The IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award is a coveted award that has become known not only within the car industry but also among car shoppers. The award means that a vehicle is more likely to survive a serious accident in the real world, reassuring buyers that they’re purchasing a car that will protect them. The midsize Honda sedan that has received the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award is the 2025-2026 Honda Accord, part of the Accord’s highly-regarded 11th generation.
The IIHS’ evaluation puts a vehicle through three tests covering different impact types, evaluates how well it can avoid a frontal crash, and tests its headlights. Thus, it covers not just how well a vehicle can hit something and survive, but also how good its safety systems are at avoiding crashes and how good its headlights are at illuminating the road ahead. The Top Safety Pick+ award was started in 2013, while the slightly less stringent Top Safety Pick (without the plus) award has been in effect since 2006.
Honda’s Accord is one of four midsize sedans to receive the award in 2025. The others are the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, the 2025-26 Hyundai Sonata, and the 2025-26 Toyota Camry.
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How did the Honda Accord perform?
The IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award requires that the vehicle receive a “Good” rating in the IIHS’ three crash tests. One is the small overlap front crash test, where the Accord did well on overall driver-side evaluation, structure and safety cage, and driver injury measures, with an Acceptable score for driver restraints and dummy kinematics. After that comes the updated moderate overlap front crash test, where the Accord once again received a Good in all of the above categories, with the exception of an Acceptable rating for driver leg and foot injury protection. Finally, there is the updated side crash test, for which the Accord received Good ratings across the board. There was another exception again, with the pelvis injury protection rating dropping to Acceptable.
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Beyond the occupant protection tests, the vehicle must achieve either an Acceptable or a Good rating for the pedestrian front crash prevention test — the Accord received the former here. It must also get an Acceptable or Good rating on the headlight standard test, and the IIHS gave the Accord a Good rating for this test. Thus, the Honda Accord earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. Other Hondas that have won this award include the 2025-26 Honda Passport in the midsize SUV category and the 2025-26 Honda HR-V in the Small SUV category.
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All about the Honda Accord
The Honda Accord comes in six trim levels and two powertrains. One, found on the entry-level trims, is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 192 hp and mated to a CVT automatic. Upgrading gets you the hybrid drivetrain, consisting of a 2.0-liter inline-4 combined with two electric motors channelled through a direct-drive transmission. Performance testing by Car and Driver revealed that the base turbo engine can do 0-60 mph in 7.3 seconds, while the 204-hp hybrid manages it in 6.7 seconds. The hybrid also reached the quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds at 90 mph.
Pricing for the 2026 Honda Accord starts at $28,395 for the LX trim, plus $1,195 destination and handling fees for a total of $29,590. This gets you the base turbo engine plus features like 17-inch alloy wheels, a self-opening trunk, cloth seats, automatic climate control, wireless phone charging, remote starting, and a four-speaker audio system.
At the top end of the Accord range, you can opt for the 2026 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid Sedan. It stickers at $39,495 MSRP plus destination, coming out to $40,690. For that extra $11,000, you get niceties such as a Bose sound system, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated leather front seats, a power moonroof, a head-up display, and 19-inch alloy wheels.
Amazon’s latest Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, priced at $29.99 (was $49.99), is tiny, smaller than a pack of gum, but it packs a powerful punch, allowing you to stream 4K movies in super-sharp clarity and play console-quality games without the need for a large box under your TV. The new edition is the result of years of fine-tuning to provide you with a simple method to view your favorite shows or play games on virtually any screen with an HDMI connector.
You can have this device up and running in minutes by simply hooking it into your TV’s HDMI input, connecting the provided power adapter, and pairing the Alexa voice remote. Once you’ve set it up, the UI displays rows of apps and helpful recommendations based on over 1.8 million movies and TV episodes accessible on services like as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and, if you enjoy free things, Tubi and Pluto TV. Wi-Fi 6 ensures a rock-solid connection even when your home is jam-packed with gadgets. This means you won’t experience any lag when watching or downloading.
