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Product Reviews

Ride1Up TrailRush Electric Mountain Bike Review: Quality Components, Bargain Price

by admin August 31, 2025

Buying a direct-to-consumer bike can be almost as big a gamble as investing in cryptocurrency. While a customer is not likely to lose their shirt investing in a new electric bike, buying a poorly made one may result in a serious crash or catch the garage on fire. For these reasons and more, it’s wise to do some research before clicking on the Add to Cart button.

The highest-end legacy-brand e-MTBs retail for upwards of $14,000. So what do you get for $2,095, the price of Ride1Up’s first-ever electric mountain bike, the TrailRush? At first glance, quite a lot. The California-based company has been around since 2018 and differentiates itself from other direct-to-consumer brands by speccing its bikes with solid components, providing a quality-to-price ratio that it promises “can’t be beat.”

Solid Parts

Photograph: Stephanie Pearson

The TrailRush is a Class III ebike, which means that it doesn’t have a throttle, and the motor maxes out at 28 mph. It’s an aluminum-framed hardtail with a Shimano Deore 10-speed drivetrain, a 120-mm RockShox Judy Silver TK Air Fork, and Tektro Orion Quad Piston brakes—all products with track records that promise solid performance.

It also comes with nice extras, like a 150-mm Exaform dropper seat post and chunky Maxxis Minion tubeless-ready tires that are 29 inches in the front and back—a reasonably priced, high-performance set of tires often preferred by enduro or downhill riders. Interestingly, instead of Presta valves, the tires come with Schrader valves, which is a nice feature if you plan on filling up on air at a gas station.

For e-components, the mid-drive TF Sprinter motor is made by the Brose, the German company that Specialized uses for most of its drive technology. With 90 nm of torque and 250 watts of sustained power, it’s on the low end of force for an electric mountain bike. The 36-volt, 504-watt-hour removable battery runs the length of the down tube and promises 30 to 50 hours of range.

The bike’s front shock has a very big 120 mm of travel, which is common on a cross-country bike, but the frame is overall more relaxed. For example, the size medium frame has a more relaxed riding geometry, with a very long 1,216-mm wheelbase, which gives it more stability. Overall, the TrailRush was built to handle a little bit of everything a trail can throw your way.

Smooth, Quiet Ride

Photograph: Stephanie Pearson

At 57 pounds, the TrailRush is 2 to 12 pounds heavier than the other e-mountain bikes I’ve tested and more than twice the weight of my non-electric cross-country mountain bike. Whether you’re entirely new to mountain biking or amping up your ride from an analog version, it’s imperative to understand that e-MTBs bring great joy, until they run out of battery and you have to push them home. Or, worse, they end up on top of you in a fall, which can be lethal.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Two thrilling horror novels in one

by admin August 31, 2025

Once again (or twice, really, because this book is two novels in one), Stephen Graham Jones delivers on some really gripping, fun horror that spins some classic tropes into something unexpected. This double feature contains The Babysitter Lives and Killer on the Road, the first being a story about a night of babysitting gone horribly, supernaturally wrong on the eve of Halloween, and the latter a road trip from hell situation in which a hitchhiker-targeting serial killer sets his sights on a runaway teen and her friends. The Babysitter Lives was previously available as an audiobook exclusive, so fans may already be familiar with that one.

Killer on the Road hooks you immediately with its “Chapter 0” cold open, which pretty much gives you a sense of how things are going to be from then on out (brutal). It’s wonderful in the gory, stressful, horrifying-but-also-humorous way SGJ does so well. The Babysitter Lives is a brutal and chaotic time, too, and it managed to genuinely give me the creeps when I stayed up way too late reading it. Without giving too much away, something ain’t right about the house this babysitter shows up to work at. These were so fun to read.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Oukitel WP210 rugged phone review

by admin August 30, 2025

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Oukitel WP210: 30-second review

Having seen a few rugged phones, they typically fall into one of two categories: either being excessively bulky to achieve extended battery life, or lightweight with less longevity and features.

Curiously, the Oukitel WP210 strikes a sweet spot between these two positions, making it appealing to a few distinct user groups who might be drawn to its blend of ruggedness, performance, and sleek design.

At a weight of 311g and with a relatively slim 13.7mm profile, sized like a standard phone, this is a design that manages to hide its rugged credentials effectively. Yet it still manages to deliver its IP68 / IP69K / MIL-STD-810H ratings, enabling it to handle harsh environments and even submersion.

From an aesthetics angle, this is a rugged phone that isn’t trying to be a Sci-Fi prop or project a military resilience; its carbon-fibre accents, matte polycarbonate shell, and metal frame give it a modern industrial look.

Available in red, black and grey, for a rugged phone, this design is classy while being understated, which is something many business customers will like. It’s styled to appeal to both outdoor adventurers and business professionals – rugged, but not overbuilt.

It features a high-end MediaTek SoC, making apps and the interface slick and responsive. It comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but alas, no Micro SD card expansion beyond that capacity. The 6.7-inch OLED display delivers intense colours and brightness, while the rear camera cluster features the 108MP Samsung S5KHM6, capturing high-quality images and videos.

Having high-end features such as these comes at a cost, but in this design, the asking price from Oukitel is only $399.99 for US customers, which seems like a bargain.

While it might not be the best rugged phone I’ve tested, it’s certainly one of the best value devices in its category.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Oukitel WP210: price and availability

How much does it cost? $400/£311
When is it out? Available globally
Where can you get it? Direct from the maker or via an online retailer

Oukitel sells the WP210 directly, though not in all regions. Currently, US customers can get it directly for $399.99.

However, it isn’t shown on the UK, French or German sites. I’m also seeing it on Amazon.com for $499.99 and Amazon.co.uk for £351.49. Worldwide, it’s available via Aliexpress, too.

The obvious competitors for the WP210 are the Ulefone Armour 30 Pro and its bigger brother, the WP300.

The Oukitel WP300 has a higher battery capacity, but less RAM, a less powerful SoC, and a lower-quality camera. And, it costs almost the same price. The selling point of the WP300 is its detachable second screen, which doubles as a watch.

The Ulefone Armor 30 Pro features a heavier design at 509g, offering more battery capacity and 16GB RAM, but it comes with a less powerful SoC and a lower-quality camera. If you need longer running, it’s an alternative, but it doesn’t offer the same performance levels as the WP210.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Oukitel WP210: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Item

Spec

CPU:

MediaTek Dimensity 8200 (Octa-core, up to 3.1GHz)

GPU:

Mali-G610 MC6

NPU:

MediaTek NPU 580

RAM:

12GB

Storage:

512GB

Screen:

6.7-inch AMOLED,120Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass 5

Resolution:

1080×2412 pixels

SIM:

2x Nano SIM (no TF)

Weight:

311g

Dimensions:

163.6 × 77.85 × 13.7 mm

Rugged Spec:

IP68 IP69K dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min), MIL-STD-810H Certification

Rear cameras:

108MP Samsung S5KHM6 + 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 macro + 0.3MP depth

Front camera:

32MP Sony IMX615

Networking:

WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3

OS:

Android 15

Battery:

8800 mAh battery (Max 45W charge wired, 10W reverse)

Colours:

Red, Black, Grey

Oukitel WP210: design

Solid construction
No headphone jack
Lacks TF card expansion

What’s great about this phone design is how relatively normal it feels to use. It’s a classic modern Android phone-sized device, slightly thicker than a standard smartphone.

