I'm sure the fact that console hardware is nearly twice the price that it was 6 years ago for the same system is having its damaging impacts (Series S was $300 in 2020, vs $500 in 2026).

However, the real pitfall will be AI and its ability to decompile older games. In recent weeks, I've seen more and more stories of people figuring out how to decompile older, console exclusives and port them to the PC (and other consoles). I also saw a headline that modders have gotten a PS5 to run PS2 games from a disc, rather than requiring users to re-purchase the digital version as Sony would require. Once the exclusives are ported to a PC, there will be less incentive for people to own a specific console.

To go farther, AI might completely ruin digital ownership. If anyone can decompile a game, then gaming may shift to streaming-only where the code can't be accessed for reverse engineering.

Jarjar is for the kids. Last summer, I tried to watch Star Wars with my 5 and 7 year old. They enjoyed the original trilogy. We attempted to watch Episode 1 and it could barely hold their attention. The only parts they liked were scenes with Jarjar; they laughed their heads off at his antics. The final battle was their favorite part because it was so absurd. They movie wasn't interesting enough for the entire family, as the originals were, so they added Jarjar to entertain they youngins.

100% this. I used to get eaten up by mosquitos every year. Due to stomach issues, I did the carnivore diet for about 6 months. That summer, I rarely got bit. To this day, I consume much less sugar than I used to and have noticed a dramatic reduction of mosquito bites compared to years before.

It's $800 at Best Buy and over $1000 directly from Samsung.

I worked for UPS while in college. I can almost guarantee you that if your package is under 20lbs, it was tossed at some point during its transit.

Game Pass. They want games to be subscription based. If they switch to multi-platform, it allows their service to be accessed by more people. It's no longer about the console market. The consoles were generally sold at a loss anyway.

I concur. The Pixel 2 was my favorite. I preferred the smaller screen size as well.

The battery crapping out is the biggest reason I replace my phone. For several years now, T-Mobile has been offering the latest Pixel phone for free (taxes excluded of course) if you trade in an older phone. Because of this, it's cheaper for me to upgrade my phone than it is to professionally replace the battery. Prior to that, I would replace the battery myself (ruining the waterproof ratings).

Yes, but if dad's name and billing information is attached to the iCloud account, this gets very sticky. If there are any ongoing payments/charges that occur after the divorce, I believe it's assumed that he still retains control/ownership. Especially if the lawyers never discussed it during settlement.

If dad bought the iPads, some of the apps, made the accounts, and he still has any form of custody, then Apple doesn't have a right to take it away from him. "Kate" can do the same thing many other people do in this situation: have their own set of toys for each household.

Sounds like they're targeting Bitcoin again.

I've never had stick drift either on any of my consoles. I think there are other factors that we don't take into account beyond "cheap" thumbsticks. Perhaps some people use a death grip? My hands are always dry when I game, but one of my best friends used to sweat profusely from his palms whenever he gamed.

Honestly, I think this is part of the marketing. Starbucks is considered to be pretty hip and stylish amongst some people, so they're probably banking on the possibility that Starbucks will make this type of building structure look cool.

This argument about textbooks hits close to the problem with common core math. Many of the complaints I heard from parents was that they were no longer able to assist their children with homework because they didn't understand the new methods. They had to relearn how to do math, which unfortunately was not something many parents did.

It has a 30% success rate for the hack, and the github states that it can take up to 20 minutes to boot the console. Nice proof of concept, but obviously inferior to the hardwire methods. What I can see it useful for is dumping/flashing the NAND without having to hardwire a programmer to the motherboard. Previously, you needed to solder in a custom programmer and a glitch-chip. I believe modern hacks, such as the RGH3, has removed the requirement to need a special glitch-chip. So this USB dongle removes the need for a special programmer, which means you can complete the hardware hack using only parts from Radio Shack (or whatever is the equivalent these days).