Its final outlet at VivoCity will close down on Feb 22

Fashion retailer Pull&Bear is set to close down its last remaining outlet in Singapore at VivoCity on Sunday (Feb 22).

In a notice on their website, the brand said: “Our stores will close on Feb 22. Returns for purchases made both online and in stores can still be made at Zara VivoCity. If you have any questions, please contact our customer service team via contact.sg@pullandbear.com.”

Pull&Bear is a Spanish brand, part of the Inditex Group, which is widely regarded as the world’s largest fashion retailer. The group also owns brands such as Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti and Stradivarius.

According to its website, Pull&Bear first entered Singapore in 2006 as part of its broader expansion into Asia. The brand operated four stores here at its peak, including at Bugis+, ION Orchard, and Ngee Ann City.

Its former Bugis+ outlet has since been taken over by the first Singapore outlet of Chick-fil-A, which opened in Dec 2025.

Reasons for Pull&Bear’s closure in Singapore remain unknown. However, it comes amid global store closures by Inditex Group. According to a Dec 2025 report cited by CNA, the group has shuttered more than 100 stores year-to-date as part of efforts to strengthen its financial position.

Moreover, in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Inditex Group announced that it would close as many as 1,200 stores to boost online sales.

Its brands have also scaled back in Singapore previously, including Bershka. The label once operated physical stores at Bugis+, ION Orchard and VivoCity; however, it no longer has any outlets in the country today, though shoppers can still purchase its products via its Singapore website.

Pull&Bear Singapore’s website is currently unavailable for online purchases. Whether the brand will maintain an e-commerce presence in Singapore remains unclear.

Vulcan Post has reached out to Pull&Bear and Inditex Group for comments.

• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

Featured Image Credit: Peifeng via Google Reviews

It has already been a depressingly busy year for layoffs at Ubisoft, and the French publisher’s Toronto studio is the latest workforce to be hit. Around 40 jobs have been cut at the studio, which is one of Ubisoft’s largest and has previously worked on games including Watch Dogs: Legion and Far Cry 6.

“This decision was not taken lightly and does not in any way reflect the talent, dedication, or contributions of the individuals affected,” Ubisoft said in a statement to , which first reported the new layoffs. “Our priority now is to support them through this transition with comprehensive severance packages and robust career placement assistance.”

Ubisoft Toronto is currently working on the long-awaited Splinter Cell remake, which was first in 2021. The publisher says the game remains in development, and the Canadian studio will continue to assist with development on other games.

The Toronto layoffs come after similar staff cuts at its studios, while up to 200 people could reportedly be let go at its headquarters. The affected roles are casualties of a wider organizational restructuring at the troubled company, which recently canceled another high-profile in The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Last week, 1,200 Ubisoft employees went on in reaction to the recent layoffs and sweeping cost-cutting measures.

KBIS 2026 was full of industry firsts. Much of the innovation on display at the sprawling home and kitchen showcase involved large appliances. Top brands, including Samsung, LG, GE and Sharp, were on hand to give a glimpse into the future of home tech.

We were there to see it all up close and speak with product managers, engineers and brand reps about all the new large-appliance features coming in 2026.  

The latest fridges, ovens, dishwashers and laundry systems were well represented on the show floor, and the innovations on display weren’t just flashy — they were practical upgrades designed to make home life a little easier.

Here are 10 standouts from KBIS 2026.

1. Golden Heater, a new quick cooking technology

It’s not every year we get a new type of cooking technology. Sharp’s new Celerity oven features “Golden Heater” technology that fuses microwave, true convection and infrared heat to cook food three times faster than a standard oven. We tasted cookies baked in just 9 minutes — something that would normally take 15. The result? They were as good as Grandma’s.

2. Fridge barcode scanner for easy grocery list making

This technology was first unveiled at CES but GE Profile was on hand at KBIS to showcase its proprietary grocery barcode-scanning fridge. 

The smart fridge features a small scanner on the front door that lets you scan groceries as you run low. From there, you can add them to a list on your phone or buy directly through the brand’s Instacart integration. 

3. Oven doneness detectors

Oven manufacturers have been ratcheting up the smarts, too. Ovens have had cameras for a while, but more innovative algorithms are learning to better use them. Doneness detectors, which monitor the food as it cooks for signs of browning and alert you when it’s getting close, are designed to prevent burning and overcooking. 