The metal banding about the outside feels solid and secure, and Oukitel provide it out of the box with a solid plastic bumper already mounted.

From a button perspective, there is nothing to see here. It’s the standard layout, featuring a power and audio rocker on one side and a user-customizable button on the other. In this respect, it’s a design that most people could simply pick up and use, rather than needing to adapt.

One nice feature on a phone this affordable is that the fingerprint reader is embedded under the screen, rather than being located on the power button. This makes the phone much easier to use for left-handed users.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

There are a few oddities which aren’t normal, and one of these is that there is no headphone jack, sadly.

However, there is an IR blaster on the top edge, the usefulness of which is undermined by the fact that no corresponding app is provided for its use. I suspect this should have been in the Oukitel Toolbox, but it might work with third-party tools.

Unusually, the SIM tray is next to the USB-C port on the bottom edge, and not the left side. It can accept two Nano SIMs, but it does not have a MicroSD card slot in the tray.

That’s the single biggest disappointment for those who use extra storage, even if Oukitel did give the phone 512GB of space to cushion that blow.

Overall, the WP210 appears designed not to push anything too radical on the customers, and except for the missing MicroSD functionality, it hits all the key areas that most people are looking for in a rugged phone.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 4/5

Oukitel WP210: hardware

MediaTek Dimensity 7050
16000 mAh battery

The MediaTek Dimensity 8200 is a powerful mid-range system-on-chip (SoC) designed to deliver impressive performance and efficiency for smartphones. It features an octa-core CPU, combining high-performance Cortex-A78 cores with energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores, along with a Mali-G610 MP6 GPU for enhanced graphics capabilities.

When compared to other mid-range SoCs, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, the Dimensity 8200 holds its ground with competitive benchmark scores and efficient power consumption. While the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 may have a slight edge in memory bandwidth and higher clock speeds, the Dimensity 8200 offers a balanced performance that caters to both everyday tasks and demanding applications .

Overall, the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 is a solid choice for those seeking a capable and efficient SoC in the mid-range smartphone market, and I’ve seen it previously in the Oukitel WP200 Pro, which, on specification, bears an uncanny resemblance to the WP210.

The WP210 appears to be an externally redesigned WP200 Pro, which, from an economic perspective, makes perfect sense. But the WP200 Pro cost $200 more when it was launched.

Another common feature of the WP200 Pro is the 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, which is rated at 500 nits and features a 120Hz refresh rate.

This display technology offers vibrant colours, deep blacks, and excellent contrast, enhancing the visual experience for users. Additionally, the screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, ensuring durability against scratches and impacts. The high refresh rate provides smooth scrolling and fluid animations, making it ideal for both everyday use and gaming. Overall, the OLED display on the WP210 combines durability with impressive visual quality, making it an excellent choice for those seeking a rugged yet visually appealing smartphone.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The last feature I wish to talk about is the battery, which, by rugged phone standards, is on the modest end of the spectrum. 8800mAh is still about twice what a typical phone has, and as we’ll see later in the benchmarks, it provides decent longevity.

The charging capability is 45W using the included charger of that exact specification, and charging takes about 2.5 hours. It can reverse charge at up to 10W, although in the Oukitel marketing material, it’s shown doing this using an addon that then wirelessly charges a tablet. Given that the tablet would undoubtedly have a USB-C port, that would be an idiotic thing to do, as it would further reduce the efficiency of the power transfer.

There isn’t any wireless charging in the phone, even if it looks like the designer made the underside of the phone intentionally flat for that purpose.

To summarise, the SoC is punchy, the screen is lovely, the battery is big enough for the job, and it charges reasonably quickly.

Oukitel WP210: cameras

108MP, 2MP and 0.3MP sensors on the rear
32MP on the front
Four cameras in total

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Oukitel WP210 has four cameras:

Rear camera: 108MP Samsung S5KHM6SX , 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 macro, 0.3MP Galaxy Core GC032A
Front camera: 32MP Sony IMX615

This is the identical camera configuration as the WP200 Pro, with the main sensor being the 108MP Samsung S5KHM6SX. This 1/1.67-inch format, 108 MP stacked imager boasts a 0.64 µm pixel pitch, ISOCELL 2.0 technology, and Nonacell Bayer RGB colour filters, according to Samsung.

With a whopping 108 megapixels, this sensor is capable of producing incredibly detailed images or can effectively pixel bin to achieve vibrant colours and HDR contrast. The results, especially in outdoor lighting, can be impressive; however, there are times when the focus system appears to target the wrong object in the shot.

One downside is the absence of optical zoom; instead, the digital zoom transitions can feel quite jarring. The rear camera also lacks wide or telephoto sensors, relying on a somewhat lacklustre 2 MP macro sensor and a 0.3 MP sensor for depth effects. Therefore, the main sensor shoulders the majority of the photographic responsibilities. On a positive note, Oukitel has included a comprehensive camera application that features a full PRO mode for manual controls, alongside options for timelapse, slow-motion, night views, and panoramas.

What I would avoid is a feature that the user-defined button offers, which is to switch into underwater mode. While this phone is rated for full submersion for a limited time period, it’s only to a depth of 1.5M, and that could be difficult to control in the ocean or even a pool.

Under the right conditions, images taken are decent, though they might not stand out as extraordinary. But given the price point of this device, the main sensor is a practical choice that is better than some phones that use 50MP sensors.

On the front, the choice of a 32 MP Sony sensor for selfies might seem excessive, especially since it only records at 1080p. It raises questions about the need for such high resolution for 1080p video, but this sensor does manage to capture good-quality images for those who enjoy digital self-portraits.

It’s worth noting that this phone lacks Widevine L1 video encryption, offering only L3. This limitation means that when streaming from primary services like Netflix or Disney+, you’ll only have access to 480p resolution, even with a fast 5G connection.

In short, the cameras are probably better than one might have anticipated, but they lack the optical focus and stabilisations that premium phones offer these days.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Oukitel WP210 Camera samples

Image 1 of 13

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Oukitel WP210: performance

Decent SoC
GPU is game-friendly
Big battery

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Phone

Header Cell – Column 1

Oukitel WP210

Ulefone Armor 30 Pro

SoC

Row 0 – Cell 1

Dimensity 8200

Dimensity 7300X

GPU

Row 1 – Cell 1

Mali-G610 MC6

Mali-G615 MC2

Mem

Row 2 – Cell 1

MediaTek NPU 580

MediaTek NPU 655

NPU

Row 3 – Cell 1

12GB/512GB

16GB/512GB

Weight

Row 4 – Cell 1

311g

509g

Battery

Row 5 – Cell 1

8800

12800

Geekbench

Single

1246

1030

Row 7 – Cell 0

Multi

3968

3269

Row 8 – Cell 0

OpenCL

4310

2509

Row 9 – Cell 0

Vulkan

4736

2502

GFX

Aztec Open Normal

Row 11 – Cell 0

Aztec Vulkan Norm.

