• The nominess for the BAFTA Games Awards 2026 have been announced
• Clair Obscur: Expedition is leading with 12 nominations across 17 categories
• Dispatch, Ghost of Yotei, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach are also up with nine, eight, and sevens respective awards

BAFTA has announced the nominations for the 22nd BAFTA Games Awards 2026, celebrating a total of 42 games across 17 categories.

Among the 42 games, Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is up for the most awards, receiving 12 nominations across categories like Best Game, Debut Game, Game Design, Narrative, and more.

Fruit bowls are probably one of the only kitchen items that can drive you crazy because, let’s face it, they never quite keep up with the amount of fruit you’re attempting to fit into them. Two to three pieces will rattle around the bottom of an empty bowl, while piling in too many will send the entire thing crashing over the rim and onto the countertop.

Simone Giertz eventually solved this problem after four years of experimentation. Her creation, a mechanical bowl that expands and contracts, is stunning. Simply twist the handle and drop in a few of apples without anxiety; the sides will pull in, ensuring that the fruit nestles snuggly together. When you add some tangerines, the bowl stretches outwards to accommodate them.

The ingenious part is concealed in the flat base of the object. An iris mechanism performs the magic. Rods traveling along rails and pins sliding into curved slots accomplish the task. Give the center handle a turn, and every wall section glides outwards in perfect synchronization, leaving no gaps even as the diameter varies from roughly 12cm to 20cm. Smaller fruits stay in place since the base is strong and sealed throughout the process.

However, the early prototypes were a bit of a disaster. Wooden slats were uneven, brass rods left microscopic escape routes open during expansion, and soldering joints continued to break after continuous use. To perfect the design, Simone built dozens of prototypes, cutting, bending, and redesigning components by hand. A breakthrough occurred when the foundation was transformed from a flat disk to a pizza-slice shape, which concealed the raw edges and kept everything in place, and the walls curled into these stunning arches, which brought both strength and balance to the design.

All of these lessons have been incorporated into the most recent brass prototype. The art-deco curves sweep upward from the base, and the solid center brass handle resembles an old-fashioned ice pick, providing a terrific grip for dragging the bowl around as well as a precise way to resize it. Pick it up, and it feels substantial in your hand. Twist the handle, and the sides move with delightful precision.

The wooden prototypes are still kicking around, and they look terrific, all warm and modern, but the brass version, in my opinion, provides a new level of joy. When the mechanism is activated, the metal sings, and light strikes the polished surfaces, highlighting every deliberate angle. Everyone who observed the build was sold on the brass for its clean lines and mechanical honesty.

Next, factory production, or so we hope. Once food-safe coatings are applied and a few small changes are made for dishwasher compatibility, the bowl should be on shelves by 2027. Until then, Simone’s current prototype continues to solve her kitchen difficulties on a daily basis.
[Source]

Audio Note (UK) has never been the sort of high end audio brand that follows trends. While much of the industry chases new features, streaming platforms, or the latest amplifier topology, Audio Note has spent decades doing the opposite. The British manufacturer designs and builds a remarkable amount of its own parts in-house, from transformers and capacitors to cables, tonearms, cartridges, and even loudspeakers intended to sit in room corners rather than dominate the center of the floor. Their systems rarely rely on brute force volume or flashy demonstrations at trade shows. Instead, they pursue a very specific idea of musical realism and they have never shown much concern about whether the rest of the industry agrees.

That stubborn independence is part of why the Audio Note Oto has endured for more than three decades. First introduced in 1991 and conceived by founder Peter Qvortrup with engineering by Andy Grove, the Oto was the first amplifier fully developed and manufactured by Audio Note (UK). At the time, the company was already known for the legendary Ongaku integrated amplifier, but the Oto proved that the same philosophy of vacuum tube refinement and musical coherence could be delivered at a far more attainable level. Thirty five years later, the amplifier remains a cornerstone of the company’s lineup.

Now Audio Note (UK) has introduced the Oto SE 35 Integrated Amplifier, the first major technical revision of the design in decades. The anniversary model features a redesigned power supply and a number of bespoke in house components, continuing the company’s long standing belief that the path to better sound starts with controlling every part of the signal chain.