KitchenAid, Sharp and LG are just a few of the kitchen brands that are integrating a doneness detector into their upcoming ovens.

4. Bottle and straw washers

One of our favorite upgrades was Midea’s straw washing station in its new washing machines, set for release this year. Straws are notoriously tricky to clean, but this dedicated spot on the bottom rack shoots water directly into your reusable straws, ridding them of grime, mold and other buildup.  

5. Built-in basket to save your sweaters

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Whirlpool unveiled the industry-first built-in delicates basket. A simple design that allows you to wash delicate sweaters and shirts with a regular load. 

The basket keeps those items free from the hard pummeling that happens in a standard wash. It’s also good for keeping socks together, so matching is easier when it’s time to fold.

6. Nugget ice maker for the fridge

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With all the enthusiasm around nugget ice, it’s hard to believe we’re just now getting our first fridge with a built-in nugget ice maker. Whirlpool’s latest release pumps out crunchy, chewable ice from a front dispenser and standard cubed ice from the bottom freezer.

7. Washing machine UV cleaning

While this one struck me as a little gimmicky, Whirlpool has introduced the world’s first UV-cleaning washing machine, which blasts clothes during a standard wash to kill bacteria. 

The point of UV cleaning is to combat bacteria without using scalding hot water, which can be harsh on fabrics over time.

8. A built-in sous vide tank

Sous vide cooking has been adopted by home cooks and pro chefs alike. The low-and-slow water bath typically requires specialized equipment, but SKS’s new feature-rich stove has a sous vide tank built into the cooktop. 

The catch? The stove, which has gas and induction burners and loads of other innovative features, costs a whopping $12,000.

9. Bottom dishwasher rack that flips up for easy loading

Kenmore’s soon-to-be-released dishwasher features a straightforward update that makes loading and unloading a breeze. The bottom rack slides out and flips up to the same height as the top rack. It’s sure to be a welcome innovation for those with back problems or mobility issues. 

10. Smart AutoFill water dispensers

Fridges are getting smarter and that includes the water spouts. We saw multiple fridges, including those from GE and KitchenAid, with intelligent autofill technologies that use cameras or weight sensors to determine exactly how much water to fill in a bottle or glass. When it’s 90% full, the water stops, allowing you to walk away.

Inspired by the super-popular anime and manga series Bleach, Type Soul is a Roblox game where players can roleplay as one of three main character races, each with unique abilities and progression systems. However, while the game offers an amazing experience, its complex game mechanics, races, and weapons can be overwhelming for new players. That’s where the Trello Board comes in.

What Is the Type Soul Trello Link?

The Type Soul official Trello board is your go-to destination for everything about the game. The developers update and revamp the game regularly to keep the experience fresh and fun for players. The Trello board is rich in detailed information, ranging from gameplay mechanics to guides and updates, to help players maximize their experience.

To remain up to date with these changes, the developers created a new Trello board, and it is named “Type Soul Info V2.” This one retains all the new mechanics, features, and strategies in an easily accessible manner to the community. The most amazing thing about this Trello board is that there is no complex verification process to see it.

Inside the Trello Board

The Type Soul Trello V2 board simplifies your gameplay. It provides step-by-step instructions for selecting your class: Soul Reaper, Hollow, or Quincy, and browsing the skill trees and the weapon systems. The board also contains more in-depth info on the game mechanics, which makes it easy for you to master raids, unlock strong Shikai, and get rare Essences.

One of the highlights is its item categorization, which organizes loot boxes and other items by rarity. In addition, the board links to useful game materials, and there is a Q&A section to answer all your questions about Type Souls. With its full-page size, this board is an essential guide for each player.

Also, make sure to redeem the latest Type Soul Codes to enhance your gameplay and gain valuable in-game items.

Type Soul Discord Link

The Type Soul Discord server is your gateway to the game world and its creators. It’s where you can chat with other players, exchange tips, and get the latest news and announcements. It’s also where you can ask questions, exchange tips, or find raid and event groups. Developers also post significant news and updates, so you never miss a step. Don’t miss this handy resource!

The 2026 Winter Olympics come to an end this weekend. This year’s Closing Ceremony theme is “Beauty in Action.” The event will feature appearances from musician and DJ Gabry Ponte, actress Benedetta Porcaroli, and ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Alfredo Accatino, the ceremony’s artistic director, has promised the ceremony will “begin with lots of colors and end with a party.”