Row 12 – Cell 0

Car Chase

Row 13 – Cell 0

Manhattan 3.1

114

PCMark

3.0 Score

13970

11282

Row 15 – Cell 0

Battery

22h 44m

26h 38m

Charge in 30 mins

Passmark

Score

16455

14377

Row 18 – Cell 0

CPU

8490

7142

3DMark

Slingshot OGL

Maxed Out

7238

Row 20 – Cell 0

Slingshot Ex. OGL

Maxed Out

5446

Row 21 – Cell 0

Slingshot Ex. Vulkan

Maxed Out

3814

Row 22 – Cell 0

Wildlife

6023

3284

Row 23 – Cell 0

Nomad Lite

625

360

I chose the Ulefone Armor 30 Pro as the phone to compare with the WP210, because it’s roughly the same price, has a similar profile and also has plenty of RAM and storage.

However, what the 30 Pro lacks is the Dimensity 8200. It uses the Dimensity 7300X instead, and the difference is striking in terms of performance. In many graphical tests, the WP210 is twice the speed of the Armor 30 Pro, and even in pure computing benchmarks, it has about a 20% edge.

Where the Armor 30 Pro is advantaged is with its battery capacity, which is 45% bigger.

However, the flip side of that win, and its increased longevity, is that it takes twice as long to charge the battery, and the battery life wasn’t 45% longer. When you also consider the weight difference, the WP210 is a much better option unless total running time is your only criterion.

Overall, the WP210 delivers the same excellent user experience as its WP200 Pro brother, with the exception that it has more storage and RAM. But the price difference between them makes the WP210 a better value, as it does in comparison to the Ulefone Armor 30 Pro.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Oukitel WP210: Final verdict

There is plenty to like in the WP210, as it manages to magically provide a decent battery life and a punch processor without being the size and weight of a house brick.

Those aspects, along with the OLED screen and 108MP camera, should bring the WP210 plenty of attention, and the mid-range pricing should seal the deal.

I don’t understand why Oukitel left the SD card option from the card slot, or why this is a dramatically more powerful phone than the WP300, but these are mysteries that only the designers at Oukitel could answer.

Overall, for those who want a well-built mid-range rugged phone, you could do substantially worse than the WP210, which surprised this reviewer at numerous points.

It’s also an excellent choice for anyone who fancied the WP200 Pro but didn’t like the price, as it is roughly the same phone with less storage and RAM for a significant cost reduction.

If there is a question mark over this device, it’s the level of support that Oukitel is likely to provide throughout the product’s life. My review phone came with Android 15 installed and a June security update, but it’s worth flagging the trade-off between upfront cost and lifecycle reliability. Only time will tell, but Oukitel is not known for timely Android version upgrades or regular security patches, and its customer service is also not a strong point.

These points are equally applicable to the majority of Chinese rugged phone makers; however, it’s worth noting that two to three years is the typical life cycle of these products, and beyond that point, they are often no longer supported.

Should I buy a Oukitel WP210?

Swipe to scroll horizontallyOukitel WP210 Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Affordable for a phone with these specs

4/5

Design

Not much heavier than an ordinary phone, but rugged and well-featured

4/5

Hardware

Gorgeous OLED screen, 512GB of storage, but no TF expansion

4/5

Camera

Excellent main sensor, slightly undermined by a lack of anti-shake on video capture

4/5

Performance

GGreat performance and decent battery life

4/5

Overall

A practical and effective design that many will love

4/5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also Consider

For more ruggedized devices, we’ve reviewed the best rugged tablets, the best rugged laptops, and the best rugged hard drives

Oukitel WP210: Price Comparison

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Space Station in Astroneer: Megatech expansion

Product Reviews

Astroneer is getting an expansion that’ll let you build huge megastructures

by admin August 30, 2025

ASTRONEER – Megatech DLC Teaser Trailer – YouTube

Watch On

Approaching its tenth year out, exploration and crafting hit Astroneer shows no signs of slowing down as developer System Era Softworks has announced a new full, paid expansion called Astroneer: Megatech. It’s due out this November, with an accompanying free update, and will bring a new scale of construction to your exploratory infrastructure.

“Unlock the ability to build massive Megastructure projects that will test your base building skills through the use of both new and existing technology. Harness the power of Megatech to take base building and automation to a whole new level,” says developer System Era Softworks.

The free update will introduce a cargo system, an interplanetary transport network designed to ferry resources from one base to another without your little astroneer personally leading the charge and unloading everything. It’ll be a huge boon for those who loved Astroneer’s previously-added automation features.

The others, however, look pretty mysterious. One in concept art is some kind of massive greenhouse-like structure with a glass roof. Another is a deliciously vague giant bulb of a building that looks like it eats entire resource canisters for breakfast and puts them to work on some kind of giant… wheel… thing.

The last one I’ve spotted is the admittedly obvious one: A huge ring platform built around the small moon of one planet. There’s a lot going on there, but it’s clearly meant to be a central, space-based platform for your operations to work out of. Which is cool as hell, to be honest, but will probably take a boatload of resources to complete. For my part, I’m wondering if it’s mobile. Do those look more like engines or asteroid grabbers to you?

You can find Astroneer: Megatech on Steam, where it’s supposed to release in November. If you haven’t had the pleasure of Astroneer-ing, well, it’s apparently 67% off until September 8.

If you missed it, earlier this year System Era Softworks announced its next game, the Astroneer-adjacent-but-not-a-sequel Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions. It’s to be a “a multiplayer voyage of discovery.” System Era has apparently enlisted a second studio, Red Kite Games, to assist with Astroneer’s continued development while they also work on Starseeker. Red Kite Games previously worked on Fall Guys and Two Point Hospital. You can read more about that in System Era’s Astroneer: Megatech blog.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Disney Gives New Looks at ‘Toy Story 5,’ ‘Zootopia 2,’ and More

by admin August 30, 2025

Originality is still alive at Disney, and it’s taking the form of 2026’s Hexed.

Unveiled during the studio’s Destination 23 event, the Walt Disney Animation Studios film from Zootopia and Raya and the Last Dragon artist Josie Trinidad and Moana 2 co-director Jason Hand centers on “an awkward teenage boy and his Type – A mom,” per the logline. When they discover his oddness is actually magic powers manifesting, they learn of a secret world of magic that’ll forever transform their lives. (A premise Disney’s familiar with, as it’s similar to its Disney Channel series The Owl House.) Look for Hexed to hit the big screen in November 2026.