My own history with the brand goes back a long way. One of the strangest and most memorable listening sessions of my life happened in the basement of a Milan hotel during the Top Audio/Video Show in 1999. Late one night, Peter Qvortrup invited a small group of us down to hear one of their reference systems. Alongside me were SoundStage founder Doug Schneider, who I was writing for at the time, and Enjoy the Music’s Steven Rochlin, who somehow has remained my friend for nearly three decades and even attended my first wedding.

The room felt like something out of a Stanley Kubrick film, which became even more surreal when Qvortrup started playing music from the Eyes Wide Shut soundtrack. Kubrick probably would have appreciated the strange atmosphere. What I remember most, however, was the sound of the piano. It was uncannily real. The kind of moment that stays with you long after the show floor noise fades.

I ended up buying a pair of Audio Note entry level components not long after that trip and kept them for years. But like a lot of people who have spent time around the brand, there was always one amplifier I quietly coveted: the Oto.

Audio Note Oto SE 35: A Single Ended Tube Classic Reimagined

The Audio Note Oto SE 35 (starting at $5,950 USD) continues a design philosophy that has remained largely unchanged since the early 1990s, when single ended amplifiers were still considered something of an outlier in the broader hi fi landscape. The new anniversary model is a Class A, parallel single ended pentode design built around EL84 output valves, and it represents the first major technical refresh of the Oto SE platform in decades.

Introduced in February 2026, the Oto SE 35 sits within a wider family of Audio Note integrated amplifiers that includes multiple configurations and component levels, ranging from the P1 SE and P1 SE Signature to the OTO Line SE, OTO Line SE Signature, OTO Line SE Silver Signature, OTO Phono SE, OTO Phono SE Signature, and OTO Phono SE Silver Signature.

For Audio Note founder Peter Qvortrup, the amplifier represents a continuation of a design challenge first set more than three decades ago. “When I set Andy the challenge to design a single ended pentode version of the Oto in the early 90s, single ended amps were a big outlier,” Qvortrup explains. “The Oto and now the Oto SE 35 stand as a testament to our philosophy on timeless quality audio design. We still maintain and service our customers’ Oto’s, making sure they’re good for years to come. This is what true longevity looks like, and that will never change.”

Andy Grove Explains the Oto SE 35 Redesign

Design breakthroughs in hi-fi don’t always arrive after months of simulations and late night engineering marathons. Sometimes the circuit simply clicks into place. That was largely the case when Audio Note Chief Designer Andy Grove first developed the original single ended pentode version of the Oto in the early 1990s.

Grove recalls that the design process for the P1 SE and Oto SE power amplifier section came together surprisingly quickly. Instead of weeks of modeling or experimentation, the work relied mostly on careful calculations and a close reading of valve data sheets to establish the correct operating points and speaker damping characteristics. Like many creative disciplines—architecture, composition, or songwriting—there are moments when a design simply feels right.

He still remembers sketching out the concept in 1991 at the kitchen table in his parents’ home in Suffolk, where his workshop was located at the time. The prototype itself was later built with the help of engineer Claus Molgaard, who was working with Audio Note at the time. Despite limited time to assemble the first unit, the team managed to get the amplifier operational quickly and demo it in the listening room soon afterward. For Grove, it was a nerve wracking moment, but the results proved immediately encouraging.

Over the decades that followed, the Oto SE evolved gradually, with small refinements along the way. A recent special order request from a customer ultimately prompted Grove to revisit the design in a more comprehensive way. The result is the Oto SE 35, which receives a number of meaningful updates intended to bring the amplifier closer to the performance levels of more recent Audio Note designs such as the Meishu.

One of the most significant changes is a new output transformer designed specifically for the Oto SE and wound in house. While not as physically massive as the transformer used in the Meishu Tonmeister, it is engineered to deliver improved low frequency authority and overall control. The power supply has also been redesigned, now incorporating a choke that is likewise designed and manufactured internally by Audio Note. According to Grove, the updated power supply features optimized time constants and several additional tweaks to the power amplifier board itself.

Taken together, these changes are intended to give the amplifier a more convincing sense of weight and impact in the low end. Grove describes the goal as achieving a realistic “bass kick”—the kind of physical presence you feel when hearing a kick drum or bass guitar in a live performance—rather than the overly damped and flattened bass character sometimes associated with transistor designs.

