Epic's free game program is vital to rivaling Steam

Epic Games Store shares 60% of its users with Steam, making finding new customers with free video games of utmost importance

Streaming-Only Super Bowl Commercials Open New Tier for Marketers With Fewer Dollars for Big Game

While other Super Bowl sponsors like Instacart, Pringles and Bud Light will trot out famous faces like Ben Stiller, Sabrina Carpetner and Post Malone, Tecovas will do nothing of the sort. Instead, the small leather-apparel company will run a commercial that has already streamed

Highguard's episode 2 patch adds ranked mode, new character Ekon

Highguard's Episode 2 update introduces new Warden Ekon, and finally adds ranked mode to the game

How Japan can function as Taiwan deterrence logistics hub

Originally published by Pacific Forum, this article is republished with permission. In the early 1990s, President Lech Wałęsa envisioned Poland becoming a “second Japan” – an advanced economy with cutting-edge technology. Today, Polish observers note with irony that Japan may

Iran's foreign minister heads to Muscat for nuclear talks with US

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has departed for the Omani capital Muscat at the head of a diplomatic delegation for nuclear talks with the U.S. due to be held on Friday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson said. The U.S. and Iran have agreed to

Witkoff and Araghchi: the men leading US-Iran talks

US special envoy Steve Witkoff has spearheaded talks on Gaza and Ukraine, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is Iran's face abroad. On Friday, they meet in Muscat following a deadly crackdown on a mass protest movement against the Islamic republic that saw the United States

Global map catalogs 459 rare continental mantle earthquakes since 1990

Stanford researchers have created the first-ever global map of a rare earthquake type that occurs not in Earth's crust but in our planet's mantle, the layer sandwiched between the thin crust and Earth's molten core. The new map will help scientists learn more about the

Increasing pesticide toxicity threatens global biodiversity protection goal: Only one country is currently on target

At the 15th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada, in 2022, nations committed to reducing the risks associated with pesticide use in agriculture by 50% by 2030. A new study by a research team from RPTUKaiserslautern-Landau, published in the journal Science,

Two-day-old babies show brain signs of rhythm prediction, study finds

Babies are born with the ability to predict rhythm, according to a study published February 5 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Roberta Bianco from the Italian Institute of Technology, and colleagues.

Scientists explain why methane spiked in the early 2020s

A combination of weakened atmospheric removal and increased emissions from warming wetlands, rivers, lakes, and agricultural land increased atmospheric methane at an unprecedented rate in the early 2020s, an international team of researchers report today in the journal Science.

Scientists threw a tea party for apes and discovered they can use their imagination and play pretend

Scientists sat across from a 43-year-old bonobo called Kanzi to have an imaginary tea party. Here’s what happened.

Could apes 'play pretend' like toddlers? A study tracks imaginary juice and grapes

In a series of tea party-like experiments, Johns Hopkins University researchers demonstrate for the first time that apes can use their imagination and play pretend, an ability thought to be uniquely human.

Babies brains’ can follow a beat as soon as they’re born

Brain scans and signals show babies can sort images and sense rhythm, offering new insight into how infant brains are wired from the start.

A bonobo’s imaginary tea party suggests apes can play pretend

Apes, like humans, are capable of pretend play, challenging long-held views about how animals think, a new study suggests.

Sony’s New Live Service Game Is Coming At Just The Worst Possible Time

Horizon Hunters Gathering looks neat, but not many people are excited about yet another live-service online multiplayer thing The post Sony’s New Live Service Game Is Coming At Just The Worst Possible Time appeared first on Kotaku .

US, China opt out of joint declaration on AI use in military

A CORUNA, Spain, Feb 5 - Around a third of countries attending a military AI summit agreed on Thursday to a a declaration on how to govern deployment of the technology in warfare, but military heavyweights China and the U.S. opted out.