Coming to theaters in Fall 2026, Disney’s #Hexed is an all-new original film that follows an awkward teenage boy and his Type – A mom, who discover that what makes him unusual, might just be magical powers that will turn their lives and a secret world of magic, upside down.… pic.twitter.com/wGEM3gNkor

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) August 30, 2025

Separate from Hexed, Disney also announced Blue Sky’s Ice Age franchise will return with its sixth main installment, Burning Point. Developed by 20th Century Animation, the new film will see the cast of the previous films return in their respective roles for “a dinosaur-and-lava-filled madcap adventure that takes Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Scrat and the rest of the herd to visit never-before-seen corners of the treacherous Lost World.” Burning Point is set to release February 5, 2027.

In the more immediate future, Disney showed the audience scenes from Zootopia 2, Toy Story 5, and Hoppers. Toy Story and Zootopia featured new cast members—Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants for the former; Patrick Warburton and Yvette Nicole Brown as Mayor Winddancer and the Bearoness for the latter—and Hoppers got three clips to show off. Zootopia 2 is due out November 26, followed by Hoppers on March 5, 2026 and Toy Story 5 on June 19, 2026.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

13 Best Android Phones of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

by admin August 30, 2025

Other Phones to Consider

We test a ton of Android phones. We like the ones below, but you’ll be better off with one of the options above. If you haven’t yet done so, check out our Best Cheap Phones and Best Folding Phones guides for more.

Google Pixel 9 series

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Google Pixel 9 series for $599+: The Pixel 9 series (9/10, WIRED Recommends) from 2024 is still a great buy if you can find them on sale. The Pixel 9 is similar to the Pixel 9a but with better build quality and larger camera sensors. The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL have the 5X optical camera and the vapor chamber cooling, among other perks. The key is to make sure you avoid paying MSRP. These have dipped fairly often in price during sale events, and now, as stock gets cleared, you can probably find a killer deal if you hold out.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 for $1,100: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip7 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) got some great upgrades over its predecessor, but it wasn’t enough to dethrone the Razr Ultra 2025 as my top flip phone pick. Still, it’s worth considering if you’re shopping for a folding phone of this category, because the cameras are solid, the displays are excellent and larger than ever, and the cover screen is a little more useful (though not as versatile as on Motorola’s phone). Battery life is even worse here over the Fold7, so snag a power bank while you’re at it.

Galaxy S25 Edge

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge for $950: Samsung’s latest innovation is to slim down the smartphone to an amazingly thin 5.8 mm. That’s not as impressive as phones from the past, but the Galaxy S25 Edge (6/10, WIRED Recommends) is still impressive when you hold this lightweight 6.7-inch phone in your hand. It maintains several features from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, except there’s no S Pen stylus, no telephoto cameras whatsoever, and battery life is not good at all for a phone of this size and price. I routinely had to keep it topped up throughout the day. But if you’re an average to light user, you may find it sufficient, and maybe you’ll be able to appreciate the thin and light size even more.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Nothing Phone (3a) for $379 and Phone (3a) Pro for $459: Here’s another well-rounded smartphone that doesn’t have an exorbitant price. The Nothing Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are sub-$500 Android phones, and they are both fantastic. They’re identical in every way except the cameras, where the Pro model has a slight advantage in zoom and low-light capabilities. I think the Phone (3a) looks nicer and is a better value. Run through the list of specs and you’ll be hard-pressed to find fault with the hardware. The display is wonderfully smooth with its 120-Hz refresh rate, and it’s no struggle to see in the sun. Performance is snappy, battery life is reliable, and the camera quality is decent for the money. There are some drawbacks—these phones are only IP64-rated, so don’t drop them in the pool. There’s no wireless charging, and connectivity isn’t seamless. While it’ll work best on T-Mobile, you’ll only get 4G on Verizon and AT&T until you ask the carriers to whitelist the device for 5G access. That process is sure to be frustrating.

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE for $650: Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE is a better buy now that the flagship Galaxy S24 series is harder to find for sale. It’s a perfectly capable smartphone with a triple-camera array (including a 3X telephoto camera), and it delivers good performance. It has wireless charging, is IP68 water resistant, and has solid day-long battery life. It’s a shame the design’s a bit drab. It’s worth pointing out that we’re coming up on a year since the S24 FE launched, so expect an S25 FE real soon.

Moto G Power 2025

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola Moto G Power 2025 for $300: The new Moto G Power (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t as great as its predecessor, and that comes down to one reason: Due to a lesser chipset, there’s a slight hit in performance, and it feels a bit more sluggish to use. However, the performance is good enough that you won’t feel frustrated. Outside of this, it’s a remarkable $300 phone. The green faux leather back exudes luxury, and it’s nice and slim. The cameras are solid, and the 6.8-inch LCD screen has a 120-Hz screen refresh rate and gets plenty bright. Best of all, the company retained the wireless charging it debuted in last year’s model, making it one of the only sub-$300 phones with this convenience. Another area of improvement? It’s IP68/69-rated, so you won’t have to baby this phone near a pool; it can handle a dip just fine. Motorola has also extended software updates on the Moto G series, promising two Android OS upgrades, with the same three years of security updates. There’s a fair amount of bloatware, but you can remove most of these preinstalled apps.

Minimal Phone

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Minimal Phone for $399: Having trouble curbing your screen time? Instead of going cold turkey with something like the Light Phone III, try the Minimal Phone (6/10, WIRED Review). This is an e-paper Android phone with a physical keyboard. The goal is to let you access the usual Android apps, but because the screen is ill-suited to videos and most social media, you’ll naturally be able to avoid those distractions. It’s successful in this task, but the constant screen ghosting and plasticky build dampen the experience.

Mobile Accessories You Might Need

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

We have case recommendations for a few popular devices, like Samsung’s Galaxy S25, Galaxy S24, and Galaxy S23, or Google’s Pixel 9 series. It’s smart to slap a case on these glass sandwiches and even a screen protector to keep the display free of scuffs and scratches. Here are a few other noteworthy accessories, including charging adapters, which many phones don’t include anymore. Read our Best USB-C Cables guide for other recommendations.

Anker 45-Watt Charger for $28: This tiny charger will be enough for most people to charge most smartphones. It’s compact, reliable, and cheap, plus the prongs fold up. More smartphones than ever can go up to 45-watt charging speeds, so take advantage with a 45-watt charger.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Counterpart Retractable The Charger for $44: It’s not the best value, but this design-forward charger has a retractable 4-foot cable that makes it a fantastic two-in-one—no need to pack a separate charger and cable! It outputs 35 watts, which is plenty to fast-charge most phones and tablets, and the prongs fold in for travel.

Peak Design Samsung and Pixel Everyday Case for $50: If you have a Samsung or Pixel phone and you frequently mount your phone to a bike or scooter, you owe it to yourself to snag this case and Peak Design’s bike mount. The case snaps perfectly into the mount, is dead simple to release, and has yet to fall off after years of riding. Peak Design also sells several other accessories you can attach to the back of these cases, bringing Android into Apple’s MagSafe ecosystem.

Nimble Champ Portable Charger 10,000 mAh for $60: This portable battery is small enough to leave in a bag but has enough power to fully recharge your phone once or twice. There’s a USB-C and USB-A port; it delivers 18 watts of power, so it can recharge your tablet or phone, and it’s housed in 73 percent post-consumer plastic with plastic-free packaging.

