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If Your Laptop Needs Power, This 145W Portable Power Bank Is Selling for Peanuts Ahead of October Prime Day

by admin September 21, 2025

Small power banks normally only do as much as charging up phones, and that’s it. However, if you want a small charger that also can charge your laptop, this Ugreen 145W 25,000mAh model is something to consider. It’s rather revolutionary in its segment and is being sold in store on Amazon as an early Prime Day deal: Right now, it’s dropping to an all-time low price of $66, down from $99.

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Compact Powerhouse with Laptop-Level Charging

Ugreen’s power bank doesn’t just handle phones but it also tackles laptops and other high-demand devices with ease. Equipped with a massive 25,000mAh battery, it offers enough juice to fully recharge laptops about 1.3 times and phones up to 5.2 times.

What distinguishes the model is its turbo-speed 145W charging through PD3.1 and QC3.0 technology. Standout is the USB-C1 port, which has a capacity of up to 140W. That equates to charging a 16-inch MacBook Pro from zero to 56% in 30 minutes which is a quick pace for a portable charger. Besides that, there is two-way fast charging, meaning with a 65W or higher charger, you can easily top-up the power bank itself in roughly 2 hours.

The convenience factor is also very high with a very slim and light weight design that can be carried in any backpack or even a large pocket. There is a digital showing that displays the battery level clearly, so you will never be left stranded by low power at a critical time.

For $66 on Amazon with a 34% discount, it’s an all-time low price for a portable charger with serious power without serious bulk.

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September 21, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

This 140W Laptop Power Bank Is a Dream Buy Now That Amazon Has It Back at Black Friday Price

by admin September 20, 2025

There are thousands of power banks on Amazon, but most of them fall between 5W and 60W. That is fine if all you do is charge a phone but when it comes to laptops and bigger devices, they are not much use. The Anker 737 power bank is in a league of its own and it is able to charge nearly everything you own – the new iPhone or a MacBook. And right now, Amazon has cut it down to $87 (from $109), an all-time low price under the $100 threshold, which is why that it is currently the best-selling product in its category.

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The Power Bank That Charges Everything

At the core of the Anker 737 lies its huge capacity and speed: Carrying a gargantuan 24,000mAh battery, it has the juice to charge an iPhone 17 Pro from zero all the way up more than four times. Need to charge an iPad Pro or a MacBook? It can do that too, more than once over so you will not be scrambling to find an outlet on road trips. The difference from an average power bank is noticeable day one, because with them you usually need to ration juice.

And there’s the speed: The 737 model supports 140W fast charging via Power Delivery 3.1, something that’s usually reserved for laptop-only charger like devices. This lets you go from nearly dead, empty MacBook to usable in a hurry even when you’ve got other devices along for the ride. To get that kind of speed, you’ll need a 5A USB-C cable and a hefty 140W wall adapter to get the job done. But once you’ve got that, the experience is silky.

Another clever thing is the clever display on the device: Instead of guessing how much battery you have remaining or when you’ll be ready to go again, the digital readout on the screen shows real-time figures like power in and out and an estimate of time remaining to charge. For those who are lugging a number of devices, that sort of openness spares heartache and allows you to plan more effectively.

Yes, portability matters, and despite all its muscle, the Anker 737 still fits into a bag. It’s about 6 inches long and 22 ounces, so it’s easily portable on a vacation and, most importantly, does fit under TSA guidelines for carry-on luggage. That means you can bring it on a plane without any problem, which isn’t the case with most large power banks.

Three charging ports (two USB-C and one USB-A) mean that you can charge a few devices at once so you charge a laptop, phone, and earbuds at the same time instead of switching between them. That sort of freedom when you’re fully powered is what sets the Anker 737 power bank apart from the sea of tiny batteries that only get to keep one or two devices charged gradually. Add on top of that Anker’s excellent two-year warranty and many-year record of customer service, and there’s reassurance in the box.

Power banks are everywhere, but power banks like this one are not. If your definition of peace of mind is never running out of juice on your most important devices, now is the time to buy one.