'They're incapable of overthrowing the regime': Why this Iranian Revolution scholar won't urge Iranians into the streets

Trump's threats strengthen Tehran's leadership, and a military strike would mean mass murder. In a new book, American Iranian scholar Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi argues that Iran has no intention of exterminating Israel and calls its nuclear program 'a manufactured crisis'

Democratic Women's Caucus blasts Trump admin's 'targeted attacks against child care programs'

The Democratic Women's Caucus (DWC) on Thursday condemned a proposed rule by the Trump administration to effectively rescind a Biden-era federal rule designed to make child care more affordable and accessible. In a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F.

T-Mobile Is For Home Internet: Here Are The Best Home Internet Deals Online

T-Mobile is highlighting its 5G Home Internet service with new deals designed for streaming-heavy households. Right now, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet has a limited-time offer aimed at making the switch to 5G Home Internet easy. The service is delivered via T-Mobile’s 5G cellular

Machado: Venezuela could have elections in less than a year

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Tuesday said that her country could hold elections in less than a year, after U.S. troops captured and ousted President Nicolás Maduro last month. "We believe that a real transparent process with manual voting … throughout

Neon Buys Sundance Documentary ‘Once Upon a Time in Harlem’ Following Heated Bidding War

Neon, the studio behind behind “Parasite” and “Anora,” has prevailed in a heated bidding war for U.S. rights to “Once Upon a Time in Harlem.” The documentary was conceived and filmed in 1972 by the late William Greaves and restored and directed by his son David Greaves. It

The Black Keys Announce New Covers Album Peaches!: Hear “You Got To Lose”

Last August, after owning up to their pretty disastrous 2024, the Black Keys released their 13th studio album No Rain, No Flowers. Around the same time, behind the scenes, Dan Auerbach was also taking care of his late father after an esophageal cancer diagnosis. Patrick Carney

Sam Altman Slams Anthropic Super Bowl Ads, Which Take Jabs at OpenAI’s Advertising Plans, as ‘Clearly Dishonest’

Anthropic has released a set of four ads as part of its 2026 Super Bowl marketing push that take a swing at artificial-intelligence rival OpenAI’s push into advertising. The spots each carry the tagline, “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude,” referring to Anthropic’s AI

Lindsey Graham says Johnson is open to expanding Smith probe payouts

Polish prime minister chides US ambassador in Trump Nobel Peace Prize squabble

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday chided U.S. Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose after the diplomat said Polish parliamentary Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty would be blacklisted over his opposition to nominating President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. “Mr. Ambassador

Ransom, Boldy James, & Nicholas Craven Announce New Project Salvation For The Wicked: Hear “Offerings”

Ransom, from NYC, and Boldy James, from Detroit, are two of the best, most prolific forces in underground rap. They’re teaming up for a full-length project called Salvation For The Wicked, produced by Montreal’s own Nicholas Craven, a frequent collaborator for both emcees. The

Hoyer floats DHS bill without ICE funds

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Thursday he expects House Democrats to soon introduce a bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without funds allocated for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The effort follows the approval of a two-week stopgap measure

Teaching machines to design molecular switches

In biology, many RNA molecules act as sophisticated microscopic machines. Among them, riboswitches function as tiny biological sensors, changing their 3D shape upon binding to a specific metabolite. This shape-change acts as a switch, often turning a downstream gene "on" or

Study finds numbing the mouth may speed up silent reading

Parents often tell their children to sound out the words as they are learning to read. It makes sense: Since they already know how to speak, the sound of a word might serve as a clue to its meaning.

Oscars: Best Actor — A Youthful Challenger, Seasoned Icons and a History-Making Wagner Moura

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis.

Trump says retains right to 'militarily' secure Chagos airbase

Feb 5 - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he retained the right to \"militarily secure\" a joint US-UK airbase in the Chagos Archipelago following \"productive\" discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Police Offering $50,000 Reward in Search for Savannah Guthrie’s Mom Nancy; Still ‘No Suspects’ or ‘Person of Interest’ After 5 Days

The FBI, which is jointly investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, has announced a $50,000 reward in the search for the mother of “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke told reporters on

Saudi Arabia deploys cash and clout in Yemen after ousting UAE

By Timour Azhari MUKALLA, Yemen/RIYADH - After pushing the United Arab Emirates out of Yemen late last year, Saudi Arabia is deploying political capital and billions of dollars in a bid to bring its southern neighbor more firmly under its control, a sign of Riyadh reasserting

Some cool animations made from Japanese receipts by...