The ceremony will kick off today at 2:30PM ET on NBC and Peacock. An encore broadcast will air on NBC at 9PM Here’s everything you need to know to watch the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Closing Ceremony. (And as we close out the Winter Games, here’s a look at the final medal count, too.)

How to watch the Closing Ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Date: Sunday, Feb. 22

Time: Airs live at 2:30PM ET; primetime re-air at 9PM ET

Location: Verona Arena, Verona, Italy

TV channel: NBC

Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NBC.com and more

Olympics Closing Ceremony start time

The ceremony will kick off at 2:30 PM ET on Sunday afternoon. An encore broadcast will also air on NBC at 9PM ET/PT.

How to watch the Closing Ceremony live for free

There are a couple of ways to watch the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 22. You can tune in live Sunday afternoon on NBC or stream live on Peacock, or catch the encore broadcast on NBC, which is available with DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, and more.

Peacock is the streaming home of the 2026 Olympics.

While a regular Peacock subscription begins at $10.99 for a Premium Plan and goes up to $16.99 for the ad-free Premium Plus plan, you can get an ad-supported subscription for free if you’re a Walmart+ subscriber.

Walmart+ members actually get their choice between Paramount+ or Peacock included in their membership at no additional cost. A monthly subscription to Walmart+ costs $12.99, and an annual plan usually costs $98. But you can try the service out totally free. Beyond free Peacock, Walmart+ has additional perks like five free months of Apple Music, discounts on Cinemark movie theater memberships, free shipping and delivery on Walmart purchases, discounts on gas and much more.

Instacart+ subscribers are able to get an annual Peacock Premium plan (a $109.99 value) for free. After a free 14-day trial, Instacart+ plans cost $99/year, meaning you’ll save more on Peacock simply by subscribing to the delivery service, but you’ll get tons of extras, like free grocery and restaurant delivery and a free subscription to the New York Times Cooking app.

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DirecTV’s Entertainment tier gets you access to loads of channels where you can tune in to college and pro sports, the Winter Olympics and more. Channels include ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and, depending on where you live, local affiliates for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.

DirecTV’s Entertainment tier package is $89.99/month. But you can currently try all this out for free for five days. If you’re interested in trying out a live-TV streaming service for football season but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.

More ways to watch the closing ceremony without cable

You can watch the ceremony live or on demand on Peacock as well as on NBC.com, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC app.

For $11/month, an ad-supported Peacock subscription lets you stream live sports and events airing on NBC, including the 2026 Winter Olympics. Plus, you’ll get access to thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and much more.

For $17 monthly, you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription that includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

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Who is performing at the Closing Ceremony?

Italian musician and DJ Gabry Ponte is one of the headliners. Other confirmed performers include Italian actress Benedetta Porcaroli and Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle. Expect to see another parade of athletes, the flag handover to the 2030 Olympic hosts from France, and the ceremonial extinguishing of the Olympic flame.

Where is the Closing Ceremony being held?

The 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony will be held at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy.

The Artemis 2 launch is edging closer as NASA has now set a target date for the 10-day mission to get underway. The agency is aiming to launch as soon as March 6 following a successful wet dress rehearsal on Thursday. The first attempt, which took place in early February, failed due to a hydrogen leak.

During Thursday’s rehearsal, NASA was able to fuel the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid propellant and complete two runs of terminal count — the final step of the launch countdown — at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. While there was a hiccup due to a loss of ground communications, NASA was able to move to a backup system before the regular comms channels were back in operation. The agency said engineers pinpointed the equipment that caused the problem.

“Following that successful wet dress yesterday, we’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt,” Dr. Lori Glaze, NASA’s Moon to Mars program manager, said at a press conference on Friday. Glaze added that there’s still much that has to be done before launch, including an analysis of the wet dress, a flight-readiness review and work on the launch pad.

The four Artemis 2 astronauts are expected to go into quarantine later on Friday in preparation for the launch, which will mark the Orion spacecraft’s first crewed mission. It will be the first time in more than 50 years that a crew will travel around the Moon and it will be humanity’s furthest-ever journey into space. The astronauts will test Orion’s critical life support systems as a precursor to lunar landings.

Updated February 2026: We’ve added a new section on caring for down and some notes on Outdoor Vital’s Zero Stitch fabric.

What Does Down Fill Power Tell You?

The higher the fill power, the greater the loft. Down puffer jackets and sleeping bags keep you warm by trapping the warmth coming off your body, retaining it in air pockets between the down. A higher down fill power means the down has more loft, which means there are more air pockets, which means that more heat is retained. If everything else is equal, that means that a higher fill power garment will be warmer than one with a lower fill power.

Unfortunately, everything else is never equal. Fill power alone is not enough information to know how warm something will be. There is no direct correspondence between fill power and how warm a product will keep you, because there are many other factors to consider, like how much of that fill is in the product, how well it can expand within the baffles or down chambers, how well does the fabric stop the wind, and so on.

To know how warm a down jacket, sleeping bag, or comforter will be, you need to know at least one other number: the fill weight.

What Is Down Fill Weight?

Photograph: Tatiana/Getty Images

Down fill weight is a simple number. It’s the amount of down in the product, usually measured in ounces or grams. Using down fill weight and down fill power together can give you way to compare two items. For example, the relative ability of a puffer jacket to retain heat can be estimated by multiplying the fill power by the fill weight. This means that a 900 fill power jacket with 2 ounces of fill weight will be able to trap about the same amount of heat as a 600 fill power jacket with 3 ounces of fill weight. The big difference between them, and the reason they are priced differently, is the weight of each and the packed size.

In jackets, the weight difference isn’t huge. This is why some of our favorite puffer jackets are 600 fill power. When it comes to sleeping bags, though, things are different. Since there is a lot more down in a sleeping bag, the weight difference between equivalent amounts of fill power is more significant. Unless your budget is unlimited, you’ll want to pay attention to the warmth-to-weight ratio. How much warmth do you need, and how much weight do you mind carrying?

The one downside to down fill weight is that some manufacturers don’t list this. It sounds great to say your puffer jacket as 900 fill power down, but when you have to list that it only has 2 ounces of it, it sounds less impressive. Less reputable companies often don’t advertise the fill weight. We list fill weight of all the jackets we test.

Other Factors to Consider

Courtesy of REI

While down fill power and down fill weight together give us a way to compare items, there are other things to consider to get an idea of overall warmth. The third major factor is the baffles, the compartments that are built into the product. If you just sewed up a single piece of nylon as a shell and shoved some down inside, gravity and movement would push it all down near the hem in a matter of minutes. To avoid this, garment makers add baffles to keep the down in place. Baffle type and shape play a big part in how warm your jacket, sleeping bag, or comforter ends up being.

Advanced monitoring is becoming standard because modern facilities are judged on outcomes—air quality, uptime, safety, energy performance, and documented response—not on whether a checklist was completed last week. Ventilation and indoor air quality expectations are formalised through recognised standards, and newer editions increasingly emphasise controls, performance, and operations, which push organisations toward measurable, continuous data.​

The changing risk profile (visibility is now a liability issue)

Facilities today are dense systems: people, HVAC, access control, OT/IoT, and vendors. The risk surface includes invisible variables (CO₂/ventilation adequacy, particulates, VOCs, temperature/humidity excursions) and failure modes that don’t announce themselves during routine walkthroughs.

ISO 41001 frames facilities management as a management system aimed at the effective and efficient delivery of FM, supporting organisational objectives and consistently meeting stakeholder and applicable requirements—language that aligns naturally with continuous measurement and documented processes.​

Summary: Risk shifted from “obvious hazards” to “system behaviour,” and system behaviour requires instrumentation.​

Real-time data is an operational requirement (not a dashboard hobby)

Real-time monitoring creates a new operating model: detect → triage → respond → document. That shift matters because it reduces the time between anomaly and action, and it creates auditable records of conditions and responses (useful for regulated sectors and insurer scrutiny).

Where standards are explicit about ventilation and IAQ, the operational burden increases. ASHRAE notes that 62.1/62.2 are recognised standards for ventilation and acceptable indoor air quality, and the 2025 edition highlights additional requirements and control sequences (e.g., demand-controlled ventilation control sequences, emergency control requirements, humidity control requirements).​

Summary: Once you’re accountable for continuous conditions, periodic checks no longer scale.​

Hardware built for harsh environments (define “rugged” with specs)

In industrial/institutional settings, monitoring often fails at the edges: vibration, dust, washdown, temperature swings, and physical impact. “Rugged computers” should mean measurable environmental tolerance—especially ingress protection.

IEC 60529 defines IP ratings with two digits: the first (0–6) indicates resistance to solid objects/dust, and the second (0–9) indicates resistance to liquids. In practice, this lets you specify hardware for the environment (e.g., dust-heavy warehouses vs washdown production areas) rather than buying consumer mini-PCs and hoping.​

When NOT to ruggedise: If the device lives in a conditioned IT closet, you may be paying for durability you don’t need; invest instead in redundancy, power protection, and serviceability.

Summary: Reliability is a system property, and edge hardware specs are part of reliability engineering.​

Environmental monitoring beyond compliance (IAQ as performance)

Facilities increasingly monitor more than temperature/humidity: CO₂ as a ventilation proxy, particulates, VOCs, and noise exposure. The point isn’t “more sensors”—it’s closed-loop improvement: correlate excursions with occupancy, HVAC modes, and outcomes (complaints, absenteeism, equipment faults), then adjust operations.

This aligns with how ASHRAE describes 62.1/62.2 as ventilation/IAQ standards and emphasizes updated requirements around filtration, controls, air cleaning, and operations/maintenance—areas where continuous sensing provides feedback rather than guesswork.​

Summary: Environmental data is only valuable when it feeds decisions, not when it fills storage.​

Integration with BMS (monitoring becomes control)

Monitoring is most valuable when integrated with building management systems (BMS) and incident response workflows. Without integration, you get alerts; with integration, you get controlled response: ventilation adjustments, escalations, and unified incident records.

A practical architecture pattern:

• Sensors (IAQ/asset/environment) → edge gateway → secure message bus
• Analytics/rules engine → ticketing/CMMS + BMS actions (where appropriate)
• Audit layer → immutable logs, retention policy, reporting

Summary: Standalone monitoring is reporting; integrated monitoring is operations.

Behavioural monitoring and policy enforcement (high value, high governance)

Behavioural detection (e.g., vape detectors) can reduce blind spots in low-visibility areas, but it introduces governance requirements: clear purpose, minimisation, retention limits, access controls, and documented response rules.

If you deploy behavioural monitoring, treat it like a policy-controlled safety system—not a surveillance toy. The technical bar should include false-positive management, tamper detection, and a defensible incident workflow.

When NOT to deploy: If you can’t articulate “what action follows an alert” and who is authorised to act, you’ll create noise, distrust, and compliance risk.

Summary: Behavioural monitoring is powerful—but only when paired with governance.

Data-driven maintenance (condition-based beats calendar-based)

Predictive maintenance is the economic engine behind monitoring adoption. If you can detect drift (fan performance, vibration anomalies, temperature rise, runtime patterns) you shift maintenance from “fixed schedule” to “based on condition,” reducing unnecessary work and preventing downtime.

Tie maintenance analytics to:

• Asset criticality tiers (what must never fail)
• SLAs (response time, uptime)
• Parts lead time risk

Summary: Monitoring becomes standard when it pays for itself via avoided downtime and targeted labour.

Compliance, documentation, and liability reduction (the audit trail is the product)

Standards-driven environments reward documented control. ISO 41001 emphasises consistently meeting the needs of interested parties and applicable requirements, which is easier to demonstrate when you have objective records of conditions, alerts, and responses.​

The defensible story looks like:

• “Here were the thresholds.”
• “Here were the readings.”
• “Here were the alerts.”
• “Here’s what we did, and when.”

Summary: In modern facilities, data isn’t just insight—it’s proof.

FAQ

What’s the difference between monitoring and a BMS?

Monitoring and alerts: A BMS can control building systems. Value increases when monitoring is integrated into BMS workflows, so data becomes action.

Do we need rugged computers for monitoring?

Only where the environment requires it, IEC 60529 IP ratings define dust/water resistance with two digits, helping you specify equipment for harsh conditions.​

What standards are pushing facilities toward continuous IAQ visibility?

ASHRAE 62.1/62.2 are recognised standards for ventilation and acceptable indoor air quality, and the 2025 edition highlights additional requirements around controls and operations that benefit from continuous data.​

How does ISO 41001 relate to monitoring?

ISO 41001 defines requirements for an FM management system to deliver FM effectively/efficiently and consistently meet stakeholder/applicable requirements, which aligns with measurable monitoring and documented response.​

Key takeaways

• Advanced monitoring is becoming standard because compliance and accountability increasingly require measurable outcomes and documented control.
• Rugged edge hardware should be specified according to environmental standards such as IEC 60529 IP ratings, not by vague marketing claims.​
• The real leap happens when monitoring integrates with operations (BMS + maintenance workflows) and produces audit-ready records.