Nomad ChargeKey V2 for $29: When your phone dies, it’s almost always when you forget to bring a charger or battery pack. The ChargeKey is a nifty solution—it’s like clipping a tiny USB-C charging cable to your keychain. Just plug one end into your phone and the other into any kind of power source (a friend’s phone or a charging adapter if you manage to find one), and you can top up your phone. Native Union also has a similar item that’s cuter but nearly as capable.

Choose a Wireless Charger: Our guide to the best wireless chargers includes dozens of models in varying colors, shapes, and materials, and even some designed for specific phones. Not every Android phone supports wireless charging, but it’s a luxury you’ll want to take advantage of. Take a gander at our guide for our favorites.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

xAI sues an ex-employee for allegedly stealing trade secrets about Grok

by admin August 30, 2025

xAI doesn’t want its secret recipe for Grok to get out, and it’s filing a lawsuit to make sure of that. In a lawsuit filed earlier this week, xAI claimed that former employee Xuechen Li stole the company’s confidential info and trade secrets before joining the team at OpenAI.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company also alleged that Li copied documents from an xAI company laptop to at least one of his personal devices. According to the suit, Li stole “cutting-edge AI technologies with features superior to those offered by ChatGPT and other competing products. This confidential info could result in a potential edge for rival companies in the AI market and “could save OpenAI and other competitors billions in R&D dollars and years of engineering effort,” xAI said in the lawsuit. The company behind Grok accused Li of taking “extensive measures to conceal his misconduct,” including renaming files, compressing files before uploading them to his personal devices and deleting browser history.

The lawsuit added that Li asked xAI to buy back company shares that were given as part of his compensation package, totaling approximately $7 million, before leaving the company to join OpenAI. xAI is asking the courts to file a temporary restraining order that forces its former employee to give up access to any personal devices or online storage services and return any confidential material to the company. On top of that, xAI wants to temporarily block Li from working at OpenAI or any other competitor until the company has recovered all of its trade secrets.

xAI’s lawsuit comes amidst a major talent war between leading AI companies looking for top researchers. These AI researchers are highly sought after, with competitors offering up to $250 million pay packages in attempts to poach them from their current companies. Beyond the AI talent war, Musk and xAI recently sued OpenAI and Apple, claiming the two companies are working together to maintain a monopoly on the AI market.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Segway Navimow X3 Series robot mower review: ultra-speedy, super-accurate and a dream to control

by admin August 30, 2025

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Segway Navimow X3 Series: two-minute review

The Segway Navimow X3 Series robot lawn mowers are built specifically for sizeable lawns. And when I say sizeable, I mean sizeable – the range covers lawns from 0.5 acres / 1,500 square meters right up to a massive 2.5 acres / 10,000 square meters. To make them suitable for such vast spaces, these bots are designed to operate quickly, efficiently and accurately, with batteries capacious enough to allow for long mowing periods, without having to make the arduous journey back to the dock to recharge.

To see if this lawnbot could deliver on these promises, I sought out the largest yard I knew of. The lawn at my sister’s home, measures around 1,000 square meters / 0.25 acre (although Segway sent me the X350, which is designed for even larger areas still). The first thing I was struck by is the speed of the mower. It rolls along at quite the pace, navigating with confidence, even when traversing under trees.

The lawnbot itself is really quite large (and the same size as the other X3 Series models), but if you have a lawn big enough to need one, that’s not going to matter so much. It feels solid and high quality, with a friendly orange and grey color scheme and slightly retro-feeling dot-matrix screen to provide key information.

(Image credit: Future)

A big reason as to why the experience of using the Segway Navimow X3 Series is so enjoyable is down to the design of the companion app. It’s intuitive to use, walking you clearly through all the steps required to complete each process, and providing background information – rather than leaving you to figure things out by yourself. There are plenty of setting options to explore, and planning a schedule is straightforward.

In terms of performance, I had no issues. Throughout the test period, the bot behaved exactly as I’d hoped, mowing neatly and within boundaries, taking a logical route and never missing any spots. It also reliably avoided medium (soccer ball-sized) obstacles, although it did mow over a satsuma-sized ball (understandable, given it was sitting below camera height). Since this bot is two-wheel drive rather than four-wheel, it might struggle with especially rough terrain; but for the average yard, it will be absolutely fine.

Overall, a very strong recommendation for those looking for an efficient, fuss-free mower to take care of larger lawns. That’s the short version; read on for my full Segway Navimow X3 Series review.

Segway Navimow X3 review: price & availability

List price: from $2,299 / £2,199
Available: US, UK, AU
Launched: Spring 2025

The Segway Navimow X3 Series was unveiled in spring 2025, and is available to buy in various countries including the US, UK and Australia. You can only purchase direct from Segway Navimow in the US, and in general these lawnbots aren’t stocked widely online (you won’t be adding one to your Amazon Prime order). Instead, you might need to check the Segway Navimow site for distributors local to you.

When it comes to pricing, brace yourself: the Segway Navimow X3 Series doesn’t come cheap. The cheapest in the lineup costs $2,299 / £2,199 at list price, and the priciest is $4,999 / £4,299. That’s a significant investment, and if you don’t have a large yard – or a yearning for ultra-speedy mowing – there are plenty more affordable alternatives. However, for those in need of large-scale mowing, the Navimow’s pricing isn’t too far away from what you’d pay elsewhere on the market.

Let’s say you want something for a 1-acre / 3,000m² lawn. The Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD 3000 costs $2,499 / £2,549 at list price, and the Navimow X330 is $2,799 / £2,599. The LUBA 2 has slightly more advanced features all round, including all-wheel drive and two cutting decks, which makes it a better-value buy at full price. Nevertheless, both are excellent, advanced, high-quality lawnbots.

Overall, my experience with the Navimow X3 series was extremely positive, and it felt well built and thoughtfully designed, so I think for large lawns it’s worth the investment.