The phono stage has also been redesigned, with increased sensitivity. Combined with the new power supply board, this allows Audio Note to eliminate the line stage that was previously required in earlier phono versions of the amplifier. The change improves phase integrity while also reducing noise.

Additional refinements include a revised internal wiring loom and improved shielding, along with a new in house designed mains transformer that contributes to improvements across the amplifier’s performance envelope. Grove notes that while the Oto SE 35 may not quite reach the performance ceiling of the company’s Meishu Tonmeister, it offers a level of authority and musical engagement that should surprise listeners accustomed to EL84 based designs.

In Grove’s words, the amplifier is not merely about delicate detail or midrange sweetness. It remains an all-round musical and easy to live with amplifier, but one that can deliver a serious sense of drive and attitude when the recording demands it.

From a technical standpoint, the Oto SE 35 delivers 8.2 watts per channel into 8 ohms at 5% THD measured at 1 kHz. Line input sensitivity is rated at 205 millivolts for 8 watts into 8 ohms, while the phono stage requires 2mV for the same output level. Phono hum and noise performance is specified at -100 dB A weighted referenced to 8 volts, indicating extremely low background noise for a valve based design.

The standard Oto SE 35 uses four EL84 output valves and two ECC83 driver valves, while the Signature and Silver Signature versions substitute two E83CC valves in the driver stage. Models equipped with the integrated phono section add ECC83/7025 and 6DJ8 valves to handle the phono amplification duties.

In terms of physical presence, the Oto SE 35 remains a relatively compact integrated amplifier by high end tube standards, though its build quality and transformer mass still give it substantial heft. The unit measures 140 mm (5.5 inches) high, 440 mm (17.3 inches) wide, and 410 mm (16.1 inches) deep, and weighs in at 17 kilograms (about 37.5 pounds), reflecting the heavy transformers and robust internal construction typical of Audio Note designs.

Connectivity is straightforward and very much in keeping with the company’s minimalist philosophy. The amplifier provides five inputs in total, including multiple line level connections and a dedicated Tape In, along with a Tape Outfor recording or integration with external devices. For loudspeaker connections, Audio Note includes separate binding posts for both 4 ohm and 8 ohm speaker loads, allowing the amplifier to be matched more effectively with a wide range of loudspeakers.

For Grove, the anniversary timing feels fitting. As he puts it, being 35 years old was a good age, and the Oto SE appears to be enjoying it just as much.

The Bottom Line

With just 8 watts per channel, the Audio Note Oto SE 35 isn’t about brute force. Pair it with the right high sensitivity loudspeakers, however, and that modest output can deliver a surprising level of intensity and presence. Audio Note has long excelled at getting tone, timing, and the natural flow of music right, which means the amplifier can feel alive even at lower listening levels.

If you’re heading to AXPONA 2026, the Oto SE 35 will be available to hear in person. I can’t speak for everyone else, but after spending time with Audio Note gear over the years, I’m damn excited to hear it again.

For more information: audionote.co.uk/oto-se

Related Reading:

Apple’s exclusive deal for US broadcast rights of Formula 1 was a big shift to streaming from ESPN’s cable coverage of the past, but after the first race (the Australian Grand Prix), it seems to be going well. “The 2026 Formula 1 season on Apple TV is off to a strong start, with fans responding positively and viewership up year over year for the first weekend, exceeding both F1 and Apple expectations,” Apple VP Eddy Cue told The Hollywood Reporter.

Apple didn’t give any ratings or other details, but we can glean some clues from previous data. Last year, ESPN said the Australian GP averaged 1.1 million viewers, way up from the previous record of 659,000 in 2019. If Cue’s comments were accurate, that means Apple TV’s audience was above that, which would be impressive considering that it’s a streaming-only service.

When Apple’s Formula streaming deal was first announced, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was bullish on the deal. “It will allow us to enter in the houses of other people in a different way, in great quality that is very important for us,” he told Racer. Indeed, Apple is pouring resources into it in a way that ESPN never did. That includes advanced tech that offers multiple ways for fans to watch, including Multiview, Podium Viewer, driver cams and 4K Dolby Vision coverage, Cue noted.

Apple has jumped into Formula 1 racing in other other ways as well, taking advantage of a surge in the sport’s popularity aided by Netflix’s series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. The streaming service’s F1 movie starring Brad Pitt did huge box office numbers and is likely to see a sequel. Apple also struck a deal with Netflix on the aforementioned Drive to Survive series to share streaming of the current season eight (which details the F1 2025 championship). That agreement will also allow Netflix to stream the F1 Canadian Grand Prix live, along with Apple TV.

