There is a moment, usually around the third eerily accurate ad for something you only mentioned in an email, when you start to wonder what exactly your inbox knows about you. The answer, it turns out, is everything. And the companies running the most popular free email services in the world are not keeping that information to themselves.

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The real cost of free email

When Gmail launched in 2004, offering a gigabyte of free storage felt almost absurd. Two decades later, the bargain looks rather different. Google processes roughly 1.8 billion Gmail accounts worldwide, and the service remains free because users are not the customer. Advertisers are.

Every message that lands in a free inbox is parsed, categorised, and fed into a profile that determines which ads follow you across the web. The content of your emails, the receipts, the travel confirmations, the medical appointment reminders, all of it contributes to an advertising profile that you never agreed to build and cannot fully delete. This is not a conspiracy theory. It is the documented business model of the largest email providers on the planet.

For years, most people accepted this trade-off because the alternatives were either expensive, clunky, or both. That is no longer the case.

What private email actually looks like in 2026

The private email market has matured considerably. Services now exist that offer the speed, polish, and reliability of Gmail without the data harvesting. The model is simple: you pay a modest subscription, and in return, your provider has no reason to touch your data because the subscription is the product, not your attention.

Fastmail is one of the more interesting players in this space, and it is worth understanding why. Founded in 1999 in Melbourne, Australia, the company has been running independently for over 25 years. It predates Gmail by half a decade. While most of the tech industry spent the 2010s chasing advertising revenue, Fastmail quietly built a subscription email service focused on something almost quaint: making email work exceptionally well.

The result is a platform that feels noticeably faster than what most people are used to. Full-text search returns results across your entire inbox in milliseconds, not seconds. Keyboard shortcuts cover virtually every action. Server-side filtering rules let you automate sorting and labelling without leaving a client running. These sound like small things until you spend a week with them and realise your previous inbox felt like wading through treacle.

The features that actually matter

It is easy to list features. It is harder to explain why they matter. Here is what stands out after extended use.

Custom domains on every plan. If you own a domain, you can use it with Fastmail immediately. This means your email address is yours permanently, not tied to a provider. If you ever decide to leave, your address comes with you. For freelancers, small businesses, and anyone who treats their email address as professional infrastructure, this is quietly one of the most important features an email service can offer.

Over 600 masked email aliases. Every time you sign up for a new service, you can generate a unique address that forwards to your real inbox. If that address gets sold to spammers or leaked in a data breach, you simply delete it. Fastmail integrates this directly with 1Password, so generating a new alias takes roughly two seconds.

Open standards throughout. Fastmail supports IMAP, SMTP, CalDAV, and CardDAV natively. This means it works with any email client you already use: Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Outlook, or anything else that speaks standard protocols. You are not locked into a proprietary app to access your own email. This level of interoperability is surprisingly rare among private email providers, several of which require bridge applications or restrict you to their own clients entirely.

Calendars and contacts included. Shared calendars, contact management, and file storage are built into every plan. For families and small teams, this replaces the need for a separate productivity suite. The Duo plan covers two users with shared calendars for $8 per month on annual billing, and the Family plan extends to six users at $11 per month.

The privacy question, honestly

Fastmail is transparent about what it does and does not offer. It uses TLS encryption in transit and AES encryption at rest, which is industry standard. It does not offer end-to-end encryption, and the company has been straightforward about why: the usability trade-offs (slower search, limited client support, key management complexity) do not serve most users well.

If your threat model includes protection against server-side access by a state actor, Fastmail is not the right choice. For that, you want a zero-knowledge encrypted provider like ProtonMail. But if your primary concern is getting your inbox out of the advertising ecosystem while keeping a fast, flexible, standards-compliant email experience, Fastmail delivers exactly that. The company does not sell data, does not display ads, does not build user profiles, and publishes regular transparency reports.

This distinction matters because privacy is not binary. Moving from a provider that actively monetises your email content to one that simply does not touch it is a significant upgrade for the vast majority of users, even without end-to-end encryption.

What it costs

Fastmail’s pricing is straightforward. The Individual plan costs $6 per month or $5 on annual billing, and includes 50GB of storage, custom domains, over 600 aliases, calendars, contacts, and full third-party client support. The Duo and Family plans share storage across two or six users respectively, making them some of the most cost-effective private email options for households.

Business plans start at $4 per user per month for Basic (6GB per user), $6 for Standard (60GB), and $10 for Professional (150GB with email retention archiving). Teams can mix and match tiers within a single account, so you are not paying for enterprise-grade archiving on every seat.