Value for money score: 4 out of 5

Segway Navimow X3 specs

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Segway Navimow X350 (reviewed)

Segway Navimow X315 (cheapest)

Recommended lawn size:

1.5 acres / 5,000m²

0.5 acre / 1,500㎡

Cutting width:

9.3in / 23.7cm

Cutting height:

0.8-2.8in / 2-7cm

Drivetrain:

2-wheel drive

Incline ability:

50% / 27 degrees

Waterproof:

IP66

Lawnbot size (L x W x H):

27.5 x 21.7 x 12.1in / 69.8 x 55 x 30.7cm

Lawnbot weight:

43.7 lbs / 19.8kg

43.2 lbs / 19.6kg

Charge time:

80 mins

60 mins

Mowing time per charge:

200 mins

120 mins

Cutting blades:

Segway Navimow X3 review: design

Available in versions with different batteries for different lawn sizes
On-bot info via a screen, and cameras on three sides for obstacle avoidance
Comes with RTK receiver (option to add a second) and charge station

The Segway Navimow X3 Series is a big bot for big lawns. There are a few options in the lineup, all of which are identical in design and specs, except the ones at the top end of the range have a bigger battery and as such are suitable for larger areas. These are the options:

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Model

Recommended mowing area

Runtime per charge

Charge time

X315

0.5 acre / 1,500m²

120 mins

60 mins

X330

1 acre / 3,000m²

160 mins

65 mins

X350 (tested)

1.5 acres / 5,000m²

200 mins

80 mins

X390

2.5 acres 10,000m²

240 mins

100 mins

Moving on to the lawnbot itself, and the brand has opted for a friendly look, with a dark gray and bright orange color scheme, and a dot matrix screen to provide key information in real time. On test I found this limited in its practical usefulness, although it is quite fun. There are physical buttons for Go, On/OK and Return to charge, plus a big emergency stop button. However, for the most part you’ll be controlling the bot via the companion app, which I’ll cover in detail in a separate App section below (there’s also support for voice control via Alexa or Google Home, if you prefer).

(Image credit: Future)

The Navimow X350 is rather large, and for the times you might need to manually maneuver it, Segway has added a big handle around the rear of the bot. Unfortunately, there’s no grip area at the front – so unless you stick your hand in the charge slot, which goes against an important lesson I learned as a toddler, you’ll need to make do with crouching and dragging rather than picking it up.

It’s fairly common for modern lawnbots to come equipped with a camera for object identification and avoidance, but the X3 Series has not one, but three: one at the front and one on either side, delivering a 300-degree field of view. Alongside one of the side-mounted cameras you’ll find an Expansion Bay section, where you can attach add-ons. There’s an edge trimmer attachment that already exists in a few countries (I didn’t test this), and open API access means if you have the skills, you can create your own additions.

Also hidden somewhere on the top is a compartment for a tracker, should you wish to add one for added security reasons (there’s also an out-of-bounds alarm, lift alerts and GPS tracking to guard against theft).

(Image credit: Future)

There are two main wheels, plus two smaller wheels at the front. Since this bot is a two-wheel drive machine, it isn’t designed for very uneven terrain, although it can still handle slopes up to 50%, and will be more than up to handling the average yard (or football field).

Flip it over and you’ll find the cutting deck, which consists of six blades mounted on a rotating disc, which can be raised or lowered automatically via the app (it can cut at heights of 0.8-2.8in / 2-7cm). The whole thing is designed to avoid the mechanism becoming clogged up with cuttings. Like most lawnbots, there’s no grass collection here – instead you’re meant to use it regularly enough that the tiny cuttings end up mulching back into the lawn. The Navimow delivers a generous cutting width of 9.3in / 23.7cm.

(Image credit: Future)

Additional components

The X3 Series is at least partially reliant on satellites for navigation, so in the box you also get an RTK receiver to improve the accuracy of the satellite information. You’ll need to find a good spot for this – ideally it needs to sit somewhere high up, with a wide, uninterrupted view of the sky. Since I was only borrowing this machine, I just stuck it on the provided lawn-mount spike, and it worked remarkably well even in this sub-optimal position, as you’ll learn in the Performance section. You can purchase a secondary antenna to act as backup if you have an especially large lawn.

(Image credit: Future)

You’re also provided with a charge station, where your lawnbot will return to juice up. This needs to sit on flat ground, with access to a power source.

The lawnbot is IP66 rated, which means it’s resistant to both water (everything apart from complete submersion) and dust. Even so, I tend to think a plastic garage roof is a good idea for a little extra protection from the elements in the long term.

(Image credit: Future)

Features

Let’s look quickly at what’s going on under the hood. Like most modern lawnbots, the X3 Series doesn’t require boundary wires, but instead uses a combination of RTK satellite navigation, cameras and sensors to find its way around (here’s more on how lawnbots navigate, if you’re interested).

To ensure the bot always knows where it is, even when being used on a palatial lawn, Segway has introduced a number of navigation upgrades. The RTK system has been improved and can apparently deliver 40% better observation, to keep it moving in potential blind spots such as narrow pathways or under rooftops.

(Image credit: Future)

Inside, two complementary wayfinding systems work together to help the bot find its way about: VSLAM, which relies on recognizable visual cues; and VIO, which is great for new, featureless areas. All of that, added to the wide field of view provided by the three onboard cameras, should mean this bot is an absolute pro when it comes to navigation.

Segway Navimow X3 review: performance

Neat, thorough and very speedy mowing
Confident, accurate navigation, even under trees
Strong obstacle avoidance, although can’t spot very small items

Let’s start with setup, which I found fairly painless. There’s a bit of self-assembly required of the base station and RTK receiver, but if you hook up the app first then it walks you through the process quite clearly (there’s also a paper instruction booklet, if you prefer). The app also guides you through the mapping process.

My test lawn has unclear boundaries and tree coverage, so I opted to create a map manually, by remote-controlling around the perimeter of the area I wanted mowing and then editing the results in-app. I found the process straightforward. If you have a very simple lawn, you’d use AI Assist Mapping, where the bot will automatically map the area for you.

The first thing I was struck by when I started mowing was how speedy the Navimow proved. I was promised efficiency, and the Segway Navimow has delivered. The X3 rolls confidently along at an impressive pace compared to other bots I’ve tested.

I mostly used the Standard speed for my tests, but bumped it up to Efficient at one point but couldn’t really notice a difference. The app states that it’s 0.2m/s faster in this mode, which would be noticeable over time if you were mowing an especially large lawn.

(Image credit: Future)

I was also very impressed by navigation. My test lawn has a number of large trees, which I thought might cause the X3 to get lost – especially given the RTK receiver was just stuck in the ground, rather than elevated above the trees and buildings, as it really should be. However, all the test-runs were free of issues. The bot made its way around confidently, covering the full lawn in a logical pattern. It also accurately avoided a no-mow zone I’d set up in the center of the lawn, on a patch of ground that had recently been re-sown with grass seed. I guess whatever Segway Navimow has done to “improve the RTK performance by 40%” has worked.

(Image credit: Future)

I also ran a couple of specific object avoidance tests by placing large (a toddler’s ride-on car), medium (soccer ball) and small (a tangerine-sized ball) obstacles in the X3’s path. It had no issues spotting the car or football, duly skirting around each one, even when I kicked the football about to try to confuse it, but the smallest ball met a grizzly end beneath the X3’s blades.

We’ve yet to test a lawnbot at TechRadar that can spot small obstacles such as this, so it isn’t a particular failing on Segway Navimow’s part. However, it’s worth noting if you have, for example, a dog that likes to poo in your yard, and you don’t want to spend an afternoon cleaning it out of wheel crevices.

Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Segway Navimow X3 review: app

Lots of useful explanations and info, with diagrams
Plenty of fine-adjustment options
Well laid out and easy to navigate

From the off, I was super-impressed with the Segway Navimow app. It provides plenty of information and clear explanations – often with diagrams – to walk you through everything from setup to how to map. Other lawnbot apps I’ve tested use opaque language and leave you to mostly figure things out for yourself, which can be especially confusing if it’s your first robot lawn mower.