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September 20, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Bank of Japan's Historic ETF Unwind Sparks Market Sell-Off, Dip in Crypto

by admin September 19, 2025

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) spooked markets Friday by announcing it will begin unwinding its $250 billion in exchange traded funds (ETFs) and Japanese Real Estate Investment Trusts (JREITs), assets it accumulated since 2010 as part of its ultra-loose monetary policy.

Under the plan, the central bank will sell ETFs with a book value of ¥330bn ($2.2 billion) annually, equivalent to ¥620bn ($4.2 billion) at market prices. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda stressed the pace would be deliberately slow, noting it would take more than a century to fully dispose of the holdings.

The announcement came alongside a decision to hold the bank's benchmark rate at 0.5% by a 7-2 split vote. Uncertainty over the next rate decision, with two members pushing for an immediate hike, has raised expectations of tightening as soon as October. Japan’s core CPI rose to 2.7% in August, well above the BOJ’s 2% target.

The Nikkei fell over 1% on Friday, while Japan’s 10-year JGB climbed to 1.64%. Crypto dipped alongside, with bitcoin falling back to just above $116,000 after threatening the $118,000 hours earlier.

The move comes against a fragile backdrop. As CoinDesk has reported, Japan’s debt-to-GDP ratio sits near 240%, with bond yields at multi-decade highs. Rising borrowing costs could pose a serious risk to fiscal sustainability.

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September 19, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Creators of Reigns, Streets of Rage and Saturnalia launch Palestinian Voices in Gaming to support indies from Gaza and the West Bank

by admin September 19, 2025

A group of game industry folks including Reigns studio Nerial, Saturnalia creators Santa Ragione and Streets Of Rage 4 outfit Lizardcube have launched Palestinian Voices in Gaming, an international volunteer network to support current and emerging independent Palestinian developers.

First convened in May 2024, the network are currently looking to connect Palestinian game devs with volunteers and funding partners. They’ll provide administrative help to any developer trying to get access to funding, and assistance managing resources and volunteer contributions, once secured. They aim to follow and boost each project from “production to announcement to publication”, and are already working with a range of smaller independent games, many of which explore recollections of pain and loss through speculative fiction and fantasy.

Dreams on a Pillow | Image credit: Rasheed Abu-Eideh

As you might expect, the network is a response to Israel’s on-going mass killing and dispossession of Palestinians in Gaza, which has now formally been defined as a genocide by a UN inquiry, together with the long-term killing, oppression and mistreatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and inside Israel’s own borders.

“The dehumanisation of Palestinians is tied to their rare visibility in the cultural sphere,” the organisers note on their website. “This dehumanisation costs lives – as the world remains indifferent to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and to the surge of violent oppression across the West Bank and inside Israel.

“We want to push against the dehumanisation of Palestinians, not simply through representation but also through professional and economic support, so that Palestinian game developers may tell their own stories and reach global audiences.”

Being 2 | Image credit: Iasmin Omar Ata / Delta

Among the Palestinian game developers PVG are working with is Iasmin Omar Ata, whose forthcoming sci-fi adventure novel Being 2 is set in a Palestinian space colony. “You would have to fix the space colony during a black out, which would lead to flashbacks/hallucinations allowing to see past memories of Palestine,” reads a summary from the developer’s portfolio.

Another partner developer, Yusra, is working on RiYafa (pictured in this article’s header), an underwater experience “that combines testimony and symbolism to tell the story of her family and community based in the West Bank”, in the words of a press release.

Yasmine Batniji’s Pomegranates is also set in the future. “Travel to the year 2048 and play as a memory keeper in the reclaimed and rebuilt Gaza City,” reads the summary. “You will be tasked with tracing echoes of the current war at the renovated Al-Ahli hospital.” You can find a version of it on Itch.io.