There is a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Full access to every feature, no artificial limitations.

The bigger picture

The argument for private email is not really about email at all. It is about a slow, accumulating shift in how people think about the services they use every day. For two decades, “free” has been the default, and the cost has been invisible. But the cost is there: in the ads that follow you, in the data brokers who know your purchase history, in the quiet erosion of the idea that a conversation can be genuinely private.

Paying $5 per month for an inbox that belongs to you is not a radical act. But it is a meaningful one. And the tools available in 2026 make it easier than it has ever been. Fastmail’s free trial is a reasonable place to start, if only to see what email feels like when nobody is watching.

from the celebrate-with-some-lemon-pound-cake dept

As we wrote just yesterday, the defamation trial brought by seven Adams County, Ohio deputies against rapper Afroman was going about as well for the officers as their original botched raid on his home. Today we can report the inevitable conclusion: the jury sided entirely with Afroman, clearing him of all liability after just hours of deliberation.

To recap briefly: deputies raided Afroman’s home in 2022 with guns drawn, found essentially nothing, filed no charges, broke his door (and his gate!), and got caught on his security cameras doing embarrassing things — including one deputy who appeared to cautiously eye a delicious-looking lemon pound cake. Afroman turned the footage into multiple viral music videos. The deputies, upset about being mocked, sued him for $3.9 million claiming defamation and emotional distress. The jury took just a few hours to say: nah.

The best part might be the closing argument from the officers’ attorney, who told the jury:

“Mr. Foreman doesn’t get to wrap himself in the American flag and say you can’t touch me, I can say what I want, no matter how untrue it is, no matter how much pain it causes people, because I have freedom of speech. He can’t do that.”

Afroman’s lawyer quickly responded that he can, in fact, do exactly that. That’s how the First Amendment works. Especially when talking about public officials. And then the jury agreed. This is especially delicious given that Afroman literally wrapped himself in the American flag for the entire trial, showing up each day in that wonderful suit.

Afroman’s own testimony summed up the whole case more concisely than any lawyer could:

“All of this is their fault, and they have the audacity to sue me.”

And through all of this, Afroman never stopped making music mocking these officers — right up to the trial. Here he is calling out Deputy Randy Walters:

And here he is set to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, reminding everyone that the proof of everything he’s saying is right there on the internet for anyone to see:

So the deputies sued because they were embarrassed by viral music videos, and, in doing so, created a three-day trial that generated a whole new wave of viral content about them, drew national media attention, and ended with a jury telling them they had no case. The Streisand Effect remains undefeated.

As Afroman’s lawyer told the jury in closing, citing NWA’s “Fuck Tha Police” and Richard Pryor’s comedy:

“I’m sorry they feel the way they do, but there’s a certain amount that you have to take as a public official, it’s part of the duties of the job. What chilling effect does that have on the world we live in? You don’t like what a public official does and you make a joke, and you’re dragged into court?”

There’s a serious point underneath all the absurdity. Public officials who raid your home for no good reason, find nothing, and break your stuff don’t get to then use the courts to punish you for talking about it. That’s the whole ballgame on the First Amendment, and the jury understood it perfectly.

Afroman summed it up outside the courtroom saying:

I didn’t win. America won. America still has freedom of speech. It’s still for the people, by the people!

Well said. And I hope the Adams County Sheriff’s Department is looking forward to Afroman’s next release.

Filed Under: 1st amendment, adams county, adams county sheriff’s department, afroman, defamation, free speech

More than half of the nine developers who worked on the game have either obtained a US visa or tried and failed to do so. Most of them are from China, but the team also intentionally recruited talent from other countries in the hopes of incorporating more diverse immigrant perspectives.

“Everybody knows somebody that’s on a visa, but not all of them are vocal about that part of their identity,” says Andrea Saravia Pérez, an immigrant from Colombia who joined the team in February as a narrative designer. “How can we develop a project that’s interactive and shows people this immigration system that a lot of Americans are not familiar with?”

There’s growing interest across the gaming industry in making political games, says Yang. When her team brought H1B.Life to the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last week, she says they received a tremendous amount of interest and support because they are tackling an important societal issue without expecting to make much profit. (The game was supported by a philanthropic organization and the developers also plan to raise additional funding from a future Kickstarter campaign.)