There’s a fun new way to watch YouTube: by channel surfing like a boomer with cable TV. This creative idea comes from London-based developer Steven Irby, who has just launched a web app called Channel Surfer, which presents interesting YouTube videos in an interface resembling a retro-looking TV guide.

In the app, you can browse through different, topic-focused channels and click to tune in as if you were watching live TV.

At launch, there are 40 of these custom-built “channels” to choose from, including those focused on general topics like news, politics, sports, and lifestyle content, as well as a selection of music channels and others with a more tech focus.

The latter group includes channels like “AI & ML,” “Code & Dev,” “Space,” “Retro Tech,” “Tech & Gadgets,” and “Gaming.”

As you move between channels, you join the video being played mid-stream. Meanwhile, the guide informs you of the upcoming content on all the channels and what time of day it will play. You can also scroll ahead to look at programming planned for the next 24 hours.

This makes watching YouTube feel a lot like watching old-school live television — an experience that’s proven popular on free streaming services like Plex, Pluto TV, Tubi, and others, which offer lineups of live channels playing TV shows and movies. YouTube itself, meanwhile, dominates TV streaming in the U.S.

Plus, a small counter at the bottom of the screen tracks how many other people are currently watching YouTube with you.

Irby says he came up with the idea to build a similar experience at the streamers, but for YouTube videos, because finding something to watch can still be a struggle.

“I built Channel Surfer because I’m tired of the algorithms and indecision fatigue,” Irby told TechCrunch. “I miss channel surfing and not having to decide what to watch. I want to just sit and tune into what’s on and not think about what to watch next.”

“My boomer Mom watches cable TV. I want the same, but with my YouTube channels instead. Also, it’s weirdly comforting to know I’m watching with other people,” he said.

The project is one of many new experiments from Irby, a 40-year-old tech industry veteran who has spent the past decade-plus traveling the world.

“I have so much creativity from my long, weird journey. I can’t bear the thought of being a Jira ticket monkey anymore,” he said.

The app seems to be a hit, with Irby noting that Channel Surfer’s brand-new website saw more than 10,000 views on its first day.

• Borderlands 4 Story Pack 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned arrives on March 26
• The paid DLC adds a new Vault Hunter named C4SH and a new zone filled with extra missions
• An update also brings the highly requested shared progression across characters

Gearbox Software has revealed Borderlands 4 Story Pack 1: Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, which will introduce all-new content when it arrives later this month.

The first paid story pack, which the studio is calling its “biggest [downloadable content] DLC yet”, will launch on March 26 and features the all-new Vault Hunter, C4SH the Rogue.

Recently I placed an empty cardboard box in the center of my preschool classroom of 4-year-olds. No label. No instructions. No purpose given. A few years ago, that simple box would have instantly transformed into something magical — a castle, a race car, a pirate ship, a cozy home for tiny animals. Instead, my students stood around it, waiting. One finally asked, “What is it supposed to be?”

In that moment, I realized something deeper than a simple change in play had occurred. When a box is no longer a castle, it isn’t just imagination that is missing, it is wonder. And in a world filled with screens, schedules and endless stimulation, wonder no longer appears on its own. It must now be intentionally restored.

Children today are just as bright, curious and capable as ever. What has changed is the way they engage with the world. Many of my students now hesitate to begin open-ended play without direct instruction. They wait for something to be defined for them instead of defining it themselves.

I often see children repeating lines from television shows or mimicking characters from online videos instead of creating their own stories. The pause before pretend play is longer. The ideas come slower. The confidence to imagine feels weaker.

This is not a sign of laziness or lack of intelligence. It is simply a reflection of the environment they are growing up in, one that is fast paced, highly structured and heavily influenced by screens. When children spend more time consuming content than creating it, the part of the brain responsible for imagination gets less opportunity to grow. Like any skill, imagination weakens when it is not practiced regularly.

Ready-Made Creations

Technology is not the enemy. Screens can teach, connect, entertain and inform. Many children learn letters, numbers, languages and songs through digital tools. But when screens begin to replace play instead of supporting it, something essential begins to disappear.