Some cool animations made from Japanese receipts by Michele Merlo . 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →

Resident Evil Requiem Amiibo Does The Impossible: Makes Leon Ugly

I know amiibo are cheap, but who is this man? The post Resident Evil Requiem Amiibo Does The Impossible: Makes Leon Ugly appeared first on Kotaku .

Trump says he had 'productive' discussions with Starmer over Diego Garcia military base

President Trump said Thursday he has had “productive” discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the Chagos Islands, which house a U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia, the archipelago's largest island. The discussions revolved around a controversial deal

Predator: Badlands Hulu streaming date set for Feb. 12

Explore the divisive hit Predator: Badlands, its Hulu debut, and why it marks a turning point for the franchise.

Jennifer Davidson Promoted to Chief Marketing, Communications and Content Officer at Academy, Leading New Academy Studios for Digital Content

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has promoted Jennifer Davidson to the newly expanded role of Chief Marketing, Communications and Content Officer. In addition to her current responsibilities overseeing marketing, audience development, communications, digital and

ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on Sling TV: How to Watch the Cricket Tournament Live Online

Some of the world’s best cricket squads are in the host countries India and Sri Lanka for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. The tournament starts on Saturday, Feb. 7 and goes until Sunday, Mar. 8, and features the top 20 national cricket squads from around the world, like India, Sri

Film Academy Creates Academy Studios to Oversee Digital Output, Will Be Led by Jennifer Davidson

The well-liked PR vet, who has been with the Academy since 2019, will now serve as chief marketing, communications and content officer.

Did We Just See a Black Hole Explode?

An “impossible” neutrino detected by an underwater telescope could be the key The post Did We Just See a Black Hole Explode? appeared first on Nautilus .

A Portland-area theater says Amazon banned it from screening 'Melania.' Here's why

The documentary about the first lady is estimated to have garnered around $7 million during its first weekend at the box office.

College athletes, cash and Congress: The web of NIL

ATLANTA — College football fans are digesting one of the premier events on the gridiron — National Signing Day. As high school players pledge to join coaching staffs across the country, these young athletes face a new landscape. Not only how will they play, but for how long and

A Haunting in Brooklyn

"At 25, I saw my grandfather’s ghost. At 52, I think of what it may mean to be a ghost."

Trump announces visit from Japanese prime minister

President Trump announced in a Truth Social post Thursday that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit the White House on March 19. The president also endorsed Takaichi ahead of Japan’s general elections on Sunday in which all 465 seats of the country’s House of

A new comet was just discovered. Will it be visible in broad daylight?

A newly discovered comet has astronomers excited, with the potential to be a spectacular sight in early April. C/2026 A1 (MAPS) was spotted by a team of four amateur astronomers with a remotely operated telescope in the Atacama desert on January 13.

Xbox Has Big Plans In 2026, But Is Also Trying To Avoid GTA 6‘s Launch

Halo is summer, Gears and Fable in fall, and the Fallout 3 remaster is still in development, according to a new report The post Xbox Has Big Plans In 2026, But Is Also Trying To Avoid GTA 6‘s Launch appeared first on Kotaku .

Starmer apologises to Epstein victims for believing Mandelson's 'lies'

The PM says the depth of the pair's relationship was not known when he was appointed US ambassador.

Trump 'openly talking about rigging' election: Democratic governors

All 24 Democratic state governors condemned President Trump’s suggestion that he would “nationalize elections” in a joint statement released Thursday. “Voting in free and fair elections is the foundation of our democracy,” the governors wrote. “All Americans deserve to have

Market Update: NLY, EPD, SPG, YUM, PYPL