Monarch Money — 30% off annual plan (WELCOME) Monarch Money is a highly customizable budgeting app. Right now new users can use the code WELCOME at checkout to get 30% off the annual plan — typically $100/year, reduced to $70. Key caveats: this discount is for new users only, cannot be combined with other offers, and must be redeemed through the Monarch website (it won’t redeem via the mobile app). Why consider Monarch? Detailed dashboard: net worth, latest transactions, spending vs prior month, income, upcoming bills, investments, and goals. Month-in-review page for in-depth monthly breakdowns. Connects to banks and tracks Apple Card, Apple Cash and Savings; imports transaction and balance history and detects recurring expenses/income. Can keep car valuation updated. Note: Monarch can take more setup and has a steeper…

Sony & AMD Tease "Project Amethyst" Sony and AMD released a discussion video featuring Mark Cerny (lead architect of PS4/PS5) and Jack Huynh (SVP & GM, AMD Computing and Graphics Group) outlining early research collectively called Project Amethyst. The demo technologies—Neural Arrays, Radiance Cores, and Universal Compression—are intended to improve ray tracing, ML-based upscaling, and GPU efficiency for Sony's next PlayStation and future AMD GPUs. Key Technologies Neural Arrays Neural Arrays enable compute units to work together and share data across a larger tile of the screen, improving efficiency for machine-learning workloads such as upscaling (e.g., FSR/PSSR) and ray regeneration. AMD says this will deliver a "whole new level of machine learning performance." Radiance Cores Radiance Cores are a new fixed-function hardware block designed to accelerate ray and path tracing…

YouTube launches ‘Second Chances’ pilot for some terminated creators YouTube has started a pilot “second chances” program allowing some previously terminated creators to request a fresh channel on the platform. The company says eligible creators can apply to create a new channel, but they will not regain access to their old channels, subscribers, or content. Key details New channels only: Anyone approved can create a brand-new channel; terminated channels and subscriber lists remain inaccessible. Eligibility is limited and vague: YouTube says only "qualified creators" can apply and hasn’t published a full list of eligible termination types. Not for copyright repeat offenders: Creators banned for copyright infringement are explicitly excluded from applying. Review process: YouTube will roll the pilot out over months and review requests carefully, considering severity and persistence of…

Logitech MX Master 4: Our impressions of the new mouse generation Since last month we've been rolling out the new Logitech MX Master 4 at our Mac workstations. Previously we mainly used ergonomic, vertical designs like the Logitech Lift because their pronated (vertical) hand position reduces strain on the joints. Moving back to a classic mouse shape naturally came with some reservations. What’s new in the MX Master 4 Haptic feedback built into the thumb rest for tactile shortcuts. Action Ring: an on-thumb circular menu for app-specific shortcuts (media, file manager, AI tools, etc.). Available in multiple colors and partly made from post-consumer recycled plastics. Wireless, high-precision sensor and a host of customizable buttons geared toward productivity users. Our experience Switching from the Lift to the MX Master 4 felt…

Proton VPN Free Plan Adds Canada & Norway — Now 8 Countries Proton VPN has expanded its Free plan to include servers in Canada and Norway, bringing the total number of countries with free servers to eight: United States, Netherlands, Japan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Canada and Norway. How the Free Plan Works Free users cannot manually select a server location. The Proton VPN app auto-selects the fastest available free server when you connect. This means you may not be able to pick a specific country (for example, Norway) for streaming or geo-unblocking unless you upgrade to a paid plan. Why the Update Matters Adding more free server locations helps reduce congestion on existing free servers, which can improve speeds for everyone on the free tier. It also means users in…

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle — Anniversary Update (Oct 10, 2025) MachineGames is releasing a free anniversary update for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on October 10, 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. The update adds a number of new features, quality‑of‑life improvements and bug fixes. What’s new New Game+: Replay the main story with most upgrades carrying over, including adventure books (skills), medicine bottles, currency and any unspent adventure points. Completing New Game+ unlocks a new after‑credits ending sequence. Cairo outfit: The classic outfit Indiana Jones wore in Raiders of the Lost Ark is now available (wearable when Indy isn’t disguised). More outfits are promised soon. Voice language mixing: Mix any of the 9 voice languages with any of the 14 text/subtitle languages in the…

Study: Social-Media Addiction Extends Beyond Youth A May 2025 analysis by Hochschule Macromedia (in cooperation with YouGov) finds that problematic social-media use is not limited to teenagers. Around 25% of adults aged 18–44 show patterns of use that researchers associate with social-media addiction. Key findings Study/press release date: May 2025 Target group: Adults in Germany (18–44 years) Approximately 25% exhibited behaviors linked to addictive use The study’s authors argue that political and public-health measures should not only focus on youth but be designed to address adults across age groups. Read the original press release for more details: Hochschule Macromedia — Suchtfaktor Social Media (May 2025) Questions for readers Have you or someone you know experienced excessive social-media use? What measures do you think could help? Share your thoughts below. Source:…

Heart Machine winds down Hyper Light Breaker development; layoffs confirmed Heart Machine has announced it is winding down development on Hyper Light Breaker, the studio’s third-person roguelike follow-up to Hyper Light Drifter. The studio confirmed layoffs and said the Early Access title will not reach a full 1.0 release as originally planned. What the studio said “As we wrap up our work on Hyper Light Breaker, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to part with a number of talented team members. This was not our ideal path, but rather the only one available given the circumstances, including shifts in funding, corporate consolidation and the uncertain environment many small studios like us are navigating today.” Heart Machine added it plans to "deliver something meaningful and as polished and complete as…

Skate Story — Skate as a Glass Demon (Out Dec 8) Devolver Digital and developer Sam Eng have set a firm release date for Skate Story: December 8, 2025. The surreal indie skate-adventure casts you as a demon made of glass, grinding, ollieing and kickflipping through the underworld to swallow the moon and win your freedom from the Devil. Platforms: PC (Windows/macOS via Steam), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2. Where to learn more / wishlist: Steam store — Skate Story on Steam Official site: skatestory.com Coverage / announcement: Gematsu reported the December 8 launch — read more. Trailers and gameplay clips are available on YouTube and the official site. Demo status: Check the Steam page for the latest on demos or early builds; availability may change before launch. What to…

Still-Available Prime Day SSD & microSD Deals — Top Picks Although Prime Day is over, many great discounts on SSDs, portable SSDs and microSD cards are still available. Below are curated picks and Amazon search links (affiliate) to help you find these products quickly. Top microSD picks Samsung PRO Plus microSD — Strong performer for photography and gaming. Search on Amazon: Samsung PRO Plus microSD on Amazon. SanDisk 1TB microSD — Near-best price for large-capacity Switch storage. Search on Amazon: SanDisk 1TB microSD on Amazon. Top internal SSD picks Crucial BX500 1TB (SATA) — Budget-friendly, 540MB/s read speeds. Search on Amazon: Crucial BX500 1TB on Amazon. Samsung 990 Evo Plus 1TB — Excellent NVMe performance (up to ~7,250MB/s read). Search on Amazon: Samsung 990 Evo Plus 1TB on Amazon. Samsung…