Yang says she has also heard from people in Germany and Australia interested in licensing or adapting the game for different countries. “The whole world is turning right, and life is getting more difficult for all immigrants,” she says.

“If we can just put people in our shoes, I think it can create a very positive impact,” says Saravia Pérez. “As long as players come to have fun and are able to sympathize and understand it a little bit more, I think that we’ve done our job as a team.”

Courtesy of Reality Reload

Technicalities Versus Emotions

The H-1B visa program, created in 1990, is one of the most reliable US immigration pathways for white collar workers with college degrees. In recent years, the program issued about 85,000 visas annually, but since there are often more applicants than slots, a lottery system determines who ultimately is chosen. And if you don’t get it, you have to wait an entire year before you try again. Every person who has gone through the process has their own success or failure story to tell, me included.

The team behind H1B.Life started developing the game by interviewing immigrants. So far, Yang says they have talked to over two dozen people about their H-1B journeys and used those interviews to make the game more realistic and accurate. The biggest challenge now is to figure out how to balance explaining complicated immigration rules accurately and ensuring the game is still entertaining.

The Switch 2 ports keep on coming. This time it’s Kena: Bridge of Spirits, the award-winning 2021 title from Ember Lab. Previously announced for spring 2026, the visually striking title now has an official release date of March 26.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits won Best Independent Game and Best Debut Indie Game at The Game Awards 2021. It’s already available for PS5 / PS4, PC (Steam and Epic) and Xbox Series X/S and One.

You play as Kena, a young spirit guide on a quest to a sacred mountain shrine. Gameplay has a Zelda-like flair. (That could make it a solid next play after Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.) Like in Link’s adventures, you’ll find plenty of exploration, puzzles and fast-paced combat. That encompasses whacking bad guys with Kena’s staff, firing arrows and flinging bombs.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits launches for Switch 2 on March 26 in North America, Europe and Asia. Meanwhile, folks in Thailand can get it a day earlier, on March 25. Details about Taiwan will be announced “soon.” You can preorder the game today in North America and Europe and get a taste of its Pixar-esque art style in the trailer below.

Spotify has quietly added a feature that many desktop listeners have been requesting for years. The company’s new Exclusive Mode allows Spotify Premium subscribers using the Windows desktop app to bypass the computer’s normal audio processing and deliver bit perfect playback directly to an external DAC or audio device.

The idea is straightforward. Modern operating systems often resample audio, mix system alerts with music, or apply their own volume processing before the signal ever reaches your DAC. Spotify’s Exclusive Mode takes control of that pipeline and locks the desktop app directly to the output device so the audio stream is passed through without alteration. In practical terms, that means the data sent to your DAC should match the original digital file that Spotify is delivering.

The timing is notable. After years of teasing higher fidelity streaming tiers, Spotify finally launched its long promised Lossless audio option in 2025, putting the service closer to competitors like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and TIDAL that already offer CD quality streaming. Exclusive Mode does not increase the bitrate of Spotify’s stream, but it removes one more layer of processing that could potentially alter the signal on the way out of your computer.

For listeners using a desktop setup with an external DAC, powered speakers, or a headphone amplifier, the feature gives Spotify something it has historically lacked compared with more audiophile focused platforms: a way to deliver the stream without the operating system getting in the middle of it.

What is Bit Perfect Audio?

Bit perfect audio refers to digital playback where the data leaving a music player is identical to the original digital file, with no changes introduced by the operating system, software mixer, or audio driver.

When music is played on a typical computer, the audio often passes through a system level mixer before reaching the output device. During that process the operating system may:

• Resample the audio to match the system’s selected sample rate
• Mix in other system sounds like notifications or alerts
• Apply volume scaling or DSP processing

Each of those steps technically alters the original digital data stream. Bit perfect playback avoids that entirely.

In an exclusive playback mode, the music application takes direct control of the audio output device. The operating system mixer is bypassed, system sounds are blocked, and the audio stream is sent to the DAC at its native sample rate and bit depth.

For audiophiles using external DACs and dedicated headphone or speaker systems, this ensures the converter receives exactly the same digital information contained in the music file or stream. The DAC then performs the only conversion that matters: turning that digital signal into analog sound.

In short, bit perfect playback does not magically improve a recording. What it does is ensure that nothing in the computer changes the signal before it reaches your DAC.

How to Enable Spotify Exclusive Mode

Getting started with Spotify’s Exclusive Mode takes only a few seconds inside the desktop app. Open Spotify, go to Settings, and scroll down to the Playback section. Under Audio Output, select your preferred device from the dropdown menu. Once your DAC, interface, or audio device is selected, toggle Exclusive Mode to On.

When enabled, Spotify takes direct control of that audio device and bypasses the operating system’s standard audio mixer. The result is a direct signal path from the Spotify desktop app to your DAC, avoiding the resampling, mixing, and volume adjustments that can occur when the operating system manages audio output.

There is one important trade off. With Exclusive Mode active, Spotify has sole control of the selected output device. System alerts, browser audio, video calls, and other applications will not be heard through that device while music is playing. If you need to hear other audio sources, those applications will have to use a different output device.

At launch, Exclusive Mode is available only on the Spotify desktop app for Windows. The feature does not currently apply to mobile playback, and Spotify has indicated that macOS support is expected in a future update.

The Bottom Line

Spotify’s Exclusive Mode is a useful technical upgrade for desktop listeners, but it doesn’t change the limits of Spotify’s audio quality.

The feature simply bypasses the computer’s audio mixer so the Spotify desktop app can send the stream directly to your DAC without resampling or system sounds interfering. That’s good news for listeners using external DACs, headphone amps, or powered speakers on a computer.

What it does not do is increase resolution. Spotify Lossless remains CD quality at 16 bit 44.1 kHz, and the service still does not offer 24-bit/96 kHz or 24-bit/192 kHz streams like Apple Music, TIDAL, or Qobuz.

So while Exclusive Mode ensures the signal leaving Spotify is cleaner, it does not suddenly make Spotify higher resolution than competing services. It simply ensures you hear the stream exactly as Spotify delivers it.

For more information: community.spotify.com

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Poopee’s indoor grass patches are even drawing franchise enquiries from across Southeast Asia

What do you do when your dog refuses to use a pee pad, your schedule won’t allow constant trips downstairs, and your carpet is slowly turning into a wreck day after day?

For 32-year-old Royce Tan, the answer was simple: start a company called Poopee—and bring a patch of real grass straight into the living room as an indoor potty solution.

It all started with his own struggles at home.

Royce’s dogs were grass-trained, but as they aged, daily trips downstairs became increasingly difficult. Plastic pee pads simply didn’t make sense to them, leaving Royce with the familiar frustration of accidents on the carpet.

That’s when the idea clicked: if dogs instinctively understand grass, why not bring it indoors? “The behaviour problem would solve itself naturally,” he said.

After researching existing options, Royce realised there wasn’t a well-designed real grass solution available locally. And that gap in the market became the starting point for the Eco-Turf, Poopee’s signature product.

Entrepreneurship isn’t new to him

Royce is no stranger to entrepreneurship.

Before Poopee, he founded The Fragment Room in 2017, Singapore’s first rage room, where people could smash objects to relieve stress. “It was exciting, chaotic, and honestly a lot of fun,” he recalled.

Yet after a few years, the novelty began to fade, and Royce realised he wasn’t “waking up excited” about the business anymore. It no longer felt like something that “reflected who he was or what he wanted to build.”

Eventually, Royce exited the venture sometime in 2019 and took on a full-time job, which he stayed in for about three years.

While it provided financial stability and a fresh perspective on work, he quickly realised that simply clocking in and out every day wasn’t the life he wanted. He needed to build something again—and that drive ultimately led to Poopee.

In 2023, Royce self-funded the launch of Poopee, bringing his indoor grass solution to the market.

He did not disclose the exact investment; however, he described it as modest, adding that it required “careful spending and a lot of experimentation.”

Keeping the grass alive

According to Royce, most of the initial capital went into “sourcing grass, developing packaging, logistics testing, and building the website.”

The early stages also involved a lot of trial and error.

Working with real grass meant dealing with a living product. He had to consider drainage, airflow, and how to keep it alive and healthy throughout packaging, transport, and delivery.

Unlike most products, grass cannot sit in a warehouse for long periods. “It has to be inspected, packed, and delivered within a short timeframe,” said Royce, adding that it took considerable effort to balance freshness, reliability, and cost.

Even after delivery, external factors in customers’ homes—such as sunlight and airflow—can affect the grass. To address this, Royce stays in close contact with customers via WhatsApp, troubleshooting issues and finding solutions directly with them.

“With product businesses, the real learning only begins once customers start using the product,” he said. It’s a very hands-on process, and even today, the team is still refining the product.

Poopee’s Eco-Turf has become a necessity for several dog owners

It seems Poopee’s Eco-Turf has been well-received by dog owners, Royce shared, although he didn’t disclose exact take-up rates.

While most sales happen online, Poopee also hosts pop-ups at fairs and events to reach new customers and give people a chance to experience the product in person.

Some owners have even told him, “You can’t ever close down because we would be lost without you,” highlighting just how much Eco-Turf has become a part of their daily routine.

Part of the product’s appeal is how simple it is to use: the grass naturally absorbs urine, so customers don’t have to worry about accidents. Solid waste still needs to be cleaned up, though, and watering the turf every one to two days keeps it healthy.

Owners will know it’s time to replace the patch when dogs start peeing at the edges—a sign it’s saturated with their scent, and they’re looking for a fresh spot.

Typically, each patch lasts between one and four weeks, depending on how frequently it’s used.

That’s why Poopee offers a subscription model, with deliveries weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Subscriptions make it easier for owners to maintain a fresh patch and allow Royce to plan production.

Because grass cannot be grown instantly, our nursery needs advance notice of how much to grow. Subscription demand helps us forecast how much grass will be needed ahead of time.

Royce Tan, founder of Poopee

Beyond positive reviews from customers, what has surprised Royce even more is that Poopee’s Eco-Turf has been recommended by several veterinarians—particularly for older dogs or pets recovering from surgery who struggle with mobility. They can benefit greatly from the Eco-Turf’s easy-to-access, indoor setup.

That said, Royce occasionally meets owners who say their dogs “hate grass.” In many cases, it simply means the dog was never exposed to it early on. “Dogs adapt to the environments we create for them, so part of what we do is gently reintroduce that natural behaviour,” he explained.

He recommends a few simple strategies for these cases: place the Eco-Turf in the spot where the dog usually relieves itself and gradually move it to the desired location, or use a small amount of pee residue under the turf to attract them with a familiar scent. Positive reinforcement—treats or praise when the dog uses the Eco-Turf—also helps encourage the behaviour.

Beyond just grass patches

Running The Fragment Room taught Royce the value of building a brand people actually connect with.

Even though Poopee solves a functional problem, I never wanted it to feel like a boring utility product. I wanted it to feel like a lifestyle brand for dog owners.

Royce Tan, founder of Poopee

That’s why the team puts thought into shaping Poopee’s brand personality, and expanding into merchandise is part of that.

Beyond Eco-Turf and its complementary products—such as deodorising sprays—Poopee now offers items like dog carriers, graphic tees, stickers, and even cooling neck wraps for dogs.

All of the merchandise is designed in-house, with some pieces developed through collaborations. For instance, the brand has worked with local streetwear label Koterie on several of its designs.

Making everyday life with dogs more “natural, comfortable & well designed”

For now, Royce still handles most aspects of the business himself, supported by a small group of part-timers and freelancers who assist with packing, logistics, and marketing when needed.

The team recently moved from a small warehouse setup into a proper office space—a shift that has improved both working conditions and operations, allowing for more organised packing and better quality control.

While operations remain lean, Royce sees clear demand for products like the Eco-Turf.

“Singapore has a large number of high-rise homes, and many pet owners have busy schedules,” he shared. “Solutions that make pet care easier while still respecting a dog’s natural behaviour are becoming increasingly important.”

As the brand grows, Royce plans to expand beyond just the Eco-turf and build a whole ecosystem of products for pet owners. “The idea is to create a cohesive world around the brand for people who love animals.”

Interest in Poopee is also spreading beyond Singapore. According to Royce, the brand has received franchise enquiries from markets like Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, with discussions still ongoing as the team explores potential regional expansion.

Ultimately, Royce hopes to make everyday life with dogs more natural, comfortable, and well-designed.

If Poopee can become something that dog owners trust and rely on, something that genuinely improves the quality of life for both pets and their owners, then we’ve done what we set out to do.

Royce Tan, founder of Poopee

• Find out more about Poopee here.
• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here. 

Featured Image Credit: @supersalami_, @poopee via Instagram

Despite heavy investment in AI tools, many organizations are struggling to realize its promised productivity gains. The issue is not the technology itself, but a widening gap between leadership ambition and employee capability. This gap

Recent research from Workday reveals a clear disconnect. While 66% of leaders say AI skills development is a top priority, only 33% of employees report having received any AI-related training. This gap is reflected at the executive level as well, with 74% of CEOs citing a lack of AI skills as a key barrier to capturing value from AI investments.