Image credit: Yasmine Batniji / Gabbah Baya

Lastly, there’s Rasheed Abueideh, creator of Liyla and the Shadows of War and the forthcoming Dreams on a Pillow. Nic interviewed Abueideh about the latter game last year – amongst other things, they discussed the absence of support structures for Palestinian game developers in the occupied West Bank. “You need to experiment many things, and you have to make many iterations to reach something that is beautiful and people can actually enjoy,” Abueideh told Nic. “And to do this, you need an ecosystem that helps you.”

If you’d like to apply for support from the network, you can do so via this form. If you’d like to sign up as a volunteer, you can do so here.

The games industry at large has a… complicated relationship with Palestine. While many large publishers halted game sales in Russia following the outbreak of a murderous invasion of Ukraine, there hasn’t been a similar wave of divestment from Israel, even given some well-supported accusations of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

In particular, Microsoft and Xbox are the subject of a boycott in response to their alleged collaborations with the Israeli military to surveil and target Palestinians using cloud technology and generative AI. Nic and I recently interviewed a number of people participating in the boycott, amongst them a former Microsoft developer who called attention to Microsoft’s “double standard” toward internal discussion of Israel and Palestine. Microsoft declined to comment on this allegation when approached by RPS.

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September 19, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Bank of Canada Calls for Guardrails as Stablecoins Go Mainstream

by admin September 19, 2025

In brief

Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Ron Morrow called for federal stablecoin regulation while highlighting Canada’s lagging payments modernization compared to the U.S. and UK.
Canadian remittance costs are “significantly higher” than other developed nations, creating opportunities for stablecoin adoption to reduce cross-border payment fees.
Stablecoins could cut remittance fees to “less than 1 percent” from the 5–10% charged today, an expert told Decrypt.

The Bank of Canada has warned that stablecoins, now powering trillions in global payments, must be “as safe and stable as the balance in your bank account” before regulators let them scale.

Speaking at the CPA conference in Ottawa on Thursday, Senior Deputy Governor Ron Morrow said that while stablecoins present major opportunities to modernize Canada’s payment infrastructure, “there’s scope for a lot of potential change, but there’s also the need for some caution.”

Morrow pointed to Canada’s particular vulnerability in cross-border payments, noting international money transfer costs are “significantly higher in Canada than in jurisdictions like the United States and United Kingdom.”

This cost disparity creates acute challenges for immigrant communities sending remittances overseas.

“An average unskilled laborer working abroad loses 5-10% for a micro remittance amount via Western Union-type networks,” Jagdish Pandya, founder of Blockon Ventures, told Decrypt, noting that stablecoins bring this down to less than 1%, since “only network fees are a primary cost.”

“To make a stark analogy, paying with Bitcoin is like agreeing to pay for your lunch with shares of a tech start-up,” Morrow said, comparing it with stablecoins that are “pegged to a fiat currency, such as the U.S. dollar, and generally trade close to the value of that currency.”

Canada and stablecoins

Canada currently lacks federal stablecoin regulation, relying instead on provincial securities frameworks and federal anti-money laundering provisions.

The Deputy Governor suggested the country should “weigh the merits of federal stablecoin regulation, similar to what other countries have done.”

Survey data from Canadian business leaders shows that almost 60% believe the country’s competitiveness will decline without further payment innovation, according to the Deputy Governor.

Musheer Ahmed, founder of Finstep Asia, told Decrypt that Canadian firms could “lose out on a piece of the global pie, if they don’t have the opportunity to trial in their local ecosystems first” as the U.S. gains advantages under the GENIUS Act.

He suggested Canada could “take a leaf from the HKMA and VARA playbook viz sandboxes and pilots, while the regulations make their way through the legislative bodies.”

“The true success of a Canadian fiat-backed stablecoin will depend on its seamless integration with domestic payment systems, strong local utility, global interoperability, and regulatory clarity—especially in a market currently dominated by the U.S. dollar,” Manhar Garegrat, Country Head at Liminal Custody, told Decrypt.

With “neutral, trustless” blockchains like Ethereum and Solana enabling real-time global trade, he argued that, “All sovereign nations will want to issue digital currencies.”