Advanced 4K streaming – Elevate your entertainment with the next generation of our best-selling 4K stick, with improved streaming performance…
Play Xbox games, no console required – Stream Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Outer Worlds 2, Ninja Gaiden 4, and hundreds of games on…
Smarter searching starts here with Alexa – Find movies by actor, plot, and even iconic quotes. Try saying, “Alexa show me action movies with car…
The Fire TV Stick 4K Plus features a quad-core 1.7 GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. This means that apps open quickly, and menus scroll smoothly. With 8GB of storage, you may save downloaded information and keep your most frequently used items cached for easy access. All of this creates a seamless and hassle-free viewing experience.
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Audio is transmitted over the TV in Dolby Atmos format, which is ideal for immersive sound if you have a soundbar or receiver that supports it. If you find yourself in a tight space behind the TV, don’t panic; an HDMI extender cable is provided in the package. Most brands’ remotes even include dedicated power and volume buttons, saving you from having to juggle multiple remotes.
Gaming is a whole new ballgame, and it’s all done via the cloud rather than local hardware. If you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, you can just launch the Xbox app on your TV and stream a variety of games, including recent releases such as Call of Duty, Hogwarts Legacy, and the iconic Halo and Fallout series. Amazon Luna is another choice, and Prime members receive access to a rotating selection of games for free, as long as they have a Prime subscription. Both services require a good internet connection, ideally cable or strong Wi-Fi, but if you have one, they should perform well at up to 1080p resolution.
Pairing a controller is simple; simply Bluetooth-connect an Xbox Wireless Controller and you’re ready to go, as it will function across a wide range of supported games in the Xbox app or Luna. Other Bluetooth choices, such as PlayStation controllers, appear to work in most cases. Input lag is kept to a minimum, especially if you have Wi-Fi 6 and Auto Low Latency Mode enabled, which simply adjusts the signal to your TV to ensure a speedy response time when gaming.
If you want to play with the coolest kids on the block when it comes to photography, you have to shoot film. Or so say the people who shoot film, anyway. It is very true though that the chemical medium has its own quirks and needs a bit of effort in a way digital cameras don’t, so it can be a lot of fun to play with.
It’s expensive though — film ain’t cheap, and if you don’t develop yourself there’s an extra load of cash. What if you could get more photos on a roll? It’s something [Japhy Riddle] took to extremes, creating a fifth-frame 35mm camera in which each shot is a fifth the size of the full frame.
We’re slightly worried about that much sticky tape next to the shutter, but hey.
Standard 35mm still film has a 24x36mm frame, in modern terms not far off the size of a full-size SD card. A standard roll of film gives you 36 exposures. There are half-frame cameras that split that frame vertically to give 72 exposures, but what he’s done is make a quarter-frame camera.
It’s a simple enough hack, electrical tape masking the frame except for a vertical strip in the middle, but perhaps the most interesting part is how he winds the film along by a quarter frame. 35mm cameras have a take-up reel, you wind the film out of the cartridge bit by bit into it with each shot, and then rewind the whole lot back into the cartridge at the end. He’s wound the film into the take-up reel and it winding it back a quarter frame at a time using the rewind handle, for which we are guessing he also needs a means to cock the shutter that doesn’t involve the frame advance lever.
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We like the hack, though we would be worried about adhesive tape anywhere near the shutter blind on an SLR camera. It delivers glorious widescreen at the cost of a bit of resolution, but as an experimental camera it’s in the best tradition. This is one to hack into an unloved 1970s snapshot camera for the Shitty Camera Challenge!
An artist’s conception shows Starfish Space’s Otter spacecraft in geosynchronous Earth orbit. (Starfish Space Illustration)
Tukwila, Wash.-based Starfish Space has been awarded a $54.5 million contract to produce another Otter satellite servicing spacecraft for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command.
The deal, announced this week, builds on a $37.5 million Space Systems Command contract that was awarded in 2024 through the Department of the Air Force’s Strategic Funding Increase program, or STRATFI. This new contract is funded through a Pentagon program called Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies, or APFIT.
Starfish noted that the award is the only APFIT contract issued to a space company in the current cycle and ranks among the largest in the program’s history.
Austin Link, co-founder of Starfish Space, said his company was “proud to grow our partnership with the Space Force under the APFIT program.”
“APFIT is a key program in transitioning platforms like Otter from development to deployed capability,” Link said today in a news release. “Through dynamic space operations and autonomous augmented maneuver, we enable the Space Force to sustain critical space assets, increase resilience and maintain operational flexibility across evolving mission demands.”
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Like the earlier contract, the new one calls on Starfish to provide an Otter spacecraft for dynamic space operations in geosynchronous Earth orbit. Delivery is scheduled for 2028, with an option for two years of operational support.
Designed for autonomous inspection and docking, the Otter will be capable of servicing satellites even if they weren’t originally built for on-orbit adjustments. Otter would be able to move satellites into higher orbits to extend their lives, or nudge them into lower orbits for safe disposal. Just last month, Starfish secured a separate $52.5 million contract from the Space Force’s Space Development Agency for military satellite disposal.
A prototype called Otter Pup 2 was launched last year and has been undergoing orbital tests. Three full-scale Otters are currently being readied for launch — one for the Space Systems Command, one for a satellite maneuvering demonstration funded by the SES satellite company, and one for a NASA-funded satellite inspection mission.
Starfish Space was founded in 2019 by Link and Trevor Bennett, both former engineers at Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture. In 2024, Starfish reported raising $29 million in an investment round that enabled the company to complete the development of the first three Otters. At the time, Starfish said its total cumulative funding amounted to about $50 million.
Oura has filed a patent suggesting it is exploring smart AR glasses controlled by its well‑known smart ring, potentially allowing biometric data like heart rate to be displayed directly in front of the wearer’s eyes.
The Finnish company, best known for its health‑tracking smart rings, has been linked to a new wearable concept thanks to a recently published patent application numbered 20260023426.
The filing, dated July 2025 and published in January 2026, outlines how a smart ring could work in tandem with augmented reality glasses to display health metrics in real time.
The idea is straightforward: instead of pulling out a smartphone or checking a wristwatch, users could see their heart rate or other biometric data projected directly into their field of view. The smart ring would not only collect the data but also act as a controller, enabling gesture‑based interactions with the glasses.
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The patent describes scenarios where such a system could be useful, particularly during workouts. For example, a runner could glance at their heart rate without breaking stride, adjusting intensity on the fly. Gesture controls via the ring could allow users to switch between metrics or dismiss overlays without touching the glasses themselves.
While this is not a groundbreaking leap in technology (similar concepts have been explored by companies such as Samsung and Even Realities), it does highlight Oura’s ambition to expand beyond rings into a broader wearable ecosystem.
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Interestingly, the filing also mentions XR applications, covering augmented, mixed, and virtual reality. In practice, this could mean anything from simple overlays like heart rate data to more complex visual augmentations such as contextual translations or workout guidance.
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However, the language in the patent is broad, and it is not clear whether Oura intends to pursue advanced AR features or stick to health‑centric displays. The distinction matters, as showing biometric data is technically an extension of reality but not the same as overlaying digital objects onto the physical world.
For now, this remains speculative. Patents often serve as exploratory markers rather than definitive product roadmaps. Oura has not announced any commercial plans for AR glasses, and the company continues to focus on its smart ring line, which has carved out a niche in sleep and fitness tracking.
Nevertheless, the timing of the patent suggests Oura was actively investigating this technology through mid‑2025, leaving open the possibility of future development.
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If Oura does pursue this path, it would join a growing trend of wearable makers experimenting with ring‑controlled smart glasses.
Samsung’s Galaxy Ring has already been linked to its XR headset, while startups like Inmo and Even Realities have showcased similar integrations.
The appeal lies in discreet, hands‑free control and seamless health tracking, areas where Oura already has strong credibility. Until then, the patent remains an intriguing glimpse into what could be the next frontier for the brand.
The iPhone 18 Pro’s camera system will be more flexible for photographers, with claims of a variable aperture main camera and a larger-aperture telephoto camera undergoing testing and expected to arrive later in 2026.
iPhone 17 Pro has a new wider camera plateau, which could feasibly contain a variable aperture mechanism.
The camera is one of the key marketable elements of the iPhone, and the rumor mill frequently tries to guess about the next changes to arrive. If current rumors are to be believed, that should include variable apertures. According to Weibo leaker “Digital Chat Station,” Apple is currently testing a version of the iPhone with a variable aperture fitted. This is a feature that could be introduced as part of the iPhone 18 Pro range in September. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a real challenge. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Stop that!
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Green group hint: Ho-hum.
Blue group hint: You might need to use a special character.
Waymo surprised U.S. lawmakers Wednesday during a hearing on autonomous vehicles and their safety and oversight. Newsweek reports:
During questioning, Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, asked what happens when a Waymo vehicle encounters a driving situation it cannot independently resolve. “The Waymo phones a human friend for help,” Markey explained, adding that the vehicle communicates with a “remote assistance operator.” Markey criticized the lack of public information about these workers, despite their role in vehicle safety…
[Dr. Mauricio Peña, chief safety officer at Waymo] responded by clarifying the scope of the operators’ involvement: “They provide guidance, they do not remotely drive the vehicles,” Peña said. “Waymo asks for guidance in certain situations and gets input, but Waymo is always in charge of the dynamic driving task,” according to EVShift Pressed further on where those operators are located, Peña told lawmakers that some are based in the United States and others abroad, though he did not have an exact breakdown. After additional questioning, he confirmed that overseas operators are located in the Philippines…
The disclosure prompted sharp criticism from Markey, who raised concerns about security and labor implications. “Having people overseas influencing American vehicles is a safety issue,” he said. “The information the operators receive could be out of date. It could introduce tremendous cyber security vulnerabilities,” according to People. Markey also pointed to job displacement, noting that autonomous vehicles already affect taxi and rideshare drivers in the U.S. Waymo defended the practice in comments to People, saying the use of overseas staff is part of a broader effort to scale operations globally. Waymo also defended the remote workers to Newsweek as licensed drivers reviewed for “driving-related convictions” and other traffic violations who are also “randomly screened for drug use.”
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Thanks to Slashdot reader sinij for sharing the news.
Hard-to-find jazz fusion recordings from the respected Muse Records catalog are back in print thanks to a coordinated effort involving Craft Recordings, The Jazz Dispensary, Time Traveler series curated by Zev Feldman, and Virgin Music Group.
Founded by veteran executive Joe Fields, Muse Records was established to carry forward the independent jazz ethos of the 1950s and 1960s, following in the footsteps of influential labels like Prestige Records and Milestone Records—with an emphasis on artist-driven releases and forward-leaning jazz that didn’t fit neatly into the mainstream.
Acclaimed producer Zev Feldman’s Time Traveler series of audiophile-oriented Muse Records reissues are limited-run 180-gram vinyl LPs pressed at Germany’s respected Optimal Media. Featuring analog disc mastering from the original tapes by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, these releases are housed in high-gloss laminated Stoughton Printing tip-on jackets.
The Jazz Dispensary releases follow a similar audiophile approach, with AAA lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and vinyl pressed at RTI. Each LP is housed in an audiophile-grade plastic-lined inner sleeve, and to date the pressings have been consistently quiet, flat, and well-centered.
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Catalyst, Perception
I have to admit that the press release describing Catalyst as the “funkiest band you’ve never heard” is probably spot on. Growing up in the 1970s, I was deeply immersed in the progressive jazz-fusion movement and still managed to miss this group entirely. Hailing from Philadelphia, the regionally acclaimed but short-lived quartet was part of the early wave of fusion innovators, operating in the same ecosystem as Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Weather Report. Competition at that level was fierce, so it’s not entirely surprising that Catalyst ended up overshadowed despite its obvious chops and forward momentum.
