AI Vision: Some mowers now employ cameras to recognize lawn areas, borders, and obstacles. Robot mowers with AI vision can potentially avoid stray footballs, cats, other critters, and maybe even pet mess. But they can also be too sensitive, stopping for fallen branches, leaves, or overhanging plants.
Some of the top mowers, like the Mammotion I’m currently testing, employ a combination of the last three technologies to map and cut areas accurately, navigate reliably to and from the charging base, and avoid unexpected obstacles. None of them is foolproof. My top pick chewed up a deflated paddling pool, but if you set the sensitivity too high, they leave areas uncut.
In addition to finding their way, many of the latest robot mowers are built to handle rough terrain. Not too rough, but fine for a bumpy garden or a yard with steep inclines. Some models even come with interchangeable tires, so you can throw on grippier wheels when you need them. But it’s important to check what terrain and inclines your mower can handle upfront. Four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive mowers are best at handling steep or uneven ground.
Advertisement
The Cutting Edge
Traditionally, robot mowers have been terrible at cutting all the way to the edge of your lawn. Most of the early robot mowers I tested left a thick border of uncut grass, up to 1-foot wide. I don’t think this issue is entirely solved, but some newer models have offset blades that sit closer to the edge of the machine, or they have an overhanging section that extends past the wheels, so it can cut right to the edge when the robot mower turns. There are even robot mowers with built-in trimmers and other garden tools, though I’ve yet to test one.
While edge cutting is getting better, I still find that most robot mowers need some adjustment to reliably cut the entire lawn. I often have to edit the map or tweak sensitivity to ensure they cut all the way to the edge, yet there are still areas that they seem to miss. Plants, shrubs, and trees that overhang the lawn cause issues, as robot mowers, understandably, err on the cautious side when it comes to potential obstacles. There’s still room for improvement here.
Smart Finish
Husqvarna app via Simon Hill
While the first robot mower I tested churned my lawn into a muddy mess, most robot mowers now have some form of rain detection, so you can set them not to cut if the grass is wet. The latest models are also far better at handling wet grass and turning without skidding or churning up a big chunk of your lawn.
Some robot mowers offer customization in terms of the lawn finish you want. You may find an option in the app for Wimbledon Stripes (dark and light stripes), achieved by mowing rows in opposite directions. Some mowers can even do spirals, checkerboards, and other patterns.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login