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September 19, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Ripple’s Technology Powers New Deal With DBS Bank And Franklin Templeton

by admin September 19, 2025

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Singapore-based DBS Group has forged a strategic partnership with US asset manager and crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) issuer Franklin Templeton, alongside Ripple, to enhance trading and lending services for accredited and institutional investors.

In a press release issued on Thursday, Ripple announced that the collaboration would utilize tokenized money market funds (TMMFs) and the blockchain payment firm’s stablecoin, RLUSD, to provide new financial solutions.

DBS Explores Liquidity Solutions With sgBENJI Tokens

Under this agreement, DBS Group, Singapore’s largest lender, will list Franklin Templeton’s sgBENJI token, which represents the asset manager’s tokenized US dollar money market fund, on the DBS Digital Exchange.

This partnership marks a new milestone in the maturation of the digital asset ecosystem, which has been garnering increased interest from institutional investors—87% of whom are expected to invest in digital assets by 2025.

For context, crypto MMFs, or tokenized money market funds, are blockchain-based digital versions of traditional MMMFs that offer investors high liquidity, low-risk, short-term yield and ability to manage cash more efficiently.

The collaboration aims to enable clients to manage their digital asset portfolios more effectively, particularly in response to the increased volatility seen in the broader digital asset industry over the past couple of months.

By listing sgBENJI alongside RLUSD on the DBS Digital Exchange, eligible clients can quickly trade RLUSD for sgBENJI tokens. This allows for portfolio rebalancing into a more stable asset within minutes and around the clock.

Looking ahead, DBS plans to explore further liquidity options for clients by using sgBENJI tokens as collateral. This could involve facilitating credit through repurchase transactions (repo) or collaborating with third-party platforms, with DBS acting as a trusted agent holding the collateral.

Ripple’s XRP Ledger Chosen For sgBENJI Tokenization

To enhance the tokenization ecosystem, Franklin Templeton will utilize the XRP Ledger (XRPL), designed for low-cost global financial transactions, for tokenizing sgBENJI.

Per the announcement, the choice of Ripple’s blockchain is driven by its speed, efficiency, and low transaction costs, making it an ideal platform for managing high-volume, low-latency assets like tokenized money market funds.

Lim Wee Kian, CEO of DBS Digital Exchange, emphasized the need for solutions that cater to the demands of a continuously evolving digital asset landscape. He stated that this partnership exemplifies how tokenized securities can enhance efficiency and liquidity in global financial markets.

Roger Bayston, Head of Digital Assets at Franklin Templeton, echoed Kian’s statement on the new partnership, highlighting the potential of blockchain and tokenization in reshaping the financial ecosystem.

Lastly, Nigel Khakoo, VP and Global Head of Trading and Markets at Ripple, noted that this collaboration represents a significant advancement in the utility of tokenized securities.

He described the partnership as a “game-changer” for investors, who will now be able to seamlessly rebalance their portfolios between stablecoins and yield-generating money market funds within a single, trusted framework.

The daily chart shows XRP’s price recovery. Source: XRPUSDT on TradingView.com

At the time of writing, Ripple’s associated token, XRP, is trading at $3.10, capitalizing on the market’s new uptrend with a 3.2% surge over the last 24 hours. However, the cryptocurrency remains 14% below its all-time high of $3.65.

Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com

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September 19, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Check Your Bank Accounts, You Might Spot a Deposit From a Facebook Lawsuit

by admin September 16, 2025

Read your email carefully this week: On Monday morning, I received an email from PayPal with the enticing subject line, “Your Facebook Consumer Privacy User Profile Litigation Settlement Payment.” And no, it wasn’t a scam. I opened it to find my PayPal account had been sent $37.55 as my share of Facebook’s $725 million privacy settlement.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

I was glad I spotted the email, because the money would’ve sat there in PayPal until I made a PayPal purchase. Instead, I chose to transfer it to my bank, where it’s expected to show up by Thursday.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that if you neglected to file a claim by the 2023 deadline, you’re out of luck.