(Image credit: Segway Navimow / Future)

Here, however, everything is logically laid out and easy to navigate. There are also plenty of options to fine-tune your mowing. There’s a straightforward schedule-maker, where you can select days, times and zones for cutting. You can also choose between three mowing speeds (Quiet, Standard and Efficient) and grass length (20-70mm, in increments of 5mm).

(Image credit: Segway Navimow / Future)

There’s a section for Map management, where you can split, add or remove sections, or add no-go zones (or, as Segway Navimow whimsically calls them, “BioLife Islands”). It will let you select where you want to start on the map, with the bot cleverly driving itself over to your chosen spot, and then the app will guide you to drive the new boundary line using remote control. I found this process straightforward and logical – again, not always a given.

Segway Navimow also offers a range of “Advanced” features, too. There’s an “Animal friendly” mode that will see the bot stop if it spots an animal and take a new route so as not to disturb it, rather than just skirting around it. You can also toggle on “Traction control” for particularly muddy or challenging terrain.

Should you buy the Segway Navimow X3 Series?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Very much a premium lawnbot, but performance and features help justify the investment.

4 / 5

Design

Rather large, well-built lawnbot with RTK station and charge dock. Two-wheel drive and cameras to the front and both sides, plus a dot matrix screen on the bot itself.

5 / 5

Performance

Neat, fast, efficient mowing. Confident navigation even in challenging conditions, and solid obstacle avoidance (bar very small objects).

4.5 / 5

App

Extremely usable and well designed, with plenty of useful, clear information.

5 / 5

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Segway Navimow X3 review: alternatives to consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Segway Navimow X330

Mammotion Luba 2 3000

Mammotion Yuka Mini S (US) / Yuka Mini 600 (UK)

Recommended lawn size:

1 acre / 3,000m²

0.15 acres / 600㎡

Cutting width:

9.3in / 23.7cm

15.7in / 40cm

7.5in / 19cm

Cutting height:

0.8-2.8in / 2-7cm

1-2.7in / 2.5-7cm

0.8-2.4in / 2-6cm

Drivetrain:

Two-wheel drive

All-wheel drive

Two-wheel drive

Incline ability:

50% / 27 degrees

80% / 38 degrees

50% / 27 degrees

Waterproof:

IP66

IPX6

Lawnbot size (L x W x H):

27.5 x 21.7 x 12.1in / 69.8 x 55 x 30.7cm

27.2 x 20.2 x 27.3in / 69 x 51.3 x 27.3cm

20.7 x 16.3 x 11.1in / 52.5 x 41.3 x 28.1cm

Lawnbot weight:

43.7 lbs / 19.8kg

41 lbs / 18.6kg

23.4 lbs / 10.6kg

Charge time:

65 mins

120 mins

90 mins

Mowing time per charge:

160 mins

190 mins

55 mins

Cutting blades:

How I tested the Segway Navimow X3

I tested the X350 model of the Segway Navimow X3 Series. I used it for several weeks in the garden of my sister’s home. The test lawn measures around 1,000 square meters, and has unclear borders and several large trees. I set up the bot myself from scratch, following the instructions in the app, including constructing the charge station and RTK receiver. I mapped the lawn into different mowing zones and added no-mow areas. I assessed the lawnbot based on the neatness and speed of mowing, accuracy of navigation, and general ease of use. I also explored the different options in the app to see the extent to which I could fine-tune settings, and ran object avoidance tests using different-sized obstacles. I then compared all of my findings to other lawnbots I’ve used, while also weighing everything up against the price to gauge whether the bot offers good value for money.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2025

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

I tried to save the USSR in 1985 with a hip Gen Z leader and all I got for my trouble was a drunk population and total national bankruptcy

by admin August 30, 2025

I am, as is well-known, an absolute sicko for any videogame that lets me conjure up some fabulous alternate history. Crusader Kings: what if Novgorod conquered Muscovy? Europa Universalis: what if Ethiopia became the beating, imperial heart of the world economy? Hearts of Iron 4: what if any of WW2’s key players were replaced by someone only loosely aware of what a tank is (I am not good at Hearts of Iron 4)?

But the king of the alt-history genre isn’t Paradox. Not for me, anyway. It’s the ramshackle assortment of socialism sims made by Nostalgames, whose main stock-in-trade is political sims that put you in charge of historical communist states—the USSR, China, the DDR, and so on—at moments of crisis. Of which there were many.

(Image credit: Nostalgames)

I’ve actually written one of those before—China: Mao’s Legacy, where I attempted to go full Gang of Four on China in the period immediately following Mao Zedong’s death, only to get put on trial for my trouble. I love these games, but I wasn’t kidding about them being ramshackle. They’re creaky, ungainly things. The UI is ugly, the mechanics are badly explained, and the English is lacking. Actually, it’s downright incomprehensible at times.

Which is why I got very excited when I realised there was a new one and it looked a lot slicker than any of Nostalgames’ previous efforts in the genre. Crisis In The Kremlin: The Cold War feels more remake than sequel, which is only appropriate, since 2017’s Crisis In The Kremlin (also by Nostalgames) was itself a remake of an old ’90s Microprose game of the same name. Everything is much the same: pick a leader in 1985, decide a goal, off you go. But now, the UI is a bit nicer and the English is much better.

Anyway, I decided what the Soviet Union of 1985 needed was a hip, Gen Z leader to unite everyone.

(Image credit: Nostalgames)

Unbreakable union of freeborn republics

Not literally Gen Z, mind you. For one thing, the USSR didn’t survive long enough to experience TikTok. But in spirit, I wanted to embody all the radicalism that I’d embodied with my Mao’s Legacy character in a new, Soviet context, and I didn’t just want to go turbo-Stalin again.

Anyway, I decided what the Soviet Union of 1985 needed was a hip, Gen Z leader to unite everyone.

That in mind, I toddled over to the game’s new create-a-vozhd tool (the game doesn’t call it that, but it should) and created a 35-year-old woman named Cool Greg*. Cool Greg was unanimously selected by the Central Committee to serve as the USSR’s paramount leader. She was also an alcoholic party intriguer. She contained multitudes, our Cool Greg.

My goal, really, was to see if nu-Crisis In The Kremlin had a sufficient level of polish that I could now recommend it without caveats. Even I, who played a fair chunk of the old game, sometimes struggled to navigate it.

The answer is, frankly, yes. Everything is entirely legible now, and Cool Greg’s programme of aggressive reform got off to a very good start. I thought the most Gen Z thing I could do would be to get everyone an iPad, so I immediately set our national research to focus on the cyberneticisation of the planned economy. I also waged war on the fuddy-duddy factions that congealed in the Central Committee like black mould: out with the conservatives and moderates. In with the liberal democrats and neo-Stalinists.