The 10-piece Catalyst were clearly an excellent band featuring power players like Odean Pope (Max Roach), Eddie Green and Norman Harris (MFSB, Salsoul Orchestra), Billy Hart (Herbie Hancock) and synth pioneer Pat Gleason (also Herbie Hancock). Perception is a fine ‘n funky jazz fusion listening experience though I admit it is a “grower” album — that is, there is not the immediacy of composition and hooks you’ll find on many of the cornerstone LPs of jazz fusion. But if you like the form, this is some good stuff for sure from the relative early days (recorded in 1972).
Another artist I somehow missed along the way, Carlos Garnett’s fourth Muse release from 1976 is a big-band fusion journey with real ambition. Featuring a lineup that includes Kenny Kirkland on piano and Cecil McBee on bass, the album leans heavily toward jazz-rock fusion, recalling the brassy, high-energy approach explored by Maynard Fergusonand Woody Herman, as well as rock-adjacent outfits like Chase, Ambergris, and Chicago.
Stylistically, parts of the record also bring to mind Frank Zappa’s The Grand Wazoo and Waka/Jawaka, particularly in the dense horn voicings and layered harmonies that blur the line between jazz complexity and rock-era excess—in a good way.
Some of this feels a little schmaltzy at points, notably opening track “Saxy” which I assume was geared for radio play on soul jazz leaning stations of the times. Like Catalyst, Garnett’s music has been growing on me after repeated listens.
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
DXRacer Martian Pro: One-minute review
I knew the DXRacer Martian Pro would be one of the best gaming chairs I’ve ever sat in, and three months with it have only confirmed my suspicions.
Why did I know this?
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I tried a similar chair at CES 2025 – one that can heat you up and cool you down thanks to built-in tech, and I have genuinely thought about it every week since then – and the Martian Pro somehow also takes things up another notch with an in-built massager too, increasing its comfortable gaming chair credentials further still.
When it’s a cold day, you can turn on the seat heater to warm you up, the fan to cool you down, and the massager to relax you. I promise it’s as great as it sounds
What’s more, despite all these technological features, it still feels soft and comfortable for long working days and gaming sessions thanks to plenty of cushioning, a 4D lumbar airbag you can tune perfectly to your needs, and a magnetic headrest you can position perfectly every time. Did I mention the 4D armrest,s too?
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All that’s to say, this gaming chair not only hits the essentials, but it also puts the cherry on top for a superbly comfortable experience.
(Image credit: Future)
My only gripe is that it’s useless without charge – the electronic recliner will power off too, leaving you stuck in one position with no way to change it. This is easily solved if you’re always near a plug for the power cable, or willing to charge the battery for wireless use, but the latter can be a little tedious (especially as the battery can drain fast) – so think twice about this chair if sockets are at a premium.
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DXRacer Martian Pro: Price and availability
Costs $899 / £580
Premium features justify premium price
Only available in one color at the time of reviewing
The DXRacer Martian Pro will set you back $899 / £580 (Australian pricing isn’t available at the time of reviewing) and can be picked up from the DXRacer store.
This price, especially the US cost, puts it into the higher tier of gaming chairs, which makes sense given that this chair is enhanced with various technological goodies.
These upgrades make it an attractive offering over less technologically impressive alternatives if you have the cash to splash, but if you’re on a budget, you can get by with less flashy alternatives.
(Image credit: Future)
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DXRacer Martian Pro: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Price
$899 / £580
Dimensions
49.6 x 27.6 x 21.9in / 126 x 70 x 56cm
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Max user weight
275lbs / 125kg
Min seat height
17.7in / 45cm
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Seat width
22in / 56cm
Warranty
2 years
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DXRacer Martian Pro: Design and aesthetics
Classic black look with minimalistic accents
Premium feel
Some noticeable branding
The DXRacer Martian Pro comes in one design: black with red arrow accents.
It’s certainly not as loud design-wise as my trusty Spider-Man themed seat, and it definitely sits towards the professional end of gaming chairs, but it’s not a plain design either, if that is essential for your needs.
The fabric choice is a faux leather that feels premium to the touch, and is easy to wipe clean, with the accents being stitched on in red. Though I’d be careful not to spill anything too much on the chair, as the seat and backrest have some mesh elements (to help with airflow from the heater and ventilation) that I wouldn’t want to pour a lot of liquid on.
(Image credit: Future)
As for the armrests, they feature the 4D adjustments we expect from gaming chairs worth their salt – they can be moved up/down, pulled in/out, pushed forward/backward, and can tilt left/right to provide the ideal position.
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Once you’ve set your armrests’ stance, they’ll then lock into place securely.
The side controls that adjust the backrest tilt and the airbag lumbar support are plasticky and feel a little less premium than the actual chair itself, but they don’t ruin the overall aesthetic experience delivered by DXRacers’ Martian Pro.
DXRacer Martian Pro: Comfort and adjustability
Plenty of adjustment options
Built in heater, fan and massager
Cushiony despite the gizmos
Even ignoring the massaging and heating enhancement, the DXRacer Martian Pro chair has a full range of comfort and adjustment options.
Firstly, using a control on the side of the chair you have the ability to recline the backrest gradually from further forward than you’d want to about as close to horizontal as possible without this chair becoming a bed – though with the back massager active this ultra recline supremely relaxing to the extent you could drift off (definitely, totally, assuredly not speaking from experience).
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Then there’s the 4D armrests I mentioned above, and of course, the height adjustments you’d expect from a standard office chair.
The seat is a good size too, with enough room to sit comfortably cross-legged when I want.
Though for the lumbar support, I’d maybe knock a point off simply because the airbag design can be a little more finicky to adjust compared to a traditional pillow. The advantage is that once set, you don’t need to worry about it slipping out of place, but finding the comfiest position took more time than I’d have liked.
(Image credit: Future)
Your neck pillow, on the other hand, is much easier to get right. The magnetic attachment makes it supremely easy to find the exact right spot for it on the headrest, while holding it securely in place once you’ve made your placement decision.
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But of course I can’t not devote some space to the heating, cooling, and the massager.
Starting with that third one, the massager is activated by pressing the M-button on the side of the chair and can swap between different modes by pressing it again, or switched off by holding the button down.
The massage is delivered by in-built actuators – four pairs (one for your right and one for your left) which start at your lower back and end around your shoulder blades – and while its isn’t especially intense, it can provide some much-needed relaxation during a stressful gaming session, or your work day.
Just note, it can be a little noisy.
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Now for the heating and ventilation. These are built into the seat and activated via two buttons found below the right armrest – one for each option. Long pressing once activates the heating/cooling, then quick pressing it changes the setting between three strengths – long pressing again turns it off.
I was surprised by how quickly the heating kicks into gear even at the lowest setting, and over the colder months when I’ve been testing this chair, it has provided me with some much needed warmth. The fan is also great for cooling you down, and I expect I’ll be relying on it plenty come the summer.
Despite being jam-packed with electric gizmos, the chair feels pretty darn comfy. I use it all day, every day for work and enjoy every moment – and not simply because of the heater and the massager.
(Image credit: Future)
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DXRacer Martian Pro: Assembly
All required tools included in the box
A little heavy thanks to electrical components
Can be built alone, but would recommend getting a friend
Putting the DXRacer Martian Pro together was fairly straightforward. I was able to assemble it all on my own using just what came in the box, thanks to the clear instructions.
However, given the inclusion of massaging and heating components, this can make parts of the chair a little heavier than normal, so having an assistant to aid your construction is advisable, as it should make the process even smoother.
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the DXRacer Martian Pro
Buy it if…
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Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 – Cell 0
DX Racer Martian Pro
Secretlab Titan Evo 2022
AndaSeat Kaiser 3E XL
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Price
$899 / £580
$549 / £469 / AU$799
$389 (around £290 / AU$580)
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Dimensions
49.6 x 27.6 x 21.9in / 126 x 70 x 56cm
51.2 x 27.6 x 19.3in / 130 x 70 x 49cm
54.3 x 29.1 x 29.1in / 138.0 x 74.0 x 74.0 cm
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Max user weight
275lbs / 125kg
285lbs / 130kg
395lb / 180kg
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Min seat height
17.7in / 45cm
17.7in / 450mm
18.1in / 460mm
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Seat width
22in / 56cm
18.5in / 470mm
21.1in / 535mm
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Warranty
2 years
3 years
3-years
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How I tested the DXRacer Martian Pro
I tested the DXRacer Martian Pro over a few months of UK Winter, giving me plenty of reason to use the in-built heater. It was my work office chair every day I worked from home during that time, and I also used it for PC and handheld gaming most days as well.
I also compared it to a handful of other gaming chairs we’ve tested, and of course, my trusty Spider-Man Anda Seat seat.
A newly discovered toolkit called DKnife has been used since 2019 to hijack traffic at the edge-device level and deliver malware in espionage campaigns.
The framework serves as a post-compromise framework for traffic monitoring and adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) activities. It is designed to intercept and manipulate traffic destined for endpoints (computers, mobile devices, IoTs) on the network.
Researchers at Cisco Talos say that DKnife is an ELF framework with seven Linux-based components designed for deep packet inspection (DPI), traffic manipulation, credential harvesting, and malware delivery.
The malware features Simplified Chinese language artifacts in component names and code comments, and explicitly targets Chinese services such as email providers, mobile apps, media domains, and WeChat users.
Talos researchers assess with high confidence that the operator of DKnife is a China-nexus threat actor.
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DKnife’s seven components and their functionality Source: Cisco Talos
Researchers couldn’t determine how the network equipment is compromised, but found that DKnife delivers and interacts with the ShadowPad and DarkNimbus backdoors, both associated with Chinese threat actors.
DKnife consists of seven modules, each responsible for specific activities related to communication with the C2 servers, relaying or altering traffic, and hiding the malicious traffic origin:
dknife.bin – responible for packet inspection and attack logics, it also reports attack status, user activities, and sends collected data
postapi.bin – relay component between DKnife.bin and C2 servers
sslmm.bin – custom reverse proxy server derived from HAProxy
yitiji.bin – creates a virtual Ethernet interface (TAP) on the router and bridges it into the LAN to route the attacker’s traffic
remote.bin – peer-to-peer VPN client using the n2n VPN software
mmdown.bin – malware downloader and updater for Android APK files
dkupdate.bin – DKnife download, deploy, and update component
“Its [DKnife’s] key capabilities include serving update C2 for the backdoors, DNS hijacking, hijacking Android application updates and binary downloads, delivering ShadowPad and DarkNimbus backdoors, selectively disrupting security-product traffic and exfiltrating user activity to remote C2 servers,” the researchers said in a report this week.
Once installed, DKnife uses its yitiji.bin component to create a bridged TAP interface (virtual network device) on the router at the private IP address 10.3.3.3. This allows the threat actor to intercept and rewrite network packets in their transit to the intended host.
This way, DKnife can be used to deliver malicious APK files to mobile devices or Windows systems on the network.
Cisco researchers observed DKnife dropping the ShadowPad backdoor for Windows signed with a Chinese firm’s certificate. This action was followed by the deployment of the DarkNimbus backdoor. On Android devices, the backdoor is delivered directly by DKnife.
On the same infrastructure associated with the DKnife framework activity, the researchers also found that it was hosting the WizardNet backdoor, which ESET researchers previously linked to the Spellbinder AitM framework.
Apart from payload delivery, DKnife is also capable of:
DNS hijacking
hijacking Android app updates
hijacking Windows binaries
Credential harvesting via POP3/IMAP decryption
Phishing page hosting
Anti-virus traffic disruption
monitoring user activity, including messaging app use (WeChat and Signal), maps app use, news consumption, calling activity, ride-hailing, and shopping
WeChat activities are tracked more analytically, Cisco Talos says, with DKnife monitoring for voice and video calls, text messages, images sent and received, and articles read on the platform.
The user’s activity events are first routed internally between DKnife’s components and then exfiltrated via HTTP POST requests to specific command-and-control (C2) API endpoints.
Because DKnife sits on gateway devices and reports events as packets pass through, it allows monitoring user activity and collecting data in real time.
As of January 2026, the DKnife C2 servers are still active, the researchers say. Cisco Talos has published the full set of indicators of compromise (IoCs) associated with this activity.
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