This all stems from what might be the largest privacy settlement in US history: Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is paying $725 million to settle claims involving the sharing of user data with third-party companies.

Back in 2018, Facebook was accused of improperly disclosing users’ personal information. Cambridge Analytica, a UK political consulting firm with ties to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, ended up with the data of as many as 87 million Facebook users. Meta denied any wrongdoing, saying in a 2023 statement that it agreed to the deal because “it’s in the best interest of our community and shareholders.”

A representative for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The amount you receive depends on how long you had an active Facebook account.

Screenshot by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper/CNET

Payment amounts differ

The official website for the lawsuit has more information about settlement payments. It notes that settlement payments are being sent only to class members with approved claims. Distribution of the payments will continue over the next 10 weeks. If your claim is approved, a notification will be sent to your email a few days before your payment is issued.

If you are unsure of the status of your claim form and would like to check, you can send an email to the Settlement Administrator at info@facebookuserprivacysettlement.com, but you must include your Claim ID.

Some recipients will be paid via direct deposit, Venmo, Zelle, a mailed check or a virtual prepaid MasterCard, based on the method they chose when they filed their claim. I certainly didn’t remember which method I chose back then, but the PayPal email jogged my memory.

Your settlement amount might be slightly different from mine. The website says authorized claimants receive one point for each month in which they had an active Facebook account during the class period. The number of points helps determine the amount you’re paid.

According to CBS News, the average payment amount is $29.43, and the maximum payout is $38.36.

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Stablecoins Don’t Drain Bank Deposits, Calls It a ‘Myth’

by admin September 16, 2025

Leading U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has refuted claims that stablecoins threaten the US banking system by causing “deposit erosion.” It called this idea a myth.

In a blog post on September 16, the exchange dismissed concerns about stablecoins pulling funds from bank deposits as unfounded. Coinbase also cited that recent analysis highlighted that there is no significant connection between stablecoin use and deposit outflows at community banks.

Further, the exchange argued that stablecoins, which are dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies, function primarily as payment tools rather than savings accounts. “Stablecoins don’t threaten lending—they offer a competitive alternative to banks’ $187 billion annual swipe-fee windfall,” it stated, emphasizing that users choosing stablecoins for international payments are not reallocating savings but opting for faster, cheaper transactions.

The exchange also challenged a U.S. Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee report projecting $6 trillion in potential deposit flight against a $2 trillion stablecoin market by 2028, calling the figures inconsistent. Coinbase’s accompanying paper noted that most stablecoin activity, over $1 trillion of $2 trillion in 2024 transactions, occurs outside the U.S., particularly in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, where financial infrastructure is weaker.

Coinbase: Stablecoins boost USD, coexist with banks

Coinbase argued that this international use strengthens the U.S. dollar’s global dominance rather than undermining domestic banks. It further highlighted positive correlations between bank stock performance and crypto firms like itself and Circle after the passage of the GENIUS Act, suggesting banks and stablecoins can coexist.

The exchange’s stance aligns with comments from Bitwise’s Investment Chief Matt Hougan, who last week criticized U.S. banks in an X post for offering low deposit yields while resisting stablecoin competition instead of improving services. The debate follows August 2025 calls from U.S. banking groups, led by the Bank Policy Institute, urging Congress to address a perceived loophole in the GENIUS Act that could allow stablecoin issuers to indirectly offer yields through crypto exchanges.

Also Read: Hong Kong To Simplify Crypto Rules To Support Stablecoin Banking

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Are Stablecoins Really a Risk to Bank Deposits? Coinbase Policy Chief Says ‘No’

by admin September 16, 2025

Contrary to claims from the U.S. banking industry, stablecoins do not pose a risk to the financial system, according to the chief policy officer at crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN), Faryar Shirzad. Banks’ claims that they do are are myths crafted to defend their revenues, he wrote in a Tueday blog post.

“The central claim — that stablecoins will cause a mass outflow of bank deposits — simply doesn’t hold up,” Shirzad wrote. “Recent analysis shows no meaningful link between stablecoin adoption and deposit flight for community banks and there’s no reason to believe big banks would fare any worse.”

Larger lenders still hold trillions of dollars at the Federal Reserve and if deposits were really at risk, he argued, they would be competing harder for customer funds by offering higher interest rates rather than parking cash at the central bank

According to Shirzad, the real reason for banks’ opposition is the payments business. Stablecoins, digital tokens whose value is pegged to a real-life asset such as the dollar, offer faster and cheaper ways to move money, threatening an estimated $187 billion in annual swipe-fee revenue for traditional card networks and banks.

He compared the current pushback to earlier battles against ATMs and online banking, when incumbents warned of systemic dangers but, he said, were ultimately trying to protect entrenched profits.

Shirzad also dismissed reports predicting trillions in potential outflows from deposits into stablecoins, whose total market cap is around $290 billion, according to data from CoinGecko. He stressed that stablecoins are primarily used as payment tools — for trading digital assets or sending funds abroad — not as long-term savings products.

Someone purchasing stablecoins to settle with an overseas supplier, he argued, is opting for a more efficient transaction method the going through their bank, not pulling money from a savings account.

He urged banks to embrace the technology instead of resisting it, saying stablecoin rails could cut settlement times, lower correspondent banking costs and provide round-the-clock payments. Those institutions willing to adapt, he wrote, stand to benefit from the shift.

The U.K., too, faces concerns about the effect of stablecoins on the financial industry.

The Financial Times reported Monday that the Bank of England is considering setting limits on how many “systemic” stablecoins people and companies can hold — setting thresholds as low as 10,000 pounds ($13,600) for individuals and about 10 million pounds for businesses.

Officials define systemic stablecoins as those already widely used for U.K. payments or expected to become so, and say the caps are needed to prevent sudden deposit outflows that could weaken lending and financial stability.

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

UK Crypto Groups Criticize Bank of England’s Proposed Stablecoin Caps

by admin September 15, 2025

The Financial Times (FT) reported on Monday that cryptocurrency groups are urging the Bank of England (BoE) to scrap proposals limiting the amount of stablecoins individuals and businesses can own.

The groups warned that the rules would leave the UK with stricter oversight than the U.S. or the European Union (EU).

According to the FT, BoE officials plan to impose caps of 10,000 british pounds to 20,000 British pounds ($13,600–$27,200) for individuals and about 10 million British pounds ($13.6 million) for businesses on all systemic stablecoins, defined as tokens already widely used for payments in the U.K. or expected to be in the future.

The central bank has argued the restrictions are needed to prevent outflows of deposits from banks that could weaken credit provision and financial stability.

The FT cited Sasha Mills, the BoE’s executive director for financial market infrastructure, as saying the limits would mitigate risks from sudden deposit withdrawals and the scaling of new systemic payment systems.

However, industry executives told the FT the plan is unworkable.

Tom Duff Gordon, Coinbase’s vice president of international policy, said “imposing caps on stablecoins is bad for U.K. savers, bad for the City and bad for sterling,” adding that no other major jurisdiction has imposed such limits.

Simon Jennings of the UK cryptoasset business council said enforcement would be nearly impossible without new systems such as digital IDs. Riccardo Tordera-Ricchi of The Payments Association told the FT that limits “make no sense” because there are no caps on cash or bank accounts.

The U.S. enacted the GENIUS Act in July, which establishes a federal framework for payment stablecoins. The law sets licensing, reserve and redemption standards for issuers, with no caps on individual holdings. The European Union has also moved ahead with its Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), which is now fully in effect across the bloc.

Stablecoin-specific rules for asset-referenced and e-money tokens took effect on June 30, 2024, followed by broader provisions for crypto-assets and service providers on Dec. 30, 2024. Like the U.S. approach, MiCA does not cap holdings, instead focusing on reserves, governance and oversight by national regulators.

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September 15, 2025 0 comments