(Image credit: Nostalgames)

This was rather like trying to base my power on dogs and cats simultaneously, but it went pretty well for a while there. Crisis In The Kremlin is heavily event-driven, a bit like a Paradox game. You can dip into different screens to make decisions and take votes, but for the most part, you’re accelerating through the years and waiting for the game to throw circumstances at you. One of the earliest is choosing your right-hand man, a later one concerns your response to America’s SDI program, others make you pick a side in the Iran-Iraq War, and so on.

I did not intentionally try to blow it. I wanted to pick fun extremes, sure—a lot of events will give you some namby-pamby third-way option that doesn’t change much of anything—but if I noticed my funds were in the red or that the world was teetering eerily close to nuclear war, I tried to push things the other way.

(Image credit: Nostalgames)

Alas, the constant veering between two polar extremes of Soviet internal and foreign policy did not, somehow, result in an ironclad domestic stability. Washington didn’t know what to expect: one day I’d call up all fire and brimstone, the next I’d be unilaterally abolishing half my nuclear arsenal. I veered between supporting Iraq and Iran and alternated between supreme thriftiness and ‘turn on the money hose’-level spending. About the only firm policy I committed and stuck to was dramatically increasing the national supply of cheap vodka. This did not help.

By the end of 1986, the USA was one DEFCON rank away from worldwide nuclear war, and the Soviet coffers were bare. Also, everyone was trashed. I was unceremoniously deposed from power and probably replaced by world-famous Pizza Hut spokesperson Mikhail Gorbachev.

Mine was not a glorious reign, but unlike in every prior Nostalgames’ title, I knew what every decision I made meant as I was making it. For an alt-history sicko like me, that’s absolutely enormous news.

(Image credit: Nostalgames)

*I Googled this name while writing to make sure I hadn’t accidentally named my character after some kind of famous online racist, and learnt there’s apparently a Kinda Funny person that goes by this name. Any resemblances between Kinda Funny’s Cool Greg and the 35-year-old female leader of the Soviet Union in 1985 are unintentional.

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Elon Musk’s DOGE Point Man is Now An MDMA Consigliere

by admin August 30, 2025

Antonio Gracias, Elon Musk’s close ally and Tesla (TSLA) board member, has pivoted to a controversial takeover of Lykos Therapeutics, a biotech firm developing MDMA-based therapies once rejected by the FDA for safety concerns, The Guardian reports.

As the psychedelics industry inches toward mainstream acceptance, new developments reveal how politics, science, and industry interests are shaping the future of mental health treatments.

But Gracias’ involvement in the regulatory body of the company he is now boosting is raising eyebrows, The Guardian reports.

Lykos, which announced a $50 million recapitalization earlier this year, has been at the front of pioneering some of the most promising research into MDMA-assisted therapy. But the firm’s recent FDA rejection of its clinical trials, which cited flaws linked to bias and trial design, has cast doubt on its prospects for approval.

Thanks largely to debates about scientific rigor, the agency ordered new Phase 3 testing, a process likely to take several years and cost millions.

The company’s opponents argue that flawed science led to the rejection, while supporters believe in the therapeutic potential of MDMA under proper regulation.

Neither Lykos nor Gracias responded to a request for comment.

‘Greasing the wheels’ for regulation?

Gracias’s recent leadership of Lykos, financed with a $50 million infusion backed by wealthy investors including hedge funds and veteran executives, arrives as Republican and Democratic officials alike are warming to the idea of faster approval for psychedelic medicines.

Some top Trump-era health officials, such as former officials and lawmakers, have publicly supported reevaluating the regulatory process, citing promising early results and patient demand.

This is raising alarm bells with ethics experts.

“You can’t be greasing the wheels and then say, ‘OK, now I’m going to quit and go pursue that approval,’” said Cynthia Brown, senior ethics counsel at the non-profit watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told The Guardian.

This political backing fuels concerns about politicizing the science. Critics warn that relaxing FDA standards or fast-tracking approvals under the influence of industry insiders could undermine the integrity of scientific research, risking future setbacks if safety is compromised.

“The challenge is ensuring that enthusiasm doesn’t outpace the evidence,” As Mason Marks, a Harvard law professor specializing in drug policy, told The Guardian. “Science must remain independent from politics to avoid bringing the entire industry into disrepute.”

Meanwhile, Gracias’s ties to Musk and the military, along with his past work in government, have raised questions about conflicts of interest amid the push for regulatory reform.

So will the FDA now reconsider?

The FDA now has broad discretion to reconsider its previous decisions, potentially issuing emergency authorizations or expedited reviews, creating opportunities for firms like Lykos to accelerate their path to market.

“Maps and Gracias are going to try to seize the moment that we’re in,” Ifetayo Harvey, a former Maps employee and executive director of the People of Color Psychedelic Collective, said. “I think the aim is to get MDMA-assisted psychotherapy approved by the FDA by any means necessary.”

Gracias’ involvement raises quite a few questions for the burgeoning psychedelics industry.

It stands at a crossroads: Whether to forge ahead under politicized but promising conditions or to proceed cautiously to ensure long-term safety and efficacy. As political figures harness deepening public interest in mental health and wellness, industry insiders and regulators face a delicate balance between hope and harm, progress and prudence.

“With the lack of transparency, it leaves us really grasping at what it even means to be Doge,” said Faith Williams, a policy director at the Project on Government Oversight, a non-profit watchdog group, told The Guardian.. “We have seen so many, if not outright conflicts of interest then potential for conflicts of interest, and if not outright corruption, potential for corruption.”

The magic of Burning Man

Rick Doblin, founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and a prominent, longtime advocate for the research and therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs. Doblin said he immediately saw a partnership.

“It was the magic of Burning Man,” Doblin said. “I was sort of looking for a white knight that would come in and would be more focused on healing and on public benefit.”

That spring, Lykos Therapeutics has announced a major leadership shakeup, appointing a new CEO and chief medical officer and restructuring its board of directors. These moves arrived as Gracias and investor Christopher Hohn assumed control.

“Gracias is actively involved in the company’s day-to-day operations,” an unnamed Map director and industry insider, told The Guardian. They said that was emphasizing the influence Gracias now wields over the firm’s strategic direction as it aims to regain regulatory confidence and accelerate clinical trials.

This leadership shift underscores the high stakes and intense industry interest in psychedelics, with supporters and critics alike watching closely as the company navigates complex regulatory and scientific hurdles.

But even more unusually, backers of the the company have been accused of a fundraising effort that allegedly involved doing drugs with investors.

“Definitely part of their fundraising strategy is ‘Meet rich people at Burning Man, do psychedelics with them and get Maps money,’” Harvey, who was Doblin’s executive assistant in 2015, told The Guardian.

Maps addresses allegations of drugs with investors

Maps denied that it used drugs to as a means of drumming up investment.

“MAPS conducts all fundraising activities with the highest integrity and maintains strict ethical boundaries in all donor relationships and fundraising activities. MAPS does not supply controlled substances at any events or gatherings, nor do we use substances as a fundraising tool or strategy,” Maps said in a statement.

Doblin also told Business Insider last year that giving drugs to donors was “not common”.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments