Apple is experimenting with a new kind of App Store subscription that sits somewhere between monthly and yearly plans.

Developers can now set up monthly subscriptions with a 12-month commitment, letting users pay in smaller chunks while still signing up for a full year.

The feature is already live for developers to test in App Store Connect and Xcode. However, it hasn’t reached the App Store just yet. That should change when iOS 26.5 rolls out next month, at which point the option will go live for users running iOS 26.4 or later. However, the US and Singapore are notably excluded at launch.

A modder has turned a Game Boy Color into something you can wear on your wrist, and it’s not just borrowing the look. This is an actual, playable retro console slapped onto your wrist.

YouTuber LeggoMyFroggo managed to squeeze a fully functional Game Boy Color into a wristwatch-sized form factor, creating one of the more bizarre yet impressive retro builds in recent memory.

How’d he cram a Game Boy Color into a tiny watch?

In the YouTube video, modder Chris Hackmann called the project “Time Frog Color”. Rather than going for a simpler route of relying on emulation, the build uses original Game Boy Color hardware, including the Sharp SM83 processor, paired with its video memory and support for physical cartridges.

If that last part sounds insane, it absolutely is. The watch can actually run games using tiny cartridges, which Hackmann even demonstrated by playing Pokémon Gold without any issues. He used an RP2040 chip that handled translating the display signal. This allowed the wearable console to function as a watch when powered off.

How was the gameplay experience?

Shrinking a late ’90s handheld console into a 38mm wristwatch does sound like a cool side project, but it comes with its fair share of compromises. The display is just 1.12 inches, and controls are handled by tiny tactile buttons tucked under 3D-printed caps, which doesn’t exactly sound like game-friendly controls. Making the experience even less immersive is the lack of audio and limited battery life.

In other words, it works, but it’s not exactly the best way to replay your childhood favorites. The Time Frog Color just shows how far retro hardware modding has come. It was never meant to replace the actual Game Boy Color or make gaming on a watch a real thing. Though watching enthusiasts finding ways to preserve and repurpose original components is always fun.

To achieve a smart home, you need a voice assistant to run it. A smart home assistant, usually folded into a smart speaker, will let you command your smart home with your voice and run your various routines. It also acts as a center for every gadget you want to add to your home. And you can add almost anything these days, from smart garage control to even voice-commanding your blinds.

But which assistant should you choose? Each of the big players comes with its own pros and cons, but I recommend choosing based on what you already use day-to-day. Your smartphone is the easiest entry point to pick from Apple or Google, or if you want a huge suite of smart speakers to choose from and have a Prime subscription, you may want to consider Amazon.

Take a look around what’s already in your home to see what works with which ecosystem before deciding. The best system for you will be the path of least resistance, whether that’s using your smartphone’s dedicated assistant or sticking with a platform that best integrates with the devices you already have.

Amazon Alexa

Courtesy of Amazon

It all began with Alexa, to some extent. It was the first Amazon Echo speaker back in 2012 that kicked off the smart home in an accessible way, letting anyone voice-command smart bulbs and ask for the weather without needing a custom installer or costing a fortune. Today, Amazon still has the widest range of options. The brand has the most smart speakers by a long shot, with 11 main models of smart speakers and displays currently available, plus several older versions of those same devices also available on Amazon’s website or at other retailers. It’s a huge suite with something for everyone, whether you want a screen, something made for kids, or fantastic sound with Alexa built in.

I do really like Amazon’s speakers and how easy the devices are to use, so this is a great entry point if voice control is of utmost importance. It can bring voice control into any room and for anyone in the house, and Alexa can create different profiles for different members of the family and attach information like calendars to those profiles. Amazon also owns Ring, so those smart home security devices work seamlessly with an Echo speaker, but we don’t recommend using Ring’s cameras because of its partnership with Axon, which enables local law enforcement to request footage directly from Ring users. My colleagues also have concerns about its data collection (and there have been other privacy issues over the years).

You’re also going to hit some paywalls. Amazon has an updated version of Alexa rolling out, Alexa+, which will cost $20 a month unless you have Amazon Prime. (Right now it’s out on Early Access, so it’s free, but non-Prime users can only demo it for 30 days before needing to upgrade to Prime to keep the demo.) The monthly fee is more expensive than Prime membership, so if you want it, it’s better to just join Prime. But neither I nor other WIRED staffers have been impressed by this updated, more expensive Alexa, so I hesitate to say it’s worth any investment. You’ll also need separate subscriptions for Ring devices if you choose to use them.

Still looking for an Alexa? Here are my favorite devices to start with.

Some films age quietly. Others sit in the dark, waiting for the format to catch up. The Man Who Wasn’t There lands in the second category. Shot in black and white by the Coen Brothers, this 2001 noir has always been more about mood and control than plot momentum, and the jump to 4K from the Criterion Collection finally gives its visual look the kind of presentation it needed.

The timing isn’t accidental. Billy Bob Thornton is back in the conversation thanks to his performance in Landman, and it’s a reminder that his turn as Ed Crane remains one of the most restrained and quietly devastating performances of his career. He barely raises his voice, barely moves the needle emotionally on the surface, and still manages to pull the entire film into his orbit. It’s control bordering on suffocation.

Across from him, Frances McDormand does what she always does; make it look easier than it is. She’s sharp, cynical, and completely believable, even if her work here doesn’t quite reach the level of Fargo. And then there’s James Gandolfini, gone far too soon, reminding everyone that while The Sopranos defined him, it never boxed him in as an actor.

This isn’t a noir that grabs you by the collar. It just stands there, lights a cigarette, and lets the smoke do the talking. Compared to sharper, more aggressive classics like The Asphalt Jungle, Double Indemnity, or even Out of the Past, it doesn’t have the same edge or narrative snap. There’s no real jolt, no clever turn that resets the stakes and forces you to lean forward. Instead, it moves at its own pace, more interested in mood and control than tension.

That’s not a flaw, but it does change how it lands, especially if you’re expecting the kind of bite those earlier films delivered. The Coen Brothers aren’t Billy Wilder. Not even a distant relative with a suspicious accent and a better third act.

Ed Crane is a quiet barber who suspects his wife is having an affair. Rather than confront it, he tries to use the situation to fund a small business opportunity through blackmail. It seems simple enough, but the plan quickly leads to complications he doesn’t fully understand or control.

It goes wrong in the way these things always do. Not all at once, and not with much warning. One decision leads to another, each one a little worse than the last, until Crane is in over his head and still acting like he has a handle on it. He doesn’t. And by the time that becomes obvious, it’s already too late.

Image & Sound Quality

Criterion keeps this one simple. The 4K Ultra HD disc is region-free, the included Blu-ray is Region A locked. The new restoration comes from the original 35mm camera negative and is presented in native 4K with Dolby Vision and HDR. I watched most of it in Dolby Vision and then checked in on the Blu-ray to see how much you’re really missing.

Not a lot, but it’s there.

The image looks clean and properly resolved without any heavy-handed processing. Grain is present and stable, detail is consistent, and the overall presentation feels natural. Depth is better than expected for a black-and-white title, with solid separation between foreground and background elements.

Grayscale is the real strength. Blacks are stable, whites stay in check, and the midtones carry the weight without getting muddy. Dolby Vision helps a bit with control, but this isn’t a dramatic HDR showcase. It’s more about refinement than range.

The standard Blu-ray holds up well. On a modest setup, you could live with it and not feel shortchanged. On a larger screen, the 4K disc has the edge; slightly better clarity, a bit more stability, and cleaner fine detail. Most certainly one of their best reissues in awhile in the genre.

Audio is limited to a single English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track with optional English SDH subtitles. The original 5.0 mix is presented in a 5.1 format, but this is not a film that makes aggressive use of surround channels. It is primarily dialogue-driven, with a restrained sound design that reflects the Coen Brothers’ usual approach.

Dialogue and narration are clear and easy to follow throughout. The track handles quieter scenes well, where small shifts in volume and tone are more noticeable than any large dynamic moments. There are a few louder sequences that open things up slightly, but they are not the focus.

Criterion splits the extras across both discs, with one key item carried over on each.

Both the 4K and Blu-ray include the same archival commentary featuring Joel and Ethan Coen and Billy Bob Thornton, recorded in 2004. It’s a measured track that focuses on structure, tone, and character behavior rather than production trivia. There’s also some discussion about visual choices and how certain scenes were shaped, which ties back to the film’s overall look.

The Blu-ray adds the rest of the material. The new 37-minute conversation between the Coens and critic Megan Abbott is the most substantial piece. It covers the film’s origins, its place within noir, and how they approached its restrained style. It’s direct and stays on topic.

There’s also an older 13-minute segment with Roger Deakins that focuses on the cinematography. He walks through the visual approach and some of the decisions behind the black-and-white presentation.

The remaining extras are brief. A 10-minute behind-the-scenes piece offers raw footage from the set without much structure. Two short deleted scenes are included but don’t add much context. The package also comes with a printed leaflet featuring an essay by Laura Lippman and standard technical notes.

Overall, the extras are focused but not extensive. The commentary and the new Coen/Abbott discussion carry most of the weight.

Movie Details

• STUDIO: Criterion
• FORMAT: Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray
• THEATRICAL RELEASE YEAR: 2001
• ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1
• HDR FORMATS: Dolby Vision, HDR10
• AUDIO FORMAT: DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, English SDH Subtitles
• LENGTH: 116 mins.
• MPAA RATING: R
• DIRECTOR: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen 
• STARRING: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, James Gandolfini, Katherine Borowitz, Jon Polito 

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Picture

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ Extra

Where to buy:

Related Reading:

Snabbit, an Indian on-demand home services startup, has closed a $56 million funding round, confirming TechCrunch’s earlier report.

Co-led by Susquehanna Venture Capital, Mirae Asset Venture Investments’ Unicorn Growth Fund, and Bertelsmann India Investments, the company’s Series D round values the Bengaluru-based startup at around $350 million, according to a person familiar with the matter. That’s up from $180 million about six months ago. Existing investors Nexus Venture Partners and Lightspeed also participated, alongside FJ Labs. The company has raised about $112 million in total.

Founded in 2024, Snabbit said it is now processing over 40,000 jobs daily across a network of more than 15,000 workers in five cities, offering services such as cleaning, dishwashing, and laundry as demand for rapid, on-demand home services grows in urban India.

The startup said the amount it loses on each order has fallen about 50%, while its customer acquisition costs have shrunk roughly 65%.

Snabbit’s fundraise comes as investor interest in India’s on-demand home services sector heats up, with rival Pronto also in talks to raise fresh capital and publicly traded Urban Company reporting more than one million monthly bookings.