Screens provide ready-made worlds: characters, voices, sounds, colors and stories are already created. There is nothing left for the child to imagine. They move from being creators to being viewers.

In the past, boredom often led to creativity. A child with “nothing to do” would invent something. A stick became a wand. A blanket became a cape. A cardboard box became a castle. Today, even a few seconds of boredom is quickly filled with a device.

The silence that once gave birth to imagination is replaced by noise, movement and constant stimulation. Over time, children become more comfortable being entertained than entertaining themselves. Wonder does not disappear; it simply falls asleep.

Why Wonder Matters

Imagination is not just child’s play. It is essential to development. When children pretend, they practice:

• communication and language
• emotional expression
• empathy and understanding
• planning and problem-solving
• cooperation and negotiation
• confidence and independence

Wonder teaches children how to think, not just what to think. In a world that demands creativity, adaptability and emotional intelligence, imagination is not optional. It is foundational.

Restoring Wonder — Together

The responsibility to protect imagination does not belong to teachers alone. Nor does it belong only to parents. It lives in the space between them.

Restoring wonder in children requires partnership. When home and school move with the same intention, magic begins to return. Children feel safe enough to imagine freely again. Imagination does not return because we demand it. It returns when the adults in a child’s life agree to protect the space for it together. Here are simple yet powerful ways families and educators can work together:

• Make space for unstructured play. Children need time with no agenda, no instructions, and no screen. Even thirty minutes a day can make a difference.
• Offer open-ended materials. Boxes, fabric, paper, paint, blocks, tape, water, and natural items invite imagination far more than expensive, pre-designed toys.
• Let boredom exist. When a child says “I’m bored,” it is not a problem to fix. It is an invitation to imagine. Instead of offering a screen, try asking: “What could you do?”
• Ask open-ended questions. Instead of correcting, wonder with them: “What is this becoming?” Who lives here?” “What happens next in your story?”
• Create screen-free moments. Choose a time each day when screens are put away. Protect it as imagination time.
• Communicate across home and school. A simple conversation with the teacher helps: “What is my child interested in lately?” “What do you see them creating in class?” “How can we support that at home?”

A Quiet Call Back to Wonder

The world is louder now. Faster. More digital than ever before. But a box is still a box. A child is still a child. And inside every child, a castle is still waiting to be built.

Wonder is not gone. It is waiting.

Waiting for silence. Waiting for time. Waiting for trust. Waiting for space.

Perhaps the real question is not what children have lost, but what we, as adults, are willing to return to them. And maybe the moment we choose to slow down, to listen, and to leave a box unlabeled, we will begin to see castles rising again.

Manna already has a number of commercial tie-ups in Ireland with the likes of Uber, JustEat and Deliveroo.

Manna’s drones are simulating deliveries from Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital to the Connolly Hospital, in a trial that hopes to encourage drone adoption in healthcare.

The trio of partners want to demonstrate the potential in transporting blood and other life-saving medical supplies speedily using small aerial vehicles.

Manna has previously trialled transporting medical supplies with the UK’s National Health Service. According to the business, the trial showed transportation times between the Guy’s Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital in London reduced by 28 minutes when drones were used.

Last year, in a joint project in collaboration with the HSE, the National Ambulance Service and Community First Responders, Manna demonstrated how defibrillators could be delivered to homes much faster using drones than ambulances. While a previous study in Sweden found that drones beat ambulances to the patient 70pc of the time.

“Today’s simulation is a glimpse of that future,” commented Rotunda Hospital’s laboratory manager John O’ Loughlin. “The ability to move blood, samples and other critical supplies between hospitals at speed could transform how we support emergency and planned care in Ireland.”

Manna’s CEO Bobby Healy added: “We’ve proven this technology works at scale. What we’re showing now is how it can be applied in healthcare where minutes matter. Ireland is well-placed to lead the way, and this simulation is about building trust and momentum toward full integration.”

Manna already has a number of commercial tie-ups in Ireland with the likes of Uber, JustEat and Deliveroo to deliver food and other small goods to suburban communities.

Last year, it expanded its focus from Dublin and announced an entry into Cork’s airspace. Overall, it claims to have made more than 250,000 successful deliveries to date.

The 2019-founded company announced a $30m raise last year. Its backers include Tapestry VC, Molten Ventures, Coca-Cola and Dynamo Ventures.

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.